#this is why people refuse to quit using ad blockers

[infinitystation]

pwease stop using your ad block we are just a small indie company trying to make a living 🥺🥺🥺

[haikyu-hoe]

Love From Abroad

Tendou Satori x reader

one shot, fluff

this is one of my first times writing, so feedback is appreciated! dm for requests :)

hope you like it!

———————————————————————

You’re an exchange student in Japan and today is your first day at Shiratorizawa Academy. You’re a second year. You’re quite nervous but you’re confident that you’ll make friends.

When you get to class, the teacher asks you to introduce yourself to the class.

“Hi i’m y/k, i’m from [your country] and i’ll be joining for the rest of the year”, you say with a shy wave.

You sit on an empty seat beside a black haired girl with cute chubby cheeks.

“Hi i’m Elen”, she says with a timid smile.

You smile back at her and the lesson begins. This is harder than the classes you had at your previous school but you think you’ll get used to it. After all, you’ve always been pretty smart.

At lunch you sit with Elen and a few of her friends from your class and they’re all super nice to you and even offer to give you a tout after classes end. You of course accept this offer gladly since you kinda got lost this morning...

During the tour, they show you many things.

“Here we have the library, over there is a place where you can study and there’s 3rd years to help you and over here is the sports wing”, explains Lin, one of Elen’s friends, a short girl with brown, wavy hair.

“Thanks for the tour! I really appreciate it”, you thank them with a big smile.

They then leave to walk home but you decide to stick around a bit more. As you wander in the corridors you get to the sports wing Lin talked about. Curious about how big it might be, you walk down the main corridor. You can hear balls thudding and smashing on the walls inside one of the gym. You push the door shyly and go sit on a bench with other spectators.

“Their volleyball team is pretty good... Well i did hear it was what they call a powerhouse school so...”, you think, kinda zoning out.

One of the players, Ushijima, seems to be the star of the team. But he’s not the one you’re looking at. A red haired funky boy caught your eyes. He’s so charismatic and his bandaged fingers just look so hot...

You listen closely and finally catch his name: Tendou Satori.

After practice ends, you get up to leave but someone shouts behind you. You turn around to see a black haired boy with a choppy haircut and... TENDOU?!

“OI!!”, they say enthusiastically.

“h- hi?”, you ask, unsure if they’re really talking to you (even though there’s no one around anymore).

“I’m Goshiki and he’s Tendou”, says the black haired boy. “That over there is Shirabu and that, of course, is Ushijima. Are you new around here? I don’t think we’ve ever seen you around before.”, he says with a bright smile.

“Yeah i’m new I just transferred from [your country]. I’m y/k by the way!”, you reply, holding out your hand.

Goshiki shakes it while Tendou just looks at you with some weird smile that is somehow so attractive?

“Y/k huh... want me to walk you home?”, Tendou says while getting extremely close to you.

“Sureee”, you say. “But aren’t you tired from practice?”

“Don’t worry, it’ll replace my stretching!”, he says happily. He then grabs his bag, puts his arms around your shoulders and guides you to the exit.

“He sure is a people person huh”, you think. You’re kinda lost in your thought but you catch a few things he’s saying. He’s a 3rd year in class 2, and he’s a middle blocker. He then goes on about the other team members and fun facts about the school.

“Soooo tell me about yourself nowwww”, he says with that weird smile again.

You blush a bit and scratch the back of your neck and reply “Well i’m new to everything here, but i made a few friends in my class. I’m in second year, class one. The team was really amazing today by the way”, you try to be nice to him.

His smile widens at those last words and you walk in a comfortable silence back home. You thank him and walk inside.

“fuck...”, you mutter to yourself. It didn’t even take a full day for you to be completely in love with this strange volleyball player.

[time skip]

The next morning, you hurry up to school so you can look at the gyms before going to class. You catch a glimpse of Tendou, but of course he doesn’t see you.

At lunch, you tell Elen and the others all about last night. Lin is especially excited and Akira even lets out a little squeal. They convince you to go to practice again tonight.

When you get to practice, you quietly sits on the spectator’s bench but Tendou still notices you and smirks at you with a slight wink.

Luckily he quickly turns back to the game so he doesn’t see you blushing like a tomato. Watching him is fun but you can’t wait till practice is over and you can talk to him.

At about 5 pm, he finally gets out of the boy’s changing room and walks up to you.

“Heyyyy~ were you waiting for me?”, he says in a teasing tone while raising one eyebrow.

You blush a bit and lightly punch his arm.

“Why would i wait for such an idiot” , you say with a smirk. He pretends that your words are breaking his heart and then laughs. You had heard him laugh before but never that way... it was so carefree, so... adorable...

On the way home, he catches you staring at him, lost in the admiration of his perfect self.

“you ok y/k?”, he asks.

“ye- yeah sorry”, you reply quickly and start looking in front of you.

“soooo are you free tomorrow” he suddenly asks. You most certainly didn’t expect this. Does he mean as a date?? Maybe he juste want to hang out, i mean you barely know each other right?

He looks at you amused by the confused look on your face and his grin gets wider. He lets out a little chuckle before adding “yes, as a date y/k”

You blush heavily. It’s no use trying to hide it, you’re like a volcano about to erupt.

“yes! I mean um of course”, you reply nervously. You scratch the back of your neck, something you do each time you’re nervous.

“Great” he says happily, in a sing-song voice. “I’ll pick you up at 11 alright?” he adds.

You nod your head. God what will you wear?? Will you hold hands? Kiss even? What will you guys even do? All these questions keep you awake that night but you still fall asleep after a while, so happy about that date.

[at 10 the next morning]

You wake up, grab some quick breakfast and jump in the shower. You have to look perfect for this. After carefully planning an outfit and doing your hair and makeup, you hear the doorbell ring. Your heart starts beating faster.

You open the door to see a casually dressed Tendou grinning widly at you. He’s wearing black ripped jeans, adidas shoes and a hoodie that matches his hair colour. It’s so weird seeing him without his school or volleyball uniform.

“hey y/k~ you look...” he looks you up and down while blushing before continuing. “...great. You look great.”

You just blush as he takes your hand and drags you along with him.

“where are we going, Tendou-kun?”, you ask in a shy voice.

As a reply, he simply smiles at you and whispers “you’ll see”.

Impatient to know where you’re going, you try to get him to walk faster. But Tendou is not in a hurry at all, and since he’s stronger than you, you have to follow his pace. No matter how much you whine, insist and plead, the red-haired noodle boy refuses to reveal where you’re going.

After about 20 minutes you get to a 50’s themed restaurant. The inside is amazing with its vintage jukebox, checkered floor, coca cola adds and Marylin Monroe posters on the walls, retro booths and milkshakes on the menu.

You sit down on a booth by the window and order a milkshake. You share it with two straws, and when you both lean in to take a sip, your faces get so close they almost touch... Tendou’s breath feels warm close to your lips.

He then leans back and crosses his arms behind his head and just stares at you.

“Why did you agree to come today, y/k-chan?”, asks Tendou. He looks eager to receive an answer but he also looks like he’d rather not know in fear of being disappointed.

You give out a light chuckle before answering.

“because i wanted to, of course! You’re the nicest guy i’ve met and ever since I first saw you play i knew you were special.” you reply calmly before taking another sip.

He blushes like mad but then leans in to take a sip too. As you both let go of the straws, he lifts your chin with one finger and lightly kisses your lips. You’re chocked at first but you kiss back after a few instants.

He suddenly breaks the kiss and leans back. He looks out the window, nervously scratching his crimson hair. You start to wonder if maybe he regrets it...

“y/k i’m sorry that was so sudden i should’ve asked please forgive me i didn’t mean to-” Tendou starts talking saying quickly but you cut him off.

“tendou.” He finally dares to glance at you. “i’m glad you did. And i hope you’ll do it again” you whisper the last part but he still hears you. It’s enough to put a gigantic grin on his face. He leans in closer to you over the table and rests his chin on his hands.

“Then would you mind if we did something next weekend?” he asks while raising an eyebrow.

“i’d love that, Tendou-kun”, you reply.

For the following week, he walks you home each night but nothing really happens. You just talk and laugh, realizing how much you love him.

When the weekend comes, you get butterflies in your stomach as you get ready in the morning. Tendou should arrive soon, so you have to hurry.

When the doorbell rings, your heart does a loophole. Tendou is standing on your porch, in his cute casual clothes. He winks at you after saying a sexy “hey” and grabs your hand to bring you to another mystery place.

As you walk, you can only focus on his hand in yours... his fingers are so long, his palm so huge... but it’s their perfect temperature that makes them so wonderful. And god let’s not get started on his eyes and hair...

Time goes by so quickly when you’re with him, so before you know it you’ve reached your destination.

“we’re heeeereeee!” sings Tendou.

It’s a wonderful park with a small pond in which several koi fishes are swimming. A few ducks also swim around them and there’s lovely benches all around.

You sit on one of them and rest your head on Tendou’s shoulder. You can’t see it but his whole face lights up at this gesture.

“say, y/k-chan” starts Tendou. You turn your face to look up to his. He takes both your hands in his before continuing. “would you let me be your boyfriend?”

Your cheeks flush bright pink as you reply “of- of course Tendou-chan!!”

He smirks before kissing you softly. As seconds pass, he kisses you more and more roughly until you both run out of breath.

He looks at you like you’re the most beautiful thing in the world while you’re both trying to catch your breath.

He cups your face softly and puts his forehead on yours. You look tenderly in each other’s eyes, before Tendou finally speaks.

“thank you y/k-chan... i feel so comfortable around you, you make me feel so lucky, so... so... so happy. I hope i’ll feel like this forever and that it’ll be reciprocated” he says as his eyes fill with water.

You raise a hand to wipe his tears as you reply “I’ll stay as long as you need me, Satori. You’re so dear to me, i’ve never felt this way before” you sweetly replying.

He blushes at the fact you used his first name and closes his eyes to appreciate the moment. When he opens them again, he leans in close to hug you tightly and as he does so, he kisses your neck.

When you part, he kisses your lips tenderly and you can feel him grin slightly. You stay in the park until the sun starts going down. He then walks you home like a true gentleman, putting one last kiss on your soft lips.

~the end~

[ehstarwar]

a poor prisoner in his twisted gyves (2/8)

It was… an awful abuse of friendship that would more than likely be refuted immediately and cause a riff in the friend group.

But…

It was Ben. He would do this for her. He made her promise him, anyways.

-

Rey holds up her end of the deal with Ben and asks him for help.

-

Rating: Explicit

Word Count: 4K

Read on AO3

Notes: threw in a lil spice with this chapter to show my gratitude for how wonderful u all are 

໒( ♥ ◡ ♥ )७

(also i'm shit at getting back to comments, but just know i will totes respond to you all and i would also die for all my commenters and kudos-ers. now back to ur regularly scheduled ABO)

Chapter 2: that breathes upon a bank of violets

-

Ben glared down at his now empty plate, while another champagne flute was placed before him. His mother continued to prattle on about her latest endeavors in the senate, but Ben was having a hard time focusing. He knew he should be listing to his mother; after everything he put her through, it was the least he could do, but his mind was elsewhere. Someplace not too far away, probably just waking up in a ratty old band t-shirt, smelling like all the good things in this world. 

“… Then he told me that I was only four votes down when I actually thought I was three votes ahead, so if he hadn’t tried to make a pompous ass of himself, he probably would have won- Benjamin? Hello? Are you with me?” Leia waves a hand in front of his face, snapping him from a train of thought that was not suitable for Sunday brunch with his mother.

“What? Oh, sorry. You were talking about Senator Sion, I think?” Ben says. Leia side-eyes him, taking a sip of her mimosa. 

“You’ve been distracted all morning and keep staring at me like you want to throw your eggs at my face. What’s going on?” She asks, motherly concern coloring her voice. Ben sighs, knowing that lying will only come back to bite him in the ass.

“You fought to end the suppressant mandate on omegas, what, a few months ago?” He asks, already knowing the answer.

“This is about politics?” She questions, giving him a disbelieving look.

“You realize that now insurance doesn’t have to cover suppressant coverage any more because of this, right?”

Leia sighs. “We knew it would be a side affect, that the lesser organizations would use it to capitalize off diminishing coverage. We weighed the risk and rewards and felt that it was still worth fighting for. We’re working with Planned Parenthood to be able to distribute suppressants to omegas who still want it, but it’s a war. Victories don’t always come easy.” Leia explains. Ben runs a hand through his hair.

“You don’t think the risk outweighs the reward? Omegas have a hard time getting good jobs with decent insurance, as is. If they can’t afford suppressants, it just makes their life harder.”

“All of this and more has been discussed with various political advisors who know quite a bit more than alphas like you and I, Ben. We made out decision on what to support. It would be hypocritical for us to tout that alphas don’t need to be on blockers but measly little omegas need suppressants. If you wanted to fight about political derivatives, we should have met in my office. No cutlery to throw at each other there,” She huffs. 

When Ben stays silent, not knowing how to continue this conversation without turning it into a fight, Leia concedes. 

“Did something happen? Do you know someone…?” She asks. Ben nods. “Who?”

“Rey,” He admits. Leia’s eyes go wide in understanding and she relaxes in her seat, inwardly pleased that she finally understands what’s going on.

“Rey is off suppressants because her insurance stopped covering them and now you having harder time concealing your feelings.” Bens’ eyes snapped up to his mother, before he began sputtering retorts.

��What are you- I don’t know- That’s not even, What? I don’t have feelings for Rey! It’s just… a problem and I know that I’m indirectly a cause of that and I feel bad. But not because I’m… I have… nothing. I feel bad for her, is all.” Leia just quietly laughed to herself, only fueling Bens’ discomfort. 

“Oh, please, Ben! I used to have to beg you just to know your friends name. You and Tai were friends for six years before I even knew he existed! Then, you meet Rey and introduce her to me after a week of knowing her. A week, Ben!” Leia says.

Ben just continues to mutter intelligible things under his breath.

“It’s okay for you to like her, Ben. I’d be worried if you didn’t. She’s a great girl. The whole family loves her.” Leia’s attempts to comfort her son serve only to embarrass him further. Like Ben didn’t already have the less-than-inconspicuous seal of approval from Grandma Padmé, and the constant jibes from Uncle Luke about how Rey ‘balances’ Ben out’. He hates that he loves it so much. That he needs it at all.

“If I… If I say anything to her now, she’ll think it’s just because she’s not on suppressants. She’ll think of me as just another knot-driven alpha who forgot to take his blockers.” Ben’s quiet admission sobers his mother up for a moment. 

“You’ll just have to convince her otherwise,” Leia presses, earning a humorless chuckle from Ben. 

“And how do I do that? I’m not exactly the most eloquent when it comes to women…. or people in general, really.” His mother snorts.

“You think I don’t know that?”

He narrows his eyes, and Leia puts her hands up in surrender.

“You’ll just have to… be there. For her. Whatever she needs. That’s the best place to start.”

-

When the number flashes across Rey’s screen, she knows it means trouble. Because she hasn’t had enough of that lately, evidently.

Inspection today. 

During normal work hours?

No. After.

Inspections take a lot of time. I can’t stay that late tonight.

No other option. Feel free to quit. 

Rey feels her insides boil. Her boss, Plutt knows her situation (despite her many attempts to keep it from him) and knows that quitting isn’t an option. Her fist balls as the thinks of what ‘inspections’ entails. 

Any normal work place with  a proper Human Resources department would call it an employee evaluation, but not Plutt. No, his ‘inspection’ consist of going through all of the work Rey has done over the last few months, noting only the complaints of vehicle not properly fixed, unsatisfied customers who didn’t like that an omega was working on their stuff, and Plutt’s continued harassment of her character. It would break any normal person, even people stronger than she; but Rey wouldn’t be brought down by Trumps’ broke doppelgänger.

Rey wanted to quit, and she had typed up a two-week-notice more than once, but its not like she could easily find another job. An omega mechanic, with debt up to her ears, in the wrong part of the city wasn’t the most attractive to potential employers, and going without a job wasn’t an option. So she would endure the likely horrific forty minute attack on her person with a straight face, then treat herself to some of the half-priced sushi from the drugstore around the corner.

The most daunting of all this was the fact that she would be in Plutts’ office, alone, well into the evening. He’d never tried anything on her, but he did tout his alpha status around enough that he was very aware she was an omega. 

And now, an omega without suppressants.

Rey thought of the pheromone sprays that she could take a few test sprays of, trying to put an alpha scent on her that would clog up the room and make Plutt want her out of there as soon as possible. But alpha sprays were hard to come by and usually did a piss-poor job of convincing others it was real. Only a real alpha scent would do the trick, and Rey’s lack of a love life gave her limited options.

Except, of course, for Ben. 

His rich, thick, melt-in-you-mouth, alpha scent that could bring back an omega from the brink of death would be perfect. If it made Rey feel like she was wrapped up in a warm blanket for the rest of the day, that was just an added bonus. 

But it’s not like she could ask Ben to do that. It was… an awful abuse of friendship that would more than likely be refuted immediately and cause a riff in the friend group.

But…

It was Ben. He would do this for her. He made her promise him, anyways. She texts him before she looses her nerve. 

i have a favor to ask

Shoot.

it’s a big favor 

…shoot?

you can say no if you want

i’d understand

Is everything okay? Are you in trouble?

Not trouble, per se, but a predicament 

Rey, I’m worried. What’s going on?

u remember my boss Plutt? he wants to have an 

inspection with me tonight and i’d be alone with him. 

he’s an alpha and…

u know my situation 

I’ll come stay with you during this inspection.

no, i don’t think that’d go well

Plutt can be… territorial

sometimes he’ll find a reason to refuse 

service to an alpha

i don’t want him to hurt u

I’d rather he try and hurt me than hurt you.

I’ll be with you. 

I will also help you look for a better job 

with a better employer.

i appreciate you for offering to do that, 

but i have an idea that could be better

and less likely to get us hurt

You quitting?

no

i think u should scent me

Um.

What?

scent me. 

surely you’ve scented someone before

I know what scenting someone is.

It’s just…

a little intimate. 

For people who aren’t dating.

yeah but we’ve know each other forever

i think it will be fine

that way i’d have your scent all over me at work

and Plutt will think i stink and cut the meeting short

that way he won’t try to hurt u and he

won’t try anything at the inspection!

its a win win

in my opinion

But you’d be covered in my scent.

yes benjamin that is precisely the point

You would have to smell me on you.

We would have to do this before 

you went into work and you’d smell like me 

until you could bathe.

i feel like ur not getting why im asking u

i WANT to smell like you

I don’t know if this is a good idea.

it is!

i’ll be able to keep my job and ward 

off my creepy boss

don’t not do it because of me

if you don’t want to do it, i understand

but don’t say no because ur worried about me

i meant what i said when i told you i can take 

care of myself

And I meant what I said when I

 told you to ask me for help.

I just kind of assumed it would be for

 literally anything else.

well

this is what im asking

Okay.

I’ll do it.

-

Reys’ palms were sweaty as she rode in the elevator up to Ben’s apartment. Part of her wanted to believe that she was nervous because she was dressed in greasy overalls that were two sizes too big for her, yet inside of a building where the median income was upwards of  seven figures. It had a fucking bellman. With gloves. 

She’d been here before, many times, but never on her way to work and never in anything less than her fanciest clothes. Rey knows Ben makes a lot of money, hotshot lawyer and all, and that he comes from money. But being inside of this building reminds her just what a difference of worlds they come from. And also that she’s asked someone who can afford to live here to do something a little scandalous. 

It’s not that she was nervous about smelling like him; that part she was looking forward to. It’s the actual act of scenting. Ben wasn’t editorializing when he said it was intimate. Scenting was a step down from a make out session, but not by much. Rey wishes the thought of doing this with Ben didn’t send a fresh wave of slick between her thighs. He would be able to smell her. He would never say anything, never want to embarrass her that way, but he would know. 

She tries not to think of that when she knocks on his door. It swings open moments later, to a frazzled looking Ben. He’s dressed for work, fancy slacks and crisp button down, and the stark reminder rings in her head again. She is also assaulted by how good he smells. It takes her a minute before she can speak.

“Hey.”

“Hi.” They stand in the doorway for an awkward second before Ben realizes he’s taking up the whole doorway and moves to let her in. Rey walks inside, instantly putting her ratty backpack on the ground by his couch. They say nothing to each other, just stare, waiting for the other to speak.

“This is weird,” Rey states. Not that it needs stating. “I feel bad, now. For having asked you. I shouldn’t have put this on you.” She sees him take a gulp before talking.

“I told you I’d help you if you needed it,” He reminds her. 

“I don’t think you had this in mind when you offered.”

“Not really. But I offered, so I’ll help. On one condition.” Rey cocks her head, narrowing her eyes at him.

“What?”

“The minute you find another job, a better job, you will leave this one. The minute, Rey.” 

It’s not what she was expecting him to say. But he wouldn’t be Ben if he did everything she suspects. She’s also not suspecting him to give such a command. A real one, alpha voice and all. It makes her shiver.

“I will,” She squeaks out, unable to say anything else. 

“Good.” His posture relaxes a bit and the wave of anger she felt the beginnings of, go away. They’re left standing together, silently. “So… how do you want to do this?” Ben asks.

“Um… I just figured we could hug? For like, a while. Being in you space is good because your scent will stick to my clothes too, so it doesn’t have to get so… touchy, if you don’t want.”

His jaw works.

“You think hugging will suffice?”

Rey shrugs.

“Its better than nothing. I don’t want to make you more uncomfortable than I already have.” 

“If we’re going to do this, I think we should be through. I don’t want you to have to go through this for nothing.”

Rey wants to say that just being able to smell him at all is reward enough, but there wasn’t time for that discussion. 

“Okay… so I’ll just…” She points to the barstool at his kitchen island, walks over to it and sits down. “If I’m on your things, it’s better. Sticks more.” She doesn’t know if its creeks in the building or a very low whine that Ben emits, but she ignores it.

He walks over to her, now seated on the stool, looking her up and down. Rey feels like she’s being appraised and really regrets her decision not to have washed her work clothes before coming over. His gaze is hot, and Rey thinks she’s panting harder with every step he makes towards her. 

“You’ll tell me if it’s too much. You’ll tell me to stop if you need me to.” Ben is between her legs now, having opened on the own volition. Rey manages to nod, and that’s enough for Ben. His hand comes to cup her jaw, and she instinctively leans into it. Her head lolls to the side, in his palm, as his face comes down to her neck. His nose rubs along her jaw, and she can feel his lips as they skirt along her pulse point. His other hand rest on the counter behind her, effectively trapping her in. 

Rey feels like putty. Ben’s scent is strong from across the room, but in her personal space? It’s suffocating. Her eyes close as she focuses all her attention on the way she can feel his stubble scrape along the sensitive skin of her under-jaw, and feels the faint pressure of his nose passing along her scent glands. He works himself slowly, leaving no skin untraced, before moving to the other side. He maneuvers her head to his other hand, before mirroring the same position they were in just a moment ago. She is glad she choose to sit; her knees would be useless.

His movements become more sure, tracing harder, and making Rey let out the most pathetic whimper she’s ever heard. Embarrassment instantly floods over her body, but before she can apologize, Ben growls. Literally growls. 

Suddenly his body is flush with hers, her thighs resting on the side of his hips. She feels his hand that isn’t holding her head move to grip her waist, digging his fingertips into the jean material covering her. She doesn’t realize her hands have worked their way to his abdominal muscles until she feels her hands tightly wind his shirt. 

His mouth traces along her scent glands, opening slightly, and she can feel his heavy breath on her skin. The first trace of his tongue on her glands makes Rey cry out, and involuntarily cant her hips into his. She feels his tongue, slick and hot, licking her then. Lavishing her glands in his saliva that made her head spin. Her heart beat was pounding, her ears rushing with blood. She could feel every part of him, his tongue, his hands, his lips, his hips. The growing hardness in his pants was pressed into her stomach as his hips rocked slightly in time with hers. 

When Rey snaps back into reality, she sees where this is going. And even though it physically pains her to stop him, she knows she has to. 

“Ben…” She whispers, his mouth still moving against her skin. “Ben,” She tries, voice a little surer now. He emits a low whine, making her stomach clench. Rey weaves her hand onto the side of his face before calling out again. “Ben.”

He stills then, body still flush against her, but mouth closed. She felt him pull back, not removing his hands, only lifting his torso so that they were looking at each other. His pupils are blown wide open, black covering the usual honeyed brown. His chest is heaving with his breath, and his mouth is slightly parted as he sucks in air. 

Rey feels something cool along her chin and realizes she’s been drooling, sliver running down her mouth in a thoroughly undignified manner. Her fingers quickly go to wipe it away and rub it into her clothes, but Ben takes her hand, covered in drool and sticks it into his mouth. 

His eyes close as she feels his tongue suck of any of the cool wetness, replacing it with saliva of his own. Rey keens and clenches her core. His tongue works around each digit, encircling all her fingers with his tongue. When Ben finishes his assault, he pulls her hand out of his mouth, but keeps it against his lips. His eyes are still closed as she feels the air from his nose one the wet surface of her hand.

Rey doesn’t dare move. She couldn’t if she wanted to. Ben is all around her, still between her legs, and she knows movement will mean brushing against the thickness she felt in his pants. A tickling sensation in her spine tells her that she doesn’t want to move. That beside this alpha is where she belongs and where she’ll be happy and where alpha will provide and-

It’s a lot. 

“Let me walk you to work.” Bens’ words are low, and send vibrations through her hand as he speaks, eyes still shut.

“What?” Rey is still a little breathless, but shock colors her voice. 

“I don’t think… I’m having a hard time… I can’t not be around you, right now. If I let you leave right now…” She feels the shiver that runs down his spine, “It wouldn’t be good. Especially since I know where you’re going.”

Rey can’t speak. She knew that alphas had a hard time letting go of omegas, even just for a few hours, but she’d always assumed that was for people who were mated. Not them, not after one scenting session, intensity notwithstanding. Rey gulps as she tries to find her voice.

“Okay… but we’ll stop a block away from the shop. I don’t want you to get into a territory fight with Plutt. I couldn’t…” bare to watch you get hurt. And I’m afraid I’d like it too much if you hurt him. 

“Don’t say another alphas name, right now… please.” His voice is pained and she can see the clenching in his jaw. She mumbles sorry’s as her thumb begins to trace his strong chin. 

When his eyes slowly reopen, they’re back to normal, the warm tones causing Rey to release a sigh of relief. They slowly detangle, and Rey tries to pretend she doesn’t see the bulge still in his crotch, and hopes that he couldn’t tell just how slick she had gotten. Rey excuses herself to the bathroom to clean up and give each of them a minute to collect themselves. 

She tries to wipe up the slick that ruined her underwear before splashing cool water on her still reddened cheeks. When she exits the bathroom, Ben is still close. It must be apart of the alpha sensation, being unable to part with their mate after being so… intimate. It warms parts of Rey that she didn’t even know existed. 

They are silent nearly the whole way there, but Ben is right next to her the whole way. He is never more than a breath away from Rey, unintentionally shielding her from the others they pass along the way. She can still feel him, the confusing mix of pheromones he’s giving off. There is only one she recognizes above all else: arousal.

She knows they’re a block away from work, not by the street corner, but the way Bens’ head snaps up when even the hint of Plutt makes itself known. After spending the whole morning inundated with Bens’ delicious smell, it nearly makes Rey retch. She feels Ben still at the opening of an alleyway and her body stops without her control. She looks back up at him, seeing the steely way his eyes rake over the street. He is unhappy and she doesn’t like it.

“What’s wrong?” She asks.

“You shouldn’t work here. It’s a bad place. I don’t want you here.” She knows its his alpha talking. That Ben wouldn’t be this controlling, overbearing man, but it makes her mad nonetheless.

“You can’t control where I work, Ben. I’m sorry you don’t like it, but it’s my choice. Now, thank you for… doing what you did, but I can handle it from here.” Rey goes to walk off, but Ben stops her. His hand comes out to grip hers, not in a tight, jerking way, but in a soft way that that makes it hard to refuse. 

“I’m sorry… you’re right.” His eyes are downcast, but he keeps his hand on hers. She feels a little guilty for snapping at him; after all, she’s the reason he’s experiencing these emotions. 

“It’s okay… I’m sorry, too.”

They stand there for a moment, knowing that this is making them both late, but neither of them having the heart to move. 

“We have to go to work now,” Rey says quietly. Ben nods. “Can I… talk to you, later?” She asks.

“Of course,” He breathes. Rey lets their hands drop and goes to turn to work, but Ben calls out for her. 

“Rey, please be safe. I need you to be safe.” 

Rey should be more used to his intensity by now, but it still makes her shiver.

“I will.”

-

come say hi on twitter!

[transmanmonoma]

Can you tell us abt the Class 1-A trans squad

Heck yes, friend

Todoroki Shouto

-Trans guy, he/him

-He knew really young, one day when he was like three he just went “Mama, I’m a boy, not a girl”, and absolutely refused to be “corrected”

-Rei is the one to help him choose his new name

-Rei accepted him, and even after she was in the hospital Endeavor didn’t care enough to tell him he wasn’t really a boy (He’s not supportive, he just knows he can’t stop Shouto)

-He went on puberty blockers, then started T at age 16 (Endeavor went along with this to keep people from finding out Shouto was trans)

-So of course, to spite his shitty father, Shouto absolutely does not keep quiet about it after he goes pro

-He gets super involved in trans advocacy

-He was more reserved about it in school, and didn’t start telling his friends until second year. The only one in the Izukrew who wasn’t surprised was Tsuyu 

-When he sees his mom after the sport festival, she immediately calls him her son and he almost cries

Jirou Kyouka

- Nonbinary lesbian, they/them or she/her

-They didn’t know they were nonbinary until they were already at UA, when they heard about it in reference to Kuroiro from Class B, and then they were like “wait that’s me”

-They had a bit of an identity crisis, since they had been IDing as a lesbian for a while, but after talking to other NB ppl, they became comfortable using the label of nonbinary lesbian

-They come out to the class a few people at a time. They come out to Momo first, then Kouda. Everyone is very supportive (because at this point M*neta has been replaced by Shinsou)

-Only a few people can refer to them by she/her, all close friends

-Their parents are very supportive, and bought them a bunch of new clothes and a binder when they wanted to start changing up their gender presentation

-They don’t change their name

-Their dad comes up with a bunch of gender-neutral nicknames/terms of endearment for them. They pretend to be embarrassed, but they love it

-Also gets very into trans advocacy as a pro

Tokoyami Fumikage

-Nonbinary trans guy, he/him or they/them

-Starts IDing as a binary trans boy in late elementary, then amends this to NB trans boy in his second year at UA

-Dark Shadow has always identified himself masculinely, and people didn’t argue with that because he doesn’t have a human body. Some kids were dicks about it, though, since they thought Tokoyami was a girl

-Dark Shadow was the one to be like “maybe you’re a boy”, because,  in his words: “we feel like the same gender”

-Tokoyami’s parents were a little unsure at first, but they’re very supportive now. They couldn’t afford to get him blockers, but he was able to get on T at 16 through insurance

-A big part of why he added the cloak to his hero costume was to hide his chest (no binders while exercising), and he was upset that he had to wear the gym uniform in the sports festival

-He changes in a stall in the locker room for the first year that he’s at UA, because he’s not out to the others. This leads to some unfortunate rumors about him having other bird-related body parts

-He’s openly trans as a pro, but he isn’t very loud about it. He donates to trans advocacy groups, but he isn’t one to be on the forefront of a movement

Asui Tsuyu

-Trans girl, she/her

-She came out to her parents in middle school, but didn’t socially transition until she was starting at UA

-Her parents are supportive, but not always the most well-educated on trans issues. Her siblings are totally on board, though. They go with her to Pride when they’re older

-Her parents talk to Nezu before the school year, and get everything set up for her to wear the girls uniform and stuff

-She comes out to all the girls on the first day, when they change into gym uniforms, and they’re all cool with it

-She hates M*neta so much. She wears breast forms, and she’s scared of him finding out. She’s overall really worried about the possibility of him discovering she’s trans and being a dick (or worse)

-She tells Aizawa about this, and he promises to keep an eye out. By which he means he watches M*neta like a hawk until he finds enough evidence to expel him

-After that, Tsuyu comes out to the entire class. This also prompts Tokoyami to come out

-She tells everyone to call her Tsuyu because that’s the name she chose for herself

-She also works with trans advocacy as a pro, but in a less public way. She never gets quite as much of a following as Todoroki, who ends up in the top 10, or Jirou, who has a radio show. This gives her more privacy, which she is very grateful for

Misc

-Shinsou is also in Class A starting second year, but he’s considered part of Class B’s Trans Squad, since he joined them after the joint training arc, before he was officially assigned a class

-Midoriya and Uraraka will fight anyone who misgenders one of them

-Iida and Momo will use their status as class rep and vice class rep to protect them, including Iida lecturing transphobes to give them time to slip away

-Since he was on blockers, Todoroki has never had a period, but he’ll let Tokoyami and Jirou use his left arm as a heat pack

-Aizawa (who is a trans guy) is the Class A Trans Squad’s Official Dad. He has no say in this. (He is also the Class B Trans Squad’s unofficial dad) Thirteen (who is nonbinary) is the Official Parent of both squads

Thanks for asking!!! I love talking about my trans headcanons, so feel free to ask about them more

[radfemetc]

(The article is behind a paywall so I’m putting it here. You can also register to read 2 free articles a week.)

Inside the clinic rooms of the Tavistock, the private heartache of a new generation of “transgender” youngsters is being laid bare. There used to be about 50 referrals a year, mainly males with a history of gender issues.

Now there are thousands of young females reporting a sudden gender crisis for the first time. Many are convinced that transition — and the powerful drugs that make it happen — will be the solution to their problems.

Until now the specialists struggling to keep up with caseloads have stayed silent, but alarm over the number of adolescents being prescribed body-altering drugs, has prompted five former clinicians to speak out for the first time.

All five have resigned from the Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) in the past three years as a matter of conscience.

“This experimental treatment is being done not only on children, but very vulnerable children, who have experienced mental health difficulties, abuse, family trauma, but sometimes those [other factors] just get whitewashed,” one female clinician said. “If someone was suggesting plastic surgery or any other permanent change we’d be saying, hang on a minute.”

The clinicians have warned that complex histories and adolescent confusion over possible homosexuality are being ignored in the rush to accept and celebrate every young person’s new transgender identity.

Clinical psychologists carry out each initial assessment at the Tavistock. They are the gatekeepers who decide whether to refer transgender youngsters to the endocrine clinic for the next stage of treatment. Therapists once had months to work through underlying issues before making decisions on medical intervention, but the clinicians claim that young people are now routinely referred for hormone therapy after as few as three hour-long sessions.

They believe that physically healthy children are being medicated in response to pressure from transgender lobby groups and parental anxieties.

So many potentially gay children were being sent down the pathway to change gender, two of the clinicians said there was a dark joke among staff that “there would be no gay people left”.

“It feels like conversion therapy for gay children,” one male clinician said. “I frequently had cases where people started identifying as trans after months of horrendous bullying for being gay,” he told The Times.

“Young lesbians considered at the bottom of the heap suddenly found they were really popular when they said they were trans.”

Another female clinician said: “We heard a lot of homophobia which we felt nobody was challenging. A lot of the girls would come in and say, ‘I’m not a lesbian. I fell in love with my best girl friend but then I went online and realised I’m not a lesbian, I’m a boy. Phew.’”

The specialists expressed concern at how little confusion over sexuality was explored when a young person requested treatment to change their body.

“I would ask who they wanted to have relationships with, but I was told by senior management that gender is completely separate to sex,” a third female clinician said. “I couldn’t get on board with that, because it isn’t. Some people were transitioning their gender to match their sexuality.”

The service said it was “a welcoming place for people from all sections of the LGBT community”, adding that it had made exploration of sexuality a “more explicit” part of the assessment in response to staff concerns.

Nevertheless, the clinician said that her unease grew after meeting an adult woman whose transition to become a man involved having a double mastectomy. She had since changed her mind.

“What can we do? We can’t reverse that. Do we suggest fake breasts?” she said. “We have such a duty of care to these confused young adolescents, but I think we are failing them.”

The clinic rejected the claims. “We always place a young person’s wellbeing at the centre of our work,” it said. “GIDS staff are engaged daily in thinking about the serious ethical dimensions of our practice. The diversity and complexity of individual cases will always be respected.”

Several clinicians suspected that some of the “transgender” adolescents were reacting to homophobia at home.

“For some families, it was easier to say, this is a medical problem, ‘here’s my child, please fix them!’ than dealing with a young, gay kid,” the third female clinician said. At the service’s “family days”, a parent was allegedly heard saying that they did not want their child to have gay friends because they “didn’t want them mixed up in that hedonistic lifestyle”. “It is converting people into heterosexuals,” one of the clinicians said. “We had so many families who would talk about not wanting their daughters to be lesbian.” Young people “repeatedly” confided their own “disgust” that they may be gay, according to the clinician.

In other cases, she felt young people had concluded they were trans because they didn’t fit traditional gender roles.

“Children’s bodies are being damaged in order to treat societal issues,” she warned. She recalled a case of a 13-year-old child “whose parents were really pressurising us for puberty blockers”. When the clinician refused to refer him, she claims one of the parents, a lawyer, wrote threatening legal letters to the service. The child was eventually referred for blockers.

She would have nightmares about her years at the Tavistock. “I would talk about it as an ‘atrocity’. I know that sounds quite strong, but it felt as if we were part of something that people would look back on in the future, and ask, what were we thinking? In the future I think there will be lots and lots of de-transitioners who feel their bodies were mutilated as young people and who will ask, why did you let me do this? It is very disturbing.”

Studies show that the vast majority of youngsters who begin puberty blockers go on to have irreversible hormone treatment at 16. Some go on to have gender reassignment surgery as adults.

All five clinicians expressed concern over how little young people and their families were being told about the impact of hormone treatment on fertility and sexual function as adults. One claimed young people were unable to give “informed consent” because it was regarded as taboo to discuss the impact of medical intervention on later sexual function in such a young cohort.

The clinic said there were no “taboo” subjects in its work, and that it did not “recognise this allegation as reflecting what happens in the service”. It rejected allegations of conversion therapy and insisted that youngsters were being properly advised on the risks of and about what is unknown about medical intervention. Time and care was taken at every stage to ensure that individuals grasped the potential consequences of their choices, it said, adding that the service had become “increasingly aware” of the need to discuss the impact of treatment on future sexual function.

The GIDS’s own internal review identified procedures around consent as an area of concern. It has recommended that written consent should be obtained before referral for blockers.

Another clinician described how youngsters entered his room enthusing about Alex Bertie, a transgender YouTuber, and My Life: I Am Leo, a documentary about a transgender teen broadcast in a teatime slot on CBBC.

“These are very simplified stories about how easy it would be to transition into being trans. . . that transition is a solution to feeling shit. That is very appealing to lots of teenagers,” the first male clinician said. I felt for the last two years what kept me in the job was the sense there was a huge number of children in danger and I was there to protect them from the service, from the inside.”

One female clinician estimates that she referred about 50 young people for puberty blockers. She now believes she referred too many. Their outcomes remain unclear. “When you start them on puberty blockers, you’re putting them on a pathway that could lead to sexual dysfunction problems and, for the younger kids, will definitely make them infertile. In what other specialism would physical intervention that leads to permanent change to the body be the first line of treatment for a vulnerable child? Activists will tell you it’s unethical not to intervene. But we know that not everyone with gender dysphoria will go on to identify as trans for the rest of their lives.”

One case has haunted her. “All the pushing was coming from the father to put the kid on puberty blockers. Thinking back on it now, I fear that the father was a paedophile and the child was being abused.” There is no suggestion the service knowingly ignored the case, and the outcome is unknown.

The clinic, which is run by the Tavistock and Portman Foundation Trust and whose director is Polly Carmichael, says it is tracking the progress of 44 young people who began puberty blockers in 2011, and that all available evidence is discussed with families. “This is a rapidly developing field and psychosocial and medical professionals are working hard to ensure that we respond to emerging evidence in an appropriate and considered way,” a spokesman said. The growing body of international evidence showed that “thus far, there is little reported evidence of harm,” he added.

“The service undertakes careful assessments over time and continues to see young people whether or not they attend the endocrine clinic following this assessment,” the spokesman said.

The clinic said it was aware of concerns and tensions between different perspectives raised by staff and “clinicians have a duty of care to raise safeguarding concerns”, adding that there were “safe spaces” and structures in place for staff to discuss anything that worried them. It would not comment on specific cases but stressed that a young person’s motivations and choices were discussed at each step.

What began in 1989 as a specialist clinic for gender issues is now under intense scrutiny. A report by David Bell, a former governor at the trust, revealed ethical concerns over “woefully inadequate care”. Staff were furious with the GIDS executive’s response to the report, which stated that its own review found no safeguarding concerns.

The whole service should have been halted when the number of “transgender” cases first exploded, one of the clinicians said. “That’s the point we should have stopped because we didn’t know what we were doing. Are we a service for kids with gender dysphoria, a medical disorder? Or are we a service for ‘transgender kids’?”

A GIDS spokesman said: “We are aware of tensions between different perspectives. These differences are inevitable in such complex work.”

One clinician said it was understandable if her former employer was defensive, saying: “If they are getting it wrong, you have to ask, are they making kids infertile by mistake? Because if they are to truly acknowledge [our concerns], then they will have to ask themselves, what the f*** have we done to thousands of children?”

Gires, GI and Mermaids all denied they viewed transition as a cure-all or that they exerted any undue pressure. Susie Green of Mermaids said the charity “does not encourage parents to demand any particular treatment.” Gendered Intelligence said the allegations against it were “unfounded”. Bernard Reed, founder of Gires, said: “In medical literature . . . failure to provide timely treatment is described as ‘psychological torture’. As far as we are aware, GIDS has adequate safeguards against irreversible treatments being given inappropriately.”

(Emphasis mine.)

[a-room-of-my-own]

Inside the clinic rooms of the Tavistock, the private heartache of a new generation of “transgender” youngsters is being laid bare. There used to be about 50 referrals a year, mainly males with a history of gender issues.

Now there are thousands of young females reporting a sudden gender crisis for the first time. Many are convinced that transition — and the powerful drugs that make it happen — will be the solution to their problems.

Until now the specialists struggling to keep up with caseloads have stayed silent, but alarm over the number of adolescents being prescribed body-altering drugs, has prompted five former clinicians to speak out for the first time.

All five have resigned from the Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) in the past three years as a matter of conscience.

“This experimental treatment is being done not only on children, but very vulnerable children, who have experienced mental health difficulties, abuse, family trauma, but sometimes those [other factors] just get whitewashed,” one female clinician said. “If someone was suggesting plastic surgery or any other permanent change we’d be saying, hang on a minute.”

The clinicians have warned that complex histories and adolescent confusion over possible homosexuality are being ignored in the rush to accept and celebrate every young person’s new transgender identity.

Clinical psychologists carry out each initial assessment at the Tavistock. They are the gatekeepers who decide whether to refer transgender youngsters to the endocrine clinic for the next stage of treatment. Therapists once had months to work through underlying issues before making decisions on medical intervention, but the clinicians claim that young people are now routinely referred for hormone therapy after as few as three hour-long sessions.

They believe that physically healthy children are being medicated in response to pressure from transgender lobby groups and parental anxieties.

So many potentially gay children were being sent down the pathway to change gender, two of the clinicians said there was a dark joke among staff that “there would be no gay people left”.

“It feels like conversion therapy for gay children,” one male clinician said. “I frequently had cases where people started identifying as trans after months of horrendous bullying for being gay,” he told The Times.

“Young lesbians considered at the bottom of the heap suddenly found they were really popular when they said they were trans.”

Another female clinician said: “We heard a lot of homophobia which we felt nobody was challenging. A lot of the girls would come in and say, ‘I’m not a lesbian. I fell in love with my best girl friend but then I went online and realised I’m not a lesbian, I’m a boy. Phew.’”

The specialists expressed concern at how little confusion over sexuality was explored when a young person requested treatment to change their body.

“I would ask who they wanted to have relationships with, but I was told by senior management that gender is completely separate to sex,” a third female clinician said. “I couldn’t get on board with that, because it isn’t. Some people were transitioning their gender to match their sexuality.”

The service said it was “a welcoming place for people from all sections of the LGBT community”, adding that it had made exploration of sexuality a “more explicit” part of the assessment in response to staff concerns.

Nevertheless, the clinician said that her unease grew after meeting an adult woman whose transition to become a man involved having a double mastectomy. She had since changed her mind.

“What can we do? We can’t reverse that. Do we suggest fake breasts?” she said. “We have such a duty of care to these confused young adolescents, but I think we are failing them.”

The clinic rejected the claims. “We always place a young person’s wellbeing at the centre of our work,” it said. “GIDS staff are engaged daily in thinking about the serious ethical dimensions of our practice. The diversity and complexity of individual cases will always be respected.”

Several clinicians suspected that some of the “transgender” adolescents were reacting to homophobia at home.

“For some families, it was easier to say, this is a medical problem, ‘here’s my child, please fix them!’ than dealing with a young, gay kid,” the third female clinician said. At the service’s “family days”, a parent was allegedly heard saying that they did not want their child to have gay friends because they “didn’t want them mixed up in that hedonistic lifestyle”. “It is converting people into heterosexuals,” one of the clinicians said. “We had so many families who would talk about not wanting their daughters to be lesbian.” Young people “repeatedly” confided their own “disgust” that they may be gay, according to the clinician.

In other cases, she felt young people had concluded they were trans because they didn’t fit traditional gender roles.

“Children’s bodies are being damaged in order to treat societal issues,” she warned. She recalled a case of a 13-year-old child “whose parents were really pressurising us for puberty blockers”. When the clinician refused to refer him, she claims one of the parents, a lawyer, wrote threatening legal letters to the service. The child was eventually referred for blockers.

She would have nightmares about her years at the Tavistock. “I would talk about it as an ‘atrocity’. I know that sounds quite strong, but it felt as if we were part of something that people would look back on in the future, and ask, what were we thinking? In the future I think there will be lots and lots of de-transitioners who feel their bodies were mutilated as young people and who will ask, why did you let me do this? It is very disturbing.”

Studies show that the vast majority of youngsters who begin puberty blockers go on to have irreversible hormone treatment at 16. Some go on to have gender reassignment surgery as adults.

All five clinicians expressed concern over how little young people and their families were being told about the impact of hormone treatment on fertility and sexual function as adults. One claimed young people were unable to give “informed consent” because it was regarded as taboo to discuss the impact of medical intervention on later sexual function in such a young cohort.

The clinic said there were no “taboo” subjects in its work, and that it did not “recognise this allegation as reflecting what happens in the service”. It rejected allegations of conversion therapy and insisted that youngsters were being properly advised on the risks of and about what is unknown about medical intervention. Time and care was taken at every stage to ensure that individuals grasped the potential consequences of their choices, it said, adding that the service had become “increasingly aware” of the need to discuss the impact of treatment on future sexual function.

The GIDS’s own internal review identified procedures around consent as an area of concern. It has recommended that written consent should be obtained before referral for blockers.

Another clinician described how youngsters entered his room enthusing about Alex Bertie, a transgender YouTuber, and My Life: I Am Leo, a documentary about a transgender teen broadcast in a teatime slot on CBBC.

“These are very simplified stories about how easy it would be to transition into being trans. . . that transition is a solution to feeling shit. That is very appealing to lots of teenagers,” the first male clinician said. I felt for the last two years what kept me in the job was the sense there was a huge number of children in danger and I was there to protect them from the service, from the inside.”

One female clinician estimates that she referred about 50 young people for puberty blockers. She now believes she referred too many. Their outcomes remain unclear. “When you start them on puberty blockers, you’re putting them on a pathway that could lead to sexual dysfunction problems and, for the younger kids, will definitely make them infertile. In what other specialism would physical intervention that leads to permanent change to the body be the first line of treatment for a vulnerable child? Activists will tell you it’s unethical not to intervene. But we know that not everyone with gender dysphoria will go on to identify as trans for the rest of their lives.”

One case has haunted her. “All the pushing was coming from the father to put the kid on puberty blockers. Thinking back on it now, I fear that the father was a paedophile and the child was being abused.” There is no suggestion the service knowingly ignored the case, and the outcome is unknown.

The clinic, which is run by the Tavistock and Portman Foundation Trust and whose director is Polly Carmichael, says it is tracking the progress of 44 young people who began puberty blockers in 2011, and that all available evidence is discussed with families. “This is a rapidly developing field and psychosocial and medical professionals are working hard to ensure that we respond to emerging evidence in an appropriate and considered way,” a spokesman said. The growing body of international evidence showed that “thus far, there is little reported evidence of harm,” he added.

“The service undertakes careful assessments over time and continues to see young people whether or not they attend the endocrine clinic following this assessment,” the spokesman said.

The clinic said it was aware of concerns and tensions between different perspectives raised by staff and “clinicians have a duty of care to raise safeguarding concerns”, adding that there were “safe spaces” and structures in place for staff to discuss anything that worried them. It would not comment on specific cases but stressed that a young person’s motivations and choices were discussed at each step.

What began in 1989 as a specialist clinic for gender issues is now under intense scrutiny. A report by David Bell, a former governor at the trust, revealed ethical concerns over “woefully inadequate care”. Staff were furious with the GIDS executive’s response to the report, which stated that its own review found no safeguarding concerns.

The whole service should have been halted when the number of “transgender” cases first exploded, one of the clinicians said. “That’s the point we should have stopped because we didn’t know what we were doing. Are we a service for kids with gender dysphoria, a medical disorder? Or are we a service for ‘transgender kids’?”

A GIDS spokesman said: “We are aware of tensions between different perspectives. These differences are inevitable in such complex work.”

One clinician said it was understandable if her former employer was defensive, saying:

“If they are getting it wrong, you have to ask, are they making kids infertile by mistake? Because if they are to truly acknowledge [our concerns], then they will have to ask themselves, what the f*** have we done to thousands of children?”

Gires, GI and Mermaids all denied they viewed transition as a cure-all or that they exerted any undue pressure. Susie Green of Mermaids said the charity “does not encourage parents to demand any particular treatment.” Gendered Intelligence said the allegations against it were “unfounded”. Bernard Reed, founder of Gires, said: “In medical literature . . . failure to provide timely treatment is described as ‘psychological torture’. As far as we are aware, GIDS has adequate safeguards against irreversible treatments being given inappropriately.”

[silivren-vera]

Quit being so stubborn and let us help: An A/B/O universe fan ficition.

Teen audience and above, (sorry, just couldn’t write the actual steamy parts.)

 Idea from a image by wantstobelieve.tumblr.com Thank you @wantstobelieve for this awesome idea! and thanks to @evilpixiea for the encouragement. :)

Post URL: http://wantstobelieve.tumblr.com/post/170917935333/quit-being-stubborn-and-let-us-help

 Prompt: A/B/O!AU where Bruce is the somehow secret!Omega in a household that’s somehow full of oblivious!Alphas. His age is throwing off his cycle and during one patrol his heat takes him by surprise, which is unlikely but here we are. Luckily his two protege Alphas find out just in time and offer their assistance solely out of altruism and nothing else.

 Nightwing closed the communications line and sighed. “So, that’s that. Two days until the next tube can pick us up. Nothing for us to do now except lay back and relax. Bring any marshmallows, Little Bird?”

 Jason snorted, tending the small campfire in front of him. “Water tablets, rations, and weapons, but no marshmallows.” He put another small stack of blue wood on the fire, making it crackle merrily. “Seriously, do you just live on sugar and cereal?”

 “How long for the Javelin to pick us up?” Batman’s voice was rougher than normal, and flat, ignoring the banter of his two adult protégées, as per normal. He sat back against the far wall of the cave they were sheltering in, wrapped tightly against the chill in his cape.

 “It’d be a week at least for the ship to get to us, and another week back, B,” Dick said, pulling his domino off. “And no, Jay, I live on milk and ice cream, too.”

 “Healthy.”

 “Shut up, Mister Red Bull in his coffee.”

 “Enough!” Batman barked. “We need to get back to the League. Contact Cyborg again, see if there –“

 Nightwing dropped cross-legged by the fire. “There’s nothing Vic can do, B. He’s working as fast as he can, but there are solar disturbances and he can’t guarantee a safe return until 52 hours from now. It’s only two days, Babs and Tim can take care of Gotham for us.” He drank half a canister of water before adding, “It’s just like camping, only without the mosquitoes.”

 The cold night air gusted a few blue snowflakes into the cave to prove Dick’s point. Outside, double moons were making the forested mountainside glow a beautiful Disney blue. With no sign of habitation on this side of the mountain, Jason had picked this cave as a good base to avoid the impending snow storm.

 “We’ve got enough fuel for the fire, and Big Bird can go run off some steam in the morning to get more.” Jason added another small bundle of sticks to the fire. “Burns pretty good, even if it’s blueish. Smells weird, though,” he added, scenting the air.  “I’ll start warming up something to eat.”

 Batman stared at the fire for several minutes before nodding and settling into his alcove. The heavy cloak was wrapped tightly around his frame, only his lower face exposed to the chill. Jason had offered his place at the fire, but Batman had refused, stating he was fine.

Even after the two Robins managed to make something edible out of warmed up field rations, Batman continued to keep away from the fire. Jason kept darting glances him, but said nothing. Dick, on the other hand, was watching his mentor a little more openly. “Hey, you going to eat something, Bruce?” he asked, lifting a plate in the air as an invitation.

 Batman shook his head, pulling his cape closer to his body, and buried his face in his arms.

 After watching for another few minutes, Dick tried to engage him again. “You know,” he said, walking into the dark alcove that Batman had lodged himself into, “it’s warmer by the fire, if you’re cold. Why don’t you--”

 Batman growled, low in his throat, and remained still.

 “Whoa, c’mon, Bruce.” Dick backed off, and raised both hands. “I get it, you’re pissed off being stranded, but, hey, it’s not...”

 Another growl, and Batman raised his head to meet Dick’s eyes on level.

 “Are you sweating?” Dick leaned forward and scented the air. “My god, Bruce, what’s wrong? Did you get wounded before we dropped here? I don’t smell any blood....You’re – no, that’s not – Jason, c’mere. Bruce, it’s alright,” he said, as the older man backed farther into his alcove. “It’s okay, let’s get you out of that cowl, and get you cooled down.”

 Jason came around the fire, scenting the air as he went. A frown appeared as he made eye contact with a very confused Dick. “What’s going on, Old Man?”

 The growl was deeper, teeth flashed for a second. Jason sank down onto his haunches and glared. “Take the cowl off, Bruce,” he commanded, letting a light alpha command infuse his voice.

 Batman said nothing, a softer growl and a slight whine coming from him.

 “Off, Bruce! Now.”

 Gauntleted hands slowly reached up, undoing the clasps and begrudgingly pulled the cowl off his face, hanging between lax fingers. His face was covered in sweat, cheeks flushed red and hair plastered down to his skull.  His eyes were bright and glassy, pupils fully dilated in the low light of the cave, but the light wasn’t low enough for the two young Alphas to not see the glaring evidence of what was wrong.

 Heavily swollen omega glands, on either side of his jaw, the colour of three day old bruises.

 “What the actual hell?” Jason said as Dick choked out, “How? But you’re our...”

 Bruce refused to make eye contact, instead gazing fixedly on a rock outcropping three feet to the left of Jason’s knee. “Omegas can’t,” he stuttered, breathing erratic, “... no one would follow an Omega leader – not allowed, unspoken law...” He trailed off, eyes closing as more sweat appeared on his brow. He took several deep breaths before he resumed talking. “Had to hide it... Clark... Diana... donated scent hormones...Kevlar and scent blockers... illegal but ...but effective.” He was panting by the end, a soft whine as he clutched his arms around his ribs.

 Dick and Jason exchanged disbelieving looks before Dick settled down on the cave floor. He leaned into Bruce’s view, making eye contact. “Why – no, that can wait, what?” he stopped, as Bruce’s lips moved soundlessly.

 Jason sighed. “Plausible deniability.” Bruce nodded, eyes closing again as he leaned back against the wall. “How the hell did you hide 20 years of heats?”

 Dick answered that one with self directed disgust. “All those times that Alfred insisted that you have undisturbed recovery times,” he said. “I remember sneaking into Bruce’s room when I first came to the manor, he looked like this, half mad ravings as Alfred gave him a shot of sedative. I was too young to realize that it wasn’t an infection or concussion like Alfred implied, or that those shots were probably a cocktail of birth control and sedative.”

 “But why?”

 Bruce whined, starting to pant, desperate to get enough cool air. “The adoptions... single...couldn’t risk...” He slid down until Jason darted behind him, holding him up against his chest. “Lost so much ... couldn’t...”

 “You couldn’t bear to lose us?” Dick finished softly.

 “No.” Shaking hands reached for his sons. “You both... lost everything... couldn’t do that to you again.”

 Jason leaned his forehead against his father’s neck, taking a deep breath. “And you can’t use the suppressants anymore, since you turned 40.”

 “Why?” Dick asked.

 “Babs told me that your risk of a whole host of conditions goes up over 70% if you use them for more than 15 years, or when you’re past forty.” Jason shook his head, sighing. “Bad ones, like osteoporosis, Paget's disease of bone, and Hypocalcaemia, are really common.”

 “And most people use them for the full fifteen years, and just suffer through the last few years as they taper off.” Dick put his head in his hands. “And you’re at that point, aren’t you?”

 Bruce nodded. “Been gone ... thirteen months... so, didn’t matter... didn’t think...stupid...”

 Dick laughed. “First time for everything, Bruce. So, now what? We don’t have any sedatives in our kits, is there anything in your belt that could help”

 Bruce shook his head. “It will... pass... always does...”

 Jason sat up straight, anger plain on his face. “So, we watch you suffer for two days. Don’t think so. Dickiebird, start turning out pockets.”

 “It will...pass.”

 “So, basically, we get to watch you go through crippling muscle spasms, hallucinations, and the fun of dehydration from the inability to swallow large amounts due to swelling. Add that to possible self harm as you attempt to find your nest, which, might I remind you, is two days away, and then we have to knock you out with a rock.” Dick stood up, staring down at Bruce.

 “Yes.”

 Jason rolled his eyes and looked up at Dick. “Typical.”

 Bruce leaned heavily against his protégée. “Nothing... can do... now...”

 Dick leaned forward and put his hand on Bruce’s shoulder. “We’re not going to make you suffer through this, Bruce.”

 “Then start ... with the rock...” Another deep spasm of pain doubled him over into Dick’s hold, high pitched whines making both Alphas share an understanding look.  Jason nodded once, pulling his arm around Bruce enough to undo his cuffs. Dick pulled the cowl out of Bruce’s fingers and started working on the latches for the gauntlets.

 “Let us help you, then.”

 Growled defiance was his answer.

 “C’mon, we’re your Robins. This is no different than setting a bone or keeping each other safe while fear toxins make us nuts.” Jason coaxed the shoulder straps looser, unhooking the cape.

 Bruce growled again, but he wasn’t fighting the nimble hands that were working on his armour.

 Dick ducked into his mentor’s field of vision. “It’s no different than I’d help Babs with her heats, or when Kori helped Garfield with his. “You know it can be done, happens all the time. We’re both okay with it.”

 Bruce growled softer, trying to pull his gaze away from Dick’s.

 “You know,” Jason said roughly, “you’re going to be out of commission for at least three days recovering if you don’t tend to it. If we get back and have to redeploy in the field immediately, you’ll be a hazard to everyone’s safety. Because you aren’t going to say, ‘Hey, I’m recovering from an untended heat and can’t go play with the new monsters.’ Are you?”

 Bruce sighed deeply, eyes closing with exhaustion. Slowly, he shook his head.

 “We need you at full mental and physical fitness. So let us help, Old Man.”

 Dick leaned forward and rested his forehead against Bruce’s, ignoring the strong scent coming from him. “No bites, no commitment, just a necessary procedure. You’ll be alright for duty in 40 hours, and hardly any side effects. We’ll alternate so that you don’t get too addicted to one set of hormones. So, unless you have a turkey baste in one of those pouches, you need to take this armour off.”

 The whine was so soft that Dick felt it more than heard it.

 “C’mon, Bruce, quit being so damn stubborn and let us help.”

 “It’s alright, we’ve got this. We’ve got you, you’re safe, let us take care of this for you.”

 Dick held his face gently in his palms, and slowly, deliberately, Bruce nodded once.

[viralhai]

Facebook controversy: From US to Sri Lanka, social media company has faced heat on controversial political posts, advertisements | ViralHai News [ad_1]

Facebook's handling of controversial political posts and advertisements has left the social media company facing intense criticism in power and opposition

a Wall Street Journal Report that a top Facebook official turned a blind eye to hate profanity by a BJP leader and three other "Hindu nationalist individuals and groups" to avoid damaging the business potential of the social media platform.

Congress leader Rahul Gandi has alleged that the BJP and the RSS control Facebook and WhatsApp in the country, and the chairman of the Committee on Information Technology, Shashi Tharoor, has said that the committee would definitely want to "hear" from Facebook.

It is clear that Facebook will, in the coming months, increase facial scrutiny in India as to what it does and more importantly what it does not.

But this is not the first time the social media company has found itself in hot water. Be it India, the United States, Sri Lanka or the Philippines, the social media company faced criticism for dealing with Facebook's controversial political posts and advertisements, saw sponsors leave, internal rebellions and increased scrutiny for regulators .

United States of america

according to this Washington Post The piece, Facebook's approach to disputed political speech, had its origins in 2015, when company officials dissuaded then-US presidential candidate Donald Trump from calling for a ban on Muslims entering the country.

The company was forced to call a meeting due to increasing resentment in which employees slammed the post as abusive language. In subsequent meetings, Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg considered it 'disgusting' and removed it according to reports.

The company, after considering a case of alternatives, eventually decided to create an exception to the political speech that, according to the report, would take into account "new political political discourse" when deciding whether to violate community guidelines .

But it is Zuckerberg's insistence that his company 'will not advocate the truth' and its stated policy of fact-checking political advertisements in the United States and elsewhere has caused more outrage.

In October 2019, Facebook refused to take a video ad from Trump's reunion campaign, accusing former Vice President Joe Biden of corruption for his role in the Obama administration's Ukraine policy, without any evidence.

That same month, in the midst of a heated battle for the Democratic nomination for president, Senator Elizabeth Warren ran ads on Facebook to prove a point in which Fahrberg claimed to have supported Trump's reelection for president.

And after the Green New Deal champion Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez grilled Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg On whether his site would allow ads that claimed Republicans supported the Green New Deal, a left-leaning political group did exactly that, targeting Trump's ally and staunch Republican Lindsey Graham did.

After increasing pressure to avoid a repeat of the 2016 election, Facebook has begun to push back recently, though it is believed to spread fake news and influence voters, however fit and starts .

On August 6, Facebook took a Trump post for the first time claiming that children are "immune" to coronovirus. After Trump supporters put up principled videos of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Facebook refused to take them down, although it labeled one clip as 'partially inaccurate'.

In July, Facebook refused to take a post, which claimed to show violence in the United States, but was actually from a 2014 pro-democracy protest in Ukraine.

In May, when Trump warned those opposing the death of George Floyd, saying "when the robbery begins, the shooting will begin", a phrase from the civil rights era, with racist notions, Zuckerberg reported that Why won't Facebook even take its post to the top. Company officials dialed the White House to ask Trump to speak his language.

Although this is at least a start, critics are satisfied. NBCLast year's report stated that Trump and Zuckerberg dined together in the White House that raised several eyebrows.

"I believe they have a deal," said Roger McNamee, an early Facebook investor. new York Times. She Said that it was "probably implicit rather than explicit."

Zuckerberg recently denied any such claim. "I've heard this speculation, so, let me be clear: there's no deal of any kind," Zuckerberg told Axios. "In fact, the whole idea of ​​a deal is very ridiculous."

But Facebook's efforts compared to Twitter which began investigating Trump's claims in May that mail-in voting would be "quite a fraud" and would be labeled as unparliamentary and even Trump's from Minnesota The tweet called it "violent violence".

Facebook has also been eyeing a storm elsewhere in the world, particularly in Sri Lanka and the Philippines, to curb disputed political positions and disseminate misinformation.

Sri Lanka

Before the 2019 presidential election in Sri Lanka, Facebook set fire to civil society groups for refusing, what else, actually check politicians in advertisements. Guardian Reportedly that an official Facebook page affiliated with Goabaya Rajapaksa, who was then Prime Minister of Sri Lanka People's Front and now Prime Minister, promoted a misinformation post that was deemed to be false AFP Sri Lanka.

Reportedly, some Sinhalese language posts used photographs of Buddhist statues lying on the ground to suggest that "Muslim extremists" sacked the Sri Lankan heritage site AFP The head of the temple confirmed with the monk that no such attack had taken place. The post was not removed.

In 2018, authorities imposed an island-wide blocker on Facebook following inflammatory posts by Buddhist fundamentalists, banning religious violence that turned the three dead and hundreds of mosques, homes and businesses into ashes. Facebook spokesperson Amrit Ahuja said, "We made mistakes and we were slow."

The lack of fluent staff in Sinhala - the language spoken by Sri Lanka's largest ethnic group - complicated the issue, with government officials and activists saying that extremist material had been allowed to flourish on stage during the inspection. Ahuja said Facebook was committed to hiring more Sinhalese speakers, but declined to say how many are currently employed in Sri Lanka.

Philippines

In the Philippines, where Facebook is ubiquitous (an estimated 97 percent of people with access to the Internet have accounts) and smartphones outstrip people, President Rodrigo Duterte took the stage to condemn his opponents and push his deadly war on drugs. Is made a weapon.

Duterte's supporters have propagated many false narratives on his behalf, including a fake endorsement from the pope. His supporters also targeted a prominent senator and human rights activist who was investigating his extraordinary killings and claimed that the country's Chief Justice tried to flee the country to avoid complaints of impeachment.

The senator, Leila de Lima, himself was later arrested and imprisoned on drug charges after Dutarte's supporters tried to implicate him in a sex scandal.

"Until we find an effective way to counter the misinformation problem in the Philippines," Leila de Lima wrote Buzzfeed News From Camp Cram, where he is imprisoned, "We cannot expect the damage to be repaired [it’s] The reason already and to ensure that it cannot re-run our democratic way. "

Facebook, on its part, has extended one aspect of the problem in the Philippines to the country's unfamiliarity with the Internet and only deepened its relationship with the Duterte regime.

But the social media company is expected to make headlines as the 2020 US election draws to a close.

With inputs from agencies

Find the latest and upcoming Tech Gadgets online at Tech2 Gadgets. Get technology news, gadget reviews and ratings. Popular gadgets including laptops, tablets and mobile specifications, features, prices, comparisons.

[ad_2] https://tinyurl.com/yy2whcd3 #controversy #facebook #lanka #media #social #sri

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[piecesofstardust]

Tech Activist: Superhero-in-Training

I had the amazing opportunity to give the Sunday Spotlight talk at #VSTE17 this year. Here’s the transcript.

Hello, my name is Kim Wilkens and I’m a tech activist. I wasn’t always a tech activist. I used to just really like tech and I worked in tech, but I didn’t see a need to “fix” anything or advocate for change. Let me tell you a story.

I have always loved tech. It started with the TRS-80 my dad brought home when I was in high school. Sure, the games were fun, but I was never as good as my brother at those. What got me excited was learning BASIC programming and being able to type my papers faster than anybody else I knew. I started college as a math major. I happened to take an intro to computer science course as an elective and I fell in love with being able to take control of a computer and make it do my bidding.

I started working at IBM as a co-op during college and then was hired after graduation. I was a very ambitious young woman and very early in my career I started looking for opportunities to get into management. I was lucky to find a female mentor who took me under her wing and helped get on the first rung of the corporate ladder.

In 1998, I had my son. My grand plan was be back at work after my 6-week leave, but all did not go as planned. Then we moved to Charlottesville, Virginia, I quit my job to stay at home and I became a freelance test and web design consultant.

I feel like I literally stumbled into teaching. My best friend got a gig for me setting up a computer lab at her school, then the principal there encouraged me to teach technology. I’m still not sure why I said yes or why he offered a completely untrained person the job, but I fell in love with my new vocation, especially working with middle school students.

So no, I wasn’t always a tech activist. I used to just really like tech and I worked in tech, but I didn’t see a need to “fix” anything or advocate for change. That was until I went to the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing conference. Like many of you coming to VSTE, I went there to learn about the latest tools and curricula in technology education to bring back to my school. I did learn about those things, but I also learned about a very disturbing trend in computer science education and technology careers. Can you guess what it was?

It’s that number right there. That number has haunted me since I heard it. See, I naively thought that things were probably looking up for women in technology. But instead, I learned that when I was in college was the height of women studying computer science – 37%. In 2010, the year I went to that conference, women represented just 18% of computer science graduates! And as if that wasn’t enough, I learned that pay is still unequal and that high-value and high-income jobs in the tech sector are still mostly occupied by men.

It made me so mad and sad and frustrated and I wanted to know what the hell happened. I mean, technology innovations have fundamentally changed the way we work, communicate, govern and educate, yet girls are five times less likely than boys to consider a career in technology. So what did I miss? Let’s rewind and see.

NPR’s Planet Money did a story called When Women Stopped Coding and one thing they found is that having access to these first home computers was a decisive factor in more boys pursuing and excelling at computer science than girls. Maria Klawe, president of Harvey Mudd College and champion for increasing the representation of women in tech, came to a very similar conclusion that she shared at a Grace Hopper conference. She believes that many of the stereotypes we’ve got in computing now came about when PCs found their way into the home and schools. The first games were shooting games because they were the easiest to create with the limited resources of the early PCs. That grabbed male interest and they grabbed the computers. So a big thank you to my dad and brother for not locking me out of that clubhouse!

I started college as a math major, but an encounter with a math professor turned me off that subject. I went in with a problem and was told this was something my whole gender struggled with. Seriously dude, isn’t this 1984? I went to a small liberal arts college, so there weren’t a lot of math professors to choose from. Luckily, I had taken that CS course as an elective and based on that experience I changed my major to computer science.

When I started studying CS, all my professors and most of the students were male.  When I started working at IBM, a majority of my co-workers were male. The few women in leadership positions seemed to approach their rise upward like most of the men - looking ahead, but not looking back. Luckily I found a female mentor. Against the advice of the mostly male managers, I left development to work with her in publications (most definitely not seen as a step up). Within 18 months, I became manager of the publications team (younger than all my employees). I soon added some developers to the team and eventually became a release manager responsible for all phases of the product development process for a major product update.

For about a dozen years, I had a thriving career at IBM. After being a release manager, I became a product planner which opened up the world to me as I got to travel all over the place to spread the good word about our product. My final job at IBM was a test manager for the game development division. Yes, it turns out you can earn a living playing video games. However, I was soon to become another troubling statistic about women in tech - that after about 12 years, approximately 50 percent of women leave their jobs in STEM fields—mostly in computing or engineering. Just to put that in perspective, that is twice the quit rate of men leaving tech.

By this point, I finally began to sense that things were not right with the tech world. Here’s what I wrote in my blog when I turned 40: “For several years, I was humming along quite nicely in my feminist cause, but then I had a child, left corporate America, turned 40 and had a huge identity crisis. I had done well in a man's world, but now I found myself in the world of motherhood. How was I supposed to excel at something I had no training for? What was happening to my feminist agenda? I thought I was helping to pave the way for the women after me to be treated as equals, but instead I was just playing by the rules of corporate America and they no longer seemed adequate for my life. I felt like a rebel without a clue.”

Needless to say, what I learned at the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing Conference really rocked my world! If you are familiar with the Hero’s Journey, this was definitely my “call to adventure” moment! At this point, I could refuse the call or become a reluctant hero.

So that’s the beginning of my story, but I wonder what your story is or what your students stories are? Where are we all on our hero’s journey?

Because, let’s face it, there’s no shortage of problems that need solving. And I believe those solutions will largely involve some sort of technology.

This past October, I went on my third pilgrimage to MozFest in London. MozFest is an annual “tech” conference that Mozilla puts on, but it’s really hard to describe because it’s different that any other tech conference I have ever been to. This year it was a space where internet health issues and the larger implications for society were not only acknowledged, but actively being addressed by a diverse, committed and growing group of people. There are 5 key components of internet health that Mozilla is working on and there’s some good news and some bad news:

Privacy & Security: The Internet only stays healthy if we trust it as a safe place – to explore, transact, connect, and create. Our privacy and security online is under constant threat.

Good news: Hundreds of millions of people are taking charge of their personal Web experience by installing ad-blockers.

Bad news: 91% of adults agree that consumers have lost control of how personal information is collected and used by companies.

Openness: The Internet was built on the promise that any one of us might create the next big thing. But in order to keep creating, imagining, and reinventing our future online, the building blocks of the Web must be open to all.

Good news: There are now an estimated 1 billion Creative Commons-licensed works online that encourage reuse, including texts, photos, and music.

Bad news: People are getting cut off from other viewpoints because of the digital bubble they are living in.

Decentralization: The Internet owes much of its success to openness: its open, shared structure has made it easy for everyone to build, surf, and thrive on it. But a few big companies are closing in, closing doors, and creating walled gardens that concentrate their ownership and control of the Web.

Good news: As of December 2016, 47 countries currently have laws in place to protect Net Neutrality.

Bad news: On December 14, the FCC will vote to replace current rules enforcing Net Neutrality.

Digital Inclusion: The more voices, perspective, languages, and people contributing to the Web, the richer the experience for everyone. But the whole Internet is not yet accessible, welcoming, and safe for all.

Good news: Wikipedia continues to be a free fountain of knowledge to the tune of 16 billion pageviews a month in 284 languages.

Bad news: 73% of Internet users have seen someone harassed online and 40% have personally experienced it.

Web Literacy: People everywhere should have the knowledge they need to tap into the full power of the Internet – and use it to make their lives and the world better. This means everyone needs to be able to read, write, and participate online.

Good news: The growing trend towards integrating coding into the core curriculum across the U.S.

Bad news: 82% of American middle-schoolers assessed couldn’t tell the difference between an ad labeled “sponsored content” and a real news story on a website.

That’s just tech-related problems. What about all the other problems? Addressing climate change, equal access to education, eradicating poverty. We live in a world with a lot of problems, but we also live in a time with powerful technology tools to help us create solutions. As technology educators, we possess a superpower, the ability to inspire the next generation in technology.

“With great power comes great responsibility”. That may be a line from a comic book superhero’s uncle, but it’s no less true in reality. How do we super empower students and teachers to tackle these real-world problems and wield their technology powers for good? I’ll share some things I’ve learned as a superhero-in-training working with students and teachers at St. Anne’s-Belfield school, Tech-Girls and beyond.

First, I want to share a framework that has been super helpful on my journey. It’s the Design Thinking process. It’s a way of looking at problems from the point of view of those it affects and iterating on solutions. I first learned about the Design Thinking alongside high school students in the Bio-Med Tech-Girls program. More on that story later. First, what is design thinking?

As I was preparing for VSTE, a colleague shared a version of the Design Thinking process created by the Mount Vernon Institute for Innovation specifically for use by K-12 educators and students. I am going to use it to weave the rest of my story and I hope you will consider how you can use it in yours.

The first step is discovery.

This is the stage of researching, observing and immersing yourself in your environment. Looking for what’s not quite right? What problem catches your eye?

For instance, once I learned about the gender gap problem in tech, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. In fact, my family will tell you I became kind of obsessed with it. I would talk with: family, friends, colleagues, teachers, students, strangers on twitter, pretty much anywhere and with anyone who would listen to me. When I went to get my Master’s in Education, I bent any project I could toward studying this problem. I discovered so many things.

What’s the problem?

So I’m wondering what problem is haunting you? Maybe it’s something you are already working on or passionate about or maybe it’s been a thought lurking in the back of your mind. Whatever it is, it may seem too big, too overwhelming to even think about solving. We’re going to need some superpowers.

What are your superpowers?

After a lot of research & a lot of talking to people in the community & a lot of soul searching, I founded Tech-Girls in 2012 with a mission to empower girls to imagine and achieve their future dreams in our tech-savvy world.

In 2013, I went back to the Grace Hopper conference to learn and re-connect. At the conference, I had the opportunity to hear Anita Jones speak. Wow - was I blown away! I learned that she is a computer science legend who broke glass ceilings in academia, government and corporate America. When I got the opportunity to meet her in person, I just blurted out to her that I wanted to help solve the gender gap problem and had started Tech-Girls to do just that. She called me audacious.

I can’t tell you how empowering it was to hear that from one of my new heroes. As a part-time student, part-time teacher and full-time mother, I wasn’t feeling very audacious, but as the founder of Tech-Girls, I could do that! I decided audacity would be one of my superpowers.

I also figured out pretty quickly that making change happen involves a lot of stepping outside my comfort zone - you know, like sharing my story in front of hundreds of people. It turns out I have this really fantastic out of my comfort zone detector and when it goes off, it freaks me out! This I have discovered is another superpower. It’s the not so subtle way that one part of my brain tells me, ‘hey that sounds super scary’ and the other part says ‘so, you should probably go for it’.

If you are like me, you may not think you possess superpowers and sometimes they sure aren’t obvious. So I tried an experiment. I crowdsourced a list of superpowers at VSTE. I tweeted out requests to think about someone you look up to and share the qualities that you admire about them on a padlet. My hope is that we can use this list to acknowledge the superpowers we see in each other. Looking at it also reminds me that we’ve all got potential superpowers within our grasp, but also that we can’t possibly do this superhero stuff alone. We need a team.

Who is on your team?

To solve big hairy problems, going it alone just isn’t possible. When I started thinking seriously about founding Tech-Girls, I wrote a blog post about my idea and tweeted it out far and wide, tagging other girl-focused organizations to get their expert opinions. Through that I got support and connections with Black Girls Code, Girl Develop It, ChickTech, CyberJutsu Girls and Geek Gurl Diaries. Ironically, it was also through social media that I made some connections in Charlottesville who were interested in helping out.

I met the first member of the Tech-Girls team on a 10-miler training run - see I told you I was totally serious about sharing this problem with anyone who would listen. She was a high school junior and joined up right away. With her help, I was able to connect to a teacher who opened the door for us to host meetups at her school. Finding and engaging supporters, collaborators and cheerleaders became a critical component to making Tech-Girls work.

The next phase of the Design Thinking process is to empathize - to walk that mile in someone else’s shoes. I didn’t know about the Design Thinking process when I first started Tech-Girls, but I did know that I needed to understand what the problem was from the girls’ point of view. I started looking for opportunities to connect with girls and learn from them. I asked the girls what they thought the problem was and I heard things like:

there’s a lot of peer pressure to be cool & computer science is not seen as cool

computer science sounds complicated & boring

there are so many bad stereotypes out there, like showing interest in computer science means you have “no life”

I also asked them what alternate realities in their world would help address the problem:

we need to show more female role models in technology

help them understand computing is more about people than about computers

associate computer science with positive and fun subjects

This feedback was invaluable in creating programming for Tech-Girls.

In 2014, the perfect job found me - K-8 Computer Science Program Coordinator at St. Anne’s-Belfield School. Even though I was full steam ahead with Tech-Girls, I just couldn’t pass up this opportunity because I believed it would be a “proof of concept” of another avenue to help solve the gender gap problem. I just had 2 requests before signing on: Tech-Girls would still be a priority for me & we would share everything we learned on our journey integrating CS into the classroom.

A research study from the Girl Scouts reported that although 74% of teen girls are interested in STEM subjects, they don’t pursue this interest for 3 reasons:

They don’t believe other girls their age are interested in a career in STEM

They are uncomfortable being the only girl in a group or class.

They feel they have to work harder than their male counterparts to be taking seriously.

If everyone in a class is exposed to computer science, then they are all empowered to move from being technology consumers, to technology creators, collaborators and activists.

My job is to integrate computer science into all the K-8 classrooms, but I knew from previous experience, that asking a teacher if I could bring CS into a project or lesson, was asking them to take a risk.  I have found that if the idea of incorporating new technology into the curriculum is anxiety inducing for an educator, add computer science to the equation and the fear factor seems to amp up ten-fold. The fear of change and not being able to keep up in the midst of rapid and rampant technological advancement is very real.

Educators are dealing with paradigm shifts brought on by technology use inside and outside the classroom. Meanwhile, youth continue to find new and inventive ways to engage with technology with or without our guidance. Acknowledging this fear and the need to work within the unknown is key. Sometimes I need a good quote to guide me through my fear. This has been my go to inspiration this past year.

“You do not need to know precisely what is happening, or exactly where it is all going. What you need is to recognize the possibilities and challenges offered by the present moment, and to embrace them with courage, faith and hope.” ~ Thomas Merton

I mentioned I went to MozFest this past October, but in 2016, I had the amazing opportunity to help plan the Web Literacy space at MozFest. Stepping into this role was definitely stepping out of my comfort zone, but I used my handy dandy comfort zone detector superpower to turn my first reaction of fear of the unknown into a sign that this new thing is exactly what I was supposed to do. I also knew that I was not on this journey alone. Being part of the Mozilla Learning Network and #teachtheweb movement has been such an amazing experience. It’s a community that cares deeply about empowering people of all ages to learn “the most important skills of our age: the ability to read, write and participate in our digital world.” Who wouldn’t want to be part of that?

I attended a planning retreat in Berlin with all these amazing superhero-type people. I found the whole experience to be a time of embracing paradox. I felt tension between hurrying up to get things done and slowing down to fully appreciate the experience; finding opportunities to collaborate and finding time to be alone; taking in new ideas and standing firm on my ideals; wanting to share my ideas with the group and not daring to let my ignorance show. The result was that out of my comfort zone feeling that is both scary and exhilarating, daunting and awesome.

Learning is also a paradox. I think this is especially true when we are talking about learning tech. Anyone in tech knows there is no keeping up with all the changes and yet, we’ve got to continue learning in order to keep creating it. As a teacher of computer science, I know that when I introduce a new tool or concept, I will not have all the answers to the questions and problems the students will encounter. In fact, the more tech I teach students, the more I become a learner alongside them. The space we created at MozFest reflected this paradox of learning and invited everyone in to embrace it.

Here’s the description of the space we created: Demystify the Web! Grab your ticket to our carnival of learning! All who enter will gain the most important skills of our age: the ability to read, write and participate in our digital world. Mozilla Learning invites teachers and learners of all ages to join our funhouse of web literacy. Embrace the unknown! Experience the thrills! Imagine and share the full potential of the web with everyone.

The next phase of the Design Thinking process is to experiment. As I said before, my first experience with Design Thinking was through the Bio-Med Tech-Girls program. This is a week-long collaboration between Tech-Girls, the Biomedical Engineering Department at UVA and St. Anne’s-Belfield School. This program grew out of one of my failed experiments. I had submitted a Tech-Girls proposal to the i.Lab at UVA, a startup incubator for UVA students and community members. I wanted to create web storefront of STEM curricula, workshops and services geared toward girls. My application was rejected, but one of the reviewers, David Chen, remembered my idea. David is the Coulter Program Director at UVA BME and at a chance meeting, he said he wanted to collaborate with Tech-Girls.

This past summer we held the 4th annual Bio-Med Tech-Girls program. We had 15 young women participating from 8 schools around the region. They had a broad array of interests coming into the program including math, science, engineering, biology, nursing, robotics and coding. During the program, participants got hands-on with creating technology, behind-the-scenes lab tours at UVA Biomedical Engineering and inspiration from guest speakers. They also solved a real-world problem through a design challenge like improving life for an amputee or someone with cerebral palsy.

On Friday afternoon, the community is invited to see what the girls created and it is truly inspiring to see what they come up with in such a short time-frame. The design challenge is also a highlight for the girls. A couple of pieces of feedback that first year really stood out to me:

I've never done anything like it before. All of the other engineering things I've been to always showed us other people's projects, but never got to offer us an opportunity to do a project ourselves.

You gave us a real problem and expected us to come up with a good solution, and even have us build a prototype. Normally adults don't understand younger people are able to do this stuff.

My experience learning about the design thinking process with the girls and seeing how much of an impact it made on them had me thinking that I needed to bring this experience to students at St. Anne’s. The thing about Design Thinking is that you are really putting the learning in the hands of the students and none of you really know where it’s going to end up. I knew just the teacher who would take a leap of faith with me - 8th grade science teacher Tom Weis. Together, we created the Design Thinking & Robotics project.

For this type of assignment, it’s important to identify the design constraints of the project. We brought in robotics with the Hummingbird Robotics kit which I discovered at VSTE several years ago. It’s an amazingly versatile platform that lets you build up creations around robotic components. Wo also borrowed the cerebral palsy patient profile work from Bio-Med Tech-Girls.

We kicked off day one by introducing teams of students to the Hummingbird Robotics kit in what I like to call “hole in the wall learning”. Inspired by Sugata Mitra’s “Hole in the wall” project, the idea is to get students hands-on with the kit as soon as possible and let them figure out how to test the lights, servos, motors and sensors. We gave them handouts on connecting electronics and programming them, but mostly this was a trial and error activity.

Next was working on empathy. Typically, you gain empathy for your patient by getting to know them...BUT what if you can’t interact with your patient? You can gain empathy by trying to step into the shoes of someone with cerebral palsy, so we gave them a homework assignment to try out everyday activities with limited use of their arms. Together, we reflected on the homework experience recording results on an empathy map. Next we had teams researching problems like the one their patient was experiencing. Could they find videos that show what challenges their patient might be facing? Could they find information about what solutions exist today?

Next students created need statements based on the problems their patient was facing. Each team picked one need statement to take to the next stage of brainstorming. During this stage, no idea is too crazy and the more ideas the better. Each team member come up with at least 5 ideas independently. After all ideas were on the table, teams worked to narrow them down and eventually pick one solution to take to prototype stage. Before they began to prototype, they had to draw out a design that included materials they needed as well as a description of how the solution would work.

Finally, we dumped a bunch of maker materials into the middle of the room and they got to work prototyping, testing and refining.

What they ended up with and presented on day 7 of the project was kind of amazing. Here are some examples.

The final step is to produce something, so that you can get feedback to make it better. One thing that David Chen always stresses with the Design Thinking process is that you’ve got to try out your ideas and get feedback. He’ll often have the Bio-Med Tech-Girls in the hallways at UVA trying out their ideas and asking for feedback from people they run into.

With Tech-Girls, I started out by organizing meetups for middle school girls. Those first months, I was lucky to get 6 girls in a room. It felt very slow going. In 2013, I found out about an event that Paula White was hosting called Girls’ Geek Day. Since this was right up my alley, I volunteered. That first event had 30 girls with 15 volunteers offering a wide variety of STEM-related activities. Based on my previous Tech-Girls experiences, I knew this format was a winner.

I joined Paula as a co-conspirator and we have seen Girls’ Geek Day grow with feedback and collaboration from the girls, parents and volunteers. Girls’ Geek Days are hosted once a month in elementary schools across the community. They are usually attended by 50 to 70 girls with 20+ community volunteers running activities each session. You can learn more about this program and ideas on how you might recreate in your community at our session on Monday.

One of the projects I’ve worked on that I think best represents testing and iterating on an idea is the SPARK! Hackathon. It is also a great example of super empowering kids and learning. Zach Minster, the 9-12 Computer Science Coordinator and I started the SPARK! Hackathon as a way to share the enthusiasm we have found in students who discover computer science & coding with the thriving tech community in Charlottesville. What we discovered during the planning and running of the event is that students are eager for opportunities to collaborate with others and work on meaningful projects while the tech community is eager to hear their ideas and help them create.

The hackathon happens over a weekend in January and we invite high school students from around the region to participate - no previous experience required. We call Saturday, a “learnathon” and we recruit tech professionals to come in and teach workshops throughout the day. Here are some of the workshop selections from last year: Cities that Talk, Intro to GitHub, Social Media for Entrepreneurs, Mobile Apps, Project Management, Intro to coding for the web and many more.

Saturday evening, four sponsor companies present real-world problems and the students self-select into teams to solve them. Last year the focus was on IoT (the internet of things) and problem statements included finding ways to use IoT to track patient health, using wearables to stop being distracted by your phone and helping people with multiple sclerosis manage their social interactions. Here’s a behind-the-scenes video from our first hackathon.

What I remember most clearly from that first hackathon experience was the moment we really handed it over to the students. We had recruited volunteers, organized the workshops, got companies on board to present problems, but at 6pm on Saturday after hearing the problem presentations, we truly turned it over to them. It was scary and exhilarating, daunting and awesome.

We are working on the 3rd annual SPARK! Hackathon. I really believe it is student-driven learning at it’s best! Last year, we brought students on board as mentors. This year, we’re excited to have students as collaborators in the planning and design process. They are helping us make the invitation as inviting a possible. The hackathon is open to high school students anywhere in the state, so please consider this your invitation for you and your students to join us January 27 & 28!

I realize that just doing it isn’t as easy as it sounds, but we are constantly asking this of our students, so modeling it is important. That’s why we wanted to take the SPARK! Hackathon experience and bring it to educators. So this summer, St. Anne’s hosted the Computer Science Institute for regional educators. If educators were willing to take a risk on this experience, we promised them 3 things:

an opportunity to learn and get hands on with new computer science skills and tools;

to come away from the experience with a lesson plan infused with CS to try out in their classroom

to connect with a community of educators who can provide support and guidance on their journey into computer science integration.

Our keynote speaker was Jeffrey Spies, the CTO of the Center for Open Science. Our theme was learning to learn and he was so spot on in his remarks, it actually gave me chills. He challenged us to rethink the frustration of failure.

His mantra is "Learning is frustrating. Frustration is expected. Everyone feels this way." He went on to share that “women and underrepresented minorities will face different challenges than others. They may interpret frustration more negatively.” Instead of viewing frustration with tech as a cue that we are 'not good at it’, we need to understand that it is just a normal part of the learning process. As learners, we need to fearlessly embrace the frustration of failure and believe in our ability to learn from it. This is known as a growth mindset and it leads to a lifelong love to learning in any field.

We live in a world with a lot of problems, but we also live in a time with powerful technology tools to help us create solutions. As technology educators, we possess a superpower, the ability to inspire the next generation in technology.

What I learned at the Grace Hopper Conference really rocked my world! It sent me on a journey of discovery, observation, experimentation and iteration!

I hope something rocks your world at VSTE - whether it’s an amazing educator, a cool tool or a problem that needs solving.

Embrace your hero’s journey! Acknowledge your superpower! Find your team! And then start telling your story - I can’t wait to hear it!

Resources & Credits:

Full slidedeck

Mozilla Internet Health Report

Mount Vernon Institute for Innovation: Design Thinking

Bio-Med Tech-Girls

Generation STEM: What girls say about science, technology, engineering and math (Girl Scouts)

Design Thinking & Robotics

Girls’ Geek Day

SPARK! Hackathon

CS Institute

Presentation template by SlidesCarnival

[sherristockman]

Fasting — A Powerful Metabolic Intervention That Can Dramatically Boost Your Health Dr. Mercola By Dr. Mercola I hope you all are recovering well from a well deserved holiday weekend in the U.S. I am beyond excited to introduce you to a remarkable individual who inspired me to implement what I believe is the most powerful metabolic health intervention you can undergo. Although it is the cure for over 80% of the population that has insulin resistance it is also helpful for all of us. So much so that I have committed to monthly five day fasts and as you read this I am in the third day of a five day fast. In this interview, George Newman, whom I met while lecturing at a low carb conference in San Diego this past summer, discusses many important details of: multiple day water fasts. Newman has no formal health training. He's an engineer, but he really knows his stuff and talking to him inspired me to re-evaluate my stance on extended water fasting, which I didn’t think was necessary in the absence of obesity, diabetes or some other specific health challenge such as cancer. “I've had a long and interesting health journey,” Newman says. “Thirteen years ago, I ended up with atrial fibrillation (AFib). In my case, it was brought on by excessive or chronic fitness … At that point I was participating in high altitude long distance races. I was doing fairly intense training. For example, the Pikes Peak Ascent race, which would start out at 6,300 feet and go to 14,100 feet over 13 miles. It was after a training run that I got my first AFib episode … I had a parasympathetic response, a vagal trigger to AFib, which means that my system … got very slow for a couple of days and that slowness [became] a trigger for my AFib. The short story of that is I managed, after a two-and-a-half-month episode, to create a regimen for myself that includes a lot of high-dose magnesium, which has kept me relatively in rhythm for most of that time. I did detrain. I don't do chronic long distance endurance exercise anymore. I am still fit (with rock climbing, alpine skiing, HIIT and bodyweight exercise) but I've taken that out of my routine.” Addressing AFib As a result of this incident, and refusing to accept the conventional medical wisdom that advocates taking medication or undergoing cardiac ablation surgery, he began researching how to optimize his health. AFib is a condition where there’s increased or aberrant electrical activity in the atrium, the smaller chamber of the heart. Essentially, the chamber contracts erratically and isn't able to sync with the ventricles in a proper 1-to-1 ratio. AFib is a fairly common problem among endurance athletes. While there’s a genetic component, endurance exercise raises your risk by putting undue stress on your heart. Your heart is actually designed to work very hard in short spurts, not continuously for long periods of time. That said, extreme athletes are still a relatively small subset of people who get AFib. Most are older and have other comorbidities. Magnesium Is Extremely Important for Optimal Heart Health As mentioned, magnesium is a supplement Newman now takes daily, and in very high amounts. At one point he was taking up to 5.5 grams of elemental magnesium a day. These days, he’s typically taking 1.5 grams daily, which is still a far cry from the recommended dietary allowance of 400 mg per day. It’s rather difficult to overdose on magnesium, though, as it has a laxative effect. If you take more than your body needs, it’ll just come out the other end. The fact he was able to tolerate over 5 grams a day without getting diarrhea also suggests he was sorely depleted. It’s worth noting that intense exercise does deplete magnesium, so if you exercise a lot, you need more magnesium than you would if you were inactive. “The total body store of magnesium is about 30 grams, including the bones and everything,” he says. “Why I wasn't hanging on [to the magnesium] I've never quite figured out. Whatever it is, I have done [high-dose intervals] several times. When I first figured out my routine of high magnesium and detraining, I had a period of two years without an AFib event and I thought, ‘Oh, I've had reverse remodeling, I'm cured and I don't need these supplements.’ So, I quit taking them. Within 24, 48 hours, I was in AFib. I'm like, ‘OK, I don't need to repeat that,’ and so I haven't intentionally [stopped taking magnesium] since. I don't want to give people the impression that this is an easy thing to do. It worked for me and it's probably worth trying, but it is fairly rare that you can do this.” While Newman’s AFib remission strategy of magnesium and detraining works very well, it is not 100 percent perfect. In addition to magnesium, Newman does use a prescribed medication, flecainide, on-demand to convert himself into normal rhythm when the magnesium strategy fails. In the last 4.5 years, he’s gone into AFib four times for a total of about five hours out of rhythm. For those with compromised kidney function, electrolyte supplementation may need to be avoided altogether. In those with normal kidney function, excess electrolytes will be excreted. Electromagnetic Field Exposure Can Trigger AFib On a side note, aside from chronic overexercise and magnesium deficiency, exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF) can also increase your risk of AFib. This effect has been well-documented, and includes not only cellphones and Wi-Fi but also the electric wiring in your walls. Ideally, you need to sleep in an EMF-free environment, especially if you have AFib. The simplest way to do that is to shut down the electricity to your bedroom, assuming your bedroom isn't surrounded by other rooms adjacent to it, in which case you would need to actually measure the electric fields. Interestingly, one potential reason why Newman does not appear to be affected by EMF may well have to do with his magnesium loading. We know from Dr. Martin Pall’s work that EMF toxicity is mitigated through your voltage-gated calcium channels. Since magnesium is a natural calcium channel blocker, it helps block the adverse effects of EMF. Still, the fact that you don’t notice a sensitivity to EMF does not mean it’s not causing some kind of damage. Research has shown damage occurs whether the person is sensitive enough to feel it or not. You May Need More Magnesium Than You Think In George’s case, it appears his AFib was triggered by low magnesium caused by endurance exercise, which subsequently upset his potassium-to-magnesium balance. By taking supplemental magnesium, his potassium level also balanced out. To determine your magnesium level you could do an erythrocyte red blood cell (RBC) magnesium test. “Dr. Caroline Dean does a lot of work with magnesium. Looking at the RBC magnesium levels, she suggests, at the high end of normal, 6 to 6.5 mg/dL as a good range. The first time I ever tested, before I had backed off [magnesium] a little bit was 7.8, and a more recent test was around 7.5 mg/dL.” I too took this test recently for the first time. At the time, I was taking over 1 gram of magnesium per day. Surprisingly, my RBC magnesium was only 3.5, which is below average. It didn't make any sense and, like Newman, I’m presently at a loss as to why my level would be so low when I’m taking such a high dosage. “I know that there are people in my AFib world and there are some people that are very sensitive to magnesium levels. One of my friends was taking intermuscular magnesium and also doing IV magnesium for quite a while to keep his levels up. I know there are people that do this,” Newman says. “Herbert Mansmann, a large man [and] Type 2 diabetic, spent the latter part of his life as a retired pathologist studying magnesium. There are papers written by him and at one point he took 20 grams a day for a year. He was able to actually mitigate the diabetic neuropathy symptoms in his legs by doing that. It was his work that [made me] realize I'm probably not going to have a problem overdosing on [magnesium].” The Benefits of Magnesium Bicarbonate In the early ‘90s, Australian ranchers observed that sheep drinking from a particular spring had better health outcomes. When they tested the water, they found it was relatively high in magnesium bicarbonate. Following in the footsteps of some of George’s AFib acquaintances, I started making a magnesium water drink. By adding milk of magnesia to chilled carbonated water, you create magnesium bicarbonate.1 I used a SodaStream to create the carbonated water rather than buying bottled soda water, and bought additive-free magnesium hydroxide, commonly known as milk of magnesia. Most of the magnesium hydroxide sold contains additives. You can also use magnesium acetate. The reason you have to do this exotic preparation is because magnesium bicarbonate is not available in powder or pill form. It must be created through this chemical reaction. Now, it does not taste very good, and after discussing the matter with Tyler LeBaron, a chemist with the Molecular Hydrogen Foundation, I learned there’s really nothing special about magnesium bicarbonate per se. As long as you're getting the ionic magnesium and the carbonate, you're going to get the benefits. So, I now take potassium bicarbonate on a nightly basis instead. This provides the beneficial carbonate ions, and provides a little alkalization as well. I’m going to experiment with the potassium bicarbonate in combination with high-dose magnesium while monitoring my magnesium level monthly to see if I can improve my level this way. “Another way you can get it is [by using] magnesium acetate. You can do that, again, with milk of magnesia, and I use organic apple cider vinegar in a ratio of 2-to-7 (two parts milk of magnesia to seven parts vinegar). That creates magnesium acetate, which from what I understand converts to magnesium bicarbonate in the body. That's a quick reaction. The magnesium bicarbonate reaction with carbonated water does take a while,” Newman says. “There's lots of different types of magnesium and people talk about what's best. For my primary purpose, which is the AFib, in my case any magnesium works. I can take magnesium oxide, I can take citrate, bicentate, you name it, it doesn't matter. I just need to take it, take it regularly and take it in sufficient quantities.” Fasting — A Powerful Metabolic Therapy Newman has really enlightened and motivated me by example about the profound benefits of water fasting, even when you do not have a weight or insulin problem. With a fasting insulin level of less than 2, I really did not think fasting would benefit me. Newman, however, inspired me to revisit this topic, and thanks to our discussions, I now fast for four or five days at a stretch. My first fast was a four-day fast, and I now do a monthly five-day fast. I actually look forward to it now. There's no pain. You can get more done — the mental clarity is just profound, not to mention it makes life easier and less expensive since you don’t have to buy, prepare, eat or clean up food for a few days. What I'm most excited about is the fact that it radically improves your body's ability to digest damaged cells, a process we called autophagy. It also increases stem cells. Newman explains: “When you look at Valter Longo's work … their aha moment was when cancer model rodents, mice, were fasted before chemo, during chemo, after chemo and then refed until they came back to their before-fast weight … Chemo will normally knock your white blood cell count way down, but after six or seven cycles [of fasting and refeeding], they noticed that these mice had the white blood cell count of young mice and not cancer model mice with a lot of chemo. That was intriguing to me. A question I have is, how long must the fast be to really get this [effect]? Because they figured out that the stem cells in these mice were creating new white blood cells … I listened to an interview that Rhonda Patrick had with Guido Kroemer. He's a colleague of Valter Longo's … He mentioned that a mouse, when you fast it for a day, loses 10 percent of its body weight … My point is that if I fast for five days, it’s nowhere comparable to fasting a mouse for two days. So, a question I have is how long do you really need to fast to bring that [stem cell effect] out, and I don't know the answer to that question.” Considerations When First Becoming Fat Adapted Interestingly, the late pathologist Dr. Joseph Kraft determined that about 80 percent of people with a normal glucose response have an abnormal insulin response — a condition he dubbed “diabetes in situ,” in other words, diabetes waiting to happen. He believed this diagnosis could predict who might develop Type 2 diabetes in the distant future, giving you a warning as early as 25 years ahead of time. To determine your glucose and insulin responses, all you really need is an oral glucose tolerance test and a fasting serum insulin test. Should you find that you, like Newman, have diabetes in situ, becoming keto adapted (fat adapted through nutritional ketosis) is perhaps the easiest way to go about reversing it. While my book “Fat for Fuel” delves into nutritional ketosis and mitochondrial metabolic therapy in greater detail, here are a few helpful pointers: Eat a ketogenic diet, high in healthy fats, low in net carbs with moderate amounts of protein Make sure you’re eating enough salt. You need probably 6 to 8 grams of high quality natural salt per day. When you're fasting, this is hard to do because you don't want to drink salt water. A workaround I use is to simply pour some Himalayan salt in the palm of my hand and lick it. I'll do that several times a day when fasting. This will help you avoid the so-called “keto flu,” which is nothing more than a sodium deficiency. Getting enough salt from your diet is typically not an issue while you’re on a ketogenic diet To prevent much of the discomfort and side effects associated with the transition into fat burning, start by extending the time that you do intermittent fasting. Each day, gradually restrict your eating window until you’re down to four or even two hours. If you do that for a month or so, you're going to be burning fat, which will make the transition into a ketogenic diet rather easy and complication free Fat Adaptation Helps Ease Transition Into Fasting At present, Newman fasts five days every two weeks (and 22 hours a day on eating days, where his diet is ketogenic — 75 percent fat calories, mostly monos, eating from Dr. Steven Gundry’s Plant Paradox food lists; and fairly frequently eating a lot of resistant starches, especially on workout days. He is weight stable from fasting cycle to fasting cycle). Once a year he also does a seven-day fast with his wife, who otherwise keeps to an intermittent fasting schedule where she fasts 16 hours a day. I currently water fast five consecutive days once a month. This is because most of the fasting metabolic magic of increased stem cells and autophagy doesn’t happen until after three full days of water fasting. However, I strongly recommend becoming fat adapted before making the transition into doing multiday water fasts. Newman agrees, saying: “Before [you] just dive into a long fast, first I would suggest reading “Fat for Fuel,” [and also] read Jason Fung's book [“A Complete Guide to Fasting”]. If you're on medications, be careful. Really think about what you're doing, especially medications that affect your blood sugar. This is powerful stuff. You can get into trouble … Arm yourself with knowledge. I’m well adapted … Even when I eat a fairly high carb meal, [my] beta hydroxybutyrate — the serum ketones — [are] still at a minimum 0.5, 0.7, 2.0 which is considered nutritional ketosis. What I'm saying is I've been doing this for so long that my body makes ketones even if I'm not [eating strict low carb] … So, now I've transitioned into fasting. It's a natural transition for my body and I'm convinced that this is how our paleo ancestors worked — it was just a natural transition. It wasn't like, ‘Oh, if I'm out of ketosis for a day, I have go through a two week readaptation [into burning fat for fuel].’” Water Fasting Is a Powerful Strategy to Optimize Health There's enormous fear around water fasting. Many believe their body will go into starvation mode, resulting in all sorts of catastrophes, not to mention having to struggle with unrelenting hunger for days on end. The truth is, if you do your research and apply the strategies recommended in this interview, you’re not going to go into starvation mode; you’re going into health-generating mode. And you’re not going to be overwhelmed by hunger. “As Fung [reveals] in his book, hunger's not on a linear upswing. It does come in waves but the longer you fast, generally the easier it gets. If you are keto adapted, then you really don't have the hunger issue to a great degree at all,” Newman says. I now see fasting as a process of health optimization because the benefits for fasting for four or five days is just extraordinary. After reviewing Longo’s patents on fasting and fasting-mimicking diet (in which the protein is exclusively vegan and very low in sugar to avoid triggering specific nutrient sensing pathways), one of the things Newman noticed was that human subjects were not pushed into nearly as deep a fasted state as the animal subjects. “They always kind of were dancing around lightweight from my perspective with their human subjects,” he says. By fasting five days out of every 14, Newman goes far beyond what most clinical practitioners and researchers will attempt, and his lab work provides strong anecdotal evidence that this intense kind of fasting does not impair health — it improves it. At the time of this interview, he had completed 13 cycles of five-day fasts every two weeks, and had not lost any muscle mass, and his bone density is that of someone half his age. “I did a DEXA scan to get some objective evidence … I have a T score of zero [which] means you have the average bone mineral density of a 30-year-old of your sex. I'm 62 years old. If you had a +1, that would mean you'd have the bone density of one standard deviation above; a -1 would be one standard deviation below. Then, on my body composition results, and this is for my all my limbs and everything, my body fat percentage was 16.7 … I'm not bodybuilder lean but I'm pretty lean. I checked my blood sugar in the afternoon and it was 31. This is the fifth day of a fast and my serum ketones were at 6 … I went to the gym, and [did a] super slow to failure workout … I hadn't done one in about a month and I hadn't [worked out] on a fasting day, and I managed to increase my time under load by an average of 84 percent. Then I started doing that workout … every fifth day, [and] I've managed to incrementally increase my time under load largely every time on the fifth day of a fast, which I thought was interesting because I don't have any fuel on that day.” Is Water Fasting Right for You? Most people would likely benefit from longer water fasting, whether you’re overweight and diabetic or not. The key is to properly prepare yourself and not jump in half-cocked. At 62, and having a diagnosis of AFib, Newman is an inspiring example of how simple lifestyle strategies can turn your health around. In his case, he’s managed to keep his AFib largely under control with a combination of keto adaptation, fasting and magnesium supplementation. Like George, most of you reading this are not medical or health professionals, and he really shows that if you have intelligence and persistence, you can read the literature and safely implement health strategies that can help solve the problem at its foundational core. Hopefully you'll consider integrating fasting into your self-help toolkit, because it’s really one of the most profound metabolic interventions I know of. As an added boon, not only is it not going to cost you a penny, it’ll actually save you money because you won’t be buying food for a few days. As noted by Newman, “I would think that if the population would just do even like a 5-to-2 fast, where you're fasting two days a week as a general rule, if people did that it would probably change the health trajectory of the nation dramatically.” All of that said, there are several absolute contraindications. If any of the following apply to you, you should NOT do extended types of fasting: Underweight, defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 18.5 or less. Malnourished (in which case you need to eat healthier, more nutritious food). Children should not fast for longer than 24 hours, as they need nutrients for continued growth. If your child needs to lose weight, a far safer and more appropriate approach is to cut out refined sugars and grains. Fasting is risky for children as it cuts out ALL nutrients, including those they need a steady supply of. Pregnant and/or breast-feeding women. The mother needs a steady supply of nutrients in order to assure the baby's healthy growth and development, so fasting during pregnancy or while breast-feeding is simply too risky for the child. I would also caution you to avoid fasting if you struggle with an eating disorder such as anorexia, even if you are not clinically underweight. In addition to that, use caution if you're on medication, as some may need to be taken with food. This includes metformin, aspirin and any other drugs that might cause stomach upset or stomach ulcers. Risks are especially high if you're on diabetic medication. If you take the same dose of medication but don't eat, you run the risk of having very low blood sugars (hypoglycemia), which can be very dangerous. So, if you're on diabetic drugs, you must adjust your medication before you fast. If your doctor is adverse toward or unfamiliar with fasting, you'd be wise to find one that has some experience in this area so that they can guide you on how to do this safely.

[dietpillswatchdog]

Sibrutal

Fibre supplements have often been used to help to suppress the appetite, as fibre absorbs water and swells in the stomach. However, not all fibre supplements are created equal; with different doses and different types of fibre used, some products can be quite effective, whilst others will not have any effect upon appetite or weight loss at all.

Below we take an in-depth look at Sibrutal to see whether or not this fibre and laxative-based supplement does actually work as an effective appetite suppressant and weight-loss aid.

Sibrutal Pros

Helps treat constipation

Sibrutal Cons

No money-back guarantee

No returns allowed

Mismarketed laxative

Incredibly over-exaggerated claims

Watchdog Rejected Diet Pills

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What You Need To Know About Sibrutal

The manufacturers of Sibrutal claim that the supplement acts as an appetite suppressant and carb blocker. However, the ingredients used in Sibrutal are laxatives, and will not work as claimed by the manufacturers, and will not aid weight loss. As Sibrutal is a laxative, it should not be used for more than 2 weeks at a time, and ideally less than that.

What Are The Side Effects Of Sibrutal?

The side effects of Sibrutal are all going to be laxative-related side effects. As customers are not informed by the manufacturer that the product contains laxative ingredients, even the increase in bowel movements that is an expected effect of consuming a laxative could be considered an unexpected side effect of the supplement.

Other possible side effects include stomach cramps, diarrhoea, loose stools, constipation (especially if not consuming enough water), and over time, dependency upon laxatives. The full details about the possible side effects of Sibrutal can be found below under the Side Effects Tab.

How Much Does Sibrutal Cost?

From the official Sibrutal website, a single bottle costs $49.95, plus delivery charges, which are significant. Customers in the USA are offered a choice of a $10.00 charge for standard delivery, or a $14.00 charge for insured delivery. International delivery costs are higher.

There are also bulk discounts available. Ordering two bottles together costs $89.95, plus delivery costs. Customers who order three bottles will get one free (four bottles in total) and will pay $119.95 plus delivery charges.

Sibrutal can be purchased from Amazon, with a single bottle costing $39.99, plus delivery charges.

Each bottle contains 180 capsules, which is enough tablets for 30 days of use if taken as directed by the manufacturer. The two ingredients used in the supplement are incredibly easy to source at a much cheaper price; we believe that Sibrutal is a very expensive supplement, considering its contents.

Our Verdict On Sibrutal

The manufacturers of Sibrutal make dramatic claims about the potency of their supplement, including that it blocks carbs, suppresses the appetite, and can help you to reduce your food intake by 75%! The ingredients list reveals that none of these claims are true or accurate; the supplement consists of two laxative ingredients that have no clinical support linking them with healthy or sustainable weight loss.

Because of the use of laxatives, there are numerous unpleasant side effects that can be caused by Sibrutal. Customers should not use this supplement for more than two weeks at a time, as repeated use of laxatives can lead to dependency and longer-term health issues.

The manufacturers also do not offer a money back guarantee, and have restricted their returns policy so much that it is essentially impossible to get a refund.

Overall, we do not recommend Sibrutal to our readers.

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Key Features

Ingredients

Side Effects

Testimonials

Guarantee

Where to Buy

Sibrutal Review

Sibrutal is advertised as an appetite suppressant that “will help you control your appetite to lose weight effortlessly”. The manufacturers make numerous different claims about how the product works, and how effective it is, but they offer no clinical support for the claims they make. The product contains two ingredients, both of which are herbal laxative treatments for constipation, and which have no available clinical support linking them firmly with weight loss.

Sibrutal Facts

Manufactured by Barri Alternative Products Inc.

180 capsules per bottle (30-day supply).

Contains laxatives.

One of the ingredients, psyllium husk, has been researched as an appetite suppressant and weight-loss aid; in several clinical studies, consumers were given as much as 10 grams per day (more than triple the amount found in Sibrutal) over a period of several weeks or months. The studies found that consumers reported a very small reduction in their appetite, but ultimately, the participants did not lose any weight in these studies.

How to Take Sibrutal

Take 2 capsules with 8 oz. of water before meals. Do not exceed 6 capsules per day.

Sibrutal is manufactured by a company called Barri Alternative Products Inc., who are based in the USA. The company can be contacted using the information found on the contact us page of the Sibrutal website. We could not locate a direct website or much information about Barri Alternative Products Inc. online.

Sibrutal Concerns:

No returns allowed.

No money-back guarantee.

Unlikely to aid weight loss.

Laxative ingredients mismarketed as weight-loss aid.

What Does Sibrutal Claim To Do?

The manufacturers of Sibrutal make the following claims about how their product is supposed to aid weight loss:

Sibrutal is an effective appetite suppressant, Sibrutal works like a balloon in your stomach, filling up the empty space with a gel like substance.

This action will reduce food intake to up to 75% making easier for you to have a better appetite control and also having a better carb control over your diet and cravings

Sibrutal will act as a carb blocker by reducing your appetite and cravings and also as a colon cleanser. Having a clean and healthy colon is essential for building a strong immune system, all of which are essential for effective weight loss.

Sibrutal psyllium husk is a great fibre supplement. The great thing about psyllium husks is that it is rich in both soluble and insoluble fibre. If you are looking for appetite control pills to add to your ongoing weight loss program or just to have better weight management, sibrutal is the answer for you.

Does Sibrutal Work?

Sibrutal is marketed as an appetite-suppressing weight loss supplements, but it is unlikely to significantly suppress the consumer’s appetite, and clinical evidence suggests that even if the consumer’s appetite is lessened, it will still not lead to significant weight loss.

Any weight loss experienced whilst taking this product will most likely be temporary weight loss, from loss of water weight and increased bowel movements (or be due to other weight-loss efforts, such as dieting and exercise!). Because laxatives products do not affect the fat or muscle in the body, the weight will often be regained once consumers resume their normal diet.

What Are The Ingredients of Sibrutal?

The ingredients found in Sibrutal are detailed below. The product contains a proprietary formula, and so the exact doses of individual ingredients are unclear. Each total daily serving of six capsules contains 3000.12 mg of the proprietary blend; consumers should split this total daily dosage into smaller doses taken over the course of the day.

Proprietary Blend 3000 12 mg

Psyllium Husk Powder: Psyllium is used to treat constipation. The ingredient works by increasing the bulk of the stool and increasing the amount of water found in the stool, making it quicker and easier to pass. As this is an insoluble fibre that absorbs water and swells, it has been investigated for weight loss purposes; participants in studies report a slightly suppressed appetite (sometimes), but do not lose any weight, even when taking as much as 10 grams per day.

Cascara Sagrada: This used to be an FDA-approved drug to treat constipation, but it was demoted to dietary supplements after manufacturers refused to provide any evidence supporting this plant’s safety; it appears to work as a laxative only, and does not work to aid weight loss in any way. It appears to be safe for short-term use, but should not be used for more than 2 weeks.

Does Sibrutal Have Any Side Effects?

Psyllium and Cascara Sagrada are both laxative ingredients. Whilst Psyllium works by adding bulk, as it is an insoluble fibre, Cascara Sagrada works as a stimulant laxative. More specifically, Cascara Sagrada works by stimulating the nerve endings in the large intestine, causing the muscles in the intestinal wall to contract, encouraging movement through the bowels. This can cause painful stomach cramps.

Laxatives can interfere with the absorption of the contraceptive pill, as well as the absorption of other medications and vitamin supplements. Consumers should consult their doctor if they have any concerns about using this product in conjunction with the contraceptive pill.

Using laxatives can lead to both dehydration and a deficiency of electrolytes, which can both leads onto more serious side effects, especially if not dealt with properly. Calcium, chlorine, magnesium, phosphate, potassium, and sodium are all obtained from fluids, supplements, and food, but increasing fluid output can decrease their levels in the body?–?even sweating due to exercise can significantly lower electrolyte levels. Side effects of low levels of electrolytes include muscle cramps, dizziness, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, trembling, muscle weakness, and stiff or aching joints. In the most severe cases, more serious symptoms can occur, such as low blood pressure, tachycardia (rapid heart rate), sunken eyes, confusion or loss of consciousness for even a brief moment, and poor skin elasticity. If any of these occur, a medical professional should be consulted immediately.

Regular and long-term use of laxatives can also lead to dependency upon them, as the bowel’s muscles become weaker over time. Check out our article on the dangers of using laxatives for weight loss for more information.

Caution: The absorption of the contraceptive pill and other medications can be affected by the use of laxatives such as cascara sagrada. Do not use this product if you have abdominal pain, diarrhoea or loose stools. Rectal bleeding and/or failure to have a bowel movement after the use of a laxative formula may be an indication of a more serious condition. Not suitable for anyone under the age of 18. Not suitable for pregnant or lactating women. Discontinue use and consult a doctor if you experience any unusual symptoms. Do not take for more than two weeks at a time. Do not take in the two weeks before any scheduled surgery.

Are There Any Customer Reviews For Sibrutal?

The customer reviews that have been left for Sibrutal are incredibly mixed; some customers feel no effects at all, whilst report feeling some appetite suppression.

Makes you feel full … no directions on when to take. I took 3 in the morning and the other half at dinner when I have the most cravings I did okay, took all 6 at lunch 2nd day. Didn’t eat lunch not hungry but I had healthy snack. I believe it’s best prior to a larger meal but tomorrow I’ll do like another reviewer and just do 2 per meal. No side effects with taking all 6 at a time.

Didn’t work for me.

Didn’t seem to do anything.

You have to look very closely dangerous information about product! It can cause throat and cause blocking and swelling. It should be easier to find this information! Amazon needs to do better, with these supplements!!!

Does Sibrutal Offer a Money-Back Guarantee?

The manufacturers of Sibrutal do not offer a money-back guarantee, and do not offer any refunds at all. Their terms and conditions state:

By placing an order, you represent that the products ordered will be used only in a lawful manner and are non-returnable, once you click “I agree to terms and conditions” and your order is placed it is not refundable or returnable without an authorised RMA. Support staff reserves the right to determine if a client may return a product for a refund, this is typically only allowed if support feels it is a fraudulent order or misrepresentation has occurred.

Where Can I Buy Sibrutal?

Sibrutal can be purchased from the official Sibrutal website. Customers are not shown the prices of the product until after they have entered their details, including their phone number and email address. Once customers have entered this, if they do not make a purchase, they may be contacted by the company, usually within a few days.

From the official website, a single bottle costs $49.95, plus delivery charges, which are significant. Customers in the USA are offered a choice of a $10.00 charge for standard delivery, or a $14.00 charge for insured delivery. International delivery costs are higher.

There are also bulk discounts available. Ordering two bottles together costs $89.95, plus delivery costs. Customers who order three bottles will get one free (four bottles in total) and will pay $119.95 plus delivery charges.

Sibrutal can be purchased from amazon, with a single bottle costing $39.99, plus delivery charges.

The post Sibrutal appeared first on Diet Pills Watchdog.

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