Nels P. Highberg, PhD

My friend’s website sells remakes of old LGBT queer badges and I thought you and you followers might enjoy it!

Abprallen.co.uk

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The discovery of cyanide in Tylenol capsules occurred in those same weeks of October 1982. The existence of the poisoned capsules, all found in the Chicago area, was first reported on October 1. The New York Times wrote a story on the Tylenol scare every day for the entire month of October and produced twenty-three more pieces in the two months after that. Four of the stories appeared on the front page The poisoning received comparable coverage in media across the country, inspiring an immense government effort. Within days of the discovery of what proved to be the only cyanide-laced capsules, the Food and Drug Administration issued orders removing the drug from store shelves across the country. Federal, state, and local authorities were immediately on hand to coordinate efforts in states thousands of miles from where the tampered boxes appeared. No action was too extreme and no expense too great, they insisted, to save lives.

Investigators poured into Chicago to crack the mystery. More than 100 state, federal, and local agents worked the Illinois end of the case alone, filling twenty-six volumes with 11,500 pages of probe reports. The Food and Drug Administration had more than 1,100 employees testing 1.5 million similar capsules for evidence of poisoning, and chasing down every faint possibility of a victim of the new terror, according to the breathless news reports of the time. Tylenol’s parent company, Johnson & Johnson, estimated spending $100 million in the effort. Within five weeks, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued new regulations on tamper-resistant packaging to avert repetition of such a tragedy.

In the end, the millions of dollars for CDC Tylenol investigations yielded little beyond the probability that some lone crackpot had tampered with a few boxes of the pain reliever. NO more cases of poisoning occurred beyond the first handful reported in early October. Yet the crisis showed how the government could spring into action, issue warnings, change regulations, and spend money, lots of money, when they thought the lives of Americans were at stake.

Altogether, seven people died from the cyanide-laced capsules; one other man in Yuba City, California, got sick, but it turned out he was faking it so he could collect damages from Johnson & Johnson.

By comparison, 634 Americans had been stricken with AIDS by October 5, 1982. Of these, 260 were dead. There was no rush to spend money, mobilize public health officials, or issue regulations that might save lives.

Thirty Revelations I Learned Throughout My Tarot Journey

During my Tarot journey, I’ve learned a significant amount about myself and gained a lot of experience and wisdom along the way. Although this journey has been far from easy, it has been one of the most rewarding parts of my life. I wanted to share with you all the thirty revelations I learned throughout my Tarot journey so far.

One.

It is okay to be the type of reader that you want to be. There will be those who will try to say that your way of doing things is wrong or unethical but the only rules and moral compass that you need to follow is your own. Your ethics and reading style do not have to mirror anyone else’s.  There is no grand Tarot counsel or set rules that you must abide by. Whether a Tarot practice is legit or valid is all matter of personal opinion.

Two.

Not all clients are looking for advice. Some clients just need someone to talk to, and someone who will intently listen. I’ve had my fair share of clients who felt better after a reading by just shuffling the cards and talking to me without actually laying any cards down.

Three.

You can use multiple decks and systems within a reading if that is your thing. When I first started out reading Tarot, I stuck with only one deck in a reading. Now I use a combination of multiple decks and even add oracle decks in the mix to give a layered reading to a client.

Four.

You do not need a Tarot journal. I always felt guilty for never having a Tarot journal because so many people recommended it as a must have when starting out. I never could keep up with it. I found that taking photos of my cards daily helped me learn Tarot better than any journal ever could.

Five.

Tarot decks can be used for prayer and manifestation workings. I remember purchasing Tarot and Magic by Donald Michael Kraig in the early 2000s and becoming fascinated by how I could use Tarot to aid me in my manifestation work. Recently I purchased The Modern Spellcasters Tarot and it too provides a wonderful guide on how to use Tarot in spiritual practices.

Six.

Your deck will sometimes call you out on your short comings and problematic behavior. I never thought this was true until it happened to me. I have a deck that I specifically call Mariah Carey because she is a bit of a Drama queen but also calls me out and drags me for filth. *I do understand not everyone has dealt with this situation or has had a deck that has called them out. I am only speaking from personal experience. Your experiences may and will differ from my own. 

Seven.

It is okay to pull a clarifier card. I used to feel like I was a bad reader for wanting more information on a subject by pulling an additional card. What I don’t do however is try to pull cards hoping for a different answer.

Eight.

Never assume anyone’s gender, gender expression, gender identity, pronouns, sexual orientation, relationship status or lack there of.

Nine.

Tarot readings do not need to be a formal experience. I used to think that in order for a Tarot reading to be truly authentic or meaningful, I needed an elaborate set up of crystals, incense, and candles. Since letting go of that mindset, I allowed myself the freedom to read Tarot as elaborate or minimalistic as I want to.

Ten.

You can read Tarot without believing in or using intuition. For so long I struggled with accepting the concept of intuition that forcing myself to try and use it hindered me. I think it is perfectly valid to read Tarot analytically, scientifically, subjectively, mathematically, through rote memorization, or any other way you feel is best.

Eleven.

Sometimes you will go through times in your Tarot journey where you doubt your practices and question your abilities. It took me a while to gain confidence in myself and my practice. Each day is a constant reminder of how far I have come.

Twelve.

Everyone does not want or need to be a Tarot resource. Just because someone is a Tarot reader or runs a Tarot blog doesn’t mean they want to teach you something. I think it’s important to know that your Tarot journey is yours alone. If you do not want to be a resource for others that is okay.

Thirteen.

There is an unlimited amount of ways to learn to read Tarot. None are better than the other. We all have different ways of learning. Your strengths as a reader may be someone else’s difficulty and vice versa. Learn Tarot in whatever way works for you.

Fourteen.

The advice or information provided in a reading and the nature in which the client decides to use such advice in their life is completely up to them. I have learned to accept that the client has the choice to relate and apply their reading and any relevant information to their life appropriately. You cannot force a client to find value in a reading or to take any advice provided.

Fifteen.

The length of a Tarot reading does not determine the quality. Sometimes during a reading, all that needs to be said to answer a question are a few sentences, other times it can take a few paragraph of words. *This does not mean providing someone with a three sentence reading and calling it good if you advertised a reading that is approx 1100 words. etc. 

Sixteen.

The energy it takes to do one reading varies reader to reader. One Tarot reader can do a whole marathon of readings and be fine, while another can do just one and be severely low on energy.

Seventeen.

Tarot can be a purely aesthetic experience. Sometimes I just like admiring the cards, its stock quality and the artwork and that is perfectly valid.

Eighteen.

Tarot and my relationship with God does not have to be a separate experience. I often use my Tarot deck to communicate with God. I wrote about that here in my Tarot Confessions post.

Nineteen.

Other people should not get to determine what is a “real” Tarot deck for you. I had some experiences where I was belittled for using a fandom deck in my practice. You are free to use whatever deck you are comfortable using. No matter how many people or how authoritative the source of the recommendation, only you can determine the deck that will check all the right boxes for you in regards to your learning style, reading style, art preference, size, readability and the way it makes you feel when using it.

Twenty.

You can incorporate music into your readings. @yuna-the-autumn-witch actually taught me that music could be such a wonderful addition and layer to a Tarot Reading. I have also found that using soft ambient music when doing typed readings helps to calm me down and put me in a reading mindset. I have several Tarot reading playlists that I use.

Twenty-One.

You can read only for yourself and still be a valid reader. Sometimes people do not like to read for others or aren’t comfortable reading for another person. No matter the situation, even if you only read for just yourself, your skills and way of reading are still valid.  I wrote a post about making money with Tarot without selling Tarot readings. Check it out here.

Twenty-Two.

Your first deck and the deck that helps you to fully grasp and understand Tarot do not have to be the same deck. I started out trying to learn many different systems of Tarot in the beginning but the deck that helped me finally understand Tarot was my Rosetta Tarot that was published back in 2011.

Twenty-Three.

There are many different types of readers and reading styles out there. Find the style that works for you. Not everyone needs to do the same type of reading or be a similar type of reader to help other people. Find what makes you uniquely you and embrace it.

Twenty-Four.

Tarot spreads are wonderful to use but not everyone uses them and they aren’t for everyone that is okay. I use spreads for clients on occasion but rarely ever force it. I like my readings to be created organically at the moment and it works for me.

Twenty-Five.

I learned from Jean-Louis De Biasi the concept of card spirits and divinities within the seventy-eight of the Tarot. Although I am not a witch or magical practitioner, I found this concept extremely interesting in my study of Tarot.

Twenty-Six.

Your interpretation of the cards can differ from the interpretation given by the artist. I struggled a lot using independently published decks because I felt I had to use the meanings provided by the creator because the deck was created personally by them. I later learned that it was okay to implement my own meanings and symbolism as I read, regardless if it differed from the artist or authors own meaning.

Twenty-Seven.

I’ve learned a lot of cartomancy tricks, especially from my Mother, Aunts and Lenormand mentors that I applied to Tarot. One such trick to heal old wounds from childhood trauma is to find The Sun card in the Tarot deck. The card before the Sun is how the trauma manifests itself in your life and the card after it is the first step to consider when embarking on your healing journey.

Twenty-Eight.

I learned to read Tarot with just the Tarot backs and blank cards. When I was younger, I would frequent magic shops that had trick decks with blank cards and I would tell fortunes with them to my friends. When I started reading Tarot I wanted to see if I could do the same with Blank Tarot cards and it worked out surprisingly well.

Twenty-Nine.

Reading Tarot can be as simple as looking at the card and saying what you see.

Thirty.

Embrace your growth as a Tarot student and reader and do frequent check ins with yourself. It is okay to take a break when needed. It is okay to stop altogether if you feel drawn to do so.

‘You must include a cover letter’ does not mean ‘write a single line about why you want this position’. If you can’t be bothered to write at least one actual paragraphs about why you want this job, I can’t be bothered to read your CV.

Don’t bother including a list of your interests if all you can think of is ‘socialising with friends’ and ‘listening to music’. Everyone likes those things. Unless you can explain why the stuff you do enriches you as a person and a candidate (e.g. playing an instrument or a sport shows dedication and discipline) then I honestly don’t care how you spend your time. I won’t be looking at your CV thinking ‘huh, they haven’t included their interests, they must have none’, I’m just looking for what you have included.

Even if you apply online, I can see the filename you used for your CV. Filenames that don’t include YOUR name are annoying. Filenames like ‘CV - media’ tell me that you’ve got several CVs you send off depending on the kind of job advertised and that you probably didn’t tailor it for this position. ‘[Full name] CV’ is best.

USE. A. PDF. All the meta information, including how long you worked on it, when you created it, times, etc, is right there in a Word doc. PDFs are far more professional looking and clean and mean that I can’t make any (unconscious or not) decisions about you based on information about the file.

I don’t care what the duties in your previous unrelated jobs were unless you can tell me why they’re useful to this job. If you worked in a shop, and you’re applying for an office job which involves talking to lots of people, don’t give me a list of stuff you did, write a sentence about how much you enjoyed working in a team to help everyone you interacted with and did your best to make them leave the shop with a smile. I want to know what makes you happy in a job, because I want you to be happy within the job I’m advertising.

Does the application pack say who you’ll be reporting to? Can you find their name on the company website? Address your application to them. It’s super easy and shows that you give enough of a shit to google something. 95% of people don’t do this.

Tell me who you are. Tell me what makes you want to get up in the morning and go to work and feel fulfilled. Tell me what you’re looking for, not just what you think I’m looking for.

I will skim your CV. If you have a bunch of bullet points, make every one of them count. Make the first one the best one. If it’s not interesting to you, it’s probably not interesting to me. I’m overworked and tired. Make my job easy.

“I work well in a team or individually” okay cool, you and everyone else. If the job means you’ll be part of a big team, talk about how much you love teamwork and how collaborating with people is the best way to solve problems. If the job requires lots of independence, talk about how you are great at taking direction and running with it, and how you have the confidence to follow your own ideas and seek out the insight of others when necessary. I am profoundly uninterested in cookie-cutter statements. I want to know how you actually work, not how a teacher once told you you should work.

For an entry-level role, tell me how you’re looking forward to growing and developing and learning as much as you can. I will hire genuine enthusiasm and drive over cherry-picked skills any day. You can teach someone to use Excel, but you can’t teach someone to give a shit. It makes a real difference.

This is my advice for small, independent orgs like charities, etc. We usually don’t go through agencies, and the person reading through the applications is usually the person who will manage you, so it helps if you can give them a real sense of who you are and how you’ll grab hold of that entry level position and give it all you’ve got. This stuff might not apply to big companies with actual HR departments - it’s up to you to figure out the culture and what they’re looking for and mirror it. Do they use buzzwords? Use the same buzzwords! Do they write in a friendly, informal way? Do the same! And remember, 95% of job hunting (beyond who you know and flat-out nepotism, ugh) is luck. If you keep getting rejected, it’s not because you suck. You might just need a different approach, or it might just take the right pair of eyes landing on your CV.

And if you get rejected, it’s worthwhile asking why. You’ve already been rejected, the worst has already happened, there’s really nothing bad that can come out of you asking them for some constructive feedback (politely, informally, “if it isn’t too much trouble”). Pretty much all of us have been hopeless jobseekers at one point or another. We know it’s shitty and hard and soul-crushing. Friendliness goes a long way. Even if it’s just one line like “your cover letter wasn’t inspiring" at least you know where to start.

We’re starting our “metabolism” module at med school this week, and I’m dreading it with every fibre of my being. You see, I am going to be a doctor, and I am fat.

I’m not the type of fat you feel after you’ve had a big lunch, and your usually flat belly is protesting against the waistband of your jeans. I’m the real kind. My BMI hovers a couple of points below “morbidly obese”.

I worry a lot about what people will think of me as a fat doctor. For the smartarses among you, of course I’ve tried to be non-fat, it goes without saying. The thing is though, bodies don’t really like weighing less all of a sudden and are pretty good at reversing things in the long run. Mostly my body settles back to the same size 18 shape eventually.

I am always aware of my fatness, but perhaps more so here at medical school. We are training to work with bodies, and mine is a type of body we warn our patients not to have. It is the first thing described in every list of ‘modifiable risk factors’. A colleague suggests “just don’t let yourself get too fat” as we talk about preventing a certain type of cancer. A final exam question asks us to list four poor health outcomes associated with obesity. I sit through lectures with slides that have sniggering titles like “how BIG is the problem?”

📍 Kyoto, Japan:

Kyoto is famed for its reputation as Japan writ large: abundant Buddhist temples, classical gardens, geishas and maikos hurrying between traditional wooden townhouses, and, of course the world famous Fushimi inari taisha or 1,000 torii (gates marking the entrance to a Shinto shrine). Although a small city in size, the profusion of historic sites within Kyoto make it easy to see why it inspired an entire genre of folding-screen paintings that show a bird’s eye view of the city, called rakuchu rakugai zu (often translated as ‘scenes in and around Kyoto’).

Because we arrived during cherry blossom season, tourism was at its peak, and Kyoto’s many renowned temples were packed. So instead of the usual temple-hopping (as certain art historians often do when in Kyoto), we set out for a slightly off-the- beaten-path experience of the city. First, we visited Sekihōji, a tucked-away Zen Buddhist temple located just a stone’s throw away from Fushimi inari taisha, where the great artist Itō Jakuchū’s grave lies. Although he is most known for his bird and flower paintings, Jakuchū was also responsible for the 500 stone arhats in the bamboo grove behind Sekihōji’s main hall.

For us, it felt like one of Kyoto’s best-kept secrets because we were alone for close to an hour, even though there were hundreds of people just a few hundred meters away at Fushimi inari taisha. We then went to Gion, the historic entertainment district of Kyoto where geishas and maikos can still be seen walking through on the way to their next appointment. Geishas are professional female entertainers that are commonly associated with old-world Kyoto, and they were often the subjects of traditional wood-block prints. Among the many arts for which they were known to perform, one was sadō, the Japanese tea ceremony, which we were fortunate enough to receive an explanation on and witness while we were there. Several tools and tea wares are involved in the ceremony, and the Brooklyn Museum boasts many fine examples of both pre-modern and contemporary ceramic tea vessels.

After Kyoto and its many Buddhist temples, we ventured southwest to Ise and its surrounding regions, home to some of the most important Shinto shrines and temples in the country.

It’s essay season! Gear up with the Recursive Paragraph model. lt is best used for persuasive essays and is especially useful in integrating research to support your claims. I will overview the six steps that will get you writing brilliant paragraphs for your next essay. Keep in mind, by the time you are using this paragraph model, you will probably have a thesis and an outline and your research ready.

Part One: The Controlling Idea

a.k.a. the “topic sentence”

Give your reader and idea of what this paragraph is going to be about.

This is usually one of the “points” that is supporting your thesis.

Part Two: Contextualize

This is where you introduce your quotation/citation that will support your argument.

How does it relate to your “controlling idea”?

How would you introduce it to a friend?

Assume your audience (your professor or teacher) is familiar with the material–no need to over-contextualize.

Part Three: Citation

This is where you integrate your citation, whether it be an in-text citation, block quote, or summary.

Make sure to use proper citation so as not to plagiarize!

Be sure to smoothly integrate the citation, using author names, for example: “Even Herbert Blau states that…” That is just one of thousands of possibilities.

Part Four: Analyze

This is where you break apart and close read your citation.

Thinking about how you would explain to a friend is helpful.

Try to break down the citation into smaller parts and analyze those.

Make sure your analysis is as close to the text as possible; in other words, don’t stray from the crux of your citation.

Part Five: Synthesis

This is by far the most important step!

This is the “so what?” of your point: why it matters.

How do these smaller parts relate to your controlling idea?

How does your interpretation/analysis develop your overall argument?

Part Six: Restate

You’re almost done with your brilliant paragraph!

All you need to do is restate your thesis in terms of your new synthesis.

In other words, recall back to your thesis statement.

The beginning of the next paragraph will call back to the end of this paragraph.