Trolls

 

They walk among us...

For centuries they’ve been the stuff of faery tales but in modern times, the term troll has been applied to humans who engage in a variety of acts, some of which are considered to be in poor taste, socially inappropriate and without integrity.
One specifically, I’m addressing in today’s edition, is regarding social media trolls.
Before I go further, I didn’t come up with the term, but when the shoe fits, I’ll employ it.
Social media trolls are people who use social media platforms, but of course, not all people who use social media platforms are trolls. Thankfully, they make up a far smaller percentage of users, however, one social media troll is still one too, many.

How to spot a troll

It’s oh, so easy! You won’t even have to hunt for them. They’ll find you! Trolls may or may not look like ugly, gnarled goblins. Most look like regular people. It’s not their looks that define them, it’s their actions. Trolls are social media users who seldom interact with you, unless you post something on your own account that they disagree with. It drives them nuts, and they’ll be compelled to fly to your social media page and leave a comment (or comments) that can be any of the following...

• Accusatory
• Argumentative
• Hypocritical
• Inflammatory
• Insulting
• Offensive
• Threatening

If any of those sound like familiar comments on your social media posts, from folks you seldom (if ever) hear from, unless you post something they disagree with, you’ve likely encountered a troll. They may look like regular folk (or not!) but looks aside, the content they leave on your page can be downright ugly. Being a liberty-lovin’, conservative Christian who loves my country, Old Glory waving in the breeze, who appreciates the privilege of living in a free republic, governed by and for the people, I’ve encountered a good many trolls over the years.

How to keep trolls at a safe distance

My best advice on troll-defense, is to take the offensive as soon as possible, which involves two steps.

1. Issue a warning: Encourage them to play nice, or not play at all. If that’s not enough to bring about an attitude adjustment, see step two.
2. Block them: Prevent them from interacting with your account, or you may end up not even having an account. When trolls fail to take over, they often file an unsubstantiated complaint against the user they’re trolling and next thing you know, your account’s closed.

Often the warning is enough. When they realize you’re not troll-fodder, and their negative content on your account (page) isn’t welcome, they’ll often troll elsewhere for folks who’ll put up with their shenanigans.

That is usually enough to put a stop to themand their troll-friends, too. Trolls don’t always hunt alone. They love to run and attack in packs, not only leaving their own mess on your social media page, but will invite and encourage their troll friends to do the same. 

All the while, of course, they’ll be going on and on about love and acceptance while labeling those who disagree with their ideologies, as haters.

Free speech is a blessing, and a high price is paid for it. Even trolls have a right to free speech, it’s just best for them to express themselves on their own social media accounts.

Good stewardship is a responsibility each of us should exercise and the world would be a much better place if trolls just stopped being trolls.

Do two walk together, unless they have agreed?

Amos 2:3

(World Messianic Bible Translation)

The wrap!

Thank you for your visit today.

Until next time, Shalom

Ginger: The creepy-looking, good medicine!

 

Image via AS Phillips

What is that ugly thing?

An ingredient commonly found in tea and soups, breads and cookies. Too, it can be dried and crystallized into a chewy, healthy snack item. In the same form, it makes a wonderful and very effective (from personal experience and multiple testimonies from other users) easy-to-keep organic medicine to treat a wide array of ailments including (and especially) nausea associated with motion sickness and flu virus.  

Ginger may be a hooky-spooky lookin’ root (which is the part of the plant mostly used in the above food products) but wow! It makes up for its looks with outstanding flavor and health benefits.

Soooo many reasons...

I love ginger for a bunch of reasons. Near the top of the list is because it’s an easy-keeper. Just wash it, bag it (even with paper or another organic material) and put it away in the freezer and it will keep for thousands of years. Kidding, but it will keep frozen for a very, longgggg time.

You can keep it in the fridge too, but it won’t stay as well-hydrated there. 

Each time you need some, just chop a bit off, process it, via slicing, grinding or mashing, to add it to whatever dish you want, or let it cool enough to chew it up and just eat it as is. I love refrigerated, fresh ginger. It has both delicious flavor and a crisp texture that’s addictive. 

Low-carb, organic goodness

Ginger is naturally low in calories. It's an organic, high-quality, broad-spectrum anti-microbial and anti-parasitic, even being lethal to cold and flu viruses. It's rich in antioxidants, anti-inflammatory agents and contains therapeutic compounds of gingerol, shogaol, paradol and zingerone.

Another of my fav forms of ginger is the sort made by my colleague and close friend, Vicki Warner of WarnerWords. Vicki, is a retired professor, multi-business owner and a well-respected mentor in the independent business community.  is also a master gardener, and a collegiate-trained chef. This chic can seriously cook, and grow an impressive amount of her own ingredients. 

She processes ginger into delicate, thin slices, dries it, and adds a light, crystal-sugar coating. It’s the best ginger, in that form, I’ve ever had and I’m convinced it had a great deal to do with how I managed to feel as good as I did while working with her in western Canada.

I’ve had a variety of the same sort of processing here, but none can compare to Vicki’s. Her crystallized ginger still ranks as primo.

To get there, and during my stay, we traveled quite a lot. I have a tendency for motion sickness and Vicki urged me to try an organic med, available in Canada, called Gravol. Its main component to combat motion sickness is ginger. It worked great and there were no side effects, such as drowsiness or dry mouth. In raw or crystallized form, ginger has never produced any foul side effects at all when I’ve used it.

Organic help for a gripey gut

My sister also got me into the habit of using crystal candy ginger as a natural medicine to combat nausea and menstrual cramps. It came in very handy when we traveled home to Kentucky to visit our kin, driving along the twisty roads through the Appalachian mountains.

Ginger is an effective remedy for tummy cramps, whether they’re from the flu, a spastic colon, irritable bowel syndrome or menses.  It also has nice warming effect that brings on a comfy-cozy feeling during cold weather, which is maybe part of the reason ginger snaps and ginger bread are so popular in cold weather and cooler seasons.

In cookie (or biscuit) form, it’s an excellent choice to partner with coffee, tea, cocoa or milk. I only use plant-based milk, but ginger cookies and breads go well with whatever type of beverage you prefer. 

My family and friends also use cookies (snaps) as treats for our horses and a few other animals. It warms their bellies when it’s cold and they love the taste. Ginger snaps store well for long periods of time if sealed in a dry environment.

You can make a go-to infusion for your homeopathic medicine cabinet with ginger by adding several slices of it to a plant-based oil, such as EVOO or coconut oil. It also works in much the same way if you add it to alcohol, such as a high-quality potato vodka. You can also blend it with other herbs of your choice in this fashion, like mint, clove and cinnamon, to name a few.

It's warm

Ginger is a hot plant and tastes a bit peppery. Please be mindful of the heat factor when using it. A little goes a long way and I advise big caution with it where children are concerned. 

To get your own, I hope you’ll consider buying it from a local farmer’s market or even getting some starts from a friend who has heirloom plants. If not, get some from your local health food shop. You can start your own ginger plants with it, even if you want to grow them in a pot. They’re very pretty, a bit exotic looking and you can harvest them and regrow the next batch using just a few pieces of the root you harvested.

14 He causes the grass to grow for the livestock, and plants for man to cultivate,

that he may produce food out of the earth:

15 wine that makes the heart of man glad, oil to make his face to shine,

and bread that strengthens man’s heart.

Psalms 104:14-15 

(World Messianic Bible)

The wrap!

For a fun and informative read on how to easily grow your own ginger, here’s a great article compliments of Vicki Warner and WarnerWords, Ginger: A Celebration! 

Thanks so much for visiting today. Your interest and support of the independent business community is always appreciated, especially by bloggers and vloggers!

Until next time,

Shalom