In Pure Spirit

For open minds

This is how to safely fit an anti-COVID-19 (coronavirus) mask

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Right now, the role of masks in preventing the COVID-19 (coronavirus) spread is in question. Two things are known to be accurate; masks help stop infected people from passing the virus on and medical professionals working in the thick of it benefit from masks, as do their patients.

What about the rest of us? Do we cut the risk of infection by wearing a mask? That’s not clear. One of the known problems with members of the general public wearing masks is that, statistically, we’re rubbish at it.

People put their masks down, get them contaminated from the dirty surface and then strap the infection onto their face. Untrained people also take their masks off in such a way as to transfer the virus to their hands and then catch the disease.

How to safely wear a mask

This video is from University of Minnesota Health. It was made a year ago; in other words, this is a purely instructional video that was made and published without anyone trying to make money off the coronavirus scare.

Hindsight is key, isn’t it? Don’t touch the front of the mask and wash your hands afterwards!

In Pure Spirit

Are you wearing masks during the COVID-19 pandemic? Are you planning on buying a stash of masks afterwards to keep in the house?

Little Victories on World Autism Day

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The 2nd of April is World Autism Day. As you’d expect, the NHS has a helpful site on autism where you can read more, in summary, autism isn’t a ‘condition’ that needs to be cured.

Little Victories - Autism Through a Father's Eyes
Little Victories

Autism does mean having a brain that works differently to other people, and some people with autism may need extra help in some areas.

Yvon Roy is a Canadian author and illustrator. His son was diagnosed with autism and the sometimes hilarious, sometimes sad family struggles that followed are retold in Little Victories. Little Victories, which will soon be published in English for the first time, recounts how Roy gradually got his son used to hugs, or that there might be a small amount of dust in the bath and the fact that life does not always follow a routine.

Yvon Roy has worked on several children’s stories, won Best Biography Award from the Disability Fund and Society, received the INSPIREO High School Students Award for most inspiring youth book and the Literary Award for Citizenship from the Maine Teachers’ League.

In Pure Spirit has permission from Titan Comics and Statix Press to share some internal panels from the comic book.

Little Victories

In Pure Spirit

Does autism touch your life?

You can pre-order Little Victories on Amazon.

The easy to understand science of the coronavirus (Covid-19)

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Sadly, there is plenty of false and misleading information on the internet about the coronavirus (Covid-19).

While there is plenty of accurate information too much of it is easier dumbed down too much or written for a medically trained audience.

The good news is that Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell is a trusted channel on YouTube that works hard to explain complex topics with easy to follow, but intelligent videos.

This video explains the science of Covid-19 nicely and clearly, while also treating the audience as an intelligent one.

In Pure Spirit

What tips do you have to make self-isolation and social distancing easier for you?

International Women’s Day 2020: Gender switching brand mascots

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March the 8th is International Women’s Day. Yes, there’s an International Men’s Day too.

Did you know that brand mascot as twice as likely to be male than female?

It’s a marketing stunt, but I think it’s a nice one, as kitchen appliance brand CDA tried to fix this. Without simply changing colours to pink or adding ribbons and bows, CDA worked with an illustrator to re-imagine some iconic brand mascots as female ones.

Toilet Duck

Mr Muscle

Pringles

Green Giant Sweetcorn

Rice Krispies

Captain Birds Eye

Frosties

Homepride

In Pure Spirit

How successful do you think CDA have been? I think they’ve done pretty well, but if you disagree there are the comments below to say so.

Which brand mascot do you think would be better as a woman?

The long dragons and real life

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The artist of Chinese artist Guodong Zhao is incredible. Based in Beijing, this talented illustrator takes photographs and paints on a layer of fantasy.

The painted long dragons

In Pure Spirit

Sad or surreal? It’s as these long Asian dragons should be majestic, proud and perhaps even a little menacing. By showing them, sometimes, ruined and wrecked against the sharp contrast of reality Zhao easily transforms them into being of sadness and despair.

Discover the Folktales of the Cryptids

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Folktales of the Cryptids is a collection of short comic book horror stories. As the name implies, each story features a cryptid and the dangers of getting too close to one.

Joseph Oliveria wrote the cryptid stories and published them through Afterlight Comics the indie publisher he founded only in 2017. A Kickstarter raised over £3,500 to bring the comic to life.

Which Cryptids feature?

Good question. You can expect to see brief sightings off the Mothman, Chupacabra, The Legend of Momo and The Pukwudgie.

The Folktales of the Cryptids review

There’s no messing around with this comic. Joseph Oliveria’s stories pack a punch, and it comes straight at you. Don’t expect much in the way of plot twists or deviations. Cryptids isn’t a comic book collection designed to drag your expectation around. This is a comic book collection written to be a homage to the legends and myths that have made these cryptids familiar.

And while there’s no messing around and there are plenty of straight up by the book plays you would be wrong to take the Folktales of the Cryptids for granted. The delivery is top notch, paced perfectly and concluded with a marksman like perfection.

I’m especially fond of the illustrations and colouring in the last tale – Romance is Dead – where Brendan Purchase drew and Roman Stevens coloured. There are some surreal touches.

There are some common strands in the four horror stories. We’re better off leaving the Cryptids alone. They’re probably better off if we leave them alone too. It also seems to be the case that whether you’re a good person or a bad person that bad things can still happen to you. It’s a cruel world out there. However, if you can keep your wits about you then, perhaps, you’ll have a chance.

While the four stories are each blessed with their own cryptid it is the human characters that give them life and interest. This might because the characters used in the adventures are familiar, don’t need an introduction and so we’re easily at ease with them.

Where can I buy Folktales of the Cryptids

The comic book is available in stores in the UK. You can also buy it directly from Afterlight Comics.com.

Will there be a sequel?

Neither Afterlight Comics nor Joseph Oliveria has announced plans for a follow up. However, right now there’s a Kickstarter for a new series called Wendigo Wood. This Kickstarter is asking for less money and, at the current rate of pledges, will raise more. That’s probably a good endorsement of the quality of the previous work.


[Back this Campaign]

In Pure Spirit

Are there any cryptid or horror comic book series that you will recommend?

In Pure Spirit’s copy of Folktales of the Cryptids was provided for review.

Junior ISAurs and the future

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Which is scarier? Living in a Jurassic world filled with hungry dinosaurs or getting your head into the world of finance? That should be a no-brainer. You shouldn’t fear sorting out your money in the way anyone would worry about a hungry T-rex.

While I contribute to a private pension (can we be confident in their being a public one in twenty or thirty years?) I’m still only just getting sorted out with better savings and investment plans than a mere bank account. If I had had more confidence at a younger age then I would have earned more on interest.

That’s why I like this game from Scottish Friendly. First off, this helps humanise a finance brand (yeah; by making it about dinosaurs – there’s irony) and makes the company more approachable. Secondly, the focus on Junior ISAs. This is a product that parents take out on behalf of their kids, contribute to and then the child takes control when they’re old enough. In other words, it seems to be like a pretty dramatic demonstration of how useful saving money can be to a young person just when they should start thinking about saving their own money.


[Play Dinosaur Keepers]

The game doesn’t need a download and works on my phone. All you need to do is tap on a cooling egg to bring the heat lamp over it and warm it up. The longer you can keep all the eggs warm the better level of ‘Dinosaur Keeper’ you are.

I think it’s a pretty clear message too. To protect what you have now you have to think about the future too.

In Pure Spirit

Which dinosaur keeper level did you manage to achieve? Let us know in the comments below.

Treat yourself to a shrunken head

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[Show me more]

This bust is the design of Victoria Curtin Rivera of Chibinendo Art. The studio offers limited edition statues, busts and fine pieces of art. Rivera takes commissions but her shop has some designs for pin-ups, merch inspired by films, literature and music as well her own designs.

I think both the shrunekn head and this scary clown might do well over Halloween! After all, who wouldn’t want a shrunken head on the mantelpiece?

In Pure Spirit

What’s the spookiest design in your collection?

16 signs that you might suffer from anxiety, not stress

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Did you know that nearly one in every five people feel anxious often or even all of the time? The awful feelings are especially common in women who are about twice as likely than men to suffer. Many people suffer in silence because the symptoms are easily obscured by the stress of modern living.

Psychological symptoms of anxiety

  1. Dread
  2. Apprehension
  3. Worry
  4. Spinning Thoughts
  5. Fear of Losing Control
  6. Nervousness
  7. Insomnia
  8. Agitation
  9. Irritability

Do you think any of those apply to you? The feeling of spinning thoughts is especially familiar to me.

Physical symptoms of anxiety

  1. Headaches
  2. Dry Mouth
  3. Sweating
  4. Nausea
  5. Racing Heartbeat
  6. Muscle Tension
  7. Stomach Upsets

I’ve suffered from tension headaches before; a double whammy. They’re not nice and therefore all the more reason to try and deal with anxiety.

Whereas feeling stress is natural it is possible to find that your brain has become over stimulated due to the excessive release of neurotransmitters (like dopamine and adrenaline), which leads to hyperactive nerves, and therefore the feelings of anxiety.

The people behind the informational video are the company who make the traditional herbal remedy Kalms which you can pick up from Boots and other chemists.

Kalms, no doubt, is stepping up their education piece as they’ve just released a new herbal relief product called Kalms Lavender, an one-a-day capsule, designed to tackle the symptoms of mild anxiety. You may already recognise lavender as something often recommended when it comes to creating a sensation of calm.

Does it work? There are over 15 clinic trials that show daily capsules can have a positive effect. Kasper and others showed how Silexan can work in two weeks.

In Pure Spirit

Do you or anyone you know suffer from anxiety? Does lavender work for you? What tips would you share in the comments below?

5 Reasons To Sponsor A Guide Dog For Father’s Day

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Father’s day is coming up and for most this means it’s time to shop online for a gift. Instead of going for the usual toiletries, socks and booze however, why not get your dad a different gift this father’s day by sponsoring a guide dog puppy? There are many great reasons to do so but we’re going to narrow it down to the top 5 reasons you should consider this unusual gift.

1. They’re cute

This almost goes without saying but who doesn’t love puppies? They’re absolutely adorable and the best part is, when you sponsor a guide dog puppy you’ll get regular ‘pupdates’ on their progress, including pictures, videos and text, all the way from young 6 month old pups to fully mature guide dogs. You get to track their progress and watch them grow up from adorable young animal to working guide dog, enjoying all the best parts and never having to worry about cleaning up any messes!


Father's Day ideas
Sponsor a Puppy

2. They perform an important function

Though guide dog puppies are undeniably cute, they do also perform a very vital function. They can help disabled people, such as those who are blind, to live a much more independent life than they would be able to without them. Guide dogs can help otherwise very vulnerable individuals to feel safe doing normal, everyday things that would otherwise be taken for granted. Things like crossing the road and going to the shops can feel like daunting tasks when you are blind, but a guide dog can offer both a level of safety and confidence, enabling those to live a far more independent life than they would otherwise be able.

3. They need your help

Guide dogs are very expensive to train, not least of which because they fulfil such a vital role and they are depended on so much. They are still dogs that are curious about the world and are naturally very easily distracted by everything from dropped food to small animals running around. Guide dogs need to be trained well to learn to ignore such distractions and not endanger their handler. As you may imagine, this is expensive to do and funding is low, so your gift donations really can help make a difference.

4. They’re a companion

Being blind can be a very isolating experience and it can be very lonely. A guide dog is not just a support animal, but it is also a companion and handlers can become as attached to their guide dog as any other pet. Having this companion be with you and help you through every day can help make even the darkest days seem a little brighter, and this can be important in keeping spirits up. This alone can be why some people choose to use a guide dog over simply using a cane; they are so much more than a simple seeing eye aid.

5. They’re a conversation starter

Being blind can be a very obvious disability to others and people will go out of their way to make a clear path for them. While this has the best of intentions, it often results in blind people being almost avoided in public and it can be very hard for blind people to meet new people and socialise because of this. A guide dog functions as a great conversation starter. As people stop to compliment the guide dog, it is a great opportunity for the handler to do anything from ask for directions to strike up a full conversation over a cup of coffee!

Tempted? Sponsor a Guide Dog puppy for your dad today!

In Pure Spirit

What would you add to this list? Not sure. Plenty of time to sponsor a puppy while you mull it over.

Disclosure

This blog discusses ideas and causes. Urban myth, science and faith combine here. So do editorials and technology; In Pure Spirit uses affiliate marketing and some links might earn us money. You can read more about that here.

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