#online issue

Remember just cause the internet doesn't seem real peoples feelings are

I did this about I think almost a week ago? But it's rode over now so here it is

Usually I try to keep stuff like this off my blog but oh well. Here’s my stance:

If your doctor says you need to lose weight for health reasons, then you should try to lose weight. If not, maybe you don’t really need to worry about it.

There’s lots of reasons someone might want to exercise regularly. Maybe it’s to lose weight, maybe it’s just because it makes them feel good. Or they’re trying to improve their sleep schedule or overall energy levels. They might even be training for a sport. Improve their heart health, or build good long-term habits so they live longer. But saying someone should exercise more by just looking at them is fairly rude as you don’t have all the facts.

Food isn’t necessarily “just food”, there are still categories that I see them in. Food that nourishes my body, and food that nourishes my soul. But both have value. Maybe I eat body nourishing food more often, sure, because everything in moderation. But I enjoy both! Yes, there are certain bodily conditions that restrict what you can eat (celiac, lactose intolerance) and/or when you can eat it (diabetes, high blood pressure), but that doesn’t necessarily devalue what those foods give you emotionally, and to a degree physically. Ice cream does still have dairy in it and it makes you happy. Dark chocolate is one of my favorite little treats (and it has lower sugar than milk chocolate to boot) and helps me on my period. You just gotta pay more attention to what you eat and when in certain cases. Would I eat cake for breakfast? No. Would I have a slice of cake for dessert if that’s what I’m craving? Yeah. I recognize that I’m lucky to have a health condition that lets me validate my cravings like that (low blood sugar). My dad isn’t so lucky. He’s had to give up a lot of the food he liked because of his high blood pressure, cutting huge amounts of salt out of his diet. But he’s found work-arounds, because he did it so he could be around longer for my sister and I. Everyone has different circumstances, so I guess what I’m trying to say is I think you shouldn’t give unsolicited diet advice, and if it is solicited, get all the facts first.

There can be a myriad of reasons why someone might try to cut something out of their diet. Because their doctor said it would be a good idea, because of health, who knows. I’m personally trying to lower my intake of red meat because making huge amounts of beef is not great for the environment. Don’t assume cutting something out is to lose weight.

Encouraging disordered thinking when it comes to food and bodily image never helps anyone. Bullying and fat shaming doesn’t help. You don’t know what a doctor has said about their body. You don’t know what their own inner demons have told them about their body. Someone could be perceived as “fat” and be perfectly healthy. They could also be advised to lose weight by their doctor. But you shouldn’t assume and building someone’s insecurities will never help them.

If you ask me, all shapes and sizes can be beautiful provided they are healthy.

Just a reminder of a very important fact: muscles have mass. You might not see change in the scale after months of exercise because you’re gaining as much muscle mass as you are losing lipid mass. Take a breather, if you’re doing this because of your doctor, then it’s not just about losing overall weight, but improving the ratio of muscle to fat.

Don’t doxx people. No just, don’t do it. Regardless of your opinion, that is a real life person you are putting in danger. It’s easy for some people to dehumanize online creators and put them on a pedestal of being more or less than human, but they really are just human. Don’t doxx people.

સરકારની તમામ ઓનલાઈન સેવાઓ આજથી મધરાતથી બંધ, Online Black Out

આજથી મધરાતથી 3 દિવસ માટે સરકારની તમામ ઓનલાઈન સેવાઓ બંધ, રહેવાની હોવાથી 300થી વધુ વેબસાઈટને અસર પહોંચશે. સરકારી કામ કરવા માટે ઓનલાઈન વેબસાઈટ કે, એપ્લિકેશનનો ઉપયોગ કરતાં લોકો માટે માઠા સમાચાર મળી રહ્યા છે. હવે તેઓ ત્રણ દિવસ સુધી સરકારી એક પણ એપ્લિકેશન કે વેબસાઈટના માધ્યમથી કોઈ પણ કામ કરી શકશે નહીં. ગુજરાત સરકાર દ્વારા શરૂ કરવામાં આવલી ઓનલાઈન સેવાના કારણે ઘણાં લોકો કચેરીઓના ધક્કા ખાધાં વગર જ પોતાના…

Something new: "a letter from editor Jolien Dirix" in our newest issue Photo © Julie Van Der Vaart

Click here for a better read

The letter: 

Dear reader,

Welcome to the tenth issue of D!NG magazine. As you may have noticed a few changes have been made. I hope to establish a more personal band with you as a reader and therefore this editor letter will be a permanent part of our magazine.   We are also working on a new concept, a better website and a second exhibition.

For this issue I have selected as always four artists whom I think have great talents and works to show you. We are proudly presenting a work by Karmen Ayvazyan on the cover, a Belgian photographer.  Ash Bowland, who is also a Belgian photographer, sees herself more as an image maker than a photographer.  The third artist Yumiko Yoneda was born in Japan, but she now lives in the Netherlands. In her work you can see the influence of both countries. The last artist is Joséphine Vejrich. She is a Finnish artist whom I have discovered during a very interesting residency.

The tenth issue of D!NG is exclusively available online just like the previous issues.  We have one limited printed edition to celebrate our one year anniversary. It is still available and if you wish to buy one, please visit the website.

I want to thank my team Sarah Vierstreate, Lies Gallez and Eveline Lambrechts for helping me and being so motivated! I also give thanks to the artists and their contributions and faith in us. At last, I am very grateful for all of you, devoted readers who read, support and view our magazine. I hope you enjoy this tenth issue and our selected artists. I deeply encourage you to check out our featured issues with more of our amazing artists.

 Yours sincerely,

We are all adults, right? The people I game with to the people I work with to my friends -- they are all adults. I mean, truly the only exception to that rule in my life are my children, my nieces, and my nephews. As adults, we should be able to handle conflict, right? It’s not like I’ve never got in a fight before. I had 16 years of fighting with my brother before becoming an adult. Needless to say, I’ve had practice fighting.

Why is it so difficult to confront each other when we have issues with another person? You rationally present an issue to the other adult, he presents his rational response, then you and he come to an agreeable compromise. Isn’t that the way it works? No? Well, it should!

It’s true. We cannot handle conflict rationally. We have feelings -- ugh, feelings. Sometimes, it would be easier to travel through life without the feels. But unfortunately, without feels, we wouldn’t have some of the greatest works of art, music, or written works. So your feelings are important, and it’s likely that, even though your actions might be irrational, your feelings are justified.

But what do we do when dealing with conflict, especially in online games where we are generally anonymous? The first place to start is obvious. The person on the other side of that avatar is a real human being full of real emotions and rational thoughts and feelings, just like you. Yes, you might be pissed off at that person behind that Warrior, but she might be just as appropriately upset at you.

When I run into a situation that upsets me, I try to take a step back and look at the situation rationally. Sometimes that’s impossible. Sometimes certain things set us off more than others. I had a mentor who used to tell me not to make life-changing decisions if I was hurt, angry, lonely, or tired (HALT). I believe the same thing applies here. You are not ready to handle conflict if you are hurt, angry, lonely, or tired. You will likely say or do something you’ll regret later. Sometimes, we just need to take a day, then approach the other person. Or sometimes, if you take that day, you will notice that the issue just wasn’t that important, and you can both move on.

Lastly, we cannot let go of everything. Sometimes a situation hits us too personally; sometimes an issue will continue to itch at you long after the situation has passed. That is when you need to approach the person rationally and sincerely to discuss (not argue) the issue. Unfortunately, this is not always possible, especially if you’re emotionally attached to the issue. In that case, get an advocate -- a mutually trusted friend or respected person -- to help you clear up the situation. If the issue gets this far, don’t be afraid to admit that the problem could be you and accept that there might be something you can do to compromise.

This should all be simple, but when you’re buried deep in a dungeon or a discussion in VoIP, it’s not always clear where rationality lies. That’s where understanding and compromise can help make the situation better.

And if any of you think that I’m writing this for you, you’d be wrong. I’m writing it for me. When someone sees me fly off the handle, they can point me to this article and remind me of what I said -- about the advice that I gave. This article isn’t for you; it’s to keep me accountable. But thanks for taking the time to read.