I am a 26 year old beauty junkie currently from California currently residing in Athens, Georgia. I recently moved here and I find myself wanting to explore the entire realm of DIY (or Do It Yourself) beauty. To be quite honest, I think life is an adventure and I am always looking for multiple ways to use something. In this case, beer.
Beer is often consumed by those who are looking for a temporary buzz. I like to drink beer sometimes, but it is very rare that I drink. In fact, I would rather read, write or ride amusement park rides than drink anything, but having a glass of beer, wine or spirit isn't always a bad thing, if you use good judgment. I prefer to drink at home if I do have a glass rather than going out.
So instead of drinking beer, I discovered a very unique way to utilize it to my advantage. Or my hair's advantage, at least. I have made my very own beer shampoo. Crazy right? And guess what? It works!
All you need is one beer, a half a cup of apple cider vinegar, one tablespoon of baking soda, and one tablespoon of cold-pressed organic coconut oil. I also like to add one tablespoon of manuka honey simply because it adds an incredible scent to my hair and shine too.
First and foremost, you want to boil the beer in a small pan. Once you boil the beer, switch the heat to low and add the apple cider vinegar followed by the baking soda and coconut oil. And if you decide to use manuka honey, add that also. Let it cook on slow heat for 5 minutes.
Add the mixture into a container. Preferably one that makes just one hair shampoo/rinse. Let it set for a few minutes until it is at room temperature before applying it to your hair. Let it set on your hair for 5 minutes before rinsing.
Friday, February 23, 2007
DIY: Sarah's Facial Toner
Currently, I have dipped into the realm of organic beauty by creating my very own unique renditions of some of my favorite beauty products. Recently, I have find myself really embracing the "DIY" concept in more ways than one. I am 26 years old and always find myself examining what works best for me and what does not.
My skin is combination and tends to lean towards dry during the colder months (Fall and Winter) and oily during the hotter climates (Spring and Summer). If I use a product during the Winter, I don't like to use it during the Summer because my skin changes depending on my environment.
I have spent so much money on toning products, as my skin tends to suffer from sporadic breakouts. I don't want to destroy my skin's natural acid mantle, so I wanted to create my very own face toner.
For this particular product, you will need a half of a cup of filtered water, one tablespoon of alcohol (preferably benzyl alcohol), one tablespoon of witch hazel, one tablespoon of organic rosehip oil and one teaspoon of Himalayan salt.
Combine all of the ingredients together until the salt is completely diluted. Then, using a container of choice, add the ingredients to it. Then, take a cotton ball or sterile applicator and apply the product generously on the skin.
My skin is combination and tends to lean towards dry during the colder months (Fall and Winter) and oily during the hotter climates (Spring and Summer). If I use a product during the Winter, I don't like to use it during the Summer because my skin changes depending on my environment.
I have spent so much money on toning products, as my skin tends to suffer from sporadic breakouts. I don't want to destroy my skin's natural acid mantle, so I wanted to create my very own face toner.
For this particular product, you will need a half of a cup of filtered water, one tablespoon of alcohol (preferably benzyl alcohol), one tablespoon of witch hazel, one tablespoon of organic rosehip oil and one teaspoon of Himalayan salt.
Combine all of the ingredients together until the salt is completely diluted. Then, using a container of choice, add the ingredients to it. Then, take a cotton ball or sterile applicator and apply the product generously on the skin.
Saturday, February 17, 2007
The Importance of Philosophy (a simple theory)
When it comes to Philosophy, the reasons why philosophy is so important, vary. One of the reasons is Interest. Philosophy is the Love of Wisdom. To pursue philosophy on an intellectual level, allows you to discuss it's importance. As your true conception grows, it allows you to find your moral discipline and opens the doors to investigation. Whether that include nature, causes/effects, or principles of reality. Philosophy challenges what we already know and what we have yet to find out. Knowledge is power, but a power that trumps a systematically challenged value, based on logical reasoning rather than empirical methods. We can only inquire so much, without wanting to learn more about what we have inquired. There is much more to an analysis of fundamental assumptions and standard beliefs. Philosophy disciplines us and makes us "wake up". It allows us to realize we can't control everything in our life. You can create theories upon theories based on ideas, beliefs, and activities; and most likely, you will not have the correct answer.
Philosophy could also relate to someone's personal ordinary way of thinking. Not just their basic beliefs, opinions, and attitudes; but the standards they set for themselves and others around them. Philosophy contributes to one's growth and is crucial, yet effective to oneself. Some may "brush off" philosophy, but that is their philosophy. The intelligent seek knowledge, the wise seek knowledge for. Philosophy is for individuals who are both intelligent and wise. Those who seek a specific kind of knowledge and/or knowledge for another end, instead of truth are merely intelligent and not wise. Individuals who seek all knowledge in relation to the truth are both wise and intelligent and therefore deserve to be commended with the label of the "Philosopher". Everyone is different, therefore; everyone has a completely different perception.
Is a right something that is given to you by freewill or is a right something that cannot be taken away?
Is everyone's conception influenced by history, culture, and attitude towards life?
Is philosophy only required to find a way from unhappiness to happiness?
Personally, I take philosophy very seriously. I do not like to treat the matters in trivial form as it entails the beliefs of others and not just our own self. You can speak for yourself, as you should; but allow others to understand your remote way of thinking. Philosophy is an analysis of the concepts that we take for granted, an analysis of the concepts that we use to understand our relation to the world and our relations with each other. "Love of wisdom" really is passe, at least since Descartes. Philosophy no longer aims at "absolute truth" and creating systems, but at accurately describing what is before us. The post-modern collapse from monism to multiplicity (Nietzsche, Deleuze, Derrida, i.e.) entails that philosophy can only interpret and that it has a fragmented access to the world. Heraclitean difference, it seems, has won over Parmenidean monism.
Contemporary philosophy is essentially Heraclitean. We use Philosophy to question our naive beliefs, to free ourselves from narrow ways of thinking. It teaches us to analyze critically, rather than to calculate and tabulate. While some branches of philosophy are in danger of collapsing into psychology, there is much more to philosophy than trying to figure out what happens in the brain. There is moral philosophy, political philosophy, social philosophy, and many "philosophy of's" such as the philosophies of religion, art, technology, music, ETC. Granted, each of these different branches of philosophy may and do deal with psychology in their own respects, but once again they are not exhausted by it. Unless these skills are useless, philosophy will always have a place in the world, regardless of whether it spends its time coming up with new ideas or just studying the words of dead Europeans. Science may be the way of the future, but Philosophy is the guide of the future.
Whether you are a graduate of MIT with a doctorate degree in five different forms of Philosophy or a homeless person using the computer terminal at the local library and regardless, of your stance or view on a particular issue, the world needs you.
Philosophy could also relate to someone's personal ordinary way of thinking. Not just their basic beliefs, opinions, and attitudes; but the standards they set for themselves and others around them. Philosophy contributes to one's growth and is crucial, yet effective to oneself. Some may "brush off" philosophy, but that is their philosophy. The intelligent seek knowledge, the wise seek knowledge for. Philosophy is for individuals who are both intelligent and wise. Those who seek a specific kind of knowledge and/or knowledge for another end, instead of truth are merely intelligent and not wise. Individuals who seek all knowledge in relation to the truth are both wise and intelligent and therefore deserve to be commended with the label of the "Philosopher". Everyone is different, therefore; everyone has a completely different perception.
Is a right something that is given to you by freewill or is a right something that cannot be taken away?
Is everyone's conception influenced by history, culture, and attitude towards life?
Is philosophy only required to find a way from unhappiness to happiness?
Personally, I take philosophy very seriously. I do not like to treat the matters in trivial form as it entails the beliefs of others and not just our own self. You can speak for yourself, as you should; but allow others to understand your remote way of thinking. Philosophy is an analysis of the concepts that we take for granted, an analysis of the concepts that we use to understand our relation to the world and our relations with each other. "Love of wisdom" really is passe, at least since Descartes. Philosophy no longer aims at "absolute truth" and creating systems, but at accurately describing what is before us. The post-modern collapse from monism to multiplicity (Nietzsche, Deleuze, Derrida, i.e.) entails that philosophy can only interpret and that it has a fragmented access to the world. Heraclitean difference, it seems, has won over Parmenidean monism.
Contemporary philosophy is essentially Heraclitean. We use Philosophy to question our naive beliefs, to free ourselves from narrow ways of thinking. It teaches us to analyze critically, rather than to calculate and tabulate. While some branches of philosophy are in danger of collapsing into psychology, there is much more to philosophy than trying to figure out what happens in the brain. There is moral philosophy, political philosophy, social philosophy, and many "philosophy of's" such as the philosophies of religion, art, technology, music, ETC. Granted, each of these different branches of philosophy may and do deal with psychology in their own respects, but once again they are not exhausted by it. Unless these skills are useless, philosophy will always have a place in the world, regardless of whether it spends its time coming up with new ideas or just studying the words of dead Europeans. Science may be the way of the future, but Philosophy is the guide of the future.
Whether you are a graduate of MIT with a doctorate degree in five different forms of Philosophy or a homeless person using the computer terminal at the local library and regardless, of your stance or view on a particular issue, the world needs you.
My thoughts on "Solipsism"
Solipsism
Solipsism is the philosophical idea that "My mind is the only thing that exists". Solipsism is an epistemological and metaphysical position that knowledge of anything outside the mind is unjustified. The external world and other minds cannot be known and might not exist. In the history of philosophy, solipsism has served as a skeptical hypothesis, which many philosophers have struggled to defend against.
There are three types of Solipsism. They are:
Metaphysical solipsism is the variety of idealism which maintains that the individual self of the solipsistic philosopher is the whole of reality and that the external world and other persons are representations of that self having no perceptual independent existence.
Epistemological solipsism is the variety of idealism according to which only the directly accessible mental contents of the solipsistic philosopher can be known. The existence of an external world is regarded as an unresolvable question, or an unnecessary hypothesis rather than actually false.
Methodological solipsism is the epistemological thesis that the individual self and its states are the sole possible or proper starting point for philosophical construction. The methodological solipsist does not intend to conclude that one of the stronger forms of solipsism is true, but rather believes that all other truths must be founded on indisputable facts about his own consciousness. A skeptical turn along these lines is cartesian skepticism.
My opinion:
Solipism embraces the concept that the "mind" is the only thing that exists, but anything outside of the mind is unjustified. I object. I believe that is simply an opinion, based on one's awareness. I believe that solipism is simply a perception. I believe that in order to have a perception, you must think about it, while conscious. For example: In one's mind, they believe that it is ok, it is their perception that makes it ok, to do something that is completely unethical because in their mind it is ok. This is like saying that entire world must possess the same perception, without thinking about it because it only exists in the mind. I believe that in order for the mind to exist, that "matter" must also play a role. I do, however; believe, that the mind trumphs over matter.
I do believe Solipism exists, but only in few individuals. These include:
- Individuals who are not developed (newborn babies and infants)
- Individuals with special needs (depending on type of need and factor, as well as, percentage of the brain that is affected, etc)
- Individuals who are near death (seniors in nursing homes, hospice, etc)
- Individuals who suffer from extreme mental illness (this varies, depending on the illness and percentage)
- Individuals who are huge drug addicts
- Zombies.
Solipsism is the philosophical idea that "My mind is the only thing that exists". Solipsism is an epistemological and metaphysical position that knowledge of anything outside the mind is unjustified. The external world and other minds cannot be known and might not exist. In the history of philosophy, solipsism has served as a skeptical hypothesis, which many philosophers have struggled to defend against.
There are three types of Solipsism. They are:
Metaphysical solipsism is the variety of idealism which maintains that the individual self of the solipsistic philosopher is the whole of reality and that the external world and other persons are representations of that self having no perceptual independent existence.
Epistemological solipsism is the variety of idealism according to which only the directly accessible mental contents of the solipsistic philosopher can be known. The existence of an external world is regarded as an unresolvable question, or an unnecessary hypothesis rather than actually false.
Methodological solipsism is the epistemological thesis that the individual self and its states are the sole possible or proper starting point for philosophical construction. The methodological solipsist does not intend to conclude that one of the stronger forms of solipsism is true, but rather believes that all other truths must be founded on indisputable facts about his own consciousness. A skeptical turn along these lines is cartesian skepticism.
My opinion:
Solipism embraces the concept that the "mind" is the only thing that exists, but anything outside of the mind is unjustified. I object. I believe that is simply an opinion, based on one's awareness. I believe that solipism is simply a perception. I believe that in order to have a perception, you must think about it, while conscious. For example: In one's mind, they believe that it is ok, it is their perception that makes it ok, to do something that is completely unethical because in their mind it is ok. This is like saying that entire world must possess the same perception, without thinking about it because it only exists in the mind. I believe that in order for the mind to exist, that "matter" must also play a role. I do, however; believe, that the mind trumphs over matter.
I do believe Solipism exists, but only in few individuals. These include:
- Individuals who are not developed (newborn babies and infants)
- Individuals with special needs (depending on type of need and factor, as well as, percentage of the brain that is affected, etc)
- Individuals who are near death (seniors in nursing homes, hospice, etc)
- Individuals who suffer from extreme mental illness (this varies, depending on the illness and percentage)
- Individuals who are huge drug addicts
- Zombies.
Thursday, February 8, 2007
RIP Anna Nicole Smith
Anna Nicole Smith has officially died. I heard about the news hours ago. It is very sad to hear that she died. As the cause of death is unknown, many are speculating she died from a drug overdose. I am also hearing stories that some think Howard Stern murdered her; however, I am unsure if I believe that.
Her son died of a drug overdose only several months ago in September of last year. It seems like yesterday when that happened. Sometimes I believe the guilt and sadness of this forced her to overdose. We can only speculate, as not many facts have been released regarding this.
I really loved Anna Nicole Smith because she reminded me of a friend of mine I met back in 2003 who lived near me. This friend (her name was Michelle) looked like Anna Nicole Smith. She even talked like her also. She was also tall too. Every time I would see Anna Nicole Smith on television, I was reminded of Michelle.
Although some of you may have thought Anna Nicole Smith was weird or even a little crazy, she was a human being who brought something unique to pop culture. She was beautiful and she didn't care what others thought. Regardless of the negative, she will be deeply missed by millions around the world.
RIP Anna Nicole Smith.
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