Folio Vol. 38, Issue 10

FOLIO STAFF:

With the 4 year anniversary of George Floyd’s murder by police quickly approaching, his uncle is continuing the fight. On May 25th 2020 the world witnessed a horrifying tragedy over 9 minutes and 29 seconds. It set off international protests and led to the conviction of former Minneapolis officers. 4 years later, his family is reflecting and believe there is still more to do.

Selwyn Jones is the co-founder of the Hope929 Organization, the charity focused on promoting civil rights and creating change in honor of his nephew George Floyd. On a mission to make communities a better place for all, he has traveled the country over the past 4 years speaking with the families of other victims of police violence and helping with their struggles. Speaking last month at Harvard University, Selwyn is channeling grief into activism.

In an effort to save and preserve lives, he has also been rallying support in different states for passage of The Medical Civil Rights Act. It was approved by government officials in Connecticut last year and establishes the right to emergency medical care during any police interaction.

Talking about what’s happened over these 4 years in the wake of George Floyd being killed, he said:

“There has been change but it will never be enough as long as innocent people of all colors and races continue to die at the hands of police and from gun violence.”

George Savage

MAIL

BOUQS & BRICKS

BOUQUETS BRICKBATS

Sulzbacher Center for receiving the National APA Gold Award. The American Psychiatric Association recognized Sulzsbacher for its overwhelming success with its Mental Health Offenders Program (MHOP). In collaboration with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and other community partners, MHOP seeks to break the cycle of repeated arrests for individuals with mental illness by providing wraparound support to reintegrate them into the community after release. The program helps them to obtain permanent housing and other assistance. As a result of the program, community costs dropped by more than half from previous years.

The State of Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis for signing legislation in March of 2023 banning rent control. Governed by FL Stat 125.0103, this ban enables landlords to set rent and increase it at any time given they provide notice. However the state fails to regulate or intervene on how much a landlord can raise the rent. According to rent.com the average median price for an apartment in Jacksonville rose by 10.5% over last year making the average price $1,804. (According to rent-to-income ratios, that would mean you would need to make at least $75,000 to comfortably afford that rent.) This is particularly disconcerting since the household income in Jacksonville is $58,263 annually. Plus, it’s nearly impossible to get housing assistance unless you make less than $50,000 so these gaps are a problem. The state needs to implement rent control. And soon.

HOROSCOPES

Words by Ambar Ramirez & Carmen Macri

It’s going to be another bumpy ride this month, Aries. With the sun in Gemini, you will be faced with some game-time decisions that you might not be prepared for. Trust your intuition. You may feel uncomfortable throughout the month, but that’s the only way to grow.

ARIES TAURUS

With the sun in Gemini, this month is all about stepping out of your comfort zone and stepping into the path that aligns with your dream goals. This Gemini season is a powerful time to increase the number of 0s in your bank account. Obviously, money doesn’t grow on trees but the opportunities that will be coming your way this month will be making it seem like it does.

GEMINI

Love is in the air for you, Gemini. With the sun rotating in your sign, this is the perfect time for you to start honing in on your love life. Whether it is forging new friendships or relationships or enhancing the current ones, June is the month to do it.

CANCER

Pull out the crystal ball, Cancer. This month is all about trusting your gut instincts and enhancing your psychic power. Practicing spirituality can look different for everyone, but one of the best ways for a Cancer to get in tune with their spiritual side is by practicing self care. Take long baths, light moody candles and pull out “The Shadow Work Journal.”

LEO

Jupiter has re-entered a high-flying zone, yet again, and that could be the reason you have felt supercharged and enthusiastic. You have goals set in your mind, and this is the month to bring them to fruition. The sun remains in your social sector making you quite sociable this month.

VIRGO

This month is about nurturing all facets of yourself, Virgo. You don’t need us to tell you this, but being the hermit of the Zodiac, nurturing yourself can look like cozying up in bed with a good book or an A24 film. It also means nurturing your secret adventurous side. Learn to balance alone time and social time.

Libra

When one door closes, another one opens, Libra. This month is all about new beginnings and stepping away from the version of yourself that you’re probably not very proud of. That’s OK, Libra, we all have skeletons in the closet … we just choose to not let those skeletons rule our life. Maybe take some much needed time away from social media and dig deep in self-reflection.

Scorpio Sagittarius

You cannot seem to catch a break, can you, Scorpio? Nothing seems to be going your way. This month is the best time to invite change into your life and let go of whatever is no longer working for you. It is time to finally say goodbye to your comfort zone and step into what you really need.

April showers bring May flowers, Sagittarius. This month, expect a bouquet of red roses to grace your path. You might notice relationships deepening or discover new avenues for self-love. Embrace your romantic inclinations and savor the rosy glow that May offers.

Capricorn

As we finish our Gemini season, you will be finding yourself feeling more on top of things. When Venus in Cancer mingles with Neptune in Pisces on June 2, you will feel a wave of new inspiration. Take it and run.

Aquarius

With all of the cosmic events last month that disrupted your “go with the flow” nature, you’ll find that maybe the grass is greener on the other side this month, Aquarius. It’s time to stop taking yourself so seriously and lean into your wild side. And remember to shed negative self-talking; it’s not like you.

Pisces

Nothing seems to matter to you right now, does it? Don’t freak out, it’s completely normal. The funk will end on June 21 when the sun leaves Gemini. You will feel a wave of relief and things will slowly move back into place.

FOLIO WEED SCHEDULING CONFLICT

Words by Shelton Hull

Tuesday, April 30 was perhaps the most important day yet in the ongoing push toward legalizing cannabis nationwide in the United States, as it was the day our country’s Drug Enforcement Administration, the infamous DEA, followed through on a previous recommendation by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to reclassify cannabis from a Schedule I to Schedule III narcotic. It just so happened that I was sitting down to write the column you’re reading right now when the news broke that morning, timed so fortuitously for me to pivot, or rather circle back to a subject we were discussing here just three months ago.

A briefing by the firm Vicente LLP, which specializes in cannabis law and business around the country (including Florida), notes a particularly salubrious wrinkle to the ruling: “If cannabis moves to Schedule III, state-regulated marijuana businesses will no longer be subject to Section 280E of the Internal Revenue Code, which has long prohibited such businesses from writing off standard business expenses when calculating their pre-tax profits. This will save individual marijuana businesses hundreds of thousands, if not millions, in excessive taxes. Businesses across the entire industry will be able to reinvest and boost retail employee pay without being taxed on the expenditures they make to expand their business.”

With Florida already poised for exponential growth with the likely passage of Amendment 3, this offers even more of a boost, most crucially to the many new and emerging entrepreneurs who are already planning for next year, and we’ll be talking more about them in the months ahead. Trulieve stock jumped about 30%, almost instantly, likely covering the entire cost of the petition drive in just a couple hours of market activity. Other cannabis-related stocks saw similar gains of 15-30% that first day, and those gains effectively held through press time. Right now is the ideal time to start building your own little portfolio of canna-stocks, canna-crypto etc., especially those with connections to Florida, and I’d love to hear any suggestions you, the reader, may have.

As previously noted (in March, to be specific), the drug scheduling concept is ridiculous, and it reflects the fuzzy thinking that has animated anti-drug efforts for over a century.

It has proven to be so functionally counterproductive that even the DEA thinks so, and it was their idea! This is largely in response to the voluminous evidence accumulated over this past decade in states that have already loosened their laws. With federal laws still lagging far behind a good 80% of states, this revision to their rhetoric does mark a significant concession.

Of course, it’s not like they’re saying, “Oh, yeah, we were wrong the whole time, and we knew it.” The line for class-action lawsuits to recoup the billions in lost income and productivity from 50 years of punitive, excess sentencing, trumped-up charges, false arrests, no-knock warrants, intimidation, coercion, bogus plea deals, etc., would cover a near-infinite plain, like that old Coca-Cola commercial that Don Draper invented. And let’s not even mention the hundreds of officials on all levels who were caught working for all manner of folk, many and sundry, hither and thither and yon. (Really, don’t mention it, because it’s dangerous!)

At this writing, it remains to be seen whether President Joe Biden will sign off on these changes, and whether these changes will have demonstrable effect on the way current laws are enforced on the national level. With multiple states, including our own, weighing the question of legalization on our ballots this November (and in certain state legislatures, as we speak), this recent news follows in line with current trends. But Biden is an old-school drug warrior who voted mostly in assent with all of the worst pieces of anti-drug legislation that came up throughout his career in the Senate, including the most brutal abuses of Nixon-Agnew and Reagan-Bush.

Biden, still sprightly in his 82nd year, is defending the White House in the final political campaign of a legendary career. A win in November puts him into an elite class of presidents. We’ve had 46, so far, and only 17 were ever elected to a second term in their own right. We won’t see #47 until January 2029, but the results here in 2024 will be the main factor that helps determine who follows the eventual winner. And if Joe Biden wants to be that winner, it would behoove him to go ahead and follow the DEA’s lead — which may be the first time I’ve ever said that before — and probably also the last.

HYPNOTHERAPY

Words by Mallory Pace & photo by Amiyah Golden

When you think of hypnosis, you might think of someone being completely detached from their mind as they cluck like a chicken or laugh uncontrollably in front of a crowd. You may think of a pocket watch being dangled in front of someone’s face as they fall deeper and deeper into a trance, then suddenly slump over at the snap of a finger, and when they come to, they’re left confused over the last few minutes they were blacked out for. Though you may see that for certain entertainment purposes, there’s much more to the practice of hypnosis. It can be used in many other settings as a real clinical tool to help treat and work through various mental and physical challenges.

Hypnosis or hypnotherapy is a type of mind-body medicine where someone is guided into a deep state of relaxation and focused concentration. When put in this state, the individual is more open and susceptible to guided suggestions to make changes in their conscious mind. An example of a suggestion for clinical use, according to The Hypnotherapy Training Company, might be that “a hypnotherapist may give suggestions for a client to ‘notice that it’s as if that old habit of smoking has already moved into the past, and now it’s just something that you used to do.’” According to the Cleveland Clinic, it’s commonly believed that in this state, the individual is able to tap into the part of their brain where thoughts, beliefs, perceptions, sensations, emotions, memory and behaviors originate. Additionally, they’re also more open to gentle guidance from the hypnotherapist to help modify or replace the unconscious thoughts driving a current behavior. Lindsey Bennett, a licensed clinical social worker and master certified addictions professional, explained clinical hypnosis as a treatment modality facilitated by a licensed professional where the person being treated goes into a trance state or an altered state of consciousness. She compared a trance state to if you’ve ever been driving and go into a tunnel of deep thought and suddenly you’ve arrived at your destination but can hardly recall the entire drive there. That, she said, is your subconscious mind taking over to drive while you enter a state of trance, like with hypnosis.

“In that state, the conscious mind is more relaxed, and the subconscious mind is more active and more open to suggestion,” she added. “The way I like to describe using clinical hypnosis in [my clients’] treatment is [it’s] like swimming with the current instead of against it.”

Bennett runs her own private practice in Downtown called mind., where she sees clients for a variety of treatments, including clinical hypnosis. As she explained, the first step of being guided into this state is called an induction or elicitation, followed by a form of guided muscle relaxation to help the patient get more comfortable in the space, more absorbed within their mind and less aware of what’s going on in the outside environment. Because focused attention is how someone gets into the trance, the next step involves some form of guided deepening — and that’s where the work usually begins. It all depends on the goals of the client and what they’re trying to accomplish or overcome through clinical hypnosis, she said.

“What’s happening is we’re just able to tap into the subconscious and understand more of what’s not conscious and then move through it with suggestion,” Bennett said.

For example, if the problem someone is trying to overcome is substance abuse, Bennett would rely heavily on imagery with the goal of desensitizing certain triggers because in that state, they’re more likely to be able to see themselves working through it while remaining calm and leveled. The subconscious works well with imagery in general, she explained, so in a case like substance abuse, Bennett might start with having the client visualize some -

one they don’t know who has worked through a particular trigger and have them imagine what that person might do to overcome it. Then, they move to having them imagine someone that’s similar to them and eventually imagining themselves doing it. She might suggest certain techniques while in this state like having them imagine pushing a pause button to get them to see things slowing down and look at what’s actually happening in that triggering situation. Then usually, there’s a pairing of the parasympathetic nervous system, the state of feeling that predominates in quiet rest and digestive conditions — pretty much the opposite of “fight or flight.” So ideally, when the person eventually experiences the trigger, their parasympathetic nervous system will activate, and they can work through the situation in a calm, relaxed state, helping them to refrain from engaging in the harmful behavior they’re trying to overcome.

Common medical uses for hypnotherapy include insomnia, gastrointestinal issues, pain control, skin conditions and more. Clinical hypnosis may help treat several medical conditions where psychological factors influence physical symptoms like stress and anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, phobias and behavior control issues like substance abuse. Similar to the process with substance abuse, Bennett helps treat people with severe phobias through desensitization and working to the point where their nervous system isn’t as activated when experiencing whatever they’re afraid of. It’s almost like exposure therapy, but the safe space is in the subconscious mind.

Though weight loss is often listed as something hypnotherapy can help with, there are some clarifications to be made. Bennett explained that sometimes, when using hypnosis as treatment for weight loss, it’s connected to a toxic diet culture of, perhaps, restricting eating or negative and harmful suggested thoughts surrounding food. A hypnotherapist can and should only help with changing certain behaviors or habits someone wants to change, but it should be distinct from encouraging restrictions. For some people, if there are certain barriers connected to the subconscious, hypnosis can be used to help understand and reprocess those thoughts so they don’t turn to food as a way to deal with stress or anxiety and instead take action to work through and solve the underlying problem they’re experiencing.

Like with traditional therapy, clinical hypnosis isn’t a one-and-done deal. It’s a tool used frequently to help people work through and overcome challenges. Also like regular talk-therapy, there’s no sure sign someone will be “cured,” but instead, Bennett explained, the patient may eventually realize they don’t actively engage in certain behaviors the way they might used to because those thoughts and behaviors aren’t programming in the subconscious anymore. That isn’t to say they never will again, but Bennett has certainly seen hypnosis help in terms of stabilizing relief. How hypnotherapy and traditional therapy differ, however, is where the work is being done in someone’s mind. With hypnosis, someone is able to work through challenges in a different frame of mind where they can potentially see more to a problem. Compared to traditional therapy in the conscious mind, people tend to jump to thinking about all the ways treatments haven’t worked before, how hard it’s been and going to be and other negative thoughts about overcoming a problem. Therapy in general is a vital tool that could be used in addition to hypnosis, and it mostly depends on individuals and their goals.

Hypnotherapy can also be used beyond clinical uses. It can be a form of deep relaxation and focused attention on more specific issues, like public speaking, gaining motivation or developing healthy routines. Through self-hypnosis, people can take themselves into a trance to help regulate their nervous system or think through certain scenarios. For example, Bennett said, if you

have a big day coming up or you’re really nervous about something, you can use self-hypnosis to tap into your subconscious and imagine that day or event going exactly as you want. This can help your conscious mind be less anxious or free space in your head to be prepared and ready for what’s to come. Or if you’ve had a particularly off day where you can’t quite put a finger on what’s upsetting you, using self-hypnosis can help you tap into a deeper state where you can try to understand the root cause of your feelings. People can practice self-hypnosis to build on those skills of putting themselves in a trance and use it to customize their experiences from the comfort of home.

There are numerous factors that differentiate self-hypnosis from practicing meditation, including how each is activated in the brain. “Mindfulness Meditation and Hypnosis in Clinical Practice,” written by Akira Otani, explains that hypnosis is used solely as a clinical tool, whereas mindfulness can also be used as a religious or spiritual ritual. In hypnosis, he writes, “Dissociation is a primary explanatory construct, but decentering is in mindfulness.” Also, suggestion is the central operative mechanism in hypnosis, whereas self-observation is key in mindfulness.

“The goal of meditation is to mostly decenter yourself and be present, whereas with hypnosis, you’re getting very absorbed in your own experience,” Bennett said.

As for how each shows up in the brain, Otani writes that the prefrontal cortex is involved in hypnosis and meditation, but the activation level is increased in hypnosis but decreased in mindfulness. Further, both practices involve the default mode network (a system of connected brain areas that show increased activity when a person is not focused on what is happening around them) and the anterior cingulate cortex or ACC (the part of the brain tied to complex cognitive functions like empathy, impulse control, emotion and decision making.) However, while the ACC is disengaged from the prefrontal cortex in hypnosis, their association is strengthened in mindfulness.

MYTHS, DEBUNKED

There are many misconceptions surrounding clinical hypnosis, mostly due to how people see it on TV or in crowd work at a comedy show. But when it’s used for medical and psychological treatments, it’s not exactly what you might expect. Bennett said it may feel unremarkable in the moment and during the process, but the emotional relief and sense of relaxation is typically felt once the session is over. In more complex sessions, such as dealing with trauma or PTSD, she said people often come out of the trance feeling “regulated emotionally but tired.” After the fact, it can feel empowering to understand why you’re experiencing a certain problem and the ways you respond, and then see your behavior start to change in your own life. In lighter sessions of hypnotherapy, people often experience feeling as if they just took an eighthour nap, she said. Physically, the body responds to hypnosis by releasing unwanted tension in certain areas and feeling refreshed.

One of the most common myths is that you go unconscious or fall asleep during hypnosis. However, Bennett clarified, most people remember everything from their trance. Sometimes, people say they didn’t feel like they were in a trance, but once it’s over, they find they can’t remember everything that was said or happened. After she reminds them of her suggestions, they usually remember.

“All I’m doing is teaching them how to feel safe within their body,” she said. “So throughout the whole process of hypnosis, they’re always connected to

that safety. You can imagine even if you’re experiencing intense emotions [during a trance], but you’re connected to safety, that actually can be very reparative.”

She also explained that people often worry that they will uncover unwanted repressed memories while in a trance, but that’s not typically the case. That also supports the importance of knowing and trusting who is facilitating your hypnotherapy and that they are a licensed, trained professional who will respect your boundaries. On the same note, people often worry they will say or do something they don’t mean or want to, like sharing repressed secrets or moving around the room. But again, that’s not really how clinical hypnosis works when conducted by a trained and experienced professional.

“I’ve had a lot of clients who said, ‘I was aware of this event, but I had no idea that it was contributing to why I couldn’t follow through with this particular task,’” she said, “so there might be a surprise about how something is connected. But in terms of not remembering what you say, that doesn’t happen.”

Another misconception is that anyone can be hypnotized at any time without actually wanting to or knowing it’s happening. Bennett explained that in clinical use, it’s up to the client to be willing to be put in a trance. That also doesn’t mean it works 100% of the time. Whether or not an individual has the ability to be hypnotized is often debated in the professional hypnosis community, she explained. Some say it’s just something you have and you either can or can’t, while others, including Bennett, believe it’s a skill that you can increase and build. According to an article by the Hypnotherapy Training Company, a stage hypnotist uses suggestibility testing to choose their volunteers, meaning picking the most receptive people from the audience. A hypnotherapist “may use the same tests as a ‘warm up’ for the client or to figure out which kind of suggestions/approaches to use or avoid during the therapy session.”

“Going into a trance requires focus, attention, concentration, and all those things take willingness,” Bennett said. “A person isn’t going to go into a trance if they don’t want to.”

The key difference between stage hypnosis and clinical uses is the intention and audience. In hypnosis for entertainment purposes, the intention is to put on a show and entertain the crowd. When someone is hypnotized on stage, they likely go into it willingly and wanting to participate in the show; therefore, they’re going to be more susceptible to suggestions and do what they’re being told. Whether they’re only pretending and going along with the show is of course difficult to determine, but it might be that they’re simply more relaxed and open to acting in ways they wouldn’t normally because they know it’s also for show and they want to entertain the audience. In clinical hypnosis, however, the “audience” is the client and the intention is to work through a challenge through deep, focused attention. They both use the same hypnotic inductions to put the client(s) under a trance, according to The Hypnotherapy Training Company, and whether it’s clinical use or for entertainment, the state of hypnosis is the same. What differentiates the two is what the intended goal is to be accomplished.

MY EXPERIENCE

After our interview, Bennett kindly allowed me to experience a brief state of hypnosis through her guidance. I was a little nervous at first, but for reasons I could hardly even articulate — I didn’t know what I was nervous about. I suppose I hadn’t gotten over those myths in my head, but I went in ready and willing.

First, she had me answer some questions about my favorite place that brings me comfort and peace. Instinctively, I chose the beach and per her suggestion, I specified what exactly I liked: seabreeze, cool sand, not too many people and no being immersed in water. I told her I had been struggling with creativity and mental blocks with completing personal tasks and goals, like writing for my own enjoyment. I also requested guidance to help me feel motivated and excited in the mornings, so I can be productive and happy at the same time.

She started by having me look up toward my forehead as my head stayed straight and still. Then, with my eyes still looking up, I closed my eyelids through an exhale, then relaxed my closed eyes through another exhale. She said my fluttering eyelids were a good indication this beginning step, the induction, was working. I kept my fluttering eyes shut, and she began suggesting to imagine a pebble falling through a deep pool of water. As I imagined the pebble, I tried my best to focus on her voice as my conscious thoughts began intruding. I specifically remember thinking, “What if my interview recording didn’t pick up any audio that whole time?” But, as if she could read my mind, I heard her tell me to brush past those thoughts and think, “That’s only my subconscious; how lucky am I to have it.” Or something along those lines… I was in a trance for pete’s sake.

As we continued, I was guided to my safe, relaxing space where I imagined all the things I love most about the beach. Through her suggestions, I was surprised at how much I could feel myself there and how the emotions were filling my body. With each inhale, I felt liveliness, and with each exhale, relief. I was aware of my body and environment, aware that I had a small itch on my left eye and that my eyes were still fluttering, but I was calm. I really did feel in a relaxed, deep state and like my body was heavy and sinking — not as if I were sleeping or dreaming but somewhere else in my mind that I had somehow traveled to. She continued speaking and guiding as my mind followed, and at some point, I felt somewhat overcome with emotion, like I could cry, but not enough to embarrass myself in front of her. She continued giving me ideas and concepts to imagine in my head, some concerning my creativity, some with motivation. As she said might happen, I can’t exactly remember every single thing that was said, but I remember the feelings. The whole experience lasted maybe less than 20 minutes until she guided me out of the trance, telling me to imagine the initial pebble rising out of the pool and my consciousness with it.

When I opened my eyes, my head and body felt like they were buzzing almost, but I felt incredibly grounded to myself. I felt so heavy while in the state, but once my eyes opened, I was tingling with an airy lightness. Like Bennett had said, I didn’t necessarily feel “hypnotized” during it, but afterward was when I felt the most sensation and awareness. Also like she said, it wasn’t what I was expecting (which to be fair, I didn’t know what I was expecting). But for some reason that I had a hard time explaining, I knew I felt good.

Bennett emphasized that hypnotherapy isn’t something to be afraid of and that it can be an incredibly useful tool for a variety of intentions from substance abuse to simple emotional regulation. It’s not a magic switch or immediate fix, but it can help people get over obstacles quicker. If hypnosis sounds appealing or useful to you, I would recommend giving it a try. You don’t need to be facing a serious challenge to use hypnosis as a tool: At the very least it can help you feel more relaxed, energized and focused. It can seem scary to try and enter your subconscious, but when it’s done right, you never know what you might find.

suffered a meniscus tear but thanks to Injury Care Centers & our Biotarget Therapy she was back on the field in only 3 weeks.

Annabella

Friday, May 31, 7:05PM YOU’RE OUTTA HERE!

As

THE CLOCK IS TICKING FOR TIKTOK IN THE U.S

Words by Carmen Macri

Our favorite clock app is facing scrutiny within the U.S. Congress — again — and here is everything you need to know.

To put it bluntly, the U.S. Government is worried that a Chinese-owned company is accessing sensitive user data and promoting Chinese propaganda to its users. Personally, my For You Page (FYP) is mainly filled with mindless memes and new music—I haven’t come across any Chinese propaganda, but that’s not the main issue here. U.S. officials have repeatedly cautioned that TikTok poses a threat to national security because the Chinese government could potentially spy on Americans or use the platform to covertly influence the U.S. public by controlling what content is seen or not seen.

So if I understand correctly, the U.S. doesn’t have any control over what appears on TikTok, and we’ve seen how our government deals with a lack of control over its citizens ... not very effectively. This issue has been ongoing since Donald Trump was president. Recently, President Joe Biden signed a bill into law requiring ByteDance to either sell the app to American ownership within nine months (so the U.S. government can control its content and possibly use it for its own “spy balloon”?) or face a permanent ban of the app in the United States.

So what does this actually mean for TikTok?

For starters, the app will not automatically delete off your phone, and no, you will not be hunted down and arrested for still having it. The original proposal gave ByteDance a tight deadline of just six months to divest from its U.S. subsidiary. Negotiations stretched this deadline to nine months. On top of that, if the sale is already in progress, the company gets an additional three months to complete it, meaning it would be at least a year before a ban goes into effect. But with the likelihood of court challenges, this could drag on even longer, perhaps for years.

TikTok has had some success with court challenges in the past, but it has never tried to prevent federal legislation from going into effect. With over 170 million Americans using the app, it probably won’t just disappear from your phone if a ban does happen. However, it would vanish from Apple and Google’s app stores, making it impossible for new users to download it. This also means TikTok wouldn’t be able to send updates, security patches and bug fixes. Over time, the app would likely become unusable — not to mention a potential “security risk.” Even though, prior to the passage of the law, TikTok invested over $2 billion in an initiative called Project Texas to enhance the protection of U.S. user data from foreign influence. However, lawmakers persisted in pushing forward with legislation regardless… but I digress

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably seen the U.S. Congress meeting with Shou Zi Chew, chief executive officer of TikTok. In short, the meeting was long and embarrassing. The main takeaway was that not a single U.S. senator seemed to understand how wi-fi works or even where Singapore is.

They failed to grasp that TikTok, like Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook, accesses your camera without controlling the dilation of your pupil size. Despite Chew’s repeated reminders that he is Singaporean and not affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party and that TikTok doesn’t retain facial recognition data, the message didn’t seem to sink in. It was a stark illustration of the gap in technological understanding among lawmakers, leaving many wondering if those responsible for regulating technology truly understand the technology they’re regulating.

Allow me to share a portion of this remarkable transcript from the meeting.

U.S Representative Buddy Carter: “Specifically, can you tell me, right now, can you say with 100% certainty that TikTok does not use the phone’s camera to determine whether the content that elicits pupil dilation should be amplified by the algorithm?”

Chew: “We do not collect body, face or voice data to identify our users. We do not. The only face data that we collect is when you use the filters, say, that have sunglasses on your face, we need to know where your eyes are.”

Carter: “Why do you need to know where the eyes are if you’re not seeing if the pupils are dilated?”

The conversation then turned to Rep. Carter’s confusion about how TikTok determines users’ ages if it’s not through pupil dilation. Chew simply responded, “We ask them how old they are when they create an account.” While I recognize that the U.S. Congress views TikTok as a national security threat, I can’t help but feel that the greater risk to our national security lies with the lawmakers who lack a basic understanding of technology. It seems they may not even know how to send an email.

Anyway, back to business.

On May 7, TikTok filed a lawsuit against the U.S. government, seeking to block the ban. The company claims that the bill violates the First Amendment and argues that divestiture is “simply not possible: not commercially, not technologically, not legally,” according to the company’s legal filing.

Also from the lawsuit: “For the first time in history, Congress has enacted a law that subjects a single, named speech platform to a permanent, nationwide ban, and bars every American from participating in a unique online community with more than 1 billion people worldwide.”

Now, it’s become a battle between potentially breaching the First Amendment and addressing a perceived national security risk (though the validity of this risk is debatable). Unfortunately for TikTok, the odds don’t appear to be in their favor. The law seems resolute and unyielding. While the U.S. government typically upholds the First Amendment, in this case, it seems inclined to prioritize “national security.”

GLAMORIZING MENTAL ILLNESS:

HOW SOCIAL MEDIA SETS A STAGE FOR SELF-DIAGNOSIS

Words by Mallory Pace

One night, as I was scrolling on TikTok into the late hours of the night, delusion and paranoia high, I switched over to Google, where I found a quiz: “Do I have OCD?.” Somehow, my TikTok feed algorithm had become flooded with videos on “signs you have obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD),” and I started getting concerned that I was relating to so many of these videos. As I took the first quiz suggested on Google, I started thinking about the validity of what I was doing. Am I actually relating to these symptoms or am I only trying to because I’ve already convinced myself that this is what I’m going through? The truth is, no internet quiz or TikTok video can “diagnose” me with OCD, and even if it did, where’s the weight in that? Going to a real doctor was out of the question because deep down I knew I’d be wasting their time and my money, so why was I suddenly being convinced by a stranger on the internet that I have a plethora of mental illnesses but “I might just be good at hiding it”? In reality, if I was experiencing OCD or any of the other disorders that I was being led to believe I had, would I really be able to hide it? Or am I just falling victim to the powers of social media influence?

By now, everyone knows you can’t trust WebMD for diagnosing diseases, and we’re all warned not to take information on the internet as fact, but younger generations have claimed their own vehicle for health anxiety — TikTok. Social media, especially apps like TikTok, are increasingly becoming a means and support for self-diagnosing a plethora of mental illnesses and disorders. One quick search and you’ll find dozens of accounts, some real medical doctors, others random strangers, solely made for providing information on specific illnesses. While their intentions may be to help people feel less alone or raise awareness, it’s hard not to wonder if it’s having an adverse effect. The popularity of TikTok boomed during the COVID-19 pandemic, bringing people together in a time of heightened isolation, anxiety and depression as the world shut down. According to Statista, TikTok saw a significant increase in popularity during the pandemic, with a growth of 180% among 15-25 year old users, a demographic that was hit especially hard by the isolation the lockdown caused, so it makes sense for them to turn to the app for support and community. Social media can be great for just that, but there’s a line between advocating and raising awareness for certain disorders and almost promoting or recruiting people to have similar experiences.

”Self-diagnosis is when someone believes that they have a mental health disorder without having received a diagnosis from a health professional,” said Dawn Witherspoon, an associate professor of psychology at the University of North Florida and psychologist specializing in treating children and adolescents. “Misdiagnosis is the main concern. Although a person is the expert on themselves, their feelings, even their symptoms, that does not mean that they know what those symptoms mean.”

She said that there has been an increase in depression and anxiety in children and adolescents since the start of the pandemic due to factors like social distancing, schools closing and increased social media use. Unfortunately, she added, that increase has not returned to normal.

A study published by the National Library of Medicine found that the prevalence of major depressive episodes among adolescents ages 12-17 increased from 8.1% to 15.8% between 2009 and 2019. Among girls, the increase was even more substantial — from 11.4% to 23.4% during the same 10-year period. That statistic should scare you; mental health challenges are rising in our youth, so as a society, we have to make sure we do what we can to combat this from continuing, not normalizing it as a part of growing up.

This age group is among the more impressionable because they’re at a very vulnerable and transformative period of life. They’re trying to figure out who they are and what they want to become and find people to identify with. When they’re fed information online, implying they may have ADHD, depression or anxiety, if they have these few vague qualities, they might cling to it. But what actually may be happening is a normal part of growing up and growing into yourself. There have also been discussions that teenagers and students may use self-diagnosing as an excuse or cop-out for normal adolescent behavior. Posts like: “Do you have trouble focusing in class, often daydream or can’t seem to sit still for periods of time? You could have ADHD.” just might be symptoms of being a kid. In these developing years, we all find or experience certain qualities we don’t like, or feel “wrong,” but the solution isn’t to turn to social media to help explain it away with a diagnosis. Sometimes, there’s no need for a diagnosis or explanation, it could just be that they’re growing and changing. Don’t get me wrong, children and adolescents can and should be diagnosed if that really is the case, but that news should break from a real physician, not a video on TikTok. Again, mental illness should continue to be destigmatized, but it still leaves me wondering just how much young, impressionable children should be exposed to when it comes to serious mental illness.

“These topics should be addressed developmentally appropriately in language and context, etc.,” Witherspoon said. “Social media does not always do that. The information may be factual (or not) but that does not mean it is presented in a way that is best for children. Young children still have magical thinking.”

With misdiagnosis, it’s often the case that if someone begins to experience new and distressing symptoms and turns to social media or WebMD for answers, they may take the first diagnosis as fact. Witherspoon compared it to someone going into the emergency room with extreme stomach pain and telling the doctor it’s their appendix. The doctor isn’t going to immediately operate without evaluating and coming to a diagnosis themselves in order to rule out other possibilities with similar presentation. Extreme stomach pain could be appendicitis, but it also could be a person’s gallbladder, a stomach flu, cancer, diverticulitis, kidney stones, etc. The same goes for mental health where someone may self-diagnose themself with depression or anxiety and begin self-help remedies. If their diagnosis is correct, that could be helpful; if there’s an underlying physical or medical issue at play, without a proper diagnosis, they could be mistreating themselves or at the very least, delaying actual treatment.

“When the ER physician orders multiple tests, it is not because they don’t believe the patient, it is because they know that symptoms can be related to more than one disorder, and that treatment will vary by disorder.” Witherspoon said. “It is important to get the diagnosis correct in both physical and mental health.”

When a seed is planted in a child or teenager’s mind that they may be experiencing a type of mental illness that can explain why they do or feel certain things, it sticks. It becomes an internal broken record until it either fizzles away or manifests into something else. We could also blame confirmation bias, the tendency to favor information that confirms or strengthens one’s already established beliefs or values. In a blog post published by the University of Denver Colorado, Jessica Jaramillo, crisis coordinator and clinical supervisor, wrote that a common example of automatically assuming labels is how many people conclude their ex-partner is a “narcissist,” or how every bad experience in life appears to be “trauma.” She wrote that one of the biggest disadvantages of self-diagnosis is it can fail to accurately assess for a differential diagnosis or comorbidities, meaning it can be incredibly difficult for an individual to rule out conditions that present similarly or understand how overlapping conditions work.

According to the blog, “It is also important to recognize that most of us will struggle with some, if not most, of these symptoms at some point in their lives (being impulsive, irritable, depressed, anxious, experiencing mood swings, lack of concentration, having low motivation, etc.), but duration, frequency, intensity, the amount of co-occurring symptoms, and to what extent it impairs function are all pivotal factors when diagnosing. Mental health conditions are complex and often require specialized knowledge to be understood, and a self-diagnosis may lead us to overlook or misunderstand important aspects of the mental health experience.”

In my own example, I routinely get anxiety that I have left the house with my hair straightener turned on, the oven on or a candle burning, even if I didn’t use any of them that morning. More often than not, I can push the thoughts aside and continue about my day. Other times, I make my roommate check for me. I even started taking photos of my unplugged straightener so I can feel at ease. When I started noticing these obsessive thoughts about my apartment burning down and being my fault is when I started looking into OCD. Like I said earlier, I convinced myself I was relating to these TikTok videos when in reality, I’m experiencing a pang of anxiety over a seemingly common concern, but it does not affect my daily life, and that part is key. It’s annoying, sure, but it’s never actually caused me any uncontrollable worry that I can’t push past. Though sometimes it can be hard to compartmentalize what’s a normal side effect of being a human and what’s actually coming from a chemical imbalance in your brain or some other external factor beyond your control.

Most scientists believe that mental illnesses result from problems with communication between neurons in the brain, according to the National Institute of Health (NIH). Someone with depression, for example, may have lower levels of neurotransmitter serotonin. Other factors that play a role, which are often combined in someone with mental illness, are environmental, genetic and social influences. Illnesses that are most likely to have a genetic component include autism, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and ADHD, according to NIH. Social factors may include the death of a loved one, abuse and neglect, exposure to violence or a negative relationship with a parent.

Witherspoon explained that a common feature of mental disorders is they cause distress and impairment and many are related to neurological issues,

sometimes referred to as neuropsychiatric disorders, a blanket medical term that includes a range of mental health disorders that involve both neurology and psychiatry. There are many causes and reasons for why an individual faces mental health challenges, and education and destigmatization should be at the forefront, but it’s also not something to take lightly.

Something disturbing I’ve seen trending on social media is where people claim their quirks and odd behavior as being “neurodivergent” or something similar and making it a personality trait. I just find it a bit unsettling to almost make a joke out of something as serious as a neurological problem, diagnosed or not. All experiences are valid, same for how someone chooses to cope. It’s also my opinion that oversaturating the internet with experiences with certain mental illnesses can almost take away from the people who do severely struggle with them. I think it can be harmful to normalize certain mental health challenges to the point where they’re being watered down. I understand everything is a spectrum, but someone who can function on a daily basis and live a perfectly normal life should not be spearheading the awareness campaign for a mental illness. Disclaimer: I do understand and appreciate how someone successful who also struggles with a certain disorder can be an inspiration to others. It certainly is important to see someone like yourself come out on top while battling the same fight. It just gets concerning when conversations around mental health try to glamorize them and turn their backs on those at the far end of the spectrum who struggle critically. In the context of this topic, it makes me think of the phrase, “My culture is not your costume.” Some people fight desperately every single day to simply make it through the day, meanwhile your favorite influencer just made a video on their struggle with depression and the comments are full of “you’re so brave” and “thank you for bringing awareness to this.” At the end of the day, everyone is entitled to their own experience and should be validated for it. It’s also important for people with a platform to speak on these topics. It just shouldn’t be made out to seem like “If I can do it, so can you.” It’s rarely that simple. Rant over.

Although the skepticism of social media is warranted, there’s always a silver lining, even if it’s a sliver. When we notice things about ourselves that seem wrong or off, it’s important to identify and address them rather than ignoring them. But we’re not going to make a doctor’s appointment or rush to an ER over every little symptom, so sometimes social media can be good for giving you an idea of what could be happening so if your symptoms progress, you can go to the doctor with potentially a way to describe what you’re experiencing. Like the previous example, the doctor won’t take your word as fact, write your a prescription and call it a day (at least not a good doctor). They’re going to run tests, take scans, or whatever they need to do to properly diagnose you if needed.

When it comes to health anxiety, the conversation is twofold. On one hand, social media and sites like WebMD can certainly exacerbate health anxiety because people search up one symptom and are immediately told it could be cancer. It seems like the worst case scenarios are usually the most suggested (gotta love America). Those results then throw you in a spiral of Google searches of “am I dying?” and “how to remove weird mole at home.” On the other hand, it’s possible that social media could help ease someone’s health anxiety if they’re given good news. I can’t even tell you how many times a day I spontaneously Google random symptoms just to find nothing helpful and then forget about it the next day. Our bodies are strange and do weird things that don’t always require an explanation. That could either be very comforting or not at all.

All of this to say, mental illness should continue to be destigmatized and talked about. Social media does a good job at that and can be a useful resource when used appropriately and cautiously. But having a mental health disorder is more than a label — it’s about receiving proper treatment, finding support and working through challenges. It’s not glamorous or quirky and it should be taken seriously when it comes to diagnosis.

If you feel like you may be experiencing something you found on TikTok, that’s perfectly fine, but go see a doctor to confirm before you jump to any conclusions. At the end of the day, everyone struggles and feels things differently; neither side of the spectrum should aim to take away from the other. Mental health is serious, despite what you may see on social media. We should work toward destigmatizing and making others feel supported, not making a fan club out of it.

GAS STATION HEROIN GAS STATION HEROIN GAS STATION HEROIN

Half-full Chipotle Bowls.

A Non-Existent Work-Life Balance. Price Gouging.

Declining Mental Health.

Obligatory Duties. Political Affairs.

It’s all too much!

Words & photos by Amiyah Golden

Granted, life has always involved challenges, but present-day trials and tribulations have seemed to morph into an even more complicated existence.

This ongoing exasperation has plenty of people turning to their vices for relief, whether it’s alcohol consumption, binging reality television or using their fingers to complain and argue on X (aka the platform formerly known as Twitter). Others, however, opt for healthier alternatives like fitness to transfer their stress elsewhere, but even this can turn grim with potential supplement abuse or development of an eating disorder.

While there’s nothing inherently wrong with these various coping mechanisms, they all have risk potential. Alcohol is one of the more popular ways to “escape” by often being disguised as an efficacious answer to the stressors of life and a part of the culture. The casualness of alcohol consumption has led to societal dismissal of plausible peril that’s akin to misuse producing effects such as harm (to yourself or others), poisoning, jail time, and addiction. Abstemiousness is not often considered until it’s too late. On the other hand, the declaration of sobriety by influencers and celebrities has raised awareness of “challenges” such as Dry January or 75 Hard which completely eliminate alcohol, paving the way for a burgeoning movement being dubbed as sober curious and creating a stir among consumers as well as alcohol companies. And the emergence of more alcohol-free bars, drinks and brands has made the transition easier (or so we thought…)

Major household names in the world of booze including White Claw, Heineken, Guinness and Gordon’s have entered the non-alcoholic space with alternatives to their best-sellers and compete with emerging brands such as Kin Euphorics, Betty Buzz and Hiyo who market themselves as clean brands with holistic ingredients that don’t include alcohol but adaptwogens —

plants or mushrooms that house a variety of benefits such as hormone balancing, anxiety relief, mood boosting and immune strengthening.

While adaptogens have been around since ancient times and many studies have been done on their use and benefits, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has yet to regulate them. This doesn’t necessarily disprove their benefits (the FDA still approves Red Dye 40 if that tells you anything), but it doesn’t ensure supervision of the products containing them either.

Some doctors have expressed worry about the products, as well as the lengths companies may continue to sell these “healthier” versions of adult beverages without the use of alcohol. A “Time” article reported that a U.K.-based company is planning to produce a synthetic alcohol molecule that will mimic beer, champagne and even rum.

“There’s always the promise of some new molecule that’s going to do exactly what the old molecule did but not have the harmful effects. Every single time, that has not panned out,” Dr. Anna Lembke, medical director at Stanford University School of Medicine, commented in the article.

Author of the article Jamie Ducharme agreed. “Heroin was intended to be a safer form of morphine. E-cigarettes were pitched as a less dangerous way to smoke. Neither has worked out as planned.”

Possible codependency and relapse issues — especially for those battling addiction — have been voiced. The use of particular adaptogens has propagated solicitude on its latent dangers.

One such adaptogen that is increasing in popularity is kratom. Produced from leaves of the Mitragyna speciosa tree (more commonly known as kratom), it is known to induce stimulation (when taken in a low dose) and sedation (when taken in higher doses).

And while I appreciate Mother Earth for providing medicinal and consolation in her many forms, it doesn’t negate the harm that can be caused by using kratom, a substance the National Library of Medicine referred to as “a dangerous player in the opioid crisis.”

Kratom can be used to ease withdrawal symptoms and aid in the rehabilitation of those recovering from addiction.

However, many researchers have found the adverse effect to be true — with addiction and withdrawal symptoms getting worse. In other words, someone who uses kratom may develop cravings for it eventually causing them to need the same medications used to treat opioid addiction.

My own experience with kratom came from the intrigue of a trendy alternative to alcohol. A visit to a local kava bar allowed me to savor the unfamiliar experience; trying kava and a sample of kratom granted me the ability to knock out a three-page paper due that night in an hour. My body tingled a little as a result of the concoction, but it didn’t interrupt my laser focus and I was impressed at my brain’s ability to concentrate (as it often likes to travel when tasked.) After I left, I raved about the concept to everyone and couldn’t wait to return!

My current awareness doesn’t take away from my initial experience, but it does wave a flag of unease as many anticipated partakers or returning drinkers aren’t aware of the effects, especially those who are journeying with their own sobriety.

The increase in the use of vapes, marijuana, and supplements has been viewed as proxies to drinking or other drug usage. With rising social acceptability, substances like kratom appeal to those trying to abstain from what users may think to be safer alternatives.

These safer alternatives aren’t hard to find either: just walk into a gas station or convenience store. Your interest peaks at the sight of new inventory or your curiosity finally gets the best of you and you decide it’s time to start inhaling Cinnamon Toast Crunch flavored air. Or visit a true smoke shop and the allure of a wall of products claiming to produce euphoric effects and sedative effects may entice you since many of these brands claim to help in the relief of symptoms corresponding to anxiety, depression and corporeal pain.

It all sounds good — accessible, affordable and convenient — but the risk may outweigh acquisition, especially for the drug tianeptine, widely referred to as “gas station heroin.” Packaged in a small bottle with a cute cartoon figure of a merman is an “elixir,” sold in various gas stations and smoke shops. This product is Neptune’s Fix and has been linked to overdoses, seizures and suicidal ideation. It contains tianeptine, an unapproved antidepressant that also has “opioid receptor activity.”

The product has been recalled since February of this year but comes too late as there have been reports of life-altering effects and the loss of life from its use.

Catchy names —Pegasus, Red Dawn, Tianna and ZaZa Red, to name a few — fun packaging and accessibility have allowed the substance to compile its latest customer base: minors. With negligent cashiers, fake IDs, ease of reach and mishandling of this “gas station heroin” raises legitimate concern.

Just like Kratom, tianeptine is often marketed toward opioid users or those looking for a way to overcome withdrawals. The warnings are often whispered as consumers use products projected as safe without being provided the full picture.

Buzzwords such as “health,” “wellness,” “holistic,” “relief” and “alcohol-free” foster a sense of (blind) trust between the consumer and the company. Endorsements by celebrities and idols who we aspire to be further cement that confidence in these brands. And simple word of mouth from loved ones and peers nail the belief. While every non-alcoholic drink or alternative supplement isn’t dangerous, of course,with many offering phenomenal benefits, it doesn’t excuse the lack of ingredient transparency or easy access.

This conversation could spawn into so many directions regarding consumption. Many chop it up to personal responsibility, while some fully denounce any negative effects, and while too much of anything can be negative:

Does that omit business culpability?

Does a natural substance deserve to be pitted in the same ring as a manufactured antidepressant?

Is the government’s involvement corrupt?

While I don’t care too much about what you may do in your free time, it doesn’t release the onus to advocate against these products, especially to protect the vulnerable.

The spread of ignorance of the inception of perceived addiction doesn’t always start in back-lit ally-ways or seedy Craig’s Lists postings, they can start in a trendy bar or from a quick run inside to put money on “pump 8.”

Weird Wild Stuff

Words by Shelton Hull

According to NASA, there are more than 25,000 pieces of man-made debris floating in space, each larger than a softball, and countless thousands more smaller objects, all of which can move faster than bullets. So it’s a big deal when anything falls to Earth, especially the nearly 2-pound chunk of metal that smashed through a man’s roof downstate in Naples last month. NASA later confirmed the chunk as being “jettisoned” from the International Space Station in 2021.

We find ourselves talking about bees often in Florida, which makes sense because of our huge agricultural scene, and the constant need for honey to flavor our whiskey with. But two historic local buildings, Sun-Ray Cinema and the Florida Theatre, both found colonies numbering over 20,000 each inside their walls. The former has been gutted a couple of times (and unfortunately may be yet again), so those were probably a more recent vintage, but the latter building’s bees could have been there for decades, maybe longer than any of us. No word on if any of that local honey is edible, but you know we’re gonna find out for you.

It’s the busy season for gator action in Florida, where a man went viral for wrangling a rogue gator from a roadside on the Northside of Jacksonville in mid-April, while a runway at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa was held up for about an hour while airmen went full Keystone Cops in pursuit of a gator. (They don’t put that stuff in the commercials, but maybe they should.) But we’re not alone: see also Wally, the emotional support alligator, owned by a Pennsylvania man who recently had him stolen while visiting friends in Georgia, as will happen on occasion. His buddy was then taken from the original thief and repatriated to a nearby swamp, which he is currently searching at this writing.

Fashion is great, but it’s often quite stupid, and whether it’s puffy jackets, moon-boots or mankinis, people will pay dearly to look like fools. Our most recent example is the $610 “Stain Stonewash” jeans from Jordanluca, which are designed to look like the wearer has just wet their pants. We know you’re asking, “European?” Nope, but it looks that way!

The ever-growing market for vintage guitars and other instruments has gotten a boost in recent months after two instruments associated with The Beatles were recovered, decades after being lost. First was the iconic German Hofner bass wielded by Paul McCartney before its theft in 1969; the thief traded it to pay a bar tab, and it was passed down through three generations (who had no idea) before it was returned to McCartney in February. Now, just last week, a Framus 12-string Hootenanny acoustic guitar, used on “Help!” and “Rubber Soul,” was found, over 50 years after original owner John Lennon gave it to a friend. The guitar (which had to be refurbished) will fetch at least a million at auction later this month, and the bass is already valued at over $12 million, so you can be sure that neither instrument will ever be lost again.

You know how we love a good truck spill in this column, and the gawds have done us good this month with a 53-foot tanker truck that overturned near Lookingglass Creek in Oregon on March 29. The truck was carrying approximately 102,000 Chinook, the largest and most valuable of all Pacific salmon (pricey and delicious!). They average about three feet and 30 pounds (the largest ever caught was 70 inches, 129 pounds), but most were probably smaller. About a fourth of the fish were killed on impact, but the rest — nearly 78,000 — managed to escape down the bank into the nearby creek, from where they’ll eventually swim back to the river and into the bellies of beasts of all types. So, ladies, whether you choose the man or the bear, you know you’ll be eating well in the Pacific Northwest this summer

Chicks Love Charley

A seemingly harmless COVID project turned into a massive success story.

Back in 2020, Charlie Harrold was facing difficulty finding work in the film industry as a grip which involves setting up, rigging and dismantling lighting equipment on set, a job he described as “problem-solving on set.” When job opportunities were scarce, Harrold turned his attention to projects around his 6-acre property in Baldwin. One day, he visited Tractor Supply Co. to pick up a part for a new project. While browsing the aisles, he noticed the chick pen. Without giving it much thought, he left the store with the part he needed. However, about two hours later, he realized he had purchased the wrong part and returned to Tractor Supply Co., only to find that all the chickens had been sold.

“They were all gone in a matter of a couple hours and I thought, ‘That’s really something,’” Harrold expressed. “I was like, ‘Wow, I wonder how much it cost and how much you can make, and what happens if you give people other options besides just a baby chick.’ And this idea was born of hey, let’s jump into, like, not a feed store, but a community-based backyard chicken farm where we can take people along for the ride.”

And thus, Charley’s Chicks was born. Harrold and his wife quickly got to work building dozens of chicken coops, pens, barns and heating and cooling rigs. Being not only a first-time chicken owner and backyard chicken seller, it was a lot of trial and error for the family.

They wanted to separate themselves from places like Tractor Supply Co. who use chick sales as an initiative to sell chicken feed. They wanted to focus on the prosperity of their chicks and chickens. Harrold wanted to create a community — and that is exactly what he did.

“I believe that we’re set apart by the goal. The goal is not to sell chicks or to entice people to buy feed. It’s not an advertisement ploy. It’s a sustainable way of life. We are fully invested in chickens — in all aspects,” Harrold shared. “And in order to be a resource for our community, we wanted to know what it takes to raise the chick to the bird to the egg.”

Harrold and his wife embarked on their journey as chicken owners for the first time when they purchased a couple dozen chicks. With no prior experience, they found themselves learning what to do and what not to do in real time. As the chicks grew older, Harrold decided to post on Facebook, announcing that they had pasture-raised backyard chicks for sale. To their surprise, almost instantaneously, all of the chickens were bought, leaving them both amazed and pleased with their first venture into poultry farming.

It wasn’t without its challenges, however. They lost a few chicks along the way, but that comes with the territory of running a backyard chicken business. Harrold faced each challenge head-on, turning each set-back into valuable learning experiences. He used the hurdles he encountered to educate future buyers about what works and what doesn’t for raising chicks.

“Taking all that knowledge of a lot of failures and some victories and passing that on to our customers so that they can have an understanding of what it means to have chickens,” Harrold explained. “So bringing that education to this facility is what makes us more than a feed store. It sets us apart as a resource when you don’t know what to do if you want chickens.”

For example, Harrold emphasizes the importance of biosecurity in poultry farming. He explains that wearing specific footwear, although not fashionable, is necessary to prevent the spread of bacteria. He stresses the significance of washing hands before and after handling chickens and recommends having dedicated clothing and boots for chicken care. Harrold highlights the importance of controlling access to the chicken coop to protect the health of the birds and the community. Like anything, chickens are an investment, and it’s crucial to teach proper biosecurity protocols to ensure their well-being and the safety of everyone involved. If he is going to take the time and effort to protect his birds, he wants to ensure they are setting up new chicken owners with the proper information on how to execute raising backyard chickens.

In just four years, the family-owned business has grown from not only being a place where local families can take the first step into becoming chicken owners but also an operation that works with local farm-to-table restaurants and cafes.

And before you panic, no, Charley’s Chicks is not harvesting your beloved pet chickens. Harrold runs and operates a completely separate business called Southern Acre Farms where he raises and harvests chickens away from Charley’s Chicks for poultry consumption. Both Southern Acre Farms and Charley’s Chicks are centered on sustainability and raising healthy chickens.

Along with practicing biosecurity farming, Harrold has done intensive research on what the 60 to 70 different breeds of chickens need in their diet — project-verified, non-GMO custom-formulated feed.

“So what they need socially and what they need nutritionally is really what our main focus is,” Harrold said. “You can feed chickens almost anything because they’re omnivores. Sad truth is, if you don’t feed them, they’ll eat each other. So we had the choice to either feed our birds for sustainability or feed them for nutrition. We can feed them almost anything, keep them alive. What happens if we step it up a notch and give them something to perform?”

As one can imagine, raising about 5,000 chickens comes with a lot of challenges. Harrold said it best, dealing with any sort of living, breathing thing brings its own battles, regardless of the scale. And when it came to managing feed bills, Harrold knew the price would be steep. But what he didn’t expect was the customer relations that came with running a company.

“We chose to get rid of bioengineered ingredients, which increased the cost to feed our animals. But it’s something that we believe in. What we didn’t expect was the customer relations aspect of what we do,” Harrold shared. “Being a resource means you gotta follow through with what you’re saying. So if there’s a problem, we need to be there to answer it. We get hundreds of messages a day on Facebook, Instagram, Google and our website. So we just try to instill this community-based system where you don’t have to spend money. Just give us a holler and we’re going to help you.”

In line with their message of being an honest and transparent husbandry for the community, every last Saturday of the month Charley’s Chicks hosts a Chick Sale.

These chick sales are more than an event to snag a great deal on some chicks — buy one, get one free — but a day dedicated to fostering a community based on becoming self-sustainable. Along with being a place to purchase baby chicks, Harrold takes this day as an opportunity to talk with previous and new customers about what it takes to raise chickens (how many times can we say chickens in one article?)

And since Harrold is keen on practicing biosecurity, only three customers are allowed in the barn at a time, so the line does get a bit long. In order to control traffic and keep customers engaged, Harrold opens the door to local vendors that are also on the journey of providing home-grown and handmade items, giving his loyal customers the opportunity to browse rather than simply sit in the sweltering sun.

“The event is an awesome opportunity to talk chicken and meet other folks in your community. We’re so beyond honored to have the attention that we have from our community,” Harrold shared. “We’ve put some policies in place to make sure that people feel valued because we genuinely want them to be valued. If you’re going to spend your dollar here, we want to make sure that we are a continual resource for that dollar spent. If you’ve trusted us with your money and our chickens, then we want to honor that trust with continued support.”

If you’re interested in taking the leap of becoming a backyard chicken owner or have questions regarding raising chickens, check out charleyschicks.com. Their door is always open.

4B MOVEMENT

Words & photos by Amiyah Golden

As a little girl, the dream of finding my own Prince Charming was a sentiment that was always encouraged … by firsthand accounts of my own family’s love for each other, Disney movies and covert societal influence.

It was an ideology sympathetic to my own altruism, the aspiration to love and be loved in the way the fairy tales depicted. It wasn’t a desire that seemed too far-fetched with love being an innate human trait after all — decidedly pure (until it isn’t) — as my own optimism struggled to accept confessions shared by others that were contrary to my own beliefs surrounding the ebb and flow of devotion.

Before my exposure to the chaos of modern dating, my attitudes toward courtship were constantly reassured by witness and the physical manifestation of myself being evidence of generations of that love portrayed by my kin. The wavering of my supposition only truly began when stories from confidants and strangers alike began to sound repetitive. I was starting to predict the climax of these revelations before their unveiling; all first-hand accounts of being blindsided by their inveigler.

Wiping tears from the eyes of my friends, cosplaying a therapist without the proper degree, and being a shoulder to lean on was becoming routine as we collectively transitioned from “boys have cooties” to flustering crushes to puppy love and then the adolescent exchange of vulnerable connection. My role of appointed comforter was tried and true, but it didn’t completely shatter my perception of my chased fantasy — not until my role abruptly shifted, and I found myself in need of the comforter.

Even with my own whimsy, it never took away from my own caution, pickiness, and the fear of the inability to escape. My first account of my own love came with great hesitation but enveloped into that feeling that I read about as a little girl — the dream I mentioned earlier. I was tailgating a feeling that came to an unexpected stop that flew me off headfirst: no helmet, no brake lights and no signal to foreshadow a disavowing end.

My first heartbreak hurt, but didn’t deter me. And although I was met with “all men are the same” and “f*** men” from my friends, I knew it wasn’t the case. Constant anxieties, distorted perceptions and family trauma experienced by my partner were issues too big for me to handle, so it had to be let go! This didn’t lead to my disbelief in the fantasy; what came after did, more sinister than I could imagine and an unfortunate actuality for many women.

The broken trust of body and soul was what shattered my perception, what made me reexamine certitude in the practice of a bond with an initial stranger — a man.

The resurgence of past love that was given new life after much hesitancy was also the beginning of a trauma I had foregone, generating the antithesis of the love I craved.

Persistence won, words won, change of actions won and the warning from my gut was waved away. I could never have anticipated the cataclysm that would ensue.

What once was a couple of shed tears wrapped up in the span of two weeks turned into a nervous system on constant high-alert, depression and a distrust for men.

The remembrance of hellish stories I had heard before — beyond ritual disappointment — sucker-punched me into my reality of being a woman.

My parallels of love couldn’t grasp an act of hurt so egregious. It not only warped my mind — but also the mind of 9-year-old me, who cried every time someone stepped on an ant — to hurt someone, let alone someone you loved, was very foreign to me, although I was present for the recounting of stories from others.

I wasn’t oblivious to the threats present, nor was this the first time (trauma protected my brain from various memories). My immediate response was denial and a plethora of excuses. This time was different as I couldn’t avoid the reality with my friends serving as firsthand witnesses to the violation against my own body from my first-ever love.

Confusion entered and anger flooded. Swapped tales from other women came back into my memory bank. The search for understanding only unveiled more stories and more stories and more stories. My stomach began to cave in as the scroll felt endless and unearthed the reality that accompanied womanhood for many normalized under false pretenses of servitude to partnership, anatomy and assumption. Even the relationships built on trust and purity didn’t exempt someone, as a realization that offenders were being safeguarded under these extenuations. Toxic masculinity continues to expose the deceitful portrayal of women through the lens of a twisted patriarchy presumed to benefit men solely.

Growing pains such as these became shared with others ultimately igniting a movement in South Korea in mid-2010 called 4B. Deriving its name from the Korean words bihon (meaning heterosexual marriage), bichulsan (childbirth), biyeonae (romance or dating) and bisekseu (sexual relations). Being shared between women ignited a movement that started in South Korea around 2010 and has made its way to several other countries including the United States, known as the 4B movement.

The name deriving from the four Korean words: bihon, bichulsan, biyeonae, bisekseu – meaning heterosexual marriage, childbirth, dating, and sex comes with a call to avoid in these traditional standards due to the continual sexual and physical violence, misogynistic disposition and discrimination many women in South Korea were experiencing — and still are.

Regardless of the language, cultural and geographical boundaries, many women have adopted the movement in their own lives.

The movement wasn’t hugely popular at first — with followers being estimated in the low thousands — but its recent growth can be attributed to fearless testimony shared between women virtually with many sects of women experiencing crimes against them, betrayal or exasperated conformity to a dated cultural view.

My discovery didn’t come from the desire to wave good riddance to the male species. Rather, I stumbled upon it due to countless women sharing similar stories so I wouldn’t feel alone in my healing journey.

Many women using their media platforms to advocate, heal or connect with others created a safe space of sorts.

An unexpected overlap joined the conversation with chatter surrounding disdain for present-day dating, gender roles and expectations; many hypothesizing a potential link between culture both past and present and a common denominator being ruled by men. Many weary from the pressures of settling, conforming, or dealing with bullshit for the sake of “boys will be boys” and “men will be men” demanded a change.

How much value is placed on heterosexual women to adhere to made up gender roles or male desires: to submit to subconscious ideologies that further instill what womanhood should embody or endure such as birth, marriage, engagement, beauty, and sacrifice; and this honestly feels somewhat dystopian due to past eras and the monumental strides we have made toward equality.

It doesn’t dismiss the reality of the recent legislation passed in the United States — not to mention other countries where women have no rights at all — that expectation again, to relinquish control of our bodies to the same will that doesn’t value our sanctity or protect us the same way they protect a fetus with no trauma.The same will that fuels a system historically vindicated through religion, power and enforced strength continues to oppress.

Before you disregard this piece and classify it as, “feminist crap” or a smear campaign against men, I ask you to adjust your lens a bit because, I wish it were as simple as that.

I personally don’t subscribe to the entire notion of the movement, but I understand the implementation — as a woman first and foremost and as a hardcore proponent of selfish survival. Hearing the discourse that surrounds the

So this is bigger than “Timmy was mean to me,” but a stand from many women who are fighting to take back their power.

“Women are experiencing a modicum of control over their lives for the very first time. We are living out the dreams of our female ancestors; aspirations have risen and so have our standards,” contributor Isha Sharma said in a “USA Today” article. “Instead of blaming women, we should strive to understand that this isn’t a personal attack on men — it’s a step forward in dismantling the patriarchy.”

I don’t want to overshadow the accomplishments women have made and make this feel like a “woe me” piece because women are badass all over the world!

The power to start a movement to empower self-autonomy is a testament in itself of granted freedom, but it doesn’t take away from the fragile balance that bends the will of given power.

You can have a legislative win in some areas such as being considered a human (big win for the ladies, I guess) while still being oppressed by the lack of enforcement to prosecute crimes against women and bodily autonomy.

The decision for many women to guard their womb, their sovereignty and mental wellness doesn’t come from just “shitty” dates, empty promises and heartbreak, but from the importance of self-preservation.

With factors such as the rising maternal mortality rate rising and frequent

violence in heterosexual relationships — and the Domestic Coalition Against Domestic Violence reporting that one in four women experience violence and/or stalking from their partners and one in five women in the United States alone has been raped in her lifetime — the choice to opt out of tradition is due to fear for many.

One online 4B forum, created to connect women from around the world, is just one example of a space women can unite to be a part of a growing lifestyle that says adios to patriarchy. Tons of women share their personal reasoning for integrating in the forum, including one woman who is a trafficking and sexual assault survivor, who shared her own story, as well as those before her being affected by violence from men and influencing her choice to stay abstinent.

“I have zero interest in complicating or messing my life [up] with all the drama and crap that gets brought from men,” the contributor stated. “It’s now too dangerous for us to even be in relationships with men.”

Another woman in the same group shared her own story where she experienced the death of three women in her life killed by their partners, influencing her decision to join the 4B movement.

This movement serves as a step-back for many, while some embrace the rejection of men fully. Contributor Isha Sharma sharing her own sentiment (similar to my own) stating:

“Personally, I’m a lover girl: I do not hate men. I do not think all men are evil or toxic. I do want to find a partner, get married and have children.

But I will not do so at the cost of my inner peace — sacrificing my values or identity to overlook bad behavior — nor will I continue to downgrade my achievements or suppress my needs in order to inflate a man’s ego.”

I think many modern women agree with Sharma in not taking a full dive into the movement but creating a concise understanding that men will no longer be at the center.

“What’s intended to be harmoniously symbiotic turns parasitic with the women giving an immense amount of her time and energy to a man,” she added.

While this movement has begun to root itself into today’s society, it is a small fraction of women actually taking full heed. Many are choosing to apply doses here and there to their life — many choosing celibacy and intentional singleness, prioritizing platonic relationships and hobbies, decentering the patriarchy essentially.

Fairytale love just simply isn’t enough anymore for some. Financial security at the expense of compensating one’s morality isn’t enough anymore. Psychological game-play isn’t enough, and mediocre sex isn’t enough.

I’m curious to see how the 4B movement plays out. While there is much talk online, will it be applied in real life? Will mass acceptance mold the way many men behave? Will it create generational change for the path many young girls choose to go down?

Is it just an online phenomenon or the beginning of historical strides to change traditional associations to being a woman?

By Ambar Ramirez

Highlighting

The Graphic Design & Digital Media Spring 2024 Class

What drew me toward design is being an artist but wanting a way to integrate my artist personality to my type A personality. I feel like those perfectly intertwine into graphic design. emma cooper

A memorable moment from my time in the program was during the summer when I took a packaging design class with Professor Scaff and fell in love with branding design. kate hill

One word to describe my work: unserious. My favorite thing about the design program was getting to work with all these amazing people.

One of my most memorable moments in the program came when I was in a crisis about my work/interest. I was thinking of dropping my minor and Professor Nabi told me “nobody gives a f*** about a marketing minor” and that stuck with me.

What drew me toward design was actually my starting point with animation. Throughout the program, I’ve learned so much and learned to love design.

One word to describe my work: eclectic. My favorite thing about the design program is the sense of camaraderie and community.

Regina Obenza

Cameron Snyder

Mitchell Brangaccio

Maison Fletcher

THE GIRLS PRACTICE WITCHCRAFT

Words by Ambar Ramirez and Carmen Macri

AMBAR: We started off this column by doing a pheromone spray experiment, and since then we have seen a psychic, tried pole dancing and battled an escape room. We’ve talked about the psychedelic meaning behind Christmas, how to get over a break-up, the sinister history behind popular tools and how gossip is loosely tied to witch trials. So it only makes sense that we conduct a little magic of our own. Nothing too serious… just some practical magic, if you will.

CARMEN: Witchcraft, to be exact. But before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s discuss the different types of magic.

AMBAR: Across the many sites that we searched through, we found that there are actually a lot of different types of magic. But we were able to dumb it down a bit.

CARMEN: Ceremonial magic depends heavily on book learning, precise, complicated rituals and intricate sets of correspondences. Folk magic is the magic of common folk, used for practical purposes like healing, love or luck spells, fertility, driving away evil forces, finding things once lost and good harvests. Witchcraft is a blend between ceremonial magic and folk magic, usually using common materials, and depends on emotion and intent rather than a precise ritual. Left-hand magic is limited by social conventions and is often limited to beneficial magic, coming with warnings of consequences for harmful workings. Right-hand magic exists outside of social conventions and ignores taboos, often even gaining power from breaking them; only people who consider themselves of the right-hand path generally use the terminolo gy. And finally, black and white magic, though imprecise terms, they are used, roughly speaking, to differentiate magic practices with an intent that is not socially acceptable versus magic practices that are.

AMBAR: The one common rule among all the various magics is that there are no rules. And when it comes to starting the journey of practicing magic, there is no one right way of getting started. So we decided that our first step into witchcraft would be through crafting a potion.

CARMEN: Not just any potion, but a potion that would bring us money. Lots and lots of money. It was either that or eternal love … boring!

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AMBAR: The potion consists of things you can find around the house which is perfect since it would kind of defeat the purpose of making a spell to receive money by having to spend money.

Jr.

CARMEN: And the fact we were doing this in the office, but that is beside the point.

AMBAR: So for starters, you’ll need a cleansed bottle. We used an empty plastic water bottle and cleansed it with incense I got at the local corner store. Then to the cleansed bottle you will add cloves, basil, mint, cinnamon, any type of oil (we used olive oil) and the most important ingredient: bay leaves.

CARMEN: We won’t bore you with all the details, but with the bay leaves, you are to write your intentions on the leaves before placing them in the bottle. For example, I wrote “$1 = $1,000” short and sweet.

AMBAR: Once you have added all of the contents to the bottle and set your intentions, you have to let the potion sit for 24 hours before adding a dollop to the palm every day and rubbing it in.

CARMEN: Surprisingly, the potion smelt great and left my hands and knees and elbows (I accidentally put too much on) quite moisturized.

AMBAR: Now we know what you’re thinking. Did it work? Well isn’t that a great question.

CARMEN : So, no. But it might be a user error considering we forgot to get mint, and we also only did this on Wednesday.

AMBAR: To be fair, it was pay week… so maybe?

CARMEN : I spent $50 at a gas station on snacks last night.

AMBAR: But we also had lunch paid for us on Thursday, so money not spent is money gained, right?

CARMEN : Maybe we can update this article in a few days.

AMBAR: If anything, we can confirm the potion will leave your hands nourished, and in my book that’s a success.

dear dumbs

Dear Dumbs,

I hate to call you “Dumb” because of your successful relationship and your funny wisdom.

Even though I’m 70 years old, I think you can help me. As I said, I’m 70 and I’ve been married for 51 years. Let me just say it: I married an asshole, and I’ve known it for quite some time. He loves the swinger lifestyle and to appease him I’ve tried it a few times. I felt gross. Even though I told him it’s not for me, it’s all he wants and I’m over it.

Would I look like a hypocritical jerk for kicking his ass to the curb?

Betsie B. Charlotte, NC

TERRY: Well, the vision I just created in my head will never go away.

SHARI: Terry. Be nice.

TERRY: I’m doing my best over here.

SHARI: Let’s help Betsie out. Don’t you think that 51 years is a big investment to just throw it all away?

TERRY: Who is this guy? Superman?

SHARI: Focus, Terry. I have so many questions for you, Betsie. For one, can you afford the consequences of this option?

TERRY: I mean, how much longer can this guy keep it up?

SHARI: She needs some insight, Terry. Let’s move on shall we?

TERRY: She needs to call the “Guinness Book of World Records” is what she needs, Shari.

SHARI: OK. I can see how you would feel gross, and it sounds like you’ve had a real talk with him about your feelings.

TERRY: I don’t even like looking at myself in the mirror naked. This is crazy to me.

SHARI: If you don’t help her out, you’re going to have to.

TERRY: OK. Point taken. I do feel for you, Betsie. After 51 years, you would think that crossing the finish line with the person you love would be a priority.

SHARI: I hate to see a long marriage like this dissolve. But this is a serious issue.

TERRY: It really is. Obviously, he has a different definition of what love is. And if he can’t respect your feelings, especially after giving it a try, I would suggest an ultimatum.

SHARI: Part of that ultimatum should be therapy.

TERRY: I agree. He needs it for himself, though, as well as working on it as a couple.

SHARI: But knowing what little we know and to answer your question is NO! You won’t look bad at all.

TERRY: That’s for sure. I don’t care what age you are. You deserve to be loved and respected and if he can’t provide that … time to bounce.

Solve this puzzle like a regular sudoku, but instead of using numbers, use the letters

(for the Jax marine terminal) to fill each row, column and box.

COLOR BY NUMBERS

Fun Facts about the st. johns river brought to you by the Legend

of the st. Johns river monster Johnnie

1 2 3 4 5

Did you know the St. Johns River is the longest river in Florida at a whopping 310 miles long.

At its largest point its almost 3 miles wide.

Its one of the only rivers in the United States that flows north.

It’s a fresh water river all through the state until it hits Jacksonville. The water becomes brackish around this area due to the sides pushing seawater from the Atlantic Ocean into the mouth of the river.

The first sighting of the St. John’s River Monster was documented more than 174 years ago near Astor Florida. This sea serpent has been referred to as “Johnnie” by local Floridians ever since.