#ie: the exercises helped the eye but not the brain but now the brain is different?

[nokingsonlyfooles]

OK! The current brain condition is +/-15 hours away from a dose, taken before bed with food and no chocolate this time. Well I did have cake for dessert so probably non-zero chocolate in the system, but just cocoa powder. So let's keep talking about things!

The anxiety is definitely up and down based on context. Stuff that I'm used to doing, like a long stint of creativity, is making me feel unsteady and weird. The parts of the process that are challenging (like starting tasks) are offering me less or a different kind of resistance, and it feels like I'm gonna fall and break. I think it's most evident in talking out loud. That feels easier, and I do NOT trust that. Like: oh, God, why do I have all these words now, I'm going to pick the wrong ones! It's as if someone replaced my stick shift with an automatic and I've never driven one of those. I need to pop the clutch or I'll grind the gears! Where's the clutch?!?

Or maybe it's like going from a bumper car to an actual car? This thing has the ability to veer into traffic and really hurt me or someone else! Put me back in the limited machine that bangs me into walls all the time, I'm used to it! I mean, that sucks and gives me anxiety, too, but being used to it seems to make up for a lot. I can probably learn to drive, but... Wow, I put off actual driving for so long due to anxiety. I quit trying to learn a bunch of times. I hope it won't be like that.

Adding chocolate and other things to the dose is called stacking, and it's based in folk knowledge. It's real hard to do research with "illegal drugs" so I'm willing to forgive a lack of specific studies for the moment. If I start seeing a lot of research that says it's BS, I'll adjust. Until then, mushrooms have had a place in folk medicine for a long time and I'll try their suggestions, even without data on what works and why. I might do better with less or no chocolate, but three doses isn't much for a sample size. I'm still throwing things at the wall to see what sticks.

I think some of the side effects are down to the fact that I've got more than one weird thing going on. When the spouse read that thing about not hearing the music, he said that's kinda how it works for him. He's also on the autism spectrum, but they'd label him as higher functioning than me, and he doesn't test ADHD positive. I used to perceive everything coming at me all the time, but right now, when I see something interesting, the other stuff is, like, GONE. It's there, but it's gone. I don't know how else to express that! It's weird and I'm not used to it!

I also think I'm gonna be an every-other-day type person, if I stick with it. In the last few hours, I really start to lose traction, and going back to normal (normal for me) feels like a rubber band snapping back and hitting me in the face. Like, maybe even less functional than usual. Last night, putting dinner away, I froze up because I couldn't fit two slices of loaf in one container and if I couldn't fit two slices, we wouldn't have enough containers, and that's as far as I got. I just yelled "I don't know what to do!" while laughing at the absurdity.

The spouse came in and said we could just put one slice in every container. "Noooo," I said, still laughing. I could already see what he was gonna do. "That's not the same color! There's not enough!" He pulled down the container that was a different size and colour and I was like, "What is wrong with you? I can't deal with this! I can't watch this! I have to leave!" Still exaggerating to be silly, but I don't think I could've put food away in that wrong-colour container if I had to. I would've put everything back in the pan or just walked away, like, "Actually, we don't need leftovers." That's where my brain was, and that feels so dumb now.

Oh, God. Oh, Jesus Christ. That container that's the wrong colour would've fit two slices. It's big enough. We could've put two slices in one big container, and one slice in two small containers, and that's the smart thing because it takes up less room and uses fewer dishes... WTF. NEITHER of us saw that? AND NOW I DO?? I think he got locked into "one slice per container" like I got locked into "these containers are for the loaf." Or maybe he was distracted because I scared him by getting less functional so fast like that. (Sorry, babe!)

Ya know, any post where I talk about this is just gonna be long as hell because I'm having complex revelations in realtime. Am I even remembering that right? *wanders off to check fridge* Yes. Yes I am. I couldn't see it before, now I do. I have become slightly less stupid about how to put meatloaf away. I can't fix it now, but it's interesting. I could just be like this, huh? As long as the drugs hold out, and I could grow my own if I had to.

My brain now has two modes like my US/CAN keyboard! I get to pick one! Toggling back and forth is uncomfortable, but we'll see how it changes as I adjust. Gonna be a weird couple of months!

How D'ya Like THEM Apples?

So, trying the decriminalized mushrooms in tiny doses for the ADHD (because, in my particular situation, going to a doctor for this might be hazardous to my health in general). The first time I took them before bed, with chocolate, and that upset my stomach a little so I decided to take them with breakfast like they suggested in the instructions (not really a breakfast person). Not an improvement, they upset my stomach more and made me anxious all day yesterday. Can't know if I'm getting used to them or I need to figure out the best way to take them.

Still slightly anxious today, but able to roll with it.

So, here's the deal. A while back, the spouse and I discussed what the prompt "imagine an apple" gets you, in your brain. He can imagine an apple at will. I found out, I can't. I need context. What's it for? Do you want my culture's Platonic ideal of "apple" or are you going to the store and you need to know what's a good one to buy? Do I need to get taste and texture involved here or is it more like set dressing? With some context, I can kinda get you an apple, but it's indistinct.

And I thought, "Ahaaa! That's that 'imagination deficit' they want to see to diagnose the autism. That's what that is! I can't cough up unlimited specific apples without specific contexts for each one, and even then it's not so good!"

But, after that first microdose, while heading off to sleep, I thought to myself, to pass the time, "Hey, wonder if I can imagine an apple any better?" And, uh, I COULD? Unlimited specific apples, no context. I mentioned that to the spouse, and he said, "Can you still do it now?" And, yes. Yes I can. +/-36 hours away from the second tiny dose of mushroom, and I can give you unlimited specific apples, if you need me to imagine that for some reason.

And... It kinda feels nonsensical that I couldn't do that before? Yeah, apples. There's lots. Just pick one. But I know I couldn't. Not even for the sake of a person who would be satisfied with any imaginary apple. Like, I could imagine the shittiest apple and that would be fine, it would be a judgment free zone! But I remember I couldn't do it. I needed a better prompt.

That thing with the apples is not something I've heard about for ADHD, but I did just barely get an internet diagnosis on that (thanks, @kithpendragon), and I only ordered the stuff because my THC vendor has it. I need the THC to keep from waking up from the edge of sleep with a gasp and heart palpitations, fearing to be harmed. If you spend $200 and stock up, they send you more THC as a surprise! That's a good deal! I like not having panic attacks! For months at a time! I'm not liking the stomach ache and anxiety from the mushrooms, but this thing with the apples makes me feel functional and cool. I don't wanna lose that!

I'm kinda concerned I'm gonna end up doing a real Flowers for Algernon here if I can't tolerate the mushrooms, or they go illegal again because politics. Like, I'm not sure how well the brain differences will play with my creativity and productivity. I need to draw things and go shopping and make dinner, ya know? Lots of different stuff. I seem to be able to do laundry and write a long-ass Tumblr post, but I need long-term data on that. In any case, five days a week is the maximum recommended dose and I gotta take breaks or I'll build up a tolerance.

I may end up looking forward to my meds like that one Tumblrite in my feed the other day, even if they make my stomach hurt! Or I may end up trading one kind of imagination for another and going back and forth indefinitely. I'd prefer the former, but I gotta wait and see.😅

[creatorteam]

Dr. Krishanu Chakrabarty - Best Neuropsychiatrist In Dum Dum

Are you feeling depressed or living a stressful life? In the bustling city of Kolkata, where time moves rapidly, it's not uncommon to experience moments of stress and anxiety. However, a high amount of stress or anxiety is not good for your mental health.

As the best neuropsychiatrist in Dumdum, I understand the importance of mental well-being in our fast-paced lives. That's why I'm here to share some simple and effective tips for managing stress and anxiety. So, take a deep breath and join me on this journey to a calmer, and happier you. You deserve it!

 

Does Stress Increase Anxiety?

When we feel stressed, our bodies respond by releasing stress hormones. This hormone can make us feel alert and ready to face challenges. However, if stress occurs frequently or over a long period, it can cause anxiety.

This indicates we may be concerned, anxious, and on the lookout for difficulties. Stress can also affect how our brain functions, making anxiety worse. Hence, it’s important to deal with both stress and anxiety together.

 

Discover 16 Techniques For Managing Stress and Anxiety

Stop wondering how to deal with stress and anxiety and find out simple ways to take control of your mental health.

 

1. Engage In Physical Activity

Being the best psychiatry in Dumdum, I often meet professionals coping with stress issues. I recommend all of them perform daily exercises for managing stress at workplace. Regular exercise not only boosts your physical health but also works as a strong stress-relieving strategy. Engage in activities that you enjoy, such as a quick walk, yoga, or dancing - they all are helpful!

2. Start Mindfulness Meditation

You might have heard about the powerful benefits of meditation. Practicing mindfulness meditation can be a life-changing experience. It allows you to stay present, cultivating a sense of calmness and relaxation. Nowadays, you can easily find mediation apps on the play store. All you need to do is find the right app and quiet place to relieve stress.

3. Practice Healthy Eating Habits

Nourish your body with nutritious, and balanced foods. Add colorful fruits and vegetables, lean meats, and whole grains to your daily diet. A well-fed body is better able to deal with stress.

4. Reduce Your Screen Time

Now this is the most important advice by an experienced neuropsychiatrist in Kolkata. While technology is wonderful, excessive screen time can exhaust your brain. Take breaks, look around, and let your eyes rest.

5. Practice Self Care

Make time for yourself by doing things that bring you joy and relaxation. This could be anything from reading a book to having a relaxing bath or simply admiring the beauty of nature. This way you can reduce stress and anxiety naturally.

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[csmeaner]

Long Post: An Exercise for CS Impulse Buyers

I see this problem a lot in CS so thought I'd share something my therapist taught me that's helped with impulse buying CS designs. 

We're super amazing at self-justifying. Not only that, our brains are efficient at doing stupid things. You can come to a foolish decision and act on it within half a second. In a sense, you don't have a chance to think before you think.

You have to nurture an "inner critic" that sort of stops you and questions your justifications critically. The key term is critically, not cruelly. Ex: "Hm, you say you like X, but you always seem to get rid of Xs, and at a huge loss. Why are we getting another X?" vs "X is so fucking stupid. This is stupid. What the fuck is wrong with you?"

You'll tune yourself out if you're too mean. So you have to be critical, but not unkind. Here's what you do:

1. Find something you want to buy. If that's too hard (ie: you end up buying the damn thing) find something you sort of want to buy, or even something that might be up for voucher one day but isn't now.

2. Justify buying the design. Write down each justification. It doesn't matter how dumb it sounds, just write it.

3. Now reread what you wrote and question yourself critically. Approach each item as if it was faulty or fallacious. You'll end up in a back-and-forth with the over-heated part of your brain as it frantically pulls out all the self-justifying stops. Stay calm. Be critical, but kind.

4. This process can take anywhere from a few minutes to up to an hour or more if you're agonizing. Be patient with yourself and don't be afraid to find something easier. You get faster the more you practice. It's also less stressful, but don't be surprised if you're doing well for a long time, then hit a setback.

Here's an excerpt from something I talked myself down from recently. It's cut down a lot. We'll call the thing I wanted a "Horsedog".

The justifying: Wow, a Horsedog! They have three rare traits--you never see a Horsedog with traits like this on sale. They have such soft, sad eyes. $400 and...

The criticizing: Three rare traits for $400? Isn't that over $130 for each trait?

The justifying: Well, there's two uncommon traits, too.

The criticizing: let's say anything over common is special. We're paying $80 per trait. Don't we have a $1000 credit card bill coming up?

The justifying: Credit cards are meant to be paid off slowly.

The criticizing: That is not what they're meant for. For people with our kind of spending problems, they should be treated as cash unless it's a real emergency. Do we have the cash on hand for the card and the Horsedog?

The justifying: No, but...

In the end, I realized I wanted the Horsedog because it was part of the Horsedog CS and I thought I could fodder it. I could go on but this post is already super-long.

This exercise isn't a panacea, but it's been super helpful. It'll creep into other areas of your life. For example, I binge-eat less now.

Also, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't still thinking about that Horsedog every now and then.

[l0uk45]

If students from class 1A and 1B were part of the Riordanverse:

Yuga Aoyama: Son of Aphrodite. Not even a good one, unless you need someone blinded by his glitter-gun. Oh yeah, he has a glitter gun with lasers for maximum flare. Is he completely over-the-top? Absolutely. But is he good in a fight? Surprisingly, yes.

Mina Ashido: Daughter of Hermes and legacy of Hecate, capable of inhuman movements and can produce a slime that magically dissolves anything. She also tattooed her eyes black and yellow for some weird masochistic reason.

Tsuyu Asui: She’s a frog-turned-human by Ochako. She still has her tongue, leaps, hops, camouflage, a reversible stomach and poison that can kill a group of whales. And he can still inflate her throat like a balloon, which makes for good scares.Very good scares…

Tenya Iida: Son of Mercury, he never skips leg day. Never. Seriously, have you seen those legs? He could crush a car with those puppies! Or crush monster heads! Which he does do quite often! He doesn’t skimp out on upper body exercises either, but LOOK AT THOSE LEGS OF THUNDER!

Ochako Uraraka: Daughter of Hecate, she specializes in a set of spells that manipulate an individual object’s or being’s gravitational pull. It’s gotten to the point where she makes anything she touches with five fingers on one hand, it will float, no matter what, which is why she wears gloves all the time.

Mashirao Ojiro: Son of Mars, he’s an expert martial artist and very, very good at multiple of them. He’s lost multiple sparring partners because of his profinity with a number of weapons, and his lethality without any weapons.

Denki Kaminari: Legacy of Zeus and Apollo, each by about 50 generations. About as bright as his godly ancestors (not very), but he still makes one Hel of a lightning bolt, and he’s also pretty good with a guitar and lyre. 

Eijiro Kirishima: Son of Vulcan, his blood and skin are pure liquid gold, bronze and diamond he can infinitely harden for a period of time. It also obtains unnaturally sharp edges, and given his tendency to go hard when excited, he has made his friends frequent the infirmary for cuts and broken ribs.

Koji Koda: Son of Actaedon, he can talk with wildlife. He’s also a Legacy of Heracles, hence his size. His hugs are nice, war and gentle.

Rikido Sato: Son of Mars, this guy has a serious sweet tooth. He’s also surprisingly gentle for a guy that can decimate an opponent with a single hit.

Mezo Shoji: Son of Ares, he’s surprisingly level-headed. And malicious. Seriously, this guy always has at least ten different weapons on him, on top of him knowing a variety of potentially lethal moves. His arms are known as the Anacondas for a reason.

Kyoka Jiro: Daughter of Apollo, she’s a top-tier musician, singer and is moderate with a bow and arrow. She can whistle in the ultrasonic range, clap like thunder, sing and play like either a sweet little bird or a whole-ass heavy metal choir without ruining her vocal cords, and she gives the opposite amount of fucks that Zeus does (ie. zero).

Hanta Sero: Son of Hermes, he inherited a pair of magical tape dispensers that can dispense any tape in any amount of any properties he chooses. He uses them to swing around like Spider-Man, which made him a regular visitor of the infirmary until Momo made him a special harness to keep his joints from dislocating. 

Fumikage Tokoyami: Son of Erebos, he suffers from split-personality disorder, but it’s fixed nicely by his inner demon incarnate made of pure darkness he calls Dark Shadow. They have a strangely healthy relationship for a boy and his literal inner demon.

Shoto Todoroki: A Legacy, descendant of Hel and Surtr, capable of making ice that freezes fire, and fire that burns ice. He gives so little shit he’s actually oblivious to social cues, which makes for more than a few funny moments on quests with him.

Toru Hagakure: Legacy of Iris, she can manipulate light around her to turn invisible or project bright flashes

Katsuki Bakugou: Son of Ares, with rage and instincts of war so strong and powerful he can convert his sheer rage into explosions in the palms of his hands. He generated more than one explosion with the explosive yield of a nuclear weapon in his life. How he hasn’t gone deaf yet is beyond most people, though he does still know a variety of sign languages.

Izuku Midoriya: A mortal, capable of seeing through the mist, was gifted the Spartan Spirit, a spirit formed by Kratos, Nike, Bia and Zelus, to protect humanity in its greatest times of need. He ends up breaking his bones an absolute shitton, and is a regular at the infirmary.

Minoru Mineta: Died on a quest. His quest-mates say ‘by accident’. Everyone knows it was very deliberate, but then again, everyone hated him and is fine with him dead. Some people wanted to be the ones to kill him though.

Momo Yaoyorozu: A Legacy, granddaughter of Hephaestus and Athena, capable of making virtually any machine. She’s also very fidgety, and once made an entire army of fully autonomous grass soldiers that went on to terrorize the other campers for a bit. In thirty minutes.

Class 1B:

Yosetsu Awase: Son of Hephaestus, he also likes to make stuff. Though mostly he combines already existing tools, gadgets and machines, and makes weird amalgamations. He once fused an automaton bull, an automaton dragon and a school bus, and it actually works.

Sen Kaibara: Son of Ares, he’s pretty chill compared to his kin (especially Katsuki and Setsuna), mainly due to him bottling up his anger. Which he can unleash as tornadoes around his limbs, which he can use to drill through walls. Thank gods he doesn’t lose it too often.

Togaru Kamakiri: Son of Ceres, he likes farming tools. Especially ones with blades. That’s lead to him using all kinds of sickles, scythes (both farming tools and war scythes) and even a few lawn mowers, shovels, axes...

Shihai Kuroiro: Son of Nyx, him and Tokoyami get along exceptionally well. Given his ability to shadow-travel and use shadows and darkness as materials to make some pretty nifty weapons only he can use.

Itsuka Kendo: Daughter of Athena, she excels in critical thinking and a variety of martial arts. And knocking out her piers with precise attacks when they start to get exceptionally annoying.

Yui Kodai: Daughter of Trivia. She excels in potions and spells that manipulate the size of objects, so much so that she has to resort to gloves because she now naturally makes things smaller with her left hand, or bigger with her right hand. She’s the calm one.

Kinoko Komori: Daughter of Demeter, she has a soft spot for fungi and mushrooms. Which she can make grow rapidly. Very rapidly. She’s fun at parties.

Ibara Shiozaki: Daughter of Demeter, she dyes her hair green with actual chlorophyll for some reason (“To feel one with the beautiful plants,” she says), but she can also grow and manipulate vines and other vine-like plants, along with trees, quite effectively, and she has some rose and poison oak (she’s immune to it) seeds in her hair. Don’t ask, her answers are just as ridiculous as the chlorophyll-dyed hair.

Jurota Shishida: Son of Mars, he’s been cursed by most likely Hera to be a humanoid boar/dog thing. He’s especially good at wrestling, and is very diplomatic in his approach. Until he gets pissed, then he charges like a boar and yes, he keeps those tusks of his sharp on a regular basis.

Niregeki Shoda: Legacy of Hermes, son of Hephaestus, he likes to make explosives and plant them everywhere. More than a few campers were scared. Except Katsuki, who tried to outdo the ground (Niregeki’s mine) in explosive yield and put skylight access in the roof of Bunker 9. Niregeki had to repair it.

Pony Tsunotori: Legacy of Poseidon, she can shapeshift. She likes to shapeshift into horses, bulls, deer and goats (including mooses and buffalo), and she has a nifty gadget from the Hephaestus and Vulcan campers in the shape of horns that transform with her, giving her detachable remote-control horns. 

Kosei Tsuburaba: Legacy of Jupiter, son of Ares, he’s competitive and can make walls and blades out of air. Especially annoying for monsters because they can’t get to him, period, and every time they try, they don’t get past his walls of air for a whole minute before someone either cuts/hacks/slices them to bits, freezes/burns them alive, blows them up with their fists/explosives/expanding stones they previously ingested or some other way of disposing a monster.

Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu: Son of Vulcan, capable of turning to pure steel over his entire body, also increasing his strength. Because of this, and his tendency to go hard whenever he’s excited, he’s made his friends frequent the infirmary for bruises and broken ribs.

Setsuna Tokage: Daughter of Ares, she’s actually been hurt pretty badly in one of her fights (she went on a Quest with Katsuki, and no, it wasn’t him who hurt her) and had to have automaton grafts to replace her limbs, a part of her lower jaw, her eyes and the muscles around her spine, along with parts of the vertebrae. Which she asked to be detachable and splittable in as many pieces as possible, which she can control telepathically and uses to troll other campers. A lot. Especially two certain sons of Vulcan.

Manga Fukidashi: No one knows what he is, they just know his head is a speech bubble and he can make anything he writes real.

Juzo Honenuki: Legacy of Gaia, he can virtually liquify the ground (does not work on metal or wooden floors). He trolls a lot with this ability. And I do mean a lot.

Kojiro Bondo: A golem? A person? His head makes it hard to tell whether he’s a demigod or a monster to be honest. And his glue-like spit doesn’t help much either.

Neito Monoma: Legacy of, you guessed it, Zeus! He has a superiority complex because of this, and he frequents the infirmary on the basis of Itsuka or whoever he was annoying KOing him constantly. All that brain damage probably isn’t helping his mental issues...

Reiko Yanagi: Daughter of Hecate she can make things she touches float and fly around using some sort of incantation. The biggest she can do is double her own body weight, but that doesn’t stop her from delivering high-speed flying punches and scaring other campers.

Hiryu Rin: Son of Mars and Legacy of Poseidon, he can shapeshift into various animals. Most notably a mix of human, hedgehog and a lizard. Sharp, painful and deadly precise. And also meditating. And a lot of it.

[scripttorture]

I have a MC in modern France jail cell. I wanted to have her go through an acute glaucoma attack that causes severe eye pain, vomiting. MC will be unable to see much and speaking/sitting up will be difficult. Would neglecting the prisoner’s severe pain be enough realistically or would tortures probably want to do something extra if they acknowledge the pain at all? Unsure what to use that won’t cause passing out (ex: forced exercise) so MC can overhear something for plot reasons. Thanks!

-

Alright so, beyond a quick look at wikipedia I have no idea what acute galucoma is. The medical side; how this condition progresses and what it looks like, I’m going to have to leave to you.

I’ve read about a couple of cases from France recently, but not enough to build up a consistent pattern (ie confirm a National Style). So keep in mind that when I’m describing things that seem to be a pattern in France my information is about ten years old. This probably won’t effect your story and it’s only fair to say that part of the reason the information is 10 years old is that France was visited by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture in 2006. Which may have resulted in increased reporting afterwards.

The prevailing picture was that racism was a huge factor; with ethnic minorities and asylum seekers being targetted more often. The number of cases of torture targetting pregnant black women are particularly worrying.

Ten years ago there was a culture of impunity among French police officers and police would commonly cover up each other’s crimes. I haven’t found any follow up studies confirming that this is still the case but I haven’t seen anything describing sweeping structural changes either. If anything more recent changes in the law are likely to increase incidents of torture by providing more opportunities for it.

This does not mean an increase in torture was the intended effect. However I think it’s likely that the lengths of time suspects can be held, vagueness in the definition of some charges, lack of personnel/support in asylum cases, forced eviction and the police culture would combine in a way that puts more people at risk of torture.

The most common kinds of attacks I’ve read about are beatings, excessive use of restraint and tear gas.

I haven’t read a lot of recent reports involving victims with disabilities or medical conditions. But those that I have found all involved delays accessing medical treatment and neglect which put disabled victims at risk.

I think whether neglect is ‘enough’ depends on what kind of scenario you’re picturing exactly.

If the character has recently been arrested and is brought in then she’s going to be passed between several different groups of police officers. Which means that she could have been treated abusively during arrest and then be more or less ignored by the officers responsible for her in jail. Or conversely she could be arrested in a way that’s reasonable and proportionate to her actions then mistreated in custody.

If she’s actually been sentenced on the other hand then the same group of people are going to be consistently responsible for her care.

Essentially if she’s consistently in the hands of torturers I think it’s unlikely that they would show restraint. In that scenario it’s highly likely that she’d be subjected to other forms of abuse.

But if she’s being passed from torturers to non-torturers (possibly torture apologists), then it’s less likely she’d be actively abused. In that scenario her suffering is more likely to come from these officers trying to cover up the abuses their comrades have committed. Which would essentially amount to ignoring her medical condition and denying access to a doctor or medication.

I think the most helpful thing for me to do now is suggest a few torture techniques that might fit, in case that’s the kind of scenario you’d like to write. :)

Based on more recent French cases I think the most common tortures seem to be beatings. Going back a little further the use of Tasers and stun guns has been quite widespread in France. Waterboarding has also been very common in France and French colonies for a long time.

I’d agree with your assessment that forced exercise doesn’t fit your story. However it’s not particularly common in the French police. I’ve only ever read about it occurring in military environments in France.

I’d suggest avoiding waterboarding for a combination of reasons. It can make victims pass out very easily. It’s- got quite a high chance of killing or causing brain damage. And if it made your character pass out I think it would be more likely the police would notice her becoming conscious again.

Now Tasers and stun guns can make people fall unconscious. But the lack of choking, spluttering, coughing and vomiting means that I think it would be much easier for your character to fake unconsciousness.

And that could fit with your idea of having the character overhear something.

Electrical torture is extremely dangerous. When Tasers are used correctly there are no obvious external marks but that doesn’t mean they can’t cause death in a variety of ways.

Heart attacks are common. So are lethal falling injuries (ie the victim loses control of their muscles, falls and hits their head). Seizures are also pretty common and can be lethal.

It may also be useful to know that people can pass out due to pain and that hearing is often the first sense they are conscious of regaining.

Rounding this off- The torture and neglect of people with disabilities or health conditions is common and a lot of victims report being targetted specifically for being disabled. A lot of people in these circumstances die.

Every torture is potentially lethal and many are more likely to kill disabled people in particular.

Yes I think that it’s realistic a character like this would be tortured as well as neglected if she’s in the hands of torturers.

But that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best thing for your story. If you want to focus on neglect and torture is an unnecessary complication to the story; then you can decide that she isn’t tortured.

I think that deciding this happens because established torturers are suddenly ‘merciful’ would be- a bad choice, but there are a lot of other options open to you. These can include the guards/police just not believing her when she says she is in sick and in pain.

Which would make them assholes who are discriminating against a disabled woman, but not necessarily torturers. That makes the character’s survival, and her being able to overhear things more likely.

Similarly if you are sure that torture will add something to the story which neglect alone doesn’t you can decide your character survives against the odds. This does happen. People do get very lucky.

I’d just suggest you make it clear that she was very lucky.

Should you wish to use electrical torture in your story Reuters produced a series of reports on tasers recently which you may find useful.

I hope that helps. :)

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Disclaimer

[ginger-snaps014]

Also now I have constant burn out…

During the school year, you had mandatory breaks. Summer break. Winter break. Spring break. A long weekend in the fall pretending to be fall break. Parent teacher conference days, etc. I also went to a private school where sports (ie where you get exercise-based endorphins) were required, along with a art class helping you improve.

Like don’t get me wrong, a lot about school was unnecessary stress and busywork (especially as an undiagnosed adhd kid), but there was a recovery time for your brain that disappears in the adult world. And (at least at my school) an attempt to make your life more well rounded.

Now you get the side eye for any vacation you take. I work late so usually can’t work out. And my day from 9am until 8pm (or later) is constant paperwork. No lunch breaks beyond walking to the coffee shop to pick stuff up. No more than five to ten minutes of friend time when stopping by their office. No sports. No arts. No free period (to talk or catch up on work). No more time in general … I miss the recovery time. The weekend is not enough when that is also your errand, cleaning, etc time. That only worked in the 1950s when there was a stay-at-home SO and working SO

School sucked. But being an burnt out adult also sucks. I miss college naps

Sharing this from my twitter because I think a good amount of artists can probably relate to this, ADHD or not ö

[isaxahprescott]

Isaiah Park (Sinclair) | #312hqtasksfive - A Development Task

what was your character like when they first joined? what were their traits, hobbies, habbits, lifestyle, etc? 

         Frick, my poor boy was so heckin’ lost when he first came to Chicago. Everything that had went down that caused his decision to leave NYC was still so fresh on the brain and he hated himself so darn much. He was so much more reserved and had no desire in getting to know anyone, terrified that if they got too close, they would find him out and hate him just as much as he hated himself for being a part of the reason that his best friend died. He didn’t freakin’ know how to do the laundry or anything mundane bc it was all done for him growing up. He didn’t know what he was going to do next, he just knew that he wasn’t going back home any time soon.

how has your character changed / developed since working at malnati’s? have their traits, hobbies, habbits, or lifestyle changed?

           Zaya’s still a bit awkward around other’s but now he’s trying really hard to make friends and he smiles so much more now and doesn’t stutter as much???? Meeting all these incredible people like Freddi who have helped him get out of his shell or Chardon, who’s had no problem in teaching him how to do things like cleaning or ironing?? Like, he’s in a whole lot better place now and can be a lil shiz when comfortable enough around you. There’s a lot of sarcasm and self deprecating jokes bc there’s still a lot of progress to be made in the self love department but gosh darn it, he’s stopped smoking bc he’s started channeling his nerves into something more positive like playing his uke Sophie or watching space documentaries with Jules. He now sort of sees boxing as more of a form of exercise rather than a way to let out all of his pent up feelings. He’s slowly progressed so much and kind of feels like he’s found himself a second home and I’m so so happy about it :’)

how do you think your character might change or evolve moving forward now? do you have any hopes or goals for them?

         He’s still got a long ways to go with accepting that Johnny is now gone and there’s not much else he can really do about it, but now he’s actually been able to share the experience with the people he’s closest to ( ie. Gianna and Freddi) and doesn’t have to bare that burden alone . I’d love to see him be able to go to his grave and kinda give his late best friend the sort of closure that they both need. I want to see him feel more sure of himself and gain his confidence back (not as much to the point that he’s hecka cocky and awful about it like he once was, but a good amount). He’s still trying to figure out what it is that he wants in life and I hope to see him find something that makes him real happy that he doesn’t want to let go of. I really want to see him make more friends and slowly become comfortable enough around them, too. (Especially with Teo, frick, I just need them to make up and become bros again, pls, before I die) I want him to be able to go back to New York and see his family after all this time; to realize that he can stop running from his past now, bc it’s going to be okay. I also want him to meet with a counselor when he’s ready and figure out a way to get help for his anxiety.  Overall, I just want him to find peace and contentment in this new lifestyle that he’s built for himself. 

bold flaws your character has / italicise ones they used to have, or have partially.  ( x )

absent-minded / abusive / addicted / aimless / alcoholic / aloof / anxious / arrogant / audacious / has bad habits / bigmouthed / bigoted / blunt / bold / callous / childish / cruel / cursed / dependent / dishonest / disloyal / disturbed / dubious / egotistical / envious / erratic / fanatical / fickle / fierce / finicky / flirty / gluttonous / gruff / gullible / hedonistic / humourless / hypocritical / idiotic / ignorant / illiterate / immature / impatient / impious / impish / incompetent / indecisive / indifferent / infamous / intolerant / judgemental / lazy / lewd / liar / lustful / masochistic / meddlesome / meek / megalomanic / naïve / nosey / obsessive / oppressive / overambitious / overemotional / overprotective / overzealous / paranoid / peevish / perfectionist / pessimistic / phobic / rebellious / reckless / remorseless / rigorous / sadistic / sarcastic / sceptic / seducer / selfish / self-martyr / self-righteous / senile / shallow / smart ass / solemn / spineless / spiteful / spoiled / squeamish / stubborn / superstitious / tactless / temperamental / theatrical / timid / tongue-tied / unlucky / unpredictable / untrustworthy / vain / weak-willed / withdrawn

bold all that apply. my muse knows how to … ( x )

bake a cake from scratch (partially) | ride a horse | drive stick | speak a second language | dance | catch a fish | play an instrument | throw a punch | build a deck | ice skate | unclog a drain | program a computer | change a flat tire | fire a gun | sew | juggle | play poker | paint | fly a kite | sculpt | write poetry | change a diaper | sing | shoot a bow and arrow | ride a bike | swim | sail a boat | do a back flip | play chess | give CPR | pitch a tent | flirt | stitch a wound | read palms | use chopsticks | write in cursive | use an electric drill | braid hair | make a campfire | make a mixed drink | do sudoku puzzles | wrap a gift | give a good massage | jump-start a car | roll their tongue | do magic tricks | do yoga | tie a tie | skip a rock | shuffle a deck of cards | read Morse code | pick a lock

bold which habits your muse has … ( x )

nail biting | throat clearing | lying | interrupting | chewing the ends of pens | smoking (used to have) | swearing | knuckle cracking | thumb sucking | muttering under their breath | talking to themselves | nose picking | binge drinking | oversleeping | snacking between meals | skipping meals | picking at skin | impulse buying | talking with their mouth full | humming/singing to themselves | chewing gum | leg jiggling | foot tapping | hair twirling | whistling | eye rolling | licking lips | sniffing | squinting | rubbing hands together | jaw clenching | gesturing while talking | putting feet up on tables | tucking hair behind ears | chewing lips | crossing arms over chest | putting hands on hips | rubbing the back or their neck | being late | procrastinating | doodling | shredding paper | peeling off bottle labels | forgetfulness | running hands through hair | overreacting | teeth grinding | nostril flaring | slouching | pacing | drumming fingers | fist clenching | pinching bridge of nose | rubbing temples | rolling shoulders

[alcego]

UR SO GOOD AT ACTION AND DETAIL I CANTTT do u have any advice for working on that bc holy shit u r God w that shit

finally, my time has come to surpass god :^) jkjk

uhhh well, hmm. i’m gonna try and figure out how to put this into words, but my brain’s a bit mushy rn so We Will See how that goes

a lot of action lies in diction, pacing, and sentence structure. that sounds kinda weird, but it’s true. 

listen, when you think action you’re almost definitely not thinking of the mechanics behind those motions. you’re thinking of fast, quick, heart wrenching motions that bring your heart into your throat and have you sitting at the edge of your seat.

writing, as a whole, is an exercise in rhythm and pacing. take, for example, this:

Lee jumped onto Johnson’s shoulders. He laughed and tousled Johnson’s hair, but Johnson grabbed him by the forearm and threw him to the ground.

there are a few mechanics at play here:

lee jumping

lee laughing & tousling johnson’s hair

and johnson grabbing him by the arm & tossing him to the ground

in that blurb, the action doesn’t really flow. it’s just there. we know what’s happening, it makes sense, but it’s not painting a picture or anything

so what could you do to bring it to life? 

think about the 5 W’s: who, what, when, where, and why? who’s doing this? what is “this”? when are they doing it, and where? and, most importantly, why are they doing it? while you don’t gotta write out a list of these things (tho it can help if you’re stuck) keeping them in mind can bring immediate change to your writing

another thing that i’ve found to be helpful in writing action/description (especially both at the same time) is a sense of immediacy or involvement with your narrator. what are they seeing, thinking, feeling? how does the scene change if it’s being told from lee’s pov vs johnson’s?

and, last but not least: remember the fundamentals. vary your sentences (begin with -ing, -er, -ly words), end sentences and paragraphs when the subject changes, and keep an eye on the rhythm. (does it feel right when you read it aloud or in your head? are there words clogging up the rhythm and slowing you down, forcing you to wait and see what the fuck’s going on? does it move too fast or too slow for what you’re trying to convey?)

keeping all these things in mind (which is a practiced skill – i’m constantly getting after myself about everything i’ve just mentioned) you can work your way up to a more involved scene with higher stakes

Creeping, Lee nudged his soft leather boots across the branch. Beneath him, Johnson grunted and nudged their broken pod with a steel-covered toe. There was a clunk. 

Lee smiled. Jumped. And landed on Johnson’s shoulders.

Johnson squawked and grabbed at Lee’s arm. Delighted with his success, Lee tousled Johnson’s scrupulously tidy hair and didn’t bother holding back the laughter in his belly. 

Then questing fingers dug into his skin, pushing, pulling, finding, and Lee felt gravity shift as he was moving – falling. 

For a moment, Lee saw the trees. The branches, upended just as he was, blurred with his motion. Then he felt the dank sod against his back, and he was staring Johnson in the eye.

the same mechanics are at play here as before, but now it feels more intimate, more catching. adding detail & focusing on the sensations behind each action (as well as what i mentioned above) can do wonders for a scene.

smth that i forgot to mention above (and apologies for rambling, not joking about my brain being gone) is the rule of thirds. you’ve probably heard of it before in regard to visual arts. so what does it mean for writing?

it creates a specific sort of tension & release in a  writing. when you want to up the intensity (ie: Then questing fingers dug into his skin, pushing, pulling, finding, […]) the rule of thirds can do that for you easily. 

uhhh shit man i’m not real clear on wtf i’m saying rn so feel free to hmu with some more questions & i’ll try and give uhhh more clear/concise answers but i feel like i’m deadass rambling rn so uhh yea here hope this helps!!

[yogaadvise]

YogaHub Teacher Spotlight: Chris Flack

All people at YogaHub are really excited to reveal the brand-new YogaHub Instructor Limelights on our blog site. Every 3-4 weeks, we'll tell the story of one of our gorgeous trainers. Enjoy!

Chris Flack informs us regarding his yoga journey by breaking down his experience with reflection, as well as uses helpful meditation tips!

www.UnPlug.ie

I meditate 24×7. I, am a legend.

... I do not as well as, I'm not. When I started meditating I'm quite certain that was my goal.

On a yoga resort ten years ago we did a walking reflection as well as, I won. I 'd absorbed the environments, considered what I was mosting likely to have for supper and also what yoga exercise pose I could photograph to look awesome on my new Facebook account. I was the fastest to the midway point and also was pleased with myself. At that factor the trainer discreetly informed the group that the idea was to be your slowest self. Heading back I remained in last area the entire means. I remember believing to myself, " I am a tale".

Five years later, pressing myself as difficult as I might for success in the company globe I wound up burnt-out as well as was identified with depression.

Today I practice meditation two times daily. Am I worry totally free? No. Yet I have an extremely active life and also this is an essential component to maintain me solid. My emphasis is extra acute, my rest deeper, and also I do everything slower. That does not indicate I do not get points done, yet I observe initially then respond. An easy instance would be being reduced up on my bike when cycling to work (generally other bikers with earphones). Previously I might have right away screamed '**** off you ****** **** arsehole", whereas currently, I 'd stop as well as possibly silently mumble "arsehole" (nobody is perfect). The advantages, however, just really came when I began doing it frequently, and also yet among the obstacles to meditation for a lot of is locating time. this post will hopefully bring some light to how to remove such barriers.

Why is this relevant to you? Being stressed out is currently normal. The pace of contemporary life indicates the majority of us are conditioned to be on vehicle pilot and in a haze of ideas 24×7. It's as if we get on a continuous adrenaline drip as well as whilst that aids us endure challenges, being ' constantly on' is not sustainable. As mindfulness expert Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn explains: " We have Stone Age minds in a digital globe,".

If we assume of this continuous sound creating a practice of interruption, meditation is one option to bring us back to the here and now moment. Each time we do it we are exercising a mental workout to strengthen the routine of focus.

Meditation is usually marketed as bells and smells which does not interest everyone. Thankfully this is changing (although I personally enjoy the scents and bells!) and also right here's why:

1) The evolution of mindfulness means meditation is currently clinically proven.

Just to get the definitions out the method here's mine (some individuals might not agree with these however they're how I separate both):

Meditation is a formal method (there are many strategies which I'll go on to in my next message "I'm a meditation flirt"), to focus on today minute without reasoning ie. the image of the individual sitting with their eyes closed. Transcendental Meditation (emphasis on a specific concept in an official practice).

Mindfulness is an informal practice to focus on today minute with no judgement. ie. something we can do in whatever we do. Jon Kabat-Zinn took this mainstream when he established MBSR (Mindfulness Based Tension Reduction) taking this ancient word for recognition, constructing a clinical situation for huge well-being benefits and making it something any person can do by providing it in a secular way. For instance, mindful strolling (ie. practising a normal task however simply doing that point (single tasking), no listening to music or inspecting your snapstreak).

2) Science (neuroplasticity) has confirmed we can improve our brain physical fitness at any type of age.

And why is this important? Workout just truly removed when scientists started to show the advantages. The large difference there was that it gives more pleasure principle towards goals such as limited buns and a six pack.

Celebrity endorsement as well as glossy products like Headspace as well as Buddhify go some way to make it attractive but unlike physical health and wellness, you can disappoint off your mind health and wellness in a bikini so it will certainly be a slow-moving revolution

3) Being 'always on' produces a habit of interruption as well as mediation does the contrary. Most of us struggle in the present interest economic climate and also yet those diversions are only going to obtain stronger. I'm a little prejudice right here as I run UnPlug, a individuals advancement company that runs business programmes to assist individuals develop focus in a distracted world. Disconnect programmes provide behavior change as well as conscious practice is a tiny element of what we do yet a very essential part.

I am confident that (3) will imply meditation and mindfulness become mainstream as it will certainly not simply be a method to aid us with enhanced well-being however an exercise to make use of to maintain focus in an ever disruptive world.

So here are my meditation tips (note: I am not a professional. I'm somebody experienced fatigue, was identified with depression and also researched reflection as one of the approaches to preserve good brain wellness as well as it's functioned):

- Reflection is not a magic pill, it does not treat anxiety, turn you into a hippy or make Trump disappear. If you have a trouble you require to handle, reflection will, however, assistance as a coping device. As the ABC anchorman Dan Harris created it makes him " 10% Happier". For me, I see more concentrate on favorable and also much less on unfavorable in my life. Absolutely nothing remarkable yet gradually that shift is fundamental.

- Reflection is simple however difficult to practice. When starting arbitration, we wind up in a ferocious circle. We try to block out ideas and all of a sudden create anxiety that we can not practice meditation. If we really did not have thoughts it would be like doing bicep swirls without weights. Assume of it rather than not giving the thoughts your interest. When we sleep, we usually have a mind full of ideas and also the much less focus we offer to those thoughts the more unwinded we become. The difference is that we practice meditation with a straight spinal column (so our nerve system is energetic and, preferably (!) we don't fall asleep).

- With the ' constantly on' society this is becoming harder. Nonetheless, what we have to remember is that the very best things we have actually found out have actually come with practice.

- You possibly do not have time to practice meditation. When you practice meditation for some time you'll really have more time as your life will have even more focus. Also if it's simply 2 minutes a day, do it regularly as opposed to binging. Practice is hard yet fool your system by beginning small.

- Meditation can set you back nothing to countless bucks. However, it's worth considering this is your mind wellness. We invest thousands on our exterior appearance and rarely consider our brain health, commonly getting to for tablets when we are worried. One of the most typical anti anxiety medication on the market supplies males the beautiful side result of erectile dysfunction. If being dispirited wasn't bad enough.

- It is necessary to find what jobs for you. Behaviors just develop when we such as something. If tibetan bells or silent retreats make you wince take into consideration a non-traditional reflection such as colouring in books or calligraphy (the trick is to do something you take pleasure in and also single job). Or if your mind is really busy try a more energetic meditation such as strolling or dancing. It's everything about discovering an anchor for your thoughts that functions for you and your present circumstance. I made use of to contemplate the way to work when I resided in Delhi, my emphasis was on the material stream of noise. My mom reviews her prayers every early morning. She's simply doing that a person thing (there's no Sweet Crush in one hand whilst listening to Radio 2 as well as reviewing her prayers). Consider the words utilized. If you're ill of seeing ' Mindfulness' or ' Meditation' in your newsfeed after that take a leaf out of worldwide firm Mondelez's publication. Julia Freeman created a program that never uses those words, instead it utilizes the adhering to words as well as it's been a big success.

Meditation is one point you can do to boost your mind health/fitness. Sleep, nutrition, relationships as well as workout are equally as crucial as well as I'll discuss how I preserve total brain fitness in a future post.

Even if its' just 2 minutes. Do it daily. Change is a procedure not an occasion so try to make it a habit but see to it you start small.

Thanks for reading. If you enjoyed this short article I would certainly value a share. 🙏

Chris is Chief Executive Officer and Creator of UnPlug. Reflection is just one of his individual passions. UnPlug aids people handle digital interruptions resulting in boosted focus. The UnPlug team includes psychologists, technology and neuroscience professionals. Conscious method is a little part of UnPlug's behavioural modification programmes.

[theseadagiodays]

April 27, 2020

Art Became the Oxygen

It is true that artists, many of whom rely on public gatherings for their livelihood, are some of the hardest hit during this crisis.  Yet, it’s musicians who are toiling away in basements to serenade us through isolated days.  It’s comedic actors who are offering us essential nighttime laughs.  And it’s visual artists who make meaning from this madness with images that inspire, console and provoke.  The individuals of the creative community are like the unsung frontline workers of this pandemic, only without any salary to support their craft, or a 7 pm cheer to motivate them.  Yet still, they make things because they must, just as artists have done since the beginning of history, particularly in times of strife. (SEE: https://usdac.us/news-long/2017/8/9/art-became-the-oxygen-free-artistic-response-guide-available-now)

In previous periods of economic hardship, the US government responded with forward-thinking programs like the WPA (Works Progress Administration) of Roosevelt’s New Deal (1935 to 1943).  It was designed not only to fund huge infrastructure projects, but also to employ thousands of artists, musicians, writers, and theatre performers to stimulate the economy.  Legacies of this program include Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God; Jackson Pollack’s Composition with Pouring; and Mark Rothko’s earlier urban studies like Entrance to Subway, where you can see the seeds of his famous color studies from later work.

After natural disasters, senseless violence or war, artist activists have also rushed to the front lines, time and again, to help rebuild communities by activating their social imaginations and stimulating their civic agency with creative collaborations.  

Philippe Thiese gathered digital stories of Hurricane Sandy volunteers in this short film: https://www.sandystoryline.com/stories/sandy-volunteers-remember-the-storm-and-explain-how-they-got-involved/.  

The siblings of Eric Garner, a young African-American man killed by unjust police violence in 2014, came together in grief to write the song, I Can’t Breathe,based on his harrowing last words.  Their music served as a rallying cry to a community berieved and betrayed by their law enforcement: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/eric-garners-family-drops-moving-new-song-i-cant-breathe-192574/

And when a 2011 tornado took 161 lives in the small town of Joplin, Missouri, mural artist Dave Loewenstein asked kids about their dreams for the future of their town, resulting in this stunning piece, The Butterfly Effect.

So, in the great hope that we’ll kick this virus’ butt, and we will be left with a glut of ventilators, how about we use them to revive our society’s artists, since they are the vital oxygen that feed our souls.  

In Vancouver, we are already lucky enough to have our City government responding with funding for the Murals for Hope project (#makeartwhileapart), which is transforming solemn, boarded-up shops and restaurants into colorful and encouraging messages that can help sustain us until their doors reopen again.

Geoff and I are also trying to do our small part to stimulate the creative economy, while beautifying our home in the process.  We are very excited to have just commissioned a mural artist to spruce up our tiny backyard space, which we’re transforming from a gravel parking spot into our own tropical oasis.  Here are some inspirational images as well as a shot of the yard in its current state. And hopefully, I can post the finished product, which will be painted onto the rotting fence, in a couple of weeks.

April 28, 2020

Art of Relationship

This period is not just requiring us to get creative with keyboards and canvases and cameras.  It is forcing us to re-examine the very patterns that make up our daily lives and fit them all inside the same four walls with the same self, spouse, and/or kids, 24/7.  Suffice it to say, this is no small task.  But, if any of you are like me, the grand solutions have sometimes involved tiny changes.    

Personally, my greatest challenge has been to find ways to carve out slivers of shared pleasure amidst my partner’s insanely stressful, often 13-hour work day, now that the pandemic has his team at our local transit authority in serious crisis mode.  Of course, I’m a firm believer in hard-work.  The pursuit of a classical musician requires many years of 5+ hours-a-day of practice.  But I’m also a fun-lover, and a huge proponent of life/work balance, particularly having had to learn this the hard way, thru a chronic overuse injury.  So, for me, Geoff’s manic schedule during the first month of isolation seemed far from optimal. And while this was especially difficult for him, it compromised joy for both of us.  

Seeking guidance as we adapted to the new normal, we found a great online series by Esther Perel, whose regular podcast, Where Should We Begin? always leaves us with sound, simple dance steps that we can apply to the Art of Relationship.  Here, she has created a 4-part series that specifically addresses problems which co-habitators might face in our current reality.  https://events.estherperel.com/april-2020-webinar-resources/?fbclid=IwAR0kRHkuQvEGxcpNuHvPKmmExamZ2Jj_EMZzR-zGp8eDejCR94hE-ZvGYjY

Inspired by her wisdom, we decided that the 7:30 am meetings, which had been occupying our kitchen and bleeding into our morning coffees, every day, could be skipped for a 15-minute walk thru our neighborhood park.  And, let me tell you, what a difference a quarter of an hour can make!  

April 29, 2020

Finding Variety in Repetition

It occurred to me, the other morning, that this experience feels a bit like fasting.  Since college, I’ve routinely devoted a week, every spring, to some kind of dietary shift, for my general health, and as a general mindfulness exercise.   While I’ve tried versions of the Wild Rose and other popular cleanses with some benefit, the method recommended in Staying Healthy with the Seasons has always suited me best. It requires you to slowly wean off many foods (meat/fish, then sugar/alcohol/coffee, then dairy), gradually move to only liquids, eventually evolve to a middle day of just water, and then similarly reintroduce each food gradually.    What I’ve loved about this approach is how much more aware of my cravings I become, how much I notice the “manufacturing of consent” that happens all around me to inspire my “wants”, and finally how various symptoms are suddenly absent once I’ve eliminated certain foods.  Consequently, the slow reintroduction of foods allows me to notice, in much more specific detail, which foods stimulate which responses in my body (IE. huge bursts of energy from fruit; afternoon crashes from sugar; indigestion from soy; sustenance from bread and pasta - NOTE: Contrary to the wheat-vilifying trends that currently prevail, I typically thrive on an anti-Atkins diet, as someone who reaps tremendous fuel from carbs).  

The parallels we are experiencing now relate to the stimuli that we’ve been “denied” by our self-isolating reality.   Speaking for myself, instead of travelling frequently, as I often do, or eating at different restaurants every week, or working at a different café every day to switch up the creative energy around me, I have had, like everyone else, to learn to find sustenance and interest in a much less diverse set of circumstances.  I am eating at Chez Me three meals a day.  We are grinding our own beans and whipping up our own daily lattes.  And most all of our daily walks and bike rides now start from our home.  

But even within the boundaries that we can reach from the nexus of our own address, we have been able to slowly expand our radius of exploration to corners of our city that we had never seen before.  This has felt a bit like switching to a vegetarian diet and gaining new appreciation for the crunchiness of a snap pea, or the filling nature of a portabello mushroom.  

In these explorations, we have discovered infinite surprises which include a cliffside view of the Fraser River from Everett Crowley Park (top image), an old landfill-turned-lush green space in Vancouver’s southeastern-most quadrant.  We’ve seen old growth forest that we had no idea existed so many kilometres from the shore, in Burnaby’s Central Park on our city’s eastern border.  I’ve spotted my first-ever fisher (weasel) sneaking around beachside boulders on the northern edge of the city.  And closer to home, I’ve noticed the whimsy of our neighbors’ gardens in far greater detail than I had ever looked before (as in the Gaudiesque, smiley-face hedge pictured above).  Our ventures from home have been guided by little more than our edict to “follow the pink”, as in the most blossoming streets.  And to document these journeys, I’ve been mapping the various routes we’ve taken.  Interestingly, the trajectory somewhat resembles a many-petaled flower.

Looking for minute changes in what seem to be patterns of sameness is also the secret to one of my favorite movements in music and design: Minimalism. Perhaps this is why Max Richter and Steve Reich have become the soundtrack I’ve turned to most during the pandemic.  Because their music trains our brains to find beauty in repetition while seeking excitement from the subtlest nuanced shifts.  

Meanwhile, I know that many of us would love for there to be a magic wand that could lift all of our restrictions over night and allow us to return to exactly “the way it was before”, in the same way that I long for a mocha frappuccino when I fast.  However, what we have been hearing from our leaders is that the more likely and safe choice will be to move into a gradual re-opening of our cities - a slow reintroduction of certain freedoms.  So, the lessons we can learn from fasting and Phillip Glass ought to prove very useful as we try to be patient and appreciative of this prudent approach.   Then, once we begin to shop and drive and socialize more, perhaps this perspective can allow us to also more clearly notice how we respond to each stimuli as we re-engage with it, And hopefully it will inform a new normal that can be more sensible and moderate and in harmony with this planet that we call home.

And, in case you’re curious to listen to a little minimalist fare...

Notice how welcomed the first chord change is in Max Richter’s Catalogue of Afternoons: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ubjylmxrj9o

Or drape yourself in his hypnotic music like a warm duvet with his 8-hour lullaby, Sleep: https://open.spotify.com/album/0JLN7JryQ2T7lBEYIrSQF1

And for a mind trip of the eyes and ears, try Steve Reich’s Piano Phase on marimbas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3QoM7dgs_0

April 30, 2020

Film Festivals for free

Pahokee, at this year’s live-streamed Vancouver International Film Festival

Done wondering if Carol Baskin killed her husband?  Couldn’t care less if Giannini and Damian actually ever get married? Well, for those who’ve exhausted the Netflix catalogue, there are plenty of other ways to enjoy film from your home. Lots of festivals have generously uploaded their content online.  So, whether it’s mountain adventure, short films, foreign movies, or arthouse you’re looking for, here are some easy ways to link to those that are totally free:

Banff Mountain Film Festival - https://www.banffcentre.ca/film-fest-at-home

Cannes, Sundance, Tribeca, Toronto, Venice, Berlin and others have collaborated to bring an awesome line-up of livestream videos to the world in their 10-day We Are One Festival, starting on May 29th.  While the festival will stream for free, viewers will be asked to donate to the World Health Organization’s Covid-19 solidarity response fund.

If you happen to remain gainfully employed, and it’s important to you to keep supporting independent film making, Vancouver International Film Festival has created a rental-fee structure for a number of films that they’ve now made available for streaming, too: https://viff.org/Online/default.asp

And Sedona Film Festival has done the same - https://sedonafilmfestival.com/mdfhome/

May 1, 2020

Boredom Killers: Ping-pong, birthday song, and Magritte gong wrong

Combing the internet for creative inspiration that I can share with readers has truly been a joy.   It’s also got our own creative jucies flowing.  So today, I thought I’d post just a few of the ways we’ve staved off boredom over these past weeks.

Tennis is one of our true passions.  It’s actually sort of how Geoff and my relationship began.  Given that we didn’t want our paddle skills to get too rusty, we didn’t let the fact that our little laneway house couldn’t fit a ping pong table stop us: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kait-zCV94s

Coming from a huge birthday-celebrating family, I’ve tried to make sure that friends with birthdays during quarantine could still feel pampered on their special day.  So, 6 of us put together this silly ditty for our good friend Roger: https://youtu.be/EZKyrdOlvPk

And, we’ve jumped on the art replication bandwagon too.  The Met & the Getty Museum have both followed the lead of the Dutch gallery that first initiated the Instagram art challenge which asks people to recreate famous pieces of art with only 3 objects from their home. https://www.instagram.com/tussenkunstenquarantaine/

Here’s Geoff and my attempt with Magritte’s Lovers. The challenge also asks for participants to create new titles, so this is ours, Kissing Strategy for Stay-at-home Lazy Toothbrushers.

[carpediemily]

On perseverance.

If you don’t know, I’ve been dealing with mental health issues for many-a-year now, as cataloged HERE, HERE, and HERE.

AND HERE’S AN UPDATE.

So. As it turns out, I have treatment-resistant depression, meaning regular, traditional mental health care (ie. medication/therapy) hasn’t worked, or worked enough for me in the past. I have been on six different medications. Only one helped my anxiety. My depression, however, remains a bitch. Exercise, diet changes, mindfulness… nothing seems to touch it. And I am no longer medicated. So I did some research and came across two options. ECT, Electroconvulsive Therapy, and TMS, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation.

ECT is “the scary one” where they knock you out and induce a seizure. This is done around 12 times over the course of a month. Safer than childbirth, though, ECT is currently the Gold Standard in treatment-resistant depression, with few side effects and greater long-term advantages. 

TMS has similar, though lesser long- term advantages, with little to no side effects. Over the course of 36 treatments, the patient receives a large number of magnetic pulses to the brain to more or less kick start the pre-frontal lobe, or the mood center. 

I chose TMS to start with. I am super lucky to have really great mental health coverage from my insurance, and a very caring and supportive family who have been helping me along the way.

Lemme tell you, though. TMS is fucking weird. The hospital I go to happens to be a medical university as well, so it’s not unusual to have students peek in the room to see what’s going on. My first treatment involved the doctor (Dr. George, who did the first ever studies on TMS for use in depressive patients, and helped to develop the machine I use every day), a fabulous nurse, and three medical students. They first test the patient’s Motor Threshold to find the pulse dosage. Basically, they sent various pulses though my motor cortex to see how high they could go without making my thumb move. And, I gotta say, having five people stare at your thumb for an extended period of time is an odd experience.

TMS itself feels like a woodpecker tapping on my head. It hurts more than you think it would, but it’s not unbearable. Just weird. Sometimes my eye twitches.

I now have a rotating cast of nurses who do my treatments five days a week, and four doctors who poke their heads in to see if I have any questions, and to re-adjust the magnetic coil as they see fit. When I started treatments, I was getting 3000 pulses over the course of 20 minutes. As of Friday, however, because of my lack of response, my dosage has been increased to 4000 pulses in 26 minutes. I’m 20 treatments in with 16 to go. If it’s working, most patients would have noticed a bit of a difference by now. I haven’t, hence the increase. 

I like to say that I HAVE depression, rather than that I AM depressed. It makes it easier to separate who I really am from who my depression tells me I am. I mean, when you have a headache, you say “I have a headache” rather than “I am a headache”. To be fair, you probably ARE a headache. I know I am. But that’s beside the point. An illness is something you have, not something you are. You exist outside of illness. And, as attached to you as your illness is, it also exists outside of you.

I’m still hopeful though. I deal with rush hour traffic every weekday morning to fight this. I wake up at 6:30 am, go to my treatment, work 8 hours, and then come home. I am anxious, I am tired, I am doubtful, but I have to remain hopeful. I have to believe that this will work for me. And if it doesn’t, I have to believe that something else will.

I can’t pretend that every day is easy. I’m exhausted all the time. Most of the time I don’t think it’s working. To be honest, I want to give up. I’m fucking tired. SO fucking tired. But I’m still here, you know? 

There’s this really great quote in the first Chaos Walking novel by Patrick Ness (who has the most incredible speaking voice, oh my god. I saw him and YallFest and I want him to narrate my dreams) The Knife Of Never Letting Go. The main character, Todd, is on this incredible journey to find truth and love and home and even though he has been traveling for weeks and has dealt with unmentionable horrors, he says “I weigh more than a mountain but less than a feather, but I’m walking. I’m still walking.”

I’m not dealing with horrors. Just my brain. But I’m looking for truth and peace and stability and joy and connection and the deep and everlasting hope that binds us all. 

And I’m walking. I’m still walking.

[iamliberalartsgt]

Happy Finals Week!

Yesterday was the last official day of classes. Congrats you guys, we did it!

Well, okay, we’ve almost done it. Because yes, there are free breakfasts and therapy dogs, popsicles and bowling—tried and true signs of another term...terminating. (Sorry, that was too good to pass up.) These wonderful fun FREE things do little to disguise the fact that we still have a little ways to go.

Seven days to go, to be exact. And these seven days are some of the most stressful of the semester.

Happy finals week, everyone! For some, this is the defining moment of their weeks upon weeks of worry and stress. For some, it is all that stands between them and graduation, or a fabulous summer vacation. For some, they’re lucky and it’s mostly just a chill period of time to wander around collecting free stuff until it’s time to move out.

Regardless of where you stand, it’s pretty universal that finals suck, but it will all be better in about a week. And in honor of these last seven days, here are seven things that don’t suck, but that can even make everything a little bit brighter~

1. Netflix

Everyone needs a study break every now and then. If your brain hurts, find a short show, they don’t require too much commitment. Girls is my latest go-to, but I also love Friends and Seinfeld. Netflix also has a bunch of really amazing new shows too, one of which is Girlboss with Britt Robertson. It’s based on Sophia Amoruso’s (the founder of Nasty Gal) autobiography by the same name.

2. Exercising

To not feel guilty while watching said Netflix shows, I often go running while I watch them. There are also so many fun classes at the CRC, like barre pilates and power yoga. And, even better, they’re free during finals week! So anyone can drop by and try them out!

3. Ice Cream (and assorted foods, bonus points if FREE)

Exercising is wonderful but let’s be honest, ice cream is also extremely important. So are the aforementioned free popsicles, and cookies, pizza, and breakfasts. This may just be a freshman thing, but it also may be a being-in-the-right-place-at-the-right-time thing. To be determined. ALSO there’s also the new “late night bites” thing at Chick-fil-a and Panda Express in the Student Center, where we can use meal swipes from 9 pm-12am. So either way, brilliant.

4. Music + Art

Make a new playlist, find some new songs, hunt around Spotify for a bit to de-stress. It’s quite fun, and the fruit of your labor (ie. an amazing new selection of songs) will come in handy for when you go back to studying, too. Additionally: if you play an instrument, go for it! Except, you know, not if your dorm has quiet hours.

Otherwise, draw something, paint something, de-stress that way! Last week the Arts Ambassadors (aka me and some of the coolest most wonderful people I have ever met) held an Arts Fest in the Ferst Center! There were tons of free cookies, student artists selling their work at booths, a muralist, interactive art, a Piano Project piano with a chalkboard on the back, student performers... You name it. It was wonderful seeing so many people come in and participate, so exciting and therapeutic to just be in such a friendly and happy and artistic atmosphere.

5. Family + Friends

Don’t forget about them! Yeah it’s just a week with a weekend thrown in there, but study with friends, go on study breaks, get dinner together, etc. Also, text your mom. It’s so much better for everyone’s sanity, and the people who care about you will help you through.

6. Sleep

DO NOT FORGET TO GET ENOUGH SLEEP. SLEEP IS SO IMPORTANT. IF YOU HAVE BEEN STUDYING FOR HOURS ON END AND CAN’T KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN LITERALLY JUST GO TO BED. You won’t retain information as well if you studied with a compromised mental state. And you’ll be crabby as heck the next day so really please just go home and sleep and don’t snore in the CULC this is completely theoretical (it’s not). Sure, I get wanting more hours in the day, but make better use of the ones you have and simply embrace how wonderful and helpful sleep is.

7. Georgia Tech

All in all, there are so many things that are important and helpful, so many yummy and wonderful things. Georgia Tech may not always seem like one of them, as it is also the bearer of the finals chopping block itself. But Tech cares about us, genuinely. There are so many resources that they provide, so many study breaks and opportunities to hit the refresh button. They want us to be healthy, happy, successful—whether you always think so or not. So take advantage of the benefits, give Buzz a hug, study hard but not so hard that you hurt yourself.

After all, it is just a week.

[darkestsight]

Random Scene #2

(Sometimes I can’t stop my brain ie. this is not what I’m supposed to be writing)

“This is all your fault,” Leonard said and took a swig of his beer.

Rip turned to him and frowned. “How is it my fault?” he asked, and then added, “Other than the fact, according to you, everything is.”

The two were seated side by side on top a picnic table, each with a bottle of beer in their hand, not Rip’s usual choice of drink but it was all he was likely to get in a place like this and he had a feeling he might need it.

“If it wasn’t for you,” Leonard elaborated, “I wouldn’t be here and I wouldn’t be about to...” He used his beer to gesture at the panorama laid out in front of them. “...do this,” he concluded and took another swig.

“In case you’ve forgotten,” Rip said pointedly, “this was Dr. Palmer’s idea. His latest team building exercise. You try saying no to him.” Recalling the earnest look in Ray’s puppy dog eyes, Rip grimaced and took a drink of his own.

“Ray should have those eyes of his registered as a lethal weapon,” said Snart, “but that’s not the point.”

Rip sighed. “Then what is the point?”

“The point,” said Leonard, “is that if you’d never recruited me, I’d still be back in Central City doing my thing, pulling off daring heists, causing mayhem, and being all in all a dastardly, badass criminal. Instead, not only am I saving the world on a daily basis but I’m also playing board games, participating in pyjama parties, going to karaoke bars, roasting marshmallows at the beach. Imagine what my crew would say if they saw me now in this place about to... do this.” He scowled.

“None of that was my idea,” Rip contended. “I used to have quite a reputation myself, you know. I used to be known across time and space as one of the most daring, formidable Time Masters there ever was. If any time pirate saw me here, I’d never be taken seriously again.”

Leonard nodded. “You’re right,” he said. “It’s this team of ours. They’re making us soft.”

Rip gazed over at the rest of the team, smiling, laughing, and bickering good-naturedly under the bright summer sun, and couldn’t help the flicker of fondness that passed through his heart. “Is that really such a bad thing?” he asked softly.

Leonard just continued to scowl.

“You’d never have met Sara either if I hadn’t recruited you,” Rip couldn’t help adding.

“Shut up,” Leonard grumbled. Taking in a deep breath, he gave a sullen sigh. “Think we can make a break for it?”

“No chance,” said Rip, shaking his head. “One step in the direction of the ship and Sara and Jax would be on us in a nanosecond.”

“So what do we do?” Leonard asked wearily, turning to Rip.

Rip gazed over to where the team stood once more, at the strips of bright green astroturf, at the artificial ponds and wooden bridges, at the tiny windmill and the fairy tale castle.

“We go out there and be the toughest, most badass mini golfers we can possibly be.” He held out his beer to Snart.

“I’d better not regret this,” Leonard said as he clinked his bottle against Rip’s.

The two downed the rest of their drinks; then, with great reluctance, got up and made their way over to the rest of the team and the golf course.

[naomi-l-tiessen-blog]

Tips on Staying [Relatively] Sane While Writing

Hellllooooooo Everybody ~

Happy Thursday Blogday!

Let’s face it: we’ve all been there, where at some point or another, writing stops being fun. Writing is our calling; we were born on this cynical planet to tell stories. It’s been written into our DNA, it’s our passion, it’s the reason Why. We. Breathe.

And it’s stopped being fun. In fact, it’s driving us a little batty.

*Le Gasp!!*

Cue the world ending.

Don’t worry. It happens to the best of us. It’s common to fall in and out of love with writing, especially considering we should be treating it like a job, and who doesn’t fall in and out of love with their job? Or, better yet, upgrade and develop a love-hate relationship with it altogether? It’s perfectly normal for your life passion to make you seriously question your sanity. And really, Lord knows it doesn’t matter if that passion is a hobby or a profession; insanity is completely inclusive and knows no boundaries. Honestly, you should watch me play video games; as much as I love them, I’m generally a mess when I play.

I know we all like to think that we are tough as nails and have nerves of steel, but the truth of the matter is this: we are human. We are fragile sometimes. And sometimes, SOMETIMES, our mental game isn’t exactly top notch. And while this might not seem like a big deal, not being 100% in the mental health department can lead to other things, like other health issues, insomnia, poor eating habits, increased hermitage, poor writing, or worse, NO writing.

Ok, NOW cue the world ending.

So, before you toss in the towel and seriously consider a new passion, let me settle your worried soul and offer 10 tips on how to salvage the last bits of your already fragile mental psyche. Some of these may work for you, and some of them may not. Some of them won’t be very nice to hear (you’ve been warned; the faint of heart should avert ye eyes), but are important nonetheless.

Without further ado, 10 tips on how to stay [relatively] sane while writing:

1) Take a break. This one is important, guys. When was the last time you got up, stretched, and focused on something besides your computer screen? Sometimes when we are so focused on our work, we forget that we have a body…a human body…and those things have needs! We ignore the signs our bodies are throwing at us, like muscle aches, eye strain, hunger pains, headaches, and full bladders. Trust me, your work isn’t going anywhere. You can afford a 5-minute pee break. It’ll all be there when you get back. And if it isn’t…well…I blame the wizards.

2) Make a schedule for yourself. Set alarms to remind yourself to take breaks, to eat, to do something that isn’t writing-oriented. Maybe instead of saying, “I will write today!” start with smaller, less vague goals. “I will write 500 words, take a 10-minute break, and then write another 500 words.” This goal is a lot more specific, is well-structured, has a beginning and end, and is easily attainable! Make it a habit to start each writing session with a routine so you know which direction you are heading in; going head-first into a session without an end-goal often leads to procrastination, frustration, and disappointment.

3) Switch it up. If the routine you are currently stuck in feels more like a rut than anything, perhaps it’s time to develop a new ritual. Try something different. Leave the house. Listen to a different playlist. Play around with a couple writing exercises to get the ideas flowing. Write in a group if you normally hermit it up (and vice versa, if you are on the more social side). Pick apart your routine and see what is working, and what isn’t. It’s amazing to see the sorts of things that might be helping alleviate your stress, and what might be exacerbating it.  

4) Reward yourself. When you meet a goal, celebrate! Eat that candy, take a breather to watch that movie, go to the bookstore and buy that book you’ve been eyeing up. Allowing yourself those little treats is a great way to lighten the mood, offer momentary distraction, and reinforce further positive behavior. Think of it like this. If you are training your puppy to go to the front door when it needs to pee, you are going to offer positive feedback when it does the task you want it to do. Your puppy is then going to associate doing the right thing with something good (ie: praise, cuddles, and/or treats). The same thing goes for you (except, for the love of God, I hope you’re potty trained). When you set goals for yourself, reach them, and reward yourself accordingly, your brain is going to start associating positive experiences with hard word and hitting goals. This helps you focus less on stress and more on how well you are doing, or how much work you’re getting done. It’s all about perspective, you see. Positive reinforcement is key to a healthy you and a healthy me!

5) Accept defeat. Ok, I KNOW this is like a punch in the throat, and I’m not trying to be Negative Nelly over here, but this is an honest-to-goodness tip, Scouts Honor. When I say, “accept defeat,” I’m not saying toss all your hard work away the moment you hit a wall and all the rainbows and butterflies are gone. I’m saying that if you’ve been struggling with your novel baby for a solid chunk of time (I’m talking months-years here), you’ve lost your passion for it, and you are generally experiencing more anger than joy when it comes to sitting down at your computer and opening up your work, then you might want to consider either 1) setting that WIP aside and focusing on something else, or 2) getting rid of that WIP altogether. Now, keep in mind that this is only for absolutely dire, worst-case-scenario ordeals. But sometimes, it’s good to know when to call a spade a spade and to call it quits. I highly recommend putting a lot of thought into this, as well as making the decision with a clear, objective mind. Because, let’s face it, this is a huge deal, and letting your emotions get in the way might not be the best idea. But sometimes, you’d be amazed at how much lighter you feel after agreeing to drop a story. I’ve done it before, and as sad as it is to say goodbye, the lack of mental stress, guilt, and burden was enough to convince me that I made the right choice.

6) Get support/have a soundboard. A good vent session is a beautiful thing. And it’s even better when it’s not with your fur baby. For me, besides the raging headache I get, I often feel 10x lighter, more energetic, and more balanced after a good sob-fest/yelling session. While the soundboard can essentially be anyone, it helps if they have a writer’s brain like you; they know the struggles you are going through inside and out, and can offer constructive feedback and advice that doesn’t make you want to start throwing out punches like a kung-fu master. But the most important thing is knowing you aren’t alone in these problems. People have gone through EXACTLY what you are going through. They’ve been on the verge of snapping a time or two as well; what you are experiencing is not special, nor is it exclusive to solely you. People are suffering together! Hooray!

7) Journal your progress. Now, I know that sometimes journaling is the last thing people want to do, especially if writing is what they are already doing all day, not to mention if it is writing that is causing them such mental strain. But I find that if I journal my progress, even if it’s a couple sentences here and there, it helps me debrief and vent. This tip is especially handy if you don’t have the best support systems in place, or a soundboard to fall back on. Besides, sometimes we just need to rage-write our hearts out without fear of getting judged, interrupted, and overwhelmed with awful advice. Just as well, I find that journaling also helps me remain focused and on track. I can see how far I’ve come, how much I’ve grown, and I’m reminded that I’m a lot stronger now than I was before. It’s very grounding.

8) Listen to music. Some people prefer to write in silence, and that’s totally fine! However, unless I’m really in The Zone, I find that my thoughts go way faster than my fingers, and in the end, I get too stressed to even function. My subconscious gets the better of me, and in the end, my work, and my mental health, suffers because of it. Therefore, often I turn to music to help keep my mind chatter to a minimum, and to keep my focus sharp. Music is awesome that way; there is a unique type for every sort of mood you are feeling. If you need something relaxing, there’s a playlist for that. If you need hardcore screamo, there’s a playlist for that. If you need orchestral, or lyrical, or dubstep, or chillstep, there is a freaking playlist for that. Music is incredibly influential, and often I find that my mood mirrors whatever I’m listening to. Using music to impact and manipulate your writing is a great way to push past blocks, fears, and crippling doubt. Need a confidence booster? I’ll bet there’s a playlist for that.

9) EAT. Seriously. When was the last time you fed your body? And no, I don’t mean with ichiban noodles, nutrigrain bars, and candy. When was the last time you put ACTUAL food into your belly? AKA protein, nutrients, healthy sugars, and non-lethal doses of sodium? When was the last time you drank something besides coffee and energy drinks? If you honestly can’t remember, stop reading this blog, go and grab a cup of water, and don’t sit back down till you drank it all. I mean it.

10) You are going to hate me for this, but exercise. Notice how I left this as the last tip…because it is honestly the last damn resort, the “worst case scenario”, the Plan Z. I’m not a fan of exercise on the best of days, but sometimes, if you are hitting that writer’s block for the umpteenth time, and the end is nowhere in sight, and your frustration is building so high up that it’s about to cave in on itself, then maybe stepping away from the danger zone and getting fresh air IS actually a good idea. Stop breathing in recycled air, and go out to where the elements are not man-made. Get the blood flowing, the heart pumping, and blast that music so loud that thinking about your book is next to impossible. Give your brain a moment to think about something else. Trust me, it’s not cheating to place your attention elsewhere for a couple seconds.  

And there you have it! 10 tips to help you not rip out your hair and ram pencils into your eyeballs. Like I said before, not all these will work for you, nor should they (don’t forget, #5 is only in absolutely dire circumstances). During your writing hours, take time to introduce a couple of these into your schedule, and practice them till you find a groove that works well for you. I know your life is already busy, but trust me, your psyche will thank you in the long run!

With that said, I post new blogs (and vlogs, apparently) every Thursday, and if there is anything you’d like me to discuss, feel free to message me on here, or tweet me @ScarletteStone

Until next time,

Happy Writing!

[pagemichelle1992]

What Food We Eat To Increase Height Easy And Cheap Cool Tips

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How To Increase Height By Food

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[poop4u]

Dutch ban short-nosed dogs prompting fears that other countries could follow

#Poop4U

@Dier&Recht

The story broke last week that the breeding in the Netherlands of Bulldogs and other short-faced breeds (and crossbreeds) had been banned, prompting outrage from some dog-lovers - and a standing ovation from others. To many in the show-world, the news seems to have come as a massive shock. New Facebook groups and petitions have sprung up overnight in the hope of preventing a slippery-slope spread to other countries. Dozens of international breed clubs have issued statements of condemnation and on Wednesday, the FCI (the umbrella group for many overseas kennel clubs) held an emergency webinar  (a separate blog to come on that). In fact, the president of the FCI, Dr Tamás Jakkel, has even gone so far as to write an extraordinary open letter charging the Dutch KC (Raad van Baheer) with negligence in letting the Dutch Government implement the new legislation. (Read Dr Jakkel's letter here.)

Last week, the Pug Breed Council in the UK accused the Dutch KC of “being happy to see the demise of historic breeds that have existed for hundreds of years." The Dutch government's decision, it says, is "beyond our comprehension."

In reality, it has been a very long time in coming. And the 'ban' is both not a ban - and it's not new. 

Legislation introduced in the Netherlands in 2014 forbids the breeding of pet animals "in a way that harms the welfare and health of the parent animal or the offspring." It spells out that breeding should prevent, as far as possible, serious hereditary disorders/diseases or welfare-impacting conformation being passed on to offspring. The hope was that it would be enough to encourage breeders to make changes, And, indeed, in 2015, the Dutch Kennel Club became the first in the world to mandate a 1km walking test for Bulldogs before they could be bred. Not much changed, though - and certainly not in terms of breeder willingness to change the look of their dogs. The legislation proved to be vague to be of much to those wanting to bring prosecutions against breeders producing dogs that contravened the law. Faced with continuing high-profile media attention on the plight of brachycephalics, the Dutch government commissioned a report from the University of Utrecht entitled "Breeding Short-Muzzled Dogs" which was published in January 2019.   It provided the basis for six new breeding criteria that Carola Schouten, Minister for Agriculture, introduced in March 2019. These cover eye conformation, nostril stenosis, neck girth, excess skin folds and - most controversially -  that all dogs bred in the Netherlands (crossbreeds as well as purebred) must have muzzles at least one third the length of their head (and, in time, half the length of their head).

As you might imagine, it was met with uproar - other than from one Pug club, Commedia, which advised its members to stop breeding and announced it would be willing to consider outcrossing in order to meet the new criteria. (A stance that was subsequently overturned by the members who ousted the Club officers who wanted to take this route.) However, the Dutch KC itself broadly welcomed the new criteria - with the exception of the muzzle-length rule. In August 2019, along with its brachycephalic breed clubs, the Dutch KC submitted a counter proposal in the hope of overturning it. It failed - although is has now won a last-minute concession that allows, in the short-term, for one parent to have a shorter muzzle if other criteria (which includes an exercise test) are met.

As a result, last week the Club announced that it will no longer issue full pedigree certificates to the following ‘extreme’ brachycephalic (short-faced) breeds - unless the parents have passed an independent vet-check confirming that at least one of them has a muzzle the required length.  Affenpinscher Boston Terrier Bulldog French Bulldog Griffon Belge Griffon Bruxellois Japanese Chin King Charles Spaniel Pekingese Petit Brabancon Pug Shih Tzu

As there are very few of the above that meet this criteria, die-hard Dutch brachy breeders are seeing it as the end of the road.   The Dutch KC says it has plans for a separate registry where dogs that don't meet the criteria can continue to be recorded/tracked - but they won't be accepted on to the stud book and they cannot be shown.  The Dutch KC also says it is hopes to set up a separate registry for outcrosses bred to to bring in eg a longer nose from another breed (something that has been done in Germany with the retro-pug; although not in a way that's been embraced by the German KC).   The hope is that descendants of these dogs might, down the line, be considered acceptable enough to incorporate back into the stud book. This has prompted horrified calls of "mongrelisation" from some breeders. 

"The head is one of the hallmarks of the breed and its change in this manner will cause the breed's essence to be eliminated," writes the French Bulldog Clubs of America and Canada in a statement last week. "This mandate will significantly change the head shape, ratio of muzzle to skull, and the dentition."

I confess I am infuriated by the dentition reference. We know that French Bulldogs and other brachcyephalics have awful teeth - the result of squishing the normal number of canine teeth into a much smaller jaw. Veterinary dentist Dr Fraser Hale maintains he has never, in a 30-yr career, seen an entirely normal brachycephalic mouth. The teeth are always crowded/rotated. A longer muzzle should help normalise this, if not completely resolve the problem.

GSD x Pug

The Dutch KC now finds itself at the centre of an international dog fight, with many breeders blaming it for what's happened. Many are also furious that the Club agrees with the legislators that at least some change is necessary. "As a Kennel Club, we have repeatedly urged the breed clubs of extremely short-muzzled breeds to include additional health measures in their breeding policies," says a spokesperson. "At that time there was no will to adapt, at least not enough. The Dutch KC is also frustrated by the constant deflection by many breeders to "lookalikes" (ie puppy mill/BYB-bred dogs). It knows that this argument doesn't wash with legislators when the scientific literature links the problems to the phenotype not the provenance of these dogs. Sure, "responsible" breeders are the most likely to health-test and their dogs will be pampered - but they are also often the ones breeding the dogs with the flattest faces because that is what wins in the show-ring.  In fact, the most cursory of Google searches proves that many brachyephalic dogs have become more extreme over the years, not less, and that it is the show-ring that has driven much of this exaggeration. "If we look at some old photos of these breeds from the last century, which is not that long ago, should we not ask ourselves who we are to say that this is the only correct type? " asks the Dutch KC. "How would breeders at the time react to the breeds as they are today?" In response to the the FCI's claim that the Dutch legislation is an attack on breeds that should be considered "national heritages" the Dutch KC suggests: "So let us take a good look at the books and the available photo material from that time and use these photos as a standard. If we showed these photos to the public in the street from about 60 years ago and now, which would be their favourite?" It's a good question. And yet if you point out to breeders that Pugs looked like this 150 years ago...

 1878-80 Minnie + Sally from The Royal Collection

Or that Bulldogs used to look like this...

Donald - the first Bulldog to be shown i America

... they'll tell you that these examples were mongrels or can otherwise be discounted.

I'm not often in the habit of defending kennel clubs and I can understand why some believe the Dutch KC could have done more. But I don't think the international dog 'fancy' fully understands the strength of public opinion in the Netherlands - and indeed in other countries where brachycephalic health has continued to be highlighted by scientists and the media.  Bottom line, the Dutch KC's hands are now tied. It can no longer continue to sanction illegal breeding any more than the UK Kennel Club could register breeds such as the Japanese Tosa that are banned by law in the UK.  Of course now the fear among breeders is that other countries, emboldened by the Dutch move, might follow suit.  In fact, I would be very surprised if we saw a  ban in the UK any time soon and, let's face it, the USA is the breeding wild-west where any attempts at control is considered an infringement of constitutional rights. But there are certainly some murmurings in Finland, Norway, Germany and Austria. No one should be surprised.

It is now over 70 years since the first surgeries were done to correct airway abnormalities in these breeds. Today, much of the workload of thousands of vets worldwide is taken up trying to fix both their breathing and a myriad of other issues in these dogs. 

“I am genuinely horrified by some of the patients that walk into my clinic,” says veterinarian Dr Gert ter Haar who contributed to the report commissioned by the Dutch Government and until recently ran the Brachycephalic Clinic at the Royal Veterinary College. “I don’t know where to start to try and make them feel better.”

We now know that brachycephaly confers a host of pathologies on these dogs. Hundreds die from heatstroke every year because their anatomy impairs their ability to thermoregulate; they have the same number of teeth as a Labrador squished into a third of the space; a foreshortened skull which can cause the brain to rotate; eyes liable to damage by the lack of a muzzle to act as a buffer; painful ear problems, gastro-intestinal issues, difficulties mating and giving birth, compromised genetic diversity and a reduced lifespan - particularly for the French Bulldog and Bulldog (5-8yrs old depending on which data/studies you look at).

Dr ter Haar says he is “thrilled” by the Dutch Government’s decision. “The only reason breeders have bred towards a shorter and shorter nose/face is that they look very cute and more childlike. Have we become so superficial that the look of our dogs is more important than their welfare? In my opinion this gives us a way, finally, to stop breeders who do not have the welfare of the dogs they breed at the top of their priority list.”

Others believe a ban is a mistake, pointing out that simple solutions for complex problems can have unintended consequences. 

“Unfortunately, I'm not sure that we have enough evidence to say that increasing the length of the nose alone will make the difference that they are hoping for,” says Dr Jane Ladlow, a brachycephalic specialist who is is one of only a few in the world doing advanced surgery on these dogs. Dr Ladlow, believes that the right approach is to work with, rather than against breeders. Along with colleagues at Cambridge University she was instrumental in the setting up of the UK Kennel Club's new respiratory grading scheme.

“I'm concerned that the ban will stop reputable breeders who are concerned about health but won't stop puppy farms as imports from other countries are still allowable. There is obviously considerable demand for these breeds because of their personalities and popularity on social media.”

Dr Ladlow also points to the Cambridge research which found factors such as head-width and neck girth may be more significant than muzzle length. She is adamant that there are healthy dogs out there.

Indeed, the Cambridge research found that around half of Bulldogs, Frenchies and Pugs had no significant breathing issues. But that leaves 50% who do. And, again, hardly a week goes by without a new paper identifying yet another problem. Two weeks ago, a Finnish study of ostensibly healthy Bulldogs found that that almost all had problematic joint issues (blog post to come).

Dr Rowena Packer, author of several key scientific papers exploring the impact of brachycephaly on dogs, broadly supports the Dutch move: “Many millions of dogs with longer muzzles already enjoy the freedom to breathe, see, walk and play freely, with no need for invasive surgeries or laborious daily husbandry to achieve this.

“Although ‘banning’ may not be an optimal solution for many parties, given the lack of success seen with other breed bans, the Netherlands are sending a clear message to dog breeders that this issue simply must be taken seriously.”

I'm not that keen on bans either. But I welcome the Dutch move. Not enough has been done to address these dogs' problems and breeders continue to resist even minor tweaks to their breed standards. Hopefully, with the threat of legislation hanging over their heads, and with those arguing for reform clearly not going away, we will see more progress. As ever, the dogs deserve better.

Poop4U Blog via www.Poop4U.com Jemima Harrison, Khareem Sudlow