Photo: maRRitch (Shutterstock)

In the western world, especially in the US, martial arts are usually defined by stereotypes: people who train are either eight-year-olds learning karate kicks or bloodthirsty thugs hoping to compete in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. But the notions that define the prevalent popular notions of martial arts are not true, and there are many reasons why normal, well-adjusted adults can benefit from starting their combative journeys later in life. And you don’t have to bow to a fifth grader if you want to explore the martial arts after your 30th birthday.

Training gives you specific goals

Children train martial arts for a variety of reasons, such as: B. to strengthen their self-esteem and to defend themselves against bullies. In most cases, however, their training is an extracurricular activity akin to a daycare center. At the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) school I have trained at for the past eight years, many children come and go, and few are serious enough to keep the sport competitive as a teenager and later as an adult Operate level.

Martial arts training, however, is a practice where tangible rewards are based on merit. If you decide to train in a discipline based on belt ranking – BJJ, judo, taekwando, karate, and many other martial arts use belt systems – you may find additional incentive to improve. Also, you can train in certain martial arts like BJJ, which has a rugged competition track, to compete. Chasing medals and competitive awards can feel like a catnip to some martial artists, and you may find that the challenge of competition gives your life exciting meaning.

That being said, various martial arts and other flashy disciplines like boxing and muay thai (Thai kickboxing) can get you in fantastic shape. Many people struggle to find a compelling exercise tool once they grow up, but martial arts give you cause to keep coming back, even if you get kicked in the ass – because you learn and improve with every passing minute in the gym.

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You will build a community

Sometimes adults have a hard time building a community outside of traditional social institutions. When it comes down to it, there is only so much time to devote to hanging out in bars before the presumed community you are building breaks down without alcohol.

Personally, I have met so many interesting people that I would never have the privilege of knowing if I had not gone on my foray into argument and strike. It is easier to get to know someone when you are studying together and pushing each other to get better with each workout. Without exception, if you pursue a craft similar to someone else, you are spending a lot of time together and potentially forming strong bonds.

You will build confidence

The idea of ​​a mid- or quarter-life crisis is a cliché, but it’s still a term people often use to describe something of a mental void that affects adults. Of course, learning to hit or roundhouse kick won’t eliminate all problems, but achieving your goals is a fantastic way to build self-esteem and future motivation.

In addition, you will learn how to develop a sense of resilience under pressure. Exercising can be strenuous (if you take it seriously) and you may be exposed to more exercise than ever before, but you will also find that you have the strength to keep going in the face of that exertion and that you are in the midst of the intensity of a sparring round can stay calm. And while that’s implied, it’s worth noting that consistent training in any discipline will help you defend yourself if it ever matters.

However, be sure to listen to your body

When you start exercising as an adult, remember that we are no longer kids with elastic limbs and bodies healing on mind-boggling schedules. For this purpose, listen to your body. If you feel like some excruciating pain is worsening, and possibly causing an injury, take a week off (or how long it takes). Longevity should be the goal here, and treating your body the way you did when you were 17 doesn’t help.

Galaxy Z Fold 2 | 1,450 USD | Samsung
Galaxy Z Flip | $ 650 | Samsung

Sure, simple glass plates are perfect for scrolling your feeds, playing some games, and hanging out with friends. However, if you absolutely must have the latest technology, you have likely been keeping an eye on the folding of phones. Although still in its infancy, there are a number of options to choose from, including the Microsoft Surface Duoas well as from Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 and flip phone style Galaxy Z Flip. They’re all quite nifty in their own way, but they’re also expensive, and the uncertain future of phone folding doesn’t create much confidence that your investment will pay off later.

But once you’ve made up your mind and your eyes are on a folding phone – high prices and uncertain future prospects – a longer return window can help. Until April 1st, Samsung is extending its return window for Galaxy Z Fold 2 and Galaxy Z Flip devices from 15 days to 100 days. You can also trade in another device for up to $ 550 in credit for your new phone. This can cost a significant portion of your payment depending on who you are trading with.

However, there are a few things that you should know. If you trade a device but don’t hold onto your Galaxy Z Fold or Flip, you can’t get your phone back. Instead, Samsung will issue you a credit for the value of the device you traded in. However, this credit only works on the Samsung website. So make sure you get a Samsung for your next phone before you take the plunge.

Precautions aside, this offering reduces the risk a bit if you’re tempted to try a foldable smartphone without spending an inordinate amount of money on the privilege.

G / O Media can receive a commission

G / O Media can receive a commission

G / O Media can receive a commission

Photo: Claire Lower (Shutterstock)

I have an exact method for making a box of macaroni and cheese: I boil the water, cook the macaroni a few minutes before the directions in the package, let it drain, put the pasta back in the saucepan and add the butter while stirring melts over the mac. Then I sprinkle the cheese powder in and stir again to dissolve as much of the melted butter as possible. Then I inject just enough halfway through to break up any remaining cheese powder lumps, never the full amount requested on the box because I don’t like a soupy mac.

But last night I put the butter in the very hot pan before the drained noodles because of a rather distracting headache. It foamed and stuttered violently, as butter normally does when exposed to high heat, just before it begins to brown. I decided to use this “mistake” to my advantage and swirled the butter around while it continued to hiss and foam until I noticed a distinct nutty odor and the butter turned a deep, golden brown hue. I scraped off some solids stuck to the bottom with a spatula, then added the macaroni noodles that had been patiently waiting in the colander along with the cheese powder and a few sprinkles of half and half.

It was – I’m happy to say – the best pot of Kraft I’ve ever made. The rich, nutty taste of the browned butter was the perfect counterbalance to the tangy, factory-made cheese, which made the whole thing much less “made” and tasted a bit more homemade. The browning of the butter added a lot to its flavor, moving it forward from the background without completely obscuring the bright orange powder. She was no longer a choir girl, but a co-star.

Kraft is my preferred macaroni choice, but you can add browned butter to any brand (like Annie’s or Trader Joe’s brand) and you can really add them to clams, spirals, or noodles in boxes. It makes your Mac more forgiving without requiring a lot of extra effort, and that, my friends, is my favorite type of hack.

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It’s unlikely we’ll ever be able to live a life without a tracker online, but we appreciate that companies are doing everything they can to make tracking users a lot more difficult technologically. If you’re a Firefox fanatic, Mozilla just launched a new “Total Cookie Protection” mode that basically isolates all cookies on a website. Each website is given its own “cookie jar” to borrow Mozilla’s metaphor, and that’s where cookies live. They cannot be shared with other websites.

As Mozilla writes::

Full cookie protection makes a limited exception for cross-site cookies if they are needed for non-tracking purposes, e.g. B. for those that are used by popular third-party login providers. Only when Total Cookie Protection determines that you intend to use a provider will that provider be authorized to use a cross-location cookie specific to the website you are currently visiting. Such temporary exceptions allow for strong privacy protection without affecting your browsing experience.

In combination with the Supercookie protection We announced last month that Total Cookie Protection would provide extensive partitioning of cookies and other site data between websites in Firefox. Together, these functions prevent websites from “marking” your browser, which means that the most widespread cross-location tracking technology is no longer necessary.

This approach should allow Firefox to more effectively block cookies-based tracking, rather than relying on a list that Mozilla doesn’t control to push its regular blocking implementation – its advanced tracking protection. The problem, writes Mozilla’s Johann Hofmann and Tim Huang, is pretty obvious::

To take action against web tracking, Firefox is currently using Enhanced Tracking Protection (ETP), which blocks cookies and other shared statuses of known trackers based on the disconnect list. This form of cookie blocking is an effective approach to stopping tracking, but it has its limitations. ETP protects users from the 3000 most common and widely used trackers identified. However, its protection is based on the fact that the list is complete and always up to date. It is difficult to ensure completeness, and trackers can try to bypass the list by registering new domain names. In addition, identifying trackers is a time consuming task and usually results in a delay of several months before a new tracking domain is added to the list.

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In theory, the exceptions to the “cookie jar” approach that Mozilla developed in Firefox should still allow users to log into websites with, for example, single sign-on. And let’s all keep our fingers crossed that companies can’t find a way to take advantage of the flexibility Mozilla offers these otherwise legitimate third-party cookie use cases.

As always, it’s best to use Firefox’s protection as a tool in your anti-advertising arsenal, but not the only one. For starters, you’ll need to enable the strict version of Firefox’s Enhanced Tracking Protection to take advantage of the new “cookie jar” approach. Standard mode won’t cut it:

Screenshot: David Murphy

From there, install some of your favorite other extensions to restrict tracking and advertising and you should be set. Our favorites are: