text:
Focus Encore: Why give gifts?
There's a lot of forethought, and sometimes a lot of stress, that's a part of the holiday season. That's completely counter-intuitive considering the holidays are supposed to be a time to relax and enjoy time with family and friends. During this encore hour on Focus, we talked about why certain expectations are attached to the holidays and what we can do about it.
For the first half of the hour, host Jim Meadows talks with University of Illinois Professor Harry Liebersohn, about the reasons we give gifts. He does research in Europe and says even though the act of giving a gift implies the same thing everywhere, traditions surrounding gift giving vary widely from culture to culture. He'll also tell us about how the definition of what a gift is has evolved over time. Then, on the second half of this hour on Focus, Susan Salterburg of the University of Northern Iowa joins the show. She's a part of an outreach program called "Reclaim Your Holidays," that's trying to spread the message that simplifying the holidays and giving fewer gifts is not only 100% acceptable but also more environmentally friendly.
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Transcript for file: focus131217a.mp3
holidays in for relaxing shopping for gifts can be anything but how did
how did gift giving become such a big part of it all meadows of Dan
dan focus will talk with gift giving you a story in every Lieberson University
versity of Illinois professor who studied Christmas gift giving traditions different countries
motives reasons that the one with the Susan Salter
Walterboro are used for claiming holiday concentrating on what you really mean it
giving other stuff in becoming more environmentally
mentally friends process holiday gift-giving today on focus
program continues after the news
welcome to focus on Jim meadows in right now a lot of us maybe most of us
are spending time isn't buying gifts for other people and perhaps wondering what to get for a
for us it may not even feel like a choice but like something everybody just does
does for Christmas and there are other times and gift giving is customary
Darcy Miley mandatory like birthdays wedding anniversaries etc but why
why what's the meaning of it all well later on during Focus I will talk to someone
what ideas about regaining control of a holiday gift-giving rush my first
my first gasket right now can tell us why we give gifts in the first place
everybody person actually wrote the book and gift giving its called the return of the gift European
European history of a global idea that looks like gift giving customs in Europe a reason
history professor here at the University of Illinois welcome to focus thank you Jim
Jim it's a pleasure to be here now you understand a gift giving done on one
11 zone for personal reasons but why do we give gifts in
in connection with certifications like Christmas birthday anniversary whatever
will an e very basic level gifts are our way
way of recognizing other Zumanity gifts are way off
recognizing what is special about the other person in orange
are you interested in doing that is heightened at these Holiday Inn
moments but maybe it was the first to just step back for us
for a second and think about what we mean by a gift
um do was it a great French sociologist anthropologist MN
man named Mr somos who said give giving is really 3
threefold theory is a social obligation to give
little so to accept a gift into
reciprocate and understand what we mean by a gift really have to wash
how to widen are understanding to encompass all 3 the sickness
Anna's back its important to keep in mind use the gifts are not just
material things we do for each other many kinds of
of gifts Frehley generously everytime we say
thank you everytime we give our time for something special
we are involved in this network of gift giving back and forth
what sounds like gift-giving when we talk about the gift
um the gift is Justin object in less is involved
the process of gift giving someone is giving it to someone is getting it will the traitor mean it
depends on the social meaning and what we make of it so
give you a little example of what we mean by this
imagine a group of a dozen guys they work together in
and all once a month to go out for a drink and when they go
one person buys for everybody else so there's your gift will
well where's where's the return well you can imagine weather return is the next month
text month another person buys in round n round it goes
no matching God number 12 the night he supposed
post to beat a person with large s he says sorry guys
why is my favorite 1973 runners on can't make a Welsh
he has failed in the obligation to return and you could imagine
when did this is does something to the way his buddies imagine
legend Tim to his social standing in the group so that soon as the circuit
the vault in the gift well we like to hear your thoughts about
gift-giving what do you love about gift giving what works for you and I
and I you can call it Collison tell us about it are toll free number is 1 800 222
29455 for 2800 222 w IL
LLR email address is Will dash Tomcat Illinois .edu
also welcome you questions on Facebook and Twitter the same
same server breakfast sausage I'm going to get that were drawn
the same Sutter feeling of a picture of mutual application I get around that way
that comes into Christmas gift giving as well yes I think it does
does on everybody wants to bring something to the ER
the holiday season and sometimes I think we've all been in the situation
Asian of forgetting to bring a gift for on a major
major holiday or a birthday party and then you feel terrible you feel sick
if you floss face in some way and there is that element
of obligations that most of us have experience
I'm wondering I'm thinking back to being a kid at Christmas in one of the first
first off locations of my young life and I guess I was really aware of is the eye
idea that um I'm supposed to buy my parents Christmas
and of course I'm using money that they gave me I have no wealth of my own
but it does start it it does start a better leader
relationship the mutual gift giving is still there does he doesn't want to
one of the things that we do with our children very early on is to it
educate them and turn them into good anthropologist educate a mini art of gift giving
giving sew and sell a sense of Oz 7 year old have
Harry Reid Jim a scarf that he didn't want and your parents say
where is that thank you notes do you were supposed to write a and Sally
when they do the day are being good sociologist with Marcel most
Mohsen sang the gift threefold you have to return
ok the threefold mean the Midland tell me about the threefold party
yes yes because we give ten there's the obligation to
into accept Soha maginal guys with the drinks again
if there's one person who says one night 110 accept your offer
other drink that's a pretty striking social status
statement that you've made you are really distancing yourself from somebody
when you do that so acceptance is also a part of the art of course WI
we teach each other to accept gracefully ok and that and that comes to mind
how to say your the father accepting all I don't know the next time from
front from your from your young son that's right another part of that social
liquidation let's take a cooler with something to say about gifts online for Jeff
from Morris good morning urine Focus a good morning Merry Christmas first of America
Merry Christmas Happy Holidays in Happy Hanukkah
can say but I don't have a lot of money off work so I'm basically
I'm a clown woodworker Buy trade in the lot of
I make love to give somebody but um I don't ask
ask anybody for anything I don't need it I can take it to the grave salon
aborted Ward mature stuff and Im so what my dad told
hold me tight how to solve it better to make something from you
or like you're saying a letter that it is from school at the store buying it in
things to know the person you know the person well enough
picture by step pictures of person for the that should not alone
here she don't want in
what you say I try to make my own in gives much tickets
materialistic love you anymore just like its ic1 people giving
living things weather its weather is in a 12
baby getting back in the way of helping others that fit a food bank
decor date halfway house for donating their time doing something I think that's
dubstep more to me than it does to a materialistic things
things guys greatshield Thank You gif much for your call
and I'm on Monday, during Harry on different ideas of what soda
set of gift to give does it come into the different cultural traditions
missions at UIUC out there I know that you would you study to sippy what goes on in Europe
Europe what to name what it what is a seeing as to what sort of item gift
the gift should be I guess I first just want to affirm what are collard
largesse how to say I think those are beautiful comments in really
really good principles for everybody Oswego into the hollow
the holiday season the gift that you've made a thinking about the other
the other person does this is a really really great comet far is stupid
do Francisco um I think the almost not all
all societies I have gift giving practices Naidu differ from place to place
sometimes it's always so often in Germany where I live spend a lot of
lot of time is a German historian um diffuse be different if your
if you're invited to somebody's house for dinner and you bring a bottle
bottle of wine normally people will not use a bottle of wine
for the armed for the meal instead they regarded as a house
household gift the whole point is there a have made dinner for you in
in the will enjoy you return gift at home later date
compare that with the Midwest which is famous for
for the potluck where everybody bring something to the table
whole different conception of what it means to give the idea that weird
making the meal together and I think to behind those really very
different conceptions of what is the side use what household is the
is that you can see the little example of the gift is something like the potluck
specifically American Development Inc
do you think it's very distinctively American and I have to say is somebody who grew up
who grew up in suburban Washington DC does the potluck was new for me
when I came to the Midwest okay so me and a sonaze
what is not just America branch regional regional I think so I think so
smoking in in the European tradition it's more like your visit
visiting with your its not like a lot of a lot of people gathering together
weather like your visiting somebody else's household budget does this end
sense of the house the household is a shorter than close unity
would you visiting is an outsider Ruther than the more you
Unimin New certain way Palm much with is the kind of the the barriers in lower
between inside and outside the household okay that sounds like it it sounds like that maybe
maybe a key difference between to gift giving traditions I wonder how they
how that a I wonder how that plays out to specifically when it comes to something like
Christmas yes will I think the of nas the Don
will Chris Christmas is different in Germany because Christmas would be very much
how much more restricted to families is a great sense of intimacy
and again for the the lines are drawn more formally
around the house hold in Germany where is the right thing to do more with
with visiting at Christmastime in souther might be you
you might be a little bit of gift giving at work and and
Ananda Hmong friends on but the focus is Billy on family and country
yes yes I think everything closes down more radically around the fur
the family in Germany we are talking about the tradition of gif
gift-giving in the later on we'll be talking about ways to baby take back control of
role of that gift giving a tradition was Susan cell to break my guest right now is heavy
Harry Lee purse on it and he is a an expert on
on our gift giving tradition CC author of the return of the gift European history of a
Global idea or wondering about your gift giving a tradition
give us a call about the man 1 800 222 9455 that's 18
1 800 222 and WILL deny you can email
email Liza WY el dash talk at Illinois .edu happy wok
The Walking Dead Facebook and Twitter at focus 58
zero the tradition of gift giving in family gift giving ideas
I'm getting is relatively recent the last couple hundred years is far is crisp
Christmas is concerta side do I have the right things said on
are think that's true but at the same time we have to remember that people have
ollies giving gifts within the the family see if you think about we
wheels and inheritance is a very big cat
category of all of gift giving end of people have voice
boys giving lot of 42 what will I give my children and Howell iDevice
divide my things up among my children intercourses lottery
lot of potential for for pleasure there a and remembrance of Allah
are of one's parents and also there's a lot of potential for quarreling
what about the dividing up of the gifts does are so Tovar when you're talking about Wilson
bills in heritance you're talking about son of a once in a lifetime saying once in someone's lifetime
what time anyway Dutch that's right at the same time for sometimes people give a little bit
little bit early um it and odds maybe Your Mother
mother has an heirloom necklace from her mother and she decides to give it
give it to her daughter when your daughter gets married what kind of things so so there's a lot of immunity
the way to integrate orange is lot of discretion that can go into this kind of
of momentous gift giving and when someone gives that moment
Momentis gift what are they saying will the day maybe
beyond the maybe are there some kind of recognition its taking place
listen mansion for example did the mother gives the necklace
list two for new daughter in law in this is way of saying you are
you are part of this family so its weight of a way of assigning a search
certain social status sewing buddy out so it's not just a personal message
message to the recipient of the gifted sounds like the gift giving is also meant to be
meant to be seen by others that's right that's right there's always a large sort of social
perception that goes along with it and it at me be no. 1
no one of your three children gets the silver and as you
you are as you do this you say well you know Mary is the responsible
2012 really take care of that silver for a lifetime well that's quite a statement about that
the child if you make a public OK in the context of
Christmas giving one thing that strikes me as soon as one
channel of giving um which is the giving that comes under
under the dome the DMV in time the entire little ritual of a chance
Santa Claus Santa Claus St Nicholas father Christmas do I don't know what they have Germany
I have a figure like that is it is not important the way it is in the United States
it's actually much more in American thing maybe it is strictly American Inn in
America than it seems like a whole level of giving is a signed for as long
as long as the child wolf continue to believe in it
to the 2 to the channel challeng of Santa Claus live
the SS if this is supernatural figures able to step into the gift giving
will maybe there is something really furry human important something magical
magical behind because that heightens the magic of gift giving
for the child in the idea that we feel with gift
is something we don't necessarily search for pictures of the Pops down from
on high in the the really links to something very deep in all religions
is tradition think of the gift of grace basic
Christian idea we don't deserve grace but it descends upon
upon a Senate maybe the units of the form of Santa Claus at something
AAA certain function of the is it worth the Grace you know you're making me
making me thinking right now something off of church there's a there's there's a moment at least of these
the Episcopal Church of the diet end where are members of the congregation
should bring up both the bread wine that will be used in communion also the money offer
Stacy from the congregation presented to the priest at the altar
altura and then the presets All Saints come off the gold Lord
and the congregation replies in of the Unknown have we given the
seems to be touching on that idea of a of a
of a gift of a gift of grace a gift that a gift from God the can't really
really be equal to buy I love you bye bye mortals giving back
although they try does the Troy lighting to the often we feel if we been blessed
blessed in our own life that we want to give back in some way and that goes all the way
the way from the philanthropist Windows 8 a building um
to the smallest gift within a community that displays ideas
do that we want to give back of course there again we have a recipe TDI do the weeping
we been blessed and want to return in some way did you find that
that that serve gift giving the soda philanthropic
gift-giving work the same way in Germany is does here in America
this is actually something the truther do friend I think you know I'll Germany
Germany in other European northern European countries do Sister
is a certain idea that you you give you sacrifice to the state you believe that the state
state is good we do much more private and philanthropic
giving in the United States much much more than Germans are other odd
northern European stews does real contrast the traditions there is is that
is that more fat goes through the state syndrome in dogs
what does indicted mean I know also dead Odin Denmark
people really identify with the state that think it's good to take satisfaction
in the Social Work state to state does for the whole community in for a lot of America
American 6 be released 180 degrees the other ways that they identify with
with being against the state of being wanted to be wanted to be suspicious or Park from the state
Detroit Detroit at the same time the me really believe in Father plantar PA
herpes images creepy little bit of enjoy you know it's true
are you interested in a place like New York these big surf boards like the
Dr Oz DVD Board of Trustees of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
parts for the Opera House on people give cow
hundreds of thousands of dollars they give hundred thousand dollars
the hope of being on the board of a of the nation like that
like that and the matter with the politics is a believe in a big scale
on this kind of private giving and push you can believe in both you can think of the state
state does good and believe in planter psy is there less than private
is there less private philanthropy in a country like Germany how much loves much less money
how much less is really hard I know I've spoken to people from educational and
other institutions of told me that they going to potential donors the dollar sign up
what should we be doing that touch the job of the state prison do im on one
countries were the weather today s*** is that way do private charities
Woody's work with the government try to find something there D do they do in the Germans
German specifically have very ingenious combinations of Prague
private state giving for education and culture and country
truly its shifting now in Germany everybody's trying to develop
private funding as well as state fund a device Steelers
is our is very distinctly that that still leaves person
personal gift giving is being something apart from my guess the idea of gift
gift giving for the community and in America that may be more than idea of
Publix gift giving that is gift giving for the public good that's done on one's own
yes yes yes and you know it so interesting look at it because it's clear
tear that are the people of great well to do this partly because
because they want to be loved they want to have high status within a community
Indy compete with one another for that status like who gets to be on
on the board of the Metropolitan Opera in is a kind of healthy
competition since in the end of the public are certainly winners from
from this kind of philanthropy this makes me think I'm wondering how a storyline
free likes a Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol place in a culture like
Germany where so much of the story is about Ebenezer
Scrooge learning to get to give gifts in some of them are personal family
family give some of it is about Ebenezer Scrooge being reunited with a relative sees penis
estranged from but some of that is also about giving that's a wrap
raps in some countries with the really get into the State decides to give the gift
private charities that he refused to give at the beginning of the tail and he decides to
lights to go out you know give gifts to of the family office employee the Cratchits
that again the bed that he would never thought of at the beginning of the story
take a story like that to Germany and how does it play who will I think that use
use a healthy reminder that you've given can take many
Omni many different forms and certainly um
Germans idea of community one of the forms that it takes is
is collective self sacrifice did if there is a crisis the wheel
we all have to pull on together and a treadmill German
Norman public virtue that is very admirable even if it doesn't take this
take the same form of private philanthropic giving said that we know Indiana
the United States oh I think we want to also be sort of Tolerance
porn of different patterns of giving that take place in differences
Society for Hampton Marley's ghost in the German version of A Christmas Carol with c** for in time
tire town rather than a visual business man that sounds Plaza
Plaza bowl it does indeed when we come we come to the other the rituals
jewel in the expectations of gift giving one of the things were here about
about one of the central talking about will be talking about this hour is how this can chase with people how they feel
the feel that there they're doing things the expected to give but they're not giving
do not getting the set of personal reward out of it that's too much of its for show
show too much of it is just an empty ritual is that do those
zoso to hook up problems are misgivings come up in other cultures as well
is well do you do they do and I think of you know the element of coop
compulsion can be so strong in gift-giving how much
what you're expected to give and so forth did it takes a lot of work to reclaimed
lame gift giving as an art not think this has been true in all times and places
let me tell you about a famous example of Dead Sea
the anthropologist talk about nuts was called the hula rings
from a set of islands in the Caribbean islands off of New Guinea
end of the coolest shows were valuable shells heirlooms
the to do you say to somebody else that went from pool and seizure
Cecil like sea shells or polish for the main thing is the other important
important people had already owns of the wind from powerful person to powerful purse
person in one of the things about the shells was you weren't supposed
supposed to hold them they were like heirlooms but we usually give heirlooms down
down through time Big Easy shows a cross through societies
who was Wizard of a struggle you are proud of your shell she wanted to hold on
hold on to them but you've got to give you can just Ward do you have to
om give the child to somebody else armed and so you know
you know they're always steez teez very serious struggles about gift giving
doing it the right way we claiming at for ourselves in your study of gif
gift giving in German culture did you find a debate feeling on may be a minority
where the opinion no matter what everybody is doing some people saying no we should
should do it this way it's not really valuable B should do with this other way I think too big
Truman sing in history no going back to the 90
19th century was the idea of the gift giving should always be selfless
you don't expect reciprocity you don't expect a return
end of Moose people thought that when the 19 century in this is where
Marcel most really bold people over when he says I actually stand back
little bit when you see that you're always part of this network of giving and
and receiving eyemart I want I want I want to take this a little bit
better dig two of a tension Marsha most also how you spell his name
look up I know that I can go to Wikipedia you find some stuff about a man know if no one else
you will use a great guy MA USFS is the
is the last name he was a marvelous man and all you belong to Luke community
city of scholars the gave a lot that sacrifice a lot to each other during the first
First World War and after the war he did a lot to preserve the memory of
the of other fallen colic so he was a great gift giver
um with time to say one word China
and gift giving I want to still think about China and the pandas
um because a Chinese are great gift givers and water
the great forms of gift giving is giving pandas to zoos around the world
world of course they gave a two pandas Ling Ling Ling lings partners
where to the National Zoo in Washington in 1972
what they continue to give pandas to other zoos right up to
to the present day day loan not because there so few pandas left but they are
this is this is a great influence of gift giving in the president world
interesting interesting one thing cover think of all the cute videos that you can find
you can find online about that does its surrounding the web cam up for the night
the National Zoo in Washington job.com the pandas we've been talking
talking with history professor hairy hairy Lieberson he's an expert on gift giving
author of the book The Return of the gift yes it is a pawn Anderson video player
a play on words European history of a global ideas published by Cambridge University Press
fast and hard back and Kindle editions is no doubt a great gift ideas
Eyedea and it's time for short break thank you very much for being on focus with us
what does and I will be back in a moment with more in a different Akon gift giving
giving without shoes in Salzburg Amedisys focus on wyll
we are back on focus on WILL
Jim meadows in we've been talking about a gift giving the pressure
usher to give gifts in some help get it right can be relentless it this time of year
beer brats you taking steps in your family to output some controls on
on the Christmas rush my channeling how you do gift-giving I would like to hear your
hear your ideas on bus lines this half hour our guest Suzanne saltbreak has a fever for Owen
Roane she is with the Center for energy and environmental education at the University of
city of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls Susan welcome to focus
biting me now you prove to your ideas under the title
reclaim your holidays what does that mean and how do the holidays me Drake
reclaiming well it's about being intentional about
holidays on what matters most to you and I
some people don't need to be claimed the holidays Avery crazy Dave's
what to do um but other people
um commercial commercial is the earliest Halloween
Halloween and um it is easy
easy updos for most of us to start selling yourself stories about how much we have to
given material get the people to show people that we love them
um and that is what love but its not
it's not the only way now I understand is Miley Cyrus side effect that that that you can
did you get out of this you are with the Center for energy and environmental education
and that by making upper halves gift giving a little more emotionally sustaining you can be
can be environmentally sustainable as well
right on the research shows us that things that matter most to ask
are relationships leisure time with um
activities that we like and my heart to for those things
things are true and so when we
consume a lot of material goods that generate wasting all forms
and if it doesn't make us happy we do need to start questions
that would be to our benefits? You said that yourself in bother your heart
your heart confirms that these things are true that you have a personal experience in a moment
mid of the of your own that that that let you to think about the holidays
this way I'm lucky that I grew up in a family vet
vet I guess we didn't have very much money is so we just simple thing
things and then go bust of my generation 53 had
much more simple holidays and we have now so um myaha Mormon
almonds was really more my work in the environmental field and house
how often do people in the environmental field
telling people what not to do and this is about telling people what what
what to do and what is a how to have a richer for life
life and insulting things that match
what matters most to us now I understand in going over the sub do you look at
you look at that that studies in urban studies about this about what really makes us happy
and you know the context of of Christmas in the holidays gift giving
giving what what can you what can you say in in general senses what
what really does make us happy are there alot of studies out there in 5
halftime I'm halfway through the never articles on social sciences
related to that but um the things that make us happy
if our faith comes up there as something that helps us because tense
1000 and relationships genetic
um butts
it's interesting that happiness in America pizza in the 19 fifties and that
that's really after World War 2 when we really started feeling a lot
more am wondering if there's a tie there ok
well we like to hear from of from you all you folks listening about
what about the holidays makes you happy what traditions or practices
gift-giving in the holidays of satisfied you earlier this program a herd of
from a are Carlisa Jeff Morris who are the works with wood inlay
can lights to make his own Christmas gifts if you have any particular practices are Kurdish
traditions what's new about our phone number is 1 800 2229
9455 email addresses will a dash talk at Illinois
illinois.edu work on Twitter and Facebook focus 580
and the phone number again 1 800 222 w IL
ll Susan Salzburg when it comes to win it when it comes to gifts
skips don't necessarily have to be off things are objects
no they don't have to be in fact one of the abyss research
search the wife of interesting is that when I money is invested in experiences
people remember that lager so giving a gift that's not a
not a product like maybe getting a gift for the theater or getting your family
family together to go to a tablet or a couple made goes to a bed and breakfast
remember that longer than the Furious any idea why that is the king
the case because I was so you can have an object the object to be around forever 21
why doesn't resonate the same way as as the memory of something that you did
I'd love to turn my question back to you
can you think about um
weather that regulates with you um what attributes you received
past few years um and what experiences have you had
which which what's the surfaces I'm your items
thinking of a lot of objects in a set of passed along the way um actually the
the other thing that's most memorable about Christmas was really the moment of
love me another me and other members of my family sitting around and and
and opening the presence together being together Olivia the trees always
always there always remember that is a large part of it but but but all the
what all the object to become a bit of a blurry after a while
is is mi mi getting the MM I get into something to part of your own
pointy recetas is is that that the surfing UCS farce what people finder
rewarding about the holidays well I think we will
talk later about those gift and how fun it is to have that I'm rapping
wrapping ceremony at all anticipation get to that but um
think about the holidays for me and my personal experience
things I remember our ending them at peoples houses
and we're going to a family has a tradition of going to the park
parks in Iowa um where 20 what can be together maybe a couple of
cabins have enough space have neutral territory and then go hiking
um play games together some large group games
um we fall so gone to Colorado and then sweating skiing
I'm the kind of things and material gifts
I just can't remember very messy all though I can remember q material get that I've got no
got nobody years that I really value b*** out of all those
Lowes get that we get there material I would challenger listeners
sinners to the Telus which one thing remembered as it seems like there's not very many
remember now in in your case with these the way the traditions
missions already working your family are did did you make some intentional change
changes in order to 20 to reclaim the holiday
um I guess some of both
Farm and so I didn't have to use my own
I want my nieces and nephews were born and they all were living is
cities in larger cities I really wanted them to have a knex
connection to the out of doors and so getting them getting Us
f2 a state park and experiencing a cabin and hiking those kind of
kind of things what was part of my family
family growing up but also something deliberate about wanting to pass it on to the next generation
generation unemployment of the past the pass on the past
pass on the tradition of these activities on the value of
um in nature and water to give to us
and I'm sorry go ahead
what's the app that made sense yes I said I think so I'm
I'm wondering as as you've been talking about these things to do to others what
what's the responses you've gotten and I may be a specially for a for the people
people and families were perhaps the big thing about the presence can be
B&O to especially if your kid for Absecon be a certified addiction that
you don't want to see go away oh yeah and I
and I want to say again I don't have kids so that's a huge disclaimer because that is
is a challenge this is not a prescriptive program
Graham and everybody have to do it
throne way maybe it's just finding one do things to change to
really do what you want to have happened during the holidays but I remember the Kid
the kid anticipation was huge relief on 280
does president under the tree and a half the stalking in the hole ritual a Santa Claus
os um so I'm wrapping gifts
this is just fart um but teaching values also
important and so balancing those things I think is
um something that many of us would like to do better
better um I know we can't immunize kids from advertise
Heisman but we can talk to them about choices
friend of mine a colleague of Mind years ago remember she
Hershey would say that hurts you would drive down the road and her mom
why can't we have a car like that and she would say we can what the trade off
trade off is that I won't have as much time to spend with you because I would have to be at a job that requires a lot
adalat more of my time and so even talking
talking to kids in helping them understand what the trade-offs are um
how to have a thousand the presents under the Christmas tree
um vs a simpler Christmas they may oft
depending upon their age take me out for more time in detention
I'm wondering Hilson other parts of the eye
off off off Christmas traditions just the decorating others I can't think of a morder
more decorated holiday outside to say maybe a wedding
then than Christmas and the is this is a large drive to do
do that that's also that's just a lot a lot of another way or another set of stuff
f*** a whole bunch of paper are what are are plastic for that matter that
the guy that goes out in a room in around the house in as I can see in the yard lighting
lighting up as well do you see an alternative when it comes to the
that's a fridge to decorate
what's a the people have the real early to decorate a enjoy it
and then not burning their family with expectations to help them with everything
family doesn't want to help um um them decorate
great have fun with it um but I know
the terror RI lots of alternative and wanted
things I did recently was I thought this cool
Christmas tree build off Fox
apparently libraries around the nation have have built these large
trees that are that have lights on them what its made for
Church Christmas tree out of books have lights on
really charming and so that certainly agree alternative
2 coming out of Christmas tree but I'd said if you really want to cut down a Christmas tree
cut down Christmas tree get a local 1
struck by the idea of a Christmas tree made a book this is like these books piled up
assert shape without works yes sir piled up in triangles and I googled
Gold I saw the picture on facebook of this the coolest thing
Google how do you build a book to a Christmas tree out of books
and there were several different types of the retina and it took me not very
very long at all to do it so the books are reusable afterwards notebooks
boxer Harbor MI hardens and soft cover books around the house
my house I probably use about 50 in this particular um
small modest tree probably a foot and a half tall I dread the time
that somebody use a hundred bucks in their house that had about 100 books in the whole house
the used all of them and made a 3 foot tree so I can I
can I give you a quick I was just looking online issue spoke one place you can try Google
Google enforce a website called the Mary Sue which describes itself as a guide to girls
girls keek culture and it has photos of different Christmas trees
grease made out of books with least one of them is a little tough
tough on the books but the other ones of other ones are not in there are very
very many different ways that you can file books together to make a Christmas tree and yes but lights on
lights on them we are a talking about a way to reclaim the holidays with us
without shoes in Salzburg if you have some ideas about your own Christmas traditions
still time for us to give us a call at 1 800 22 29455
561 800 222 WILL are email address
is a will dash talk at Illinois dot
edu II am really stressed about that that's a survey
anon destructivo of way of decorating in the holidays are there any other uh you know
did Decker Decker decorating ideas to come to mine
how we have a list of them that's not my area decorators
later so I have other people that I work with some stuff with that what we do on
do on the holidays Oregon website have ideas for
work holidays using natural materials
it is one of the fundamental idea
idea cranberries for example can be put in a salad
cranberries also um the that use a lot of
have chemicals to grow a lot of how many of the cranberry so um
there are lots of things to think about but that would be a natural products
product that you could put in your compost post
when it comes to wrapping the presence imajin there's a will there's a lot of paper that goes in there
there is there are other alternatives to tell all that dont the price
paper which sometimes I find people are most of the reluctant
throat the throw out to look at a little more yeah well
um just looking at something we we have apps
little hand out on the holiday site called I want to share their innovative ideas
I guess I'm sure there lots of Illinois
we have a Facebook page for people to go to college
and click on that give us there ideas 10 people
people that I talk to about sewing cloth gift bags
for all of their gifts and she said she started
start sewing gift bag that could be used every year instead of wrapping paper 25 powerful Fabrikant
Mercon sale at the end of the holiday season and then so if you more bag for her cllection
every year and put the dross drink at the top of the couples
or colorful rubber cord and they look beautiful on the tree
um now she didn't say her younger son Disney quest
Best Buy rap 1 just for him eat your wrapping paper because you loved the south and feel
will a ripping open the paper search sounds like it so its a little bit
little bit of not necessarily doing away with something but maybe maybe modify
define R Rd are down sizing a little bit to bore reasonable proportions
really focusing on what you want what
what what is fun and meaningful for you and oak
I think things that I was thinking about before the interview
review was that we have handout online
that ask people to Assessor holiday season um and just take five
5 minutes think about last holiday season and then rank the meaning of
eating places I got from various activities and then do they want to do more lessons
Topix coming here so that's a one way of being more intentional and that's called the
call the five minute assessment and that's really looking back and not what you think you're supposed
supposed to do but what you really truly found rewarding right
when Im afraid were just about out of time here we've been talking with Susan Salter burger
the University of Northern Iowa reclaiming the holidays what you can find out
find out more about how to reclaim in the holidays torginol soda
reclaiming your holidays is the correct reclaim reclaim
get this right or I was just send people to strain reclaim your home
holidays.org and also look up reclaim your holidays on
Facebook will have links on our website at will.illinois.edu/
slash focus Susan Salzberg Happy Holidays NSYNC
thanks for being on focus today thanks so much Gym Tulsa
salsa professor really persona the University of Illinois for talking about gift giving customs
during the first half of R programming thanks everyone who called her email
questions during the program today we invite you to continue the discussion on today
today's program at our website at will.illinois.edu
edu slash focus and we are likely the first result on your search engine
if you just type in WILL focus today show was produced by Lindsey moon
the moon Jason crofters are technical director tomorrow on focus you may not like everything
think about the way you meet is produced in America but Marino girl says it's simply a matter
matter of an industry doing what it takes to give customers what they want and what we
what we want apparently is no price meet and plenty of it Marino club right about the meeting
meat industry her book in meat We Trust she's my guest on Wednesdays a day
addition of focus will be talking about that tomorrow this is focus on WILL
In Memory: A Thanksgiving Feast with Doyle Moore
Doyle Moore loved to cook, and what he craved most was a chance to share the food he made and stories about the food he made with family and friends. That's probably why he joined former Focus host David Inge to talk cooking on Focus580 for more than 30 years.
This hour on Focus, we pay homage to WILL's "Chef-in-Residence." Join host Jim Meadows as we listen back to conversations Doyle had with David and Focus' listeners about pumpkin pie, the Thanksgiving turkey's supporting cast, and what Doyle liked to call "gifts from the kitchen." We'll also hear from former Focus producers Jack Brighton and Harriet Williamson, and WILL's Dee Breeding about their favorite Doyle stories and recipes.
Do you remember Focus' cooking show? Did you ever make a recipe Doyle shared over the air? We'd love to hear from you about it! Post in the comment section below or find us on Facebook and Twitter @Focus580.
Read more to find recipes from the show (and a few extras)!
Cooking: Holiday Baking
With A. Doyle Moore (WILL Chef-in-Residence)
With Maud Lavin (book editor and Associate Professor of Visual and Critical Studies and Art History, Theory, and Criticism at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago)


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Cottage features
- Off road parking
- Smoke-free
- Garden / Patio
- Cot available
- Highchair available
- Pub/shop < 1 mile
- Washing machine
- Broadband / WiFi
The Property
A delightful stone-built cottage adjoining the owner's home and situated in a quiet position yet close to the centre of the pretty Wensleydale village of Bellerby. This tidy little cottage offers comfortable accommodation and has a sunny garden/patio at the back. A great base for enjoying the delights of Wensleydale and touring The Dales as a whole.
Two bedrooms: 1 x double, 1 x twin (with extra fold-up bed available on request). Ground floor shower room with WC and hand basin. Fitted kitchen. Sitting/dining room with electric fire. Entrance hall.
Central heating with electric fire in sitting room. Gas cooker, microwave, washing machine, fridge, freezer, TV, DVD, radio/CD player, WiFi. All fuel and power inc. in rent. Bed linen inc. in rent. Towel hire available. Cot and highchair on request. Pretty garden with sitting area. Off street parking for two cars. Two well-behaved pets welcome. Sorry, no smoking. Shops 1.5 miles (Leyburn), pub 5 mins walk.
Note: Up to 5th January 2015 this property allows one pet at a charge of £10. From 5th January 2015 this property allows two pets at no charge.
This property offers the following short breaks:
- Winter
- Off-season
- Last minute
- Christmas
About the location
Leyburn 2 miles; Richmond 7 miles.
The small Wensleydale village of Bellerby is situated in idyllic open countryside between the market towns of Leyburn and Richmond. The village itself has a good 'local' pub which serves food and fine ales, and there are wonderful walks in every direction. This is an ideal location for walking and touring the many attractions of Wensleydale and Swaledale - within a fifteen minute drive are historic Richmond and Middleham, as well as the attractive market towns of Bedale and Leyburn. There are numerous fine golf courses and the area boasts many excellent restaurants and award winning pubs. Nearby attractions include Fountains Abbey, Beamish and Lightwater Valley. The nearest town, Leyburn is dominated by its large market square, which still boasts a lively Friday market. The town has much to offer with its many craft shops, galleries and tea rooms. There are many lovely walks for all abilities in this beautiful area, as well as delightful villages to explore. Also within easy reach are many other attractions, notably the Constable Burton Hall Gardens with extensive parkland and woodland walks, the Forbidden Corner with its underground passages to explore, and of course the lovely Georgian town of Richmond with its fine castle ruins.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
All across the country, summer curling camps are taking shape under the direction of some of our top competitive curlers and high-performance coaches. It's a great way to learn the fundamentals and strategy of the game from the experts – and get yourself in game shape for the upcoming season.
Register for summer curling camps across Canada and internationally. If you are running a summer curling camp and would like it listed on this page, please send details to Danny Lamoureux.
Sweetlake Junior Team Curling Camp, Zoetermeer, Netherlands
2015 dates TBA
Information and registration also available at www.wcf-camps-courses.com
British Columbia
Four Foot Curling Camp (New Mini Camp for Adults), Kelowna, B.C.
2015 dates TBA
Contact: email@example.com
Website: www.fourfootcurling.com
Four Foot Curling Camp (Adults), Parksville, B.C.
2015 dates TBA
Contact: firstname.lastname@example.com
Website: www.fourfootcurling.com
Rockslide Curling Camp, Kelowna, B.C.
2015 dates TBA
Location: Kelowna Curling Club
Cost: $392
Age range: 8-18 years
Level of curler: Novice through to high performance.
Includes on and off-ice components, team building, lunches, snacks and dinners. Accommodation and breakfast are not included.
Kevin Martin's Summer Curling Academy, Edmonton, Alberta
Junior Individual Camp – 2015 dates TBA
Junior Team Camp – 2015 dates TBA
Application forms can be found here: http://fscs.rampinteractive.com/savillecurling/files/association/KMSCA%202014%20Registration%20Form.pdf
Contact: Laura Crocker or 780-492-5519
"Alberta Rocks" Summer Curling Camps, Leduc, Alberta
Camp #1 – 2015 dates TBA
Camp #2 – 2015 dates TBA
Age range: 12-17 ages
Contact: Debi Vion (email@example.com) or by telephone at 780-644-4778
Website: Alberta Curling Federation Website
"Alberta Rocks" Adult Curling Camp, Leduc, Alberta
September 26-28, 2014
Contact: Debi Vion (firstname.lastname@example.com) or by telephone at 780-644-4778
Website: Alberta Curling Federation Website
SGI Canada Prairieland Curling Camp (Juniors), Nipawin, Saskatchewan
Camp #1 – 2015 dates TBA
Camp #2 – 2015 dates TBA
Contact: Amber Holland at firstname.lastname@example.com or by telephone at 1-877-SCA-CURL or 306-780-9403
Website: Saskatchewan Curling Association
Jennifer Jones Curling Camp, St. Vital C.C., Winnipeg
2014 dates TBA
Contact: Jennifer Jones at email@example.com
Website: www.teamjenniferjones.com
OCA High Performance Team Camp, Guelph Curling Club, Guelph, Ontario
2014 dates TBA
Contact: Jim Waite at firstname.lastname@example.com or by telephone at 519-631-4440
Website: www.ontcurl.com
Travelers Amethyst Summer Curling Camp, Sudbury, Ontario
2015 dates TBA
Contact: Jim Waite at firstname.lastname@example.com or by telephone at (519) 631-4440
Website: www.trilliumcurlingcamp.com
Youth Curling Camp, Oakville Curling Club, Ontario
2015 dates TBA
Contact: Oakville Curling Club at 905-844-6982
Website: http://www.oakvillecurlingclub.com/view/article/48/summer-youth-camp-2014
Trillium Junior Summer Curling Camp, Waterloo, Ontario
Week A – 2015 dates TBA
Week B – 2015 dates TBA
Contact: Jim Waite at firstname.lastname@example.com or by telephone at (519) 631-4440
Website: www.trilliumcurlingcamp.com
Hot Shots Fantasy Curling Camp, Oakville Curling Club, Ontario
Aug. 28-30, 2015 (20th Anniversary)
Contact: David Gravelle at email@example.com or by telephone at 705-321-8487
Website: www.hotshotscurling.com
Upper Canada Curling Camp, Minden Curling Club, Ontario
2015 dates TBA
Contact: Eric Casper at email@example.com or Scott Baker firstname.lastname@example.com
Website: http://www.mindencurlingclub.com/UCCC%20home%20page.htm
Team Howard Fantasy Curling Camp, Guelph Curling Club, Guelph, Ontario
Oct. 3-5, 2014
Contact email@example.com for more camp details.
Website: www.teamglennhoward.com
The Great Northern Curling Getaway, Elliot Lake, Ontario
October 27-31, 2014
Cost is $767.00 per person not including accommodations.
Contact: Danielle or Wayne McLeod at email@example.com or 705-848-6410
Website: http://www.curlinggetaway.com
Team Howard Team Curling Camp, Tam Heather Curling Club, Toronto, Ontario
2014 dates TBA
Contact: Brent Laing at firstname.lastname@example.com or by telephone at 705-715-7184
Website: www.teamglennhoward.com
Junior and Adult Curling Camp - Les Bleuets Givrés, Alma, Lac St-Jean, Québec
Adult Camp: 2015 dates TBA
Junior Camp: 2015 dates TBA
Guy Gosselin – firstname.lastname@example.com or 418-932-1859
Sylvie Robitaille – email@example.com or 418-669-0807
Website: www.curlingriverbend.com – download poster HERE
Atlantic Canada
Centre of Curling Excellence presented by Curling NB & Curl Moncton
Little Rocks Summer Curling Camp
2015 dates TBA
Skill Development Camps – brochure
2015 dates TBA for youth 12 and up & adults
Advanced Training & Development Camp – brochure
2015 dates TBA for youth 12 and up & adults
Contact: Curl Moncton at firstname.lastname@example.com or by telephone at 506-857-4285 or Grant Odishaw at 506-871-9614
Website: www.curlingtrainingcentre.com
Whitecap Curling Camp, APM Centre, Cornwall, P.E.I.
2015 dates TBA
Helen Radford


text:
Josh Walker reported, "I have an offer from Tennessee State University." He added, "I am receiving interest from Middle Tennessee State, Western Kentucky, Georgia Tech, and Vanderbilt."
This past Sunday Walker visited Middle Tennessee State and said, "I like Middle Tennessee because the coaches, the campus, and I like the atmosphere down there. I went to camp there yesterday. It went pretty good and I liked it." Walker explained, "Yeah I think so. I think I had a good day yesterday. It was a one day camp and they had a circuit of position drills and one on one. There had to be 250 to 300 people up there."
Another school showing interest in Walker is Western Kentucky. Walker commented, "I have talked to coach Wells, the offensive line coach up there. I will be up there for a summer camp for probably just one day."
Walker is also receiving interest from Georgia Tech. He said, "That is going to be one of my summer camps. I really like the offensive line coach, I know it's a good academic school and it's pretty close to home." He talked about Georgia Tech's interest by saying, "They came to talk to me at the field house and invited me to camp."
One of the SEC schools giving Walker a lot of attention is Vanderbilt. Walker said of Vanderbilt, "I know it's a good academic school and I talk to coach Logo. I'm going to come up for their summer camp too."
He spoke of his senior season and his plans to show his on the field strengths. He listed his strengths as, "My feet, run blocking and my leadership ability." Walker feels he team could be strong this season. He commented, "On offense we should be pretty strong. We have quite a few skill guys coming back."


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Good Short
By Tim
from Houston
About Me Avid Cyclist
See all my reviews
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Comments about Zoot Active Tri Shorts:
I ride a high racer recumbent and do not need traditional cycling shorts with their thick chamois padding. The tri shorts by Zoot are perfect in this regard in that the chamois padding is minimal and unobtrusive.
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
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Valentina Lisitsa
( Festival of the Arts Boca/Courtesy / March 13, 2013 )
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New Socialization Features In MetaTrader 4 And MetaTrader 5 Mobile Platforms
LIMASSOL, Cyprus, January 30, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --
In January 2013, MetaQuotes Software Corp. has released updated versions of MetaTrader 4 iPhone and MetaTrader 5 iPhone mobile trading platforms. Their main feature is the ability to securely communicate with any trader via the internal chat. For MetaQuotes Software, it is another milestone in the campaign aimed at socializing their software products.
The new chat in MetaTrader mobile terminals has become a reliable means of communication between traders and a great alternative to paid SMS messages. Such messaging is completely secure due to the use of MetaQuotes ID - a unique and randomly generated identifier. Each user automatically receives MetaQuotes ID when installing the mobile version of the terminal. This allows you to identify a trader without examining his or her personal data.
Thus, the system is secure for users, as only MetaQuotes IDs are used everywhere, while traders' personal data is never disclosed.Besides, the advantages of the chat in MetaTrader for iOS include instant delivery and free messages. The most important thing is that users are not tied to their phone numbers, as they can always use their MetaQuotes IDs on any device. Brokers will soon receive new features allowing them to establish a secure communication with traders. They will be able to send service messages to mobile devices of their clients using push notifications. However, this will be possible only if traders specify their MetaQuotes IDs in their profiles on brokers' web sites or when registering trading accounts. Otherwise, no messages from a broker will be received. "We have provided traders with the convenient and secure chat, and brokers will soon receive a reliable tool for sending service messages to their clients," says Gaies Chreis, COO of MetaQuotes Software Corp. "Moreover, socialization of our programs continues. We intend to introduce more elements of social networking services in them. The very essence of modern trading is changing right in front of our eyes. It is not only buy-sell relationships and analytics already, but an entire ecosystem of services. A striking example is our MQL5.community representing a powerful hub for traders and developers offering their solutions. The forum, subscription to trading signals, MQL5 Market applications store, Jobs service for submitting and fulfilling development orders, Automated Trading Championship, Code Base library - traders of various skill levels will find there everything they need."
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Stay up to date on new products, promotions, and more!
3.5in Jeep Suspension Lift Kit (6cyl)
Order in the nextand your in-stock order will ship today! See full details
- Download Instructions
Install Time: 2-3 hours Average estimated install time peformed by a professional shop or mechanic.
Tires: 31x10.50 R15 Recommended tire size for use with this kit. Please see Instructions for complete notes on this tire size recommendation.
Wheel BS: Factory Recommended wheel backspacing for use with this kit. Please see Instructions for complete notes on wheel backspacing.
- Easy bolt-on installation
- Increased ground clearance
- Levels the front with the rear of the vehicle
- Includes application valved N2.0 series shock absorbers which offer the best in balanced performance for on and off-road use.
- Does NOT fit AWD models.
- Does NOT fit models with V-8 engine.
- Stock front coil springs are moved to lift the rear.
- Models equipped with a CV style front driveshaft may result in driveshaft vibration. If this occurs, replacing the driveshaft, axle yoke and / or transfer case yoke will need to be performed to rid the vehicle of driveline vibration.
CV Driveshaft Example
This product features Rough Country's Lifetime Replacement Warranty. All products are warranted to be free from defects in material and craftsmanship for the life of the vehicle if utilized in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions for installation and operation of said products. For complete details and coverage information please click here.
We are proud to offer Same Day Shipping. If you place your order before 4pm (cst) your order will be shipped that day. Parts ordered must be in stock for the order to ship. Approximately 97% of all orders placed leave our warehouses within 24 to 48 hours(not including weekends & holidays). For complete details please click here.
- Front
- Lifted coil springs
- Fixed lower control arms
- Extended sway-bar links
- Crossmember spacers
- Hardware
- Rear
- Fixed lower control arms
- Track bar bracket
- Hardware
- Shocks
- (4) Premium N2.0 Series
Fitment Table
|ZJ Grand Cherokee
Always check the product's overview, for more important fitment information


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Available Colors/Styles
Detail Pics
A fresh approach to outerwear for approaching the freshies.
Assembled from 100% recycled polyester with 10K-rated waterproof performance and designed with the same artistic expression that graces their board's topsheets, the Lib Tech Recycler Pant goes hard in the snow but easy on the earth.
- 10K-rated waterproofing and breathability keep the Recycler going strong in most conditions and breathing easy the whole time
- Critical seams are taped to prevent moisture getting in and saturating your session
- Relaxed fit provides exceptional mobility and room for layering without appearing overly baggy
- Slanted and mesh-backed venting is designed with ergonomic functionality in mind
- Storm jacket-to-pant connection system adjoins to corresponding jackets to effectively seal out snow
- Genius Cuff system lifts and locks to save the hem of the pant from getting shredded after a season of parking-lot treks
- Adjustable waist dials in a perfect fit with the simple pull of a tab
- Artwork by Mike Parillo; pant design blends seamlessly with corresponding Recycler Jacket


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Place rating
22 tourist attractions shown on this New Orleans map: Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, National World War II Museum, The Ogden Museum of Southern Art, Mardi Gras, Bourbon Street, Audubon Zoo, City Park, The Presbytère, Contemporary Arts Center, Longue Vue House & Gardens, Mardi Gras World, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, Preservation Hall, New Orleans Museum of Art, etc. Click here for a full list of New Orleans tourist attractions.
How do I use the interactive map?


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good game, NOT scary though.........at all, more of an action game, still good though
Beaten this game like over 100 times on proffesional, still play it damn near daily. Truely Incredible. 15/10, well worth the time :). haha ive beaten it so many times i can do almost the entire game with just the knife :).
this fame kicks @$$
this game is a really really really good game
i really liked this one, but i got stuck on one ofg the bosses far into the game. its that one thing that the short dude turns into. he is tough.
AH I'll buy it at a high price!
I must agree with Young Jay. It really is. the controls are a bit tricky though. but its all good.
the best best resident evil ever


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SAN FRANCISCO — A bill that will allow a handful of California's community colleges to offer additional courses at inflated prices during short summer and winter sessions earned Gov. Jerry Brown's signature last week despite strong opposition from student leaders and the chancellor of the state's two-year college system.
AB955, sponsored by Assemblyman Das Williams, D-Santa Barbara, authorizes six specific colleges to charge students who enroll during the special sessions fees of $200 per unit, compared to the state-subsidized $46 per unit price charged during traditional semesters and quarters. A typical three-unit class that costs $138 during the regular academic year, therefore, would cost $600 during the winter or summer "intersessions."
Williams said he crafted the legislation in response to severe bottlenecks that surfaced amid the course reductions that accompanied cutbacks in the college system's funding over the last several years and made it hard for students to obtain the classes they needed to graduate.
"We want people to be able to have the chance to take the subsidized courses, but if they can't get in, we want to provide them a fallback to be able to get those classes they need to make progress and to transfer instead of sitting around in school a whole 'nother year when they are just wasting their time," Williams said.
Williams said he originally hoped to make the higher-fee courses available at all 112 community colleges but, amid the opposition, amended it to cover only six that had expressed interest in the concept: College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita, Crafton Hills College in Yucaipa, Long Beach City College, Oxnard College, Pasadena City College and Solano Community College in Fairfield.
The bill requires the colleges that elect to participate to use one-third of the money they collect on financial aid for economically disadvantaged students.
Several community college districts and student and faculty groups lobbied the governor to veto the bill, saying the pilot program would establish a bad precedent by making a public education available only to those who can afford it and putting lower-income students at a disadvantage.
"The state would be shifting the burden for funding access from the state general fund to the backs of students," Vincent Stewart, the community college's system's vice chancellor for governmental relations, said after the California Legislature approved the measure. "Creating a pay-to-play fee structure, where students who have greater wealth and means can get on a fast track is patently unfair."
In a signing message accompanying the bill, Brown said the pilot program "seems like a reasonable experiment."
"Why deny these campuses the opportunity to offer students access and financial assistance to courses not otherwise available?" he wrote.Semantic Tags: African Americans/Black � Community Colleges � Distance Learning � Educational Finance � Financial Aid � Funding � Legislation � No Child Left Behind Act � Online Higher Education � Student Athletes � Tuition and Fees


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Buy them here, stare at them for hours and then guiltily tuck in, like the canvas-slashing art vandal you secretly are.
Friday, June 06, 2014
These chocolates are amazing
Buy them here, stare at them for hours and then guiltily tuck in, like the canvas-slashing art vandal you secretly are.
Monday, May 26, 2014
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
My favourite 50 tracks of 2013
Just in time! Happy New Year from all of the hard-working staff here at The Electric Goose, including the lazy intern who didn't submit his top 10 until 11pm on 30 December and the guy who's actually still listening to The Electric Soft Parade in 2013.
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
Friday, November 15, 2013
This is genuinely what happens in the final scene of Zero Dark Thirty if you have subtitles on
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Sunday, June 02, 2013
Saturday, June 01, 2013
Cambodia: a disagreement
Actually not a disagreement at all. This lot - assorted gods and demons who can be seen heaving and ho-ing on the walls of Angkor Wat - are Churning the Ocean of Milk. You know folks be serious about churning when their churning equipment includes 1. An actual mountain (the rod) and 2. A massive snake (the rope).
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Three photos from Cambodia
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cross-stitch cushion
We've got some lovely sunshine today. It's so nice to sit outside put my feet up and rest from a day at work. And to take my mind of things...there's nothing better than making cross-stitches. I only had a few left to do, so now this cushion is finished.
And it fits perfectly in the bedroom next to the Billy bookcase!
I'm really pleased with the result. Thanks to the Hema, I'm thinking of buying more pillowcases in other colours.


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News & Events← Older posts Newer posts →
CHALLENGE YOURSELFJuly 22, 2011
It's been a while since we've done a physical challenge as a team, and we'd like to get back into it! Why? Because it's fun, and what's the point of getting strong and fast if you aren't going to put your skills to use?!
If you are the competitive and/or adventurous type, here are a few upcoming events for you:
McGuire Mud Run, Saturday, Sept 10th.
6 miles of trail running and obstacles through muddy terrain and water. It's a blast. It's dirty. And you've love it.
Who's doing it? Marcella is participating, Meghan said she'd want to do it, and I've heard some chatter around the gym from other people who would like to do this. Here is a link to the website to visit to sign up.
What does it cost? $40. Worth every penny.
What you should do: Write in the "Comments" section if you would like to participate. Let's get a team together!
CrossFit 215 Partner Throwdown. Saturday, Sept 10th. CrossFit 215 in East Falls, Philadelphia.
This is a partner competition in which teams of 1 male and 1 female will compete in 3 WODs that are based off of the CrossFit Hero WODs. Guys and girls who can complete most Hero WODs without scaling and/or who have multiple unassisted pull ups are encouraged to sign up.
Here is a short video clip from one of the workouts at last year's CrossFit 215 throwdown:
Who should do this? Athletes who are consistently displaying the highest strength and conditioning numbers in the gym. If you aren't sure if you are a good candidate, ask Justin or Alycia.
What does it cost? $75 per team, so $37.50 each person. FYI – its free to spectate, so if our some of our members end up competing, we better see the others there, cheering them on! This a great source of motivation for spectators. The intensity of the workouts and the crowd is enough to give you months of elevated enthusiasm.
What you should do: Tell Justin or Alycia that you are interested, and we'll set up teams. The workouts will be announced the week of the competition and we will provide free team coaching on movements/transitions/timing,etc.
CrossFit Aspire Open House/In-House Competition. Tentatively Saturday, Sept 17th.
Every day in a CrossFit gym is a mini-competition, in a way. But what if you were really competing against the other members, and against yourself? What if there were prizes and a crowd cheering? Would that change the way you worked out? We think so.
We're still in the planning phase, but we're hoping to conduct and in-house competition/Open House/Bring a Friend day. The day will likely include food, music, prizes, free massages, and sneaker/clothing vendors as well.
We are looking to have an 'all levels' competition, in which our members can compete against one another, and with their friends/family who came out to visit, as well as an 'Advanced' competition in which our best athletes (if you are on the leaderboard, this means YOU) face off against one another. This will be a unique chance to see some of our top athletes from the evening classes compete against the morning crew.
More details to follow!!!
If you know of any other upcoming events/races/physical challenges that you'd like to us to compete in as a team, please let us know!Posted in News & Events | 2 Comments
Two morning classes EVERY weekday!July 15, 2011
We're adding morning classes through the end of the summer (and possibly beyond).
Our 6:30 class went from a less populated to one of our MOST populated class times within the past few weeks. There will now be a 7:30am class EVERY WEEKDAY to help even out the number of people in each class. This will help classes run smoothly and eliminate uneccessary waiting/sharing during lifting, modifying metcons, or running over class time in the 6:30am class.
We hope you'll appreciate the added classes and will come out to the new 7:30am class on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
We will re-evaluate the schedule when the school year begins. For now, we'll see you at any of the 4 classes that we offer every weekday
QUESTION: What class time works BEST for your schedule? It can be a class time that we DO or DON'T currently offer.
PLEASE answer in the comments section or via email to firstname.lastname@example.com if you want your response to be private. Your feedback will help us provide the best experience for you, our members.
Thank you!!
Posted in News & Events | 12 Comments
Stuff We Have = Stuff You WantJuly 8, 2011
Life at CrossFit Aspire is all about looking better, feeling better and performing better.
If you don't already know, we now provide you with the tools to do all three!
In addition to providing you with the workouts, equipment and coaching during class, we also offer you these awesome things for home/gym use. We bought in bulk and priced them accordingly, to save you money.
Foam Rollers – These are amazing tools for loosening up your tight muscles, restoring the sliding surfaces between your muscles and tendons, and breaking up scar tissue or muscle tightness. To use, simply put the majority of your weight on the roller and roll up and down, and back and forth across whichever muscles are tight. This is a perfect recovery tool to use while watching TV or relaxing. It'll help you recover faster from workouts and feel move comfortable getting into all of the required positions.
Foam Rollers : $15
Mats – Yoga mats are now available at the front of the room. Grab one can write your name on it in sharpie so that you can keep it at the gym for when we have yoga class, when we do push ups (if you use your knees) or when we do anything that might feel better with a little padding underneath you (think thigh touches or sit ups)
Yoga Mats: $5
If you are struggling to get double unders, or even perfect single unders, a rope that is custom-trimmed to your personalized length might help aid in the process. You are welcome to leave the rope here (use a piece of tape to wrap around the handle and write your name on it) or take it home to practice on your own.
Jump Ropes: $15
What better way to show off your ever-improving body than by sporting a CrossFit Aspire T shirt or Tank Top? T shirts are printed on soft American Apparel 50/25/25 T shirts and are available in Men's (S,L,XL) and Women's sizes (S,M,L). Tank Tops are printed on soft tri-blend Bella tank tops and are available in Women's sizes S,M,L,XL. All shirts run a little small, so try before you buy!
T shirts: $20
Tank Tops: $25
Posted in News & Events | 3 Comments
CrossFit Aspire Trainer Staff Update: NEW TRAINER!June 23, 2011
We have some great news!
Jay Holonia is officially a part of the CrossFit Aspire Trainer Staff. As of the first week of July, he will be coaching one of our evening classes every week. Jay is our most senior member of CrossFit Aspire; he's been with us since June 2010 and has attended classes with great regularity for the past year. Because of that, he has seen incredible gains in strength, has lost weight, and has improved his stamina and work capacity.
In addition to being a great CrossFit athlete, Jay also has his CrossFit Level1 certification and CrossFit Olympic Lifting certification, is a certified personal trainer through the National Strength and Conditioning Association and has spent the past year researching the CrossFit program and the movements it incorporates. He has a great eye for movement and has some very intelligent advice to give. He has been informally helping us during the evening classes, correcting people's form and offering tips.
He will now be running his own class on Thursdays at 6:30pm. As with most evening classes, there will be a main coach (Jay) and a supporting coach (Justin or Alycia).
We are proud to have Jay as part of our staff and we look forward to another great year of progress, athletic gains, and now coaching!
Posted in News & Events | 1 Comment
Living Social Promotion!June 10, 2011
To All Members:
We ran a 'deal' on LivingSocial ( an email-based daily coupon company) on Thursday, June 9th. We promoted a 6-class package at a discounted rate and we got a great response! The quantity purchased exceeded our expectations – as of 11pm on Thursday, we sold 145 coupons and there are still 6 hours left in the promotion.
Over the next few weeks, there will be an influx of new people into the gym. Your classes might be larger, and there will be a lot of new faces in the gym. To accommodate, we've purchased more bumper plates and bars, and we'll continue to outfit the gym as necessary.
Justin and I will do everything in our power to make sure that classes run as normal, with minimal interruptions or changes to the pace of class. We want to show our new guests a great time and we also want to preserve the quality, intensity and flow of your workout.
What you can do to help:
1. If you are already familiar with the movements that we will be doing as skill work or strength, please feel free to start on those at your own pace after the warm up. No need to listen to us teach the basics while you can be working out!
2. If you notice a new person is confused, make an effort to show them what to do. It only takes 2 seconds, and it'll help the whole class run smoothly.
3. During the met-con, work out as you normally would. Do not compromise your own workout. It is our (Justin and Alycia's) job to make sure that things run smoothly, that the new people experience CrossFit properly, and that our existing members get a good workout in.
4. Show off! Show the new people what CrossFit is all about, tell them about your own experience with CrossFit, and show them how strong and fast you've become as a result. Tell them how you eat, why you eat that way, and what it's done for you. Tell them why CrossFit is so cool.
5. If you need a spotter, someone to look at your form, or if you have a question that you need answered, feel free to ask some of our more senior members and/or Jay Holonia or Tom Lexa – they are both CrossFit Level 1 certified and they know their stuff. Also, after June 19th, Dave Hampton and Beth Walker will also be Level 1 certified (yay!).
Thank you for being respectful and patient over the next few weeks.
More people who join the gym from this promotion = More equipment and fun stuff for you.
Let's have a great JUNE!
Healthy Habit Post #1: Know what's possibleMay 5, 2011
When you took your first CrossFit class, you probably thought to yourself (after the blurry vision and dry heaves subsided), "Hey, that was a great workout. Sign me up".
And since you've been here, you've gotten to participate in a bunch more great workouts. From farmers carries to waiters walks, and everything in between, you've been exposed to things that people in 'regular gyms' don't ever get a chance to do.
Since you've been here, you've also gotten something that's a lot more meaningful than just a 'great workout' … something that has the ability to affect other parts of your life outside of the gym.
You've gotten a glimpse into what's possible for YOU.
You didn't think that lifting hundreds of pounds up off the ground was possible. Until you did it. You didn't think getting a muscle up was possible, until you tried it. You didn't think you'd ever get your first pull up. And then you got it.
Sure, you've gotten a little stronger and fitter since you started, but the truth of the matter is, it was always a possibility for you. You just never gave it an honest try.
So when you are filling out your Healthy Habit forms, and as you embark on a month of daily improvements, remember that it IS possible for you to do this without skipping a day. You may have halfheartedly tried and failed in the past, but you never put the time and effort into it that you will this month. You never had 40 other people on your side to help you out. You never were held accountable. And you never really tried very hard at all.
As you begin your 30 days of healthy habits, remember that just like your lifts in the gym, you always had the capacity to do this habit. You just never knew it was possible. Until now.
Good luck!Posted in News & Events | Leave a comment
The GOOD HEALTH HABIT ChallengeApril 27, 2011
Let's talk about Habits.
Most people have a few (or many) bad habits that they'd like to break. A lot of time and energy is spent trying to break these bad habits, and the stress of failing to do so, causes people to have even more anxiety about their current habits.
What we don't put nearly enough focus into, however, is creating new habits. Good habits.
Good habits are neat because they are small additions to our regular life that help make us better people. As we get used to one good habit, another one usually follows, as we head on the path toward a healthier and happier life in general.
Getting exercise, meeting new people, trying new things….those are all good habits that you started the day your joined CrossFit Aspire.
Everything you do during the 1 hour a day that you spend in the gym is helping to create or maintain good habits (Learning the Olympic lifts, working on your endurance, perfecting your form on all movements, increasing your mobility, etc). But there are 23 other hours in every day. What are you doing during THOSE hours to complement your good habit of getting exercise?
THE TASK: Pick 1 good habit and do that thing every single day for 30 days.
THE DETAILS: The point of this challenge is to help get the rest of your life step with the pace of improvement you're seeing in the gym. The point is that going to the gym for 1 hour, no matter what you do in there (even heavy deadlifts and "Fran"), won't counteract your so-so diet, high stress lifestyle, or your lack of sleep. In order to make sustainable improvements in the gym, and to be a healthier person in general, all three things – Movement, Eating and Sleep must all be in sync.
How do you achieve this? Pick a Good Habit that fits the following criteria:
Quantifiable/Measurable: "I will get 8+ hours of sleep ever night for 30 nights" is a good challenge. "Sleep more" is not.
Positive: Starting a new habit is something to be happy about. You WILL see better results if you think of the challenge as the addition of something positive to your life, rather than deprivation. "Eat only meat, fish, eggs and vegetables at every meal for 30 Days" is a good one. "No processed foods, grains, or sweet things that taste good" is a bad one.
Specific: Don't leave any room for doubt or any gray areas. Try not to make this harder than it is. This is YOUR challenge, and you set the rules. So make them clear for yourself. "Work on my mobility every night for 30 Days" is not specific enough. "Foam roll my upper back and pain ball my forearms ever night for 10 minutes" is a better option.
Challenging: Because, well, this IS a challenge! This is your opportunity to push your limits, find the outer edges of your comfort zone, and perhaps cause a shift in your life's priorities. Those of you who eat 95% only real foods might not want to make their habit to start eating 100% only real foods. You can get to 100% without much effort. That's not where your wellness weakness is. It's more likely to be hiding in your sleep habits, stress levels, or elsewhere. If waking up is a struggle every morning, then your good habit should likely include getting to bed earlier. If you feel run down and stressed out during those 23 hours, then maybe these 30 Days should revolve around time management, cooking in bulk (so you don't have to rush around every night), or re-prioritizing one part of your life.
Attainable: The flip side of choosing a habit that's too easy to follow, or that's not very far off from how you live right now, is choosing one that will never work in your life. Getting 8-9 straight hours of uninterrupted sleep in a pitch black room might not be a feasible goal for a shift worker, new parent, or police officer. There are certain things that we can't change instantly (our boss, the amount of attention our kids need, the amount of hours in a day), and there are things that we can change (the amount of time spent on the internet, what we do while we watch TV, how we plan our meals) that can impact the success of our new habits. You have the knowledge to distinguish between the two.
You MUST commit to doing your Good Habit EVERY SINGLE DAY for an entire 30 Days.
If you miss a day, repeat it. You won't end up finishing with the rest of us, but you won't be far behind, and it'll help teach you not to forget!
If it's a gym-related habit, like foam rolling, practicing your pull up, taking a long walk every morning, make sure that you have the equipment, availability and space that will accommodate your habit.
If it's a nutrition-related habit, make sure you have the proper info (pick up a copy of our Nutrition Guide), an arsenal of recipes, and go food shopping for real foods on Day 1.
If it's a sleep or time management issue, make sure you have a clear cut plan, and not just a singular goal. You must know how you are going to squeeze that extra hour out of the day, how you will spend it, and how you will deal when stress or an emergency comes up.
Over the next week, you will be writing down your habit and keeping it in your Progress Folder.
EXAMPLES OF GOOD HABITS: These are created for people of various backgrounds and lifestyles. Choose one that makes the most sense for YOU, or come up with your own.
I will eat only meats, fish, eggs, vegetables at every meal, and limit my fruit and nut intake to 1 serving of each per day.
Water will be my only beverage. Period.
I will get 8+ hours of uninterrupted sleep in a pitch black room. I will be in bed before 10pm to accomplish this. (This entails light-blocking curtains, and covering the LED light on my alarm clock)
I will spend my leisure hours working on a hobby, spending time with my family or reading a book. My TV will not be on at all during this challenge.
I will take a lacrosse ball or foam roller to the tightest spots on my body and spend at least 10 minutes per day working on increasing my mobility.
I will practice my handstand (or double under, or pull up, or knees to elbows) for 5 minutes every single day.
Do I have to do this? No. You don't have to do anything you don't want to do. Should you? Yes, we think so!
Why are we doing this? You pay us to get into better shape. Eating well, sleeping well and living well are all a part of that. And because things like this are always easier and more fun when you do it with a group!
Can I do a Paleo 30 Day Challenge? Yes, use this time to challenge yourself in a way that will most benefit you at this moment. Check the thirty posts in the "30 Day Nutrition Challenge" category of our blog for helpful articles, hints, tips and stories to help you along.
I'm a mess. Can I choose more than 1 good habit? Yes, you can choose multiple, but limit yourself to what you think is actually feasible. If you change everything at once, you have a better chance of getting stressed out or not following through with any of the habits.
Post additional questions to the COMMENTS below. Good luck!
Head Games: The power of the whiteboardMarch 29, 2011
You walk into the gym, you put your stuff away, and you look at the whiteboard. You go over the movements in your head, formulating questions. How heavy should I go? Is there a rest built in after the rounds? What the difference between a Clean and a Snatch again?
After you've obssessed over your own impending experience with the workout, do you notice the times and numbers of those who did the workout earlier in the day? Do you just scan the list to see who lifted the most, and who went the fastest and leave it at that? Do you look and say "Wow, Shamus lifted 3,000 pounds today", or "Nick got one billion rounds in that metcon", and then just walk away? Or do you use the number of other members to push yourself harder?
The power of the whiteboard is this - It provides instant standards by which you can measure your own performance in the gym. By now, many of you know roughly how much you can lift. My suggestion is that you choose someone in the gym who can lift about the same, or a little more than you can do. Keep an eye on that person - take note of their scores and weights on the whiteboard, and CHASE THEM.
Better yet, take it one step further and perform BETTER than they did.
Use the whiteboard as a source of motivation to push yourself harder than you could on your own. Use the weights of those who worked out earlier in the day as a way to set, and exceed your goals for the day.
And to the athletes in the 6:30am class – look at the blank white board as a chance to amaze the night time members. Go heavy and go hard, knowing that 20 more people will be staring at your numbers, trying to beat them. Think about the next morning when you walk into the gym. Wouldn't it be nice to set the bar so high that no on else reaches it? Also, know that your scores help the entire gym get fitter. Your achievements help enhance the caliber of all of our athletes.
It's no coincidence that Jay's lifts usually come within 5 pounds of Dave's, or that mine come within 5 pounds of Beth or Jill'son certain lifts. We use the accomplishments of others to help push ourselves harder and give ourselves tangible goals for the day.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Now that you're all pumped up to set PRs and crush some metcons, remember to pay attention to the numbers of someone who is VERY close to your own strength or metcon numbers and DON'T BE STUPID when lifting. Don't choose the heaviest weight on the board and try to beat it, if your previous numbers weren't even close. We want you to be monster athletes, not broken crazy people.
Lift Heavy. Go Hard. Be Awesome.Posted in News & Events | 7 Comments
How to Make Your Gym More AWESOMEMarch 10, 2011
You like CrossFit. You like this gym. Otherwise, you probably wouldn't keep coming back for more.
You can help us make your experience at CrossFit Aspire an even BETTER one by doing the following:
1. Make efforts to meet the people around you, especially those who have joined within the last few weeks. CrossFit is intimidating to everyone in the beginning, so try your best to make our newest members feel comfortable. You might make a friend along the way.
2. Check the WOD section of crossfitaspire.com to see our daily workouts, videos, pictures of yourself and other members, helpful tips and articles, recipes, and links to other cool sites.
3. If you are on Facebook, please "Like" our page. We re-post a lot of the articles and recipes from our website, as well as other videos, articles, and info from other gyms in the CrossFit community. Plus, you can chime in, talk with other members, and with us, about CrossFit, food or whatever you want.
4. Once you are a fan of our page, take a moment to "Share" the content that we post with your friends and family that you think would enjoy CrossFit. Or simply re-post them to your wall. Crossfit grows organically, through word of mouth and online sharing.
5. Take a few postcards from the front table and keep them in your car or bag. You never know when you'll run into someone who's looking to get back into shape, or who wants to join a CrossFit gym.
6. Email Alycia with your thoughts/suggestions for how we might improve the gym. We sometimes can't see our own faults or inefficiencies, so your suggestions would be a BIG help!
7. If you belong to a group (a sports team, networking group, co-workers, church, PTA, book club, social club) and you think that CrossFit would be a fun group outing for your members, let Alycia know. We can put together a class just for members of your group (6 or more people), so they can all try it out together without worrying about how they'll look in front of CrossFitters. Class would include a fun workout, light snacks and waters, and a playlist that you think would suit your audience (i can't believe not everyone loves punk and metal music. weird.).
Your enthusiasm is integral to our success, and to creating an amazing gym with tons of great classes, equipment and people. Thank you so much to those who have already invited friends and family to a class.Posted in News & Events | Leave a comment
How To NOT Get Hurt Doing CrossFitFebruary 28, 2011
There are many elements of the sport of fitness (aka CrossFit) that have a tremendous amount of appeal to beginners and seasoned athletes alike. The variety of workouts, level of coaching, intensity of metcons, the community that forms, the PR's, the stopwatch, the benchmark workouts…there area ton of reasons why people come back…and come back…and come back…and come back.
We think CrossFit is great; otherwise, we wouldn't have opened the gym. But too much of a good thing, can be, well, too much. To go from couch potato to CrossFitter takes time, consistent effort, and smart training. Here are a few tips for all of the newbies (and some of you old-bies, too) to help keep your body in top shape as you begin to get into the best shape of your life:
1. More is not always better. Four Crossfit classes per week are better than two, but that doesn't mean that six classes is better than four. If you roll out of bed to go to your sixth consecutive day's workout and every muscle is sore, stay home. Shift your focus from quantity to quality. If you are going really heavy during the lifts, and you're pushing yourself to your limit during each and every metcon, you might be best off with an extra rest day thrown in there every once in a while. Use the rest day to practice a sport, go for a light jog or a walk, or just hop on a foam roller while watching TV. Which brings me to my next point…
2. Rest and Recover. Recovering from a workout, believe it or not, isn't about getting your breath back or waiting until you stop sweating. Recovery is what happens to your muscles, joints, tendons and brain when you leave the gym. You can work hard for 1 hour a day, but what about the other 23?
Meals. As much as you'd like to, you can't erase bad eating habits with an extra hard workout. Think about what you are eating and what it's doing to your body. Before you eat anything, ask yourself "Is this helping or hurting my body?" Just about all of your meals throughout the day should consist of Grassfed/free-range meat, fish or eggs, with a big serving of vegetables cooked in oil, butter (from Grassfed cows only) or topped with avocado.
Sleep. Get more of it! Turn out the lights 30 minutes earlier than you normally do now. Your body needs this time for cellular repair, and your brain needs some down time, too. Sleep in a pitch black room; invest in some heavyweight curtains that block out all of the light. It'll dramatically affect your quality of sleep.
Lifestyle. Avoid unnecessary stress. The body is meant to handle a certain amount of acute stress, but long periods of chronic stress tend to throw the hormonal system all out of whack, resulting in fatigue, depression, belly fat, and other unsavory physical and mental symptoms. Exercise = good stress. A high stress job, unruly kids, late night boozing, and relationship unrest = bad stress. If you are having stress issues, try to identify (or create) one fraction of your life that is completely stress free. It might only the length of a TV show, a chapter of a book, a new hobby or a morning cup of coffee in silence, but be sure to find it and take advantage of it as much as possible.
Muscle and Tendon Repair. You are currently engaged in a training regimen not far off from that of a high level athlete. Your body is constantly adapting to new stresses, and is being pushed around, flexed and stretched in ways it isn't used to. Initial signs of a hard workout, which include sore and tight muscles, should not be ignored. If you have chronic soreness or tightness in any part of your body, invest in a foam roller, a lacrosse ball, and spend some time at at the Mobility WOD Website to find new ways to become mobile and pain-free.
3. Scale It! The weights in our metcons are chosen on an individual basis, so that everyone can scale the weight to a level that will guarantee they finish within a few seconds to minutes of everyone else in the room. The quantity of reps and rounds, however, can also be adjusted. This presents the opportunity to scale UP or DOWN, depending on your ability. You know your body best, and as you work out here you will get to know, and push, its limits. Pushing your limits is great ( our advice is usually to go heavier, move faster, dig deeper), but working through pain, or grinding out super-slow reps, in a stubborn effort to get the work done, is not smart. If you see something on the board that seems utterly impossible, ask one of the trainers about scaling options. For the most part, we stick to short and intense metcons, but days with close to 100 reps of one movement do sometimes appear, and if your body isn't equipped to handle the repetitive stress, it might be wise to scale back.
4. Exercise in cycles. Our life runs in cycles of intensity and down time. Intensity is necessary to survive (gotta pay the bills and keep yourself and your family healthy) and downtime is necessary to thrive. School breaks, vacation, weekends, social time, reading, etc are things that occur regularly to give your body and mind a break. Your training program should also provide you with periods of downtime. In addition to taking a few rest days per week, try setting aside 1 week every 4-6 weeks when you lift at sub-maximal weights, and leave a little gas in the tank during your metcon. Sure, you numbers won't look as impressive on the whiteboard that day, but you are training for life, not for the whiteboard and a little break from the intensity is good for your body. Then, you'll have no excuse for not crushing the workouts for the following 4-6 weeks. Some of you might benefit from this more than others, or find it suitable at different times in your training, so we're leaving this one up to you to fit in on your own.
5. Consult a Professional. If you have joint, muscle or tendon pain that persists, book an appointment with a physical therapist, chiropractor or sports massage therapist ASAP. If your pain isn't life-altering, avoid heading to the orthopedist right away (most are surgeons), and stick to a manual therapy for some natural relief first. A few sessions at any of these medical professionals, and some at-home rehab exercises, and you should be good as new. By routinely getting your body assessed and corrected, you will almost certainly avoid serious injuries that result in surgery or an inability (gasp!) to continue your workout program.
As your trainers, we want you to be healthy and strong. Our CrossFit gym is a place of high energy and intensity, filled with healthy and happy athletes. Let's keep it that way. Happy Training!Posted in News & Events | 1 Comment ← Older posts Newer posts →