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UFO and extraterrestrial (ET) phenomena have been gaining a lot of traction in recent years, especially thanks to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Countless government agencies have declassified an overwhelming number of documents exposing not only the existence of UFOs, but the frequency at which they're spotted them as well.Even if you're unfamiliar with the evidence in support of ET life, most people can admit that it's unlikely that we're alone in the cosmos. In the Milky Way alone, there are more Earth-like, potentially habitable planets than there are grains of sand on Earth. With this logic, it is extremely unlikely that we're the only species inhabiting one of these planets. However, with the number of UFOs spotted and documented evidence and witness testimonies of ET life, the subject is no longer debatable.
Of course, UFOs don't necessarily equate to extraterrestrial technology; they could be man-made in many cases. For example, a few days ago, UFO YouTube channel SecureTeam10 released a video that showcases an alleged UFO flying in front of the moon. The researchers reported that the footage was taken by a Middle Eastern observatory in Oman.
The presenter notes that the object seems to be giving off some sort of smoke, as if it's flying by the moon. However, he does provide footage to compare what it looks like when a commercial airliner flies by the moon, and it's clearly quite different in appearance.
SecureTeam10 owner Tyler Glockner said, "If you'll notice the way it's sort of moving sideways across the front of this beautiful shot of the moon here, which also makes it difficult for me to say that it's an airliner or a plane of some sort."


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The Bill.com Accountant Program is for accounting and bookkeeping firms that provide business bill payment services to their clients. The program helps these firms service their clients more profitably in less time.
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Click here to learn more about the Bill.com Accountant Program.

subset: commoncrawl


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About this book
This volume sets out the scientific basis for the current understanding of climate change. It synthesizes and collates an extensive scientific knowledge to show why climate is changing, and the consequences of those changes. Starting with global carbon cycling over geological history of the Earth, the behavior of the carbon cycle is traced back millions of years prior to human influence and shows that the current atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide is unprecedented, which cannot be found in geological records of at least the past two million years. This book sets the foundation for understanding the contemporary carbon cycling, and shows that the contemporary carbon cycling cannot be isolated from geologic history of carbon cycle. This volume also describes the role of carbon sequestration – both natural ecological, engineered and geoengineered options – for mitigating the increasing atmospheric CO2 concentration. The role of emerging chemical sequestration and climate engineering as future alternatives to avoid dangerous temperature increase are explored. Although the targeted audience is the educators, students, researchers and scientific community, the simplified analysis and synthesis of current and up to date scientific literature makes the volume easier to understand and a tool policy makers can use to make an informed policy decisions.
Bibliographic information
- DOI https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-53845-7
- Copyright Information Springer International Publishing AG 2017
- Publisher Name Springer, Cham
- eBook Packages Earth and Environmental Science Earth and Environmental Science (R0)
- Print ISBN 978-3-319-53843-3
- Online ISBN 978-3-319-53845-7
- Buy this book on publisher's site


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(L) The last week I have gone back to nature and rather than lamenting the fact that I wasn't running some set distance…I just enjoyed where I was. I have walked around Nashville, Boulder and Colorado Springs.
Now, while I am not setting any running records I am having a great time. Don't ask me how my training is going for the Slacker Half-marathon, which is in about 10 days! It's not going to be pretty, but I am still going to do it. I clearly have some warped sense of what is manageable when I think I can just go run 13.1 miles with not much more that 4 miles under my belt. I really could use some of G's training mojo, which has long since been thrown out the window.
For now though I am basking in the two days without rain and appreciating the great outdoors.
Go G and Swaggy J. Run Far and Run Free!
(G): It's been a pretty serious race schedule for me so far this year. And by serious, I just mean that I have participated in a fair number of races by my standards and I have done quite a lot of training. Last year, after the Outrun 24 featuring the 50-mile delight, I took a break and didn't have another race until August. This year we kept charging forward with a race last weekend and another one on Saturday. That's soon to be 5 races and usually the number I do all year.
Sunshine & Sarcasm,
Lowi & G
The Torture Report began in January 2014 as a weekly update of our journey to completing a 50-mile race. Since then it's continued on to become a chronicle of how we try mightily to find fitness, health and sometimes the finish line. We aren't always successful but we keep showing up and telling you all about it on Tuesdays.


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What Did The Last 10 Presidents Look Like In College?
Even the commander and chief was a freshman at one point. The leader and former leaders of our country did big things as presidents but there was a time when they were scrambling to make deadlines just like you. It is hard to get a sense of their youth when you look at pictures of them now, so I have assembled old school snapshots of the last 10 presidents of the USA…. Read More


text: Loaves of bread goods are integral a part of meals within our daily existence. We use various kinds of food or foodstuffs prepared in bakeries around or in our neighborhood. Some common and many popular loaves of bread goods are cakes, cookies, biscuits, and breads. Individuals from any age love group love these items and […]Read More


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90 Day Challenge/ Project 10
Jackson, MS | 2226 days old
Are you looking to lose 10-15 pounds a week without having to workout and change their daily lifestyle?? It is the body by vi 90 day challenge. If so inbox me so we can talk!!We are the #1 weight loss... (read more)


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Founded in 2004, Cycle with the Rhino is a fun-filled activity that creates awareness on the importance of our heritage especially the rhinos.
Participants from age 4 to 17 cycle in and outside the Lake Nakuru park which is a rhino sanctuary.
It is held every September to fundraise for the rhino and to rehabilitate the electric fence and reduce human wildlife conflict and secure the park.


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Ask your questions in private on our private Facebook Group:
Join our Mailing List for Updates and BONUS content:
For over a decade, David Tian, Ph.D., has coached tens of thousands of people from over 87 countries to achieve happiness and success in their dating and love lives.
Once a nerdy, skinny professor of philosophical psychology who couldn't hold a conversation to save his life, David is now director of Aura Transformation Corp., and a world renowned dating and life coach using therapeutic methods. Dr. Tian has been featured in international media, including AXN, Cosmopolitan, Psychology Today, as well as co-hosting a radio show on national radio and a weekly dating advice column in a national newspaper in Singapore. Formerly a professor at the National University of Singapore, Dr. Tian is actively researching, speaking, and publishing in the areas of philosophy and psychology.
The show, "Man Up: Masculinity for the Intelligent Man," is David's way of helping as many people as possible enjoy empowering and fulfilling lives, while contributing to the global understanding of masculinity in modern times. In the show, he takes your questions posed in The Man Up private Facebook group and answers based on his experience Coaching tens of thousands of students around the world for over a decade.
David's also prepared free video courses that reveal how to get a new girlfriend, how to make friends anywhere, and how to talk to anyone. Click Here and scroll down the page to access these free resources.
Connect with David Tian here:
Website: https://www.davidtianphd.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/david.tian.aura
DTPHD Podcast Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/dtphdpodcast/
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Can You Get Every Girl?
In episode 65, I answer the question of: Can you get every girl?
[Intro Music]
Masculinity for the Intelligent Man. I am David Tian, Ph.D., and this is: Man Up!
[Music Fades]
Hey, it's David Tian, Ph.D. Welcome to episode 65 of Man Up. I am in Singapore. Just realized this is not… maybe I can, let's just do this. This time I'm going to try and keep it under five minutes. The last video was really long. Twenty-three minutes, something like that. So we'll keep this in five.
Question is a very good one coming from Glenn. Glenn asked… well, it's a very long explanation so I'm going to summarize it for you. Glenn is a very successful businessman.
Has worked hard to get his fitness at the right level and now he's looking for a girlfriend and he finds that while the girls that… that he can get girls… the girls to like him but then there are girls that don't like him.
And then he asks, the girls that don't like him or don't go for his types – successful businessmen "and would prefer", he says, "bad boy on a Harley Davidson" or he specifically mentioned like a drug dealer pimp type of a guy.
I guess the guys at the club who's doling out the coke, how does he get those types of girls to go for that. Like more of that exciting type of thing, he says.
So, it's a good question. It's really a question of whether you… So I like to think of it, I think what he's really asking is he wants to get all girls. Not just the ones with… I mean if you want a girlfriend, you only need one out of seven billion people to like you.
So I'm going to talk about it completely in this metaphor or analogy of business. One of the biggest mistakes is trying to get – trying to convert all your customers.
So to give you an example, every great business polarizes at some point. And you have to polarize. So for instance, you have to stand for something. So you're going to have – if it's a good product – you're going to have raving fans and then you're going to have people who absolutely hate it.
Like when the apple watch first came out and to think it still polarizes people though over time that will be less polarized because people are just accept it.
You can see which side I'm on. You've seen me wear it. Anyway, when it first came out and I had told some friends that I ordered it. I had a couple of friends who were incredibly antagonistic just to the idea that there's an apple watch. They just hated the thing. They didn't even want to try it on or talk about it. They just… like… ripped into the fact that it's ugly.
It's just ugly. Just because a watch is ugly doesn't mean it's a bad product but it's like there's a visceral reaction to it. And almost irrational reaction to it and it was interesting to see. That a product that bad could illicit such strong reactions. There are many things like crossfits and many other great examples.
I'm not a fan of crossfit but I have friends who are. There's no one who's "sort" of a fan of crossfit. Everyone's either totally fully, fully into… like completely bought into crossfit and preach it or there are people who are like, "no, this is really bad and not good for me".
I think rare in thinking good things and bad things about it. But most people I know are one side or the other of the fence and strongly so. There's a strong gluten free thing like all the health food aficionados depending on who you ask. Depends what that word would be… aficionado freak. You know whatever that is. The healthy people, the gluten free in everything. And there are those people who hate the all the people who are gluten free on everything.
You can't be middle of the road. And that is one of the biggest mistakes guys who are learning about women who are young, immature… actually let me take young out of there…. Umm… immature.
I've seen tons of forty something who are immature. Who don't know what they stand for, who don't know what they are about. In the world, absence of women, or women play a very small role in your day to day life via segregation of the sex or something, what would you be like.
Who would you be, what would you be doing. Obviously the way you dress, the way you look on the outside might be different but what would you be doing with your time. What is the meaning of your life.
And if you can't answer those questions, you're always going to be at the mercy of things outside your control. Your self-esteem is going to be at the mercy of women and whether they like you. And when they know they have that power, when people know they have that power over you, they just don't respect you. Or they treat you like a baby and they don't respect you as adults or as a man.
So don't try to convert every customer. Figure out who your avatar is. Figure out who your demographic is. Figure out who your ideal customer is and make everything directed at that person and then forget everyone else.
Okay, so as a businessman you'd understand that. I hope I don't really have to go further and it's already five minutes and I'd like to keep it in five minutes like a mental note to myself and I'm not keeping to that at all. So this is what it feels like. There's so many things I want to say, right, but I'm going to keep it to five minutes.
So many things I wanted to say. But it's like that business, you have to figure out your avatar, gear your product to the avatar in the sense of this. If you could, like here's your product, you love your product, your passionate about your product but how do you market it.
And hopefully you've created a product with somebody in mind who's going to buy it, right? You don't just create a vacuum for somebody you don't know who the market is. So you know who that person is. You go and you make that person your avatar.
Now who's, when you're making yourself attractive to women, you can't make yourself attractive to all women. That's just stupid. Why? Because the girl who would go ga-ga like completely who just sees that guy in a second just wants to jump all over him who is let's say is the jock.
The girl who loves the big muscular jock dude… And then there's a girl who would be turned off by the big muscular dude… the jock dude… and loves the Korean pop band dude who looks like an androgynous girl, you know. You know the type. And those are totally different aesthetics.
And if you go try to go the middle of the road, she's not going to jump of either of you. And you're going to have a hard time. And she's never going to be head over heels for you. You're just going to be vanilla. You want to polarize, you want to make your choices.
And your choices are going to be a lot of your life. If you're like, at your heart, like Captain America, but you choose for some stupid reason to dress like a stupid Korean pop band boy, it's going to be hard on you. You'll be depressed. You're not going to feel like yourself. You're not going to feel confident about yourself.
So choose a type or identity that is expressive of the type of man in life that you want to have. And then that will select out, screen out women who wouldn't like that and you want that.
Because it will then screen in in a very strong way, select for you in a very strong way, it will self-select those women who would respond strongly to the identity you have chosen for yourself. That has to happen. If that doesn't happen, then you're going to be vanilla, you'll be in the middle of the road… no one wants to fuck in the middle of the road. They settle for the middle of the road just soon as it's out there.
Alright, some big brother talk… seven and a half minutes. Not too bad. I'm going to try to stick to this length from now on. Took four tries to do it today. But there you go man… and join the private Facebook group. I answer your questions there, and in the meantime… man up.


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Kimpton Hotel Palomar Washington DC reflects the pulsating energy of our Dupont Circle neighborhood, starting with our inviting living room, where guests converse with new friends over a morning macchiato or evening Negroni. Our staff is smart, friendly, and unobtrusively attentive, and we artistically elevate every experience. Take advantage of our luxurious, recently-refreshed rooms, creative amenities, endlessly-knowledgeable concierge, dynamic meetings and event spaces, and flavorful Italian fare from our acclaimed DC restaurant, Urbana.
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Informed Consent
Court Cases
Dr. Hadden C. Alexander III
Informed Consent
Court Cases
Dr. Hadden C. Alexander III
Informed Consent
Court Cases
Dr. Hadden C. Alexander III
Informed Consent
Often when hearing the term "informed consent", one thinks of the long legal document signed proceeding any sort of medical procedure, often surgeries. The point of this document is to make certain that the patient understands the steps of the procedure, accepts any possible risks and outcomes, and gives permission to the team of doctors to perform the procedure. This act of giving permission seems commonplace, especially when it comes to matters of one's own body, but eight years ago, this form did not exist, and the term "informed consent" did not exist.
In 1957, a man by the name of Martin Salgo underwent a procedure called an aortography due to poor circulation in his legs, a condition known as arteriosclerosis. In this procedure, he was injected with radioactive dye followed by x-rays to see if there was a blockage in his aorta. When Salgo woke up, he had permanent paralysis, a potential complication that he had never heard of in regards to his procedure(3). His doctor had failed to inform him of the possible severe risks, and so Salgo had consented blindly to the procedure. Thus ensued the court case of
Salgo v. Leland Stanford Jr. University Board of Trustees
. With this key case in history, the term "informed consent" was created(4). Lawyer on the case, Paul G. Gebhard coined the term stating that Dr. Gerbode, Salgo's surgeon, did not disclose all of the risks involved with the procedure and thus Salgo was not properly informed. (5)
His consent to the procedure was made without having the complete information, and so Dr. Gerbode's actions were not ethical. In addition, part of a doctor's job is to disclose the necessary information to patients, which means that making certain that a patient's consent is completely informed is a priority(6).
When dealing with informed consent, the most important thing to keep in mind is that all people have a right to be in control of their own body(7). Therefore, physicians need explicit consent in order to operate, perform a procedure, or do anything that will affect a person and his or her body. That being said, in order to do their job, physicians must first make sure that the patient understands exactly what the procedure entails going through each step carefully from beginning to end. This includes before the procedure, going over all possible outcomes and risks as well as the probability of success(8). The patient must understand what life could look like after the procedure, and if the risks are too great, they have the right to deny treatment. Doctors must go over any other procedure that could be a possibility instead of the one at hand as well, making sure that patients understands all of their options(9). A doctor's job is to cure and heal, but sometimes the risks can be great. Physician's are always trying to find a balance between risk and reward, and in some cases, the side affects can be great in order to achieve the desired result. While oftentimes their decisions are the most informed and the best option, doctors must keep in mind the wishes of the patient, allowing them the ultimate decision over their body and giving them to choice of the reward including the potential risks.
There are four main steps in obtaining informed consent: capacity, voluntariness, information, and consent(10). Capacity involves understanding, making sure that the patient is completely aware of all aspects of their illness and all potential treatment(11). Next is the patient's willingness or voluntariness of the patient to move forward with the procedure. With this step, it is important to keep in mind that the patient's willingness excludes all outside forces, so if the patient ever feels pressured into accepting treatment, this step has not been fully met(12). The patient must be fully and completely informed of what is wrong with them, why they need a procedure, what that is, (13) what other options they have, and what risks and benefits there are. They must be fully educated and allowed to think over the information(14). Finally, consent may be achieved and is necessary before moving forward(15). This often includes signing of a legal document, the consent form.
Despite the process of obtaining informed consent, it is not always fully achieved. Oftentimes, overwhelmed by the mandatory spiel from the doctor and the scary situation facing them, patients will blindly sign the consent forms without themselves fully comprehending their options. In a study done on cancer patients, only 18% asked questions which lead to a new and better course of treatment due to them being better informed(16). Sometimes it takes patients and cooperation to have the best aspects of informed consent fully realized.
1. Informed Consent. Photograph. Medical Claim Legal.
2. Informed Consent Form. Photograph. Natural Blaze.
3. Salgo v. Leland Stanford etc. Bd. Trustees, 17045 U.S. (California Court of Appeals).
4. Douglas S.T. Green, C. Ronald MacKenzie. "Nuances of Informed Consent: The Paradigm of Regional Anesthesia."
HSS Journal
, January 3, 2007.
El Palo Alto
. Photograph. Stanford.
6. Salgo
7. Green and MacKenzie. "Nuances."
8. Ibid.
9. Ibid.
10. Ibid.
11. Ibid.
12. Ibid.
13. Signing Informed Consent. Photograph. Generation Progress.
14. Green and MacKenzie. "Nuances."
15. Ibid.
16. Barron H. Lerner. "Beyond Informed Consent: Did Cancer Patients Challenge Their Physicians in the Post-World War II Era?"
Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences
59, no. 4 (October 2004): 514.
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Elections = Money :-(
The cost of the national political process in the USA is entirely out of control.
Every other pundit I hear or read of late nonchalantly discusses that Party X's war chest is bigger than Party Y's war chest in State Z, therefore Party X will win. They assert, implicitly but clearly, that close races are about absolutely nothing more than spending. Karl Rove provided a particularly skillful such treatment earlier this week on NPR.
Each election process we go through seems to bring forth new record spending. The $2.6B+ estimate on these current midterm elections will purportedly represent an increase of on the order of 20% over the last midterm elections. 2008 should be fiscally impressive.
Maybe I'm just naive, but I don't see how the public wins if elections are largely just about money.


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The drum set that knocked down five ceiling tiles with its stage-shaking beat now supported the boots of senior Jake Coonradt. His back to the audience, he timed his return to the ground with the final strum of his guitar solo. And 250 pairs of feet beat the Elk's Lodge floor into submission.
The Phi Mu Alpha men's music fraternity held its annual Battle of the Bands Nov. 10, giving six student bands the opportunity to play 30-minute sets in front of more than 250 students. The $5 entry fees ($3 pre-sale) will go toward charities chosen by the top three bands.
"We looked for bands that really played as a group," said sophomore Carson Waites, a member of Phi Mu Alpha. "It's easy to play a bunch of instruments together but difficult to play in a cohesive manner."
Waites, a member of Coonradt's concert-winning band Dick Whiskey and the Short Stacks, and senior Aaron Andrews worked with senior Mark Naida to determine which bands would perform at the battle. Both Naida and Waites said they were pleased with how well every band played.
Audience members voted for their favorite band by placing marbles into jars. Dick Whiskey and the Short Stacks placed first, The Wineboxes took second, and Penny and the Mandimes finished third. Catalogue, the Village Idiots, and Clemons' Lemons also played.
The night kicked off with a robotic voice recording intoning: "Hello, our name is Catalogue. We will be playing all original songs. We hope you enjoy."
Catalogue is a recently formed duo of international EDM artist Declan James, a freshman, and sophomore Matt Montgomery. While James created the backing music, Montgomery provided passionate vocals as the room began to fill with people.
"I felt like I was listening to the soundtrack of 'Stranger Things' but with words," said Associate Professor of Classics Eric Hutchinson. "But I liked it."
Hutchinson, along with Associate Professor of English Dutton Kearney and Assistant Professor of Philosophy Lee Cole, helped judge the sets, with their ratings affecting each band's ranking in the competition.
Penny and the Mandimes played next, performing rock 'n' roll hits including John Mellencamp's "Hurt So Good." With the exception of freshmen Dominic Bulger on keys and Jacob Gieselman on bass, the band was a sophomore effort. Drummer Adam Buchmann and guitarists Patrick Votel and Zane Mabry formed the core group, enlisting the vocal talents of Claire Calvert. Calvert said Buchmann approached her about singing because she could "sell the theatrical part" of their performance.
"Stage presence exceeds office hours presence in this case," Cole said.
The show moved to turn-of-the-century punk rock with The Village Idiots, who opened with Fountains of Wayne's "Stacey's Mom" and finished with an intense yet reverent performance of "Car Radio" by Twenty One Pilots. The band featured juniors Calvin Kinney on lead vocals, Ethan Greb on drums, Matt Kendrick and Christian Yiu on guitar, and sophomore Rowan Macwan on bass.
"When you guys played the Twenty One Pilots song, I got goosebumps," Kearney said. "It seems like you all really dealt that music and in feeling the music, we feel it, too."
Then came the almost drum-set-buckling show from Dick Whiskey and the Short Stacks, who covered rock 'n' roll as well as some original music. Coonradt provided vocals along with his guitar solos, while Waites switched between keyboard, vocals, and bass. Andrews rounded out the trio on drums.
"We kept changing our name, but nobody knew who we were and half the time we didn't know who we were. It's an identity crisis," Coonradt told the audience, before advertising the band's range of services. "We do children's parties and funerals."
Despite Coonradt's antics, the surprise of the night was freshman John Stanley's guest appearance on vocals for a rendition of Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love." The audience became a mass of waving arms as Coonradt played his guitar with a violin bow, while Stanley performed a song he'd learned just two days earlier.
The band's performance prompted music department chairman, James Holleman, who has judged the battle for the previous 15 years, to take the mic for a moment.
"I don't mean disrespect to the other bands, but amateur hour ended about half an hour ago," he said, before returning to the crowd to watch the next performance.
Clemons' Lemons came into existence, after Naida threw junior Gill West into a Facebook message group with several female musicians. The result was a blazer-clad combination of junior Domine Clemons on vocals, senior Callie Ring on bass, freshman Jenny Buccola on keyboard, sophomore Luke Woltanski on a pink guitar, and West on drums.
"If you haven't lost your voice, scream louder," Clemons shouted before performing a set that ended with Fallout Boy's "Thanks for the Memories."
The night ended with The Wineboxes. The Phi Mu Alpha group started with a barefoot Strehle playing bass for Pixie's "Where is My Mind." He took the stage alongside junior Ryan Burns on guitar and vocals, and seniors Dean Sinclair on drums and Noah Weinrich on guitar. The group grew with each song it played, adding seniors Josh Liebhauser on keyboard, Naida on vocals, and Jacob Hann on trombone as well as junior Matt Nolan on trumpet. A guest appearance from senior Brigette Hall's oboe completed the band's rendition of "Redbone" by Childish Gambino.
"It was nice to see Dean play with two hands once in awhile," Kearney said. "Just a joy to watch."
By the end of the night, the floor was a little worse for wear and five square holes gaped in the ceiling, but the greatest impression was the bands' performances.
"We were surprised by how well the bands who came together rather last minute played," Waites said. "Also, every band that played sounded really great, which we were extremely happy with."


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Let's be honest, it's not always fun or easy to stay fit. Although that is true, it is still important since it helps you stay healthy. Luckily, you do not need to go the extreme. Taking some time and some effort is all that you need to worry about. You might even enjoy yourself.
To ensure that your fitness momentum is constantly maintained, try exercising while watching TV. You can walk around your living room during a commercial or do an exercise when there is a break in the action. When you sit on the couch, you can do some small weight training. Find any way that you can to keep moving while doing what usually is a sedentary activity.
Your core is vitally important to your fitness levels. When you core is strong, it is stable and can help you with any exercise you do. Strengthening your core can be achieved with good old-fashioned sit-ups. They also help by improving how well you can move. Building up your core and range of motion will allow your abs to to work longer and harder.
Try to keep an even speed when you are riding your bike to work. Keeping this persistent pace will help you to go further and enjoy bicycling more. Your pace is calculated by taking the number of instances where your right leg rises in ten seconds, and multiplying this value times six. Shoot for the 80 to 110 RPM range.
Some people do not like how fast they are losing weight, so they choose to exercise far too intensely in hopes of speeding up the process. You will be in danger of hurting yourself, heart issues, dehydration, and you will not benefit from it.
Kickboxing is a very effective workout. There is not a single person that can attempt kickboxing and say it was not a great workout. Kickboxing burns a ton of calories and can improve your strength tenfold.
Test your bench before starting your workout. Press down to feel the padding and whether or not it can hold your weight. Find a different bench if you feel any hard surface beneath the padding.
If you want to improve your speed and stamina when running, emulate the Kenyans. The typical Kenyan runner paces very slowly for the first part of the run, about one third. You should gradually increase your pace throughout the run. When you get to the middle third of your run, increase your pace to your normal speed. Pull out the stops and run fast during the final third of your workout. Doing this regularly will increase your endurance and speed.
Rest your body when it feels necessary. Several trainers say to rest between specific sets or when you switch exercises. However, you should pay attention to your body's advice more than the advice of your trainer. When your body says you need to rest, do it! If you don't, you might get injured.
Walking your dog is a great activity to incorporate into your fitness regimen. Your furry friend will always be up for a walk. Make sure to take it easy at first. Walk around your neighborhood, gradually increasing the length of the walk each time. This is one advantage of having a dog.
So to sum everything up, fitness isn't always a fun pursuit, and it's rarely easy. However, with the proper attitude and training, it can certainly be more of both. Fortunately, you do not have to feel alone, as there is a wealth of information available. The next step is to decide you are going to get started with your fitness program!


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Unwavering commitment, powerful results
Good oral health has defined Delta Dental of Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana since we were formed in 1957, and it has driven our Brighter Futures corporate citizenship and philanthropy initiative for most of the last decade.
We've proudly invested almost $27 million since 2012 and have made a difference in the lives of more than 1 million people annually.
Our commitment is unwavering. Our results, powerful.
But oral health isn't an isolated issue. It is connected to public health, education and economic development and, thus, confounded by many underlying issues, including poverty, unequal access to health care and educational opportunity.
In 2019 and beyond, we will engage corporate, philanthropic and nonprofit partners in new and powerful ways.
We can and we must do more. That's why Delta Dental and the Delta Dental Foundation are broadening Brighter Futures to encompass initiatives that build healthy, smart, vibrant communities.
Our VIBRANT Corporate Citizenship and Philanthropy Annual Report and this companion website showcase the power of our passion and dedication to improving public health and creating successful, sustainable communities in 2018.
In 2019 and beyond, we will engage corporate, philanthropic and nonprofit partners in new and powerful ways.
We hope you'll join us to make a difference and build brighter futures for all!
Goran Jurkovic, CPA, CGMA | President and CEO
Delta Dental of Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana


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Tomorrow is Hug a Plumber Day! A special day each year where we recognize the ingenuity, hard work and skills of plumbers everywhere.
Most of us overlook our plumbing, until a problem springs up. In a world of YouTube and Google, finding a DIY solution is literally at our finger tips. One thing to keep in mind however is that a cheap fix today can result in a larger scale repair tomorrow. Circumstances like this are a perfect example of why it's important to leave repairs to the professionals – like your friends here at Patterson Plumbing and Heating.
Our expert plumbing technicians will provide you with more than just a quick fix. We'll show up on time, listen to your needs, diagnose your plumbing problem, make recommendations and prepare pricing by the job, not by the hour, so there are no surprises.
For over 25 years we've been the area's top licensed plumbing repair contractors fixing all your home plumbing problems. To learn more about what we can do for you, dial (719) 554-4922 today!


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With our attention focused on the Wall Street crisis and the presidential election, the George W. Bush administration took an extraordinary step last Friday to give coal companies a couple of departing gifts before the end of this year.
This is the really dirty side of coal we rarely hear about.
Put aside, for a moment, that no presidential candidate can actually tell you when the 100-year-old slogan of "clean coal" can be implemented on a nationwide utility scale, or at what cost, or if the security is proven, and put aside the fact that over 10,000 coal miners have died from black lung disease in the last decade and thousands have been injured or died in accidents, and put side that millions of acres of fertile corn fields and farm land, virgin forests and waterways have been strip mined across the country.
Here's the really dirty part of coal. First, this preface: After a year of record profits, coal operatives will receive nearly $2.8 billion in tax credits in the recent Wall Street bailout.
And last Friday, with all of the banter about "clean coal" drowning out the critics, the Bush administration quietly moved to alter one of the last remaining laws protecting against the wholesale clear-cutting and horrific strip mining practice called mountaintop removal in Appalachia. This is the process of blowing the tops off mountains and dumping the remains into the waterways or valleys -- over 1,600 miles of streams and 470 mountains in central Appalachia have been erased from American maps.
Since 1983, coal companies have had to follow a stream buffer zone rule, which said their mining could not disturb areas within 100 feet of streams. When the Bush administration first proposed to end this stream buffer zone last year, over 40,000 citizens responded their outrage to the Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation, and Enforcement.
Disregarding this remarkable opposition, the Bush administration has moved the proposed change to the EPA, which now has 30 days to review the change, and must issue a written statement that the new regulations would comply with the Clean Water and Clean Air Acts.
If this ruling is passed, the Appalachian coal fields, the backbone of our first American frontier -- and the very place that gave birth to abolitionist, labor and civil rights triumphs, Black History Month, literary naturalism and the first Nobel Prize for Literature to an American woman (Pearl Buck), the godmother of muckraking journalism, and a treasury of music -- and the focus of the swing states of this election, will brace itself for the most brutal strip mining campaign in our history.
In November of 1955, only days before Rosa Parks would alter history with her refusal to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama bus, Nobel Prize winning novelist William Faulkner addressed a group of historians in Memphis. Dealing with the issue of segregation, Faulkner admonished his fellow Southerners to "speak now against the day, when our Southern people who will resist to the last these inevitable changes in social relations, will, when they have been forced to accept what they at one time might have accepted with dignity and goodwill, will say: 'Why didn't someone tell us this before? Tell us this in time?'"
Faulkner challenged the Southerners who would sit quietly and allow the South to "wreck and ruin itself in less than a hundred years."
It is time for Senator Barack Obama and Senator John McCain, both of whom have signaled their concern with mountaintop removal, to speak now against the day of this subversive change in the strip mining law.
Otherwise, coal will not only be dirty, but devastating.


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West Coast Vice President of Sales – Specialty Lighting Group
Specialty Lighting Group, (www.sslighting.com) a leading National Account distributor of lighting products, control systems and gear is seeking to fill this Sales Management position. The successful candidate will be working from a home office with about 30 -50% travel. The compensation package will be tied directly to the sales generated.
• Develop a target list of end-user accounts and strategy to penetrate each account with the assistance of the company's sales support.
• Focus on end-user relationships.
• Prepare presentations to close an account with the company's support.
• Maintain on-going relationships with established accounts.
Experience and Skills
• 5 years or more of lighting sales is a must, national account sales a big plus
• Lighting knowledge is a must have, the more the better
• Proven track record of generating sales with end-user clients
• Self-starter with an entrepreneurial spirit
• Results motivated
• Professional presentation
• Capable of multitasking with excellent time management
• Confident in ability to close sales
This position reports directly to the President. The compensation package is the highest in our industry. All business expenses are covered by the company. The company offers medical, dental and vision insurance, 401K with company match.
The Company has been in business for over 35 years with a sole focus on servicing the national account lighting market. Our clients are nationally recognized retailers, restaurant chains, banks, major developers, multi-territorial office buildings and large commercial projects. Our continued growth and success has created this leadership position and we are looking to for the right individual to join our management team and be a factor in our continued success.
If you are interested in joining an exciting growing company and want learn more about this position, please send your resume to Paul O'Donnell – President, at email@example.com.


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Water view! Fabulous spacious bright apartment, 2/2 split floor plan, wood flooring throughout , remodeled kitchen with beautiful white cabinets, stain steel appliances, granite countertops.
Excellent building and location, amenities include gated three tier security, valet, concierge, tennis court, gym, sauna, billards and olympic pool, walk to restaurants and store. No pets.
2 years contract per association requirement. EASY TO SHOW!!! YOU WILL LOVE IT!!!
Bay Access, Canal Access, Lake Front, Waterfront
|Price Reduced from $1,850 to $1,800
The data relating to real estate on this web site comes in part from the Internet Data Exchange program of the MLS of the Miami Association of REALTORS®, and is updated as of July 15th, 2020 at 8:01am EDT (date/time).
All information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed by the MLS and should be independently verified. All properties are subject to prior sale, change, or withdrawal. Neither listing broker(s) nor The Keyes Company shall be responsible for any typographical errors, misinformation, or misprints, and shall be held totally harmless from any damages arising from reliance upon these data. © 2020 MLS of MAR.
The information being provided is for consumers' personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing


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God kväll alla
As you all know, Equestrian Surfaces Ltd are a global company. This time we are reporting in from Sweden where we are refurbishing our 10yr old Cushion Track indoor surface at CC Stud.
CC Stud is a professional centre for Breeding and training of horses up to Grand Prix level and is renowned in the Sweden as having some of the best facilities in the county.
The surface in this beautiful 66m x 32m Indoor Arena was needing some work after 10 years. The top surface which has been contaminated through usage has been removed with 225 tonnes of new surface laid across the top. What a stunning arena to be able to train in each day.
Best of luck to Magnus and the team.


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anyone have advise for which version of ssd to buy?
many thanks
Learn & Explore
anyone have advise for which version of ssd to buy?
many thanks
What's your budget?
What will you be using it for?
Do you have SATA6 on your motherboard to make full use of some of the newer, and much faster, drives?
I have a Corsair Force GT 120GB and I think it's absolutely fantastic! It's lightning quick and makes everything happen in an instant.
A lot of people have been raving on about the Crucial M4 drives, which, if I remember correctly, come in 64GB, 128GB, 256GB and 512GB capacities. These drives are supposed to be super quick as well..
Depending on your budget, I would suggest you go for one of the following:
120GB Corsair Force GT - Uses faster Synchronous memory - Very quick drive IMO.
120GB Corsair Force Series 3 - Same as above but uses slower Asynchronous memory - Will also be very quick.
128GB Crucial M4 - Although the stated transfer speeds aren't as high as the Corsair and OCZ drives, it's supposed to be quicker in more situations, depending on the type of media that is being read/written. Also, apparently VERY reliable, although I've had SSDs for a while now and they're all still going strong
120GB OCZ Agility 3 - Don't know too much about this drive, but I know that OCZ are a good company.
The Corsair drives also come with a 2.5" -> 3.5" adapter so that you can install the drive into any standard 3.5" drive bay. I don't think the Crucial or OCZ drives come with this.
Before you go any further, read some reviews on these drives and see where you'd like to go from there.
i am looking to buy something around £130! have been looking at the 120GB Corsair Force Series 3 !
might go for that one!
at the moment i have an old pc mother board which only supports sata2!
thinking to upgrade the harddrive to SSD to make it round a bit faster for the time being!
just received the 120GB Corsair Force Series 3 SSD today! great looking drive and it come with pc mounting bracket too!
not yet able to test the drive! need to buy a sata cable first! it didn't come with cable!
Drives typically don't come with cables. Let us know how your install goes.
after buying the sata cable and a splitter cable for the power! My old morther board " Gigabyte GA-81915pm" recognize the drive straight away!
Great very happy
I'm not sure what the etiquette is to posting in the Corsair part of the Hexus forums, but I've had BSOD problems with all previous firmware versions on 2x Corsair F120s on a SATA 2 laptop. I've just updated to the latest, and haven't had any issues *yet*, and fingers crossed this will continue.
However, this has led me to recommend Crucial M4s or other non-Sandforce based designs until fairly recently.
I'll be keeping an open mind with this latest firmware, and I hope I can regain the trust I placed with these SSDs in the first place! :-)
Some poeple have better luck with newer firmware but if you read up on the net there are still loads of people with problems
corsair performance pro 128 ... marvell controller...had it a week no probs what so ever so far ..
but ask yourself do i need one ..
they speed up boot time and game loading ... thats about it ..happy i have one ..well hmm
but would have spent the £170 some where else if i'd known ..
The Intel 320 had a firmware issue which reset drives back to 8MB. The Crucial M4,Corsair Performance Pro and Intel 510 series use the same Marvel controllers and are very reliable drives. Over on xtremesystems, an extended write test was done on an M4 64GB and 171TB of data was written to it without issue.
The drives with Marvel controllers do have some issues with certain laptops,although it is hard to say whether it is down to the specific motherboard implementations or the controller itself. The Samsung drives are meant to be quite reliable and the 128GB Samsung 830 is reasonably priced although the 64GB version is a tad expensive.
Those despicable Elk,stealing the pond weed!
what's performance comparison between M4 and the force gt?
i'm tempted to get an ssd as well
probably wrong thread to put in... in which case, i apologize
The Corsair Performance Pro would probably be a better choice.
I have a Corsair F60 had it for almost 2 years now still going strong. I decided to try out the OCZ vertex 2 120Gb will admit it is faster than the F60, cheaper than the F120 at that time.. however, at one year old to the week I went to boot my PC only to find the drive was no longer recognised by the BIOS, I tired all sorts of new cables and connectors and ports on my mainboard, nothing worked so RMA created and it was posted back, 2 days later a new one arrived at my door (go Scan), lets hope it lasts longer than the last one....
I wouldn't get another OCZ drive
I'm looking at the Corsair F3 120 LN43989 / LN39467 or Crucial M4 128 LN39099 for my new laptop.
Last edited by robtbear; 09-03-2012 at 03:54 PM.
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2014 Great Lakes Climate Assessment Grants (Up to $50K Available)
Post date: Jun 16, 2014 3:19:21 PM
The Great Lakes Integrated Sciences and Assessments Center (GLISA) is happy to announce the 2014 Great Lakes Climate Assessment Grant competition, a two-tiered funding opportunity dedicated to climate adaptation in the Great Lakes region. Funding awards will be in two categories: Emerging Actions awards and Sustained Assessment awards.
In both categories, GLISA is seeking organizations that can bring together stakeholders from specific sectors or communities to identify and promote understanding of the vulnerabilities, anticipated impacts, and potential for adaptation to climate change and variability. GLISA will support these activities by identifying and providing relevant information about the historical climate, projected futures, and adaptation to potential impacts. Letters of Interest are due by Friday, July 11, 2014. Please click here for the RFP. To help potential grant applicants in their planning process, GLISA is holding a Question & Answer Webinar on Friday, June 20, 2014 at 1 p.m. EST. This webinar is an opportunity to learn more about the eligibility and guidelines for the grant opportunity. Pre-registration for the webinar is required. Community, nongovernmental, academic, non-Federal government, trade associations, and other not-for-profit organizations with an active presence in the Great Lakes region (U.S. and Canada) are encouraged to apply. Please feel free to forward this "Call for Letters of Interest" to any regional organizations or researchers you think would be appropriate.


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A Community of Labradoodle & Goldendoodle Lovers
Hello to old friends and to the many who have joined this wonderful group. I fell way short on my promise to be more attentive--it's been almost a year since I last posted. Since that time, we lost our dear sweet boy, Quinn. He passed suddenly and unexpectedly right before Christmas last year; we were in Florida. I was shattered and continue to miss him terribly. He was truly my heart hound and I am quite sure I will never have that kind of bond again. While he and Gracie were never cuddly loving siblings, they did have a bond and when he passed, she lost her pep; she became older. It took some time, but she did regain her zest for life and everything in it and our sweet girl is loving life and doing very well.
We weren't looking--we weren't ready--but as things often happen, especially for those who share their lives with dogs, and mingle with those who share their lives with dogs, we were presented with an opportunity to have a puppy from a wonderful breeder of Irish Wolfhounds. As suddenly as Quinn left us, Hazel joined us. We picked her up in April, shortly after arriving home from Florida. Hazel is without a doubt a ball of fire. She is willful and filled with energy and mischief--as only a giant puppy can be. She is also smart as a whip which will serve her/us well, but at the moment is somewhat two-fold LOL. She is currently 10 mos. old and we have her in both obedience and nose work. She learns rapidly and is doing well with both. I think Gracie enjoys having a 4-leg companion again, but I am also pretty sure she has her, "What were you thinking??!!" moments Hahaha. Just as with Quinn, Hazel needs some maturing and mellowing--for Gracie, that can't come too soon!
I've attached a few photos of Hazel beginning at 5 mos. up until now--10 mos. I included a couple of Gracie and Hazel together, but it's hard to get those, as Gracie often focuses on maintaining a one clobber paw radius when Hazel is up and moving.
And finally, a photo of Quinn... I like to believe this old soul hound is running free across the bridge and that one day I will be able to hold him in my arms again.
I haven't taken the time to read back through the blog posts, but I will. I hope this message finds you all happy and enjoying life. Big hugs from me and from Gracie and a loving clobber paw from Hazel.
Views: 104
Thanks DonMarie, Jan, and Lois. Quinn was a special boy and I am happy you enjoyed the shares of his life!
So sorry about Quinn, what a ride his short life was! You gave him so much love & care, and so did Gracie although she probably did reluctantly! She's a good sport. I read all your postings about Quinn and fell in love with him too!
Congrats on your new addition! Hazel looks like Quinn without the shaggy coat :-)
So very sorry to hear of your loss. Quinn was one special dog, and you took the best of care, giving him a good life.
Best wishes on your new adventure, she's going to be one huge dog!
I'm just delighted to read your post... It is a joy in life to watch a puppy grow into family life... The photo of her finding 'that' dog in the pond is my favorite... Love your family ..
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Give Your Children the Values They Deserve4 years, 3 months ago
Peers, TV shows, movies, magazines…with so many external pressures facing kids at younger and younger ages, parents often wonder:Read more ›
Coffee Talk: The Good Behavior Game...Increasing Compliance & Reducing Conflict4 years, 3 months ago
We all want our kids on their best behavior, but what's the best way to go about it? Join us on April 11th for our next FREE Coffee Talk ...Read more ›
Parents: Additional Resources on Drugs & Alcohol4 years, 3 months ago
Looking for additional resources to help kids your kids happy, healthy and drug-free? Look no further!Read more ›
How to Prevent Drug Use At Every Age4 years, 4 months ago
Whether your child is toddling through preschool, meandering through middle school or cruising through his '20s -- here are tips to help guide him or her toward a healthy life at ...Read more ›
Raising Healthy Eaters...From Preschool to High School4 years, 4 months ago
Check out our list of Top Brain Friendly Foods for Kids!Read more ›
Your Child's Brain: What's Food Got To Do With It?4 years, 4 months ago
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Category Archives: Uncategorized
Nick Leslie…
…I did not know. Never met the man. Do not know any of his friends, family or frat brothers. But I did feel dark when I first saw his memorial on the steps of Sproul Hall, because it became clear … Continue reading
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Moniker… Freight trains.
Moniker. Can't think of a better word. I see these all the time in my travels, and they change through the years. Some come around for a long time, others I see only once. These people get around. These are the … Continue reading
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This is my first blog post. Ever. I am still learning about building a website, and all the time-consuming chores that go with that. Biggest time-eater? Learning Curve 101. No matter how easy the designers make it, there is always … Continue reading
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Electricity: Human Right Activist, 'Native Doctors', Others Protest Against BEDC In Benin [PHOTOS]
Earlier today, Human Right Activist, civil society, communities and electricity consumers from Edo, Delta, Ondo and Ekiti states, gathered in their numbers to protest in Benin city, Edo state against the purported plan to renew the operational license of Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC).
The Public Relations Officer of the Edo State Civil Society Organizations (EDOSCO), Osaze Edigin said the peaceful demonstration which will last for three days is to draw the BPE attention to the "incompetence of the distribution company."
Osaze said the Performance Agreement the company entered with the Federal Government elapses on the 31st of October, 2018 and not the proposed extension of December, 2019 by the BPP.
He further disclosed that "BEDC operational Licence must not be extended or renewed. BPP and NERC cannot be compromised".
The protesters said, "Today, we are in collaboration with other interest groups and critical stakeholders, reaffirming our stand that the operators of the BEDC do not deserve an extension or renewal of operational licence for a day later than the 31st of October, 2018".
"We vehemently object to it and sue the BPP and NERC to pursue the happiness of the people whom they swore to serve".
"The BPP and NERC should not display the posture that suggests that they have been compromised by the DISCOs as Nigerians in Edo, Delta, Ondo and Ekiti states are seriously expectant of the known extensions and renewal of the licence of Vigeo Holdings Limited, the operators of the Benin Distribution Company (BEDC)".


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What's your meditation ritual? How do you enhance the practice? You see, different people have a different approach when it comes to meditation. While some people prefer closing their eyes in a quiet and calming environment, others take a more active approach of listening to cool music during meditation.
Now, meditation is an interesting ritual and what makes it even more effective is the numerous methods you can employ to make it successful. But, no matter which method you choose to employ, you need to be comfortable and fully relaxed during the process.
One way of guaranteeing this is by choosing a set of meditation cushions that are specifically designed for such rituals. Luckily in this guide, we have not only filtered five of the best meditation cushions, but we've also added some bonus tips at the bottom of this guide that will help you make an educated move when melting down your options. Please sit back and read on.
Whether you're a professional or a beginner meditator, one way of adding fun and flair to your meditation practice is by adding a comfortable cushion set in your yoga arsenal. One of the best cushions I'd like to introduce to you is the Buckwheat Meditation Cushion. We understand that comfort is key during meditation. Therefore, to ensure that you enjoy a calm, self-driven meditation ritual, this cushion is filled with 100% Natural Buckwheat Hulls that give you supreme personalized comfort.
When it comes to durability, this meditation cushion is double-stitched to offer improved strength and durability. For added support, the manufacturer has added an organic cotton cover that has a zippered opening for easy cleanup.
Speaking of adjustability, we've noticed that this meditation cushion has a lot to offer to its loyal diehards. Now, while most people complain of cushions being too small or too hard, this one has been designed with an adjustable feature that lets you remove some buckwheat filler (via a zipper at the bottom) to make the cushion less hard and manageable.
Finally, this meditation cushion comes with an assortment of different colors and sizes. Regardless of which color, shape or size you prefer working with, you'll always have the freedom to select your preferred option.
Overall, the Buckwheat Meditation Cushion has won the hearts of most customers thanks to its ergonomic design and high level of comfort. This meditation cushion is easily adjusted by removing some buckwheat hulls to ensure that it suits your personal preference. It's easy to handle, easily machine washed and it comes in a range of cool colors to choose from.
Most beginners think that they can use an ordinary sofa cushion, pillow or blanket for yoga practices. But, this is not the case. To achieve inner balance and spiritual harmony, you need to invest in an original meditation cushion such as the REEHUT Zafu Yoga Meditation Cushion.
This yoga cushion cannot be compared with ordinary cushions as it's specifically designed to bolster your meditation rituals as well as create a hassle-free environment that will not let you get distracted during your yoga practices.
One of the things that will make you love this yoga cushion for sure is the classic design. Unlike most meditation cushions that feature a ball like design, this one comes with a classic disk-like design that offers a more flat seat that's very comfortable to rest on. This is very important especially for novice meditators as it helps to keep your spine and hips duly supported to avoid spine stress and feeling of numbness during a meditation session.
When it comes to the sizing, this yoga cushion has taken care of everything as it comes in three major sizes to suit your size and your meditation demands. Whether you're huge, slender or medium sized, you'll have a chance to choose any of your preferred cushion size ranging from 12″diameter × 4.5″tall, 13″diameter × 4.5″tall to 16″diameter × 4.5″tall.
When it comes to comfort, this yoga cushion has done a tremendous job of giving you the highest level of comfort to prevent you from any stress or discomforts. Here, REEHUT has used buckwheat hulls sealed in a pouch to keep the cushion fluffy enough. They've also added a removable cover made of cotton hemp fabric which is sturdy and machine washable.
Although there have been some complaints, I don't think they're enough to outweigh the numerous benefits this yoga cushion has to offer. Its breathable, comfortable and supportive design gives you the flexibility you need to achieve that inner balance. It has a low profile and is breathable enough to keep you free from sweat during yoga sessions.
With the growing popularity of yoga practices in recent times, there are a whole lot of products that claim to offer the much-needed comfort for a delightful yoga experience. But, since yoga practices involve sitting down for moderate to long hours while holding your spine straight up, you'll need a cushion that will offer the much-needed support to achieve spiritual harmony.
One of the best yoga cushions that has been designed with yoga needs in mind is the Peace Yoga Zafu Meditation Pillow Cushion.
Since meditation involves the comfort of sitting, this yoga cushion is designed to give you full support and comfort during those moderate or long meditation sessions. It's packed with buckwheat hulls that provide the right balance of firmness, comfort and pliability while giving you full support when meditating in different yoga positions.
Depending on your sitting position, this cushion gives you the freedom to customize your pillow to match your desired level of comfort. By just opening the zippered closure, you can either reduce or add the hulls to shrink or fill the cushion to match your meditation demands.
Just like its name implies, this yoga cushion is designed to offer you peace of mind and body during intense meditation. The design allows it to offer spine support during posses while relieving stress on joints and risks of numb limbs during long meditation sessions.
Last but not least, this yoga cushion is extremely versatile making it usable in a wide range of settings such as; on the couch, in your bedroom, for relaxing, for yoga poses and for decoration.
The Peace Yoga Zafu Meditation Pillow Cushion has garnered more customer support due to three factors. First, it's very comfortable, second, it offers immense spine and limbs support and third, it's fully customizable. With these three major benefits, I think this yoga cushion is exactly what you need to take your meditation rituals to a new level.
A meditation cushion seems to be a fairly simple pillow with nothing special about it. But, when it comes to comfort and support during yoga sessions, this cushion automatically turns out to be your most expensive gear. What makes a good yoga cushion? The best yoga cushion should offer immense support paired with an incredible design and quality material combination.
The Satori Buckwheat Meditation Pillow is among the few yoga cushions that have mastered the art of combining comfort with support and flexibility to make your meditation sessions more enticing.
Although most meditation cushions come with the traditional rounded design (used by ancient Zen Buddhism practitioners), this one features a more modern crescent shaped design that will give you the much-needed comfort when meditating.
To offer stability, support and added comfort when meditating, this cushion is filled with buckwheat hulls that never go flat. The outer cover is made of 100% cotton that is durable and eco-friendly. This cushion is fluffy and it conforms to your body to give you stability both on the hips and the spine.
Finally, this yoga cushion is designed with a top-quality outer cover that's durable enough to endure the test of time. The zippered cover is removable and machine washable giving you the convenience of using different colored covers to customize your needs.
The Satori Buckwheat Meditation Pillow is crescent shaped and fluffy enough to offer long hours of meditation. It's designed with a zippered washable cover; natural buckwheat fills and a compact design that lets you carry it in any location of your choice. If you're looking for a cushion that will let you meditate just like ancient Buddhist meditators, then I believe you have the answer.
Who knows more about yoga than a professional yogi? You see, those people who have been practicing yoga for years knows far too well how to avoid discomforts in order to achieve spiritual harmony. For this reason, one of the good cushion that will take your yogi practice to the next level is none other than the Zenjara Zafu Yoga Meditation Cushion.
If you've noticed, most rounded pillows in the market today are often not fluffy enough to offer immense support and convenience. However, with vast knowledge and experience in yogi, Zenjara has managed to provide meditators with a plush and fluffy cushion that will offer ergonomic comfort as well as hips, knee, and spine support during long meditation sessions.
Who said yoga sessions have to be so bland? Well, enhance your meditation sessions with this cushion as it boasts of a lovely-spirited design that will keep you calm and relaxed during yoga sessions. The sophisticated stitched patterns and beautiful engravings on the cotton cover add quality, luxury, and class to this cushion making it one of a kind.
To guarantee comfort and convenience, this yoga cushion is designed with a hidden zipper and a removable cover that lets you open the cushion to customize the fillings. You can also remove the outer cotton cover to wash it or exchange it with another colored cover.
Overall, the Zenjara Zafu Yoga Meditation Cushion is a high-quality cushion designed with an embroidered logo to give you a sense of class. This cushion is well-padded to give you long hours of yoga meditation. It features a removable cotton cover that's easily washable as well as stylish colors which you can use to customize your yoga experience.
Meditation cushions are some of the most critical yoga gears that should be chosen with maximum seriousness. These cushions can either disrupt your session or make it more successful depending on the level of comfort they offer.
Since the market has already been stuffed with numerous brands following a recent rise in yoga meditation, it becomes increasingly difficult to choose your perfect choice from a myriad of options available. With that said, this guide will highlight five of the most critical factors that should not be over-looked.
Cushions come in an assortment of colors and sizes to choose from. Whether you're looking for a crescent, cosmic or V-shaped cushion, always make sure that you choose a cushion that will match your intended posture to give you the needed-support.
A premium quality yoga cushion should offer a high level of comfort. When performing long hours of yoga sessions, one way of staying comfortable and focused is by resting on a fluffy yoga cushion. Since comfort is instrumental in achieving spiritual harmony, the best cushion should be soft enough to offer additional support and adjustments.
When we talk of padding, all we simply mean is the cushioning of the yoga pillow. Since padding goes hand in hand with comfort, the best cushion should be thick enough to offer immense support on the spine, knees, and hips area during meditation sessions.
Now, which fillings are the best? This is one question that has been asked continuously by most yogi practitioners. In most cases, buckwheat hulls are the most preferred thanks to their lightweight characteristic. They're also strong and very supportive giving you the much-needed comfort and stability you so deserve.
However, if you're a curious meditator, there are other fillings you can consider choosing such as Kapok fiber, wool, beans, polypill and air (inflatable alternatives). Although each of these fillings offers varying levels of comfort, buckwheat hulls, kapok and wool are the most preferred as they conform to your body shape to offer immense support and comfort.
What type of fabric does your intended yoga cushion have? You see, fabrics come in various designs depending on your personal preference. To make your yoga experience even more fun-filled, you need to select a fabric that's breathable and machine washable.
Also, the best fabric should offer a high level of comfort and should be durable enough to withstand the test of time.
Before choosing a meditation pillow, it's recommended that you first pay attention to any special requirements. For instance, if you're a meditator with spinal injury, you should choose a cushion that offers immense spinal support to keep you comfortable while preventing you from further injuries.
Apart from just spending time meditating, a meditation room should look elegant, beautiful, and peaceful. This is enhanced by the type of colors, patterns, and designs that you select to represent your room. In this regard, it's wise that you choose cushions with colors that match/blend with the rest of your interior décor.
Does height have any direct impact on your comfort? If so, you need to put this factor into consideration by selecting a cushion with a high sitting pad. Now, since meditation requires you to sit in various positions, choosing a cushion with a customizable height is more ideal as it lets you remove or add some fillings to shrink it or make it fluffier.
Whether you're a professional or simply a beginner in meditation practice, one way of making your yoga sessions more successful is by using a reliable cushion. They not only provide you with the much-needed comfort, these cushions offer maximum support to various meditation postures to enhance proper alignment of the body.
When shopping for your best meditation cushions, there are lots of factors you need to consider such as frequency of use, compatibility, the fabric and level of comfort the cushion offers among others.
So, having said much about yoga cushions, I believe you're now able to make an educated move when shopping for a reliable cushion that will take your meditation sessions to a new level.
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Delhi to Chandigarh Taxi
Delhi to Chandigarh Taxi offer Tata Indigo, Swift Dzire, Toyota Etios, Toyota Innova, Force Tempo Traveller on rent Chandigarh to Amritsar cab service at low cost and best service. Reasons to Choose Dev Taxi Service Chandigarh: Available 24 hours Taxi Service. Fixed prices, No hidden cost. Experienced Drivers for all India Roads. Cabs provide … Read moreDelhi to Chandigarh Taxi


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Lucknow - Opening batsman Shai Hope struck an unbeaten century as West Indies outplayed Afghanistan by five wickets in the third one-day international on Monday to complete a 3-0 series rout.
"Winning is a habit, and anything that we want to do as a team is a process, and it's something we had to improve in a period of time.
Afghanistan's teenage spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman took two wickets to reduce West Indies to four for two but Hope stood firm to keep the chase on track.
Chase was named man of the series for his 145 runs including a highest of 94 in the three matches and six wickets with his off-spin.
Opener Hazratullah Zazai hit an attacking 50 but the rest of the top-order fell flat.
"We were just trying to be better in each and every game. There were more positives from us in today's game," said Rashid.
The two teams will now play three Twenty20 internationals om Lucknow starting November 14.


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Chapel ChoirX76R162F
Chapel Choir is like when you climb into bed after a long day and feel sleep wash over you
How will the colour really look in your home?
Chapel ChoirX76R162F
How will the colour look in your home?
The lighting in your home can subtly change the look of colours. Sunshine is often a true reflection of the colour, whereas fluorescent lighting can add a blue tinge and energy saving bulbs find a middle ground between the two.
Our lightbox will give you a good indication of how your colour chip looks in different lighting, just click the buttons to see the changes.
For the most accurate reflection, pick up a tester pot to see how the colour looks in your homeFind a store Disclaimer Screens and printers display colour differently, so how it looks on your mobile might not be the same as how the paint colour will look on your wall. We recommend picking up a colour chip from our range in B&Q before you make a decision. All of our colours must be mixed in Valspar paint to ensure accuracy. Colour may vary depending on lighting conditions, sheen and the surface you're painting.
'Chapel Choir' is the colour you're looking for
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Mixtape: Twelve Highlights from 2012 (Podcast #295)
"Best of" lists are intrinsically a tricky proposition, but compiling them is made all the more difficult by the San Francisco Bay Area's rich pool of local musical talent. This mixtape compiles twelve of our favorite local performers from this year, all of whom had big years in their respective genres. Limiting the list to twelve meant that a lot of talented folks were left off, but this mix offers a nice sampling of some of the best that 2012 had to offer.
Subscribe to The Bay Bridged Podcast!
About the bands:
Ty Segall Band - "Wave Goodbye"
Ty Segall topped a stellar 2011 with an unbelievable 2012, releasing an album with White Fence (Hair), a collaboration with his live band (Slaughterhouse), and a new solo album (Twins). All that time in the studio, though, didn't stop Segall's relentless touring and delivering reliably great live shows. Three albums in one year is crazy enough, but that they're all so good? Scary.
Dirty Ghosts - "Katana Rock"
It took years after Parchman Farm's dissolution for Allyson Baker's new project to release its debut, but it was sure worth the wait. Metal Moon is a genre-mashing record brimming with energy, and now that Baker's solidified her bandmates, we're excited to see where Dirty Ghosts are headed in the future.
Terry Malts - "Nauseous"
Off a couple of seven inches and riotous live shows, Terry Malts were one of our favorite bands of 2011 and stayed one of our favorites in 2012. The release of their debut LP, Killing Time, this year showcased a lean, winning approach -- feedback, super-charged tempos, and Ramones-worthy choruses.
The Fresh & Onlys - "Yes or No"
My favorite Fresh & Onlys album used to be the mid-fi pop glory of Grey-Eyed Girls, until, that is the band released Long Slow Dance, which confidently soared to remarkable new heights. It's the cleanest sounding set from the group yet, full of songs that are layered and dynamic while retaining Tim Cohen's touching sense of melancholy.
Blackbird Blackbird - "Tear"
SF's Mikey Maramag served up lush, beat-driven songs on 2012's Boracay Planet, blending organic and electronic sounds into tracks suited equally well for a set of headphones or the dancefloor. An upcoming tour with Starfucker is just the latest high profile slot for this young talent.
Social Studies - "Away For The Weekend"
With Developer, their second full length, Social Studies crafted one of the year's best indie pop albums. Between Natalia Rogovin's compelling vocals and the group's tight musicianship, it's a mature, thoughtful batch of songs that should win them plenty of new fans.
Friendzone - "!!-MAJOR"
Our Bay Area rap mixtape was our more popular podcasts this year, and a lot of that had to do with the work of Friendzone. This Oakland duo has produced some of our favorite songs for Main Attrakionz and others, and the flawless Collection I underscored the depth of their instrumental compositions. Hopefully, the duo's song on A$AP Rocky's anticipated major label debut is the first step in a lot of long overdue recognition.
Antwon - "Living Every Dream"
The Bay Area has a wealth of rappers with unique personalities, but Antwon emerged as the year's most promising. The San Jose rapper's End of Earth mixtape had an eclectic set of beats that were weird or catchy or, most excitingly, often both, and his funny, vulgar, and dark lyrics offer a welcome unpredictability.
Ceremony - "Hysteria"
It was something of a surprise when Matador Records announced that they'd signed Rohnert Park hardcore band Ceremony. Their debut for the label, Zoo, which arrived in March, showed that the band had retained its intensity amid the heightened profile, and backed it up with relentless touring throughout the year.
Golden Void - "1983... (A Merman I Should Turn to Be)" (Jimi Hendrix Experience cover)
Given the band members' backgrounds in Earthless, Roots of Orchis, and Assemble Head in Sunburst Sound, it wasn't much of a surprise that Golden Void's debut rocked, but the LP was a welcome chance to hear Isaiah Mitchell as a strong vocalist in addition to a phenomenal guitar player. The band's psychy jams have a nice vintage feel, and the solos are killer -- what more could you want?
Jessica Pratt - "Night Faces"
That White Fence's Tim Presley set up a record label to release Jessica Pratt's debut album should be the only endorsement one needs to offer. Give this self-titled record a listen, and you'll find stellar psych-folk that rewards - and demands - close listening, and the emergence of an amazing new SF talent.
The Mallard - "There She Goes Again" (Velvet Underground cover)
Did any Bay Area band play more local shows this year than The Mallard? Was any band as reliably entertaining live? That The Mallard fit so well alongside so many other bands speaks to the power of the group's idiosyncratic, stripped down rock and roll. Here's to expecting more people to get wise to this band, and the great Yes on Blood, in 2013.Tags: Antwon, Best of 2012, Blackbird Blackbird, Ceremony, Dirty Ghosts, Friendzone, Golden Void, Jessica Pratt, Social Studies, Terry Malts, The Fresh & Onlys, The Mallard, Ty Segall


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Craftsman style new construction home now available. Located in the desirable neighborhood of the Falls at Cloninger Mill, this home offers plenty of space with 4 bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms, open
Hope Halbert's Blog Posts
#OpenHouse in Bethlehem NC!Saturday June 27th from 2-4pmStunning new construction home with 4 bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms located in the desirable lake and golf community of Olivers Landing
NEW PRICE >>>>> $249.500Large home with 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms in Taylorsville. Having been completely remodeled, this open layout home offers 2,399 sq footage with an additional,
Beautiful brick home with 3 bedrooms and 1.5 bathrooms, available in the desirable location of Mountain View, NC. Open floor plan layout with 3 bedroom, 1.5 bath, large kitchen, spacious
NEW PRICE >>>>> $565,000Stunning new construction home located in the desirable community of Olivers Landing. This 4 bedroom, 3.5 bath home was built with incredible quality and
Stunning Craftsman style home located in desirable NE Hickory in the Falls at Cloninger Mill Subdivision. The main level is a huge open floor-plan that includes a rock outlined fireplace,
NEW PRICE >>>>> $60,000PERFECT investment property and/or fixer-upper located in the charming area of downtown Taylorsville! This 2 bedroom 1 bathroom home entails so much
Charming home located in central Taylorsville, is for sale and move-in ready! The interior of this home has all been freshly painted along with having new LPV flooring (finished hardwood underneath)
New Construction home now available in Wittenburg Springs development. Conveniently located less than 5 minutes from Lake Hickory and a 10 minute drive to central Hickory. Wonderful home with 3
NEW PRICE >>>>> $169,000Sweet home for sale! Located in Taylorsville, NC close to both Hickory and Statesville. The perfect space included with 3 bedrooms, 2 full baths, open common
NEW PRICE >>>>> $110,000Adorable fixer-upper now available! This home sits on 1.5 acres located on Spring Road. Original hardwood flooring throughout this open floor plan
NEW PRICE >>>>> $250,000Incredible opportunity! This charming home is located in desirable NE Hickory, less than 5 minutes to lake access AND also includes 5.58 acres!! If privacy and
Check out this stunning new construction home now available in Alexander County. Not only is this home close to Brushy Mountain Golf course, it is also conveniently located between Statesville and
NEW PRICE >>>>> $169,900Wake up every morning to the gorgeous views from this 3 bedroom and 3 bathroom home with overlooks and an additional guest home/in-law suite!! Wood flooring
NEW PRICE >>>>> $70,000Looking for a lake lot to build your DREAM home? Look no more! This gorgeous, DOCKABLE lakefront lot overlooks Lake Rhodhiss with views you cannot beat.
New Price >>>>> $256,000Check out this NEW CONSTRUCTION Brick House!! This one level ranch is perfect for anyone looking for their home-sweet-home. Located conveniently
#OpenHouse of in Bethlehem NC 🏡 🗓Sunday April 7th, 2019 2-4pmCLICK for more pictures & info >> http://bit.ly/2zRqUmC📲 CALL Hope Halbert 704-477-3247 for more information.📍62
NEW PRICE >>>>> $269,900 Check out this beautiful craftsman style NEW CONSTRUCTION home with 4 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms in Wittenburg Springs. This two story home has
#OpenHouse in Conover NC Sunday February 10, 2019 1-3pmCLICK for more pictures & info >> http://bit.ly/2MbQ3NE CALL Hope Halbert 704-477-3247 for more information.1106 2nd Street SE Conover NC
Open Houses on Saturday, January 26th from 1pm to 3 pm and Sunday, January 27th from 2pm to 4pm.Wonderful European style home with 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms and swimming pool in Bethlehem. This
Check out this beautiful craftsman style NEW CONSTRUCTION home with 4 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms in Wittenburg Springs.This two story home has beautiful real cherry oak floors stained grey.


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Making A Koi Pond
On the ten year plan for Tom & myself is building a koi pond in our backyard. So we really enjoyed this post on said topic. If you're interested in building a pond dedicated to koi fish we have some incredible design ideas to consider. Not only are koi fish beautiful to look at, studies have shown that the relaxing environment they provide actively improves the health of those who've suffered from stress-related illnesses like high-blood pressure and certain heart defects.
Planting Garlic
You know what fall means... crunchy leaves, pumpkin muffins, apple picking and garlic planting. And did you know?!....garlic is actually a vegetable. A delicious vegetable that you need for almost every savory recipe. And the jarred or freeze dried stuff just isn't the same as fresh, now is it? Okay in a pinch but not ideal. Best of all garlic is super easy to grow and requires very little space.
Making the Most of your Garden Space
If you're thinking about growing vegetables in your future garden, but you're worried about the amount of space that you might need, you're in luck. [And it's never too early to start thinking about gardening again....!]
Hi, I'm Laura and hail from Western New York. I consider myself a lifelong learner who loves gardening with a 360 degree view. Thanks for stopping by!
Top DIY Posts
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June 2020


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From Homeward Bound:
Mattress Man Helps The Newly Housed Sleep Better
Through Donation Drive for Homeward Bound
When: 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., Nov. 7-14,
Where: Mattress Man Store at 85 Tunnel Rd., Asheville
ASHEVILLE – Chuck Emrick, owner of Mattress Man Stores is doing his part to end homelessness in Buncombe County. He supplies mattresses and box springs to Homeward Bound so that each and every person the agency moves out of homelessness will have a clean, comfortable bed to sleep in.
"Chuck and his family and staff are supporters of Homeward Bound and our mission to end chronic homelessness," says Homeward Bound Executive Director Mary Jo Powers. "We housed more than 400 people last year and, as you can imagine, trying to find that number of good beds for our clients has been daunting. The beds from Mattress Man makes our job so much easier and is a blessing for our folks. It helps us set them up in a home rather than just a house."
Mattress Man is a family-owned business and has stores in Asheville, Arden and Hendersonville. The company is hosting a Donation Drive for Homeward Bound from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Nov. 7-14, at the Asheville location at 85 Tunnel Rd. Just drive up with your gently used donations of furniture, let one of the staff know and they will load it into their truck.
The donation drive is for Mattress Man's sponsorship of a Move-In for a Homeward Bound client. Extra furniture will go to Homeward Bound's Welcome Home Donation Center providing furnishings for individuals and families experiencing homelessness who are moved into permanent housing.
"Homeward Bound is on the frontline and very solution-oriented," Emrick says. "They are the key players in bringing stability to people's lives and ending homelessness in our community."
Homeward Bound WNC is a social impact nonprofit that is ending homelessness in Buncombe County. Homeward Bound's methods are based on the national best practice model Housing First which involves moving people into permanent housing first and then providing the support that they need to stay there. With the support of the community, Homeward Bound has found homes for more than 1,840 people and 89 percent have never become homeless again.
For more information on Mattress Man's Donation Drive or to schedule a Homeward Bound tour, contact Ben Fehsenfeld at 828-785-9840, email@example.com or visit https://homewardboundwnc.org.


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Many times when you try to visit a website you witness the DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN error. You must be wondering what actually does dns_probe_finished_nxdomain means? And how can I fix it?
Well, it's one of the most common DNS error that Google Chrome users face, and the reason behind it can be pretty confusing. But let me tell you, fixing this error is not a complicated task. Some tweaks here and there and you will be able to re-access the website pretty smoothly.
Before we go ahead and talk about the fixes lets understand why you get to see the dns_probe_finished_nxdomain error?
Read more[FIXED] DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN Error [Updated 2018]


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Jonathan Last has just added one more cloud to the darkening sky that many conservatives see on America's horizon. To growing conservative concerns about an entitlements crisis, fiscal ruin, soft despotism, and Democratic dominance, he would add an equally fundamental problem: a fertility implosion.
In this provocative and engaging book, Last begins by acknowledging that, in recent years, the United States has enjoyed an exceptionally high fertility rate for a developed nation. Indeed, over the past 30 years, the U.S. fertility rate has generally tracked close to the replacement-level total fertility rate (TFR) of 2.1 children per woman, which is the rate required to keep a society's population size stable.
But Last is worried that American exceptionalism may be coming to an end in this domain, as elsewhere; in fact, he thinks the American "fertility rate will take a nosedive" in the near future. Hispanics will cut back on childbearing and thereby stop propping up the U.S. fertility rate. The nation's percentage of religious "nones," who have fewer kids than their pious peers, will keep rising among today's young adults. And the government will continue to subsidize retirement and tax parents too much, thereby undercutting the economic incentives for having children. More fundamentally, too few Americans will be able to resist the "trap of modernity, which pushes people to eschew children in favor of more pleasurable pursuits."
Indeed, Last thinks the current cultural and policy regime amounts to a kind of American One-Child Policy, albeit a softer and unintentional version of the one put in place by China in 1979. And he sees the nation headed in China's demographic direction, in which fertility has been driven — in large part, by state policy — to a TFR of less than 1.55 children per woman.
In an age when many of us grew up worried about overpopulation, what's the big deal? Won't smaller families lead to a healthier environment, better-educated children, and happier adults?
Maybe. In the short term. But if Japan is any indication, the long-term prognosis for a highly developed country with a low fertility rate is bleak. Japan has been dealing with below-replacement fertility since the 1970s, when its fertility rate fell well below 2.0. The result? Deaths now outnumber births in Japan, and the government is projecting population declines of about 1 million people every year in the near future. Japanese demographic decline is connected to record-high levels of public debt and an entitlements crisis; it also may have had a hand in Japan's nearly two decades of economic stagnation. And in all these areas, the worst seems yet to come.
As the case of Japan illustrates, the problem with sustained long-term low fertility is that it does not seem to be economically sustainable. Over time, falling fertility rates mean that a relatively smaller share of workers have to support a relatively larger share of retirees. Falling fertility also means that the economy eventually has to rely upon a smaller pool of workers: a fate now facing not only Japan but also China, which in 2012 saw its work force shrink for the first time, because of the One-Child Policy. Studies also suggest that younger workers — aged 25 to 34 — tend to engage in the most entrepreneurial activity, another reason shrinking numbers of young workers can hurt a nation's prospect for growth. As Mark Steyn has put it: "There is no precedent in human history for economic growth on declining human capital."
#page# So, is Last's scenario of a looming "demographic disaster" for the U.S. — and all that it would entail, fiscally, politically, and economically — on the mark? Most scholars would argue otherwise. The contemporary academic wisdom is that the U.S. fertility rate — which has fallen to a TFR of 1.89 in the wake of the Great Recession — will rebound to close to replacement level once the economy recovers. Among other things, such demographers as S. Philip Morgan would point to the fact that preferences for family size have not fallen in recent years; most Americans of childbearing age continue to express an interest in having two or more children.
The political scientist Leonard Schoppa argues that the U.S., like many Northern European countries, has done a comparatively good job of making it easy for women to move in and out of the work force. Engaged husbands and flexible labor laws (along with generous family leave and publicly provided child care) ease tensions between work and family, in ways that make a Japan-like scenario unlikely. Indeed, Schoppa points out that Japanese fertility is so low in part because Japanese men do comparatively little child care and housework, and Japanese employers make few accommodations to mothers, with the result that it's nearly impossible for women to combine work and family. So, in response, growing numbers of Japanese women are postponing or forgoing marriage and motherhood. Hence, Japan's TFR has remained below 1.5 for almost two decades.
Given the flexibility of the U.S. labor market, the engaged style of American fathers, and the high regard that Americans still have for parenthood, I doubt that the U.S. is headed to a disastrous fertility rate of, say, 1.5, a rate that would lead to a severe population contraction over this century and a major population crisis.
But trends in the economy (e.g., the percentage of young men working in the U.S. remains extraordinarily low by historical standards), the culture (e.g., the ranks of religious nones rose to 32 percent of young adults in 2012), and immigration (e.g., there are nearly 1 million fewer illegal immigrants living in the U.S. now than there were in 2007) suggest that a robust American exceptionalism when it comes to the nation's fertility rate is indeed nearing its end. Gone are the days when U.S. fertility will regularly crest above a TFR of 2.0. Indeed, as with so much in American life today, the U.S. fertility rate is moving in line with the slightly-below-replacement levels of fertility found in Northern Europe.
This does not amount to a demographic disaster, but it's not good news either. A fertility rate that sits slightly below replacement is not likely to help America's long-term prospects for fiscal solvency, economic growth, or national greatness. So perhaps it is indeed fair to view the American fertility rate as one more cloud looming on the nation's horizon.
– Mr. Wilcox, director of the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia, is the co-author of Whither the Child? Causes and Consequences of Low Fertility.