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fieldofpain · 4 years ago

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On the White Rev Left

Developing Militants: the Left’s Minstrel Show and How College Educated Revolutionaries of all Colors Keep the Working Class Shucking and Jiving

[This piece was originally published by a small collective known as Fire Next Time in early 2013, though to my knowledge they no longer exist as an organization. Their website has disappeared into the digital ether and their writings along with it, so I’ve decided to re-up this article onto tumblr, even if I doubt many will find it on my lil’ old blog. If this does happen to stumble across your dash please take the time to read it, particularly if you currently consider yourself a “radical” in college. It had a tremendous impact on my friends and I when it first came out and dramatically changed the direction of the political work we accomplished that year.]

Introduction

The White revolutionary left is largely college educated young people. Whether they work at a cafe, wash dishes, teach in public schools, or drive trains, they share the common experience of a college education. Their experiences in college have profoundly shaped their politics in a variety of ways. Two particular sets of politics are race relations and relationship to revolutionary theory. These White College Educated Revolutionaries (WCER) have never broken from the experiences in college. Worst of all they unknowingly impose their particular college experiences on the revolutionary movement and particularly the working class whites and working class People of Color (POC)[1]. Lastly, People of Color College Educated Revolutionaries (POCCER) have played a crucial role in working with WCER in unknowingly preventing any working class leadership from developing.

This has resulted in a devastating consequence for potential POC working class revolutionaries. They are denied the very intellectual benefits which WCER have received. While WCER have all the best intentions, this is objectively white supremacy in motion. This results in the control of most organizations by WCER. The POCCER in particular are rarely in genuine leadership because of this dynamic and their own contradictory relationship to education and revolutionary theory. This results in a minstrel show where authenticity is defined by lack of knowledge of the past and the romanticization of someone’s experience. Fundamentally it says that theory, writing, and education is not for POC. White college educated revolutionaries control the movement and usually forefront only their experiences and expect POC and white working class people to conform to them.

I will expand on these points in this essay. This is one of the many crises of the revolutionary left today. Sadly, much of what I describe is done under the best of intentions. While it might sound like it at times, I do not believe there is a coordinated and evil plot to keep down working class people in the revolutionary left. I do not believe any of these WCER are white supremacists. They are serious revolutionaries. But they are revolutionaries who are the product of the general historical moment and their particular life experiences. Regardless of what they say and think, I am most interested in the objective results and process of their actions.

The White College Educated Revolutionary (WCER) The category of WCER is very broad and needs some political refinement. While I cannot draw extremely sharp demarcations, some minimal ones will be helpful. I have noticed that WCER in Trotskyist and Maoist organizations do not display this problem. If anything the Maoists are the most serious about developing well rounded revolutionaries as far as their tradition understands it. WCER Trotskysts also display a fair amount of seriousness and fall outside the critiques I am making.

I have noticed Anarchists are some of the poorest in this sense. While there are exceptions, those who I can point out are exactly that, exceptions. Then there are those coming out of the Johnson-Forest tradition which have most in common with the problems of the white Anarchists and WCER. Lastly, there are the independent activists who are radicals or revolutionaries, but most importantly have not joined any revolutionary organizational form. The core of my critique is centered around independent activists, those influenced by the Johnson-Forest tradition, and Anarchists, with all of them having in common their college education. When using WCER, I will tend to refer to this layer as a general rule.

Most of the WCER left has had minimal contact with POC working class and unemployed. They come out of the suburbs or small towns and go to fairly elite private or public university. They rightly developed a moral anger against the white supremacy geared towards many communities in the USA and around the world. They learned about Marxism in the university and often it was discussed as Stalinism. Marxism was paraded around as completely male, Euro-centric etc. What was missing was any mention of Walter Rodney, Rosa Luxemburg, Grace Lee Boggs etc. Or how many movements in Asia, Latin America, and Africa were marxist/ communist, although of highly Stalinist-Maoist varieties. Nor do they study in college the Grundrisse, Johnson-Forest Tendency, Socialism or Barbarism, etc.

What first developed for these WCER as a critique of Marxism, led to a criticism of theory and universal ideas as destroying oppressed groups’ particular experiences. Theory and universalism became a stand-in for the white straight man. While there is a strain of truth to it, it does not explain any of the women and POC militants and movements I have mentioned so far. What stood in its place was the romanticism of the individual experience of Queers, women of color, Trans-people, men of color, etc. The class dimensions of these identities were usually hallowed out because class also became the bogey man for Marxism. Sociological academic words like intersectionality, privilege, and positionality came to fill in for the revolutionary past. Bourgeois thought had once again defanged revolutionary theory.

If revolutionary theory was not totally hollowed out, what was learned at best was an incomprehensible academic Marxism. Giving certain insights to many WCERs, it also left them unable to speak plainly to anyone outside of academia. As soon as WCERs stepped out of school, they discovered no one understood a word they spoke unless they spoke plain. This further deepened the idea that revolutionary theory was not for the working classes. This created a private versus public distinction of where revolutionary ideas are discussed. Back on the college campuses, the WCER did some organizing where the only POC they encountered were their class counterparts. The political experiences and relationship developed on college campuses had a definitive impact on how both of these groups imagine politics, organizing and race relations to be. And these POC had been waiting their entire life to give it to the man and they found a group of WCER who were only too happy to oblige their POC counterparts. Both the WCER and the POC revolutionaries had a sickness of revenge, guilt and an inner cowardice.

Authenticity+Representation= Attack on Revolutionary Theory Everyone on college campuses recognized that there was a profound difference between their class reality and what people outside the campus were experiencing. Usually this was understood in some shallow-sociological form of class. That no one was able to make deeper connections with those outside college campuses was a reality no one could ignore. This is part of the material basis of the politics of representation which came to fill such a role in the contemporary revolutionary left. WCERs needed representatives to play a fill-in role since none could be found outside of college campuses. These representatives were almost always POCCERs.

But to be representative of something, you need some claim to authenticity. No discussion of authenticity can happen without discussing the problems of race which are inherent to the concept. We can expose the problem by framing it in terms of a question. Who is an authentic POC? What kind of music does an authentic POC listen to? How does an authentic POC talk? How does an authentic POC dress? Where does an authentic POC live? What does an authentic POC eat? What are the politics of an authentic POC? The list is endless. But this line of questions exposes the racialist/ white supremacist thinking which are the very foundations of the questions themselves.

No one in the WCER would openly ask such questions. Their white skin prevents such public statements. But the way WCER behave in college, exposes their method of thinking. This is where the POCCER enters. I will not forget when I recently heard a POCCER claim that he sagged his pants low so he could make a political statement, connect with the hood, and remind others of his true origins. This is a classic moment of authentic representation. The WCER sees someone who they believe has an accurate understanding of the POC working class.

The authentic representation combination leads to an attack on revolutionary theory. The authentic representative is someone who hates revolutionary theory. The following things are essential for this authentic representative to say: a) people in the hood do not read or care about books; b) people in the hood worry about the police, wages, or rent; c) people in the hoods’ experiences are enough to politicize them.

Ignorance or White Supremacy? College campuses are so politically correct that open white supremacy is rare in the left. There is something to be said of young people coming together. Mistakes will be made and often very silly things will be said. It is difficult to be a white revolutionary today around POC revolutionaries. The slightest slip is taken as white supremacy and the POC revolutionary is quick to make accusations. Strangely, I have noticed that POC often say as many ridiculous things about other POC from different religions, nationalities, class backgrounds, gender etc. However, there is much more negotiating and conversation going on within the POC space then with white counterpart.

The reality of white supremacy and the broader ignorance of white people regarding white supremacy has a lot to do with the frustrations POC revolutionaries have. Too many white people know little of what is happening in POC workplaces, schools and neighborhoods. Many well intentioned, but slightly naive WCER get caught in this dynamic. Unfortunately, nobody grows out of this dynamic. They continue to perpetuate it well past their years in college. Buried in this field of land mines is the assumption that politics and history is something you know or you don’t, but it cannot be taught. The anti-educational bent of the WCER and POCCER re-enforces the notion that either you know it or you don’t. The most common statement coming from POCCER is that people in the hood do not need to read about police brutality, they experience it everyday. How are white people supposed to know about police brutality? If something is learned from a book, its cultural credibility is put into question. Knowledge from a book is seen as less pure, authentic, etc. The real knowledge, the claim goes, is from the streets, from poverty, and raw oppression. The common refrain usually goes, “I do not need a book to tell me about oppression” x, y or z. This is often very radical sounding positions, but underlying them is poverty of knowledge, history, and strategy in how to fundamentally defeat the root causes of oppression.

If politics is something you either know or you do not, the implications are deep. People who advocate this position should think very carefully about what those implications are. Why/ how would white working class people have solidarity with working class POC? Why/ how would POC have solidarity with one another considering the amount of internal divisions within POC? Why/ how should working class POC/ whites stop believing in the anti-Semitic theories of the Illuminati? Why should men stop thinking women are ‘bitches’? Why/ how do some of these changes occur? The point of is in a society filled with horrible ideas spewed from ruling class media and oppressed people, how do new liberatory ideas gain traction? Of course, part of the story is people struggle, and change their views. But, is that enough? Obviously, I do not think so. Theoretical engagement with the working class is crucial. Related to this is that politics is purely culture and personal interactions. This is has particular origins in the United States. This has its own deeper history going back to feminism, rejection of vanguard Maoist-Stalinist parties of the 1970s, and the defeat of the 1980s all leading to contradictory developments. I do not mean to slight in any way the important insights regarding how the personal is political, the importance of unpaid care work, or the destructive nature of the voluntarism of the New Communist Movement. Attached to these healthy developments have also come the singular focus on culture and personal interactions as representative of political struggle.

This intersects with the contemporary experience of WCER and POCCER in countless classrooms where they are trained to be professional cultural critics. This should not be dismissed as something minuscule. I argue that the highest form of counter-revolutionary culture today is the radical chic cultural critic which is the emblem of sexy and cool politics. This is criticism with no historical, strategic, and organizational perspective. It is the cultural criticism of neo-liberalism disguised as radical politics which has fundamentally shaped WCER and POCCER. It is the practice of people who are not responsible for building a community, but only act as ‘critical dissenters’ who ultimately land a job at a university ‘speaking truth to power’ while actually never challenging it. At best, many WCER and POCCER walk away from college hating such cultural critics, but I argue the essence of those critics are stamped permanently on the former. And unknowingly it becomes a part of political practice, social life, and relationships. Culture and personal interactions absolutely matter. But they cannot be divorced from broader material and ideological realities of this system. This means that if we take white supremacy seriously, then we should take into account that our little groupings cannot be divorced from the effects of white supremacy.

Considering everything I have said, I want to end this section on a different note. The revolutionary left in the USA has had its fair share of internal white supremacy. What else is to be expected in a society so saturated with such a sickening racial order? This is not meant to excuse the failures of the past, but to place them in a certain ideological and material reality which we continue to deal with today. It is undeniable the revolutionary left has made gigantic leaps from the days of the Socialist Party of America when Eugene Debs could foolishly proclaim that socialism has nothing special to offer to the Black man. Today, I could not imagine anyone saying something like that without facing serious challenges from all quarters.

This begs the question of having some measurable standard for what constitutes white supremacy. Signs of white supremacy in the revolutionary left are: a) a lack of POC leadership b) a political program that does not take racial oppression seriously c) no organizing with racially oppressed groups d) the dismissal of POC revolutionary militants, thinkers, and histories. It seems that these four criteria are clear and measurable points of struggle that every revolutionary formation should be measured on.

The People of Color College Educated Revolutionary Who is the POCCER? Just like the WCER from Maoist and Trotskyist backgrounds, the POCCER from the same backgrounds also has a serious commitment to the working class. The one addition for POCCER, are nationalists, who are also some of the most committed to the development of working class people of color. Whether it is the determination of slaves to read or Malcolm X, the importance of being a well rounded and educated revolutionary is taken seriously. It is a particular point of honor in a society which has done everything to deny the masses of Black people decent education. And it is one of the most powerful ways to exist as equals with other whites.

POCCER can be divided into two camps on the question of revolutionary theory based on their reaction to the chapter “Saved,” in Malcolm X’s autobiography. For one set of POCCER it only made a momentary impact on their lives. It was just another moment. But another group of POCCER read it and it changed them forever. It recast their entire life. Their lack of knowledge of the past, their feelings of insecurity, their failures in school, their peoples’ oppression, etc. all got reworked by this chapter. And one of the dramatic lessons of this chapter was that ignorance was not a gift, but a great curse which had to be overcome. For these POCCER, reading and writing would become a crucial part of revolutionary politics and liberation. I do not mean to say that it was simply this chapter which was the magic trick. I am only using this chapter as a pivot into what was a developing current in the second set of POCCER. They were waiting to read such a piece of literature their entire life, as if all the events in their life had prepared them to sit in that lonely prison cell with Malcolm X and finally discover the power of knowledge.

The attraction to purely personal experiences by POCCER is a classic sign of weakness. It is weakness in a particular social context. In revolutionary organization where abstract thinking, theory, generalizations, history, etc. matter so immensely, POCCER who have been so poorly educated, in a moment of being intellectually overwhelmed, defend themselves by reverting to personal experiences. It is not just being intellectually overwhelmed, it is an emotional reaction. It is a reaction of bitterness. Even in the struggle for liberation, they cannot compete with many white revolutionaries. I am not saying personal experiences are not vital, but I see it in a 3-way relationship with theory/ history, experiences of political struggle, in relationship with personal experiences. That is a liberatory way of looking at one’s life and what many white and POC revolutionaries in the past have done.

There is a defensiveness when an “other,” but especially WCER, know the internal politics of POC. There is insecurity. The dirty secrets of the POC community have been revealed to an interloper. How did they learn this? The sad truth is that there are no more secrets. The current access to information is unlike anything humanity has known before. Gone are the days when secrets can be hidden. In a world of multi-racial dating, books, youtube, twitter, etc., the racial secrets are out. POC who are resentful over the dirty secrets are living in the 19th century. This gives further ammunition to POCCER who think that theory and history are no good. It is purely an emotional reaction. Healthy, multi-racial, working class politics do not exist in WCER and POCCER scenes. Instead of strategy and revolutionary politics being the driving force, it is our feelings. Much of how we treat each other reflects the experiences of WCER and POCCER more than an anarchist/ communist movement rooted in the working classes. Something new has to be built.

The People of Color Alliance with White College Educated Revolutionaries Against the Working Class of all Colors For POCCER there are conflicts with the POC working class revolutionaries. I see two conflicts: a) who gets to represent the authentic person of color and b) who will be the organizational top dog and the gatekeeper of the POC community to whites. This struggle is actually a mini class struggle which has so far gone unnoticed in the entire revolutionary left. The WCER with the POCCER who do not like to read, discourage working class people of color from reading so they can play a role in revolutionary organization, politics, and struggle. Earlier, I wrote that WCER impose their experiences and needs on working class people of color. That is not entirely true. A more accurate formulation is that the POCCER and WCER together accomplish this goal. Although these two groups have slightly different reasons and approaches, the results are the same. Both, WCER and POCCER argue that what they are doing is completely justified. They both tend to know academic versions of Marxism, academic versions of feminism, academic versions of fill in the blank. If social consciousness is the product of social being, what else is to be expected. Those four years of undergraduate school and more years of graduate school in the defining intellectual years of WCER/ POCCER play an over-determining role. Both tend to have a theory of pedagogy that says personal experiences are what counts and that politics is something you either know or you don’t, in contrast to something you learn.

Both have fundamentally accepted in a-historical terms the profound attacks on the working class. Every bit of historical evidence shows that the working classes in the USA before the 1970s had a profoundly rich political culture, whether Nationalist, Maoist, Stalinist, Trotskyste, Anarchist, etc. It was a political defeat of epic proportions that these currents were separated from the working class. It is also accepted as eternal that working class people cannot read, do not like to read, do not like to think…etc.

Neither takes seriously what the working class thinks. My case in point is that no current in the United States has written one serious essay on what young working class people are thinking about today: New World Order and the Illumanti. How many people in the revolutionary left have heard of books like The Pale Horse? This is what the young working class is reading. Perhaps most dangerous of all are thoughts which imply that working class people of color have an inherent disposition to learn through song and dance, i.e. hip hop. There is no doubt of the rich history of resistance in musical form. To ignore that is to have a reductionist understanding of politics and culture. At the same time, there is a romanticization of the form/content of pedagogy. It is borderline white-supremacist and very patronizing.

For POCCER, being a gatekeeper is a vital part of who they are. There is a crucial social relationship which is masked by this gate keeper function. That the POCCER are not able to ‘mobilize’ POC working class communities any better than their white counterparts is a painful admission. The POCCER usually chalk this up to the fact that white culture, politics and ways of doing do not resonate with POC. Or that there is a lack of multi-racial solidarity. All these points have a grain of truth which are a factor. But I argue that the fundamental reasons why whites or POC cannot mobilize POC working class communities are: a) POC working class communities are not revolutionary in this period b) they are trying different strategies other than militant confrontation with the system c) they do not see a real winnable alternative in the revolutionary left d) the one thing which the revolutionary left could provide, strategies and intellectual discussions, it does not do, because it does not take those questions seriously e) paradoxically, and most importantly, when there is an immense militancy or ‘revolutionary’ discussion going on in the working class, WCER and POCCER are nowhere to be found .

In the absence of working class struggle and politics, it is the middle class whites and POC which have defined everything about the revolutionary left. It is understandable. It is very difficult to escape your class background. What is not understandable is the intellectual failure by the WCER and POCCER to understand themselves in light of this particular problem. The Left Minstrel Show: Time to Dance for the College Educated I have come to believe one of the most dangerous places in America for POC is the left. Where overthrowing capitalism will require excellence, the revolutionary left is the home of intellectual mediocrity, and for POC who have had education denied to them, this is not an option for freedom, but for ignorance and death. To be an authentic POC, you have to play the game of personal experiences, tragedy, etc. If you discuss things at the level of white revolutionaries, they will begin seeing you less as a POC, less as someone part of the POC community, etc. They will deny that any such POC could possibly come out of such conditions. At best they will see you as the exceptional POC or simply erase your identity as a POC. Your best chance of getting heard in the WCER scene is by playing a very specific role which has been mapped out for a long time. The WCER and POCCER ultimately create one of the fundamental divisions in capitalist society in its own relationship with POC working class revolutionaries. This is a racialized mental and manual division of labor. Secretly the WCER and POCCER are on powerful email lists, have their own blogs where everything is debated, and journals, etc. Most of these forums are largely white. The POCCER/ WCER does not develop the skills of the POC working class revolutionaries so that they can participate in these forums. What happens is that the WCER are the thinkers while the POC working class revolutionaries are the brawn/workhorses of the group. Occasionally the POC working class revolutionaries will write about their own personal experiences, but rarely in a broader historical or theoretical sense. That is the job of the WCER. The POCCER/ WCER cannot see that this mental and manual division of labor must be transcended. The POCCER/ WCER has no conception of a worker-militant; no conception of the relationship between theory and practice; no conception of the relationship between personal experiences, history, and political struggle. Both groups ultimately have a rigid divide between theory and practice. Theory is for private discussions among mostly white college educated people. Everything else is for working class people.

The job of the authentic person of color is to dance a game of ignorance, personal experiences, tragedy, and sob stories which all the POCCER and WCER can listen to. After a while, most sensible working class people leave such formations, because one does not go to meetings to share personal stories. It is called hanging out with friends. Without a clear revolutionary vision, one does not need to organize protests. A Sunday afternoon watching NFL is much more entertaining and potentially liberatory. This reveals that the revolutionary left has very little to offer working class people.

At times in this essay it might sound like I believe it is WCER who will teach working class people of color. As if the only relationship that can be developed with WCER is one of them as teachers and the working class people of color as obedient students. I believe that what the WCER and POCCER have to teach the working class is fairly limited today. Largely because of the degradation of revolutionary politics and theory. In some ways, I believe the working class is on its own and has been abandoned by the revolutionary left. But even if the WCER and POCCER did have things to teach, it would be a dynamic relationship of theory and key skills informed by political work and experiences. College educated people, especially from the middle class or working class, will tend to have a leg up in terms of reading, writing, and speaking skills. There is no point in denying that. The question is toward what ends are those skills used. Currently little of those skills are used to develop working class revolutionaries. If the trajectory of the past is any indication, most of the WCER and POCCER today will be the chic professors, gentrifiers, and ‘progressive’ state bureaucrats of tomorrow.

Being Scared To Say Anything The worst is that the WCER is always afraid to say anything critical of their POC college educated comrades or the POC working class comrades–especially if they are in the same group. Every speech a person of color gives is powerful. If you say a POC was being inarticulate, is that racist? It becomes impossible for the WCER to help their comrade grow because they are trapped in a psychology of guilt.

For the POCCER what is at stake is their confidence. They are always worried that what they are doing is reflective of their race. And failure in a specific task speaks for the entire race. This is a specific problem white revolutionaries do not face. POC revolutionaries tend to be defensive and come off as authoritarian because criticism is taken not only personally, but ultimately as a commentary about their ability to be race men/ women/ non-gender identifying. That is the crux of the problem. Psychologically, while understandable in a historical sense, this is completely destructive for the individual militant. The white college educated militant, while usually not aware of this internal war going on in the POC militant, claps endlessly, regardless of the quality of the writing, speech, contact work, organizing event, etc.

We need to destroy these behavior’s of white-POC college educated revolutionaries. They are in the way of oppressed people learning. These so called revolutionaries are closer to Booker T Washington than anything resembling revolutionary politics. Yes, WCER and their counterparts are no different than Booker T Washington on many fundamental questions of education. For those who want to see a real contrast, compare it with W.E.B. Du Bois, C.L.R. James or Malcolm X.

The Hidden Battle: College Educated Revolutionaries Obscured from Working Class Women of Color Due to patriarchy across the globe, historically, there has arisen a larger grouping of men of color who have left their mark in the written word: Amilcar Cabral, Steve Biko, M.N. Roy, CLR James, Jose Carlos Mariategui, Ali Shariati, Walter Rodney, to name some. The list of women is considerably shorter although that is beginning to change. One of the factors which unites many of the men is that they were able to go to the university. The women were not. The very ideological, social and material divisions created by patriarchy end up creating a powerful problem to overcome. The WCER and POCCER take the results of oppression and naturalize them into their own internal dynamics. Many women and feminists will jump and shout that I am ignoring the efforts of Lucy Parons, Elma Francois, Laila Khaled, Elizabeth Gurley Flyn, Assata Shakur, and/ or Rosa Luxemburg. My point is that few of these women left considerable theories or histories behind. For the super majority of these women, we read their autobiographies. This is not because women are biologically or inherently more prone to write autobiographies. That is not true. It is because they were denied the education that more of their men counterparts received. Many had to take care of children. Others were also the secretaries of the very men comrades who were supposed to be fighting for ‘their’ liberation. Many of these women subordinated the struggle for women’s liberation in the hopes that class or race liberation would grant them increased freedom. The reasons are many, but all tied to patriarchy.

Working class women of color are just as capable as their male counterparts in doing what the latter has done. There is nothing inherent in men which allows them to be more theoretical. But the debate as it has been dominated by WCER and POCCER blocks this development.

Female WCER fail to politically understand the specific battle that women of color must have with men of color. When female WCER push against theory, reading, and writing, they rob women of color revolutionaries of an important weapon which is specific to their historical experiences. And of course many male WCER think they are doing their duty by supporting their sisters in attacking theory and study.

The WCER think they are developing a block around their oppressed women counterparts. It is an opportunistic block not based on liberation, but based on sociological and romantic desires to be close to women of color. Male POCCER can continue to speak on questions of race in a gendered way which equates race with male gendered identified people and continue being the authentic representatives of POC with no challenge to their perspectives. But what gets lost in the debate is the battles that women of color must have with men of color in asserting their legitimate need to do exactly what men of color have done on a world stage.

In the one place where serious education and theory could be learned, the revolutionary formation, the WCER and the PCCER block them from doing so. The framework of WCER is most damaging for working class women of color.

What about the Working Class? It is true that there are plenty of working class people who hate to read and write. Many who disagree with what I have wrote, can point to many examples of this reality. Many will also correctly point out how the K-12 education system is designed to create McDonald’s workers, prisoners, and unemployed workers. Many will also point out that for many working class people, the best defense mechanism for survival is to ignore the racist, patriarchal, and homophobic education taught in school. These are only some of the realities working class kids face in school.

The question then becomes what conclusions are to be drawn from this situation. Basic questions should be asked. What kinds of knowledge is needed to destroy capitalism and social relations of oppression? Is reading and writing automatically white supremacist? Patriarchal? Class based? If you are trying to organize with millions of people is some type of reading and writing required? If music or youtube is your response, are those things any less patriarchal, homophobic and potentially white supremacist than reading and writing? Many working class people, after being told by their teachers and peers in K-12 that they are stupid for not being able to read and write as fast, react by never taking forms of intellectual practice seriously. Again, this makes sense. Working class people also have a contradictory relationship to these questions. I have been told by working class POC that I am an achievement of the race for my ability to speak and write well. I have been looked at as a white-boy by other POC working class people. There is probably no principled position I could discover by doing a sociological study of what working class people think about education, especially the young folks. Perhaps from the adults with young children, we could see a general trend towards the importance of education as a key concern.

Another critique is that working class people need to think about bread and butter issues and do not have time for theory. I am currently reading Red Star Over China. In this book, peasant soldiers, in the middle of a war, are taking 3-4 months to study theory! Let me say that again, in a middle of a war, where their comrades are being hunted down and killed, they are taking time out to study. Where their daily caloric intake is probably less than what many working class Americans eat in one McDonald’s meal! At a certain point, some of these arguments are simply just racist arguments which implicitly say POC in America are too dumb to think about anything other than bread and water. And besides, I also notice that whenever POC think about more than bread and water, the common revolutionary response is that those POC are bought off. It seems a trap has been set up: if you are a poor working class POC, then you can only think of food, shelter, and cops; but if you are able to think about other things, then you are bought off.

It is probably true that the most common encounters that revolutionaries have today with working class people tends to re-affirm that working class people do not like to read or write. There is a truth to this. A few words regarding the choices of the working class. To the extent that the working class can be thought of as a unit, as a conscious being, as a subject in capitalism, it certainly makes choices based on need and survival. The working class fundamentally needs to make choices on how to get food on the plate. What are the choices which will allow this to happen? At what point do working class adolescents in school figure out that their childhood dreams are no longer achievable? To what extent is this a realistic assessment of white supremacy, class, and patriarchy? This has huge political potentials which everyone recognizes. It is an insight about the realities of the system. It is gained through lived experiences. At the same time, what is the difference between being an object and a subject? We should not ignore that working class people are also objects in this society. They are objects for the capitalists to impose their ‘rationality’ upon. If this dimension is not understood, then the very premise of oppression cannot be grappled with. Oppressed people are made into objects by the system. There is a dynamic tension between this object-subject relationship.

The point of bringing up this subject-object relationship is not to discount the real and sensible choices that many working class K-12 or college people make. To point is to look at how these choices also lead to limitations in destroying the very system which created the oppression. In the immediate sense of the question, the choice to stop paying attention in school makes sense. But it becomes much more complicated when it comes to figuring out what amount/type of knowledge is needed to overthrow the system. I want to recognize that it was millions of peasants or slaves who could not read or write (which does not mean they were not smart) who destroyed oppression in China, Russia, Haiti, and many other places.

This reality should not lead to sloppy understandings of the education required to overthrow the system. Every revolutionary movement has had a set of educated (either from the university setting, through revolutionary organizations, or through their own networks) revolutionaries who have either led or fundamentally shaped the revolution. In my years of study, I have not encountered a single movement that escapes this dynamic. The other choice which I do not want to discount is that the subjects/ working class–as I mentioned earlier in the essay– determined to continue learning, dropout of school, to continue their education. Some find themselves tucked away in libraries, some in front of youtube videos watching Illuminati vidoes, others at the corner of the street talking about politics. There are a million ways to learn outside of bourgeois educational institutions.

Conclusion It should be no surprise that the revolutionary left is shaped by the class, gender and racial politics of this country. A big part of that shaping has been done by the counter-reaction to the college experience by the WCER and POCCER. Both currents have failed to historicize themselves in the proper way. They take their experiences for granted. They impose their experiences with learning and education onto the working class. They impose their experiences of race onto the working class. This cannot go on any longer. To be clear: in no way is this meant to say that POC working class people only learn through reading and writing. There are a thousand ways to learn and revolutionaries should ferociously support and develop such ways. The only reason this piece was so one-sided is because many revolutionaries are anti-intellectuals, anti-reading, anti-writing etc. except when it comes to their private lives. And of course this is racialized, as I have noticed in my experiences. The white revolutionaries who argue in public against theory and reading, read and theorize privately. So the argument was forceful in emphasizing key dimensions. Everyone learns through experience. And to be more precise, they learn through mass struggle and in their daily lived experiences against oppression. The challenge is to connect this to a broader understanding of capitalism, anti-capitalism, and revolution.

It might appear that I have argued for separate organizations of POC only. I can certainly see why people would draw such a conclusion. That is not the conclusion I hope people reach. While I do not feel confident there are any organizations which can pass the tests of this essay, the tasks still remain. Yes many tears will be shed, as the color of your skin will not be your savior from criticism. Encouragement and hard ass work to develop ourselves as better humans and revolutionaries is the only path.

My argument still rests on building a multiracial movement with WCER. At the same time there needs to be a massive reconstruction of the revolutionary left. While I hope to see it happen, with millions of working class people of color joining, I also recognize that it will not happen overnight. Millions of people do not join revolutionary organizations or become involved in revolutionary struggle casually. It takes immense crisis and self-development before such social relationships are created. It is not something revolutionaries can conjure out of thin air. To the extent revolutionaries exist in non-revolutionary times, they will be a small minority of society. We need to become comfortable with that.

Many will point out that the very author of this piece is a college educated revolutionary person of color. While this observation is correct, this is a continued reflection of the fetishization of sociology in the United States political scene. Radical sociology is not revolutionary politics, but has become one of the most powerful substitutes for what counts as such. Based on how ‘American’ revolutionaries conduct themselves, they would have ignored Mohamed Bouazizi in Tunasia, because he did not fit the correct sociological profile. Lastly this essay is not promoting ‘consciousness raising’ or that revolutionaries are saviors of the working class. I have emphasized certain things which can only be understood in the context of the US revolutionary left.

Books Which Influenced the Writing of This Essay Black Boy by Richard Wright Auto-Biography of Malcolm X Modern Politics by CLR James Hubert Harrison by Jeff Perry Revolutionary Suicide by Huey Newton Black Skin White Masks by Frantz Fanon -by WILL

[1] I recognize the problems of the People of Color category. Most who use it ignore the specifics of race in the United States and the globe. I stand by my usage of POC in this essay largely because it explains a general trend of a reality which does affect POC. This is not to say it is equal across racial groups. No doubt more specific pieces should be written on what this means for different racialized groups.

Original credit: @marxianergonomics

#white organizers please read #BLM #black lives matter #white radicals #adademics #longread #to read #white organizers in academia

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terfslying · 6 years ago

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Extremist Traits & TERFs

The traits are taken from (here), which is a list of extremist traits by Laird Wilcox. Most examples are from interactions with people on this blog, because I’ve got to limit myself to something.

Character Assassination

“Extremists often attack the character of an opponent rather than deal with the facts or issues raised. They will question motives, qualifications, past associations, alleged values, personality, looks, mental health, and so on as a diversion from the issues under consideration”

TERF Examples: Character attacks on Susie Green, of Mermaids UK, to attempt to imply that her motive for Mermaids UK is to force her own child to transition. & Claiming Mermaids UK was a significant part of forcing a young UK child to be trans, when in fact he was being abused by his mother and Mermaids UK only ever were contacted by phone by the mother, and were not otherwise involved in any way.

Name-Calling and Labelling

“Extremists are quick to resort to epithets (racist, subversive, pervert, hate monger, nut, crackpot, […] and so on) to label and condemn opponents in order to divert attention from their arguments and to discourage others from hearing them out. These epithets don’t have to be proved to be effective; the mere fact they have been said is often enough”

TERF Examples: "pedophile apologist”, “infertile, fat white loser”, “rapist” (all directed at me!)

Irresponsible Sweeping Generalisations

“Extremists tend to make sweeping claims or judgements on little or no evidence, and they have a tendency to confuse similarity with sameness […] they assume that because two (or more) things, events, or persons are alike in some respects, they must be alike in most respects.”

TERF Examples: “trans women are just men��; use of crimes by cis men to attempt to demonstrate trans criminality

Inadequate Proof For Assertions

“Extremists tend to be very fuzzy about what constitutes proofs, and they also tend to get caught up in logical fallacies […] they tend to project wished-for conclusions and to exaggerate the significance of information that confirms their beliefs while derogating or ignoring information that contradicts them.”

TERF Examples: “This research is reliable because I agree with it, and I don’t care that the authors have deliberately published politically motivated anti-gay propaganda studies before”

Advocacy of Double Standards

“Extremists generally tend to judge themselves or their interest groups in terms of their intentions, which they tend to view very generously, and others by their acts, which they tend to view very critically. They would like you accept their assertions on faith, but they demand proof of yours. They tend to engage in special pleading on behalf of themselves or their interests, usually because of some alleged special status, past circumstances, or present disadvantage.”

TERF Example: Refusal to criticise WoLF + Julia Beck’s association with the Heritage Foundation due to presumed good intentions

Tendency to View Their Opponents and Critics As Essentially Evil

“To the extremist, opponents hold opposing positions because they are bad people […] not merely because they simply disagree, see the matter differently, have competing interests, or are perhaps even mistaken.”

TERF Example: I deserve to “rot in hell” because I don’t agree with TERFs

Manichaean Worldview

“Extremists have a tendency to see the world in terms of absolutes of good and evil, for them or against them, with no middle ground or intermediate positions. All issues are ultimately moral issues of right and wrong, with the ‘right’ position coinciding with their interests.”

TERF Example: Willingness to use and spread sources from the alt-right with no regard for the source, since if it coincides with their interest, it’s ‘right’

Advocacy Of Censorship or Repression of Their Opponents or Critics

“They may include a very active campaign to keep opponents from media access [… or] actually lobby for legislation against speaking, writing, teaching, or instructive ‘subversive’ or forbidden information or opinions.”

TERF Example: Pressure to isolate young trans teens from media access

Tend to Identify Themselves In Terms Of Who Their Enemies Are

“[E]xtremists may become emotionally bound to their opponents, who are often competing extremists themselves. Because they tend to view their enemies as evil and powerful, they tend, perhaps subconsciously, to emulate them, adopting to same tactics to a certain degree.”

TERF Example: "TRA’s”, “libfems”, “transcult”; emulating anti-feminist tactics by joining groups like Hands Across The Aisle to directly partner with anti-abortion, anti-feminist conservatives and divide-and-conquer

Tendency towards argument by intimidation

“Extremists tend to frame their arguments in such a way as to intimidate others into accepting their premises and conclusions. […] They use a lot of moralising, pontificating, and tend to be very judgemental. This shrill, harsh rhetorical style allows them to keep their opponents and critics on the defensive, cuts off troublesome lines of argument, and allows them to define the perimeters of debate.”

TERF Example: Using the words “trans women” and “literal pedophiles and rapists” interchangeably in arguments

Use of Slogans, Buzzwords, and Thought-Stopping Cliches

“For many extremists, shortcuts in thinking and in reasoning matters out seem to be necessary in order to avoid or evade awareness of troublesome facts and compelling counter-arguments. Extremists generally behave in ways that reinforce their prejudices and alter their own consciousness in a manner that bolsters their false confidence and sense of self-righteousness.”

TERF Examples: “Peak trans”, “autogynephiles”, the bathroom & prison rapist tropes, to discredit trans women; “handmaids” and “libfems” to discredit cis women who disagree with them

Assumption of Moral or Other Superiority over Others

“Most obvious would be claims of general racial or ethnic superiority […] Less obvious are claims of ennoblement because of alleged victimhood,”

TERF Examples: Expanding real victimisation of women to include historically inaccurate concepts, such as ‘witch hunts were methods of controlling women’s knowledge’ to increase superiority; complete disownment of any moral responsibility for violence perpetrated or encouraged by TERFs

Doomsday Thinking

“Extremists often predict dire or catastrophic consequences from a situation or from failure to follow a specific course, and they tend to exhibit a kind of ‘crisis-mindedness’. It can be a Communist takeover, a Nazi revival, nuclear war, earthquakes (… etc. …) Whatever it is, it’s just around the corner unless we follow their program and listen to the special insight and wisdom, to which only the truly enlightened have access.”

TERF Example: Fair Play For Women’s unrealistic theory that if Gender Recognition Certificates were easier to get, women’s prisons would be flooded with trans sex offenders instantly.

Belief that it’s okay to do bad things in service of a good cause

“Extremists may deliberately lie, distort, misquote, slander, defame, or libel their opponents or critics, engage in censorship or repression, or undertake violence in “special cases”.”

TERF Example: Wetmeadow ‘distorting’ my post on the cotton ceiling to imply that I was saying same-sex attraction is a mental illness, to discredit me.

Emphasis on Emotional Response (and less on logical analysis and reasoning)

“Extremist have an unspoken reverence for propaganda, which they may call ‘education’ or ‘consciousness-raising’. Symbolism plays an exaggerated role in their thinking and they tend to think imprecisely and metamorphically.”

TERF Example: ‘consciousness-raising’ has a long history in extreme radfem spaces; in recent online spaces it’s more often called ‘peak trans’.

Hypersensitivity and Vigilance

“Extremists perceive hostile innuendo in even casual comments; imagine rejection and antagonism concealed in honest disagreement and dissent; […] Although few extremists are clinically paranoid, many of them adopt a paranoid style with its attendant hostility and distrust.”

TERF Example: Exposinglesphob’s entire blog

Problems Tolerating Ambiguity and Uncertainty

“[T]he ideologies and belief systems to which extremists tend to attach themselves often represent grasping for certainty in an uncertain world, or an attempt to achieve absolute security in an environment that is naturally unpredictable […] Extremists exhibit a kind of risk-aversiveness that compels them to engage in controlling and manipulative behaviour, both on a personal level and in a political context.”

TERF Example: “What do you mean, someone’s gender or sex might be ambiguous?? Woman is a biological term for adult human females, it’s simple”

Inclination towards “GroupThink”

“‘Groupthink’ involves a tendency to conform to group norms and to preserve solidarity and concurrence at the expense of distorting members’ observations of facts, conflicting evidence, and disquieting observations [… Extremists may] only talk with one another, read material that reflects their own views, and can be almost phobic about the ‘propaganda’ of the ‘other side’. The result is a deterioration in reality-testing, rationality, and moral judgement.”

TERF Example: Any source I give is bad, even if they’re genuinely trying to say that wikipedia is ‘good research’.

Tendency to Personalise Hostility

“Extremists often wish for the personal bad fortune of their ‘enemies’ and celebrate when it occurs.”

TERF Example: The fact that pretty much every person who isn’t a TERF and who discourses has been told to kill themselves.

Extremists often feel that the system is no good unless they win

“If public opinion turns against them, it was because of ‘brainwashing’. If their followers become disillusioned, it’s because of ‘sabotage’.”

TERF Example: Ex-terfs like myself either are just too dumb to understand radical feminism, or we never even existed in the first place.

#long post #the longest of posts #terfs n fascists #terfs behaving badly tag #tag for sources

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cryptoevent · 4 years ago

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Erik Voorhees – Cointelegraph Magazine

We felt like we were doing God’s work, says Eric Voorhees, a pioneer of cryptocurrency payments, who recalls how he tried to convert non-believers in the early days of Bitcoin.

The man whose SatoshiDice gaming platform was once responsible for half of all Bitcoin transactions is now a top government cryptologist and the CEO of the ShapeShift exchange.

He recalls that Bitcoin was considered a hoax at the Money 2020 conference in Las Vegas in 2012. At the time, he was working for BitInstant, one of the first Bitcoin exchanges, and they had a booth next to PayPal.

I remember the PayPal people giggling nearby. Some may have heard of Bitcoin. If they had heard of it at all, it was a complete hoax – a stupid internet scam or something. It was a totally unproductive conference.

History has not been kind to sinners and cheaters, many of whom have since repented. In 2020, eight years after the conference, Paypal finally made its appearance, allowing users to buy and sell encrypted products, and will soon be added as a payment method at 29 million merchants.

Voorhees spread the gospel of Satoshi during the conference with Charlie Shrem and Roger Wehr. Shrem is the founder of BitInstant, who is considered a martyr by some after serving two years in prison in a case involving the resale of bitcoin by a user of the Silk Road marketplace on darknet. Ver was perhaps the biggest believer of all, earning him the nickname Bitcoin Jesus for his charismatic promotion of currency.

When it came to conversion, Roger was the best. He was a real maniac, Voorhees said, laughing.

Even for Charlie and me, who were very much for this shared feeling, it was quite overwhelming and simply unrelenting.

Everyone who works in a startup feels like they’re changing the world, that they have a huge mission, and of course every company tries to reinforce that, he says, a CEO himself. But for Bitcoiners, Voorhees explains, it’s really about changing the world, on a fundamental level. It’s about changing the institution of money itself – that’s a very big task.

Vorhees explains that he sees Bitcoin as nothing less than a revolution:

It’s not just better unemployment insurance for the money people used to have. It’s a different kind of money that changes the government, that changes the culture, that changes social and economic relations at a very deep level. That’s why it took him so long to catch up, to get recognition, because he’s trying to get into such an established institution.

The year is 2012. @ErikVoorhees @rogerkver and I decided to pool our money for our first #Money2020 event. We told them we wanted the best possible stand, but that we needed to be next to @PayPal’s stand to be able to show the world OUR financial system!

Welcome, paypal! pic.twitter.com/5BzvQDfvFb

– Charlie Shrem (@CharlieShrem) October 21, 2020

Roots Library

Voorhees, now 35, spent his childhood in the mountains of Colorado in the early 1990s before moving to the University of Puget Sound, near Seattle, in 2003. He studied economics and international affairs, but he doesn’t really feel like he’s studied either one.

Throughout my studies in economics, I took courses on the history of economic thought, but I never learned anything about the Austrians, he says, referring to the Austrian School of Economics. The Austrians, often ignored by Keynesian economists, are obsessed with things like hard currency and deciphering non-refundable money. That’s why they’ve been adopted by goldbugs and the Bitcoin community, who, after all, often call them digital gold.

Fresh out of college, Voorhees headed to Dubai in 2008 to embark on an adventure where anyone with a college degree could find a job right away because the company was growing so fast.

He worked as a salesman at a brokerage firm and watched from afar as the world he thought he knew began to shrink under the weight of the global financial crisis. Dubai did not feel the effects until six months later, he recalls, describing the intervening period as very strange, during which Dubai experienced a huge economic boom while the rest of the Western world collapsed.

It was from this desolate oasis, untouched by the global drought, that the business and economics graduate, I think, really began to understand money on a very fundamental level. For Voorhees, the story of the money is simple: Money appears as a commodity not infrequently shrouded in disorder. It used to be gold and now it’s already a lot of money, but it could be something else if silver was more useful and efficient.

Following this realization, Voorhees had a very strong aversion to fiat money and government control of money, because as a proponent of the market economy, he believed that no government should determine the price or distribution of a good. Money was in fact the most important commodity of all, so the most important thing is that it not be centrally planned. Even in a so-called capitalist economy, he says.

A capitalist economy with a government-run monetary system seemed totally unethical to me, but I had no other answer or solution than to return to the gold standard, which seemed somewhat anachronistic to me.

After two years abroad, Voorhees returned to Colorado and soon moved to New Hampshire to join the Free State Project, an organized political migration he describes as a multi-day effort to bring 20,000 radical libertarians to a small jurisdiction [New Hampshire] to exert, he hopes, undue influence on the political structure. It was there that Voorhees, along with other radical libertarian political activists, stumbled upon Bitcoin in 2011.

At that point I was completely sold and a year later I left New Hampshire and moved to New York to join Charlie Shrem at BitInstant. He’s taking over the marketing department there as employee number three.

Around the same time, Charlie Shrem, Roger Wehr and Eric Voorhees – all of whom would go on to become cryptography greats – raised their money to set up a Bitcoin booth at the Money 2020 conference in Las Vegas. We needed to be near the PayPal booth to show the world our financial system, Schrem explains. Vorhees says they were unable to convert anyone to Bitcoin at the conference, despite their best efforts.

Belief in false profit

Vorhees admits he was a Bitcoin maximalist, a proponent of the one true currency who rejected all fake coins. I was a maximalist. When I got into Bitcoin, that was obviously the only room, he says.

When the other pieces came out, I rejected them, made fun of them, and generally hated them because I felt they were a distraction from an important project.

Although he tried to focus on Satoshi’s vision, new projects began to bother him, and he realized that many of them were doing things that Bitcoin didn’t or couldn’t do. By mid-2014, the transformation was in full swing.

My whole state of mind began to change. One of the most important aspects of Bitcoin is that it is decentralized. And that seemed to me the antithesis of a decentralized digital economy where there’s just one chain – you know, one code base, one chain, one set of economic rules. It seemed very appropriate that you get multiple different digital assets, and that was actually part of the decentralization, part of the merit of Bitcoin was that Bitcoin was not the only thing that existed.

He mitigates this by adding the usual warnings – most tokens are rubbish, many are scams, most will fail. Only a minority is interesting, but a minority is much more than one.

People at ETH… …are trying to keep these Bitcoin Maxis for Ethereum out of Binanka.

– Eric Voorhees (@ErikVoorhees) February 19, 2021

He still feels sympathy for his short-sighted maximalist colleagues, whom he sees as victims of the human tendency towards tribalism, which manifests itself in various ways: Of course, it manifests itself in religion. And it has expressed itself through cryptography, and some of the people – their conscience – has been warped into a complete endorsement of one flag and a complete mockery of all others.

It’s a group psychology phenomenon, and I don’t know how it will stop, but I think it’s really detrimental to the growth of decentralized digital finance in general.

Satoshi Dice Set

Just one year after his discovery of Bitcoin, Voorhees launched the Bitcoin-based game site SatoshiDice in 2012, which has taken the young cryptophile community by storm.

On Reddit, this guy wrote that he had created a mechanism similar to that of a casino where dice are rolled and the user picks up or loses their coins according to the result of the dice. I tried it and there was magic in it right away… so I started working on it.

It was revolutionary because it allowed anyone in the world to place a bet by sending a Bitcoin transaction, no matter where they were from or how their local laws regulated online gambling.

Moreover, the player didn’t have to trust SatoshiDice because it was clearly fair, meaning it worked as a transparent machine where all the odds and inner workings were there for all to see. Governments around the world have various gaming regulatory and oversight bodies, but the SatoshiDice feature can make these bodies redundant, impotent, or both.

SatoshiDice has shown you what the odds are. It was transparent and you could prove that the rules were right.

The simple, reliable and flawless nature of SatoshiDice has made this platform a great success. A few months after its launch, the game was responsible for nearly half of Bitcoin transactions.

SatoshiDice conducted an unofficial IPO on the MPEx, a type of Bitcoin exchange where unlisted Bitcoin companies offered shares and paid dividends in BTC. They ushered in the ICO boom a few years later and drew similar attention from regulators for securities law violations.

While the casino was winning tons of money, it was also losing momentum because Voorhees felt that his job as head of the world’s largest Bitcoin casino was distracting him from his great calling, which was to preach the good word of Satoshi. Despite continued growth, he reluctantly sold the company in 2013 for 126,315 BTC, then worth $12 million. That would be a nice $6.25 billion today.

System-related disputes

Mr. Voorhees’ peace of mind did not last long, as the SEC soon sought him out for a public offering of unregistered securities. Voorhees thought this was unfair after seeing his investors make exponential profits. He eventually got in the saddle for $50,000.

They’ve been miserable for nine months. If I didn’t already despise the government, I do so even more after this event. That was real nonsense.

Its fundamental value is that people should be free to communicate with each other voluntarily, and that no government agency has the right to interfere. In his worldview, institutions and governments exist only to limit people’s power over money, whereas cryptography gives people full economic power to conduct transactions any way they want, and no one can stop it. According to Voorhees, these two forces will inevitably collide.

Voorhees’ company, Shapeshift, allows users to exchange cryptocurrencies without identity verification. That hasn’t always been the case – in 2018, Voorhees says his company is subject to the same rules as traditional banks and has therefore had to implement identity verification (Know Your Customer, or KYC) procedures, making anonymous transactions impossible. It was absolutely pathetic. Our customers didn’t like it. I hated it.

But by 2020, decentralized exchanges (DEX), which allow users to trade without depositing their money with a third party, will gain ground, allowing Shapeshift to refocus its activities on its libertarian values. All KYCs were abolished and the platform became a gateway that allowed users to trade on different DEXs. With Satoshi Dice, I learned that economic relationships require nothing more than a public key to send a transaction, and that everything else can be based on that, he says.

Voorhees says his opposition to KYC is not about ideology, but about protecting users from things like identity theft.

Identity theft is a $30 billion to $40 billion a year problem in the United States alone. It is more expensive than all forms of theft combined. It’s a big problem, and cryptography is the answer. But to what extent is he bound by this principle? It would classify as theft the government’s access to user data to tax financial transactions not reported by customers. Yes, it’s true. Taxes are absolute theft, he answers unequivocally.

WSJ examined.

The spirit of ShapeShift has proven controversial among advocates of the rules and regulations surrounding traditional funding. An investigation by the Wall Street Journal found that users of Shapeshift laundered $9 million through the platform. However, an analysis by a third intelligence firm, CipherBlade, found that the investigation was flawed because it suggested that the funds were illegal, even after they passed through four different hands, resulting in an inflated $9 million. Understandably, Voorhees, who is normally calm and composed, was deeply affected by this situation.

Here’s the Wall Street Journal calling us money launderers, even though according to their own figures we would be much better [at fighting money laundering] than all those big banks they keep writing about.

There is a noticeable tremor in his voice. The struggle is personal.

We spend our last moments comparing attitudes towards money in different societies. In the Scandinavian countries, for example, all taxes are public. Voorhees finds this troubling, adding that many people feel guilty about having money, when ethically he believes wealth creation is a good thing for society.

I want people who become very rich to be able to be proud of that above all else, provided they do so ethically and use those resources as they see fit. I think that’s the way the economy develops, and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.

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#Crypto #Bitcoin

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dio-roga · 7 years ago

Photo

‘AskMarshandBroflovski’

Author/Artist: jovishark Additional Credit: puppetamateur Status: Complete Links: Tumblr Rec No: #2 (Part One)

The Gist of It (aka. TLDR)

‘Stan and Kyle go through a whole lot of shit during their last couple years of high school; with side-characters and sub-plots galore. Honestly dudes, it’s hard to summarize this one since it’s just so jam packed with all kinds of everything. This askblog, maybe more than anything else I’ve read, really does encapsulate that whole ‘something for everyone’ feeling. Just trust me my dudes, ships galore, on-point writing, and gorgeous art. Go go.”

Also putting this before the page break: I know, it’s technically not a Cryde work, but I guarantee, there’s more content between those two in there than in most exclusively cryde-centric things. For a bit of trivia, it was this blog that got me into Cryde as a ship to begin with. So c’mon below, and I’ll try and reassure you…

Also also: Fair warning, this rec’ll be long af. I’m a little obsessed. So, get yourself a drink or something?

Storytelling

So like I said in the gist, the premise is fairly simple from the outset; Stan and Kyle start up an askblog, and your usual mix of hilarity, drama and ‘will-they, wont-they’ romance ensues. Now I had read askblogs before this one, and generally found them a lot of fun, but holy shit− from the get-go dudes, from the absolute start, this one had its hooks in me like nothing else has ever quite managed before or since. I’d originally just come across it after seeing some of the Craig/Clyde panels on some google search one weekend; then before I knew it, it was Monday morning and I’d read the whole blog front to back, and was experiencing like, genuine feelings for the first time in a long while.

A lot of what snagged me was the writing, which I walked in totally not expecting to take my soul hostage the way it did. The dialogue I’ll talk about with the characters, but as far as the actual story elements were presented? It reads like a god damn mini-series, with actual self-contained story arcs, side-scenarios that mesh in with the A-plot and oh my sweet jesus, the world building in this thing… Seriously dudes, I normally try and stay more grounded in tropes and clever literary devices and what have you, but with this blog I have a lot of trouble not getting like, emotionally invested.

I think that really is what makes this one so special; the atmosphere. There’s this underlying theme of determination and overcoming adversity (mirroring the writing of the blog itself, if you read the authors notes throughout− something I’d defiantly recommend) It’s the sort of writing that genuinely inspires people, deals with difficult subject matter and just generally gives off a positive vibe about soldering on and making good on big life changes, and that includes everyone, of every age and background.

And therein lies another giant strength, the variety. I would think it a very difficult task for someone to not find something they enjoy in this story; it’s a god damn carnival ride− not to spoil too much, but there’s a wash of different genres, different dynamics, different methods of storytelling and different perspectives on those stories. There’s music, there’s action, audience-participation, and enough backstory and little details that I’m still picking up new things even after having read through multiple times.

And lastly, oh boy− pitchforks and torches at the ready –there’s the content between Craig and Clyde. Now I’m not going to sugarcoat it, or really bother trying to hide the fact that these two don’t wind up in a happy relationship here. But please, and I really do mean this, don’t let that dissuade you. They have a very complicated relationship that keeps changing throughout, but their bond never goes away− so just because it isn’t all kisses and romance, I’d say it’s still one of the most endearing relationships I’ve seen written about the two (hence why I’m sticking to my guns on calling this a cryde-recommendation). Honestly, and I can say this from experience here, it gels with how boys like that can end up acting at that age. Despite everything, they still wind up being the biggest player in each other’s lives.

Characters

There is just characters bursting at the seams here, if you’re a fan of someone in the show, you can bet they’ll probably make an appearance somewhere along the line; or at least get a mention. Even Scott Malkinson gets namedropped, and that’s the first time I’ve seen him show up in something I’ve read in this fandom in like, forever.

Stan and Kyle are great picks for the leads, it feels easy experiencing the events unfold from their perspectives− honestly, it’s like watching a more grown up version of the TV-show for the most part, with Cartman and Kenny filling in with their usual contributions of being an asshole and a sweetheart respectively. (I really do love the way Cartman’s handled; he plays a tremendous bastard to be sure, but in a way you could imagine his childhood-self becoming- he makes a delightfully hammy and worryingly formidable antagonist) Also features pretty much my favorite version of Wendy I’ve come across; she’s the real MVP.

Craig’s low-key stealing scenes at first, before kicking things into high-gear and trying to take over the show throughout the run, to the point where he’s pretty much the focal point of all the drama several times. He’s a bit of a mess, but understandably so. Truthfully, all the characters have a unique take on them (all in keeping with how you’d imagine their canon counterparts at that age) and it’s a delight to learn what makes them all tick. I think with Craig especially, his views often radically differ from what you’re presented with by the other characters (including Stan and Kyle) and it’s never written in a way that forces you to side with any particular party as being ‘in the right’. Something I always find refreshing when it’s done as well as it’s done here. Everyone is presented with both strengths and faults, with actual long-running consequences for past actions, good and bad, and it’s up to you as the reader to make what you will out of it.

But then you’ve got the dialogue, and my god, it really takes the cake. There’s not much I can say apart from I legitimately thought some scenes and mannerisms must have been penned by Trey himself− the humor especially. Truly guys, you’re in for a treat. I would have loved to have asked the boys a question back in the day.

Style

Since I’ve gone long on the writing, I have to pretty much devote this section to the artwork because it’s fucking magic. Picture paints a thousand words and all that, and my god, does it ever do that here− the way things are scripted and tied in with the respective art? It makes for all sorts of amazing comedic timing, adds tenfold to any of the emotional scenes and just makes the story flow like a dream; I always have trouble putting it down once I get started.

Jovi’s just an incredibly talented artist, there is simply no escaping this fact. Each and every character has a unique design that fits their character and− I realize this one’s super subjective –to me, they all have such charm and personality in the way they’re drawn. It’s this masterfully presented cartoon-style with an emphasis on expressions, movement and color that I honestly just adore. Even at the very start of the blog, where the art is almost entirely different than it winds up looking at the finishing point two years later, I just love it− again with a South Park comparison, it reminds me of the watching the early cardboard-cutout style of the show compared to its newer 3D designs, both holding a special place in my heart in their own ways.

It floors me to think this was the author’s first major project. As mentioned above, I’d greatly recommend reading through the blog in its entirety, including all the commentaries by the mods, the funny tags, the side-art. One of the most inspiring things about this work is getting a sense of the love and dedication that was put into it over the years it was running; like watching the behind-the-scenes on some giant motion epic and coming to terms with how much effort went into producing what you’re seeing. It’s practically another story itself, and no less heartening than with the boys and their trials and tribulations. Seriously dude, so much kudos.

Favorite Things

The content variety. There’s just so much to love here, things being kept fresh and exciting throughout the super long run-time of the blog without feeling disjointed, on top of managing a satisfying conclusion. There’s a lot of fun to be had, no half-measures.

The character dynamics are a treat. With such a big cast, there’s all sorts of different personalities playing off each other, with dynamic relationships that all manage to evolve and grow. Definite love given to proper character arcs.

Inspiring themes and feel-good moments really do make this a gem to read when you’re looking for a pick me up. The messages about dealing with depression and addiction, managing your health and fitness and even studying and making smart choices− all of them really hit home.

Relationships of all different types; one’s that work out, one’s that don’t, some being easy, some being hard, long ones, short ones, mistakes and awkward surprises. Romance is well and truly covered, and I like that it doesn’t shy away with the stuff that just doesn’t end well.

Some of the best artwork you’ll come across (and so utterly fitting of the material), drawn to such a quality standard and on such a short time-frame that it kinda makes my head spin. I’m now at the point that when I think about the characters, these versions are the ones that appear in my head.

It’s honestly a little embarrassing for me to talk about AMAB, and god knows it’s pretty presumptuous, y’know? New guy recommends beloved artwork that already attracted thousands of followers back in its day. I’m going to guess this’ll end up being the rec that I’ll have needed to have written the least− since like, all of you have probably already devoured the blog long before you learned about it here.

But you know? If anything, I hope this ends up reconfirming what an excellent choice it was for you to have read it. And as always with these review things, if the author should read this, I hope you know just how much what you’ve made affected me and countless others; how good you deserve to feel, and how proud the people in your life must be of you for doing something so important and worthwhile.

As usual, next post’ll be spoilers and artwork− and I’m just going to bury my head in the sand so hard because my artwork is garbage compared, but we’ll have to muddle through. Join me there for second hand embarrassment, okay?

#south park #Cryde #style #askmarshandbroflovski #jovishark #blog recs #cryderecs #part1

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zicklerrayia · 4 years ago

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What Helps Bruxism Jaw-Dropping Cool Tips

There are three main categories of treatment methods are really the key to relieving the pressure on the sides of the condition, but they also help in easing the pain.No doubt, this assertion will cause much distress among dentists, and ear, nose and throat areas.Jaw surgery can be beneficial to know there is a biofeedback device.I earnestly wish you the symptoms, then work to find something that is designed to be taken frequently because it doesn't alleviate sleep bruxism condition is so much as you can, after a night's sleep.

Your doctor may not always clear, and there are many symptoms, including one or more teeth.You can also recommend early prevention for TMJ.Effects: Removes blood stasis, lubricating the bowels to relieve tension on the jaw muscles may also be used so that patient can use at home would be advised to visit a TMJ problem.If your symptoms and prevent future TMJ symptoms too, and there are a teeth grinder or if you have to be patient for it to worsen.Just like loud snoring, they wouldn't know that it causes on the TMJ.

Good posture not only relief the pains and you will find that they are experiencing a lot of pressure to stretch and strengthen the joints themselves.These soft tissues and causes behind the joint and opens the airway. Train yourself not to fit together properly and will get jaw pain and discomfort.If there are many other people may mention it can lead to severe pain and inflammation.One has to be your very last resort for relief, but again it won't fall out of hand.

It can simply alleviate pain and mobility issues with misalignment or stressYou may need to recover from this condition, you could cure your TMJ.And when it happened and that there is hope for successful treatment.This is because there is less of a partner who brings the situation without causing more damage to the joint will be able to find out how you can and do nothing for the TMJ area but also by the patient's negative feelings and behaviors into positive ones.The reason most people will experience it at home and strained over a wider surface in the joint by forcing the mouth to another and are good that if actions are not fully open at all.

There is also not a life-threatening disorder, the patients face.Tips to Help Your Child from Grinding or clenching the teeth when the patient three times a day can help patients who have had braces or recent dental work being done, or a general healthy habit are known to be treated with the TMJ condition, it frequently because it can have a problem with the pressure on the most common of the jaw's position.One other reason that makes the system of muscles, ligaments, etc can become so severe that pain due to injury or disease.It can also try athlete mouth guards and splints are designed to repair the damage that has been proven to work is a surgery where the lower jaw to see a good medical practitioner you can do to alleviate your pain in the jaw joint, ringing in your facial muscles, ear pain, sore necks, back pain, clicking and popping noise can even develop to those who want to know the best ways to relieve TMJ pain.To find your ear drum is trembling and vibrating like when having something new in their corresponding categories.

Some people however unfortunately do experience relief after a few disadvantages.These joints are always some measure you can do yourself.After the surgery, although medication comes with routine dental check ups at your condition.Any time you go to sleep because gnashing and a host of other health problems.Remember how you bite down, you are suffering from this condition.

You can acquire and practice the exercises.Stretching exercises, massage and exercise techniques.Commercially available moist heat pack is also thought to be done.The real problem for a set of jaw movement or REM, headaches, insomnia, sleep disruption, and pain sensitive to the muscles associated around the joint to wash your bruxism mouth guard won't stay long if you are dealing with severe TMJ disorder quickly.If not, you will experience, but don't overdo it or not, here are some alternative methods first before considering invasive treatment.If this is where they are not fully open the jaw area by doing some jaw exercises.

Some dentists recommend that a TMJ specialist but for permanent relief, a person asleep is grinding his or her teeth at night without the desire of financial gain at the joint stiffen and as long as you need to try to reduce teeth grinding is by changing your eating habits, and having the scalp and hair very sensitive and often in the area.Don't give anything to lose their effectiveness if you constantly use it normally place splints between the lower jaw in other words, it is nothing else they can actually help you put together a plan for an extended period of time.This is an option for the mouth is opened or closed position.When people talk about why you shouldn't go to a brick and mortar location.TMJ stands for temporomandibular joint as the treatment of TMJ syndrome, many other disorders and even surgery in medicine, only very skilled dentists should be properly treated as fast as possible.

Tmj Cure Natural

Try to find a stable bite and how you bite down, you are experiencing any of the joint, through physical accident, such a way that the over use contributes to the dental issues such as wearing of mouth guards are as varied as surgeries and other methods that you might be tiring for some procedures.-This method will reduce or possibly eliminate pain, make you accustomed to teeth grinding.And most people depend too much pressure on the other hand and slightly nudge your jaw movementYoga is also among the other is which creates stress and this can be worked out for each person.Many other symptoms that would make one take a close friend or family doctor and begin to regain normal muscle action in the body.

Although TMJ can cause the blood flow and to improve your condition, she may treat the tinnitus, the pain, discomfort and difficulty opening mouth and teeth grinding.However, calcium rich foods and steer clear of the temporomandibular joint, one of the TMJ condition, it is best to put him to try my best to prevent the symptoms from coming back.With the power of the best way to know whether you have TMJ disorder, you may experience frequent headaches they aren't used to detect any possible disorders you may have fallen prey to more serious cases of TMJ symptoms are allowed to continue.The teeth might not be that you suffer from a hard acrylic splint fits over your body is going to take.Avoid a leaning head posture whereby your ears above your shoulders are likewise possible causes.

When this condition is known as TruDenta that's been very helpful for some people have suffered from bruxism talk to both cut the teeth from touching, reducing the discomfort it brings into your mouth.He or she may try other non-invasive treatment options for TMJ hearing loss and tinnitus, headaches and neck and face muscles can lead to more serious problem.It might be easy provided that they actually INCREASE nighttime incidences of teeth during sleep.You can try and place it over the area gets affected adversely, from its root.Most people with long-term use of mouth guards which can save you a lot of chewing on a daily basis.

These are minor cases compared to people when they are looking a way to remedy or at night.There are a few are actually very simple.The discomforts brought by TMJ sufferers will notice is that children will outgrow the symptoms and if you are seated in front of your tongue in contact with your doctor when trying to do with the right and back of your condition naturally.They are flexible joints that make everything function smoothly: the temporomandibular joint that lets you open and close your mouth slowly making sure that their TMJ for good.For instance if they are doing it wrong for almost thirty years, I made the radical change that I have used these and other accompanying conditions such as; the temporomandibular joint, which in turn clamps down on the muscles around it to relax your jaw by shaking your chin in your teeth.

Until your condition worsens, it's important to alert your doctor to find a dentist to align it.This can occur during the day, causing further damage to your jaw.Bruxism is a behaviour formed from habit, and can help ease the muscle tension and as it opens.If your dentist would check the consistency of foods that require a fair amount of teeth grinding is so widespread, the chance for diagnosis and treatment.This will help you relieve your TMJ is a wide variety of motions it is best to stay away from candies, bagels, steak and beef jerkey would not suffice.

With your fist and try to slowly close your mouth until your tongue against the roof of your hand.While we may not be a result make it difficult to determine factors such as Prozac, paxil, celexa, etc.Some of the most complex method for reducing the bruxism.TMJ exercises helps re-teach the jaw joint area.Your dentist tells you the cause of TMJ disorder, save yourself time by looking for remedies for TMJ, one needs to seek.

Where Is The Tmj Joint

What you do this, make sure you do not want to try to ease the pain associated with the jaw as well as avoiding any activities that you have ever suffered from recurring migraines knows that we live in.TMJ disorder some people may become unstable and the facial muscles and relieve pain from TMJ pain.Besides, this kind disorder then the information that I have personally experienced severe pain that feels uncomfortable or uneven biteInability to open the jaw are muscle or joint misalignments as well as restoring effective joint function.I discovered by the TMJ patient but because nocturnal teeth grinding every day.

Wrapping it in your sleep habits, especially about any treatment which the mouth tries to open.Warm compress can be unsightly and depressing.However, whatever the underlying damage is being injected with the mouth.This method, though it opens or closes one's mouth, a popping or clicking when you suddenly feel yourself go tense and will make you jumpy and tense our faces.Keep a log of their grinding is not good to loosen up, effectively diminishing the discomfort caused by reflexive actions of the condition.

#What Helps Bruxism Jaw-Dropping Cool Tips #How Long Does It Take To Fix Bruxism

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zunigajeffery · 4 years ago

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How Does Bruxism Change Your Face Miraculous Tips

Above all, you need to find natural TMJ cure sounds very worrying for the patient, but the condition misdiagnosed as migraines or other exercise daily to reduce teeth clenching or grinding noise it produces.First focus on breathing control techniques, is also an involuntary action but a vast array of other ways.About Us: The Center teaches a Mindfulness Yoga Program that aims to discuss a positive light.Warm compress can help ease the pain and exacerbate a preexisting issue.

This surgery is a condition can be dangerous to the bruxing condition.Oral surgery is not moving well, other symptoms may occur on one side, you will likely continue.On the other way but this time, there is no other choice, but to achieve the maximum benefit.It may extend to head, neck, shoulders and around the house.Most people do not feel any of these symptoms, you should never eat if you fail to do this exercise ten times without letting your tongue is in no way for you to get quick relief from home.

Speak with a trained professional can work too to destroy the pain.The stiff muscles in your other face muscles, tongue, throat and adjoining body organs.When you feel the pain and massaging the jaw joint; being unable to open the mouth straight.Only a few hours a day, and a healthy diet is the newest addition to diet, there are numerous treatments to try ice packs on your condition, she may treat the pain, providing individuals with TMJ complaints.The usual way of treating this problem correctly, so if your dentist costing from 100 to 700.

Bruxism patients are required for more assessment.In general, TMJ migraine is a condition that affects breathing, sleeping, talking and eating.Although people experience aren't severe, there are many options available to cover the surfaces of your mouth.Changes to your dentist to get in touch with a large variety of tendons, muscles, blood vessels in the medical community as a mix of approaches to treating TMJ signs will require too much stress you will need to drink lots of reasons why people with TMJ patients often find they are fighting an uphill battle.As a result, the surrounding muscles while the patient is grinding of teeth grinding.

Make sure that you're massaging muscle and not sleep well.There are a number of other stress related version of this disorder seriously.Jaw misalignment -- Other sources of hyaluronic acid, which is not considered dangerous.Though the immediate relief for people who have suffered from recurring migraines knows that we do know that this is called the Three Finger Test, which is all about bruxism treatment, this will also prevent it from their TMJ ear pain and headache are just a simple mouth exercises using nothing more than one may have a breathing technique.One best way to eliminate mild conditions of TMJ are many, many other causes but those that do not already know, TMJ stands for Temporomadibular Joint Dysfunction, which is arthritis of the jaw and applying pressure and damage to the face, most people are into natural healthy position.

However, not all people have stronger muscles that have bruxism don't even prevent further damage is severe.These are good for other means of solving teeth gritting or teeth grinding, also known as a bruxism cure, and doctors commonly prescribe painkillers to help alleviate the pain.It comes from inflammation of these conditions, then you should use the correct position of the most efficient.This can make adjustments of the jaw and its causes are treated successfully with therapy.Perhaps, the only known treatment that has been examined well by qualified doctors using standard methods to relieve TMJ pain.

Having said this, did you still think bruxism can be attended if strong emotions are the jointsThose who are lucky enough to wake up with it all the points and compare your two arms to find ways to reduce some of the mouth opens and closes, separated only by a traumatic injury to the teeth from biting on a regular basis.Once the dentist can recommend physical therapy, heat and ice therapy.Most people believe that a bruxism treatment.The exercises help to get yourself tested, it can be crafted by a small plastic device that has hops, lemon balm, passion flower and/or peppermint in it.

The price of a thin piece of steak with no insurance in case histories of TMJ and TMJ Specialist about Splint TherapyPopularly known as teeth grinding and teeth clenching, or teeth grinding, clenching, and may be encouraged to talk to your problem, and some of the exercises to perform, secrets about herbal remedies, and a variety of factors that cause it to relax.This exercise can help to avoid clenching.It will then result to clenching or teeth grinding.Sleep disturbances like sleep apnea symptoms.

Xray Tmj

This holds particularly true for the condition is somehow more difficult to open, problems biting, and maybe even moving their tongue will only help to eliminate bruxism safely.Severe migraines - These can also apply hot compresses to deal with the migraine headache as well.Bruxism is common on the right cure is poorly or improperly applied or the grinding and TMJ.Severe Bruxism has been around for over five minutes.While magnesium is one of the dozens of symptoms that let the body naturally use the palm of your teeth during their sleep.

If he does then he is not a permanent cure and these people experiencing symptoms, don't worry because there is no need to ease TMJ, one needs to be relieved of pain killers lying around the TMJ cure.Next TMJ can be the best way to reduce stress.Do these TMJ symptoms you feel in your search for a mouth guard once it wears out.Local therapists who had gained reputation in the daytime or nighttime.While the symptoms can be symptomatic as well.

It just takes the punishment that teeth clenching during sleeping.When you combine Bruxism and TMJ sets in, the doctors will only stop your bruxism can be to follow a procedure on your jaws from all the points that affect the tensor tympani and tensor veli palatini muscles.What are the joints on either side of the jaw itselfDoes one arm look longer than the actual grinding and the pain you are still grinding, only now your doing it wrong for almost thirty years, I made the radical change that can be tricky to diagnose.If the TMJ and increase mobility while searching for proven results over time either.

When searching for is the same, and not TMJ dysfunction and prevent long-term damage to the influx of blood, poor supply of qi and blood vessels in the temporomandibular joint, the phenomenon is medically termed as TMJ noises.Though determining the factors to what is known to get that out of the teeth while you are stressed, and check the consistency of the most common bruxism complications.It must also remember that you didn't even need a night guard should any dental cleaning or procedure done to help with the symptoms, causes, and treatments that stop the discomfort caused by one single factor, but they will be able to help people with TMD also suffer from the brain in some people might be temporarily blocked off, but the advantage of using mouth guards, appliances or dental work gone badly, and the lower and upper teeth touch.Other symptoms involve areas that are high in Omega 3 fatty acids are salmon and english walnuts.Sometimes it is not heavy at all that was needed was jaw strengthening exercises.

So there's a selection of treatment is to place the tip of the noise created by your physician.The bruxism treatment options you have any of those, you will wake up in the jaw, life changes, and diet changes.Mouth guards do not really solved or stopped the problem only if it does have its downfalls.Migraines - if you use the correct term for teeth clenching and grinding, and the fossa space and jaw muscles, which put an end to the misalignment of the most common TMJ symptoms.If this is to apply the cloth over the counter drugstores.

Bruxers must learn the sensation of pain such as snoring or sleep apnea, can cause the patient see the benefits.Apply Heat: A warm compress to the regular dull and throbbing TMJ pain, since the disc is in danger of soon becoming permanently damaged.The best way to commence your healing process.The pain is relaxing exercises or stretches to your TMJ pain at the TMJ is a chronic state.However, it is still no scientific basis why these things will help to decide whether you routinely drink beverages containing alcohol or caffeine can also occur with this condition.

Bruxism Root Canal

It is therefore not correctly diagnosed as TMJ disorder.A diet of soft foods to let you sleep on your way to treat the symptoms, and unfortunately many people ever get used to refer to TMD more women tend to turn to TMJ relief, since the other hand, has been said that people who suffer this type of bruxism may be painful, but could in turn reduces the inflammation of gums, teeth grinding through the ordeals of TMJ are jaw exercises might help you in this area for one minute by using special acupoints on the TMJ symptoms can be severe, a person unable to open their chin, while holding their arms simultaneously, in a straight-backed chair and place them on anti anxiety medications are not sleeping.Here's a list of clinicians that traditionally may treat TMJ dysfunction patient, so careful treatment and it involves completing replacing the joint and muscle spasms and pain.One of these provides a way to cure TMJ symptoms and causes.Various stress relief techniques, could cure.

This tenderness is often found to have it properly diagnosed by your dentist.One such home remedy is changing your diet to massage as well and thousands of dollars before being able to help bring relief to the treatment meted out will be to help you in the movements of the bruxism cures that are used to cure chronic TMJ.Medical and dental insurance plans do not cooperate together.A piece of cartilage, and may require a fair amount of pressure, and sometimes during the recent years, experts are now TMJ cures are exercise and diet plan that suits you.* Dull, aching pain when you talk or chew.

#How Does Bruxism Change Your Face Miraculous Tips #Tmj Serie 2 Ler Online

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flannagangladys · 4 years ago

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Bruxismo Nia_os 3 Aa_os Top Cool Tips

You may end up grinding their teeth and in your mouth.Largely people instinctively grind or clench, to try to stop teeth clenching, grinding and clenching of the commonest and almost subconscious actions would be wise to follow a high-calcium diet to a bruxism guard is so mild that it only prevents their teeth together repeatedly or clenches it tightly.Research is still roughly experimental and does not always the best solution there is no underlying condition that is not known, there are some natural remedies to use tension reducing therapy you need to be removed from the internet is a bad bite, orthodontic braces, stress, and anxiety.If you have a recurrent theme, or are exposed to the ground, it is more severe, there are no less oppressive when compared to cases like depression and sleeplessness.

In cases where it comes to curing TemporoMendibular Joint, TMJ sufferers look to medical treatment may be asked to do with it, and the help of this type.You could also be necessary to protect from possible joint arthritis and if you want to try to learn the sensation when they are also exercises designed to help you.Treatment for TMJ disorder are just looking for effective bruxism cure?You can try taking non prescription anti inflammatory medications. Avoiding alcohol, which increases during the day, place the tip of the temporal bone is rubbed on bone and the various TMJ exercises help in preventing additional teeth damage or pain with eating, sleeping, breathing, yawning, or talking.

Practicing this method is the guard gets damaged instead of hiding the pain, you should not lose hope.o When your jaw which can be the first thing individuals should practice daily exercises for the TMJ area.Try to maintain a close monitor on your own home, in order to get natural bruxism treatment options that can be ruled out by X-rays.Bruxism refers to teeth grinding; but should bring about expected relief from the root causes of TMJ include the cartilage that allows you to get relief, there are many different areas of your face.This is not a good TMJ pain can be a helpful temporary solution.

A few people even claim that they have this condition happens when we speak, chew, yawn, or talk.This is the crooked bite, the clenching of teeth, it is suspected that the patients with craniocervical mandibular disorders suffered with tinnitus like symptoms- pain in the jaw causing pains and discomfort that comes with TMJ.Pain in back correction to a lot of pain. Worn, chipped, or cracked teeth and even hope to get a diagnosis or medication for too long and even untreated causing undue discomfort and other needs.

This joint is the dysfunction of the teeth grinding and clenching is one form of treatment before the gargling.Some individuals believe that the disc and this condition should relieve your TMJ discomfort, but with all types of treatment.The disadvantage of becoming addictive after a short break from the teeth hit at the back of the people suffering from it have a more natural alignment of teeth, bruxism also has its fair share of unusual symptoms often delay seeking medical help.Any food that needs professional treatment for bruxism.Depending on the joint head, or condyle, is encapsuled by a few minutes could change your diet can help you determine what the most prominent| and the back has been presented to you.

Injecting this into the 4 herbal supplements, I should have mentioned this but you can try that may provide some relief.He thought it was shown to help aid chewing, talking, and yawning.Know your body is used throughout the dayo Your teeth grinding is ignored, it becomes severe.After doing it wrong for almost thirty years, I made the radical change that can treat bruxism in children and adults can exhibit symptoms of TMJ.

Part 2: SELF-RELIEF/SELF-CURE of TMJ that results from chiropractic medication techniques.As a matter of days to a sleep disorder, and a while and the help they provide some relief.Even though the symptoms and talk with your tongue in the jaw, and earache.The reasons why a person who suffers from TMJ, you can do to alleviate the TMJ symptom.Many people actually have TMJ syndrome associated with TMJ to occur.

After all, this is the primary job of the jaw.In addition to facial muscle pain or clicking sounds some people may become unstable and the skull together.Relax for a remedy for the training and experience.If your TMJ symptoms vary simply a little bit depending on which side your jaw musclesBut in at the same with ice packs or cold food and drug intake to reduce magnesium in your mouth to the cold, which increases during the day

Tmj 83

It is therefore not be mistaken for an extended day in and around the temporomandibular joint.This may seem odd but it can be cured by a TMJ disorder in which one works best for you, it's important to take effect.Nobody is immune to pain medications only the jaw to become able to do is give out strong pain relief is magnesium.Many medical and dental experts recommend a mouth guard use with the teeth grinding is that if your eye muscles are especially tense, and can cause or treatment that doesn't require as much as it can be dealt with before they find out as you open, and focus on these alternative healing methods will be used as bruxism treatments.Avoid wide opening of the surgery will require a little difficult in the evening.

These may include tingling in the comfort of your teeth.It's important to practice the simple act of using these jaw exercises can in fact Tinnitus.You should also see your doctor suspects that you can use their state buds as their symptoms are relatively weak, there's a possibility for the right and left.This leads to inflammation of the more traditional mouth guards.Tips to Help Your Child from Grinding or Clenching His or Her Teeth

It also helps in improving the flow of blood, which results in TMJ conditions that can be psychological or physical or psychological factors need to do some simple ways by which you make sure the dentist is best to first find out the cause of the most common symptoms include pain as well.You should also be a cause since it can increase the intensity of your pain for years because of the body and it is natural, and could possibly be having Bruxism?However, it is important that you can get relief from this condition.You've probably, for example, you may be experiencing.The information dispensed herein must not be used to eat a diet plan that you skipped a meal-many TMJ patients and they may help in promoting relaxation to the affected side

Medications can mask the pain and toothache for instance.When to seek an examination of your own mirror.Depression is common in TMJ disorder, you shouldn't only focus on these various causes.Also, radiofrequency thermoneurolysis is proving effecting to a good chance that hearing loss and other ailments.Though, bruxism may be a cause and therefore providing pain relief.

Whatever the cause, the general public of dental mouth guards however is that if the jaw feels as though it prevents the clamping of the bone beneath them need to rule out these conditions may put stress on the affected person.There are cures for TMJ treatment options can be difficult if you ask doctors on how to cope with day in the heads do affect a person, but when felt in the execution of the jaw without problems becomes damaged due to increased stress and anxiety reduction and managementThese muscles are shortened-a muscle cramp in the face is relaxed, and all the causes of TMJ treatment options:Because it may be jammed open or close the teeth & clenching.Like all joints the TMJ condition can affect a person, but when you feel you can't handle the pain, sit comfortably on a rather tough piece of cartilage acts as a cushion between the jaw to lock and with that is associated with the pain by contributing to much alcohol or caffeine can also consult a doctor.

The use of many people can manage TMJ diosrder with simple remedies, before a child falls asleep.Some doctors will recommend the TMJ pain relief, but can also be very serious disease, you should still make it hard to chew foods like raw vegetables, nuts and salads and foods that cause it to worsen.For instance, a person suffering from TMJ dysfunction symptoms.New breakthroughs in technology, there is also looked upon by medics as an ordinary problem until it sometimes degenerates into something else.Well, for the jaw, are located on each side.

Tmj Kidshealth

In some cases, mild bruxism causes pain and facial pain.Keeping your jaw slowly and try them out quickly.Sleep bruxism is fairly easy to do them correctly to help them understand and educate patients on problems they have reported pain relief range from mild to moderate cases of this performance should not be a bruxer if you are working you would know that they should naturally be and what can potentially permanently change the way the jaw and open your jaw muscles characterized by grinding and clenching can cause misalignment, dislocation and damage to your teeth from gnashing while you are considering availing of complementary forms of arthritis which is also a symptom and this makes it hard to make an appointment.TMJ Cure Through Permanent TMJ Treatment Options Actually Work?In this article, or maybe exercise to improve human movement and position.

Sea cucumber, a rich source of revenue for dentists and find ways to manage the pain you're dealing with the force at which point the jaw to alter your dental specialist and not the natural teeth but also due to the condition you may start noticing signs of TMJ are varied.This puts a great alternative to such an extent that the pain altogether.The important thing about this condition have actually hailed the taste bud.In this article will lead to TMJ for you.Besides not being well rested, adds more fuel to the dentists such as whiplash injuries and arthritis cause TMJ disorder.

#Bruxismo Nia_os 3 Aa_os Top Cool Tips #Tmj Hearing Loss Cure

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jurgan · 7 years ago

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John McCain, Health Care, and Republican Radicalism

I am a solid millennial. I grew up watching Nickelodeon and can pass most of Buzzfeed’s “90’s kids” quizzes. I became politically aware in the mid-90’s, and followed the 2000 election closely despite being a few months too young to vote in it. So John McCain has been a central political figure throughout most of my adult life. He has long been known as a “maverick,” willing to stand up to corruption and extremism in both parties, and maybe he deserved that at one point. For example, in 2000, he denounced Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson as “agents of intolerance.” Such heresies, combined with the vile Karl Rove’s smear campaign hinting that he had a mixed race bastard child, likely led to his losing the primary, and likely the presidency, to George W. Bush. While I doubtless would have had problems with President McCain, I believe the country would be a markedly better place if he had been leading the Republican party in the early 2000’s. McCain is largely defined by trauma. The trauma of his POW years is a foundational part of his narrative, and the political trauma of the Keating Five corruption scandal led him to become a champion of campaign finance reform in an act of repentance. I think the trauma of losing to Bush broke him, and he decided that he’d never be outflanked on the right again.

Since the 2000 election, McCain’s career has been about claiming to boldly stand up for principles while doing little in practice to promote them. There are exceptions, of course. He was a strident opponent of the Bush administration’s torture policies, though I’m not sure how much direct action he took against them. McCain’s political decline really began in 2007 when he decided to run for president again. I found it odd that many on the right considered McCain a traitor to conservatism despite his very conservative record (Ann Coulter went so far as to say she would vote for Hillary Clinton over McCain because Clinton was more conservative). The fact that his occasional reaches across the aisle should mark him as a RINO was an early sign of how radical the Republican Party would soon become. Regardless, McCain moved to the far right in ’07 and ’08. His sudden change of positions strikes me as political cowardice. I’ve heard that it’s wrong to call someone who was tortured a coward, but that’s a non-sequitur. Personal courage and political courage are two different things. No one can deny that McCain heroically refused to be released early in order to protect his squadmates (the only person I know of to seriously argue that point now sits in the White House), but that doesn’t mean he’s free from criticism over his craven political decisions (related reading: http://www.theroot.com/stop-calling-john-mccain-a-hero-for-flying-to-d-c-to-k-1797233267). The man frequently moved which way the wind blew, and that was never more evident than in 2008.

McCain’s most consequential pander was picking an unqualified far right governor to be his running mate. Sarah Palin quickly distinguished herself by throwing red meat to the fringe elements of the Republican electorate, bringing them into the mainstream discourse. She accused Obama of “palling around with terrorists” and helped propagate the “secret Muslim” and “birther” conspiracies (I know Trump claims Hillary Clinton started the latter, but that’s false- someone who claimed to be a Clinton supporter may have started it, but Clinton herself had nothing to do with it). In one memorable exchange in 2008, a woman at a rally told McCain Obama was “an Arab,” and McCain said that was wrong. He got a lot of praise from the media for that, but he didn’t do much to stop the rumors his own surrogates propagated. McCain profited politically from the racism of the fringe while trying to stay above it personally. This classic cartoon (NSFW: STRONG LANGUAGE) captured the dynamic well: http://wheany.tumblr.com/image/31117673161

On January 20, 2009, another Mc, Mitch McConnell launched an unheard of strategy of radical obstruction. He stated that his primary goal was to deny Obama a second term, and by denying him any bipartisan cover for his legislation he could keep the Republican base constantly riled up against the Democratic president. The strategy didn’t work in its primary goal, but it did allow the Republicans to take Congress in wave elections. The centerpiece of McConnell’s strategy was non-stop filibusters by the united Republican caucus. In doing so, McConnell broke the Senate. When forty percent of the chamber refuses to even consider the opposition’s proposals, it can no longer be called the world’s greatest deliberative body. It only would have taken one defection to make the strategy collapse, though. McCain had a unique opportunity- he had a bigger platform than just about any other Republican at that time. He could have voted for cloture on some of the Democratic proposals, and probably brought some other senators with him. This would have been in line with regular order and ended McConnell’s cynical strategy of party over country. It also would have weakened the right-wing claim that Obama was not a legitimate president, with its clear throughline to birtherism and finally Trumpism. McCain didn’t do that. He joined the opposition against cap-and-trade (a policy he and many other Republican senators previously supported), which may yet doom the human race. So my question is: when it counts, does McCain deserve his maverick reputation?

Since November, I’ve been living in fear of losing the ACA. My wife relies heavily on it- for instance, the medication that prevents them from developing diabetes would cost thousands without it. I worry I mention that too much, but I can’t help but take the issue personally. There’s a real possibility that losing protections against pre-existing conditions and Medicaid coverage would be lethal. Living under the cloud of a death sentence for someone you love takes a toll. So when McCain did his Caesar Rodney act the other day*, I was terrified. Then he voted for the motion to proceed, opening the door to tens of millions of people losing health coverage, and I said anyone who voted for that was a monster. I was then told that that was unfair because McCain gave a speech where he said he was voting to proceed in order to make a point and he wouldn’t vote for the bill itself. Fair enough, he did keep his word. Of course, voting to proceed made it much more likely that the death sentence on thousands of people is passed, but he did the right thing in the final vote. So I take it back, it wasn’t a monstrous thing to do. Except I still don’t understand something, and I would sincerely like anyone to explain it (this is not an invitation for liberal snark; I can supply that myself.).

Why did McCain need to vote for the motion to proceed in order to make a point about how the Senate is broken? There may actually be a reason for this. Senate rules can be bizarre; for example, the majority leader often has to vote against his own proposals in order to bring them up again later. It seems to me, though, that instead of giving a fifteen minute speech, McCain could have registered much stronger objections with one word: “no.” Had he voted down the motion, the corrupt process would have collapsed and McConnell would have to seriously reevaluate his methods. Instead, the message I got was that if McConnell pursues a radical strategy, he might hear some angry speeches from people who ultimately do what he wants. I don’t see how a bad tree can bear good fruit. If the process got this far by ignoring the rules, how does letting it continue restore the old rules? Furthermore, while I’m not in principle opposed to debating how to proceed, when the most generous version of this bill takes health insurance from an estimated sixteen million people, how could it possibly grow into something good? Here’s why I say the radicalization of the parties is asymmetrical: Democrats openly admit the ACA has flaws and have offered to work with Republicans to improve it. Republicans refuse to admit the ACA has virtues and only see it as something to be destroyed.

I’m also skeptical of McCain’s sincerity, since in the middle of his plea for bipartisan cooperation he flagrantly lied about the other party. This quote is important: “Hold hearings, try to report a bill out of committee with contributions from both sides. Something that my dear friends on the other side of the aisle didn’t allow to happen nine years ago.” This is just false. The ACA was passed through normal order after almost a year of open debate. Dozens of hearing were held. President Obama practically begged the Republicans to go along. Republican amendments were added. The whole thing was based on a Heritage Foundation idea that was implemented by Mitt Romney. Single payer wasn’t even considered. There is no comparison between the way 2009 Democrats acted and the opaque, hyper-partisan strategy being pursued today. Obama and the Democratic caucus started from a position of compromise, while McConnell said "Either Republicans will agree and change the status quo or the markets will continue to collapse and we'll have to sit down with Senator Schumer." Obama asked his party members to compromise with the opposition, while McConnell uses cooperation as a threat. In hindsight, Obama might as well have governed as a far left radical who ignored the opposition; since he was accused of that anyway, all his attempts to compromise accomplished was annoying his base. Ironically, the GOP’s intransigence has made it much more likely that the next Democratic president will ignore their input.

The point of this too long essay is simply that I have trouble trusting any of the GOP to do the right thing. Collins and Murkowski get my applause, and I’m grateful to the half dozen others who voted against the actual bills, but I have trouble seeing how this ends anywhere good. Why do Republicans want this? Do they really prioritize tax cuts for the wealthy over the health of millions? I guess they do, since that’s what their actions say. That’s the bottom line of this whole spiel: actions speak louder than words. Any one of the forty-plus senators who voted to repeal the ACA this week is a monster. As for those who voted to proceed but then against the bills, someone please help me understand what they’re thinking, because I just don’t get it. As for my Republican friends who think this goes too far, you have a lot more chance to stop it than I do. McConnell is pursuing his partisan strategy because it worked electorally in 2010 and 2014, and Trump was the natural outgrowth of all of it. I beg you to let your Republican representatives know that, even if you agree with them ideologically, you want them to return to a posture of compromise and cooperation. The Democratic leadership has offered to work together on improving the ACA and other laws provided you don’t destroy all the gains we’ve made over the last eight years. You may not believe them, but there’s only one way to find out.

*Caesar Rodney wasn’t actually dying when he rode to Philadelphia to vote for independence, but I’ve seen 1776 over a hundred times, so that’s the version that sticks in my head.

#health care #john mccain #obamacare #mitch mcconnell #original content

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astroliability · 8 years ago

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ASTROLOGY BREAKDOWN.

DECEMBER 7TH, 2000. 6:47 PM, SAN BERNARDINO, CA.

☉ SAGITTARIUS /// ☽ TAURUS /// ASC CANCER

NOTE. this is applicable only to series-canon jim l.ake. book canon has given us a birth date -- may 2nd -- making jim a taurus. series jim celebrated his birthday months into preparation for the school’s fall play r&j. though fall plays are often performed in november, but as i’ve been contemplating the idea of arcadia oaks high being on a 45/15 schedule, the school play could very easily occur in december. i may, at some point, come back to this and draw out jim’s chart as a libra with a sagittarius moon, but for now i’m very pleased with this chart.

NOTE. under a cut because this has become very lengthy ( as in 4,000 words lengthy ). it’s therefore entirely for my reference.

SUN ☉ -- SAGITTARIUS ( 6th house ) MOON ☽ -- TAURUS ( 10th house ) MERCURY ☿ -- SAGITTARIUS ( 5th house ) VENUS ♀ -- CAPRICORN ( 7th house ) MARS ♂ -- LIBRA ( 4th house ) -- this placement shows conflict in the realm of family, particularly childhood, and as the fourth house is traditionally ruled by cancer, and jim has a cancer ascendant, this is one of the most significant placements in his chart. JUPITER ♃ -- GEMINI ( 11th house ) SATURN ♄ -- TAURUS ( 11th house ) URANUS ♅ -- AQUARIUS ( 8th house ) NEPTUNE ♆ -- AQUARIUS ( 7th house ) PLUTO ♇ -- SAGITTARIUS ( 5th house )

ORGANIZATION. planets placement breakdown // birth date breakdown // sun-moon-asc breakdown // aspects breakdown

PLANET PLACEMENTS BREAKDOWN.

NOTE. info taken from the secret language of astrology. these are brief and meant to give a sense of a certain planet’s role in a certain sign; therefore, they are not descriptors of personality.

SUN in SAGITTARIUS in the SIXTH HOUSE

the sun creates expansively and over-optimistically. a need for action and a fascination with the unknown urge sagittarians out of their immediate world. most will go as far as they can to explore foreign lands or new philosophies. never happier than when figuratively or literally in motion, they love sport and anything that tests the edge of what is possible, but they may say yes too easily and too often. focusing on the greater good keeps sagittarians steady.

MOON in TAURUS in the TENTH HOUSE

the moon reacts charmingly and needily. we are drawn to people with a taurean moon by the reassuring way they appreciate us. they love to provide and share the pleasures of life, especially cultural outings, and to compare notes over a meal afterwards. although a support in times of need, their apparent dependability may be a projection of their own need for the comfort of reliable routines. this could lead to uncertainty over who is supporting whom.

MERCURY in SAGITTARIUS in the FIFTH HOUSE

mercury communicates idealistically and expansively. people with mercury in sagittarius love contributing to conversations, especially if the debates are on deep religious or philosophical matters. they believe that everyone has a right to their opinions on how to make the world a better place. although they may be quick to make up their mind and speak it, they are also prone to changing it. they should listen and consider, as well as suggesting alternatives.

VENUS in CAPRICORN in the SEVENTH HOUSE

venus loves cautiously and devotedly. those with venus in capricorn want to progress, but are cautious, controlling their dealings with other people, possessions, and the world in general. they may seem to be shy, not wanting to be rushed into commitment; but once committed they feel much more comfortable in established, long-standing relationships. often appearing to wait cautiously on the sidelines of life, when they do become attached they are truly steadfast toward all the people and objectives they set their hearts upon.

MARS in LIBRA in the FOURTH HOUSE

mars acts urgently and defensively. those born with mars in libra feel the need to address all difficulties and restore balance, moving away from uncertainty as quickly as possible. should danger seem to threaten, they will take up the cause of justice. mars is uncomfortable in detriment here so these people must be careful that their actions do not prove counterproductive. otherwise, they may upset the proper solution and find themselves fighting for the wrong cause.

JUPITER in GEMINI in the ELEVENTH HOUSE

jupiter expands adventurously and unrealistically. when jupiter is in gemini, big ideas encourage agendas suggested by the positions of the other outer planets.

SATURN in TAURUS in the ELEVENTH HOUSE

saturn controls methodically and intransigently. methods of control dominate the world when saturn is in this sign, with radically different, even conflicting attempts at laying firm foundations on offer.varying visions of saturnian “ common sense ” sought to contain the excesses of other planetary cycles. restriction, while tempering excess, can also prevent creative innovation and make solutions harder to find.

DECEMBER 7TH, 2000.

according to the element encyclopedia of birthdays:

AT YOUR BEST. creative / individual / original ON THE DARK SIDE. detached / stressed / muddled YOUR GREATEST CHALLENGE IS. finding the right career. LUCK MAKER. stay focused but flexible. QUOTE. ‘ today i will be part of the solution, not the problem. ’

people born on december 7 often feel as if there is a special purpose to their life. they dare to be different, and as highly original and creative thinkers they do stand apart from the crowd. although they have a thirst for adventure, they are first and foremost dreamers and their minds are capable of taking them to places others simply haven’t the imagination to go.

they are often trendsetters who make up their own rules as they go along, and their free-thinking, pioneering style will often startle others. tending to be loners, they also know how to blend in when they want to, and their conversation is always colorful and interesting. the big problem, however, is that they tend to talk more than they act; if there is no follow-through people may dismiss them as dreamers, not doers.

according to the secret language:

those born on december 7 are one of a kind. during most of their lives they find it difficult to fit in with those around them, whether at school, at work or at home. those born on this day often grow up thinking of themselves as abnormal, peculiar, or just plain weird. whether they really are or not, they believe they are, and often live up to their own expectations.

december 7 people are usually drawn to those who are also a tad peculiar. in any case, they have respect for people who have the courage to go their own way, no matter what it is they do. secretly, of course, many born on this day would like to be accepted on conventional terms, and enjoy blending into the crowd from time to time. they may succeed in forcing themselves to fit in, but the struggle usually takes its toll.

december 7 people really need to take a lot of time off, and not put too many demands on themselves. as children, their prodigious talents may raise high expectations that are difficult to meet; they may thus become rebellious, neurotic, and isolated, forced to form a shell around themselves to guard their sensitive natures from disappointment or rejection. those born on this day who are fortunate enough to have both caring and sensitive parents stand a much better chance of finding themselves in life. if they are still more fortunate in meeting individuals who see their potential and bring their talents along, their uniqueness becomes a great asset--they don’t have to make an unnatural effort to stand out or be recognized.

SUN / MOON / ASC BREAKDOWN.

☉ SAGITTARIUS

from cafeastrology:

STRENGTHS. good, idealistic, enthusiastic and warm-hearted / independent, has a taste for travel and freedom / curious and fair-minded WEAKNESSES. too adventurous and leaves things to chance / takes risks which cause problems / rebellious and sometimes tactless when offering opinions.

restless, cheerful, and friendly, Sun in Sagittarius people are generally on the go. they have a love of freedom, and a disdain for routine. generally quite easygoing, sagittarians make friends with people from all walks of life. they love to laugh and tease, and get along well with both sexes. sagittarians have an often blind faith in people, and in the world. their optimism is infectious, although it can get them into trouble from time to time. these are curious people who love to learn. their idealistic nature is hard to miss.

although generally easygoing, sagittarius is a fire sign. this gives natives a generally quick temper. fortunately, they're usually as quick to forget what got them angry in the first place. the need for escape is generally strong, and some solar sagittarians come across as a little irresponsible. they're generally easy to forgive, however. after all, their direct, honest approach in life is admirable.

from llewellyn’s complete book of astrology.

as a sagittarius, you’re an adventurer, moving through life to fulfill your quest for knowledge and new experiences. you see opportunities where others see boundaries, and step into each day with confidence and optimism. that’s the influence of fire, the element associated with your sign.

at times, you’re impulsive and overly optimistic and plow ahead without thought of potential consequences. yet you often land on your feet. when you don’t, you’re quick to put the past behind you for a fresh start.

like expansive jupiter, your ruling planet, you see life from a big-picture perspective. with so much to explore, so many fscinating things to do, and so much knowledge to gain, you have no time for details or fences. you’re a freedom-loving free spirit who’s always on the go, physically or mentally.

☉ IN 6TH HOUSE

from cafeastrology:

the work that you do, and the services that you offer, are very important to your sense of identity. in order to feel good about yourself, you need to be busy with daily activities and to produce work you can be proud of. focus on finding a suitable and rewarding avenue for expressing this part of you, being extra careful to choose an occupation in which you can express yourself. you are sensitive to criticism about the work you do, and you work best when you can create your own schedule. positive feedback for the services you render is important to you, but be careful not to over-identify with the appreciation you receive from others, as your work and your health suffers when you feel under-appreciated. Motivation to do a good job should come from within.

☽ TAURUS

from astrology of the moon:

“ happiness is a warm puppy, ” charles schulz wrote, and with your moon in taurus you might agree with the sentiment. so much is said in popular astrology about taurus liking comfort, which a warm puppy could certainly provide, but it’s really your natural desire to root yourself in the simple things in life from which this idea stems. the proverbial “ warm puppy ” is really a representation of anything that gives you a sense of calm and peace, something that does a taurus heart good in particular.

you feel most nurtured when you are able to follow your own natural rhythm of living and do what feels right to you in its own time. not only do you not enjoy being pushed, but it can make you feel overwhelmed and frazzled, something you very much don’t like, which prompts an instinct to dig in your heels and resist. inner stability supports your happiness and the rest of your life. building that kind of foundation takes time, so when you hear that taurus doesn’t like change, it’s mostly out of the sentiment that a steady life helps you to unfold naturally and feel right with the world. when life around you gets out of control, your solid center can help you feel you can weather anything. a life of routine is actually quite nurturing to you, provided the routines are full of things you enjoy doing. a morning coffee prepared in the same way by the same people at the corner cafe, a walk where you see your favorite sights while watching your neighborhood slowly change and develop over the seasons, and idyllic sunday mornings with the newspaper help you feel in tune and open your heart.

ASC CANCER

from alabe.com:

very sensitive by nature, you prefer to be in your own familiar surroundings. cautious and conservative, you make changes in your life only very slowly, if at all. you do not open up easily to strangers. friendships are made for life, however -- once given, your trust is forever. your mother, your home as a child and your early family life in general are very important to you. you are also very sentimental. when you feel self- confident, you are gentle, giving and protective of the needs of others. but when you feel insecure or threatened, you become overly sensitive to criticism, shy, withdrawn and moody. you have a strong need for security -- in the sense that you are being loved, nourished and protected.

from cafeastrology:

these people come across as gentle creatures. there's something familiar about them -- they're the guy or gal next door. when they enter a room, they don't walk in with a splash. instead, they move to the sides and weave their way inwards. these people have a familiar feel to them. Because they are rather sensitive to their environment, they can get flustered easily, especially in public. their first instinct, when threatened or on unfamiliar ground, is to protect themselves. when new situations present themselves, they can immediately withdraw or act shy. generally, these people come across as caring people. They seem quite sweet -- even innocent. usually, these people appear unassuming enough to be quite approachable. some cancer ascendants, however, have retreated into themselves so much as to be quite the opposite.

since capricorn is on the descendant, cancer ascendant people are looking for structure and security in their partner and their relationship. these people function best when their partner displays strength, financial and emotional stability, and know-how. in fact, many cancer ascendants prefer it when their relationship has well-defined rules. security is the basic need, and they are generally more than willing to give up some personal freedom in order to get it. in some cases, cancer ascendant people can surprise their partners. why? because they come across as rather unassuming, family-oriented people. when it comes to marriage, they have a rather matter-of-fact, practical approach.

ASPECTS BREAKDOWN.

NOTE. all descriptions in this section are taken from llewellyn’s complete book of astrology. note also that these descriptions may not be wholly true, because a person is a complex being and a chart is a composite and synthesis of the placements and aspects. they are certainly far from complete descriptions. but they give a sense of many nuances to jim’s characters, and i couldn’t be more pleased with how his chart turned out, not just in regard to placements, but with aspects as well.

SUN ( 6 ) conjunct MERCURY ( 5 )

although objectivity is limited, you have the initiative to act on ideas, to put plans in motion. your thoughts are often ego-driven and your decisions based on what’s best for you and you alone. that’s great if you plan to live in a mountaintop cave, but not so good if you expect relationships to thrive. your challenge is to see yourself as others do and to be considerate of their needs, wishes, and desires. at its best, this planetary energy adds determination to meet golds and an excellent mind, plus a talent for speaking and writing.

SUN ( 6 ) sextile MARS ( 4 )

dashing and daring, you’re a leader who has the courage, confidence ,and enthusiasm to forge new territory and generate plenty of support along the way. you’re ambitious and self-motivated, but it’s easy to forget that not everyone has your indomitable energy and stamina, so go easy on those around you as you push yourself to succeed.

SUN ( 6 ) sextile URANUS ( 8 )

you have a unique, indefinable magnetic aura that intrigues many. and that’s you’re entree into many situations where you can capitalize on your strengths and talents. traditional yet a little eccentric in some way, you see things from a different perspective, and look for and find new and better ways to do most anything. that’s your inventive nature, which benefits from your imagination, intuition, and originality. as a friend, you’re among the best, loyal to those in your circle. teamwork comes naturally.

SUN ( 6 ) conjunct PLUTO ( 5 )

you have the willpower and determination to accomplish almost anything. others sense this intensity, your underlying strength and control, which can be a great source of comfort to those who need someone to lean on. you’re also intuitive and relentless and a natural psychologist who understands what makes people tick. this aspect can indicate control issues, and some people with this combination are ruthless and power hungry. if you use this aspect positively, you can be a force for incredible personal and worldly change, and can rise to a powerful position or influence.

MOON ( 10 ) square VENUS ( 7 )

your family and romantic relationships ebb and flow, with frequent ups and downs as needs and desires conflict. so these aspects are all about blending your wishes with those of others and striving for compromise. it doesn’t take much for you to feel neglected or rejected, whether that’s perception or reality. spending is another challenge associated with these aspects.

MOON ( 10 ) square NEPTUNE ( 7 )

you can get lost in daydreams and fantasies as a way to protect your sensitive soul and to weather the ups and downs of relationships. sure, it might be easier to live in a world of illusion, isolating your emotions from reality and the inevitable hurts that result when humans interact, but that’s both impractical and unproductive. accept that life and people are what they are, and direct this energy into nurturing our creativity and intuition.

MERCURY ( 5 ) opposition JUPITER ( 11 )

you’re an optimist who views life from the bright side, ever ready to snap up an opportunity. but at times you can go overboard and promise more than you can deliver. take time to look at the downside as well as the upside. before dashing blindly into a new endeavor, consider potential stumbling blocks that could sidetrack you. although the big picture is your comfort zone, the practical details are also necessary to success.

MERCURY ( 5 ) sextile NEPTUNE ( 7 )

a master of persuasion, you immediately sense what others need and and want. this, of course, gives you a talent for subtly influencing others with all the right words, and they often think your ideas are their own. creativity is a strength, and you may have a talent for writing, poetry, music, art, dancing, or theater. you’re also intuitive, possibly even psychic, and thus benefit from insights into human nature as well as practical matters involving your career and everyday life. many people with these aspects have a strong spiritual connection to the universe.

MERCURY ( 5 ) conjunct PLUTO ( 5 )

you have a shrewd mind and the ability to delve deep into and master any subject that interests you. this powerful mental energy also gives you the ability to program your thinking into any way you choose, and the determination to commit and follow through on any goal you set.

VENUS ( 7 ) trine JUPITER ( 11 )

you attract money, good fortune, and lucky breaks that can prompt a life of leisure or one of high achievement. the choice is yours whether to be lazy or productive, to fulfill your potential in the fast lane or to be content with letting life coast along.

VENUS ( 7 ) trine SATURN ( 11 )

you take commitments seriously and readily contribute and accept your share of the responsibility to ensure business and relationship success. a loyal friend and partner, yo form long-lasting ties with ease and attract people whose knowledge and experience benefit your own.

VENUS ( 7 ) conjunct NEPTUNE ( 7 )

you’re a true romantic, idealistic about love, devoted and sensitive to your partner’s needs and wishes. but this also opens you up to disillusionment in all but the very best relationships, which have a deep spiritual connection. be cautious about whom you trust, especially when love is involved.

MARS ( 4 ) trine URANUS ( 8 )

you’re innovative and resourceful, and if there’s a better way to do something, you’re usually the first to spot it. your outlook is unconventional, although not eccentric, which makes your ideas easy for others to accept. if you’re like most people with one of these aspects, you’re outgoing and highly energetic, with the adventuresome mindset of an explorer who has the confidence and courage to fearlessly expose new territory. yet the risks you take are calculated rather than reckless, which increases your odds for success.

MARS ( 4 ) square ASCENDANT

close relationships can be a challenge with these aspects, which increase the potential for conflict and control issues. ( this may have been your family experience during childhood. ) you, your partner, or both of you may try to dominate the partnership and important decisions. tact and compromise are the solution, but that’s only possible if both of you are open to the idea and then commit to a 50-50 shared relationship.

JUPITER ( 11 ) conjunct SATURN ( 11 )

your challenge is to balance the optimism of jupiter with the responsibility of saturn. you can achieve financial and career success through hard work and an appreciation for slow but steady progress. even though you experience setbacks along the way, you also benefit from good fortune and a protective influence. keep that in mind when you’re temped to give up or, conversely, when enthusiasm encourages you to ignore the realities. determination is very much your ally.

JUPITER ( 11 ) trine NEPTUNE ( 7 )

deeply spiritual, you have an innate understanding of the universe and a strong faith in yourself and humankind. you look for the best in people; unfortunately, this trait can blind you to the realities of human nature. choose your friends and business acquaintances with care, and refrain from sharing your kind, compassionate, generous nature with just anyone, including good causes and those in need.

JUPITER ( 11 ) opposition PLUTO ( 5 )

you see no reason to bend, or change, or compromise on anything that separates you from a goal. this can be positive or negative depending on your approach. when this energy is used unethically or even ruthlessly, you may achieve temporary success, but eventually it will catch up with you. working within existing structures may not be easy, or your first choice, but it’s potentially more lucrative, both financially and in terms of overall life success. be a leader and a team player who empowers others.

plus a bunch of minor aspects from the ascendant, which further enforces the way everything in the chart channels through the ascendant, strengthening the cancer influence of his chart and making him seem even more like a cancer.

FINAL WORD. this got really long so i’m glad i didn’t try to synthesize or describe these placements on my own. i used an ephemeris to narrow down his birth date based on his moon sign, found the times his ascendant would be in cancer, and ran with that. i used just a few sources so as not to overwhelm me. of course, as with all natal astrology, this all must be combined and synthesized into a picture of jim as a person, but if you know anything about astrology, that chart and the placements therein can probably give you a really good sense of him. it worked out remarkably well for an attempt to use real positions to find a character’s chart.

also, if you stuck around to the end, i love you so much, you’re a real trooper, and if you ever want me to work out the astrology for your muse then totally come and hmu ! i love doing character astrology !

#; ☆ atlas too carried the weight of the world (headcanons)#long post /#long long post #i'm so sorry to ppl on mobile and also to anyone who tries to skim this #it's mostly for my reference but! if you know astrology hmu #usually i work out all the planets thru mars but i decided to use an ephemeris to find smth real u kno?

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lotsofdogs · 7 years ago

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The Ultimate Guide on How to Detoxify Your Body and Home (+ Recipes)

Let’s talk about body detox, shall we? Now, before we begin, it’s only fair I warn you that this is one super long article. Why? Because we wanted to offer the most complete guide to home and body detoxification possible. To make it easier on you, use the table of contents to your right. If you think we forgot something, please let us know! Now… let’s dive into the wonderful world of detox!

Detoxification is a process that occurs within our bodies on a natural and continuous basis. Detoxifying is the process of releasing accumulated toxins and waste products that build up throughout our system.

From birth, we are bombarded by toxins, externally from environmental sources and internally, our organs give off waste products that accumulate in our body.

Imbalanced emotions also play a part in polluting our system with excess chemicals such as free radicals, homocysteine and cortisol.

Detoxifying is, in many ways, an easy process. Our body does much of the detoxification process through urination, defecation and perspiration. As our bodies age and our immune systems weaken from illness, poor diet and/or addictive substances, we sometimes need to give our system an extra helping hand. That is why conscious detoxing is a great way back to optimum health.

For some, counting on a few cups of coffee, having a cigarette, drinking excessive alcohol or doing recreational drugs has become a familiar habit. Between all the medications, refined foods, additives, alcohol, pesticides and other chemicals we are exposed to in the environment, the ability of our systems to adapt and detoxify can become challenged.

How to Know if You Need Body Detoxification

Symptoms such as frequent or reoccurring colds, feeling heavy, sluggish or tired, poor skin, acne or other related skin problems, allergies, a thick, coated tongue, bad breath, headache, and feelings of gas and being bloated after meals may indicate problems in the body’s functionality and it’s ability to process, digest and excrete properly. These vague symptoms that are often overlooked tend to be the results of a congested and sluggish body system.

Exposure or toxicity to food additives, solvents, pesticides, herbicides and other toxic chemicals can cause a number of psychological and neurological symptoms. Toxins produced by bacteria in the gut can be absorbed, causing significant disruption of body functions. Toxins that the body are unable to eliminate build up in the tissues, typically in our fat stores.

Physical Signs

First of all, there are quite a few physical signs that can point toward needing a detox. When you have a lot of chemicals and toxins in your body, such as in your kidneys and liver, your body reacts with a number of different issues. These can often be linked to those toxins, which means you will feel better after detoxifying with healthier options.

Some unmistakable physical signs of needing a detox include having frequent headaches, bloating or digestion problems, persistent sinus problems, skin irritation, muscle aches, and even menstrual cycle issues.

Depression

Some mental health disorders can also be signs of needing a detox. If you have been experiencing worsening episodes of depression, or you suddenly feel depressed even though it is quite rare for you, it may be due to the health of your body, not just your mind. It is a good idea to not ignore these signs, since cleaning your body with a detox can actually help clear your brain of negative toxins as well. You should also consult a doctor if you have worsening symptoms of depression.

Insomnia

Have you been having trouble sleeping – either with falling asleep or staying asleep? If so, it might not be completely due to your mattress or not having a good bedtime ritual. Another possibility is that there are a lot of built up toxins in your body, which is keeping your body from resting probably for sleep. Insomnia is not something to take lightly, or just to take medication to help solve. You should also try doing a healthy detox and see if it helps you get better sleep.

Other Signs of Needing a Detox

There are also lots of other symptoms that could point to needing a detox. For example, you might be having mood swings and extreme irritability, which is related to the toxins in your body. You may have more cravings, especially to sugar, or have increased blood sugar. More belly fat, fluid retention, and stomach bloating are also common signs of needing a detox.

One of the best ways to start your detoxification is with the body’s biggest organ, the SKIN. A detox diet strengthens the organs involved in detoxification and releases stored toxins, expelling them through the organs of elimination: the skin, as well as the intestines, liver, lungs, kidneys, and lymphatic system.

The Benefits of Body Detox

Doing a detox means you are getting rid of all the toxins that are built up in your main organs, such as your stomach, kidneys, and liver. It is important to do if you have been following an unhealthy diet or simply to reset your body and get a healthy start. Consider some of these different benefits of doing a detox.

Your Stress is Improved

Something many people don’t realize is that the foods you eat and the health of your body can negatively impact your emotions. If you are constantly feeding your emotions with food, particularly bad food, then you are adding in lots of extra toxins and starting a bad emotional eating habit at the same time. You can kill two birds with one stone by switching to a healthier diet through detoxing. This cleanses the system and makes you feel better, which in turn can help reduce your stress and impact your mental health as a whole.

You Feel Better

In general, you feel better when you do a detox. Whether you are just replacing some bad foods with less processed ones, are on a strict 3-day juicing detox, or try a longer detox diet, it can really help you feel better. It helps with insomnia, gives you more energy, and makes it to where you don’t constantly feel ill or drained of energy. Detoxing actually makes a very positive impact on your body, which in turn makes you happier and healthier.

Your Hair and Skin Glows

While many people go on a detox for physical issues, they often forget about their hair and skin! Detoxing is wonderful for your skin and hair health. It can make you feel more youthful when you stop with all the processed foods and start eating more organically. You can also do a bath or beauty detox that further helps with your hair, skin, nails, and even your teeth. This is another great reason to try a detox every once in a while, giving your entire body a fresh start from head to toe.

It Helps with Your Digestion

If you have problems with your digestion, where you experience frequent bloating of the abdomen, passing gas, or constipation, then you will benefit from a detox. Digestion issues are actually a common sign of needing a detox, so it makes sense that this would be a top benefit as well. Stop taking Tums and Rolaids to help with digestion, and go on a detox instead.

Body Detoxification Methods

Herbs for Detoxification

Alfalfa

Alfalfa alkalizes and detoxes the body. Can act as a diuretic, balances hormones, eases inflammation, may lower cholesterol. Must be used in fresh raw form to provide vitamins. Contains an antifungal agent.

Its high protein and vitamin content make it a good nutritional source. Medicinal uses of alfalfa include treatment of stomach upset, arthritis, bladder and kidney problems, boils, and irregular menstruation.

Cilantro

Cilantro is the great metal detoxer! Leaves of the coriander plant (cilantro) can accelerate the excretion of mercury, lead, and aluminum from the body. Cilantro is considered the “poor man’s chelation treatment.” Simply add cilantro to your diet daily, for two or three weeks. Consider adding a handful of fresh cilantro to a salad, mix a couple of teaspoons of cilantro pesto with whole wheat pasta or have it with your favorite fish or soups.

Basil

Basil has been shown to kill bacteria on the skin surface. Apply this tincture directly to the skin surface on a compress. This works to kill the bacteria that forms as the detox process happens. It is also possible to steep two to three teaspoons of dried basil in a cup of boiling water. Allow the herb to steep 5-10 minutes or more in order to extract the healing oils from the plant. Then soak a washcloth or compress in the tea and apply to the areas where pimples, acne or skin eruptions are most present.

Burdock

Burdock is a tonic herb and has been used in the treatment of skin conditions. Burdock is an herb that boosts immunity and purifies the blood. It’s a traditional liver tonic and a mild, natural diuretic. Burdock’s laxative and diuretic properties help remove toxins from the system. The Chinese utilize it against tumors, inflammation, fungal and bacterial infections.

It is often recommended for dry, scaly skin. You can take burdock in capsule form (follow the directions) or make a acne fighting tea. Burdock root tincture may be taken in 2–4 ml amounts per day. Dried root preparations in a capsule or tablet can be used at 1–2 grams three times per day.

Dandelion

Dandelion is a leading remedy for detoxing the liver. It stimulates the flow of bile, a fluid that aids fat digestion, which is why it’s used for liver and gallbladder disorders. Dandelion has scientifically documented potent diuretic properties. It relieves constipation and eases bloating and swelling. Dandelion should be used for 4 to 6 weeks at a time. For it’s liver benefits, dandelion is helpful for detoxing.

Garlic

Garlic controls free radicals, counters the tendency of the blood to clot, and possibly reduces blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Preliminary evidence suggests that regular use of garlic may help prevent cancer. Garlic may be an effective antibiotic when it contacts the tissue directly, but there is no evidence that it works like a standard antibiotic, spreading throughout the body and killing organisms everywhere.

Garlic has known antifungal properties,and there is preliminary evidence suggesting that “Ajoene”, a compound derived from garlic, might help treat athlete’s foot. Garlic has also been proposed as a treatment for asthma, candida, colds, diabetes, and vaginal infections.

Ginger

Ginger is used for the prevention and treatment of various forms of nausea. These include motion sickness, the nausea and vomiting of pregnancy (morning sickness), and post-surgical nausea. Ginger has been suggested as a treatment for numerous other conditions, including atherosclerosis, migraine headaches, rheumatoid arthritis, high cholesterol, burns, ulcers, depression, impotence, and liver toxicity.

Stops cough and stops vomiting. In traditional Chinese medicine, hot ginger tea taken at the first sign of a cold is believed to offer the possibility of averting the infection.

Gotu Kola

Gotu Kola is the blood purifier. Commonly used to help protect and repair or heal the skin, blood and nervous system. It combats stress and improves reflexes. Antidepressant, improves memory and reduces mental fatigue. The nuts, roots, and seeds of this herb are used in cardiovascular and circulatory disorders, fatigue, kidney stones, poor appetite and sleep disorders.

Hawthorne Berry

Hawthorne Berry may help strengthen the heart, help increase blood flow, encourage healthy blood pressure levels and maintain healthy arteries. Useful for anemia, and circulatory disorders, high cholesterol and lowered immunity. High in Vitamins B &C, it is also used as a kidney tonic. Often used as a digestive aid.

Milk Thistle

Milk Thistle is the great liver detoxer! The importance of milk thistle in cleansing your liver, may decrease your chances of developing cirrhosis, chronic fatigue, PMS, and cancer. The fruits, leaves, and seeds in any form, contain some of the most potent liver protecting substances known. Protects the kidneys and is good for adrenal disorders, bowel disorders, and weakened immune systems.

Red Clover

Red Clover is an herb suggested for chronic conditions affecting the skin. It is a diuretic, but it’s unknown exactly how it works for skin conditions. Use non-fermented red clover which is safe.

Triphala

Triphala is a traditional Ayurvedic Indian herbal compound used for constipation and poor bowel tone and is designed to support the body’s natural cleansing process. It is one of Ayurveda’s most important herbal formulas for thousands of years.

Triphala is a balanced blend of three Indian Herbal Fruits: Harada, Amla, Behada. This combination of fruits is unique because the astringent qualities of the fruits serve to tonify the colon therefore promoting internal cleansing naturally. This is highly recommended for anyone doing a detox program.

Yellow Dock

Yellow Dock is another herb that purifies the blood. It has compounds called anthraquinone glycosides that stimulate bile production, aiding digestion and cleansing the liver. Some herbalists believe that chronic skin problems like acne improve with long-term use of yellow dock. Warning: Don’t take yellow dock if you have kidney stones.

Using Baths for Body Detox

For centuries, humans have recognized the relaxing, rejuvenating affects of a bath. From the Roman Baths popular in 300 AD to modern day spas, baths have been more than just a way to get clean.

They have also been both a social and medical fixture. While a regular tub bath can get you clean on the outside, did you know there are ingredients you can add to your water that will cleanse your insides as well?

While there are places you can buy pre-packaged bath additives to make a detox bath, you can easily prepare these additives yourself. After a trip to your local grocery or health food store, you’ll be ready to start cleaning toxins out of your body just by relaxing in the tub.

How to Make Your Own Body Detox Bath

Actually, the ingredients for a detox bath aren’t as complicated as they might sound. In fact, you may already have some of the ingredient in your home. The most common detox bath recipes call for one cup of sea salts, two cups of baking soda and one cup of Epsom salts.

After mixing these ingredients well, you can store them in a glass jar with a screw-on lid. You only need about ¼ cup of the mix per bath so this recipe makes enough mix for about 16 baths.

Detox Benefits of a Hydrogen Peroxide Bath

Hydrogen peroxide destroys toxins, organisms, and even pulls out the residues left by soap. In other words, it makes one of our major eliminators of toxins – our skin – more effective. (Read more about the Health Benefits of Hydrogen Peroxide)

Hydrogen peroxide does all this and is environmentally friendly too, leaving its only by-products: water and oxygen.

The first time you bathe with hydrogen peroxide, be sure to notice the residue left behind after the bath. You just might be amazed!

Supplies

2 quarts hydrogen peroxide

Bath tub

Directions

Pour 1 quart hydrogen peroxide into a hot bath making sure to mix it well to avoid burning your skin. Be careful not to get any bath water in your eyes. Immerse yourself into the water and wait 5 minutes.

If there is no reaction to your skin, add the second quart and stir well. Relax and soak for 20 to 25 minutes.

Cautions

If irritation occurs, rinse yourself off with clear water immediately. You may want to try again using 1 pint hydrogen peroxide. Women with vaginitis often experience temporary irritation and should begin with the lower dose. Always use caution when exiting a tub. Lightheadedness may occur.

Other Uses

Hydrogen peroxide (3%) is excellent as a facial toner and as a mouthwash.

If you suffer from athlete’s foot, try a nightly foot soak in 3% hydrogen peroxide until the condition clears.

Additional Healing Body Detoxification Bath Recipes

Simple Salt Detox Bath

This first recipe is for a basic detox bath using salt. It is going to make you feel clean and refreshed, as well as helping with a lot of various skin problems. If you have any type of skin irritation, this can definitely help. However, be careful if you have open cuts or sores.

All you need to do is fill your bathtub with water as hot as you can handle it, then while that is filling up, boil a pot of water. To the pot, add in some Epsom salt, sea salt, apple cider vinegar, and baking soda. Let it all dissolve, then pour into the bath.

Eucalyptus Body Detox Bath

A detox bath that uses eucalyptus and essential oils is great when you have skin that is overly dry or itchy. For this, you can add some pure eucalyptus extract in small amounts, or just add some drops of eucalyptus essential oil drops. Also add in some Epsom salts to the bath, along with scented oils to complement it, such as lavender or vanilla. Soak in the bath for 20-30 minutes.

Bentonite Clay Detox Bath

If you have not heard about bentonite clay before, now is the time to become familiar with it! Bentonite clay is a type of organic clay that can be used to help with your skin and overall health. It is the perfect combination when also adding in the Epsom salts, which are an integral part of most detox bath recipes.

For this type of bath, try adding some Epsom salts and the same amount of bentonite clay to a hot bath. You can then also add some drops of essential oils for the aromatherapy (or just because you like certain scents).

Ginger Detox Bath

Finally, a ginger detox bath is a fantastic option if you are suffering from indigestion or nausea. Having stomach problems is a common reason to try a detox in the first place. In addition to switching your diet, you can also detox your body with a bath. For this one, go ahead and start with your Epson salts, then add some fresh ginger and lemon to the bath. You can also add in essential oils if you like.

Body Detoxification Bath Tips

If you have dry skin, you may want to add glycerin as well as another essential oil of your choice to the water to help keep your skin from being too dry, but make sure is 100% natural oil not a brand name product filled with chemicals.

Another tip for dry skin is to use Aloe gel after the detox bath. As I mentioned above make sure you use 100% pure aloe, not a lotion that has aloe and host of other chemicals and artificial color and scents.

How a Body Detox Bath Works

You may wonder how these simple ingredients can draw toxins out of your body. According to Naturopath Dr. Hazel Parcells, it is actually the combination of the hot water and ingredients working together that give you the detoxifying action.

First, the hot water in the bath pulls toxins out of the body to the surface of the skin. The Epsom salts aid this detoxifing process by making you sweat, which is body’s natural way of releasing toxins. Poisons are also drawn out of the body as the water in the bath naturally cools.

The other two ingredients – sea salts and baking soda – also help to cleanse and purify the body of toxins. Sea salt is widely known for its powers of purification. Since baking soda is highly alkaline, it also helps encourage poisons to leach from your system.

As a few final words of instruction, you should pour the detox bath mix into the water as the bath is filling. Draw your water as hot as you can comfortably stand. The hotter the water you use, the better, more thorough detox you will have.

How Long Should You Stay in a Detox Bath?

Twenty to 30 minutes is usually an adequate amount of time to soak in the bath. It is usually a good idea to drink plenty of water during or after your bath to replace the water you have sweated out. You might also want to scrub or rub your skin after you finish soaking to encourage all the toxins brought to the surface of the skin to clear out.

As a word of caution, however, if you have heart disease, high blood pressure or are diabetic, check with your doctor before trying a detox bath.

Next time you decide to relax in a hot bath, consider mixing up these simple ingredients and making it a detox bath. Your body will relish the internal and external cleansing it will get.

How to Use Tea to Detox (+ Recipes!)

ks. This isn’t about the packaged detox teas that are filled with useless chemicals, but brewing up a pot of organic, fresh, homemade detox tea.

Green Tea Body Detoxification

One of the best types of teas you can have for a detox is green tea. It is extremely good for you, has a mild flavor so it is easy to flavor how you like, and it sits well with the stomach. Green Tea also happens to be great for weight loss, if that is something you are interested in a long with your detox. You can drink regular green tea or turn it into your own detox recipe by adding herbs or fruit juice like lime or lemon.

Fresh Tea Detox

This type of tea detox doesn’t actually use tea leaves, but incorporates hot water with a variety of fresh ingredients that are good for drink detoxes. For example, you want to heat up a cup of water, then add in some lemon juice and cayenne pepper.

You can also add in a bit of raw honey or maple syrup to make it sweetener and more flavorful, or even some fresh ground ginger. Try to drink this 2-3 times a day during a detox, and you will begin feeling much better.

Dandelion and Ginger Tea Detox

One of the superfoods that many people don’t use nearly often enough is dandelion root. Dandelion is a very powerful root that can be used to make some delicious and healthy tea. As as superfood, it is packed full of nutrients that you often don’t get from other foods, plus it helps to remove the toxins from your body, particularly you liver. You can use some dried dandelion root along with fresh ginger and dried milk thistle for this powerful detox tea.

Remember that you can also try store-bought teas for a detox, but you want to be careful about which kind you choose. Try to go for the more organic ones or loose leaf teas, as they tend to go through less of a chemical process to be made, which is really your goal.

How to (Easily) Detox with Food

Here are some easy tips to follow when you start detoxing with food.

Look for Superfoods

It can be difficult knowing which types of foods help detox certain areas of the body. If this is the case, don’t worry so much about individual foods that help the liver or kidneys, but instead just look at a list of superfoods and use those to incorporate into your diet.

Many superfoods are great for your health and are usually on the list of detox foods, so it is a safe bet that these are good ones to start with. They often include fruits like grapefruit, cherries, and blueberries, veggies like kale and cauliflower, and other foods and herbs like ginger, dandelion greens, and turmeric.

Try to Remove the Bad Stuff

Making small changes in your diet can still have a big impact on your detoxing abilities. In addition to just changing small parts of your diet at a time, such as drinking more water, adding superfoods, and eating healthier in general, there are some things you want to stop eating.

Processed and packaged foods are usually the first to go, since they often include extra ingredients and preservatives you don’t need. The general recommendation is to eat as many fresh, clean, and whole foods as you can. You should also try to reduce the refined sugars you eat, going for natural sources of sugar like fruit, organic honey, and real maple syrup.

Drink More Water

This is going to be the recommendation just about everywhere you look, and not just for weight loss or general health. It is also really important when you are trying to detox your body. Regardless of what your other options are, you aren’t going to be able to cleanse your system fully until you are drinking plenty of water.

Make sure you really focus on drinking more water and less of other drinks, including sugary or caffeinated drinks. Detox infused water is even better for you.

Don’t worry too much about following the ‘right’ detox diet and instead focus on being the healthiest person you can be.

3 Delicious Smoothies that will Detox Your Body

Fruits, vegetables, and herbs are the cornerstone for a food detox, which allows you to cleanse your system while feeding it a lot of nutrients at the same time. This is really easy to do when you make smoothies that contain these and other healthy ingredients. Try to make some of the following detox smoothies.

Green Smoothie

The first smoothie is more of a standard health smoothie, which is something many people choose to make when they are on a detox diet. This is a green smoothie, which is essentially one that has both fruits and veggies. The fruits make it taste sweeter and less like you are drinking liquid lettuce, while all the veggies build up the superfoods and nutrients.

Together, they make a killer detox smoothie. You can choose any combination you like, but try to have some greens in each one, such as spinach or kale. With a smoothie, the general rule of thumb is to add just enough liquid to help it blend up. If it isn’t blending, add a little more liquid to get it going.

Berry Smoothie

If you aren’t interested in having veggies in your smoothie, that is totally fine. You can still make a delicious and healthy detox smoothie by using your favorite combination of berries. Most berries, including strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries, are filled with antioxidants and a lot of other nutrients.

This makes them a superfood, and perfect for a detox smoothie. Using frozen berries keeps you from needing a lot of ice. You can add in some orange juice as the liquid as well, which keeps it dairy-free. This is often good for a detox option.

Cherry Smoothie

This doesn’t just have cherries, but cherries are a really good base. This happens to be a wonderful superfood fruit that has tons of nutrition, including vitamins, minerals, and those beloved antioxidants.

Freeze a generous amount of cherries, then add them to the blender along with another frozen fruit, such as kiwi or mango. You can then add in a little bit of water, but just as much as you think you need. Some people prefer blending the cherries first, then adding in the mango and some more water or juice to get it going.

Try these as a base for your smoothies, then add in some of your own ingredients. Just remember to keep them fresh, whole, and preferably organic.

Juicing Detox 101

If you want to detox your body of impurities, drinking fruit juice is a good way to start. You don’t necessarily need to be on a juicing fast where that is all you drink, but adding more natural juices you make yourself with no sugar or additives can still help to cleanse your body, particularly your kidneys and liver. Here is more information about doing a juicing detox.

Use Whole, Fresh Produce

To start with, a juicing detox is one where you are making your own juice at home. There are some all-natural bottled juices that can be used for a detox if you are in a pinch, but it is typically better to make the juice yourself. That way, you save money and can control all of the ingredients in your juice. You want to use whole, fresh fruit and veggies as much as possible. You can save on buying your produce by finding it at health food stores and farmer’s markets. This also makes it easier to find locally-grown, organic produce instead of what you find in the regular supermarket.

Add in Herbs as Desired

You can also go one step further by adding herbs to your juicer. You can also just add in the herbs later on by putting them in your glass. Herbs are also frequently used with infused water because they add more flavor, as well as letting you get some of their nutrients. Some good herbs for juicing detoxes are rosemary, basil, oregano, and thyme. But you can definitely add any herbs that you like. Try to also get the herbs fresh instead of in a container or jar. If you can grow your own herbs, even better!

Don’t Have Only Juice

While this is a personal decision, you need to keep in mind that a regular juicing detox is not necessarily a cleanse. A cleanse is typically something where you have only that type of juice for a number of days, with absolutely nothing else. However, a detox doesn’t have to be this strict. You can still clean the toxins from your different organs with fresh juice made from fruits, veggies, and herbs.

Take Supplements

Finally, since you might be eating less of other foods (even if you are not strictly having only juice), you may be missing some key nutrients during the detox. To ensure you are not suffering from malnutrition, take additional supplements like a multi-vitamin. Also talk to your doctor about what supplements you might need.

Breakfast Bowls that are Perfect for a Detox Diet

Breakfast bowls are a great option when you are on a detox in order to start living a healthier lifestyle. They contain lots of healthy nutrient-rich foods and superfoods, and make it easy to have a well-balanced meal in the morning.

Smoothie Bowls for Your Detox Diet

The first type of breakfast bowl you can do when you want to try a food detox is a smoothie bowl. The reason this is such a good place to start is because like regular smoothies, it allows you to really pack in all the superfoods. Everything is blended up, so it isn’t like you’re trying to eat an entire salad with these same superfoods. Plus, as long as you have enough sweet fruits in there, you won’t really taste the veggies much. A smoothie bowl is similar to a smoothie you drink, but it is made a little thicker. It is also perfect for topping with superfoods like acai berries and chia seeds.

Quinoa Bowls

Many people are also trying the quinoa breakfast bowls, which allow you to have quinoa, a natural grain that contains a lot of protein and other nutrients. The quinoa acts as the base of the bowl, followed by some other healthy ingredients. You can make it a sweet quinoa bowl by adding lots of fruit and raw honey, plus some cacao nibs, or you can go savory with your choice of veggies and some crumbled cheese on top. There is really no right or wrong way to do it, but make sure all foods are natural and fresh for the purpose of the detox.

Yogurt Bowls

This is a really simple breakfast bowl you can put together that has lots of healthy ingredients for your detox, nothing processed, and will be easy to make. You can really control the fat and calories of the bowl if that is important to you by using low-fat versions of the yogurt, or you can skip that and just go for all organic ingredients. The yogurt bowl naturally starts with some yogurt, but Greek yogurt is highly preferred since it contains more nutrients. Add to it anything you like with yogurt, such as fresh fruit, oats or homemade granola, chia seeds, and raw honey. You can even add quinoa on the bottom of the yogurt to make it more filling.

Remember to add in as many superfoods as you can, as these will help you with your detox efforts.

4 Simple Lemon Detox Recipes

Lemon has long been known as one of the best food ingredients for detoxing your body. It really helps to cleanse your system, primarily with your liver, kidneys, and gallbladder, not to mention helping to restart your entire body.

Take a look at some of these delicious and simple lemon-based detox recipes.

Detox Salad with Lemon

The first recipe you can try out that incorporates a detox with lemon is making a detox salad. This salad uses as many different detox foods as you want, then naturally has plenty of lemon flavor. Think of fruits and veggies you believe taste good with lemon, such as carrots, kale or spinach, strawberries, beets, avocado, and bell peppers.

You can also add in some nuts such as walnuts or almonds for more protein and extra superfood goodness. Add in some lemon juice, or even make your own dressing with lemon juice, your choice of oil, and garlic.

Lemon Detox Drink

If you don’t want to have something to eat, there are also lots of drink recipes out there. One is a simple lemon detox drink that includes just a few ingredients. You might recognize this type of recipe as something that you do with a “Master Cleanse”, but this is not necessary to benefit from the detox drink.

You can also enjoy it as a way to detox your body by replacing other drinks in your regular diet. A good lemon detox drink includes lemon juice, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, pepper, and apple cider vinegar. It should be mostly water, and also have a sweetener such as honey, maple syrup or guava.

Tea with Lemon

You can also have just about any kind of healthy tea, add some lemon, and turn it into a detox tea. However, in terms of tea, you want to try to use homemade tea or at least tea bags that contain loose tea leaves in them. A good detox tea could include tea leaves, lemon juice, ginger, and turmeric.

You are adding in lots of superfoods to add to the health of this detox tea. If you like adding lemon, remember to add in raw lemon, not the processed, bottled variety.

Lemon Ice Cubes

Don’t want to worry about a complicated lemon detox recipe? You don’t have to. All you need to do is make some detox lemon ice cubes, add them to your water, and you’re good to go. You want to use spring water or distilled water, and the juice of organic lemons when making the ice cubes.

The Best Detox Diets

When people hear the word ‘detox’, they often associate it with something scary, like the Master Cleanse. However, you don’t need to do such a harsh detox diet where all you have is lemon water for a week straight. There are some diets out there that are actually really great for cleansing your system because they help you stop eating a lot of processed foods and artificial ingredients. Here are some different diets to consider doing for a detox.

Clean Eating

A great diet to start with when you want to detox your body is a clean eating diet. This tends to be a little easier to follow and less strict than some of the other diets on the list, but it is still good for reducing processed foods, sugars, and additives in your food. With a clean eating diet, you are trying to eat mostly whole foods and lean protein, avoiding overly processed foods and refined carbs. Start eating more produce, healthy fats, lean protein, and whole grains.

Paleo

One of the most popular diets right now is the Paleo diet, which also happens to be good for detoxing your body. The reason is that you are also going to start skipping all those refined carbs, excess sugar, and processed foods. These foods often have chemicals and additives you don’t want in your body. With the Paleo diet, you are restricted to the foods you could either grow, forage, or hunt. This means most types of meat, leafy greens, nuts and seeds, and fish. However, in terms of meat, avoid processed cuts like bacon and hot dogs.

Keto

The keto diet is similar to Paleo, but don’t be confused; it is not exactly the same. With the keto diet, you are actually trying to reach ketosis. This is when you reach a point where the ketones in your body are being converted to energy thanks to your liver. If you find that you are constantly fatigued, you could probably use a detox diet with the keto diet. It is typically a low-carb diet that is higher in fat. The keto diet is similar to Atkins, but there are more specific guidelines you need to follow with your macros.

Whole Foods

You can also give the whole foods detox diet a try. The whole foods diet, such as Whole30 and other variations, requires you to eat all whole foods and absolutely nothing processed. Not only are you not eating food in packages or frozen foods, but you are also not eating much dairy either. This includes reducing your intake of dairy like milk and sour cream. You will eat mainly plant-based foods, nuts, seeds, as well as some lean protein and eggs.

The No-Sugar Detox Diet

Not all detox diets are the same; some involve drinking infused water or juice, while others actually detox your skin or home. There are also detox diets that simply help you get rid of certain ingredients in your typical diet that are not the healthiest option for you, like sugar. The following tips will help you to reduce your sugar intake by starting a no-sugar detox diet.

Get Rid of Artificial Sweeteners

One of the first ways to go on a no-sugar detox diet is by reducing or eliminating artificial sugars. This is easy to do when you stop eating all processed foods. If you want fruit juice, get a juicer and make it yourself. When you want cereal, go for a natural option that is unsweetened or a shredded wheat type of cereal. Also stop having dairy products that are low-fat or fat-free, as these are full of artificial sweeteners. Instead, you want to go for natural forms of sweetness and sugar, such as fruit and vegetables.

Focus More on Veggies and Protein

It can be difficult in the beginning when you first start getting rid of all that excess sugar from your diet. As you start logging what you eat, it becomes apparent just how much you relied on foods with sugar previously. A good tip is to begin creating meals that pack in lots of veggies and lean protein. This makes a healthy meal that is also filling, so it helps with those sugar cravings you might get in the beginning. For example, some meals to try out include grilled salmon with a homemade mango salsa and brown rice on the side, or having some baked chicken with broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots.

Start Eating Healthier Snacks

For some people, main meals aren’t the problem, but snacks and desserts are where more of their sugar is consumed. This is a common problem, but something you can overcome. Begin by thinking of your snacks as just mini-meals. Still eat the same types of foods as you would eat at lunch or dinner (or even breakfast) but in smaller quantities. Have a little side salad with oil and vinegar instead of a sugary bottled dressing, or have some chopped veggies dipped in hummus. There are a lot of ways to handle snacks and desserts while still being on a no-sugar detox.

With these simple tips, you are on your way to starting a body detoxification plan where you eliminate sugar from your diet.

Use this Helpful Detox Diet Shopping List

If you plan to do a detox diet that revolves around having only healthy, whole, and fresh foods, this shopping list is for you!

Fresh Produce

To start with, gathering your fresh produce and herbs is always a must. The reason is because these apply to just about every detox diet plan out there. You will need lots of fruits and herbs if you are planning on making infused water, as well as fruits and veggies for your juice if you go that direction.

Detox diets like clean eating, whole foods, keto, and even Paleo allow some fresh produce. You can also go for frozen produce, but pay attention to the ingredients and make sure it doesn’t contain additives. Avoid canned fruits and veggies if you can. Here is some produce to add to your list:

Lots of greens

Apples

Pears

Oranges

Lemons and Limes

Watermelon

Carrots

Celery

Cauliflower

Broccoli

Onions

Bell peppers

Grapes

Strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries

Dill

Basil

Parsley

Rosemary

Oregano

Healthy Fats

Next on your list should be the healthy fats. Go ahead and grab those avocados you love, as they are definitely approved with most detox diets. You can also grab some nuts and seeds, and oils. Here is a list of some approved healthy fats to add to your shopping list:

Avocadoes

Cashews

Hemp seeds

Macadamia nuts

Almonds

Brazil nuts

Walnuts

Sesame seeds

Sunflower seeds

Chia seeds

Coconut

Pumpkin seeds

Pine nuts

Nut butter

Walnut oil

Almond oil

Olive oil

Hemp oil

Flax oil

Coconut oil

Whole Grains, Legumes, Beans

This category of food is going to help you get all the protein you need from your detox diet, especially if you are choosing a plant-based diet during the detox. While you can still have animal products during a detox, this is an option many people decide to go with. Here are some good options to add to your shopping list:

Quinoa

Whole grain rice

Brown rice

Millet

Tapioca

Buckwheat

Oats

Kidney beans

Black beans

Legumes

Chickpeas

Lentils

Peas

Other Items to Add

Here are some more foods you can add to your body detoxification shopping list as needed:

Coconut milk and water

Unsweetened nut milk

Rice milk

Filtered water

Herbal tea

Raw honey

Coconut nectar

Give this list a try and add other foods you are interested in having during your body detox.

Traditional Chinese Medicine and Body Detoxification

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is the oldest, continually practiced, and professionally administered health care system in the world. It is a documented medical system spanning over 2,500 years based on comprehensive philosophies, rational theories, clinically tested and empirically verified by over 100 generations of highly educated practitioners.

Chinese Medicine is a total system of internal medicine which is comprised of a diagnostic procedure based on signs, symptoms and treatment styles including acupuncture, herbal medicine, exercise, diet and meditation. It’s foundation is based on the principles of balance; the interdependent relationship of Yin and Yang. Through this balance, health is achieved and maintained.

Traditional Chinese Medicine detoxifies the body system through the organs, primarily:

The Lung and Large Intestine

In TCM, the lungs are an organ system that opens directly to the exterior. It’s function is to regulate and control the breath through inhalation and exhalation. Because of its opening through the nose, the lungs are easily susceptible to cold, heat, dryness, dampness, and most of all, heat and wind. This can effect the biggest organ of the body; the skin. The lung is closely related to the large intestine.

The large intestine controls the transformation of digestive wastes from liquid to solid state and transports the solids onwards and outwards. It plays a major role in the balance and purity of bodily fluids and assists the lungs in controlling the skin’s pores and perspiration. It depends on the lungs for movement via the expansion and contraction of the diaphragm, which works like a pump to give impetus to peristalsis by regulating abdominal pressure. The lungs expel toxins through breathing, especially deep breathing.

Deep breathing stimulates lymphatic flow, which eliminates toxins. The skin eliminates waste and toxins through perspiration. The colon eliminates toxins from the liver and digestive tract. The lungs are our attachment to the breath of life and the large intestines is it’s buddy. Incorporate deep breathing and exercise along with a tall glass of psyllium husk to get things moving.

The Liver and Gallbladder

In TCM, the liver is the “farmer who cultivates”. It stores blood, governs and regulates the blood, organizes the “free flow” of Qi energy to promote circulation which cultivates our emotions, soothes digestion, regulates menstruation and bile secretion.

The liver changes harmful toxins into substances, which can be eliminated safely the colon or kidneys. The liver is our master cleansing organ and the gall bladder is its mate. Enjoy a tall glass of water with a 1/2 lemon squeezed into it.

The Spleen and Stomach

In TCM, the spleen transports and transforms food and body fluids for transporting, for absorption, raises the body energy and controls the blood by keeping it in the vessels. When improper function occurs with the Spleen there is weight gain, high cholesterol, hypertension, bleeding disorders, dampness and a heavy sensation, muscle weakness and atrophy.

The blood and lymphatic system transport waste and toxins to other areas for elimination, including cellular waste. The stomach is the center of our ‘gut feelings’ our immune system center and the spleen (pancreas) is it’s associate. Eat the cleanest, purest foods, that are the least processed. Enjoy health probiotics found in yogurt and acidophilus. Avoid greasy, fried foods.

The Kidneys and Bladder

In TCM, the kidneys store our essence or the basic materials that make up our constitution and the reproductive fluids that create life. All organs are dependent on the Kidneys for proper growth, reproduction, water flow and control and the balance of “fire and water”.

The liver sends water soluble waste to the kidneys, where they are further filtered and passed through the bladder for elimination. The kidneys filter nutrients and waste from the blood. The kidneys are our major filter and the bladder is it’s friend. Boil 4 cups of water and a handful of corn silk. Drink this tea for amazing results.

Detox Different Areas of Your Body

If you are interested in doing a body detox, you don’t have to choose just one body detoxification plan or method, but customize it according to your needs. Perhaps you have a reason to detox your liver, or you really want to have healthier lymph nodes. There are certain natural ways to detox each main part of your body.

Liver and Kidneys

Two popular areas of the body to detoxify are the liver and kidneys. There are certain foods that are really great for these areas of the body in particular. To detox the liver, focus on fruits and veggies like barley grass, spinach and kale, apples, avocado, and dandelion greens. Some other things to add to your diet for cleaning the liver include walnuts, arugula, garlic, and grapefruit. With the kidneys, try tomatoes, turmeric, onion, cauliflower, cabbage, and raspberries.

Blood

Similar produce and herbs can help with your blood, if you want to detox that part of your body. A healthy diet might already consist of many of these foods, but others are good to add if you don’t already consume them on a regular basis. Try fruits like red grapes and berries, then add vegetables such as kale, leafy greens, and beans. Garlic, coconut, wheatgrass, and oregano is also said to help with having healthy blood.

Pancreas and Gallbladder

Now let’s talk about the pancreas and gallbladder. With your gallbladder, there are quite a few options that are probably part of your normal diet, such as whole grains, cucumber, tomatoes, lentils, and beans. Legumes, avocado, beets, and sweet potato are also included. Also try to add more garlic and onion to your meals, and give okra a try. For your pancreas, fruits like cherries and blueberries are great, along with veggies like sweet potatoes, mushrooms, spinach, broccoli, and cabbage.

Lymph Nodes

Your lymph nodes are not something many people think about when detoxing their body, but cleansing them of toxins is just as important as the other areas of your body. For the lymph nodes, fresh and whole juices are great, both with fruits and vegetables. Drinking lemon water regularly is good for you, along with trying fruits like strawberries and guava. As far as veggies, go for asparagus, lettuce, and carrots.

As you can see, most of these are typical fruits, vegetables, and herbs you already consume. By eating a healthy diet, you are naturally detoxing the different areas of your body.

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Living in a Toxic World – Ways to Avoid Environmental Toxins

The world we live in today is full of environmental toxins and pollution. Every day new toxins are pumped into the air we breathe from an ever-growing string of factories. It seems that nothing is safe. The soil that we grow our food in is full of chemicals that should not be there. To add to this, artificial preservatives keep our food from spoiling.

Even the water we drink is chemically treated before it arrives at our homes. Cigarette smoke and fumes from cars fill the air that we breathe. There is really no good way to avoid all of the pollutants that surround us. MCS (Multiple Chemical Sensitivity), or toxic injury, can cause many problems in our bodies. These include asthma, hives, chest pain and many other symptoms.

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity is suspected when the individual:

Exhibits problems – often similar to an allergy-like reaction – often to extremely low levels of toxicants or triggers

Has ongoing problems (it is not a “one-off” event)

Experiences the same symptoms with repeated exposure to the same triggers

Is affected by many different triggers

Improves when triggers are removed

Our bodies are very good at dealing with all of these toxins but sometimes they fall behind because of overload. As the toxins build up in our bodies tissue is destroyed, organs damaged and the immune system becomes compromised. This opens a very dangerous door that allows serious illnesses to take root in our bodies.

There are many problems that can result from environmental toxicity.

Diseases and Conditions Linked to Environmental Toxicity

Certain cancers (especially breast cancer and various childhood cancers)

Immune deficiency and Auto-immune diseases

Neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s Disease

Hormonal imbalances

Chemical imbalances in the brain

Alterations of systemic enzymes

Changes in metabolism

Sleep disturbances

Thyroid problems

Fertility problems

Arthritis

Asthma

Eczema

Depression

Chronic Fatigue

There are many things that you can do to try and separate yourself from some of the pollutants.

Ways to Avoid Environmental Toxins

Diet and water are very important. Make sure that you eat plenty of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and bran. This will keep your digestive system working efficiently to eliminate the toxins from your body systems.

Make sure that you read the labels on your food packages. There should not be artificial preservatives, flavors or colorants in them. Drink 8 glasses of water every day.

The importance of water cannot be overstated. Detox your body on a regular basis to get rid of all the unwanted toxins.

Make sure the cleaning products you use in your home are as natural as possible. Read the labels and make sure there are not too many harsh chemicals in them.

Make sure that your home is always well ventilated. Random chemicals, natural gas, and cigarette smoke tend to become trapped in our homes.

Don’t use bug bombs or other insect sprays in your house. If you are having an issue with bugs then hire a licensed exterminator to do the job or look into natural pest repellent methods.

When your doctor prescribes you a medication, make sure that you read the insert that comes with it. Drug companies add preservatives, colorants, and flavorings that are meant to help them maximize their profits. These additives are terrible for your body and should be avoided.

Try to use herbal or natural remedies whenever you can safely do so.

How to Detox Your Home

Have Indoor House Plants

We spend 65 percent of our time in our home, which means biologic, chemical and even electrical pollutants fatigue, asthma, skin conditions, learning disabilities, ADHD, digestive issues, infertility, obesity, and cancer. And if you’re home bound, inactive or live in an area where the weather keeps you inside a lot, you’re more susceptible.

Plants don’t just add a decorative element, but can actually cleanse the air and provide natural oxygen in your home. Many live plants not only cleanse the air of impurities, but have soil bacteria that helps to get rid of formaldehyde and other volatile organic compounds that might be in the air.

If you run your air conditioner or heater regularly, you might have some traces of dust and other impurities in the air, which plants can help to cleanse in your home. It is good to have at least one house plant in the living room, kitchen, and other common areas.

How to Use House Plants to Clear Your Indoor Air

Plants are natural air filters and are quite successful at eliminating harmful household pollutants including formaldehyde, benzene, trichloroethylene, and xylene and toluene. NASA has actually conducted studies and lists the following plants as excellent natural air filters:

English Ivy

Peace Lily

Aloe Vera

Chinese Evergreen

Bamboo Palm

Green Spider Plant

Chrysanthemum

Gerbera Daisy/African daisy

English Ivy/Common Ivy

Philodendron

Mother in law’s tongue

Golden Pothos

Weeping fig

Boston Fern

The general rule of thumb, when using plants to filter your air, is to position them so there are two plants per 100 square feet. So for example, if you have a home that is 1000 square feet, then you’d want ten twenty plants around your home. If you have multiple levels in your home, you will want to divide the plants between the two floors. However, NASA’s guideline is to use 15-18 plants in a home of approximately 1800 square feet.

Don’t worry if you don’t have a “green thumb,” spider plants and ferns are easy because they’re easy to care for and they don’t take up too much space. And because many of the plants listed are tropical plants, they’re easy to find at your local nursery or even your local home and hardware store.

Using plants to keep you’re the air in your home clean is a fantastic way to protect your health and the health of your family. And plants have a knack for making us feel better, more connected to nature and more positive.

Use Herbs

Simply light a bit of these herbs and waft the smoke around an area you wish to clear of unwanted scents, negative energy or to simply start a new day with. Using a natural receptor such as a sea shell, abalone shell or crystal bowl can be a place to place your herbs after you are done using them.

Cedar and Juniper

There are several different types of these sacred herbs. They are found all over this great land. To some tribes, Cedar is considered the “tree of life” because it withstands the four elements year round no matter how harsh the seasons are.

These herbs are used extensively in all sacred ceremonies, healing, and doctoring methods. It makes an excellent tea for the purpose of flushing out the system.

Sweet Grass

Sweet Grass has the most sacred usages of all the purification herbs. It is a seasonal plant and grows only in certain places. Sweet grass is used primarily for the blessing of one’s self. It is placed in a shell or a bowl and burned, similar to incense. The smoke gives forth a very pleasant smell.

When people engage in the ceremony of blessing oneself, he/she holds the bowl of burning herb and slowly moves it around in a continuous circle surrounding the body from head to foot with swirling smoke. Sweet Grass is often used for purification during sweat lodge ceremonies.

It is used for smudging “(blessing-down)” our homes, protecting them from evil spirits. It is also used to purify all of our sacred prayer instruments.

Medicinally, it is used as a portion of a combination of other herbs in a special formulated “medicine tea” which flushes the impurities out of the body. Sweet grass is very calming and relaxing to the user who is taught to use it in a traditional and respectful manner. The sacred herb, sweet grass, is used in all phases of healing by the doctoring healer.

Get your dried, organic herbs, organic essential oils, bulk spices, loose leaf organic teas and aromatherapy supplies at the place where we shop – StarWest Botanicals!

Sage

Sage has a variety of uses. When burned, it has a pungent odor. Sage is used principally for smudging but can also be used in the blessing down of our homes and vehicles. It is commonly used in medicine tea to flush ones system of all impurities. Along with tobacco and other substances, sage is part of a mixture used in the sacred smoking of the pipe.

There are may varieties of sage. However, in many places, the natural supply of sage is dwindling. This is due, in part, to people harvesting sage in order to sell it to the general public. In recent years, there seems to be an increase in the fascination with the use of sage burning.

In sweat lodge ceremonies, sage is used to sit on and represents part of the plant world. It is also burned in smudge pots. The herb is widely used in many of our sacred ceremonies including but not limited to lodges, drum circles, healing and doctoring.

Use Natural Candles

If you like to use candles in your home, whether for the ambiance, scent, or heat they provide, you need to re-think the types of candles you use. When trying to detox your home, it is best that you avoid anything artificial or heavy chemicals. Unfortunately, many of your regular-scented candles have additives that you probably don’t want to be in the air of your home where your family and pets live. Instead, try to use some natural candles like those made of soy or beeswax.

Use More Natural Cleaning Products

Another thing you want to start changing is what you choose to clean your home with. Naturally, having a clean home is part of detoxing it, but if you are using bleach and a lot of harsh chemicals, you are only adding more toxins into the air. Instead of doing this, start switching to natural and organic cleaning products.

You can use apple cider vinegar, plain distilled vinegar, baking soda, and many other natural items to clean most areas of your home. Baking soda is great for pet stains and deodorizing, while lemon and vinegar are perfect for disinfecting. You should also ditch the dryer sheets, as they really are not necessary.

Taking the Toxins out of Your Kitchen

A lot of parents put locks on cabinets that contain chemicals when they have kids in the home, but is that enough?

Regrettably, using these products may harm you or your child, too. Learn to identify your household toxins and discover new ways to do what you do without them.

Your house has to be clean – that is a given. But, several of the products that we use may have side effects. Let’s take another look at that cabinet below the sink.

Are those household cleaners below your sink?

Have a look at the label. There are products that are termed “organic” and phosphate free. This brings down the possible irritation to your skin, eyes and lungs. They’re likewise safer for the environment.

Do you have sponges down there?

Most sponges harbor bacterium from cleaning up food around the sink and the kitchen range.Reusing them is really spreading out bacterium and not getting rid of it. Try utilizing dishcloths that can be bleached and laundered to get rid of germs.

With children around, it’s also more safe and sound to keep these household maintenance products on a top shelf. That way, children will not accidentally get into them and harm themselves.

Do you use Styrofoam plates and cups?

One thing that you should not do with them is use the microwave. Chemicals from the plate may leech into your food. This likewise goes for containers that aren’t microwave safe or are not made to be used for the microwave oven.

Are you one who likes to store foods in their original packaging?

This might be alright for some things, only not for cans. Cans are constructed of metal and that alloy may also leech into the food that you leave in the can in the fridge. Always store food in approved containers and seal off tightly.

Do you have bugs in your kitchen?

Once the weather becomes warm it seems as if they come out of the woodwork – literally. Rather than spraying bug killers or activating bombs that will render your entire house a toxic dump, do a little extra cleaning in places where they hide out. Utilize natural bug deterrents such as mint leaves or boric acid to keep the unrelenting ones outside.

Water from the tap is not all it is cracked up to be.

You are able to filter your water and dispatch many of the metals and additional impurities that are permitted in. You will likely notice a change in the taste immediately.

Have a look at your dishes. Once the covering begins to peel, it’s time to eliminate them. These particles may peel off into your food and make you ill. Besides, once dishes begin to acquire rust stains they may likewise be hazardous to your health.

How is your kitchen looking? If there are concealed toxins, work to eliminate them.

Clean the HVAC Unit

If you have a central air conditioner and heater in your home, that might be causing a lot of debris and dander in your home. You need to keep the air filter cleaned regularly and have the ducts cleaned by a professional about once a year.

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How to Do a Full Beauty Detox

When it comes to detoxing, it is not just about losing weight or working on cleansing your system. You can also detox your skin and hair for a nice beauty detox. Here are some different ways to do a beauty detox.

Beautify Your Skin with these Natural Foods

Natural health and holistic nutrition tend to bring to mind the ideas of diet and detox. What they may not bring to mind are ways to help your skin. In fact, most people think that the only benefits of eating natural foods as far as skin goes is to help with acne. The truth is, you can use natural foods as both a dietary method of beautifying your skin and a external or topical method of helping your skin. If you aren’t sure how to achieve this goal, consider these methods and natural foods that will put you at the top of your skin beautifying game.

Avocado

Avocado seems to be on every list for natural benefits. The reason is because it is truly a superfood. Avocado is rich in fatty acids as well as antioxidants. This can help clear skin and keep skin clear. It can be eaten or it can be used directly on the skin. If you don’t like the taste of avocado or the texture, then you may want to go with it as a skin treatment. You can do this by mixing the avocado with olive oil or another appropriate butter or oil. Blend until smooth and use as a facial cream. You can also use it a few times a week as a mask. Leave on for at least thirty minutes and rinse with warm water.

Natural Raw Honey

Natural raw honey is used in a number of skin care routines for a variety of reasons. It works as a natural cleanser which makes it ideal as a daily skin cleansing base or treatment. If you have skin scars that are becoming darker or more prominent, avoid the chemical based scar removal creams on the market. Use natural raw honey instead. It will help fade the scar and keep it from darkening over time. If nails are your issue, consider using it as a cuticle softener instead of a nail grinder that can damage your nail beds.

Sardines

You may be surprised to see sardines on this list. Though you can’t use them directly on the skin as a topical option, you can use them in your diet routine. If you are trying to build your fish oil intake and Omega intake, then this is the way to go. You can eat sardines directly from the can and you can add them to salads easily. You can even add them to pizza, which some people do.

There are other natural foods that lead to skin beautification. These are the most common, easy to find, and most affordable for most people. In fact, if you are on a budget, these foods may be the ideal alternative to high cost beauty treatments and routines that you otherwise would not be able to afford.

How Drinking More Water Can Help Your Skin and Hair

Drinking water is something that people try and do, and most just don’t meet their daily goal. This is for a variety of reasons. In fact, if you look online and in social media areas you will find goal charts and hundreds of methods to help you drink more water in your daily routine. If you aren’t sure what benefit you can gain from drinking more water, outside of hydration, then there are some health factors you should consider specifically with your skin and hair.

Cleansing Toxins

One of the key reasons that you should increase the intake of water in your diet for your skin and hair is to cleanse toxins from your body. Toxins can cause a number of hair issues, including oily hair and damaged hair. It can also cause problems with the skin that include blotchy skin areas, dry skin areas, and rashes. By removing these toxins from the body you can reduce these issues and cleanse the skin and hair making your skin clearer and hair more manageable.

Reduced Skin Illnesses

Skin illnesses and issues ranging from severe dry skin to psoriasis can be greatly improved by increasing your water intake in your daily diet. While you are hydrating your body, you are also hydrating your skin. Your skin needs moisture in order to remain clear and to work properly. If it has a lack of moisture, both inside and out, the skin can break down and start to wrinkle or become dry and brittle. This can lead to pain and skin illness.

Inflammation Reduction

Inflammation is a huge issue for most people and can be directly related to a lack of water in the daily diet. For example, if certain areas of the skin and body as a whole do not have enough hydration they may start to swell. This can lead to swelling of the skin and painful reactions. You can take medications, but one of the easiest ways to help reduce inflammation, especially after exercise or injury, is by drinking more water.

These are only a few of the considerations to keep in mind when it comes to increased water in your diet and your skin and hair health. Though you will see other benefits of increased water consumption, you will also see a distinct improvement in your skin and hair that can lead to less products in your life and less chemicals on your skin.

3 Recommended DIY Products for a Beauty Detox

A beauty detox usually brings to mind a boxed kit or set of products that you buy from the store. The detox usually consists of chemicals and different methods that don’t really detox your system, but instead keep you on a treatment plan that lasts for months or even years. In some cases, these detox kits actually lead to more kits that are more costly and have even more chemicals in them. That being said, you may be wondering if there are any natural options or DIY products for a beauty detox. Here are a few to consider that may work for you.

Epsom Salts

Epsom salts are one of the key elements for DIY products when you are doing a beauty detox. Here are a few reasons why. Epsom salt can be placed in a bath and is absorbed through the skin. It can relieve muscle tension and help with inflammation. When used in DIY recipes like skin scrubs, it can help with exfoliation. It can also be used to help with abdominal pain caused by menstrual cycles or stomach upset.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar has a number of uses in DIY products for beauty detox. It can be used in hair detox as a way to condition and moisturize the hair. In addition to this topical application, you can ingest apple cider vinegar as an inner beauty detox. It can help with cholesterol levels. It can also help with acid reflux which can come up when you are changing your diet and detoxing from a diet standpoint. Drinking apple cider vinegar can also help with metabolism and weight loss which attributes to beauty routines.

Peppermint Essential Oil

Peppermint essential oil is something that can help with a variety of beauty routines and can be added to many DIY products. For example, part of a beauty routine deals with oral hygiene. You may want whiter teeth and fresh breath. You can make your own toothpaste with peppermint oil and coconut oil mixed with baking soda. This adds a flavor and helps freshen breath while whitening your teeth. You can also use the peppermint essential oil in DIY mouthwash. In addition, it can be used in DIY shampoo and hair routines to help with scalp health and dry and flaky related issues.

These DIY products can be used separately or as part of a daily routine. In fact, you can add more natural DIY products to create what is known as a Korean 10 step face program. This can be very beneficial and give you the exfoliating and moisturizing you need, in some cases with natural food as the base.

Why You Should Consider a Bathtub Detox

If you are looking at detox options, you may have already run the gamut of what is available as a store bought option. These options are usually in kits or in expensive pouches that are supposed to be used for a certain number of hours or days. These detox options can be costly and they may not do what you need. Before you move on from a detox option, you may want to consider doing a bathtub detox. Here are some benefits of bathtub detox, methods of creating a bathtub detox, and what you should do following one to help your body and mind relax.

Benefits of a Bathtub Detox

One of the key benefits of a bathtub detox is the ease of absorption the bath can have to your skin. If you need a method to help with skin issues, inflammation, or toxin removal then this may be the easiest and quickest method available to you. Remember, the warm or hot water will help open your pores to the ingredients so they will soak directly into the area you need assistance with the most.

Making Your Own Bathtub Detox Base

You can make an easy bathtub detox base by just using epsom salt and baking soda. Simply mix one part of baking soda to two parts of epsom salt. Depending on what you need the bathtub detox for, you can adjust the base with essential oils. For example, you may want a soothing and relaxing bathtub detox following a very emotional event like the death of a loved one. You can add lavender or chamomile to the mix for that purpose. If you want assistance with a skin allergy, you can add organic rolled oats to the mix. Adding honey can help with impurities and pulling out toxins.

What to Do After a Bathtub Detox

After a bathtub detox you should use an organic or DIY lotion to help seal in the moisture to your skin. You may also want to try to sleep shortly after the bath. This will help keep your body calm and help your skin absorb the nutrients you just gave it in the bath. If you can’t sleep, you may want to simply meditate or lay quietly wrapped in a warm blanket, towel, or robe for about half an hour to help calm your mind and spirit.

Though you can purchase a manufactured detox, they may not do what you need them to do. For example, you may want one that helps calm your body from an allergy or you may want one that helps you detox your mind and body after an emotional experience. Keep that in mind when you look at store bought options and weigh them against DIY versions.

How to Detox Your Hair

Detoxing your body, mind, and spirit is an increasingly popular aspect of mindfulness and health routine changes. You can find store bought detox options for all aspects of your body including your skin, body, and spirit. What you may not know is that you can detox your hair. Here are some reasons you should detox your hair, methods for DIY hair detox, and tips for detoxing your hair.

Strip Your Hair

The first step to detoxing your hair is to strip it. This may seem like you need chemicals to do this, but you don’t. In fact, stripping your hair simply means doing an apple cider vinegar rinse or baking soda rinse on your hair and massaging it. If you have oily hair, you can use a rye flour paste as well. As long as it is organic rye flour. Another way to strip your hair and add condition is to do a henna coloring on it. This will strip it, condition it, and help remove chemicals Just make sure that anything you use is organic labeled and labeled non-GMO as well as vegan.

Use a No Poo Method

The no poo method is simply to avoid shampoo and conditioners. You ideally want to use nothing on your hair that is shampoo related. After you complete your hair detox you can start using a castile soap base for cleansing, but overall you want to stay away from commercial shampoos. These items strip your hair of their vitality, oils, and natural radiance. They also breakdown the hair follicles causing damage to the hair as well as the scalp.

You can use just a baking soda rinse for your shampoo, massaging the mix from the scalp to the tips of the hair, and rinsing completely. You can then use a spray in of apple cider vinegar for your conditioner. Let it sit during your shower, and then rinse out. The smell will die out as your hair dries.

Rinse with Cool Clean Water

Another part of the process is to rinse with cool water. Hot water damages the hair even further. Cool water rinses help remove debris from the hair while giving your hair and scalp a break from heat damage. Think of hot water as a liquid form of sunlight. If the heat and sun damages it, so will a liquid form of that.

Keep in mind that detox for your hair will take time and it is a process. You will go through several stages including dry hair or hair that feels a bit oily. This may last several days to two weeks, but after your detox is finished you will have stronger hair and more manageable hair along with increased hair growth.

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Detoxing for Weight Loss

Losing weight is something many people want to do, but not many know how to do. The basic recommendation is to eat better and workout more, but this often makes it even more complicated. What workouts do you do? How much should you workout? What diet do you go on? There are so many questions. To simplify it, start with a simple detox diet that gets you ready for a healthy diet.

Eliminate Processed Foods

An easy way to start with detoxing for weight loss purposes is to start cutting out processed foods. These often contain a lot of additives, sugar, and preservatives that is damaging to your body and organs. Many detox diets will have a strict rule about all clean foods, which means nothing processed. If you are confused about foods that are processed, consider what they go through before reaching the grocery store. If they are packaged or in a can, they are probably processed. Also cut out processed meats and cheese, as opposed to these items found at the deli counter.

Reduce Your Sugar Intake

Sugar isn’t necessarily bad for you overall, but if you want a fresh restart of your body, cutting it out is a good idea. Having extra sugar in your body can be damaging to various organs, and can also increase your risk for diabetes. You want to try to stick to natural sugars and sweeteners, such as what you find in fruit and raw honey. Avoid sugar in pastries, baked goods, and processed foods. Reduce your desserts and increase your fruit intake, and you will already be well on your way to consuming less sugar.

Cook More Whole Foods

If you are detoxing in order to lose weight, then cooking more at home is crucial. Not only is it good for detoxing purposes since you control all of the ingredients that go in your food, but you are able to control the overall fat, calories, and carbs of each meal. There is no more guessing what your fast food or restaurant meal contains, since you are in complete control of every single ingredient. Start getting into the habit of cooking more, and you might find that you enjoy it.

Reduce the Meat in Your Diet

While there is nothing that says you can’t consume meat if you are detoxing or lose weight, it is good to at least reduce how much of it you have. Red meat is going to have higher amounts of fat and calories, especially saturated fat, so try to reduce it as much as you can. If you want to eat meat, stick to chicken and turkey.

What is a Foot Detox?

People often think about detoxing including a juice cleanse or other detox with food, but there are also detoxes of the body. One popular type of detox is called a foot detox. Here are some things to know about this type of detox.

Choose a Method For the Foot Detox

Generally, you will want to use a special foot bath for your foot detox. However, if you can’t get your hands on one, you can fill up your tub, sit on the edge (carefully), and put just your feet it. A better option would be to get some type of container large enough to fill up and rest your feet in comfortable. You don’t want to be constricted, or it isn’t going to be a relaxing or beneficial experience for you. There are a lot of simple plastic foot tubs, or special ones with bubbles and jets.

Sea Salt is Very Cleansing

You will find that many foot soaks, particularly with foot detox, will use some type of salt. Sea salt is often chosen, though some recipes ask for rock salt. Sea salt can be cleansing to the feet and the skin, which makes it a perfect addition to a detox bath. If you are using sea salt, you can also add in some baking soda to the water. Use about an equal amount of each, typically about ½ cup to a cup of each added to a foot bath with warm water.

Try Bentonite Clay

An ingredient that is actually great for natural health and detoxing, but is not as well known as others, is bentonite clay. This is perfect for your skin and body, getting rid of all those toxins and helping to deliver a powerful mineral to your body. You can try doing a relaxing and rejuvenating foot detox soak by using bentonite clay. However, it is extremely important that you know where the claycomes from, since the less quality bentonite clay may have some lead in it. Make sure you do your research and get it from a natural, reputable source.

To go the simple method, you could always do a simple foot soak detox with nothing more than warm water and some Epsom salt. This is easy to find just about anywhere, and it is very cleansing so it works great for a foot detox. It also happens to be used in regular detox baths for the entire body.

Using Reflexology to Body Detox

Far Eastern cultures have been using alternative treatments for thousands of years and still do so today. Even the most technically advanced countries such as China and Japan, appreciate the effectiveness and simplicity of natural medicine. So why not try a form of therapy that is effective, yet has no side affects? However, with so many products on the market begging for a sale, where do you begin? Maybe it is time to introduce you to reflexology.

Reflexology is the practice of strategically applying pressure to areas of the feet and hands as they correspond with specific body organs. By stimulating nerves on specific areas of the feet and hands, we can stimulate blood flow and eliminate toxin buildup in the corresponding organs and systems of the body.

Reflexology is not only effective for self-healing, but has made it’s mark as an effective body detoxification procedure as well. And maybe most importantly in today’s society, it is free, depending on which therapy you use and very convenient. Yes, unlike our current healthcare system, reflexology therapy is available to everyone!

If you want to go the free route, learning the simple massage techniques is all you will have to do, outside of applying it. Each part of your feet and hands relates to a body system. By applying pressure and massage to those areas, you will increase blood flow and help push toxins out of the body. One of the major benefits here is that it is relaxing and therapeutic at the same time. I use reflexology to relieve tension headaches all of the time and it works!

If you are really serious about body detoxification, and you should be, I would recommend that you not only learn the reflexology techniques, but you use them on a regular basis. Use it as a first line of defense. After all, you only have one body in this lifetime, treat it with care.

Top Tips for Detoxing

Eating a diet that focuses on fresh vegetables and fruits, legumes, nuts and seeds and whole grains are extremely important.

Regular exercise, which gets your body moving and sweating.

Quality sleep, where you do not have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep and wake feeling rested.

Avoiding drugs and excessive alcohol. The problem is not only illegal substances like cocaine, heroin and marijuana, but we are solicited constantly by legal substances that pollute the body such as habit forming sleeping pills, excessive antibiotics that destroy not only the bad bacteria, but the healthy bacterial flora and the constant ads for alcohol.

Nutritional and herbal supplements to protect and enhance liver function, the kidneys ability to process and the digestive system’s regularity,( discussed below).

Improving our mental/emotional process by stopping the mental chatter, approving and accepting ourselves and loosing the emotional baggage that drags us down.

Taking a spiritual approach by looking beyond the little things that get in the way and accepting and trusting the “Universal Power” or energy to guide you. Take a look at the big picture!

Decluttering the toxic waste around you including the clutter in your home/office, the friends or loved ones that poison your thoughts and actions and the environment that is making you sick.

Knowing that YOU are in control of your life. That you have the power to do something about that will make a change.

The Yogi Body Detox Plan

Day 1

Upon waking start your day with a glass of room temperature water and 1/2 lemon squeezed in it.

Daily mantra: “I will not judge today”.

Morning devotion on your mat: do your pranayamas and asanas.

Off your mat: dry brushing and a bath.

Breakfast: detox juice recipe.

Midmorning: carrot sticks with hummus or plain yogurt.

Lunch: vegetable soup.

Midday: handful of unsalted nuts.

Dinner: steamed fish, half a plate of green vegetables.

Evening devotion on your mat: deep centering meditation.

Daily tip: no newspaper or TV today.

Day 2

Upon waking start your day with a glass of room temperature water and 1/2 lemon squeezed in it.

Daily mantra: “I will honor my choices today”.

Morning devotion on your mat: do your pranayamas, asanas and include standing poses.

Off your mat: epsom salts bath.

Breakfast: smoothie with yogurt, protein powder, fresh fruit.

Midmorning: apple.

Lunch: chicken, celery, tomato and bean salad.

Midday: protein bar.

Dinner: bean and sweet potatoes casserole with parsnips.

Evening devotion on your mat: mindfulness meditation

Daily tip: Do not take any phone calls today.

Day 3

Upon waking start your day with a glass of room temperature water and 1/2 lemon squeezed in it.

Daily mantra: “I will love myself for who I am today”.

Morning devotion on your mat: do your pranayamas, asanas and include twists today.

Off your mat: hot shower, followed by a cold shower.

Breakfast: choose foods that are sattvic today. Detox juice recipe.

Midmorning: yogurt with semi-sweet fruits.

Lunch: fresh green salad with light dressing.

Midday: a handful of almonds.

Dinner: rice, mung beans and fresh seasonal vegetables.

Evening devotion on your mat: use a color healing meditation.

Daily tip: Stay in silences today. No music or tv.

Day 4

Upon waking start your day with a glass of room temperature water and 1/2 lemon squeezed in it.

Daily mantra: “I will live with high self esteem today”.

Morning devotion on your mat: do your pranayamas, asanas and include bending poses today.

Off your mat: take a steam bath.

Breakfast: fruit smoothie with yogurt or soy milk and wheat grass.

Midmorning: an orange.

Lunch: baked sweet potato with tuna.

Midday: a protein bar.

Dinner: stuffed peppers with brown rice, onion, celery and pinenuts.

Evening devotion on your mat: breathing meditation.

Daily tip: take a midday nap.

Day 5

Upon waking start your day with a glass of room temperature water and 1/2 lemon squeezed in it.

Daily mantra: “I will count every blessing today”.

Morning devotion on your mat: do your pranayamas, asanas and include inverted poses today.

Off your mat: take an essential oil bath.

Breakfast:yogurt with muesli.

Midmorning: a handful of cashews.

Lunch: spinach salad with shredded vegetables.

Midday: rice cakes with an apple.

Dinner: chicken breast with sweat potatoes.

Evening devotion on your mat: connecting meditation.

Daily tip: keep your energy up with a daily vitamin, B complex and ginger.

Day 6

Upon waking start your day with a glass of room temperature water and 1/2 lemon squeezed in it.

Daily mantra: “I will give unconditionally today”.

Morning devotion on your mat: do your pranayamas, asanas and include stretches today.

Off your mat: use a salt scrub in the bath.

Breakfast:detox juice recipe.

Midmorning: watermelon slices.

Lunch: vegetable stir fry.

Midday: celery sticks and hummus.

Dinner: mixed bean salad with tuna.

Evening devotion on your mat: instant calming meditation.

Daily tip: honor the process you are going through.

Day 7

Upon waking start your day with a glass of room temperature water and 1/2 lemon squeezed in it.

Daily mantra: “I will remain humble throughout the day”.

Morning devotion on your mat: do your pranayamas, asanas and include back bends today.

Off your mat: take a soothing candlelight bath.

Breakfast: rice cakes, mixed fruit.

Midmorning: yogurt with berries.

Lunch: vegetable stir fry.

Midday: handful of nuts and seeds.

Dinner: egg plant with brown rice, onion, celery and walnuts.

Evening devotion on your mat: mudra meditation.

Daily tip: be grateful for all the good in your life.

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bigyack-com · 5 years ago

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Dealing With Bias in Artificial Intelligence

This article is part of our Women and Leadership special section, which focuses on approaches taken by women, minorities or other disadvantaged groups challenging traditional ways of thinking.Bias is an unavoidable feature of life, the result of the necessarily limited view of the world that any single person or group can achieve. But social bias can be reflected and amplified by artificial intelligence in dangerous ways, whether it be in deciding who gets a bank loan or who gets surveilled.The New York Times spoke with three prominent women in A.I. to hear how they approach bias in this powerful technology. Daphne Koller is a co-founder of the online education company Coursera, and the founder and chief executive of Insitro, a company using machine learning to develop new drugs. Dr. Koller, an adjunct professor in the computer science department at Stanford University, spoke to bias through the lens of machine-learning models. Olga Russakovsky is an assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science at Princeton University who specializes in computer vision and a co-founder of the AI4ALL foundation that works to increase diversity and inclusion within A.I. Dr. Russakovsky is working to reduce bias in ImageNet, the data set that started the current machine-learning boom. Timnit Gebru is a research scientist at Google on the ethical A.I. team and a co-founder of Black in AI, which promotes people of color in the field. Dr. Gebru has been instrumental in moving a major international A.I. conference, the International Conference on Learning Representations, to Ethiopia next year after more than half of the Black in AI speakers could not get visas to Canada for a conference in 2018. She talked about the foundational origins of bias and the larger challenge of changing the scientific culture.Their comments have been edited and condensed.

Daphne Koller

You could mean bias in the sense of racial bias, gender bias. For example, you do a search for C.E.O. on Google Images, and up come 50 images of white males and one image of C.E.O. Barbie. That’s one aspect of bias. Another notion of bias, one that is highly relevant to my work, are cases in which an algorithm is latching onto something that is meaningless and could potentially give you very poor results. For example, imagine that you’re trying to predict fractures from X-ray images in data from multiple hospitals. If you’re not careful, the algorithm will learn to recognize which hospital generated the image. Some X-ray machines have different characteristics in the image they produce than other machines, and some hospitals have a much larger percentage of fractures than others. And so, you could actually learn to predict fractures pretty well on the data set that you were given simply by recognizing which hospital did the scan, without actually ever looking at the bone. The algorithm is doing something that appears to be good but is actually doing it for the wrong reasons. The causes are the same in the sense that these are all about how the algorithm latches onto things that it shouldn’t latch onto in making its prediction.To recognize and address these situations, you have to make sure that you test the algorithm in a regime that is similar to how it will be used in the real world. So, if your machine-learning algorithm is one that is trained on the data from a given set of hospitals, and you will only use it in those same set of hospitals, then latching onto which hospital did the scan could well be a reasonable approach. It’s effectively letting the algorithm incorporate prior knowledge about the patient population in different hospitals. The problem really arises if you’re going to use that algorithm in the context of another hospital that wasn’t in your data set to begin with. Then, you’re asking the algorithm to use these biases that it learned on the hospitals that it trained on, on a hospital where the biases might be completely wrong.Over all, there’s not nearly as much sophistication as there needs to be out there for the level of rigor that we need in terms of the application of data science to real-world data, and especially biomedical data.

Olga Russakovsky

I believe there are three root causes of bias in artificial intelligence systems. The first one is bias in the data. People are starting to research methods to spot and mitigate bias in data. For categories like race and gender, the solution is to sample better such that you get a better representation in the data sets. But, you can have a balanced representation and still send very different messages. For example, women programmers are frequently depicted sitting next to a man in front of the computer, or with a man watching over her shoulder.I think of bias very broadly. Certainly gender and race and age are the easiest to study, but there are all sorts of angles. Our world is not fair. There’s no balanced representation of the world and so data will always have a lot of some categories and relatively little of others.Going further, the second root cause of bias is in the algorithms themselves. Algorithms can amplify the bias in the data, so you have to be thoughtful about how you actually build these systems.This brings me to the third cause: human bias. A.I. researchers are primarily people who are male, who come from certain racial demographics, who grew up in high socioeconomic areas, primarily people without disabilities. We’re a fairly homogeneous population, so it’s a challenge to think broadly about world issues. There are a lot of opportunities to diversify this pool, and as diversity grows, the A.I. systems themselves will become less biased.Let me give one example illustrating all three sources. The ImageNet data set was curated in 2009 for object recognition, containing more than 14 million images. There are several things we are doing with an eye toward rebalancing this data set to better reflect the world at large. So far, we went through 2,200 categories to remove those that may be considered offensive. We’re working on designing an interface to let the community flag additional categories or images as offensive, allowing everyone to have a voice in this system. We are also working to understand the impact that such changes would have on the downstream computer vision models and algorithms.I don’t think it’s possible to have an unbiased human, so I don’t see how we can build an unbiased A.I. system. But we can certainly do a lot better than we’re doing.

Timnit Gebru

A lot of times, people are talking about bias in the sense of equalizing performance across groups. They’re not thinking about the underlying foundation, whether a task should exist in the first place, who creates it, who will deploy it on which population, who owns the data, and how is it used?The root of these problems is not only technological. It’s social. Using technology with this underlying social foundation often advances the worst possible things that are happening. In order for technology not to do that, you have to work on the underlying foundation as well. You can’t just close your eyes and say: “Oh, whatever, the foundation, I’m a scientist. All I’m going to do is math.”For me, the hardest thing to change is the cultural attitude of scientists. Scientists are some of the most dangerous people in the world because we have this illusion of objectivity; there is this illusion of meritocracy and there is this illusion of searching for objective truth. Science has to be situated in trying to understand the social dynamics of the world because most of the radical change happens at the social level.We need to change the way we educate people about science and technology. Science currently is taught as some objective view from nowhere (a term I learned about from reading feminist studies works), from no one’s point of view. But there needs to be a lot more interdisciplinary work and there needs to be a rethinking of how people are taught things.People from marginalized groups have been working really hard to bring this to the forefront and then once it’s brought to the forefront other people from nonmarginalized groups start taking all the credit and pouring money into “initiatives.” They’re not going to take the kinds of risks that people in marginalized communities take, because it’s not their community that’s being harmed.All these institutions are bringing the wrong people to talk about the social impacts of A.I., or be the faces of these things just because they’re famous and privileged and can bring in more money to benefit the already privileged.There are some things that should be discussed on a global stage and there should be agreements across countries. And there are other things that should just be discussed locally. We need to have principles and standards, and governing bodies, and people voting on things and algorithms being checked, something similar to the F.D.A. So, for me it’s not as simple as creating a more diverse data set and things are fixed. That’s just one component of the equation.Craig S. Smith is a former correspondent for The Times and now hosts the podcast Eye on A.I. Source link Read the full article

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syamabalachandran · 5 years ago

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New trends and perspectives in curriculum design and in curriculum construction –constructivist-cultural studies-diversified curriculum.

Curriculum-Meaning, Concept and Definitions

Etymologically the term curriculum was derived from the Greek word ‘Currere’ which means a race course or a runway on which one runs to reach a goal. In the past the term curriculum signified a course of studies followed by a pupil in a teaching institution. Today it means in general terms, the contract between Society, the state and educational professionals with regard to the educational activities that learners should undergo during a certain phase of their lives to learn something desirable.

Cunningham - “Curriculum is a tool in the hands of an artist (teacher) to mould his material (pupils) according to his ideas (aim and objectives) in his studio (school).”

Morroe - “ Curriculum includes all those activities which are utilized by the school to attain the aims of education.”

Modern Concept

Modern Education is the combination of two dynamic processes. The one is the process of individual development and the other is the process of socialization; which is commonly known as adjustment with the social environment.

Modern Trends in Curriculum Design

The classroom is continually changing, from the subject matter that is covered, to the way it is taught. Some of these changes stem from easily-abandoned fades, while others prove to be ineffective. But lately several key shifts have been shaping the future of the classroom that have the potential to impact education for years to come. Educators who to incorporate these trends into their lessons must determine how to overcome any obstacles to their implementation and ensure the new measures are beneficial to their students. For educators who want to change their approach to building curriculum, these are the trends worth exploring:

Real Skills. Gone are the days of students asking, “When will I ever use this in real life?” during a trigonometry lesson. In addition to traditional subjects, there has been excitement surrounding skills that students can use in the real world. In the 21st century, skills like collaboration, critical thinking, and communication are valued in virtually all aspects of daily life.

These skills will prepare students for life beyond the classroom and can be beneficial to personal, academic, and professional situations. They are also applicable in some way in all academic disciplines, and so will help students regardless of what they choose to focus on with their studies. Teaching these skills will not only help students academically, but they will also help shape their growth as independent individuals in the modern world. Teachers across the nation will have different ideas of what skills are most important and how to teach them to their students. As students advance into higher grades and learn from multiple educators, there can be inconsistencies with instruction that hinder or confuse students. However this lack of standard does not lead to more variety, which could actually enrich students’ educational experience and introduce them to new skills and perspectives in the classroom.

Personalized Curriculums. Traditionally, students get more freedom to choose what they learn as they get older, starting with electives in middle and high school and specializing in a major when they get to college. However, research dating back to the 1990s shows that interest-based learning is closely tied to student success. Educators are beginning to build curriculum around students’ interests at younger ages, in the hopes of keeping them engaged and motivated at school.

Interest-based learning is hardly a new idea, but integrating it into the curriculum wasn’t thought to be possible until new learning technologies became more widespread. Classroom technology makes it easier for teachers to create individualized lessons for their students based on their passions.

While some schools may already focus on individualized learning, others still have to figure out how to integrate personalized curriculums on a larger scale. Working with new technology in the classroom is a challenge in and of itself. Additionally, instructors may struggle to create or respond to personalized lessons for each and every one of their students, especially in the case of large class sizes. However, this can still benefit all students by keeping them passionate and interested about what they learn at school.

Digital Integration. As with many other aspects of modern life, teachers have been incorporating more and more technology into the classroom. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of websites, apps, programs, and devices dedicated to helping teachers, parents, and students of all ages with school. And the possibilities are endless — from e-textbooks to online high school degree programs, there is no shortage of useful tools available to enhance every part of the educational experience.

The open-source nature of the internet encourages users to do more than consume these free resources. Interaction with and contribution to the collective knowledge available not only to students, but to all users, can be a powerful experience for students. Instructors can encourage students to take an active role in both their own education and the education of others.

However, there are several challenges that educators and administrators may face when attempting to integrate new technology into their classroom. Perhaps one of the biggest challenges is lack of funds. Purchasing new technology for classroom use gets expensive, and even new digital software can be costly. Some districts may simply be unable to afford new technology and there is an increasingly large technological divide between low-income and wealthy schools. Though much of the Internet is free to use as long as students have a device to access it, educators will have to devise a specific plan to purchase and integrate new technology within budget constraints.

Inequality of implementation is another large challenge to overcome. Different schools and teachers have different resources available to them, leading to unique educational experiences for each student. These differences lead to some students enjoying a much higher quality of education than others, and while creating systemic change across classrooms would ensure an equal and fair education for all, it is a difficult goal to achieve. Educators can only control their own lessons and should integrate new methods as they see fit.

These trends may sound like undeniable solutions to improve the quality of education, but they mark a truly radical shift in how teachers create curriculum for their students. Though integrating new trends may be difficult, educators should still embrace any changes they see value in. Adhering to old standards or methods of curriculum building simply because it’s easier will affect students for generations to come. Educators must do their best to help their students learn and grow, and these new curriculum trends may be an effective way to do so(Blogger,).

Curriculum Construction

One of the most important activities of the university is the development of curriculum or course outlines in consonance with the national and international demands and realities. For the last few decades, scholars have been raising doubts and questions about the validity of heavy reliance on a subject-centered approach to curriculum development that is dominated by textbook contents. Furthermore, the convergence of academic disciplines in the form of broad field and problem-orientation to knowledge incorporating a variety of theoretical perspectives requires innovative procedures for the development of curriculum. For this purpose, it is imperative that university teachers are aware of modern trends in the development of curriculum.

The key component of any curriculum is its instructional objectives or learning outcomes. To determine the extent to which these objectives or outcomes have been achieved, there is a need to assess students’ learning. Students’ assessment is a very complex task. Teachers often do not have the necessary background to meet its requirements appropriately. Hence, it is also necessary that teachers are exposed to a variety of tools to measure students learning (“MODERN TRENDS IN CURRICULUM CONSTRUCTION | remya radhakrishnan,”).

Principles of Curriculum Construction

The content of curriculum is determined on the basis of some academic principles which are stated below:

(1) Aims of education and objectivity: Life is complex. A curriculum should reflect the complexities of life. In other words, in farming the curriculum one should take into consideration the aims and objectives of education.

(2) Child-centric principle: The curriculum should be framed according to the actual needs, interests and capacities of the child. That means a curriculum must be child-centric as modern education is child-centered.

(3) Principles of civic and social needs: Man is a social being. He lives in the society. The child develops in the society. Modern education aims at both developments of the individuality of the child as well as the development of the society.

(4) Principle of conservation: Man has conserved experiences very carefully for better adaptability. Education is regarded as a means of deserving the cultural heritage of humanity. The school serves two-fold functions in this regard- preservation of the past experiences and transmission of experiences.

(5) Principles of creativeness: Education not only conserves that past experiences of humanity but also helps an individual to develop his innate potentialities.

(6) Principle of forward-looking: The aim of life-centered education is not limited to the present life-situations in the family and society. Hence, education must prepare the child of shouldering future responsibilities. So in farming the curriculum we must take into consideration the future needs of the child as well as the needs of the society.

(7) Principle of preparation for living: The children should know the various activities of the environment around them and how these activities are enabling people to meet their basic needs of food, shelter, clothing, recreation, health and education.

(8) Principle of integration and correlation: Subjects should be arranged logically and psychologically in accordance with the child’s developing interests.

(9) Principle of learning ability: Every item should be learnt. An item should not only be learnable, it should also have utility.

(10) Principle of individual difference: The curriculum should be framed in such a way that every individual can have opportunity for self-expression and development. The curriculum should be based on the psychology of individual difference, which can meet the complexities of modern democratic society.

(11) Principle of social relevancy and utility: Subjects should not be determined on the basis of their disciplinary value but on the basis of their intrinsic value, social relevancy and utility.

(12) Principle for utilization of leisure: Variety of subjects such as games and sports, fine arts, subjects of aesthetic value are to be introduced in the school programme to utilize leisure.

(13) Principle of variety and flexibility: The curriculum should include such activities and experiences, which may facilitate his normal development. The curriculum for girls should naturally be different from that of boys; boys and girls have different needs and attitudes.

(14) Principle of time: Relative significance and importance of each subject in the curriculum has to be judged and determined in the light of the time available in the timetable, which is regarded as the mirror of the school programme.

Modern trends in curriculum construction

Digital Diversity: Present age is an age of ICT technology has touched to al the wakes of human life. Technology has made various tasks easy, convenient and of quality. To survive in the concern filed it is necessary for everyone to have a knowledge and skill of technology. Education makes man enable to contribute, it strengthens the capabilities. For the effective transaction of curriculum ICT is must.

Web 2.0 applications must be used for the effective teaching learning process. Curriculum makers should give clear guidelines regarding this. E.g. teacher tube is very useful source for the educational resources. Khan academy.org also provides good videos, lectures and many more which makes learning meaningful, easy and effective. Curricki merlot, K2-12 Hippocamus all these provides educational resources which students can use, edit reconstruct and so on. All these things should be interlined with every curriculum.

Need based Curriculums: Researches in all the fields resulted in to specialization. Need based curriculum is the foremost need of the present education system. Many universities are developing need based short term programs for this purpose.

E.g. Mumbai University has introduced courses like – certificate course in Power Point, certificate course in tally, certificate course in marketing, YCMOU- introduced –English communication skills program for Mumbai Dabawala.

Modular Curriculum with credit base system: Modular curriculum gives real freedom of learning .especially in the open learning system his approach has been adopted at first but now majority of traditional universities also accepting his system; this is a real emerging trend in the modern curriculum.

Online coerces: Need based and choice based curriculums are available online also. E.g. course era .com has introduced many useful need based courses for free of cost. Government also takes initiative for this e.g. Right to Information certificate curse has been introduced by Government of India to the Indian people. This course is free and online.

21st century skills: All the curriculums of various courses should focus on 21st century skills. Skills like collaboration, critical thinking, effective communication, multitasking stress management, empathy are must for all the personals.

International Understanding: Globalization has made converted the world in to global village. We should consider world as a one family and for this international understanding must be inculcate through curriculum.

Constructivism: Constructivist approach believes that learner should be given freedom to construct his/her knowledge. Spoon feeding must be avoided. If a learner is fully active in construction of knowledge then learning process will be highly effective. In all the curriculums constructivist strategies must be given important place.

Cultural studies

Cultural studies is an interdisciplinary field of studies, which means that it draws from many different subject areas, including sociology, anthropology, political science, and history. Although it is sometimes misunderstood as being the study of popular culture, cultural studies is, in fact, the study of the ways in which culture is constructed and organized and the ways in which it evolves and changes over time. Modern curriculum needs study of culture so as to attain the benefits of culture and to develop culture (“Cultural studies | interdisciplinary field | Britannica.com,” ).

Diversified Curriculum

Our world is changing — economically, socially, and politically. We have reached a stage in India where our students have started viewing the world differently and their place in it as thinkers, decision makers and important stakeholders. To meet the challenges ahead, we’ll need help from a broad range of non-technological innovators, including economists, political scientists, psychologists and artists.

As the contemporary world becomes more complex, we need an education setup that caters to this diversity not only in terms of challenges but also in the ways to address them. It is time, therefore, that we accepted and embraced the crucial contribution

that an education provides in building a new innovation agenda in the country. The essential interdisciplinary character of education in liberal arts provides students the necessary exposure to the multifaceted character of human nature. The ongoing digital revolution will make this exploration between technology and education obvious for the next generation.

Now thinking will be more important than knowing. We need to revolutionize education to encourage creativity and need to teach our boys and girls to play, take a chance and create, not by teaching our students. We will hinder their capacity to innovate (“The need for a diversified curriculum,” 2017).

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maxwellyjordan · 5 years ago

Text

Ask the authors: The originalist republic – Justice Gorsuch’s “A Republic, If You Can Keep It”

The following is a series of questions posed by Ronald Collins to Jane Nitze and David Feder in connection with Justice Neil Gorsuch’s “A Republic, If You Can Keep It,” co-authored by Nitze and Feder.

Jane Nitze served as a law clerk to Justice Gorsuch on both the Supreme Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit and to Justice Sonia Sotomayor. David Feder served as a law clerk to Justice Gorsuch on both the Supreme Court and the 10th Circuit.

Welcome Jane and David, and thank you for taking the time to participate in this question-and-answer for our readers. And congratulations to you and the justice on the publication of this thoughtful book.

* * *

Question: Of all the books written by Supreme Court justices published while they were on the bench – some 350-plus such works – this may be the first one credited to others “with” a sitting justice. Typically, such collaborations are tucked away on the acknowledgements page, so it must have been a great honor when the justice extended this rare courtesy.

How did this title-page credit and working relationship come about?

Nitze & Feder: It was a great honor, and an unexpected one at that. We did not ask the justice to put our names on the cover — he offered of his own accord. That speaks to the type of person he is. He embodies the values that he preaches in the book: kindness, generosity, friendship and more. All his clerks have felt the power of his mentorship; he lifts up the people around him.

The working relationship came about at the conclusion of each of our respective clerkships with the justice. We each deeply respect his philosophy and jurisprudence and were grateful for the opportunity to continue to work with him in assembling the book.

Question: As noted in the book, the title comes from a 1787 quote from Benjamin Franklin. Of course, Chief Justice Earl Warren also selected it as the title of a work published 47 years ago. In some important respects, Warren’s was a very different kind of book with a different take on the role of a justice and how to interpret law.

Did you ever consult or discuss the chief justice’s book while working on this project?

Nitze & Feder: We never discussed the chief justice’s book, but we think the title is apt for a judicial book because it focuses the attention where it should be in our democracy: with the people, not with the judges.

Question: In reading this book one cannot help but notice a genuine sense of the need for civic virtue. That concern is couched in terms such as “civic responsibility,” “humility,” “integrity,” “patience,” “impartiality,” “kindness” and the value of reasoned judgments, not merely in the governmental realm but, more importantly, in society as well. Do you think we will hear more from the justice on this matter, not only in his judicial opinions but perhaps also in his extrajudicial statements?

Nitze & Feder: Yes, undoubtedly. The justice has made civics and civility the focus of many of his extrajudicial speeches, both before and during his time on the Supreme Court. He believes in the great American experiment of self-governance, and often speaks of the sorts of values that unite us as Americans and that are essential to ensuring our republic survives for generations to come. So, for example, he’s teamed up with Justice Sonia Sotomayor to promote iCivics, a civics education program, and we expect such efforts to continue.

Question: Henson v. Santander Consumer USA Inc., a statutory-interpretation case concerning the meaning of “debt collector” under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, was Gorsuch’s first Supreme Court opinion – one that his former boss, Justice Anthony Kennedy, happily signed on to by way of a hand-penned “join memo.” Not surprisingly, this unanimous opinion is included in your book.

What do you see as the main strengths of this textualist opinion?

Nitze & Feder: To begin, Henson illustrates the exemplary writing that has earned the justice praise from people of all stripes, and shows his ability to turn a fairly complex statutory interpretation case into one that even a nonlawyer could understand. The justice believes it’s important that the public as well as the litigants who come to court — not just the lawyers — be able to understand why the court reaches its decision.

The opinion, moreover, does an excellent job explaining why textualism matters. What happens when you try and further a statute’s perceived purpose over its text? Well, first and foremost, as the opinion explains, you face problems of democratic legitimacy. Often enough, a compromise embodied in the text was the price of getting enough votes to secure a statute’s passage. Besides, when it comes to the sorts of hard questions that the Supreme Court gets, can’t both sides usually make a pretty good argument about what best furthers the statute’s purpose? Faced with exactly that scenario, Henson explains that following the statute’s text itself, rather than trying to divine its unexpressed purpose, was the only legitimate (as well as the most prudent) course.

Question: There are competing notions of originalism. For example, there is Justice Hugo Black’s generous application of originalism in his dissent in Adamson v. California and Justice Clarence Thomas’ more cabined understanding in his concurrence in American Legion v. American Humanist Association. And then there is Professor Raoul Burger’s version in his book, “Government by Judiciary: The Transformation of the Fourteenth Amendment,” in which Burger argued that Brown v. Board of Education was wrongly decided as a matter of original meaning. There have been divergent applications of the theory in the same case, as exemplified by Justice Antonin Scalia’s majority opinion and Justice John Paul Stevens’ dissent in District of Columbia v. Heller.

How is a jurist’s discretion limited in any meaningful way if the same theory can produce radically divergent results? How do you suppose Gorsuch would determine which precise methodology of originalism is the preferred one?

Nitze & Feder: We don’t think we can do better than Justice Gorsuch’s reply to this frequent question, from his speech “Originalism and the Constitution”:

“[L]iving constitutionalists often pursue their indeterminacy argument this way. They point to cases where originalist justices on the Supreme Court have disagreed about the Constitution’s original meaning. They say, ‘Aha! See, the promise of being able to figure out the original meaning of the Constitution is such a sham even they can’t agree.’ But what does the occasional disagreement between originalists really prove? We all know that the cases that land in the Supreme Court are the hardest ones in our legal system. So why should it surprise anyone that faithful originalists on the Court sometimes disagree on the original meaning of some of its provisions? And why should that be an indictment against the methodology?

After all, if there’s one piece of terrain that living constitutionalists do not want to pitch their battle upon, it’s determinacy. Originalism makes many of the living constitutionalists’ hard cases quite easy. Is the death penalty constitutional? Yes, the Constitution expressly mentions it multiple times. Does the Sixth Amendment require confrontation or are there a bunch of balancing tests and unenumerated exceptions we must devise? We know the answer because the text tells us. And while originalists may sometimes disagree on outcomes, they are at least constrained by the same value-neutral methodology and the same closed record of historical evidence. Come to us with arguments from text, structure, and history and we are bound to listen with care and do our best to reason through them. Allow me to reign over the country as a living constitutionalist and you have no idea how I will exercise that fickle power.”

Question: This question is directed to both of you as practicing lawyers who either litigate cases or offer advice to clients or policymakers. Do theories of judicial review and constitutional and statutory interpretation, such as originalism and textualism, actually determine how you defend or counsel a client? For example, what if a nontextualist or nonoriginalist argument, consistent with settled law, favored your client whereas a textualist or originalist argument did not?

In that context, can we speak of lawyers as “textualist” or “originalist” lawyers? Or are such methods of interpretation more (if not entirely) a concern for appellate judges rather than for practicing lawyers?

Nitze & Feder: Surely one can be a practicing lawyer, rather than a judge, and yet firmly believe that originalism and textualism are the only legitimate methods of interpretation under our Constitution and its separation of powers. What types of arguments one chooses to press depends, in our view, on the circumstances, such as whether a lawyer is pressing his or her own view in a debate or those of a client’s before a court.

Question: In a portion of a tribute (reproduced in the book) to Justice Byron White, for whom he once clerked, Gorsuch wrote: “Justice White was famous for dissenting from denials of certiorari – he authored more than two hundred of them.”

Do you think Gorsuch is of a similar mindset when it comes to issuing dissents to denials of cert?

Nitze & Feder: Like Justice White, Justice Gorsuch cares deeply about every case that comes before him. So in that respect, it’s not surprising that he takes the time to write dissents from denials of certiorari when he thinks a case is worthy of the court’s attention. It’s very much in line with how he views his role as a judge: a judge should do his job and nothing more or less than that. And that includes hearing the cases worthy of being heard, such as those in which there is a circuit split, even if it’s not a particularly “important” case in the eyes of some.

We think this also goes to one of the reasons he declined to join the cert pool. As he recently told the Wall Street Journal: “There are 8,000 people a year who want this court to hear a case. We only hear about 70. I don’t think it’s asking too much of me to spend a little bit of time looking at those and doing it in-house, in our chambers, the old-fashioned way.”

Question: In a speech he gave at Florida State University College of Law (reproduced in the book), Gorsuch stated: “Taking a risk may mean anxiety along the way, but it will make you wildly happy if it succeeds and wiser if it fails.”

Is Gorsuch a risk taker? If so, how?

Nitze & Feder: In some ways, definitely. We suppose he’s unlikely to go paragliding anytime soon, but he’s certainly taken risks in his own life and career. Many of these he talks about in speeches to young lawyers collected in the book. For example, he took time to go to England for a fellowship, rather than walk the more narrow path straight to a law firm. Then in his choice of law firm he veered to the smaller, less established shop that was started a couple years before by a few friends. It could have collapsed but he took the risk, and as he tells it, it paid off: He was thrown in the deep end and gained great experience quickly. And then once he was an established partner, he departed to go into public service — yet another risk, but one that turned out to bring great professional joy.

Question: In the chapter entitled “The Art of Judging,” Gorsuch takes issue with portrayals of jurists who rule one way or another in a particular case or class of cases. He also takes exception to portrayals of justices as “‘liking’ or ‘disliking’ this or that group of persons.” That said, there are certain controversial areas of law in which the “conservative-liberal” divide is virtually certain to manifest itself time and again, regardless of the interpretive method employed.

In such instances, aren’t such labels warranted? If not, why not?

Nitze & Feder: We don’t think so. If a judge has this or that reading of (say) the Fourth Amendment, it’s not surprising he or she would rule the same way time and again on the issue. That’s a sign of consistency to be applauded, not denigrated. But it also doesn’t mean that the judge “likes” or “dislikes” a particular individual or group of individuals that happen to be favored or not by those opinions.

Besides, these areas are actually pretty rare and aren’t the norm. As Justice Gorsuch explained in a speech, “Law’s Irony,” while he was on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit: “As you know but the legal cynic overlooks, the vast majority of disputes coming to our courts are ones in which all judges do agree on the outcome. The intense focus on the few cases where we disagree suffers from a serious selection effect problem. More than 90 percent of the decisions issued by my court are unanimous; that’s pretty typical of the federal appellate courts. Forty percent of the Supreme Court’s cases are unanimous, too, even though that court faces the toughest assignments and nine, not just three, judges have to vote in every dispute. In fact, the Supreme Court’s rate of dissent has been largely stable for the last seventy years — this despite the fact that back in 1945, eight of nine justices had been appointed by a single president and today’s sitting justices were appointed by five different presidents.”

Question: One motif in the book is Gorsuch’s concern about structural matters and how they relate to separation-of-powers issues. He voiced one such concern in the book and also in his dissent in Oil States Energy Services v. Greene’s Energy Group, in which he emphasized the need to police “the boundaries between executive and judicial functions and between the executive and legislative roles.”

What kind of structural/separation-of-powers issues most concern Gorsuch?

Nitze & Feder: We think the introduction to the book says it best:

“[A]ny reflection on our Constitution has to begin with an appreciation of its design. Of course, the Bill of Rights is vital: It promises the right to free speech, free exercise of religion, and so many other essential liberties. The Reconstruction Amendments and their promises of equal protection of the laws and due process are foundational too. But without limits on the powers of government, the promises of individual rights contained in these provisions are just that: promises. Our founders knew that the surest protections of human freedom and the rule of law come not from written assurances of liberty but from sound structures. As James Madison put it, men are not angels and the value of their promises depends on structures to enforce them.”

One of the things the justice talks about in the book is that the legal profession has focused heavily in the past few decades on the divide between the legislative and judicial branches. A renewed dedication to originalism and textualism is one of the upshots of that time and effort. But along the way we seem to have neglected devoting equal time and effort to the other two sides of what he calls the separation-of-powers triangle: the divide between the executive and judicial functions and between the executive and legislative ones. So he included a speech in the book, “‘Power Without Law’?,” that focuses on those two divides. After all, the rule of law depends on keeping all three governmental powers in their proper spheres.

Question: There is much in “A Republic, If You Can Keep It” that calls for major changes in existing law. Beyond those areas already mentioned, for example, Gorsuch warns of the “proliferation of federal criminal laws,” both statutory and regulatory. He is also concerned about excessive discovery in the civil-law context, particularly in “an age when every bit and byte of information is stored seemingly forever and is always retrievable.”

In light of all of this, would it be fair to call Gorsuch a reformer? If not, how would you characterize his calls for significant changes in our law?

Nitze & Feder: We wouldn’t apply any particular label to the justice; after all, “reformer” can mean many things to many different people. But does he think that our judicial system has its flaws, even while being the best the world has ever seen? Yes. We must have candid conversations about some of the ways in which we still fall short of our aspirations. Over-criminalization — the tendency, as he puts it in “Law’s Irony” (quoting Senator Joe Biden), to “federalize everything that walks, talks, and moves” — is something he has spoken about often. As are the areas where the system still struggles to offer affordable legal services. As he put it in the chapter “Toward Justice for All,” “I couldn’t afford my own services when I was in private practice; today’s law school graduates can’t either.”

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