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Give It a Rest: Carve Out Time to Recharge on a Regular Basis
"Most of the things we need to be most fully alive never come in busyness. They grow in rest."
― Mark Buchanan
Every one of us needs down time. Human beings weren't designed to work or be productive 24 hours 7 days a week. Just as your muscles need rest and repair after a rigorous workout, your mind, body and spirit routinely need time for renewal, too.
People have been encouraged to take regular periods set aside for rest and worship as far back as written history has been documented. In the Old Testament (Exodus 20: 8), God commanded that the Sabbath, the seventh day of the week, is to be observed as a day of rest in remembrance that, after six days of creation, God rested on the seventh day. Even now, Sabbath is honored by some Jews as Shabbat (the most holy day on the Jewish calendar), sundown Friday to sundown Saturday each week, and by some Christians on Sunday, not only for ceasing labor but as a way to attend more fully to the spiritual aspects of life.
Sabbath is not merely a religious concept. As claimed by Walter Brueggemann, "Sabbath, in the first instance, is not about worship. It is about work stoppage. It is about withdrawal from the anxiety system of Pharoah, the refusal to let one's life be defined by production and consumption and the endless pursuit of private well-being."
Accordingly, in more recent history, secular Sabbaths have been instituted. For example, the "weekend" is understood to be a period of the week set aside by custom or law for rest from labor. In the United States, a five-day workweek was formalized by Henry Ford in 1926 and became a standard throughout America by 1940. It then extended to many other English-speaking and European countries as an international workweek. And, "blue laws," prohibiting certain types of commercial activity on Sundays, have been part of U.S. legal history since the colonial period to promote the observance of a day of worship or rest. More specifically, In 1961, the Supreme Court of the United States held that contemporary Maryland blue laws were intended to promote the secular values of "health, safety, recreation, and general well-being" through a common day of rest.
However, most Blue Laws have been repealed in the U.S., although many states continue to ban the sale of alcoholic beverages and cars on Sundays and they are still enforced in some European countries. Without blue laws in place, gradually even our weekends have been infiltrated with work and similar busyness.
To compound this challenge, even as advancements in technology have afforded many conveniences, the fact is that most of us are now accessible at all hours, all days of the week, no matter where we are. For many people, there are no remaining refuges offering a safe haven for periods of down-time.
Nevertheless, just because the cultural institutions of "Sabbath" have eroded does not mean that you don't still need a rest from work. Instead, it means that you need to be more deliberate in defining your boundaries around when and how you are busy. It is currently up to each of us to impose some sanity in our busy lives by carving out times of rest from work and excess stimulation. As Stephen W. Smith states, "When practiced, Sabbath-keeping is an active protest against a culture that is always on, always available and always looking for something else to do."
Consider how you can create and maintain a "Sabbath" in your life, a regular period of work stoppage that is free from electronic leashes (your phone, computer and T.V.). You might carve out a day each week for recreation with family and/or friends without other distractions; define set times each day or week to turn off all electronic devices; engage in frequent mini-vacations, excursions in nature or retreats; or set aside regular periods for meditation/reflection. Take to heart Dallas Willard's understanding of Sabbath and manifest it in your life in some manner each week: "The command is 'Do no work.' Just make space. Attend to what is around you. Learn that you don't have to DO to BE. Accept the grace of doing nothing. Stay with it until you stop jerking and squirming."
"Sabbath observance invites us to stop. It invites us to rest. It asks us to notice that while we rest, the world continues without our help. It invites us to delight in the world's beauty and abundance."
― Wendell Berry
Concentration: A Way to Stabilize Your Agitated Mind
"Concentration is a cornerstone of mindfulness practice. Your mindfulness will only be as robust as the capacity of your mind to be calm and stable. Without calmness, the mirror of mindfulness will have an agitated and choppy surface and will not be able to reflect things with any accuracy."
~ Jon Kabat-Zinn
As human beings, our minds are naturally vulnerable to agitated thoughts. This is because we tend to be dominated by the ancient, reptilian part of our brain which is constantly on alert scanning the environment for potential threats. Whenever our brain perceives a potential danger is present, thoughts of alarm are triggered in order to stimulate our fight or flight arousal system. Left unchecked, our brain's natural prioritizing of survival will leave our thoughts scattered, in a state of distraction, often with a corresponding heightened state of physical and emotional arousal.
This untrained state of mind "the Buddha compares to the flapping about of a fish taken from the water and thrown onto dry land. It cannot stay fixed but rushes from idea to idea, from thought to thought, without inner control."1 Such a distracted mind is easily overwhelmed by worries and concerns, and the thoughts, being fragmented, are subject to distortion.
Cultivating a state of concentration is an alternative to allowing your agitated mind to run amok, thus, causing you unnecessary wear and tear. Concentration is a "single-pointedness of mind."2 Establishing concentration requires deliberate effort to fix your mind upon a single object to the exclusion of others. To be effective, the object you select to focus your attention upon must be a healthful or beneficial one.
Once developed, concentration has a unifying impact on the mind; the more fragmented, scattered thoughts are collected into a single stream. "Like a lake unruffled by any breeze, the concentrated mind is a faithful reflector that mirrors whatever is placed before it exactly as it is."3 Ultimately, concentration results in a freedom from distraction and induces a growing tranquility, from which greater insight can be attained. From this state of increased stability of awareness, rather than being driven into reactivity by distorted thoughts, you may instead be able to notice your experience, whatever is true, from a place of greater balance, and respond with choice. In the words of Lao Tzu, "To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders."
When your mind is distracted or agitated, you can use these methods to promote greater concentration or steadiness of awareness:
- Ask yourself to maintain your focus on one object, anchoring your attention there, without letting your mind waiver. If your mind wanders, bring your attention back gently but deliberately to that object and continue this process no matter how frequently your mind wanders. The commonly recommended object to attend to is your breath; no matter where you are, your breath is always accessible, and it is always occurring in the present moment.
- Maintain your awareness with the full duration of each breath, rather than merely the inhalation and/or the exhalation. It is in the gaps that your attention is most vulnerable to being pulled by thoughts. Notice not only the inhalation and exhalation but also the transitions from the inhalation to the exhalation and the transitions from the exhalation to the next inhalation.
- Use counting as a way of anchoring your awareness with your breath. Start by counting your first complete breath as "one." Then count each subsequent breath until you arrive at a count of 10. If you lose count, without judging yourself or analyzing why, return your attention to your breath and start counting at "one" again. If you exceed a count of "ten," without judging yourself or analyzing why, start counting at "one" again with your next breath.
References 1, 2, 3: The Noble Eightfold Path: The Way to the End of Suffering by Bhikkhu Bodhi, Chapter 7
"We apply our effort to be mindful, to be aware in this very moment, right here and now, and we bring a very wholehearted effort to it. This brings concentration. It is this power of concentration that we use to cut through of surface appearance to get to a much deeper reality."
~ Sharon Salzberg
7 Tips to Get Your Butt on the Cushion!
"We must go beyond the intellect into the silence of our intuitive hearts, where separation disappears and knowledge gives way to wisdom."
~ Ram Dass
Mindfulness is currently a "hot" topic in the media. With the increasing number of books, articles, videos and other vehicles addressing mindfulness, it is relatively easy to learn about this topic. Consuming this information can be inspiring, motivating, and can even develop a sound intellectual understanding of the practices, yet, the impacts of mindfulness are not cultivated in this way. Its benefits are not easily attained; to realize these, some training is necessary, and, moreover, it entails a commitment to ongoing practice. You must go beyond your intellect and actually engage in the practices – it is, ultimately, an experiential process.
You need to make mindfulness a habit! According to Leo Babauta, a writer who focuses on implementing Zen habits in daily life, "If you want to form the habit of meditation, just get your butt on the cushion each day". Here are some tips to help you do that:
1) Remind yourself of your intention.
Remembering the reason(s) you learned to practice (reduce stress, increase relaxation, minimize depression or anxiety, improve sleep, increase wisdom, etc.) can be a motivating factor.
2) Formalize your practice.
Carve out a specific time to practice each day. For greatest success, practice first thing in the morning – when you are most awake, have fewer distractions, before the momentum of your day builds and the busyness of your mind takes over.
3) Create a consistent practice space with minimal distractions.
Identify a place to practice where you will be comfortable and alert without distractions (turn off the phone, not in view of computer or other digital devices, let your family/roommates know that you do not wish to be disturbed). Try to practice in the same place each day; your mind will habituate to this location and it may become your welcome refuge.
4) Set a timer or use a guided practice so you are not tempted to keep looking at the clock.
5) Eliminate the "time" barrier.
Avoid the "all or nothing" mentality towards practicing. If it helps, start by committing to short practice times and build up to longer periods. When you don't feel like you have the time for a full session of practice, engage for a shorter time to maintain your habit, such as five minutes, rather than none at all. Even short durations (10 to 15 minutes) of practice done on a regular basis will help your develop your mindfulness muscle and keep it fit.
6) Seek support
Find someone who will commit to practice with you, or attend a sitting group of practitioners. Additionally, there are apps available via your computer or smartphones that can be a means of support.
7) Try out different forms of mindfulness
Learning a variety of ways to cultivate mindfulness can be helpful since a single form of practice may not always feel suitable in every situation. Sitting meditation, body scan, and mindful movement (i.e. yoga, qi gong or walking meditation), can all be effective as part of your tool kit of mindful practices.
Once you've developed your habit of practice, extending mindfulness beyond the cushion into your daily active life is skillful, such as when you are driving, eating, conversing, or exercising. However, resist the belief that you can merely be mindful of your active life in lieu of formal practice, otherwise, your mindfulness skills will tend to wane.
"Sitting on the cushion" is where you are rewiring your brain – reinforcing the habit of bringing your attention to your present experience. By practicing on a regular basis, your mindfulness habit will continue to grow stronger, both on and off the cushion.
Forget about enlightenment.
Sit down wherever you are and listen to the wind that is singing in your veins.
Feel the love, the longing, the fear in your bones.
Open your heart to who you are, right now,
Not who you'd like to be,
Not the saint you're striving to become,
But the being right here before you, inside you, around you.
All of you is holy.
You're already more and less
than whatever you can know.
Breathe out,
Look in,
Let Go.
~John Welwood
Mindfulness: Fitness for Your Brain
"Any man could, if he were so inclined, be the sculptor of his own brain."
~ Santiago Ramón y Cajal, Advice for a Young Investigator
One of the most common New Year's resolutions made each year is to exercise more. Whether or not people actually follow through on this intention, it is an indication that people are well aware of the value of physical fitness; but, what about our brain? As scientific understanding of the brain evolves, there is a greater awareness of how important it is to keep this organ in our body fit. According to Dr. Judson Brewer (a psychiatrist and neuroscientist at the University of Massachusetts who uses mindfulness to treat addiction), "[Mindfulness] is just the next generation of exercise. We've got the physical exercise components down. Now it's about working out how can we actually train our minds."1
The Mindful Brain
Until recently, neuroscientists believed that after early adulthood, the brain no longer is capable of significant change: the viewpoint was that, at a certain point, the brain becomes rigid, no longer plastic. More current research has shown this not to be true. Newer understanding recognizes that the brain remains plastic as we age.2 This means that we are able to continue creating new neural pathways (new connections in the brain), hence new skills, habits and ways of responding; although it takes conscious effort and repetition (training) to do so. It turns out that the brain can keep growing; it's just that we have been using it in such a way that maintains rigid behaviors. Furthermore, mindfulness is one way to train our brain to maintain its plasticity and ultimately to create new patterns of response, even as we age.
How Mindfulness Changes Your Brain – The Proof is in the Brain Scans
Mindfulness has been practiced for over twenty six hundred years. Over that time, there has been a consistent history of anecdotal experience suggesting the positive outcomes of this practice. Today, with advances in the study of the brain, there is empirical research, using objective measures, that supports and validates many of these anecdotal claims. Modern science now provides physical evidence of benefits of mindfulness:
- Philippe Goldin, a psychology researcher, headed a study at Stanford University to better understand the effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) training for people suffering from Social Anxiety Disorders. After two months of mindfulness meditation training, participants reported less emotional anxiety, reduced depression, and greater self-esteem. MRI scans observed participants' brain activity before and after the training suggesting that mindfulness meditation might help people view themselves more positively.3
- Another study by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School and the University of Massachusetts shows that mindfulness meditation physically alters the brain. M.R.I. brain scans of participants who underwent eight weeks of MBSR training showed measurable changes in gray matter density in parts of the brain associated with memory, sense of self, empathy and stress, while a control group that did not practice meditation showed no changes. These brain scans also found increased gray matter in the hippocampus, an area important for learning and memory, as well as a reduction of gray matter in the amygdala, a region connected to anxiety and stress.4
- Additionally, Dr. Judson Brewer, an addiction psychiatrist who studies how mindfulness changes the brain at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, brought experienced mindfulness meditators into an fMRI scanner and had them simply meditate while measuring their brain activity. It was found that a region of the brain called the posterior cingulate became active when folks were caught up in thought and quieted down when they were meditating.5 This is the same region that gets activated during states of craving, anxiety, rumination, and even when we are thinking about ourselves. Brewer postulates that training in meditation can help us get out of our own way when we are otherwise likely to get caught by these maladaptive states of mind.
Together, these studies validate that by practicing mindfulness meditation we are actually improving emotional and cognitive fitness of the brain.
Mindfulness is an Experiential Practice Not an Intellectual Exercise
With mindfulness becoming an increasingly popular topic, there is an abundance of books, articles, and videos touting its benefits. Additionally, mindfulness is showing up more often in mainstream media: Oprah has highlighted mindfulness in her programs and magazine over the years; just this year, in his book "10% Happier," ABC News anchor Dan Harris shared how he turned to mindfulness meditation to address panic attacks and how it has helped him be happier6; and Anderson Cooper explored mindfulness in a segment of 60 Minutes7. Not surprisingly, I meet more and more new mindfulness students who arrive relatively well-read on the topic. This conceptual understanding is useful, however, the benefits of mindfulness do not come from a conceptual understanding; instead, it needs to be actually practiced for associated positive changes in the brain to occur. Just as with physical exercise that trains muscles in the body, it is the repeated experience of mindfulness that develops and trains the brain. For example, if I watch a yoga video, I may understand better how to move my body to attain specific poses, but unless I actually engage in those poses, I don't gain their benefits. Likewise, mindfulness must actually be practiced in order to impact the fitness of the brain.
How to Engage in Mindfulness Meditation
It can be particularly difficult to develop new practices and make them part of your routine when you attempt to do it your own. This is true for mindfulness. Therefore, I don't suggest that you go it alone when learning and developing mindfulness mediation. Here are some ways to learn mindfulness and approach it as a new element of your lifestyle and have the support that is necessary:
- Take a class: look for an 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program offered near you
- Attend a mindfulness meditation sitting group
- Go on a mindfulness meditation retreat
- Find a teacher or coach to get you started and help you develop a practice
Ultimately, you will be the best judge as to how mindfulness meditation contributes to the fitness of your brain.
"Biology gives you a brain. Life turns it into a mind."
~ Jeffrey Eugenides, Middlesex
The Great Escape: Fleeing From Ourselves
Enlightenment is just intimacy with all things."
~ Eihei Dogen
According to a study by a team led by Timothy Wilson from the University of Virginia published in Science July 4, 2014, most people prefer to do something rather than nothing, even if that something is negative. To examine this, hundreds of participants were left in a bare room by themselves for 6 to 15 minutes with nothing to do: no phones, books, pens, or distractions of any kind. Just stay awake, be quiet, and sit idly in their seats. In one last experiment, 67 percent of the men and 25 percent of the women chose to administer a mild electric shock to themselves rather than finish the process. Beforehand, when given a sample, most said they'd pay $5 not to be zapped again — but when the time came, they still pushed the button. "The mind is designed to engage with the world," Wilson says in a news release. "Even when we are by ourselves, our focus usually is on the outside world." The team is working on the exact reasons why people find it difficult to be alone with their own thoughts.
The outcome of this study does not surprise me; however, I am disturbed by it. It reveals a universal, not merely personal, reality about the human condition in our current culture: that so many people would rather inflict pain upon themselves than be present with their direct experience. And, recognizing this inability to tolerate being with ourselves brings up a profound sadness in me. If we have such an aversion to allowing an intimacy with ourselves, then how can we encounter genuine intimacy with others?
How do you avoid being with yourself?
If you are truly honest, you will find that you, too, along with the vast majority of people, spend the better part of your life escaping yourself. We all employ strategies to preoccupy ourselves instead of being present with our experience. Here are just some of the ways we may do that:
- Misusing substances: drugs (prescription and non-prescription), alcohol, food, etc.
- Consuming electronics and media: TV, phone, computer (e-mail, social media, web surfing), news, etc.
- Sleeping (as a means of avoidance instead of nourishment)
- Staying Mentally Preoccupied: worrying, fantasizing, planning, ruminating, replaying, losing ourselves in memories/nostalgia, etc.
- Staying Busy: working compulsively, exercising compulsively, cleaning compulsively, talking compulsively, socializing compulsively, etc.
These are all merely ways to keep ourselves distracted – rather than experiencing any potential dissatisfaction with the way things are in the moment. As Pablo Neruda asserts in his poem Keeping Quiet, "If we weren't unanimous about keeping our lives so much in motion, if we could do nothing for once, perhaps a great silence would interrupt this sadness, this never understanding ourselves and threatening ourselves with death." If you are willing to take a sincere look at your own behaviors, you may find a tendency to avoid intimacy with yourself by staying otherwise engaged using some of these strategies, albeit unconsciously. Moreover, once aware, you may begin to notice how these ways of being are actually self-destructive (not serving you) rather than promoting your well-being. For example, the simple habit of quickly checking your email before going to bed and unintentionally finding yourself on the computer for another hour or more, may be consistently robbing you of much needed sleep. At best, these strategies provide us with temporary relief. Ultimately, they are, instead, contributing to our suffering – we are causing harm to ourselves and, perhaps, also to others.
From what, or rather, whom are we escaping?
This is a question for which I do not have an answer. However, my best assessment is that we are afraid of what we might find, or not find, if we really take an honest look at our experience. The words of Alison Luterman in her poem, Stripping, suggest this underlying, existential fear:
"I want to strip. It is the jewel at the center I seek;
let me be oyster, hoarding pearl.
Let me be coal, sheltering diamond.
Though in my heart of hearts I am afraid
I may be onion, each white circle
of stinky tears hiding another exactly like it.
Or rose: whose petals are her everything."
How do we develop greater intimacy with, instead of fleeing from, ourselves?
People travel near and far in search of beautiful places and satisfying experiences. They surround themselves with luxurious comforts of accommodations, fine food, sumptuous things, or awe–inspiring natural settings. And yet, any satisfaction that may be experienced is fleeting, because "Wherever you go, there you are." No matter our attempts, we can't escape ourselves. Therefore, the way to develop intimacy with oneself is to simply meet your direct experience instead of creating separation. Start by inhabiting your body. This is the first foundation of mindfulness practice – mindfulness of body. Begin by bringing awareness of your body as a whole, specific sensations in your body (such as contact), and particularly, the experience of the breath occurring in your body. Whenever you notice your mind engaging in thoughts, no matter how frequently, bring your attention back to the experience in your body. This is a skill that we cultivate, not an intellectual process.According to Dogen, the path to realization is through the body. The human body, for Dogen, is not a hindrance to the realization of enlightenment (end of suffering); it rather serves as the vehicle through which enlightenment is realized by the aspirant. Dogen argues that those aspiring to become enlightened strive with their bodies, practice seated meditation with their bodies, understand with their bodies, and attain enlightenment with their bodies.
The Buddha pointed out that we tend to give more importance to "thoughts" in the hierarchy of experience, yet a thought is no more important than the sensation in your small toe. As Kabir instructs,
"Don't go outside your house to see flowers.
My friend, don't bother with that excursion.
Inside your body there are flowers.
One flower has a thousand petals.
That will do for a place to sit.
Sitting there you will have a glimpse of beauty
Inside the body and out of it,
Before gardens and after gardens."
This very thing we are trying to escape is actually our one true refuge. Therefore, staying connected to your direct experience through your body is one of the best ways to minimize suffering in your day-to-day life.
"Be at peace with your own soul,
Then heaven and earth will be at peace with you.
Enter eagerly into the treasure
house that is within you,
And you will see the things that are in heaven;
For there is but one single entry to them both.
The ladder that leads to the Kingdom
is hidden within your soul…
Dive into yourself and in your soul
And you will discover
The stairs by which to ascend."
~ Saint Isaac of Nineveh
The Sweetness of Doing Nothing (La Dolce Far Niente)
"All of humanity's problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone."
~Blaise Pascal
Have you ever wondered where the emphasis on staying busy comes from?
In the United States, the Puritan (or Protestant) Work Ethic is alive and well, some might say run amok. Protestants were originally attracted to the qualities of hard work and frugality, as well as social success and wealth, because these were thought to be two important consequences of being one of those elected or predestined to be saved; thus, Protestants were supposed to strive for reaching them. This mindset became wide spread; the Protestant work ethic is often credited with helping to define the societies of Northern Europe and other countries where Protestantism was common, including here, in the United States. For example, Proverbs 10:4 of the Holman Christian Standard Bible states, "Idle hands make one poor, but diligent hands bring riches." Likewise, there are several German proverbs that echo this sentiment, such as: "The devil makes work for idle hands." Thus, in the United States, it is common for people to feel we are not worthy if we are unable to account for our time with measurable results.
Making a case for downtime
Winnie the Pooh has quite a bit of wisdom to share with children and adults alike. In regard to keeping busy, Pooh makes the assertion, "Don't underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can't hear, and not bothering." (from Pooh's Little Instruction Book, inspired by A.A. Milne) We can also review the Old Testament (Gen. 2:2) as a reminder, lest we forget, that God rested on the seventh day of creation. In fact, Conservative and Orthodox Jews still observe the Sabbath by resting from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday. It was only a few decades ago, if any of you were around then to remember, that stores were not open on Sundays to support a day of repose and being with family. Taking such a break can be a reminder that we are not indispensable. Moreover, it can validate for us that the earth will not stop rotating if we take a break from meeting the demands that face us. These demands can be met "all in good time."
The reality is that not taking enough downtime has detrimental effects:
- We may become more stupid.
Constant activity keeps our bodies in a state of heightened stress arousal. In this state, our fight or flight reactivity, our ancient reptilian brain, is dominating our thoughts and behaviors. Thus we have less access to the prefrontal cortex, the part of our brain unique to human beings, where our executive functioning (rational thought, judgment and creativity) reside. Taking opportunities to bring ourselves out of stress arousal into greater balance allows us to utilize the intelligence that sets us apart as humans.
- There are mental health risks to not taking enough vacation from work.
A study published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (2013, August 2) concluded that employees who work long hours with high job demands are more likely to develop depression. And a 2005 study by the by the Marshfield Clinic in Wisconsin found that women who took vacations were less likely to suffer from depression than their counterparts who did not. Ultimately, burn-out and resentment can build when we don't feel rewarded for overextending our energy, going beyond our limitations.
- Productivity and job retention may suffer.
The constant pressure to do more with less, coupled with the belief that being busy means we're important, is creating an unsustainable pattern. It is worth questioning an unconscious belief that working more makes us more productive. As a case in point, when entrepreneur Henry Ford decreased the workweek of his employees from 48 to 40 hours per week, he found that their productivity actually increased. Likewise, An internal study done by major accounting firm Ernst & Young in 2006 found vacation time was actually correlated with stronger performance. It concluded that for each additional 10 hours of vacation employees took, their performance reviews from supervisors were 8 percent higher the following year. The study also found that employees who took vacation time were less likely to leave than their presumably burnt-out counterparts. In my own study of business people who meditate, one of the themes that arose from those who maintained long-term meditation practice was a sense that they were more productive at work, not less, and without adding more time on the job.
- Health may suffer.
There is greater understanding that working too much is simply not healthy. Luckily, when we take time away, these effects are mitigated. For example, the Framingham Heart study (a massive longitudinal research program started in 1948) reported that when workers take annual vacations, their risk for a heart attack is reduced by 30% in men and 50% in women.
Thus, there is no need to feel guilty for taking time off of "doing." For many people, staying busy has become a way of avoiding what you are feeling, especially discomfort or pain (physical or emotional). On the other hand, non-doing gives you an opportunity to meet what is there without judgment and address it more effectively. From this state, you are better able to utilize the executive functioning of your brain (the rational thought, creativity and judgment) and can tap into the inner wisdom that is inaccessible when you are constantly stimulated. As Joseph Campbell stated, "You must have a place to which you can go in your heart, your mind, or your house, almost every day, where you do not owe anyone and where no one owes you – a place that simply allows for the blossoming of something new and promising." Moreover, taking time out is an act of self-care rather than selfishness. When you are renewed and feeling more balanced, you are in a better state to respond effectively to the demands in your life.
How to take time to do nothing
Follow Rumi's advice, "A little while alone in your room will prove more valuable than anything else that could ever be given you."
– Schedule time for yourself in your calendar on a regular basis and keep the appointment with yourself.
– Take time when arriving somewhere to sit quietly before initiating your activity.
– Take a few minutes between completing tasks as transition time.
– Set up a Sabbath-like period in which you do not engage in "work" activity.
– Set boundaries on TV time, computer time (periodically turn off your phone and email).
What are ways that you carve out time for non-doing? Please share your ideas with so I can enlighten others.
"You do not need to leave your room.
Remain sitting at your table and listen.
Do not even listen, simply wait.
Do not even wait, be quiet, still and solitary.
The world will freely offer itself to you to be unmasked,
it has no choice, it will roll in ecstasy at your feet."
~ Franz Kafka
There Are No Shortcuts to Mindfulness: 5 Requirements for Successful Practice
"There are no shortcuts to any place worth going."
~Beverly Sills
Given the pace of the 21st Century world in which we live, too often, when people experience challenges in life, they seek a quick fix. Yet, rarely, if ever, do quick fixes actually resolve our problems. At best, they keep us stuck; sometimes they create more problems for us. In the end, Aesop's fable usually holds true in this regard: "Slow but steady wins the race."
Mindfulness practice is similar to exercise and nutrition in the sense that each necessitate that we make ongoing lifestyle changes to truly benefit from them; none of them work if done only temporarily; none of them are quick fixes. For example, to date, there haven't been any "fad" diets that have been successful over the long term. Moreover, science has not arrived at any medication that provides as much preventive or restorative benefits as exercise, nutrition for the most common diseases humans endure, such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes—not to mention that disease care interventions, as opposed to health care approaches, often come along with unwanted side effects. Likewise, mindfulness practice offers a way for people to take an active role in reducing their physical and emotional suffering, improving their well-being. For those benefits to manifest, however, mindfulness requires patience and persistence, and, ultimately, cultivating a new way of being.
If you would like to have a positive impact on your well-being by developing mindfulness practice, here are five suggestions to help you be successful:
1. Actively Practice
Reading about mindfulness is not sufficient, if you want to experience the benefits; practice is necessary. The intellectual context and instructions that books offer may enrich your understanding of mindfulness, yet it is the actual engagement in the practice that ultimately is essential to derive the greatest value. Mindfulness is an active, not passive process. And, developing a mindfulness practice on your own can be difficult. Instead of learning the practice in isolation, you may want to begin by taking a class, or finding a mindfulness sitting group in your area so that you receive support of others who share similar intentions.
2. Practice on a Regular Basis
Consistency of your practice is essential, and, perhaps, more important than how long you practice during each session. For example, you may find it more impactful to practice 20 minutes each day than to practice 45 minutes once each week. Establishing a regular habit of practicing mindfulness is what works best over the long term, while sporadic practice is hard to maintain and rarely gives rise to the potentials that the practice offers.
3. Beware of Ambition
If you become preoccupied about "seeing" results from your practice, you are likely to become discouraged in your efforts. The benefits of mindfulness develop slowly, and often subtly; you may not even notice the changes taking place along the way. Consequently, focusing on potential outcome(s) can sabotage the integrity of your practice. Therefore, it helps to suspend expectations of the practice you might be holding onto.
4. Keep Practicing Mindfulness in a Formal Manner
The ability to extend mindful awareness into the midst of your daily life, while you are working, driving, eating, communicating, recreating, engaged in routine activities, etc., is a valuable skill which is often referred to as "informal mindfulness." And, this is one of the potential outcomes of practicing mindfulness on a regular basis. However, if you stop practicing mindfulness in a formal manner—in an environment where you minimize distractions for a certain period of time so that you can be with your experience—your informal mindfulness will likely wane.
5. Maintain Your Commitment
Keep on practicing. If your practice falters, find a way to renew it. Sometimes this is difficult to do on your own; seek support if necessary. Finding a mindfulness sitting group where you can practice with others on a regular basis, or attending a retreat for more in-depth practice can be ways to sustain your personal practice.
Mindfulness is a life-time journey, not a sprint. Nevertheless, the ongoing effort that it requires is well worth your commitment! As Beverly Sills pointed out, "There are no shortcuts to any place worth going."
"Life is too precious, too important, too short for quick fixes that in the end fix nothing and from which we learn nothing except that we have wasted our time trying to find happiness in short cuts. The only way to real fulfilment is to look inside see what is there, then look outside and see what difference we can make with what we have to offer – whether we knew we had it in us, or whether it was something we grew within us over the coldest, most seemingly dormant, or darkest times, in order to reap the richest harvest of all."
~ Jacquelene Close Moore


text:
Asleep at the Wheel, Western Swing, and Route 66
Labels: Music on Saturday
Labels: Music on Saturday
The free daily newspaper Israel Hayom — a media outlet closely associated with right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — asked Romney if, as president, he would ever consider moving the American Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. In his answer, Romney made some astonishing claims. First, that his policy toward Israel will be guided by Israeli leaders; second, on the Jerusalem issue, he'd do whatever Israel tells him to do; and third, he does not think the United States should take a leadership role in resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict:
ROMNEY: The actions that I will take will be actions recommended and supported by Israeli leaders. I don't seek to take actions independent of what our allies think is best, and if Israel's leaders thought that a move of that nature would be helpful to their efforts, then that's something I'll be inclined to do. But again, that's a decision which I would look to the Israeli leadership to help guide. I don't think America should play the role of the leader of the peace process, instead we should stand by our ally. Again, my inclination is to follow the guidance of our ally Israel, as to where our facilities and embassies would exist.
Labels: 2012 Republican presidential nomination, Barack Obama, Israel, Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Middle East, Mitt Romney, Republicans, U.S. foreign policy
I don't speak for the scientific community, of course, but I believe the world's getting warmer. I can't prove that, but I believe based on what I read that the world is getting warmer. And number two, I believe that humans contribute to that. I don't know how much our contribution is to that, because I know that there have been periods of greater heat and warmth in the past but I believe we contribute to that. And so I think it's important for us to reduce our emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases that may well be significant contributors to the climate change and the global warming that you're seeing.
My view is that we don't know what's causing climate change on this planet. And the idea of spending trillions and trillions of dollars to try to reduce CO2 emissions is not the right course for us...
I think the EPA, acting in concert with the president, really doesn't like oil, gas, coal, and nuclear... I really do believe that the EPA wants to get its hands on all of energy and be able to crush it to cause prices to go through the roof... [T]he EPA should not be regulating carbon dioxide.
Labels: 2012 Republican presidential nomination, energy, global warming denialism, Mitt Romney, Republicans
Huntsman continued popular criticism of Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, by accusing him of changing his positions on issues including Libya, the debt ceiling and Ohio's bill to limit the collective bargaining rights of union workers.
"You can't be a perfectly lubricated weather vane on the important issues of the day," Huntsman said. "Romney has been missing in action in terms of showing any kind of leadership."
"I do believe that the electorate this go around will be looking for clearly defined presidential leadership and I'm not sure we're seeing that," Huntsman added.
Labels: 2012 Republican presidential nomination, Jon Huntsman, Mitt Romney, quote of the day, Republicans
At no point did Limbaugh address the fact that he had in effect defended a reviled group first listed as terrorists by President George W. Bush.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, this wasn't enough to stop the story from spreading. On Monday the Times of London ran an article about a young woman, Evelyn Apoko, who it said had been "horribly mutilated while working as a human 'mule' for the LRA." The paper wrote that the 22 year-old "demanded an apology" from Limbaugh, but that none had so far been forthcoming.
A group representing Ms. Apoko also wrote to TPM with a link to the video where she asked for that apology, while also detailing what she suffered at the hands of the LRA.
Limbaugh has not yet responded to that. You can watch her video below.
Labels: Africa, conservatives, Rush Limbaugh, terrorism
I worry that with the best of intentions, that somehow we get engaged in a commitment that we can't get out of. That's happened before in our history and we need an explanation, and I'm very disappointed, again, that the administration has not consulted with members of Congress before taking such action.
Labels: Africa, Barack Obama, James Inhofe, John McCain, Republicans, Rush Limbaugh, U.S. Congress, Uganda
Cain has no endorsements from Republican members of Congress or Republican governors, and very few from officials in key early voting states. He has raised very little money. He has not hired well-known names for his campaign staff. He does not have traditional credentials. He has run for elected office just once before. He has begun to get a fair amount of media coverage, but the tenor has been fairly skeptical.
[I]t would be arrogant to say that the man leading the polls two months before Iowa has no chance, especially given that there is a long history in politics and other fields of experts being overconfident when they make predictions.
Labels: 2012 Republican presidential nomination, Herman Cain, Republicans
Labels: economic crisis, recovery, voodoo economics
Labels: Apple, Steve Jobs, technology, Top Ten Cloves
Labels: This day in history, transit
As Herman Cain's star appears to be declining, there is already media speculation on who will be the next "it flavor" of the 2012 race. Their conclusion: It might be former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) – the only major presidential candidate who hasn't experienced a polling boomlet.
Labels: 2012 Republican presidential nomination, Hermain Cain, Republicans, Rick Perry, Rick Santorum
Everything worries me in this environment. Nobody's gotten elected with these kinds of numbers. So, I'm worried about the general election. I profoundly admit that. Again, Romney's just making a technocratic kind of confidence argument, and he's really a windsock kind of guy. If you don't like his position on something, give it a day and he'll change it.
Labels: 2012 presidential election
Question: Part of your 2004 Senate campaign focused on your stance against abortion, something you've struggled in recent days to articulate after an interview with Piers Morgan. What do you need to clarify in that interview?
Answer: I am pro-life from conception. Abortions, no exceptions. That has been my official stance from the beginning. What Piers Morgan was trying to do was to pigeonhole me on, "Well, what if this was your granddaughter?" You know what? If it's my granddaughter? Yes, this is my official position, and it's always been that. If it's my granddaughter? I used the word "choice." And that's where they jumped all over it. A family will make that choice. I was not talking about the whole big issue.
Labels: 2012 Republican presidential nomination, abortion, Herman Cain, Republicans
I work three jobs. I own a house. I have a family to support. I am the 53%.
Almost everything we know about wages and prices tells us that the typical household has suffered a Lost Decade for market wages. Just as important, the price of necessities -- such as health care, a college education, a house, and energy to heat your home and run your car engine -- is growing faster than our incomes. [...]
CBO found that in the three decades between 1979 and the beginning of the Great Recession, real household income grew 60 percent overall. But it didn't grow evenly.
Among the poorest fifth of households, income grew 18 percent. For the next three quintiles, it grew just shy of 40 percent. For the richest fifth, it grew 65 percent. And for the top percentile, it grew by a whopping 275 percent, which means it nearly tripled. Bottom line: Income inequality exists.
Inflation for the period Jan. 1980 through Dec. 2007 was 170%, and that staggering figure excludes energy and food (which, if included would add roughly another 40% or so to the figure.)
By the way, those inequalities get worse once you account for taxes paid.
In other words, the 53% still made out better than the 47%, even after you account for the fact that the 47% paid no income taxes!
And the only reason the 53% made out better is because the top 1% made out like bandits.
So I ask again, why?
Why are you working three jobs just to keep up? Why wouldn't you rather work one job at a living wage and have more time to enjoy the finer things that wage provides.
Finer things, like kids, and family time, instead of rushing off to job number two or three.
Why are you angry at the people who have it even worse than you? Why aren't you angry at the people who have sucked up every spare bit of money lying around like a vaccuum cleaner and stuck it in their pockets, rather than provide a decent wage that allows you to work to live, not live to work?
Why aren't you mad as hell and not going to take it anymore?
(crossposted to Simply Left Behind)
Smith: Jeb Bush the other day said, the Republican candidates for president should categorically reject the notion that Barack Obama was not born in America. This came after you expressed doubts about that.. what would you say to him?
Perry: Oh, I don't think I was expressing doubts. I was having some fun with Donald Trump. So I...
Smith: Are you comfortable that he's an American citizen?
Perry: Oh yeah. It's fun to... ya know, lighten up a little bit...
Adam: So you have no doubt he's an American citizen?
Smith: I have no doubt about it.
Labels: 2012 Republican presidential nomination, Barack Obama, Birtherism, Republicans, Rick Perry
Think about what transpired: the Republican presidential frontrunner visited with a Republican phone bank to offer support for the Republican campaign to curtail collective bargaining rights. But Romney refuses to take a position on the issue? He's "supportive" of their efforts, but he won't say whether or not he agrees with their efforts?
Putting aside party and ideology, it's hard to shake the realization that Mitt Romney lacks a certain political courage. He's so desperate to calculate how every decision might affect his ambitions that he struggles to remember what he believes, and either ends up cowardly ducking issues or taking both sides of nearly every fight. It can be hard to watch, and even harder to respect.
Labels: 2012 Republican presidential nomination, John Kasich, labor issues, labor unions, Mitt Romney, Ohio, Republicans
When the federal income tax was first imposed in 1913, the richest 0.1 percent of households reaped 8.6 percent of the nation's income. In 2007, as the recession began, the share going to that sliver of megarich Americans was 12.3 percent.
Those numbers suggest that the Occupy Wall Street protesters can make a compelling case when they complain that the economic scales are unfairly tilted toward the wealthy. The megarich hold more of the nation's wealth and collect more of the overall income today than at any time since right before the Great Depression.
You remember the Great Depression, right? A time of massive famine in the land, of 25% unemployment, people selling moldy apples to try to make a buck to feed a family of four for a week (they needed to sell 20.)
Back then, it was massive dust storms that sent people packing from their homes, the Great Foreclosure by Mother Nature as her home was raped and pillaged by farmers who only knew how to grow, but not conserve. Today, it's foreclosures by banks, who only know how to lose money, not nurture family fortunes.
You say that you pay the taxes that the 47% do not, and to a degree, you have a point. Most of those people earn so little that they are exempt from income taxes, but not Social Security, Medicare, and other payroll taxes. Nor are they exempt from sales taxes, gas taxes (because, you know, they have to get to their shithole jobs that barely keep them afloat,) or any number of myriad ways that governments reach into our pockets without us even thinking twice.
Many of those people earn enough to pay income taxes, but get to take advantage of deductions and credits that society as a whole deem appropriate: dependent care credits, tuition credits, mortgage interest deductions, and so they don't get taxed twice on the same money, state and local income tax deductions.
So it's really disingenuous for you to imply that you resent "paying" their freight when millions of people are struggling with a kid in college and a mortgage and making money in a state that is deprived of a fair return on the money it fronts to the Federal government just so some mega-rich corn farming conglomerate in Kansas-- you know? The 1%?-- can get subsidies for growing what amounts to an almost nutritionally useless junk food.
Yet you defend that corporation, its board and managers, for taking even more out of the nation than the corn subsidy. You want them to be wealthier, and that's a noble cause, to be sure, IF they're going to give back to the community.
Give back not in the form of a cancer wing to the local hospital that amazingly treats precisely the kind of cancer they've just been diagnosed with, but in jobs and infrastructure improvements that can benefit everyone who works the shithole jobs that allow that corporation to make money hand over fist AND THEN grab enough subisidies and credits to offset ALL their tax liabilities.
It's funny how you'll whiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine about the 47%ers who take advantage of the "small beer" tax credits and deductions to reduce a four of five figure tax bill, but you won't raise an alarm about the seven-, eight-, and nine-figure tax bills that are *poof* gone with a blow on the magician's hands.
You want to understand what Occupy is about? Get your head out of your ass. It ain't that hard to get.
Labels: 2012 Republican presidential nomination, Birtherism, Haley Barbour, John Kasich, labor issues, Mitt Romney, Ohio, Pat Robertson, Republicans, Rick Perry
Labels: health care, Michele Bachmann, Republicans
The manner in which some in the national team conducted themselves towards Team-N.H. was rude, unprofessional, dishonest, and at times cruel.
Team members were repeatedly ignored regarding simple requests, sometimes going weeks with little or no contact from the national team.
Sadly, they were deceived, constantly left out of the loop regarding key decisions, and relegated to second-class citizens within a campaign in which they were the original members.
Labels: 2012 Republican presidential nomination, Michele Bachmann, New Hampshire, Republicans

subset: commoncrawl


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Born and raised in Northern California, Jamie jumped at the opportunity to explore SoCal life as an undergrad the University of California, Irvine. She graduated in 2006 with degrees in both dance and psychology and moved to NYC with intentions to pursue a career in dance. Jamie soon came to an honest crossroads – her body could no longer take the intensity of life as a dancer. Instead, she dedicated more time to deepening her yoga practice. After her first teacher training at Pure Yoga in 2010, Jamie began teaching immediately. Seeking to further her practice and knowledge, she went on to study with Rodney and Colleen and hasn't left their side since 2012. After 4 years as a mentor at Yoga Shanti she is now a lead faculty member in their 200 hr teacher training program. She calls Rodney Yee and Colleen Saidman Yee her "Yoga Parents" and is extremely grateful for their honest support and wisdom.
Jamie is heavily influenced by the profound teachings of Pema Chödrön. The book "When Things Fall Apart" changed her life immensely when she read it in 2010 and she considers Ani Pema to be one of her greatest teachers (although they have never met).
Self-study, asana, meditation and philosophy all inform her daily practice and teaching. You can expect a mixture of these qualities in her classes as well as an inspiring playlist. In addition to teaching private, public and corporate classes she is a guest teacher on Yoga for Bad People retreats.


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Under this section, you can download all Plymouth Argyle's Sky Bet League One home matches, and some extras such as cup games, a few away matches will be covered and maybe even some friendly or reserves games. We cannot cover all away matches as we do not have the budget to do so – when we can we will.
The excellent Andy Ballantyne will become our regular commentator but we will have a few games without commentary, or with trainee commentators – do you fancy trying commentating? Drop us a line here.


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Virtual Numbers
Also in this country you can buy:
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text:
To coincide with the launch of CONFLICTED: London's Faces of Protest (http://itunes NULL.apple NULL.com/gb/book/conflicted/id446760164?mt=11&uo=4) there are specially Numbered and Signed Limited Edition Series of Prints available for purchase. Nine key images chosen by Mark Esper himself that best capture the emotion and conflict contained in CONFLICTED (http://itunes NULL.apple NULL.com/gb/book/conflicted/id446760164?mt=11&uo=4) have been reproduced in large format adding an extra dimension and depth that goes beyond the photo book.
Available to order online soon these high quality, limited edition hand-signed photographs have been printed as gallery grade digital C-type prints. (C-type prints are real photographic prints, created on light sensitive professional photographic paper using a finely balanced red, green & blue light source). Available only as limited edition each print will be available in two sizes:
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Landscape – 60″ × 40″ (152.4cm x 101.6cm)
Small size prints are £185.00 each and large size prints are £360.00 each. All prices exclusive of VAT. Each print will come with a signed and numbered certificate of authenticity.
Upon payment your order will be delivered unframed in protective packaging. If you are interested in hand crafted framing for your print(s) please contact us here (prints null@null conflicted-thebook NULL.com) before ordering online. If you have a special print requirement please contact us on the number below or email: email@example.com (p%72ints null@null c%6F%6Eflicte%64%2Dthebo%6Fk%2Ec%6Fm). Delivery of prints will be 14 working days from receipt of order.
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Photographic prints are made to order items and as such are not returnable.


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Find a dentist
One tooth affected
Two or more teeth affected
Most or all teeth affected
Dental implant care
Why dental implants?
Find a Dentist
Enter your
in the box above to find a dentist near you, and get the complete, naturally functioning, and beautiful smile today.
One tooth affected
Some people are born missing an adult tooth only to be discovered years later. Other people may unfortunately lose a tooth. Damaging or losing a tooth is inconvenient, sometimes frightening, but always a traumatic experience. There may be numerous reasons for this happening, such as an accident, illness or insufficient care, but rest assured your dental provider has a solution for you.
More than a smile
Our teeth play an important role in our daily life. An attractive, natural-looking smile is seen as a symbol of vibrancy and health, and a set of functioning teeth lets us enjoy the foods we love. Our teeth help us feel confident at work, and they allow us to stay healthy and active as we age.
Unseen doesn't mean unnecessary
Everyone wants an attractive, natural-looking smile. That's why most people repair or replace a missing front tooth immediately. But when the tooth is in the back of the mouth, some may wish to delay taking care of it for a time more convenient. Unfortunately, all teeth play a significant role in our health, appearance, and daily life.
Effects of damaged or missing teeth
Treatment of damaged or missing teeth
Why dental implants?
Five more reasons to talk to your dentist
You are not alone
More than half of the world's population is missing one or more teeth. Thankfully, there are modern dental solutions that help you win back both your smile and quality of life, and finally make you feel whole again.
Click below to learn more:
Effects of damaged or missing teeth
Teeth have a major impact in your daily life. They affect your general health, appearance and self-esteem. And every tooth plays an important role.
In the back of the mouth, healthy teeth help you chew and grind food without problem while interacting with muscles and joints throughout the lower half of your face. In the front, teeth help you cut your food, support your lips, and of course can be an important part of your smile.
Effects on surrounding teeth
Missing even a single tooth has a tremendous effect on the remaining teeth, leaving them without support. Lacking this support, these adjacent teeth can begin to shift and eventually collapse into the vacant space. Additionally, teeth in the opposing jaw may no longer be stabilized and erupt into the space of the missing tooth.
These factors can make it difficult or even impossible to eventually replace the missing tooth, requiring the removal of the teeth that have moved into the gap as well. The greater the number of teeth missing in your mouth, the more challenging it becomes to replace them.
Effects on jawbone and gums
Healthy teeth are part of a functioning system that includes your chewing musculature, supporting jaw structure, and gum tissue. Chewing against teeth provides stimulation to the outside of the jaw from the chewing muscles and to the inside of the jaw from the functioning of the tooth roots. When the interplay between your teeth, jaw structure, musculature and gum tissue is upset due to a lost tooth, this stimulation is reduced or removed. Accordingly, your jawbone starts shrinking and your gum tissue follows.
Effects on appearance
Missing teeth and shrinking bone can no longer support your lips from the inside. The more teeth you lose, the more your face will change and look older and wrinkly. Your cheeks and lips are left without the necessary support, becoming hollow and saggy.
Effects of doing nothing
Not repairing a damaged tooth, or failing to replace a missing tooth, can start a chain reaction of consequences eventually resulting in avoiding certain foods you find difficult to bite or chew.
Speak to your dentist
With the help of modern dental restorations, your smile and chewing function can be restored, and your jawbone will be protected from shrinking. These restorations also help stabilize the neighboring teeth and your entire mouth remain healthier.
Treatment of damaged or missing teeth
Treating damaged or missing teeth requires a good foundation for supporting new teeth. Both the remaining natural teeth and/or new dental implants can be used to provide this support. Additionally, there are a number of alternatives for new teeth.
Using natural teeth
The most common method for repairing a damaged single tooth is a dental crown, cemented onto the existing natural tooth. Your dentist prepares the existing tooth by grinding it down. After taking an impression, he or she attaches a temporary crown while the final restoration is at the lab.
Another alternative for restoring one or more missing teeth is a bridge, using adjacent natural teeth as anchors. To secure the bridge, your dentist prepares the adjacent teeth just like the single tooth above.
There are two main drawbacks to using natural teeth as anchors for replacing your missing tooth. First, your jawbone isn't supported because the tooth root is missing, resulting in eventual shrinkage and gum recession. Second, your healthy teeth are unnecessary modified.
In both cases, you must return to your dentist to have the final restoration, which looks and feels like your natural teeth, cemented in place.
Using dental implants
When you are missing a tooth, or one must be extracted, dental implants can be used as the foundation to which a new tooth is attached. Because dental implants are inserted into your jawbone they function like tooth roots, providing support for the jawbone. Additionally, your healthy teeth are left untouched.
Why Dental Implants?
for more information.
New teeth from day one
In nearly all treatment cases, your dentist will attach a temporary prosthesis in your mouth while the final crown or bridge is being made. This temporary tooth will allow you to leave the dental office, eating and smiling normally.
New teeth material
New teeth can be produced from a number of materials. Thanks to material advancements, the most attractive restorations are produced with 100% ceramic materials. These are incredibly strong and provide the best available esthetics.
In the past, dentists offered metal crowns and bridges with porcelain (ceramic paint) fused on top. At the time this was the strongest solution available. Unfortunately, if your gum receded, a black metal line became visible at the lower edge of the restoration.
Today, all-ceramic crowns and bridges can be used in all locations of your mouth. For the best esthetics, ask your dentist for an all-ceramic restoration.
Why dental implants?
Dental implants are widely considered to be the most successful method of tooth replacement used today, because they provide patients with a number of benefits over other solutions.
What is a dental implant?
A dental implant functions as the root of a new tooth. Made out of titanium, only a few millimeters long, and carefully engineered, this small screw is placed in your jawbone by your dental provider and serves as the foundation for your new tooth. Advances in biomaterials and computerized production can provide you with an individually customized high strength restoration designed to provide long term function and fulfill your appearance expectations.
Healthy natural-looking smile
Modern dental restorations, supported by dental implants, look, feel, and function like your natural teeth. Their color, shape, and contour are made to match that of your natural teeth as closely as possible.
Healthy remaining teeth
Dental implants do not sacrifice neighboring teeth to provide support like alternative treatments can. A dental implant can also lessen the loads to your remaining natural teeth while chewing by replacing structural support for your biting forces. By replacing the root structure of a missing tooth you are also replacing support for your bite that has been distributed to your other teeth. Previous bridge solutions replaced the top of a tooth but depended on your remaining teeth to provide the increased support necessary.
Stable comfortable fit
Dental implants are fixed in your jawbone, providing a comfortable and stable foundation for your restoration. Moreover, they are made of biocompatible materials and your body tolerates them easily.
Long-lasting proven solution
Implant solutions are very durable. With proper care and good
oral hygiene
, they will last many years, or even a lifetime. The first patient was treated with modern dental implants in 1965. When the patient died in 2006, the implants had worked without problems as the foundation for a series of oral prostheses for 40 years. Since then, millions of implants have been placed successfully all over the world.
dental implant history
for more information.
Dental implant history
Five more reasons to talk to your dentist
Important safety information
Treatment with dental implants is a surgical procedure and requires prior evaluation by your dentist to make sure your dental and general health permits dental implant treatment.
Find out more
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Why dental implants?
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text:
I was introduced to the legendary 2 Many DJs Part 2 album way back in March 2003 and have since gone on to collect a fair proportion of the CDs Radio Soulwax have gone on to produce.
Those that have not actively searched for mashup CDs may not have come across much of their work. However, the track below is probably one you will have heard at some point in the last 5 years or so.
A mix between Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and Destiny's Child's "Bootylicious", enjoy!
Mash Up Monday - Nirvana vs. Destiny's Child - "Smells like Bootylicious"


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2012 Toyota Camry LaunchPosted: 08/23/2011 Filed under: News Leave a comment
At Paramount Studios in Hollywood, with a very talented cast of Cirque du Soleil alumni, Jack & Jeri performed for the "extraordinary" launch of the 2012 Toyota Camry. The performance was seen via video-link in numerous cities around the globe.
World's Oldest Circus Performers Entertain at Stunt Emmy NominationsPosted: 08/20/2011 Filed under: News Leave a comment
On Aug. 20 at the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, Jack & Jeri wowed an audience of Hollywood's top stuntmen and stuntwomen before the Emmy nominations for Best Stunt Coordinator. We did our acrobatic juggling act as "The World's Oldest Circus Performers", with grey wigs, walkers, and plenty of gags.
Jeri Handstand on SandPosted: 08/15/2011 Filed under: News Leave a comment
Natural Bridges State Park
Santa Cruz, CA Aug. 2011
A Hit For the Oakland A'sPosted: 08/13/2011 Filed under: News Leave a comment
We performed our stage act on the field at the Oakland A's Stadium. Our audience was the team, the owners, their families, and a few other VIP's. We were a hit! (to use a lame baseball reference). You could even say we knocked it out of the park (…yup, even lamer.)
Performing and Emceeing at the Sonoma County FairPosted: 08/12/2011 Filed under: News Leave a comment
We only got to do it for a couple of days but it was a blast. The Diamond Jubilee Revue featured Jack and Jeri, ventriloquist Steve & Jack, 11-year-old singing sensation Avonlee, and Valentine's Performing Pigs! What more entertainment could you want.
The 6th Annual Extreme Juggling CompetitionPosted: 07/22/2011 Filed under: News Leave a comment
On July 22 at the Mayo Civic Center in Rochester, MN, Jack produced the XJuggling Best Trick Competition of the International Jugglers' Association. (Jack also hand-made the medals.)
This was the 6th year in a row Jack has produced this event, with some of the best jugglers in the world competing, and it was the most successful event yet.
Here's a clip on YouTube.
Our Son, the ModelPosted: 07/18/2011 Filed under: News Leave a comment
Oz Kalvan is now 2 1/2 and already has an impressive resume of modeling jobs. He's currently a favorite of the popular children's clothing line "Janie and Jack" (no relation).
Here's a picture of when we visited our local mall and found his picture on a store display:


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Adventures in garment construction. (Plus random thoughts, photos of interesting places and stuff I've made!)
Sunday, 26 July 2009
Painting is done
Over this weekend I finished painting the cupboard in 2 coats of pale green emulsion with all the woodwork in the cream satin - perhaps slight overkill as once its full of my fabric stash I don't suppose it'll be all that obvious but I know its done.
More obvious is that I did the second coat of cream gloss on the windowsill, which looked fab until a fly decided to land on it whilst the paint was still wet and then died, which made a mess when DH removed its body. It was very small so I don't suppose it will be noticeable.
I also repainted the radiator in gloss, and whilst I had the cream gloss out also painted the towel rail for the bedroom - the painting equivalent of sewing another project because it uses the same serger thread!!
Anyway that's all drying now, but tomorrow I can sort of the curtain rail (the student decorator put all the rings in the middle and none at the ends) and then hang the floral curtains from DMIL. Also vacuum round the room and remove the last bits of masking tape etc. I'll also buy a shelving unit from Ikea for the cupboard.
Then I might do a photo of the basic room and you can get an idea of what its like without much stuff in it.
After that I'll need to decide what should go in next - probably the very tall bookcase before my precious sewing machines and then gradually work through everything else finding sensible places for everything to go.
I think I would like it if I can manage to get the room all in order before the weekend - though as there's only evenings to do everything in and I'll have at least one long day with work and another out at Weight Watchers that might be pushing things a little.
Anyway I am very happy with the colour scheme of pale green and cream, and once I have the bookcases and curtains in I think the room will began to have some character. I am excited about how lovely it is going to be.
3 comments:
- Rhoto said...
Of COURSE the room "will have some character"!! 'Cos you've got plenty!! ;)
AND, we want pictures, eh!!
FUNNY blog article!! "Poor bug"!!
Congrats, you HOOT!!
Soft hug,
Rhonda in Montreal (PR)
- 26 July 2009 at 23:47
- kiltsnquilts said...
Sounds lovely ruth - can't wait to see photos either :-) You will be desperate to get in there to get some sewing done.
- 27 July 2009 at 11:07
- Jenni said...
Excellent news that the room is finished, but poor little fly. Could have been worse... you could have had cat hairs all over it where the cat chased the fly... I am sure that somehow you will get your room sorted in the evenings because the thought of being able to sew again after such a long enforced "rest" will spur you on.
- 27 July 2009 at 20:15


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Gums are often forgotten whilst working toward attaining the perfect smile.
Some people show a significant amount of their gums when they smile. Some are even unable to close their mouth completely. There are different reasons for this situation: short lips, long maxillary alveolar bone (bone that harbours the roots of your upper teeth), gum disease, misaligned and protruded teeth and any disproportion of hard and soft tissues in this area.
Gum lifting, also known as 'gingivectomy', is a cosmetic gum dentistry procedure which improves the aesthetics of your smile by ensuring the gum line of your teeth is in the best possible position to show off your teeth.
It is usually done in conjunction with other cosmetic treatments, such as veneers or crowns. The aim of a gum lift is to restructure excessive or uneven gum tissue surrounding your teeth so your gums are symmetrical and in proportion to your smile, rather than having a 'gummy smile'.
The cosmetic gum procedure is quick and relatively painless. The gum area around the front teeth is usually the only area corrected, as this is the most visible section of your smile.
At Dental 359 we will cut into and reshape the unsightly gum area, using a soft tissue laser to seal off the blood vessels and minimise any bleeding. There are no stitches involved, and the procedure is usually very quick and relatively painless.
You should be able to eat and drink within 24 hours after surgery, and your gums will heal completely within the week after. Any pain after the procedure can be controlled using over the counter medicines, and should only be necessary immediately after surgery.
Let us help you with an obligation-free consultation. Just fill in the form below
(you can even upload a photo of your teeth if you wish) for a priority service.


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Finance graduates have the ability to choose among many sectors of the economy. Jobs exist in corporate finance, financial institutions, investment, and government.. Many students go on to achieve professional designations such as Certified Financial Planner or Certified Financial Analyst.
The Department of Finance's faculty members bring real-world experience to the classroom, utilizing state-of-the-art facilities in the School of Business. Finance students enjoy both internship experiences and employment opportunities with many regional and national firms. The department also sponsors the Student Chapter of the Financial Management Association (FMA), which provides students with opportunities to learn from outside speakers, field trips, and community service.
More information about this department
|Business Administration B.S. (Business)
|Available - Online
|Business Administration B.S. (Finance)
|Available - On Campus
|Financial Planning B.S.B.A.
|Available - On Campus
|Master of Business Administration
|Available - On Campus Available - Online
Department Head
Professor of Finance
Investments, capital budgeting, financial planning
412-397-6391 phone


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Mr. Monti, 68, a respected economist who has promised to be a steady hand in a time of industry turbulence, said he anticipated to move ahead as quickly as he secured a parliamentary majority for the new government. Distinct abilities tests carried out on consistent instances of your time, which is the stepping-stone to get into the management group. Succession plans clearly play a essential function in figuring out how company ownership issues are to be resolved when a companion leaves the firm. Organization plan is a document which consists economic arranging associated to the utilization of the loan amount. In conclusion, present affairs has lot of importance in IBPS exams like it have for several competitive exams. Hear the experiences of Data Systems pros about the present trends and profession possibilities.
LydianFX gives services like international funds transfer , foreign currency exchange , payment resolution, client and enterprise services and wealth management services. You can view and print up to seven years of statements online anytime making use of ANZ Internet Banking watch a video on how to do this If you demand paper statements, please go over this with your Business Banker. So in the absence of a regular level of small company loans and mortgages, actual property values have declined in many places since prospective purchasers cannot get financing. Their ohm values must be specified to let higher sufficient ground fault present flow to permit trustworthy operation of the protective relaying gear, but low adequate to limit thermal damage.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is pushing for a measure that would call for businesses with 5 or much more employees to supply up to 5 paid sick days per worker. As stated many instances more than, all details on the levels of debt for every single year came from the US Treasury Division. For instance, if you expect to cater for events with 500 guests on a typical basis then you will need to provide dishes, glasses, linens and the like to accommodate the number of guests.
Whilst numerous individuals believe of their business as a 'better mousetrap' notion, the truth is, specially at trade-shows and exhibitions, that people will judge your organization based upon the people you have functioning your stand. While the collapse of the Iraqi army and the abandonment of piles of its American weaponry, which includes at least 40 M1s , to IS militants, helped produce this new organization chance for weapons-makers like General Dynamics, the strategy to cash in on Iraq can be traced back to America's occupation of that country. So I left my very first enterprise in the mortgage brokerage, and took a job at a digital marketing agency.
It will aid you generate plans that are resilient sufficient to meet the full variety of unanticipated events. TIP: Accept the reality that occasionally you have to devote cash in order to develop your enterprise. More than 14 Million + American are Unemployed(at the time of this writing).Thanks to our Government and presidents integrated, who authorized the American businesses, which we Americans built as the buyers even though they appropriated their business overseas, and as a result, terminating American's jobs in the United States.


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Leading global real estate franchise group, Harcourts International, has named Rob Forde as Chief Operating Officer International. Mr. Forde will be responsible for leading operations and driving growth in six Harcourts territories - USA, China, Hong Kong, Canada, South Africa and Indonesia - as well as taking responsibility for Harcourts' financial services business, Mortgage Express.
Read more


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Marbella Organza *NEW
PLEASE NOTE: All products are available without SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS.
Antique Silk Organza - 1599/121/001 with Swarovski Crystals
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|135 cm
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This week we have dressed Miss Haversham in one of our woolen fabrics to mirror the weather change that we have seen outside. We have tried to dress her in something that would suit the fetching hat that she is wearing.
The fabric we have gone for is 148cm/ 58″ wide and is priced at £7.00 per metre. We have then used a ivory satin ribbon priced at 48p per metre round her waist as a belt.
Materials like these can be found at Livingstone Textiles in Bridport Dorset and Yeovil, Somerset and we also have a good range of fabrics on our web shop.
If you are interested in dressmaking then why not take a look at our range of patterns and books to help and inspire you.


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Are you considering a move abroad sometime in the future? Then you might want to check this list out.
A study was carried out by the brand strategy firm BAV, the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, and U.S. News & World Report to discover the best countries to live in, according to millennials (people aged 18-34 year olds).
The survey asked 6,000 people in this age range from the Americas, Asia, Europe and the Middle East, and Africa what country they'd most like to live in.
Here are the top 20 countries for millennials in 2016.
20. Japan
19. Argentina
18. Greece
17. Singapore
16. Austria
15. Luxembourg
14. Germany
13. Portugal
12. Denmark
11. France
10. Spain
9. Ireland
6. The Netherlands
5. Sweden
4. New Zealand
3. Italy
2. Canada
1. Australia
READ NEXT: Here Are The 10 Safest (And Least Safe) Countries To Visit In 2016


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Claymore Wines are a passionate bunch and apart from their first love of wine, they indulge their passions of both music and Liverpool Football Club.
Claymore's owner Anura Nitchingham spent 15 years in Liverpool where he began his medical studies and is very fond of the City and how it welcomed him and one he still calls his second home.
To celebrate Claymore's Australian partnership with Liverpool Football Club, Claymore crafted three wines under the Never Walk Alone label, namely: You'll Never Walk Alone Sauvignon Blanc, You'll Never Walk Alone Grenache, Shiraz, Mataro and You'll Never Walk Alone, The Boot Room Shiraz.
The wines are available to purchase here.


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How To Care For Sun-Kissed Locks
Many dark-haired celebrities are making a change to a lighter, sun-kissed look for the warmer weather, and one of our favourite has got to be Jessica Alba. To maintain those bright blonde locks, it's important to use a few products and homemade tricks which will ensure that your hair never looks brassy or dry.
RELATED: How To Go From Black To Blonde Hair
A hydrating conditioner is essential when you're working with bleached hair, since it adds some much needed moisture back into the hair follicle. While you're in the shower, apply conditioner at your roots, then tie up the rest of your hair into a bun. Leave it in for 5-10 minutes and rinse with cold water for best results.
OGX Hydrating Macadamia Oil Conditioner, $17.99
Did you know that chamomile is a natural way lighten your hair? Fill a large bowl with lukewarm water and 4-5 bags of chamomile. Let the water infuse for a few minutes, then tip your hair into the bowl. The water should soak into your hair for about 10 minutes, then squeeze out the excess and let your hair dry in the sun.
To keep your bleach blonde ends from getting too dry and over-processed, it is important to visit the hairdresser on a regular basis. If you have a few split ends, simply wrap a lock of hair around your finger, and lightly snip off all the strays.
Brassy tones
Blonde hair can go brassy without a moments notice, so always keep a violet shampoo in your bathroom cabinet. Apply the product to your ends, leave it in for 5 minutes, and wash with cold water. It helps to cancel out any brassy or orange tones from your hair between trips to your hairdresser or colourist.
Fudge Clean Blonde Violet Toning Shampoo, $19.99
Purifying mask
If your hair is damaged from all the sea-water or treatments, simply use a homemade mask to bring it back to life. Olive oil is perfect on damaged, brittle ends and coconut oil is an amazing hair and scalp mask, which brings back instant shine.
What are some of your treatments for hair like Jessica Alba's?
Image via Marie Claire


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The Red Sox Foundation invites local residents to vote for their favorite non-profit in the the fourth annual "IMPACT" Awards. The awards provide Red Sox fans in the five New England states surrounding Massachusetts with the opportunity to vote to decide which organizations will be awarded grants. Starting this year, the IMPACT Awards will highlight a different charitable mission each year, with 2018 focusing on non-profits dedicated to improving social justice, diversity, and inclusion in New England communities.
The Foundation will donate a total of $75,000 in total to fifteen non-profits, with votes determining a first, second, and third place winner in each of the five states. First place winners will receive a $10,000 award and check presentation during a pregame ceremony at Fenway Park, tickets to a game, recognition on the team and foundation websites, and air time to promote their charity during a game in the NESN broadcast booth.
Charities with the second and third most votes will receive grants of $3,000 and $2,000 respectively, along with additional benefits. To be eligible to receive an IMPACT award, an organization must be a recognized 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity in good standing, located in New England and servicing New England residents, with a mission that focuses on improving diversity, inclusivity, and social justice in our New England communities.
IMPACT Award voting for all five states starts today on redsox.com/impact. The voting deadline for Vermont and Rhodes Island is June 27. The deadline for New Hampshire, Maine, and Connecticut is July 13.
About the Red Sox Foundation
The official team charity of the Boston Red Sox, the Red Sox Foundation has donated to over 1,680 organizations since its creation in 2002, and focused on making a difference in the lives of children, families, Veterans, and communities in need by improving their health, education, and recreational opportunities. Through partnerships with best-in-class organizations in healthcare, the Red Sox have helped raised over $135 million for cancer treatment and research for The Jimmy Fund, supported more than 15,000 Veterans and their families suffering from the "invisible wounds of war" with the Home Base Program, and helped the Dimock Center serve over 17,000 patients annually with health and human services. The Foundation's self-run education and youth baseball programs have helped 274 Boston Public Schools students with college scholarships, and promotes healthy choices and valuable life skills to more than 700 urban youth annually through its RBI baseball and softball program.
A 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the Red Sox Foundation raises funds through special events, corporate sponsorships, and grants. Founded and initially funded by Red Sox Principal Owner John Henry, Chairman Tom Werner, President/CEO Emeritus Larry Lucchino and their partners, the Red Sox Foundation has won numerous awards for the impact of its innovative programs. In 2010, the Foundation's Red Sox Scholars program was recognized by Major League Baseball with the first-ever "MLB Commissioner's Award for Philanthropic Excellence." In 2009, the Red Sox Foundation was honored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Sports Philanthropy Project with the Patterson Award as the nation's "Best Team Charity in Sports." For more information about the foundation, visit redsoxfoundation.org.


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Wouldn't you though?
Hmmm, you've reached an older feature - let's get you up to date! Read our latest Wouldnt you though features here.
So wrong and yet so right! With Glastonbury around the corner, say hello to the ultimate festival accessory – musical wellington boots.
They come equipped with a built-in sound system, a rechargeable bluetooth enabled speaker, a waterproof pocket designed to keep your smartphone protected from the rain and mud and a second pocket to store your festival survival kit. There's also a red button on the inside of the left boot that pops up a luxury yurt, cooks your lobster bisque and runs a bubble bath at the end of a hard day's festival-going. Truly amazing.
Buy Bloom boots exclusively from Firebox for £59.99
Tell us what you think
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53 Lisitsyn Yu. P. Theories of medicine of the XX century. – p. 57.54 Brehman I.I. Valeology – the science
"Primary energy, grace, psychic energy, fiery energy, prana – many names in different centuries, but the meaning is the same.
27 Akbar Jalal-ad-Din (1542–1605), Indian Emperor from the Mughal dynasty. Una fabrica de viagra provoca erecciones en todos los vecinos
Pp. 15–23.34 The letter of E.I. Roerich dated August 28, 1931 was addressed to Alexander Mikhailovich Aseev, the Russian esotericist,
Vocabulary Agni (skt.) – one of the aspects of primary, or mental, energy; metabolic biological fire; cosmic power of transformation.
There is also group karma, karma of the nation, as well as the collective karma of all mankind. Kundalini (skt.) –
Plexuses (lat.) – nerve plexus; nerve centers. Prana (skt.) – one of the forms of primeval energy, life force, or mental
If we want to learn to recognize the inner man, studying only the outer man, we will never reach the
In one of her works, she focuses on the urgent need to study human properties and points out the following
In the Middle Ages, the most prominent figure appeared in the medical circles of the Islamic world – a doctor,


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"There is no other! Gabi is the best! Professional, personable, all around awesome salon…love it!" ~ J.W.
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|Stevenson Brothers' 30th Anniversary Dapple rocking horses shows the old world craftsmanship.
|This reminds me of the early ones Sears Roebuck was offering circa 1897--however reproductions of these early examples are everywhere. It may be hard to tell the difference. The bases were a swinging mechanism much like this one at Aletta Flowers on Etsy.
Handcrafting 3-dimensional horses from wood was a craft, and art, and something to be proud of. Somehow, over time, this tradition was lost here in the states. We were off to a good start. In 1897 Sears Roebuck advertised a patent-swinging horse and Shoo Fly Rocker --some highly detailed with mane and tail , the 18" models were only $1.80 back then. You could upgrade to a 22" patent swinging horse for $3.25.
|Note the hours it must have taken making this old Whitney Reed horse available at Vinetrotique on Etsy
Victorian era small woodworking companies were making handcrafted rocking horses in 3-D. Take the carousel horse 3 dimensional style into your home, but perhaps only something like this could be afforded by the rich and famous. Hours upon hours and old woodworking techniques were used and you can tell. Companies such as Whitney Reed in Leominster Massachusetts (above photograph) turned out horses like this, note the fact the face resembles a real horse. This craft was soon lost, only to continue in the carnival and carousel horse world.
|By 1952, The rocking horse was flat wood. This model by Gong Bell was $5 in a Life Magazine.
|In case you are wondering, here is a survivor. Gong Bell rocking horse at MaryAliceFeltLikeIt on Etsy.
|One dimensional rocking horse for Toddler at RagsandBonesFinds on Etsy.
Goodbye Wood, Hello Plastic
Sometime during this time, use of plastic was exploding. Enter the late 1940's though the 1960's plastic was implemented as a cheap alternative to 3-D horses by manufacturers everywhere. Not to mention these were a cheap alternative to parents everywhere.
|This rocking horse is half molded product, "Harry the Hairless Horse" is a cheat when it comes to true woodworking. This is found on Etsy at GoodPennyDesigns
|The wonder horse was not so wonderful, it was all plastic in three dimensional horse like style! This at JerseyRoad on Etsy
The Wonder Horse is probably to blame for the death of the three dimensional rocking horse here in the States. In 1956 Life Magazine offered a $15 version of one dimensional wood mounted on a wood frame with springs. Soon thereafter, enter the world of sturdy plastic that appears to be blow molded , but strong enough to support a child, and keep them busy for hours. Factories soon found this was the new cheap alternative solution and unlike their wood spring counterparts, the amazing horse would not break.
Soon TV shows were talking about the wonder horse all over. Hollow metal framing and bedtype springs somehow supported your child to bounce like crazy. I had one in the 1970's and I have to say I loved that thing. I spent plenty of time bouncing around and getting nowhere. Obviously these were much cheaper to mass produce than paying an artisan for hours to work on a wooden horse. There was a recall on spring type bouncy horses in 1987. No one worried about me flying off several times in the 1970's , but hey, enter the safety era. So, for over 40 years the darn wonder horse helped kill real 3-D rocking horse tradition. Now what?
|Pink Dapple oak by Stevenson Brothers is handcrafted with old world traditions. Simply gorgeous.
Someone Continued the Tradition
With all stories there is a happy ending. At least one company overseas, Stevenson Brothers (featured on "How it's Made" TV Show) are still using a timeless tradition. All their rocking horses are handcrafted using traditional techniques only. Every piece is unique and made by highly skilled craftsmen, and they are the real deal.
Stevenson Brothers have been making rocking horses for 30 years and still stick largely to the same methods, materials and patterns that were used to make the rocking horses of the Victorian era. At least someone has decided that this old world craftsmanship skill is important. Kudos to them.
See them here: Stevenson Brothers
Like them on Facebook


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International Relation Office Jenderal Soedirman University organized Unsoed Intercultural Summer Camp (UIS), which is slated to hold from 15 – 22 August 2016 at Banyumas Regency, Central Java Province, Indonesia. This program is targeted specifically at international undergraduate students who are able to communicate in English.
During the program, participants will enjoy:
- An organized site visit/tour around Mount Slamet
- Field demonstration on coastal conservation and agricultural planting
- A cultural performance of origin country
- Campus exploration
- Indonesia's Independence Day celebration by playing traditional games with local people
Details of UIS programs UIS 2016 PROGRAM
To join this program please fill this form UIS 2016 REGISTRATION FORM and send it to firstname.lastname@example.com cc to firstname.lastname@example.com
For more info please contact Ms. Indri at +62 281 628710 or SMS/WA at +62 815 4270 1595.


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TNA star Kurt Angle was arrested for Driving While Intoxicated last night in Decatur, Texas after leaving the TNA Impact tapings in Wichita Falls. Angle was booked and released on $2000 bail.
In September, 2011, Angle was arrested for DUI in Virginia, eventually pleading down to reckless driving and fined $1,500. He was also arrested in March of 2011 in South Dakota for "being in control of a motor vehicle while intoxicated," which he also plead down to reckless driving.
Shore's Slant: The official charge in the Texas database is "Driving While Intoxicated 2nd," but I cannot find a previous arrest in Texas, so I'm not sure if this is a level of charge (i.e. 2nd degree) or if his prior arrests in other states play into this. One thing is for sure, this is the third time Angle has been found by police behind the wheel of a car when he should not have been. He managed to escape the last two, but who knows what will happen this time?
From PROWRESTLING.NET
Breaking TNA News: Kurt Angle arrested for DWI
Posted in: TNA News, MUST-READ LISTING
Aug 2, 2013 - 03:45 PM
Aug 2, 2013 - 03:45 PM
© Copyright 2013 by PROWRESTLING.NET


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Nature has its depth in simplicity.
While it does nothing, nothing is left undone.
A tree goes through its cyclical process of budding in spring,
flowering in summer,
shedding its leaves in autumn,
resting in its barren state in winter,
until the green miraculously regenerates again.
Brands evolve very much in the same way.
A brand that returns to its state of simplicity
returns to its core.
Upon re-implanting its root of origin,
it rediscovers its purpose, its purity,
its role in the many lives it touches and fulfils.
In clarity, the brand re-awakens. In simplicity, it transcends.
Keep It Simple
call +65 6225 8100
Ukulele Brand Consultants Pte Ltd


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Call us any time!: 877-955-4447 We're Always Here For You!
Alexandria, Virginia
General Dentistry in Alexandria, Virginia with $700K gross collections.
Established and successful general dentistry in highly desirable Alexandria, Virginia with $700K gross collections. State of the art office, digital x-ray, six operatories. for details email: email@example.com or call (877)955-4447
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