Congratulations on being a year closer to finding out if atheism was the right choice

[clevermanka]

This blog post from Krista Scott-Dixon is one of the best posts on aging that I have ever read. I sent the link to my trainer in case I'm not the only middle-aged woman, or woman with chronic health issues, that he trains. It's kind of a downer, but it's realistic. And funny.

The problem with positive thinking:

Anyone who thinks we're not *this close* to The Handmaid's Tale needs a swift kick in the head. Misogyny. U R DOIN IT RIGHT.

While we're on the topic of oppression, let me give you a fantastic example of white privilege and racism that goes beyond the usual litany of mandatory sentencing, profiling, and such.

Has anyone here ever tried a tonic like this? I know I've reached a new level of despair about my swelling issues when I'm considering trying an herbal remedy that includes the caution "make on the new moon and strain/bottle on the full." God. Just typing that made me wince.

Comments

[pointoforigin.livejournal.com]

"Paleo's just a good diet. It's not gonna make you immortal." LOLtruth! I feel like I've been facing my mortality for about a hundred million years now. And yet I still struggle with this "OMG WUT?? You mean -I- am actually going to die TOO? But that's not fair! Who's in charge here? I wish to lodge a complaint!" But I know that fueling my life on the fumes from an imaginary guaranteed future has never been an option. And it still isn't. I still have now, and that's all I ever had.

That link to the books of Mali is just awesome. And terrible. What is in all those books that supposedly never existed? I long to know. And why isn't the news framed in terms of "opportunistic looters take advantage of war to appropriate cultural treasure" rather than more "watch African fail, tsk tsk" propaganda? GRRR.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

why isn't the news framed in terms of "opportunistic looters take advantage of war to appropriate cultural treasure" rather than more "watch African fail, tsk tsk" propaganda?

WHITE PEOPLE.

I don't like feeling mortal, either. It pretty much sucks.

[msmitti.livejournal.com]

I was completely stoked about that first blog post about a maniac driving the bozo bus. I could totally relate, so I was feeling good that everybody has these kinds of issues... it's normal. Then I read the second link about the Handmaids Tale and I am upset. And *really* disturbed. More so than some of the abortion debate even. WTF???

[msmitti.livejournal.com]

I don't yet have the stomach to read the rest.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

The one about African literature is awful, but I didn't find it as viscerally upsetting as the pregnant woman one. Probably because I'm white.

The tonic one might be...amusing? I mean, just the idea alone that I'm considering trying it is hilarious.

[saffronhare.livejournal.com]

"They'll never take me alive." -- from the comment thread on Mistress Krista's post.

HA.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

One of my favorite expressions ever is "Nobody gets out of here alive." Morbid, maybe. But comforting.

[hdsqrl.livejournal.com]

I love LOVE the blog post. LOVE IT. MARRIAGE IS IN OUR FUTURE.

The baby womb thing - both sad and rage-inducing. WTF, World???

Like Mitti, haven't yet read the others, but wanted to at least comment this much. Because, you know: I'm still here. ;)

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Hurray that others are finding Krista's post so wonderful. I forgot to mention that when I got to my training session on Sunday, Andrew was reading it and laughing out loud.

WIN.

I'm happy that you're still here.

[purpledumbass.livejournal.com]

Interesting video. Thanks for sharing it.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

You're welcome.

Make on the new moon, bottle on the full...

[fairgoldberry.livejournal.com]

You see this a lot in herbal remedies, and I think it's vestigial instead of Straight Bullshit.

The full moon, it's a time of fertility, of growth, of...ovulation.

The new moon, it's a time of darkness, of release, of endings, of...menstruation.

Most women aren't moon-locked, and I don't know whether they *really* ever were as a 'thing', but there's the *mythology* that in the good olden times, the days of the imaginary matriarchy, women lived by the moon to govern their cycles. This mythos permeates paganism/herbalism to this day.

When I see a medication like that, I consider that perhaps it has a different set of effects based on the time of the cycle when you start taking it, especially if it contains any herbs that tend to work on the endocrine/hormonal system. It may also contain different compounds based on the phase of the moon in which it was *collected*, because tidal pulls and light variations do weird shit to plants, too.

But mostly, I read "make on the new moon" as "make when you begin your period" and "bottle/begin use on the full moon" as "roughly when you'd be ovulating".

That said, there's nothing in that tonic that should be specifically affected by moon phase, or anything I can see that will be differently effective dependent on cycle. However, it looks like a pretty solid purgative/vermifuge, and it's likely to have a unique and pungent flavor and result in you smelling...really interesting for a few days until your body gets used to fermented garlic.

Hugs,
Rowan

(P.S. I can't say it won't work, but I'm always skeptical of "It cures EVERYTHING!!!!" stuff cobbled together from the produce section...)

Re: Make on the new moon, bottle on the full...

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I am totally skeptical of the "cures everything," too, but am intrigued by the gut health claims.

Your points about menstruation are excellent. It would make a lot more sense for a woman to start or stop taking something at certain times in her cycle. I just can't get on board with making something at certain moon phases, though. And if you're a guy...pffft.

Thank you for weighing in on this! I appreciate it. Not sure I'll try it, but if I do, I'll let you know.

Re: Make on the new moon, bottle on the full...

[aprilstarchild.livejournal.com]

I'm tempted to make it, but yeah, I worry about being Stinky McStinkerson from the raw garlic and onions.

[radiantmephit.livejournal.com]

Super truly excellent video. Thank you so much for posting this. I adore Ehrenreich. Thank you thank you.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Wow, you're welcome!