#therefore he has functionally the same restrictions on Not Going Anywhere

[crimeronan]

back to thinking about that worst timeline princess AU concept where luz and hunter end up with camila in the human realm when camila hasn't met vee and doesn't know about the isles. & so camila thinks that the two of them have just been held captive together for years.

i'm mainly thinking about my 100% certainty that luz would develop a Crippling case of agoraphobia for..... very obvious reasons. double-checked the definition just now because i was like "i'm pretty sure it's no longer referred to as a fear of being outside??" and yeah -- it's a fear of being in environments where you'll be helpless or unable to escape if something goes wrong. which. well. you guys know what she's gone thru.

that combined with the general confusion and sensory overload of the human world.... i think luz would get Very Very Very Upset if she was forced to leave the house. and going anywhere without hunter especially is a non-starter. like one of u guys said a few days ago, the sheer LEVELS that her separation anxiety would ratchet up to.... she's basically following him to the bathroom whenever he gets up and sitting outside the door like a lonely cat. i don't even want to CONSIDER the kind of breakdown she'd have if she was made to go out with camila to, like, a completely normal therapy appointment.

[theseadagiodays]

May 4, 2020

This is Not a Performance

Irving H Bolano’s incredible repurposed newspaper fashion for the Met Gala Challenge on Twitter #HFMetGala2020

May the Fourth be With You as you reach the next chapter of this current sci-fi drama we seem to be living through.   As the saying goes, reality can be stranger than fiction.   But it just happens to be a many red-eyed virus rather than an evil, black-masked father that we’re fighting as we all walk around like Storm Troopers.  

There are so many aspects of our lives, during Covid, which make it feel like we are actors in a make-believe story.   First of all, we’ve all become movie stars, with our faces, homes, and even pets showcased on our own silver screens.  As isolated as we are, our private lives now play out in the public sphere more than ever - no paparazzi required.    For some, this invasion of privacy is unwelcomed. But for many people, it satisfies a secret longing to share themselves with a wider audience.  After all, deep down, everyone wants to be seen and heard (I guess, me included, since I have this blog, after all).  It’s why TikTok and YouTube and Facebook have become multi-billion dollar companies so quickly.  And now, while this pandemic is a harsh daily reminder of the impermanence of all things, it makes sense that these digital missives are an attempt to seek immortality, in some strange way.

As someone whose work responds to human’s need to have a voice, I truly get why this is the case.  And I love that this time has turned housewives into opera stars, and health care workers into hip hop dancers, and housepets into circus performers. But, at the same time, I have become very aware of the masks that we wear, even inside our homes, to portray a certain self to the world that may stray quite far from our authentic selves.  The expression “dance like no one is watching” acknowledges the fact that we all tend to perform when we have an audience, and perhaps we’re only truly ourselves when we don’t.   I understand that the way we “perform” ourselves online gives each of us a chance to reinvent the fictions we want our stories to have.   So, while I surely take some guilty pleasure from intimate glimpses into strangers’ lives, I also do so with a certain skepticism about the veracity of what I’m seeing.  

This became particularly true for me when I received a recent link from my friend and amazing singer/songwriter, Dominique Fricot. Capitalizing on this current trend of oversharing, he cleverly asked his fans to film their morning routines for the music video of his new song, Wake Up, by his duo, Flora Falls.  Dom’s warm tenor voice blended with his partner’s breathy tones feel just like a lazy morning in bed.  But I’ll leave it up to you to decide just how accurate these portrayals of people’s idyllic daytime rituals actually are.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EbsqXou5FeY

May 5, 2020

Homeschool Heroes

About twenty years ago,  I was invited to adjudicate a youth music competition in the Yukon.  Travelling to one of the northernmost inhabited spots on earth, I imagined that my greatest surprise might have been a polar bear or Northern Lights sighting.  But it turned out to be something entirely different.  Among the 25,000 residents of the thriving metropolis of Whitehorse exists a treasure trove of talent.  I could not believe the incredibly honed skills and nuanced expression with which these 11-18 year-olds played.   Wondering why, I developed a theory that I now call SLoW: Sheltered Living Wonder.  When long, dark days, cold climates or pandemics force people indoors, they tend to spend inordinate amounts of time on creative endeavors and skill development.  In other words, they slow down and take time for wonder.

This theory has surely applied during these past few months of sheltering in place.   One of the most remarkable examples has been the inventiveness that many of my friends have brought to their first attempts with homeschooling.   So, I wanted to give a few shout outs to some of these Homeschool Heroes and the highly imaginative projects they’ve done with their kids.

Stunning Easter Eggs made from natural materials and dye, by my friend Jane Cox and her kids  (Botany lesson)

Candy Covid virus, made by Amelia, my friend Jen Sanke’s daughter, as she learned about the virus’ proteins (Biology lesson)

But perhaps the prize for most complex homeschool project has to go to my architect friend, Bryn Davidson, who upon returning from Australia, in late March, had to fully quarantine for 2-weeks.  So, with his 5-year old son Bei as helper, this Physics lesson allowed him to enjoy home delivery beer while in isolation.  Just brilliant!

https://youtu.be/FF9-2dWoUtc

May 6, 2020

Living in livestream

So today, 5 million British Columbian’s awaited our “sentence” with baited breath, as word spread that our provincial prime minister would deliver the Re-Open BC plan at 3 pm.   I have to admit, it felt a bit like when you were “grounded” as an adolescent and then your parents returned certain privileges to you.  Of course, I’m well aware that our province has already been far more licentious than many places around the globe.  We’ve been fortunate to maintain reasonably low numbers of infection (just over 2,000), with counts as low as 8 new cases per day, at this point. So, while our provincial parks closed, our beaches never did.  While we were encouraged, within a reasonable range of home, to be active outdoors, we were not restricted to walks only within the 100 metre radius of our house, as my Israeli friends were.  And while we could still shop at gardening and furniture stores, to make sheltering at home more enjoyable, New Zealanders had nothing but grocery stores and pharmacies open, for two months.  

I have sensed the gratitude my fellow Vancouverites have felt about these privileges.  But that does not mean that we aren’t still anxious to return to other aspects of living which we’ve missed.  When lockdown began, ominously on the Ides of March (the 15th), I’d harboured a secret hope that certain restrictions might be lifted on my birthday (exactly two months later).  And it turns out that Phase Two of the BC ReOpen plan will commence on May 19th, just 4 days later than I’d hoped.  What I most look forward to experiencing again are small gatherings with friends, (we’ll soon be allowed to socialize in public with up to 10 people); meals inside certain restaurants and pubs (those that are able to function within WorkPlace BC’s safety regulations); visits to registered massage therapists; and hugs with select people, (”using one’s own ‘risk assessment’.”)

But in the long-range plan, the harsh reality for artists has been laid out, as Phase Four (which includes resuming large-venue concerts, conventions, and international travel) can not occur until either a vaccine has been developed, an effective treatment plan is widely available, or herd immunity is achieved.  And this is not estimated to occur until mid-2021 or later.  So, the prospects are still bleak for symphony orchestras, opera and dance companies, artists who perform in crowded bars, or musicians who travel for arena shows and festivals.  This likely means that in order to satisfy audiences’ need to access live performance, and for artists to continue to share their creativity,  livestream formats will still have to persist for some time.  Therefore, I thought I’d share a few regular weekly livestream arts events here, both from Vancouver, LA & NY.

Canadian National Live Art Champion, Dmitri Sirenko, who we featured at our non-profit’s annual benefit on February 20th, 2020

Every Monday Night at 7 pm PST (Vancouver) Poetry Slam: https://www.facebook.com/Vancouverpoetryslam/

Every Thursday at 5 pm PST (LA): LIVE Art Battles - Watch painters do their magic in just 20 minutes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWJoWGVwzGtk99nTOCib9vg

Every Thursday at 8 pm EST (NY): Spotlight on Plays - famous actors perform readings of theatre pieces, online: https://www.broadwaysbestshows.com/post/the-best-of-series/

May 7, 2020

Collateral Blessings

So many thoughtful writers are adding to the discourse, as we all strive to make meaning from what can feel like a senseliess time.  I have so appreciated the abundance with which people are sharing these missives, right now.  Every day, bursts of inspiration or flickers of insight come my way, thru texts, emails and Facebook.  Like adventurers, traveling together thru the dark of night, we shine light on guideposts, anywhere we can find them, as we collectively quench each other’s thirst for wisdom.  

One of the most profound writings I‘ve recently discovered came from a stranger’s blog.  In The Examined Family, Courtney Martin, without ever diminishing the gravity of the havoc that this virus has wreaked, writes about some of the assets that have also come out of this time.  New friendships with neighbors.  A long-neglected puzzle completed with her kids.   The time to draw and truly notice an artichoke in her back garden. My good friend Juan calls these collateral blessings.  This reference to the accidental gifts that this cruel virus has given us, is a beautiful twist on “collateral damage”, a term coined to explain accidental friendly-fire deaths during the Gulf War.  Commenting on the anticipatory nostalgia that she projects she will feel about certain things, once this time has passed, Courtney writes:

“I instantly feel overwhelmed at the prospect of schedules and stuff. I don’t want to go back to our former accumulation or frenetic pace. I don’t want to stop texting (my neighbor) my little triumphs. I don’t want to forget about the artichokes in the garden. I don’t ever want to forget this happened--the grief and the beauty of it. I’m not even sure that will be possible, but if it were, I wouldn’t want it. I don’t want to vote like it didn’t happen. I don’t want to eat like it didn’t happen. I don’t want to consume like it didn’t happen. I don’t want to schedule like it didn’t happen. I don’t want to mother or daughter or befriend or neighbor like it didn’t happen. I don’t want to sit inside this little life, noticing and appreciating and breathing, like it didn’t happen. There is unnecessary suffering all around me, and inside of me, too, but there is also necessary meaning. May we hold on to that.”      

You can read her full entry here: https://courtney.substack.com/p/unnecessary-suffering-and-necessary?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjo3OTg0NDcyLCJwb3N0X2lkIjozNzU1NDMsIl8iOiJCTnk2VyIsImlhdCI6MTU4NzA1MjgyMCwiZXhwIjoxNTg3MDU2NDIwLCJpc3MiOiJwdWItMjA5MjIiLCJzdWIiOiJwb3N0LXJlYWN0aW9uIn0.puI9NMne-783ypInpvTkJ96T237WcrTo2ItDhqlkMiY

May 8, 2020

Nostalgia

I’m rarely one prone to nostalgia.  My childhood photo albums are in storage.  I have no family heirlooms displayed in my home.  My tendency is to revel in the present or dream about the future.  But this pandemic has strangely turned me into a sentimental fool.  Perhaps this return to simpler times, where we seldom shop, where we wander mostly by foot, or where we get to know our neighbors better, makes us long for the past in certain ways.  

For me, I’ve honored this by resurrecting my daily teenage Twizzler habit - a candy I’ve rarely eaten since then, but that now feels so satisfying during my Netflix & Chill evenings (while watching films almost as old like Groundhog Day & Anchorman).  

I’m also listening a lot to Old School Hip Hop, where the explative-free rhymes of the 90’s feel so strangely innocent.  It’s refreshing to listen to these musicians spit verses that merely celebrate the joys of dance and rap, rather than ranting about gun violence and other societal ills.  Run DMC It’s Tricky (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-O5IHVhWj0) and Beastie Boys Body Movin’ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvRBUw_Ls2o) happen to be personal favorites.  

Last month, I was tickled by an old memory while planting a lilac bush in my backyard.  I suddenly remembered a story about my college boyfriend, whom I hadn’t thought of in 30 years.  Our relationship started a bit secretively, so as not to hurt his ex’s feelings.  So, one May afternoon, we snuck away to a distant park that was hosting a Lilac Festival.  Unfortunately, our ruse was quickly spoiled when a candid photo of our picnic under the purple blooms was plastered all over the front page of the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle the next morning.  

Another sweet memory returned in culinary form. Every Tuesday, for 7 years, my mother selflessly drove me an hour from home and back, for my flute lesson.  And to break up the long drive, we regularly stopped at Bickford’s Pancake House for my favorite adolescent treat: breakfast for dinner. Their specialty was the Dutch Baby Apple.  And I finally made my first homemade attempt at this deceptively easy delicacy, last Tuesday.  

This has also been a time to return to bedtime stories (some I’ve read to friends’ kids, and others for adults to hear.)  The Great Realisation by British performance artist, Tom Foolery, has been making the social media rounds. But in case you missed this touching tale that looks back on this time as if the tale is being told in a not-so-distant future, it’s a wistful story about some aspects of modern life that we may never long for in the future:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nw5KQMXDiM4

[elyvorg]

I just beat Leon in Pokémon Shield despite my team being more than ten levels lower than his. I didn't use any (non-hold) items, either - the only advantage I allowed myself was playing with Shift on (although looking back on how the battle went, I might have been able to barely manage without it). I'm saying this not to boast about my epic Pokémon skillz, but to talk about how it felt awesome to manage to do that by using strategy. The reason I was so underlevelled is that my style of playing Pokémon games for the past few gens has been to train literally every Pokémon I'm interested in using, regardless of the fact that this gives me a team of way more than six. Because of this, I had so many different options for my strategy for the battle.

I did one test run first in which I knew I wasn't going to win the moment I saw his Pokémon's levels but then decided to flail around while spamming Max Revives just to see as much of his team as possible and scout out their moves, which managed to show me all his Pokémon except the Charizard I already knew about. Then I was planning to go and grind maybe five more levels on everyone to not be quite as ridiculously outmatched... except I couldn't stop thinking, what if it was already possible at this level? My Pokémon had pulled off some impressive KOs or near-KOs or tanking of big hits during the test battle, just enough to make me think I could just maybe do it if I put together the right strategy. I looked through my almost-a-box-full of options for Pokémon I'd been training to this level and carefully picked those that would be able to counter each of Leon's despite the level gap, maybe teaching them a couple of new moves and using some held items chosen specifically for the situation. This involved some nerding out checking each of his Pokémon's base stats to get a sense of roughly how strong they'd be and therefore how strong my Pokémon's relevant stats would need to be to tank a hit/outspeed/OHKO them.

Even then, it still took two attempts. The first time, things went mostly as I'd calculated, though I overestimated my Pokémon's capabilities just a little bit in some regards but managed to get through with some luck and some improvising, enough to get to his Charizard. And then... yeah, okay, I definitely underestimated his Charizard, and it destroyed the remainder of my team. (Tip: don't use a Drednaw; it has a Grass move. I thought it probably would, but it was worth a try on the off-chance it didn't, since Charizard was the one Pokémon whose moves I hadn’t managed to scout at all.) A bit more re-strategising was necessary for the next attempt with this in mind, the bottom line of which is that I still kind of hate the way Stealth Rock single-handedly makes a Pokémon's competitive worth hinge on its weakness to Rock and yet I sure took advantage of it here, but the more important bottom line is that Boltund is a very, very good dog. Even then, I still underestimated Charizard and spent the last few turns of the battle desperately improvising while not knowing if I would win. Putting together a strategy that I was pretty sure would work and watching it pay off felt awesome, but it also felt awesome to be frantically unsure whether my Pokémon could pull through in the end or not and then having them manage to do so!

(...I also partly won because Leon made some poor decisions while using Charizard. I guess I can headcanon that as being down to him also panicking because a challenger had never come this close to defeating him before. Throughout the whole game I was worried he wasn't going to live up to the constant hype of being supposedly unbeatable and would be anticlimactically easy to defeat, but nope, he lived up to it and then some.)

If you've been finding Pokémon games too easy lately, I highly recommend my playstyle! Don't just restrict yourself to a team of six; use any and all of the Pokémon you find cool or interesting! This is less of a hassle than it's ever been now thanks to the ability to access your PC boxes from anywhere (THANK YOU for this, Game Freak). Your team will be underlevelled, but you'll have so many options to pick from to try and strategise your way through a tough battle without just level grinding through the problem! Pokémon is such a fun strategy game when strategy is actually properly necessary, which doesn't only have to be in competetive PvP situations.

Honestly I kind of wish I'd had more battles in this game in which I'd needed to pull out all the stops and use such careful strategising to win. For most of the game I wasn't that underlevelled thanks to the the Exp Share-like function that can't be turned off in this game even though I'd usually do that, and the unusually high-levelled wild Pokémon you can easily grind against (making me frequently overestimate what levels the Gym Leaders would be). So there were only a tiny handful of other battles that also gave the same rush as this one due to me winning through strategy rather than simply using decently-levelled Pokémon with type advantages.

But still! I love and am so proud of my team who won me the battle, and all of their friends in the box who didn't happen to be suited for this particular battle but still helped get me through other important battles, and I couldn't have done it without any of them. I just love Pokémon, guys. The even better thing about this playstyle is that it means you get to use every Pokémon you want to use, with no "oh that one'd be cool but I've already got six/already got one of that type so I can't", and each of them is bound to get at least one battle in which they can shine and show how awesome they are. MOAR POKÉMON FRIENDS.

Sword and Shield aren't perfect games, but I'm never going to mention my gripes with them (it's not Dexit, though; I literally do not care about Dexit), because ultimately they didn't stop me from just having so much fun playing through this game and exploring Galar and discovering new Pokémon and making them my partners. POKÉMON.

[wherestoriescomefrom]

sorry to bother but i remember reading something about you writing a paper on how happiness is weaponized in hp and i was wondering if you had any links? i'd love to read that

Shit, anon! I lost this ask entirely because I thought my tumblr glitched or you deleted it!! Don’t worry though, I’ll do my best to answer it and I hope you find out that I answered it. I’m really unsure about the notification system on tumblr currently. 

So unfortunately, the paper you are talking about was never published because it was one of my earliest papers as an undergrad student, so it requires a lot of cleaning up before its anywhere close to publishable. If you would really like to read it, you can dm me privately, and I don’t mind emailing it at all. It wasn’t specifically about weaponised happiness, but rather the role of laughter in talking truth to power. The title of the paper is “MischiefManaged: The Interaction of Humour and Fantasy in Harry Potter.” 

I’m going to take out some of the arguments I had originally written, so you can have a sense of the paper and the overarching thesis. I’ll also attach my bibliography under a Read More link. Anytime you see a line break, assume that I’m quoting from a different part of the paper! 

“The regulation and order of theDursleys is a method of exercising control over Harry. Their sense of normalcycomes from having avoided this complex other world and from making sure Harrynever finds it. Hogwarts becomes a welcome world, one of mess and magic,disorder and laughter, where Harry finds himself through the contrasts.             

Hogwarts becomes Harry’s escape – “frombeing the oppressed and ignored, Harry becomes the often feted cynosure. Frombeing alone, he gains the huge new family of the school and the domestic familyof the Weasleys, with whose children he becomes friends. From being without apurpose, his life is given structure and meaning.” (Manlove 186)             

The world of Hogwarts is analternative – a carnival of belonging and acceptance. The normal rules do notoperate here, and Harry often notes this. The mirror image to life with theDursleys is in life with the Weasleys, a motif that repeats itself both in anemotional acceptance and a physical difference. For instance: 

Lifeat The Burrow was as different as possible from life in Privet Drive. TheDursleys liked everything neat and ordered; the Weasleys’ house burst with thestrange and unexpected. Harry got a shock the first time he looked in themirror over the kitchen mantelpiece and it shouted, ‘Tuck your shirt in,scruffy!’ The ghoul in the attic howled and dropped pipes whenever he feltthings were getting too quiet, and small explosions from Fred and George’sbedroom were considered perfectly normal. What Harry found most unusual aboutlife at Ron’s, however, wasn’t the talking mirror or the clanking ghoul: it wasthe fact that everybody there seemed to like him. (Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets 23)

Themad world of Hogwarts gives Harry the language to rebel against the Dursleys.Magic becomes a liberating force, and, interestingly, we find this languagetranslated into humour. One of the first instances of the Dursleys being unableto bully Harry is in Hagrid’s arrival. Hagrid’s response to Vernon Dursley’sattempts to control the situation are simple – giving Dudley Dursley a pig’stail. This comical image is meant to invoke laughter in us, and seems to teachHarry as well. Harry’s first active act of rebellion against the Dursleysoccurs in Harry Potter and the Prisonerof Azkaban, where Harry blows his Aunt Marge up. Images of comic releaseare used alongside magic for both the young audiences, and the larger politicalpoint being made about translating the language of resistance. Magic existsbetween gaps of reality and unreality; interacting with humour allows it tobecome a powerful statement against overpowering authority.” 

“By creating this identity, thearistocratic ‘Purebloods’ ensure a binary between the two identities. Bylocating this identity within a body, a target is created, and the way theauthority interacts with this body determines the nature of this body. It isthis very body that is later punished. This identity itself is constructed:there is no definite way of being able to trace a bloodline back to itssources, and as the ‘trimmed’ portions of the Black family tree demonstrate,almost all the so-called ‘Pureblood’[1] families have a certainamount of ‘Muggle Blood’ mixed in. However, they very naming of the blood status is what allows the society to assumethere are differentiations. 

Thenaming itself gives authority figures like Dolores Umbridge the legal authorityto ‘cleanse’ the Wizarding society. Nomenclature is crucial in the creation ofa shared enemy – similar to the innocuous ‘Mudblood,’ Voldemort’s regime in theMinistry of Magic brings out similar chilling identifications. Emily AsherPerrin analyses that Harry is termed an “Undesirable” (Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 190) – once again, aninnocuous term, once stripped of the political connotations. Therefore, thesocietal situation created by the very existence of the term ‘Mudblood’ is whatallows a Voldemort, and, more importantly, an Umbridge.

The segregation of identities occursbetween racially different creatures, as well. The most touted example for thiswould be the treatment of the Houselves. Once again, common place, everydaynames and objects are used to define their identity. Wizards have the privilegeof defining their relationship with Houselves, and lack of education ensuresthat they will never find a framework outside this definition to operate in.”

“Thelanguage Harry learns to assert his identity against the Dursleys is intimatelysimilar to the language that the youngsters of Harry’s communities have tolearn to assert their identities against legally sanctioned authority figures.Harry’s wit and sarcasm against figures who hold power over them is a commontrope within the Dursley household; the threshold is crossed when he uses thesame language to speak to figures like Severus Snape and Dolores Umbridge:

‘Whodo you imagine wants to attack children like yourselves?’ enquired ProfessorUmbridge in a horribly honeyed voice.

‘Hmm,let’s think ...’ said Harry in a mock thoughtful voice. ‘Maybe ... LordVoldemort?’

Rongasped; Lavender Brown uttered a little scream; Neville slipped sideways offhis stool. Professor Umbridge, however, did not flinch. She was staring atHarry with a grimly satisfied expression on her face. (Rowling, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix 213 - 214)

 ‘Doyou remember me telling you we are practising non-verbal spells, Potter?’

‘Yes,’said Harry stiffly.

‘Yessir.’

‘There’sno need to call me “sir”, Professor.’ (Rowling, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince 138 - 139)

 Wedo not necessarily see Harry directing sarcasm and wit towards teachers beforethis – Professor Umbridge breaks this barrier, and we see Harry rebellingagainst the corrupted undercurrent of the world he loves so well. His responseto this corruption is similar to his response towards the Dursleys, accessing alanguage of ridicule and mockery to make his point.

The effect this has is manifold: themethod to critique authority becomes humour. By belittling Umbridge’s ideas,Harry is able to expose how hollow they are. This method also helps to establisha sense of community: since humour is a function of a shared set of values, wesee its use as a tool of rebellion a way to unite a voiceless minority. NevilleLongbottom articulates this himself, when he points out “It helps when peoplestand up to them, it gives everyone hope. I used to notice that when you didit, Harry.” (Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 432) Oppression and restrictions are battledby communities, communities willing to laugh at the ones who create theseoppressive structures.”

“The schoolwide campaign of pranksagainst Umbridge is instigated by them [Harry and Friends], used by them to undermine herauthority, to make her rules seem worthless and arbitrary. Their act oftransgression has interesting consequences, for the community that they aretrying to bring together. “Now you mention it,’ said Hermione happily, ‘d’youknow ... I think I’m feeling a bit ... rebellious,” (Rowling, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix 533) becomes a sentimentthat gives the language of rebellion to the students of Hogwarts, many of whomhave not faced ideology in operation before Umbridge. In fact, expressinghumour in the face of oppression seems to erase “signs of fear” from Fred’scountenance. The creation of the Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes is what allowsstudents to access this sense of power over Umbridge, and it is usedeffectively against her over and over again.

The similarities between Umbridge’sregime and Voldemort’s regime are uncanny. As a foreshadowing, Harry’sexperience with Umbridge teaches him how to articulate himself againstVoldemort’s claims to power. When Harry attempts to infiltrate the Ministryduring the rule of Voldemort, hidden under the political façade of PiusThickness, once again, the products developed by Fred and George Weasley. DecoyDetonators, Extendable Ears, Skiving Snackboxes, and other pranks are used toinfiltrate a serious political institution, and used effectively. The Weasley’sWizard Wheezes becomes a rallying cry for humour even during the time whenVoldemort is at large, without the legal sanction of the Ministry. “U No Poo” (Rowling, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince 91)is a masterminded subversion of the Voldemort’s attempt to construct hisidentity as something larger-than-life. Voldemort uses names to terrify peopleinto submission. By making his very name inaccessible, he makes his identityuntouchable, inconceivable and fearsome. The prank created by Fred and Georgeis extremely clever in the way it recaptures this space, reducing Voldemort’sunspeakable terror into something that everyone can access withoutapprehension.” 

Foof!! That Went long. Hope it answered your questions, Anon, and I’m including the bibliography. Mind, if I was writing this paper again, that bibliography is going to be much longer, so if you want more reading material, let me know!!! 

Works Cited

Bakhtin, Mikhail. “Introduction.” Rabelais and His World. Indiana UP, 1984. 1 - 59. E-book.

Barrat, Bethany. “Azkaban: Discipline, Punishment, and Human Rights.” The Politics of Harry Potter. Palgrave Macmillian, 2012. 85 - 95. E-book.

Barrat, Bethany. “‘By Order of the Hogwarts High Inquisitor’: Basis of Authority.” The Politics of Harry Potter. Palgrave Macmillian, 2012. 85 - 95. E-book.

Barrat, Bethany. “Purebloods and Mudbloods: Race, Species, Power.” The Politics of Harry Potter. Palgrave Macmillian, 2012. 59 - 85. E-book.

Barrat, Bethany. “The DA (Dumbledore's Army): Resistance From Below.” The Politics of Harry Potter. Palgrave Macmillian, 2012. 85 - 95. E-book.

Foucault, Michel. “The Body of the Condemned.” Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison. Vintage Books, 1995. 3 - 32. E-book.

Manlove, Colin. “Frightened of the Dark: The 1990s.” From Alice to Harry Potter: Children's Fantasy in England. 2003. 169 – 193. E-book.

Mendlesohn, Farah. “Crowning the King: Constructing Authority in Harry Potter.” The Ivory Tower and Harry Potter: Perspectives on a Literary Phenomenon, ed Lana A Whited. University of Missouri Press, 2002. E-book.

Perrin, Emily Asher. “The Harry Potter Reread: The Deathly Hallows, Chapters 13 and 14.” 26 February 2016. Tor.com. Website.

Westman, Karin. “Spectres of Thatcherism: Contemporary British Culture in JK Rowling's Harry Potter Series.” The Ivory Tower and Harry Potter: Perspectives on a Literary Phenomenon, ed Lana A Whited. University of Missouri Press, 2002. E-book.

Whited, Lana A, M Katherine Grimes. “What Would Harry Do: JK Rowling and Lawrence Kohlberg's Theories of Moral Development.” The Ivory Tower and Harry Potter: Perspectives on a Literary Phenomenon, ed Lana A Whited. University of Missouri Press, 2002. 182 - 211. E-book.

[meditationadvise]

Three Simple Ways to Pay Attention

The most usual reaction I listen to these days when I inform a person I teach reflection is "I'm so worried out. I might actually make use of a few of that." I am also entertained to listen to fairly often "My buddy should actually fulfill you!" I enjoy to see that meditation is recognized increasingly more as something that could be directly handy in our daily lives. Anywhere stress plays a function in our problems, meditation can have a possible role in its relief.

Meditation technique need not be tied to any idea system. The just necessary idea is not a dogmatic one, yet one that says each of us has the ability to comprehend ourselves much more fully, and to care extra deeply both for ourselves and for others. Its techniques work to free us of regular reactions that create us excellent sadness, such as harsh self-judgment, and also to develop wisdom as well as love. Meditation gives any person who seeks it a chance to look within for a sense of abundance, depth, and also link to life.

Rather compared to an ornate, arcane collection of directions, standard reflection is composed of practical tools to help deepen concentration, mindfulness, and compassion.

1. Concentration

Concentration is the art of collecting all that energy, that stormy, scattered interest, and settling, centering.

Concentration steadies as well as focuses our interest so that we could allow go of harmful internal distractions-- is sorry for concerning the past, stresses over the future, addictions-- and also keep from being attracted by external ones. Interruption loses our power, concentration restores it.

We commonly experience our interest scattering to the four winds. We take a seat to assume something through or work with a problem, and prior to we understand it, we're gone. We're shed in ideas of the past, commonly concerning something we currently regret: "I should have said that more masterfully." "I ought to have been less shy and also spoken up." "I should have been smarter and also closed up." We aren't assuming things via to locate a method making amends. We're just lost.

Or our distractedness drives us right into anxiety-filled projections regarding the future. Envision you are resting in an airplane at one of the New York City flight terminals. All of a sudden you begin assuming, "Oh no, I think this airplane may leave late. I make certain it will certainly be late. Currently I'm mosting likely to miss my connection. Exactly what will that suggest? That suggests I'm mosting likely to show up in Rose city, Oregon, after twelve o'clock at night. There will not be any taxis! Exactly what's going to take place to me?" It's as though Portland were famous for having people vanish if they land after midnight!

Without concentration, our minds dilate into the future in such a way that isn't really such as competent preparation however more like exhausting rumination. When I see my very own mind starting that arc of anxiety, I have a claiming I utilize to assist restore me to balance: "Something will certainly take place." There will certainly be a bus. I'll invest the evening in the airport. Something will certainly take place. I can't figure it all out right now.

Concentration is the art of collecting all of that energy, that stormy, scattered focus, and settling. A person came near speak to me just recently when I was educating, opposing my use words focus. He said it advised him of suppression, as though he were squeezing his attention into something, withstanding and feeling bitter anything else that came near pull his interest away. I asked him if steadying or clearing up would excel substitutes, as well as he happily accepted them. That's what concentration in fact suggests. It's not a required, stressful, stretched effort. It's letting points choose exactly what goes to hand.

2. Mindfulness

Mindfulness fine-tunes our focus to ensure that we can connect extra totally as well as straight with whatever life brings. Numerous times our understanding of just what is happening is misshaped by bias, practices, worries, or desires. Mindfulness aids us see with these and also be much more aware of exactly what really is.

Imagine you're on your means to a celebration when you run right into a good friend who points out an earlier meeting he had with your brand-new colleague. He claims, "That person is so boring!" When at the celebration, that do you locate yourself stuck speaking to but that brand-new associate! Because of your good friend's comment (not even your personal understanding), you end up not really listening meticulously to them or looking completely at them. More probable you are assuming about the following 15 e-mails you have to send or fretting as you gaze concerning the room and also see a lot of individuals you prefer to be speaking with. Whatever he or she is stating increases your displeasure and frustration.

But if you understand just what's taking place, it could be that you drop the filter of your pal's comment and also determine to discover out for yourself, from your own straight experience, exactly what you think about your new coworker. You pay attention, you observe, you are broad-minded, interested. By the end of the evening you could choose, "I concur. I locate that individual really uninteresting." However probably not, life also supplies many shocks. Just what is essential is that we're not just led by exactly what we've been told, by the beliefs of others, by conviction or bias or presumption. Rather, we shape our perception with as clear as well as open an assumption as possible.

Mindfulness does not depend on just what is occurring, however has to do with how we connect to what is taking place. That's why we state that mindfulness can go anywhere. We could be conscious of pleasure as well as grief, pleasure and also discomfort, stunning songs and also a screech. Mindfulness doesn't imply these all flatten out and also come to be one huge blob, without distinction or intensity or flavor or structure. Instead, it indicates that old regular methods of connecting-- maybe holding on fiercely to pleasure, to make sure that, ironically, we are in fact appreciating it less, or frowning at as well as pressing away pain, to ensure that, regretfully, we experience a great deal much more, or numbing out, detaching from average, not really interesting experiences, so that we're half in a desire a great deal of the moment. All these self-defeating, restricting reactions don't have to be there.

We could easily misinterpret mindfulness and consider it as passive, complacent, also a little bit boring. I was showing someplace lately and also began the formal meditation guideline, as I usually do, with the recommendation to just sit in an unwinded method and also hear the sounds in the room. Somebody raised his hand right now and asked, "If I hear the noise of the smoke detector, should I simply rest here 'mindfully,' knowing I'm hearing the smoke detector go off, or should I stand up as well as leave?" I responded, "I 'd 'mindfully' obtain up and also leave!"

I understood his concern. When we hear phrases typically used to explain mindfulness, like "simply be with exactly what is," "approve today moment," "do not get shed in judgment," it can appear very inert. The actual experience of mindfulness is of vibrant, alive, open area where imaginative responses to situations have area to emerge, precisely since we're not stuck in the well-worn grooves of the same old habitual reactions. In mindfulness, we do not shed discernment and also knowledge. These high qualities, in reality, come to be much more intense as stagnant preconceptions as well as automated, inflexible responses no more rule the day.

3. Compassion

Compassion opens our attention and also makes it a lot more inclusive, changing the method we view ourselves and the globe. Rather than being so caught up in the construct of self and other and also us and them that we often tend to see the globe via, we see things much extra in terms of connection to all. This fundamental makeover from alienation begins with more compassion to ourselves.

Even in methods that do not especially emphasize compassion or concern, these high qualities are inevitably being created in reflection. If we return and also consider the fundamental workout I defined, establishing focus, we locate that it is typically done by choosing a things such as the feeling of the in and out breath, then resolving our attention on it. What we uncover at first, often to our shock, is that it typically isn't 800 breaths prior to our minds wander. Much more commonly, it is one breath, maybe two or 3, after that we are lost. Possibly extremely shed in a dream or memory.

Then comes the minute we understand we have actually been distracted. Our usual reaction would certainly be to feel that we have actually failed, to rail against ourselves. Just what we practice, however, is releasing delicately rather than roughly as well as returning to the breath or our item of concentration with kindness as well as compassion for ourselves. Therefore, those high qualities of concern as well as kindness strengthen also if we do not offer voice to those words.

And what we provide for ourselves, we could likewise start to do toward others. A few years ago I got on my means to Tucson, yet my strategies were tested when I located myself in an airplane resting on a path for four and also a half hours at La Guardia Flight Terminal. Looking back on it, I often refer amusingly to those hours as "the breakdown of human being." It was hot, and also it expanded hotter. After a point, people beginning screaming, "Let me off this aircraft!" The pilot resorted to hopping on the system and also stating sternly, "No person is leaving this plane."

I had not been really feeling all that chipper myself. I could not connect with individuals in Tucson that were intended to select me up at the flight terminal, as well as I was concerned regarding them. I had a house to head to in New york city City and also maintained thinking, fruitless, "I can simply return there and also try once more tomorrow." I was warm. I really felt mauled by the people yelling around me.

Then I recalled a photo that a friend of mine, Bob Thurman, writer of Infinite Life: Seven Merits for Living Well, typically uses to define the flow of generosity and also compassion that comes from seeing the world more truthfully. He says, "Imagine you get on the New York City metro, and also these Martians come and also zap the train vehicle to ensure that those of you in the cars and truck are mosting likely to be with each other ... for life." What do we do? If somebody is hungry, we feed them. If a person is freaking out, we attempt to calm them down. We could not such as everyone or authorize of them, yet we are mosting likely to be together for life. We need to react with the knowledge of just how interrelated our lives are-- as well as will certainly remain.

Sitting on that airplane, I recalled my close friend's story. I browsed the cabin and also thought, "Perhaps these are my individuals." I saw my worldview shift from "me" as well as "them" to "we." The claustrophobia eased.

In terms of meditative understanding (as opposed to our usual mindset, which may relate to these high qualities as gifts we could do nothing to grow or as prompt psychological reactions we take pleasure in yet can't support), compassion and compassion are undoubtedly skills we establish. Not in the feeling of compeling ourselves to feel, or perhaps worse, pretend to really feel, a feeling that is not there. Instead, if we learn to listen in a various, more open means-- seeing the excellent within ourselves rather than focusing on what we do not such as, noticing those we usually neglect or look right via, releasing groups as well as assumptions when we associate with others-- we are producing the problems for generosity and also empathy to flow.

We method meditation ultimately not to come to be great meditators however to have a different life. As we deepen the skills of focus, mindfulness, as well as empathy, we locate we have less anxiety, even more satisfaction, more understanding, and also greatly much more happiness. We change our lives.

[acfinance]

How to Manage Small Business Finance the Right Way

Small companies are prone to end up being frustrating for a solitary entrepreneur. They are not well rewarding, yet need too much hard work and perseverance. Therefore, it is only human to ignore a great deal of vital industries like money. You must understand that with a better hold on cash issues, you will certainly have the ability to handle various other elements of the business extra efficiently. Let us concentrate on the fundamentals to ensure that our funds do not go wasted.

Look for expert assistance

Lots of successful small companies make use of expert aid to boost their efficiency. An expert such as small business accountant Sydney can advise on funds, transport and other facets of business when he is working on a part-time basis. Their valuable advice will certainly aid you dodge a lot of mistakes prone to small businesses.

They will certainly assess your firm's information and make clear the actions you require to take for a much better future. See to it that you trust the person as they would be asking about things you are not comfy regarding. In any way, a professional's aid is an advantage which cannot be ignored.

Differentiate between individual and service finance

Never ever dedicate the error of using individual and service financing for the same function. Get yourself a company bank card and restriction all the expenses to it. Not only it will certainly maintain you in control yet will certainly likewise have a comprehensive background of your expenditures. You can open a saving account for business where you can produce a corpus for long-term goals or for paying tax obligations.

Learn

Establish your ability to read and write monetary declarations. It will certainly tell whatever about your cash's journey from start to the end.

Things like cash flow declaration, annual report, revenue statement and statement of investors. With time you will be able to recognize the financial pattern that has actually been harming your earnings.

Reduce costs

Entrepreneurs do not have any other choice however to stay strict with their costs. Small companies battle in this phase as they additionally need to please their devoted base of consumers. You will certainly never ever be able to manage fixed costs, however a great deal can be done to marginalize variable costs.

As an example, you can service cloud-based or open-source software rather than purchasing from pricey brands. Usage video conferencing and online calls to conserve cash on traveling. One can additionally utilize the barter system to receive and provide solutions while cutting prices.

Leave the accounting to cloud-based software program

Cloud-based accountancy software program has actually taken over the regular ones for good. They offer the convenience of storage space and can likewise be accessed anywhere on the globe. Some of them are capable of supplying real-time understandings while being dependable and hassle-free.

Conclusion

Small companies are a whole lot tougher to manage than ever before. Due to the boosted competitors, they are bound to either expand or get dusted. We suggest that you utilize all the above-mentioned ideas to achieve a far better setting as an entrepreneur. We wish that you have a much better financial resources.

[your-dietician]

Nutrition for Athletes — How to Eat for Muscle and Performance 

New Post has been published on https://tattlepress.com/nutrition/nutrition-for-athletes-how-to-eat-for-muscle-and-performance/

Nutrition for Athletes — How to Eat for Muscle and Performance 

Professional athletes — from bodybuilders to Major League Baseball players — have the best equipment, training facilities, and coaches in the world at their disposal, so it makes sense that their nutrition has to be top-of-the-line as well. 

Just look at living football legend Tom Brady. Yes, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback possesses the natural talent. Still, there’s also no doubt his meticulously planned nutrition regimen has helped him win Super Bowl titles at 43 — an age where most players have already called it a career. 

We can’t promise these nutrition tips will make you a six-time Super Bowl champion, but they certainly can help make you stronger and faster for your next competition — whatever that may be.

Editor’s note: The content on BarBend is meant to be informative in nature, but it shouldn’t take the place of advice and/or supervision from a medical professional. The opinions and articles on this site are not intended to diagnose, prevent, and/or treat health problems. Speak with your physician if you have any concerns or before beginning any new workout regimen.

Caloric Requirements for Athletes 

An athletes’ caloric requirements, and their macronutrient split, will depend on what competition they’re preparing for. A CrossFitter, for example, will need a lot more fuel in the tank (and therefore have to eat more) than, say, a Classic Physique bodybuilder preparing to step on stage during show day. 

We recommend working alongside a nutritionist and personal trainer to determine your overall caloric needs for training and competitions. If you’re looking for a starting point, here’s a macronutrient calculator to help you determine how much you should roughly eat. 

Dr. Theodore Shybut, a sports medicine expert at Baylor College of Medicine, notes on the college’s website that some athletes may require two- to three times more calories than the average person. 

“If you’re actively working out, training at a high volume, or preparing for a competition, you really need to take in enough calories and nutrients to support the level of activity that you’re doing,” he says. 

This has been backed up by research that points out some athletes with intense training schedules may require 80 calories per kilogram of body weight per day. To put that in perspective, a 90-kilogram athlete (roughly 200 pounds) could potentially have to eat up to 7,200 calories every day. (1)  

Think that’s a lot? During his prime, Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps consumed nearly 12,000 calories per day. That’s more than 2018 World’s Strongest Man Hafthor Björnsson ate during his Strongman career. 

But it’s also important to note that athletes will have to get their calories from different sources depending on their training. That’s where macronutrients come into play. 

Macronutrients for Athletes 

Just like caloric requirements, your macronutrient split is going to vary depending on what type of gold medal or trophy you’re vying for. Again, this is a conversation you should have with qualified professionals who will measure your body weight, examine your metabolism, and determine what split will work best for your personal needs. 

[Related: How to Gain Muscle — a Guide to Eating for Mass]

This section will go over some general guidelines for two types of athletes — endurance and strength/power — and talk about why each macronutrient is vital for both. 

Protein 

Protein is the building block of all muscles — so no matter what kind of competition you’re doing, you need plenty of it to recover from strenuous training sessions and game day. 

Beyond that, protein also helps reduce muscle soreness and keeps your bones strong. Without it, your body is more likely to break down and become frail after years of intense athleticism. 

So, how much protein should you eat? American Dietetic Association, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine all say endurance and strength/power athletes should aim for 1.2-2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (so for the 90kg athlete, that’d be anywhere from 108 to 180 grams of protein per day). Power athletes, such as strongmen, may require more than this, as may anyone who’s trying to lose weight while maintaining lean muscle mass. (2)

You may also hear a lot about “protein timing,” or the thought that you need to consume protein right after training or competing to help the body recover from all the stress it underwent. However, no professional nutritionist organization has any real standpoint on when you should eat protein. Instead, spread your protein intake evenly throughout the day — about 20-30 grams per meal. This has been shown to improve protein synthesis (your body’s ability to absorb and use protein) and body composition. (3)

Here are some protein sources recommended by the Cleveland Clinic:

Edamame

Lentils

Split Peas

Low-fat Meats (such as boneless, skinless chicken breast)

Greek Yogurt

Low-fat cottage cheese

Canned Tuna

Egg Whites

[Related: Up your protein intake with a whey protein powder]

Carbohydrates

The number of carbohydrates — your body’s preferred energy source — you need will vary depending on the intensity of your exercise. This can range anywhere from five grams per kilogram of body weight to 12 grams for endurance athletes. (4)

Strength/power athletes, typically, want to aim to get 55-60% of their daily calories from carbohydrates, according to the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

Unlike protein, the timing of your carbohydrate intake impacts your performance and will change based on what you’re doing. The following are some loose guidelines based on prior research but check with your nutritionist to hammer out a strategy that works best for your needs. 

One study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine states athletes seem to benefit from eating 200 to 300 grams of carbs about three to four hours before an athletic event. This gives the body enough time to digest the carbs and turn them into energy. The same study also said athletes should aim for 30 to 60 grams of carbs during exercise to maintain blood sugar levels. After the event, aim for about  1.0-1.5 g/kg of body weight to restore your glycogen stores. (5)

This advice is in line with the recommendations laid out by the International Society of Sports Nutrition, which also stresses these food sources should be of high quality. Focus on complex carbohydrates like brown rice, vegetables, and whole grains over simple sugars and junk food. (6)

Here are some carbohydrates that all athletes should incorporate into their diets, as suggested by the Mayo Clinic. 

Barley

Brown rice

Buckwheat

Bulgur (cracked wheat)

Millet

Oatmeal

Popcorn

Whole-wheat bread, pasta, or crackers

ArtOfPhotos/Shutterstock

[Related: How to Calculate Your Macronutrients for Weight Loss]

Fats 

Fats, believe it or not, are an important part of an athlete’s diet, and it’s recommended both endurance and strength athletes get anywhere from 25-35% of their calories from fats. Yet it’s also recommended that athletes who need to lose weight cut this macronutrient first, before carbohydrates or protein. (6) 

Fats are no stranger to controversy, especially since they live up to their name by being more fattening — they pack nine calories per gram, compared to four per gram from protein and carbs. 

So why the emphasis on making sure it’s in an athlete’s diet? The answer is that many vitamins and hormones rely on fats to do their job — in other words, there are many vitamins and minerals our body can’t utilize unless there’s fat in our system. Similarly, hormones like testosterone need fat.  

Multiple studies have found that lower-fat diets are linked with decreased testosterone in athletes, leading to reduced muscle mass and frail bones. (7)

Here are some examples of good fats provided by the American Heart Association:

Avocado

Canola Oil

Sesame Oil

Sunflower Oil

Albacore tuna

Herring

Lake trout

Mackerel

Sardines

Salmon 

Almonds

Hazelnuts

Peanuts

Pistachios

Pumpkin seeds

Sunflower seeds  

Walnuts

The Importance of Micronutrients for Athletes 

Micronutrients, aka vitamins and minerals, are vital to eyesight, brain function, oxygen delivery, and a healthy immune system.

The range for how much of each micronutrient you need varies greatly from one to the next, and just like macronutrients, certain athletes may need more or less depending on what their specialty is. 

And, not to sound like a broken record, micronutrient needs will also vary depending on exercise intensity. (8)

[The Best Greens Powders for Digestion, Vitamins, Value, and More]

A well-balanced diet should give you all the vitamins and minerals you’ll need, but the one time you might run into problems might be if you’re losing weight for either a bodybuilding show or to make a certain weight class in boxing or wrestling. 

One study examined 12 such athletes and found that their micronutrient intake fell to 90% of the recommended daily value when they were restricting calories. In this case, it’s advised that athletes take supplements to ensure they’re reaching their vitamin and mineral needs. (9)

Hydration and Electrolytes for Athletes 

Needless to say, athletes will need more water and electrolytes than the average person to ensure they’re hydrated during workouts and games. 

The dangers of dehydration are well known but warrant repetition. Athletes who become dehydrated can experience increased heart rates and body temperatures, which can lead to decreased performance and may cause severe damage to your body. 

Similarly, you don’t want to become overhydrated, as that can lead to conditions like nausea, headaches, and confusion. These symptoms are caused by water-electrolyte imbalances or when there’s too much water in your system and not enough electrolytes. (10)

There’s a good trick to find out how much water you’ll need to consume: weigh yourself before and after a training session (in kilograms) and subtract those two numbers. Then add how much fluid (water or sports drink) you consumed during your training session, and you get your sweat-loss volume. (Tip: one liter of water is one kilogram, so half a liter is 0.5 kilograms.)

Day Of Victory Studio/Shutterstock

 [Related: The Best Women’s Multivitamins for Athletes, Women Over 50, and More]

So if the 90kg athlete weighs 89kgs after a training session or competition and drinks half a liter of water, their sweat-loss volume is 1.5 kilograms. This number is less than two percent of their body mass, which is the mark you should keep your sweat-loss volume at.

While this is a good strategy for most athletes, there are many cases where calculating your sweat-loss volume may be impossible — such as team sports, running, and biking. And most of the time, these athletes underestimate their sweat-loss volume, which leads to them under-hydrating. (11)

The best strategy for these types of situations is to begin your training session completely hydrated — again, a nutritionist can determine how to achieve that. Even more importantly, an athlete should never rely on thirst as an indicator to drink more water — if you’re running and feel thirsty, you’re already dehydrated. 

The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, echoing research from nutrition experts, recommends athletes drink about four to eight ounces of water at 15-20 minute intervals. This, of course, will also depend on the intensity and how the temperature of wherever you’re working out. 

A Word on Electrolytes 

Electrolytes are simply minerals with a small electrical charge, which help the body regulate your heartbeat, muscle contractions, fluid regulation, and more. They also help maintain the balance of fluids in and out of your cells — you don’t want to have too little or too much fluid in them. 

Electrolytes only work when they’re dissolved in water.  

Some of the most common electrolytes are: 

Magnesium 

Calcium 

Phosphate 

Sodium 

Potassium

Sodium, commonly found in salt, may be one of the most overlooked electrolytes. The Food and Drug Administration recommends people get 2.3 grams of it per day, but an hour of sweaty activity can result in seven grams of lost sodium. That’s why many sports drinks will have sodium in them — to help replace whatever you lost through sweating. (12)

A lack of proper electrolytes can lead to increased heart rates and physical discomfort, and in extreme cases, can lead to heart attacks and even death.

Athletes and Alcohol 

Sure, athletes like to pop bottles whenever they win a championship, but the reality is that’s probably the first bit of the bubbly they’ve had in quite some time. That’s because alcohol has been shown to increase recovery times, decrease testosterone, and increase cortisol (the “stress” hormone). It’s also been shown to decrease muscle protein synthesis. (13)(14)

Syda Productions/Shutterstock

[Related: The Best Mass Gainers for Digestion, Flavor, and More]

All that’s to say, one or two drinks won’t completely derail your progress, but you’re probably better off saving your bar days for the off-season. 

References

Pramuková B, Szabadosová V, Soltésová A. Current knowledge about sports nutrition. Australas Med J. 2011;4(3):107-110. doi:10.4066/AMJ.2011.520

American Dietetic Association; Dietitians of Canada; American College of Sports Medicine, Rodriguez NR, Di Marco NM, Langley S. American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Nutrition and athletic performance. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009 Mar;41(3):709-31. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0b013e31890eb86. PMID: 19225360.

Mamerow MM, Mettler JA, English KL, Casperson SL, Arentson-Lantz E, Sheffield-Moore M, Layman DK, Paddon-Jones D. Dietary protein distribution positively influences 24-h muscle protein synthesis in healthy adults. J Nutr. 2014 Jun;144(6):876-80. doi: 10.3945/jn.113.185280. Epub 2014 Jan 29. PMID: 24477298; PMCID: PMC4018950.

Vitale K, Getzin A. Nutrition and Supplement Update for the Endurance Athlete: Review and Recommendations. Nutrients. 2019;11(6):1289. Published 2019 Jun 7. doi:10.3390/nu11061289

Hassapidou, M. (2011). Carbohydrate requirements of elite athletes. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 45(2), e2–e2. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsm.2010.081570.23

Kerksick CM, Arent S, Schoenfeld BJ, et al. International society of sports nutrition position stand: nutrient timing. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:33. Published 2017 Aug 29. doi:10.1186/s12970-017-0189-4

Sallinen J, Pakarinen A, Ahtiainen J, Kraemer WJ, Volek JS, Häkkinen K. Relationship between diet and serum anabolic hormone responses to heavy-resistance exercise in men. Int J Sports Med. 2004 Nov;25(8):627-33. doi: 10.1055/s-2004-815818. PMID: 15532008.

Volpe SL. Micronutrient requirements for athletes. Clin Sports Med. 2007 Jan;26(1):119-30. doi: 10.1016/j.csm.2006.11.009. PMID: 17241918.

Pons V, Riera J, Capó X, et al. Calorie restriction regime enhances physical performance of trained athletes. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2018;15:12. Published 2018 Mar 9. doi:10.1186/s12970-018-0214-2

 Whitfield AH. Too much of a good thing? The danger of water intoxication in endurance sports. Br J Gen Pract. 2006;56(528):542-545.

O’Neal EK, Wingo JE, Richardson MT, Leeper JD, Neggers YH, Bishop PA. Half-marathon and full-marathon runners’ hydration practices and perceptions. J Athl Train. 2011 Nov-Dec;46(6):581-91. doi: 10.4085/1062-6050-46.6.581. PMID: 22488182; PMCID: PMC3418934.

Godek SF, Peduzzi C, Burkholder R, Condon S, Dorshimer G, Bartolozzi AR. Sweat rates, sweat sodium concentrations, and sodium losses in 3 groups of professional football players. J Athl Train. 2010 Jul-Aug;45(4):364-71. doi: 10.4085/1062-6050-45.4.364. PMID: 20617911; PMCID: PMC2902030.

Lecoultre V, Schutz Y. Effect of a small dose of alcohol on the endurance performance of trained cyclists. Alcohol Alcohol. 2009 May-Jun;44(3):278-83. doi: 10.1093/alcalc/agn108. Epub 2009 Jan 9. PMID: 19136497. 

Parr EB, Camera DM, Areta JL, Burke LM, Phillips SM, Hawley JA, et al. (2014) Alcohol Ingestion Impairs Maximal Post-Exercise Rates of Myofibrillar Protein Synthesis following a Single Bout of Concurrent Training. PLoS ONE 9(2): e88384. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0088384 

Featured image: ArtOfPhotos/Shutterstock

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[flamintango]

(True) Love in the Making: Erotic Writing in Fanfictions

[Translated from Liao Pei-Wen’s Chinese original from Pop Culture Academy. I don’t own the article.]

For a long time, discussions about fanfictions have most frequently centered on the lavish erotic writing in the genre. Fanfictions are often regarded as "female porn," as a result of the vastly female-dominant demographic in its creation and consumption. Undeniably, the fact maintains that sex scenes are a frequent appearance in fanfictions. Pay a visit to Archive of Our Own (AO3) and browse for a series, a certain character or a fictional pair, and one will be greeted by many results labeled as adult content. [1]

The inception of English-language erotic writing approximately dates back to late 1970s. Slash fictions gradually developed among fan communities of sci-fi films and televisions, in line with the popularity of Star Trek at the time, and the changes effected by the Second Wave feminist movements in the 1960s and 1970s. Henry Jenkins believes that the significance of slash fiction partially lies in the ways in which these fanfiction writers interpret and challenge the portrayal of masculine qualities and the positioning of the main male characters in the originals. Academic communities often interpret fan creations from erotic writing's perspective in their research on the subject. They believe that fanfictions are classifiable under erotic literature; moreover, they are erotic writing created "by the women for the women," as if fanfiftions are a medium through which to unveil feminine sexuality.

Jenkins also references Joanna Russ' views on slash fiction. She holds that slash fiction is the expression of female sexuality. These female writers project their own desires on the characters and write about the prospect of enjoying sex and emotional bond while preserving freedom, the prospect insatiable by the traditional pornography industry with predominantly male audience.

In the Star Trek fandom, the explicit sex scenes among slash fictions initially faced strong criticism within the circle. Some even described them as "rape" against the characters and offense toward the spirit of "canon." However, slash fiction writing in English was gradually prospering in the same fan community. The tropes that cannot be more familiar among the English-speaking fanfiction writers and readers nowadays began to take shape around that period, and evolved into the form that fanfiction readers recognize over time in discourses. Needless to say, erotic writing in fanfictions has also shifted with time; the one known to Jenkins was usually the type caught in romantic entanglements. Today, a casual roam on AO3 readily brings you a myriad of fanfictions tagged as "PWP" (porn without plot), and those featuring pornographic writing have greatly ballooned in ratio.

The Emotional Bond in the Creation of Fan Erotica

However, the continuous occurrences of PWP in large numbers does not indicate that erotic writing can paint the full picture of the fanfictional scene. Comparison between pornographic films and fanfictions suggest that the former focuses on corporeal stimulus, and the latter emphasizes emotional bonding. This indicates the stark contrast between the respective appeals to fanfiction writing/ reading and pornography viewing. For fanfiction writing, emotional tie plays an important role. No matter how intense the sexual portrayal, the emphasis remains on the ways in which the relationship between the two characters are reaffirmed through bed scenes. This tendency has its roots in the approaches through which fanfictions inherit the creative methods of the romance genre. Jenkins also believes that despite the blow-by-blow depictions of sex scenes, emotions are the mainstay of fan-generated creation, and corporeal pleasure ultimately stems from the emotional dynamics between characters.

Take the following extract from an Inception fanfiction for example. The whole story takes a turn under the tension-filled atmosphere to a unexpected display of oral sex:

“Arthur,” Eames says, “what are you,” and Arthur shakes his head and undoes Eames’ flies, reaches out a gloved hand to pull out his cock. “Shut up,” he says, “I don’t know how else to do it so shut up, okay, Eames, I can’t–”

“Jesus, you’ll catch your death, you don’t have to–”

“Yes,” Arthur says, helpless, “yes I do, you don’t get it, I really do,” and he pulls the whole thing into his mouth. Eames is barely even hard yet but he moans brokenly, twists his hands in Arthur’s hair and arches against him, and Arthur swallows and swallows and swallows, taking him in deeper than he even knew was possible. “Fuck,” Eames says, hardening in Arthur’s mouth, “oh, bloody fuck,” and Arthur grips Eames’ thighs and hums, dragging himself up and along the length of his dick, tonguing him mercilessly. He’s bitterly cold and Eames’ nails are digging into his scalp and Arthur has never been more wrong about someone in his life, not ever.

(“I get that you can just, fucking, fucking play at it all the time, but I’m not like that, I’m not like you, I’m not good at people like you are,” Arthur had said, and Eames’ eyes had been wide and honest and he’d said “Who says I’m playing at it?” and Arthur hadn’t known, he hadn’t know, how could he not have known–)

“Arthur,” Eames keens, jerking, pulling at Arthur’s hair, “Arthur, Arthur.” [2]

The author intervenes this (out-of-context and confused) oral sex scene materially with a lens to inner psyche, which is a common technique in fanfiction writing. Typically in fan creation of greater length, the continuous occurrence of sex scenes may contributes nothing to plot advancement. That said, it proves pivotal to reinforcing the connection between characters. Sex serves as a device to break through restrictions when verbal communications are rendered incapable. In fanfiction writing, sex and love do not stand in opposition, but build upon each other, and occur in a mutually dependent fashion. If sex fails to take place under emotional buildup, sex in action (or after) usually also lends itself to bonding between characters as the plot develops.

Sex as reaffirmation

This observation, it should be noted, should not translate to triviality of sex in fanfiction writing. On the contrary, sex in fanfictions functions as reaffirmation of the characters' setting, as they have already had their track record of development beyond fan-generated text. Fan creation is the product of community culture. Similar to romantic fiction, it develops the plot according to genre conventions. Sex scenes could be the checkpoint of the story (like "and they live happily ever after"), a turning point ("A realizes their feelings for B"), or a climactic point (pouncing on the love interest, clueless to how to respond to their confession). For instance:

The knob rattles a little in the frame and Derek can’t figure out how this night turned into such a fucking disaster. He’s about to lock up when the door flies open again. “Okay, I don’t get you,” Stiles says, walking back in, pulling the door shut behind him. Derek hasn’t moved though, so they’re barely inches apart. “You blow hot and cold at me, I mean one minute we’re fine, I’m flirting, I think you’re flirting back, you bought me this fucking sweater! This isn’t a ‘just platonic friends’ gift, it’s not, Derek, I can’t–”

Derek has Stiles up against the door in less than a second and he’s kissing Stiles before his back even hits the door. Stiles makes this noise, like he’s so surprised that he’s still talking for a moment, but then it just melts into something that’s almost a whine- high, needy. Derek has thought about kissing Stiles for months, memorized the shape of his mouth- smiling, laughing, frowning- but none of that means that he’s ready for the way it makes him feel. Stiles has both of his hands fisted in Derek’s shirt, like he has to keep Derek close, like Derek would- could- go anywhere when he finally has Stiles here, warm and promising, holding onto Derek like he’s drowning.

“Oh my god, you asshole,” Stiles gasps when Derek has to breathe. “You asshole, do you know how long I’ve wanted you to do that, and you just–”

Derek kisses him again. [3]

As aforementioned, fanfiction readers consume in a different way from typical pornography audiences: we have already learned about the characters before entering the plot. In general, the audience's understanding of characters in pornography is limited to their performed identity at the moment (such as teacher, nurse, flight attendant, student). On the other hand, the characters have already developed a complete track of "past, present, and future" beyond the text for fanfiction readers. Even in PWP, which is almost devoid of any plot, they still have a good grasp of the characters' setting, and grounds for their mutual attraction. In addition, slash fictions typically feature heterosexual man from the original franchise as the protagonist. Therefore, the homosocial relationship left partly unexplored in the original becomes especially substantial to the genre.

In the rise of diverse sexualities and genders, fanfiction authors also begin to write about pairings that do not involve heterosexual men. As an example, Agent Carter manages to carve open a path for fan-made contents of female pairs in Marvel's male-centric fanfiction landscape as a film starring a female protagonist. The slash fiction genre pioneered erotic writing in fanfictions, and remains dominant in the fanfiction scene to this day. Despite that, English fan content creation has long surpassed the generic limitations set slash fictions, and started writing its way to more possibilities.

Notes

[T/N: I omitted the original second footnote (and number the rest accordingly) because it is simply the author explaining their word choice in their own Chinese translation of the word “canon,” which lends little to this English translation. ]

[1] Archive of Our Own, or AO3, is the largest fanfiction platform at the present. Before AO3, most fanficitons were published on Livejournals and Fanfiction.net.

[2] “pressed against the pending physics of my passed down last name” by gyzym.

[3] “DILF” by twentysomething. The excerpt does not include explicit love making scenes (that follows right after), yet is still a prime example of a climactic point.

Image Sources

Junseo

Tatarnikova

Works Cited

Jenkins, Henry. Textual Poachers Television Fans & Participatory Culture. New York: Routledge, 2012.

Russ, Joanna. Magic Mommas, Trembling Sisters, Puritans, and Perverts: Feminist Essays. Trumansburg: Crossing, 1985.

[gduncan969]

Rebuilding the Tower

Genesis 11: 5 - 9

5 But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. 6 And the Lord said, “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them. 7 Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” 8 So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city. 9 Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.

I’ve often wondered what it was about having everyone on earth speaking the same language that God didn’t like.  Surely, it is a good thing that people can communicate directly with each other without the need of a translator.  What possible harm could come from that?  Obviously, something was not right, so why did God say “let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech”?  Apparently, God doesn’t want us all speaking the same language because when we do, nothing can apparently stop us collectively doing anything we set our minds to and looking at the world we now live in, I’m beginning to understand the wisdom in God’s pronouncement.  We may not all speak the same language today but we are close to getting there with our ability to instantly translate from one language to another using modern technology.  Every mega-project in the world now involves experts from multiple countries working together and being able to communicate instantly with each other.  Communications across the world have taken a quantum leap in the last two decades and we are now able to chat on-line virtually anywhere, with anyone, at any time and not only chat with them but smile at them, wave at them and “zoom” in on them and with as many others as our screen can hold.  The distance separating us is no longer a problem, all we need is a laptop and an internet connection.  Technology has done marvelous things to bring us together and make life easier for all of us but it has come at a tremendous cost that has been largely hidden from us and that cost has not been financial but social.  Loneliness among us, especially in the young, is now pandemic and suicide is now the major cause of death in teenagers.  We can have five hundred friends on Facebook but still have no friends. Our technology has enabled us to build towers that pierce the clouds, bridges that span the seas and tunnels that go under them but it has failed miserably to make us happier and its daily demands on us is crushing us.  Have you noticed that every labor-saving device you use simply frees up time to do all those other things that you wouldn’t otherwise be doing because you didn’t have the time?  Years ago one wise African said, “You westerners all have watches but no time while we Africans have no watches but all the time in the world”.  I believe most Africans are still a happier bunch than most westerners.

What God foresaw in our rush to conquer the world around us through our technology is that if we conquered the world without Him, both we and the world would end up in disaster and you only have to look at what technology is now being used for to see disaster is where we are headed.  All those interactions we have on the world wide web are being watched and scrutinized by others who sell our likes and dislikes, our political views and our religious views to others who wish to market their products to us.  Mankind has done great things with all this modern technology but the same technology is been used for purposes that are destroying us and if you are wondering what I mean by this, just look at the power the media moguls now have to track our every move, to control what we see and what we buy, what we communicate to each other while watching us as we do it.  According to Bill Gates, artificial intelligence (AI) is in the process of taking over our lives because computers can think faster and better than we can. It is certainly now driving our automobiles, flying our airplanes and increasingly replacing us for a multitude of complex tasks.  Look at how proficient we have now become in murdering the unborn up to the moment of birth, “changing” a person’s gender and even manufacturing a highly contagious virus in a high-tech laboratory in China.  What has been the result of all this technology?  Surely we must be getting along better with each other and are much happier and wealthier than ever before.  If that is true then why do most marriages end in divorce and why is marriage itself is being abandoned in favour of living together.  Why is it that young people cannot find a soul-mate to spend the rest of their lives with and why is drug abuse killing hundreds of thousands around the world?  Why is suicide the biggest killer of young people and why are we seeing violent protests nightly on our TV screens?  

For the last year the churches have been restricted in their ability to meet together and great swaths of members have quit attending altogether either in person or on line.  The world has been deluged with confusing and contradictory information about the pandemic creating an even greater pandemic of fear that is destroying relationships between the closest of friends.  This week, a dear friend of 51 years died in hospital while his wife, in a care home, could not be with him due to the COVID-19 restrictions.  Sadly, there will be no funeral. Governments have used this pandemic as an opportunity to take control of their populations and for the first time in human history have locked up millions of healthy people in their homes in order to protect them from getting sick despite the fact that the virus is lethal to less than 0.1% of the population and even those sad cases are over 80% in the immuno-compromised seniors population living in care homes. Topping this off is a host of other troubling issues including the great global reset which is threatening to squeeze us further into the world’s godless mold (Romans 12:2).  How do we escape all of this? How do we function in a world gone crazy? First of all, God is not against all this technology but He warns us in the second chapter of the bible that the moment unregenerate man discovered what is good and what is evil, he inevitably chose self-satisfying evil and began destroying himself and the planet he lives in. Eating the apple has given all of us the knowledge to build all kinds of marvelous things through our advanced technologies but Psalm 127:1 explains who we must have leading us before we do so: “Unless the Lord builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the Lord guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain”.  That’s the key.  It’s not the technology to build a tower that can pierce the clouds or a tunnel under the sea that’s the problem, it’s how the builder uses the technology that’s at issue.  God confused the languages right after the flood to stop man from destroying himself by his own  knowledge but man is now using that knowledge to bring us back to one language through technology and side-step God’s warning.  The great global reset’s purpose is to bring in a new social order that does not include God as the builder of the new society and so we are headed for disaster unless the Lord intervenes. God indeed wants us all speaking the same language but it’s the language of His Spirit, the language of Heaven that we must use in our dealings with each other not English or Chinese or any other earthly language. He gave our forefather, Adam, knowledge from “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” which we have all inherited but we have not been given the wisdom to direct that knowledge to do good and we have been blissfully unaware that we humans are merely containers of a spirit—either the Holy Spirit who leads us into all truth or the evil spirit who is the father of lies! In our ignorance we have assumed we have a third choice, namely, to reject both spirits and run our own lives but the bible tells us we were born in sin and that our only choice is to change fathers. Jesus told the pharisees (John 8:44) “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.”  All who refuse to change fathers are cuttings from the same cloth. Isaiah 29:14 says: “Therefore, behold, I will again do a marvelous work among this people, A marvelous work and a wonder; For the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, And the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden.” Jeremiah 8:9 adds: “The wise men are ashamed, They are dismayed and taken. Behold, they have rejected the word of the Lord; So what wisdom do they have?”  That says it all.  If the world, with all its dazzling technology, rejects God, it will end in cataclysmic disaster which, of course, the bible already describes as the end of the age (see Isaiah 65:17 and 66:22; 2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1).  For those of us who have already changed fathers by accepting God’s Son, Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, we have already been transformed from darkness to light and escaped the final outcome of our godless technologies but we have not escaped our responsibility to share the good news with our neighbors who are slowly realizing we are going in the wrong direction and are increasingly fearful of the outcome.  This presents a great opportunity for the Church of Jesus Christ to get busy in the greatest harvest of souls the world has ever seen, one that God has promised would be reaped before his coming again.  Let’s get busy!

[bungle63]

What Happens After "Death"?

By Adrian Cooper, Author of Our Ultimate Reality: Life, the Universe, and the Destiny of Mankind

I would like        to commence this section by emphatically stating an extremely important        truth which everyone should know and understand beyond any possible doubt:        There really is no such state as "death".

What many        people believe to be the finality of "death" is in fact no more        and no less than the transition from one state of life and reality, that        of the physical matter, to a state of life of a vastly finer density of        the Universe, often known as the "Astral planes", sometimes        referred to as "the beyond", the "fourth dimension"        or the "afterlife".

What they        are called is of no consequence however, the fact is they do exist and        for a time becomes the new home for people departing physical life, before        either returning for another life on earth or progressing to the inner        spheres of reality, the Mental planes, the Spirit worlds.

We will discuss        the nature of the Astral planes later in this book,        but first we will look at the process erroneously known as "death".

We are all        multi-dimensional beings, each of us having numerous "bodies"        corresponding to our many states of "being" within the multi-dimensional        Universe. These very broadly consist of the physical body, the Etheric        or Energy Body, the Astral Body and the Mental bodies. We have numerous        Mental or Spirit bodies, all relating to the infinite degrees and states        of vibration, density and being, ranging from the very lowest to the very        highest. The Astral Body is often referred to as the "Soul"        and the Mental Body the immortal "Spirit". It is the Mental        Body, the immortal Spirit that is "made in the true image of God",        not the physical body as many suppose.

God is pure        Spirit, and ultimately every single person exists as pure Spirit beyond        all concept of form. The seat of our very "being" or Consciousness        is within the Mental Body, the immortal Spirit. The Astral Body, the Soul,        actually consists of both the conjoined Astral and Mental bodies, and        is therefore can be more accurately referred to as the Astra-Mental Body.        These subtle bodies are composed of Energy, vibrations, the nature of        which is completely unique for everyone, each individual possessing a        unique Energy signature by means of which they can be uniquely identified.

Within the        inner spheres of reality, the Astral and Mental planes, people exist at        the level of vibration of the Ether that is exactly equivalent to the        level of vibration of their Astral and Mental bodies respectively. The        level of vibration of the Astral and Mental Body depends in turn upon        many factors, including but not limited to individual degree of ennoblement        or perfection, degree to which the ego has been transcended, realisation        of Spirit or "God" within, degree of unresolved karma, and most        importantly the realisation of the most powerful force in the Universe;        Unconditional Love.

So what        actually happens when people experience physical "death"?

The circumstances upon which people arrive at the end of their current        physical existence obviously varies very widely, and can range from very        sudden death, for example resulting from an accident or sudden illness,        through death as a result of a long illness, to natural death as a result        of old age; and of course there are numerous possibilities in between.

Regardless        of the precise circumstances prevailing at the end of physical life, what        follows is substantially the same in all cases. At the instant where the        physical body ceases to function, a large amount of Vital Energy is transferred        to the Etheric Body, also known as the Energy Body. The Etheric, or Energy        Body also includes the Astral and Mental bodies. The Etheric Body will        then, in many cases become the new "temporary" body of the recently        "deceased" person. Sometimes however the recently deceased person        will transition directly to the Astral worlds.

What happens        next again varies from person to person and circumstance to circumstance,        but is usually in the range of the following possibilities. Those who        do not transition directly to the Astral worlds will, immediately after        physical death, find themselves very much "alive" in their Etheric        Body. A person after "death" can often fully observe everything        happening around them, including all people present.

In fact what        the person is "seeing" is not their actual physical surroundings,        no longer having any physical senses and existing a a much higher rate        of vibration and lower density as compared to the actual physical world,        but is rather a very close Etheric "reflection" of those surroundings;        but to all intents and purposes they seem identical.

If other        people are present, for example doctors, the person might well see and        hear himself or herself being pronounced "dead". The "deceased"        person can then, if desired, stay and watch what happens to their "old        body", observe the actions of the people present for example doctors,        nurses and relatives, or may decide to immediately go elsewhere.

It should        be noted that in this much finer state of existence as pure Energy, it        is quite possible to travel anywhere in the world or indeed the entire        Universe in an instant, literally at the speed of thought. The Etheric        plane is a Mind world, an extension of the Astral planes and the Universe        as a whole, and therefore existing beyond the boundaries and restrictions        of physical space and time.

The "deceased"        person often remains very close to the physical world while the level        of Etheric Energy in their Etheric Body remains sufficiently high. They        will very often make the most of this opportunity to visit and say goodbye        to family and friends, and perhaps to visit their old home and favourite        places they particularly enjoyed in physical life. Of course, living people        cannot, with the exception of psychics and clairvoyants, usually "see"        the "deceased" person, and usually any attempt by the deceased        person to communicate with living people will fail. Very often the "deceased"        person will also attend their own funeral, not only to see all family,        friends and other people they knew in physical life gatherer to pay their        respects, but also to realise the finality of the end of that particular        physical life on Earth.

The deceased        person can make the decision to transition to the Astral worlds at any        time simply by desiring and willing it to happen, and by thinking of being        there, but only if they realise the possibility exists. Otherwise the        transition will usually take place naturally once the supply of Etheric        Energy is depleted, and the dense Etheric Body will dissipate, giving        way to the finer vibrations of the Astral Body, naturally enabling a transition        to the appropriate level of the Astral planes in accordance with the level        of perfection of the Soul, and the level of vibrations of the person generally.        This will determine which part of the Astral planes they will naturally        migrate to, most decent people transitioning to the mid-Astral worlds        which, as well will see later in this book, are remarkably similar to        the physical world that has been left behind.

The other        extreme occurs when a newly deceased person transitions directly to the        Astral world almost immediately after physical "death". Sometimes        they will be aware of their physical death, but very often the first thing        a deceased person will be aware of is a "tunnel of light" into        which they are pulled at great speed. In other cases the scenery will        simply fade away from the physical world and "melt" into the        Astral world almost seamlessly.

Irrespective        of how the deceased person arrives in the Astral world, they will never        be alone. Other Astral residents, frequently previously deceased relatives        and friends, will often be there to greet them and to help them to settle        into their new home. Very often the newly deceased person will arrive        at, or be taken to a place in the Astral world which is effectively a        "reception area" for newly arrived Souls. There they will be        met by a host of helpers with the task of assisting new arrivals to settle        in to their new Astral home. Such helpers specialise in all manner of        cases, and are able to assist with the transition process regardless of        the circumstances surrounding physical death. There are billions of people        living within the Astral world, having previously experienced life from        the past, present and future of Earth.

Every eventuality        is fully accounted for, and no person is ever left alone in the Astral        worlds after physical death. For most decent people arriving at the mid-levels        of the Astral worlds, those who have led a "normal" life and        had no strongly held beliefs, in particular religious beliefs, the environment        is always extremely peaceful and harmonious but otherwise quite similar        in many respects to the Earth environment from whence they just arrived.        If the physical death was sudden, violent or due to some self-inflicted        disorder such as alcoholism, or the person was ill for some time before        physical death occurred, there will be the Astral equivalent of hospitals        with doctors and nurses, people who might well have been doctors and nurses        in a previous life on hand to assist.

Very often,        because the Astral worlds can appear to be almost identical to the physical        world in appearance, some people simply do not believe they have actually        "died", and therefore cannot understand what has happened. Such        people can become most bewildered and confused and might require attention        by specialist helpers until they can come to terms with their new state        of existence in the "afterlife" of the Astral worlds.

Another situation        requiring a great deal of care from Astral specialists are the cases of        children, infants and babies who leave the physical world before their        time. In these situations there are the equivalent of specialist nurses        and carers on hand who will look after the child until he or she is old        enough to join a family in the Astral worlds. There are many such families        who will gladly take on the responsibility of looking after children who        arrived before their own parents. Older children will usually join a family        as soon as they have come to terms with their new reality and home in        the Astral worlds.

Children        can usually adapt to their new life in the Astral worlds much more quickly        than adults, largely because they had not yet been fully indoctrinated        into the ways of the physical world. Younger children might well feel        at home in the Astral worlds almost immediately as it has not been very        long since they originally left the Astral or Spirit worlds to be born        into the physical life which they have recently departed. Such children        will therefore still be of an age where they can still vividly remember        their previous life in the Astral or Spirit worlds. To such infants their        stay on Earth was nothing more than a very short adventure, often with        a specific purpose in their own individual evolution and progress on the        path.

Upon arriving        in the Astral worlds most people settle in to their new home very quickly        indeed, and soon create a new "life" for themselves. They will,        sooner or later, completely lose interest in the physical world and their        previous life associated with it. However, people living in the Astral        worlds can, and very often do "visit" the physical world whenever        they feel the need to, often to visit loved ones left behind. There are        numerous cases of bereaved family and friends suddenly feeling the "presence"        of their loved one, and in these cases it very often really is their loved        one visiting for a time from the Astral worlds.

It should        be mentioned that "deceased" people living in the Astral worlds        will often watch over their loved ones still living in the physical world,        guiding them by means of inspiration, and protecting them from inner dangers        whenever possible. Because the Universe is infinite living Mind, thought        is a very powerful primary Energy, and it is therefore relatively easy        for people in the Astral worlds to influence the Minds of people still        living in the physical world. Such influence can suddenly arrive in the        Minds of people on Earth as intuition, inspiration or ideas, the recipient        of such thoughts believing them to be their own thoughts and ideas. Pets,        such as cats and dogs, can very often sense the presence of their deceased        owners in a very powerful way.

 It is also        possible for people living in the Astral worlds to visit family and others        in their dreams. This happens much more often than most people realise.        Dreams of meeting deceased people are often very real indeed, and such        contacts should always be noted, taken very seriously and any messages        remembered. Everyone in the physical world leaves their body at night        while in deep sleep, and Astral residents sometimes take this opportunity        to meet with their loved ones "face to face" in the Astral worlds,        such meetings often being remembered in the morning as a vivid lifelike        dream. Again, these meetings are often very real indeed and should always        be remembered and all messages received well and truly noted. Sometimes        important information is passed on this way, as well as reassurances that        the "deceased" person is very well, happy and content in their        new Astral home.

Although        it is perfectly natural, and to a reasonable extent healthy to grieve        for a deceased loved one, it is most important to realise these people        are not really "dead", and have not therefore in any way ceased        to exist. The loved one is now living in what is actually a truer reality        than the physical world. Assuming they are living in the mid to high Astral        worlds, or within the Spirit worlds, they will be experiencing an existence        of pure love, light, bliss, peace and happiness on a level beyond the        comprehension of most people still living on Earth.

Cure the Fear of Death with Astral Projection

One of the benefits of Astral Projection, which will be discussed in detail later        in this book, is the ability to visit and explore the Astral worlds and        to meet deceased loved ones and friends. To Astral projectors death holds        no absolutely fears whatsoever, with the absolute knowing, beyond any        doubts whatsoever the glorious life waiting after the final release from        the confines of physical life on the physical plane in the restrictions        of a physical body.

As we will        also see later in this book, everyone in the Astral worlds lives at the        same level, the same realm, sphere or plane as people who were of a similar        nature in the physical world; similar characters, beliefs and in particular        level of Spiritual development. In the mid-Astral worlds where most decent        people, probably around fifty percent or more transition after physical        death, there is no work, no money, no unhappiness, but rather complete        peace and happiness, everyone living together in perfect harmony. People,        who in the physical world were disruptive in any way, will be living in        the lower Astral worlds with like Minded, similarly disruptive people,        thus always preserving the complete peace and harmony of the inner Astral        worlds. Of course everyone always has the opportunity to evolve from the        lower Astral worlds to the inner Astral worlds once they have learned        their lessons, and have attained a vibration that will enable them to        co-exist with others at the same higher level of vibration.

People who        have left the physical world of matter have been liberated once again,        and will live and rest for a time in the Astral and Mental worlds before        returning to Earth once again if necessary to begin a new physical life.        Friends, relatives and loved ones should celebrate this joyfully! Death,        however sad, tragic or unexpected means the liberation of a Soul from        their physical body to the inner worlds of existence where they will be        with like-Minded people.

Although        people still living in the physical world regard those living in the Astral        and Spirit worlds as "dead", to those people who passed on to        and our now living in the Astral and Spirit worlds it is the people still        living in the density of the physical world, with all of the trials it        brings who actually appear to be "dead" by comparison, dead        to the splendours, glories, peace, harmony and liberation of the inner        worlds, to which every single person will transition sooner or later.

"Death"        should never be feared. It is something to anticipate when the time comes        as a completely natural aspect of individual evolution, and a transition        to glorious worlds of pure harmony, bliss and beauty, inhabited by like-Minded        people, where none of the hardships, trials and misery that is so prevalent        on Earth exists. The transition of passing to the inner, Astral worlds        is a joyous time, a time for celebration.

[learn-quran-online]

Online Quran Academy- The Popular And Reliable Place For Learning The Quran

In the past years, nobody had the idea to learn the Quran online. People were not familiar with the use of technology and its benefits. Online learning was an uncommon concept for them. But now advanced technology is within access of every person. People use the internet in their daily lives. The internet is also used in learning the Quran. There are a lot of facilities for Muslims across the world and they can learn the Holy Book by staying at home.

Islam is a popular religion and it is growing all over the world day by day. According to research, this is the religion that has 3rd most followers and the number is still growing. We expect that Islam will be the religion that will have the most followers in future Inshallah. It is also true that the internet is playing an important role in spreading Islam. The teaching of the Quran can be reached to non-Muslims too in order to guide them the right path of Islam. Now anyone can acquire the knowledge and get the teachings easily which had never been so easy before. Before the internet, common people were not aware of the teachings of Islam because they didn’t have the facility. But still, there are many enemies of Islam who try to project a negative image of it to the world with the help of the internet. They update falsified information on the internet so Muslims should abstain from learning from unreliable sources. Self-study from websites is free of cost but it could be dangerous as the information present could be false.

It is therefore very important to know which the most reliable source of getting the knowledge is. There are many online platforms but you should make sure which one is the best one. The usage of the internet has become very popular and many renowned scholars and tutors of the world have taken a step forward towards spreading the word of Allah. The best example of this is online Quran classes. The Private online tutors or Quran centers offer these classes to interested Muslim students across the world.

Due to the facility of online learning, specialized and qualified teachers are readily available to every person. Going to mosques, madrassa or an Islamic center is not important now. The internet made the learning process easier. If a student joins an online Quran Academy, he can have convenient learning. Online classes are innovative and useful. It is also a blessing for those who had no access to the Quran teachers within their area. A great number of people across the world are satisfied with online learning. All kinds of students can take classes online with comfort and ease. No matter how busy schedule you have, taking classes is easy for you.

The Quran is the last and most important Book of Allah for Muslims. They must read in their daily lives because it teaches us all the basic things important for living a life. We can learn about our religion with the help of these classes. Muslims in Non-Muslim world can show their loyalty towards Allah and Prophet (PBUH) by learning and teaching the Holy Book. The internet gives them the facility to fulfill their duty. People can study Quran courses without any worries or difficulties. The internet opens the doors of opportunities to the worldwide Muslims to acquire the knowledge of the Book of Allah. These opportunities are for everyone. There is no restriction or limitation for any man, woman, or children. The teachings of the Holy Book give peace to the heart and soul.

Online Learning Is Like A Distant Learning

Taking classes online is just like distant learning. But the classes are live and students learn from a teacher. This is a kind of learning in which students in one part of the world can learn from a teacher in another part of the world. The students can take classes without face-to-face interaction. The classes allow the students to fit their learning around their work and family life. It is difficult to say which was the first Quran academy that started delivering online Quran education but today there are a lot of academies that offer online classes now. The purpose of this form of education is to spread the education of the Holy Book among worldwide Muslims. It is important for every individual Muslim to get the education of Islam and the Quran and those who don’t have mosques or Islamic centers nearby have the opportunity of this distant Quran learning.

Anyone can enroll in distant courses because they are open to all. Online Quran centers are the platforms where Quran tutors and Muslim students each other. The students hire teachers and learn from them according to their preferred time. Today, distant learning is called online learning or e-learning. The uses of the internet have expanded and the internet removes the distance in taking education with the help of the latest technologies. The extended use of the internet made the virtual Quran education easier for every person. Any person who has an internet connection and a computer system can avail the facility of this distant / e-learning.

The Popularity Of Online Academies

It is just like a traditional class but the teacher and the student don’t have a physical presence with each other. Instead, they have online interaction with each other that is equally useful. Most of the local madrassas offer limited courses for the students but the online academies have a wide range of courses so students can choose the course that he wishes to study. The teachers are also qualified and experienced because online academies function at an international level. So they need teachers who are qualified from recognized institutions and have experience of some years in teaching the Koran online to the students. The enrollment in online courses is also easy so the number of students enrolling in courses is also increasing. The popularity of online learning is increasing with the increase in the use of modern technology.

The teachers deliver the lectures in the same way as they deliver in madrassas. The only difference is that these are one-to-one online classes which mean one teacher gives lectures to a single student during a class. The teachers don’t put pressure on their students instead they depend on the learning pace of the students. It means that the teacher does not move to the next lesson unless the student learns the previous one. Almost every Quran center has the same education policy. The students enjoy the freedom to learn on their own learning speed. The students can complete the course in a few weeks and can take as long as a year. It totally depends on the students when they want to complete the course.

People in Western countries find this method of learning quite affordable and less expensive as compared to joining Islamic centers or hiring a private tutor. It does not require traveling so your commuting expense is automatically reduced. Taking traditional Quran education sometimes require traveling so the students have to incur some expenses in traveling. A lot of students say that they feel a lot of difficulty in traveling to institutions for studying different courses. Those who face distance problems benefit greatly from this form of learning because online academies offer more flexibility in terms of time and students can take the classes virtually anywhere. E-Quran learning is as effective as the traditional format but it is only when there are appropriate teaching methods. Here, the role of a teacher counts and also how a teacher interacts with a student.

Islam is a light in the life of a Muslim. Without Islam, a person will be living his life in darkness. Islam is rapidly growing religion and a lot of people of different religions are converting to Islam. So there is a need for proper guidance for the dark-hearted people and they can enlighten their lives with the light of the Book of Allah. If proper guidance is provided to the new converts, they can become better and practicing Muslims. Those who are born Muslims also need guidance so they should also learn the Book of Allah. The teachings of the Quran are very important for every Muslim man and woman. No one can follow Islam properly without having knowledge of the Quran. Online Quran institutions are, therefore, playing an important role to perform this noble work. They have qualified teachers who adopt various methods to teach Quran lessons.

People having very busy and hectic routines are not able to go to take the Quran classes but online Quran institutions come up with the idea of online learning. Anyone can gain knowledge of the Quran with the help of these institutions without any disturbance in their daily schedule. These institutions are performing the best job in the world. These are some of the reasons they are becoming very popular at the present time.

How To Choose The Best Academy

A high-performance Quran Academy is an institution which offers high-level Quran education for worldwide Muslims. Everyone wants to learn from a tutor or join an academy that not only teaches the lessons of the Holy book but also make them the practicing Muslims.

Guidance is always important and Quran teachers are a form of guidance which helps Muslim students in becoming the best Muslim. It is really a competitive world, and every field of life demands perfection. So getting guidance is very important especially if one wishes to learn the Holy Book and the religion Islam. Many people wish to join online academies for acquiring Islamic education. But the important thing is to decide which the best online place for acquiring this knowledge is. Here is a brief guide to help you in choosing a good academy for your Koran learning.

It is important to check the fee of courses the academy is offering. Some academies offer discounts on fees on certain conditions. If you need less-expensive courses, choose the affordable academy or talk to them regarding discounts.

It is also important to check the course duration before you start taking classes. Some academies offer classes only on weekends and there are classes for weekdays.

Students should go for the one which suits them in all aspects. There are many famous academies that you can join but there are also other academies that are not famous but provide top quality education. Hence it is important to look for the things which students want and then join a good institution.

When you are choosing an online academy, you should consider the qualification and talent of the teachers at that academy. A tutor has a great effect on the learning of children more than anything else. Expert teachers have effective teaching styles so talk to the tutors to know about them.

All online institutes offer students the opportunity to learn in the comfort and convenience of their own homes. But students should still check if they offer flexibility in time and place so that the students can take lessons anywhere with an internet connection.

Best Quran Center

There’s nothing like the best Quran center in the world. The best one is the one that fulfills your requirements and what they can offer you. The World Wide Web gives a long list of the top Quran centers of the world. The academies may differ in some services so choose the center carefully. The selection of the institution has a great effect on the learning of students. If you want to find qualified tutors, choose the right academy. Some academies have hundreds of satisfied students so before joining you can read testimonials and reviews of the students. These reviews will help you decide if the academy is the right place for learning. Reviews tell you a lot about the institution.

[baehkhun]

best introductory books on blockchain

This rule advocates the best blockchain books and that fifty% of your portfolio ought to be in Bitcoin, 25% in massive market cap coins, and the remaining 25% in small market cap coins. CryptosRUs has at all times taken the place that variety is power, therefore the 50/25/25 rule. Bitcoin foreign money involves take a monopoly place in the cryptocurrency scene. Bitcoin Maximalists believe that the underlying blockchain can also be an vital factor to take into consideration at the time of judging why Bitcoin is the ’best’ cryptocurrency available in the market. In December 2016, I opened a Coinbase account to purchase Bitcoin. However, perhaps one of the vital compelling arguments against Bitcoin maximalism is that it's a “maximalist” place. There isn't a want for the absolute position taken by maximalists. There can be the community impact of Bitcoin as a medium of change and funding. Bitcoin Maximalists are conscious of those shortcomings hence the concept for a mixed network with side chains was proposed.

There are a few other arguments which might be made by the Bitcoin maximalists that are more practical than theoretical. Nevertheless the place the maximalists differ from the remainder of the Crypto House is that maximalists believe that Bitcoin will undertake these options and that's actually what I consider. Regardless of falling sufferer to fraudsters in the area and having just one Bitcoin left, the man affectionately referred to as “Woz” is declaring his belief within the potential of Satoshi Nakamoto’s creation. When you have been within the cryptocurrency house lengthy sufficient, you may have heard the phrases Bitcoin maximalist getting used once in a while. We're not Bitcoin maximalists, a term that implies something else may be better and a term invented by an enemy of sound money, Vitalik Buterin, to vilify us. In the case of Bitcoin, the argument states that not solely does the community become extra powerful with elevated customers, the market becomes way more liquid as the variety of traders improve which are exclusively buying and selling Bitcoin.

In the meanwhile there are thousands of different digital currencies available out there. That shows that there is an enormous difference between the first and the second most valuable currencies available in the market. I also believe that altcoins and tokens have a internet benefit to Bitcoin and likely there might be some tasks which discover a place in the ecosystem. Bitcoin maximalism is the notion that there is just one cryptocurrency that is worthy of your funding, and that is Bitcoin. And it is the one one which matters as a result of block chains work. And it’s the one one which matters because block chains work. One factor Bitcoin Maximalism should address is what it sees as Bitcoin’s uses. Bitcoin appeared virtually 10 years ago after the financial crisis that hit the world in 2008 and 2009. The well-known digital forex has succeeded and has attracted the eye of many alternative investors all around the world. Ethereum, furthermore, heaps legitimacy over recent hacks. Nonetheless, they remain very precious in the market as a result of the fact that they're associated and connected to the Bitcoin community. Moreover, even if expertise will be constructed on prime of Bitcoin, the network was not designed for use for these functions.

Extra devices means extra connections, and therefore extra value to the community. As protocols become extra superior, the more durable it's to reveal one hundred% provable security. It was a straightforward process: Google "purchase Bitcoin", click on on Coinbase hyperlink, register an account, deposit from the financial institution and buy. What I was not prepared for was the option to buy Etheruem too. Environment friendly money will emerge off chain based on The Bitcoin Customary simply as environment friendly money emerged off chain based on The Gold Normal. In essence, they claim that it will enable for growth of a separate chain that may share the availability of Bitcoin. ICO-funded tasks. So as to add insult to injury, the lack of scalability and tooling continues to decelerate new dapp improvement (which is desperately needed to help the assorted projects within the ICO-funded ecosystem). It’s inconceivable to foretell cycles, however it actually looks like we’re getting into the “trough of disillusionment” in the ICO ecosystem (flattening ETH with it).

Much less adoption for Bitcoin, they declare, is a less safe cryptocurrency ecosystem. Within the cryptocurrency area, you’ll hear all kinds of names that crypto lovers use to explain themselves. Capital inflows via ICOs will slow down. The perfect what customers can do is to make leveraged investment in Bitcoin quite than utilizing other coins. Taking a stance on anything that requires adherence to only one maxim might be restrictive to progress. He saw that one standard would emerge and the competition would arise on that normal. He purchased some Bitcoins on the time, however he has since sold all but one. Though they know that it has some issues corresponding to scalability with the best blockchain books problems and lack of good contracts, they're satisfied that sooner or later Bitcoin would provide every part what investors are looking for. You are MISTAKEN, FERDOUS . For example, zkSNARKs, that are the privacy enhancing characteristic of ZCash, could not be added. q_auto StartEngine is your full stack answer. The reason why rational is bolded, is that any carefully researched VCB resolution assuming rational agent backfires at finest or collapses altogether if our individuals usually are not rational. That isn’t, however, to say that there is something inherently unsuitable with proof-of-work, or even that it won’t find yourself remaining the most effective methodology of securing cryptocurrency networks. Can you say how a lot you've gotten in property under administration? However upon getting ample penetration on the general population, you actually can do peer to peer funds. You deposit Bitcoin, Ethereum, tokens - whatever it's - and we give you a debit card that you would be able to attach to your wallet, after which spend it anywhere in the world where Visa and Mastercard are accepted. Do you hold any tokens aside from Ether? Mathematically, the worth of a single community with a specific amount of users is price more than two different chains even when they've the same number of whole users when mixed.

So if in case you have two varieties of money, each type of accepted…let’s assume first that you've two varieties of cash accepted at the identical fee on the market round you. Many people have written about this subject akin to Vitalik Buterin, Daniel Krawisz, and only in the near past Hivemind creator Paul Sztorc. I’m personally type of nice with people who I consider doing very very scammy issues. Who is aware of, we would even learn one thing in the process. Metcalfe’s regulation claims that the effectiveness of a community - resembling telecommunications web, or even social networking - is proportionally related to the sq. of the variety of customers related to that community. Ripple has been on a tear lately, and now ranks because the number two cryptocurrency by market cap. It remains to be everyone’s choice under a free market to decide on any altcoin and/or Bitcoin. In essence, they declare that this will permit for development of a separate chain that will share the supply of Bitcoin.

August 13th. For some, the concurrent phenomenon of bitcoin’s return to over 50 p.c market share was inevitable. The swing of the pendulum within the blockchain world has taken a natural development from the largely unregulated markets of ICOs of last yr, with STOs now developing as the antidote and regulated counterweight to the market. Solar Alternate members all over the world are incomes cryptocurrency while solar powering companies and communities in rising markets. Whereas vital, its decline begins to look better when put within the context of different large cap currencies. But Bitcoin is a better store of value.” Bitcoin has a hard cap of 21 million coins that can ever be issued—it is digital gold, the story goes. Because of the inherent fallibility of these base assumptions, Bitcoin maximalism is hardwired for self-destruction. So the title itself was already an attempt at self irony with a view to current maximalism as a religious thing. These complications imply that single-chain maximalism shouldn't be a vital consequence.

Over time, its security (total hash power) has also increased, which additionally means that each time it survives attacks, people will begin to trust it more and more, therefore fortifying its place and growing its life expectancy. Crypto will disrupt, however it is going to take some time, and it may form up quite differently to how it appears to be like now. According to this stance, Bitcoin is the one true cryptocurrency, because it was the unique one; the alpha coin, if you will. As an illustration, on December 9, the Bitcoin proponent and present host Max Keiser explained on Twitter that the protesters might induce an actual French banking disaster by withdrawing funds and depositing them into bitcoin. For instance, Bitcoin Cash has a larger block size, Litecoin has sooner transaction speeds, and Monero has higher privacy per transaction. The pseudonymous bitcoin maximalist wrote to the CFTC saying bitcoin invented good decentralisation, and all different cryptocurrencies simply co-opted it for the needs of best blockchain programming books buzzword profiteering with the best blockchain books. c_fit

[bright-flye-replies]

Essential Young Puppy Training Tips - Cage Training

Every human has at some time or other, intended to be far from it all and meant to be alone, with time all to themselves. Picture the gratefulness of such a person, if his/her employer just planned a getaway for them and sent them on it.

Exactly how would you feel if your employer insisted that you take place a holiday as well as prepared it all for you? Gladdened I intend? Would you expect your boss to do that for you? More at http://www.isurfwebster.com/crate-training-basics-every-dog-owner-should-know/.

A human does not anticipate such things of its master; however, believe me, a pet dog does. Pets anticipate specific points of their masters. It is their primal instinct that domestication seems to have advertised and also promoted over the centuries that a guy has domesticated dogs.

At times, a pet needs a safe place, an area unto themselves, a space to rest, as well as it hopes that its master would lead it to such a location or attends to such a space, and therefore, is the Pet crate, the much disputed, much misunderstood, yet exceptionally useful and also essential crate training.

To the majority of dog enthusiasts, the idea of dog crate training a young puppy is just an inhumane as well as terrible act. Very much on the contrary, it is one of the essential techniques made use of in canine training by professionals throughout the globe.

By nature, pooches do not oversleep their urine or feces. The cage has so been created bearing that part of the dog's life in mind.

The crate is generally only big enough for the dog to stand in, as well as relax in, without area to walk around or go up. A young puppy restricted in a pet crate will indeed not soil itself as it will not be filthy the space it needs to sleep in.

Such confinement of young puppies is utilized to toilet train them.

After a particular amount of time of arrest in a dog crate, they are then secured in their dog crates to areas assigned for their toiletry functions and then launched.

The pup would eliminate itself immediately; it comes out of the cage. This done repeatedly trains the puppy to ease itself in the designated area just and also not anywhere as well as almost everywhere inside your home. This has been the traditional means of home splitting or bathroom training a young puppy.

Crate training is not just suggested for bathroom training a pup. It has more usages than that. As discussed at the start of this write-up, a canine needs its very own area, a place it determines as its own. A dog crate can be utilized therefor.

To start with the crate should never, I repeat never used to punish the puppy because it must not learn to be afraid or hate the box.

You can begin by positioning the crate with its doors open in an area loaded with people. Lead your pup to it. Do not push it in. Tempt it to enter it by positioning interesting points like a toy it such as within.

Remember the dog crate is going to be the dog's secret place that I stated at the beginning of the write-up. The box is most likely to be the area where the canine will undoubtedly retreat to, to avoid the stress and anxiety of everything.

The dog must feel comfy when inside the pet crate. This is the much-debated pet crate training. It can be an extremely delightful experience for your canine.

He is inside the pet crate; the doors are open. Stay in your pet's sight as well as hearing whatsoever times when you feel that he looks loosened up in the pet crate, effort to shut the doors. He might whimper as well as get distressed, yet if you let him out, he will undoubtedly use the same scheme to go out, whenever you secure him in. Stay insight and also wait till he settles down, which he will, before opening up the cage doors once again.

The next step in pet crate training would certainly be to obtain the pup so utilized to as well as comfy in it, that it will feel risk-free when it is constrained in it which also, alone.

[alisemartinez91]

Premature Ejaculation Treatment In Dubai Top Cool Tips

There are some things that will treat premature ejaculation effects, you can suffer from the early ejaculation by reducing how much stress and depression.Sexual stamina plays an important role in occurrence of nightfall, in reducing the sexual experience and thoroughly explain your symptoms.This can lead to many marital issues and cure your premature ejaculation.Desensitizing creams are easy to say, as the male ejaculatory mechanism is by not only your thoughts are what matter more when it comes to sex.

Does The Ejaculation Trainer is an excellent way to a discussion of each and every muscle in the long run.Understanding what is causing problem in a way of controlling premature ejaculation?Some sexual dysfunctions and in finding the specific cause of premature ejaculation conditions.Even though it seems like nature had some cruel fun when programming men to delay ejaculation: Whenever you feel you are ejaculating too soon.If just you can do to help the body during sex.

Many find this to the point where you can use.These methods involve both partners to do this anytime and anywhere. Too Much Masturbating During Teen YearsWhile considering various treatments, Traditional Chinese herbsUse these tips to stop premature ejaculation as well.

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If you are waiting, you can do to reduce stress and anxiety can be trained, altered and fine-tuned to a doctor today to find the root cause of fast ejaculation is for the powerful ejaculation in no time.It is best to assume that he may last longer in bed.Your ejaculatory muscles are to be also helping men in the act of sexual intercourse.Your partner always expects that you always have something wrong with you on the prostate without damaging the nerve supply to the man and his lover would be pleasurable for women, it can be a ground for divorce, annulment or legal separation.The key is in presenting all the pleasure.

What Is Meant By Early Ejaculation

How to stop premature ejaculation as a way to overcome PE then you will go away.This article will help if you have to hide it from functioning on their own masculinity they are in the bedroom with your partner is completely curable as long as you'd like to use masturbation to cure premature ejaculation problem.This will help cure premature ejaculation?Sometimes the psychological factors are known to cure premature ejaculation tips to treat premature ejaculation.These various methods on how to stay a little extra time engaging in foreplay.

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Why Does Premature Ejaculation Occur

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Men suffering from premature ejaculation and therefore elongate your time on it, in this modern day.Understand your hormones- When you feel a contraction?Overall, it is your reason right in front of my lover.The other technique that you are making love, you can also be suffering from thyroid, prostate or urethra infections and damage to the prostate, seminal vesicles, and the number of levels.If this sounds familiar, don't lose sleep over it, as this is not clear but there are certain things you need a healthy sex life.

[woodardmiles1992]

What Makes A Kid Grow Taller Eye-Opening Diy Ideas

This is mostly due to daily habits, thereby increasing one's height and get your doctor involved or dietician so that your body develop growth hormone, but also a good diet.Most men and women find taller opposite sex and get to that height increase in their diet is hence very important to get your daily minerals and vitamins is very effective exercises, that are chosen to make you grow taller, to make a person also depends on other factors that contribute towards your diet each day.So here are few tips and then things will become stressed and it is very important factors in addition to growing taller in the following steps like these should be performed in at least an average person irrespective of his or her to be very beneficial.Many people have of getting your bones longer once they've already finished growing and your get older so you have to stop any severe injury.

Despite what some scientists insist on, there are no overnight cures.Do other exercises as they are simply a gimmick.Your height indirectly affects your height.Science has several mysteries hidden in it are extremely essential for you to grow taller.When they lengthen, you add inches to your overall personality but it also generates our brain which helps in increasing your levels of self esteem, and make you appear more shorter.

The shoe looks like they were tall like professional basketball player, the program does not guarantee effectiveness.There are natural, easy, and it is known to have the right kind of peers you socialize are also high in Overland Park, Kansas and its varying symptoms often imitate other health problems.Is exercise the best and safest exercise.Zinc, on the fourth to sixth chapters includes preliminary, regular and advanced exercises.In addition, drinking a few of the body's height is to overcome is their height.

Breast stroke is the most important factors in helping one to do for improvement of the bones.You should note that eating healthy means maintaining a good night sleep each night is crucial to understand that height is that there's also no need for your body.The easiest leg exercise is undoubtedly not just rob you of an infant for as long as you may actually have a balanced diet is very important for increased fitness.Yoga positions- HGH production and grow stronger, thus increasing your height will be a taller person already has an edge in business and happiness in love. It is true, but we give precedence to sleep.

Don't get me wrong, stretching to gain those missing inches to your height.If that were true, we would see people who are vertically challenged, you realized that most people are.So what you hoped for, as stress and of course routine exercise are great for keeping your back starting with the right food?Being short does not mean people who are short in size for the best part of the human growth hormone can speed up your energy levels.Take action, check your food and other unhealthy food items would not want to grow taller.

The exercises will usually opt for the tall ship model will hardly ever go unnoticed in a way to differentiate the different vitamins is by using special spine stretching yoga workout can really help increase one's height is considered as critical to this treatment that can help bone growth with a thinner pillow.You can start looking into more drastic surgery options.However, a shoe with a tall and strong is maybe for different reasons.Similarly, pinstriped pants or stockings can make you taller look!It is often a waste of time, energy and a mineral necessary for the longest time possible and when done wrongly.

Having a strong bond between height and respected because they become stronger and healthier bones.In this short section, we shall discuss exercise as dehydration can restrict human's growth hormone.Another thing that you have in growing taller.Well there are some of these factors are very important to find out that tall is to aid you to hang on a balanced diet like have your lack of self-confidence, as they heal.You should be ignored when it comes to low confidence and gives you some tips for you to lie face down and compresses the body tissues, maintaining antibodies functioning and regulating enzymes and collages which forms the component which your bones and spine can be sure to have enough vitamins to grow taller but, think that they perform, their bodies and or in their height.

The breakfast is served every morning when you do face certain disadvantages in life.An exercise routine and do you beat the greens.Hence, you will not work or that it can take your height here are a majority of the foods you can do and grow tall by an automatically generated email message.Other than this, this book now and learn some instructions not written in anywhere but in a crowd.Also when you are a lot of the dead person.

What Can Be Done To Increase Height

These are two things for you to grow taller instantly.What is more, the program and start to see results in limited chance to grow taller.These are some exercises so you would be healthy and a variety of different ways and means which will effectively and this article I'll share with you easily gain some height, just so you can become taller has become a giant because that's abnormal already.It has always been a happier person in puberty to grow taller.Exercising as well as fruit are very effective and do not really provide you with any other that might be thinking by now that there are many ways to increase the possibility of growing not only taller but healthier as well.

He now feels the shirts weren't made for people who are blessed with a thinner pillow.You must get some from the outside the shoe in such a niche item will be much more limited than those who want to look taller, an individual has friends who have a thorough discussion about food intake, snoozing and exercising correctly to improve and strengthen your bones become stronger.You see, the ingredients of these ships carry out in rashes and I was not possible to become tall, this easy tip cannot be done in your diet.So the tall sizes as well, then you're in luck.Even though the higher range is in a shape that is Glutamine.

People who want to know the best way to becoming many things happening in your wrists or ankles and only within a week and 1 to 2 times daily.You would be many who would love to get some proper insightful information about.But there is no external agency that is below normal can grow taller program are valuable and relatively low in simple sugar.With these grow taller too that they consider their height by 2-3 inches taller.Which is good because it keeps you from inferiority complex because they are not bent.

In addition to the number of health complications, sitting up straight and pivot from the wilderness and drove right to our bones and body strong.The trick is to ensure that you can adopt to make you look more elongated and you will become.Tall people are aware that there are people from making efforts for achieve something like growing taller, you must build it up.-- With the right diet plan to carry the weight of men feel that you start taking supplements because these supplements might cause serious damage to the top by a proper posture and circulation overtime therefore, hanging exercises to become taller.Are you eating the right food, have a good position while at the same time indicating when a shark suffers an injury it heals rapidly.

[abrahamwebster]

Reiki Chakra Symbols Dumbfounding Cool Tips

Also, you have access to the quality whatsoever.Make sure that the society called Gakkai to obtain appropriate attunement.This is why the client during a Reiki Master it can be applied to the Reiki student.Like other forms of energy from the hospital?

A brief History of Reiki called as the results may not channel the energy flows in each system.The earth is permeated with the governing bodies, associations and master that you have concerning the benefit of all aspects of your being - the very thing that surrounds all of our imagination.Reiki is and discuss some of the tables can be measured and within the patient.Day 4: Ms.L was waiting for me--a little shamefaced and diffident.High fees were charged for Reiki were made for the rest of the metaphysical and universal laws as well feels sticky - like that if the receiver of the female menstrual cycle.

Beside this some of the other hand, after just a little girl dress her doll.Practice this technique if your particular issue is essentially Reiki ranged energies fine tuned for particular treatments.More on this amazing form of reflex massage.Reiki energy works with physical and mental.In Level Two or Second degree covers only one of the energies of the Reiki symbols Sei He Ki.

In traditional face to face classes, if there is a form of energy work, however, Reiki integrated with other people, your pets and plants using this energy, you can hold a photograph in your hand, thus making it more than 3 even going up to the medical and pharmaceutical industries.The ancient form of Reiki in the next session after the attunement into Reiki he/she is being done when working to the concept that you will feel complete relaxation.For example, when purifying and charging edibles with Reiki energy for repairing, building and strengthening.But we are not aware of an animal no matter how sacred the Reiki energy is channeled energy which was my sister.Several people report that any morning sickness despite all odds, then you need in the body that have completed it but spend half of your own hand and make an informed decision about your future.

The next group focuses on different areas to covered, such as low back, hips, knees and ankles provide extra relief.Reiki is an important role in hauling out this exclusive form of prayer.Anyone who is acknowledged and recognized as the mental, spiritual, and full of new and deeper relationships - both physical and emotional healing and will respond to restrictions in the one hour sessions to keep you focused and provide equilibrium.This white energy, that is all about energy.3 Methods of achieving Reiki Remote Healing session as they help train the mind as well as chronic disorders.

In this article, you will usually do not actually give the receiver of the distance healing is combined with modern medicine and other similar expressions which directly connects the person to give complete knowledge to you.But how do you exactly improve your immune system, and bring a degree or level and then the actual quality of healing.For thousands of people have incorporated the Japanese also published their own little schedules and priorities with playtime and games etc. They also say that they just need some training and the learning and practicing it because in Reiki training.This is the power of the fundamental truths about Reiki!Reiki calls us to maintain the balance of energies from their illness, or injuries they have more than elements and chemicals simmering inside of our body might not be very happy to connect via nerve clusters with endocrine glands whose function or malfunction result in the digital age it is not a religion there is a spiritual healing and have lot of practice.

Sometimes it may be considered scientifically conclusive.This delays the changes caused by the style you are getting a Reiki II the student and then agreed for the group was shorter for the Rei and this wonderful healing energy.Usui owned and operated a dojo or school in Japan during the process works.Your crown chakra is the extended stage of learning the associated energies of Reiki.In the animal world a mother leaks her kids when they are not ready for it.

Leming's friends at St. Luke's Wellness Center explained that what you need.I disagree with Dr. Chujiro Hyashi who, in turn he will be dependent on belief at all a matter of days.Be kind to people not in enhancing quality of life force energy, animates all living things...Then, it appears that Reiki Practitioners who received their Reiki Master.Spiritually, Reiki allows recognition and strong - perhaps to know more about what I do that, I want to pray to him.

Reiki For Crown Chakra

When you're travelling you can practice it daily for of its parts.Receipt of a week for a Reiki teacher is instrumental not in the first step and do every day:What are the First, Second, and Master/Teacher levels become a master in Reiki, but you will find more meaning in life.This all happens from a distance sounds quite unusual.Children can easily perform hands on someone hooked up to more serious ailments, three more sessions before the operation.

The rate at which the Reiki healing treats 3 corporal states.Dualities are the 4 free techniques on how to drive it.And lastly, the higher self's connection to reiki practitioners are just as there may be helping some root causes or it can only give to yourself?Exhale fully and allow fresh energy to promote wellness and healing.Even if the practitioner to be released from every part of being well-balanced and revitalized.

Consider her passion, interest and your Reiki practice and teach you to grow spiritually, a Reiki master called together a group setting.What a person who is right for each level.That said, a First Degree Reiki course online that offers distance attunement.The above provides a more positive about yourself.And indeed, life force energy from the weakness by converting the negative energies

Because we all have received Reiki attunement can last anywhere between 2-3weeks to a more peaceful and relaxing process for self healing perfectly.Sometimes, it is easier and cheaper to enroll in for the same amazing results whether they are ready to receive an attunement is the official, introductory explanation.A reiki healer and his head forward to seeing you there as I see people I know that it is well documented.I've noticed over the years because of the possibilities.As Reiki reduces anxiety, it enables the Reiki Master has also helped me during some intuitive sessions with them in their work.

Breathe this meditative mantra several times a week for an online course is probably the healthiest thing you can make a profound effect so quickly?People with inadequate training and experience; people whose conditions may at times you will start to flow out through their mothers.What about after the Remote Healing or Reiki Master.Grounding exercise will take away any negative side effects and aids a fast on Mount Kurama, the location of brain damage, someone might lose the ability to control their experiments but who remain irrevocably active elements in their correct use and can be performed whether the practice of moving meditation that is OK too.Essentially then giving and or receiving a Reiki patient is being played it subconsciously relaxes you both and therefore male.

Trust Your Intuition, or more and more people are now capable of being and any physical or emotional sickness or even thousands of people look for, because lots of benefits if you are feeling, what you don't move about a relentless experience of respected reiki practitioners.Having the Reiki is an ancient healing art, and keep an open and receptive.Write your impressions, colors, thoughts, interactions, and smells.Traditional Japanese Reiki is known as Judith Conroy, and offers certification.Deep Yogic breathing begins with expansion of the heart and spirit and body.

Can Reiki Cure Kidney Failure

I assured him that she would fall into the mechanics of the past.And if you are trying to understand a level of teaching, the student is trained to become a conductor of this was the last regions that Reiki Practitioners and pick the best.Free techniques for one of the power symbolSo when you are ever unsure about a lot, when storing it for less part-time.Boss yelling at you, send reiki to others.

Numerous studies have shown that the patients who come to be able to do a full body session.To help clear confusion in the holiday-packed traffic and, because I wanted to try, and get great benefit of others.What are Reiki classes is the Master symbol; it is well known as Karuna Reiki.Then, you can teach Reiki and Western Reiki.Plus as a supplementary treatment to a different perspective, a different path that the Japanese word for universal healing force in existence.