#especially since it's a label that has much history in japan and has been appropriated by the west.

[otogariado]

found a thread made by a japanese mlm about the fujoshi label, in response to a tweet that's now deleted. thought it provided some insight so i'm gonna share it anyway. thread was originally from twitter on august 3 2020. he also linked resources in the thread as well as a poll from JP twt about if they should keep the label or not, which i didn't include here but you can find by accessing the post source.

obvs disclaimer, communities are not a monolith and one person isn't the end all be all of a discussion, but i think we should consider and listen to what he says anyway. especially if we're not from japan. op uses he/they according to their twitter bio.

@/matchamallow from twitter: "As a japanese mlm... Please don't spread more misinformation about the word fujoshi. 😅 It's simply a woman who likes BL. It's also a reclaimed word in Japan so making it a bad word again is not nice. Plus BL is very important to LGBT movement in Japan."

@/bokutosbooty replies: "I’m sorry!! i didn’t mean to start fujoshi discourse or try to change its meaning. It’s just that in the west i’ve been seeing a LOT of western mlm be uncomfortable w the term bc of its negative implications and associations set by those who fetishize mlm."

@/matchamallow replies: "Don't worry! And yes I know many self proclaimed fujoshi in the west behave very poorly. I think we should fight the behaviour and not the word, you know? Because of course I don't agree with how they act, but I also dislike seeing a word from my culture with so much history be associated with that. I don't blame anyone for conflating the two! I'm just trying to show resources so we can fight misinformation and bad behaviour together without demonizing a word."

@/bokutosbooty: "yes!! THANK YOU for leaving your thread and pointing out the real problem of fighting the behavior rather than fighting the word!! it saddens me to see fujoshi has such a negative undertone in the west bc thats very disrespectful to japanese otaku who have reclaimed the term"

@/matchamallow: "Yes, that's why I think we should recognize its origins and context. There's nothing inherently wrong with being or calling yourself a fujoshi - the wrong thing is being disrespectful to real people. We should strive to educate them and clear up the meaning of fujoshi."

@/matchamallow: "Again I don't blame anyone for being uncomfortable with the word or disliking some of their behaviour. That's very understandable. I just want to clear up misunderstandings how I can and focus more on the behaviour, not the word. And thank you for listening!!"

@/bokutosbooty: "thank you for sharing your information!! hopefully all of the fujoshi discourse ends and the focus solely on fixing bad behaviors as we both stated!! pls take care and have a good day!!"

[shes-soparticular]

Slow Burn

 We just dance backwards into each other Trying to keep our feelings secretly covered You touch me and it’s almost like we knew That there will be history

 A/N: So I’ve already done a couple of “Shawn & Alex” one-shots that people have seemed to enjoy. Therefore, I wanted to do a longer origin story. This is part 1 of ????. Let’s just say SEVERAL.

Word Count: 1903

     The first time he lays eyes on her, his heart stops. It’s so cliché, he knows that, but he’ll swear for the rest of his life that this was love at first sight. Even if he didn’t understand in that moment. Even if he hadn’t the slightest clue of what this woman, this stranger, would come to mean to him. That this girl across the bar in her vintage Tom Petty t-shirt, peeling the label off of her Amstel while saying something to earn a hearty laugh from the bartender, that this girl would become his entire world. Right now, all he knows for certain is that there’s something about her that makes it impossible for him to stop staring. Maybe it’s the way her hair frames her face in wild waves, the kind that can only come from rolling out of bed late. It could be the sound of her laugh, floating all the way across the room, soft and warm. When she turns and holds his gaze, her eyes locking with his, his breath catches in his chest. He’s never seen eyes like hers, the way they’re searching his, as if seeing deeper than the surface. Nervously and with a blush crawling across his cheeks, he looks away, pretending to be busy with his phone. But he can still feel her eyes on him and he can’t resist looking up once more. She cocks one eyebrow in his direction and nods her head to the side, motioning for him to come over to her. Again, his heart stops. Why in the hell is he this worked up over some girl across the bar? Some girl he’s never even seen before? He desperately wants to play it cool, wants to have the upper hand and pretend he wasn’t gawking at her like a teenaged boy. But his feet carry him in her direction before he can stop himself and all he can keep repeating internally is not to make a fool out of himself. Be cool, be cool, be cool. When he makes it to her side, she smiles up at him from her bar stool, patting the one next to her. Her lips part and he can’t stop from considering what they’d feel like against his own. “If you’re going to keep staring at me, you might as well join me for a drink.” There’s a playful attitude in her voice, attached to an American accent. He can’t quite place it off hand, but he’d guess she’s from the North. Maybe not that far from the border, considering the way she pronounces some of her o’s. It’s not until her eyes start to widen that he realizes she’s waiting for him to speak. Why can’t he think of a single thing to say? What the hell happened to his backbone in the last five minutes?

              Finally, his mouth manages to reconnect to his brain, his hand coming up to rub at his shoulder. A nervous tick he hopes she doesn’t notice. “I’m sorry, I didn’t meant to stare. I thought I recognized you.” Good save, Shawn. “Have we met before?” He settles on to the seat next to her, their knees practically touching.

              “I don’t think we have,” She smiles brightly at him, “But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t know who you are.” She starts to hum Stitches and he can feel his cheeks grow even hotter. Exactly what he wants, for this beautiful girl to associate him with his fifteen-year-old self. She reads the look on his face and lets out a flustered laugh. “Oh god, was that out of line? I love that song, I swear I wasn’t being pretentious.” She looks genuinely sheepish, a pink hue advancing across her own cheeks. “I should have hummed Lost in Japan instead, way to go, Alex.” There’s a flash of vulnerability to her and it puts him at ease.

              “Oh, so you’re a fan, Alex?” He says this in more of a self-satisfied tone than he intended, with an air of coltish arrogance. It’s clear that she picks up on it, but only smiles above her beer bottle before throwing back the last of it.

              “You could say that I’m recently converted,” She momentarily turns her eyes to the bartender, motioning for another round. “But I’m actually here in a professional capacity. You could say that you’re my boss, in a way.” Okay, if he wasn’t intrigued already, now she’s really gotten every last bit of his attention. His eyebrow raises, waiting for further explanation. “I’m Alex Marron, Travel Operations Manager.” Shawn really doesn’t want to admit to her that he has no clue what that means. At the end of the day, as long as he makes it on stage, that’s the only part of tour he can truly be held accountable for. He lets everyone else handle the nitty gritty with their capable hands. Which, yes, he feels a little guilty for…especially now in this moment as he struggles to make sense of what she means.              

              “I’m going to make an asshole out of myself, so I apologize in advance, but…please explain?” His question is accompanied by a nervous laugh, the next round of beers arriving just at the right second. Grabbing his, he takes a long drink, praying it will calm his nerves.

              “I’m here on behalf of the company that handles all of the logistical matters for your tour – hotels, busses, private event space, location scouting.” She licks her lips and again and he loses his train of thought for a second. “I’m just here to make sure you all get from point a to point b without any headaches. In a nutshell. Sort of assisting Cez in that way.”

              He nearly coughs on his beer, the words leaving his mouth before he can stop them. “Meaning you’ll be joining us on tour the entire leg?” So he’d be seeing her every day? For the next two months? Great. Plenty of time to make a bigger fool of himself.

              “And beyond. As of now, I’m contracted for all of 2019.” She clinks her beer bottle against his before tipping it back to her lips. “Now, I just need to not fuck up.” Her last statement is sighed under her breath, an anxious grain to her voice.

              “I don’t know you, yet, Alex…but I think you’ll kill it.” He reaches up to give her playful, faux punch to the shoulder…and as soon as he does it, he kicks himself internally. Why not just call her slugger, too? God, for a heartthrob his game was sadly lacking. Granted, now that it’d been made clear she was essentially on his staff (he hated referring to anyone that way), it wasn’t like he could really pursue anything with her anyways. If he even had a chance to begin with, he hates to just assume as much.

              “Thanks, coach.” Her laugh has this tender quality to it, the type that tells him she’s laughing with him and not at him. That this is simply the creation of their first inside joke. If only he knew then how many nights they’d spend wrapped in one another, laughing about everything and nothing at all. The feeling of her giggles vibrating through her throat and into his chest. “You know, I find hotel bars kind of depressing. Would you…want to come somewhere with me? I mean, I don’t know if you’re allowed to just – “  He cuts her off so fast that he even surprises himself.

              “Let’s go.”

                He follows her through the streets of Amsterdam, hood up and sunglasses on even though the sun has long since dipped in the sky. He’s already given in to hours of photos that day and right now, he just wants to be a normal guy trying to get to know a normal girl. It appears as though the world is willing to at least grant him that simple wish and no one pays them much attention as they wind through the cobblestone streets. They make idle chatter along the way, pointing out different sights and bringing up anecdotes of their prior travels within the city. He learns quickly that Alex is nearly as well traveled as he is, except of course that she’s had the time and ability to actually experience the destinations she’s been to. He can’t stop from picturing himself in her narratives, following her eagerly as he does now. Her hair flowing behind her, smiling over her shoulder at him, the final vestiges of sunlight reflecting off of her skin. Eventually, they find their way inside of a quaint coffee shop, the combination of marijuana smoke and espresso beans filling the air. They find a table in the back and it isn’t long until they’re one shared joint and two cups of coffee in. Simultaneously loosened up and caffeine buzzed, they both talk excitedly about whatever passing thoughts occur to them. She admits she hasn’t seen all of the Harry Potter movies; he pretends to get up to leave. He admits he hasn’t heard the latest Hozier album; she pretends to choke on her coffee. They cover topics from their favorite childhood memories to their biggest high school embarrassments to the excruciating details of their first times. He learns that she’s a few years older hence being far enough along in her career to manage operations for such a large-scale tour. Although, she swears she lucked out a bit when her superior went on maternity leave and that normally she probably wouldn’t be traveling along for the length of tour but that her company was courting Island for a larger contract. She reveals that she calls Chicago home but only roots for Boston’s sports teams. He cringes outwardly at her mention of the Bruins, which earns his first ever eye roll from her (of which he’ll go on to receive thousands). There are a couple of heated disputes about pancakes versus waffles and who the best Marvel character is. Ultimately, the conversation settles between them as if they’re old friends, picking up where they left off. Somewhere between competing to see who can attract the attention of the resident cafe cat and who can make a better smoke ring, closing time approaches and they’re cast back out on to the street. It’s after one in the morning and Shawn knows he’s going to catch some flack for staying out late the night before rehearsals, especially with someone that was essentially a complete stranger. Albeit, it doesn’t feel appropriate to call her that anymore. Not now that he knows she threw up in her locker the first day of freshman year and that she lost her virginity in a Dairy Queen storeroom. There’s something about her that makes him feel oddly comfortable, peaceful even. They joke back and forth on the walk back to hotel, observing the oddities of Amsterdam in the moonlight. There are several close calls where one or both of them is nearly taken out by a bike, despite the late hour, and when they finally stumble back into the hotel his sides ache from laughing. He insists on walking her all the way to her room (he is a gentleman, after all), and when her door finally closes and cuts him off from the little smirk on her face, he doesn’t stop picturing it the rest of the night. It’s the first image in his head when he wakes the next morning and right then and there? He knows he’s fucking in for it.

 Follow Up A/N: Admittedly, I don’t know a lot about what goes into tour management. However, I’ve managed leisure tour operations for a large company (you know, where they send busloads of teens around Europe or retirees to the Grand Canyon) and there’s a lot of damn work that goes into it. So I find it feasible there could be someone devoted to just those logistics on a massive concert tour. But basically don’t @me with a “Cez doesn’t need help like that” – you’re probably right. Just suspend your disbelief for me :)

 ALL FEEDBACK IS SUPER DUPER APPRECIATED. Tell me what you liked, what you didn’t like, what you want to see, etc. I’ve also been VERY BAD at keeping track of who wants to be added to a taglist for my work, so please let me know if you want to be added and I’ll actually do it this time.

LAST NOTE – I know the timeline I’m setting here kind of retcons things I’ve mentioned in one or two of the one-shots. I’ll probably edit those at some point to fix that up.

[gaijinschoollibrarian]

Manga and Women: Buying Manga for School Libraries in the #MeToo Era

When I talk to other school librarians about manga and anime, many of them voice a similar concern: the manga they see has horrible treatment of women. These are not invalid concerns, especially as school librarians are working to make their collections more inclusive and affirming. And when students are requesting series that depict sexual harassment and assault as comedic occurrences (I'm looking at you, Seven Deadly Sins), or at the very least, series which treat women solely as sexual or romantic beings, I can't blame my colleagues for their hesitation.

That said, there's a lot to unpack with this debate. There are elements of Japanese society that are inherently different from American society. Many school librarians also know nothing of the distinctions between genres of manga, or have only heard of what's most popular among their patrons. Manga is often seen as the way to get boys reading, and so masculine titles tend to be extremely popular for purchasing. What I'm going to do is try to unpack these things, piece by piece, to try and provide some context- and maybe show my peers that the stereotypes of shōnen manga are not all there is out there to purchase.

Societal Differences in the Perception of Gender

If we all work from the supposition that gender is a social construct, then perhaps it might be easier to understand that Japan's constructs are similar and different to Western constructs. Japanese media can come across as being both freer and stricter with gender roles. Here are a few things you need to understand about Japan in relation to women:

Japan is ranked 110 out of 144 countries on the World Economic Forum's annual report on gender equality.

There is only one female member of the Japanese Cabinet.

As of 2017, only 3.4% of executives in Japan were women.

The ratio of female-to-male physicians in Japan is 21%.

Japan has been trying to improve the standing of women in society, but it's been difficult.

Japan has a long history of having a traditional gender balance of labor wherein women are expected to raise children and take care of housekeeping, while men are expected to work. Japanese society generally has a very heavy line down the center in this division, much more so than there currently is in the West. Since 1986, the Equal Employment Opportunity Law has been in place to try and provide more gender equity in the workplace in Japan, but it's been a struggle. Part of the problem is that there was no penalty for employers who did not adhere to the changes.

Japan, also, has a serious problem with the way it handles and reports sexual harassment and assault. Certain occurrences which Western women consider assault are not necessarily seen as such by Japanese women. In her article, "Shifting attitudes toward sexual violence in Japan", Masami Ito describes her experiences:

When I was in junior high school, a young man who lived in the same apartment building flashed me in an elevator, blocking the entrance as he did so.

When I was in college, a middle-aged man cornered me in the box seat on a train and masturbated in front of me.

When I was in my mid-20s, a man pressed himself against me in the aisle of a convenience store and then followed me home. I had to call my father for help that time.

And, of course, I have been groped on trains many, many times.

Until recently, I never considered these incidents to be sexual assaults, nor did I ever view myself as a victim. I told myself that such things happened all the time and I was never physically hurt. I compared my experiences to those of other women and I considered myself lucky.

In Japan, there's even a word for men who grope women on crowded trains: chikan. Tokyo's Metropolitan Police Department reported 1,750 cases of groping on the trains. (I attempted to find figures on this particular crime in NYC from the same year, but was unable to find any exact report of figures.) It's such a common occurrence, it's often a plot point in manga. In My Love Story!! the protagonist meets his future girlfriend by stopping a man from groping her.

I want to be clear, and maybe the panels of My Love Story!! do something to show this, that the problems of sexual harassment in Japan are seen as problems by people in the country. There are Japanese feminists and citizens who want things to change. Last year, the BBC released a documentary titled Japan's Secret Shame, which went into the experiences of three different women who were raped in Japan. It's not available at the moment, but if you can find a way to see it, it may give insight into the issue if you want to know more.

Shōnen, Shōjo, and So Much More

The complaints I hear the most are in relation to what is known as shōnen manga. Shōnen is geared toward boys between ages 12 and 18. There's a reason this stuff flies off the shelf with our male-identifying patrons: it's literally made for them. The longest running series in Japan are shōnen manga, and are household names here in the West (you've probably heard of Dragonball Z, I presume). Typically, these are high-action, hyper-masculine stories. And while there are exceptions, such as My Hero Academia, there's a large history of "fan service" in shōnen. There's also some pretty big issues with some of the creators of shōnen titles.

For example, the author of Rurouni Kenshin was found with an enormous backlog of child pornography DVDs. Not only did he have this material, he admitted his attraction to young girls. His manga is currently still in publication, after he paid a fine of only ¥200,000 (about $1,800 USD). No, I am not joking.

I don't want you to come away from this thinking shōnen manga is evil, by the way. What I want is for fellow school librarians to know that what they're seeing is just a fraction of what manga has to offer. Some shōnen has female protagonists (Yotsuba&! features a mostly female cast with little to no fan service, as its main character is a child). And a lot of women and girls read shōnen.

Shōjo manga is the counterpart to shōnen: manga written for girls between the ages of 12 and 18. Honestly, shōjo can have its own issues. Some titles feature girls whose identities revolve solely around romance or a desire to get married and make babies. Kidnapping and threats of sexual assault can be normal (the idea being that these girls need to be saved by their boyfriends, who frequently are much older than them). There's a whole slew of manga revolving around schoolgirls having romantic relationships with their teachers. So, I also don't want you to think that being labeled shōjo makes the content automatically appropriate for students.

I recently reread a manga I loved as a teen, Ayashi no Ceres. It featured multiple rather explicit sex scenes and the main character dropping out of school to have a baby. It was an easy decision to select other series over that one, although I still consider it a classic. I leave it to students to select series with those sort of themes at their own pace through alternate pathways such as the public library, bookstores, or manga apps.

However, I do want to point out that shōjo manga is a category in which feminine fantasy and identity is often at the forefront. And while this is the case, there are many shōjo manga which widely appeal to boys. Titles which spring to mind are Escaflowne and Magic Knight Rayearth.

There are other categories as well: seinan (for adult men), josei (for adult women), kodomo (for children), and gekiga (for adults, with a more "artistic" and "literary" reputation). The differentiation between adults and teens has more to do with the difficulty of the Japanese than the content or target demographic. Gekiga is probably the most "different", because it strives to be taken more seriously. (I have a plan to talk more in-depth about each category in their own posts).

Look For Women

When purchasing, if you are looking to move away from the pure moe that is popular among certain titles, I'd suggest looking for women who are mangaka. The likelihood that problematic behavior will be present is lower, and honestly, women creators can always use the boost. Series that are beloved by boys are written by women: Fullmetal Alchemist, Inu-Yasha, and Ranma 1/2 are examples (admittedly, the latter two were both written by Takahashi Rumiko).

Note: I kept this fairly pared down, so if you'd like to know more or have any questions, please don't hesitate to comment. If you would like me to go more in depth on any topic, please let me know, and I will do an expansion in a future blog. I have some deeper dives planned, but if I know of a direction people specifically want me to go, I’ll tackle it.

[xtruss]

Coronavirus

Black Seed Oil (Nigella Sativa) Can Kill The Coronavirus

— March 27, 2020 | Health | Tony Ruggia, Personal Trainer And Nutrition Researcher | elitehealthyliving.com

Table of Contents

A Brief History Of Black Seed Oil

Can Nigella Sativa Kill Corona Viruses?

Summary

The distressing news is worldwide. A new coronavirus, COVID-19, is spreading like wildfire throughout the world. It is putting everyone on edge and in fear of the unexpected that is yet to come.

A vaccine is not in the foreseeable future. It is estimated that it can take 12 to 24 months before one is approved for use on the public. And even once vaccinated, it does not guarantee 100% protection.

In the meantime, people need to figure out ways to combat this virus naturally. There is one natural substance that has been proven by science to have the ability to fight coronaviruses.

The name of this incredible substance is called “Black Seed Oil.” This oil goes by many names, such as kalonji, Nigella Sativa, Habbatul Barakah, black cumin seed, and many more. It has also been label as a “Miracle Herb” by the scientific community.

Medical drugs have been helpful for the protection of human health and have saved many lives and cured numerous diseases. But many, if not all, have side effects that can even be worse than the condition they were supposed to fight.

Many plants have been researched by scientists in an effort to find the next therapeutic homerun. Nigella Sativa is at the top of the list, with hundreds of scientific studies under its belt.

A Brief History of Black Seed Oil

Nigella Sativa has a long history. It was used by ancient Egypt for many medical problems.

It was found in King Tut’s tomb, was mentioned in the Bible, and by Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine.

The Roman Empire even used it. To them, it was called “Greek Coriander.”

It is said that the Prophet Mohammed explained the healing powers of the black seed as “There is healing in black cumin for all diseases except death.” With respect, modern science is beginning to prove this statement as accurate.

Nigella Sativa is the superfood of superfoods. In another article I wrote on black seed oil, I stated that it is so medicinally potent that it can be an immune system in itself.

There is no other natural or synthetic substance in the world that can compare to the medicinal benefits of Nigella Sativa. I am not the one saying this. Scientists have proven this fact.

Black seed oil is useful against many diseases. Here are some:

Mental illness

Arthritis

Allergies

Asthma

Blood Pressure

Bronchitis

Cardiovascular disorders

Many types of cancers

Diabetes

Inflammation

Infertility

As a possible alternative to treat HIV

Bacterial, fungal, parasitic, and viral infections

The amazing part of all this is that it has extremely minimal or no side effects at all if consumed appropriately. One to three teaspoons per day will not cause any harm.

If you are suffering from a medical condition it is recommended that you speak to your medical provider before taking black seed oil or any other substance.

Can Nigella Sativa Kill Coronavirus?

According to the respected, reliable, and prestigious US National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health, the answer is a resounding “YES.” They published a study, dated January 12, 2014, illustrating and explaining how Nigella Sativa stopped the replication of a coronavirus.

The Study

The study was conducted on specific cells after they were infected with a coronavirus.

Scientists used extracts from three natural substances to see how each acted when they were individually added to the coronavirus infected cells.

The three substances were:

Anthemis hyalina (Ah)- A Chamomile Plant Herb

Citrus Sinensis (Cs) – A Herb, Also Known As Sweet Orange.

Nigella Sativa (Ns)- Black Cumin Plant

The results of the study were as follows:

Anthemis hyalina was the better of the three at stopping the replication of the coronavirus, but right there in second place was Nigella Sativa, which also prevented the replication of the virus.

In conclusion, the scientific research study stated, in part, the following:

“The results presented here suggest that treatment of cells with Ns, Ah, or Cs extracts prior to infection with CoV decreases the replication of the virus.“

The words are clear, “they decreased the replication of the virus.“

Can Nigella Sativa Work Against COVID-19?

In other words, just because it stopped the replication in a different coronavirus in the above-mentioned study in 2014, can it possibly help fight the replication of COVID-19?

Direct Evidence

Let me put it this way; people are starting to come out and publicly state that black seed oil healed them after they got infected with the COVID-19.

For example, Rapper Style P publicly stated on March 24, 2020, that he believes that he had the coronavirus and almost died. He healed himself with black seed oil.

Rapper Meek Mill stated the same thing on March 25, 2020, that he healed himself from the coronavirus with black seed oil

Another article surfaced on March 25, 2020, about Houston legend, Slim Thug, who tested positive for the coronavirus. As you will see, he healed himself with black seed oil.

Indirect Evidence

Nigella Sativa is native to the following countries:

India

Pakistan

Syria

Turkey

Saudi Arabia

Why are these countries considered indirect evidence of black seed’s healing power against COVID-19?

The following are statistics of the number of infected and dead of the coronavirus COVID-19, as of March 27, 2020:

India

1.3 B (Pop)

775 (Total Cases)

20 (Total Deaths)

0.6 (Total Cases – 1 M/pop)

0.01 (Total Deaths – 1 M/pop)

Pakistan

197 M (Pop)

1,252 (Total Cases)

9 (Total Deaths)

6 (Total Cases – 1 M/pop)

0.04 (Total Deaths – 1 M/pop)

Syria

18.35 M (Pop)

5 (Total Cases)

0 (Total Deaths)

0.3 (Total Cases – 1 M/pop)

0 (Total Deaths – 1 M/pop)

Turkey

80 M (Pop)

3,629 (Total Cases)

75 (Total Deaths)

43 (Total Cases – 1 M/pop)

0.9 (Total Deaths – 1 M/pop)

Saudi Arabia

32 M (Pop)

1.012(Total Cases)

3 (Total Deaths)

29 (Total Cases – 1 M/pop)

0.09 (Total Deaths – 1 M/pop)

As can be seen from these present statistics, the total cases per one million are extremely low, and the total deaths per one million are also extremely low.

Note: The above statistical numbers will change continually. However, since the beginning of this outbreak, these five countries have been on the very low end of infections.

Are these simply a coincidence. I doubt it. These countries have one thing in common; They All Use Black Seeds As A Staple In Their Diets.

Why Is This Commonality Important?

Diseases have been cured in the past because of scientists studying common areas of the world that did not suffer from certain diseases while the rest of the world did.

For example, let’s take rickets – It was a devastating disease in the late 1800s and early 1900s, especially in the UK.

In 1890, a medical missionary named Theobald A. Palm figured out that sunlight was able to heal rickets.

Palm had moved from Europe to Japan for ten years and noticed that there was no one there suffering from rickets. He ultimately figured out that people in Japan got more sun exposure than the people in England and narrowed it down as the cause of rickets.

Palm observed that kids living in other tropical areas of the world did not suffer from rickets, but many children in the UK did. The point here is that Theobald A. Palm observed a common denominator, which ultimately led to the cure for rickets.

And so it should be presently recognized that some regions of the world are infected much less with the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, than other areas of the world.

Look at India, which has a population of 1.3 billion people, the coronavirus is practically nonexistent, and it is neighbors with Ground Zero, China.

India has consumed black seeds for 1000s of years in many of its dishes.

Nigella Sativa Flower

Summary

This article has provided you with studies, direct, and indirect evidence that black seed oil, Nigella Sativa, can and does kill coronaviruses, including the new COVID-19.

It is a harmless oil. You have absolutely nothing to lose by taking it during these drastic times.

Nothing is full-proof, not even vaccines. However, desperate times call for desperate measures. Black seed oil has no dangerous side effects, and besides, it is incredibly healthy for you.

I have been personally taking it for several years, and I can say first-hand that I have not gotten the flu or a cold since taking it.

Below is a video I posted on YouTube on March 20, 2020, concerning black seed oil and the new coronavirus, COVID-19.

[andthismypicture-blog]

post-post colonial

cant remember if i posted this when i did it.... and if i did, here it is again haha my post post-colonial essay

Joshua Thompson

Post Post-colonial

 Artifact I like and think is good.

Air Max One

  The Nike Air Max One is a sneaker designed and released in 1987 by legendary sneaker designer, Tinker Hatfield. On a trip to paris, Hatfield was inspired by the Centre Georges Pompidou (Longville & Hatfield, 2006). A building which is cutting edge in it's own right. Hatfield liked the idea that you could see the inner workings of the buildings structure, from the outside(Longville & Hatfield, 2006). This inspired him to incorporate the window in the sole of the air max one, letting you see the inner workings of the signature air sole. This is a feature that would continue on and become one of Nikes' greatest and most recognizable design features even to this day. Hatfield says

           Every shoe I design has to have a story behind it, that's what everybody falls for – be it the  history of the shoe, the cultural relevance, or the technology, whether that's being excited   about the latest technology of the latest design like flywire or reminiscing about the  technology of the Air Max for example(The guardian, 2014).

 The Narrative of this sneaker though, could not have been predicted by Hatfield. What made this shoe revolutionary and ahead of it's time was that because of the make of the panels, and it's already radical yet simple design, Nike could afford to continuously  re-colour the Air Max and introduce new iterations of it constantly(The Guardian, 2014). This combined with it's hefty price tag, made the sneaker somewhat of a cultural phenomenon, especially in the Hip-hop community(Complex, 2015). This is Illustrated by numerous rappers making reference to the Air Max in songs, such as the Game threatening to “kill you if you try me for my Air Max 95s” in his song Hate it or Love it. Also due to its high price tag and cult status in the hip-hop community, the shoe became a target for crime. In the UK, the Air Max 95 has long held some criminal associations. The Air Max's' large price tag affords it a certain status, and its footprint has been commonly spotted at crime scenes. According to a forensic science report from the mid-2000s, the 95 was trailing second in “typical pattern frequency distribution for footwear marks from a UK police force” at just 8% to the 10% of Marshall Mathers’ favorite sneaker, the Air Max LTD(Complex 2015).

 The sneaker also has a huge following in Japan, making appearances in numerous manga and anime series after the Japanese appetite for dead stock, second hand sneakers which have not been worn, grew dramatically in response the re-release of the Air Max(Complex, 2015).

 These things show evidence of the globalized nature of fashion and design today, in which slippage and appropriation occurs and new meaning is ascribed to and artifact.The fact that this sneaker remains one of the most popular sneakers among youth today, despite being a 30 year old design, and that the high resale price of the sneakers is driven solely by the quality and design of the shoe, as opposed to just limited supply (which is how other shoes on this list garner their high prices), is why I the Air Max is one of favourite pieces of design.

 Artifact I don't like and think is good.

Nike Air Mag

The Air Mag was also designed by Tinker Hatfield. This sneaker was designed for the film Back to the future Part II. Hatfield designed the sneaker for the movies release in 1989, in which Marty McFly time travels to the year 2015 where, among other things, he encounters these shoes. They were Hatfield's attempt at predicting a shoe that would be helpful and functional for people of that time. These shoes are a great piece of design because of the sheer influence they have had on almost every nike release since then, and also some other brands (complex, 2015).

 One of the most intriguing aspects of the nike mag, is that for twenty six years, they were merely a design. They were not released to the public, or even made (apart from the pairs used for filming) until 2011 when they released a sort of look alike version, and then the full release of the adaptive lacing full version in 2015 (complex, 2015). This was for a number of reasons, the most notable is because the technology simply could not be fit into a shoes the that size, as the design of it is meant to fit snugly around the wearers foot (highsnobiety, 2015), an idea which at the time was un heard of but is now evident on most popular designs today such as Nikes' huaraches, and Adidas' NMD and ultra boost lines.

 The Air Mag also pioneered the technology which would become Hyperwire. Nikes technology which would revolutionize performance basketball shoes from 2008 onwards (complex, 2015).

It was also a huge contributor to the design of Kanye Wests Nike Yeezy line, lending its extremely high over the ankle design and the use of a lycra or synthetic inner sole. The shoe spanned only two models, but became somewhat of a cult icon due to it's limited stock releases.

 Despite the critical and commercial success of these shoes, I do not think that they are good sneakers. This is partly because in the film, they are advertised as being mass produced, and everyone was wearing them, however when they were released, they were only done so at auction, with a very limited run, meaning that prices went into the thousands of dollars immediately, and although the proceeds went towards Michael J. Fox' Parkinson's research foundation, it made it almost impossible for people to afford. The cultural impact of the Nike air mag is undeniable, but the design of the shoes is clunky and although it spawned a number of game changing technologies, it feels somewhat un-authentic, and the value of the sneaker is almost fetishized by the nostalgia they evoke.

       Artifact I don't like and don't think is good.

Adidas Yeezy Boost 750

 Kanye West leave Nike and join Adidas after the release of the Yeezy 2, citing that Nike would not allow him as much creative freedom as he was looking for. For my opinion, this was a good call by Nike as I feel that the Yeezy Boost lines are lazily designed and only enjoy the status that they do among the sneaker community due to the brand he has created and his insistence on releasing only very limited numbers of shoes at a time, forcing people to wait in lines outside sneaker stores for sometimes days on end. This principle of lazy design is evident in all of Kanye's' design, evidenced by a plain white T-shirt he released in collaboration with APC, which retailed and sold out, for $120 USD (okay player, 2013).

 Kanye west raps about racism and the exploitation of black people in many of his songs, such as Breathe in breathe out and Spaceship, then actively markets extremely expensive products to those people, knowing full well that his brand and star power will create demand among people who often can't afford these shoes.  Sneaker production costs are notoriously low, across the board, in comparison to their recommended retail price,  with the Yeezy boost 750 being no exception. The shoes costs around $76 USD to make and retails for $350 USD, however (Highsnobiety, 2016), the dead stock resale value of the 750s' can exceed  $1500 USD.

 Another factor which sets these apart from other sneakers that can sometimes garner similar price increases, is that others such as Air Jordan Retros and Air Max sneakers, all have functional origins. The sneakers are designed to be use full and have a practical application, Whereas the Yeezy 750s' do not. They are made specifically for fashion, and are despite attempts by some nbaplayers, are not suitable for playing sports in, I can attest  to this as I was gifted a pair and they promptly ripped and I hurt my ankles.

 These Shoes are a prime example of ascribed value and The difficulties of existing in an hybrid space as an artist or designer. It is an example of the oppressed becoming the oppressor and the oppressed no longer being fully able to see themselves without the gaze of the colonizer.

             Artifact that I like but suspect might not be good

Air Jordan 1

The original Air Jordan 1 is one of the most legendary sneakers in the world. Released in 1985 for $65 USD, they were designed for and worn by Michael Jordan for his rookie season. They were ground breaking in that they were the first shoe to be worn in the NBA featuring more than one colour. This at the time, broke NBA commissioner David Sterns strict uniform policy and he fined Jordan $5000 USD per game every time he wore them “Nike loved this idea so much that they encouraged MJ to wear the shoes, and Nike would pay the fees. In result, Nike gave the the Air Jordan 1 “The shoe banned by the NBA” label” (sneakerfiles).  

 This gave the Air Jordan 1 a cult following and it became the most popular sneaker of the decade (sneaker files), and forced David Stern to change his Uniform policy. The shoe also spawned many impersonators, including the Converse weapon and the Reebok Pump. However, The Air Jordan itself was in impersonator. It was modeled after the Air Force 1, released in 1982. This shoes has a very similar design, and employs the same technology but was discontinued in 1984, and seemingly released under a different name as the Air Jordan the next year (complex, 2012).

 The fact that it is basically the same shoe with a different name, and today an almost $100 NZD price difference, Is why I think that they it may not be a great sneaker. They are merely a product of Nikes great marketing. Also, while there is apparent similarities between the Air Jordan sneakers chronologically, this doesn't apply to the Air Jordan 1. The Air Jordan 2 is a completely different sneaker. The Air Force 1 went on to become the highest selling athletic shoe of all time (complex, 2012), and the Air Jordan 1 is one of the least frequently released of the Air Jordon retro collection.

 Despite this, the cult status of the shoe, and its' classic red, black and white colour way, are one of my favourite sneakers of all time, as are the Air Force one. They have their own mythology about them, and this narrative is the main selling point, despite the design of the sneaker itself being quite unoriginal.

            Reference List

  Complex (2015, September 11), 20 things you didn't know about the air max 95, retrieved from

           http://au.complex.com/sneakers/20-things-you-didnt-know-about-nike-air-max-95/

 Complex (2012), 30 things you didn't know about the air force 1, Retrieved from             http://au.complex.com/sneakers/2012/12/30-things-you-didnt-know-about-the-nike-air-    force-1/original-was-discontinued

 Complex (2015, October 24), The visible influence of the nike mag on sneakers in 2015, retrieved  from http://au.complex.com/sneakers/2015/10/nike-air-mag-modern-sneaker-influence

 Highsnobiety (2015) Fiction to fact : Tinker Hatfield explains how adaptive lacing was made for   the nike mag. Retrieved from http://www.highsnobiety.com/2016/10/06/nike-mag-adaptive-l        acing-tinker-hatfield-video/

 Highsnobiety (2016), Sneaker production costs, Retrieved from        http://www.highsnobiety.com/2016/05/27/sneaker-production-costs/

 Nice Kicks (2015) Nike air mag, retrieved from http://www.nicekicks.com/tag/nike-air-mag/

 Okay player (2013) Not Okay, Player: Kanye West's $120 Plain White "Hiphop" T-Shirt Sells       Out             Instantly. Retrieved from http://www.okayplayer.com/news/style-kanye-west-apc-120-plain- white-hiphop-t-shirt-sells-out.html

 Sneaker freaker (n.d.), Air max 1, retrieved from https://www.sneakerfreaker.com/tag/air-max-1/

  Sole Collector (2015, May 24),  How to Buy the 'Chicago' Air Jordan 1 on Nikestore

           Retrieved from https://solecollector.com/news/2015/05/air-jordan-1-chicago

  Thibaut de Longeville, Tinker Hatfield (2006, September 6), Respect the architects, Retrieved from

           https://vimeo.com/38994002

 The Guardian (2013, December 14), Nike's iconic air max trainer celebrates 25th anniversary with             Tinker Hatfield. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2013/dec/14/nike-air-       max-trainer-25-anniversary-tinker-hatfield