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TOUR #3 Sunday June 25, 2017 Stanley Park Zoo Historical Walking Tour
1:00pm – 2:30pm (may run a bit over, depending on the group size)
If you grew up in Vancouver before the mid 1990's like I did, you will most likely have vivid memories of the Stanley Park Zoo. On this tour, hear decades of Zoo stories and see rare historical Zoo photos, some dating back to the 1800's.
Join Jolene Castillou Cumming for a historical walk which covers 100 years of the Zoo's past, from buffalos to flamingos, from penguins to the smelly old reptile house and the Seal Pool and Otter Slide. We visit the site of the very first zoo, where Lord Stanley's statue is today, to hear who the original zookeeper was (it wasn't Henry Avison). The tour then crosses the old stone bridge over the Duck Ponds to visit the concrete Bear Pits where Tuk the polar bear lived and zoo relics still exist. We then stop at the previous Lower and Upper zoo sites, and on to the Lumbermen's Arch animal paddocks at Whoi Whoi. The tour then travels to the west, where the rustic Children's Zoo building still stands. This is the area where Pete, the last peacock, roamed freely. Next, hear about Canada's most famous monkey, when we visit the location where Emily Carr's Woo, spent her last days in the old Stanley Park Monkey House.
Learn about "headline making escapes" (bears, monkeys, Russell the goat, and wolves) and find out what happened to the remaining 3 swans from Lost Lagoon. I will share a few of my own zoo stories, as well as some of my family Zoo photos from the 1950's & 60's
$10 cash. Drop-in only. Meet at the Lost Lagoon viewing plaza overlooking the lagoon, at the foot of Alberni St, at Chilco St. Rain or shine
Tours depart from various locations & have various starting times.
All tickets are $10 cash (exact change is helpful). Many tours have a sliding scale, so check individual announcements. Part proceeds go to the Stanley Park Ecology Society. Allow extra time for tour registration, traffic, parking and the bus. Tours run rain or shine. Please wear appropriate clothing & footwear as we may be walking on grass, trails and some uneven ground at times. All tours feature rare historical photographs.
Tours are presented by historical interpreter Jolene Castillou Cumming. 2017 marks Jolene's 14th anniversary of presenting Stanley Park historical walking tours and events.
*Tours may be subject to change. Please check this site regularly.
Here's a link to a Stanley Park Map


text: My SVHS VCR has 3D-Y/C comb filter while my LD player has 3-line comb filter. I was thinking about connecting the composite out of LD to VCR to take advantage of the better comb filter in the VCR. However the video S/N of LD player is 51 dB which is much better than 47dB of my VCR. My question is how will this affect the playback of LD? Does video S/N has to do with color saturation or more to do with "noise" like specks in the video image? Even if LD has higher video S/N, will the resulting video output have 47 dB video S/N of the vCR since it's going through the VCR? Thanks.

subset: commoncrawl


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Weight loss, in the context of medicine, health, or physical fitness, refers to a reduction of the total body mass, due to a mean loss of fluid, body fat or adipose tissue and/or lean mass, namely bone mineral deposits, muscle, tendon, and other connective tissue. Weight loss can either occur unintentionally due to malnourishment or an underlying disease or arise from a conscious effort to improve an actual or perceived overweight. Intentional weight loss is the loss of total body mass as a result of efforts to improve fitness and health, or to change appearance through slimming. People are being advised to do all sorts of crazy things, most of which have no evidence behind them. Over the years, however, scientists have found a number of strategies that seem to be effective. Here are weight loss tips that are actually Faster and safety. There are ways to rev up your metabolism so you burn calories and lose weight more quickly.
Drink green tea: When a recent study compared the metabolic effect of green tea with that of a placebo, researchers found that the green-tea drinkers burned about 70 additional calories in a 24-hour period. Green tea contains small amounts of caffeine, but it is also loaded with powerful antioxidants called catechins, which are also believed to work synergistically with the caffeine to enhance fat burning. There are many studies showing that green tea can help you lose weight.
Avoid calories in a glass: Scientists now know that the body does not register liquid calories in the same way it does solid calories. Drinking grande caffe mocha, for instance, won't make you feel satiated the way eating a bowl of pasta will. This means that although the caffe mocha actually has a greater number of calories than the pasta, you're still more likely to want a second cup from Starbucks than another plate of linguine. So monitor your intake of juice, soda, coffee drinks and wine.
Get some sleep: As funny as it sounds, sleep deprivation may make you fat and not just because you're susceptible to cases of the late-night munchies .Women who get less than four hours of sleep per night have a slower metabolism than those who snooze for a full eight hours, according to researchers at the University of Chicago.
Go for an evening walk: Exercising at any time is good for you. But evening activity may be particularly beneficial because many people's metabolism slows down toward the end of the day. Thirty minutes of aerobic activity before dinner increases your metabolic rate and may keep it elevated for another two or three hours, even after you've stopped moving. What that means for you, those dinner calories have less of a chance to take up permanent residence on your hips.
Eat more protein: Protein is the single most important nutrient when it comes to weight. Eating a high protein diet has been shown to boost metabolism by 80 to 100 calories per day, while helping you feel so satiated that you eat up to 441 fewer calories per day. Simply adding protein to your diet is one of the easiest, most effective and most delicious ways to lose weight.
Add 20 minutes of exercise per day: whether you exercise or not, you can get a leg up on all those other weight-loss wannabes by doing a little something extra each day. Take the stairs instead of the elevator; walk to the bus, train, or all the way to the office; window-shop with your best friend rather than sit over coffee. Taking the dog out, gardening and even housecleaning all increase the number of calories you expend.
Weight loss in individuals who are overweight or obese can reduce health risks, increase fitness, and may delay the onset of diabetesWeight loss occur when the body is expending more energy in work and metabolism than it is absorbing from food or other nutrients. It will then use stored reserves from fat or muscle, gradually leading to weight loss.


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text:
Free personalized radio that
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Let The Music (Lift You Up)
Features of This Trackhouse roots
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use of tonal harmonies
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a variety of synth sounds
subtle use of staccato synths
light synth fx
a dry recording sound
trippy soundscapes
a synth-acoustic sonority
prevalent use of groove
and many other similarities identified in the Music Genome Project
These are just a few of the hundreds of attributes cataloged for this track by the Music Genome Project.show more
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Deanne Mayrowetz, Therapist, Wed
Published: March 22, 1992
Deanne Susan Mayrowetz, a daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Stanley Mayrowetz of West Caldwell, N.J., was married last evening to Steven Lloyd Sabin, the son of Dr. and Mrs. Herbert Sabin of Short Hills, N.J. Rabbi Steven Bayar performed the ceremony, with Cantor Samuel Glatt, a grandfather of the bridegroom, assisting, at the Livingston (N.J.) Country Club.
Mrs. Sabin, 27 years old, is a physical therapist at Morristown (N.J.) Memorial Hospital. She graduated from Simmons College. Her father is an internist in Caldwell, N.J. Her mother, Evelyn Mayrowetz, is a pharmacist at St. Mary's Hospital in Passaic, N.J.
The bridegroom, 26, is a fourth-year medical student at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. He graduated summa cum laude from Clark University, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. His father is a dentist in Millburn, N.J.


text:
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A little worm, crawling eating, how can you know from this lowly creature that it will turn into a beautiful butterfly?
I sometimes think of all life as similar to the butterflies, sometimes you have to crawl on the ground before you can soar through the air. People would be happier remembering that.


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Amritsar, Nov 23 (UNI) Expressing concern at the prevailing conditions in Pakistan following the imposition of emergence, the Akal Takht has asked the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (PSGPC) to confine all religious activities on the occasion of 'Gurpurv' of Guru Nanak within the premises of Sikh shrines across the border.
" Taking into consideration the political instability and turmoil created in Pakistan following the imposition of an internal emergence,it would be advisable that the 'nagar kirtans' (religious processions) are confined to the premises of gurdwaras", a letter on the letter of the Akal Takht and addressed to the PSGPC chief Bishan Singh stated.
The letter signed by Takht Jathedar Joginder Singh Vidanti and faxed to the PSGPC headquarters at Dera Sahib near Lahore advised the PSGPC to confine the 'nagar kirtan' to be taken out today evening at Nanakana Sahib, the birthplace of Guru Nanak, to within the premises of Gurdwara Janam Asthan there. " Due to the political turmoil precautionary steps should be taken to avoid any unfortunate happenings", the letter stated.
The Jathedar sent his best wishes to the PSGPC and the Sikhs of Pakistan on the occasion.
A 3000-strong 'jatha' of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandik Committee (SGPC) is currently in Nankana Sahib to take part in the birth anninversary celebrations. A large number of Sikhs from other countries also reach the birthplace of Guru Nanak for the celebrations.


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<-- Back to Products and Services page
Keep your business running with rolling capital in your account and make needs such as buying stock less of a headache.
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This lovely bone china mug has a deep pink heart on one side and our logo, in pink, on the base. A really lovely mug to drink from - perfect for home or the office, and makes a lovely gift.
Size: 8.5cm x 7.6cm (see sizing note at the bottom)
Product code: MG020
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In the following post, Shaista (quintessential bride) talks about her journey of planning a wedding, picking vendors and her experience in front of the camera. I decided to do everything on my own and when you're a work ...Read More
Tag Archives: artistic candid wedding photos
Blog Archives
It is the dream-come-true of every mother, to adorn her child with befitting jewels and finery on her #wedding day. No doubt, every #bride looks stunningly beautiful! Fairy tale #weddings by www.amouraffairs.in ...Read More
I feel like a part of my soul has loved you since the beginning of everything. Maybe we're from the same star. – Emery Allen ...Read More
Colourful palette for the perfect wedding ensemble. Rose and peaches, blossoms and blush are bride's true friends. Choose your makeup artist with care because it makes all the difference in the world! ...Read More
It was a two day wedding in Mumbai, full of fun and frolic. The arrangements were seamless and neither we nor the guests had any problem whatsoever. The beautiful and chirpy bride was laughing and enjoying throughout (wh ...Read More
When SH and SO were kids they were neighbours and their families' fast friends, as children they played together and made merry. But soon SO's family had to shift base due to career prospects. It was only in college, alm ...Read More
A preview of one of our latest wedding coverages. Pictures full of emotions and life-like clarity! Wedding is a turning point in everyone's life, one must definitely make a wise decision regarding preserving those beauti ...Read More
This season was super!! With back to back pre wedding and wedding shoots... Ah a bliss life for a passionate photographer. The smile of the #bride, the tears in the eyes of the mother and the euphoria amongst the friends ...Read More
At an elegant party, we caught these love birds sharing a beautiful moment. The kind of affection that comes from knowing a person over a span of considerable number of years is a prized possession for many. And the task ...Read More
Of the many wedding ceremonies, the Sangeet ceremony is one of the most exuberant and glamorous one! Traditionally, it is a ceremony which is arranged by the bride's family to enjoy some dance and music and to celebrate ...Read More


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Guest Post: A Hero's Journey
I first met Carol three years ago. We were both at the annual conference of the International OCD Foundation in Minneapolis, she as a local, first-time attendee, and I as a presenter and spokesperson for the organization. I spotted her all but glued to a wall, head down, and arms wrapped tightly around her upper body, almost as if to shield herself from all the conference activity around her. I walked over and asked if perhaps she wanted to talk. She said "No", and dashed away. I understood. Trust me. I'd been in her shoes at an IOCDF conference not that many years before and had someone walked up to me at that time, I'd have bolted even faster than she had.
The next day I was standing outside a presentation room when I heard a voice from behind: "I'm ready to talk now." I turned around to find Carol, tears streaming down her face.
We tucked away in a quiet corner, and I learned all about Carol's almost unfathomable battles with OCD: a childhood plagued by endless obsessions and compulsions (and their devastating social consequences); dashed dreams of becoming a teacher and working with children; lost jobs and countless other opportunities; dozens (literally) of hospitalizations; months of intensive inpatient treatment. You get the picture.
As an active OCD advocate, I'd met a lot of people with the disorder over the years, but I can honestly say I'd never met anyone as seemingly consumed by her OCD as Carol. And yet, there was something about this quiet, troubled woman that gave me hope—some spark of uncommon determination. Maybe it was the bracelet she wore that read IMAGINE.
With this blog posting, Carol begins her new life as an OCD advocate, and I am certain her story will inspire countless others. I know it has done just that—in a huge way—for me. -Jeff Bell
We couldn't have talked for more than 15 minutes that day, but somehow I knew our conversation was just beginning. Our brief encounter had touched something deep inside of me. I gave Carol my email address and asked her to let me know how she was doing.
Just two days later, an email turned up in my inbox from Carol. It began: "I don't know if you remember me…."
Remember her?? I couldn't get her off of my mind.
In her note, Carol went on to share how lost she felt, explaining that she just wanted to "throw this (IMAGINE) bracelet in the trash," but also assuring me that she would continue to work with her OCD therapist as best she could.
I returned her message right away, and we began an email exchange that would fill both of our inboxes for years to come. Somewhere along the way we began chatting on the phone, as well. The more I got to know Carol, the more I grew to admire her tenacity, even in the face of incredible adversity.
Fast forward to several months ago, when Carol surprised the heck out of me by announcing in an email that she wanted to attend this year's IOCDF national conference in Chicago. My surprise was not that she wanted to put herself back in an environment that had proved so challenging for her, but rather that she was willing to consider doing what it would take to make that happen.
Carol had not left Minneapolis/St. Paul (except for a residential hospitalization) since 1983—nearly three decades! She was deathly afraid of public transit (and the contamination issues it raised). And yet, here she was contemplating a 400-mile road trip to The Windy City. The ultimate OCD exposure therapy!
Now, I'm a big believer in tackling OCD step by step, working one's way up an exposure hierarchy under the watchful eye of a trained expert. So my first question for Carol was whether her therapist had signed off on this idea. She assured me he had, even offering to put me in touch with him, so we could all come up with a plan.
As readers of this blog know, I'm also a big believer in the power of what I call Greater Good motivation, encouraging OCD sufferers to identify and pursue specific goals with the potential to empower themselves and/or others. So when Carol mentioned that she wanted to experience Chicago's deep dish pizza and bring back a meaningful souvenir, I jumped on both goals.
Carol and I talked frequently in the weeks that followed—about pizza, about possible Chicago mementos, and about her ultimate desire to step into advocacy. We also talked about the challenges she'd have to tackle before she could reap any of those rewards–namely, an 8-hour overnight bus trip and a taxi trip to the conference hotel. I lost track of how many times she wondered out loud whether she could actually do this.
On Friday, July 27th, Carol proved that she COULD.
I was finishing up a talk at the IOCDF conference that morning when I looked out and saw my courageous friend, sitting in a back row of the room, looking more than a bit tired, but sporting a big smile on her face. Almost three years to the day after meeting in Minneapolis, here were Carol and I reuniting in Chicago.
For the next two and a half days, Carol and I methodically tackled her Chicago "bucket list." We scouted out and ate some of the city's finest deep dish pizza—unbelievably delicious. We searched far and wide for the perfect souvenirs—a sweatshirt and a Matchbox-car-sized yellow Chicago taxi cab. We found ways for Carol to be of service to others at the conference—helping me staff the table for my nonprofit Adversity 2 Advocacy Alliance. We shared a lot of laughs—and a few tears— along the way, and Carol presented me with one of the most thoughtful gifts I've ever received: a handmade clay depiction of me battling my "Octopus Chewing Doubtnuts" (a reference that will mean something to those of you who have read When in Doubt, Make Belief).
At one point during the weekend, I looked over and saw Carol crying. I asked if she was okay, and she tearfully whispered that she couldn't remember the last time she felt so alive. She pointed out the bracelet she was wearing—the same one that had adorned her wrist the day I'd met her. Staring at the word IMAGINE, I realized that she had managed to do just that. I realized too that, in picturing the possibility of her making this heroic trek to Chicago, she had started a much longer and more important journey that will undoubtedly transform the rest of her life.
With this blog posting, Carol begins her new life as an OCD advocate, and I am certain her story will inspire countless others. I know it has done just that—in a huge way—for me.
This post was republished with permission from Jeff Bell and Psychology Today. You can find the original here. Bell is the founder of the nonprofit Adversity 2 Advocacy Alliance, co-founder of Beyond the Doubt and the author of When In Doubt, Make Belief.
Exploring Anxiety and Art
My name is Annalise De Young, and I graduated this spring with my degree in Mental Health Counseling and Expressive Arts Therapy from Lesley University. My thesis project was about exploring anxiety, particularly my own anxiety through art, and I wanted to share a little bit of that journey with this community.
When I look back on human history, I see that there are many constants, things that are always there in some form, and one of those constants is art. When I talk about art, it means more to me than just pictures on a page, it's all the creative processes and expressions—visual, musical, theatrical and so on. Creating something is a way that we have processed our lives and experiences since the dawn of time. This is why ancient pieces of writing, art, and music still appeal to us because there is something about those human experiences written into that piece of art that we share. So I began the process of exploring my anxiety through art.
For me, anxiety is a very physical experience. A lot of the time I become aware of something physical before my brain kicks in to notice that we are on the fast track to Anxious Land. The biggest clue is that my jaw will be clenched, and once I notice that it usually follows that I notice knots in my stomach and hands that cannot be kept still. Sometimes, it just feels like the overwhelming need to escape. I kept a journal for a couple months focusing just on the physical feelings of being anxious, and then, I brought them into the art studio.
I wanted to make what I felt inside of myself visible to the outside world, and I wondered what these feelings would look like on the outside of my body, painted on my skin. And I wanted to get to know those feelings, so I could name them, face them, and feel them without letting them take control. I began each of the painting sessions by reading through my journal entries until I found something that stuck out to me. I spent time remembering that feeling, trying to find it back within my body, and then I started to paint.
Here is an example of one of the descriptions I found in my journal, and the painting that came from it: This one is sudden—it feels like my air is gone. It radiates and sucks itself in like a swirling vortex of terror, but in slow motion. It pulls everything into a great, big emptiness.
I spent hours in the studio painting what my anxiety felt like, and since this was for research, I was also filming, photographing and documenting along the way. On my last day of painting, I was sitting on the studio floor reading through my journal entries like I had done each of the previous times. I was looking for an image or feeling from the journal that stood out to me that day when I realized I was ready to paint myself strong. As I looked at the journal pages, I felt like I knew those feelings already, I understood them better than I had on the day I started painting, but I wanted to paint myself strong. I survived those feelings, in this body, in this skin, and it was strong—it is strong, and so am I.
Through all the research and my own life experience, I learned a few things, and one of the biggest lessons was that it can be almost impossible to tackle anxiety with just a single approach, like therapy or medication, or meditation. Anxiety becomes part of our train of thought, running on a parallel track until it derails us. It is something that we have to approach from multiple angles in order to really get ahead of it. I also came to recognize that anxiety is well-intentioned, but it is dangerous when it becomes too powerful. Anxiety wants to keep us safe, and it thrives on the unknown.
Art is a useful tool for relaxation and meditation, for keeping the mind calm, which are excellent things for a person who experiences anxiety. But art can also take us through some of the more difficult parts of our journey, the parts that are not easy to talk about. When there are no words for what we feel, we can turn to art to express ourselves. For some of us that could mean dancing, for others writing. It could mean picking up an instrument or picking up a paint brush.
Annalise is a freshly-minted Expressive Arts Therapist born and raised in Grand Rapids, MI. She attended City High School, Alma College, and Lesley University. She has a passion for helping people discover and rediscover creative paths to healing in their lives and their communities, and for helping people to express things without words. Truly 'smitten with the mitten,' she is always drawn to the water, loves all four seasons (yes, even winter), and all the adventures that Michigan has to offer. When at home you would likely find her hanging out with her rabbit (Matteo), crocheting, making art, or enjoying the thrills of Netflix. To hear more send her an email at email@example.com.
Can Digital Devices Cause Anxiety?
If like me, you rely on the internet for work, information, leisure, making social plans, shopping (the list gets embarrassingly long, so I'll cut it there!), it can feel like a pretty great thing. The internet and the digital devices it's brought with it have changed the world – in many ways for the better. However, nothing is without its fallbacks. The digital revolution has brought many unforeseen problems in its wake. Many people are linking the sudden, global upsurge in depression and anxiety with the rapid worldwide spread of digital devices. While nothing is as yet proven, the evidence to suggest that the use of digital devices – particularly concerning social media – can cause anxiety in susceptible individuals.
Internet Addiction
Let's start with the most 'pathological' pattern of internet usage. The concept of 'internet addiction' is well established in Japan, China, and Korea, but remains debated in the West. However, we are increasingly coming to understand that patterns of excessive internet usage can provoke reactions resembling (if not functionally identical to) the reactions of an addict to their preferred substance. Needless to say, addiction brings with it a lot of associated psychiatric troubles – including an enhanced capacity for anxiety. If we are indeed addicted to our digital devices, it's hardly surprising that we're experiencing anxiety as a side-effect of the addiction-based dopamine surges and withdrawals within our brains. The trouble is, our reliance on our digital devices is so intense that excessive use is normalized, and behaviors have to become seriously extreme before we realize that there is a problem. Indeed, many people are far more protective of their digital devices than they are of their cars, their homes, or even their bank accounts. Increasingly, people's digital lives are so important to them that they ask to be buried with their smartphones – and that's considered normal!
Loss Of Downtime
Moving onto more lifestyle-based factors, many have noted that the internet has chipped away at our downtime so insidiously that we've barely noticed it happening. Indeed, it's more or less destroyed the boundaries between 'work time' and 'leisure time.' Many of us have a social media or magazine tab open while we work, and take guilty pleasure in updating our Facebook during work hours. However, the flip side of being able to reach your at-leisure life while you're at work is that work can also reach you during your leisure time. No longer do office hours finish when we go home. Emails can reach us any time of the day or night, and many of us are asked to take work home, to research, or to complete and send via the internet. True downtime – where we're completely disconnected from our working lives – is a thing of the past. Even when we are using the internet purely for 'leisure,' our brains still have to work pretty hard to keep up with the gallons of information we're pouring into it from a thousand different sources. Furthermore, the constant connectedness of the digital world makes us feel obliged to immediately answer any message – which instantly re-engages even a very relaxed brain. All of this is bad because our brains need to go into 'rest mode' to process our experiences and 'sort out' the psyche. Without giving our brains a bit of a break (i.e. concentrating purely on one, pleasurable thing – reading a book, meditating, going for a walk, dozing etc), our brains never have a chance to file things away to long-term memory, heal emotional wounds, sweep away stress, and let all of our worries seep into the substratum of our consciousness, there to be harmlessly dispelled. Psychological 'clutter' thus piles up in the psyche and manifests as depression and anxiety.
Social Media
Then there's the ever-present problem with social media. Scientists have various ideas about social media and how it can be bad/good for us. Trolls upset us, anonymity brings out the worst in us, we become more invested in our online than our real lives, the list goes on. However, there's one theme which emerges pretty consistently: that of pressure. The lives we portray on social media are our highlight reels – they're bolder, more dramatic, prettier, and far less humdrum than our real lives. Which is fine, if you realize that everyone is essentially 'photoshopping' their social media persona. Sometimes, however, scrolling down everyone's beautiful, funny, successful feeds can make us feel intense pressure to live up to these unreal standards. We don't know that the person who always has hilarious statuses spends hours thinking up her next quip. We don't know that 'casual,' gorgeous selfie was re-taken fifteen times and then heavily edited. We don't know that those perfect, smiling children were screaming monsters five minutes before the photo was taken. All we see is a stream of apparently faultless lives, which our lives cannot possibly match. Which makes us feel inadequate, knocks our self-esteem, and gives us anxiety.
Helen Fields is a freelance writer and mother. She juggles her work around her home life. In the past, she has suffered anxiety problems and now seeks to help others through writing about these issues and what life is like managing these kinds of problems.
Social Anxiety Disorder Can Make Group Activities Frightening
Social Anxiety Disorder
Have you ever been asked to join a group? Perhaps at your work setting, church organization, or even among family members? Group activities, whether it's social or business-related, can be difficult for anyone with social anxiety.
Sure, on some level, everyone gets nervous when they are among a group of people they don't know. And it's human nature to be somewhat nervous around strangers. But for those who have social anxiety, it's not a touch of nerves but rather a flood of anxiety that interferes with their social interactions. In fact, if a person has severe reactions to social experiences, they may be diagnosed with Social Anxiety Disorder.
Social Anxiety Disorder is a psychological illness in which individuals have an extreme fear of social situations and being around others. A person with this illness commonly fears being evaluated and judged by others, to the point where it is debilitating. Frequently, this fear prevents them from being able to participate and engage in healthy activities and relationships. Those with Social Anxiety Disorder typically feel self-consciousness in an extreme way. They often also feel a fear of being embarrassed or humiliated. Sadly, even average, every-day interactions can feel overwhelming.
So if you're in a workplace setting and you're asked to do a group project with another division, co-workers you don't know, it can be frightening. Or if you're in a community setting with neighbors and community organizers, for example, working on a fundraiser for your neighborhood, that too can feel overwhelming.
Someone with Social Anxiety Disorder who is faced with an overwhelming social situation might experience the following symptoms:
- a racing heart
- dizziness
- nausea
- shortness of breath
- shaking
- sweating palms
- feeling hot
- anxiety
- stress
- tension
It's common for people with Social Anxiety Disorder to withdraw from people and social activities. To avoid these experiences, they frequently isolate and spend time alone. The worry and anxiety may become so intense for some people that they no longer have the ability to participate in social situations. In many cases, those with the disorder might even be aware that the social anxiety they're experiencing is unreasonable. However, they may still feel powerless to it.
As you can imagine, Social Anxiety Disorder may interfere with a person's career, ability to make friends, and have a network of support. However, those with the illness can utilize mental health treatment, such as psychotherapy and medication (if needed). In some cases, therapy that explores a person's beliefs, thoughts, and feelings while in those social situations can help illuminate the experience that might be triggering the physiological response of fear. A person with Social Anxiety Disorder might also incorporate relaxation practices, including meditation and yoga, into their lifestyle. Practices such as these can help a person learn a state of relaxation as a natural and ongoing state versus anxiety as a dominant state.
If you or someone you know is experiencing symptoms of Social Anxiety Disorder, contact a mental health provider for assistance. A person doesn't have to live in fear. Help is available so that anxiety doesn't have to get in the way of enjoying life.
About the author – Robert Hunt is a recovering addict of 7 years. He has devoted his life to helping others suffering from chemical addictions as well as mental health challenges. Robert maintains many blogs on drug addiction, eating disorders and depression. He is a sober coach and wellness advocate and a prominent figure in the recovery community.
A Love Letter
My dear, my dear, do not fear the night.
It comes to bring contrast to the colors of the light. If not for dark, walled-in caves with no cracks at all, you wouldn't know the beauty of the bright, golden sun. Or the rich green leaves that serve as beds to the raindrops that fall from the sky. You wouldn't know what the sky really looked like if that's all you saw day in and day out. Its brilliant blue would turn to haze and your eyes would eventually glass over so you could hardly see its detail anymore. You would think it commonplace and try to throw it to the wind out of boredom.
You say you wish for all things to be made new and all the darkness to be gone, and yes, I think that's in all our hearts. This world is not how it should be, and we know it. But do you also see that the colors of the sun, the leaves, and the sky are so beautiful because they come as a welcome miracle at the other end of your pitch black nights? You see how beautiful they are, but if they were all you ever saw, you wouldn't see their beauty like you do. My love, take heart. Cry into my chest if need be. Speak. I'll listen. I know the nights are wrought with pain. And I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. You should not have to go through this. I have no answer for you. I wish I did. I know my words don't fix anything. But I am here. And I just want you to see. To see how much you see the beauty, how sensitive to it you are. You may have a heart more aware of beauty than most, and with that, you are also more sensitive to pain. You feel everything very deeply. But remember, "beauty can save the world." You are a chosen one to help others find the beauty.
You are a chosen one to help others find the beauty.
Caravaggio, he mastered Chiaroscuro. He could create an effect of contrasted light and dark in a painting. He must have had his own darkness, too, to make such captivating works of art. The light, though. When you cuddle up your little brown puppy and let her kiss your face and let her pure excitement of being in this world flood into your soul, that's what I mean. You look into her eyes and you see the marvelous miracle of her life, how just 4 months ago she wasn't even alive yet, and somehow the lines of the universe matched up so she could land in your home all the way from St. Louis. Her brown eyes etched with detail offer a certain kind of tenderness you've never seen. She just wants to be loved and wants to love you back. That's all that matters to her, and that's all that really matters. Remember Nate, the cook at your restaurant, jamming and singing his heart out while he scrubbed those pans like a pro that one busy night you had no dishwasher? He must have forgotten anyone else was there- his pants were falling down and he mostly had his eyes closed while the music played and he was jamming to the beat like the happiest person alive. Now that's life. Last night after your yoga class, you were in the lowest of states, tired of trying, so depressed and exhausted from everything, wanting a break. But something in you knew that before you left, you had to run your fingers across the colorful banners the yoga teachers had bought while in India. They were handmade, they each had yoga symbols on them. Your heart knew there was something special there. Some beautiful people who ushered these banners into the world, a new and intriguing culture of their home country, and perhaps freedom and power in those banners that displayed symbols that give meaning to life, gratitude, joy, love, and freedom. The blues, pinks, and purples, were especially brilliant. You felt a twinge of magic running through your veins as you touched these treasures. The beauty almost kills you.
And you realize that perhaps you, with all your darkness and mistakes and imperfections and light and strength and bravery, you are beautiful. You are a gift to the world. Just as beauty is a gift to you.
These moments of beauty, you wouldn't really SEE them like you do if they were all you had. Or if your life were easy. Because you wouldn't need to see them. There would be little use for them. But you do have the wretched nights of little sleep and deep despair, or days when the night seeps into the day. When your soul aches from exhaustion, and the pain feels like it can't go any deeper. And, my love, you LOOK for the beauty. Damn, do you ever. It's your fuel. During the night, you either consciously wonder when the light will come again, or if your hope runs thin and you stop anticipating, when it actually comes you are that much more bewildered and in awe. You marvel and you laugh. A hearty laugh because what more joy is there than to be given something beautiful? Ahhh, maybe there is an even greater joy. One that you're still learning. What if it is then to give it away? Your heart becomes so full with the beauty that it will simply burst if it doesn't let any of it go, so you give it away in a smile to a friend or even someone who has hurt you. You point out to someone the beauty you see in THEM and hope they see it, too. You care for your teenage friend and really ask how she's doing. You do something that would encourage your mom. You look for ways to love others. You write, and you song-write, and you hopefully create something beautiful for others to enjoy. And you realize that perhaps you, with all your darkness and mistakes and imperfections and light and strength and bravery, you are beautiful. You are a gift to the world. Just as beauty is a gift to you. You are a chiaroscuro piece, created by someone more skillful than Caravaggio. Don't let your weaknesses or failures cover up your strengths and successes. They're just a contrast, remember? If the darkness weren't there, the light wouldn't be as bright. Embrace all of you. Be the gift. Remember, darling, that beauty reins, both around and inside of you.
Make Friends With Your Anxiety
When we hear the word "anxiety," we almost always associate it with something unfavorable. These "negative" thoughts brought about by anxiety can affect our relationships with other people and how we function at school or work. Most people would describe "anxiety" as a creepy creature who whispers incessantly in our ears all the things we don't want to hear. For some, it is feeling uneasy when there is nothing to be uneasy about yet there is no way to shut down such uncomfortable feelings.
But is anxiety that bad? Is it the evil monster that we think it is? Like most things, anxiety lies in a spectrum. It can have a negative or positive influence on an individual's behavior. But since it has always been associated with negativity, people tend to ignore or dismiss it instead of listening to it. It is rare or unheard of to think that anxiety can have a positive influence. Think of it as a knife – most people would instantly dismiss or have it put away before someone gets hurt instead of giving the utensil recognition for its usefulness in preparing a delicious dinner. Be it detrimental or beneficial, anxiety is trying to tell us something worth our full and due attention. For this reason, one should make a friend out of anxiety.
Anxiety acts as a wake-up call to deal with problems urgently. If it is trying to tell us anything, it is that something is not right and must be dealt with immediately. However, most people would either avoid tackling the issue or resort to aggression. These do not solve the real problem at all and may even cause more problems, like opening a can of worms. Instead, a person should listen to what his or her anxiety is trying to say. If it is trying to point a person to a specific issue, then it's best to take heed and deal with the subject. If the anxious thoughts do not point to something specific, then it's best to consult a professional who can give counseling.
Though impossible as it may seem, one can also harness anxiety as motivation. Anxiety can be crippling, but research suggests that there exists a "sweet spot" where anxiety is enough to keep a person motivated. As long as the person does some preparation and pushes him/herself instead of wallowing in doubt, it can help to get things done. Since it is a warning system, it gets people to act on whatever it is they are worried about. It may differ for everyone, but an individual is usually compelled to act when such person hits enough amounts of anxiety.
All these opportunities between problems and solutions eventually lead to a person's increase in self-awareness and self-growth. By listening to anxiety, a person becomes more solution-oriented instead of avoiding problems. It also helps a person to become more caring since he or she understands how other people feel when faced with challenges.
Alisa Abrasaldo is a freelance writer and works with Open Colleges helping people decide on a career in Counseling. She learned through a friend's experience with anxiety how crippling this disorder can become. She shares her insights to help others. Alisa also enjoys photography and travel in her spare time.
Helpful Holiday Tips from the ARC
She walked through the door as to avoid notice. Carefully and quietly she planted herself into the cream-colored rocker that embraced her. Body trembling, hands interlocked, face lost in the ground below. Ridden with anxiety, fear of the unknown, shaken to the bone and yet in a place so warm, embracing and accepting.
People walk through our doors every week, and everyone's story is different but also very much the same. Social anxiety is very common among those who attend the ARC. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 15 million American adults have Social Anxiety Disorder.
So what is it really? Just being shy? No, it's much more than that. According to an article published by the National Institute of Mental Health, social phobia is a disabling anxiety disorder characterized by overwhelming anxiety and excessive self-consciousness in everyday social or performance situations.
As you might imagine, the holidays can be very stressful with so many events focusing on social settings. Consider some of these tips shared by others:
- Focus on one person in the room. Find someone who makes you feel comfortable and that you can identify with.
- Offer to help someone. This allows the focus to shift from you and onto the task at hand.
- Recognize that it's ok to feel nervous. Sometimes the best thing we can do is feel the anxiety and know that it will pass.
- If you feel overwhelmed in a social setting, excuse yourself. Maybe you need to use the restroom or get something from the car. A few minutes to stop and breathe can be very helpful.
- Attend a smaller gathering. Recognize that being in a social setting with people who understand can be rewarding and a baby step towards something bigger.
- Utilize those deep breathing and meditation skills you've learned. Don't have any? Check out our Pinterest boards, especially Holiday Help.
Above all recognize that while anxiety may not be curable, it is highly treatable. We wish you a joyous holiday!
Suzette Andres is one of the founding board member and the director of the Anxiety Resource Center in Grand Rapids, MI.
For My Friend-Who Asked
There is a Reason-
to keep walking
every day.
You might see a sunrise,
red gold glory
blooming into day.
You might hear
trilling birdsong
praising a new day.
You could sit
in yellow bright sunshine,
its warmth sinking
into your bones.
You might hear
the sharp crack
of bat meeting ball
which screams over
the green grass field –
over heads, outstretched hands,
finding freedom
over the fence.
You might enjoy
a wonderful meal
with friends,
smiling, talking, laughing,
laughing, laughing.
You could walk
a soft sand beach
hearing gulls scream in tongues
given only to them,
see their hieroglyphic
footprints leading
every which way
till they end when
they lift to the sky.
You might find
a bright shining penny
on a walk, pick it up,
and feel lucky all day.
You might exchange
a sudden smile
with a stranger
and wish each other
a good day.
You might learn
that many people
will walk with you
and find Peace
along the way.
-Mary Ericksen, 2014
Eating Disorders Are Frequently Co-Morbid With Anxiety Disorders
Why? And What Can You Do About It?
In my professional life, I frequently come across individuals who are experiencing food-based anxieties. Sometimes these are centered around body-image, and sometimes they're a little more ephemeral than that. When I first began to work with people suffering from anxiety disorders, I was actually surprised at how many of these suffering individuals found that mealtimes, food, and so on became an anxiety 'flashpoint'. It was not something which my training had touched upon overmuch. When I was learning my trade (which was, admittedly, a few years ago now!) the tendency was to compartmentalize eating disorders and anxiety disorders – a tendency which, I swiftly learned, was not at all helpful. Anxiety disorders and eating disorders co-occur far more often than we are led to believe, and the relationship between the two is often extremely complex.
While not everyone with an anxiety disorder has an eating disorder, I don't think it would be pushing the envelope too far to state that a far higher than average proportion of people with eating disorders also have an anxiety disorder. Furthermore, many individuals suffering from anxiety disorders may experience problems around food and eating – problems which may not translate into a quantifiable eating disorder, but which certainly cause a great deal of suffering. If left untreated, anxiety disorders can and often do cause eating disorders to develop. It appears that OCD is the most common anxiety disorder to co-present with an eating disorder, perhaps because the anxious obsessions of OCD lend themselves easily to the kind of food-based obsessions and compulsions associated with diseases like anorexia and bulimia nervosa. However, that does not mean that other anxiety disorders sufferers are 'immune' from eating disorders. Sadly, far, far from it.
Why Eating Disorders?
Like any mental illnesses, eating disorders are complicated phenomena. What triggers them, and the manner in which they manifest differ from person to person, meaning that successful treatment have to be highly individualized. However, there are certain common features which therapists and other mental health professionals see again and again in eating disorder sufferers. Most commonly, the sufferer will experience intense low moods, self-hatred, and obsessional thinking patterns. Anxiety disorder sufferers will recognize all of these, no doubt! The mental processes associated with both eating disorders and anxiety disorders fit together extremely well. Anxiety disorders and eating disorders can develop a symbiotic relationship which makes life very difficult for the poor sufferer. It is unclear whether anxiety disorders are 'caused' by eating disorders or vice versa – but in all honesty, it probably varies from person to person. Eating disorders can make the sufferer very anxious, and anxiety disorders can cause their sufferer to develop food-based worries and obsessions. While all mental health problems are serious, eating disorders are a matter of great concern as they have the highest death rate of all mental health problems.
Eating Anxieties
Many without specific 'eating disorders' may also develop a food-based component to their anxieties. Eating is a phenomenon of far more significance than we tend to acknowledge. It's not only intensely social at times, but our food choices have a huge impact upon our health, our appearance, and our lifestyle in general. Little wonder, therefore, that mealtimes and food choices can become an anxiety 'flashpoint'. People with social anxiety may experience intense fear of judgment and of being 'watched' in social eating situations. It is important to remember that evolution has primed us to feel a little vulnerable while we eat – this is why going for a meal with someone is such a social phenomenon. It shows trust, and that we are at ease with our co-diner. However, this can work against those with social anxieties, who may find social dining a phenomenally anxiety-making experience.
If someone has co-morbid eating and anxiety disorders, it is essential to treat both, otherwise they will continue to reinforce one another and intensifying the suffering of the individual. Eating disorders and anxiety disorders can be treated! However, it can be difficult to get sufferers to both admit that they have a problem and to get help. If you suspect that someone you love has an eating disorder (curious behavior around food, rapid weight loss, rapid weight gain, and obsession with weight can all be indicators), it is essential that the issue is faced head on in order to start treatment as soon as possible. Don't force the point, but do gently and firmly try to get your loved one to open up about this, and to seek help.
Helen Fields is a freelance writer and mother. She juggles her work around her home life. In the past, she has suffered anxiety problems and now seeks to help others through writing about these issues and what life is like managing these kinds of problems. She offers insight into eating disorders from her personal experience as well as what she's learned through working in the health care industry.
A Letter to Self
Dear Clare,
Congratulations. If this letter reaches you at the right time you'll be sitting under a tree on Hampstead Heath. Alex has just popped a bottle of fizz to celebrate your engagement. You're both excited about the future. You should be – it's been great. Your wedding was the best day of your life – full of love and magic and friendship.
But there are a few things it might help to know. If you're not careful your mental and physical health could take quite a bashing over the next couple of years.
One. You can't control a wedding diet. Change the dress, not yourself. Your disordered eating lurks much closer to the surface than you think. You'll slide into militant calorie counting, restriction and purging through exercise. You'll use the excuse it's 'just for the wedding' but you'll take a guilty pleasure in losing weight again. Your dress will end up too big. You'll spend your honeymoon struggling to find a manageable balance – running miles in the early morning when you should have been cozy in bed with your new husband. Your periods will stop and your attempts to conceive put on hold. It isn't worth it.
Two. You need the medication – and that's fine. I know you've been on it for years and you're desperate to know who you are without it. I know you'd rather be medication free before you conceive. But again, it isn't worth it. Coming off the Sertraline will wreak three months of havoc on your body, health, and relationship before you finally admit you need it.
It's helping you be yourself. Without it you're a dark anxious shadow. Your world will narrow. Anxieties will bulge and take over, distorting every joy. You'll lose the strength or clarity of thought to control those eating or exercise demons.
Three. You need to look after yourself better if you want to conceive. And looking after yourself isn't pushing your body to extremes or restricting fat or calories. Looking after yourself is allowing time for rest, relaxation, and sleep. Eating for health rather than size. It isn't easy. But…
Four. The body positivity movement can help. You're not the only one who functions with a constant and negative internal dialogue about your weight and appearance. But people are fighting back. Women you respect are talking sense about body positivity, challenging destructive attitudes and unapologetically being their beautiful selves. Look for books, blogs and social media posts that can slowly adjust your perspective.
I know you've always based too much of your worth on how your clothes fit and how slim and muscular your body is. Even if in reality you're unhappy and look unwell. Work on valuing softness, rounder curves and hips as a proof of mental strength instead. It's really hard, especially when you're feeling anxious, vulnerable or stressed. It will take a while to stop the recrimination and resolutions, to realize that gaining a little weight isn't losing control. But one day you'll get to the point where you can see your curves as part of a healthy, beautiful body and a more flexible mind.
Your body will keep on changing throughout your life. You could fight it for another 30 years or you could spend that energy learning to be happy in the only skin you've got.
Finally Clare, remember that change happens slowly. Stop thinking of your time in hours and days. Don't beat yourself up if you seesaw up and down while trying to find a balance with food or weight. Don't think you've failed if sometimes only a long run will calm the panic.
Things will change. But that change is measured in months and years not days or weeks.
I hope you'll listen to me – but sadly I know you probably won't. You'll need to feel the pain of withdrawal and the slow deterioration into relapse in order to build a simpler, more accepting relationship with your medication. And it might just take the full force of a relapse into eating problems to finally push you into making serious moves to change your attitude towards your body.
Good luck. You can do it. And have a brilliant wedding day.
Big love
Clare is a writer, editor and community manager. She keeps her own mental health blog here. You can follow her on Twitter @fostress.
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The Dreaded SAP_ALL Power Profile
The authorization profile, SAP_ALL has such vast amounts of authorizations inside that it is mistakenly known as "the profile that can grant everything in the SAP system". These authorization profiles create security-holes, grant a huge amount of authorizations to people that can't justify them, and expose the organization to possibilities of fraud and internal hacking. Cleary, GRC auditors do not like users with these "Power Profiles" either. Find out how to really resolve SAP_ALL situations.


text:
The Rip Chords Shut 'Em Down Again
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by The Rip Chords ~ Hey Little Cobra and Other Hot Rod Hits / Three Window Coupe ~ $14.39
by The Surfaris ~ Wipe Out / The Surfaris Play $14.81
CD Details
- Released: March 14, 2006
- Originally Released: 2005
- Label: Collectables Records
Description by OLDIES.com:
Neatly divided between studio and live tracks, The Rip Chords bring back all the torque and twang of California's hot rod/surf music heyday with some sweet twists. Alongside such classics as "Hey Little Cobra" and "409" are great new interpretations of The Left Banke's "Walk Away Renee" and an absolutely smokin' version of The Byrds' "So You Wanna Be a Rock 'n Roll Star." This is toes-at-the-edge-of-the-board stuff!
- 1.Hey Little Cobra
- 2.Walk Away Renee
- 3.Cobra Beach
- 4.Three Window Coupe
- 5.Solitary Man
- 6.Hot Rod Days
- 7.Hey Little Cobra (Live)
- 8.409 (Live)
- 9.Mustang Sally (Live)
- 10.Little Girl (Live)
- 11.Warm California Sun (Live)
- 12.Three Window Coupe (Live)
- 13.Rock N Roll Star (Live)
- 14.Santa's Got A Cobra (Bonus Track)
Product Description:
The Rip Chords (Surf): Freddy Brog (vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, keyboards); Mitchell Schechter (vocals, 6-string guitar, 12-string guitar, mandolin, bass guitar, drums, percussion); Richie Rotkin (vocals, percussion); Bobby Rush (6-string guitar, bass guitar); Patrick Maley.
Personnel: Mitch Schecter (vocals, guitar, 12-string guitar, mandolin, electric sitar, drums, percussion); Bobby Rush (vocals, guitar, 12-string guitar, electric sitar, percussion); Freddy Brog (vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, keyboards); Patrick Maley (vocals, drums, percussion); Arnie Marcus (vocals, bongos); Larry Branca (flute, drums); Walter Slinkard (drums).
Audio Mixers: Mitchellbacker; Jim Salamone.
Recording information: Electric Bobster Land Studios; Home Room Digital; Oneja Studios.
The ShirellesThe Best of The Shirelles (CD)
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- 38 Special Extended Versions (Live) (CD) ~ $4.99 on SALE
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- Faye Adams Herald Recordings (CD) ~ $6.49 on SALE
- Jerri Adams It's Cool Inside / Play For Keeps (CD) ~ $9.73 on SALE
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Tell me your biggest supernatural or paranormal fear?
When was the last time you felt completely at peace?
I want to know if you remember the first person that broke your heart. And if you remember them, did you forgive them?
What's one thing that's happened to you that has made you a stronger person?


text:
Your Bedroom – Your Sanctuary
Sleep is a basic human need, just like eating and drinking and we should try to make our bedroom to be our sleep sanctuary. Still,many of us believe that we can get by on less sleep with no negative effects on us.
In fact, obtaining enough quality sleep is vital for our mental and physical health. Not having good sleep is linked to conditions like heart disease,high blood pressure, kidney disease, diabetes,obesity, stroke and depression.
It is good to mention that sleep is also important for personal safety.Not enough sleep, leads to increased risk of injury, serious car crashes, and many more tragic accidents.
So,what can we do in order to have a good night sleep?
Use colors to calm your bedroom
Your bedroom should be separated from the rest of your home to maintain a different association and function. For example, the walls should be painted in a different, soothing color to reinforce the idea of rest.
For and example: light green or light blue are soothing colors.
Make your bedroom to have quiet "feeling"
If the surroundings where you live have much noise and it is very light, consider too instal dark curtains on the windows to block the light from entering the bedroom.
A dark and quiet bedroom is crucial if you want to have good night sleep.Especially to the people who work at night and have to sleep during the day.
Declutter your bedroom
You should declutter your bedroom from magazines, papers, and electronic gadgets. Clutter is usually associated with multiple function room and you will not get the feeling of ease when you enter that room.
By a comfortable bed
Be sure to purchase a high-quality, comfortable bed and pillows. it's an investment you will not regret! Keep your bed sheets, covers, and pillows to a minimum so that you're not constantly pushing them out of the way to get comfortable when trying to sleep. Choose a color for your bed sheets and covers that you find peaceful and calming.
Keep your bed made
It's important to make your bed every day so that you must draw back the covers at bedtime. This ritual also helps to associate the bed with very specific functions—sleep and sex. Do not eat in bed, watch TV in bed, or do any work in bed, as these activities are each associated with being awake.
Keep pets out of your bed
Ah,this is the toughest part,to keep pets out of bed. It is difficult to do that ,but try to teach them not to sleep on your bed.
Your pets are best to be off the bed, so you can feel free to move around the bed. Since I have a pet (a dog) ,when it jumps to sleep with me – I do not get sleep at all. So now,before I go to bed, I close the door of my bedroom and both of us are in our own separate bed, and we are waking up with smile – we both had a goodnight sleep.
Keep low bedroom temperature
Have you ever noticed that you sleep better during the winter months? We actually achieve more deep, delta sleep in a cool sleeping environment.
If you are hot when you go to bed, you'll have a very tough time sleeping. This has to do with your body temperature staying too high for sleep.
Our body temperature rises and peaks during the day and while we are awake, producing heat, in support of our daily activities.But it falls down during the evening hours, to lose heat and prepare us for sleep.
You must literally cool down in order to fall asleep. In hot summer days, you can even turn the air conditioning on, to cool down your bedroom,so you can fall asleep easily.
If you can't sleep leave the bedroom
If you're having trouble falling asleep, get up and leave the bedroom to watch TV or read until you're sleepy, and then return to the bedroom. That way, you won't associate your bed with sleeping problem.
All of these sleep-friendly adjustments to your bedroom can increase your quality sleep leading to your better mood, physical health, and mental focus.
So,pack up and go to sleep!


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Kick Hunger Challenge
Kick Hunger Challenge
The 6th Annual July $150,000 Food Shelf Challenge
Contact: Sophia Lenarz-Coy firstname.lastname@example.com
Despite economic improvements, the need for hunger-related help – particularly for seniors and families – remains acute throughout the state
ST. PAUL, Minn. (June 16, 2015)— At a time when many Minnesotans are enjoying picnics and backyard cookouts, thousands of families statewide are struggling to put food on the table. A new report from Hunger Solutions Minnesota, a statewide hunger relief group, highlights the need for more resources, even as the state's overall economy continues to improve. The State of Hunger in Minnesota report details how food insecurity impacts thousands of Minnesotans. "Access to nutritious food is the most fundamental element that contributes to the success of healthy communities." said Colleen Moriarty, executive director of Hunger Solutions Minnesota. "Our report shows that an increasing number people rely on hunger relief efforts to ensure they can provide consistent, nutritious meals for their families." The report highlights a continuing need for emergency food services in Minnesota. While unemployment has stabilized, more than 9,000 people per day still rely on the state's food shelves. Families with children accounted for more than 1.3 million Minnesota food shelf visits in 2014. Visits by seniors increased 13% over 2013. The report also explains new and high impact hunger relief solutions the organization has created to address the nutrition needs of low income Minnesotans. This includes newly passed policies in the 2015 legislative session that address hunger, these include universal free school breakfast for students K—3rd grade, $2 million grant program for expansion of Mobile Food Shelves, and $650,000 to support Healthy Eating Here at Home, a farmers market SNAP incentive program. Because June is a very busy month for emergency food services, Treasure Island Resort and Casino has stepped in to help address child hunger. All donations made to Hunger Solutions Minnesota in June will be matched up to $10,000. "Too many families struggle to provide food for their children, especially during the summer months. It doesn't have to be that way. Treasure Island Resort & Casino and the Prairie Island Indian Community want to help make a difference by providing a $10,000 matching grant to our friends at Hunger Solutions Minnesota," said Bryan Prettyman, director of marketing of Treasure Island Resort and Casino. "This grant will double all the donations that are made during June. Every dollar makes a difference in the fight to end childhood hunger here in our backyard." Read the full State of Hunger in Minnesota report and learn how to take action to fight hunger at www.hungersolutions.org.
Your gift doubles this month.
Donate & Share your favorite food memory.
Enjoyment of food is such a social activity and it has a great way of bringing people together. Ironically, I first started enjoying cooking when I lived alone a few years after college. I kept myself on a pretty strict food budget, giving me appreciation for what those with lesser means have. I've seen first hand what people who can't afford food go
through. I've been delivering Thanksgiving meals to those less fortunate for more than 25 years. It is such a humbling experience and is something I want to share with my kids someday. Being able to share my love of food with others is something I do every day of my life and I feel grateful to be a chef. That is the reason I chose to be a part of Hunger Solutions efforts to end hunger in Minnesota. – Chef Ryan Hoffman
Veterans face losing SNAP benefits
Politico – 4/30/15
by Bill Tomson
With unemployment lower than it has been in seven years, federal lawmakers are looking forward to the end of a waiver that gave single adults long-term access to food stamps even if they weren't working.
When the waiver expires at the end of 2015, an estimated 1 million people – able-bodied adults without dependents, or ABAWDs – will once again be limited to three months of assistance. The rollback could mean a savings of hundreds of millions of dollars in a program that has long been a target of conservatives.
But 60,000 of those people are believed to be military veterans, many of whom struggle to find work even in a better job market, and that concerns veterans advocates and some members of Congress.
"The idea that we would say to a veteran, 'Thank you for your service to our country, but we don't give a damn if you lose your SNAP benefit and can't put food on the table' … is unconscionable," said Rep. Jim McGovern, a Massachusetts Democrat and a longtime and vocal supporter of the SNAP program.
"Congress likes to get up and give patriotic speeches … but at this moment tens of thousands of veterans may lose their food [assistance], and there are a lot of members of Congress missing in action."
The three-month limit is especially difficult for veterans, who often face more hurdles in transitioning into civilian life than non-veterans looking for employment.
Veterans aren't always aware of what's facing them when they come out, said Jeffrey Cathey, a retired Navy captain and head of Bank of America's Military Affairs team, which focuses on hiring veterans and supporting military personnel. The bank recently hired two veteran snipers, and the transition to corporate life was more complicated than just finding them cubicles, Cathey said.
"It's a whole new world for them," he said. "Veterans themselves often don't realize they have skills that can be very valuable," he said. "It's worth it to us to take the time to help them transition."
And a lot of the veterans, especially the younger ones returning from Iraq or Afghanistan, are in particular need of help, McGovern added.
But the food stamp program has been a favorite target for some lawmakers in recent years. They point to the growing cost of the program, which now serves about 47 million Americans, as an example of federal spending run amok. Federal spending on SNAP rose from $17 billion 2000 to $74 billion in 2014, according to USDA data.
During negotiations over the 2014 farm bill, efforts were made to cut as much as $40 billion out of SNAP over a 10-year period. Half of the reduction would have come from eliminating state waivers for ABAWDs. Lawmakers pushed back on the cut and got it reduced significantly, fearing it would result in the collapse of the entire farm bill and its billions of dollars in subsidies, crop insurance and conservation programs for farmers.
But the focus on SNAP has not relented. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway has called for a two-year "full-scale review" of the program, simultaneously drawing attention to "a new group of healthy, working age recipients" who previously did not rely on SNAP.
In one of the first hearings called by Conaway's committee in the 114th Congress, Rep. David Rouzer, a freshman Republican from North Carolina, expressed frustrations with the food stamp program. He recounted how one of his constituents was angry that he had to work for his groceries while "those who have not contributed quite as much to society … they're getting everything."
The majority of food stamp recipients are employed, however. Fifty-eight percent of all households on food stamps with at least one working-age non-disabled adult were home to at least one person with a job during the prior month, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a liberal nonprofit, and 87 percent were employed during the prior year. The percentages were higher if the households had children.
Seven years ago, millions of Americans were losing their jobs and staying unemployed while hiring had virtually frozen at the height of the last recession. Congress acted by approving legislation to extend unemployment insurance.
It was USDA that interpreted the Unemployment Compensation Act of 2008 to allow states to lift the three-month SNAP limit for unemployed ABAWDs. According to USDA, states could get a waiver for the restriction by showing unemployment rates of more than 6 percent. Previously, states would have to reach a much higher bar by showing unemployment rates were 20 percent higher than the national average in order to allow ABAWDs to receive SNAP.
As a result 28 states and Washington, D.C., qualified to waive the employment condition for childless adults to get SNAP. Before the law was in place, only five states – Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Oregon and South Carolina – and D.C. qualified, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, which often advises state governments on SNAP issues.
Now the reverse is expected to happen on Dec. 31, when the waivers are no longer easy for states to get. The number of states with full waivers is expected to drop to just four or five, causing about 1 million people to lose their SNAP benefits.
Meanwhile, some states have started paring down their SNAP rolls in advance of the Dec. 31 expiration date.
Scott Walker, Wisconsin's governor and an expected Republican presidential hopeful, elected to begin the process of reimposing the three-month limit on food stamp benefits as a trial run for three counties more than a year ago. Walker expanded his effort to remove ABAWDs off FoodShare – what Wisconsin calls its SNAP program – statewide on April 1.
State FoodShare officials confirmed that although 700 people in the three-county pilot program did lose their SNAP benefits, 259 also gained employment and either kept the food stamps or no longer needed them as a result of a new employment and training program.
Laurel Patrick, a spokeswoman for Walker, stressed that Wisconsin residents aren't simply being kicked out of SNAP without some assistance. Rather, the state will spend $37 million from 2015 through 2017 on employment training programs.
"No one will be kicked off the FoodShare program if they are actively participating in the FoodShare Employment and Training program or meeting the work requirement," Patrick said.
"Gov. Walker is committed to helping Wisconsin residents move from dependence on government programs to the independence and dignity that comes with working hard to build a prosperous future of their own choosing," Claire Yunker, a spokeswoman for the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, explained further.
"The Governor's FoodShare Employment and Training program reforms help FoodShare members, especially adults ages 19-49 with no minor children living in their home, to transition to the workforce by increasing opportunities for education, vocational training and active engagement in the workforce."
The governor also laid out a plan during his 2014 reelection bid to begin drug-testing ABAWDs as a prerequisite to getting the benefits. Following up on Walker's plan, 17 members of the Wisconsin State Assembly introduced a bill last week that would require drug testing for ABAWDs that participate in employment training programs that allow them to continue collecting SNAP benefits in lieu of a job.
Wisconsin is not alone. Indiana will also begin requiring, on July 1, that ABAWDs find employment or enter a job training program to keep their food stamps for more than three months. Ohio cut its waiver for all but 16 of its 88 counties in 2013, and Maine ended its waiver statewide in October 2014.
Conaway said he is taking an active interest in what happens in the states that have elected to kick ABAWDs out of SNAP early.
"We'll watch and see what happens in those states where they let those waivers expire," the Texas Republican told POLITICO. "If [states] no longer qualify, they shouldn't get the waiver and we'll see what impact that has on folks that had previously been on [SNAP] under the waiver. Once they get past the three months, do they then go to work?"
But reentering the labor force can be daunting, especially for some military veterans returning from years of service, sometimes in violent and bloody combat situations.
It's why Rep. Collin Peterson, a Minnesota Democrat, believes that, while ABAWD waivers should be abolished, an exception should be made for veterans. Conaway said he is similarly concerned about how the expiration of SNAP waivers will hit veterans.
The coming cut to SNAP will hit veterans hard, said retired Army Col. Ben Margolius, who runs the Southern Tier Veterans Support Group in upstate New York.
"It ain't much," Margolius said, referring to the average $127.73 received by SNAP beneficiaries on a monthly basis, "but it's something. "We're getting calls every day from veterans for help getting a job or getting food, some just returning from Afghanistan or Iraq."
About 21 million veterans in America make up roughly 9 percent of the adult population, according to Labor Department data. While unemployment for veterans of all ages – estimated in 2014 to be 5.3 percent – is below the overall U.S. level, the rate shoots up to 7.2 percent for those who served on active duty after September 2011.
About 25 percent of veterans who served in Iraq or Afghanistan report problems being able to feed themselves or their families, according to a 2015 study published in Public Health Nutrition. An average of 900,000 veterans use SNAP in any given month, nationwide, according to a separate study by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
Every time SNAP benefits are squeezed in the United States, Rich Synek said he sees more veterans line up at the two New York food pantries he runs. It was particularly bad after SNAP benefits were cut across America on Nov. 1, 2013, said the founder of the group Feed Our Vets, also a retired postmaster-general. Congress had boosted the benefits when it passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, but the bill expired four years later.
"If it wasn't for SNAP, I wouldn't make it," said Rodney Yearby, a retired staff sergeant in New York.
Yearby, who served in the Air Force for 12 years and suffered a head injury after leaving in 1996, said he gets $165 per month in SNAP benefits. Feed our Vets helped him sign up for SNAP, find a place to live and apply for assistance from the federal Supplemental Security Income program.
It can be easy to overlook veterans, said Bank of America's Cathey.
"They're not really that well known in the communities," he said. "People say 'support the vets' and 'thank the troops' and stuff like that, but the touch points aren't there like they used to be and so people don't really know."
JOBS NOW Coalition
Job Vacancy FACT SHEET—April 2015
Part-Time Job Openings Up 70 Percent in Greater Minnesota
In Greater Minnesota there are 48,000 job seekers competing for 40,000 job openings, according to the latest Job Vacancy Survey from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).* The 1.2-to-1 ratio of job seekers to job openings is the best since DEED first did the survey in 2001.**
Most of the increase in Greater Minnesota openings is driven by a big jump in part-time, low-wage openings. Over the last year, part-time openings rose by 70 percent.
A quarter of all openings are in the two occupations with the lowest wages—food preparation and serving, and sales. There's no evidence that growth in these occupations has been adversely affected by the increase in the state minimum wage. For example:
Other findings for Greater Minnesota include:
According to DEED's Cost of Living in Minnesota research, a family-supporting wage for the five planning regions in Greater Minnesota ranges from $13.25 to $16.00 per hour. **** To see the updated research by planning region, use DEED's Cost of Living Calculator at http://mn.gov/deed/data /data-tools/col/index.jsp
Questions? Contact Kevin Ristau at 651-290-0240 or firstname.lastname@example.com
* Greater Minnesota consists of all the state's planning regions, excluding the seven-county metro region.
** Figures for job seekers and job openings are from fourth quarter 2014. https://apps.deed.state.mn.us/lmi/jvs/ChooseAreaMap.aspx
*** A median is a midway point; half of the jobs are above it, half below.
**** The average Minnesota family size is three persons; the average workweek is 33.7 hours. Partnered, 1 full-time and 1 part-time worker, 1 child, provides a standard yearly cost and hourly wage needed for a typical family, regardless of how the weekly work hours are distributed between the two adults.
Because of dramatic shifts in nutrition policy, last year SNAP (formerly known as food stamps) benefits decreased and thousands lost their eligibility. Currently in Minnesota, each of the 495,000 SNAP recipients receives $1.24 per meal (Minnesota Department of Human Services). This is down from $1.32 in 2013. Also, in the fall of 2013, Minnesota lost the federal waiver to enroll able bodied adults without dependents between ages 18-50 in SNAP for longer than three months. When this waiver expired, 89,000 individuals lost their SNAP benefits, more than twice as many as forecasted. Many have turned to the strapped network of community based food shelves for service as a replacement.


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The 98th PGA Championship begins this Thursday at the Baltusrol Golf Club in New Jersey. Traditionally held in early August, the PGA Championship has been moved up by two weeks to accommodate golf's return to the Olympics.
Here are 10 PGA Championship records you may find interesting.
1. The Youngest Winner
Gene Sarazen won his first PGA Championship in 1922 at the Oakmont Country Club. He was just 20 years, 5 months and 22 days old on the day of his victory.
2. The Oldest Winner
Julios Boros is not only the oldest winner of the PGA Championship but also the oldest winner of any Major. He was 48 years, 4 months and 18 days old when he won at the Pecan Valley Golf Club in 1968.
3. Most Wins
Both Jack Nicklaus and Walter Hagen have five victories at the PGA Championship, and hold the record for the most wins at this event. All of Nicklaus' wins came in the Stroke Play format, while all of Hagen's wins came in the Match Play format (stroke play became format in 1958). Nicklaus' five wins came in '63, '71, '73, '75 and '80. Hagen's wins came in '21, '24, '25, '26 and '27.
4. Highest Margin – Stroke Play
Rory McIlroy's second Major victory came in 2012 at the Kiawah Island Golf Resort, and was quite a blowout. His 8-shot win is the highest margin of victory at the PGA championship.
5. Highest Margin – Match Play
Often regarded as the greatest short game player of all time, Paul Runyan holds the record for the highest margin of the victory in the Match Play format. In 1938, he beat the great Sam Snead 8 & 7 in the finals at the Shawnee Country Club.
6. Lowest Winning Score – Aggregate
David Toms won the 2001 PGA Championship at the Atlanta Athletic Club with a winning score of 265 (-15). He holds the record for the lowest aggregate score at this major. Up until last Sunday, Toms' score of 265 was also the lowest aggregate score at any of the major championships, until Henrik Stenson (264) broke it at Royal Troon.
7. Lowest Winning Score – Against Par
Jason Day holds the record for the lowest score in relation to par at the PGA Championship. Last year he won by shooting 20-under par (268) at Whistling Straits. His score is still the lowest score in relation to par at any of the majors, but is now tied with Stenson's score (-20) set last week at the British Open.
8. Best 18-Hole Scores
13 players have shot 63s at the PGA Championship.
63 (7 under) by Bruce Crampton, second round, 1975
63 (7 under) by Raymond Floyd, first round, 1982
63 (9 under) by Gary Player, second round, 1984
63 (8 under) by Vijay Singh, second round, 1993
63 (8 under) by Michael Bradley, first round, 1993
63 (8 under) by Brad Faxon, final round, 1995
63 (9 under) by Jose Maria Olazabal, third round, 2000
63 (7 under) by Mark O'Meara, second round, 2001
63 (7 under) by Thomas Bjorn, third round, 2005
63 (7 under) by Tiger Woods, second round, 2007
63 (7 under) by Steve Stricker, first round, 2011
63 (7 under) by Jason Dufner, second round, 2013
63 (9 under) by Hiroshi Iwata, second round, 2015
9. Career Scoring Averages
The biggest names in golf, all have really low scoring averages at this championship.
a. Minimum 20 Rounds
Rory McIlroy – 69.75
Jason Day – 69.90
b. Minimum 50 Rounds
Tiger Woods – 70.50
Steve Stricker – 71.13
c. Minimum 75 Rounds
Phil Mickelson – 70.87
Jim Furyk – 71.24
d. Minimum 100 Rounds
Jack Nicklaus – 71.37
Tom Watson – 71.73
10. Winning the PGA Championship in Debut
8 players have won the PGA Championship on their debut.
Jim Barnes in 1916
Tom Creavy in 1931
Bob Hamilton in 1944
Doug Ford in 1955
Bob Tway in 1986
John Daly in 1991
Shaun Micheel in 2003
Keegan Bradley in 2011


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