Article: Experiencing discrimination can make you feel low, unworthy, or less important than those around you. Don't take these experiences to heart. If you're struggling to feel positive about yourself, start by making a list of your positive qualities. This can help you see the great things about yourself and remind you of who you are. Your list can include physical traits (such as, "My favorite part of my body is my hair"), characteristics (such as, "I am kind, generous, and compassionate"), and your social qualities (such as, "I enjoy making other people feel good and laugh"). You can also practice ways to raise your self-esteem. Negative thoughts can perpetuate feelings of anxiety, depression, and thoughts that things are bad and will never improve. Find ways to stay positive about making changes and feeling good about yourself. Create goals instead of dwelling on negatives, and put things in perspective. For example, ask yourself how you've grown or matured as a result of your experiences, or if you're able to relate to people better due to your own experiences. If you've experienced discrimination for being a minority, you might relate to other minorities differently. If you feel like things will never change and you'll always feel hopeless, think back to other difficult times when bad things improved for you. Part of being empowered is knowing that you can make a difference. Create some goals around issues of discrimination that matter to you. For example, if you want to make a difference on a personal level, respond to discriminatory comments. If you want to make a difference on a larger scale, organize a group to fight discrimination on your college campus. This can help you feel confident in yourself and your abilities by knowing that you're making an impact. Face your fears and overcome them. For example, stand up for someone and show that you're on their side or talk about discrimination during class.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Develop a positive self-image. Challenge negative thinking. Empower yourself.
Article: Transfer the wood ash you've collected in your metal buckets to the barrel. Shovel the wood ash over top of the straw. Fill the barrel to within 4 inches (10 cm) of the top of the barrel. Mount the barrel on sturdy blocks so the holes underneath are accessible. The barrel has to be high enough off the ground to accommodate a bucket underneath. You can also mount the barrel inside an open wooden frame. Make sure the barrel is sturdy and will not fall over. Place a lye-safe bucket under the holes in the barrel. This bucket will catch the lye water, so it has to be a lye-safe material. Acceptable bucket materials include: Glass Stainless steel Number 5 plastics Heavy-duty plastic Slowly add rainwater to the barrel by the bucketful. You want to add enough water in total to make the ashes wet, but not soaking. If you start to see the water line at the top of the bucket and the ashes are starting to float, stop adding water. Pay attention to how many bucketfuls of water you add. This will give you an idea of how many buckets of lye water to expect from the barrel. You don't have to put a lid on the barrel, but make sure that it's protected from rain in case you get a storm. Lye is very caustic and corrosive. It burns skin, causes blindness, and can damage organic tissue and inorganic materials. When working with lye and lye water, it's very important to be extremely careful and to wear personal safety equipment, including: Goggles Hard shoes or boots Elbow-length plastic gloves After a few hours, the first run of lye water will start to trickle out from the holes in the bottom of the barrel. Let the bucket underneath fill up to within 4 inches (10 cm) of the top of the bucket. When the bucket is full, carefully remove it from under the barrel. Be careful not to spill the lye water. Replace the bucket with a fresh one to catch the rest of the water. Your lye water has to be a certain strength before you can use it to make soap. The lye water will probably not be ready after a single run, but you can test it. There are four different tests you can use to test the strength of the lye: Use pH test strips. You're looking for a pH of 13. Use a pH meter to see if the pH is at 13. Place a small potato in the lye water. If it sinks, the lye isn't strong enough. If it floats, the lye is ready. Dip a chicken feather into the lye. If the feather doesn't dissolve, the lye isn't strong enough yet. Most lye water solutions will have to be run through the ash barrel at least a second time. If your lye wasn't strong enough after the first run, carefully pour all the lye water back into the ash barrel. Be extremely careful not to spill or splash the lye water, as it can burn your skin. Replace a bucket under the holes in the barrel. Let the water drain through the ashes again. The lye water that comes out the second time will be stronger. When all the lye water has drained through a second time, test the pH again. Run the lye water through again if necessary.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Fill the barrel with wood ash. Prop the barrel up on sturdy blocks. Position the bucket. Pour rainwater over the ash. Put on your personal safety equipment. Collect the water that drains out. Test the strength. Run the water through again until it's strong enough.
Article: This will give you about 1 cups (350 milliliters) of sugar water. If you need to make more/less sugar water, then use one part water to one part sugar. The high temperature will help dissolve the sugar water faster. Be sure to stir often to help the sugar dissolve. As soon as the water begins to boil, reduce the heat and bring the water to a simmer. It will take about three minutes for the sugar to dissolve. Set it down onto a heat-resistant surface and let the mixture return to room temperature. Place a funnel into the neck of a glass bottle, and carefully pour the sugar water into the bottle. If you cannot find a bottle, you can use a glass jar. Put the cap on the bottle and close it tightly. Use it within one month. You can use sugar water to make lemonade or cocktails.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Fill a pot with 1 cup (240 milliliters) and 1 cup (200 grams) sugar. Set the pot on the stove and boil the water. Reduce the water to a simmer and wait until the sugar dissolves. Take the pot off the stove and let it cool. Transfer the mixture to a bottle. Store the sugar water in the refrigerator.