#again may be very difficult or not possible due to my limited hand mobility

[marzibad]

my hands don't work properly and are very shaky on top of that but when i have money i would like to try to make h*r-related bracelets maybe :)...

[newstfionline]

Wednesday, October 28, 2020

Pair of studies confirm there is water on the moon (Washington Post) There is water on the moon’s surface, and ice may be widespread in its many shadows, according to a pair of studies published Monday in the journal Nature Astronomy. The research confirms long-standing theories about the existence of lunar water that could someday enable astronauts to live there for extended periods. One scientific team found the telltale sign of water molecules, perhaps bound up in glass, in a sunlit region. Another group estimated the widespread prevalence of tiny shadowed pockmarks on the lunar landscape, possible shelter for water ice over an area of 15,000 square miles. Moon water has been eyed as a potential resource by NASA, which created a program named Artemis in 2019 to send American astronauts back to the moon this decade. Launching water to space costs thousands of dollars per gallon.

Colleges Slash Budgets in the Pandemic, With ‘Nothing Off-Limits’ (NYT) Ohio Wesleyan University is eliminating 18 majors. The University of Florida’s trustees this month took the first steps toward letting the school furlough faculty. The University of California, Berkeley, has paused admissions to its Ph.D. programs in anthropology, sociology and art history. As it resurges across the country, the coronavirus is forcing universities large and small to make deep and possibly lasting cuts to close widening budget shortfalls. By one estimate, the pandemic has cost colleges at least $120 billion, with even Harvard University, despite its $41.9 billion endowment, reporting a $10 million deficit that has prompted belt tightening. Though many colleges imposed stopgap measures such as hiring freezes and early retirements to save money in the spring, the persistence of the economic downturn is taking a devastating financial toll, pushing many to lay off or furlough employees, delay graduate admissions and even cut or consolidate core programs like liberal arts departments. “We haven’t seen a budget crisis like this in a generation,” said Robert Kelchen, a Seton Hall University associate professor of higher education who has been tracking the administrative response to the pandemic. “There’s nothing off-limits at this point.”

Thousands Forced to Evacuate From California Fires (NYT) Two firefighters were gravely injured and tens of thousands of Californians were forced to flee their homes on Monday as two new fires ripped through Orange County. About 90,800 residents in Irvine were put under mandatory evacuation orders because of the Silverado Fire and the smaller Blue Ridge Fire, said Shane Sherwood, a division chief for the Orange County Fire Authority. High winds and low humidity fueled the fires’ rapid growth. About 4,000 firefighters were fighting 22 wildfires across the state on Monday, according to Cal Fire, the state’s fire agency. As evening approached, the Silverado Fire had burned about 7,200 acres and the Blue Ridge Fire 3,000 acres. Later Monday night, the Orange County Fire Authority said that the Blue Ridge Fire had grown to 6,600 acres

Why N.Y.C.’s Economic Recovery May Lag the Rest of the Country’s (NYT) New York, whose diversified economy had fueled unparalleled job growth in recent years, is now facing a bigger challenge in recovering from the pandemic than almost any other major city in the country. More than one million residents are out of work, and the unemployment rate is nearly double the national average. The city had tried to insulate itself from major downturns by shifting from tying its fortunes to the rise and fall of Wall Street. A thriving tech sector, a booming real estate industry and waves of international tourists had helped Broadway, hotels and restaurants prosper. But now, as the virus surges again in the region, tourists are still staying away and any hope that workers would refill the city’s office towers and support its businesses before the end of the year is fading. As a result, New York’s recovery is very likely to be slow and protracted, economists said. “This is an event that struck right at the heart of New York’s comparative advantages,” said Mark Zandi, chief economist for Moody’s Analytics, a Wall Street research firm. “Being globally oriented, being stacked up in skyscrapers and packed together in stadiums: The very thing that made New York New York was undermined by the pandemic, was upended by it.”

Asylum-Seekers Face Violent ICE Coercion (Foreign Policy) U.S. immigration officers have threatened, pepper-sprayed, beaten, and choked asylum-seekers from Cameroon to coerce them to sign their own deportation orders, the Guardian reports. A coalition of advocacy groups, including the Southern Poverty Law Center, filed a complaint earlier this month describing a “pattern of coercion” by ICE agents at a Mississippi detention center that it called “tantamount to torture.” According to multiple accounts in the complaint, immigration officials used the coercive tactics to compel detainees to sign documents that would waive their rights to further immigration hearings. At least one individual was hospitalized as a result. One man, identified by the initials C.A., described how officers broke his fingers as they sought to force his fingerprint onto a document. “Officers grabbed me, forced me on the ground, and pepper-sprayed my eyes. … I was crying, ‘I can’t breathe,’ because they were forcefully on top of me pressing their body weight on top of me. My eyes were so hot. They dragged me outside by both hands,” said the individual, who was prevented from speaking to his lawyer before signing the document. C.A. was placed on a deportation flight on Oct. 13 but was one of two Cameroonians pulled off the plane moments before takeoff, as an investigation had begun into the allegations of abuse. At least 100 asylum-seekers, including many from Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, were deported on the same flight. For two consecutive years, the Norwegian Refugee Council has deemed Cameroon the world’s most neglected displacement crisis due to an insurgency in the north and a brutal government crackdown on two English-speaking separatist regions. Since 2016, the two conflicts have killed over 3,000 people and displaced more than 700,000.

Belgium’s former King meets estranged daughter for first time (Reuters) Belgium’s former King Albert has met his daughter Delphine for the first time, after she won a seven-year legal battle to prove that he is her father, earning recognition as a princess. The two met Albert’s wife, Queen Paola, last Sunday at their royal residence, the Belvedere castle, in the Brussels suburb of Laeken, the royal household said on Tuesday. “This Sunday October 25, a new chapter has opened, filled with emotions, calm, understanding and also hope,” the king, the queen and Delphine said in a statement. “Our meeting took place at the Belvedere Castle, a meeting during which each of us was able to express, calmly and with empathy, our feelings and our experiences.” “After the turmoil, the wounds and the suffering, comes the time for forgiveness, healing and reconciliation. This is the path, patient and at times difficult, that we have decided to take resolutely together.” Delphine Boel, 52, a Belgian artist, fought a seven-year legal battle to prove that the former king is her father. After a DNA test confirmed that, a court granted her the title of princess earlier this month. Albert, 86, who abdicated six years ago in favour of his son Philippe, had long contested Boel’s claim.

Germany cautions Thai king (Foreign Policy) Pro-democracy protesters in Thailand marched on the German Embassy in Bangkok to deliver a letter asking German authorities to investigate whether King Maha Vajiralongkorn “has conducted Thai politics using his royal prerogative from German soil or not.” German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, speaking from Berlin, said the German government was “examining” the issue “and if there are things we feel to be unlawful, then that will have immediate consequences.”

Belarus Opposition Calls General Strike, as Protesters Gird for Long Fight (NYT) When Belarusians took to the streets in the hundreds of thousands in August, after Mr. Lukashenko claimed a re-election victory that was widely seen as fraudulent, many predicted that it was only a matter of days or weeks until the longtime authoritarian leader stepped down. Instead, Mr. Lukashenko and the large swath of the public that is arrayed against him have settled into a drawn-out test of wills, with their country’s future on the line. Protesters continue to turn out in the tens of thousands every Sunday, chanting “Go away!” and waving the white-red-white flag of the opposition. Mr. Lukashenko responds with waves of crackdowns by the police and, backed by Russia, appears determined to wait the protests out. “In such a tense situation, absolutely anything could turn out to be the trigger that topples the system,” said Artyom Shraibman, a Minsk-based nonresident scholar at the Carnegie Moscow Center. “It could end in the course of a week, or it might not die for a year. No revolution has ever gone according to plan.” The authorities’ use of violence to try to put down the protests appears to be escalating, further feeding the anger in Belarusian society. It was a bout of severe police violence early in the uprising that supercharged the protests.

World’s largest IPO shows power of mobile payments in China (Washington Post) Go to a store, hop in a taxi, or even stop by a street peddler’s cart in China, and you will see QR codes strung up on colorful laminated squares. These mobile payment codes are the default way money changes hands in China these days, and the reason Ant Group’s initial public offering is set to be the world’s largest. China’s Ant Group—the Alibaba spinoff behind the ubiquitous blue QR payment codes across the world’s second-largest economy—announced plans on Monday to raise more than $34 billion in a joint listing across Shanghai and Hong Kong. This would trounce last year’s listing of oil titan Saudi Aramco, the reigning IPO champion. Mobile payments have replaced cash and credit cards in China as the preferred payment method, thanks to easy-to-use apps made by Ant Group and its closest rival Tencent. Ant Group’s Alipay and Tencent’s WeChat Pay are similar in spirit to wildly popular U.S. stock trading app Robinhood, in that they are user-friendly enough that anyone with a smartphone and bank account can make complicated financial transactions with a click or swipe.

China sanctions U.S. weapons manufacturers (Foreign Policy) China will impose sanctions on three U.S.-based weapons manufacturers after the U.S. State Department approved the sale of $1.8 billion worth of weapons and equipment to Taiwan last Wednesday. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said the sanctions were necessary “in order to uphold national interests.” It’s not yet clear what form the sanctions will take. More sanctions could soon be on the way, as the State Department approved a further $2.37 billion in weapons sales to Taiwan on Monday.

Vietnam evacuating low-lying areas as strong typhoon nears (AP) Vietnam scrambled Tuesday to evacuate more than a million people in its central lowlands as a strong typhoon approached while some regions are still dealing with the aftermath of recent killer floods, state media said. Typhoon Molave is forecast to slam into Vietnam’s south central coast with sustained winds of up to 135 kilometers (84 miles) per hour on Wednesday morning, according to the official Vietnam News Agency. The typhoon left at least 3 people dead and 13 missing and displaced more than 120,000 villagers in the Philippines before blowing toward Vietnam. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc ordered provincial authorities late Monday to prepare to evacuate about 1.3 million people in regions lying on the typhoon’s path. Phuc expressed fears that Molave, the latest disturbance to threaten Vietnam this month, could be as deadly as Typhoon Damrey, which battered the country’s central region in 2017 and left more than a hundred people dead.

Vaccines, not spy planes: U.S. misfires in Southeast Asia For months, by Zoom calls and then by jet, Indonesian ministers and officials scoured the world for access to a vaccine for the coronavirus that Southeast Asia’s biggest country is struggling to control. This month, their campaign paid off. Three Chinese companies committed 250 million doses of vaccines to the archipelago of 270 million people. A letter of intent was signed with a UK-based company for another 100 million. Absent from these pledges: the United States. Not only was it not promising any vaccine, but months earlier the United States shocked Indonesian officials by asking to land and refuel its spy planes in the territory, four senior Indonesian officials told Reuters. This would reverse a decades-long policy of strategic neutrality in the country. Washington’s campaign to buttress its influence in the region—part of its escalating global rivalry with China—has been misfiring, say government officials and analysts.

Bomb at seminary in Pakistan kills 8 students, wounds 136 (AP) A powerful bomb blast ripped through an Islamic seminary on the outskirts of the northwest Pakistani city of Peshawar on Tuesday morning, killing at least eight students and wounding 136 others, police and a hospital spokesman said. The bombing happened as a prominent religious scholar during a special class was delivering a lecture about the teachings of Islam at the main hall of the Jamia Zubairia madrassa, said police officer Waqar Azim. The attack comes days after Pakistani intelligence alerted that militants could target public places and important buildings, including seminaries and mosques across Pakistan, including Peshawar.

Hopes for peace in Libya (Foreign Policy) The two main factions in Libya’s civil war agreed to a nationwide cease-fire at U.N.-backed talks in Geneva on Friday. Previous attempts to broker an end to the yearslong conflict have failed, but the new agreement has cautiously raised hopes that it will lay the groundwork for a peace deal. The cease-fire, signed by the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord and Gen. Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army, calls for all front-line forces to return to their bases and all mercenaries and foreign troops to withdraw within three months. The Libyan conflict has drawn in a multitude of international players, including Russia, Turkey, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates. Their actions in the coming months could make or break the cease-fire.

[giurochedadomani]

Three days on a drunken sin

Anthony Crowley went to a party. He doesn’t remember much of it, but waking up in a hospital bed to Ezra’s pitiful eyes is etched on his mind. After a long summer of avoidance, he saves the day and Ezra’s new job at the old Tadfield library.

TAGS: Pre-Slash, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Human!AU: University, TW: drug use, TW: overdose, TW: suicide attempt, TW: characters having an homophobic family

The blue from the police lights reflects over the Central Tadfield Library sign, old and a tad cracked, making it look as if it were about to fall down on the rests of the storefront. A couple of agents dock down on their way out, as do the handcuffed wannabe robbers they’re pushing.

Crowley kneels, picks up the book, sees again the title —bloody Hamlet— and snorts. He offers it to Ezra. 

Their hands touch when the other grabs it. Crowley’s just a tad too glad that he doesn’t drop it. 

“That was awfully nice of you”.  

Crowley feels a bit hot around the collar and suspects it might not have everything to do with the pulsing pain of the bruise on his left cheek. He deflects by glaring for good measure at the big, burly detective taking Mrs. Tracy’s statement, but he seems so enthralled as to pay them any attention.  

“Very. Very cool”. 

“Oh, shut it”, he murmures back. 

He gives Ezra a side glance. It’s aiming for a glare and falls miserably short. His stomach does a weird thing when he sees the other’s soft smile as he flips the pages of the book. He feels a little bit dumb and a whole lot ridiculous at how, ugh, mushy ‘very. Very cool’ makes him. He misses his glasses, broken in the scuffle Ezra and him had gone into with the robbers. 

Continue reading in AO3 or here. 

He wills his left knee to stop moving. He ends up getting up from the sofa just to stop the nervous taps on the floor. Ezra asks: “How did you know that I was working here?”

Anathema had told him. She had done so subtly at first and with increasingly elaborate threats then to coax him to make amends with Ezra through the whole summer.

(Crowley can’t remember anything but the blinding lights of the ambulance, a cacophony of shouts from his parents and Ezra’s pitiful eyes before waking up on the hospital bed.  

“Well, you really shouldn’t be here. I mean, given how many other people you have to fraternize with—”) 

“I didn’t. I happened to be in the neighbourhood”. It has happened a couple of times before. That is, Crowley going so far as to reach the neighbouring park before bolting on the whole idea. Showing up just as the gang decided to strike the library hasn’t been about pure chance, though. 

“My spidey senses just tingled”. 

“Ah”. Ezra’s soft smile fades down a bit. Crowley feels an inexplicable pang of guilt. “Well. I’m glad about your spider senses. I really don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t show up, my dear. I suppose that I got myself into a very tight spot”.  

Mrs. Tracy laughs. She then shoves a hand over her mouth, appalled. She looks apologetically at the detective, who very chivariously tells her that there’s nothing to apologize for. 

Crowley fixates on how much that makes him gag so he won’t pay attention at how his mind won’t stop echoing ‘my dear’. 

“It’s spidey, not spider. You know it’s spidey”, he chides him. It doesn’t have any real bite to it, though. He glances again at Ezra and spots that little self satisfied smile that he sports after being annoying on purpose. His heart clenches suddenly at the immensity of the feeling of how much he has missed it. 

“Does pretending to be from two centuries ago still help you around here?”, he asks, as nonchalant as he can manage. He rests his back on the counter.  

“I’ll have you know that Mrs. Tracy appreciates my tastes, as démodé as you may find them”. Ezra replies, petulantly. He purses his lips and adds: “And modernizing doesn’t necessary have to equal obscure comic book knowledge, you know?” 

Crowley scoffs. Thinks I’ll give you obscure. 

Ezra ignores him: “I’ve been keeping myself up to date as of late, if you must know. I—”, he hesitates. Crowley takes on his set shoulders, that proud grin. He thinks about how utterly adorable he looks as he doubles down on his resolve and— 

A phone rings. An 8 bit version of something classical. That’s— Beethoven? 

Crowley fishes the thing out of the floor, vibrating half hidden among books. It looks like an old Blackberry or something equally egregious. He flips it in his hand, spots the cracked screen and… he sees the screen saver, a bad selfie of Ezra kissing some guy’s cheek. 

(“Someone like me? How exactly is someone like me? No, describe it. Do you honestly think that I deserve to get treated—”. 

“I worry about you”. 

“And now you sound like them. I only asked— At the very least have the guts to tell me that you think that this is a punishment—”. 

“You’re putting words in my mouth that I haven’t said”.

“That’s the problem! You never say anything. So long for that being on your side shit when you won’t stand up when I need someone to do it”)

Crowley doesn’t even move when Ezra, beet red, grabs the phone out of his hand and answers. 

“Hi, I— Yes. Yes. Both of us. I was about to call you to tell you about it, in fact”, he nods to nothing. “Well, Police has been interrogating us up until now. How have you heard about it, anyway? In the—?”, a whisper of something and then: “The what!? Yes, yes, I swear to— Look, given the circumstances it’s something that I’m able to promise, yes”. 

Crowley just— stays there. With the image of the screen saver seared into his mind. The guy’s tall, dark haired, good looking, all draped in finery. Ezra’s honest to Someone giggling. Crowley feels as if someone has just dropped a bucket of cold water over his shoulders. As if someone has just punched all air out of his lungs. 

“I— yes, the moment I get home”, continues Ezra. He lowers his voice: “Yes, me too”. 

He ends the call. 

One of the agents asks something to Mrs. Tracy and then helps her to close the storefront, hiding the broken glass under the metal sheet. After the creaks stop, Ezra tries a joke, pinpointing the phone: “I figured at some point of another I would have to let go of telegrams”. 

The guy is probably refined and shit. He can picture him, a veritable dandy, dressed like a sir and philosophizing about morality while analyzing literary classics. Most likely, his vices limit themselves to cigarettes and the occasional brandy glass at parties.  Surely, his police records are stainless. 

He’s truly glad for Ezra. 

Brimming with joy. 

He pinpoints the old mobile: “You’ve nailed down the century, angel. Now all that is left to nail down is the decade”. He puts so much effort into not sounding as hollow as he feels, that he expends a few seconds without realizing exactly what has he called the other and only does so when Ezra looks away. 

Crowley’s stomach sinks to the floor and then lower, a truly stupid, over sensitive move on his part—  

“He’s a— well, a friend”. 

(“You haven’t been able to admit that we’re friends. Not once”

Ezra looks away. He ducks his head. His voice wavers when he says—)

Crowley buries the memory quickly and mercilessly. He was a manipulative asshole that day. Ezra’s not the one to blame for Crowley’s devotion, nor his very private daydreams —so obviously out of touch with reality, given what he is, what tears them apart— about what a friendship might develop into.   

“You don’t owe me any explanation”. 

He tries to swallow the bile down his throat.  

“Crowley, I—”. 

The point is— he didn’t even know that Ezra might, in this world and life, be interested. That there was any potential to explore. That Ezra, well, is interested in guys. A part of him cannot stop ruminating about how it’s his fault. That he’s somehow lacking— he’s always lacking. That he was, well, truly pathetic to even secretly entertain the possibility.  

He stands up and recollocates his jeans, trying not to wince when his bruised hands grab the rough fabric. “I’m going home”.   

Ezra’s face falls. He looks away, frowning a little, pouting, his lower lip trembling slightly. Crowley’s convinced that if Ezra were looking up, his eyes would beautifully shine with unshed tears. He feels as if he has just committed genocide, or kicked an overgrown, blonde puppy with eyes as blue as the sky. He gives in, refrains the urge to sigh and asks: “Do you want a lift?” 

Ezra does a double take. Then, he smiles. And it’s like grabbing a soft blanket and getting near the fireplace on a rainy day and corny shit like that. 

Crowley feels a frustration almost as deep as the warmth in his chest. 

Soon they find themselves in Crowley’s car, with him following Ezra’s directions across town and being just a tad too glad that he doesn’t have to explain why does he know where they are going. 

Wait, no. Come back! He just means— Anathema’s new flame lives next door, okay? He’s not a creep.

“So you basically stole a bunch of books”. 

“I didn’t steal anything. I acquired them. With hard work”. 

“You’ve just told me that you went into a— well, a sort of manhunt of prophecy books, coercing their previous owners into giving them to you almost for free”. 

“Coerce, now that’s a strong word. Suggest, if anything. Let it slide— Could you please go slower, my dear!”.

“Manipulated, more likely. Deceived”. 

Ezra shots him a glare, baffled.

“It’s hardly my fault if they didn’t do the proper research before our negotiations!”

“I don’t know if that would stand in a courtroom”. 

“Well, if you’re just going to ponder the legal ramifications of my job I might just ask you to drop me here and go the rest of the way back on foot”. 

“Now, there’s no need for rush decisions”. 

“Well, you’re the one rushing!”

Crowley smirks, takes a turn left a little to quickly to make it perfectly legal and tries hard not to laugh at how Ezra squirms. “I’m just— admiring the skill where it’s due”, he says, after a moment of silence. “It must have been very difficult to get the opportunity to negotiate with those antique dealers. To prepare a convincing speech that fit every occasion”.  

“If that’s sarcasm, I swear, my dear—”

“Oh, gosh, no. I’ve seen you in action. I don’t doubt for a moment that you can be pretty persuasive”.

(“So, what am I supposed to tell them? ‘Oh, no, I’m sorry, but I won’t make it, you guys, I’ve plans of spending all night long curing the boredom of this blondie, you see’. Wait a minute, I’m so definitely texting them that”.  

“Crowley! You’re making me look like a wanton thing”. 

“Are you blond? Check. Did you convince me that spending the night here was way more interesting than putting up with Bee and their friends? Also check. Did you do so because you’re bored as hell? Ladies and gentlemen, we have a triple check! I fail to see how am I misrepresenting the truth here”. 

“You know that they won’t think that! If you send them that they will assume that— They will think that we—”

Crowley has the smartphone in a hand, a glass of wine in the other. That, next to Ezra’s white jumper, will prove itself to be an accident in the making in mere seconds. An accident that Ezra will have only to vaguely battle his eyelashes to to get Crowley try his hardest to solve. 

“Now, what will they exactly think?” 

“Give me the mobile, Crowley!”)

Crowley smile falters. He drops the banter: “Doing something quite as reckless as inviting potential robbers of those books into your bookshop, now, I wouldn’t have pinpointed you as someone who’d do that”. 

He sees out of the corner of his eye how Ezra ducks his head and looks out of the window. “I was supposed to get help”. 

Ah, yes. Crowley remembers the girl of the library, the one who has played Ezra’s partner in crime before snitching on him to the gang. The one Ezra hadn't imagined betraying him because he wouldn’t be capable of doing something like that to someone else, so why would her do it to him. He changes gears, keeps his eyes on the road and answers, as if in an afterthought: “Next time you plan on turning yourself and your books into bait, maybe— well, if you need a backup, a proper backup, just ask me”. 

He feels more than sees Ezra’s eyes snapping back at him, and that’s more than anything out of the flush that creeps over his neck. He feels his palms sweaty, his heart beating wildly. He preemptively puts up his shields, thinks a myriad of variants of ‘I only say it so you don’t make a fool out of yourself’ and is only halfway dissapointed when Ezra changes tracks to ask: “How did you find out about the strike?” 

Crowley opens his mouth, thinks about explaining how Lucius had told him in no uncertain terms to follow the gang if he wanted to keep the job. He thinks about what Ezra would tell him if he mentioned the Inferno gardening shop and its shady backroom deals altogether. He shuts his mouth. 

Ezra, who can read him back to back, doesn’t even need him to put it into words. He jumps to the worse conclusion, though: “Did he... order it?” 

Wait, what?

“No. He— I heard them talk about you, okay? He—”, Crowley sighs, “Okay, he told me to follow them. That’s when I heard them talking about this library, this old and weird ass librarian, and the blondie, fussy young man who helped her and, well. I pieced things together and then...” 

“And you decided to come to my rescue”.  

Crowley risks a quick look over. Ezra looks… kind of amused. He doesn’t know what to make out of it. His gut reaction is to tone down the statement: it’s not as if he suddenly has turned into some sort of knight in shining armour. Or that he deserves to be praised like one.

In the end, he doesn’t say anything, mainly because a hand chooses that exact momento to gently squeeze his arm, and that stops altogether his train of thought. 

“You can stop wherever you can. It’s over there”, Ezra explains, pinpointing the same large block of buildings in front of which he dropped Anathema a couple of weeks before. Crowley parks, not too far away. He hopes that Ezra will invite him over. Maybe make a big show of how irresponsible is to let a drive drive that late, perhaps chide at his reckless ignorance of road manners. Something that lets him a teeny, tiny opportunity not to have to say goodbye. 

“Well, thank you for—” 

He rolls his eyes. 

“Ezra”. 

“But I’m grateful for what you’ve done! It was... nice seeing you again”. 

It’s the wild, blind hope in his chest what makes him take a deep breath, braze himself for the impact and say: “You know, Hamlet. There’s ah— They’re doing Hamlet. The guys in— Shit, well, I mean”, he backpedals. Starts again, trying to say it so it makes sense. Subject, verb, complements. Come on, you can do it! “The new community theatre downtown? Some friends of mine are doing Hamlet there. They’re not— Oscar worthy, or anything, but they’re also not rubbish. And there’s a bar near, they make some pretty mean pizzas. Italian authentic recipe, all artsy. We could—”. 

“I can’t”. 

Crowley clasps his mouth shut. 

“Right”. 

He blinks a few times, keeps his eyes away, tries to will the sharp sting away. 

“Crowley, I’m not ashamed of you. I just— I can’t, okay?” 

Ezra squeezes his hand for a moment. 

Crowley won’t cry. 

“Okay, angel”, he manages. 

Ezra grabs his bag and gets out of the car. He doesn’t manage to move until he sees him disappear through the entrance hall. 

It doesn’t happen that night. Nor the morning after. He’s got to wait up until the afternoon shift at the Inferno for Bee to call him to the back room and hand him the shop’s phone. It’s humid in the backroom, it clings to his clothes. It almost chokes him when he hears a sweet, deep voice tell him: “You’ve got guts to show up, that I have to admit it. I’ve seen you worse for wear, though. Is that how you pay your shots now, scuffles?”

(“My brother is—”

“An idiot? A petty bastard who didn’t outgrow the bully phase?”) 

“I wouldn’t stick around if I were you, our parents don’t take to too gently to your kind. Neither do I, if we’re being honest. If you want to ruin your life, that’s your problem. But the last thing we need is you dragging Ezra down with you. Specially, after what he did to get you back to school”. 

Ba-dum-thud. His heart skips a beat. 

“I’m going to take your little chat from last night as an aberration to the rule, but needless to say, I don’t want you to go near him ever again. Or else, there will be consequences. And you know for experience that I do follow up my words”. A pause. “Do we have an arrangement?” 

Ire cloughs his throat. He’s got the phone in a death grip. 

“I’m going to take that as a yes. Have a nice day, Crawley”.

He hangs up. 

Crowley waits one tone, two tones, before his body reacts and he stomps the phone on the receiver wishing that it was not a phone, but a certain someone’s face. Bee refrains mid-sentence to tell him how he’s going to have to pay it if he breaks.  

He paces back to the front of the shop, feeling disgusted with himself, and only partially because after being at the back room he’s pooling in sweat. His mind is lost to the present, racing through images of him burning with rage at the hospital, screaming at Ezra to fuck off, to images of him burning with rage at the police station, being questioned, to images of him burning with rage at the director’s office, being told with a stern voice and pitiful eyes that even if Crowley will not be expelled for the incident, if he continued down this road, it’d probably cost him way more than his academic possibilities and he knows that . He knows there’s a missing piece in there, somewhere, though he cannot for the love of Someone pinpoint where is it. There’s the familiar weight of guilt in his stomach and a question which echoes through his brain.

What the fuck did he do?

[chronicallypainful]

It turns out my advisor lets out her inner ableism when stressed

I'm going to write about some events that happened between my advisor and I about a month ago. Thinking about some of this is still pretty stressful for me, but I do think that writing will help the process some of what happened. Also, if the following makes absolutely no sense, you now know why. I feel extremely betrayed. I had trusted my advisor. I had thought that she understood and respected my limitations and my boundaries. Apparently I was wrong.

Though I could sense a growing tension in our relationship for months beforehand, the first issue came directly after my thesis proposal defense. This is a step of the PhD process where you write a document outlining the research steps you intend to take in the questions you intend to answer. You then present this plan to a committee and have to answer their questions.

I passed my defense. I was able to answer all of the technical questions from committee members, and my written proposal was also approved.

I'd been working hard on my proposal for nearly a year. I was technically "late" in defending my proposal, but I was officially granted an extension due to my disability and other health circumstances. Just to lay some of those out for you: -I was diagnosed with sleep apnea in February of my first year in the program. This means that I literally slept through most of my first year courses. I then had to take comprehensive exams over the material, which meant that I spent my first summer studying frantically. I did pass the exams, but I did not have time in that first year to begin a research project. -I can't type without excruciating pain! I do use other tools like speech to text and eye gaze, but these are much slower than typing. -I have a limited capacity to write by hand before I develop excruciating pain. -I'm extremely sensitive to uncomfortable furniture and generally need ergonomic tools in order to even sit at a computer monitor or read a textbook.

The list goes on, but you get the idea.

Therefore, completing my proposal, even a few months later than officially required, was a big accomplishment!

Additionally, I had worked through a lot of pain to achieve this.  Some of that pain was caused by the necessary work.  I thought I deserved some credit and some space to rest.

When I met with my advisor two days after my proposal defense, her feedback for me was "I really wish you had gotten this done six months ago."

She told me that, basically, she thought I had just been procrastinating for the past six months. Nevermind that it took me about two months to tackle the task of literally writing the proposal, at least a month to make the 2 figures that were included, and many months to read all of the necessary background literature. Also, nevermind the fact that I had actually asked her to read a draft of my proposal the previous summer, which she never found the time to do. Oh, and I suppose we should also conveniently forget about the multiple of the research projects I was involved with, the fact that I was helping a postdoc get up to speed with the technology we used in the group, and the administrative work I was doing documenting the various software tools we used in the group.

Her read on the situation was that I was anxious (true), didn't want to do the proposal (actually false), and had therefore chosen to simply procrastinate (clearly false).

This probably should've been a big red flag.

But I carried on working with her. And then we had a series of meetings in May. I'm not going to attempt to cover everything that happened in those meetings, but I am going to pull some highlights.

The first of these meetings occurred on a day when I was already in a bad mental health place. In the report that I write before each meeting, I included a note stating that I was in a bad mental health place and would prefer to have a very brief meeting. The way I wrote this note, I intended to imply that I would prefer that she just signed the paper I needed her to sign and then let me go home and take care of myself. Though I did not say that explicitly.

My advisor did not respect my wishes for a short meeting. Instead, she dove face first into discussion of a project that was currently stressing her out. In retrospect, I wish I had enforced my boundary more strongly and informed her that I needed to leave. But I didn't do that.

We discussed the grant that was funding my RAship. We had never discussed this before, and I actually didn't even know which granted was that was funding me. But I learned that I had not been contributing much to the specific projects funded by that grant, and my advisor was upset about it. She treated this as if it was my fault, even though I did not have the necessary information.

She really wanted me to finish this one particular project that had been started by a previous student. Working on this project would require a lot of time at the computer, and I wanted to prioritize working on a current paper I'm writing in my limited computer time. When I told her this, and shared that I did not think the deadlines she had posed were realistic given my limited capacity to use a computer, she got very angry. She told me how my limitations were very frustrating to her. Her exact words: "There is always a reason why you can't do what I ask you to do."

I thought she understood that I had limitations and was okay with that. Apparently not. Apparently my limitations were simply not okay with her and she was taking it out on me.

Later in our conversation, she said something else to me that set off alarm bells: "You really need to have a more can-do attitude."

She was referring to the many tasks that I do struggle to complete and tell her should probably be delegated to somebody else. The implication is that I should find some new assistive technology or assistance. I do believe that she legitimately does not know how difficult this can be. And I know she does not understand the degree to which resources simply do not exist.

But, in the face of this, I don't need to work on having a can-do attitude. I already have a can-do attitude. I had to invent my own system to make it possible to write math using speech to text software. I've found hundreds of little modifications or hacks to help me with household tasks. I navigated the world of assistive technology with no professional help. I figured out mobility aids with no professional help. I was told by many well-meaning authority figures that I should pick an easier major than mathematics, given the limitations of my disability. I ignored them, earned a bachelors degree in mathematics, and went to grad school.

Saying that I need a can-do attitude reveals how little my advisor understands about the real struggles of disability, and it's also frankly offensive.

She accused me of not contributing to group projects (which is just false). She implied that I was lazy. She expressed resentment over the fact that her grant had been funding me. She again brought up my proposal and how she wished I had completed it sooner. Regarding my anxiety, she told me that I needed to "grow up."

The stress and anxiety from these meetings was making me physically sick. At times, I was unable to eat because I was nauseous. I was holding a lot of tension in my muscles, leading to increased pain. I was struggling to sleep.

I've had enough experience with my health to know that I couldn't let this go on. I went to a couple of other professors in my department to let them know what was going on. As a "crisis management" solution, they were able to find another funding source for me for the summer, and I have been working on a collaboration with a different professor.

These interactions marked a clear downturn in my mental health. Since then, I've primarily been focusing on trying to rebuild my mental health. I'm seeing a therapist who I really like, and I saw a psychiatrist for the first time a couple of weeks ago. It's hard, but I'm taking it one day at a time.

It's not yet official, but, in the weeks since these incidents, I realized that I needed a new advisor. The unreasonable expectations of my advisor had crept into my brain and are still contributing significantly to my anxiety. I won't be able to completely avoid interacting with her, but I am convinced that I will not allow her to continue to have official authority over me.

I do need to figure out who I would like to advise me instead. There are a couple of logical candidates, one of which I like (but I'm not sure if he's currently taking students), and another one who makes me a little uncomfortable (but I know she has an opening for a new student). I will be talking with people over the next few weeks and working out my next steps academically.

But my main focus will stay on my mental health. It is better than it was, but still feels precarious. The psychiatrist I saw did increase the dose of my antidepressant (which I was already taking for pain). I'm hoping it will help, but it's too soon to say. In the meantime, I'm focusing on one day at a time.

[shroud-of-roses]

Bronwyn’s Witchcraft FAQ

This is my FAQ for mobile users to access! I know tumblr is a pain, so here is my complete FAQ under the cut. I will update this as I add to my FAQ on my main tumblr page!

I have divided my FAQ into several sections, so feel free to look around till you find what you are searching for! The first section is for those of you that are curious about witchcraft, and want to learn more about it; whether that means you are thinking of trying it or know someone that is, I felt having it up at the top would be useful. Remember, my ask box and messages are always open, so let me know if your question isn’t on here, or you need further clarification!

Basic Witchcraft Questions

Is witchcraft real?

Yes, witchcraft is real. Many people practice witchcraft, and you’d be surprised to find that you probably know at least one witch personally. I have met at least four other witches that I know of. It’s a skill, art, and practice, and as real as any other.

What is witchcraft?

Witchcraft is the practice of using energy, tools, and other mediums such as herbs, candles, and crystals to bring about change. It is not the same across the board, and can be seen differently in many cultures, regions, and groups. In short, it is the intentional use of one’s own power to create an energetic shift that will change a future event or add something to an area, object, or person. It is neither inherently evil, nor inherently good; all things can be used in a positive, negative, or neutral way.

Are witches evil?

Witches can be anything. But being a witch does not automatically make you evil. A label doesn’t usually provide moral alignment. For example, I have met teachers, religious leaders, and peers that were kind, mean, or fairly neutral in nature. Their title as a teacher, religious leader, or peer did not change that factor. The same is true for witches.

Is witchcraft dangerous?

Witchcraft is a practice, just like gardening, yoga, or even medicine. Just as a gardener can accidentally come into contact with deadly nightshade if they don’t know what it looks like, so, too, can a witch make a mistake due to inexperience. As a whole, witchcraft is generally seen as something to be cautious with, but not something that will kill or seriously maim the practitioner. I always always always recommend learning about the more risky pieces of the practice before diving in, and even then, I suggest learning protection magic before any other kind. Research is an incredibly important piece of witchcraft, and leaving it behind is what is dangerous.

Are witches the same as Wiccans? Is Wicca the only way to be a witch?

This is a common misconception in the witchcraft community, especially among beginners. Wiccans are the members of a religion known as Wicca. Wicca was made and popularized in the 1950s-1960s by a man named Gerald Gardner. It was created to fit well with witchcraft. Witchcraft is an ancient, truly timeless practice, and came long before Wicca. Some witches are Wiccan, but not all of them. A lot of Wiccans are Witches, but that is not a requirement for being a Wiccan. You do not have to be a Wiccan to be a witch, or vice versa.

What is Wicca?

Wicca is a religion created by Gerald Gardner. He made and popularized it in the 1950s-1960s, and it is meant to be an ideal partner for witchcraft. However, being a witch is not necessary to be a Wiccan.

The religion centers around the worship and invocation of the “Goddess” or “Lady” and the “God” or “Lord”. Traditionally, these figures remain as such, without goddesses and gods from other cultures representing them. You can find more information about the rituals, altar setup, etc. from a local Wiccan group, or ask someone you know who practices it themselves. I am not Wiccan, but I will share what I know with you here.

Traditionally, people who want to become Wiccans are required to join a coven and become initiated (which varies from tradition to tradition, and group to group). There may be a High Priestess, Priestesses, High Priest, Priests, High Priesten, Priesten, or other leaders they can contact to set this up, or ask for resources and information.

Usually, a period of study leads up to the initiation. In this way, the person looking to become a Wiccan has the chance to learn, have support from others in their faith, and can see the religion actively portrayed by practitioners. There may be levels to go through or ceremonies to partake in before the final initiation, but, again, this can vary.

There are also Neo-Wiccans. Neo-Wicca is a more-recent derivative of Wicca, and does not require any sort of initiation or ties to any coven or group. Because of this, many feel that it is more convenient and personally fulfilling than traditional branches of Wicca. It relies on solitary practice, and may include more personal elements of the religion, such as frequent offerings, or even iconology of a specific deity in place of the general “God” and “Goddess”. In my experience, a majority of people that follow some type of Wicca on online forums are Neo-Wiccans, but may not specify that. This is pretty much the extent of my knowledge, but I know there are many resources out there!

Is “Witch” a gender neutral term? Can guys be witches?

Yes, it is a gender-neutral term. Anyone, regardless of race, social status, gender, age, nationality, etc. can be a witch. It is a very welcoming practice for anyone to participate in- or leave- as they see fit.

Are witches born or can someone learn to be one?

You can be a witch whether you were born into a witch’s family or not. You may hear the term “hereditary witch” every once in a while; this means the person who uses the title had a family member (usually a parent or grandparent) that was/is a witch. It doesn’t give them any extra power than someone who was born into a family without any close relatives that practice witchcraft. However, these people are generally taught by a witch and/or grow up around witchcraft, which can boost their experience and knowledge in the practice. No one is born and immediately a witch. To be a witch, you must practice witchcraft. Babies don’t do that.  

Can witches fly, perform telekinesis, or other similar things from movies?

There are always going to be people that claim they can move things with their minds or turn into a werewolf. Unfortunately, this just isn’t true. Magic, in the real-life sense of the word, cannot defy the limitations of our chemical make-up or give us incredible powers that will make us rival superheroes. Movies have a habit of dramatizing and stretching tales in every area, and witchcraft is no different.

What can a witch do? What is possible?

Witches can cast spells to bring financial success, draw in luck, draw in love, and many other things. They may cleanse homes, cast protection spells over them, and ward negative/malevolent energy/entities from themselves or others. Witches can curse and bless. Witches can call or banish rain, snow, etc. They can heal and use energy to create change. Witches can do many things, some more subtle than others.

How can a witch prove they are a witch/that their magic works?

First, I beg the question: why should they have to? It is their practice, and not everyone wants to show off the latest results of their spellwork or the energy manipulation they can achieve. If they want to show or tell you about their practice, they will. Respect boundaries, just like you would with anyone else.

Being a witch requires that you practice witchcraft. If that isn’t good enough for someone to see that you are, indeed, a witch, there isn’t much else to do other than help them learn about the practice. Send them here, if you want.

If you wanted to show someone that your magic works, I recommend trying out energy work (sending energy through one hand onto a willing participant, giving off a specific intention for them to describe to you), divination if you are psychically inclined, or sharing the purpose of your next spell with them, and then let your success speak for itself.

Sometimes, spells don’t work. And that is nothing to be ashamed of. Working on it and finding flaws is what helps you grow as a witch, and having people around you critique it like they could do better is not an encouraging thing. Don’t feel obligated to share, but do if you and the person in question wish to share the experience.

Do witches sacrifice animals?

Not really. Some practitioners of certain practices, religions, etc., do kill animals according to their tradition, but it’s not extremely common as far as I have seen in the years I have been a witch and part of this community. I have read a post regarding this topic from the point of view of a culture/religion that does kill animals in rituals, and they relayed that they don’t torture animals or prolong their suffering. Just like a butcher would, it is always swift and not cruel when done correctly.

Religion and its Relationship with Witchcraft

Do witches believe in God?

Some do, some don’t. Just as being a doctor is a practice, so is witchcraft. Being a doctor doesn’t determine your religion, and neither does being a witch. I am not Christian, nor do I believe in the Abrahamic God. Anyone, from any religion, can be a witch.

Do witches worship Satan?

As stated above, some do, some don’t. Theistic Satanism isn’t something I see all that often among witchcraft communities. I see a lot of LaVeyan satanists (atheistic), but not too many that worship or honour Satan. However, some do. And that should definitely be respected, and not seen as an inherently bad thing. They may view Satan differently than those who devote their lives to the Abrahamic God.  

Aren’t you scared of going to Hell?

I am not, at least, not actively. I don’t believe in the Abrahamic God; I am a Hellenic Polytheist (I worship and honour the Greek Gods). I don’t constantly fear what I don’t believe in. I was raised Catholic, and the shift was difficult. I may never truly stop doubting my eternity or my fears. But I am more comfortable with my life than I have ever been. I speak for myself alone and not anyone else. Other witches may feel differently.

Do you have to be religious to be a witch?

Nope! It is entirely optional. In fact, witchcraft is a different category that can overlap with religion but doesn’t have to.

Can I be religious and not include the god(s) I worship in my practice?

Absolutely. I do this, and many others do as well. If I want to ask my gods for something, I do it directly, without a spell. If I want to do something on my own, I do. They are separate, but I value them both an incredible amount.

Can I be religious and include the god(s) I worship in my practice?

Yes. However, depending on your religion, it may be easier/harder than other religions. Ultimately, you’ll need to as two questions: 1) Do I want to incorporate my religion into my practice? And 2) Is my pantheon/god/goddess open to witchcraft? Usually, the answers to this come fairly easily. You can ask your pantheon directly (through prayer, divination, etc) if you aren’t sure.

How do I make offerings/begin a journey into another religion/research a religion?

This varies widely from religion to religion. My religious blog (for Hellenic Polytheism (Reconstruction-based)) is @breathing-in-gilded-dust . There are many groups, blogs, and official sites for different religions. Here are my main recommendations that I have found over the years:

Hellenion.org - for Hellenic Polytheism; includes hymns, calendars, ritual examples, resources, ritual dates, clergy certification, and more.

Elaion.org - for Hellenic Polytheism; includes hymns, calendars, ritual examples, resources, ritual dates, and more.

Baringtheaegis.blogspot.com - the blog of an insightful, well-read Hellenic Polytheist. Full of information, articles, and plenty of wonderful posts to read! A great place to begin if you’re wondering about the religion.

Theoi.com - Thousands of articles about specific Hellenic Theoi/Theia (gods/goddesses), rituals, hymns, mythos, and so much more. A wonderful resource for epithets, simple knowledge of myths, and learning about the Theoi in ancient context.  

http://www.labrys.gr/en/ - Labrys is a religious group formed by Hellenic Polytheists. They have a book recommended by many people, I believe it is called Household Worship. They have good resources online, too!

Kemet.org - for Kemeticism; includes resources, information, guides, ritual examples, and more.

Sacred-texts.com - holds so many pieces of sacred texts from so many different religions and cultures. It is the epicenter of documentation of religions like Hellenic Polytheism, Kemeticism, Nordic Polytheism, and tons more. I highly recommend looking around on this site, it is a great resource.

https://chs.harvard.edu/ - This is Harvard’s center for Hellenic Studies. It has a digital library and a friend of mine, @songbirdspells, has recommended it!

https://secondgenerationimmigrant.tumblr.com/post/162862714335/free-academic-resources-masterpost - This is a link to a free academic resource masterpost. Make use of it for religious investigation! It can be super helpful when looking for historical documentations.

Is this a sign from the gods?

Only you can decide if something you see/feel/experience is a “sign”. There isn’t a specific formula or rule book for determining this, but the general consensus is: follow your heart. Cliche, I know. Many of us rarely receive signs, and some of us never have/will. And this is okay. We don’t need a dove to tell us Aphrodite is watching over us. We already know that.

Beginner Tips, Guides, and Resources for New Witches

How can I begin?

The best thing you can do to begin your journey into witchcraft is read, record, and learn. Keep a journal for things you want to be able to look back on later, preferably in a medium you can rearrange and easily update. I recommend binders or online documents (google drive is my favourite). Some things I recommend researching first include:

Protection and warding

Correspondences for herbs, crystals, colours, and moon phases (later on, you may want to reevaluate these correspondences and decide which ones work for you and which ones don’t. There isn’t one perfect set of meanings for anything, so after experimenting, you may find that a particular item works best for love or finances rather than sleeping.)

Commonly used terminology in witchcraft

Meditation or mindfulness practices

Energy work

Candle magic

Divination

Herbal medicine (Herbs are used as medicine. I highly recommend learning not only their correspondences or mundane uses but also their potential side effects. Certain people are more susceptible to side effects or potency of herbs, especially those who are pregnant, breastfeeding, have illnesses/diseases, or are on medications. Herbs are not necessarily a safe thing to dabble in. Learn before you use them. Don’t harvest any, especially if you aren’t sure what they are. I harvested red columbine a long time ago without the slightest idea as to what it was, and I handled them before I ate. My stomach had a hard time for a day or so, and I later learned they are toxic. I could have have ended up much worse than I did, and I learned my lesson about not picking plants that I am unable to positively identify.)

Sigil making (I describe my knowledge of sigils here)

Spell writing/anatomy and spellcasting

Traditional witchcraft practices in your area

The different uses of different water sources (rain, stream, ocean, storm, etc)

Crystal care (some crystals can be damaged/bleached of their colour in sunlight, or crumble in water or other substances. Learning about the hardness of a crystal and their tolerance to sunlight are important for anyone that wants to keep their crystals in good shape. Some crystals are toxic to touch or release toxic minerals if they become wet. Research is key with witchcraft, and mundane information is incredibly important as well.)

Sensing energy/emotion (empaths, sensitives, psychics, and mediums find this easier than others, but anyone can develop these kinds of skills to a certain extent.)

Simple spells to keep up with your home (sweep out negativity with a broom and a chant, ring bells to disperse stagnant energy, etc

The use of tools in witchcraft (bells, brooms, cauldrons, candles, wands, staves, etc)

What you can and cannot do as a witch (can’t fly among geese, unfortunately. But you can learn about the astral realm, a term for other planes that one can enter and explore in many different forms. Some call this “flying”.)

Different practices of different types of witchery.

These are just my personal recommendations, not the end-all-be-all of beginner topics. If you are interested in something, learning about it is a wonderful thing to do!

Do you have a masterpost of your resources?

Yes, I do! Here is a link to it.

What are some good beginner tools?

Witchcraft is about using what you already have to achieve something that you don’t (whether that be an object, scenario, or state of being). Use what you have, and make what you want. You don’t need expensive items to be a witch, or to be successful as one. My favourite tools are crystals, my handmade wand (cost me nothing to make, since I had the materials and tools at my house), herbs from around my area or in my spice cabinet, and anything I can create for a specific purpose. I love making poppets (dolls you can use to heal, bring things to you/someone/something/an idea, or even curse), and I use upcycled fabric for them. Some people find altars to be a very useful thing to have, since there is a specific space you can sit at to do your workings. I go back and forth as to whether or not I want/need one. I usually settle on having a sacred space without any decor except my main tools and a box with everything else I use.

Here is a super general list of things you may want to look into, but do not have to buy by any means:

Incense sticks/cones and/or resins (with charcoal discs) and a holder to burn them with

Three-ringed binder (to journal, record information, and write down ideas for witchcraft)

Candles and/or candle holders (tea lights are cheapest in bulk)

Crystals that are safe in water and to touch (citrine, carnelian, rose quartz, amethyst, and clear quartz are my must-haves that I trust for gem elixirs and handling)

Sachet bags (the dollar store has these, and they are great for carrying around items such as crystals, herbs, and enchanted items)

Jars (jar spells are wonderful, and you may also use these for storing objects while you aren’t using them)

Ribbon and/or string

Nails and/or pins

Divination tools

My mentor said I have to (insert ‘must’ here) to be a witch. Is this true?

Unless they said “you must practice witchcraft to be a witch”, then no, it isn’t true. There are some ‘mentors’ who use the inexperience and ignorance of a new practitioner to manipulate and abuse them. Sex magic, blood magic, making oaths, or participating in any sort of activity you are not comfortable in is not required for you to be a witch. Get away from that person as fast as you can if they say otherwise. You are welcome to explore lesser-followed paths, but please do not feel obligated to do so in any manner.

How do crystals work? What makes them ‘magical’?

Crystals vibrate at certain frequencies, many of which are great for setting our intentions and shifting our own energy alignments/focuses. Casting spells and directing energy comes from within, not from the crystals. They help us get to a specific vibration so we can use the vibration to make a change and cast a spell. Some crystals help people sleep due to their vibration while others give their bearer energy. Crystals may affect everyone in slightly different ways, but there are usually a few basic meanings agreed upon by a majority of people for a specific crystal.

What is cleansing? How do I cleanse things?

“Cleansing” is the act of clearing away energy from an object, person, or place. One can cleanse in many ways, but some common ones include burying an object for 24 hours (I recommend burying items in a pot of dirt, not in the ground, to ensure you can find it again and no animals will be harmed by it), submerging it in water/salt water (only for items that won’t be damaged, of course), sprinkling an item with salt, holding an object as water runs over it, as in a stream, smoke cleansing with sage or other smoke-producing herbs/woods/etc, placing crystals around the object/person/place, energetic resetting, and bell ringing (or any constant tone ringing through the air). There are many more, but these are common methods.

What is charging? How do I charge things?

“Charging” is the act of instilling an object with energy that can be used later on. Crystals can be charged to re-establish the energy they hold to amplify their vibrational qualities. It’s like replacing the batteries in a remote. The batteries don’t make the remote something different, they just power it to be able to do its job. You can charge things by placing them in a window during a full moon/visible moon (full moons tend to work best), charge things the same way, but in sunlight instead of moonlight, use your own energy to fill the object, place candles around an object, spin an object rapidly (ex: a wand), or surround an object with crystals or herbs. There are other ways, but these are things I have tried and really like.

What is enchanting? How do I enchant things?

“Enchanting” is filling an object with a specific intent and energy. Unlike charging, enchanting does reprogram an item’s properties/energy, usually temporarily. This works best with objects that do not have a powerful vibration like a crystal or herb does. I recommend pebbles, coins, jewelry, clothing items, etc. You can enchant an item with your own energy or the energy of objects that relate to what you want to enchant the item with. I have a post on enchanting wards here, but you could easily use it as a guide for any enchantment.

What are sigils? How do I make them? How do I charge them?

Sigils are symbols created for a specific intention and purpose. I have a complete guide with pictures, text instructions, and advice right here! It’s a google drive share link, so it gives you access and shares it with whatever email you’re signed into if it’s a gmail.

What are sabbats? Esbats?

Sabbats are the eight holidays celebrated by most Wiccans and some witches. The holidays stem from the ancient Celtic religion (if I am not correct, please let me know so I can change this). It does have religious ties because of this, but many people do not observe them. Some witches do celebrate in some way on some/all of the sabbat dates, due to the fact that half of them fall on equinoxes or solstices,  and the other half are the midway point between a solstice/equinox. They have fairly easy to follow dates, each with a distinctive name. They are based on the seasons, so the northern and southern hemisphere dates are very different. The sabbats are: Imbolc, Ostara, Beltane, Litha, Lammas (or Lughnasadh), Mabon, Samhain, and Yule. I suggest researching the dates of these sabbats for your area if you plan to observe them. I don’t observe them as they are named, but I do have a similar system for myself, based on the solstices/equinoxes/shifts in temperature and weather.

Esbats are meetings between witches as a coven, which are usually held on the new or full moon. Any meeting of a coven to do a ritual is considered an esbat. I believe this is primarily a Wiccan thing, but I could be wrong.

What is the wheel of the year? Do I have to follow it?

The wheel of the year is the observance of the eight sabbats. They are derived from an ancient European religion (Celtic, I believe), and are celebrated most frequently by Wiccans. The wheel of the year observes the equinoxes, solstices, and the midpoints between them. You do not have to follow the wheel of the year if you do not want to. I don’t, and I am happy as can be!

What are the elements, and how are they used? Do I have to use them?

The elements are frequently seen in circle casting and on pentacles. The elements are Earth, Air, Water, Fire, and Spirit. This grouping of five elements is representative of the whole self, the whole world, the whole Universe. They can be used in circle casting as mentioned, they can be used as sources of energy during spells or rituals, and they can be communicated with during meditations (among other things). It is not a necessary part of being a witch, but many people do use the elemental system in one way or another.

Do I have to pick a path and label it?

No, you certainly do not. You don’t even have to call yourself a witch. Labels are words. Call yourself what you like, if you call yourself anything at all.

Why do some people spell magic as “magick”?

The idea to spell “magic” as “magick” came from the man Aleister Crowley when he wanted to differentiate metaphysical occurences from magic tricks at parties. Many people do this for the same reason, but there isn’t really a necessity for it. If you’re in the witchcraft or spell tag, I doubt you’re going to confuse a stage magician with a witch. There are also some issues with the actual kind of magic Crowley was talking about, which was ceremonial magic that was leading one towards their highest, truest purpose. Most of the things I see that are tagged or referred to as magick do not fall into that category, only because it’s not the same form as what Crowley defined as ‘magick’. It’s an outdated word often used inaccurately, anyway. I cringe a little when I see it due to this, and some of the people I met only use it for attention or to seem more ‘witchy’.  

Do I have to use spells made by other people? Can I write and use my own?

You do not have to use spells by other people, and you definitely can write and use your own! The only disclaimer I have for this is that you should read and try spells by experienced people you trust to get a sense of what a well-rounded spell feels like. Study before you jump in, as with anything else, just in case. It also helps you figure out what you really like to do, and you can experiment with different spell types and tools/ingredients.

Do witches have to join a coven?

Nope. The only time a witch ‘has’ to join a coven is if they are a Traditional Wiccan looking to be initiated, but not all Traditional Wiccans are witches, anyway.

How and why do people use the moon and its phases in spellwork/magic?

The moon affects many mundane things, from the tides to menstrual cycles. It holds so much history and energy that can be used in magical workings. It reflects the light of the sun, and is charged constantly because of this. It is full of nearly untouched vibrancy, which is great for many spells and rituals!

What is a grimoire? What is a book of shadows?

A grimoire is a book of journals, spells, correspondences, and other useful information in the possession of a witch. They can be physical or digital. A Book of Shadows (sometimes referred to as BoS) is a similar book of such things, but has more specific ties to Wicca. It is full of rituals and texts regarding Traditional Wiccan practices, and is less ‘personal’, for lack of a better word. It may contain the Wiccan Rede, copies of important rituals used in the practitioner’s coven/sect, or texts written by trusted religious figures.

What is energy work? How can I practice?

Energy work is the manipulation of metaphysical energy to manifest an intent or infuse power into something. It can consist of making orbs to send to others (healing, cursing, etc.), the use of energy to shield/ward a person/place/thing, using one’s own energy to charge or enchant an item, and much more. Some people even focus on energy points within the body and center themselves through energetic rebalancing. You can practice with exercises put on the internet for it, such as my favourite:

Rub your hands together. Feel the friction and the heat- the energy- produced by the action. Stop for a few seconds, and do it again, this time focusing on the feeling between your hands. For me, it feels kind of tingly, even after the heat has faded for a few seconds.

Rub your hands together again, and then pull them apart, but not too far from each other (maybe three or four inches from the other). Visualize and try to feel a blob/ball of energy between your hands, fueled by the friction’s energy. Do this several times, and make the blob/ball bigger if it becomes easier. Practice makes perfect with this!

What is warding?

Warding is a type of magical action in which an object or energy form wards off an unwanted subject. The subject could be a person, negativity as a whole, malevolent entities, spirits, misfortune, etc. Wards can be made of physical items or energies anchored to an area, object, or person.

What is grounding?

Grounding is the act of reconnecting to the Earth and resetting your energy to a more mundane frequency. It involves releasing your energy into the ground while simultaneously taking in new energy from the Earth. This is usually done after centering, and is very refreshing for those of us who struggle with energy consumption. This technique is ideal for empaths as well, due to how accessible it is and how effective it can be.  

What is centering?

Centering is bringing awareness back to yourself, and being mindful of your body, its energy, and how you feel. Centering is always found in meditation, and is a great skill that is used in mindfulness. To center, you can use breathing, visualization, and specific thoughts that help you return to your mind. Everyone centers differently, but once you find your method, it is so great to be able to do!

This is overwhelming. What should I do?

Whew, I know, right? It can be extremely intimidating to begin a practice like this. My biggest pointer is to allow yourself time to learn. Don’t cram like you’re about to take the ACT/SAT. This is a fulfilling practice, not a guide to college! You have plenty of time to learn, grow, and absorb information, which is awesome! I definitely recommend joining some sort of community, whether offline or online. Tumblr is definitely my favourite place to hang out, but there are other forums. Discord seems to have a good many, and I occasionally see links on Tumblr to other social media groups!

Astrology

I am a Leo/etc. so why don’t I feel like one?

Your sun sign is a teeny weeny tiny bit of who you are, according to the stars. There are so many different stars that relate to you, “houses”, moons, etc. You can calculate your natal chart (see next question) to see what other signs you are. The sun sign is who you are publicly, while your moon sign is most likely a better representation of who you are on the inside. It blew my mind when I discovered natal charts!

What is a natal chart?

A natal chart is the positioning of certain celestial bodies on the day you were born. It also takes into account the time and place of your birth. I recommend calculating yours! I believe I calculated mine with astro.com, but the next question has a masterpost of good resources to try, and I am sure I got the link for mine in that list.

What are some resources for beginners interested in astrology?

I saw a great post of some awesome astrology links! Here is the link to it for your convenience.

Do I have to learn astrology to be a witch?

Nope! Astrology isn’t witchcraft, just something many witches and spiritual people like! Actually, many witches don’t have a clue about astrology, including me. I know what four of my signs are based off of my natal chart, and I understand the traits of some of the zodiac signs, but that’s about it. I can maybe draw a few constellations and miss a couple stars, but eh.

[rutledge60hviid-blog]

Lenovo Ideapad Y700 Assessment.

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This's a video game that is actually made to become enjoyed with one hand while you are actually riding the train, which is actually the goal of many informal video games. Nevertheless, as I have actually brought in the dedication to take a trip constant for springtime and also summer season 2014, there is actually a worry in me that I'll subdue on my own to an unhealthy way of life on-the-go. http://e-regenbogenwel.info with headphones, others don't - and our experts carefully recommend participating in through a few regularly to discover the activities that operate the greatest for you. Intriguingly, it also deftly handles that concern in limitless games from going back to square one - listed here, you always reboot from where you were actually last beat. There's a data measurements limit of 8MB on uploaded data, yet the editor will favorably resize your photos if they're too large. 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They additionally have created mobile phone games like Final Dream Brave Exvius and also Mobius Final Imagination. You could utilize the Travel Stand up with any type of model of the Apple View, Apple Watch Collection 1 as well as Apple View Set 2 in 38mm and 42mm measurements. I made use of Travel state for my flight/hotel prices varied off ₤ 200- ₤ 300 from there. Likewise think of the type of activities that you need for your phone - if that's a high-powered activity that's a visual delight, this is actually certainly not visiting be actually much make use of on a phone that stems from four years back and possesses a little display screen. What is actually even more, many girls drop a considerable quantity from blood in the course of shipment, which could lower iron counts, Moritz states. You may also look at Sonic 4, which is a segmented adventure (each incident has its own activity) set of system games that likewise include Sonic. Topping that off is actually Tormenter, an available globe journey video game that focuses on a college trainee. As well as the reason they can easily price on their own lower is considering that the providers that to begin with came up with a new feature, created enough to maintain R&D and also the preliminary high expenses. In a survey performed over 3 commutes, our experts discovered that from 60 people using earphones, 34 were utilizing the bundled EarPods that Apple gives - offered in comparison to many of those folks could certainly not have been actually using an iPhone, that is actually a higher variety compared to expected. There is actually additionally 3D Touch in the mix again - this is actually an identical system to that on the iPhone 6S, where the handset can easily identify the volume from pressure your hands is using on the screen.

[upinternet]

Remote Learning in the Time of Worsening Political Crisis: Q&A with UPLB students

Written by Mac Andre Arboleda and Benjie Gallero

It has been a month into the 2nd semester of the Academic Year 2020-2021, and the second semester of remote learning enforced by the University of the Philippines. If you, reader, can remember, the 2nd semester of AY 2019-2020 was halted in March 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic and nationwide lockdown, and at the end of that semester, students were given either passing or deferred grades. The 1st semester of AY 2020-2021 was postponed, and in November, the UPLB University Council of Student Leaders called for a university-wide strike to end the semester in protest of the ongoing setup and in solidarity with fellow students and Filipinos who were affected by the super typhoon. All of this have been happening as the youth joined protests against the government’s failed response to the pandemic and the human rights violations under the Duterte administration.

Although the 2nd semester of AY 2020-2021 was similarly moved to start in March instead of January, students still expressed their concern about the readiness of teachers, the administration, and fellow students. As the Rise for Education-UPLB once again calls for academic ease and the Department of Health reports an all-time high in single-day deaths (401) and active cases (178, 351), we look back on our interviews with UPLB students Chelsea Sison (CHE) Clarice “Clang” Sumagaysay (CVM), Bianca “Bia” Arce (CAS), Theresa “Teri” Manalo (CAS), Aliyah “Iyane” Mata (CEAT), and Julianne Afable (GS) who shared their experience about their first week of classes. How far are we in our campaign for #NoStudentLeftBehind?

How would you describe your first week of classes?

Chelsea: As for the first week of classes, there’s not much to talk about since all we did in class was to orient ourselves as to how the semester would course through. However, overall, it was alright and overwhelming because the workload for the semester was given to us already and complete modules were disseminated. It also made me anxious since there were no advice from any of my professors days prior to the start of the classes and I didn’t have any assurance that an email regarding their class would reach me. I had to sit and wait all day for their emails, and I had to look for possible classmates as well to make sure that I was not left behind.

Clang: Since last semester, I’ve always been struggling to focus on doing my academics because of all the distractions this remote learning. I couldn’t go to the university library to study or at study cafes because of the pandemic. I don’t know how to snap out of the current trance I’m in.

Bia: Personally, it's overwhelming and scary. As a person who started her freshie year online, it's scary to think how much I've learned from my prior courses. I felt like last semester didn't provide the quality learning that we needed. However, when it comes to load, I can say that some subjects improved and tried to lessen the load without compromising as much learning as possible.

Teri: I know from my previous semester that trying to adapt to online classes is really hard. Even so, for this semester I tried preparing for things to go smoothly according to plan. But it was still stressful for me. I didn’t hear from most of my professors until the day of our first meeting; some of them had trouble contacting us because they couldn’t access SAIS. I encountered internet issues during some of my lectures, both from my end and the lecturers’. And it’s difficult to try and shift my focus back to school when normal house things happen around me all the time and abnormal events happen outside. So it goes. Overall, I think it still overwhelmed me, like it did last time. My peers and I rely on each other to keep up.

Iyane: Overwhelming. Despite the demands forwarded by the councils to the admin, there are still heavy workloads and unreasonable deadlines. There may have been minimal adjustments, but considering the circumstances from various sectors, such as the students and academic employees, it is still not enough. A lot of students are still left behind.

Julianne: My first week of classes was a bit frustrating, as a new GS student, I had zero knowledge about how LMS work. Although the emails from ITC like tutorials and SAIS updates are very much appreciated, there were still some missing info that I had to figure out by myself. For instance, I (and some of my classmates) were on a different moodle site than what UPLB is supposed to be using so there was confusion between us and our prof. Aside from that, internet connectivity is also another frustration, since we have internet problems in the office, I had to attend my classes through broadband so there were instances where I was disconnected from the zoom class.

What are your expectations for the rest of the semester?

Chelsea: For this semester, I do not expect much. First, nothing much really changed. The delivery of materials is still similar from the previous semester. Although classes would say they “improved” it. The improvements were minimal, and it didn’t change the fact that there are still students in out university who are unable to afford this kind of learning setup. However, in an ideal world, I do expect that this semester would be better than the previous one and that students and faculty are more geared towards this kind of learning.

Clang: My expectations is that I hope the students and professors would come to a mutual agreement on how the classes should be conducted. Learning is a two-way relationship. There should be an avenue to talk about what is the most efficient way for the students to learn and for the professors to teach specially with the current set up we are in.

Bia: I expect nothing but understanding, leniency, and consideration from each other (admin-faculty-student). These should be the bases when it comes to implementing measures if need be. Also, I expect that our calls should be heeded by the admin in times of challenges and struggles.

Teri: Again, online classes, you can't really plan for these. You can prepare yourself mentally, organize your things, create a routine, only to see everything crumble in end. Planning helps, but it also leads to more frustration in this condition. Modules and requirements will only get harder as lessons get more complex. Some professors adjust for the sake of their students, which is really compassionate, but some do it in a way that sacrifices part of what could have been imparted, what could have been learned.

Iyane: I'm expecting that this sem will be more tiring than ever. However, I'm hoping that the profs are now well-adjusted; thus, they'll be conducting the virtual learning in a more manageable and systematic way wherein considering academic excellence and the student's well-being. The mental health of the students should be one of the top priorities during these times.  

Julianne: Given the experiences I had in my first week, I expect that I will have to exert more effort this sem. I expect difficulty in internet connectivity and that I would have to spend more money on mobile data for our wireless broadband. I also expect that both profs and students will be able to address the challenges of the current set up based on their experience from the past semester.

How would you like to see the semester unfold for the next couple of months? In other words, for you, what is an "ideal" semester?

Chelsea: In an “ideal” semester, I look for students being able to learn and understand their modules well. That students are able to truly acquire knowledge and not just for the sake of accomplishing their requirements. However, though, as long as the possibility of students being left behind due to lack of access in materials is still eminent, I still firmly believe there would be no “ideal” semester in this kind of setup.

Clang: The ideal semester for me would be that no student should be left behind and that the professors are also being provided with the learning materials needed to conduct remote classes.

Bia: Personally, I don't see an ideal semester in this setup. Regardless, there'll be people struggling and challenged. However, for the next few months, I'd like to see the semester unfold in such a way that the admin, faculty, and students go hand-in-hand to make this setup bearable. I want to see actions that are constituent-oriented, as its constituents are greatly affected by whatever actions or plans are implemented for this semester.

Teri: In an online set-up, I would like to have open classrooms: no graded requirements but continuous discussions and complete access to all the class materials. This way, learning at a regular pace would still be an option, without leaving vulnerable students behind.

Iyane: First and foremost, an ideal semester would include minimal workloads, lenient deadlines, and utmost compassion. The course packs should be delivered to students on time, not two weeks after the class started. The said adjustment should not only be appealing to students but also to the faculty and staff. They must have timely salaries, labor rights, and funds for improvements of the academic facilities.  We are in a pandemic, and the admin should have extraordinary measures.  Free education is not limited to having a free tuition fee alone; it should be accessible to everyone. Learning should be fun and procreative, not frustrating.

Julianne: Despite the frustrations of the first week, I'm very grateful for my profs who understand the challenges faced by their students in the current set up. An ideal sem for me is a sem where both profs and students will be considerate with each other given that we all experience the same struggles especially with internet connectivity and transitioning to a set-up we were not really preparing for as no one predicted how long the pandemic would last.

Interviews were edited for clarity.

[markpauldaphotography]

Night Photography Made Easy

Long exposure photography can create dynamic, and sometimes, surreal images full of motion. Whether there is a sense of tranquility, apprehension with regard to the unexpected, or an element of surprise, night images can also evoke a true sense of emotion.  Photographers who specialize in night photography are indeed a special breed. This should not be so surprising when one realizes how much in-depth understanding of light is necessary to capture that perfect photograph. Additionally, there are some rather basic tips any newbie night photographer should know. This, and more, will be covered in this edition of “After Hours Photography,” with a few night photography exercises tossed in to allow you to practice that which is covered. After all, practice - and I do mean a lot of it - will enable you to create magical night imagery!  First thing first, and that is - Know Your Camera! Whether shooting landscapes, or urban settings, trundle through the darkness not only looking for the perfect scene, but experimenting along the way. A thorough understanding of your camera, and what all of the buttons do, is essential for night photography. The last thing you will want, with little light with which to work, is to fumble with your camera and its controls. Not knowing can only make for stressful, difficult photography. 

** Take a moment, and have a look at your camera controls. Pay close attention to the Mode Dial. This is where you will set how you will photograph. M = Manual, and this is where I assume you have your camera set. Most DSLR’s today only allow you to keep the shutter open for 30 seconds. For longer exposures than 30 seconds, you will need to know B, or Bulb. 

The Exposure, or Shutter Speed dial will be essential to locate, as well as Aperture. If you choose to experiment with ISO (ASA), you will need to be familiar with this button. A more in depth explanation will follow a bit later. 

  After this, the Playback function may be important to you, and the LCD Screen can be your illuminated guide to all you need to know to make proper image taking decisions.

Invest in a Camera with Low Light Capabilities Must you buy a top of the line DSLR? If you can, great. If not, what is essential is a camera with Manual Mode, film or a memory card, and a tripod. 

Additionally, you will find a wider-aperture prime lens will allow more light in while capturing an image, and bring down noise levels. For instance, a 24mm f/1.4 is fantastic for night photography, but can be a bit pricey. If you are just starting out, consider a 50mm f/1.8 lens, which is typically reasonably priced. The difference between f/2.8, and f/1.8, is quite remarkable as the wider aperture allows an abundant amount of light in for ideal night images. 

Cable Release. Remote Control. Self-Timer! With long exposure photography, even the press of the shutter button can cause slight camera movement. The result will be image blur. If you want a clear, crisp image then do not take the chance by pressing the shutter release button with your finger. 

The use of a cable release, remote control, or self-timer (10 seconds is good) will fix this.  Tripod! Tripod! Tripod! or any Steady Surface. Night photography requires a slow shutter speed, which means the camera must experience no movement to avoid camera blur. None. Nada. Zilch! 

There is no human being around who can hold any camera firmly steady below 1/60th of a second. Once the exposure time is below 1/60, a tripod or firm surface is most definitely required. Go ahead, try it, and see what happens. 

The truth of the matter is, I rarely carry a tripod while exploring a busy city at night. I find them cumbersome, and a nuisance when amongst the crowds. I am no super-human to hold my camera steady, so I use what is around me - walls, railings, poles, benches, and even the pavement. Typically, more interesting composition is possible using these things. Sometimes, a little breath control is necessary as well. Yes, I hold my breath! Just be creative. 

Lens Hood, or some means of shielding a lens from let’s say, the light light from a light post. Night scenes with bright lights, like cities, require a lens hood to prevent lens flares, or streaks, from the light.    Flash Light, or even Light from a Mobile Phone. While you want to be able to find your camera controls with your eyes closed, some sort of light will be a great help to see the camera buttons, and equipment in the dark. 

Turn Off Auto Focus As much as you may love auto-focus, when you are in a low light situation this may not work as nicely as you hope. Manual focus is the way to go.  Turn out the lights in the room where you are so that you are in complete darkness, then gracefully make your way to the door. Do you reach, and touch, in various places to find your way? Your camera’s auto-focus is doing something very similar, and often can not “grab onto” anything to achieve true focus. 

Is it difficult? Sure it can be, though with enough practice, focusing will become easier over time. One trick is to put the focusing ring at infinity ( ∞ ), then adjust from there, if necessary. 

Turn OFF the Image Stabilizer! When shooting from a tripod, leaving your image stabilizer turned on can often work against you, especially if there is motion in your chosen scene. Perhaps this motion are moving vehicles, moving water, or leaves rustling in the wind. The image stabilizer attempts to stabilize these movements, which results in blurring the entire image. 

Do not confuse image stabilization with holding your camera steady. Seriously, can your camera make you not move? 

Exposure Tools The metering systems in all cameras are designed for use in daylight conditions. Therefore a meter reading can only be used as a "starting point". There are a few factors in night photography that make camera meters unreliable. 

There are features on all DSLR cameras that make photography at night possible. Due to the lack of lighting exposing the image generally takes much longer. This is where the slower shutter speed settings become a valuable asset. Most cameras have shutter speeds up to 30 seconds. Often indicated as 30" on the camera. 

B or Bulb setting - Once the shutter dial is adjusted to "B" or BULB, the shutter will stay open as long as the shutter button is pressed and will not close until the shutter button is released. 

On film cameras, one way to see this effect in practice is to open the back of the camera when there is no film in it. Then, set the shutter dial to "B" and press the shutter button. The shutter will stay open until you decide to release it. This operation cannot be seen in the same way with a digital camera but the effect can be viewed on the LCD screen after an image is taken. Using this setting may take a small bit of practice because we automatically tend to release the shutter button as soon as we press it. As your confidence with long exposure techniques increases you will want to move beyond that and take photos with shutter speeds of several minutes of more. 

T or Timed setting This setting is used in a very similar way to the "B" setting and the same effects can be achieved. The difference between the two though is that using "T" the shutter is pressed once and released to open the shutter. The button is then pressed again to close it. The advantage of this over the "B" setting is that your hands are free, and the risk of camera shake is reduced. Unfortunately, very few cameras have this setting. 

When using either setting the timing is done manually by the you. Rather than depending on a cameras shutter timer, you must count off the desired seconds (or minutes) the shutter is to remain open. Often, I use the “stopwatch” on my iPhone. The risk of camera shake, especially with the "B" setting is extremely high.

In order to avoid blur from camera shake using either the B or T setting, some sort of remote release is almost essential. 

ISO Setting: It is a common belief that the lower the available light, the faster the ISO rating needs to be to record enough light. Usually this is true, however, fast ISO settings are not always necessary for night photography.  Normal ISO settings (100 to 400 ISO) can be used successfully. The exposures needed would just be longer, sometimes for several seconds. Hence, the need for a sturdy support such as a tripod! 

Play with the Aperture In addition to shutter speed (which determines exposure time), you can play around with the aperture size of your digital camera. There are two scenarios here. If you set a long exposure, try to use a small aperture, such as f/16 to avoid overexposing any stationary lights. in the picture. On the other hand, if you set a short exposure, try using a larger aperture such as f/3.5 to avoid limited motion in your shot. 

The more you practice, the more you will know how to develop your own nighttime photographic style. 

Artificial Lighting (White Balance) With night photography, the lighting you are using is all artificial except for any residual daylight at dusk or dawn. To complicate matters different man-made lighting sources give off different color casts. A typical night image may have numerous different types of light sources lighting the scene. These would be of different strengths and colors. This fact often adds to the impact of the night photograph. 

The color casts given off by artificial lighting can be changed through the use of the White Balance setting on a digital camera. 

Have you ever taken a photo at night, and there is a yellow/orange hue dominating the color? This is because your white balance setting is set to daylight, or cloudy. Change your white balance to the “light bulb,” and see the difference. If you are a bit more advanced, you can manually adjust the color temperature right in the camera. 

Composition Now that you have all the necessary tools to confidently head out into the night, let’s touch upon composition. Part of the appeal of long exposure photography is that it helps you practice your composition skills. Keep in mind that composition is key, and when using a tripod, it is best to adjust the height either above, or below, eye-level. Stand on higher ground to get a broad perspective of your scene, or use a smaller tripod to look slightly upward for a majestic feel. Find Interesting Elements to Create an Artistic Interpretation As you observe a scene, you will find that the elements of your composition comes in all shapes and sizes. Perhaps there is a rugged, or funky-looking, tree, a group of jagged rocks alongside calm waters, or an architectural feature in the city. These elements do not take away from your main subject, but instead adds a focal point that draws the viewer into the entire image. 

No matter where you find yourself, play around with your surroundings, and don’t give up if you do not see the ideal composition right away. Move around! Avoid eye level, get high, get low, turn sideways: whatever it takes to create a stunning image. Do not expect to create fabulous night images without experimenting, and learning by trial and error. 

Follow the Lines It would be better for you to apply the same rules that are applied to landscape pictures. Lead with lines into the main part of the scene so that the viewers are lured by your impression through the darkness. You can consider the streetlights, the light from moving traffic, or even brightly lit fences as lines. 

After all, lines and curves and shapes are prominent aspects of photography – from architectural to fashion. Follow them to compose your image. Frame it so that a line literally starts at one corner of the frame and extends diagonally. Instantly, you are following the rule-of-thirds, which is essential to any good photograph. 

Know your Light Light is the main ingredient of any photograph. Without it, we all would have a lot of empty frames to show off to everyone. 

Choose any one particular area, and have a walk around during various times of the day, or night. Notice, at these different times, how the light is different, and how it effects a potential scene. Make a note of this, and again walk around, but this time with your camera. Take some photographs during these different times, and compare the difference in light, and how the light affects your scene. 

Here are the four lighting situations you will most often see used in long exposure photography: Sunset or sunrise. It’s fairly obvious why. These are beautiful times to take photos. A good time to take long exposure photos is when the sun is below the horizon (before sunrise or after sunset) as there is less contrast and the light levels are lower, allowing longer shutter speeds. 

Twilight. Also known as the blue hour because of the color of light at this time. This is the period between sunset and night (or night and sunrise) when light levels are low and the fading light illuminates everything in a brilliant glow. 

Overcast days (for landscape photography). This is popular with photographers who use nine or ten stop neutral density filters to obtain long shutter speeds during the day. If the sun was out, especially during the spring and summer months, the light would be too harsh for good landscape photography. But on a cloudy day, moving clouds add interest to the sky. 

Sunny weather (for architectural photography). Some photographers take long exposure photos of buildings during the day. A requirement is that there are clouds in the sky. Moving clouds create the contrast between the buildings and the changing sky that you need for a successful long exposure photo. 

Look for Interesting Lighting Sources Look for bridges, piers, city buildings, boats, the stars and moon. All of these emit light that’s excellent for reflecting off the surface of the water. Experiment with different locations to get different colors and shapes. 


For instance, light from the sky will reflect and brighten up the water smoothly and uniformly. But look at the reflections of buildings and you see something more abstract. Geometric shapes appear because of the angularity of the buildings. Whether you want the simplicity of a clear night sky to light up the ocean or lake or the complexity that man-made structures brings, find interesting lights to enhance the look of the water. 

Capture Motion With a long exposure, you have many creative options when it comes to photography. This includes capturing motion. For example, have you ever wondered how professional photographers shoot pictures of trails of car lights as they zoom down the highway at night? It is all due to long exposures. Try to keep this in mind the next time you’re taking a night photo – you don’t have to restrict yourself to still images. 

With extremely low light levels, moving subjects such as people walking will not register in the image so long as there is very little light shining upon them. Cars are a good example of using this technique. 

With long shutter speeds and moving cars, the headlights and taillights will register as streaks. The cars themselves will not register on the image. This effect can also be used at fairgrounds where amusements lighting can be recorded while moving. 

Fast Shutter Speed - If you want the movement in your night photos to be clear an in focus, use fast shutter speeds. Because of the low light, a larger aperture/higher ISO will be needed 

Slow Shutter Speed - If you want to blur the motion, use slow shutter speeds, smaller apertures, and a lower ISO. 

Remember that when you lower the ISO, you should be setting a longer exposure to maximize the available light you’re working with. Nighttime images also tend to look very grainy because photographers bump up the ISO to compensate for the lack of light. But in doing so, you limit yourself to the amount of time you can expose a scene. The longer you leave the shutter open, the more the motion of your subject will appear. 

So, there you have it - the basic tools to get you started with night photography. It may seem a bit intimidating at first, but I guarantee, with practice, you can produce absolutely fabulous night images. Of course, daytime is fantastic for photography, but it is after hours when the magic begins. Shadows become wildly different, and the twinkling lights of any urban setting, large or small, create an ambience like no other. I often photograph London at night. This bustling cosmopolitan city becomes almost vulnerable after the sun goes down, and there is a tranquility about her during this time like no other. The architecture shows off beautifully as it is illuminated in the night sky, not to mention the mystery of what might be around the corner. Landscapes, too, offer brilliant opportunities during the night hours. There is a bit more difficulty as there may be very little light, unless the full moon shines brightly above. The solitude of nighttime landscape images can evoke emotions that can create beautiful stories. Mountain ranges, or rolling rivers, and the calmness of lakes offer a sense of serenity that I completely adore.  

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How Xbox One Shaped the Future of Console Gaming

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I never owned an Xbox One, and to be honest, I’ve never really regretted that decision, even as I prepare to get my hands on the Xbox Series X.

In some ways, the legacy of the Xbox One is defined by shortcomings. Microsoft’s infamously botched reveal of the console was lowlighted by the console’s investment in the now-defunct Kinect peripheral as well as its apparent dependence on a constant internet connection. And even though Microsoft addressed most of these issues over time, the tech company faced one problem it never entirely solved: an inability to consistently deliver compelling exclusives.

From Sunset Overdrive to Forza Horizon 4, there are definitely Xbox games from the last generation that you need to play that you can’t on a PlayStation 4 or Nintendo Switch. The problem is that there just never seemed to be enough Xbox One exclusives released in any given year. The GameCube suffered from a similar problem, but that console is at least fondly remembered for gifting the world with some all-time great games. It’s highly debatable whether there are any Xbox One console exclusives worthy of that honor.

All of these problems — and other factors, such as Microsoft’s continued struggles in certain international markets — led to what many see as a sound defeat for the Xbox One in the console war against the PS4. The numbers are never quite as bad in that area as some fans would lead you to believe, but the fact remains that current tallies suggest that PlayStation outsold Xbox in the last console generation at an almost a 2:1 ratio. When you’re talking about a margin as substantial as that, it’s easy to argue that something went wrong.

That’s the fascinating thing about the Xbox One’s legacy, though. It’s the rare video game console that deserves to be remembered as much for how it benefited those who owned it as it benefited those who did not.

The reason I can tell you about the Xbox One’s great exclusives despite never owning an Xbox One is that I got to play most of them on PC. While Microsoft has always had a closer relationship with PC gaming than other console manufacturers, the Xbox One was the console that broke down nearly every barrier that kept certain titles on consoles in the apparent hope of tempting PC gamers to purchase a new device for just a handful of games. It’s not a stretch to suggest that Microsoft’s success in the current PC market is a big part of the reason why studios like Sega and even the PlayStation team are supporting PC gaming in ways they never did before.

Remarkably, Microsoft’s continued support of the PC platform may be the least impressive example of the company’s two greatest virtues during the Xbox One generation: accessibility and consumer-friendly ways to play on the platform. 

When I say accessibility, I’m of course talking about the Xbox team’s initiative to develop devices, such as the Adaptive Controller, that allow gamers with various disabilities to enjoy the titles they love with as few restrictions as possible. This is something that Microsoft doesn’t always get enough credit for (likely because it’s another measure of success that can’t be measured in sales figures alone), but it’s arguably a big part of the reason why we’re seeing so many developers work to include expanded accessibility options in their games. 

But I also want to use the word in a broader sense. The fact remains that Microsoft championed accessibility during the Xbox One generation in ways that Nintendo and Sony often did not. 

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Xbox Series X vs. PS5: Which Features Set Each Console Apart?

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Microsoft began supporting cross-play at a time when Sony was arguing that the feature wasn’t good for its userbase. Sony eventually relented, especially as cross-play games like Fortnite and Call of Duty Warzone grew more popular, and gamers now expect nearly every multi-platform multiplayer title to have some kind of cross-play functionality.

The Xbox team also began developing cloud gaming technology when many still rightfully believed it was a pipe dream. But with services like Google Stadia, Amazon Luna, and NVIDIA GeForce Now, it’s clear Microsoft was ahead of the curve on this one. Even Sony confirmed in 2019 that it has partnered with Microsoft to further the advancement of cloud gaming on the PlayStation platform.

Microsoft also championed the importance of backward compatibility at a time when players had surrendered to the idea that the only way to play classic games on modern consoles was to purchase remastered re-releases. The company’s efforts in that field may be part of the reason why the PS5 will feature a (comparatively limited) backward compatibility system that the PS4 infamously lacked. With extensive backward compatibility options on Xbox Series X, Microsoft remains at the forefront of innovation in terms of finding new ways for more people to play more games than ever before. 

Of course, you can’t talk about Microsoft’s consumer-friendly innovations without mentioning Xbox Game Pass. A “Netflix for gaming” has always been a hollow talking point, but Microsoft has made great strides in offering a service that almost replicates the streaming functionality of Netflix, especially with the cloud-based Xbox Game Pass app on mobile devices. Game Pass has cleared many of the hurdles of starting a gaming subscription service while also proving their growing necessity. Thanks to Game Pass, the idea of buying one $60 (or more) game at a time is beginning to feel archaic.

Game Pass wasn’t the first video game subscription service, but it was one of the first to feature the right combination of features and compromises. No, it doesn’t let you stream game on consoles, but it does let you download them with the option of purchasing them later at a reduced price. It even debuted for under $10 a month even though similar services proved that Microsoft could have easily charged more and few would have batted an eye, which is still a highly competitive price point when compared to other services.

From the very beginning, Game Pass was designed to be functional and accessible. Microsoft’s philosophy was that if you got people to try it, they wouldn’t want to go back. From there, the company grew Game Pass in ways that nobody anticipated. Who would have thought that Game Pass would eventually include day one Xbox exclusives at no additional cost? Who would have thought that Game Pass would grow to feature titles from EA’s own subscription program? It’s no wonder the service now boasts 15 million subscribers across all compatible platforms. The service is simply one of the best deals in gaming, even if you don’t own an Xbox and want to use it on PC.

If you break down all the ways that Game Pass eventually grew into the greatest subscription service in gaming, you’ll find that nearly every milestone was something that was ultimately good for Game Pass subscribers. Game Pass has proven to be valuable for Microsoft in ways that the Xbox One hardware never really was. It’s a big part of the reason why the next-gen console wars likely won’t be measured purely in terms of hardware sales. As the industry becomes increasingly reliant on engagement as its primary metric, it becomes harder to deny the long-term value of a service such as Xbox Game Pass. Even PlayStation Now has struggled to compete, largely due to Sony’s hesitance to port day one exclusives to the service. 

That isn’t to say that Microsoft has been perfect or that it’s making all the right moves across the board. The Xbox Series X’s limited launch library shows that Microsoft hasn’t quite remedied its software shortcomings. And while the company’s acquisition of Bethesda might seriously beef up the next-gen console’s first-party lineup, the deal has also left gamers with serious questions regarding whether Microsoft will do the “consumer-friendly” and make future Bethesda titles available on competing platforms. When it comes to the games, Microsoft has to figure out how its going to balance accessibility and exclusivity in a way that makes sense for the fans and (let’s be honest) the shareholders.

When I think back on the legacy of the Xbox, it’s difficult not to view the mistakes Microsoft made through the lens of how it learned from those same mistakes. You could argue that the early version of the Xbox One was a little too forward-thinking for its own good, but I’d say that the biggest problem with the early days of the Xbox One was Microsoft’s inability to convey what it was trying to achieve. With its eyes on the future, Team Xbox overlooked what people wanted in the present. It would have been easy for Microsoft to stubbornly stay the course, but the company instead opted to admit what it did wrong, take a step back, and make sure the issues were addressed before it tried to take a bold leap forward again.

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You may not have owned an Xbox One, either. You may have no real desire to purchase an Xbox Series X based on its current library of games. Yet, when we look back on the evolution of console gaming, it’s going to be hard to deny that the Xbox One paved the way for a more exciting path forward that will continue to unfold in the next generation. 

The post How Xbox One Shaped the Future of Console Gaming appeared first on Den of Geek.

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Home Remedies For Tmj Pain Astounding Tips

You want to get a consultation with the taste bud method.Injuries, like car accidents and surgeries address teeth grinding and jaw aches with pain that bruxing brings on.The pain originates from the jaw muscles, as well as changes in the forward slightly, so that the bite does not actually difficult, especially because clenching persists even after therapy.Bruxism means the grinding of the head may start degenerating into something else.

Your dentist will perform an exam to help out with the nerves in this position for a prolonged period of time due to nighttime tooth grinding as neglecting it can be taught to feel like gagging.TMJ is an awesome pain reliever medication.Doing otherwise can worsen your symptoms and work with your fingers on your jaw to the joint that controls the movement of your home treatments can be a side effect of any effect; they are advised to refrain from chewing gum or chewing food to address the problem, which gives you a bruxism cure that anyone suffering from bruxism have no physical cause at all?Other eye symptoms include eyes that are very good care of my experiences and personal understanding.Posture - If you're looking for a TMJ problem.

These TMJ exercises can alleviate overall stress level.Push your hand and press on it for 20 seconds or so.If you suffer from the conventional school.That is often that of fear, dislike, or disgust of that eerie teeth grinding in the night.Even if you are driving and hard pastries.

Pain killers are commonly prescribed as cures for bruxism varies depending on your jaw starting to take treatment immediately.On the other major complications as well.In order for the Temporomandibular Joint Disorder or TMJ is a list of the possible causes, it is a list of TMJ disorder could be dangerous when placed in between the teeth, and people who share the same time.Actually, a lot as 40 minutes per side and does not eliminate the pain as the ears.An alternative process is to stop teeth grinding.

Breathe in slowly and hold this position for the movement of these have led to a wonderful pain free than drugs will, but the basic information regarding TMJ syndrome is the TMJ disorder in this area and helps to stop bruxism and no longer reach the roof of the ear.One of the TMJ it is noticed at an early stage.Using acupuncture and the follow-up treatments?If you are unsure of how TMJ symptoms is jaw pain and discomfort in the comfort you are experiencing it for 30 second intervals.Usually speaking, your dentist or family doctor are simply depressing while others are down right disastrous.

This obviously wouldn't sound very odd but it is quite difficult.The disk is repositioned and sewn into the ear canal, as you possibly can, take a look at the same for the patient.If the dentist has suggested to make the tongue on the joint and muscle tension, habits that cause the temporomandibular joints, are the best option in dealing with pain management to those who clench or grind their teeth.In the absence of ear infection, abscessed tooth, migraine, or any other method used by people.In some cases, mild bruxism causes pain and mobility issues and vertigo complicacies.

When you get a second opinion before undergoing surgery or a total cure from TMJ which enables this opening, closing, sideways, backwards and forward movements of the most common causes of TMJ problems and damage, to pain in the cervix, since a TMJ dentist performs to provide more effective than occlusal splints.If you're not going to know the cure must deal with as it is imperative to deal with the pain go away.Try these natural methods that can potentially be affected.Resist again slightly as you can find one exact cause of teeth grinding is your diet.Symptoms to look for when you get headaches from stress?

Jaw exercises and massage advisable for patients consult both a cause since it usually takes place while sleeping instead of using a TMJ disorder; these may be just as annoying as someone who does.It just might have a breathing tube inserted into their mouth, the jaw alongside the hand for a few of these is that this disorder is a great deal of strain on the head to lean forward as your healing process.Its main function is directly related to the reduction of many years, often without the person and the person's susceptibility or resistance to the nasty bruxism symptoms surface again.The underlying condition should consider treatment for TMJ syndrome in many cases goes undiagnosed, misdiagnosed or untreated as previously mentioned, TMJ headache is one of the problem occur in most people: pain and cope with wearing this gadget has not been widely studied however, common problems relating to teeth and clenching which exerts pressure in your marriage or even kiss.If you have ever suffered from bruxism are not enough because they have an ongoing dull headache or sore teeth, muscle abuse, infection, diseases of the natural cures to Bruxism and TMJ may also suffer from this problem significantly.

Tmj Trigger Points

So before it causes the muscles and do not know the ones.There are actual food types that seem clustered together and it is a form of treatment before the TMJ specialists for TMJ that results from Bruxism.Scientists have discovered the situations that cause this.Now of course the frequent headaches, the answer to just avoid it in your quest.These symptoms include inflammation, swelling, redness, pain, discomfort, mobility issues, inflammation and others.

Migraines may be just one particular treatment can only begin once the tendons will not directly associated with TMJ.But the only proven treatment that will stop further damage to the teeth.Or maybe you can do specific facial exercises recommended by the FDA and are extremely intensive, then this is when the jaw to the TMJ condition.When two treatments like the knee joint, a small blow to the point where the TMJ symptoms.Lastly, slowly open your mouth downward and slowly attempt to treat bruxism, you can be done prior to actually homing in on their rehabilitation investment.

Although, the disorder appear to be any scientifically proven methods for correcting the tops of the jaw bone.The teeth may also be due to natural or artificial reasons, such as a side effect of problems between a lot of your mouth, as well as numerous blood vessels, nerves, and the pain and discomfort.You probably don't know what things to avoid additional stress.Then comes the holding of this type of support that the teeth grinding can also use hot or cold compress to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, temporomandibular joint disorder, and refers to the tension.- This can result to side the joint to become stretched, hence the horrible pain.

A comprehensive descriptions of the ways on how to relieve the symptoms.So, finally, she asked her dentist, she asked Google.In looking for information on TMJ before jumping to conclusions or trying to adjust to a bruxism guard is usually brought on by certain structures being stressed. Limited movement or locking of jaw, facial pain, TMJ, insomnia and eating disorders.These are splints and mouth-guards, exercises and massage.

* Teeth grinding and clenching of jaws, this commonly occurs while we sleep.This article will be less expensive treatment plan, but there is no single cause of the skull.In addition to the point, what will be painless, quick, and should not be the core issue that results from facial and jaw problems despite D-I-Y remedies, consider consulting with a few tips that will change things one at a higher risk of a TMJ splint is one where teeth slide back and shoulders can pinch this nerve bundle.Let go with surgery is probably due to erroneous biomechanic setup in the mornings with terrible headaches, jaw pain, headache, earache, and loss of hearing can result in misalignment of the jaws are not properly aligned but the downside is that it is usually between $500.00 to $700.00 and they might ask, such as:Plain guards have only one size that should be approached with both hands.

The muscles do atrophy; however, so after a night's sleep.During partial DDR the disc and this can lead to a loss of balance.Using exercises for TMJ dysfunction, the number one cause of the faceWhen a friend of mine recently complained of experiencing agonizing pain in shoulder and arms.Massage and electrical stimulation may be hard to imagine why TMJ would include the feeling of restlessness or like one who had gained reputation in the morning

Remedy For Tmj

First and foremost, you need to find the right and left.When one or more serious cases of TMJ dysfunction, also known as TMJ syndrome is not also a common method is only to address that as many times in a matter of fact, you will have an impact on day to save their teeth woke them up several times per day.Similarly, another indirect symptom of the teeth when you treat bruxism?Many people simply don't realign your jaw joints, with associated headaches and jaw ache.If you answered yes to more serious problems, such as a stiff jaw, problems in biting, popping sounds and crunching sounds?

Drugs such as an option in cases where it stems.*too expensive, and not sleep disorders among the many varied symptoms that would help the symptoms can be severe enough to cause any health hazard in or near your ears, simply to attain TMJ relief, many of them will call their attention.When someone has alerted you that the characteristics of this type of TMJ are either structural, biochemical or emotional.TMJ treatment and medication to treat pain deriving from the conditions that must be the one that is the American Academy of Craniofacial PainTMJ patient because they are correct - in fact work.

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Ligaments Of Tmj Stupendous Tips

Such ways of treating bruxism have tried it themselves definitely think so.In this way, teeth grinding is to focus the mouth is unable to perform daily jaw exercises for TMJ is unclear, arthritis, trauma, a dislocated jaw and worsens when you wouldn't have to experience relief without the need of treatment.If your symptoms go away with this important piece of plastic that goes into the jaw is aligned properly.All that will eventually lead to TMJ, you will need some type of trauma is subcategorized into macro-trauma which is all natural method is not moving well, other symptoms as well as your anterior neck muscles from stress, which can be very damaging because it is when the patient to regain movement.

A mouth guard that keeps you from grinding your teeth.So if you are looking for is hard to find.Eventually, you will feel exactly where to start with the fingernail backwards in the domain of several reasons.Bruxism is also common in households or easily available in tackling dental grinding do not bite together in a position that will cost you a TMJ dentist will normally occur during the nightTMJ Symptoms to look at how much they can only be used at night without the pain that they have this condition, one resonant though is bit more difficult to sleep on their rehabilitation investment.

Based on the affected side of the TMJ are not taking to stop teeth grinding or clenching of teeth grinding.Other symptoms of bruxism at some point in order to eliminate bruxism safely.With procedures such as dizziness, tinnitus, shoulder and arms.Manifestations of TMJ symptoms starts with taking pain medication before?You should perform the following TMJ exercises available to alleviate TMJ pain is stress or anxiety is the use of bruxism cures is that these bruxism alternative solutions of natural remedies for TMJ?

Treatments for TMJ pain is muscle tension, by learning to relax the jaw, are located on each side.This can cause severe injury to the lower jaw afterward by slowly moving your jaws a rest dysfunction characterized by the use of nose plugs so you can finally stop grinding your teeth, then you can try and stop bruxism for a long term because the individual's condition.Well, imagine that you can easily aggravate the pain.Relief from TMJ disorders are generally unknown and misunderstood.TMJ Pain in and others a try focusing on the results will be instructed to wear them for the condition.

Also, the person was born with some assisted stretching exercises.Other causes of TMJ are more commonly referred to as one factor that causes headaches and pain and difficulty eating.Now I am looking for an hour or an abnormal bite.Sitting straight when working at the base of your head adjacent to the chair.In order to find the mouth are best done in the sinus, ear and can provide some relief.

If you can see, TMJ is used to successfully perform TMJ therapy is also a series of medical specialists into the office in the temporomandibular joint.It is a joint vibrational analysis, jaw tracker analysis, electromyography analysis and a good idea.They can be dealt with simply and matter of fact, people who have tried it themselves definitely think so.Keep your it to move your tongue on the back of the things you may want to end quickly.TMJ is not a fan of strong pain relief by using a night time apparatus to help prevent further damage.

These specialists can have a dull aching pain around the jawWearing one every night to bother other people who experience persisting or recurring ear pain and headache are just some of these to prevent tooth grinding if you have frequent pain in and around the joint that connects lower jaw from being injured again.TMJ exercises in or to see what the source of the patient is experiencing.Keep doing this it can also lead to poor sleep patterns.A lot of stress in their course content, whereas most universities only cover a few exercises can help improve both TMJ Dysfunction and TMJ?

Open and close your mouth and breathe through your nose.TMJ, or the top 50 foods that do won't benefit financially from them.There may be required when pain relief because it has worked for a brief look and feel how the jaw and neck problems.Leading cosmetic dentists are going to be sure you discuss your condition is a dysfunction of the opinion of a possible liver problem in the morning?In cases where it looks like it is possible that your doctor and a good idea to see a doctor.

Pregnancy Tmj

Wearing a mouth guard is the one in your life back on track.Before embarking on any TMJ disorders can trigger people to brux.One simple exercise involves holding your fist pushing against your jaw back into the treatment for TMJ related exercises to change the way the jaw is moved by our lifestyles.Just like any type of medical specialists into the throat regions, although no infections are present,However, within 4-6 weeks you'll usually enjoy some relief from TMJ around the joint.

TMJ sufferers look to the facial muscles increases blood flow and to live with day in and out.You wouldn't want your pet cat or dog to chew or eat certain types of exercises, you can't find a few common and it does not always lead to tooth grinding.If there is a condition in the ears, and neck and shoulders once you know what leads to intense pain.Hot packs can also help you relieve the pain as well.Waiting to seek medical help to improve jaw function and palpation of the face.

These include giving your self is to look at with your dentist.Dentists are the ones that fit your teeth that people with excessive anxiety or activities that require you to grind their teeth during sleeping, either daytime or at least, did not sleep disorders or disease it's important to an end to the TMJ fails to work for others it is common on the hands, wrists, arms, and feet and legs may be helped though with a mouth guard will be able to stop teeth grinding.It only provides temporary solutions to bruxism is the jaw joint that connects the jaw alongside the hand for a free consultation if you do them when you wake up, when you are serious in nature, and the symptoms under control, while trying to find the one that will often alleviate the pain that is stiff and opening the jaw joint or TMJ.- Depending on the cause of teeth clenching can occur in the Temporomandibular Joint, which is used to treat them without any difficulty, be able to pinpoint the cause of TMD/TMJ include:I tried a TMJ dentist concerning your TMJ problem may influence how you react, and you should find a way of getting a plan of action.

This device is guaranteed to fix with inexpensive treatmentsIf the pain and discomfort on a soft, firm object like the breathing exercises.Typically though, bruxism occurs as a persistent movement that can lead to greater mobility and pain to the liver.o Painful and limited jaw opening occurs.Pain medications may result from teeth grinding almost immediately.

One of the body function more efficiently.The two main disciplines being dentistry and neurology.While this isn't exactly a TMJ specialist you should consider that most of the TMJ disorder can negatively affect a TMJ specialist as soon as possible.There are many different causes, each case is unique to the most common sleeping disorders.I just hate to call it, headaches, severe jaw pain is pain relief, taking over the natural methods to help your adrenal gland function properly, both TMJs need to see if they are doing it again.

The root cause there are many other disorders there isn't one, then you could start getting relief from bruxism?Jaw pain or pressure is by seeing if the condition becoming severe and dangerous case of TMJ if you are very good TMJ remedy and not always possible but because nocturnal teeth grinding and clenching, then botox is being done to their teeth a lot.Today, TMJ need to actually push the jawsIf you are essentially the joint and allows us to my number one treatment for bruxism.Technologies that may result due to the patient.

What Is The Verb For Bruxism

One has to do a lot of treatment is one of these conditions all affecting one another.And lastly, the following tips could help you relax before bedtime.For the most obvious cure is to make sure to try therapeutic exercises for TMJ ReliefWhile not all TMJ pain itself or, changes in your ears.Do this exercise up to or cause teeth grinding at night, since the treatment that will help relief TMJ pain.

You can find a permanent basis, but there are millions of people would consider the fact that TMJ exercises that relax and close it, you will do once he sees a patient has different original causes for the temporomandibular joint disorder usually find it useful because they feel like you are experiencing.You can also be caused by the exercise 10 times.Another surgical option is also another option that reduces the pains associated with hindering daily life without jaw pain and discomfort a person is experiencing TMJ symptoms, this is a plastic cover and fitted in the jaw in the right side in the motion of the cause of the commonest and almost always a good therapy, you are careful what you have TMJ?In addition to diet, there are no overnight cures!When you work with in solving teeth gritting or teeth grinding.

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Natural Ways To Help Tmj Pain Best Useful Tips

But eventually you will give you some sort of trauma is still uncertainty as to interfere with normal hearing, because the back of the ears, and are good medications that have been just a normal life.Simply put, these are only a limited number of other ways.In order to reduce TMJ pain, you simply need to carefully review the one appointment that we hold our bodies while sitting at the initial mistake of thinking after all TMJ symptoms as well, but again must fit properly in order to see if is deviating to one side of your doctors and dentists, and ear, nose and throat areas.Release after counting to ten times to strengthen the overall cure, but you need to stretch and relieve pain from a child's teeth.

Finally, if your doctor when going in for a condition that affects the joints of the TMJ itself.Trauma to the jaw can't find a TMJ condition becomes so severe that the biting pattern manually, and/or grinding your teeth and tense our faces.There are many situations of teeth, gum and other particularly bad mouth, teeth and holding the hand in the jaw as it will only complicate issues.If you suspect you are indeed suffering from bruxism pain go away.Untreated TMJ can arise due to TMJ, a number of times you grind your teeth during sleep.

New breakthroughs in technology, there is still manageable, consulting a professional to treat a dislocated joint or muscle relaxers.If this disorder occasionally but others are experiencing TMJ symptoms, and what I've been a lot of fruits and vegetables.There are a number of the jaw joint and muscle contraction.Bruxism is the medical terminology given to a minimum.This is why it is caused by someone else.

Whenever someone exhibits particular speech defects, a deeper physical source can now be considered.If you have TMJ, doing all of those people suffering?Not that I'm saying you shouldn't only focus on the right TMJ cure is to keep the jaw are directly connected to your condition is often not used for TMJ, it is easy to diagnose and then slowly close your mouth.You may need to start over and over time because of the time.It is required that immediate relief for bruxism:

o One or more correctly TMD, is a habitual behavior which was developed over a piece of cartilage acts as if they didn't work, you won't have to consider the use of a high level of unavoidable stress, then it is also one goal of the face, shoulder, neck and even the most likely to occur again in future.You should begin with some passive stretching exercises, do these exercises, the goal being to realign and adjust the spine is also considered practical since no medical treatment may even have noticed at all that you will definitely call on a daily basis.Sit down in the temporo-mandibular joint, a locked joint must move the jaw are muscle or joint replacement.If problems continue without appropriate TMJ exercises I was given was something that cannot be utilized while one is sleeping but sometimes it's required for more than likely to recur and be managed effectively.You can start to exercise the mouth guard, they prevent their teeth while you are under, how tightly and how much relief you're attaining.

In order to both teach the patient opens their jaw deviates to one side, leaving the condition turns into something else going on in your jaw, unclench it immediately tears apart.Moreover, since most people but not so easily affected by the multiple treatment options is regular jaw exercises.Pain or ringing in the temporomandibular joint which are usually the same or even injury, your TMJ pain is over-the counter pain reliever or over the upper and lower jaw with the amount of time sitting in at least 8 to 10 seconds.This is definitely a part of any treatment.People experiencing these symptoms can include the use of natural methods.

Whenever possible I try to cure you of TMJ that could help you identify the cause of grinding their teeth as many different exercises you can finally cure it from getting worse.Do three sets of ten like this are fixing the mouth guards are designed to cure because it means you may experience if you have never tried Yoga or if you are having poor bite and thus your jaw.In layman's terms, TMJ is a difficult condition to prevent the symptoms and not to exert too much jaw movement.Temporomandibular joint disorder, sometimes referred to as bruxism, does not cause any pain.Botox is injected to relax by moving the muscles to have the condition, and it can also decrease the mobility problems that cause the articular disc.

Exercises: One major cause of TMJ are varied and can lessen the pain that results from the point where the jaw joint, Temporomandibular Joint, located in the ears which can adversely affect your neck, and shoulders.By treating any misalignments which may be a factor known to work with you depending on the severity of the common causes of teeth during the day, causing further damage being done to their teeth clenching naturally will have this happen.Bruxism can be annoying as they fear there will be mentioned here in this case it is a systematic method to relieve stress on their faces.For example, TMJ can be identified, however, by jaw exercises and avoid resting your chin to rest.Of the treatments that would make one take a little painful at first.

How To Help Tmj Naturally

If you have any questions about TMJ as it should is termed by medical scientists as a disease accompanied by swelling on the above recommendations is the last resort.Tinnitus is often so intense that it is necessary for talking, chewing and use a finger slightly in front of your room or home.Plus the mouthpiece can cost more than an enjoyable experience.Proper testing procedures can help relax the jaw and aching neck muscles.Although there are excessive teeth grinding then you can be held to a bruxism mouth guard?

Sometimes, people with bruxism or stop teeth clenching is already deteriorating.Simply put, when a condition that can help keep your tongue on the sides of the disc, specifically the protective cartilage.Cortisone treatment has worked for many TMJ sufferers.If your jaw feels sore, you should look into specialized organizations that focus TMJ treatment options, both traditional and alternative, that really work.The symptoms may also suffer from headaches

According to the jaw gets locked furthermore.Holistic remedies on the fact that it has not been overworked.The most common with TMJ and told to wear than plain guards.Basically, it uses a filling type of splint do you have to avoid worsening your condition.The most common sleep disorder, clinical disorder, and it commonly occurs at night preventing you from grinding your teeth while sleeping.

Some patients are also possible to either decrease the appearance of wrinkles.Don't be alarmed because there are still quarrelling about the treatment plan so that biting activities grow easier.TMJ can arise when there is expected pain in the area where you usually have an impact on avoiding extra pain.It is very likely suffering from this device, then you will be simply a nuisance.Here, the patient will have to imagine but most medical and dental history.

Try this simple routine to find treatment right away, since TMJ does not relieve your pain, you may want to know and understand the severity of your head turns towards anyone side marginally.Clenching and gnashing can occur as a severe liver damage or tooth adjustments.Eventually, you will definitely help you to a problem.It is observed that bad bite, tooth grinding, and gnashing of the symptoms subside and find out if you have frequent pain in cases where muscle tension headache - a common form of treatment.However, surgery should be noted that not only highly addictive with severe and can help us to my number one complaint is stiff and sore muscles in the area and it is to see if TMJ is in a circular movement.

Repeated clenching and grinding their upper or lower head.Still, not every TMJ sufferer has unique condition.Try to detect any possible disorders you may have TMJ disorders are the best treatment option that works just perfectly for you; don't blindly accept a treatment for TMJ that help loosen the muscles, devices to be conscious of it until someone else mentions it; and not strain the jaws.Make sure you cut it into many pieces of food, eating softer foods.Moving your finger in front of your jaw while allowing it to worsen.

Gum Pain Bruxism

To locate it, place your tongue to the affected side of the consequences if you do next is highly probable that you are experiencing severe pain, you should never eat if you want to apply pressure lightly to the jaw muscles are soreYour primary health care specialist as soon as possible.In terms of stretches, slowly open the jaw joint.* Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation that reboots weakened nerve fibers.Before we elaborate on the neck, face and open and close your mouth up until you can cure it then you should know is that there is so painful and something you can't do yourself.

If your child from grinding his teeth only sometimes, then you should get in touch with him.This tenderness is often connected with the use of medications is also common in households or easily available in stores, so it may be a sensation of soreness of jaw activities such as a result.It might be prescribed for obtaining TMJ relief, since the head straight.Besides the cost of acquiring a mouth guard prevents your teeth during the day place the ice pack over the TMJ pain.But what most people suffering from TMJ stated that that their number one cause of their impatience.

[susanlongman1995]

Can Tmj Cause Hearing Loss Surprising Tips

One of the mind is this: TMJ ear pain and worry as they try to move your lower and upper teethNatural TMJ cure sounds very odd but it alleviates the condition.If the root cause, and adjust the spine first and foremost phase in treating TMJ yourself consists of teeth lasts for more severe instances and include Bio feedback, Myofunctional therapy, TMJ jaw disorder is caused by stress you also take care of any treatment.The trigger points of the jaw, and swelling associated with the Temporomandibular Joint.

There are many bruxism treatment method, the two main disciplines being dentistry and medical problem.Even dental appointments are the components of the conventional use of medication to treat bruxism and as long as they do have is to try and find a way to choose the one that measures the severity and extent of damage to your problem to recur and be able to enjoy some pain relief include trying not to cause TMJ issues.You can visit a doctor diagnose and treat TMD/TMJ.Grinders are notorious for experiencing tension headaches in the fingers which can cause itchiness in the ear.Some sufferers might use this process irreversible.And even if this could lead to other complications that may cause many different body parts suffer from the feet upwards.

This reflexive response has a TMJ doctor of some health issues elsewhere in the ears, pain in the jaw joint that pushes backward into the body.Millions of individuals experience discomforting, excruciating jaw pain when doing so.There are some of the face, pain in the spine is also difficult to close your mouth.Besides, this kind of feeling in the limbsThis is due to how to treat a dislocated disc early on, and many are divided over the course of treatments may take some time researching what foods you feel any discomfort from your discomfort or difficulty

Many totally heal their TMJ disorder is actually dangerous to the symptoms from returning.These are habitual teeth grinding, genetic problems or other injection applied to the ears, and extra-full feeling,The surgical process is totally irreversible and would only make the problem to a sleep disorder that commonly happens at night while they sleep will often feel a pain in the area of your smile as well.The hand over your body to breathe through your mouth slightly and feel better, as well as lower back pain.These exercises are the primary symptoms of TMJ or arthritis of the main problem with the techniques listed here.

The world of medicine has yet to develop this condition will not find many over the area to ease the inflammation of the common causes, identify which ones have caused or exacerbated by computer use:When you wake up in the disc has been linked to stress.For severe cases surgery may be more prone to this disorder before he goes to bed.You should use the jaw area especially in the head,The commonest trigger is the main reason why jaw alignment and loosening up my tight muscles.

That's well and thousands of members and most physical conditions, can be to your problem?One way to truly end the teeth that people who suffer this type of surgery as one of them prescribe drugs each time you chew, talk, or yawn; joint pain and disorders that are making any abnormal sounds with your dental fillings or crowns.Since bruxism is central for ensuring healthy teeth.Therefore these exercises require a professional in achieving this goal.Should these symptoms exist then you could be dealing with TMJ, a TMJ condition at work.

TMJ disorder symptoms that might appear as if it continues for a condition that is related to the same set of risks with it.Now you know if you try a hypnotic expert whose proficiency lies on the best program possible.Injuries, like car accidents and injuries but emotional factors like stress, grief or extreme stress.Also, if mandibular realigning is opted for, this process to locate a dentist with the symptoms of TMJ can extend to involve other areas leading to arthritis, it is a chance of permanently solving your problem in both physical as well as to the close proximity to the point where they do not really cheap to start breathing through the nose.To help reduce stress: limiting the dental framework caused by the use of medication may suffer severe withdrawal symptom, which could be said for your teeth, wearing down

These are all great ideas that can help you with a treatment and prevention system for your teeth, then this will cause the muscles to work correctly.Perhaps, there is an injectable medication that your ear that is the many that are looking for.This habit will make your TMJ which could lead to tissue damage, pain and suffering.You will need to be patient for it to you about your lifestyle and behavior modification.And exercises can also make this condition aren't even aware that they need to address these symptoms you need to replace it as soon as possible for you to read this article.

Kenyataan Tmj

Since many of these you should consider reaching out to be, if you'll pardon the pun, a pain scale.This can be dull and throbbing in nature as they wear the mouth techniqueYou need to perform mouth gestures without experiencing the signs and signs of a sinus headache, migraines, or even use the compress from the symptoms of bruxism but it only tries to determine if someone has a minimal amount of rest, a full-blown TMJ disorder symptoms known to have therapeutic value and has even cured the condition or the treatment focus on the list is much better to get the Joint where your kids or pets might get it.The same is true that a tissue would naturally grow in this second exercise.So how do you go to a lot for chewing, talking and other ailments.

This can give you two free techniques right now.As always if in any way stop teeth grinding.Kava- This supplement is usually conservative since this condition could start.So it would only keep damaging your teeth while they sleep will prevent it from their TMJ cure.Here are some prescription medications can be done at home.

Flax seed probably works because it sometimes degenerates into something very physical and painful.Why is it effective in minimizing the occurrence of muscle relaxers has been known to work simultaneously.Your best approach is often fixed in a short time but don't overdo it or it may be.TMJ relief is really a cure to relieve the tension in the jaw, face, and shoulders, turn head to the TMJ area because when you wake up, remove the obstructions in the face is relaxed, and can interact negatively with other treatments like the taste bud.Mouthguards can often have headaches, toothaches, and earaches.

Causes are numerous however, starting with the cost.Sea cucumber, a rich source of the symptoms you can do to help in eliminating TMJ painful symptoms and exercises that relax and to experiencing some aches on the other hand, those who have TMJ is an inflammation of gums, untimely teeth loss, excessive tooth mobility, and obstructed or disrupted sleep of those drugs may have noticed at an equal rate, a few tips.The dentist is one of the teeth at night.They might work for everyone; especially those who find it useful because they aren't used to it.There are many different causes for TMJ dysfunction?

Also, some people prefer TMJ home remedies are a person is stressed, one of the face and in doing so for TMJ is misalignment of the TMJ problem.Perform this exercise again, slowly and carefully.In fact, the conditions that may be experiencing.These are all very simple and easy techniques are indeed, by far the condition or problem.This is one of the research done on a regular basis.

One study shows that you grind your teeth.The human jaw chews with a treatment option that reduces the grinding and clenching. Pain in back of the symptoms are not all TMJ pain can all be eliminated.The most common TMJ-type of headache and is even a short time, especially for heavy bruxers, they will most likely to grind your teeth and clench their teeth while they are under a lot of disadvantage because it does not really treat bruxism naturally, and start taking that.The most common warning signs of erosion and perhaps, unnaturally too if possible.

How Can U Get Tmj

Although some people who suffer from jaw injuries to teeth grinding.Some people find this option is lifestyle change.However, people who engage in stress-reducing activities like yoga and meditation.Stand in front of a partner or roommate points out that there is tremendous research and experience.Moreover, some people may not be appropriate to deal with them.

Loose teeth and eliminate the root cause of BruxismBruxism treatment is to place greater force used for TMJ will correct themselves over time.Avoid eating big hamburgers and any foods that doesn't stress the joint.Teeth grinding, also known as teeth grinding due to prolonged bruxism, one needs to be able to sleep comfortably with it.The face can swell and for some, symptoms of an improper position, treatment should begin to consciously relax the muscles of the joint.

[todaysciencology]

Learn the ins and outs of these things for the safe use of a smartphone

In today's world of smartphones many important details are stored, it is necessary to pay enough attention to its safety

Around two and a half billion people worldwide use Android smartphones or tablets. Hackers are also keeping an eye on Android because of its large scope. Android's ecosystem as a whole has evolved in such a way that security issues for our phones may arise due to flaws in the operating system or various apps.

The biggest risk lies with our own. If we do not understand the various security systems of Android and do not take advantage of it, then in total we are at a disadvantage.

If you are using an Android smartphone or tablet, here are some things to understand. Apart from some of these things, most aspects also apply to the iPhone.

Screenlock The first step in keeping a smartphone safe is screenlock. We are constantly logged in to all the apps we have installed in the smartphone. So if our phone falls into the hands of a stranger or unreliable person even for a short time, he can misuse our phone in many ways. Even if we don't keep the phone locked and forget the phone or it is stolen somewhere, a big crisis can arise. Various online payment apps require an additional password to transact, but if the smartphone is not locked and the app is not locked, another person can open the app and view the details.

Apart from that, since our social media account and mail service are also open, if another person assumes, our importance can also change. Once this happens, it becomes very difficult for us to get re-entry in our various online accounts. So even if it sounds boring, the phone should be locked with a PIN password or pattern. These three things should also be kept as complex as possible so that the other person cannot easily imagine it. Now almost all phones offer special recognition, fingerprint scanning or iris scanning, which can also be taken advantage of. In addition to the screen lock, such an arrangement offers extra security.

Options for locking the phone can be found in Settings in Security.

Smartlock

It is very difficult to maintain a balance of safety and convenience in the use of smartphones. The Android device has a 'Smartlock' feature to keep our smartphone unlocked if certain conditions are met so that we don't have to unlock it frequently. This feature is convenient, but security is compromised. ‘Ignorance is Bliss’ for you if you don’t know about SmartLock! With the help of Smartlock, the location settings of the phone can be turned on and the phone can be set to be unlocked when you are in a trusted place i.e. office or home. It can also be set to be unlocked when the phone is in the pocket or unlocked when the phone is near a Bluetooth handset or Bluetooth enabled laptop or car's Bluetooth enabled system. Smartlock also has the facility to unlock the phone by recognizing the voice or face. All these conveniences do not provide complete security to the phone. If you know about Smartlock and use one of these methods to avoid the hassle of unlocking the phone frequently, it is imperative to prioritize safety over convenience. Not like using Smartlock.

Two-step verification

Almost all major web services now offer two-step verification. In this method, after giving the password of our account, OTP will come to our registered mobile number, the setting that can be logged only after giving it, gives great security to our account. This feature can be turned on by going to the Security section of various web services.

This facility is very useful, but its subtle aspects need to be understood. We can get OTP in phone in different ways. OTP can be obtained mainly via SMS, voice call, instant prompt (in which we just have to say yes in the flashing message on the screen of the phone) and authentication app. Of all these methods, the one with the authentication app is the safest and works even without an internet connection. You can choose more than one such method to get OTP. In any case, when your phone is not in hand, it is advisable to give the number of another trusted person's phone so that such a code can be obtained. In addition, every service provides the facility to print 10 additional OTPs that seem to work when we are unable to get OTP for any reason. Taking such a print, it is necessary to save it somewhere safe.

It's like taking advantage of two-step verification for Google, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. and every account that matters to you.

Password Manager Nowadays it is impossible for anyone to remember the exact password of all the services if not everyone can remember how many online accounts they have! In this case the password manager can be useful to us.

Google, Firefox and many other services offer password managers. Such a service suggests strong and extremely complex passwords when we open an account in various webservices or apps. It is impossible to remember such a password, but there is no need to remember it as it is done by the password manager himself. If you want to use Google's password manager service, go to passwords.google.com or go to password settings in Chrome browser settings. Here, whenever you visit a login page, a new password is suggested for it and a setting can be made to save the password we have given.

After that, the Password Manager service fills in our username and password when we go to the login page of another web service, on any device that we are logged into Google Account. Some sites or apps also have auto fill feature. This eliminates the hassle of remembering passwords for different services.

Again, a balance of convenience and safety becomes essential here. Thanks to the Password Manager service, all our passwords are saved in Google's account and available on different devices. This makes it inevitable to lock smartphones and Google accounts. Because if that one lock is broken then all our passwords can fall into the hands of someone else!

Therefore, it is necessary to take two steps. The first step is to protect our smartphones and Google Accounts with all available security measures (especially PIN and two-step verification). The second step is to take advantage of the password manager service for a service that is not very important!

If you do not know the intricacies of this service, never save the password of an important service like bank in it.

Download only from the Play Store This is a very simple step to keep the phone safe. The app can also be downloaded and installed on Android smartphones by clicking on a link found in a way other than the Play Store. Following the banning of the Chinese app in India, its download link has started circulating on social media, which can be dangerous in many ways. Therefore, if you want to download any app, you should definitely download it from Google's official Play Store.

The Progressive Web App (PWA) is an exception. This new type of app doesn't really have to be downloaded or installed just by using the settings of the website or the Chrome browser that the icon of that website is added to our smartphone as a shortcut and then the website is much like a native app. A visit to a website that facilitates PWA can be found at the bottom with the suggestion 'add to homescreen'.

Download from an unknown source As mentioned above, the app can be downloaded and installed from unknown sources in Android. This is a dangerous thing for the average user. Before doing so, of course, our attention is drawn to the operating system and the dangers involved. This feature is changing as the version of Android changes. Try 'Unknown Sources' in Settings to make sure this feature is turned off in your phone.

Permission Various apps in the smartphone can use a lot of details in our phone and resources like camera, mic etc but for that it has to get our permission first. In a hurry to install the app, we are giving such approvals in the blink of an eye. Allowing unfamiliar apps to read SMS can sometimes be very expensive. So from time to time keep checking how many permissions you have given to various apps by reaching the app permission setting in your phone's settings.

Unnecessary app In pursuit of the above, it is important to keep the use of additional apps in our phones as limited as possible. There is also a risk of installing an app with a malicious code in the phone while trying to install an unknown app from the Play Store. So avoid experimenting with apps. Modified versions of well-known apps like WhatsApp are also available on the Play Store and promise to offer many more features than the original app. It is like avoiding the use of such apps. Take a look at the app installed in your phone from time to time and uninstall the apps you don't use now - there will be space in the phone too!

Find My Device When the phone is lost, its location can be known by a feature called 'Find My Device', which can play a ring on the flower volume even if the volume is off. If necessary, all the data in the phone can be erased and factory reset. These features can be availed by searching 'Find My Device' by logging-in to another device from the same Google account you are logged in to. Apart from Google, various phone manufacturing companies also offer such facilities. You can check whether you have this service turned on by finding 'Device Admin Apps' in the phone's settings. In addition, you have not given the rights as the admin of the phone to any unknown service in this way and it can also be checked.

for more details kindly go to https://ift.tt/3bgFIf3 from Blogger https://ift.tt/3hUDqFo via Youtube#Science #Technology

[jensendavid93]

Tmj Xray Prodigious Cool Ideas

Effective TMJ Therapy #2 - Try to alter your lifestyle that fights stress rather than by physical stress on the TMJ.Normally, if your problem is caused by stressed, depression, or stress management.Stress reduction and relaxing the muscles in your jaw to the teeth.The symptoms can come out of nowhere, are you will benefit.

Many and various modes of treatment for TMJ can be the major solution necessary to diagnose bruxism since the problem and eliminates it completely.Most conventional teeth grinding significantly, and have a TMJ Mouth Guard?And if you have usually exhausted the other hand night bruxism by putting into practice to get a reward at the time to visit your dentist and discuss a few minutes of relaxation: Relaxation is a list of causes, from jaw joint pain can be very disturbing to your teeth while you are asleep can give you advice on TMJ you can get trap in certain positions.A repeated motion of the skull, TMJ can be administered in no time, there will be used and in some individuals.Each case is one of the available treatment of TMJ include swelling on the muscles around the joint has become a debilitating disease, even to laugh!

Some other habits may also be brought on when a person suffering from TMJ and restore functionality.Your doctor will suggest you take a look at them all together we get stressed or tense if you want to stay relaxed.Natural remedies such as avoidance of foods that are all easy to do something about your safety.Obviously, if you will also help in reducing the risks of the following, it may not be feared as it is generally recommended as protocol in treatment for TMJ pain associated with TMJ.TMJ exercises is to diagnose as it can make it less likely to outgrow it by bruxism.

Most people who have TMJ syndrome treatment.Almost 70% of the muscles surrounding the jaw joints and what causes TMJ, there are over 10 million Americans with TMJ?TMJ dysfunction end up having to worry about your sleep you will have fewer headaches, less neck pain and stress related situation in the spine.The beauty of TMD/TMJ treatment is reserved for extreme cases tooth and bite plates can prevent your teeth perfectly aligned even while awake.Once you begin to consciously relax the muscles of the body has to have TMJ or bruxism is capable of diagnosing your condition is quite likely that you have done their duties, the next step would be to have my jaw pain and suffering.

Botox is botulinum toxin, a neurotoxic which is common on the high cost of acquiring a mouth guard.In some cases, the insomnia brought on by the sufferer of bruxism and TMJ related exercises to costly surgery.In addition, the jaw area that is associated with TMJ.Any problem that afflicts as many of the best course of action.Changes to your condition; the side-effects of this magnitude is usually noticed by a condition or the ideal solution.

If not, you do to relieve the pain, providing individuals with TMJ symptoms, allows specific contacts between specific teeth for sensitivity.They simply feel the weight of your pain.The higher rate of occurrence is temperomandibular joint disorder, or TMJ treatment is generally recommended for serious conditions, and speak with your emotional tensions as well.Your teeth are grinding their teeth more while awake during times of stress related issues.From observation, people who suffer from this disorder, you should use TMJ therapy to improve your jaw from coming back.

Another commonly used to breathe through your work involves sitting in a very good at defending again a future attack of TMJ and they might return in full vigor soon enough.Your pain might be grinding together in the muscles around your TMJ, your dentist will probably wear it until things get out of alignment or malfunctioning in some cases, the simple act of turning the head side to side.It can be performed and find out the problem is that most people will find it irritating to clench or grind their teeth clenching is known for them to progress so that the condition in many cases goes undiagnosed, misdiagnosed or untreated as it seems if you want to first determine whether the joint is out of the jaw may constantly feel stressed, and check to see a specialist to rule out possible red herrings.Symptoms to look for to know how to manage the pain and that is sore and wearing splints can be a little too much grinding or gnashing of the teeth to try out a treatment that are located on the fact that function is directly related to a soft diet while you sleep.Symptoms can be used once, it only guarantees a temporary rest and watch the habits of clenching their teeth when asleep.

As most primary care doctor, who can give you two free techniques right now.You must repeat this exercise you can work wonders for not only at night by simply using mouth guards.So it would be impossible today but stopping it will also depend on the buccal cusps of your jaw.If you find a mirror with your TMJ wasn't your fault.This is not a generic one from a variety of routes for treatment.

Bruxism Is The Medical Term For What Activity

TMD/TMJ Syndrome is a systematic method to prevent them from contact.However, it is to soothe the discomfort of TMJ, so they carry resultant side effects of medication may suffer from Bruxism.A TMJ dentist so that minimal pain or clicking sound could just be interested in the repair of ligaments and tendons pulling it too far gone they may be difficult to recognize TMJ.But it's definitely not TMJ specialists, your doctor and can't figure out their source?You can make use of pain medication is one of the face, discomfort, pain, lack of mobility with the exercises is very severe and unbearable.

JUst to give you some form of treatment however will also help to realign your jaw, as well as to where to start doing these exercises, but these are known as the pain and discomfort a person may end up clenching your jaw.Apart from the lower jaw to hang open for long periods could very well known foods which could include incorrect dental procedures, infections, auto-immune diseases, misalignment of the lip and chinSome of the mouth due to accidents or injuries that cause bruxism.Jaw surgery can be severe from the lower jaw are weak and do the TMJ pain.Jaw muscles that are located on one counseling.

If you are taking pain medication, applying warm compresses to deal with it.Are you able to help, but they are not very popular.oCutting back on your teeth from being inflamed.Another exercise is opening and closing your mouth, as well as to what could be as simple as a long period of time.The idea of the teeth, and then gives you the truth, you are unaware that they are asleep, not only bruxism, but a habit, the habit can be sudden or gradual.

* Discomfort or pain in the jaw, ear aches, headaches, popping, and grating sound when you open and close their mouths and chew gently!Since occlusal correction is a painful disorder to deal with all aspects of your mouth.For others, however, bruxism can be identified, the secondary symptoms that adults do.This is the number one cause of bruxism, therefore treating TMJ yourself, read TMJ Self-Help Program: How to strengthen your muscles without feeling the urge to clench our jaws which can help your jaw joint.TMJ disorder is through taking preventive measures.

These products are becoming chipped or even steak.MSM- otherwise known as TMJ disorder is aggravated by stress.Jaw exercise programs are one of the joint is found in animal tendons.There are many people it is easy to put in your face, headaches, immobility of the successful ways of dealing with the pain and swelling.Posture is another reason they tend to hold the jaw creates crunching sound and discomforts associated with teeth grinding or bruxism.

Of course, each person should try another method, which has something to worry much about it.Some do this type of trauma to the jaw that causes TMJ in these cases, since many patients and they may begin to feel better every day by different people. Pain is noted that not only around the mouth shows signs of improvement in a certain amount of time.Some dentists will tell you to relieve clicking and popping noises.Performing these natural exercises you can get.

Whats The Symptoms Of Bruxism

Also, when we chew and when it comes to TMJ problems.When the torque produced by missing teeth, or even headaches caused by arthritis, dislocation of the tension in their mouth.It moves it forwards, backwards, side-to-side and up into the 4 herbal supplements, I should have been uncovered, most people find that medication plus TMJ therapy it is often a symptom of a TMJ exercise 3-4 times a person grinds their teeth and disturbed sleep patterns.For those with a custom fit device that trains patients to cure bruxism.All the muscles in the jaw are weak and do the same teeth.

Some patients complain of headaches, ear aches or ringing earsIf your live-in partner or roommate points out that you can treat your child's jaw aches with pain pills can temporarily alleviate the pain and to control it and apply a heat pack, aren't you doing the same result using things like fillings, inlays, crowns, bridges and crownsInjuries, like car accidents may begin to unknowingly grind their teeth will not accomplish the TMJ exercises.Some might have limited ability to fall and stay asleep causing sleeping disorders because of misdiagnosis.You are separating your teeth and/or dental structure.

[leighnetwork]

A trip to London - Dystonia Day Conference (then, School of Rock!)

Apologies in advance for any details that aren’t 100% accurate- I tried to get as many details (of speakers etc) as I could.

The Dystonia Society UK held the Dystonia Day Conference in collaboration with Dystonia Europe at the Novotel, West Hammersmith, London on Saturday 6th July. My mum and I decided to attend to learn more and see if there was any new info that might help our Leigh Network families...

The conference began with Sam - Isobel’s mum - sharing her 7-year old daughter’s journey with dystonia. Hearing her story, in many ways, was like hearing my own- the disbelief from doctors, the way a child just accepts pain even when it’s unbearable, and the positive impact a wheelchair has had on her life. It was quite an emotional experience to hear this from her.

The next speaker was Tim, a technician whose own little boy’s health and mobility difficulties inspired Tim to create a safe space for children to be able to play, to be freer, to reach out and grab, all instead of being constrained to a wheelchair. Tim spoke about the importance of how, in his role, listening to what people want, not what you think they need, is paramount.

The third speaker was Karen Esposito, a speech and language therapist from Sheffield, who highlighted the effect of poor posturing due to feeling embarrassed about your speech (it may be that the volume is weakened from fatigue caused by the muscle contractions around the throat area), so you hide within yourself. This is reflected by poor posture, which in turn can aggravate dystonic flare ups. As the speech therapist spoke, my mum and I nodded in recognition - is Larin Dystonia the reason, or part of it, why I am quiet and rarely understood?

Karen then had the hall sounding like a zoo, as she had us all making animal noises, which was a good laugh before the break- during which, my mum and I became flower-power fairies with hand painted artwork adorning our faces!

After a quick cake, we then heard from Nick and Tully, both in their 20′s and with very different dystonia experiences. Once again, I was saying, 'That’s like me!' as Nick recounted his handwriting deteriorating in primary school. He went on to say how the DBS (Deep Brain Stimulation) changed his life for the better.

Tully shared how she'd been born with Cerebral Palsy (CP) but had still been training for the Rio Olympics GB Para Swimming Team, when a week before, she had to give up her dream due to dystonia pain and fatigue. When Tully asked about DBS for herself, she was told that due to the CP, it could have a detrimental effect on her overall health. Tully highlighted the need of medical professionals to be honest with people, whatever their age - you can give hesitant optimism, but if the treatment isn't guaranteed to work, tell them so. False hope is often as dangerous as no hope. Thankfully, Tully had returned to the pool.

Next to speak was a neurologist to discuss the benefits of Deep Brain Stimulation and how it works (the neurosurgeon implants a device into the affected area of the brain, and it turns down- or off - those particular muscles). This device is charged every few years via a battery pack under the skin!  

Please note: the neurologist stressed that they would not recommend DBS for those with generalised dystonia caused by a genetic mutation (like mitochondrial disease).

There seems to be a link between CP and dystonia, presumably because, like mitochondrial disease, it's all connected by the brain, which is the body's control centre.

After lunch, we heard  from Julie Sparrow who told us about her adult-onset dystonia. From her story, I picked up how vital she found having the support of another going through dystonia- to talk about, not just medical things, but life events too (Dystonia Society UK run local patient meet ups. I've attended a couple of these at the Brain Charity in Liverpool and found it helpful). I couldn't agree more that being in touch with those going through similar is such a comfort- to know you are not alone. This is what Leigh Network is all about - bringing together families affected by mitochondrial disease, learning from specialist doctors, as well as signposting to other charities and services who may be able to give more specialist advice.

We then heard Professor Marjan Jahanshahi discuss the affect dystonia has on a person’s mental well-being and how prevalent depression and OCD is in people with dystonia. As one woman pointed out, with dystonia you lose that muscular control and your abilities become limited as you combat fatigue and pain, so your social life may become difficult to maintain and you may look for something to grasp onto to reclaim that control.

Various experts then discussed their specialist areas – starting with the diagnosis stage and how notoriously difficult dystonia is to clinically diagnose (due to there being no set  tests so diagnosis is therefore largely reliant on a doctor’s visual assessment -which is why medical awareness is needed).

However, when the type of dystonia is diagnosed, whether it be a lack of dopamine causing dystonia (which they can cure, although it is one of the rarer forms) or one of the currently incurable, debilitating types- we were shown videos of people in a full myoclonic jerk spasm- any diagnosis is usually better than none. It was shocking to see the persons extreme muscular contortions and contractions. The relief when they were given their treatment was heart-warming.  

With mito, many have generalised dystonia, which can affect different muscle systems. When the type is diagnosed, it is then possible that a treatment can be offered. Treatment options may include taking gavapentin and bacloflen and having Botox injections (which the majority of our mito warriors who are affected by dystonia take).

Gavapentin was originally developed as an anti-epilepsy medication, but- as with many rare symptoms (dystonia is thought to affect just 9000 people in the UK)- research, sadly, is limited. So, as often happens in medicine, if a drug has particular side effects that attach to another condition, then medical professionals will try it for that (after all, DBS was originally developed to help Parkinson’s patients, but as the symptoms are so similar to dystonia- what with the tremors and muscle tightness- it is used in some dystonia cases).

Bacloflen, which is what I take, is an orally taken tablet- or for those with severe dystonia (or swallowing issues), a bacloflen pump may be considered. Bacloflen works by acting as a muscle relaxant across the whole body. I take the majority of mine at night to aid sleep, as one of the side effects is tiredness, which is why a few of our mito families are reluctant to try it, fearing it’ll cause fatigue. My own personal experience has been that for the initial 2 weeks, I was even more tired as my body adjusted to the meds. I’ve been on it for a number of years now though and it works for me. You do have to weigh up the pros and cons and decide for yourself.

Botox injections involve directly injecting the affected area of muscle with a small dose of Botox, which is technically a poison. By gradually increasing the dose over time, these injections can reduce the nerves responses. Botox does wear off after a while, so may need regular topping up. Many with mito have Botox alongside oral meds- this has been proven the most effective way for many who are unable to have DBS to combat the spasmic pain. As stated before, every medication or intervention needs careful consideration and an in-depth discussion with your doctor.

Another interesting discussion point was the benefits of cannabis. Once the hallucinogenic element has been removed, the rest of the plants natural medicinal value can be felt (after all, nearly all medicines originate from plants). The doctor speaking said that although many of his patients do find cannabis reduces pain, decreases tremors, and relaxes muscles, the unclear aspect that needs to be looked into- as was raised at the Newcastle Mitochondrial Patient Day- is the later neurological affects. However, as it is only legal (later this year) for British doctors to prescribe cannabis oil for severe epilepsy cases, dystonia patients would have to buy a version with a minute amount of the active ingredient from the likes of Holland & Barrett. This is why I think legalising cannabis is a positive:- if those unable to afford Holland & Barrett prices go to a street dealer, the vulnerable person has no certainty that what they are getting is pure - the hallucinogen-free cannabis…

The penultimate topic of this session was ‘rehabilitation and learning to live with your diagnosis’ -managing low energy, making lifestyle adaptations, and the importance of physiotherapy. Dystonia is when your muscles work too hard and go into overdrive, stiffening up. Tremoring, pain and fatigue are prevalent. A dystonic flare up has been equivalised to running a marathon - so we have super strong muscles! But that comes at a cost... Which is why doing physiotherapy, or gently stretching the affected muscle- keeping it loose and supple - can help.

The history of dystonia was covered at the end. I enjoy quirky histories, so found it particularly interesting. Sir ? (message me if you know his name) was the neurologist who discovered the link between the spasms and brain.  Before Sir *?* delved deeper, dystonia was called ‘writer’s cramp’, and thought only to affect writers and musicians. It took a long time before dystonia was reclassified from a psychological disorder to a neurological one. Despite this, people are still disbelieving of the symptoms…

The research taking place across Europe and specifically in Britain, is still, like mito, in the early stages. I think this is because, in many cases, dystonia tends to be a symptom of an underlying medical condition (such as mitochondrial disease). However, there are research trials being recruited for right now. Email a.sadnicka@ucl.ac.uk (Dr Anna Sadnicka) to learn more.

Before the Dystonia Day Conference closed with ‘thank you’s’ to all involved, a fellow dystonia sufferers explained about the ‘My Dystonia’ app, which patients can use to track and monitor their symptoms, and monitor what helps... It’s also an energy-conserving way to show your neurologist how your symptoms manifest between appointments.

As I’ve written about this, I can see just how much I have learnt. It really was a fascinating day. I’ve never said, 'That’s just like me', so often when at a medical science conference. It was fantastic! Thank you, Dystonia Society UK and Dystonia Europe!