I'm losing track of how many times I've said, "You can't make this stuff up," but here's one more to add to the list.
Fox News published an article earlier this week with the headline "Watch: Ilhan Omar delivers heated, profanity-laced attack on President Trump."
The problem? The only profanity in the entire "attack" was the president's own freaking words, quoted from his own freaking mouth and tweets.
Someone must have pointed out the obvious, because Fox News has quietly updated the headline, which now reads "Watch: Ilhan Omar uses president's words to deliver heated, profanity-laced attack on Trump." But it's not like adding "uses president's words" in that spot clarifies that the only profanit were president's own words.
(BTW, you can still find the previous headline cached in a Google search—see screenshots below—or on Way Back Time Machine. See how everything lives on the Internet, kids?)
Want to know what an actual profanity-laced attack on the president would look like? This: "President Trump is an a**shole who knows precisely jack sh*t about government and wouldn't know human decency if it hit him in the f**king face." If someone said something like that, a news outlet could justifiably call it a "profanity-laced attack."
But nothing even close to that happened. In a response to Trump's attacks against her and her colleagues, Omar didn't use a single swear word that was not a direct quote from the president. Here's the "profanity-laden" part of what she said:
"This is a president who has said 'grab women by the p——. This is a president who has called black athletes 'sons of b----es.' This is a president who has called people who come from black and brown countries 'sh--holes.' This is a president who has equated neo-Nazis with those who protest against them in Charlottesville."
All the president's actual words. Receipts here, here, and here.
Now, we all know that most media outlets have some bias, and some have more than others. It's no big secret that Fox News is in the business of making progressive lawmakers look bad. But this is more than a bit of bias—it's a blatantly dishonest headline and designed to mislead an ignorant audience.
The unfortunate truth is that most people don't read past the headlines of articles. (I guarantee there will be people commenting on this very post on Facebook without reading it first. Happens every time.) So when a headline is that misleading, it's a problem. I wouldn't even call it "clickbait," as most Fox News followers won't click to read the whole story—they will simply read the headline, imagine Omar spewing her own profanities at the president, and feel righteously justified in calling her evil. Even though that didn't happen.
There's no excuse for this. Someone quoting a person's own expletives is not a "profanity-laced attack" on them. Not in any universe—even the one in which people believe Fox News is "fair and balanced."
Honestly, I'm not sure how The Onion even stays in business anymore. The truth has truly become stranger than fiction.
I'm sure by now you've seen a crazy number of people pop up across your "For You" page or in a random YouTube ad doing ice baths, also known as cold plunges. You may be wondering why these people are intentionally sitting in a tub of water between 39 to 50 degrees. I know that's what you're thinking because for the past few years, every time I post about doing an ice bath, my comments and DMs get filled with questions.
Since April 12, 2023, I've been doing daily cold therapy at home in my plunge tub, and I want to share the personal benefits I've seen it have on my life as well as the science behind the process. If doing cold therapy is a goal of yours, keep reading for tips and resources for you to start your cold therapy journey.
The Physical Benefits of Ice Baths
I originally started doing ice baths in 2018 to reduce muscle soreness after an intense workout, but now I use them as a method to reduce inflammation in my knees and perform at a higher level during workouts. I recently had a double meniscus repair on my right knee, and daily ice baths have helped with my recovery process as well.
Since beginning cold therapy daily, I've seen an increase in my energy levels and improvement in my sleep patterns. Even though my workload has remained the same or slightly increased at times, I've been able to maintain my level of energy throughout the day without feeling completely depleted by the end of the night. Likewise, I used to have intense insomnia, but now I'm averaging 7-8 hours of sleep each night.
In addition to the direct benefits I've experienced in my physical health, science has shown that cold therapy can also boost your immune system, increase blood flow, reduce chronic pain, and boost your metabolism.
The Mental Benefits of Ice Baths
Since incorporating daily ice baths into my daily routine, I've noticed that when I get overwhelmed and feel stressed, I'm able to better manage my anxiety and control my nervous system. One method that is taught to novice ice bathers is utilizing your breath as you enter the cold water. This teaches you how to calm down your fight, flight or freeze response.
By understanding how to use my breath in stressful situations and practicing this usage daily, I'm able to implement this same practice when I feel anxiety or panic attacks coming on in my everyday life. Let's be clear: I still have anxiety, but I’m able to breathe through those moments and quickly move past them.
In addition, another benefit I've found is mental clarity and awareness. This is one of the top benefits I receive from ice baths. Learning how to direct my thoughts and focus with my breath, I find clarity even in stressful moments. Though I’ve been bombarded with a variety of tasks and obstacles daily, I’ve been able to navigate through with a clear mind. This also allows me to articulate my thoughts and emotions more clearly because I’m more aware of what I’m experiencing in real time.
Lastly, daily cold therapy teaches you discipline and commitment to yourself and your goals. It allows you to focus on one thing at a time and teaches you how to be present in the moment. It's also a daily reminder that you can do hard and uncomfortable things even when they seem impossible.
Resources
If you're interested in learning more about starting your own ice bath practice I'd suggest looking into these resources and following these experienced cold therapists.
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Featured image courtesy of Christa Janine
The Great Report
2020 Global Report Sheet
