Forum Activity for @totheankles

Just plain mean

Life Issues Facing Dreads

Wanting to cut off someone's hair is not racist. And saying straight hair belongs to white people would be as incorrect as saying dreads belong to black people. Actually it's more incorrect. Straight hair "belongs" to black people. Virtually all human physical attributes "belong" to black people because all humans descended from black ancestors. The genetics for straight hair come from black people.And minor vs major was not the point, it just isn't racist to say you think certain hair choices don't look good on certain races and that was the whole argument of the letter.Your example is completely different. "Black people aren't ALLOWED to straighten their hair". That sounds very different to the letter which basicly states "White people can't pull off dreads and should choose another hairstyle so they don't look like tools", now doesn't it?

Just plain mean

Life Issues Facing Dreads

It's not racism. It's criticism. If you are a white person and you have never been to Africa then you haven't been the target racism. Even implying this is offensive to people who actually deal with racism their entire life.Most people know exactly what the guy is talking about. I'm sure many people here do aswell, because you have to understand it in order to be offended by it. The picture he described is crystal clear in my mind, and I can immediately spot when I see one of those "types".We can get all cuddly wuddly PC but someone is free to think you look ridiculous. They are also free to tell you in your face or write an article about it and put it on the internet. It's just a funny (well I thought it was funny) and slightly inaccurate article. And I happen to think many black women with relaxed hair look bad. I have no idea what that particular person's natural hair would look like, but I know the whole relaxing looks ridiculous to me. I don't feel the need to tell them this in their face or to write an article about it and put it on the internet, but if I would that wouldn't be racist regardless of what people would say about it.9 out of 10 times a black person will look very good with neglect dreads. For white people it's hit or miss. This is what the author meant.The stereotyping of dreads is no fun to deal with, but it isn't racism. You make a choice about your appearance and appearances affect how people percieve you. They will think you smoke pot, eat organic, are unemployed, a vegetarian or vegan, promiscuous, dirty and generally easy going and relaxed. Without dreads people assume I am allergic to animal products. With dreads they figure out rather quickly that I am a vegan. It's just the way it is.

Water Fasting? Has anyone tried this?

Alternative Lifestyles and Subcultures

@DanielleYes, there's even a number of studies that show rats (well, they're kinda similar to humans...) that fasted for 24hrs every other day lived much longer while eating twice as much on their feeding days then rats fed normally (so they both ate similar amounts of food). They were also more resistant to alzheimers, cancer and a few other diseases.There's a whole book on the subject of fasting once per week, Eat Stop Eat. I don't have it because it doesn't interest me (only frequent fasting) so I can't say it's any good. But that might have more information on fasting only once a week.@MikeThat's a load of crap. Feeling lightheaded means your brain is running on less glucose. After the initial period of haziness you will feel much better because of the switch to ketones (fat) for fuel rather then glucose.Fasting doesn't get rid of toxins any faster then normal. Simply avoiding toxins is enough, and eating will actually help get rid of toxins faster. The benefits of fasting are from giving the body rest from digesting food all day, increasing cell turnover, increasing insulin sensitivity and a number of "mystery" effects that all seem to reduce inflammation. And most toxins will take a very long time to get rid of. Mercury can stay stuck in the brain for a long long time. All you can do is avoid it and be happy and mercury free 50 years later.Your body can go without food for a really long time, depending on how...ahem...full you are. But it isn't healthy to push the envelope more then necessary. After roughly 48 hours protein losses start to pile up and this comes from muscle. Longer caloric deficiencies like fasting (and of course, crash dieting) are extremely bad for the heart (it's a muscle, and also where the protein comes from during starvation).

Water Fasting? Has anyone tried this?

Alternative Lifestyles and Subcultures

Fasting for short periods (16-24 hours) has all kinds of benefits (protecting brain from alzheimer, slowing cancer growth and better nutrient partitioning) but fasting for longer then that is very bad. It's not going to kill you, but there's healthier things you can do.

You are not blacker than me!!!! black on black dread disrespect

General Talk

A big part of hair relaxing is the fact that natural black hair is a freaking pain. I have sort of bad textured hair (whiter then white) and for me it's already a nightmare. That's what they mean when black women say they have "bad hair". From what I have heard black men that prefer relaxed hair are the majority, so that obviously has an influence.When I was dreading I got nothing but kindness from black men particularly, and whites treated me very...differently. Nobody ever said anything to me directly except friends & family, but I really felt the general vibe change when it came to strangers. Maybe if I actually had black friends they would've criticized me.I think you are experiencing this kind of pressure because it is human nature to keep those within our social/cultural borders "in line". White people will get pressured by other whites, and black people will get pressured by other blacks. I don't think anything can truly change their opinion. If you want to start a crusade to inform those ignorant of natural dreading then you could, but I think it might be something that will drain you having to explain the same damn thing to every person that has criticisms. As long as your friends understand it you are 99% of the way there.

The pressure to shave...for men.

General Talk

What if you make tams and the other guy makes scissors? You don't need the scissors, but he would like the tam. That's the reason we have money. A pure barter society would be a huge pain.I feel pressured into growing a beard, which looks hideous by the way. It's the damn cold weather. Wish I could grow a full beard like SE, but I don't think I would keep it all year anyway. Brushing my teeth is annoying now, eating is a bit more of a chore and my beard is not even a full one. And when I'm playing poker I tend to pull my stache/beard hairs and it ends up hurting like hell afterwards.And my dogs don't like my beard, lol. They're used to it now but the first time it had grown a bit they really disliked being cuddled for awhile.Apart from the fact that many women don't like a beard, I don't think there's much pressure into shaving it. As a woman you are going to be scolded by western men/women alike except for some rare individuals, while as a dude with a manly beard you are not going to hear a thing from women and many men will tell you how awesome your beard is.

Opinions on Birth Control Pills?

Alternative Lifestyles and Subcultures

All research I have read on the matter shows that birth control increases breast cancer risk by a very large amount. Some countries, Japan specifically, didn't have legalized birth control pills until relatively recently. Breast cancer incidence surged once it was legalized.Birth control also indirectly increases cervical cancer risk.Of course, it is not very acceptable to attack birth control in feminist western nations so it's generally dismissed as insufficient evidence and women are kept uninformed of just how dangerous the pill really is.

Completely Organic?

Dreading Methods

So exactly how did people do this before combs?Is it really true that people had dreadlocks before combs? Couldn't they have kept knots from forming with their hands?I can't imagine they all had mono-dreads back in those days.
updated by @totheankles: 07/22/15 11:57:25AM

I want to appreciate you all

General Talk

Shy is how the brash refer to the polite.That didn't sound as zen as it did in my mind...

finally have access to a computer!

Introduce Yourself

Finally access to a computer?Have you been backpacking through the swamps of India or something?