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Re: 9 Things We Regret Not Doing in Our 20s

Rachel — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 19:23:01 -0000

I forwarded this to my 21-year-old son. And now i am thinking: Heck, i don't have to be in my 20s to do these things! So, i am determined to do more traveling and seize more experiences. Thanks for the reminders!

Re: 9 Things We Regret Not Doing in Our 20s

Rachel — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 19:30:05 -0000

Thank you, Sandi, for this post that reminds me that life happens! I didn't do the things on this list in my 20s because i was busy raising a child by myself and healing from an abusive marriage. To be without regrets for me means that i accept that this happened and then us the regrets to inform my choices going forward within the constraints of life that hasn't given me unlimited resources, for example.

Re: Stop Doing Meaningless Work…Today!

Rachel — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 19:38:42 -0000

The sad thing is that the economic structure of the Western world (at least) is built on creating meaningless jobs: The assembly line was a break-through to crank out widgets. And many of us are forced into these jobs because survival is difficult, if not impossible, otherwise. How would we feed, clothes, and shelter ourselves? There is a certain amount of privilege involved in being able to stop doing meaningless work - something that not everyone can do, unless we restructure the way we, as humanity, live.

Re: 9 Places to Look for Hope in 2013 by Sarah van Gelder — YES! Magazine

Rachel — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 01:09:56 -0000

I very much appreciated this reminder of some encouraging developments in 2012! Let's hope that the new year will continue those trends!

I was saddened, though, by the conclusions in number 9, not because i am against same-sex marriage but because marriage does not equal love (nor the other way around!). There are many love-less marriages and there are many people who love others whether they want to be married to them or not (i don't want to marry all my friends who i love!).

If we want to build a truly inclusive world, let's look beyond marriage as an outmoded panacea and support everybody - whether we're married or not and however we spread our love, especially when we do this in our own ways. If we want to use love as a force of change, let's not confine it to an institution.

Re: 6 Habits of Highly Empathetic People by Roman Krznaric — YES! Magazine

Rachel — Sat, 12 Jan 2013 14:43:17 -0000

Thank you for this list! It is very encouraging to know that empathy is a skill that we can all practice!

When i read the first habit, though, my heart sank: "Oy! I can't do this!" I am an introvert and the thought of talking with strangers is a bit terrifying. So, i decided to practice habit 2 (encouraged by reading "Quiet" by Susan Cain) and wonder out loud if this list is geared more toward extroverts... Are there different habits that introverts have? Habit 4 seems to be more along the lines of what i enjoy to contribute: Listening. And habit 6 is certainly something an introverted thinker might practice: Envisioning a different world. The examples given, though, seem to be more extroverted.

Re: Married with Children Does Not Mean the End of Individuality

Rachel — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 15:34:39 -0000

I wonder if we could create community in a way that would address this... Maybe actually implementing that it takes a village to raise a child. What you are experiencing is the down side (dark side?) of nuclear families. It doesn't have to be this way! What would happen if, for example, you'd take care of others kids? Instead of just holding hands with our bio-kids, holding hands with kids from other families, heck, holding each others' hands in support whether kid or adult...

Re: Two Types of Dance | Unleash Your Dance

Rachel — Wed, 04 Jun 2014 17:37:32 -0000

It's so interesting reading this because I've been mulling over the exact same question for myself: I realized that there is something about performance that takes out the fun in dance, at least for me. So, I've started thinking of myself as a folk dancer.

This was partly inspired by the form of dancing I enjoy: folk dances done in long, winding lines. More importantly, though, is what I like about folk dances: They bring together ordinary people to express their joy of movement and connection! And anybody can participate and indeed does participate, at least in the villages: Kids to very old people. Sure, there are often specific steps associated with the dances and it doesn't matter if you do them correctly (or at all) as long as you're going in the right direction, you're part of the line...

It's time to take dance off stage and bring it back into ordinary life! Thank you for helping to unleash that shift!

Re: Dance is... | Unleash Your Dance

Rachel — Wed, 04 Jun 2014 23:18:08 -0000

Bummed that I missed the conference! Do you know if there's a way to keep posted about their future offerings?

Re: Dance is... | Unleash Your Dance

Rachel — Fri, 06 Jun 2014 16:17:21 -0000

Great! Thanks! Following them now...

Re: Sex And San Francisco: SF Woman Chooses To Stay Single, Leads Workshops On Coupling Alternatives

Rachel — Wed, 13 May 2015 17:59:57 -0000

You might be interested to know that the word "spinster" was originally not derogatory. It simply described a single woman that earned her money by spinning wool. It only became derogatory when the cultural climate shifted and women were no longer permitted to be single nor earn their own living...

Re: Breathe, Relax, Feel, Watch, Allow: The Practice of Being Present

Rachel — Thu, 14 May 2015 01:23:07 -0000

Although I appreciate this technique, I find it a bit confusing that Stephen presents it as so easy. When I am in the midst of a difficult situation - when I could really benefit from BRFWA - I am least likely to remember to do it... I would find it more helpful if, first, it were acknowledged that although simple, the technique isn't easy (to remember at minimum). And then maybe some suggestions for remembering it in the midst of mental chaos.

Re: Cheeseburger ethics

Rachel — Tue, 14 Jul 2015 13:18:32 -0000

And then there's the APA scandal that involves people committed to the study - and presumably practice - of ethics! A disturbing read that outlines these connections is here: http://justsecurity.org/245...

Re: Fraud or drift? USDA finds 43 percent of organic foods contain ‘prohibited’ substances

Rachel — Sun, 26 Jul 2015 22:46:57 -0000

Uhm. Wait. Is that the same Heartland Institute that is pushing climate science denial? http://rationalwiki.org/wik...

Not that this necessarily negates the claim of their adviser... Would make for some rather uncomfortable bed-fellows, though.

Re: Fraud or drift? USDA finds 43 percent of organic foods contain ‘prohibited’ substances

Rachel — Mon, 27 Jul 2015 11:16:07 -0000

No. It made me pause - notice my second sentence. And I didn't understand, though Rob's comment helped me understand (since I also read some of the other exchanges you and he had).

It actually makes a lot of sense if we include an ideological bias: Climate change denial seems to be associated with a "free market belief," bad for big business (now mixing ideologically laden terminology to make my response to crush easier). GMOs are good for big business (in the same kind of broad-stroke mentality as about climate change). So, it is actually not as contradictory as it seems (which does not mean it is correct or not based on faulty thinking...)

Re: Fraud or drift? USDA finds 43 percent of organic foods contain ‘prohibited’ substances

Rachel — Mon, 27 Jul 2015 11:18:02 -0000

Actually, crush, it does make sense... It's because of an ideological bias on both sides (see my other comment above if you're interested). On the left it would be "big evil business;" on the right it would be "big good business."

Re: Fraud or drift? USDA finds 43 percent of organic foods contain ‘prohibited’ substances

Rachel — Mon, 27 Jul 2015 11:19:48 -0000

There is a contradiction that needs explaining: Why is an organization, like the Heartland Institute, rallying behind the science on one topic and dismissing the science on another. If someone is making science-based evaluations that ought not happen. I couldn't explain the seeming contradiction and because I have this "big bad business" meme in my head, I had to explore it further. Rob's comment helped, though, I suspect not in the way he expected/intended...

Re: Fraud or drift? USDA finds 43 percent of organic foods contain ‘prohibited’ substances

Rachel — Mon, 27 Jul 2015 16:02:31 -0000

No, I am trying to see my own biases and set them aside. I am sad that you cannot see that and instead lump me in with Rob - guilt by association again?

Re: Fraud or drift? USDA finds 43 percent of organic foods contain ‘prohibited’ substances

Rachel — Mon, 27 Jul 2015 16:07:30 -0000

So trying to sort through the issues is not okay here? Sorry, I don't have your background. I have been awash in anti-GMO stuff and I am trying to see what is really going on, what the science is saying. Or to put it more bluntly: I am trying to un-corrupt my mind!

So instead of reprimanding me here, it would have been way more helpful to point me to something like this: http://www.biofortified.org...

I can only begin to imagine how annoying it must be to have to repeat yourself over and over again, so I can understand your reaction. And it probably didn't help that I didn't give enough context for my stumbling over the reference to Heartland. Nor that I fell into "guilt by association" with that. Mea culpa.

Re: Fraud or drift? USDA finds 43 percent of organic foods contain ‘prohibited’ substances

Rachel — Mon, 27 Jul 2015 16:37:59 -0000

Thanks, Mischa! :)

I think we've successfully expelled the "big bad business is making is eat Frankenfoods" meme in my head :) . Phew!

Re: Fraud or drift? USDA finds 43 percent of organic foods contain ‘prohibited’ substances

Rachel — Mon, 27 Jul 2015 16:43:23 -0000

Yeah sorry if that seemed like an ad homiem! Ay! It wasn't meant at all like that!!!

Re: 15 Most Affordable Cities for Singles

Rachel — Sun, 02 Aug 2015 21:05:18 -0000

Do you seriously think that the most important thing for singles is the cost of a date night in finding a place to live?!? You should've named your article "15 cheapest places for singles who don't have anything else to do than to become unsingle."

Re: Fraud or drift? USDA finds 43 percent of organic foods contain ‘prohibited’ substances

Rachel — Mon, 03 Aug 2015 18:04:12 -0000

Yes, I saw it a couple days ago! Thanks, Mischa, both for writing and sharing it! I am enjoying lots of non-organic food again already...

Re: Fraud or drift? USDA finds 43 percent of organic foods contain ‘prohibited’ substances

Rachel — Tue, 04 Aug 2015 23:50:28 -0000

It's on my list, though not toward the top as I explored this mostly to see if I can stop paying for organic and I've decided, yupp, I can... :) Though I'll prob still buy from smaller, local farmers, I am going to stop worrying about organic or GMO or whatever in between (if these are even the extremes...)

You might be interested in this article about Monsanto & climate change: http://agfundernews.com/how...

Re: Column: The single life

Rachel — Tue, 15 Sep 2015 23:34:09 -0000

Wow! It sounds like you've bought into just about every stereotype that's out there against singles - and totally internalized it. You might want to go read Bella DePaulo's book "Singled Out" to dispel those myths and your guilt...

Re: How to Be More Productive

Rachel — Mon, 25 Apr 2016 19:42:29 -0000

Interesting episode although it left me with two important questions: What exactly does it mean "to be more productive" and why is that a worthy goal to pursue?