Bullies never win — not even in the comments section. In honor of Bullying Prevention Month, TED’s community manager, Katie Pierce, shares these tips on how to react to a comment-thread bully.
I grew up with a dad who was a baseball-loving criminal investigator, so in my house, dinner conversation was about two things: Yankees batting averages and criminal psychology. At the table, I was introduced to the science of lying and the secrets of writing analysis — and I learned how to remove fear from the equation when dealing with bad guys. And believe me, this comes in handy as a comment moderator.
TED’s website comments are a place where civility is important, and I’ve had to take on some big bullies while steering our community. I used to see these bullies as completely opposed to TED’s mission to create meaningful interaction in the comment threads on every TED Talk. But after much time spent trying to eradicate them, I’ve realized how valuable bullies can be to listen to and learn from.
For example, listening for changes in word choice and tone helps me identify potential bullies even before they’ve begun actively bullying their next target. So I take notice when someone starts using more combative language, expressing their superiority or posting with an abnormal frequency.
While I’ve got your back on TED.com, bullies will certainly try to sneak into other areas of your life too. Here are my tricks to dealing with a bully that work online, offline … anytime. The first three are the most important:
Remain calm
Remain calm
Remain calm
That moment when bullying hits you — it really, really hurts. Your emotions are billowing out like a mushroom cloud in your brain and you can’t think straight through all the smoke. Just remember: you are not under siege. You are still the person you were before you encountered the bully. They’ve only stated an opinion, not wished the awful thing into being. If you can tough it out until the emotional plume settles, you’ll be in a great place to respond effectively.
Determine the severity of the bullying
It can be difficult to look beyond yourself when you’ve just been emotionally provoked, which is why steps 1–3 are so important. Make sure your heartbeat has slowed back down and you’re taking full, deep breaths. Then, ask yourself, “Am I angry because this speaker is being aggressively wrong and rude in a general way — or is this a personal attack on me?” Sometimes a comment is pointed enough for you to be in danger: Does it make a specific threat? Does it contain information about you that you don’t want shared? If this happens on the TED.com comment threads, flag the comment so our mods see it right away, and write to me.
Ask for the help you need … and be the help you need
No matter what else you do, make sure to address this reality: Being bullied sucks. Bullying is not a normal stressor, and denying that you feel bad after an incident does not make it easier to work through. Maintaining your mental health while dealing with a bully is absolutely essential. Bullies do their real damage if you skip this step. So: Ask a friend to have a decompression session to discuss the interaction; do your favorite form of exercise; or employ another form of self-care that works for you. And in online spaces that have a moderator, don’t hesitate to reach out if you need backup! As a moderator myself, I hate that a bully hurt you, and I really do want to help! Bonus: Involving a moderator helps protect your fellow community members, and it also helps the mods do their jobs better.
Leave no one behind
Part of combating bullying is sticking up for the bullied when you can. Be the friend you’d hope for if the situation were reversed. Comment-thread bullying will never end if the bullies can’t see the large — and growing larger — united front that rejects their behavior. Even if you’ve never been bullied a day in your life, even if you used to be a bully yourself, this is still your fight. If you hope to be protected, you must also be willing to protect. So, the next time you see someone dealing with a bully, make your allegiance clear. Remind the bully that there truly is strength in numbers, and that the numbers are on our side.
At this year’s TEDWomen conference, we tried out some new ideas for accommodating attendees with small children. Beyond a lactation room, for instance, we offered a list of local, vetted caregiver services to call upon, a free livestream pass for caregivers, a free breast-milk shipping service, and a suite at a nearby hotel where attendees and caregivers with small children could gather and watch the livestream together.
We did not, however, reverse our grownups-only policy. That’s because, simply put, our attendees have been vocal about us maintaining it.
But in our attempt to accommodate all our audiences, we fell short: A newborn was turned away from TEDWomen last week, and the disappointed mother wondered how an organization like TED could leave her with so few options.
That disappointment touches a nerve here at TED. Many of us are parents, and there’s no denying that many of the moving ideas shared on stage last week — ones that demanded a healthier world for babies and their parents — prompt us to ask: How can TED do its part to set a new standard?
We haven’t figured this out yet, but we are trying — and listening. We’ve been in touch with parents from this event and others to help us take a hard look at how we can better support parents of babies and small children. We recognize the importance of getting this right. Stay tuned.
from TED Blog http://blog.ted.com/on-babies-and-ted/
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Meet Kenyan technologist, entrepreneur and TED Fellow Juliana Rotich in the latest installment of the Fellows in the Field video series. Visit the iHub, an incubator for Nairobi’s young technology entrepreneurs, and learn about BRCK, a rugged mobile WiFi device with huge potential to bring connectivity to areas of the world with limited infrastructure.
“It’s been incredible to see how the technology sector has changed in Kenya and in Africa,” Rotich says. “There is more work to do to provide opportunity and to create companies that not only solve problems here, but can also solve problems around the world.
Interested in becoming a TED Fellow yourself? The search is on for the next class. Learn more about becoming a TEDGlobal 2017 Fellow in Arusha, Tanzania. We encourage all talented innovators in their fields — science, art, technology, entrepreneurship, film and beyond — to apply to become a TED Fellow, especially those working across the African continent.
Apply now to become a TEDGlobal 2017 Fellow in Arusha, Tanzania.
from TED Blog http://blog.ted.com/ted-fellows-in-the-field-how-juliana-rotich-is-connecting-africans-with-rugged-technology/
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Tested with more than 45,000 clients to date — and proven in several peer-reviewed research studies — it’s guaranteed to help you transform your body, and your life.
Here’s a quick glimpse of what the program can do.
Meet some of the people whose bodies, and lives, have been changed by Precision Nutrition Coaching.
After years of yo-yo dieting, Ashley had finally got off the dieting rollercoaster after discovering Summer Tomato and Foodist. She learned to embrace the foodist lifestyle and joyfully lost weight without dieting. Things were great.
Ashley’s new habits were working great until she had a shift in her work life that enabled her to work from home. While she loves her new freedom and flexibility in her day, some of her more structured habits like lunch and snacks have fallen back into disarray.
Together we discuss what has changed in her routines and come up with some strategies she can use to retake control of her choices.
Wish you had more time to listen to the podcast? I use an app called Overcast (no affiliation) to play back my favorite podcasts at faster speeds, dynamically shortening silences in talk shows so it doesn’t sound weird. It’s pretty rad.
If you caught the Bikram Choudhury segment on last Tuesday night’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, we’re very sorry. Because perhaps you went through the same roller coaster of emotions we did sitting through the 20 minutes that felt more like a year, stuck in 105 degree heat, with no water and no exit. Real Sports […]
from YogaDork http://yogadork.com/2016/10/31/most-disturbing-moments-from-bikram-choudhurys-real-sports-interview-addressing-rape-accusations/
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Breakfast is served. These whole wheat cornmeal pancakes are easy, wholesome, and an excellent meal-prep recipe! One of the reasons why I love my job is because I am challenged on a daily basis. I remember working my corporate job right out of college and just bored out of my mind. I’d get to work...
Ian McCallum speaks onstage at TEDWomen 2016. Behind him is an image of the historic photo “Earthrise,” a view of our home planet from space. As astronaut Jim Lovell said: “Everything that you’ve ever known, your loved ones, your business, the problems of the Earth itself … is all behind your thumb.” Photo: Marla Aufmuth / TED
In December 1968, the crew of the Apollo 8 space mission captured a historic photo: “Earthrise,” an image of our home planet as seen from lunar orbit. Astronaut Jim Lovell was on that mission, and here’s what he said: “Everything that you’ve ever known, your loved ones, your business, the problems of the Earth itself … is all behind your thumb.” It was a poetic reflection on the frailty of life contained within that planet, and it echoed the observations of poets past and present that nature exists as an interconnected web of experiences between people and their environments.
Ian McCallum, a poet and psychiatrist, counts himself as just one of many voices who highlight this relationship, suggesting that so much of what makes up the natural world is also shared by living mammals like us.
His message is, in part, one of warning, of human development that’s created devastating effects on elephants, rhinoceroses, forests, and other keystone species vital to the Earth’s ecosystem. In the nearly 50 years since James Lovell and the other members of Apollo 8 gazed at our planet from the shelter of space, Earth has seen its ecological balance become more and more precarious through the actions of poachers and other human agents.
Ironically, while humans create so much environmental change, we are ourselves not a keystone species, McCallum says, not essential to any larger ecosystem. “Were we to disappear tomorrow,” he says, “nothing would miss us.”
But despite the best efforts of scientists to call us humans to account, people still exhibit apathy toward “the ecological warning calls of science.” In the absence of such reactions, he says, “the only voice left that can awaken us belongs to the poets.” Poetry is as much “a language of protest” as it is “a language of hope,” and it pushes us to be bold in how we address problems and ideas. It challenges us to be “keystone individuals” even if we aren’t a keystone species: to be “someone who can make a difference to the lives of others, to the animals, and to the Earth; someone who is willing to be disturbed” and willing “to stand firm in the knowledge that there are some things that are simply not for sale.”
It is, at its core, a process of self-examination, as poetry reminds us to consider what McCallum stresses we seem to have forgotten:
“that wilderness is not a place,
but a pattern of soul
where every tree, every bird and beast
is a soul maker[.]” — Wilderness, Ian McCallum, 1998
from TED Blog http://blog.ted.com/conservation-through-poetry-ian-mccallum-speaks-at-tedwomen-2016/
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When you see a recipe that has cheesy and vegan in the name, you know what’s coming, right? Nutritional yeast, of course! An ingredient near and dear to me and big time staple in any healthy, vegan kitchen. However, you certainly don’t have to be vegan to enjoy nutritional yeast! It adds a delicous, cheesy... Read More » The post Cheesy Vegan Spaghetti Squash Marinara appeared first on Running on Real Food.
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Halloween is almost here and that means the arrival of sugar, sugar and more sugar! However, just because you’re sure to be inundated with bulk mini-candy bars, doesn’t mean you can’t do your own thing with these healthy homemade Halloween treats! I guarantee these homemade treats will taste better than scary Halloween candy bars and... Read More » The post 20 Healthy Homemade Halloween Treats – All Vegan! appeared first on Running on Real Food.
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When Hillary Clinton became the first female nominee of a major political party in the United States this summer, she reflected that this achievement “belongs to generations of women and men who struggled, sacrificed and made this moment possible.” Women have been leaders throughout history, making positive changes in their communities. But in so many places around the world, women are held back from leadership on the largest stages by social, cultural and religious barriers.
In the final session of TEDWomen 2016 at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, eight speakers and one performer tackled one of the most fundamental issues facing women today: leadership.
Halla Tómasdóttir ran for president of Iceland this year — and came in a strong second from a wide field, against strong odds. She analyzes her campaign onstage at TEDWomen 2016. Photo: Marla Aufmuth / TED
A living emoji of sincerity. “Are you going to quit?” That was the first question the media asked Halla Tómasdóttir, who ran for president of Iceland in 2016, at her first televised debate. Polling at 1 percent at the time, it didn’t look like Tómasdóttir had a chance at winning the election — or making an impact at all on the political debate. Sharing her journey from watching Iceland’s first female president, Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, assume leadership, to deciding to run for Iceland’s highest office herself, Tómasdóttir narrates her motivations, struggles and achievements with wit and warmth. “It’s possible to run a different type of campaign,” she says, explaining how she insisted that her campaign take the high road and stay positive throughout the election, eventually earning her the description of “a living emoji of sincerity” in a New Yorker article. Despite a lack of resources and media attention, and against overwhelming odds, Tómasdóttir finished second in the election. “What we see, we can be. So screw fear and challenges. It matters that women run. And it’s time for women to run — whether it’s for CEO or president.”
Know your own power. US Representative Nancy Pelosi has represented San Francisco’s 12th district for 29 years, is currently the Democratic leader of the House of Representatives, and made history by becoming the first woman Speaker of the House. But she never felt that she was on a course for public office. In a revealing interview with TEDWomen co-founder Pat Mitchell, Pelosi reflects on her career and offers advice to other women seeking leadership positions, urging them to know their power and be their authentic selves. “Nothing is more wholesome to a government than the increased participation of women in leadership,” she says. Read more about the interview here.
Religious life, reinvented. “Religion today has failed to capture the imagination of a generation that is repelled by the viciousness of extremism and alienated by the dullness of routine-ism,” says Rabbi Sharon Brous. As a Jewish leader at the forefront of a movement for multi-faith justice work — which includes women’s mosques, Jewish indie startups, black churches in North Carolina, and a holy bus loaded with nuns — Brous wants to rethink and reinvent religious life, to imagine how religious communities might serve us collectively and how faith might provide a hopeful counter-narrative to the numbing realities of violence, pessimism and radical individualism that are present in all of our lives.
A vision for 2045. “Today’s nuclear weapons are hundreds of times more powerful than those dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki,” says Erika Gregory, director of nuclear nonproliferation initiative N Square. Whether you live in a city (which an enemy nation would likely target) or in a rural area (where many weapons are stored), there’s a decent chance that a nuclear weapon is pointed at you right now. Even with the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons — the most widely adopted arms control treaty in history, with 190 signatories — there’s still no specific date by which the world’s nuclear countries will abandon their weapons. “Why is there no deadline — and no vision — for nonproliferation?” Gregory asks. One major issue: today’s generation of rising leaders were born after the Cold War, so they don’t remember a time when the nuclear threat was an everyday reality. To get rid of nuclear weapons and to eliminate the materials that can be used to produce them, Gregory says we need to engage this new generation and set a firm deadline for nonproliferation. She’s set her target on 2045. “Let’s close the chapter on nuclear weapons on the 100th anniversary of their invention,” she says. “If there was ever a global ‘moonshot’ worth supporting, this is it.”
Tell your daughters about this year. In a world where women are told to be silent, and to wait beyond all reasonable patience of time, Chinaka Hodge asks mothers to take a stand not just for themselves but for the futures that their daughters have yet to inhabit. In a powerful spoken piece, she admits that “even in the year we leased freedom, we didn’t own it outright,” and she implores women to let their lives confirm the truth of their beliefs, teaching their daughters to demand more than the immediacy of what they are offered. “Tell her you were brave and always, always in the company of courage,” Hodge says. Because when it’s all said and done, the question invariably remains for all of us: “What did you do for women in the year that it was time?”
From left, Olympians Alana Nichols and Michelle Carter speak onstage with hosts Kelly Stoetzel and Pat Mitchell at TEDWomen 2016. Photo: Marla Aufmuth / TED
How two Olympians became their own leaders. In order to become a leader, you have to learn to lead yourself. This is the lesson that led two Olympians down their path of glory. For American shot putter Michelle Carter, the current Olympic champion, learning to become her own leader meant stepping out of the shadow of her father and lifelong coach Michael Carter, an Olympic medalist himself. By making hard decisions in the face of high expectations, she realized that she had to take charge of her own direction. As she says, “I became the CEO of me!” For Alana Nichols, a Paralympics gold medalist in wheelchair basketball, alpine skiing and sprint kayaking, learning to become a leader meant learning to think of her disability in a new light. At 17, Nichols was paralyzed in a snowboarding incident. As an athlete, she was devastated and thought she’d never be able to play again — until she watched a wheelchair basketball game while in college. “I started looking at what I could do, as opposed to what I couldn’t do,” she says. For both of these inspiring athletes, the ability to lead their athletic communities meant gaining leadership of themselves first.
Sheléa performs at TEDWomen 2016: It’s About Time. Photo: Marla Aufmuth / TED
We believe in the future of women everywhere. Songwriter and vocalist Sheléa brings the house down with a soulful rendition of “I Believe,” by songwriter Tena Clark, marking the official end of TEDWomen 2016.
from TED Blog http://blog.ted.com/its-time-to-lead-the-talks-of-session-6-of-tedwomen-2016/
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House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi spoke onstage at TEDWomen 2016. Photo: Stacie McChesney / TED
Nancy Pelosi has represented San Francisco’s 12th district for 29 years, is currently the Democratic leader of the House of Representatives, and made history by becoming the first woman Speaker of the House. But before all that happened, she never felt that she was on a course for public office. When the opportunity to run came along, she was a young mom; while she was heavily involved in the community, the thought of running for office had never crossed her mind.
Pelosi’s predecessor, Sala Burton, encouraged her to run when she became ill. Pelosi, feeling confident that she had a clear purpose, decided to go for it. “I knew my purpose and my call to service was to children,” she says. She wanted to make sure that all children had the same opportunities that her own children had. She won the election and the rest is history.
Asked by interviewer and TEDWomen co-founder Pat Mitchell what makes women’s leadership different and beneficial, Pelosi reflects how, when she ran meetings as Speaker of the House, people sometimes remarked on how different the meeting would have been if it was led by a man. Women are intuitive and respectful of other views, she says. They listen, learn and are ready to use their time well — and those differences make a difference. In fact, Pelosi believes that nothing is more wholesome to government than the increased participation of women.
Reflecting back on her long career, Pelosi offers advice to other women seeking leadership positions. When setting out on a course, she urges women to know their purpose, know their subject, act strategically and use their intuition. “When people know that you are going to act, your leadership will be very, very respected, and people will not try to destroy your options while you take your time,” she says.
Most important, she encourages women to be sincere. “It’s wonderful to have mentors and to have role models, but you must be your authentic self,” she urges, remarking that people want to see sincere and authentic candidates.
Nancy Pelosi speaks with TEDWomen host Pat Mitchell, onstage at TEDWomen 2016 in San Francisco. Photo: Stacie McChesney / TED
When she attended her first meeting at the White House, Pelosi was aware that this was unlike any White House meeting that any other woman had attended. As she sat down at the table with President Bush and the other leaders, she suddenly felt that the chair she was sitting on was very crowded. “It was weird, it was so tight, and I realized that on that chair were Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Sojourner Truth,” she says. “I could hear them say, ‘At last we have a seat at the table.'”
In that moment, she was standing on the shoulders of all the women who had come before her. “Women fought for the right to vote — it was not given,” she says, correcting the headlines that came after women’s suffrage in 1920. She realizes that one day, other women will stand on her shoulders, too.
Pelosi believes that the issues that face the United States are part of something bigger — and it all boils down to respect. “It’s about creating a government and society that are respectful of the voices of the people in their country,” she says. That future, she believes, is on the horizon.
from TED Blog http://blog.ted.com/know-your-power-be-sure-of-your-convictions-and-act-upon-them-nancy-pelosi-speaks-at-tedwomen-2016/
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It’s time for our annual YogaDork Halloween photo bonanza! Are you dressing up for Halloween this year? Send us your yoga-related photo and enter to win a Limited Edition Yoga Things tank top or tee! Ways to enter: – Email us your pic at yd@yogadork.com OR – Post your photo to social media and tag us […]
from YogaDork http://yogadork.com/2016/10/28/enter-the-yd-halloween-photo-bonanza/
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Dalia Mogahed hosts a powerful, challenging Session 5 of TEDWomen 2016: It’s About Time. (Photo: Marla Aufmuth / TED)
“TED is about challenging convention and deepening our understanding of the world around us by considering, even for just a few moments, a radically different way to look at things,” says Dalia Mogahed, host of Session 5 of TEDWomen 2016 at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco.
In the conference’s penultimate session, thought leaders, activists and scientists challenge us to reimagine how we learn, work and build. Through explorations of some topics we’d rather not discuss — and discussions of innovative ways to solve old problems — each of the session’s seven speakers leave us with a sense of hope for a better way to engage in our global community.
“The act of making is a social activity,” says architect Jeanne Gang. She spoke at TEDWomen 2016 in San Francisco, California. (Photo: Marla Aufmuth / TED)
Architecture 101: think about humans before construction. “People think architects design buildings — and cities — but what we really design are relationships,” says Jeanne Gang, a renowned architect and MacArthur fellow. When relationships are at the core of structural design, the lighting and the distribution of space can help instill trust, communication and harmony in communities. Gang describes design choices for projects she led to reinvigorate a student population, bring together a racially segregated city and foster community in a high-rise apartment in the heart of Chicago. She’s adamant about the role of architecture in solving social problems, like climate change, and the responsibility of designers to create timeless and impactful spaces. “The act of making,” she says “is a social activity.”
“None of us are just what you can see — we’re all dealing with things you can’t see,” says Michele L. Sullivan. She spoke at TEDWomen 2016 in San Francisco. (Photo: Marla Aufmuth / TED)
Asking for help is a strength, not a weakness. Caterpillar Foundation president Michele L. Sullivan started learning difficult, eye-opening lessons on her very first day of kindergarten, when her classmates asked her: “Why do you look different?” Her confidence shattered, Sullivan hated being in public for years after, feeling every stare and pointed finger. “As a child, you can’t understand another child’s curiosity — or adult’s ignorance,” she says. Sullivan excelled in the classroom, and she made school a priority, eventually going on to earn an MBA. There were difficulties along the way. At her first job interview, Sullivan says, the biggest challenge of the day wasn’t the interview — it was finding a way to get into the building, which wasn’t handicap accessible. (She got the job anyway.) In her life, she chooses to focus on her experiences with gracious strangers who help her with small acts of kindness each day. “The only shoes you truly can walk in are your own,” she says. “But with compassion, courage and understanding, we can walk together, side by side.”
Pediatric psychologist Kathy Hull shared moving stories of pediatric palliative care patients at TEDWomen 2016 in San Francisco. (Photo: Marla Aufmuth / TED)
A peaceful place to say goodbye. Death is common and inevitable — but for the youngest among us, untimely death is tragedy like no other. Terminally ill children deserve to enjoy the time they have left, says pediatric psychologist Kathy Hull, rather than waste it surrounded by the morose beeps and harsh fluorescent lights of a hospital’s pallid walls. To honor and celebrate these young lives cut short, Hull founded a palliative care home for children where they can be gently and warmly guided toward peaceful rest. “Ultimately, life is too short, whether you live 85 years or just 8,” she says. “How long any of us lives is out of our control. What we can control is what we do with our days, the spaces we create, the joy and meaning we make. We cannot change the outcome, but we can change the journey.”
Suzanne Barakat spoke — powerfully, personally, movingly — about standing up for those who face hate and discrimination, onstage at TEDWomen 2016. Photo: Marla Aufmuth / TED
The cost of silence. On February 10, 2015, Suzanne Barakat‘s brother Deah, her sister-in-law Yusor and her sister Razan were murdered by their neighbor — who then claimed he killed them because of a parking dispute. The perpetrator’s story went unquestioned by the media and local police, until Barakat spoke out to call the crime what it really was: a hate crime. The help of their neighbor Neal, a journalist, allowed the Barakat family to regain control of the narrative around their family members’ deaths and raise awareness of the mainstreaming of anti-Muslim hatred. “We can all agree that bigotry is unacceptable, but when we see it we’re silent, because it makes us uncomfortable,” she says, but that silence comes with devastating consequences. She asks us all to consider what resources and expertise we can use to speak up and actively express our allyship with those who face hate and discrimination. “When we raise our collective voices, that is when we stop the hate,” she says.
Ian McCallum shares a poetic take on our relationship with nature at TEDWomen 2016. Photo: Marla Aufmuth / TED
Unlocking the poet in all of us. When astronauts from the Apollo 8 mission traveled to the moon in December 1968, they reflected on the perspective created by the distance between themselves and the planet they had just departed, documenting their journey in an iconic photograph of the Earth rising above the moon’s horizon. But in the almost 50 years since the date of that original photograph, many of the forests, wetlands, peat beds and arctic sea-ice has vanished from the Earth’s landscape, a statistic that Ian McCallum identifies as an alarming consequence of our “ecological amnesia.” “Simply put,” he says, “we have forgotten where we come from,” as many of the Earth’s natural habitats and wild animals continue to disappear in the wake of human population growth and development. McCallum argues that scientists, and indeed all people, must adopt the power of poetry in order to change the way we interact with our environments, harnessing those “voices that speak of anger, outrage, beauty and care in the same breath.” Indeed, we must all strive to be keystone individuals, creatures that play an essential role in maintaining the integrity of ecosystems and who promise of a consciousness capable of redefining our sense of history, our sense of nature and our sense of stewardship.
Deepika Kurup describes her new method of water treatment at TEDWomen 2016. Photo: Marla Aufmuth / TED
Clean water for all. Deepika Kurup determined to solve the global water crisis at the age of 13, after she witnessed children outside of her grandparents’ home in India drinking water she felt was too dirty to even touch. Her research began in her family’s kitchen without any high-tech equipment and then expanded … into the garage. In 2015 she won the National Geographic Explorer Award in the Google Science Fair. Kurup’s water purification system combines cement and photocatalysts, materials that speed up chemical reactions, to harness both UV and visible light to kill bacteria and make water safe to drink. Best of all, the young scientist’s design is fast, safe, sustainable and cost-effective.
Peggy Orenstein shares stunning, sobering facts about the way young girls are being taught to understand their sexuality at TEDWomen 2016. Photo: Marla Aufmuth / TED
We need to talk to girls about pleasure. In America, the conversation with young girls about sex ends at consent. Journalist and author Peggy Orenstein challenges us to extend this conversation and talk to young people about women’s capacity and entitlement for sexual pleasure. For three years, Orenstein talked to girls ages 15-20 about their attitudes towards and experiences of sex. She found that girls measured their own pleasure by their partner’s pleasure and expressed shame around their genitals, which underscores the popularity of pubic hair removal and growing prevalence of labiaplasty surgery. Girls are taught of the risks and dangers of sex without learning the pleasure and joy of sex. Borrowing from Sara McClelland, Orenstein uses the phrase “intimate justice” to explain this situation — the idea that sex has political and personal implications. She encourages us to recontextualize sex by normalizing the discussion of sex. “We have raised a generation of girls to have a voice,” she says. “Now it’s time to demand ‘intimate justice’ in their personal lives as well.”
from TED Blog http://blog.ted.com/its-about-time-to-reimagine-the-talks-of-session-5-of-tedwomen-2016/
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Technology has allowed us to go wireless and avoid the hassle of cables. We can now remotely turn the TVs on, start a coffee machine, and monitor babies using wireless technology. At the same time, we are exposed to unprecedented levels of electromagnetic radiation from wireless signals 24/7.
Have you wondered “Is WiFi Safe?” at this levels?
Is WiFi Safe?
Hang on tight… this may get controversial. There seem to be two rather extreme opinions when it comes to WiFi. One side says that it is completely safe and like the idea of “smart” houses with everything run off Wifi. The other side is ready to build a Faraday Cage around themselves at all time.
The truth is likely somewhere in the middle.
Understand the Effects of WiFi
WiFi does not immediately cause diagnosable illness. For this reason, many of us choose to ignore that it can have any affect at all. However, it can interfere with our bodily functions which may eventually progresses into diseases like cancer and neurodegenerative diseases after long term exposure.
Because these are complex diseases that develop over decades, it is difficult to conclusively show that the increase in wireless signal exposures directly cause the diseases. International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) considers wireless radiation as a class 2B possible carcinogen due to limited evidence. These small number of studies are leaning towards showing that electromagnetic radiations, including WiFi, are not safe.
In the Lancet article outlining their considerations, that IARC states that epidemiological studies that follow humans who use WiFi and cell phones for a few years are not conclusive. However, rodent studies that follow the animals throughout their lifetime find that wireless radiation does cause cancer or worsen cancer prognosis. The same animal studies also observed other changes in the brain and blood brain barrier in animals that are exposed to the radiation.
It is even more important to protect children and developing fetuses from radiation as their smaller and growing bodies are more vulnerable to radiation than adults. Many products on the market aim to help protect babies in utero from WiFi radiation (like this belly armor blanket and even this belly-shielding band for pregnant moms).
How to Reduce WiFi Exposure
First, it is important to reduce use as much as possible, especially until we know more about the long-term effects of WiFi. The pro-WiFi crowd may scoff at the idea that anything could be potentially harmful about it, but we once thought smoking was perfectly fine too!
While it may not be possible to get the entire family on board, there are many options to reduce exposure while keeping everyone happy, including:
Turn Off WiFi Before Going to Bed (Good)
Everyone should be sleeping at bed time, and WiFi signal may interferes with the brain during sleep, so it is a good idea to turn it off before going to bed. This allows the body to rest more deeply. By turning it off at night, you are effectively cutting down exposure by 33%. (Aside from the WiFi reduction, many security experts also recommend turning off your internet when not using it).
In addition, because many people browse the internet mindlessly at night, some may also find that having a WiFi curfew improves their marriage because they become more present with their partners.
Many router models will have features that make it possible to automatically shut off WiFi connection and turn it back on at the same time every day, which will be useful for this purpose.
Turn On WiFi Router Only When in Use (Better)
If you and your family members are up for giving up WiFi for the most part, but still insist on connecting some devices from time to time, then having an option to switch on the router when in use is a better option as this reduces WiFi exposure only to a few hours a day.
Give Up Wireless and Hardwire All Your Connections (Best)
Giving up WiFi altogether is the healthiest option. It may sound daunting but it is possible and may mitigate several health issues down the line. In addition, you will enjoy more consistent and faster internet on cable. It is certainly more work and not doable for everyone, but something we are attempting.
You’ll need to pick up some affordable tools, including:
Ethernet hub – if the one you have doesn’t have enough ports for every device and everyone to use. They can be plugged into an existing hub that you already have in order to expand the number of ports.
Ethernet adaptors – makes it possible to connect devices that don’t have ethernet ports, including tablets, smart phones, and some computers.
It is also a good idea to use wired peripherals like keyboards, mice, and headphones instead of wireless ones to reduce exposures to electromagnetic radiation.
If that all seems complicated to set up, I’d recommend asking someone to help. My tech-savvy brother was the lucky recepient of my questions.
Hold Up on Adding Gadgets or Upgrading to Smart Homes, Offices, and Cars
With new wireless technology, wireless-enabled devices with bells and whistles are on sale every single day. Smart home thermostats, bluetooth-controlled cookers, wireless baby monitoring system, and smart beds might make life easier, but they may not be safe.
Such technologies are still very new. These devices use many forms of wireless technologies, for which we don’t fully understand the long term health consequences. For these, less is more.
Turn Devices on Airplane Mode
Cell phones and tablets emit electromagnetic frequency when the receivers are turned on. Because we typically use these devices very close to our bodies for extended periods of time, exposure levels can be very high. Therefore, important to keep them on airplane mode, especially when they are around children.
Remember, also, to teach children and caregivers to turn these devices on airplane mode to reduce WiFi and electromagnetic exposures.
How to Mitigate the Harmful Effects of WiFi Exposure
It may be difficult to completely eliminate exposure, especially if you live or work in an urban area. In addition to taking steps above to reduce WiFi exposures, there are many ways to mitigate the harmful effects of WiFi signals, including:
Use a Dirty Electricity Filter to Reduce Electromagnetic Radiation
Dirty electricity occurs when electronic devices need to manipulate the electric currents into the format and voltage that the devices need. This can create electrical surges throughout the wiring system.
Electronic devices, including WiFi Routers, phone chargers, and computers all produce dirty electricity, which can be a significant source of harmful electromagnetic frequencies (EMF) in the building.
In order to mitigate this effect, consider installing dirty electricity filters on outlets throughout the home and work environment.
Earthing
Wireless devices emit unhealthy positive ions and also interfere with the waves in our own bodies, such as our brain waves and the electrical system that runs our cells. By earthing, the positive ions in our bodies can be equalized with negative ions from earth, which can mitigate the harmful effects of EMFs.
In addition, earthing allows our bodies to synch with the Schumann resonance (7.83 Hz), which is earth’s own electromagnetic frequency that we are naturally built to be exposed to. A Japanese study in 2005 showed that the Schumann resonance can reduce blood pressure and produce some positive health outcomes. By synching with earth’s natural frequency, we reduce the risks of WiFi waves interfering with our bodily functions.
You can earth simply by standing barefoot on the ground for 20 minutes daily. Alternatively, you can also use a grounding shoes with an earthing metal piece, or bed sheets that connects to the grounding port of your home electrical outlets.
Adding Negative Ions
Exposure to WiFi can result in a buildup of positive ions in your body, which can promote inflammation. Therefore, if you are regularly exposed to WiFi and EMF, it is even more important to regularly expose yourself to negative ions to to neutralize the positive ions.
You can find naturally occurring negative ions near moving water, such as at the beach or moving streams of water.
In addition, you can use a Himalayan salt lamp or negative ion generator in your home to increase your exposure to healthful negative ions and mitigate the negative effects from WiFi exposure.
Are you concerned about WiFi exposure and new wireless technologies? Weigh in in the comments below.
How Oreos Work Like Cocaine <<Interesting new research on how hyperpalatable processed sweets can create neural activation in rats similar to addictive drugs. (The Atlantic)
4 Reasons Why Some People Do Well as Vegans (While Others Fail Miserably) <<There are genetic and other innate differences among us that explain why we each respond differently to different nutrient intakes. This is what makes nutrition science difficult. It’s always what makes it super interesting. (Authority Nutrition)
Emasculated Men Refuse to Do Chores—Except Cooking <<Apparently men do less housework when they earn less than their wives (wtf guys??) except when it comes to cooking. I’ll take it I guess. (The Atlantic)
from Summer Tomato http://summertomato.com/for-the-love-of-food-oreos-really-are-like-crack-how-genetics-impact-being-vegan-and-how-to-get-teens-to-quit-junk-food
via Holistic Clients
Bullies never win — not even in the comments section. In honor of Bullying Prevention Month, TED’s community manager, Katie Pierce, shares these tips on how to react to a comment-thread bully.
Technology
First, it is important to reduce use as much as possible, especially until we know more about the long-term effects of WiFi. The pro-WiFi crowd may scoff at the idea that anything could be potentially harmful about it, but we once thought smoking was perfectly fine too!