#i have been freed from my 12 hour term of suffering

[festivelyfestive]

i was so sad when they didn’t include this scene from the novel into the movie so i took matters into my own hands. they have easily my favorite character dynamic in goncharov (1973), 10/10, the qpr ever

[nordleuchten]

are there any sources that say how lafayette reacted to the death of washington and his other friends from america??

Hello Anon,

yes, we do know La Fayette’s reaction - pretty exactly actually. George Washington died on December 14, 1799 and La Fayette wrote to Washington’s widow, Martha Washington, on February 28, 1800. The letter is today hold by the Digital Collection from The Washington Library.

Dearest Madam

My Heart Has for So Long a time and So throughly Been known to You, that I Need Not, Nor indeed Could I Express the feelings Which Over Whelm it—While the world is Mourning, and Mankind weeping Over the irreparable Loss, What Must it Be to You, My dear Madam, the object of His Love, the Companion of His Life, the partner of His Sentiments, the Happy witness to All His private and public virtues? What Must it Be to me, Who from My Youth Have Been Blessed with His paternal Adoption, and Who Ever Have deserved it By the Most filial Affection for Him and for You, Who United in Every thing were particularly So in Your kindness to me? - Continue, I beseech you, to Honour me with this Maternal Predilection, the more necessary to me, as in you, dearest Madam, I Both Love and Revere What Remains of My Respected and Beloved General - My Mind is so wed to introduce Him in every thought, every Sentiment, every Concern of Mine that I Hardly Can Believe that, While I am Living, He Has left us, Nor Could I forgive Myself No to Have personally received His Last Blessing. Had I Not the Remembrance of the Advice By Which You know He Has Repeatedly differed My Departure for America - the Circumstances are Coming on Which Had appeared to Him to proper- for Our Meeting - But Alas, in this World We Can No More Meet! I would think it for me a Sacred and Staeing[sic] Duty to Go Over and Mingle My Tears With Yours, Had I not Lately Reentered My Native Country Where, although I Live in perfect Retirement, and With not Have Any thing to do With public affairs, I am Bound to forward the Business of My friends, Several of Whom, Who followed me in 1792, are to the paine[sic] of Being Restored to their Homes and families - I owe it also to My Creditors and Children to pick up the Remains of My fortune - My Son, not Less a partaker in My Grief than in My Obligations and Gratitude, Has the Honour to write to you, and would Have Gone to Mount Vernon, Had Not the Continuation of the War engaged Him in the Military Senite where He expects to Be Soon employed - But we Both Live in the Hope to present You Again, dearest Madam, the personal Homage of our Respectful Love; and everlasting Regrets Shall ever Make us worthy of the parental affection which from the Greatest and Best of Men, which from You, Dear Madam, we Both Had the Happiness to experience - My Wife, With a Mourning, affectionate Heart, joins in My Sentiments, and as well as the Rest of My family Beg to Be More Respectfully, tenderly Remembered to You - Be pleased to let me Hear from You as often as You Can - permit me to Hold with You the Correspondence I Had with My Beloved General and think often of that adoptive Son of His who with dutiful Respect, and warm, Grateful, filial affection Has the Honour to be

dear Madam

Your obedient Servant and friend

Lafayette

Martha Washington replied to La Fayette on October 31, 1800:

Mount Vernon October 31st 1800

Dear Sir

It was not until very lately that your sympathetic and affectionate letter of the 18th of febary reached my hands - The feeling manner in which you have expressed your sense of the loss which I have sustained demands my greatful acknowledgement. The tribute of respectful veneration which has been every where paid to the memory of my dear deceased Husband, and the tender sympathy which my friends have expressed for the irreparable loss, excites my warmest sensibility, -- But my consolation arises only from that source of infinite wisdom and good help which alone can mitigate our grief and lessen the poignancy of the keenest affliction -- To his will do I resign my self for the few remaining days of my life - Knowing the strong ties by which you were bound to my departed Friend I can readily conceive of your feeling upon hearing of his decease, and I am sure it was not among the least of the manifold afflictions which you have of late years undergone.

To the amiable partner of your heart and the rest of your deserving family I pray you to have my sincear and greatful thanks for their tender sympathy; and be isured that you have my ernest prayers that your and their future years may be freed from that cloud of suffering in which you have been so long involved -, and that every blessing which heaven has in store for the virtuous may be showered upon you,- should you or they visit this country - I need not say how happy I should be to see you under my roof - and it will always afford me the highest satisfaction to hear of your welfare

The kind letter from your son came in closed in yours, for which I pray you to return him my best thanks and issure him that his friends hear hold him in affectionate rememberance and sincerely wish that his career in life may be glorious and happy - with esteem and regard

Im dear sir your friend and obedient(?) servant.

Martha Washington

There is something special about this letter. Martha received at least 55 letters of condolences that we know of, more than 40 of the people who wrote her received a reply - but most of these replies were not written by her but by others, Tobias Lear for example, in her name. La Fayette’s was one of fife identified persons who received a reply written by herself. Martha also send La Fayette two pistols, that Washington bequeathed to the Marquis in his will. Washington wrote in his will:

“To General de la Fayette I give a pair of finely wrought steel Pistols, taken from the enemy in the Revolutionary War.”

La Fayette’s son, Georges Washington de La Fayette, also wrote Martha. He enclosed his letters in the letter written by his father. Beside these letters, there is also an earlier account that illustrates La Fayette’s thoughts about Washington’s demise. Shortly before La Fayette sailed for France in 1784 after his third visit to the United States, Washington wrote him the following on December 8, 1784:

“In the moment of our separation upon the road as I travelled, & every hour since—I felt all that love, respect & attachment for you, with which length of years, close connexion & your merits, have inspired me. I often asked myself, as our Carriages distended, whether that was the last sight, I ever should have of you? And tho’ I wished to say no—my fears answered yes. I called to mind the days of my youth, & found they had long since fled to return no more; that I was now descending the hill, I had been 52 years climbing—& that tho’ I was blessed with a good constitution, I was of a short lived family—and might soon expect to be entombed in the dreary mansions of my father’s—These things darkened the shades & gave a gloom to the picture, consequently to my prospects of seeing you again: but I will not repine—I have had my day.”

To that La Fayette replied on December 21, 1784:

“I Have Received Your Affectionate letter Of the 8th inst., and from the known Sentiments of My Heart to You, You will Easely guess what My feelings Have Been in perusing the tender Expressions of Your friendship—No, my Beloved General, our late parting was Not By Any Means a last interview—My whole Soul Revolts at the idea—and Could I Harbour it an instant, indeed, my dear General, it would make me Miserable (…)”

On February 8, 1800, France held an official funeral service for George Washington. Everybody expected La Fayette to give a eulogy to Washington but that did not happen. More so, La Fayette was explicitly excluded from the funeral. Why? Because Napoléon Bonaparte, who had just risen to power, did not felt like it and because he was a bit petty.

As with regard to his other friends in America, there is not as much documentation that I know of. Washington wrote to La Fayette on October 20, 1782 that John Laurens had died.

“Poor Laurens is no more—He fell in a trifling skirmish in South Carolina, attempting to prevent the Enemy from plundering the Country of Rice (…)”

I am sure La Fayette was saddened by his friends death, but I have never seen him mentioning it. Moving on to Hamilton, who died on July 12, 1804, La Fayette wrote Thomas Jefferson on October 8, 1804 that:

“The Deplorable fate of My friend Hamilton Has deeply Afflicted me—I am Sure that whatever Have Been the differences of parties, you Have Ever Been Sensible of His Merits, and Now feel for His Loss.”

He further wrote to George Washington Parke Custis after Hamilton’s death that:

“Hamilton was to me, my dear Sir, more than friend, he was a brother. We were both very young, when associated with our common father; our friendship, formed in days of peril and glory, suffered no diminution from time: with Tilghman and with Laurens, I was upon terms the most affectionate; but with Hamilton, my relations were brotherly.”

Another close friend of La Fayette, Thomas Jefferson, died on July 4, 1826 and La Fayette discussed his death in a letter to James Monroe on November 28, 1826. I sadly have no full access to this letter so I can only tell you that Jefferson’s death was discussed in the letter, but not what La Fayette actually wrote.

I hope you have/had an awesome day!

[gregorio-r-j]

ECQ THROUGH THE LENS OF A STUDENT

Today my tumbler entry will be filled with my insight of the COVID Life from the perspective of a not so privileged student dealing with academics and early twenties life crisis.

That’s it? It’s been a year already? Where have my 2020 gone? – This question summarizes the whole 2020 journey of almost every one of us. Don’t you all agree that this is one of the worst years this generation has faced? I mean, just look at the left and right tragedies, disasters, war, human hostilities, global pandemic, and the number of unfortunate events that 2020 has brought. Could it be worse? Who would’ve thought that we can lose everything we love and enjoy in our daily life in just a blink of an eye? Looking back to March last year, when the first wave of COVID19 hit our country and ECQ was first implemented, we never have imagined that things will only get worse and this ECQ life will continue up to this day.

Honestly, setting aside the fear of facing the unknown virus and uncertain effects it may impose on our lives, I think the first few months of our ECQ and COVID life is so much lighter and better than how it is today. Whether we admit it or not, I think last year we all expect to be freed from ECQ at this point and be back to our normal life but the opposite happened. Back then we don't have many worries and all we are troubled about is not contracting the disease and how to cope up with being stuck at home with nothing to do and away from our normal and daily life. A lot of us discovered our ways to cope with the quarantine life and boredom. Trends are arising successively and people are sharing their love for diverse things such as Korean dramas, plants, American series, and other common interests. In my case, I found my simple joy in cooking and watching dramas too.

For some, it was a good time to reflect on themselves and return to their long-forgotten passion that they set aside to cope up with the busy daily life but for others, this was not the case. Well, if we look at it from a different perspective, these are just things people do to distract themselves from the continuous rise of the daily number of covid cases that leave everyone with fear and anxiety. This phase only lasts for a few months because the succeeding months are just too much to handle. Aside from the actual health crisis and economic problems the world is facing, we also have household matters such as financial issues, bonds, and individuality, and personal concerns such as academics, individual responsibility, etc. And this pandemic has further shown us the true nature of humanity and how it is like to live with privilege.

Most of the measures the government has implemented in its fight against the pandemic can be considered pro-privileged and anti-poor. The ECQ, MECQ, GCQ or whatever type of lockdowns and quarantine they implemented to contain the spread of the virus made the people on the low level of society suffer from financial issues as many have lost their jobs and source of income. Yes, this is with good intention and they give financial support but this is not enough to sustain a family’s needs but this move neglect the life and sufferings of some people. Moreover, not everyone received financial support and some officials even have the audacity to corrupt the money that is intended for the people. Even the government’s solution to the continuance of education and academic are not accessible or affordable by anyone. The online class setup is only effective for those who are privileged and have the means to engage in it. Not everyone has access to the internet, has gadgets they can use to attend their classes, and has a healthy environment at home where they can focus on their academics and education. These kinds of solution that only benefits those who are privileged and are unfair to those who have less in life only widens the gaps in education forcing many to even consider giving up on their education.

On a personal view, upon reflecting on my ECQ experience and journey, I don’t think I will ever be able to describe how the past year has been for me. I think the closest way to describe it is that it was a mixture of anxiousness, anger, loneliness, failures, disappointment, realizations, and a whole lot of mess with tiny dust of sparkles and sunshine. It was so much more than just a roller coaster ride. During lockdown I found myself asking questions about every single thing about life that doesn’t enter my mind and concern me before. As a 3rd-year college student dealing with one of the hardest phases in my life. I'm honestly exhausted with academics and I do no longer love it the same way that I used to. I haven't exactly moved on yet with the implementation of the k-12 program and now we are faced with a global pandemic and are forced to continue our education in a virtual setting.

At first, I thought it was actually for the better since I can save a lot of expenses and time and save myself from the hassle of traveling to university and dealing with traffic as well as other people. But in a bigger picture, I have realized that we students lose so much more than what we gain from this online academic setup. I used to just smirk when people say college is only bearable when you have your circle of people to bear it with and a healthy learning environment otherwise it can eat you up alive but today I'm seeing what they meant by that. College truly is only bearable when you have people to bear it with and I regret taking that for granted.

During my 1st-2nd year in college, I remember how I was always looking forward to going home and waiting for class suspensions because all I care about was to rest in the comfort of our home. I always think that staying extra longer on campus after class is a waste of time if it is not for organization stuff and university events but now I have realized that the simple joy of spending time with your friends in the field after a long tiring day, eating out with them to enjoy their company, classroom jamming, rehearsals and going out on short trips to manila after exams is a big part of our college life and are some of the most memorable and important parts of surviving college. If only I have foreseen this pandemic to last I would have spent more time with them, eat out in different eateries and restaurants near campus, watching movies, or just simply lay in the field side by side with them complaining about how tiring academics was. I would have enjoyed and attended more events from councils and would have been more active in joining organizations. I miss Odiba days, Christmas tree lighting, and concerts, and even outreach programs we used to attend back on our normal student days.

Sad to say those days have all gone by and we're never really sure if we can go back to how it was before we leave the university a year from now. Everything I have mentioned so far is just a glimpse of our college life that we cannot enjoy in today's online classes but aside from losing all these fun and bright side of being college students, we are also struggling with a lot of setbacks and challenges dealing with the new normal not so friendly and pro-privileged online classes. Honestly, at this point, I don’t know anymore if I have learned from the past semesters we spent through the online setup and if it’s all worth it. The online class is so much more demanding than face-to-face setups in terms of workloads and stress. It’s like a constant chase of deadlines, procrastination, submissions, exams, and nothing else but a survival game that we need to finish to reach our goal and graduate. I have never feared Mondays and 11:59 p.m as much as I do now. Exhausting and draining are not enough to describe how online classes are for students and professors especially if you are enrolled in a university wherein wishing for an academic break to breathe a little from all the stress and hardship of online classes is considered as an excused for laziness. Seems like even university administrators forgot that we are humans and not machines or robot, but even these things malfunction and fail if it’s overused.

This online academic setup has taken its toll on me both in physical and mental aspects. I used to sacrifice sleep, family time, going out, self-enjoyment and my health for the sake of academics but today I cannot afford to sacrifice these because I’m barely making it through and now all I care and focus about is passing and getting works done, I’m no longer thriving but surviving instead. I cannot even bother to break down and crumble when I receive low scores even though I’m used to receiving competent grades because I would rather finish another work that has been piling up on canvas instead of crying over what can’t be changed. It is true when they say that the line between academic and personal time is becoming blurred. In the online class setup, we are no longer students for 6-8 hours like in face-to-face classes but we are becoming 24 hours available students who need to cope up with all the works in every hour of our day available, it is so serious that even sleeping made us feel guilty most of the time. I’m at this point where I’m wondering if all of these sacrifices are worth it.

My quarantine life revolves mostly around fighting my demons. It's like a constant fight against monsters my mind has created. Aside from the constant stress and pressure on my academics, I have also been dealing with life pressures. As a woman in her early twenties stuck in college and juggling academics, family responsibilities, and life progress, and personal growth, I have faced challenges and problems that I have never imagined would cross my path and I had to deal with the consequences of my past decisions and the responsibilities that comes with it. What keeps me going throughout these hard times are my family and friends. Honestly, I would have gone insane or depressed if it's not for them. The academic pressure and all the problems arising in our society is just too much to handle on one’s own and I’m happy that I am blessed enough to be surrounded by people who supports me and believes in me so much sometimes even more than I believe in myself knowing that it is not the case for everyone.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about the real meaning of life and how I choose to live it. What’s there to value and give importance to and how we are so blinded and focus on living the life that society tells us to live instead of making a life of our own? Honestly, I just can’t see what comes next after all of this because as of today all I care about is to survive. I am anxious about what the future will hold and where life will lead me someday. Dealing with the pandemic which forced me to stop working towards my goals and plans and losing almost one and a half year of my life that I could have used to focus on my goals and achieving my dreams is truly regretful and depressing. It’s like I’m getting older and older and I haven’t achieved much which makes me think that I am taking longer in life than my peers. Some of them are getting married and having families, some are already working, some are building their own business, and here I am in my room dealing with deadlines and looking forward to an uncertain future. I wish I will soon figure things out and find motivation again, or at least know where it is that I want to go and what is it really that I wanted to achieve.

@bertongbigtime

[stahlop]

Once Upon a Time 2x08 “Into the Deep” Review

Reviews 1x01 1x02 1x03 1x04 1x05 1x06 1x07 1x08 1x09 1x10 1x11 1x12 1x13 1x14 1x15 1x16 1x17 1x18 1x19 1x20 1x21 1x22 2x01 2x02 2x03 2x04 2x05 2x06 2x07

We get to see more of the Burning Red Room this week and David decides to go under a sleeping curse to relay the message to his wife and daughter better than Henry’s been doing. And Hook goes back to Cora and gets back into her good graces in a spectacular way. Honestly, this episode is a bridge episode to me. It doesn’t have any big revelations and it’s basically just the characters trying to communicate information to each other. And considering this is my third watch through, I’d forgotten most of what was going to happen in this episode, including the fact that David went under the sleeping curse.

Summary: Hook and Cora have a falling out, but Hook manages to steal Aurora’s heart so their deal to get to Storybrooke is back on. Mary Margaret, Emma and Mulan go to make more poppy powder so Mary Margaret can go back to the Burning Red Room to communicate with Henry. David decides he doesn’t want Henry to continue to suffer, so he goes under a sleeping curse to get the information to the girls.

Opening: Zombie Army

Character Observations:

Cora: She’s had enough of Hook’s bullshit once he gets down from the beanstalk without the compass. She cuts him out of the deal to go to Storybrooke and poufs herself back to the safe haven where she makes all the dead people rise. There’s the zombie army I was expecting back in The Doctor. The zombies easily find Emma and crew, and in the scuffle, Aurora is taken captive and brought back to the safe haven dungeon. Cora is being all nice and bringing her food but Aurora informs her that Emma and Mary Margaret won’t trade her for the compass. Cora doesn’t think they’ll let an innocent die. Well, Mary Margaret might not, Emma is another story. I guess Cora assumes that Emma is like her mother, sweet and full of hope. Cora figures out that Aurora wanted to go to Storybrooke with Emma and Mary Margaret and chastises her for forgetting Phillip already. She then tells Aurora that Phillip’s soul is in another realm, and if she helps her, she’ll tell her how to bring Phillip back. Cora gets a plate full of food kicked at her for that, so she throws Aurora into a rock and knocks her out. She then sends a Crow? Raven? to Mary Margaret letting her know that Aurora will die at sunset if they don’t bring her the compass. We next see Cora in the dungeon when Hook has released Aurora. She’s rightfully angry. She has that really scary anger in which she’s completely calm the entire time she’s talking to you, and that makes it even worse because screaming would be better, magic would be better, but no, she’s just calm (my dad was like this, never raised his voice, scary as hell, that’s probably why he was such a good principal). She pins Hook to the wall and threatens to kill him again. I really thought Cora would have been a kill first, ask questions later type person. Hook already seems to know that she won’t kill him right away and that he’ll be able to have his say, along with a few other innuendos. He gets her attention by telling her he brought her a gift and that gives her pause. She is immensely pleased that Hook brought her Aurora’s heart. She speaks through it, as Aurora, letting the women know how Hook helped her escape and how he might fancy Emma. Cora tells Hook that Emma won’t trust him, and he knows that, but it’s enough that he freed Aurora. Cora is impressed, which I’m sure is very rare for her, and agrees to let Hook come to Storybrooke with her again.

Hook: It’s about 11-12 hours after Emma left Hook chained at the top of the beanstalk (10 hours plus however long it takes to climb down), and he’s finally free and back in the Enchanted Forest. And, oh look, Cora’s waiting for him, how sweet, but not. Turns out Hook stole the enchanted bracelets from Cora that he and Emma used to go up the beanstalk. She wants to compass but he doesn’t have it. Cora’s tired of Hook’s games, realizes that he chose Emma for reasons and now he has to face the consequences. Hook is all swagger and sass when he asks if Cora is going to kill him. Seriously, does this guy have a death wish? Cora could snap his neck instantly and not give a damn. But Cora won’t kill him, she’ll just leave him behind so he can’t get to Storybrooke and never get his revenge against Rumplestiltskin. Hook looks like he’s an elementary school kid getting yelled at by the teacher, but then he turns on the charm again and he looks like he’s about to kiss Cora or something else with the way he says ‘discuss things’, ew. Cora isn’t falling for his pretty face and basically says she’s done with him. Hook is understandably upset and tries to stab her with his hook but she poufs away and he’s left on the ground. The next time we see Hook he’s waking Aurora up after Cora took her hostage. He’s letting her go as retaliation for Cora not letting him get his revenge. Aurora obviously thinks this is some sort of ruse, but Hook says he doesn’t like being double-crossed (um, you double-crossed Cora first, Hook). He’s all dark and broody about it, but then, just as Aurora’s about to leave, he gets all sheepish when asking if Aurora will ask Emma if their deal is still on. He’ll get the ashes if she brings him along. Cora comes into the dungeon and finds Aurora gone and Hook there. How Cora didn’t kill Hook right away is beyond me. Maybe his pretty face does buy him time. He gets pinned against the wall for his behavior and even when she takes his Hook and skims it over his chest, he still has no worries about being killed. He just looks annoyed. Cora says she has to kill him now, but he tells her she should thank him because he brought her a gift. Turns out, Hook knows how to take a heart, and he took Aurora’s heart! Cora uses it to give false information to Emma, Mary Margaret, and Mulan, including that Hook may care for Emma. Cora tells Hook that Emma still won’t trust him, he says that letting Aurora go will at least make her think he’s genuine. Cora let’s him back in on the scheme of going to Storybrooke.

Mary Margaret: She’s been on the back burner for much of this season, but tonight she gets to shine. She admits that she has been to the Burning Red Room as well and figures out it must be a side effect of the sleeping curse. Aurora’s mad that Mary Margaret didn’t say anything when she described it to her. Mary Margaret was protecting her and didn’t want to scare her. Said like a true mother, and what? How is not potentially bonding with Aurora over a shared experience protecting her? If anything, it would give Aurora hope that the dreams would fade just like Mary Margaret said they would. Aurora accuses Mary Margaret of being a liar and wonders what else she lied about and Mary Margaret gets really offended. Her expression is hilarious. Mary Margaret tells Emma they have a way home now because they can find out how to defeat Cora from Rumplestiltskin.  Emma finally catches on that they can communicate with Henry through Aurora in the Burning Red Room. They all go to find some shelter so  Aurora can meet with Henry in the room again. Emma is blaming herself for Henry being in the Red Room, but Mary Margaret tells her it will be okay. Unfortunately, this is when the zombie army decides to attack, so not everything is okay. They have to quickly wake up Aurora so they can run. Mary Margaret fends them off with her bow and then shoots one who tries to steal the compass from Emma. Mary Margaret and Emma make a run for it and catch up with Mulan who tells them Aurora’s gone. While regrouping, they receive the message from Cora about trading Aurora for the compass. Mulan demands the compass, but Emma won’t give it to her. Mary Margaret says they need to find a way to rescue Aurora and keep the compass. Mary Margaret decides she needs to go meet with Henry in the Netherworld and she’ll be able to get back there if she’s put under with poppy powder. Mulan doesn’t have any left but knows where she can get a poppy to make some. Emma notices Mary Margaret looks nervous and asks how bad the Netherworld is. Mary Margaret explains it, but more in terms of emotions and feelings, which makes Emma feel uber guilty about Henry going there. Mary Margaret tries to convince her that no one believed Henry’s stories, but Emma’s feeling that as his mom she should have. Mary Margaret one ups her by saying that she’s the guilty one because she told Cora about Daniel and none of this would have happened if she’d kept her mouth shut. Emma can blame herself all she wants, but it won’t get them home. Emma questions Mary Margaret about whether she thinks they’ll really make it home. She says that David taught her never to give up. The poppy powder is ready and Mary Margaret goes to sleep. She’s yelling for Henry, who isn’t there, when David drops in, literally. She gets the info about going to Rumplestiltskin’s cell for the squid ink and then realizes that David shouldn’t be able to be there. She looks so sad when David says he willingly took a sleeping curse just so he could see her. He leaps over the flames to kiss her and be free from the curse, but it’s just their souls, so they can’t actually kiss. Mary Margaret realizes she’s waking up, but David tells her they will find each other as they always do. Mary Margaret tells him they tend to lose each other a lot too and will this keep happening. David tells her it won’t. He tells her to have faith. Mary Margaret is starting to wake up and she’s crying because she doesn’t want to leave David. Mary Margaret awakes and immediately starts freaking out. She wants more poppy powder so she can see David. She explains to Emma what happened. They have to get back so she can wake up David. Emma assures her they will. She’s dispensing Mary Margaret’s advice about having faith. Mary Margaret tells Emma what they need to get to stop Cora and they prepare to leave when Emma realizes that Mulan took the compass and ran while they were sleeping. Emma and Mary Margaret manage to catch up to Mulan and Mary Margaret fires a warning arrow. Mulan says she’ll give the compass back but attempts to pull her sword. Mary Margaret is not having it. She tackles Mulan and tells her they found out how to defeat Cora. Mulan doesn’t want to do another journey, she just wants to rescue Aurora.  Mary Margaret is in Mulan’s face and Mulan basically dares Mary Margaret to stab her with her arrow. There’s a brief hesitation, like she expects Mulan to back down, but then she grabs the arrow, and thankfully, Aurora shows up at that exact moment to prevent Mary Margaret from becoming a murderer. Aurora tells them about Hook and her escape and they tell her they’re heading to Rumplestiltskin’s cell.

David: He’s just a little ball of sunshine in this episode, isn’t he. Going on about faith and hope. Seems Mary Margaret rubbed off on him pretty good. He’s pretty much Henry’s cheerleader about going into the Netherworld until Henry gets hurt. Then he decides he’ll go in. And for some reason he’s convinced Mary Margaret will be there and not Aurora. What? Where would he even get that idea? As far as he knows, Mary Margaret hadn’t had those dreams in years. Why would she suddenly be able to get back to the Netherworld now? And also, how does this prevent Henry from going there in his dreams? Is Henry just not going to sleep anymore? This whole plan is ludicrous! Also, David makes this plan before he finds out that he doesn’t go directly to the Burning Red Room and Gold doesn’t even tell him that until he’s literally about to prick his damn finger. What if there was no way to get there? What if being in the sleeping curse and being in the Netherworld are two totally separate realms? David tells everyone not to worry, because Mary Margaret will be there and kiss him awake. Which, really, is everyone taking stupid pills this episode? They are in a dream, they are not physically in the Netherworld. Why would anyone think this would work? Ugh! Henry gives him his amulet to control things (which Henry used so well) after giving another faith speech to Henry. So David pricks his finger (which for some reason has to administered through a spinning wheel spindle while it’s spinning) and falls asleep. He finds himself in a dark room with just a torch for light and realizes he’s in a circular room filled with mirrors. The amulet starts glowing, leading David to realize the Burning Red Room is under him. The floor is hot when he touches it. How convenient. And he’s able to get through by using the torch to break through the ceiling. He breaks the amulet in the process of falling through the ceiling. He finds Mary Margaret and tries to get to her but the flames are in the way. Mary Margaret does her whole ‘You found me’ thing, and David tells her about the squid ink hidden in Rumplestiltskin’s cell. He tells her to find it and come home. Mary Margaret finally realizes that David shouldn’t be there, and he admits he took a Sleeping Curse to see her and protect Henry. David tells her they need to kiss to wake him up. He leaps the flames in an over dramatic fashion to kiss Mary Margaret, but when they go to kiss they realize they aren’t really there and they can’t kiss. Again, how did no one foresee this? Mary Margaret is also starting to wake up and she’s scared. David reminds her that they always find each other and Mary Margaret reminds him that they keep losing each other too. He tells her to have faith. He is now stuck in the Netherworld under the Sleeping Curse until Mary Margaret is able to come home.

Mulan/Aurora: Emma and Mary Margaret show a picture of Henry to Aurora who confirms that it’s him in her dream. Aurora is confused about how she’s dreaming of Emma’s son, but Mary Margaret admits that the room is a side effect of the Sleeping Curse, and since they’ve all been under it, that’s why they go there. Aurora wonders what else Mary Margaret has been lying about since she didn’t admit to being there before when Aurora talked about it. Mary Margaret figures out that Aurora can now speak to Henry when asleep, so Aurora goes back to sleep to talk to Henry again. She tells him that he needs to speak to Rumplestiltskin and find out how to defeat Cora. The princess crew look for higher ground for the next time Aurora needs to meet with Henry (they planned to both fall asleep and meet in 2 hours). Aurora gets her shawl caught on a bush and Mulan wants to know if something is wrong. Aurora says she’s just caught, but Mulan is talking about her arm which she’s hiding under her shawl. It’s burned from the Burning Red Room. She plays it off to Mulan like she brushed it against a poisoned leaf, but Mulan is too smart for that. Mulan tells her she shouldn’t do this if it’s hurting her and Aurora tells her she doesn’t have much of a choice. Mulan reminds her that she vowed to Prince Phillip that she’d protect her, not have her risk her life for strangers to get to another land. Aurora wants to help because Phillip and Mulan risked their lives to save her from the Sleeping Curse. She wants to help others in the same way now. Mulan doesn’t seem too happy about this. Mulan stands guard while Aurora goes back to sleep. Henry is trying to tell Aurora what they need to do to defeat Cora but the flames are too much. Aurora keeps hearing her name called by a distorted voice above her and then is whisked away by a tornado, and she awakes to Mulan shaking her. Aurora is upset that she didn’t get the info from Henry, but they have bigger problems. The zombie horde has found them! In the scuffle, Mulan and Aurora take off, separating themselves from Emma and Mary Margaret. Mulan is attacked when she trips over a tree trunk. She fights off the zombie, but Aurora has been captured! Mulan finds Emma and Mary Margaret and lets them know that Aurora is gone. Aurora is in the dungeon at the safe haven. She seems pretty calm for being captured, especially when Cora comes in with food. Aurora immediately thinks it’s poisoned, but Cora wants her alive to trade for the compass. This is the most personality we’ve seen from Aurora. Cora keeps calling her plucky. She’s being a downright bitch. Good for you, Aurora. She tells Cora that they wouldn't trade her for the compass. They barely know her, why would they trade her? Cora says they won’t let an innocent die, but Aurora isn’t convinced, or at least, makes it look like she doesn’t care. Cora figures out that Aurora wanted to go through the portal with them and start a new life. She can’t believe Aurora’s over Phillip so quickly. Aurora says Phillips is with her every day and if she could bring him back she would. Cora says there is possibly a way to bring him back if Aurora helps her out, but Aurora continues being a bitch (in a good way), by kicking her food plate at Cora and telling her she’ll never help her. Cora throws her into the rock wall and knocks her out. She sends the others a message that she will kill Aurora if they don’t bring the compass by sundown. Mulan demands the compass from Emma and is outraged that they might put Aurora’s life over it. Mary Margaret says they need to find a way to rescue Aurora and keep the compass, but Mulan vowed that she’d protect Aurora. She tries to rip the compass out of Emma’s hand, but Emma tells her to go find her own. Mary Margaret breaks up the squabbling by asking Mulan if she can just give them some time to defeat Cora before making the trade. Mulan reminds them that their link to Henry is gone, but Mary Margaret thinks she can get into a deep enough sleep, with the help of the poppy powder, to reach Henry. Mulan is out, she used the last on the giant. Mary Margaret tells her to make some more. Mulan tells them the poppy is rare in this land, but she knows where they can get some, and they’ll make it back before sundown. Aurora wakens in the dungeon to Hook trying to wake her up. She thinks he’s here to kill her. He tells her waking her up wouldn’t be the best course of action for that. He lets her go. Aurora, of course, questions this, as he’s one of the bad guys, but he’s doing it to get back at Cora for not taking him to Storybrooke. He also tells Aurora to tell Emma he still wants their deal. He’ll get the ashes if they take him along. Aurora leaves. Mulan makes the poppy powder for Mary Margaret and then steals the compass while she and Emma sleep. We get a nice little slow mo shot of Mulan looking at the compass while running through the woods. They catch up with her by shooting an arrow as a warning. She makes to go get the compass but then reaches for her sword. Mary Margaret tackles her. Mulan basically dares Mary Margaret to kill her because she’s not giving up the compass and Aurora shows up before Mary Margaret actually does it. She lets them know about Hook and how he was very upset about what Emma did and how they could defeat Cora together if she just trusted him a little. But it’s not Aurora actually speaking, Cora is speaking through her stolen heart! Aurora asks if they found a way to defeat Cora and Emma informs her they have to go to Rumplestiltskin’s cell. So off they go.

Emma: She is feeling loads of guilt this episode. She blames herself for Henry being in the Netherworld while he sleeps because she didn’t believe him about being the Savior and the curse. She shows her guilt to Mary Margaret numerous times before Mary Margaret gets tired of it and says she shouldn’t feel guilty over what happened to Henry. No one would have believed that story. And besides, if you want to blame someone, blame her because she told Cora about Regina’s true love, Daniel, and that caused Cora to kill him and this whole thing to start. Emma finally decides they just need to blame Regina, which is completely where the blame needs to be placed.

Regina/Henry/Gold: Aurora tells Henry that his mom and grandmother are with him. He tells Regina and David who are sleeping in his room with him. David tells him having faith worked and they’ll find a way to get them home. Henry tells them they need to defeat someone to get home, Regina’s mother. Gold and Belle are on a date at Granny’s. Belle seems to be oblivious to the gossip going on around them that is about them. Granny makes some quips to Gold about dark magic and Gold reminds Belle that he has a complicated relationship with just about everyone in the town. Belle points out to him that it took her awhile to warm up to him as well. It’s really cute to see Gold actually courting Belle instead of manipulating her. Regina interrupts their date, which Gold is not happy about. Granny tries to clear the restaurant thinking there is going to be some sort of battle between the two. Regina claims they’ll be civil to each other. Gold reminds Belle that Regina was the woman who locked her up for 28 years. Belle attempts to leave but Gold insists she stay. Gold says Regina won’t get what she wants from him. Regina says it’s the one thing that may unite them and Gold is doubtful. Regina tells him Cora is trying to get to their land. Gold thought she was dead and that Regina saw the body.  Apparently she faked it. Gold doesn't seem to be as worried as Regina, he can handle Cora. And he won the last time he was up against her. Regina points out that he has Belle this time and she is his weakness. Regina is actually sweet by bringing Henry his blanket for his next Netherworld meeting with Aurora. It’s nice seeing some real growth from her. Henry asks if she’s really powerful. Gold says yes, but not as powerful as him. Regina says that’s debatable, but Gold says it’s not. I mean, unless she can’t be killed and can live forever like Gold, then no, she’s not more powerful. David wants to make sure Henry’s up to this, but Henry is tired of sitting on the sidelines. He wants to be a hero. David wants him to realize that being a hero also means knowing when to back away. Gold tells Henry the info he needs in the form of a bedtime story. He puts Henry to sleep with magic. Henry tries to tell Aurora the information, but the flames are too rough (use the damn amulet!) and Aurora gets sucked out before she can hear what he’s trying to tell her. He gets his arm burned in the process when he wakes up. Gold heals the burn with magic. Gold says because they are trying to stay in the Netherworld, instead of away from it, there are risks. And apparently waking Aurora before she was ready caused the injury somehow (what?). David and Regina don’t want Henry going back in, but Gold is adamant they get the info to Emma and Mary Margaret, otherwise Cora will be coming to Storybrooke. Regina says Aurora is gone so how can they send Henry back with no one there to receive their message? How about you wait until night time, when they’d normally be sleeping, and then they can send the message? Or wait a few hours and see if she’s back?  And that’s when David assumes that Mary Margaret will get herself there. Even Regina thinks that’s the dumbest thing she’s ever heard. David wants to go in Henry’s place, but Gold reminds him that he’s never been under a Sleeping Curse. David wants Gold to put him under one and Gold says he may never wake up because there’s no guarantee Mary Margaret will get back to kiss him. But David thinks they’ll be able to kiss in the Netherworld, which, really, Gold should have known this wouldn’t work, and they agree to put him under. Henry watches Regina make the Sleeping Curse potion. Henry wants to know if Regina’s been using magic. She swears she hasn’t except to stop Daniel. Henry’s just glad she’s using it to help people now. Henry wants to know if David will be okay under the curse. Regina says he’ll be asleep and unable to die in there, which I guess makes Henry feel better. Henry doesn’t want David to go in. He’s already been under the curse, but Regina reiterates that she and David value his safety first. So, is Henry just done with the Netherworld? He doesn’t want to go there and he won’t? This makes no sense!!! Regina says that his grandparents always find each other, so David will be safe. Hey, Regina actually said that lovingly and with no sarcasm whatsoever. Regina takes the spindle needle and places it in the potion which absorbs it. Henry hugs David and asks how he knows this will work. David gives him the faith speech and Henry gives him his amulet. Gold then tells David that he won’t be going to the Burning Red Room right away. He has to find it on his own because that’s only for the people who’ve already been under the sleeping curse. This would have been nice information to know at the beginning of the plan! Henry, Regina, and Gold wait for David to wake up.

Questions:

Did no one go into Lancelot’s quarters while at the safe haven? How can Cora just have a heart vault sitting out where anyone could see it? Was it cloaked?

I’m confused about the zombie army. Were those people really dead or was Cora making them pretend to be? The heart she took out of the vault was not glowing until she blew on it, but the people obviously aren’t alive. Did she enchant dead hearts somehow?

Does Emma just randomly keep a picture of Henry in her pocket?

How are Emma, Mary Margaret, Mulan and Aurora keeping their clothes so clean, their hair so nice, and their make up so fresh?

Why aren’t you controlling the fire Henry?

Did Henry explain to Aurora that the Burning Red Room was called the Netherworld? Mary Margaret and Mulan both start calling it the Netherworld after Aurora talks to Henry and lets them know Emma and Mary Margaret are okay.

Does Mulan not know who Snow White is? She makes it sound like she and Aurora are just helping some random strangers, not royalty.

Why does David decide to go under the sleeping curse to protect Henry? Won’t Henry be going to the Netherworld in his dreams regardless?

If Regina knows how to make a Sleeping Curse, why did she need to steal the apple back from the Blind Witch in True North? Could she not have made another batch? Or was there something special about that apple?

Why is Mary Margaret attempting to fall asleep and talk to Henry during the day? Why would they expect Henry to still be asleep?

Why did the needle need to be on the spindle and the spinning wheel spinning for David to prick his finger? Or was that just for dramatic effect?

Does everyone go to the mirror room when under the Sleeping Curse? Didn’t Regina say the Sleeping Curse would make you dream of all your regrets in An Apple Red as Blood? 

Shouldn’t Gold have known that kissing in the Netherworld wouldn’t work?

Will Regina be taking care of Henry now that David is under the Sleeping Curse?

How the hell did Aurora find Emma, Mary Margaret, and Mulan in the middle of the woods?

How can Hook take a heart? Does he have magic we don’t know about?

Can anyone control someone through their heart? Hook took the heart but Cora is the one speaking through it.

Observations:

Cora kept her heart collection at the safe haven in one of the makeshift houses.

According to the patrons in the diner, this is Gold and Belle’s third date.

Cora is supposed to be dead and Regina saw her body.

Aurora falls asleep really fast.

The ink in the quill that can stun dark magic is from a squid that lives at the bottom of a bottomless ocean, that’s impossible to find unless you’re a mermaid, or Rumplestiltskin.

Rumplestiltskin left squid ink in his cell.

We are reminded that Mary Margaret can talk to birds.

David starts out in a mirrored room above the Burning Red Room when he’s under the Sleeping Curse.

The amulet is broken in the real world after David breaks it in the Sleeping Curse.

You can talk through a person and listen in on their conversations if you control their heart.

Once Upon a Time Firsts:

Healing an injury with magic.

I think this is our first Captain Floor moment!

Well, that was longer than I expected, especially since this was an information dump episode. I did like the growth that we saw from Regina and the juxtaposition of her trying to change with Emma finally realizing that Regina is to blame for everything. That will be quite the reunion when they get back. So Storybrooke is now left without any law enforcement since David is asleep, and no one to keep either Regina or Gold in check. Oh, boy! No one really thought this through, did they? Mainly, I just felt that David was really dumb, and Gold wasn’t too far behind.

Please leave comments and reblog! Let me know if you’d like to be tagged in future reviews.

@searchingwardrobes​​ @thisonesatellite​​ @justbecauseyoubelievesomething​​ @laschatzi​​ @profdanglaisstuff​ @mariakov81

[a34trgv2]

Why It Worked: The Prince of Egypt

Introduction: The Prince of Egypt is a 1998 animated Biblical historic epic directed by Brenda Chapman, Steve Hickner and Simon Wells. Produced by Penny Finkelman Cox and Sandra Rabins, with the screenplay written by Phillip LaZebnik and Nicholas Meyer, the film retells the Biblical story of Moses and how he freed the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt. The film stars Val Kilmer, Ralph Fiennes, Sandra Bullock, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Pfeiffer, Sir Patrick Stewart, Helen Mirren, Steve Martin and Martin Short and features music and songs by Hans Zimmer and Stephen Schwartz respectively. Released on December 18, 1998, the film received very positive reviews (scoring an 80% out of 87 critics aggregated on Rotten Tomatoes, with a 7.08/10 average rating), was financially successful (making $218.6 million on a budget of $70 million), won an Academy Award for Best Original Song (When You Believe), spawned a direct-to-video prequel focusing on Joseph (the dream interpreter) and a stage musical at TheaterWorks in California in 2017. Out of the 37 animated films DreamWorks has made, I always viewed The Prince of Egypt as not just my favorite, but also their best film in terms of quality. In this post, I'm going to explain why that is and why we need more films like this.

The Plot: For those who aren't familiar with the story of Moses, it's a tale about hardship, sacrifice and deliverance. A young Hebrew baby is saved from the slaughter of Hebrew babies ordered by Pharaoh out of fear. That baby is picked up by Pharaoh's wife and is named Moses, for he was pulled out from the Nile river. Moses grows up being Pharaoh's son until he finds out his true heritage and essentially exiles himself in the wilderness. There he meets God in the form of a burning bush who tells him that He has heard the Hebrews suffering and has chosen Moses to free them. 12 plagues and 1 crossing of the Red Sea later, the Hebrews are free and Moses is hailed a hero. While this film stays true to the original text for the most part, it does make a few additions and subtractions so that the film flows naturally at an hour and 40 minutes. I could talk all day about the changes made from the text to the film (such as Moses having a stutter and Mirriam giving Moses to the Queen) but in an instance I wish was more common place when it comes to adaptations, the filmmakers provided an opening statement at the start of the film. "The motion picture you are about to see is an adaptation of the Exodus story. While artistic and historical license has been taken, we believe that this film is true to the essence, value and integrity of a story that is a cornerstone of faith for millions of people worldwide. The Biblical story of Moses can be found in the Book of Exodus." It's clear that the filmmakers had nothing but respect for the material and told a strong story about two brothers going on different paths in life. They also don't shy away from the brutality of the story, while still making it accessible for children. People are whipped, drowned, attacked by locus, and even straight up killed. What makes this film stand out from other Biblical films is that it's animated, but not like that of Disney. Where Disney tends to go for the fantastical and colorful, The Prince of Egypt is more reserved and grounded. The characters move more like humans and are designed more like Egyptian hieroglyphics and paintings than fairy tale illustrations. This grounded approach makes the fantastical stuff all the more powerful. The parting of the Red Sea (with blends 2D and 3D animation perfectly) is still one of the most iconic scenes in animation history. The animation in this film is so unlike anything I've seen before or since and it also helps that the story is well written and is brutally honest with it's depiction of slavery and a tyrant ruler.

Cast and Characters: The cast they got for this film is excellent. Sure they're celebrities who (at the time) didn't have prior experience in voice acting (with the exceptions of Michelle Pfeiffer, Jeff Goldblum, Danny Glover, Sir Patrick Stewart, Helen Mirren, Steve Martin and Martin Short). That said, in this film they nailed their respective characters. Starting off with our hero, Val Kilmer gives such a nuanced performance as Moses, making him cockey and arrogant at the start and then making him so well spoken and wise by the end. Moses is such a relatable protagonist and has a genuine arc through the film. His brash and fun loving demeanor is in direct contrast to his uptight older stepbrother, Rameses. Speaking of which, before he was Voldemort, Ralph Fiennes gave such an amazing performance as Rameses, who's at the top of my list for the best villain is DreamWorks' animated catalog. The thing about Rameses is before he became a ruthless tyrant, he strived to be just like his father, who he saw as wise, percise and a real king. At the same time he had such a good relationship with his stepbrother, Moses, that he hoped that they'd make Egypt a better place together. That all changed when Moses came back from his self imposed exile and asked him to release the Hebrews in the name of God. Ralph Fiennes showcases the right amount of worry, stubbornness and sadness of this character, and the chemistry he shares with Moses is perfect. Everyone else does a great job voicing their respective characters as well. Michelle Pfeiffer gives Tzipporah such a snarky personality and makes for a good wife to Moses, Sandra Bullock makes Mirriam such a motherly sister, Jeff Goldblum made Aaron as essentially the voice of the cynical people which this film couldn't function without (also Jeff Goldblum is always a win), and Steve Martin and Martin Short work off each other perfectly as Hotep and Huy. Then there's our Lord and Savior Himself, God. In this film, God is portrayed as the all powerful being He is as described in the Bible. He protects His people, He tells Moses exactly what to do and how to do it, He shows mercy and good favor towards the Hebrews, and He does keep His promise in bringing His people out of Egypt. Val Kilmer provides the voice of God and it sounds so majestic and calm, it's like listening to your best friend.

Songs and Music: There is not a single song in this film that I don't catch myself humming to on a daily basis. That is how powerful these songs are. The opening number, Deliver Us, perfectly captures the oppression of the Hebrews as they are whipped, pushed, and yelled at by the Egyptians. Oh and also babies are slaughtered during this scene, making the song even more powerful. Moses' song, All I Ever Wanted, plays after his encounter with Miriam and Aaron and brilliantly showcases his doubts to his upbringing; right before he's hit with that amazing dream sequence done in the style of Egypt wall paintings. Look at Your Life Through Heaven's Eyes was such an upbeat and fun song that shows you your life has meaning and you should look at it with a more optimistic perspective (through Heaven's eyes, if you will). Playing With The Big Boys is an amazing number, showing the dark mockery of God from Hotep and Huy as well as some impressive visuals (also there's this dope rock cover of the song by Jonathan Young and Caleb Hyles you should really check out: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gqlNY5iX-nA). The 12 plagues are shown via a reprise as All I Ever Wanted and it is genius. The visuals get noticeably darker with each passing plague until all of Egypt is covered in darkness. And Moses and Rameses' duet perfectly captures their opposing viewpoints during this time. Then there's the Oscar winning song, When You Believe. It's the ultimate song of hope, of faith, of belief; it's the song that should be song and heard around the world, especially today when hope and optimism are seen as being ignorant. Also, Hans Zimmer's score for this film is nothing short of magical. The way he uses brass instruments to emphasize God's power is just glorious and the choir is used in the exact place you expect there to be a choir. It's so soothing and majestic, I wish I had the soundtrack.

Where it Falters: My only gripe with the film is the ending. Not that it's bad, but that, well, it ends. Despite the film promising to bring the Hebrews to the promise land, we never actually go there. I thought they'd get to that in a sequel, but that's not likely to happen anytime soon because DreamWorks Animation swore off 2D animated films after Sinbad tanked and they're not nearly as ambitious now as they were back in the 90s and 2000s. Cosmodore made this really insightful video about how DreamWorks Animation almost went bankrupt twice and why their recent output has been geared more towards families (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dLa7xe5GTWw) but the tl;dr is DreamWorks Animation was 1 more financially disappointing year away from closing up shop completely. Still though, I would love to have seen a sequel to The Prince of Egypt focusing on how Moses lead the people through the wilderness.

Conclusion: The Prince of Egypt stands as one of the best animated films ever made. With an amazing soundtrack, memorable characters, beautiful animation, and a stellar voice cast, it's one of a select few films I consider a masterpiece. You could argue that it's not accurate to the story told in the Bible (a fact the filmmakers themselves acknowledge), but it does stay true to the spirit of the story and it doesn't go out of it's way to convince nonbelievers that this is truth. As a film on it's own, it's great and I hope it's watched and remembered for generations to come. Thanks so much for reading and I'll see you soon ;)

[radiumeater]

Alcoholics Anonymous is famously difficult to study. By necessity, it keeps no records of who attends meetings; members come and go and are, of course, anonymous. No conclusive data exist on how well it works. In 2006, the Cochrane Collaboration, a health-care research group, reviewed studies going back to the 1960s and found that “no experimental studies unequivocally demonstrated the effectiveness of AA or [12-step] approaches for reducing alcohol dependence or problems.”

The Big Book includes an assertion first made in the second edition, which was published in 1955: that AA has worked for 75 percent of people who have gone to meetings and “really tried.” It says that 50 percent got sober right away, and another 25 percent struggled for a while but eventually recovered. According to AA, these figures are based on members’ experiences.

In his recent book, The Sober Truth: Debunking the Bad Science Behind 12-Step Programs and the Rehab Industry, Lance Dodes, a retired psychiatry professor from Harvard Medical School, looked at Alcoholics Anonymous’s retention rates along with studies on sobriety and rates of active involvement (attending meetings regularly and working the program) among AA members. Based on these data, he put AA’s actual success rate somewhere between 5 and 8 percent. That is just a rough estimate, but it’s the most precise one I’ve been able to find.

I spent three years researching a book about women and alcohol, Her Best-Kept Secret: Why Women Drink—And How They Can Regain Control, which was published in 2013. During that time, I encountered disbelief from doctors and psychiatrists every time I mentioned that the Alcoholics Anonymous success rate appears to hover in the single digits. We’ve grown so accustomed to testimonials from those who say AA saved their life that we take the program’s efficacy as an article of faith. Rarely do we hear from those for whom 12-step treatment doesn’t work. But think about it: How many celebrities can you name who bounced in and out of rehab without ever getting better? Why do we assume they failed the program, rather than that the program failed them?

When my book came out, dozens of Alcoholics Anonymous members said that because I had challenged AA’s claim of a 75 percent success rate, I would hurt or even kill people by discouraging attendance at meetings. A few insisted that I must be an “alcoholic in denial.” But most of the people I heard from were desperate to tell me about their experiences in the American treatment industry. Amy Lee Coy, the author of the memoir From Death Do I Part: How I Freed Myself From Addiction, told me about her eight trips to rehab, starting at age 13. “It’s like getting the same antibiotic for a resistant infection—eight times,” she told me. “Does that make sense?”

She and countless others had put their faith in a system they had been led to believe was effective—even though finding treatment centers’ success rates is next to impossible: facilities rarely publish their data or even track their patients after discharging them. “Many will tell you that those who complete the program have a ‘great success rate,’ meaning that most are abstaining from drugs and alcohol while enrolled there,” says Bankole Johnson, an alcohol researcher and the chair of the psychiatry department at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. “Well, no kidding.”

[...]

AA truisms have so infiltrated our culture that many people believe heavy drinkers cannot recover before they “hit bottom.” Researchers I’ve talked with say that’s akin to offering antidepressants only to those who have attempted suicide, or prescribing insulin only after a patient has lapsed into a diabetic coma. “You might as well tell a guy who weighs 250 pounds and has untreated hypertension and cholesterol of 300, ‘Don’t exercise, keep eating fast food, and we’ll give you a triple bypass when you have a heart attack,’ ” Mark Willenbring, a psychiatrist in St. Paul and a former director of treatment and recovery research at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, told me. He threw up his hands. “Absurd.”

Part of the problem is our one-size-fits-all approach. Alcoholics Anonymous was originally intended for chronic, severe drinkers—those who may, indeed, be powerless over alcohol—but its program has since been applied much more broadly. Today, for instance, judges routinely require people to attend meetings after a DUI arrest; fully 12 percent of AA members are there by court order.

Whereas AA teaches that alcoholism is a progressive disease that follows an inevitable trajectory, data from a federally funded survey called the National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions show that nearly one-fifth of those who have had alcohol dependence go on to drink at low-risk levels with no symptoms of abuse. And a recent survey of nearly 140,000 adults by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that nine out of 10 heavy drinkers are not dependent on alcohol and, with the help of a medical professional’s brief intervention, can change unhealthy habits. We once thought about drinking problems in binary terms—you either had control or you didn’t; you were an alcoholic or you weren’t—but experts now describe a spectrum. An estimated 18 million Americans suffer from alcohol-use disorder, as the DSM-5, the latest edition of the American Psychiatric Association’s diagnostic manual, calls it. (The new term replaces the older alcohol abuse and the much more dated alcoholism, which has been out of favor with researchers for decades.) Only about 15 percent of those with alcohol-use disorder are at the severe end of the spectrum. The rest fall somewhere in the mild-to-moderate range, but they have been largely ignored by researchers and clinicians. Both groups—the hard-core abusers and the more moderate overdrinkers—need more-individualized treatment options. The United States already spends about $35 billion a year on alcohol- and substance-abuse treatment, yet heavy drinking causes 88,000 deaths a year—including deaths from car accidents and diseases linked to alcohol. It also costs the country hundreds of billions of dollars in expenses related to health care, criminal justice, motor-vehicle crashes, and lost workplace productivity, according to the CDC. With the Affordable Care Act’s expansion of coverage, it’s time to ask some important questions: Which treatments should we be willing to pay for? Have they been proved effective? And for whom—only those at the extreme end of the spectrum? Or also those in the vast, long-overlooked middle? For a glimpse of how treatment works elsewhere, I traveled to Finland, a country that shares with the United States a history of prohibition (inspired by the American temperance movement, the Finns outlawed alcohol from 1919 to 1932) and a culture of heavy drinking. Finland’s treatment model is based in large part on the work of an American neuroscientist named John David Sinclair. I met with Sinclair in Helsinki in early July. He was battling late-stage prostate cancer, and his thick white hair was cropped short in preparation for chemotherapy. Sinclair has researched alcohol’s effects on the brain since his days as an undergraduate at the University of Cincinnati, where he experimented with rats that had been given alcohol for an extended period. Sinclair expected that after several weeks without booze, the rats would lose their desire for it. Instead, when he gave them alcohol again, they went on week-long benders, drinking far more than they ever had before—more, he says, than any rat had ever been shown to drink. Sinclair called this the alcohol-deprivation effect, and his laboratory results, which have since been confirmed by many other studies, suggested a fundamental flaw in abstinence-based treatment: going cold turkey only intensifies cravings. This discovery helped explain why relapses are common. Sinclair published his findings in a handful of journals and in the early 1970s moved to Finland, drawn by the chance to work in what he considered the best alcohol-research lab in the world, complete with special rats that had been bred to prefer alcohol to water. He spent the next decade researching alcohol and the brain.Sinclair came to believe that people develop drinking problems through a chemical process: each time they drink, the endorphins released in the brain strengthen certain synapses. The stronger these synapses grow, the more likely the person is to think about, and eventually crave, alcohol—until almost anything can trigger a thirst for booze, and drinking becomes compulsive. Sinclair theorized that if you could stop the endorphins from reaching their target, the brain’s opiate receptors, you could gradually weaken the synapses, and the cravings would subside. To test this hypothesis, he administered opioid antagonists—drugs that block opiate receptors—to the specially bred alcohol-loving rats. He found that if the rats took the medication each time they were given alcohol, they gradually drank less and less. He published his findings in peer-reviewed journals beginning in the 1980s. Subsequent studies found that an opioid antagonist called naltrexone was safe and effective for humans, and Sinclair began working with clinicians in Finland. He suggested prescribing naltrexone for patients to take an hour before drinking. As their cravings subsided, they could then learn to control their consumption. Numerous clinical trials have confirmed that the method is effective, and in 2001 Sinclair published a paper in the journal Alcohol and Alcoholism reporting a 78 percent success rate in helping patients reduce their drinking to about 10 drinks a week. Some stopped drinking entirely.I visited one of three private treatment centers, called the Contral Clinics, that Sinclair co-founded in Finland. (There’s an additional one in Spain.) In the past 18 years, more than 5,000 Finns have gone to the Contral Clinics for help with a drinking problem. Seventy-five percent of them have had success reducing their consumption to a safe level. [...] In the United States, doctors generally prescribe naltrexone for daily use and tell patients to avoid alcohol, instead of instructing them to take the drug anytime they plan to drink, as Sinclair would advise. There is disagreement among experts about which approach is better—Sinclair is adamant that American doctors are missing the drug’s full potential—but both seem to work: naltrexone has been found to reduce drinking in more than a dozen clinical trials, including a large-scale one funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism that was published in JAMA in 2006. The results have been largely overlooked. Less than 1 percent of people treated for alcohol problems in the United States are prescribed naltrexone or any other drug shown to help control drinking. To understand why, you have to first understand the history. The American approach to treatment for drinking problems has roots in the country’s long-standing love-hate relationship with booze. The first settlers arrived with a great thirst for whiskey and hard cider, and in the early days of the republic, alcohol was one of the few beverages that was reliably safe from contamination. (It was also cheaper than coffee or tea.) The historian W. J. Rorabaugh has estimated that between the 1770s and 1830s, the average American over age 15 consumed at least five gallons of pure alcohol a year—the rough equivalent of three shots of hard liquor a day. Religious fervor, aided by the introduction of public water-filtration systems, helped galvanize the temperance movement, which culminated in 1920 with Prohibition. That experiment ended after 14 years, but the drinking culture it fostered—secrecy and frenzied bingeing—persists.In 1934, just after Prohibition’s repeal, a failed stockbroker named Bill Wilson staggered into a Manhattan hospital. Wilson was known to drink two quarts of whiskey a day, a habit he’d attempted to kick many times. He was given the hallucinogen belladonna, an experimental treatment for addictions, and from his hospital bed he called out to God to loosen alcohol’s grip. He reported seeing a flash of light and feeling a serenity he had never before experienced. He quit booze for good. The next year, he co-founded Alcoholics Anonymous. He based its principles on the beliefs of the evangelical Oxford Group, which taught that people were sinners who, through confession and God’s help, could right their paths. AA filled a vacuum in the medical world, which at the time had few answers for heavy drinkers. In 1956, the American Medical Association named alcoholism a disease, but doctors continued to offer little beyond the standard treatment that had been around for decades: detoxification in state psychiatric wards or private sanatoriums. As Alcoholics Anonymous grew, hospitals began creating “alcoholism wards,” where patients detoxed but were given no other medical treatment. Instead, AA members—who, as part of the 12 steps, pledge to help other alcoholics—appeared at bedsides and invited the newly sober to meetings. A public-relations specialist and early AA member named Marty Mann worked to disseminate the group’s main tenet: that alcoholics had an illness that rendered them powerless over booze. Their drinking was a disease, in other words, not a moral failing. Paradoxically, the prescription for this medical condition was a set of spiritual steps that required accepting a higher power, taking a “fearless moral inventory,” admitting “the exact nature of our wrongs,” and asking God to remove all character defects. Mann helped ensure that these ideas made their way to Hollywood. In 1945’s The Lost Weekend, a struggling novelist tries to loosen his writer’s block with booze, to devastating effect. In Days of Wine and Roses, released in 1962, Jack Lemmon slides into alcoholism along with his wife, played by Lee Remick. He finds help through AA, but she rejects the group and loses her family. Mann also collaborated with a physiologist named E. M. Jellinek. Mann was eager to bolster the scientific claims behind AA, and Jellinek wanted to make a name for himself in the growing field of alcohol research. In 1946, Jellinek published the results of a survey mailed to 1,600 AA members. Only 158 were returned. Jellinek and Mann jettisoned 45 that had been improperly completed and another 15 filled out by women, whose responses were so unlike the men’s that they risked complicating the results. From this small sample—98 men—Jellinek drew sweeping conclusions about the “phases of alcoholism,” which included an unavoidable succession of binges that led to blackouts, “indefinable fears,” and hitting bottom. Though the paper was filled with caveats about its lack of scientific rigor, it became AA gospel. Jellinek, however, later tried to distance himself from this work, and from Alcoholics Anonymous. His ideas came to be illustrated by a chart showing how alcoholics progressed from occasionally drinking for relief, to sneaking drinks, to guilt, and so on until they hit bottom (“complete defeat admitted”) and then recovered. If you could locate yourself even early in the downward trajectory on that curve, you could see where your drinking was headed. In 1952, Jellinek noted that the word alcoholic had been adopted to describe anyone who drank excessively. He warned that overuse of that word would undermine the disease concept. He later beseeched AA to stay out of the way of scientists trying to do objective research. [...] As the rehab industry began expanding in the 1970s, its profit motives dovetailed nicely with AA’s view that counseling could be delivered by people who had themselves struggled with addiction, rather than by highly trained (and highly paid) doctors and mental-health professionals. No other area of medicine or counseling makes such allowances. There is no mandatory national certification exam for addiction counselors. The 2012 Columbia University report on addiction medicine found that only six states required alcohol- and substance-abuse counselors to have at least a bachelor’s degree and that only one state, Vermont, required a master’s degree. Fourteen states had no license requirements whatsoever—not even a GED or an introductory training course was necessary—and yet counselors are often called on by the judicial system and medical boards to give expert opinions on their clients’ prospects for recovery. Mark Willenbring, the St. Paul psychiatrist, winced when I mentioned this. “What’s wrong,” he asked me rhetorically, “with people with no qualifications or talents—other than being recovering alcoholics—being licensed as professionals with decision-making authority over whether you are imprisoned or lose your medical license?

[katesloan]

2017: the Year of Devastated Bravery

Time for my annual year-end survey! Been doing this one for well over a decade. Previously: 2012, the year of sex-positivity. 2013, the year of self-care. 2014, the year of turning over a new leaf, 2015, the year of foxy femme power, 2016, the year of the staunch heart.

1. What did you do in 2017 that you’d never done before? Rang in the New Year at the home of a local sex-positive community leader with some of my closest pals, and was sent home with Alka-Seltzer tablets for the morning. Interviewed a bunch of matchmakers for a news feature (which sadly has yet to be published, boo). Started writing for Glamour, after their sex & relationships editor reached out to me via Twitter DM. Hired some rad babes to overhaul my blog design for me. Was hired by, and later fired from, two different sex shops (lolol). Had a sex-date in a creepy hotel room in Queens. Got spanked with a hanger rail from said hotel room’s closet. Performed in the Bed Post variety show a couple times. Started inviting guests onto our podcast (Cooper S. Beckett was the first one!). Missed my flight from New York to Toronto and had an anxiety breakdown in the airport. Got published on Teen Vogue. Had our first podcast sponsor. Started banging one of my coworkers (whoops). Did a photoshoot in a dungeon with a beautiful babe. Made out in a heated outdoor swimming pool at a sex club (uh, many times). Got intensely spanked over an acquaintance’s kitchen counter by three people working in tandem. Hooked up with a cute older British man who was visiting on business; he invited me to return to his hotel the following night and bought me sushi and wine on his company card (so fancy). Attended the launch party for a party game I was a staff writer on. Tried having sex with a penis extender. Had a surprisingly fantastic one-night stand with a guy who remembered me from when he was my waiter at a restaurant once. Went on a date with a polyamorous guy whose girlfriend listened to my podcast and told him to ask me out. Got paid to ghostwrite spanking erotica. Celebrated my five-year blogiversary. Went on a couple dates with a cute civil litigation lawyer who was an exceptionally good kisser. Got high with my best friend and did a livestreamed podcast. Was a bridesmaid in the wedding of two of my best friends. Topped my previous monthly income goals, again and again. Turned 25. Attended (and subsequently roasted) the Toronto International Porn Awards. Dated someone (for ~4 months!) who initially knew me from listening to my podcast. Had sex for like 5 hours on a first date. Learned to like some kink acts I’d previously found scary, like choking, face-slapping, and face-fucking. Was in a Daddy Dom/little girl relationship for a while. Attempted non-hierarchical polyamory. Reviewed a vibrating teddy bear. Started a part-time social media job at an adult-industry marketing firm. Took Reid Mihalko’s jealousy workshop. Took a freelance writing class from Alana Massey. Pegged someone. Got my wrists tattooed. Did a live podcast recording at a sex conference in front of friends and fans. Spanked a friend with a bible in a hotel room in Virginia. Got fucked in the ass with a glass dildo by a blogger friend while other blogger friends casually watched. Got a 4-handed erotic massage. Performed blowjob sonnets at a sex club. Went on a date with someone who turned out to be the best friend and roommate of someone I’d gone on a date with the previous month. Unexpectedly made out with/got slapped around by/got fingerbanged by a friend I’d known for over 10 years in an alley behind a restaurant. Moved out of my parents’ place and into an apartment! Had coffee with my editor at the Condé Nast building. Saw the McElroy brothers speak (and Lin-Manuel Miranda open for them) at a live podcast recording. Attended my high school reunion. Did tequila shots with my boss on my first day at a new job. Had an actual goddamn “sugar daddy,” briefly. Sold a sweaty T-shirt and socks to a fetishist. Went to a sex tradeshow with my fuckbuddy. Got spanked with a lightsaber. Slow-danced to a song about impregnation. Got accepted to speak at the Playground Conference. Received a strap-on blowjob from a pretty lady. Had two dates with two Twitter crushes in New York in one day (and then started dating both of them). Made out in a Breather. Did a knifeplay scene. Explored my domme side in earnest. Sexted from a TSA line. Went through NRE with two different people at once (a lot of crying ensued). Got hypnotized. FaceTimed with someone for 8 hours straight.

2. Did you keep your New Years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year? Last year I resolved to “make self-development and career development my top priorities, to make romantic/sexual decisions based on the maxim ‘quality over quantity,’ and to make more money.” I think doing the first two things is what enabled me to do the third thing (I earned twice as much money in 2017 as in 2016!) – focusing on love and sex only when it actually served me, and delighted me, freed up a lot of time and passionate energy for businessy pursuits. Next year I resolve to pitch more stories, travel more, further foster my friendships with femmes, write more helpful content, and save more money.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Not that I can recall.

4. Did anyone close to you die? My grandfather, Rex Loring.

5. What countries did you visit? Just the USA (New York in January, September, and December; Alexandria in August). Within Canada, I spent a fair bit of time in Hamilton but was otherwise in Toronto the whole year.

6. What would you like to have in 2018 that you lacked in 2017? A specific goal for my savings. Some steps taken toward larger-scale writerly ambitions (like, perhaps, writing a book proposal and/or self-publishing an ebook). Maybe a long-term relationship of some description; I dunno, man.

7. What dates from 2017 will remain etched upon your memory? January 25th – missed my flight back from New York February 10th – met my current FWB (and then, February 13th, banged him for the first time) April 22nd – Eric and Ashley’s wedding April 25th – first date with G, at Tell Me Something Good May 9th/10th – some disastrous poly stuff happened with G June 1st – started at my current dayjob August 3rd-6th – Woodhull August 11th – the hardest breakup I’ve been through in many years September 1st – moving day (and Brent’s show at the Horseshoe) September 8th – live MBMBaM show + coffee with Cady at Condé Nast September 11th – BirthdayBruises November 14th – got fired + talked to Dick a bunch November 29th – Vagic Tricks workshop December 13th – first dates with Dick + my Sir

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Professionally: Made twice as much money as I made last year. My dayjob remained under 25% of my income, with the other 75% coming from my more creative and self-directed income streams. Had clips in two prominent Condé Nast publications (Teen Vogue online, and Glamour online and in print). Sold 27+ sponsored blog posts. Personally: Made it through a horrendous breakup without dying. Got better at setting boundaries within my friendships and relationships. Successfully prioritized relationships and friendships with people who treat me well and actually deserve to be in my life.

9. What was your biggest failure? Putting up with men who walked all over me. (I feel like this is a recurring motif in my life, and in the lives of most women and femmes, honestly…) I also got fired from two different jobs this year. In both cases, they were minimum-wage jobs I didn’t really care about, wasn't well-suited for, and didn’t actually need, but still...

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Not really. I had the flu in September and struggled with mental health stuff all year, particularly in January and August, but was mostly fine.

11. What was the best thing you bought? Several things: My bright turquoise Coach tote, which I carried with me on numerous trips, sex-dates, photoshoots, etc. An app called Piezo which I use all the time for Skype interviews/podcast thingz. My knee-high Frye engineer boots (swoon) and rainbow glitter Doc Martens (swooooon). The V10 brush from BH Cosmetics (sooo useful for my brows on a daily basis!). Two Tarina Tarantino heart necklaces. A new mirror for my new apartment. Several adorable H&M dresses. My turquoise Seven-Year Pen. Lots of knitwear. A new Kindle. Weed. A microwave.

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration? My best friend Bex, and my family. (Hell, Bex is family at this point.) My close and supportive buddies Sarah, Suz, Dan, Tynan, Taylor, and Steph. The 4 boys with whom I am romantically/sexually entangled right now (gems, all of ‘em!).

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed? The boy who broke my heart, and lots of Men On The Internet. Same old.

14. Where did most of your money go? Other than boring answers like rent and transit? Food and drinks, probably. I was more gluttonous than materialistic this year. I also spent a good chunk o’ change on tickets to things: theatre, airfare, classes, concerts, comedy, live podcast recordings...

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Working with Glamour and Teen Vogue. The Adventure Zone and other McElroy content. Hitting income goals (seriously, I’m talking about money more often than boys in my journals recently, which is a FEAT). Hippo Campus and Nathan Stocker. Working on ye olde blog and podcast, as ever. Negotiating/exploring new kink stuff.

16. What song/album will always remind you of 2017? First and foremost, Hippo Campus’ album Landmark, which I thrashed for almost the entire year. Related: their Warm Glow EP, and anything from their guitarist Nathan Stocker’s solo project Brother Kenzie. Beyond that: Coin’s How Will You Know If You Never Try?, Pinegrove’s Cardinal (which I listened to pretty much on loop while recovering from my brutal breakup in August), Grouplove’s “Do You Love Someone?”, Vampire Weekend’s “Horchata,” Panama Wedding’s “Uma,” Bombay Bicycle Club’s “Cancel On Me,” Betti’s “Ordinary,” Saint Motel’s “Puzzle Pieces.”

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: happier or sadder? Happier. My heart got thoroughly broken this year but I feel stronger and more self-sufficient for it. thinner or fatter? A bit thinner. Who cares. richer or poorer? Soooo much richer. Your girl made some goooood biz decisions this year.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of? Last year I wrote that I wished I’d gone on dates with more people, and woof, I sure met that goal in 2017. I went on 12 first dates, which is more than enough, thank you very much. I wish I’d spent more time chasing my creative impulses than my romantic or sexual ones. Although the latter kind of fueled the former for me, this year and every year.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Thinking “I can and will put up with this [bad behavior/uncomfortable circumstance/shitty job]” when I couldn’t and shouldn’t have. Being depressed, but hey, what can ya do.

20. How will you be spending Christmas? Spent it exchanging presents and eating delicious meals with my family.

21. Who did you spend the most time talking to? Bex, Max, Brent, Sarah, my FWB, my two current long-distance beaux, and the dude who was my boyfriend for a bit.

22. Did you fall in love in 2017? Yeah, and I’m still pissed about it. Love is pain!! [tosses hair in the manner of a tortured goth]

23. How many one night stands in this last year? Two true one-night stands (defined as: we had sex the night we met, and never saw each other again), plus one additional person I had sex with only once but went on a second date with afterward.

24. What was your favourite TV programme? American Horror Story, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Bold Type.

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? I’m not thrilled with the guy who broke my heart, but I wouldn’t say that I hate him; that would involve more energy than I am willing or able to give to his memory at this juncture...

26. What was the best book you read? Fiction: I loved The Killer Wore Leather (Laura Antoniou’s murder-mystery set at a kink convention), Perfume: the Story of a Murderer (a truly haunting and viscerally olfactory novel by Patrick Suskind), and Sleeping Beauties (the creepy “what if every woman on earth fell asleep and wouldn’t wake up?” novel co-written by Stephen King and his son). Nonfiction: Laurie Mintz’s Becoming Cliterate was eye-opening, inspirational and fresh. Lisa A. Phillips’ Unrequited blew my fucking mind. I recently devoured Rachel Hills’ The Sex Myth and it’s wonderful.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery? I listened to a bit of Pinegrove last year because Sean recommended them on his blog, but it wasn’t until this year that I really got into them. I started inexplicably craving their music after I got my heart broken and it made me feel weirdly better for weeks afterward.

28. What did you want and get? A boyfriend/partner/daddy dom (though it didn’t last very long). More money than I have ever made before. Career expansion. Closer friendships. An invitation to do a live podcast recording at a conference. An apartment, with a rad roommate. More confidence and self-sufficiency. Interesting kink adventures.

29. What did you want and not get? A romantic relationship that was actually and enduringly satisfying to me in the ways that most matter to me. I feel like I write some variation on this here every year. It’s okay. It’ll happen when it happens. Also, I wanted to do a writing retreat and that didn’t happen, though I’m blessed enough that I take little mini writing retreats of sorts all the time anyway.

30. What was your favourite film of this year? I think the only new ones I saw were Wonder Woman, The Big Sick, and It, none of which I really loved that much. It wasn’t a big film year for me.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 25. At midnight I was in bed in a hotel in Hamilton, having been in the wedding of two of my best friends the day previous. I had invited a gentleman friend to come romance me in my hotel that night but he was sick and had to cancel, so I just spent the night in a hot bath and then cozy in bed. The morning of my birthday, I checked out of the hotel and took a bus back to Toronto. That evening, Bex and I got dressed up fancy, went for dinner at the Black Bull Tavern, and attended the Toronto International Porn Festival awards gala, which was a hot mess.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? I can’t even think of anything. It was a satisfying year for me in many ways.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2017? Low-effort femme. Lots of cozy colorful sweaters, denim shorts, stompy boots, crop tops, big hair, and kneesocks.

34. What kept you sane? My friends, my family, therapy, journaling, sex/kink/masturbation, my work, quiet introvert self-dates at bars/diners/cafés, hot baths,

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Nathan Stocker, Andy Samberg, Mark Andrada, Dan McCoy...

36. What political issue stirred you the most? Civil rights stuff, same as always. Gender equality and sexual equality and racial equality and all the equalities, basically.

37. Who did you miss? The two New York boys I’m currently romancin’, and Bex, pretty much always. And my ex, for a time.

38. Who was the best new person you met? Jordan, Adam, Thane, Cady, Logan (and several other babely bloggers at Woodhull), Todd, Dick, Matt, Eva...

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2017. Even people who claim they will never hurt you can hurt you. That’s depressing, but it’s also somewhat Zen, because if you deeply, truly know that anyone can hurt you at any time, you come to enjoy the non-hurting parts so much more while they’re happening. Again, this sounds super tragic but I actually find it so liberating and uplifting when I think about it.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. “Menfolk, they need their women, but women don’t need their men.” -Nellie McKay, “Just a Pose” “Maybe I would’ve been something you’d be good at. Maybe you would’ve been something I’d be good at.” -Tegan and Sara, “Call It Off” “It’s cold outside this evening, but warm between your sheets. We both wanted something we’re not likely to repeat.” -Paul Cook & the Chronicles, “Ships Pass” “Someone to talk to late at night. Someone who fits you right… Someone who makes your heart go boom boom boom. Someone you see across a crowded room. Someone who makes your heart jolt. Not some okay girl. A real thunderbolt.” -Paul Cook & the Chronicles, “A Real Thunderbolt” (I could’ve quoted this entire song here, honestly)

[riverofmemoriesft]

. Obsessive Impulsive . 12

Full Summary: “‘I’ve been trying to find you alone for weeks, but you’ve been avoiding me.’  He clicked his tongue, as if scolding her.  'I tried approaching, but you always had someone with you to give me nasty words and looks.  They turned you against me, Miss Levy.’"

Pairings: Gajeel x Levy

Warnings: I strode for a darker fic again.  This is not for sensitive readers.  Violence, stalking, etc.  

Author’s Note: This is a very, very twisted gift for Bubbles, who has not been allowed to so much as read a single chapter.  This will update every other day.

He stalked through the guildhall, keeping to the edge as he made his way for the stairs that would take him to Levy. Gajeel's red eyes burned with anger - no, not anger. Rage, fury, emotions so dark, he thought for a split second that he'd gone back to Phantom Lord.

"She's okay," Wendy had told him when she'd met him at the door. She'd explained what had happened, what she'd heard from Levy, how she was now, and that Levy had wanted to keep it under wraps. She wanted no one but him, Wendy, Charle, and Makarov - perhaps Gildarts - knowing. He'd said nothing to anyone but Lily.

Who had flown ahead of him while he talked with Makarov to sit with his shrimp.

"It seems," he remembered Makarov saying, "we have a problem with a manacle that Elroy placed on her. It seals her magic. It's made of iron, but outside of that we cannot figure out what it is. See what you can do about it. If all else fails, we will contact the Council. Their soft spot for Levy will help in this moment. I've sent word that I want permission to hunt him down and arrest him. I'm sure they'll allow it."

He didn't want permission to arrest Elroy.

He wanted permission to watch him bleed in tiny pieces.

Gajeel pushed those thoughts away as he reached the door to the infirmary room Levy had been calling home. He knocked once and something in him softened when she called for him to enter.

He ducked in without pause, rumbling a soft sound of unhappiness.

Levy was tucked into bed with Lily in her lap and a bandage wrapped around her head. She'd made it back hours before as he'd come back and conferenced with Makarov about what had happened.

She didn't bother to throw him a smile, though her eyes lit up just a fraction at the sight of him. Something in Gajeel's chest loosened as he walked over to stand beside her bed.

"I'm sorry," she said immediately, "that I missed-"

"Stop," he snarled. She flinched, frowning, and he grimaced. His gaze shifted to his cat. "Lil'," he rumbled, "could you-"

Lily flicked his tail once. "I'll be downstairs should you need me." Without a second glance at either of them, his wings snapped out and he flew out of the room, closing the door behind him.

She should have looked hurt by the command. Instead, she merely searched his gaze for a moment before her expression broke. "I couldn't," she breathed, breath hitching. "I couldn't...I couldn't get away. I tried, and I tried to fight-"

Gajeel cut her off swiftly.

She jerked in surprise when his lips met hers, his warm calloused fingers gently gripping her chin and holding her in place. After the initial shock, she kissed him back, lifting her hands to brush her fingers lightly over his cheekbones. When he pulled back, he glared at her fiercely.

"Don't let that fucking bastard," he seethed, "touch you again."

She sputtered out an awkward laugh. "Okay," she agreed in a whisper.

Gajeel made a pleased sound low in his throat and then pulled back. "Forget dinner," she said after a moment of silence between them. "Can we just...stay here? In the guildhall? Mirajane can make us some food."

"Yeah," he grunted. "I'll go let her know."

"Thank you." She smiled at him and he smirked at her.

And just for a second, everything was right with the world.

Levy wanted to drop everything and end it all.

A week later found her swaying on the bench she sat on. Gajeel was giving her harsh looks over the table - his version of concern. Lily asked her if she was okay every few minutes, if she needed to go upstairs and rest, but Levy waved him off. The shadows beneath her eyes were purple bruises, her face gaunt. She had barely eaten and she knew she'd lost weight.

The manacle still decorated her wrist. It was as if it was permanent - and Levy feared it was.

They'd tried everything. Gildarts had manipulated his magic, but no luck. Natsu had carefully tried to burn through it, Lucy had called on her Spirits to see what they knew, and they'd even gone to a regular master of weapons to see what could be done. No luck there, either.

Gajeel had gone so far as taking her wrist in his hand and gnawing on the metal to see what he could do. He'd almost cracked a tooth with the force he'd put into biting on it.

Sleep refused to come. She couldn't close her eyes without terror overwhelming her. Not even Mirajane drugging her tea with things to help her sleep did anything. Every waking moment found her looking, searching.

The Council had sent word to kill him if need be - not something anyone would do if they could help it. But if it had to happen, no one had any problem with it. Even the gentle Wendy had bared her teeth like a wolf and promised to make him suffer.

Levy couldn't help but worry that she'd tainted the dragon slayer's innocence.

The entire guild was on edge.

But Levy felt like she was drowning.

Even now, she felt her head drooping, her eyes fluttering shut. The image of Elroy's face in her mind had her snapping her head back up. She whimpered, just softly enough that only those with her heard. Gajeel growled in response; Lily echoed him.

Suddenly, Gajeel grunted. He climbed to his feet and ducked around the table. He took her arm in his hand and dragged her up. She squealed, earning stares as she was thrown over his shoulder. Gajeel glared until those stares looked elsewhere.

"You gotta sleep," he rumbled. "Or you're gonna hurt yourself."

"Put me down," she pleaded, not bothering to struggle.

What good was it? He could overpower her.

If Elroy could, so could he.

He purposely shrugged so that she gasped, telling Lily, "C'mon whenever you want to. Let me know if something comes up."

Lily smirked a little. "Of course."

Gajeel spared a look at Makarov, who was watching closely with Gildarts from where the pair were seated at the bar. Makarov inclined his head a fraction. And Gajeel bared his teeth in a smug grin before heading out of the guildhall.

Levy fell silent as he walked, grumbling about him. "Why can't you carry me like a normal person?"

"S'no fun."

A ghost of a smile fluttered over her features. "Jerk," she accused, smacking him with the palm of her hand on his back.

He cackled.

Levy was speechless when they arrived at what he declared to be his home. It was small and in the middle of nowhere outside of Magnolia, but looked homely enough.

Gajeel gently set her down on her feet and inclined his head towards the door. "Ya need to sleep and s'not like the fucker'll try and break in here."

"Thank you?" she murmured, uncertain as to whether or not he was doing this for his own gain or not. He'd begun to sneak little things - gifts that appeared out of nowhere, like a necklace made purely of iron, and books of every kind. Lucy had mentioned snidely that the dragon slayers liked to hoard certain things. She'd guessed he was adding to Levy's collection of books.

Licking her lips, Levy stumbled to the front door and pushed it open. He hadn't even bothered to lock it and calmly bustled in behind her. Levy was aware of the fact that only Lily had ever seen the place before.

She grimaced at the piles of metal that surrounded her, but ignored them. She had no room to judge when she had piles of books all over the place. She jumped when he nudged her towards a door at the back. "Ya can use my bed if ya want," he rumbled. "S'kinda messy, but it's a bed."

"Thank you, Gajeel," she said earnestly as she opened the door.

"Tch, whatever," he muttered and shoved her into the room. "Get some fuckin' sleep for once. I'll be out here eatin' and doin' whatever."

She smiled and surprised him with a kiss to the cheek before kicking the door shut behind her after sliding in. She pushed her freed hair from her face and eyed Gajeel's bedroom.

It was worse than the main part of the house in terms of messiness, but she didn't care. It practically radiated Gajeel, with a bed built of rough old wood pieced together with iron. He'd probably put it together himself. There wasn't much else except for a low shelf put together in the same way, piled with various objects. When Levy peered at it curiously, her jaw dropped.

The shelf held knick-knacks. And the majority of them were from her. Well, from Wendy, too, she guessed, but mostly her. Some were old books she'd gifted him in an attempt to encourage him to read more. There were some bookmarks, too, from her, and a snowglobe made of metal and glass from who she guessed was Wendy.

They were the only possessions in the room cleaned to perfection.

She smiled, so tired that tears came to her eyes, and turned away. She crawled into the bed and flung herself down in it with a relieved groan, contently breathing in the scent of Gajeel, and then closed her eyes.

She was asleep in an instant.

When Levy woke up, there were birds chirping calmly outside. She blinked, lifting her head, and then squinted at the window in the room. Her jaw dropped. It was dawn. She'd been asleep for well over the amount of time she'd meant to sleep. She paused, thinking about the fact that Gajeel had let her sleep so long, and then admitted she had needed it before climbing to her feet. She stretched, enjoying how her body did so, and then dropped her arms. With a yawn and a yearning for coffee, Levy opened the door and peeked out.

She smiled lightly at the sight of Gajeel sprawled out with Lily on his chest, both on the couch. Gajeel was snoring surprisingly loudly, much to her amusement. She giggled softly and then wandered towards where she assumed a kitchen to be, her eyes shining. Her bare feet padded softly on the floor as she found it.

The kitchen was, like that little shelf in his room, surprisingly clean and polished up. The fridge and pantry was stocked full, though filled with food meant for crazy kinds of cooking rather than for a quick breakfast. She was somewhat disappointed - and truly hungry for the first time in days.

"I can make somethin' if ya want."

Levy jumped, whipping her head around as the pantry door slid from her hands and clattered shut. Gajeel snorted softly in apology before jerking his chin towards the general direction of the stove and fridge. "Like to cook. I'll make somethin'."

"Please," she said with a small sigh of relief at the idea of food.

He smirked, crimson eyes glittering and then nodded towards an island in the center of the kitchen, lined with crudely made barstools. She didn't hesitate to drop into one as he went to work, reaching back to tie his messy black hair out of his face.

She folded her arms and rested her chin on them. "Thank you," she said suddenly, "for letting me sleep here. It feels...safer. It doesn't feel like I have to look over my shoulder."

Gajeel practically puffed up in pride, but only said, "Tch. Whatever."

She giggled and then looked back as Lily came in, yawning loudly as if to tell them he was coming. She laughed again and smiled at her friend. "Morning, Lily."

"The sun just rose," he growled. "Why are you awake."

Levy laughed again and Gajeel didn't bother to look back as he said, "You can go back to sleep if ya want. No one's stopping you."

"You're making food. I'm hungry." Lily hauled himself into Levy's lap, curling up there happily. Levy gently stroked his fur and settled down contently, wishing she'd thought to bring a book out.

For the first time in weeks, Levy was entirely at peace.

[mianaac-blog]

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Even though the hair loss that triggers partial or entire baldness calls for prescribed remedies and surgical treatments, the short term or seasonal onset of hair loss can be treated by […] Their Natural Argan Oil Hair Loss Shampoo is actually a dependable solution for males and girls seeking to stay away from chemical substances on their own journey to preventing hair loss. This hair regrowth shampoo for guys will for good alter the way you keep away from slender strands. I am 28 many years outdated. I'm suffering from hair fall from previous just one thirty day period. In particular more Once i am getting a head tub and doing oil for my head. I'm applying below products for my hair When you can find Substantially worse things that can occur to a person than dropping their hair, there’s also no denying how unbelievably disheartening it could be. There are many motives for hair loss, like genetics, and even more merchandise and solutions on the market which claim to gradual its progress although even growing new hair. Locating one that actually works for yourself, on the other hand, might be simpler explained than performed. But we’re in this article that will help. Pure Biology creates products that are backed by scientific benefits, and their Hair Growth Stimulating Shampoo pulls out many of the stops In terms of helpful active substances which will entirely rework the health and fitness within your hair. Aim for five-6 parts of fruits and veggies everyday. You don’t ought to eat unique, pricey kinds.  Eat far more range and eat what grows regionally and what variations seasonally – as they comprise greatest goodness and are very best for your personal hair, overall health and pores and skin.   The key benefits of biotin are dependant on research that demonstrates that hair loss is really a consequence of biotin and zinc deficiency. Generally known as Vitamin B7, Biotin is really a compound that’s essential for an array of bodily procedures, such as the synthesis of fatty acids, glucose, and several amino acids. But Furthermore, it aids the strengthening of hair and nails. The psychological problems associated with hair loss is, for many women, in depth, specifically in a Culture in which hair-loss in Guys – however commonly unwanted – is more or less an approved reality of everyday living. Even though the Mix doesn’t consist of biotin, we endorse you take a biotin nutritional supplement to further more boost the results of the shampoo. My hair is thinning and hair loss. I used to be informed to implement nioxin or elon shampoo. I had dry scalp. What do you concentrate on these two shampoo’s . Will they make my hair return in and will my hair prevent falling out? Thick, lustrous hair is looked at with awe. People today expend lots of money to maintain their hair and therefore are willing to bear treatments just to be certain their hair is voluminous and glossy. Losing […] Many thanks so much for that advice! After further investigation I really need to agree along with you 100%. Lipogaine Significant 3 does containe ketoconazole, which would reduce the necessity for Nizoral, having said that the shampoo only contains a number of hair loss/thinning connected substances. The strategy for making use of hair loss shampoo is the same as typical shampoo, i.e., you apply it to wet hair, massage it into the scalp and rinse it. I've an entire head of hair but am Just about 23 and wish to try to retain my hair as whole and thick as you can for as long as attainable. I was heading to start working with one particular of these shampoo’s pre-emptively do you think This may be a good suggestion?

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Tips on how to massage?   https://en.search.wordpress.com/?src=organic&q=hair+loss (of your decision) with your scalp and massage Carefully for 5 minutes or so. Permit the oil soak in for one hour just before washing, or You may also continue to keep it overnight for greater conditioning. For more healthy and stronger hair, head therapeutic massage at the least at the time weekly. Your entire body produces vitamin D by way of direct connection with the Solar's rays. Excellent dietary sources of vitamin D incorporate fatty fish, cod liver oil, some mushrooms and fortified foods. Why it is best to stay clear of hair dyes: Synthetic hair dyes include severe substances such as ammonia, hydrogen peroxide,  p-phenylenediamine, which often can irritate the scalp and induce strain on hair follicles. A study carried out in 2014 sought to ascertain whether PSO had an impact on AGA hair loss. And if so, the amount of? Ketoconazole is the most important component. Of the many unlimited elements to find, be sure your shampoo for hair loss consists of ketoconazole mainly because this ingredient combats some of the major difficulties involved with thinning hair. The value of Nizoral is that it is a triple danger – it stop hair loss and dandruff even though completely cleansing your hair and scalp and also blocking androgen receptors that can cause thinning. 2/ The most common form of hair loss is male sample baldness (androgenetic alopecia). Health professionals estimate this affliction might have an effect on as many as 80% of white Adult males by their 70th birthday. Further more studies in the HASCI process that includes extraction of Component of the hair follicles and stem cells as a way to cultivate and transplant into a region on the scalp affected by hair loss. Supply. Fortunately, it’s quite effortless to include this useful herb into your hair care regime. Your lately considered objects and highlighted tips › Watch or edit your browsing heritage In pasteurized dairy the enzyme that allows the human human body to digest it has been wholly ruined with the pasteurization procedure And so the nutrients, minerals and enzymes are usually not bioavailable. Now, further more than just tests the success of RU on hair growth, researchers ended up also serious about knowing the best dosage, both equally concerning success and security. This can be considered one of the reasons why the prevalence of pattern baldness in modernised nations is far higher than in creating nations where by preservative crammed foods, antibiotics, fluride-ridden faucet h2o and so forth are significantly less widespread. Just after metabolism happens there is a material leftover, somewhat like There exists an ‘ash’ which is leftover after the hearth has ‘metabolised (burnt as a result of) the Wooden.

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Just located this Internet site. Have study some good Info. Are going to be making an attempt the new oils. I have bad hair damage from around 20 years or substances. Many thanks for the Info. Purchasing the most effective hair loss shampoo for guys and women can be challenging. With a great number of marketing and advertising ploys and Untrue statements, it could be challenging to inform which goods are definitely successful and which ones are simply just a scam. Get very good snooze and minimize pressure. Hair loss might be attributable to lack of slumber and stressing out too much. Even so, if a cure is defined to be a permanent take care of to an ailment, these are typically much from that definition. Each and every of these treatments have their unique restrictions. Most are observed much more as hair loss management treatments, instead of permanent hair loss cures. Have you ever ever seen, just after utilizing a particular shampoo your hair fell like nuts? I've. Which created me toss absent even the quite high-priced bottle within the rubbish bin. Whilst not a cure for hair loss, this will likely obvious up the muddy waters without a doubt. DNA-tests is simply beginning to be commercially offered and by 2020 you’ll have the ability to rely on the probability that it will be considerably more Innovative and reasonably priced. Two medical trials are ran as being a proof of thought for Histogen. Terminal hair count and hair thickness noticeably greater right after just 12 months. Because of this results, Histogen designs to carry out a Section 1 Scientific Review in The usa. This can be an injectable which when injected into the scalp will promote dormant hair follicles and induce new hair follicle development (Consider Botox but for hair follicles in lieu of skin cells). Freed from substances and sulfates, Lipogaine’s All Natural Shampoo is thriving at combating hair loss in Males and women. In case you have any uncertainties, the corporate delivers a a hundred% gratification guarantee or your a refund, so you are aware of you happen to be acquiring a top rated-rated shampoo that will combat flakes, thinning, and any issues that hinder your hair and scalp wellness. https://steptoremedies.com/stimulate-hair-growth-permanently/ will be the professional medical word for fungal an infection, and capitis usually means head. Tinea capitis is fungal infection with the scalp that In most cases affects college-age children. Tinea capitis is much more widespread in black African or African-American scalps. Alopecia areata is undoubtedly an autoimmune condition wherein the body assaults its very own hair follicles. Most clients, nevertheless, do not need systemic difficulties and wish no healthcare tests. They aren’t escalating your complete hair rely, just shifting throughout the hair you've got still left. Additionally, it doesn’t end future hair loss and occasionally added transplants are expected. Suited to all hair kinds and textures, Honeydew’s Hair Growth B-Sophisticated Shampoo Formulation is hypoallergenic and one of the most secure products on the market. In case you’re trying to rejuvenate hair, minimize shedding, gradual or quit hair loss altogether, and begin growing thicker, more healthy hair with each use, you’ll recognize this shampoo. In truth, a hair regrowth shampoo that works may even assistance to reverse injury and thicken your hair, that may fully transform your overall appear and enable you to have the hairstyles you’ve normally wished. You can make massive portions of this shampoo and freeze them in ice cube tray. Much more Guidance here.

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Anagen effluvium - is common hair loss everywhere in the physique due to chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or radiotherapy. The hair loss is normally short term and grows back again immediately after a certain time period. For these good reasons, a handmade shampoo manufactured using natural substances can be a more sensible choice, especially if you are losing plenty of hair and need to regrow what ever hair you have shed. How come we treatment a few cure for baldness? Go searching you. Hair loss is extremely prevalent, it always comes about when the traditional means of hair growth gets disrupted. The components in Jardin Sante shampoo incorporate natural oils like black seed oil, biotin, and pumpkin seed extract. This mixture preserves the natural oils produced by the scalp that moisturizes roots of the hair. The mineral oils integrated also nourish roots of hair, particularly when They can be dry. In case the hair is tied frequently for too long, it may lead to prolonged traction alopecia, plus the hair to the afflicted areas may never ever grow back again. Even though https://www.wikihow.com/Reduce-Hairfall record "hair loss" amongst their prospective Unintended effects, most medication are not likely to induce hair loss. On the flip side, most cancers treatment (such as, chemotherapy or radiation therapy) and immunosuppressive medicines commonly produce hair loss. Entire hair loss soon after chemotherapy usually regrows following 6 to twelve months. Laser hair removal is probably the longest-Long lasting methods of hair removing. Sadly, no hair-elimination method is lasting With regards to acquiring rid of undesirable hair. Alopecia areata is undoubtedly an autoimmune affliction wherein your body attacks its possess hair follicles. Most people, on the other hand, don't have systemic complications and need no clinical tests. I visited quite a few clinics before I finalized Royal Lush clinic but actually happy with drs knowledge in FUE hair transplant... Got my HT performed with him. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96gAQhEJ9lw but truly worth for cash... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_zWPn_5aag of shampoos for thinning hairHair loss is usually a lead to for concern in both equally Males and women. Persons lose slumber more than the fact that they are shedding hair. Vichy right now is thought to get among the finest brands for pores and skin care and hair treatment. This a single shampoo from the brand name is great for hair fall Regulate. It might be just a little over priced but then the final results are worthwhile. It is just a actually deserving finest hair growth shampoo. "In the final 5 to seven many years there has been a boom from the understanding of hair loss," Cotsarelis tells WebMD. "We have designed fantastic strides at the level of standard study. Now https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXJPoD37NW8 is how we could change these findings into scientific Advantages. Those types of leaps definitely get a long time." This condition is rare in healthy adults. Bald spots normally show broken-off hairs accompanied by a dermatitis. Oral antifungals can penetrate the hair roots and cure the infection, after which hair grows back again. Sharing hats or combs and brushes may transmit tinea capitis. Tinea is definitely the medical term for fungal an infection, and capitis suggests head. step toremedies is fungal an infection in the scalp that for the most part affects school-age small children. Tinea capitis is a lot more prevalent in black African or African-American scalps.

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Hair transplantation. Hair transplantation will involve the relocation of plugs of pores and skin from elements of the scalp containing active hair follicles to bald places. Someone might require various hundred plugs -- implanted ten to sixty for each session. The transplanted hair may fall out, but new hair commonly begins to grow from the transplanted follicles within several months. Like via stepto remedies to read the full post (aka Rogaine), Ketoconazole has long been discovered as a fantastic hair loss treatment. Ketoconazole is the primary ingredient in several anti-dandruff and regrowth shampoos, and analysis via the Countrywide Institute of Health and fitness (NIH) has shown which the frequent usage of a two% Ketoconazole shampoo can lead to improved hair density and size. Absolutely everyone goes via bouts of elevated sinus strain on occasion, some much more than the Other people. Your paranasal sinus... Glashofer. As opposed to Adult men, women Never have a tendency to possess a receding hairline, as a substitute their component could widen and they may have apparent thinning of hair. Over the telogen or resting section (often known as shedding stage) the follicle stays dormant for one to 4 months. Ten to fifteen percent on the hairs on one's head are During this period of growth at any given time. PURA D’OR is usually a brand that prides alone on getting a solution to any sort of hair loss. The organization’s Initial Gold Label Shampoo consists of a huge amount of balanced components that aid to spice up hair growth by fixing current strands and guarding new types from long run breakage. This hair regrowth shampoo provides a clinically-established system with lots of benefits. RepliCel is really a sort of cell therapy that includes a whole lot of oldsters energized. https://www.pinterest.com/healthhomeremedies/steptoremedies/ is also known as RCH-01 and RepliCel is collaborating with worldwide cosmetic company Shiseido. RepliCel are going to be an injectable like Histogen or Botox for instance. It is largely hair transplants on steroids, but they are migrating cells rather than hairs. Their purpose would be to have a seed biopsy then multiply it from the lab for approximately 3 months. Apply contemporary aloe vera gel blended with a bit lemon juice and depart it on for about 20 minutes. Shampoo your hair. Try this after every single 7 days or two. Some samples of hair affirmations are: my hair is healthier and growing quickly, my hair cells are rejuvenating, I just take fantastic treatment of my hair Prescription drugs Ordinarily utilized for rheumatoid arthritis and bone marrow most cancers, They are really now getting researched for their makes use of like a hair growth drugs. These are generally a completely new course of medicines labeled as JAK inhibitors. In one study, six away from nine individuals radically went from bald to a complete head of hair just after having Ruxolitinib for 5 months. Our team contains accredited nutritionists and dietitians, Qualified wellness education professionals, and also Qualified power and conditioning experts, own trainers and corrective training specialists. Our staff aims to generally be not simply thorough with its investigation, but will also aim and unbiased. Maintain healthful hair by subsequent a good hair treatment plan and making use of hair items that are ideal for your hair type. As well as, guard https://twitter.com/steptoremedies/ from Sunshine harm and stay clear of the use of heat styling merchandise. They aren’t growing your overall hair depend, just shifting across the hair you've still left. Furthermore, it doesn’t end foreseeable future hair loss and in some cases more transplants are essential. This drug has shown to generally be much better at stopping even more hair loss than reversing it (regrowth). Just Take into account that some side effects may make the hair loss look a lot more appealing.

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When doubtful, read through the use suggestions found on your hair loss shampoo’s container. All those tips are there to ensure that you can get the best outcomes from a shampoo without the need of creating damage to your scalp or hair. The precise reason behind this sample is mysterious. (The male hormones associated are current in equally Guys and women.)  The elaborate is manufactured from stem mobile-derived substances that promote cells and follicles to grow hair. This shampoo for hair loss has actually been demonstrated to lower hair loss by 21% within just three months. Thanks for your personal article, I discovered it truly helpful and I’ll check out one of these. I’ve also heard great issues about Pilexil, do you know nearly anything concerning this one? Hair-fiber powders: Coloured, powdery fiber sprinkles are commercially available and may work to camouflage balding regions. https://en.search.wordpress.com/?src=organic&q=hair+thining colored sprinkles have special Attributes that help them connect to hair and give a fuller visual appeal. Toppik is a single manufacturer of those goods and can be found on the internet. Finasteride (manufacturer name Propecia) is the closest to your hair loss cure capsule that experts have learned so far. This can be a DHT hair loss cure. DHT is built when five alpha reductase converts testosterone, and Propecia continues to be uncovered for being an effective inhibitor of DHT by blocking this method from happening. I’ve only been making use of it for a few days now, so it’s considerably also early for me to tell no matter if it’s destined to be efficient or not. steptoremedies.com choose a great deal of time and energy to clearly show. Not forgetting, In case your hair is thinner, and you also started off undertaking a thing about this, it's going to get time for the new “regrown” hairs to be obvious. They require time and energy to grow. Use 1 shampoo that actually works and stay with it. You may additionally want to use a conditioner, preferably one that’s designed for guys who're dealing with hair loss. The end result is often a powerful formula that nourishes your hair to prevent breakage or thinning. Castor oil also stops bacteria and dandruff from accumulating with your scalp, and that means you don’t have to bother with any pesky dandruff and flakes displaying up. Hair-loss avoidance depends on the underlying result in. Excellent hair hygiene with frequent shampooing is usually a essential step but is most likely of very little benefit. Ketoconazole is The most crucial component. Of all the limitless elements to search for, be certain your shampoo for hair loss contains ketoconazole for the reason that this component combats a few of the principal troubles involved with thinning hair. The Human System Quiz can assist you find out about your small-recognised human body parts! Take this quiz To find out more about your physique and what goes on within. I color my hair and usually use a Sulfate-free of charge shampoo to keep the colour. Do have a specific prompt brand name for color treated hair?

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We can not emphasize it sufficient--say NO to harsh chemical treatments and products which can seriously mess together with your hair. Go natural as far and as much as you possibly can. Possessing long, balanced and beautiful hair is what most women wish for, unless you are definitely the pixie Slash form. Sustaining your hair and making sure it looks ideal might be challenging, Specifically thinking of our erratic Life style, pollution and poor meals habits. What would transpire if you retain an elastic band stretched for hrs? It is going to begin to lose the extend. Our delightful all-in-one particular vitamin nutritional supplements are full of the nutrients you must Reside The nice daily life. After some time, by getting rid of the things that harm your microbes and incorporating in things that promote balanced bacterial growth your microbiome will return to its usual, nutritious point out offering Your system with each of the affiliated wellbeing Advantages. The second essential treatment for hair growth is using a vast-tooth Wooden comb. It’s quite comforting and stress-free about the scalp and stimulates the hair follicles to wake up and grow new hair. Alternatively, You may as well make use of a wooden hairbrush to comb your hair. A lot more than fifty% of consumers claim that it could possibly thicken hair and gradual hair loss, but It's not deemed efficient in men who have already got in depth male pattern baldness. Uncomfortable side effects seem like nominal, but in some users the medication may perhaps cause skin discomfort. The drug is authorised to be used in men and women. It's available about-the-counter at a pharmacy or drug retailer. Source. As will be to be envisioned, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akRJ2d5raOo proved to get the best at improving upon hair count, along with hair mass (not proven in the above mentioned graph). Vitamin E increases the blood circulation and can help the follicles work extra competently to advertise hair growth. It also maintains the oil and PH ranges balance which if exceeds can clog the hair follicles and cease hair growth. Whilst even further analysis is needed to be aware of the exact system far better, PSO exhibits “good anabolic (impact) on hair growth … in people with mild to moderate male pattern hair loss”. Following the ‘unnatural’ area I’m about to tell you about the most effective technique to regrow hair, fully naturally by therapeutic your body and optimising your diet plan, Life-style and setting for healthier hair growth. I've straight hair, but I usually wished that my hair was curly. Most likely, it’s a human psychic to want what we don’t have. I considered perming over and over, but under no circumstances truly did it. One of the better matters about hair growth shampoos is the opportunity to tailor them to suit your specific requirements. So, no matter if your scalp is oily, dry, or a mix, you'll be able to experiment to find out what will work best. Understand that this is just one of numerous ways to grow back lost hair. Some people find they aren’t allergic to any specific foodstuff teams that is fine.