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A. Trevor Sutton, Concordia Seminary

Silicon Valleys newest fad is dopamine fasting, or temporarily abstaining from addictive activities such as social media, music, internet gaming even food. Twitter CEO and co-founder Jack Dorsey is known for his intermittent fasting diet. In this file photo, he gestures while interacting with students at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in New Delhi.

Silicon Valleys newest fad is dopamine fasting, or temporarily abstaining from addictive activities such as social media, music, internet gaming even food. Twitter CEO and co-founder Jack Dorsey is

Photo: Prakash Singh / AFP / Getty Images 2018

Silicon Valleys newest fad is dopamine fasting, or temporarily abstaining from addictive activities such as social media, music, internet gaming even food. Twitter CEO and co-founder Jack Dorsey is known for his intermittent fasting diet. In this file photo, he gestures while interacting with students at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in New Delhi.

Silicon Valleys newest fad is dopamine fasting, or temporarily abstaining from addictive activities such as social media, music, internet gaming even food. Twitter CEO and co-founder Jack Dorsey is

Silicon Valley's latest fad is dopamine fasting and that may not be as crazy as it sounds

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A. Trevor Sutton, Concordia Seminary

(THE CONVERSATION) Silicon Valleys newest fad is dopamine fasting, or temporarily abstaining from addictive activities such as social media, music, internet gaming even food.

Twitters CEO, Jack Dorsey, for example, is known for his intermittent fasting diet. Other celebrities such as Kourtney Kardashian and Chris Pratt have also lauded the benefits of intermittent fasting.

Dubbed dopamine fasting by San Francisco psychologist Cameron Sepah, the trend is getting increasing international attention as a potential cure for technology addiction.

Dopamine is a brain neurotransmitter that helps control basic functions such as motor control, memory and excitement. It is also involved in anticipating the reward of a stimulating activity. Denying the brain the dopamine-derived pleasure of many modern day temptations, the theory goes, may help people regain control, improving focus and productivity.

This idea did not entirely originate in Silicon Valley. As a scholar who studies digital technology and religion, Id argue that the motivations and benefits of dopamine fasting resemble what many religions have been teaching since ancient times.

Fasting can take multiple forms in different religious traditions.

Muslims observe nearly a month-long fast during Ramadan when they abstain from food or drinks. They are allowed to break the fast only after the Sun goes down.

The Jewish holiday Yom Kippur, also known as the Day of Atonement, includes a period of fasting. And many Christian traditions observe fasting periods throughout the year, particularly during the Lenten season leading up to Easter. Vipassana meditation, a practice with Buddhist roots, involves abstaining from speaking for multiple days.

The reasons these ancient religions encourage fasting, in my assessment, are quite similar to the motivations of modern dopamine fasters.

Some religious traditions encourage fasting to develop personal holiness and discipline. For example, Orthodox Christians avoid animal products on Wednesdays and Fridays as a way to develop discipline and self-control. Others, including Christianity and Islam, use fasting as a way to develop appreciation and gratitude.

The early fourth-century Christian theologian Augustine of Hippo recognized that the practice of fasting could maximize pleasure for things that one gives up. For example, abstaining from meat during Lent heightens appreciation for it after the fast is over.

Scholars have drawn parallels between dopamine fasting and religious fasting. For example, David Nutt, professor of brain science at Imperial College London, said in an November 2019 interview with the British newspaper Guardian:

Retreating from life probably makes life more interesting when you come back to itMonks have been doing it for thousands of years. Whether that has anything to do with dopamine is unclear.

Many individuals engage in dopamine fasting for much the same reasons as religious fasters. Some, for example, use it as a way to develop greater discipline. In a November 2019 interview, psychologist at Stanford University Russell Poldrack noted that the practice at self-control in doing one of these fasts can be useful. It can give one a feeling of mastery over their own behaviors, he said.

Others such as Nellie Bowles, a journalist who covers the Silicon Valley, finds that dopamine fasting makes everyday tasks more exciting and fun.

Research shows that fasting, whether religious or not, can have several health benefits.

For example, a study published in the Journal of Research in Medical Science had 14 individuals undergo a 10-day silent Vipassana meditation retreat. The participants reported significant improvements in physical and psychological well-being after the fast.

According to a research review by nutrition scientists John Trepanowski and Richard Bloomer, religious and nonreligious fasting can have similar health benefits.

Dopamine fasting is supposed to make ordinary tasks such as eating and listening to music more pleasurable. After temporarily abstaining from an activity, fasters have found it more rewarding to reengage in the activity.

There are those who disagree. Neuroscientists have argued that dopamine is essential to healthy brain functioning and have raised questions about the trends apparent goal of reducing dopamine.

While it is true that certain behaviors lead to the increase of dopamine, experts caution on the claims regarding dopamine fasting. Joshua Berke, a neuroscientist, said that dopamine is not a pleasure juice with a certain level that gets depleted. Rather, the dynamic of dopamine changes from moment to moment.

Nonetheless, advocates of dopamine fasting believe that it can curb addictive behaviors and make daily life more pleasurable, something that religious traditions have for millennia encouraged people to develop patterns of fasting and feasting.

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Silicon Valley's latest fad is dopamine fasting and that may not be as crazy as it sounds - Shelton Herald

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Letter to the editor: Abortion as population control? - TribLIVE

ALASKA SCHOOLS ARE PRODUCING A FAILED SOCIAL ORDER

By MICHAEL TAVOLIERO

Our public education system no longer promotes the goal of teaching our children how to think independently, and how to live free, fulfilling, and meaningful lives.

Instead, we now see the products of carefully crafted and controlled manipulation of education to graduate young Socialists who are entitled, unskilled, and politically far-left leaning.

This whole process is controlled by the Democratic Party, the mainstream media, and their willing confederates in the public employees unions.

Republicans and conservatives alike share the blame. We have been absent from the education dialogue. We have, at best, issued lukewarm and flaccid rebuttals in protest, and of course, have been ignored.The public employees unions have driven the narrative, tilting the political arena more to the left than ever before. They have almost unlimited financial resources, and the political process has quietly been manipulated to help, through independent expenditure groups, mail-in ballots, and (possibly soon) rank choice voting.

There is no excuse for Republican/Conservatives to remain passive. After all, this really is about not only our more and more endangered constitutional rights, but also the future of our children and their children.

The majority of cities in the United States see their school boards and administrations controlled by far-left Democrats and their allies, and have for over half a century. The end result is that every major city is now completely controlled by the Democrat party, particularly unions.

States like California, New York, Illinois, Michigan, Washington, Oregon, Virginia (the state whose constitution was written by George Mason and James Madison among others) and more are now totally controlled by Democrats who control the major population centers and therefore the entire states.

Alaska has become no different. Anchorage has become a state within a state. As evidenced by its mayor and assembly as well as many of its State Legislative representatives (regardless ofD or Rdesignations), our once bountiful natural resources, with their development potential, are being converted and driven into a swamp of red tape, bureaucracy and entitlements. Our education system is promoting every leftist policy as good to our children, and every conservative policy as evil, racist, and selfish.

Everything that is wrong with inner city schools that policy can fix, Democrats are responsible for. Democrats and their allies run the public school system for the benefit of adults at the expense of children. Put in the language of political war:Democrats have their boot heels on the necks of poor, black, and Hispanic children. But Republicans are too polite to mention it. David Horowitz. How to Beat the Democrats and Other Subversive Ideas

Whose fault is this? We need to look at ourselves and see the results of our lack of attention and action. These policies are allowed to take over because of poor Republican/conservative voter turnout and poorer Republican/conservative public involvement.

Our lack of involvement has allowed the growth and takeover by the public employees unions, creatingan unfair legal standard for the Democrat hatchet machine to proliferate. With seemingly unlimited funds from union dues (we have yet to see the measurable effects of Janus v AFMCME in Alaska), these unions are virtually a political party with no legal political restraints, unlike the current political parties subject to the FEC and state public offices regulators.

Sadly, Democrat-controlled schools are teaching students very little. Students who are a product of this system are moving into their future not with productive and saleable life skills, but with a quiver full ofidentity politicarrows. Our education system should promote a meaningful and independent lifestyle, but instead, it leads to narcissism, sloth, and entitlement with few exceptions.

Alaska is producing a failing social order and it will cost our progeny dearly.

Where is the outrage on the part of Republicans/conservatives?Our urbanity and our go along, get alongattitude are our demise and consequently our failure, not just to ourselves but to Alaskas future.

What is more incredible to this edifice of failure is the fact that Republicans/conservatives actually do have an education plan in place. It is not based on the failed social principles we have witnessed year in and year out. No, the Republican/conservative plan is simple and immediately outcome oriented.

Alaskas school reform is economic choice. By putting the education dollar directly into the hands of parents, schools would be forced to serve their communities and constituents. Giving parents control of their childrens education would force schools and unions to stop exploiting our tax dollars to serve their own interests (instead of the students). Our tax dollars must be redirected to the parents and follow the children, rather than the special interests of the Democrat/media/public union syndicate.

The goal is to serve our children with a profoundly reformed education and provide them with the education that will give them the best chance for a successful, fulfilling and responsible life. The Left will not listen to these ideas because they will lose the power and the control they crave and must have to stay in power.

This idea was developed in 2013 through the efforts of Senator now Governor Michael Dunleavy.

During the 28thAlaska State Legislature, our state saw for the first time an opportunity to vote up or down on the question of state aid for education reaching the true beneficiaries of education, our children.

SJR 9 proposed amendments to the Constitution of the State of Alaska relating to state aid for education which provided the wording as captioned below, if passed by the State Legislature, would have given the voters the opportunity to amend the state constitution.

It was falsely entitled a voucher program attempt and maligned extensively in the public and the halls of our state capital.This was a typical lefistsky is fallingcanard, calling it a voucher program, instead of what it really was freedom: Freedom for parents and children to choose. Freedom to use their tax money in a way that would be meaningful to them, not the few, who created a hornets nest response to their potential loss of control over public policy and public money.

It was introduced on Feb. 13, 2013 by then-Sen. Dunleavy, and Senators Fred Dyson, Pete Kelly, John Coghill, Cathy Giessel, Lesil McGuire, Charlie Huggins, and Anna Fairclough.

SJR9 had 11 of the 14 votes required, but the education industry is the most powerful lobbying force in Alaska politics. Ironically, Senators Bert Stedman, Gary Stevens and Click Bishop, all Republicans, were the 3 senators who kept SJR9 from coming out of the Rules committee and being voted upon on the floor, in spite of this being part of the Alaska Republican Party platform.

Isnt time to bring this back to the education discussion? Before you say yes, let me finish with a suggestion and a solution.

Suggestion:Redirect all education funding to follow the child. This can be done by our political will through amending the Alaska Constitution. Give the people of Alaska the opportunity to guide the direction of education policy directly and personally.

Solution:Reintroduce and pass the language of SJR9. Amend Article VII, Sec 1 as follows:

Article VII, sec. 1, Constitution of the State of Alaska, to read:Section 1. Public Education.The legislature shall by general law establish and maintain a system of public schools open to all children of the State, and may provide for other public educational institutions. Schools and institutions so established shall be free from sectarian control.

With this deletion [NO MONEY SHALL BE PAID FROM PUBLIC FUNDS FOR THE DIRECT BENEFIT OF ANY RELIGIOUS OR OTHER PRIVATE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION.]

Amend Article IX, Sec 6 as follows:

Article IX, sec. 6, Constitution of the State of Alaska, is amended to read:Section 6. Public Purpose.No tax shall be levied, or appropriation of public money made, or public property transferred, nor shall the public credit be used, except or a public purpose (add as follows); however, nothing in this section shall prevent payment from public funds for the direct educational benefit of students as provided by law.

Michael Tavoliero is a realtor at Core Real Estate Group in Eagle River, is active in the Alaska Republican Party and chairs Eaglexit.

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Education solution: Give parents freedom of choice - Must Read Alaska

TEMPLE, Texas As the tensions between the United States and Iran continue to escalate, children are in the cross-hairs of the growing fear and anxiety of a possible war.

"We put God first and God's in control," Evon Baran said. Baran is a mother who said she's prepared for the conversation with her daughter.

"I would just tell her that God's in control and we put our faith in Him. That it is going to be scary if World War III happens."

Ashley Buckmore, a Licensed Professional Counselor in Belton, said it can be a sensitive time for some kids. She also said parents need to be on the lookout for warning signs. For example, kids asking more what-if questions than usual.

"Just be open and honest, give them more one on one time," Buckmore said. "Also, make sure to talk to them in language that is okay for them. You don't have to add a lot of detail or show them pictures."

Buckmore said limiting news time while kids are awake can be helpful. On the other hand, she said social media and what kids pick up through the day is equally as impactful.

"Kids learn from what's called a trickle-down effect," she said. "As a child you kind of get bits and pieces from Mom, Dad and whoever the caregiver is and you also get bits and pieces from friends and whoever else is around them."

"It is scary out there," Baran said. "I think social media does play into those fears and I think our job as a parent is to make sure that we lay a foundation for our children."

Buckmore said you can limit what your kids see, but that's not the end-all.

"Yes you can limit social media, but you can't really limit what their talking about with their friends," Buckmore warned.

Baran and Buckmore both agree that sugar coating things is not the right answer either.

"Kids should talk to their parents," Baran said. "And the parents shouldn't sugarcoat things. Rather they should be honest and say that things could get rough."

"When you sugarcoat things it's really hard for kids to understand and trust the truth." Buckmore said.

Buckmore also said that it is important to keep things to an age-appropriate discussion. She also suggests looking things up and finding answers to things together as a family. If you don't know an answer that's asked, just simply tell them you don't know.

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Kids & War: Talking to children about tensions in Iran - KCENTV.com

Despite efforts to reverse a federal district courts order, Walmart is still on the hook for tens of millions of dollars in lost trucker wages, an appeals court decided on Monday.

On Monday, Jan. 6, a panel for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower courts decision to award Walmart truck drivers in California $54.6 million in lost wages in addition to nearly $6 million in restitution.

Like similar cases, Walmarts wage lawsuit is based on whether the company controlled the drivers.

During oral arguments, Walmart argued that drivers should not have been awarded damages for layovers. That portion of the verdict accounted for $44.7 million of the $54.6 million in damages. A jury decided that drivers should be compensated for the 10-hour layover period when they cannot work and are free to engage in rest, sleep and leisure activities away from their truck.

Walmart argues the verdict makes it sound like the payment plan requires pay for every minute of the 10-hour layover. However, the plan does not say that drivers must take their layover in the truck. In fact, if truckers want to earn a $42 inconvenience fee, only then does Walmart require the layover period take place inside the truck.

Attorneys for the drivers claim that truckers need permission to sleep anywhere other than the cab. Company policy states that drivers must park at a safe and secure location, typically a distribution center. According to oral arguments, drivers cannot conduct personal errands. If drivers want to leave the cab, they must first receive permission. Truckers hauling an expensive load rarely receive that permission.

In its appeal, Walmart argued that layovers are not compensable. However, the federal court applied California law to the case.

The appeals court ruled that under California law, time drivers spent on layovers was compensable if Walmart exercised control over the drivers during those breaks. On that note, the panel also agreed that Walmarts written policies, if applied as written, resulted in Walmart exercising control over employees during mandated layovers as a matter of California law.

In California, an employer must pay minimum wages whenever it controls the employee, the appeals court states. And there is no reason to think that, as a matter of law, an employer cannot exercise control of a trucker even when the driver is taking a legally-mandated break.

Second, Walmart argues that even if that is the case, it has no control over the drivers during layovers. The companys pay manual only requires a driver to seek approval for the $42 for a layover taken at home. Walmart argues that the pay manual does not require employees to seek approval to go home during layovers. Rather, it requires drivers to seek preapproval to obtain the $42 inconvenience payment.

The manual states that a driver can take a break at home only after receiving approval from a member of transportation management, according to the appeals court. The manual also states that taking an unauthorized break at home is unacceptable and may lead to immediate termination.

The court also ruled the following:

Walmarts policy restricted drivers freedom of movement and prevented drivers from making a unilateral decision to spend layovers at home without preapproval. Walmart employees may have been free to leave the truck and engage in personal activities during layovers, but they could not go home. This foreclosed drivers from numerous activities in which they might otherwise engage while on layovers. As a result, employee liberty and freedom of movement was controlled by Walmart.

Consequently, the appeals court affirmed the $54.6 million in damages. Those damages include (rounded up):

The appellate decision also affirms restitution in the amount of $5.86 million and more than $300,000 for class representatives.

Walmart can still request an en banc rehearing or petition to the U.S. Supreme Court.

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Walmart on the hook for $54.6M in trucker wage lawsuit - Land Line - Land Line Media