Daily Archives: February 7, 2022

If doomsday prepping has taught me anything, it’s that we can’t survive alone – Waging Nonviolence

Posted: February 7, 2022 at 7:09 am

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Sometimes at second hand books stores I find myself with an armful of books, thinking These will come in handy if If the internet goes away, if there is no more electricity, if there arent grocery stories anymore. I cling to the books, push the nightmare scenarios out of my head and make for the cashier.

I think I can mark the beginning of this strange coping mechanism with Donald Trump taking the highest office in the United States. I managed my discomfort and dismay my anger and fear by collecting books that helped me feel in control. I couldnt control who was in the White House or how the world saw the United States, but I could grow a garden, raise chickens and dig a root cellar. True confessions: I expanded my garden and added six delightful feathered friends, but I havent dug a root cellar yet. I do know just where to look when it is time: Helen Nearings Simple Food for the Good Life: An Alternative Cook Book has a whole section on root cellars for beets and apples and potatoes.

The books store a kind of knowledge I am not quite ready to absorb. Between The Peoples Cookbook, What Cooks in Connecticut and The Tuna Cookbook, I will be able to make pumpkin and watermelon rinds palatable, catch and cook locusts, crickets and termites and prepare canned tuna more than 100 ways.

It wasnt until I was standing in line at the used bookstore with a $1 copy of How to Build a Covert, Off the Grid Safe House Away from the Prying Eyes of the Government that I saw my behavior clearly. I have been seeking to assuage my anxiety about everything from rising fascism to rising sea levels, peaks in the cost of fuel and the persistence of the pandemic by buying books. Not reading the books, mind you just buying them. They stack up like the MREs a doomsday prepper might stock their bunker with. I find their pages full of still unlearned lessons comforting.

I imagine the sirens that signal a meltdown at the nuclear power plant down the road, or the storm surge pelting the house, while I frantically cram Tom Browns Field Guide to City and Suburban Survival into my bag beside the Complete Worst Case Scenario Survival Handbook. Seriously, I bought those two books on the same day. The Worst Case book instructs you on how to survive an alligator attack and a plummeting elevator. Meanwhile, the three Foxfire books I have (theres 14 in the series) share lore and skills from the people of Appalachia, including entries on butter churning, making moonshine, foraging for mushrooms and dressing hogs. So maybe those would be better to bring!

Call it an insurance policy, bibliotherapy or perhaps futile self-delusion, but its a lot cheaper than buying into the Survival Condo, which is built inside a decommissioned missile silo in Kansas.

Survivalist and educator Tom Brown notes that to our ancestors, every day was an uncertain struggle. Survival was a way of life. Today our instincts are dulled and our survival knowledge has trailed off like the vapors from a steam engine. Most of us have traded our natural heritage for comfort and convenience. My ancestors would have no problem trapping, killing and dressing a squirrel and by dress, I dont mean putting it into cute little outfits and snapping pictures for Instagram. I mean separate the fur, skin and bones from the meat and get it ready for eating. I look at the squirrels in our yard fat from raiding our compost pile and eating the chickens food and wonder if I could really do it. If push comes to shove, will I be able to see my neighborhood squirrels as a food source?

We cant survive alone, or only with our immediate families, no matter how many skills and resources we possess. We have to figure out how to live together and take care of one another.

Instead of if, I should be saying when push comes to shove, because Doomsday is already here for lots of people. Many of us are insulated from the worst of it by wealth, skin color, nationality or geography, but it is still here. I dont have to look far to see a horrific string of calamities that many people have not survived. There are the hellscapes of California and Colorado, where fires destroyed millions of acres and killed dozens of people. Theres the much less sweeping but horrific Bronx apartment fire that killed 17 people. The February 2021 cold snap in Texas killed more than 200 people, destroyed infrastructure and crops and left millions in the dark and cold for weeks. Just under a year later, a thin dusting of snow after a rain storm shut down one of the busiest highways in the country, stranding tens of thousands of people for more than 24 hours.

These are all different crises, far apart in time and geography. But, to me, they add up to fearfulness and a sense of foreboding. Futurist Alex Steffen defines discontinuity as the shock that comes with recognizing that you are unprepared for what has already happened. Yikes. Whether in a yurt on a fiery hillside in California, a condo in Houston, or a clunky Toyota miles from an exit on I-95 in Virginia, I am not prepared. Nor am I prepared for much else that is already happening to my fellow humans around this country and around the world.

Of course, it is not enough to have these books, or even read them all, or even read them all and begin to implement their many practical lessons. As I consider the stack of books in my front room, I wonder what are my actual survival skills? I make a list on a piece of paper:

I pay attention. I am not squeamish and have a high gross out threshold. I can grow food. I can dumpster dive and eat garbage. I can withstand discomfort and prepare for heat and cold. I can facilitate a meeting and help a group come to consensus. I can wait, I am patient. I am empathetic. I have fasted for periods of a week or 10 days, so I understand that my body can continue to function with little or no food. I can walk long distances and have run half marathons, so I have a sense that I can travel by foot.

It doesnt seem like a very good list. There are a lot of holes here. I cant speak another language. I dont have a skill like engineering, chemistry or medicine. I dont know how to trap and kill a wild animal or prepare it for eating. Really, all Ive got is common sense, care for others and a rudimentary sense of how natural systems work.

I cant really prepare for the apocalypse or completely prevent it, but we can integrate the reality of these changes into our lived realities by resisting despair and being generous, and by building resilience and solidarity

But maybe thats enough, now that I think about it. We cant survive alone, or only with our immediate families, no matter how many skills and resources we possess. We have to figure out how to live together and take care of one another. Basic stuff, no matter where we are. So, my small survival skill set can be stacked alongside yours and theirs, and Ill build mine up (leaving squirrel slaughtering until the very end), while weaving a tighter web of mutual aid and community concern. With all of this, I can now count Rob Hoskinss From What Is to What If: Unleashing the Power of Imagination to Create the Future We Want as part of my survival shelf, alongside everything by Octavia Butler and Ursula LeGuin.

There is a strong tendency within survivalism to separate from a society that is failing, or has failed. Mountaintop retreats, private islands, repurposed bunkers and the billionaire space race are all about securing a future for the very very few.

Im not interested in retreat. Im interested in resistance that also creates resilience and restoration, and I am not alone in that. All over the world while working to hold nation-states and corporations to account for environmental pollution and destruction groups are building systems of care, repair and resiliency that resist the despair and nihilism that can seep (or slosh or tsunami) into the work.

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The zombies, aliens, invaders, ice storms, killing rain, computer viruses, real viruses these nightmare images are in my head all the time and have probably fueled my book bingeing more than anything else. The terror-as-entertainment driven business aggravates in me a very real helplessness and despair, which easily turns into paralyzing apathy and vigorous nihilism. I never emerge from a Walking Dead bender feeling empowered or equipped for the post-apocalypse. Heck, I dont even feel ready for tomorrow.

But the truth is, the apocalypse isnt coming all at once, in a tidal wave or a new strain of disease. It wont be cinematic, and there wont be a soundtrack or a last minute techo-fix. We are living in an age of change climate change, economic change, political change. These constant micro and macro upheavals are random, nonlinear and in flux. They are also persistent, plottable and pervasive.

I cant really prepare for it or completely prevent it, but we can integrate the reality of these changes into our lived realities by resisting despair and being generous, and by building resilience and solidarity. All of that feels like a huge privilege. I dont want to prepare for the end of the world. I want to prepare for tomorrow, and I dont want to do it alone. I want to do it with you, my family, our community and a few more people who know a little bit more than me about how things work. Tomorrow is definitely coming and that is all we really know about it.

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If doomsday prepping has taught me anything, it's that we can't survive alone - Waging Nonviolence

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Kempner reader asserts that Putin has an irrational fear of NATO – The Killeen Daily Herald

Posted: at 7:08 am

Following World War II, Russia annexed adjacent countries forming the Soviet Union. Stalin then sent Russians to live in these countries thus diluting the native population.

That happened in Ukraine and currently Russia has a stalemate war with Ukraine on the NE corner of the country where Russian speaking people live.

Following World War I when the Austro-Hungarian Empire was dismantled, German speaking Austria and Germany were split into separate countries.

As Hitler rose to power, the nationalistic fervor of unification of German speaking peoples (known as Anschluss) led to a disinformation campaign in Germany, allowing Hitler to invade Austria.

Putin is now using the same play book. His PR to the Russian people is to re-establish the power and prestige of the former Soviet Union. Remember the current democratically elected government of Ukraine followed the ousting of the Russian puppet who fled to Russia after the revolt.

Putin is now justified in not only protecting Russians in Ukraine but re-establishing the rightful government aligned with Russia.

Crimea was occupied without resistance six years ago. Putin believes he will not be challenged again if he invades Ukraine and establishes his own government, thus re-uniting the lost country of the Soviet Union and protecting Russian speaking people of Ukraine.

Putins fear of NATO seems even more irrational since none of the countries in NATO plan to invade Russia. And yet Putin projects his own behavior onto others thus perceiving them as a threat.

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Kempner reader asserts that Putin has an irrational fear of NATO - The Killeen Daily Herald

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Sexism and the SOFA: How a 71-year-old US military treaty and Italy’s rules derail women’s careers – Stars and Stripes

Posted: at 7:07 am

NAPLES, Italy Samara Sloan turned down a shot at a lucrative investment banking job because a U.S.-NATO military treaty first written in 1951 makes no provision for her to legally work while her husband serves in the Navy.

That was a huge opportunity that I had to turn down with a very good salary, said Sloan, who received the potential offer after moving to Naval Support Activity Naples in 2020. It was a huge financial hit to my family.

Sloan didnt have much choice. Italian law makes it practically impossible in most cases for military spouses and children living in the country under the NATO Status of Forces Agreement to work anywhere except on base and many of the jobs there arent open to them.

The agreement was written in an era when women were largely expected to stay home.

As time went on, supplemental agreements between the U.S. and NATOs member countries addressed taxes, driving privileges and other issues related to U.S. military personnel in a foreign country. But they generally avoided rules on military dependent employment.

The last time the U.S. and Italy agreed on a supplement to the SOFA was 27 years ago, again without addressing employment.

Military spouse unemployment has been acknowledged as a problem by the services for decades, due in part to the nature of two- and three-year tours.

The problem affects many dependents, regardless of age or gender. But it disproportionately affects women, who make up 92% of the military spouse community, a July 2020 Deloitte Insights report stated.

And among the larger overseas military communities, Italy is arguably the toughest place for a spouse to be legally employed. Even teleworking for a U.S. company is technically illegal, if sometimes overlooked.

Italian law requires military dependents to give up their SOFA rights and protections if they want to work for a private American, Italian or other employer while living in Italy. Had Sloan taken the job, she would have been forced to give up her SOFA status, return to the U.S., wait for an Italian work visa and permit, and then pay Italian income taxes.

The agreement does not exempt family members of the Force (DoD civilians and active-duty service members) from Italian work visa requirements and paying taxes in the host nation to which theyre assigned when they are involved in non-duty related employment, Morgan Gilliam, U.S. Navy Europe Africa Central spokeswoman, said in a statement.

Force impacts

For Sloan and other military dependents, the fallout from that inability to work is acute, ranging from under- or unemployment to resume gaps, financial instability, mental health issues and other impacts that negatively affect their lives and the well-being of their families, experts say.

Financial insecurity and unfulfilled career or personal aspirations for spouses have a direct impact on the retention of skilled service members, the 2020 Deloitte report said.

If the military is to retain its most skilled service members, it needs to find ways to improve the military spouse experience, which includes ensuring military spouses are fully employed with meaningful careers, the report stated.

Its difficult to determine how many people like Sloan are impacted by NATO SOFA-related employment restrictions. But with a U.S. military community of 15,020 active duty service members, reservists and Defense Department civilians in Italy, advocates say its a common problem.

The Defense Department doesnt track spouse employment outside of the continental U.S. separately, said Jennifer Goodall, director of Military Family Policy and Spouse Programs for the government relations team of the Alexandria, Va.-based Military Officers Association of America.

But unemployment for military spouses continues to hover around 22-24% and likely increased following the COVID-19 pandemic, Goodall said.

Goodall and others would like to see the NATO SOFA and supplemental agreements reviewed and revised to accommodate more job options, such as telecommuting for a U.S. employer. But that process could open an entire document for review, resulting in changes that extend beyond the employment issue.

Because there are so many potential ramifications, this needs to be done thoughtfully and deliberately, Goodall said.

The decades-old NATO SOFA sets the rules, rights and responsibilities by which member countries, such as the U.S., Germany, Italy and others, may keep troops in another country.

While the pact impacts the conditions under which military dependents may get jobs, it doesnt directly address employment, according to a November 2019 research paper from the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University.

Rules for military spousal employment vary widely depending on host country laws and, sometimes, on NATO SOFA supplemental agreements with specific countries.

For example, U.S. military dependents living in Germany may work for a German or other employer without losing their SOFA status in most cases. Spouses similarly may work in South Korea or Japan, but varying requirements, such as acquiring a work permit, must be met.

In Italy, those who want to work and keep their SOFA status are limited to on-base jobs, which frequently are lower-paying positions in retail, child care or recreation.

Because each SOFA was constructed with an individual nation, there is no specific explanation as to why some countries make it more difficult for military dependents to work, Goodall said. The agreements were established decades ago and often included an intent to protect host-nation citizens and their employment opportunities.

You have to set a bar for yourself

Over the last 7 1/2 years, Jessica Olsen and her husband, a Navy sailor, have moved four times, including to NSA Naples.

Each move has meant an exhaustive and, sometimes, demoralizing effort to find a job suited for Olsens education, experience and skills.

At NSA Naples, Olsen eventually received two job offers for work at the child development center and one for a position at the gym. She turned all three down, realizing that she wouldnt be happy working in an environment where her knowledge and skills werent fully used.

You have to set a bar for yourself as to what your self-worth is and I do, the 34-year-old meteorologist and private pilot said. When I look for a job, I do value my self-worth but I also value what I can bring to that job.

It wasnt until she arrived in Naples that Andrea Gill discovered her hope to teach English to Italians living in the Naples area wasnt possible unless she gave up her SOFA status. That wasnt an option, since on-base housing and commissary access were among the benefits she would have lost, Gill said.

Gill accepted a full-time position working in the toddler room at NSA Naples child development center. But the job wasnt a good fit and she ultimately quit.

Ive put the time in to get a degree. Thats like six years of education Im basically not using, said Gill, who holds a masters degree. I feel like my skills are going down.

Nearly half of military spouses hold bachelors or advanced degrees, and 31%-53% of military spouses report being underemployed, according to the Deloitte report.

Part of the difficulty for the thousands of spouses in Italy is that there arent many jobs for U.S. workers on base.

At NSA Naples, 56% of the 1,445 occupied full-time positions funded through appropriated funds are filled by Italian citizens. Appropriated fund jobs vary in salary and responsibility, but they include professional and career-oriented positions.

The remainder are filled by U.S. citizens, and of those, 185 are spouses. There were another 83 vacant jobs open to U.S. citizens, base figures showed in November.

The base also employs 136 people full-time through the non-appropriated fund, or NAF, excluding the Navy Exchange and Naval Criminal Investigation Service. Of those, 57% are held by U.S. citizens, with more than half of those positions held by active-duty dependents. There were 21 vacant NAF positions available to all U.S. citizens, according to the November data.

Making sure our spouses and dependents have the resources and opportunities they need to continue working is a priority for us, said Gilliam, who noted that Navy family support centers offer information, such as search strategies and resume writing, for job seekers.

Rebecca Armbrister considers herself lucky. Not long after she and her active-duty husband arrived in Naples, she got a job that was similar to the work she did in the U.S. But Armbrister said she knows many highly skilled spouses who cant get jobs on base.

That just bothers me, said Armbrister, who wants base officials to take a more holistic approach to hiring, such as looking beyond a resume job title and seeing how skill sets can be used in a variety of positions. Theres a lot of talented and educated people here who want to work and sometimes they just need an opportunity.

Jessica Smith, the spouse of a Navy retiree, said she has seen the same problems play out for many families over the years she has been in Naples. They struggle with paying bills and saving for the future on a single income. Some have faced dire marital problems, she said.

Smith would like to see the U.S. military make it a priority to renegotiate employment restrictions and enable more off-base opportunities for military dependents in Italy.

Its an issue that impacts everyone and can have really severe consequences, Smith said. Its also not clear to me why it cant be updated.

More information

A Portability Roadmap for Military Spouses and their Employers is a 31-page research paper that includes information about the NATO Status of Forces Agreement as well as details about supplemental agreements and treaties. The paper includes a look at the rules impacting military spouse employment and SOFA status, income taxes and other effects of working in Germany, Brussels, Italy, Japan and South Korea. The paper also offers military spouses and their employers a guide of questions they should consider and steps needed to facilitate their decision-making process when it comes to employment while on an overseas military assignment.

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Sexism and the SOFA: How a 71-year-old US military treaty and Italy's rules derail women's careers - Stars and Stripes

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Allowing ‘Darwinism to Kill Off’ the ‘Foolish’ Unvaccinated is a ‘Necessary Evil,’ According to a D.C. Mayor’s Office official – The Lee Daily…

Posted: at 7:07 am

The reality is that the pandemic has seeped into our lives molding our norms and warranting uncomfortable changes which were previously unprecedented. Nevertheless, the chaotic influx of infections and new variants have perplexed people and scientists alike.

Just when the situation seems to be on the way to finding some relief, we find ourselves being bombarded with other haphazard revelations about the pandemic.

Following the Delta variant, with higher transmissibility and more severe infections, the vaccine administration became more critical. To ensure their effectiveness doctors recommended boosters and abidance of standard covid protocols like mask-wearing and social distancing.

Despite the sensitivity of the issue at hand, public negligence of health protocols has been a major concern. The primary way of achieving herd immunity against the virus is to have all individuals vaccinated which will prevent the virus from finding any vulnerable host and thus help eliminate it.

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This isnt as easy as it sounds because conspiracies about covid and the vaccine have caused imminent reservations in people who are now reluctant to get themselves administered with the shot.

This, however, is their personal choice and despite the regulations from the government if some people arent getting themselves administered they should be extra careful with their interactions and wear masks.

However, Im not against vaccines and in fact, would prefer if the masses were vaccinated because that would allow the health demographic to substantially get better. In a surprising statement by the director of DC mayors office of veteran affairs, Eliot Tommingo, he presented his extreme stance on unvaccinated individuals.

Which in my opinion was a tad too far-fetched and very unwarranted. Screenshots of his conversation were found by Brietbart showing his distaste for unvaccinated individuals. The post to which Elliot responded t was by Jonathen Lubecky who was ranting about being somewhere where the restrictions were lenient and in his own words didnt have stupid mandates.

His frustration stems from the strict reinforcement of SOPs endorsed by the mayor, Muriel Bowser, which restricts access for unvaccinated individuals at almost all public indoor places including restaurants, libraries, auditoriums, etc. Surprisingly even places of worship require proof of vaccination.

This imminent discrimination has been policing peoples movement to all public places and has been effective from January 15th. Even the mask mandate has been extended another month. In response to the criticism of the DC mandate, Eliot Tommingo responded with a rather absurd narrative.

Tommingo tells the man if he travels somewhere else he would happily accompany him but the problem is people are not ready to stop getting influenced by celebrities and unless they get themselves administered with the vaccine and stop eating their own piss or horse dewormer the mandates wouldnt have to be imposed for so long.

Tommingo also added its a necessary evil that those who are too negligent about their health and fail to protect themselves by resisting the imposition of vaccines would be killed off by Darwinism.

Lubecky responded to his statement and called on the stats which show 48 percent of the population is unvaccinated black citizens and his statement claims that all of them should be erased or killed off by Darwinism.

In a recent report, 43.4 percent of individuals are fully vaccinated which means a major sum are not, and according to Tommingos statement they should be dead by Darwinism as they are too foolish.

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This is a bit hard to digest because not only is it very privileged but doesnt take into account the mental trauma and personal reasoning that might cause a reluctance to get vaccinated.

Health officials have continually made promises of vaccines being effective but its the truth that the side effects have been shadowed leading to increased confusion and anxiety in Americans.

We are far from returning to a pre-pandemic era, and this is exactly why everyone is frustrated. If vaccines were the cue to a pre-pandemic lifestyle why are the mandates still strict and not being lifted off? Its been two years to this entirely different lifestyle and getting accustomed to wearing masks, getting tested, showing proof of vaccinations, and whatnot.

These frustrations are likely to grow with time and DCs mandate and absolute foolish replies will not help the cause. A bit of empathy and regard would work way better than Tommingos discriminatory disregard for the secrecy of human life.

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Allowing 'Darwinism to Kill Off' the 'Foolish' Unvaccinated is a 'Necessary Evil,' According to a D.C. Mayor's Office official - The Lee Daily...

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CBD Oil & Tincture – Isolate & Full Spectrum CBD Drops …

Posted: at 7:06 am

CBD oil is simply the overarching category of hemp-derived CBD being housed in orally consumable oil. A CBD tincture is a product category and is a liquid solution that can be taken by mouth.

It is very common to find these terms used interchangeably as you shop but youll find that they're typically a hemp-based cannabidiol product with a carrier oil like MCT oil. The best way to know what ingredients are being used is to look at the back label of the bottle.

Unscrew the top and use the attached dropper to choose what amount you would like to enjoy. Many who are new to CBD choose to start at a smaller amount as they get used to adding the natural compound to their wellness routine.

Once you've selected your desired amount you will put it under the tongue where it will be absorbed by the mucous membranes.

Most consumers choose to enjoy their CBD oil in the morning and night, but your routine will depend on your desired results.

It depends on the amount that you choose to enjoy and your body type and how you metabolize; but, typically, a sublingual product like a tincture will have a result feeling in just a few minutes. Because the product is absorbed through the mucous membranes under the tongue, it is a quick and efficient way to enjoy plant-based cannabinoid oils.

Medterra ships to all 50 states and shipping CBD Drops is totally legal. In fact, all of our products are made with legal, compliant, American-grown hemp and we also offer ways to save with recurring orders through our Medterra Subscribe & Save program and Medterra Rewards.

We offer three specific kinds of CBD Drops based upon individual needs and where your desire to enjoy CBD falls within the spectrum. CBD Isolate is our base product, Broad Spectrum includes multiple cannabinoids such as CBG. CBN and terpenes, and Full Spectrum contains THC - which is the most famous cannabinoid which you can feel.

CBD is the acronym for Cannabidiol and is one of the over 100 phytocannabinoids in the cannabis sativa genus of plants.

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CBD Oil & Tincture - Isolate & Full Spectrum CBD Drops ...

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This CBD Oil Made from Orange Peels Goes With Me Everywhere – Bon Appetit

Posted: at 7:06 am

This is Highly Recommend, a column dedicated to what people in the food industry are obsessed with eating, drinking, and buying right now.

It always was a dream of mine to become a flight attendant, and recently, that dream transformed into reality. The process is rigorous, the competition is steep, and after multiple rounds of interviews, I received a job offer conditional on passing a four-to-six-week training course. But to get to the training course, I first have to pass a background check and a drug test by the Department of Transportation.

Flight attendants and commercial truck drivers, pilots, train engineers, ship captains, and others performing safety-sensitive functions in the transportation industry must abide by DOT rules. That means my system must be clear of a litany of substances including THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, the chemical compound in marijuana that gives people a high. Easy, right?

Not so easy, actually. Or straightforward. As a naturally anxious person, I often use cannabidiol (CBD) to relax, especially in the darker winter months and when Im having trouble sleeping. From CBD honey to CBD gummies, Ive tried them all. The best way to describe the effect of CBD? It creates a softened world without the high of THC. Although there isnt much concrete research around CBD, it certainly works to make life more manageable for me.

Many CBD products claim to have little or no THC, but mislabeling has been a consistent issue in the industry since theres no FDA certification necessary to make the claim. For example, a 2020 FDA study showed that nearly half of the CBD products tested contained THC.

There is, unfortunately, a great variability in the CBD products being sold, including mislabeling of the actual amount of CBD, contamination with THC, and even [contamination with] heavy metals and insecticides, says neuroscientist Yasmin Hurd, M.D. and director of the Addiction Institute of Mount Sinai, which has ongoing clinical trials studying the neurobiological effects of CBD.

Were CBD and drug tests incompatible? Would I fail the test even if I didnt intentionally consume THC? I went to the DOT website to investigate and I found that any CBD product with over 0.3% THC will trigger a positive result. So while I still believe that hemp and cannabis-derived CBD have a great deal of potential for healing pain and easing anxiety, consuming them is not worth the risk of losing a job or having a positive drug test follow me for the rest of my career.

Enter Peels. Founded by former NFL player Chris Hetherington, Peels CBD oil is bio-identical to pure hemp-based CBD oil, but its made from orange oil extracted from discarded orange peelspart of the companys attempt to reduce the environmental impact of the CBD industry. While CBD is only naturally found in the cannabis plant, Peels uses a proprietary molecular reconstruction process to duplicate the structure of CBD molecules using a compoundorange terpenethat occurs naturally in orange peels. The result is an oil that is molecularly identical to CBD oil but without the THC, heavy metals, or residues often found in traditional CBD.

The Peels CBD oil comes in a vibrant orange glass dropper jar, and unlike many other CBD products Ive tried, theres no skunky aftertaste. In fact, the oil tastes like an orange creamsicle, dense and easy to swallow. Their certifications from the Clean Label Project give me an added sense of security, knowing that I can soothe my anxiety and irregular sleep patterns without ingesting something unknown.

As someone who often travels on the job and off, I bring my Peels CBD with me to help me sleep when Im jet lagged and to ease my anxiety in new environments. Because its 100% cannabis and THC-free, not only do I not have to worry about Peels CBD and drug tests, I also know I won't run afoul of cannabis laws that vary from state to state. And a reminder from your friendly flight attendantat 1 fluid ounce, the bottle is also TSA-friendly.

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This CBD Oil Made from Orange Peels Goes With Me Everywhere - Bon Appetit

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How to Wean Your Dog Off Medications Using CBD Oil – Health Behavior News Service

Posted: at 7:06 am

Is your dog regularly on medications?

If so, you may have heard about some dog parents replacing their pets prescription drugs with CBD.

Well, its possible although it requires veterinary supervision and a lot of knowledge on your part.

In this article, I elaborate on using the best CBD oil to wean your dog off their medication.

Yes, CBD-drug interactions are real.

While CBD is a natural and safe substance, it can compete with other drugs in your body.

Thats because CBD is an inhibitor of specific liver enzymes that metabolize most pharmaceutical medications.

These enzymes are called cytochrome P450 and help break down around 60% of all the medications available on the market.

This includes antidepressants, anticonvulsants, analgesics, NSAIDs, etc.

Research has shown that CBD can block the activity of these enzymes, slowing down the metabolic rate of other medications.

As a result, the medications stay in the body for longer, and in larger concentrations.

CBDs impact on these metabolic enzymes depends on dosage as well as the presence of any other drugs in the body.

The most alarming side effect of these interactions is the higher incidence of adverse reactions from the elevated levels of medications in the body.

For more detailed information about interactions between CBD and pharmaceutical substances, check out the Flockhart P450 Drug Information Table.

This question requires more than a simple answer.

CBD is considered a safe supplement and is commonly used together with other supplements and medications.

As a matter of fact, some studies found that cannabinoids could help increase the efficacy of some medications, such as painkillers.

The paper from the 2016 Journal of Opioid Management describes the synergism of cannabinoids with other pain medications.

Now, considering that CBD can bolster the effects of other drugs it can be both positive and troublesome.

For example, studies have shown that cannabinoids have the potential to increase the potency of opioid medications leading researchers to a conclusion that CBD helps lower opioid doses in patients. This could slowly help them wean off their current medication and reduce dependence on pharmaceutical drugs.

The problematic part of this feature involves the aforementioned risk of second-hand side effects that come from these medications when you take them alongside CBD.

For now, theres a limited body of evidence that examined specifically how CBD interferes with the effects of other drugs.

Even fewer studies have been conducted on these interactions when it comes to veterinary drugs.

Therefore, the first step you should take before using CBD to wean your dog off its medication is to consult your vet.

Or look for one that specializes in holistic treatments if your vet doesnt know much about CBD.

Before I continue to elaborate on weaning your dog off its regular medications, lets take a closer look at how CBD may affect the potency of pharmaceutical medications.

This is a paramount aspect of this article because some medications like anticonvulsants, antidepressants, or chemotherapy, are often prescribed at very specific doses.

For example, when treating dogs with cancer, veterinarians often take a lot of time to figure out the right dosage of their chemo treatment.

The dose should be strong enough to effectively target cancer, yet small enough to avoid toxicity and minimize the side effects.

These drugs are, as you may guess, metabolized by cytochrome P450 enzymes in the liver.

Given this, using CBD alongside chemotherapy could be risky because it may elevate the levels of these drugs in your dogs blood.

In other words, what would be a safe dose of chemo could, potentially, become threatening when used together with CBD.

The reality is that CBD is becoming more popular among different kinds of patients due to its versatility as a therapeutic compound.

These patients find that CBD improves their quality of life by helping them maintain a healthy appetite, reduce fatigue and lethargy, curb nausea, manage pain, and more.

Theres very little evidence that shows interactions between CBD and chemotherapy agents despite these experimental lab models.

My Rocky has age-related arthritis and before I started giving him CBD oil for dogs with arthritis, he was very lethargic and became dependent on his medications.

After seeing his condition deteriorating, I gave CBD the leap of faith because it was helping with my knee pain too. Considering that dogs have the endocannabinoid system as well, my decision seemed reasonable to me.

And it was actually the best decision I could make at that time. I consulted my vet and we slowly started changing the doses of CBD oil and Rockys meds gradually weaning him off of his pharmaceuticals.

Dont get me wrong, Im not encouraging you to leave your dogs current medications away. Its just an option that you may want to consult with your vet if the risks and side effects start to outweigh the benefits.

Thats a question many pet owners ask. The answer is not so obvious and depends on a lot of individual factors, such as your dogs condition, tolerance to the medication theyre taking, and their current results.

Ask your vet how these medications are processed in the body and whether taking into account CBDs effect on liver enzymes, theres a risk of an interaction.

Also, make sure to check the P450 Flockhart Drug Interactions Chart and look for the dog your dog is taking to confirm if the interaction might occur.

If your dogs meds arent on this list, still reach out to your vet before adding CBD to its diet.

Should there be a possibility of drug interaction, Id suggest weaning your dog pet off their meds first.

In case the drugs werent on the above list, you may use CBD together with their regular medicines.

From there, you can begin to wean your dog off their other meds steadily.

There are a few things you can do to incorporate CBD as smoothly as possible.

Heres what I recommend:

Let me elaborate on each step.

Before you introduce anything new to your dogs supplementation plan, talk to your vet about the potential benefits of CBD as well as the risk of a drug interaction. If theres a possibility CBD might affect the way your pets body processes other medication, you should figure out how it happens and what you can do to avoid negative reactions while using both.

Once you know theres no risk of negative drug interaction and that CBD can replace your dogs medications, you can give it a green light. Just remember that CBD is no miracle cure and cant replace any medication out there despite its versatility.

Make the transition to CBD slowly and dont rush large doses. Observe your pets reaction to certain amounts of the supplements. Start low and increase the dose slowly; you can break it down into two smaller daily doses.

Reputable companies provide clear instructions on dosage and serving sizes for dogs based on different weight groups to help new users introduce CBD to dogs safely.

Once your dog has adjusted to CBD, you can start increasing the dose while decreasing the dose of their other medications.

Just make sure to monitor the doses of CBD and the meds because certain medications can have dangerous side effects if theres an excess concentration in the body. Your vet should know how to manage the dosages safely.

Being patient will help you go through the transition process smoothly. Weaning your dog off its medications can be a process lasting weeks or even months. Remember, the way you do it will also vary depending on how long your dog has been on its meds, the dose it has been taking, and the half-life of the substance.

Unfortunately, I cant give you any recommendations as to how to reduce your dogs drug doses; thats the job of your veterinarian, they should be qualified enough to help you out.

Thanks to its broad range of health benefits, CBD could replace a lot of regular pet medications.

The list is quite long and includes:

Just so were on the same page: Im not the enemy of all prescription medications. I always try to see the bright side in both natural and made-man medications because I understand their value.

But, I also believe that natural remedies can offer your pet a lot of health benefits and are generally safer than their pharmaceutical counterparts.

CBD is completely natural; it also produces no dangerous side effects and is non-toxic so you dont have to be afraid about overdosing.

The only real side effects your dog can experience after taking too much CBD are sedation and diarrhea. It may feel sleepy and drowsy for a while, but this isnt a threat to its health.

That stays in vivid contrast with the harsh side effects (sometimes even fatal) that can occur when a drug isnt administered properly.

Plus, unlike conventional medications, CBD uses more than just a single mechanism to improve your dogs well-being.

Its a well-rounded health supplement that can also have direct therapeutic effects.

As I said, I started giving Rocky CBD oil after experiencing its benefits first-hand. Royal CBD has been my go-to brand, and after experimenting with different companies to find the right pet product, the guys at Royal CBD introduced its Paws collection.

The Royal CBD pet range includes CBD oil for pet dogs in two concentrations and three formulas of CBD dog treats formulated with superfoods.

The CBD oil is available in 250 mg and 500 mg bottles and comes in a bacon flavor to convince the fussier dogs to take it properly.

The treats include three versions:

Royal CBD products are made from US-grown, non-GMO hemp. Theyre also tested for potency and purity in an ISO-certified laboratory so that you can rest assured your dog eats only safe products.

My dog medicine cabinet has become a lot smaller since I introduced CBD into Rockys routine.

If youre curious about the potential health benefits of CBD oil for your dog and want to use it to wean it off its current medications, make sure to save this article for later and use it as a guide to a safe transition.

Most importantly, always consult your veterinarian before introducing a new supplement; and be that informed customer who doesnt fall for outlandish health claims and inch-deep marketing phrases from companies that sell snake oil all over the internet.

Check out my other CBD reviews and rankings to see a bigger picture and pick out some high-quality suppliers for yourself.

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CBD Oil Extract Market Witness an Outstanding Growth and Strong Revenue and Forecast 2027 The Tech Talk – The Tech Talk

Posted: at 7:06 am

TheCBD Oil Extract Marketresearch report thoroughly explains each and every aspect related to the Global CBD Oil Extract Market, which facilitates the reports reader to study and evaluate the upcoming market trend and execute the analytical data to promote the business.

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CBD oil extract market is expected to gain market growth in the forecast period of 2020 to 2027. Data Bridge Market Research analyses the market to account to USD 25.57 billion by 2027 growing at a CAGR of 21.0% in the above-mentioned forecast period. The growing awareness amongst the patients regarding the benefits of CBDoilwill help in driving the growth of the market.

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CBD Oil Extract Market Witness an Outstanding Growth and Strong Revenue and Forecast 2027 The Tech Talk - The Tech Talk

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How to Recognize the Critical Signs of Stress in a Dog – Health Behavior News Service

Posted: at 7:06 am

Ever experienced going on a trip with your sweet dog only to have them shiver with nerves throughout the drive? Or perhaps having an angry neighbor at your doorstep because their child got bitten by your dog?

These are just some of the signs that a dog is stressed. Just like with humans, stress on our pet dogs shouldnt be left unchecked. Often we hear the phrase out of nowhere whenever a dog bites someone. In reality, dogs rarely bite without warning.

Dogs primarily use body language to communicate, so its important for dog parents that they know how to understand their canine companions. Learning our dogs communication style is a huge help in reducing their anxiety and preventing dangerous situations.

In this article, well talk about the several warning signs that can help you tell if your dog is stressed and how to help them.

The best way to understand your dog is to think of them as humans with feelings and emotions. Just like humans, dogs get stressed for specific reasons. It can be caused by past traumatic events or the environment they are currently in. Below are some of the causes of stress in dogs:

Dogs have incredibly heightened senses, particularly when it comes to their hearing. This makes them extra sensitive to loud sounds, especially when unexpected or unfamiliar. These loud noises can be caused by thunderstorms, fireworks, gunfire, parties, or construction.

Dogs can become aggressive to strangers who are visiting their homes. Just like human children, dogs can also have the same stranger danger reaction. This can also be their protective mechanism, meaning theyre trying to ensure your safety, as well as their own.

Not every dog is the same as what you see in the movies tongues out at the car window while enjoying the breeze some struggle to stay calm while traveling. Even short trips to the park can be stressful for some dogs.

The environment of a veterinarian clinic can also be overwhelming for some dogs. This can be due to the number of pets that are present and the smells being left behind, or even some bad memories associated with shots or surgeries. Some dogs might even feel stressed on the way to the clinic once they recognize the familiar driving route.

Dogs can also get stressed when they are in an environment that is beyond their usual routine. This kind of stress can be caused by huge transitions like the arrival of a new pet or even slight changes like moving around furniture. Dogs adjustment period commonly lasts from a few hours to a few weeks, to even a few months.

Now that you know the common causes of stress in dogs, its also important that you can identify if your dog is stressed or not. All dogs are different and might communicate their stress differently. But here are some of the typical signs of stress being shared by most dogs:

Your dog might not exhibit all of these signs, not all at once. Thats why its important to be extra observant of your dogs behavior and the environment. This way, it can help you understand what your dog is trying to communicate and decide on what is the most appropriate thing to do.

Most of the above stress symptoms dont require immediate action. However, they can also be preliminary cautions for worse scenarios. Critical signs often show up in the long run if the stress has not been relieved immediately or if the situation is too severe for a dog to handle.

Take note of the following critical signs of stress in dogs that are needed to be addressed immediately:

These signs can also indicate that the stress might not only be situational. When stress affects your dog way too much, go to a veterinarian clinic immediately for a checkup and supportive care. There might be underlying health issues that are causing these sudden changes in behavior. It is best to be overly cautious than risk the welfare of your dog.

While its important to seek professional help for your dog when the critical signs of stress occur, its still important that as a pet owner, you know how to calm your dog. De-stressing dogs doesnt have to be complicated. Check out these simple tips on how to help your stressed dog:

As the pet owner, your voice is a source of comfort for your dog. Once you notice that your dog is looking a bit stressed, try providing verbal encouragement by speaking in a firm, steady, calm tone. A reassuring voice from their favorite human might help them to calm down.

Sometimes, your dog just needs to be held by its human. You can do rubs, pats, massages, or snuggles as a way to calm your dog. Physical touch can provide the same reassuring feel when you use a calm voice. It can also make your dog feel safe and loved.

This is one of the best ways of ensuring that your dog is stress-free. You can work with a professional trainer or a veterinarian to efficiently detect what triggers your pet. As a dog owner, its also important to reflect on your behaviors as these might also be contributing to the stress. In addition, other people must also be educated about your dogs triggers. Be firm and dont be afraid to say no when someone wants to do something that might trigger your dog.

Many dogs tend to establish their little corner in the house. They do this because it gives them security and a place where they can be alone in peace. Wherever this place might be, make sure that your dog retreats to it if they start to feel stressed. This is just one way of empowering independence in your pet. Sometimes, its best to just let them take a rest on their own.

CBD oil can also be a decent way to reduce stress and anxiety in your dog. This can be part of your dogs health routine to ensure more stable well-being. CBD oil comes in different varieties, so it is easy to find something that will be suitable for your buddy. There are CBD oil drops that you can put in their food, or CBD doggie chews that your buddy can eat if they fuss over the natural flavor of full-spectrum CBD.

The reason why CBD oil can effectively reduce stress in dogs is that it activates the endocannabinoid system (ECS) the major regulatory network in all mammals that is responsible for maintaining homeostasis throughout the body. The ECS controls a plethora of biological processes, including fear, anxiety, and stress response.

In addition, a 2015 review stated that CBD interacts with receptors known to regulate fear and stress-induced behaviors such as serotonin 5-HT1A receptor. When this receptor gets activated, it reduces fear and, if taken with stress medications, mediates the anxiolytic and panicolytic effects.

You can check out this article to learn more about the best CBD products for your dogs who experience anxiety or stress.

One thing to keep note of is that dogs cannot express their feelings the same way we do. So, pay attention to their body language and provide them with comfort, security, and other means that can help them to cope better with stress.

While some stressors are commonly shared by most dogs, its still important that you know what exactly triggers your pet and what can help them calm down. No one knows your pet better than you do. So trust your intuition, and if you feel that their behavior is being affected by a certain stimulus, better act upon it immediately.

CBD oil is recently one of the hottest topics when it comes to easing not only joint pain in dogs but even stress. As a modulator of the major regulatory network in all mammals, CBD works to establish and maintain homeostasis in your dog, including reactions to stress triggers. Along with other natural remedies and behavioral practices, CBD may become a viable tool for improving your dogs quality of life.

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How to Recognize the Critical Signs of Stress in a Dog - Health Behavior News Service

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Manchin and Murkowski Cross Party Lines to Endorse Each Other – Newsweek

Posted: at 7:06 am

Senators Joe Manchin and Lisa Murkowski crossed party lines to endorse each other's campaigns during a joint appearance Sunday morning on CNN's State of the Union.

Manchin, who is a West Virginia Democrat, and Murkowski, who is an Alaska Republican, are among their parties most centrist members and have crossed party lines on votes before. In an increasingly polarized country, their endorsements offer a rare moment of bipartisanship.

"Alaska could only be so lucky to have her continue to serve them," Manchin said. "It's hypocritical to basically work with a person day-in and day-out, and then when they're in cycle, you're supposed to be against them because they have an R or D by their name."

Murkowski said that senators crossing party lines to endorse their colleagues used to be more common than it is now, adding that she would endorse Manchin if he chooses to run again in 2024.

Despite their bipartisan credentials, both could face a challenging path to reelection.

Murkowski is up for reelection this year. A rare critic of former President Donald Trump among the GOP who voted to impeach him, she has faced criticism from Trump-aligned Republicans in her home state.

The Alaskan senator will run in the nonpartisan primary, where the four candidates who receive the most amount of votes will advance and run in the general election, which uses ranked-choice voting.

Trump endorsed her primary challenger, Kelly Tshibaka, and called Murkowski "bad for Alaska." The former president praised Tshibaka as a "fighter who stands for Alaska values and America First. She is MAGA all the way, pro-energy, strong on the Border, tough on Crime and totally supports our Military and our great Vets. Kelly is a powerful supporter of the Second Amendment and JOBS!"

Polling on the race has been mixed. An August poll from Alaska Survey Research found Murkowski with a 9-point lead in the general election. But a poll from Change Research in June found Tshibaka leading Murkowski by about 20 points, with Democrat Al Gross winning 25 percent of the vote.

Manchin, on the other hand, will be up for reelection in 2024 after narrowly winning in 2018. West Virginia's strong GOP lean and high turnout in a presidential election year could complicate his path to victorythough he has sought to separate himself from the party's more liberal wing.

He could also face a primary opponent, as progressive Democrats including Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren indicated potential support for primary challengers.

Some on Twitter also pointed out that CNN mistakenly labeled Manchin a Republican during Sunday's interview.

Newsweek reached out to both senators' offices for comment Sunday afternoon, but did not hear back by publication. This story will be updated with any response.

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Manchin and Murkowski Cross Party Lines to Endorse Each Other - Newsweek

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