Screenshot: YouTube (Herd Nation )

And with the 159th pick in the 2020 NFL drafts fifth round, the New England Patriots select...the right-wing, paramilitary-supporting kicker from Marshall.

On Saturday, the Tom Brady-less team from the same town that brought you Aaron Hernandez, the gang-affiliated double-murderer from Florida, drafted Justin Rohrwasser, a heralded kicker whose left arm just happens to display the insignia of the Three Percenters, one of the right-wing paramilitary groups that The Root has referred to as Yall Queda.

As soon as the Patriots Trump-supporting coach and owner gave Rohrwasser the nod, Resist Programming noticed that the draftees social media history seemed to show an affinity for far-right zealots like Jordan Peterson, an opponent of transgender pronouns and the feminization of men.

But it was the 23-year-olds Three Percenter tattoo that raised the most eyebrows. Although Rohrwasser claims he got the tattoo when he was a teenager, he didnt have it in high school. It also doesnt appear in photos when he played at the University of Rhode Island in 2015.

Make no mistake about it, the III percent is a gang.

Maxime Fiset, a former neo-Nazi who works with the Centre for the Prevention of Radicalization Leading to Violence in Montreal, called Three Percenters the most dangerous group in Canada. They provided security for neo-Nazis at the Unite The Right rally in Charlottesville, Va. In 2019, a jury convicted Jeremy Drake Varnell of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction to blow up an Oklahoma City building after Varnell admitted that he subscribed to III% ideology, according to the Associated Press.

As we previously reported:

Founded by another patriot named Mike Vanderboegh, the Three Percent movement stems from its belief that the American Revolution was won by an army composed of 3 percent of the population, which, according to this liberal ideology called numbers, is pretty wrong. (The number was closer to 15 percent, but perhaps they forgot to carry the 1 when they were doing the math. Hey, it involves both algebra and fractions, so dont laugh.)

Unlike the Oath Keepers, anyone can simply declare him- or herself a Three Percenter, although the group does have meetings on a local level, according to its website. It was surprisingly also founded immediately after Obama was elected, in Alabama, of all places (I actually heard your brain say, Seems about right).

Like the Oath Keepers who showed up in Ferguson, Three Percenters are famous for descending on the Bundy ranch in Nevada, but used money donated by supporters to bail out other Threepers to buy iTunes music, car washes and food. They are the same people who also occupied an Oregon wildlife refuge in 2016, an occupation that ended after a shootout when the mighty Three Percenters umm ... well ... kinda just gave up because standoffs are kinda hard.

So what was Rohrwassers excuse?

I got that tattoo when I was a teenager and I have a lot of family in the military, Rohrwasser told reporters during an introductory press conference. I thought it stood for a military-support symbol at the time. Obviously, its evolved into something that I do not want to represent. When I look back on it, I should have done way more research before I put any mark or symbol like that on my body, and its not something I ever want to represent. It will be covered.

Of course, the NFL is known for highlighting the pasts of its darker-skinned draftees. In 2016, projected No. 1 overall pick Laremy Tunsil lost millions when a video of him smoking marijuana through a gas mask caused his draft stock to tumble to the 13th pick. Wide receiver Desean Jacksons career has been plagued by rumors of gang affiliations. Since he joined the NFL, he has been arrested forHold on, let me check his extensive rap sheet...Jackson has been arrested a grand total of zero times. And then theres the revealing photo of how the NFL treated Rohrwassers fellow draft class members

But Rohrwasser is different, see. He didnt know that he was gang-affiliated.

And finally, hes a real Patriot.

Originally posted here:

Justin Rohrwasser Has Right-Wing Paramilitary Gang Tattoo - The Root

Organizers of the annual libertarian-oriented FreedomFest conference sent an email to potential attendees Tuesday declaring that FreedomFest is still on for July 13-16 in Las Vegas.

The conference theme, Catch the Vision, seems an unfortunate choice for a time when states and cities and the travel industry are at the earliest stages of opening up from COVID-19 restrictions on public gatherings. But dont worry about catching something else:

The entire staff at FreedomFest is working closely with our vendors and the team at the Paris hotel to make sure we can create the safest environment at FreedomFest for our attendees, exhibitors and speakers. We will follow the most current guidelines that are relevant at the time for social distancing, sanitizing, and encouraging good hygiene for everyone who attends FreedomFest. Paris will also be instituting more stringent cleaning and social distancing practices throughout the hotel.

The email promoting FreedomFest seeks to foster a sense of urgency, saying the first day will begin with an emergency meeting to address the threat posed by the response of governments and individuals to the pandemic.

Heres how conference organizers describe the emergency:

The entire world has now had a taste of global statism and it seems to have appealed to a huge portion of the population. New calls to implement socialist agendas even in the United States! include universal healthcare and universal basic income, mandatory vaccinations, health certificates for travel, and growing burdens on small business owners that will include paid sick leave, remote workspaces, and higher unemployment insurance as well as new regulations that will likely be expensive and confining.

Globally, people seem almost thrilled to give up their freedoms and let government take over EVERYTHING. We have become almost childlike in our reliance on authority.

One of the greatest casualties of the global shutdown has been the shutting down of our usually robust campaign processand this is the most important election cycle in our lifetime. Freedom itself is hooked to a ventilator, and we must be the ones to bring it back to life.

The email promoting the conference mocks Americans compliance with social distancing restrictions and other public health requirements imposed by governments. We are living in the land of the sheep, the email reads:

Its downright scary how billions of people, including many liberty-loving Americans, willingly sequestered themselves in their homes, donned masks, social-distanced, shuttered their businesses, and believed the hype. Were experiencing what Ben Franklin famously observed:were giving up essential liberty for temporary security.

Was it really necessary?

And even more importantly,was it morally right?

What do we now face in the future? How much easier will it be for governments to shutter our businesses under any pretext described as for the common good? They told us to shut down our businesses, and we did. They told us to stay home, and we did. They told our neighbors to report on us, and they did. They told us not to buy masks, so we didnt. And then they told us we had to wear masks, and we did. We are living in the land of the sheep.

How many of our unalienable rights were violated and what does that mean for our future freedoms?

Going forward, it is absolutely essential that these draconian measures be challenged in the courts.

But, the email declares assuringly, As free marketers and freedom-lovers, we are up for the challenge!

The speaker lineup is heavy on investors, libertarian and right-wing media figures and advocates, and, despite the libertarian tilt of the conference, some conservative culture warriors like movie critic Michael Medved and public philosopher Jordan Peterson.

Among the many speakers scheduled to appear:

Among the organizations scheduled to lead sessions are the Pacific Legal Foundation, National Review and the National Review Institute, and the Independent Institute.

FreedomFest also includes Anthem, a libertarian film festival. Among the movies it has screened in the past is Dinesh DSouzas America: Imagine a World Without Her.

See original here:

FreedomFest Urges People to 'Catch the Vision' in Las Vegas - Right Wing Watch

Michael Jordan and Buzz Peterson played together all three years His Airness worked his magic at the University of North Carolina.

He also won North Carolina high school basketball player of the year over Michael Jordan before they each joined Dean Smiths squad. Now he works for his as assistant general manager for the Charlotte Hornets. So one could say that Peterson has seen it all when it comes to Michael Jordan. Or at least considerably more than most.

With ESPNs The Last Dance taking over the dormant world of sports, Roderick Boone of The Athletic spoke with Peterson about his days playing with the GOAT in Chapel Hill.

He says that anytime someone brings up his winning player of the year over Jordan, Michael replies, Yeah, Buzz got that award because in North Carolina there are seven major newspapers and his dad owned six of them. So thats how he got the award.

Little did he know that Jordan would go on to become one of the most dominant players in college basketball.

at first, the success he was having, it was tough, Peterson recalled. Personally, it was very hard for me, and at the time it was like, OK, this guy, hes really good, Buzz. Hes really good. For you to beat him out, its going to be really difficult. Hes just very gifted. But you can still be one of the guys to play out there with him. And so once I made my mind up and just to see him the unique thing was how he got better each year at Carolina from freshman to sophomore, sophomore to junior, how his game got better and better.

Embed from Getty Images

Peterson also recounted how Jordan would more than hold his own over the summer between his freshman and sophomore year going up against North Carolina legends like James Worthy, Walter Davis, and Al Wood.

However, there was one former Tar Heel that Peterson claims actually scared Jordan.

There is one guy that I always thought, and I know to this day I dont know if Michael wont admit or not, but I swear that he had a little bit of fear of and it wasnt a basketball player. It was a football player by the name of Lawrence Taylor. LT, phenomenal athlete. Could guard east to west, as quick as anybody, could jump, big hands, strong and was a bit crazy. So Michael in the back of his mind said, Sh-t, I better be careful with this guy. And LT always wanted to guard him.

He also remembered that during his four years at North Carolina he roomed with Michael Jordan for two years and Brad Daugherty for two years.

Ill never forget, I remember seeing something in Sporting News one time, said Peterson. They said, If you want to pick the right roommate, call Peterson because he chooses the right millionaires to be roommates with.'

Read the original post:

There Was Only One Player Michael Jordan Feared Playing, According To Former Teammate At UNC - BroBible

I WANT to focus on the new age phenomenon involving an obsession with the self, such as mindfulness practices, meditation and yoga.

In the fitness world, trends come and go. In the 90s, Pilates was everywhere and now seems that everyone has tried yoga. Travellers strike pretentious yoga poses in front of landmarks.

But theres an extra dimension to yoga and when the subject of religion comes up, do not be surprised if practitioners say, Oh, Im not religious but I am spiritual.

In university, I had a few (American) football friends who swore by yoga as helping them stretch and improve their flexibility on the football field. I also had a few friends with sedentary office jobs who maintained an excellent physique by going to yoga. As a curious person who loves playing devils advocate, I decided to give yoga the benefit of the doubt and immerse myself into the culture for at least a month. As a Catholic, I was fully aware that the Bible is clear on such a venture:Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? (2 Corinthians 6:1418 NIV).

What was initially apparent was the size of the industry behind yoga, and the pressure to look the part. The yoga industry seems to focus on selling classes and retreats, encouraging elite cliques, sales of merchandise (eg100 yoga pants). I do not doubt the people behind the yoga communities mean well but it is hardly an altruistic industry.

Next, I found myself awkwardly trying to understand the religion or spirituality behind yoga. On the one hand, the teacher was chanting things that are apparently from the Vedas. These are ancient Sanskrit texts composing of the Rig-Veda (1028 hymns divided into ten books or mandalas), Sama-Veda (chanting), Yajur-Veda (ritual and sacrifices) and Atharva-Veda (charms and magical incantations). The Vedas forms the basis for Hinduism and there appear to be some elemental involvements (eg moon, sun, etc). Many classmates did not seem aware of these facts.

What did I find funny enough to stifle a laugh when I saw it in the yoga class? Buddhist statues everywhere. Ironically, according to Nandan and Jangubhair, authors of a comparative study between Hinduism and Buddhism, Buddhists do not believe in the Vedas or for that matter any Hindu scripture.

So, it appears yoga has its own philosophy borrowing from the Vedas (Hindu scriptures) and borrowing the likeness and some Buddhist philosophy as well. Yoga is starting to sound like a mixture of philosophies, a pseudo-spirituality that preaches about no judgement and things such as karma: an Eastern philosophy fruit salad if you will.

As I went through my classes, I questioned if people even knew what they were chanting or if they were just going through the motions. I did not join in because as a Catholic, Im not about to chant or pray to pagan gods.

My understanding is that yoga emphasises exercise, worshipping via postures to the Hindu gods and emptying the mind (to be filled with what? I am uncertain but have my suspicions).

Yoga appears to be where modern folks go instead of Church. Attending yoga retreats to celebrate solstices and full moons, saluting the sun: it all serves to fulfil the desperate search for meaning and enlightenment when traditional values and religion are under attack. The yoga cult tends to strike after young people in their 20s (and sadly maybe even 30s) recognise that their hedonistic lifestyles of drinking to excess, clubbing, the hook-up culture and their adolescent irresponsibility are devoid of meaning, and the yoga community seems to provide this meaning.

People see celebrity posts on yoga, sexy poses and how rich some celebrity yogis have become, and they are sucked into the illusion that yoga is the answer.Hollywood frequently showcases characters who have lost their way or hit rock bottom, then they go to a yoga class or retreat and suddenly everything has changed! A perfect example is in the TV showMad Men,inexplicably on for several seasons, featuring a despicable character and his liaisons in 1960s America. The series ends with him at a yoga retreat and he is forgiven all of the past seasons extramarital affairs! Incredible!

When suckered into the yoga community, participants often experience a desire to abandon all worldly possessions, consumerism and capitalist behaviours. Thus, yoga serves as an introduction or gateway into tarot, reiki, crystals, psychics and mediums, and contemporary occultism. Eventually, in the extreme, you will end up a vegan, eating twigs and berries, burning sage, talking about being present and grounded and chanting the gurus teachings while beating a Buddhist gong. You may even end up living in a van or commune and refusing to shave or wear a bra! Enter the Left-wing agenda to form radical feminists and gender crusaders. Then yoga begins to serve as a way of killing any religiosity one may have by replacing it with an obsession with self. It becomes all about your soul-changing journey and your truths, and there is a yoga community to reinforce these beliefs.

Some say they eventually come to the conclusion that there is no being more divine than themselves. They become spiritual alcoholics drunk on yoga.Joseph Magnus Frangipani, who experienced yoga before converting to Christianity, has written:I saw so many people some friends, many strangers seeking the dissolution of self. They had an insatiable desire to lose themselves, not in the life and light of God but in the darkness of the void, in a separation from the Love Who Transcends Everything. You can read his excellent article on yoga and its destructive forceshere.

So, what conclusion did I draw from my yoga studies? I think youth today could replace their hedonistic lifestyles by finding religion, meaning and purpose. A perfect example of youth searching for meaning is the huge following for inspirational (and rational) role models such as Jordan Peterson. He expresses that itisntabout you, which is contrary to yoga teachings and may be shocking to some young people whose parents have catered to them their entire lives. Many young adults have never heard enlivening speeches on humility or on adhering to a proper ideology and such a no-nonsense Quit-being-arrogant-and-criticising-everything-and-you-are-not-special-now-find-your-purpose-and-get-going rubric that Jordan Peterson preaches.

Although I do not recommend yoga, I did like the stretching and exercise so perhaps I could find an old Pilates video at the bottom of the discount bin at the department store.

- Advertisement -

Continued here:

A short stretch in the cult of yoga - The Conservative Woman

Thursday, April 23, 2020

By Nancy Enright

In many Core II classes this week, students may be reading the work of Friedrick Nietzsche, the German philosopher, who has been called (by Terry Eagleton) "the first real atheist." Nietzsche is probably the most extreme example of the "dialogue" aspect of Christianity and Culture in Dialogue. He clearly presents a position that is the opposite of Christianity, or any theistic faith.

As we examine the ideas of Nietzsche, it is important to notice how, in his rejection of Judaism and Christianity (which he seems to conflate as essentially one religion), he focuses on specific aspects of these traditions, and this is what is most interesting in terms of the class. Though raised the son of a Lutheran pastorwho died when he was young, Nietzsche was groomed to be a pastor himself. As a young adult, however, he rejected this goal for his life (held by his mother). However, because of his training in the Christian faith, he does have a good sense of what it means sometimesit would seembetter than many Christians.

For Nietzsche, the ideal person is the one who self-actualizes, who lives most fully and freely as him or her self. Believing in no god, he rejects the idea of revelation or of a moral law inherent in humans. His Geneology of Morals, excerpted in the Core II text, reveals Nietzsche's view that what we hold as good and evil grew out of the various human codes that created moral customs. First, he says, good meant noble, brave, aristocratic (not good in the sense that we normally mean the word morally whole and compassionate, self-sacrificing). Nietzsche would say we have adopted a code created by what he calls the slave- priest class, which rejected the powerful and strong to affirm the weak. He accuses Christianity and Judaism as being religions of this slave-weak-priestly class of people, and says that they have labeled as evil those who do not fit this category the rich, the powerful, and the strong. Is there any truth to this from Nietzsche's perspective accusation?

As Anthony Sciglitano, who teaches in the Core and was Director of the Core for many years, does when he teaches Nietzsche, it is very interesting to read Nietzsche's Geneology of Morals in conjunction with Jesus' Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew. Jesus does affirm "Blessed are the poor in spirit," and "blessed are the meek" (Matthew 5:1-10). Furthermore, Jesus says in Matthew 25, after describing service to various suffering and marginalized groups the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the prisoner, the sick: "Whatever you did for the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." In the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, Jesus says the former will go to hell and the latter to heaven, because the former was blind to the plight of the poor man, suffering right at his gate (Luke 16:19-31). There truly is an implicit "option for the poor" in the Gospels.

Nietzsche rejected any such option. Speaking about "the Jews" but actually meaning Christians as well, Nietzsche describes this attitude: "the wretched alone are the good; the poor, impotent, lowly alone are the good; the suffering, deprived, sick, ugly alone are pious, alone are blessed by God, blessedness is for them alone and you, the powerful and noble, are on the contrary the evil, the cruel, the lustful, the insatiable, the godless to all eternity; and you shall be in all eternity the unblessed, accursed, and damned!" (385). While the Judaeo-Christian tradition never says the poor, the weak, etc., are the only people who will be saved, the option for the poor inherent in the Gospels and in other places in the Bible suggests that God does have a special love for the poor, and that the rich need to be aware of them and care for them in order to be in harmony with the loving will of God. Nietzsche's depiction may be an exaggeration, but it gets at something that is at the heart of biblical teaching: human beings are not to be considered more worthy because of money, power, or status, but instead the values of the world are inverted. Many passages in the Jewish Bible, especially in the prophets, and a lot of the New Testament advocate this inversion of the norms of society (then as now).

Nietzsche also criticizes the advocacy of the gentle, "the meek" as Jesus calls them in the Beatitudes, over the more aggressive and violent. He uses the following analogy:

That lambs dislike great birds of prey does not seem strange: only it gives no ground for reproaching these birds of prey for bearing off little lambs. And if the lambs say among themselves: "these birds of prey are evil, and whoever is least like a bird of prey, but rather its opposite, a lamb would he not be good?" there is no reason to find fault with this institution of an ideal, except perhaps that the birds of prey might view it a little ironically and say: "we don't dislike them at all, these good little lambs; we even love them: nothing is more tasty than a tender lamb" (393).

Nietzsche goes on to say: "To demand of strength that it should not express itself as strength, that it should not be a desire to overcome, a desire to throw down, a desire to become a master, a thirst for enemies and resistances and triumphs, is just as absurd as to demand of weakness that it should express itself as strength" (393). Ironically, there are some who call themselves Christian who advocate positions that sound like this one.

However, what kind of power actually is advocated by Jesus? It is certainly not weakness, though the lamb is used in the New Testament as an image for not only his followers but for himself "Behold the Lamb of God." What does this mean? Jesus makes it clear that power for his followers must not follow the patterns of the world, clearly articulated by Nietzsche, who praised the Romans who dominated the political world of Jesus' time as an epitome of the kind of strength and power he admired. On the contrary, Jesus said, "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves" (Luke 22:25-26). This kind of power, of non-violent love is, according to Jesus, stronger than the other kind of power, the kind that loves to overcome, threaten, dominate and ultimately destroy one's enemies.

So, the conversation, the dialogue between Christianity and Culture (in this case, Nietzsche) leads to some interesting conclusions. Both would conclude that Christianity is a church "for the poor" as Pope Francis calls it, and a religion of non-violence as opposed to aggression. But whether that is good or bad, is where the two part company. For Nietzsche, such an "option" is an abdication of the noble nature of the high-born and warlike natural man, whereas for Christ and his followers, as well as the Jewish teachers and prophets before him and after, strength comes from following the ways of the God who gives himself to his people over and over again, and asks them to do the same, especially for the "the least of them." This is especially true right now, in light of COVID-19 and the constant headlines that it is the poor who are suffering most, as always, from this latest crisis. To be truly great, in a way that is compatible with the teaching of Jesus in any sense, would be for our country to address the injustice and inequities that cause the unequal and excessive suffering for some more than others and respond with compassion and swift action.

Categories: Education

For more information, please contact:

Read this article:
Inside the Core this Week - Seton Hall University News & Events

I think the weirdest thing about recovery from this disease is the uncertainty of recovery from this disease, according to my friend Heather, who contracted COVID-19 early last month.

Heather did not initially qualify for testing, but when things got dicey, a doctor diagnosed her over the phone with certainty. She was in bed for three weeks, isolated from her family with a mild case.

Mild' means 'not dying, just so you know, she told me. And let me tell you, there were days when we were on the fence.

Now, nearly 40 days after she first fell ill, Heather still has bad days.

My voice is still weird, and my lungs hurt...although they no longer have an elephant standing on them, she told me. On rainy days, they hurt more.

Heather has zero underlying conditions and is a health fanatic. Like, she makes her own hemp milk.

Im still in shock I got this, she confessed.

But according to many people I know who have struggled with this disease, without testing for both the disease itself and the resultant antibodies, there lingers this weird sense of wait, did I really have it?

Ironically, the same is true for people who have been tested. It has been widely reported that 30 percent of people who test negative for COVID-19 are actually positive.

Likewise, NPR has reported that ID NOW, the most commonly used coronavirus test, has a false-positive rate of 14.8 percent.

So that means if you have 100 patients that are positive, 15 percent of those patients would be falsely called negative. Theyd be told that they are negative for COVID-19 when theyre really positive, Dr. Gary Precop, who runs COVID-19 testing at the Cleveland Clinic, told NPR.

Thats soo not legit, my 12-year-old Louie said.

Yes, but dont forget that madness is the result not of uncertainty, but of certainty, as Nietzsche once put it. I was reminded of this by a friend who just started a Nietzsche book club, and is convinced I must join.

I can honestly think of nothing worse than joining a Friedrich Nietzsche book club over Zoom with a bunch of book publishers who have too much time on their hands. Right now, that would push me over the edge for sure. (Whatever edge" is left, that is.)

With COVID-19, the problem with uncertain diagnosis is that you dont know if you are immune. Add to it the fact that the medical community remains unclear about immunity in general, and youre basically sitting with Estragon and Vladimir in Waiting For Godot. But instead youre Waiting For Immunity.

And whats up with immunity," anyway? Even with the uncertainty, are we entering into some kind of dystopian state where people who are immune can walk around with a symbol on their foreheads amid a world under quarantine, and do all the things the rest of us cant?

Yes, Donald G. McNeil Jr., a science and health opinion writer for The New York Times, said in a recent interview. That is already beginning to take place. Germany is talking about issuing certificates, but you dont want something you can pass from person to person. So China takes peoples cellphones and has a QR code that you read as you come into the subway, you come into a restaurant, you come into any place where somebody can check your phone. And that readout tells the person looking at your phone that youre immune. So yeah, people are already thinking about this.

According to McNeil, these people (known as immunes) will be tempted to take other peoples jobs where travel is required, among other things. This creates a temptation and calculated risk to self-infect in an effort to create immunity, or do it the chickenpox party way.

And that would be really, REALLY not legit, to quote Louie.

Yeah, well, welcome to reality. As Samuel Beckett puts it: Youre on Earth. Theres no cure for that.

But Beckett also tells us something else and it's important. In the misery and horror of waiting in uncertainty, he tells us to act.

As Vladimir puts it, We wait. We are bored. No, don't protest, we are bored to death, there's no denying it. Good. A diversion comes along and what do we do? We let it go to waste. Come, lets get to work!

Thats what Waiting For Godot is about: the bold attempt to do something in the face of waiting, of living.

So I will leave you with the words of Arundhati Roy because, as usual, she nails it:

What is this thing that has happened to us? Its a virus, yes. In and of itself, it holds no moral belief. But it is definitely more than a virus. It has made the mighty kneel and brought the world to a halt like nothing else could. Our minds are still racing back-and-forth, longing for a return to normality ... trying to stitch our future to our past and refusing to acknowledge the rupture. But the rupture exists. And in the midst of this terrible despair, it offers us a chance to re-think the doomsday machine we have built for ourselves.

Nothing could be worse than a return to normality. Historically, pandemics have forced humans to break with the past and imagine their world anew. This one is no different. It is a portal, a gateway between one world and the next. We can choose to walk through it, dragging the carcasses of our prejudice and hatred, our avarice, our data banks and dead ideas, our dead rivers and smoky skies behind us. Or we can walk through lightly, with little luggage, ready to imagine another world. And ready to fight for it.

Read the rest here:
The Mother Lode: Coronavirus carries unknowns, so does its recovery - CT Insider

fizkes, Shutterstock

SALT LAKE CITY Its easy to forget or neglect our own basic self-care needs during times of stress. However, its during these times of increased stress, difficulty and uncertainty that we need to stay connected with ourselves and care for ourselves the most.

Thats when we most need to move our bodies, get enough sleep, not skip meals, reprioritize, scale back, allow for rest, reassess expectations and protect our boundaries. Its not the time to put these things on the back burner.

With that said, I want to offer suggestions for how to get back to the basics of self-care. Id even call these basic "hygiene" routines things that could be equated with brushing your teeth and taking a shower. These are self-care essentials that will make sure your basic needs are being met.

Youll feel better physically, mentally and emotionally if you are eating regularly and adequately. While it might be easy to forget, put it off or question the importance, I promise that you will feel more resilient to all that life is throwing at you if your body and your brain are well-fueled.

Anticipate hunger every two to four hours, depending on the size of your last meal or snack. A meal will likely keep you full for close to three to four hours, while a snack will probably be closer to two hours. Choose three to five food groups for meals and two to three food groups for snacks.

Think through a typical day starting with breakfast. What time do you usually get hungry? From there, think about what time to anticipate being hungry for lunch. If youre going longer than three or four hours between breakfast and lunch, you may want to plan for a snack. And so on throughout the day.

Stress and anxiety can often overwhelm you and decrease appetite or make hunger and fullness cues feel less reliable. But just because you dont feel hungry or dont have an appetite doesnt mean you dont need to eat. If your emotions are causing eating patterns to become irregular and inadequate, you may want to establish a flexible structure for yourself to make sure you are eating in predictable ways. This can help you avoid chaotic and haphazard eating patterns.

Its often because you arent eating regularly and adequately that your hunger/fullness cues and appetite feel unreliable or muted. When you are eating adequately and at regular intervals, your body can actually communicate its needs more effectively.

Physical activity will look differently for everyone. As such, basic hygiene for exercise would be to find a way to move your body each day in a way that you enjoy. It doesnt need to be a certain amount or a certain intensity, just enough for you to gain the mental, emotional and physical benefits of physical activity.

This might mean taking a walk, playing with your kids, gardening, stretching, a favorite exercise video, online class or anything else that would feel refreshing to you. Anything "counts"!

Instead of exercising to manipulate your body or to compensate for what you ate, look at it as an opportunity to connect to your body and support its overall well-being. That will make it more enjoyable and rewarding for you and youre more likely to be consistent with it when done with positive intentions.

Just like youll want to establish predictability and rhythm with food, basic hygiene would encourage you to do the same with sleep.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, current sleep recommendations are as follows:

Commit or recommit to getting in bed at a time that allows for the full recommended amount of sleep. You may need a little time before to start winding down and preparing for a good nights sleep.

While its not necessary to do more than whats essential during stressful times, it is wise to make sure your basic needs are being met. Prioritizing consistent nutrition, enjoyable movement and adequate sleep will allow you to support your health and wellbeing and increase your mental, emotional and physical resiliency during difficult times.

See the original post:
Stressed out? Try improving these 3 areas of self-care - KSL.com

From International Relations perspective, there can be three suggested levels of analysis; individual, state and system level of analysis, to examine political, economic and social changes and their possible implications in the international system. The definitions of words fear, chaos and anarchy are driven from Safires political dictionary to develop a shared perspective. The term security appears ubiquitous and all the verbiage devoted to Covid-19 leads some people to postulate that the military jingoism had thwarted welfare budgets across the globe, but the non-traditional security paradigm will now rule the international system the very thought is simply chimeric.

There is no greater fear than losing a life. National leaders and policy makers will surely combat any possible challenge or threat to thousands of lives of citizens, irrespective of cast, color, creed, gender or class. The fear has made questionable social norms, beliefs, taboos and even religion. Fear of Covid-19 threat is looming powerfully without physical appearance and prevails around everything you eat, drink and touch. Survival against fear has become national moto. Nation-states in return have suspended all national activities from every walk of life by declaring it as a challenge to national security.

Trump wants troops out of Afghanistan to shift focus from Pandemic: Pakistani Lawmaker Sehar Kamran

Trump wants troops out of Afghanistan to shift focus from Pandemic: ...

Politically, fear has profound significance at the state level of analysis. Because the political leaders are supposed to take bold decisions rather than noble lies to protect their Kallipolis state. Threats to any sector of multifaceted concept of security are dealt with iron hands by political leaders. National security advisors think beyond the box against the dark shadows of fear, either it demands them to sacrifice their ideological rigidity, challenge religious belief, break social norms, and switch economic paradigms or prioritize state over individuals. Chaos at system level demands statism at state level to combat any type of anarchy through self-help rather collective efforts. Covid-19 is truly testing the credibility, vision and decision making for political leaders at state level rather than system level.

Previously fear of global threat used to bring centuries or decades old political rivals on the diplomatic table but covid-19 has put leadership around the globe in quarantine within their national boundaries.

PM Imran, Bill Gates discuss latest developments regarding COVID-19, polio eradication

PM Imran, Bill Gates discuss latest developments regarding COVID-19, ...

Economics is considered the strongest muscle of nation-states to cater multifaceted national security challenges in 21stcentury as extolled by Copenhagen school of thought in security studies. Covid-19 has devastated national economies in the first round of its outburst. It hasnt only endangered the survivability but generated mass chaos of alarming speculations of the great economic depression of the century. National policies everywhere are relying on national economic capacities, and pushing governments, institutions and individuals towards statism. In this situation, rising anarchy at system level is compelling nations-states to hold economic reigns centrally by capitalist and liberal economies to restrain their nations from falling in the realm of Marxism and its variants. Realist question here, if it is not a self-help to encounter multifaceted security then what?

The social dynamics of fear is a threat to social values, practices, customs, norms, traditions, lifestyle and freedom of practicing religious gatherings. Failure of all heuristic methods to curb fear of COVID-19 have further aggravated chaos at least partially in the social sphere of national life. Nation-States are designing policies to fight against Covid-19 by promoting their cultural identity. As Covid-19 has arch hold everywhere in the world so a large number of nation-states are believing in self-help rather than cry of collective help.

Opinion of human rights watchdogs, intl media raging against India over brutal treatment to Muslims: FM Qureshi

Opinion of human rights watchdogs, intl media raging against India ...

Today, when individuals are locked down by national governments across the globe. It is military or paramilitary forces that are marching in all corners of countriesaround world. The responsibility and reliability is more increased from protecting national borders to public properties. Therefore, standards of statism have modernized at this time and engaging national militaries with more technologists and medical doctors to break any possible anarchy with self- help is the order of the day.

Mr. Zulqarnain is an associate lecturer at University of Gujrat and Doctoral candidate of International Relations & Political Science at Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad.

Excerpt from:
Can self-help and statism prove effective against COVID-19, fear, chaos and anarchy? - The Nation

Executive Summary

Most of us are not on the overtaxed frontlines of the healthcare battle, but all of us can be first responders to the need for emotional support. Almost everyone needs connection to others and the opportunity to give and get support right now. So, how can you shore up your mental health and deepen your own emotional reservoir? The author offers four suggestions: 1) Start with self-care.We cant share with others a resource that we lack ourselves. 2) Ask for help when you need it. If you dont ask for that support, the need for it will be revealed in ways that dont serve you. 3) Ask others How are you? Take time to listen to their full answer and walk through your personal rollercoaster ride. 4)Look for the positive and say it aloud.Express appreciation, give compliments, and call out triumphs, no matter how small. If you see something good, speak up.

Weve made our coronavirus coverage free for all readers. To get all of HBRs content delivered to your inbox, sign up for the Daily Alert newsletter.

As businesses and schools are shuttered, economic uncertainty encroaches, and a pandemic rages worldwide, there is plenty of anxiety to go around. Were watching our healthcare system be pushed to its limits, but the grief and trauma were seeing presages a second wave of need: Before long, our mental healthcare system is going to be stretched to the breaking point as well. As physical distancing continues, we need to make sure that we help alleviate the isolation, loneliness, depression, anxiety, and other mental health impacts that will result, driving a potentially system-overwhelming curve of their own. And now is the time to head off this second crisis.

Most of us are not on the overtaxed frontlines of the healthcare battle, but all of us can be first responders to the need for emotional support. The need exists in every industry and economic sector, among physically healthy people as well as those who are sick or whose loved ones are sick. There are needs in our families, extended families, congregations, and communities, as well as within our network of professional associations. Almost everyone needs connection to others and the opportunity to give and get support in the abnormal new normal of deep uncertainty and the fearful specter of a pandemic.

As executive coaches, we think a lot about how to maximize mental health resources thats a big part of what we do every day. So, how can you shore up your mental health and deepen your own emotional reservoir? Here are some suggestions:

We cant share with others a resource that we lack ourselves. The critical starting point is to take our own mental health temperature. How am I doing? What will help me combat anxiety? Am I drinking, eating, or sleeping, or crying too much? What do I need to do to stay connected?

Follow up with a plan. Begin with keeping to your normal routine as much as possible. Take a shower early in the day. Brush your teeth. Put on clothes that you feel good in. One of the best ways to manage through chaos is to anchor yourself in routine. Schedule regular exercise, which has well-documented mental health benefits. Try taking up a regular meditation, if you havent already there truly is no time like the present. Scheduling when you read or watch the news can help keep your consumption measured. If it triggers adverse emotions and bogs you down, skip it for a while, or only consume enough to be current on your local developments. Do not follow the stock market every day, unless youre thrilled by emotional roller coasters.

Next, think of ways to be mentally engaged either through work or activities such as crossword or jigsaw puzzles, games, reading, or writing. Start a journal or blog. Self-reflection will allow you to make meaning of what is happening. Use technology to remain connected with family and friends. If possible, pursue your hobbies. One of our colleagues Julie Carrier rides her bike around her neighborhood each day, waving and saying hello to as many people as possible (from a safe distance). This not only gives her fresh air and a change of scenery but an opportunity to be with people.

Caregivers, parents, coaches, therapists, and even you need help. We all do right now. Dont hesitate to seek and ask for it. In many cases we can find the support we need from partners, parents, children, friends, and others close to us. There are professional resources to access if necessary, but again, if we can get adequate help elsewhere, we will conserve those resources for those who cant. You are going to need support. If you dont ask for that support, the need for it will be revealed in ways that dont serve you. Speaking from experience, either your resent-o-meter will spike, or you will find yourself holding grudges, being unkind and ungenerous in unexpected moments often to the people who you most care about.

The flip side of this is making yourself available to others who need help. While its important to keep your own emotional state in mind, remember that practicing self-care doesnt mean being self-centered. One of the best ways to lift your mood is to encourage, support, and love others. During the last few weeks we have seen countless acts of people stepping up and answering the call to serve: a Costco run for an elderly neighbor, a medium-size business offering more favorable terms to a small business client to increase their cash flow (which resulted in them keeping their staff), donations to local charities to get PPE to local healthcare workers, and the list goes on.

Most mornings, when we hop on a Zoom call with business partners, we dive into the most pressing issues of the day. It is easy to jump straight to the to-dos and brush off the How are you? with a casual Im fine. On routine days, this is often a pro forma question, but theres nothing routine about these days. This is the question that helps us take the mental health temperature of others, which means we really listen to the answer, even though that may not be our habit. Everyone is grieving. Everyone is experiencing trauma and needs other people to talk to. We need to feel heard.

When youre talking to friends, colleagues, whomever, take time to listen to their full answer and walk through your personal COVID-19 rollercoaster ride. You dont need to ride the emotional rollercoaster with your colleagues, but it is important to listen to how their ride is going. Be willing to wait for people to be honest. Be comfortable in silence if someone searches for words or has to collect their emotions. We are all overtaxed.

We may usually be a little sparing with praise. Maybe we think that someone who criticizes us is smarter than we are, or that praising others feels like an acknowledgment that we are inferior, so we demur. The temptation to withhold support can increase when we are experiencing feelings of scarcity, which can foster competitiveness and even enmity. Now is not that time. Now is the time to have the courage to be enthusiastic. Express appreciation, give compliments, and call out triumphs, no matter how small. If you see something good, speak up.

Big wins may be in short supply, but everyone continues to need positive feedback. With work associates, encourage your subordinates, peers, bosses, and also rivals, competitors, past partners. If you admire someone, tell them (and if you think they could not possibly need support from you right now, youre likely wrong).

We still have a long, hard path to get through this pandemic. But doing our best to manage the toll it takes on our mental and emotional health will make it easier to ride out the coming ups and downs. Weve made great strides in recent years addressing mental health in the workplace and more generally. We need people on the frontlines rescuing the physically afflicted, but the emotional aspect will affect everyone. All of us need emotional first responders. Take good care of yourself. Because we need you.

If our free content helps you to contend with these challenges, please consider subscribing to HBR. A subscription purchase is the best way to support the creation of these resources.

More:
To Take Care of Others, Start by Taking Care of Yourself - Harvard Business Review

Aly Evirs, owner of Boheme Salon and Spa in Redding, offers tips for self care while staying home. Redding Record Searchlight

Withnon-essential businesses like hair salons and spasclosed during the coronavirus crisis, people are left to their own devices to cut (or not to cut)their own hair and care for skin rubbed raw from hand-washing and masks.

Thosewho make theirliving grooming and caring for clients in Redding'sdry climate offered these tips to tide us over untilsalons, barbershops and spasopen again.

1. Take a break."Take this time to let your skin and hair breathe," Boheme Salon and Spa owner Aly Evirs said.Skip the hot tools, like curling irons. Condition more often. Useless makeup. Be consistent with yourskin care routine, but keep it simple.

2. Treat problem areas, like those where masksrubbed skin raw. Use extra moisturizer on your hands and face,especially at night. It can helpheal skin while you'resleeping, "and repair (its) barrier function to protect against mask burn and rubbing,"Evirs said.

3. Calm things down.People are feeling a lot of anxiety from coronavirus fears, economic stressand other concerns.Expressions Beauty Training vocational school owner Leah Robisonrecommends using essential oils to elevate your mood and help you relax, sleep, breath clearly and detoxify. She also suggests takinga bath. Apply body lotion after, takingtime to massage it into your skin.

Leah Robison, owner of Expressions Beauty Training vocational school in Redding, offers tips for self care while staying home. Redding Record Searchlight

4. Care for hands and nails after washing hands.Moisturize nails with hand lotion or cuticle oil,Redding nail technician Jewelia Bill said. Otherwise, cuticles candry out andpeel painfully, especially with all thathand-washing andsanitizer.Keep fingernailstrimmed, and use a fine-grain nail file one with a180 grit that won't tear nails, Bill said. Meanwhile, you can use this time to heal nails after months of gel polish and acrylics.

5. Drink plenty of water. Usingcleaners that kill the coronavirus can behard on yourbody. Make sure you're getting enough water"for overall health"and to removetoxins absorbed through skin and inhaled,Evirs said.

More stories:

Coronavirus live updates: What we know Wednesday about COVID-19 in the North State

Try a to-go food trek at restaurants offering takeout, curbside delivery

6. Style, but don't cut your hair.Evirs understands what it's like when locks growout of control."I have a very modern mullet going on," she saidlaughing. But she still doesn't recommend cuttingyour own hair.Instead, change your part ortrim short hair around your ears or neck to subtly improve your look.

7. Prepare for Zoomand other online chats like you would if you were going out."Ditch the pajamas for some normal clothes," Evirs said.Light makeup evens outskin toneand make people look their best on camera.

Jessica Skropanic is features reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. She covers lifestyle andentertainment stories, andweekly arts featured.a.t.e. Followher on Twitter @RS_JSkropanicand on Facebook. Join Jessica in theGet Out! Nor Calrecreation Facebook group. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today. Thank you.

Read or Share this story: https://www.redding.com/story/news/2020/04/29/coronavirus-quarantine-tips-home-self-care/3005203001/

See the article here:
Hairy situation: 7 tips from Redding beauty specialists to hold us over at home - Record Searchlight