Disqus - Friends of offby1

Re: In Washington, Vote Approve Referendum 71

George V. Reilly — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 04:42:04 -0000

Thanks for spreading the word, Joe.

If you're outside of Washington state, send money. If you're inside Washington, tell everyone to vote APPROVE on Referendum 71 and the campaign would love to have you help out with phone banking to get out the vote.

http://Approve71.org

Re: Become a Culturally Competent Practitioner

Ravensara Travillian — Thu, 31 May 2012 22:42:19 -0000

Thank you very much for sharing your experiences with us, Ann. It is very valuable to ground the principles you are explaining in real, hands-on, everyday practice.

There is something that has changed since the time that you worked with this patient--over the last few decades, a number of people from the community have rejected the name "Gypsy"--both because it refers to Egypt, which is not at all where they're originally from, and also because of the negative connotations that "gypsy" and the verb "gyp" have in English.

Not everyone from the community objects to the name "gypsy", but enough people do object to it that it is much safer and more likely to be considered polite to call them by their name for themselves instead, "Romani people".

Thank you for a very important reminder on the need to be culturally sensitive, and the practical pointers for information on doing so. I think that most MTs want to and are very motivated to be culturally sensitive, and providing the information you did will be of valuable assistance in developing that sensitivity.

Re: First Educational Congress Announces Diverse Program

Ravensara Travillian — Sat, 15 Nov 2014 13:05:54 -0000

"Here is a glimpse of the program: James Oschman, PhD, will lead us in a keynote presentation "Working Together for a Bright Future for our Professions" and will set a tone of harmony and light for the entire conference. Jim Oschman is the award-winning author of Energy Medicine: The Scientific Basis and Energy Medicine in Therapeutics and Human Performance. He lectures internationally on the science behind a variety of emerging medical techniques, especially bodywork, energetic and movement therapies. Jim has degrees in biophysics and biology from the University of Pittsburgh and has worked in major research labs around the world. "Creating, inspiring, and manifesting a future we all long for, is a topic worthy of big discussion." In this presentation James will suggest a model for such endeavors based on the wisdom within us."

It is a huge strategic and tactical mistake to make Oschman's anti-realism the public face of MT, and to communicate to the public that we reject mainstream physics, and substitute our own beliefs in its place.

This unnecessary self-inflicted wound will--rightly--set back the acceptance of MT at the decision-making table by decades.

We should be emphasizing to our clients and potential colleagues that we want to build bridges based on shared interdisciplinary knowledge, grounded in the reality of the material physical natural world.

The choice of Oschman communicates the exact opposite, loudly and clearly. It is a very bad decision on behalf of our embryonic profession.

Re: Divide Between Massage Therapists and Energy Bodyworkers: Why?

Ravensara Travillian — Fri, 17 Apr 2015 17:09:53 -0000

I appreciate your attempt to try to heal the deep divisions among us.

It is clear that you are a kind and caring person who wants to mend rifts.

But some rifts just aren't bridgeable, no matter how much we may want to.

Accepting the claims of energy work means rejecting modern physics, because the two domains are mutually exclusive--they totally contradict each other.

How can massage therapists hope to become full-fledged members of the client-centered healthcare professional team, if we reject the science that that team's shared body of knowledge is grounded in?

We MTs have to choose one or the other, and for the MTs who choose biomedical science, that's always going to feel like a rejection to energy workers.

It's very kind and noble of you to want to fix that, but I don't see how you do it.

Re: Make a Difference in Clients who Suffer from Traumatic Brain Injury

Ravensara Travillian — Fri, 25 Mar 2016 08:31:14 -0000

Massage therapy does not and cannot:

1) move cranial bones;

2) pump accumulations of fluid out of the brain;

3) reduce inflammation in her brain.

Caveat emptor (let the buyer beware)--TBI patients, especially, can be very vulnerable to peddlers of false hope.

Let's resolve, instead, to give them valid and accurate information.

You could very easily make a case for MT for patients with TBI.

It would look like this:

Anxiety and depression following traumatic brain injury (TBI) are associated with poorer outcomes [1]. Moyer 2008 reported that MT treatments consistently produce sizable reductions of depression and anxiety, "to an impressive degree in adults" [2]. Therefore, it is reasonable to hypothesize that a series of MT treatments as an adjunct to standard care for TBI patients may tend to be associated with, or to promote, better outcomes for the patients receiving MT, and a study of this hypothesis is warranted.

[1] Dahm J, Wong D, Ponsford J. Validity of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales in assessing depression and anxiety following traumatic brain injury. J Affect Disord. 2013 Oct;151(1):392-6.

[2] Moyer CA. Affective massage therapy. Int J Ther Massage Bodywork. 2008 Dec 15;1(2):3-5.

Re: Yellow Power

Ravensara Travillian — Thu, 07 Dec 2017 11:59:59 -0000

I think, but am by no means certain, that "Asian" is preferred over "Oriental", because "Asian" is an absolute reference, independent of point of view, while "Oriental" is relative to Europe.

By that, I mean "Asian" refers directly to the land where people live, while "Oriental"--by meaning "East of <something>"--unnecessarily privileges Europe as the central point of reference.

As I said, though, I could well be wrong about that.

Re: Today in American Ethnic Cleansing

Ravensara Travillian — Wed, 18 Apr 2018 21:31:42 -0000

At least they eventually did the right thing under duress.

That's better than nothing. Literally.

http://www.miamiherald.com/...

Re: Today in American Ethnic Cleansing

Ravensara Travillian — Wed, 18 Apr 2018 22:15:00 -0000

Yup. That's what this country has come to.

Re: Today in American Ethnic Cleansing

Ravensara Travillian — Wed, 18 Apr 2018 23:35:18 -0000

Agreed. I take what I can get these days.

Re: James Bennet shoots another brick

Ravensara Travillian — Mon, 02 Jul 2018 10:01:39 -0000

Yes, I see your point about the content of the music.

And yet, I think it has to be more to it than just that. After all, I adore Billie Holliday and Édith Piaf, and I've been known to binge on each one at different times, but I have absolutely no desire to reënact the kind of relationships they sing about.

I think lots of songs have, deep down within them, very messed-up values, but I think the difference here is:

1) I'm able to distinguish fantasy from reality; and

2) I'm able to discern which realities are worth bringing into existence, and which are not at any cost.

Why those abilities aren't more widespread, or even universal, is a very interesting question.

Re: Two Visionaries

Ravensara Travillian — Fri, 02 Nov 2018 01:23:43 -0000

Je vois ce que tu as fait là.

Re: And This Omelet Tastes Like Shit

Ravensara Travillian — Thu, 13 Dec 2018 23:54:01 -0000

No one exposes their child to such conditions, unless what they're running away from is even worse.

I'm surprised you need that explained to you, and yet, here we are,

Re: Christmas Morning Open Thread

Ravensara Travillian — Tue, 25 Dec 2018 14:31:35 -0000

I remember. For what it's worth, your wit always connected with me. I'm not saying that that made it worth the toll in you, just that you made a good impression on me that's lasted.

I'm very sorry to hear what you've been going through. I hope that things get better for you both in the coming year. I wish good things for you.

Re: Just Not That Woman

Ravensara Travillian — Wed, 03 Apr 2019 17:37:29 -0000

Hermione Baddeley haz a sad.

Re: The Near Death of Notre-Dame

Ravensara Travillian — Thu, 18 Jul 2019 13:37:59 -0000

Probably none can, at least at this point.

But I think y'all are using "system" differently here. The IT system is a subsystem of the Notre Dame protection system, which is--as spearmint66 observed--everything, not just the technical parts.

The IT system can't account for inevitable human fallibility (cf. Therac-25) nor inadequate training, but the Notre Dame protection system--of which the IT system is a subsystem--absolutely has to, or it's not doing its job.

Re: At Least They’re Consistent

Ravensara Travillian — Tue, 27 Aug 2019 20:44:57 -0000

Other way round, actually, but a good analogy.

Re: Speaking of campus PC

Ravensara Travillian — Thu, 07 Nov 2019 10:30:36 -0000

Reminds me of playing in high school band in Alabama with Daniel and David Cohen, who were Baptists.

Re: Gender and Science

Ravensara Travillian — Sun, 10 Nov 2019 20:55:16 -0000

I wonder what women would ever have done, if Realdo Colombo had not discovered the clitoris.

https://www.ejog.org/articl...

Re: Debate Open Thread

Ravensara Travillian — Thu, 21 Nov 2019 00:16:12 -0000

Or a Ford. (from The Three Stooges, "Idiots Deluxe")

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j...

Re: Happy New Year! Or Decade! Whatever! I Guess

Ravensara Travillian — Thu, 02 Jan 2020 00:06:20 -0000

Ah, the scurvy diet.

Re: Green New Deal Day

Ravensara Travillian — Thu, 27 Feb 2020 21:31:38 -0000

I believe I speak for the entire human race when I say, "Holy fuck".

Re: The Worst People in the World

Ravensara Travillian — Sat, 14 Mar 2020 21:20:07 -0000

We saw it, but just turned a blind eye.

Re: Self-Made

Ravensara Travillian — Thu, 09 Apr 2020 11:28:22 -0000

Why do you think female cats scream so?

Re: Self-Made

Ravensara Travillian — Thu, 09 Apr 2020 11:40:26 -0000

That's also true.

But while with tomcats, it's just anatomical (penis barbs), ducks bring a special je ne sais quoi to unpleasant sex.

Case report: The first case of homosexual necrophilia in the
mallard Anas platyrhynchos (Aves:Anatidae)

Re: Food Shortages?

Ravensara Travillian — Sun, 12 Apr 2020 18:19:58 -0000

Well, we actually call that "ultra-pasteurized".

But seriously, thanks for the useful tips!