I still can't believe the news… I'm deeply saddened.

Even if it never gets finished, the current state of the story is really satisfying, I imagine reaching that moment was a milestone for Miura.

Awesome chapter. Wano is really living up to my expectations!

I think whoever is in that cell has been there for years -given the comments from the guards who seemed surprised someone was actually there, and they apparently don't know him- someone from Wano I would expect.
As much as I'd like to see Vegapunk, he is far too important to the government for him to not be well protected from harm let alone kidnapped.

@SpeedoCentaur:

"The Offspring - The future is now"

The Offspring was one of my favorite bands growing up in middle school, I'm surprised to see they put out a new album.
-(it says it was 2012, haha, well, I haven't really kept up with the band)-
They still got that trademark sound I liked, loved the song! I'll make sure to check out the rest of the album.

–---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As to not lose the punk vibe from the previous song, this is a fun Me First and the Gimme Gimmes'
rendition of a real 70's classic Japanese song: Tulip's "Kokoro no Tabi": –---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

–---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

LYRICS:

Ah dakara konya dake wa kimi wo daite itai
Ah ashita no imagoro wa boku wa kisha no naka

Tabidatsu boku no kokoro wo shitte itanoka
Toku hanarete shimaeba ai wa owaru to itta
Moshimo yurusarerunara nemuri ni tsuita kimi wo
Pocket ni tsumekonde sonomama tsuresaritai

Ah dakara konya dake wa kimi wo daite itai
Ah ashita no imagoro wa boku wa kisha no naka

Nigiyaka datta machi mo ima wa koe wo shizumete
Nani wo matte irunoka nani wo matte irunoka

Ah dakara konya dake wa kimi wo daite itai
Ah ashita no imagoro wa boku wa kisha no naka

Ah dakara konya dake wa kimi wo daite itai
Ah ashita no imagoro wa boku wa kisha no naka

@Monkey:

I've wondered this but do Costa Ricans in the Northeast get mad at Puerto Ricans using the term "Rican" to refer to themselves.
Like they stole your shit man.

I don't live in the US, so I wouldn't know. I didn't know they called us "Ricans" in the Northeast, usually we are just called "ticos".
–----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tim Howard was a human wall today! One of my favorite matches so far.

My predictions for this round:
Brasil vs Colombia (If Brasil don't up their game they'll get destroyed by Colombia )
Germany vs France (I have a feeling there'll be tons of goals in this match)
Netherlands vs Costa Rica (a guy can dream… )
Argentina vs Belgium (Argentina had it easy til now…)

@Noqanky:

Do we have every World Cup country represented here in AP? Certainly feels like so …

Brazil vs Chile –-> Chile are by far a better team! Colombia vs Uruguay
Netherlands vs MexicoCosta Rica vs Greece –--> We'll go through!!
France vs Nigeria
Germany vs Algeria
Argentina vs Switzerland –--> I really hope I'm wrong!!
Belgium vs USA

Sad news, I haven't seen the episode yet! I'll have to pick up the manga from now on.

Very interesting topic and comments from everyone here.

Some people are simply born with privileged minds, but dedication and hunger for learning are probably more important in my opinion. To be intelligent is not the same as to be knowledgeable. Of course having lots of valuable knowledge does really make a difference. Also, there are different types of intelligence, which has already been discussed here. I like to think of the brain as a machine that can be fine-tuned and upgraded.

Following this idea, I tried quite a few things to help boost my memory and productivity through University, although my biggest concern was always (still is) my lack of concentration. To mention a few:

-Polishing memorization skills: just like good technique can improve your running performance, the interpretation of information and the process/speed of memorization can be improved by learning some good habits and techniques. There are several books out there that teach this, for example: “The memory book: a classic guide to improving your memory”, which I found excellent and recommend. Learning how to learn through association and mnemonics was life changing. There is also a book I found really helpful called Emotional Intelligence (by Daniel Goleman) which is not really about memorization but it helped me improve in many different areas of my life.

-Regular physical exercise: lately I haven't been exercising much, but the times when I did regularly I could notice how not only my overall energy went up but also my memory and concentration ability were boosted. Exercise increases a protein called Brain-derived Neurotropic Factor (BDNF) which in turn strengthens neurons and facilitates new synapses at the cortex, basal forebrain (learning) and hippocampus (memory). Of course it also helps to maintain a healthy cardiovascular system (reducing the risk of developing diabetes and high blood pressure) which is vital to a good functioning of the central nervous system.

-Eating healthy: a balanced diet that includes plenty of antioxidants, DHA (Omega-3 fatty acid), folic acid (found in green vegetables), all of which have been associated with cognitive improvement. Again, a balanced diet will help you keep a healthy cardiovascular system. Avoiding tobacco.

-Sleeping habits: someone said that our face is the mirror of bad quality sleep. And it’s also true for our cognitive capabilities. The brain needs sleep. I have to pull 32 hours shifts every four days, so sleeping the daily recommended 8 hours is not always a possibility. The theory states that during sleep (specifically REM sleep) our short term memory is consolidated into long term memory. Pulling all-nighters at university helped me pass and do well in the exams, but I would quickly forget whatever I had memorized and would need to study properly everything all over again. Now I always follow long sessions of studying with good sleep or at least long naps.

-Cognitive enhancing drugs: there is actually a whole subculture around these smart drugs or “nootropics”. They can be everything that they are promised to be, but they can be dangerous too, you need to know what the risks are and how to act if something happens.
… As I mentioned before, my main concern has always been my inability to concentrate for long periods of time. So I turned at some point to Methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta) which is prescribed to people with ADHD among other things. It worked wonders on me. Of course I tried only taking it on special periods when I really needed to maximize my productivity.Metylphenidate, however, is not a nootropic, is actually a stimulant of the Central Nervous System (just like amphetamines) and it has a long list of possible adverse effects not to mention it can lead to tolerance and psychological dependence.
... An actual nootropic and probably the most popular outthere would be Modafinil (Provigil, very popular with Med students). Modafinil is a vigilance promoting drug (improves wakefulness) prescribed mainly for Narcolepsy, Sleep apnea and shift work sleep disorder (I qualify for this). Aside the clear benefit in alertness it also improves memory, but there is also the possibility of some undesirable adverse effects, much less than with stimulants but still something to be aware of. Modafinil is not available in my country but I was able to try it with the help of a Narcolepsy patient who imports it from overseas.

I'm in no way encouraging the use of nootropics, those were desperate measures in desperate times. Reading tips from the Brainhacking community doesn't hurt though.

"For weeks, Samsung has been pushing out teases for a new campaign featuring an all-star football team dubbed the Galaxy 11 that has been put together to take on aliens in a soccer match to determine the fate of Earth. The teases have all featured each player on the team individually, showing how they were recruited. The list includes: Lionel Messi (Argentina; Captain), Mario Götze (Germany), Oscar dos Santos (Brazil), Wu Lei (China), Stephan El Shaarawy (Italy), Victor Moses (Nigeria), Radamel Falcao (Colombia), Lee Chung-Yong (South Korea), Iker Casillas (Spain), Wayne Rooney (England), Landon Donovan (United States), Aleksandr Kerzhakov (Russia), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)__." They edited some of those clips together and got this:

Difficult not to think of Space Jam meets Gantz. I hope they actually show the game against the aliens.

@Print:

That's beautiful

Thanks! I'm a sucker for space wallpapers.