#the globe triggered the memory of this podcast

[dreamyskylight]

And now he is finally there 🥺💙💚

Discord podcast from Vaydra on YouTube

[quizzhub]

5 TIPS FOR BLOGGING WHILE YOU TRAVEL

Lifestyle blogging may be a great option for travel enthusiasts and is a crucial and emerging sort of communication. Bloggers are sharing information on specific travel topics and setting themselves apart as experts a day. In doing so, they create an environment of data and knowledge sharing that benefits anyone checking out a good sort of topic.

Here are five tips to urge your travel blog to go or to spice up an existing blog:

KEEP AN OPEN MIND While you'll enjoy that specialize in a selected genre of travel writing (local cuisine, museums, or extreme activities), keep your eyes and mind hospitable new ideas, new friends, new foods, new animals, new flora, and a plethora of other ‘new-to-you things that you simply might not even know were ‘out there.

Having a specific focus may be an excellent spot to start each and each journey, however, as events unfold, be flexible enough to embrace each thing that comes your way. Perhaps you'll be in only the proper place to capture the instant when something newsworthy happens and you'll give your perspective as a reporter-on-site. Staying aware of the local culture and events around you'll offer a tremendous sort of topic to blog about.

MAKE TIME to figure ON THE BLOG It will take a clear and focused intention to stay your blog going. it'll require a significant time commitment to edit the photos and video you capture, to write down about the adventures you're experiencing, and to market the blog. Social media posting, boosting, and audience building will take work and finesse. Social media posting, boosting, and audience building will take work and finesse. this is often how professional design companies do the job!

Consider doing this stuff while you're eating that fabulous dinner you only snapped a pic of, while you're sunning yourself on the beach with a mai tai, or while commuting from one location to subsequent (trains are great for this – just make certain to urge pictures or video of the trip, too). If you'll find how to form it fun, it won’t be such a monumental challenge at the top of an extended day of seeing sights and creating memories.

TAKE tons OF PHOTOS ON OUTINGS People are visual. There’s no way around it. People want to ascertain pictures and videos of what you’re talking about. they need to measure vicariously through you and what you’re seeing. they need to ascertain the sting of the cliff you were standing on. they need to ascertain the 5-star meal you’re close to devouring. they need to ascertain it all. So, show them.

Take pictures or videos of everything – your food, your transportation, your accommodations, your scenery, your acquaintances – everything. Take selfies. Capture pictures of street vendors and therefore the public markets. Record video of the sun slipping down over the horizon wherever you're. Get snaps of the wildlife, the road signs, and restaurant menus. It’s all fabulous fodder for your blog.

Sure, you'll use two exclamation points at the top of the sentence once you mention how fun your experience of riding a mountain rail was, otherwise you can show an image of your beaming face and hands thrown within the air. The adage remains true: an image is worth a thousand words – and additional exclamation points.

WRITE ABOUT IT ALL In addition to taking copious amounts of photos and video, journal about everything. Make it to some extent to write down about all of your fleeting thoughts and emotions, the ways your senses devour things around you. It doesn't need to be perfect by any means. Just catch on out of your head and on to paper or in your digital notes.

You can make lists, jot keywords, create full paragraphs, or fill pages. Just write on it all. you'll always refer back to the present once you begin to organize for your blogs. Words will trigger emotions. Emotions will trigger memories and people's memories are what you share.

Combining your writing with photos and video will have a one-two punch that will keep readers intrigued and entertained. They’ll come for more. provides it to them.

CONSIDER MONETIZING YOUR BLOG Monetizing a blog that comes with writing about your trips also as your photography or videography is often an excellent source of entertainment and income as you globe trek.

Here are a couple of tips to spice up your success with generating revenue through blogging:

Implement affiliate advertisements and links. Research companies of all types that are willing to advertise on your blog. Strategically speaking, advertisers that are associated with the travel industry are going to be the simplest choice. Direct affiliate sales happen once you know your niche and need to figure with local companies during a particular area or a specific tourism focus. Meet with company owners and present the advantages of working together on each other’s blogs and you quickly become an expert on-site also as on the online. Become a brand ambassador for a corporation. for instance, you'll find a corporation that sells gear for surfing that will allow you to try it out, put it to the test, and promote sales of that gear. This also applies to other products or services for a specific brand – restaurants, attractions, and therefore the like. Do your research and find podcasts that want to be promoted or that you simply want to spice up and cross-market one another. you'll write on what they're talking about and that they can mention what you’re writing about. Win-win.

[khalilhumam]

Black people are still seeking racial justice – why and what to do about it

New Post has been published on http://khalilhumam.com/black-people-are-still-seeking-racial-justice-why-and-what-to-do-about-it/

Black people are still seeking racial justice – why and what to do about it

By Kwadwo Frimpong On July 9th 2020, in the wake of nation-wide protests over George Floyd and other Black victims of police violence, David M. Rubenstein Fellow in Governance Studies Rashawn Ray joined actor and producer Boris Kodjoe to talk about policy solutions to address systemic racism and police brutality. Below are highlights from their conversation for the Instagram podcast series #19for20, which aims to inspire public dialogue about difficult topics in social justice. You can watch the full interview here.

What is different about today’s climate compared to prior national uprisings around race?

Ray highlighted how both the visceral public display of George Floyd’s murder and COVID-19 had engulfed the nation in a manner markedly distinct from Ferguson, Black Lives Matter (BLM) and other previous nation-wide racial justice movements. “George Floyd is the twenty first century Emmett Till, a moment similar to [his] murder in 1955 [and] by his mother having the foresight and also the bravery to show his decomposed body in that casket”, he said. The gruesome imagery of witnessing another human being lose their life, with their neck buried under the knee of a police officer for roughly 8 minutes and 46 seconds languishes us psychologically, emotionally and physically. At the same time, with the globe and mainstream media gripped in the sweeping standstill of the pandemic, BLM took to social media, unleashing raw footage of Floyd and other Black victims to signify that they were not isolated, but were the remnants of a larger scourge of racially charged police violence rippling across the country.

View this post on Instagram

For blessing us with your insight and passion for solutions on social justice and equality. #19For20

A post shared by Boris Kodjoe (@boriskodjoe) on Jul 9, 2020 at 5:54pm PDT

Why do Black Lives continue to be devalued and over-criminalized?

Ray remarked on how the nation’s historical legacy of slavery continues to be the foundational epicenter of racial discrimination against Blacks and other minorities. “Bad apples often times come from a rotten tree. And that tree in the United States of America is rooted in systemic racism, particularly when it comes to law enforcement that has roots back to slavery”, he explained. What’s more, according to recent research, disturbing levels of white nationalism and domestic extremist groups have been shown to have infiltrated law enforcement. Kodjoe described a personal encounter he had had with a white businessman in his own neighborhood while dressed in a hoodie and flip flops to illustrate what he referred to as “the magic pause”: how Black individuals continually internalize and deflect a series of micro-aggressions and discriminatory behavior from white individuals. The man was initially disdainful towards Kodjoe but after noticing that he owned one of the most opulent houses in the community, he sharply reversed his tone, adopting a more friendly and positive demeanor. “And that criminalization of Black people is the direct result of the lack of those muscles and the lack of consideration for the fact that I’m a father, I’m a husband, I’m a professional, I have family, I have a job,” Kodjoe emphasized. Ray concurred, remarking that “the magic pause” also reflects the collective memory of traumatic experiences that Blacks have undergone in the past, triggering fresh waves of encounters that either did or could have ended fatally, but also revealing how a white person will attempt to code-switch according to the perceived social class of a Black person. “And I think fundamentally it highlights that we can’t outclass racism. It doesn’t matter if you’re Boris Kodjoe [and] that you have the biggest house on the street….all that matters is that in that moment, he’s seen your skin tone and his skin tone, [which gives] him the script for how to make sense of what was going on,” he added.�� In essence, these racial attitudes undergird and perpetuate the over-policing and dehumanization of Black people and the long-standing perceptions that they are not only one-dimensional but are more likely to engage in crime. Conversely, crime is inherently racial but there is a tendency to zero in on Black related violence. “94% of Black people kill other Blacks, 86% of white people kill other whites. But we never say white-on-white crime. It’s only talking about Black-on-Black crime,” Ray underscored.

What remedies can help shape the path forward? 

1.  Re-allocate and re-invest in police departments Simply assigning more police officers to these crises will not solve the underlying issues. Further, not only is crime hovering at historic lows but existing law enforcement funds are not being utilized efficiently: Roughly 40% of homicides and 70% of robberies go unresolved and  9 out of 10 response calls handled by law enforcement stem from non-violent issues, ranging from mental health to homelessness. Defunding the police or re-assigning non-violent crimes to entities better equipped to handle these societal challenges will help to boost efficiency and augment the clearance rate for resolving violent crimes. 2.  Implement accountability & transparency in law enforcement Not only does the status quo reward police officers who ratchet up the highest quotas of tickets and arrests but taxpayers routinely foot the bill for civil payouts involving victims of police brutality and even then, the culpable officers are rarely held financially or criminally liable.

Institute police department liability insurance: By shifting the source of funds for civilian payouts from taxpayers to police budgets, police departments will not only have a greater incentive to hold police officers accountable for misconduct but the aggrieved families will receive more just recompense for the loss of their loved ones, through the parties that are directly responsible as opposed to through their own hard-earned tax dollars.

Create a national registry: This will allow police officers to be terminated for misconduct or if they resigned under trial for misconduct as outlined in the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.

Remove qualified immunity: This is a legal safeguard currently upheld by the Supreme Court which shields police officers from criminal liability and being sued financially, however, recently enacted state led reforms such as in Colorado can serve as a promising model.

3.  Active civic engagement, particularly down ballot Activism across the electoral spectrum is paramount but local politics largely determines the policies and outcomes within one’s immediate community. Rallying and electing local officials such as state representatives and attorney generals who can impact the judicial system can yield concrete pathways towards significant results. 4.  Corporate America needs to embrace meaningful action, not just slogans and words Black assets and intellectual property have been systematically disenfranchised and under-invested in and members of the C-suite and other large conglomerates have a significant role to play in not only reshaping the narrative and incentive structure around business but by also leveraging the existing resources within the Black community to drive sustainable and meaningful change. ”[We] don’t need handouts, we need real partnerships and corporate allies that are ready to invest in us,” Kodjoe reiterated.

Invest in minority-owned small businesses. Roughly 40% of black small businesses went under because 90% didn’t receive relief funds, however, large corporates can leverage their existing sub-contracts to combat this area.

Diversity upper management; there is a rich pool of untapped talent to be capitalized upon.

Compensate individuals for doing the emotional work of anti-racism; they are not there to do it for free.

Institute bi-annual surveys for minorities to capture their experiences in the workplace and promote greater equity.

Implement reparations to close the racial wealth gap.

In essence, Black people don’t want a seat at the table, they want their own table, apportioned with equal weight and size to be acknowledged, seen, and heard across all spectrums of society. W.E.B Dubois encapsulated this enduring plight of Black individuals over a century ago as “double consciousness”, a longing to be both Black and American without having the doors of opportunity closed roughly in one’s face. And yet Blacks are still clamoring for that promise of equal justice and opportunity to be recognized as fully equal citizens in America.

[oneagainstthelegion]

Murray Carpenter: The Healthy Ways to Consume Caffeine and Coffee

Mr. Alex Mau

August 5, 2020 • Last updated: August 17, 2020

in Body • 30 Minutes Read

"Wherever caffeine seems to have evolved, humans seem to have figured out how to use it for their purposes." - Mr. Murray Carpenter

In this episode of "The Art of Manliness" podcast, host Mr. Brett McKey interviews Mr. Murray Carpenter. He is an author and a journalist who focuses on science and environment stories and a radio reporter for Maine Public Broadcasting Network.

Mr. Murray Carpenter is the author of "Caffeinated: How Our Daily Habit Helps, Hurts, and Hooks Us." This interview covers topics including the brief history of caffeine, the rise of caffeinated drinks, the benefits and downsides of caffeine, and how to consume caffeine strategically to enhance physical activities.

Interview with Mr. Murray Carpenter in Three Sentences

"For a long time throughout the history of America, coffee has been a popular beverage, increasing in popularity through the 1800s and the early 1900s, and then really peaking around the World War II years. Our great grandparents' generation were consuming about twice as much coffee as we do now." - Mr. Murray Carpenter

Caffeine is a drug, a stimulant drug that blocks a neurotransmitter that makes us feel tired and sleepy.

The side-effects of caffeine increase as the level of consumption rises.

We are consuming more caffeine inconspicuously today because there is more caffeine in our food and beverages.

Ideas to Takeaway from This Interview

"We know caffeine for its stimulant effects, particularly at higher doses, but at lower doses, it has a much more subtle and yet I think a very significant effect. It just makes you feel good. And so, I think that's part of the appeal all over the world." - Mr. Murray Carpenter

What is caffeine?

"Caffeine looks remarkably like adenosine. It sits in the receptors for adenosine and nudge them aside and not let adenosine sit there." - Mr. Murray Carpenter

Caffeine is the most widely used drug in the world. Caffeine is a mildly addictive substance. It is an alkaloid; a compound emerged naturally as leaves, bark, or roots in many different plants all over the globe like cocoa beans, kola nuts, tea leaves, and coffee beans are well-known.

In our brain, adenosine is an inhibitory neurotransmitter. It acts as a central nervous system depressant. In normal conditions, it promotes sleep and suppresses arousal.

Adenosine has specific receptors. When adenosine binds to its receptors, neural activity slows down, and we feel sleepy. Adenosine facilitates sleep and dilates the blood vessels, and to ensure proper oxygenation during sleep.

The level of adenosine rises each hour while we awake, and increases our level of sleepiness. The higher concentrations of adenosine inhibit arousal and facilitate drowsiness.

Caffeine acts as an adenosine-receptor antagonist. It sits in the receptors for adenosine and pushes adenosine aside to allow caffeine to work.

The stimulant effect of caffeine comes from how it acts on the adenosine receptors in the neural membrane.

Caffeine wakes us up by fooling adenosine receptors. Adenosine slows down nerve cell activity, and caffeine speeds up activity.

Caffeine found in coffee, tea, and other caffeinated beverages is a xanthine chemical like adenosine. It works to inhibit sleep by blocking adenosine action within the brain, which increases wakefulness. When we drink caffeine, it achieves its stimulating effects by blocking the brain's adenosine processing.

There are many sources to consume caffeine.

Coffee and tea.

Energy drinks and foods.

Soda drinks.

Dark Chocolate.

Exercise supplements.

Medications

What caffeine does to our bodies?

"Coffee remains our primary source of caffeine. We're consuming more caffeine from coffee than from any other beverage, but by ounces, by actually drinks daily, we're consuming more soda pop." - Mr. Murray Carpenter

Caffeine acts as a central nervous system stimulant. It works by blocking the neurotransmitter adenosine's receptors, which make us sleepy, and as a result, we feel more awake.

Caffeine quickly gets into the brain and affects many kinds of neurons (brain cells) in many ways. The most noticeable effect is readiness. We feel awake, energetic, and less tired.

Also, caffeine boosts our energy and mood and makes us more alert and feel good. It can be helpful in the morning or when we are working.

Caffeine is a stimulant. Caffeine keeps us awake, but more is not always better. Caffeine stays in our bodies up to 6 hours after consumption. It can increase heart rate and blood pressure at higher doses. Too much caffeine can push us over the line from alert to jittery, nervous, and anxious.

Caffeine is a drug. It affects our bodies in multiple ways, and we need to pay attention to our caffeine consumption. It has the hallmarks of an addictive substance.

We feel good when we consume caffeine.

We feel lousy when we don't.

Our tolerance to caffeine increases as we continue to consume.

We have withdrawal symptoms when we stop abruptly consuming caffeine.

What are caffeine benefits and downsides?

"It was a brazen, very direct marketing of the caffeine, of the stimulating effect of the drink, and Red Bull was something new at the time." - Mr. Murray Carpenter

There are many benefits and downsides to consuming caffeine. Caffeine can improve memory, concentration, and temporarily reduces our appetite on moderate doses. Too much caffeine can give us the jitters and raise acid levels in the stomach that leads to heartburn.

The benefits of caffeine.

Caffeine boosts sports performance.

Caffeine improves recovery from a workout.

Caffeine protects against disease.

Caffeine boosts sports performance

Caffeine can improve performance with less muscle pain in endurance sports like running, biking, or swimming. Approximately 200 to 400 milligrams (2 to 4 cups of coffee) is sufficient.

Caffeine improves recovery from a workout

Studies show that caffeine can help the body recover quicker after hard physical activities by making and restocking a stored form of fuel called glycogen. Recovery seems to do the best if we combine it with carbohydrates.

Caffeine protects against disease

Caffeine seems to help prevent gallstones and inflammation, among other medical problems. Some studies show that regular caffeine might help prevent certain neurological diseases, like Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, Huntington's, multiple sclerosis, and epilepsy.

The downsides of caffeine.

Caffeine interferes with sleep.

Caffeine raises heart rate.

Caffeine causes headaches.

Caffeine raises blood pressure.

Caffeine interferes with sleep

Too much caffeine can make the body trying to sleep difficult. A moderate amount can cause insomnia in some people, especially if caffeine consumption is close to bedtime. It is best to avoid caffeine in the afternoon and evening if it affects our sleep.

Caffeine raises heart rate

Caffeine is a stimulant and may cause the heart to beat faster. It is a health issue for people who have too much caffeine or are overly sensitive; the pulse may go up too much or stay high too long. It may even feel like the heart beats in an irregular rhythm, sometimes called heart palpitations.

Caffeine causes headaches

Caffeine narrows the blood vessels in the brain. Without caffeine, the blood vessels widen. The resulting boost in blood flow could trigger a headache. We build up a tolerance when we have caffeine every day. Withdrawal from caffeine may result in headaches and body pain. It may be worse if we quit caffeine entirely. It is best to reduce caffeine intake gradually.

Caffeine raises blood pressure

Caffeine can spike blood pressure. It blocks a hormone that keeps arteries wide and releases more adrenaline and raises blood pressure. People who have high blood pressure or heart problems should seek medical advice about how much caffeine they can have.

What is the recommended caffeine amount for people?

"We consume caffeine often in many different products throughout the day. Coffee in the morning and then an energy drink or soda at mid-morning or mid-afternoon or with lunch. And so yeah, there are many different ways that you can get your caffeine." - Mr. Murray Carpenter

A safe amount of caffeine a person can consume without experiencing any adverse symptoms is 6 milligrams of caffeine per 2.2 pounds (1 kilogram) of body weight.

Body Weight Caffeine Cup of Coffee 100 pounds 272 mg 2 to 3 cups 150 pounds 409 mg 4 to 5 cups 200 pounds 545 mg 5 to 6 cups 250 pounds 681 mg 6 to 7 cups

Source: Caffeine safe does calculator

Most healthy adults can safely consume up to 400 mg milligrams of caffeine per day. It is approximately the amount of caffeine in 4 cups of brewed coffee in 08 fl oz.

When caffeine consumption climbs to 700 mg and above per day, we may experience nausea, headaches, sleep difficulties, or increased anxiety.

Name Fluid Ounce Milligram Green Tea 08 fl oz 025 mg Black Tea 08 fl oz 042 mg Dunkin Decaf 10 fl oz 007 mg Dunkin Brewed 10 fl oz 150 mg McDonald Decaf 12 fl oz 008 mg McDonlad Brewed 12 fl oz 109 mg Starbucks Decaf Tall 12 fl oz 020 mg Starbucks Pike Place Brewed Tall 12 fl oz 235 mg Seattle's Best Decaf 12 fl oz 29 mg Seattle's Best Brewed 12 fl oz 260 mg Tim Horton Decaf 10 fl oz 006 mg Tim Horton Brewed 10 fl oz 140 mg 7-Eleven Brewed 16 fl oz 280 mg

Source: Caffeine Content of Drinks

How much is caffeine too much?

Caffeine is a good thing in moderate amounts. It is okay for most healthy adults to consume about 400 milligrams of caffeine a day.

Caffeine can boost energy, memory, and athletic performance. It even seems to protect against certain diseases, like type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer's.

There is a limit to how much caffeine we have in the day, even if it does not affect us. We should pay attention when we consume over 700 milligrams of caffeine a day. It is approximately seven cups of brewed coffee. The over-consumption of caffeine can make us anxious, jittery, affect our sleep, and affect our digestion, blood pressure, and heart rate.

It depends on our genetic, weight, diet, medications, and overall health. Some people are more sensitive to caffeine. If we notice stomach problems, headaches, muscle twitches, sleeplessness nights, or heart palpitations, it might be time to cut back caffeine.

A brief history of coffee.

"In the era of 1950s, people were drinking 53 gallons of coffee a year per capita. There was probably just a coffee machine going in the break room. There was a coffee pot or a percolator probably at the time just cranking in your house all the time.." - Mr. Murray Carpenter

It started in the year 850 in Abyssinia, now modern-day Ethiopia. There was a goatherd by the name of Kaldi, who discovered coffee when he noticed how excited his goats became after eating the beans from a coffee plant.

Coffee plants are woody evergreens that can grow up to 32 feet (10 meters) tall when growing wild. The coffee plant has a white blossom that smells like jasmine with red, cherry-like fruit. Back then, the leaves of the so-called "magical fruit" boiled in water, and the resulting concoction thought to have medicinal properties.

In 1607, Captain John Smith, the Colony of Virginia founder, introduced coffee in America when he shared it with the other Jamestown settlers after he learned about coffee in his travels to Turkey. Coffee was primarily consumed in the Islamic world, directly related to religious practices.

The drinking of coffee wasn't popular in America until the Boston Tea Party of 1773 when making the switch from tea to coffee was a representation of patriotic duty.

Coffee imports by country.

In the 18th Century, our earliest sources of caffeine were cacao from Mexico, tea from China, and coffee bean from Africa. Today, we imported from around the world.

These are the top coffee importing countries in 2019.

United States: US$5.8 billion (19.4% of total coffee imports)

Germany: $3.2 billion (10.7%)

France: $2.7 billion (9.1%)

Italy: $1.6 billion (5.4%)

Japan: $1.2 billion (4.1%)

Source: World's Top Exports

These are the top coffee exporting countries in 2019.

Brazil: US$4.6 billion (15.1% of total coffee exports)

Colombia: $2.6 billion (8.7%)

Switzerland: $2.5 billion (8.3%)

Vietnam: $2.41 billion (8%)

Germany: $2.37 billion (7.9%)

Ethiopia: $836.6 million (2.8%)

United States: $822.5 million (2.7%)

Source: World's Top Exports

Percolator brew coffee versus drip brew coffee.

Percolator brew coffee

Percolators brew more robust and intense coffee because it gets double brewed coffee on the first go. Percolated coffee gets a robust and bold coffee.

The liquid passes through the grounds over and over again. Time is a factor. The longer it brews, the stronger taste the coffee gets. If it brewed too long, the coffee grounds become over-extracted, and the coffee takes on a bitter taste.

Time and temperature matter to percolator coffee. It's up to us to monitor the time and temperature when we brew it on the stovetop. The water should consistently be almost boiling, but not quite. If the water gets too hot, the heat risks burning the grounds, which will impart a bitter taste.

Percolators are great for big batches. They're great if we entertain large groups of people. The giant metal urns we see at the weddings or banquets are percolators. They can make many cups in a short time.

Drip brew coffee

Drip coffee only runs water once through a filer. It filters out both oils and sediment, which give the coffee a cleaner and less intense taste.

Drip coffee passes through the grounds exactly once. There are none of the cyclings we get with a percolator. It tastes milder compare to percolated coffee. Drip coffee will be milder in flavor but will allow the character of the bean to shine through.

A drip coffee maker monitors time and temperature using electronics. We don't have to do as much work as a stovetop percolator.

  Percolator Brewed Coffee Drip Brewed Coffee Taste Brew bold and strong Brew clean and mild Appearance May contain oils and sediment Without or free of oils and sediment Flavor Lacking nuance in flavor Noticing subtle flavors easily Best for   Large groups at wedding or events Small groups at office or home Attention Requires more attention No attention required

How strategically consume caffeine to improve the performance of physical activities?

"The same people who are very conscientious about everything that they're eating on race day and in the days prior, so why not caffeine? "- Mr. Murray Carpenter

Most professional athletes are conscientious about their diet the day before and after their performance. They understand the benefits of caffeine and systematically fine-tune their caffeine strategy based on when it helps them the most, and how best to consume caffeine to maximize their performance.

Professional athletes are very methodical about their food energy consumption.

Carbohydrates the night before the game

Caffeine before the game

Electrolyte drinks during the game

Protein after the game

Carbohydrates the night before the game.

Carbohydrates are the body's primary source of energy. They are called carbohydrates because, at the chemical level, they contain carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Carbohydrates store in the liver and muscles to use for fuel, especially during physical activity.

Carbohydrates enhance athletic performance by improving endurance and delaying fatigue. Pasta, bread, rice, vegetables, and fruit are easily digestible starchy foods.

Potatoes or sweet potatoes

Chocolate milk

Fruits (pineapple, berries, banana, kiwi)

Rice cakes

Pasta, rice, or quinoa

Oatmeal

Dark leafy green vegetables

The symptoms of carbohydrates imbalance are nausea, dizziness, lethargy, or dehydration.

Caffeine before the game.

Caffeine raises the brain's dopamine levels and epinephrine, aka adrenaline, increasing focus and alert and decreasing fatigue and sleepiness. The effects of caffeine last for hours. Caffeinated sports drinks for professional athletes and 1 to 2 cups of coffee an hour before enhancing activities.

Electrolyte drinks during the game.

Electrolytes are minerals in the body that have an electric charge. They are in the blood, urine, tissues, and other body fluids. Electrolytes are essential because they help balance the amount of water in the body. When water goes out of the body, so do electrolytes. And when the body is losing lots of water during physical activities, it is crucial to replace electrolytes.

Sea salt contains electrolytes magnesium, calcium, potassium, and it is less processed. A pinch of sea salt in our water is sufficient.

The symptoms of electrolyte imbalance are muscle spasm, weakness, twitching, or convulsions.

Protein after the game.

Protein is vital to consume after physical activities. It provides fuel, rebuilds muscle tissue that breaks down during physical activities.

Exercise supports muscle growth, but the body can only build upon existing muscles if they recover after each workout. Consuming protein after training helps the tissues heal, prevents the loss of lean mass, and increases the impact of the exercise.

Protein powder or bar

Greek yogurt or cottage cheese

Eggs

Peanut butter

Chicken

Salmon or tuna

A post-workout meal within 30-45 minutes after the game with protein and carbohydrates will enhance glycogen storage and muscle protein synthesis.

Final thoughts.

"If you were getting the big can of Maxwell House or Folgers that… Just a commercial blend, it would be roasted far away from you long before you consumed it, ground it, put it in a can, and then it may be weeks, months before you even crack the can." - Mr. Murray Carpenter

Caffeine is a stimulant, addictive drug. We feel great to consume it, and we feel terrible without it.

Caffeine is everywhere and in many forms. It is in coffee, tea, energy drinks, soft drinks, chocolate, supplements, food, cereals, and medications. Caffeine is available in powder, pills, liquid, concentrated, and in injection doses.

With these in mind, we should be mindful when consuming caffeine. We must be aware of its benefits and subtle side-effects. We use caffeine strategically to improve our work performance at home, at the office, or in physical activities.

Generally, moderated consumption for 400 mg of caffeine a day is excellent for a healthy adult. It is approximately 4 cups of 8 fl oz brewed coffee a day. We don't have to quit or avoid caffeine altogether, but we just have to be aware and be smart about our caffeine consumption.

Interview Summary with Mr. Murray Carpenter

"Be aware of your caffeine consumption and be aware that it's a drug. And because it is a drug and it is affecting you in multiple ways, it makes sense to pay attention to it." - Mr. Murray Carpenter

The Benefits The Downsides Caffeine is a stimulant. It gives us a boost in energy when we are feeling tired and sluggish. Caffeine is a stimulant. It may disrupt our sleep, develop insomnia, and increase anxiety and anger. Caffeine may enhance or improve athletic endurance performances. Withdrawal from caffeine may result in headaches, muscle aches, increase unpleasantness, and edginess. Caffeine may lower the risk of diabetes, decrease the incidence of Parkinson's disease, lower the rate of basal cell skin cancers, and reduce the risk of suicide. Pregnant women and people with high blood pressure or heart problems should avoid caffeine or to consult a doctor.

Coffee was a transplant. It was originally from Africa, then spread through the Islamic world and arrived in Europe until the 17th Century.

Coffee was the primary source of caffeine substance for Americans for a very long time. Coffee began to have competitors in the form of caffeinated sodas in the late 19th Century.

Name Date of Launched Coffee in America 1607 Coca Cola May 8, 1886 Pepsi Cola (Brad's Drink) August 28, 1898 / 1893 Royal Crown Cola 1905 7up June 19, 1929

In the late 19th Century, coffee had the same amount of caffeine as caffeinated sodas. Caffeinated drinks promoted as healthier alternatives to alcohol. Soon they were criticized for their caffeine content.

It is challenging to measure and pay attention to our caffeine consumption as milligrams per product. We drink coffee in the morning, soft drinks at lunch, energy drinks at the gym, and soft drinks or coffee at dinner. It is easy and convenient to pay attention to calories, carbohydrates, protein, and fats are in the food.

We are getting most of our caffeine from coffee. 400 mg about four cups of small size coffee are acceptable for most adults. 700 mg about seven cups of coffee are cautiously over the limit.

For weekend warriors endurance athletes doing 5K or 15K, caffeine can increase and improve athletic performances. The low-end at about 3 to 4 milligrams per kilogram of body weight and the high-end would be about 6 to 8 kilograms.

Interestingly, there seems to be no health risk associated with consuming caffeinated coffee or tea, and there might be some health benefits. However, we know there are serious health risks with consuming sugar-loaded sodas and caffeinate-concentrated energy drinks.

[You can listen to this full interview at the "Art of Manliness." Link]

Further Read and Resources on Caffeine and Coffee

You can find more information about his book, his writing, and his work on his website at MurrayCarpenter.com.

Murray Carpenter's book "Caffeinated: How Our Daily Habit Helps, Hurts, and Hooks Us" is available on Amazon.

What Does a Coffee Plant Look Like? (Link)

The History of Coffee. Ethiopia The Origin of Coffee (Link)

Caffeine Informer. The Authority on Caffeine. (Link)

Center for Science in the Public Interest. American's Food and Health Watchdog (Link)

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[calorieworkouts]

The dance of life

This 'athletic musician' shares his approach to staying healthy in mind, body and spirit

Derek Hough is recognized by several for his popular attribute functions on the struck TELEVISION programs World of Dance and Dancing With the Stars. He credits his lifelong sense of inquisitiveness and hunger to discover new points with leading him to his career success as well as to an energetic, healthy and balanced as well as fulfilling life.

Discovering a passion

From a young age, Hough was always finding out. Born in Sandy, Utah, in the Salt Lake City location, he is one of five kids-- including his sibling, Julianne, who learnt dance with him as well as with whom he still teams up and explores. He bears in mind that his family was always actively developing. "We were always in lessons maturing, either karate courses, or swimming lessons, or art course, or dancing courses certainly, as well as drum lessons as well." shares Hough. "So I was constantly finding out, as well as for me it instilled a feeling of curiosity as well as cravings to find out, which has actually rollovered."

" My pals would have new playthings as well as devices of all kinds as well as I wanted them," states Hough. "My mother would certainly say, 'we'll make it' and also we would certainly use plywood and also draw things out then saw it out-- truly making stuff. It brought out my creative side."

That imaginative passion brought about his initial intro to the arts-- playing drums in a Coastline Boys tribute band when he was just 8 years of ages. The band messed around the neighborhood as well as at the Utah Region Fair. "Being a drummer I found out rhythm, which rhythm became my structure," he says.

That foundation aided Hough choose up dance reasonably quickly, and also it didn't take long for him to discover he liked it. This realization brought back early memories of dance with his household. His grandparents were all dancers, and also his moms and dads satisfied while on a ballroom dance team in university, so it was the continuation of a family members tradition. "Individuals ask me 'When did you begin dance?' as well as it ends up I would certainly been dancing as long as I could bear in mind. I consider home video clips where I was 2 years old as well as we were having dancing events in our living-room as a household."

A sense of community

Ironically, though, Hough confesses that he was "type of dragged" into formally studying dancing. "I didn't actually desire to go at initially. Yet I had this coach, he was a truly trendy guy, and after that it opened up a neighborhood for me, a sense of belonging." He (and also, later, Julianne) wound up relocating to London at age 12 to study with expert trainers, as well as there he tossed himself into a strenuous program of practicing and visiting, making every effort to boost his skills and win competitions. "We were circumnavigating, going to New york city, mosting likely to Hawaii-- as well as being a youngster from Utah I resembled, 'Wow, this is incredible!' That was definitely a revelation, that I really enjoyed it. I turned something I really did not want to do into recognizing and finding an interest."

One thing Hough specifically loves is exactly how the understanding of dancing has altered due to the fact that of the appeal of television programs like Dancing With the Stars and World of Dance, and also just how they have actually opened up dancing for even more people. "They have revealed the athleticism as well as effort, and have educated people, especially men, about it. You know, One Decade ago I could have stated, 'Hey, did you see that Paso Doble?' and individuals would certainly have been like 'What? Exactly what is that?' Currently they're like, wow, I enjoyed that gaucho, or that flamenco action. It has been great for dancing."

He also sees more individuals understanding just how physically requiring dance could be. A term Hough commonly utilizes to clarify his craft is that professional dancers are "creative professional athletes." He claims, "When I'm dancing, I don't just dance, I'm really training as well, in addition to dance. To do particular steps, to be fast with those twitch muscular tissues, and the stamina, that security, that core, that rhythm, the isolations-- I indicate there's so much that goes into it, from the main muscle teams to the ones you have actually never ever become aware of. It's a full-body thing. "

Not just that, however Hough states customers value the narration element and also feeling within dancing. "Several of my fondest memories of creating routines on Dancing With the Stars are of people connecting and also going, you know, that really influenced me to call my mommy, or I have actually experienced this, this sense of broken heart, and it was actually cathartic to view that. I really did not feel like I was alone, I seemed like I experienced it with you," he states. "So it's an actually attractive thing, as well as for me it has actually been an absolute enjoyment, it's been a delight to see the evolution of the appeal as well as the standing as well as gratitude of dancing over the previous years."

The ‘prize' of service

" A large change in me directly is that for years I was a rival. It was always regarding being the very best, regarding winning-- that was my fuel. And after that one time I was in my home, taking a look at all these prizes, and I was like, wow, that's really great-- then I assumed, but why do I still really feel not met?" It ends up that functioning with others, coaching and also training, was the new fuel Hough needed. "It was a huge change for me, and also it actually boiled down to service. For me, it's the fulfillment aspect of it-- the sharing of ideas, or helping as well as bringing someone up, bringing their confidence up, or seeing that light take place in their eyes where they go, 'Wow, I can do that!'" Hough understood that, rather than winning more trophies or being the most effective, those were now the minutes that actually loaded him up.

" That emphasis, that transition for me has really opened a great deal of great things in my life, and also it's far more satisfying. On Globe of Dance, these professional dancers, these professional athletes, I really desire to aim to motivate and motivate them and not simply evaluate them but in order to help them on their trip."

Gratitude is likewise a secret, claims Hough. "We hear it a great deal, but it holds true-- you can't actually be in a fearful or upset state if you remain in gratitude, they can't live concurrently. For me, the second I start having expectations, expecting exactly how the globe ought to act, or anticipating exactly how my household or friends should be, or whatever it could be, to simply transform the assumptions for admiration. If I all of a sudden simply begin valuing, even if something is terrible, well, just how can I appreciate this? In that moment, it alters the entire video game.

" Just the other day we were shooting and also I was sitting there like, this is such a terrific job, this is so outstanding, this is so much fun seeing these amazing professional dancers. I have been in that setting several times because I was 12 years of ages, being judged on the dance floor, as well as you're functioning so hard, as well as so my gratitude and my concern for them out on that particular floor is overruning. And to view them, their skills, as well as their heart, as well as their reaction to will they make it via-- I simply like that."

" Simply start moving! Don't be hard on yourself or judge on your own. Activity is in our DNA, all of us."

Derek's tips for staying fit

Hough credits his family members, specifically his mommy, with grounding him healthy and also nutrition. "I recognized as I grew older just how successful she was when it involved healthy routines, as well as natural and health foods and points like that. She showed us from a young age concerning particular foods to consume and just what to keep away from," he says.

He hears his body as well as focuses on just what makes him react, whether it's just what provides him energy or exactly what makes him really feel slow-moving or inflamed.

Fresh food helps him stay concentrated and also sharp, not only literally but also psychologically. "It's so crucial, particularly when you need to attempt to produce something as well as choreograph. There's absolutely nothing worse compared to attempting to create something when your brain is not completely triggered."

One trick he makes use of is to utilize the power of organization. He on a regular basis drinks what he calls "swamp water," which is a super-greens formula he mixes with water. "I associated enjoyment to it, and in fact conditioned myself to like it. It was practically like I was drinking energy, I was consuming alcohol light, I was consuming emphasis ... that's the association I put with it, and also it gave me a lot power and so much clearness, and my skin removed up."

Greens in general are Hough's essential. "Any kind of meal I have, I have to have a large quantity of eco-friendlies. That's the theme throughout whatever I have. So if I'm having salmon, or a little chicken, or perhaps a little red meat, whatever it may be, there's constantly an abundance of environment-friendlies offered. Asparagus, broccoli-- all the great stuff."

To maintain himself favorable as well as determined, he seeks wisdom every day with reading or hearing a motivating speaker or podcast. "There's so much info, with social media sites as well as just media in general. You obtain this ding, this alert, this occurred as well as before you understand it, your mind is pirated. It's like we're filled with information however depriving for knowledge. So it's basically picking and choosing the important things I want to have actually entered my mind as well as absorb."

If he does discover himself with thoughts and also sensations he does not such as, he says, "The initial point to do is move. It's altering my physiology, altering my body, changing the method I'm holding myself. Transforming my body modifications my outlook."

Hough says the way to advance in anything is to challenge yourself to do hard things. "It's like exercising," he says, "like lifting a weight. Simply like you need to press against something hard to create muscle mass, you need resistance to produce growth. We require those obstacles, so welcome them-- they're a present in order to help you grow."

Dance! Hough claims that frequently individuals obtain frightened off by the word "dancing" since they've established limitations on themselves regarding what they can not do. "Simply begin relocating!" he says. "Do not be hard on yourself or judge yourself. Movement remains in our DNA, all of us. If you consider a child, even before they could stroll they're bobbing their heads, returning as well as forth. When you obtain outside your comfort zone, you constantly appear inspired and also sensation terrific. Dancing is a fantastic form of exercise as well as it's also great for your spirit."

Tweet @derekhough and also @hlmsmag and his #SamsClubMag story.

[jmsa1287]

Dark and Riveting, Netflix's 'The Keepers' Transcends True Crime

I wrote about the new Netflix true crime docuseries “The Keepers”

When Netflix dropped the trailer for its new docuseries "The Keepers" in April, a number of publications suggested the show will be the streaming service's next "Making a Murderer" - the wildly popular true crime show that took the nation by storm at the end of 2015. At first glance, "The Keepers," which hits Netflix on May 19, has all the hallmarks of "Making a Murderer" but the shows have little in common.

Carrying the tagline "Who Killed Sister Cathy?," "The Keepers" explores the 1969 unsolved murder of the nun Sister Cathy Cesnik, a teacher at Archbishop Keough High School in Baltimore, Maryland. In the show's trailer, the subjects of the docuseries suggest Cesnik was killed as part of a cover up involving the Catholic Church and local law enforcement. Though "The Keepers" is rooted in Cesnik's cold case, a subject of the series says something at the end of the trailer that should have been the show's true tagline: "The story is not the nun's killing. The story is the cover up of the nun's story."

In its first episode of the seven-part series, retirees Gemma Hoskins and Abbie Schaub, who were both students of Cesnik in the 60s, are on a mission to find the truth behind the nun's murder. The dynamic duo does a lot of exposition, outlining the unsettling and confusing facts surrounding Cesnik's death. Audiences will surely think they're in for "Making a Murderer" Part 2, but the rest of the series transcends pop culture's current true crime obsession and "The Keepers" forces viewers to look at pure evil head on, becoming one of the most provocative and riveting stories of its kind.

Both "Making a Murderer" and Season 1 of the podcast "Serial" examined murder cases from the perspective of the accused - pouring over evidence, testimony and data to determine if their subjects could really be killers. Directed by Ryan White, "The Keepers" goes macro, telling its story from the point of view of its victims and how the nun's murder reverberated throughout a community of intelligent women in the close-knit Catholic community of Baltimore. The death of Cesnik, who was 26 at the time and is often described as beautiful, smart and kind, impacted a myriad of people, many of whom are now adult women and were students at Keough High School in the 60s and 70s. Eventually, a large portion of "The Keepers" becomes the story of a specific woman - Jane Doe, a student at Keough who sued the school and the Catholic Church as an adult after being subjected to unrelenting, incredibly horrific abuse at the school.

After years of speculation, White and his crew are able to get the anonymous woman to reveal herself and talk about her story. Incredibly brave, Jane Doe openly and candidly discusses the abuse she suffered at the hands of Father Joseph Maskell, the Chaplin at the prestigious high school. Full of pure evil, Doe's story is one of the most devastating accounts of sexual, mental and physical abuse involving the Catholic Church. As she explains, Maskell used his power and authority to target girls who were previously abused. Doe isn't the only victim of Maskell and other officials at Keough - a number of other women come forward in "The Keepers," recounting similar acts they said they endured from Maskell and his crew, which allegedly involved other priests and even local law enforcement. Doe explains Cesnik started to realize girls were being abused at the school and was probably going to expose Maskell - but before she could say anything, she was killed. Doe says Maskell even showed her the nun's body at the time.

The investigators at the center of "The Keepers" include retirees Hoskins and Schaub, journalist Tom Nugent and other former students of Cesnik as well as reporters who covered her murder in the 70s. As Doe and the other women open up about the sexual assault at Keough, the crew looking into the nun's death start to expose the alleged cover up from the Catholic Church, which reportedly moved Maskell around the city, and a possible connection with law enforcement - it's revealed Maskell's brother was a police officer.

"The Keepers" introduces viewers to a number of suspects, who could have possibly carried out Cesnik's murder. Like the Oscar-winning film "Spotlight," which recounts the Boston Globe's 2001 groundbreaking report that exposed the Catholic Church covering up sexual abuse for decades, the show explores similar abuse and cover up in Baltimore, decades before the newspaper's report rocked the world.

As the series expands and stretches further beyond the alleged abuse at Keough High School and the Catholic Church's cover up, "The Keepers" examines repressed memories, which was a hot button issue in the 90s when Jane Doe, along with another victim of Maskell known as Jane Roe, sued the Church. It's a fascinating look into how a person who experienced severe trauma can block their memories to protect themselves. Throughout her story, Doe recalls how certain photos triggered memories, leading her to remember the abuse she endured as a young woman and the connection it had to Cesnik's death.

Unlike other Netflix shows, including "Making a Murderer," "The Keepers" is a slow-burning series that doesn't lend itself to a binge watch. It tells a complicated and dark story, taking its time to unfold and looks at all angles of the case. At times, "The Keepers" is difficult to hear albeit incredibly necessary. It's a raw cold case, unlike the previous true crime stories that captured the zeitgeist. The show and its producers aim to shine a light on an unchecked patriarchy that targeted and abused young women, choosing to actively ignoring them while protecting high-ranking men. It's a devastating and important story that unfortunately still resonates today.

[xavierfiles-blog]

Entry 070 - Hope Summers

Art by Jim Cheung and Laura Martin

Name: Hope Summers

Code Names: Hope

First Appearance: X-Men #205 (Jan 08)

Powers: Power mimicry

Teams Affiliation: X-Men, Lights, X-Force

About

Douglas Adams once wrote, “It’s one thing to think that you’re the center of the universe — it’s another thing entirely to have this confirmed by an ancient prophecy.” That’s the cornerstone of a thousand stories, a trope that defies cultural boundaries or the limits of time. The hero is more important than anyone else, and only they can save the world. The X-Men have had chosen one’s a plenty but in their darkest hour, in the wake of M-Day, there was only one girl who could save them all.

Hope Summers didn’t remember the war fought over her when she was days old. How the small Alaskan town she was born in burnt to the ground, how Nathan came to her rescue, or how a distraught Cyclops ordered his only son to keep her safe in the future. Two things she did remember, the mad man Bishop who razed the world to find her, and her father Nathan who went to every length to protect her.

Art by Mike Choi and Sonia Oback

New Liberty was her first home. Nathan took her there when she was very young and raised her with his new wife, a woman named Hope. He didn’t give the child a name, he didn’t think it was his right, so for seven years she was just his little girl. Years of peace were ruined when the new United States Army, composed of the insectoid inheritors of the Earth, attacked New Liberty. The little girl knew that Nathan, always the soldier, had planted semtex around the house, and she proved to be her father’s daughter. She pulled the trigger and decimated the army, allowing her family to escape. It was her first act of war.

Art by Ariel Olivetti

They ran from New Liberty, across the devastated wasteland that was once the world. She understood that it was a fight for survival and forewent her food rations to ensure they went where they were needed most. Nathan, his wife Hope, and the little girl became nomads like his parents before him. They were careful but the world was dangerous and on a routine stop, Hope was shot. They buried her, but in her memory, Nathan had decided. He had a name for his daughter, the one thing the mutant race needed more than anything else, Hope.

Art by Ariel Olivetti

The years passed and Hope Summers grew into a teenage soldier her father would be proud of. She had experience love, loss, peace, and war. Running from Bishop and learning from Cable made her a better fighter than anyone ever imagined. Hope knew she was ready to be the savior every mutant needed her to be. They returned to the present day and it did not go unnoticed. A race was on to get to Hope first. Bastion, the Purifiers, and The Right on one side. The X-Men, X-Force, and New Mutants on the other. The X-Men were able to bring the pair to their home base of Utopia, but there were losses on both sides. Worse yet, Bastion trapped the mutants on Utopia sending wave after wave of Sentinels to exterminate them.

Art by David Finch, Matt Banning, and Peter Steigerwald

To stop the Sentinels, Nathan led X-Force on a suicide mission. Many escaped, but Hope had to watch as her father sacrificed himself to save her, and the entire mutant race. Bastion was not yet finished and approached the distraught young girl. She had lost the only constant in her ever-changing life thanks to him. He needed to pay. Hope’s X-Gene ignited and she began to mimic the powers of every mutant around her. She was truly ready to be the savior of the mutant race and obliterated Bastion as a fiery raptor appeared. And like that, five lights appeared on Cerebro, the first new mutants since Hope was born.

Art by Mike Choi and Sonia Oback

Hope, alongside the X-Men whose stories her father had told her at bedtime, visited each of the five lights. Their new powers were out of control, but Hope calmed them with a touch. They formed a new mutant strike force, working towards the survival of their race. But not all were satisfied with her leadership. Zero was terrified that Hope’s touch had changed them and Transonic didn’t like Hope turning children into warriors. It came to a head when Oya had to kill dozens of Hellfire Club grunts. Transonic wasn’t willing to let the innocent girl become a soldier in Hope’s war and forced Hope to send Oya to the Jean Grey School. Zero soon led a revolt against Hope and died in the process. The lights were scattered and broken, and Hope’s first attempt at leadership with a failure.

Art by Jamie McKelvie and Matt Wilson

She was taken under the wing of her grandfather, Cyclops. He had Hope join his Extinction team and pushed her to become the messiah they were promised. He saw the red haired, green eyed girl with fire around her and wondered if she was ready to be the savior they needed. Training on Utopia, he went too hard and something erupted inside her. It was the telltale flare of the Phoenix, the symbol of death yes, but also rebirth. Always rebirth. At the same time the Phoenix Force charged towards Earth, and the Avengers weren’t ready for it to inhabit a moody sixteen-year-old. They marched to the beaches of Utopia and demanded the mutant messiah. The X-Men did not oblige. As war broke out, Hope felt the Phoenix rising inside her. She ran. It was Wolverine she trusted, she knew that if she couldn’t control the Phoenix, he would have the constitution to do what needed done. They stole an AIM spaceship and sent off to the Blue Area of the Moon, ready to face fate.

Art by John Romita Jr., Scott Hanna, and Laura Martin

Hope felt the Phoenix as it drew near, she was ready to embrace it, but something happened. Iron Man tried to destroy the cosmic force but only diverted it. Instead of Hope, it resided in five other mutants led by Cyclops. The Phoenix Five were reshaping the world in their own image but Hope wasn’t alright with it and ran to the Avengers. In their K’unn-Lunn hideout, Hope trained with Spider-Man and Iron First to learn how to control the Phoenix Force. She confronted Cyclops and took the power from him. Alongside Scarlet Witch, she released the Phoenix Force and restored the X-Gene across the globe. She had fulfilled her destiny and restored the mutant race.

Art by Adam Kubert, John Dell, and Laura Martin

What does the chosen one do once the prophecy has been fulfilled? In this case, Hope tried being normal, but it didn’t stick. A child raised in war had no tolerance for the pettiness of high school. She yearned to join her father’s (who was resurrected, but it’s not important how) X-Force squad and Nathan relented, proud of the daughter he raised. When Hope discovered that Bishop was alive, in the present, and working with the X-Men, she felt deeply betrayed and hunted him down, only for the both to be captured by her father’s clone Stryfe. Stryfe placed her in a locked room with a bound Bishop and a sharp Psimitar. She wanted to run the blade through Bishop but knew that if Stryfe wanted that, she would be wise to do the opposite. She granted him mercy and X-Force came to their rescue.

Art by Angel Unzueta and Rachelle Rosenberg

Cable decided to bond with his daughter the one way he knew how, by taking her to an international arms convention. A mutant terrorist attack there killed three thousand and left Hope in a coma. Her powers allowed her to mimic a technopath and join the team in secret. She interacted with the nanomachines in Fantomex’s brain and the two formed a relationship before his quest for perfect drove him mad. Cable couldn’t rally X-Force against him, but Hope could. The team worked together to stop Fantomex and Hope decided that her dad needed a break. She fired him from her X-Force and solidified her role as the protector of the race she worked so hard to restore.

Art by Rock-He Kim and Jose Villarrubia

  Must Read

Hope had a lot of focus for a good five years. With how thoroughly decimated the X-Books were from M-Day they needed something to keep them moving. In Second Coming Hope provided that in spades. She was their conflicted messiah and it shone through, even with a rotating creative team. It is an exciting story about risking everything at your darkest hour and becoming who the world needs you to be.

Art by David Finch

Ranking

Hope is such a hard character to rank. She had a strong arc with a definite ending, but the nature of superhero comics is that nothing ever ends. Since AvX she has been floundering with books that just don’t know what to do with a character who’s defining motivation has been obliterated. But those five years? Those were good. Hope isn’t as good as her dad but I think she is better than her aunt Rachel. I think she is more engaging than Legion but X-23 has played similar roles to Hope better. That slots Hope Summers in as the new 26 in the Xavier Files.

Hope was requested by my newest Patreon supporter Thomas Makinde among others. Thank you for your support. If you have a request for how about you send it below? If you want to cut to the front of the two-year long line, we have a Patreon you can support Xavier Files for just $1 to get a line cutting reward.

Click here if you want to see the full ranked list, with links to every entry in the Xavier Files so far.

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 Next week I cover someone, just gotta ask the guy who won #MutantMadness! See you then!

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Entry 070 – Hope Summers was originally published on Xavier Files

[ulrichfoester]

How to beat burn out

If you haven’t gone through burn out, chances are you know someone who has. It occurs when our mind and body is under so overworked or under so much stress, we shut down. And in the last few decades, burn out has risen significantly for people across the globe.

Of course, our body and mind tends to send us red flags before we hit breaking point, but we’re not always good at seeing them. Fatigue, insomnia, irritability and lethargy are all common symptoms, and many people will be diagnosed with illnesses like Chronic Fatigue when experiencing burn out. But it seems nearly impossible to avoid, given the pressure we feel 24/7 from work and home to meet certain expectations and standards.

In his book ReStart : Burnout recovery from a patient perspective, burnout survivor Rogier van Kralingen discusses a patient-based approach to overcoming burnout. We spoke to him about why the book was vital to his recovery, and how it can help you.

What inspired you to write ReStart and focus an entire book on burnout?

This may sound strange, but it was pure necessity! I needed a patient perspective during my burnout; it would’ve cut my recovery time in half. But it wasn’t there. So, I created it myself. I’m a writer by profession, so I thought I’d turn that frustration into a positive thing. First for myself, and then to share it with others.   

ReStart is written from a patient perspective, which is different to many self-help books. Why is this perspective so empowering for people?

Because of everything that the medical profession leaves out! When you hit a burnout, you’ll be frantically looking for answers. ReStart covers not only the psychological side of burnout, but also the emotional, physical and societal. It focuses on symptom reduction as much as on identifying causes.

Fighting causes is what medicine does. They diagnose and identify burnout as a psychological problem. But that’s not how I would describe it. It’s very much an emotional and physical challenge too. So, in their search for mental causes they can miss part of the solution, which is simply reducing stress symptoms and stress triggers in the body and your surroundings.

To get there I acknowledge the actual emotions you feel when burned out. I tell the readers to really dive into their misery. Accepting the bad is the key to the good. Burnout, grief, trauma, depression—they are connected in the acceptance that life throws you curveballs.

People are afraid of approaching burnout head on. But it works. The reactions to the book prove it. I myself am the evidence too. I tell the reader there is nothing wrong with them. They simply need a longer period of self-reflection and stress reduction.

So, what does this treatment look like?

It’s not so much about what you can do. It’s about what the burnout forces you to do! You have all these weird stress symptoms. What you need to do is ask yourself why you have them. What happened that got you so stressed out?

I feel burnout is best described as long-time emotional neglect. It’s about what you feel, and why you’ve ignored that for so long. Feelings have physical manifestations. Body and emotion are completely interlinked.

Plus, we are social animals. We are very sensitive to each other’s emotional states, including tension. Meaning we amplify each other’s anxiety. Hence, the worldwide burnout epidemic starting in your office.

Why do you believe burnout is so common for people from all walks of life, and what causes it?

There is a reason why people who live in dangerous, grizzly bear-filled woods don’t burn out: they are connected to nature. But us people living in modern society, with good jobs, a nice house, great friends, a lovely family—we fall by the millions under artificial lights and slouched behind the computer. We get panic attacks the equivalent of a grizzly bear attack—standing in the supermarket!

The rise of burnout grew parallel to the Internet. The numbers don’t lie. Technology can be great. But it also gives the illusion of control. And while we frantically try to confirm the worldview in our minds and rationalize it, we detach from actual reality.

The medical term is ‘detachment’. We flee in our apps instead of hearing the birds sing. It’s unnatural: do that for a prolonged period and every human being builds stress hormones.

Our physiology does not agree with our lifestyles. Combined with high expectations in career, family, love, sprinkle a little robotics-filled job insecurity, add a tinge of political madness, a whiff of social media pressure, put it on 24/7 and voilà, a nice burnout recipe is cooking.

How can someone identify if they are burnt out?

Since emotions and bodily reactions are intertwined, it’s the thought and feeling itself that is the prime indicator. When you start feeling you might be close to a burnout…you are close to it.

Also, hubris precedes the fall. If you think the following, you are about to go under: “I can escape the burnout”. There are many signals. Feeling tired, irritable, a little depressed. But these can also be indicators you just need a vacation. When they appear together with hubris however, that’s when you’re in trouble.

Burnout can be prevented or tackled in an early stage. Cry. Yell. Tell the world. Punch that punching bag. Fall onto your knees and scream your lungs out. For whatever reason you have neglected your emotions for far too long. So, take action and wake them up. You’ll feel better.

And don’t worry about the negative emotions. Even those that are profoundly distressing. I’ve had them too. Everyone has them. You gain strength by going through the bad, however painful. There are lessons to be found in the darkness that the light can never give you.

What are common myths around burnout that you seek to discredit with your book?

One paradigm I break is that the way into a burnout is the same as getting out. Yes, you need to tackle the causes of your burnout. Work, family, relationships, the lot. You need to understand why you went in. But to get out it pays to also focus on that physical stress reduction.

Second, the notion that burnout is a sign of weakness. It’s actually the strong that fall victim. Being successful means being extra vulnerable to burnout nowadays. You keep raising the bar while the noise grows parallel to the success. That’s when the warning signals are drowned out.

And third, despite what others may tell you, there is no such thing as a set of prescribed steps you can take. There are some general lessons that apply to everyone, but ultimately you need a highly personal approach, tailored completely to your own needs.

Now that we know what doesn’t work when recovering from burnout, what steps are actually required for someone to go from barely surviving to thriving?

The first step is to lose your pride and call it out. You are burned out. Then assemble a Help Team. Friends, family and professionals. And then realize you are not alone. You have just joined a few hundred million others! Stress is the worlds’ number one affliction right now. Maybe you can even appreciate the irony: while you may feel very alone, in reality you are very far from it!

Then it’s all about acceptance. Burnout can happen. It’s part of life. It’s about how you deal with it that matters. So, lower your expectations—they were too high. And start reviewing your life. The causes of your burnout need to be identified so you can either change them or accept them and move on.

You’ll find that part inescapable. Yet don’t rush your recovery. It won’t work. It’s a restart. Let the recovery come to you instead of going after it. Go for a thousand tiny steps, not a giant leap.

And get physical. I don’t mean heavy sports. I mean taking walks, yoga, meditation, a sauna, martial arts, even a good hug… anything that will snap you out of the mind and back into your body. Reducing the stress hormones themselves, regardless of your burnout causes, will help.

When the burnout subsides, and it will, you’ll have shed everything you no longer need. It’s left behind in the rabbit hole while you emerge into the sunlight a new butterfly from the cocoon.

As someone who has experienced burnout, how have you changed your life to prevent it from happening again? Is this something that could be applied to other people?

I’m always aware that it can happen again, which prevents it from happening again! I have become more respectful and mindful to the health of my body and mind. I am now more sensitive and aware. The memory of the excruciating experience itself is a natural prevention method.

I think the only way it can truly happen again is if somehow the hubris comes back. There too I have found mental prevention. I’m not so cocky anymore as to think I can manage it all.

What is the one thing you want people to know about burnout when they read your book?

Burnout is normal. The darkness is an essential part of life. You will recover. There is no doubt. Just know that you don’t face it alone. Far from it! We really are in this together.

Restart is available now on Amazon and Amazon Australia.

Want to explore how other people have overcome burnout? Join the Restart forum here, and listen to Rogier’s podcast with Whaka Media. Follow them online @restart_burnout or visit restart-burnout-book.com.

Are you becoming burnt out? Do you struggle to rest? Here’s what you need to do: Contact Colleen on 0434 337 245, Duncan on 0434 331 243 or Rachel on 0422 177 193 for a FREE 10 minute consultation on how we can best help you or book online 

The post How to beat burn out appeared first on Watersedge Counselling.

How to beat burn out published first on https://familycookwareshop.tumblr.com/

[xavierfiles-blog]

Entry 61 - Legion

Art by Paul Davidson

Name: David Haller

Code Names: Legion

First Appearance: New Mutants #25 (Mar ’85)

Powers: A different power for every personality

Teams Affiliation: X-Men

About

People thrive for control. The unknown is a dark expanse and anything we can to shine a light on it matters. It makes us feel safe because we want to be the ones responsible for our own outcomes. We want to make our own luck. Having control of a situation is one thing, but having control of our own bodies? That’s something we take for granted. For many it’s a recurring nightmare to be trapped in a body they can no longer control. To be like Legion and have a mouth, but be unable to scream.

David Haller was born in Israel to Gabriel Haller, a Holocaust survivor and ambassador, and a father of no importance, at least not to him. His month was assigned to Paris, alongside David’s godfather and David grew. He was a bright boy, if a little shy, but he had a loving family and a fun life. That existence was threatened by bad men with Uzis and a vendetta against the Israeli nation.  It all happened too fast, he heard the crack on gunshots, felt the hard floor, and saw his godfather Daniel push him out of the way. His next sight was Daniel crumpled on the ground next to him, still except for the leaking blood. It triggered something in him and almost instinctively he lashed out with his mind. The room fell silent as a tomb and the gunmen lay still on the ground dead across from a catatonic David.

Art by Bill Sienkiewicz and Glynis Oliver

His mind was cracked, shattered into hundreds, maybe thousands of segments. The years past but David couldn’t cope. He body was moved, placed in the care of Moira MacTaggert on Muir Island, but he remained comatose. Inside his head, a war was being waged, a war for control. There was Cyndi, the pyromaniac who didn’t need a lighter to get her fix, Jack Wayne, the rough riding adventurer with the ability to move things with his mind, and Jemail, the telepathic terrorist. Each of these aspects of his personality worked for their own means. Jemail holed himself up behind a giant black dome and got to his work while Jack and Cyndi looked for a way in. Behind the walls of the dome, Jemail went to work trying to repair David’s fragile psyche, his telepathy allowed him to feel the poor boy’s fear and gave him a sense of empathy. Cyndi just wanted to cause chaos and Jack, well, Jack wanted control over the whole mind.

Art by Bill Sienkiewicz and Glynis Oliver

The battle caused his mind to absorb Charles Xavier and his New Mutants. They were met by Jack and Cyndi who saw the mutants as their key to winning. They stormed the dome and were shocked to see Jemail trying to fix Legion’s mind. Wayne revealed his true colors and the New Mutants were able to defeat him. Awake for the first time in the real world, Legion saw his father, Charles Xavier. Charles was working in Israel years ago when he met Gabby while providing psychological care to Holocaust survivors. Though unethical, they fell into a whirlwind romance that was over almost as soon as it began. Gabby never told the boy.

Art by Bill Sienkiewicz and Glynis Oliver

David remained on Muir Island to heal and acclimate to the world, and he continued to get better. That is until the Island came under siege by the Reavers. With the X-Men presumed dead, Banshee and Moira enlisted every mutant on the island to fight as the new Muir Island X-Men, Legion included. However, Jack and Cyndi began to slip into control when Legion started to use their abilities. Their reckless, impulsive, and sometimes maleficent behavior caused the deaths of Sunder, Stonewall, and Destiny, but the conflicted Legion was able to keep his role in the deaths secret. His internal struggled was heightened when the Shadow King covertly made David his host as he took over and corrupted the island.

The Shadow King’s possession had an unexpected side effect and began to repair David’s shattered mind, and David desired that most of all. He didn’t stop the Shadow King and worked with him as he controlled more mutants on Muir Island. The combined might of the X-Men and X-Factor was barely enough to stop the assault but it came at the cost of reducing David to a coma again. His father, distraught at what happened to his son, sent him home to Tel Aviv, to his mother, to recover.

Art by Steve Butler and Joe Rosas

He awoke some time later, free from the Shadow King but retaining the whole mind he was given. Seeing clearly for the first time, he decided to make his father’s dream a reality. Ever since his mind was restored his powers were manifesting more and more, and David discovered he had the power to manipulate time and reality itself. He traveled back in time to kill Magneto, the greatest stumbling block on to the road to Xavier’s dream. He didn’t anticipate the friendship that Charles and Eric shared (having not watched a single X-Men movie), nor did he expect his father to take the fatal blow intended for Magneto. This caused an apocalyptic splinter timeline where everyone had amazing hair but the world was kinda horrible otherwise. The Bishop of that world was able to go back and stop Legion from killing his father but is caused Bishop and Legion to be shunted into the multiversal no-time known as Limbo.

Art by Roger Curz

The event obliterated David’s once whole mind. All the healing was for not and his brain was now the battleground for thousands of personalities, each with their own abilities. In Limbo, he found the realms one-time ruler, Magik, who offered to bring him back to reality if he would do one favor for her. He agreed and was found in Colorado by the reformed New Mutants who took him back to Utopia to recover. Led by Dr. Nemesis, the X-Club was able to help Legion control his mind, imprisoning the rogue personalities and gaining the ability to take their power without losing control.

Art by Nathan Fox

From then on, Legion found balance. He was in control of his personalities, they weren’t in control of him. He was instrumental in stopping the Nimrod Sentinel attack on Utopia, after some coaxing and statements of pride from his father. He fulfilled his promise to Magik and effortlessly destroyed the Cthulu-like Elder Gods that had haunted her for her whole life.  Nemesis even found a new way to treat him by killing off his excess personalities, though not all of David wanted to be cured. A new personality created an alternate reality around the island of Utopia where David was a hero. He didn’t want to give up this life but he knew that the right thing was to return the world back to the way it was and absorbed the personality.

Legion eventually retreated to the Himalayan mountains to train with a mutant shaman. He had his many aspects like The Origamist, the Chronodon, Skinsmith, and Non-Newtonian Annie trapped behind bars. He was in control. That is until Cyclops murdered his father and the psychic backlash fired his mind. Soon his personalities ran wild, overtaking David’s body and forcing him to hid in his own mind, but David found strength. He defeated one of his personalities, Tyrannix the Abominoid, and its’ ability for his own. He crossed the globe, controlling his divergent personalities and finding out, at his core, who he was. When the X-Men confronted him, calling him Legion, David had had enough. He was more than his disability, he wasn’t a group of divergent personalities, he was David. Empowered by the revelation he took back his mind.

Art by Jorge Molina and Rachelle Rosenburg

It was about this time that David started dating the mutant Blindfold. She could see the future and knew that David would one day lose all control and begin destroying the world. She also saw that she was the one to spot him. As much as the two lovers fought against the future, David still lost it. Having the greatest of power gave him the ultimate sense of responsibility and the stress of that, the stress of living up to his father, was too much. He realized that he couldn’t control his illness, that was impossible even for him, but he could find a way to manage it. David just happened to choose the nuclear option. He wrote himself out of existence rather than live in a world where he couldn’t rule himself. One sliver, one memory remained inside the mind of Blindfold, and she resolved to carry out David’s legacy.

Art by Tan Eng Haut, Craig Yueng, and Jose Villarubia

Must Read

Look, the early stuff that Claremont and Sienkiewicz did with the character was good, so was the stuff Zeb Wells and Mike Carey did with him, but what Si Spurrier was able to create was next level. In his run on X-Men: Legacy he elevated the character to an art form. He took flawed, half-concepts and grew them into a masterful twenty-four issues of comics. He made David not only sympathetic but admirable even in his flaws. There is not a Legion TV show (especially one with as masterful a creator as Noah Hawley) without this run. Find it on Marvel Unlimited or in omnibus form.

Art by Mike Del Mundo

Ranking

So I like Legion a lot, but most of that comes from Si’s run. Up until then, he was just a plot device with a face. He was a guy they could rely on to create an alternate reality or hand wave problems. No longer, because Si made him a living being with aspirations. After scanning the list, he goes above Arcade, a character with the depth of a puddle, but below Dazzler who was been in more consistent runs her entire career. That puts Legion in at number 23 in the Xavier Files.

If you are as excited X’s Legion as I am make sure you subscribe to my new podcast Legion Quest. Newsrama reviewer Matt Sibley and I are going to be talking about the show every week after it airs on February 8th. Our first episode is up now so go on and give it a listen below

Legion was requested by Drew J. Thanks for the request! If you have a request just submit it at the bottom of this article and I will add it to the list that currently stretches well into 2018! If you want to cut to the front of the line, we have a Patreon if you want to support it and get a line cutting reward for just a $1 pledge. We just hit our 2nd goal and now I guess I am reviewing X-Books so that will be coming soon. Oh and we also have exclusive physical items so check those out!

Click here if you want to see the full ranked list, with links to every entry in the Xavier Files so far.

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Next week we continue the February onslaught of media tie-ins! See you then!

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Entry 61 – Legion was originally published on Xavier Files