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Posts Tagged 'Norman Rosenthal'
#PoetryRx virtual book signing @DoctorNorman Rosenthal @Prairie_Lights, Iowa City Bookstore
Best-selling author, world-renowned researcher, psychiatrist Norman E. Rosenthal, MD prescribes poems to his patients, publishes Poetry Rx, donates book sale proceeds to benefit veterans. Virtual book-signing at Prairie Lights in Iowa City, Iowa, a UNESCO-designated City of Literature. Read the book description and connect to this upcoming event.
Poems, I now realize, thanks to Dr. Rosenthal, can be a literary panacea for the pandemic.
—Jane Brody, Personal Health Columnist, New York Times
VIRTUAL BOOK SIGNING: The David Lynch Foundation and Prairie Lights Bookstore cordially invite you to "POETRY RX: How Poetry Can Heal and Bring Joy to Your Life" featuring world-renowned psychiatrist, Norman E. Rosenthal, M.D., Prairie Lights Bookstore owner and published poet Jan Weissmiller, along with moderator Bob Roth, CEO of the David Lynch Foundation.
WHEN: Tuesday, May 25 • 7-8 pm (CENTRAL)
ZOOM REGISTRATION: Register in advance for this webinar. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information how to join the event. Click this link to register: https://davidlynchfoundation.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_gxa6il2ITH-wl1pcFjnZfA.
SPECIAL OFFER: 100% of the author's book sale proceeds will go to the David Lynch Foundation's Resilient Warrior Program to help reduce the epidemic of suicides among U.S. military veterans.
OVERVIEW: Imagine your therapist writing a prescription for "Hope is the thing with feathers" by Emily Dickinson or a Shakespeare sonnet or "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night" by Dylan Thomas—before prescribing an anxiety medication…
Dr. Norman Rosenthal is that therapist! World-renowned for his pioneering NIH research on seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and for developing the light therapy intervention to treat it, Dr. Rosenthal's new book, Poetry Rx: How 50 Inspiring Poems Can Heal and Bring Joy to Your Life (G&D Media, May 4, 2021), delivers potent medicine—without side effects.
"As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the world has closed down in many ways, depriving us of joy, companionship, love and adventure," says Dr. Rosenthal. "Against this backdrop of loss and hardship, we are seeking novel remedies, and poetry is a surprisingly powerful remedy, not just for the moment but for our entire life. Poetry can serve both as a balm and a vaccine for the soul."
Poetry Rx published on May 4 during Mental Health Awareness Month, and on the cusp of National Poetry Month, which marked its 25th annual celebration in April.
NEWS COVERAGE: The book was recently reviewed by the NY Times, Kirkus, the Philadelphia Inquirer, Dr. Rosenthal's OpEd (and video) ran on USA Today online, and his in-depth Q&A was featured in Medium/Authority magazine and Thrive Global. Visit Norman Rosenthal's website for more press coverage on Poetry Rx posted there.
Newsmax: When the Doctor Prescribes Poetry. May is National Mental Health Awareness Month and a leading psychiatrist has just published a groundbreaking book filled with powerful poetic prescriptions to help strengthen mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being.
Dr. Rosenthal, a renowned psychiatric researcher and clinician, has given us a gift with Poetry Rx. He takes us on a journey through the varieties of human experience and shows us specifically how poetry has the power to help us understand ourselves and to heal. The wonderful effect of Rosenthal's humanity and lucid analysis is to make us feel that our own experiences are universal and that we are not alone.
—Richard A. Friedman, M.D., Professor of Clinical Psychiatry, Director of Psychopharmacology Clinic, Weill Cornell Medical College
Poetry Rx is a great read, entertaining as it teaches. These are, after all, poems the doctor ordered. But what a doctor! And what poems!
—Peter Sacks, Professor of English, Harvard
Norman E. Rosenthal, M.D., is a clinical professor of psychiatry at Georgetown Medical School and was the psychiatrist who first described seasonal affective disorder and pioneered the use of light in its treatment during his 20 years at the National Institute of Mental Health. He has researched other innovative psychiatric treatments and is the author of several books including the New York Times bestseller Transcendence: Healing and Transformation through Transcendental Meditation and the national bestseller Super Mind. He currently maintains a private clinical and coaching practice in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C. His work has earned him national and international attention in the world of psychiatry and psychology, as well as in the media.
For more background, please visit www.normanrosenthal.com.
NEWER RELATED ARTICLES AND VIDEOS
Taste For Life: Poetry as a Healing Modality. A new book explores the potential. By Lynn Tryba, Norman E. Rosenthal, M.D.
Psychiatric Times: (June 15, 2021) Poetry for PTSD and Preventing Suicide. Leah Kuntz writes: June is Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Awareness Month. One psychiatrist is dedicating a portion of the proceeds from his new book, Poetry Rx, to the David Lynch Foundation (DLF)—specifically the Resilient Warrior program—in the hopes of curbing US military veteran suicides.
The Poet's List: (June 22, 2021) excerpted and referenced the above interview: POETRY FOR PTSD AND PREVENTING SUICIDE (VIA PSYCHIATRIC TIMES). The Poet's List (December 30, 2021) also included Dr. Norman Rosenthal's book in their year-end list: 2021 POETRY WRAP: YEAR IN REVIEW.
iHeartRadio: Healing Quest: Dr. Norman Rosenthal New Help for Veterans with PTSD on SoundCloud for Memorial Day Weekend. Also posted is an earlier interview: Poetry RX and Psychotherapy.
NBC TODAY: (May 25, 2021) A prescription for … poetry? This doctor recommends it. Are there health benefits to reading or writing poetry? These doctors think so. This article by Brittany Loggins concludes with different examples of what poems can do for us citing some poets and their poems from Dr. Rosenthal's book.
There is also an embedded (May 4, 2021) NBC News report of a nurse sharing a poem she wrote about caring for her patients. It is extremely moving, and powerfully highlights the theme of the article. How a Covid nurse captured her patients' 'love and energy' through poetry.
Iowa City Press-Citizen: World-renowned psychiatrist shares the healing power of poetry in Prairie Lights event by Isaac Hamlet. Some of the media that posted this article are: MSN, Daily Advent's Opera News, and South Africa's Free-Mail.
The Iowa Source: Norm Rosenthal on Poetry: Comfort and Connection in Rhythmic Form.
UI's Iowa Writers' Workshop: Virtual Reading: Dr. Norman E. Rosenthal Poetry Rx: How 50 Inspiring Poems Can Heal and Bring Joy To Your Life. Also on The University of Iowa's Events Calendar.
The Prairie Lights virtual book signing for Norman Rosenthal's PoetryRx has now been archived. You can also see it on his YouTube channel.
CBSN New York: Some Doctors Encourage Those Suffering From Anxiety, Stress To Embrace The Power Of Poetry by Hazel Sanchez. Also on their YouTube Channel: Doctors Say Poetry Can Provide Comfort, Therapy.
AARP: How Poetry Can Heal: A distinguished doctor discusses the power of the written word.
EnjoyTMNews: Poetry Rx: Iconic Poems to Heal, Inspire, and Bring Joy. Dr. Norman Rosenthal's new book offers medicine for the soul, by Harbour Fraser Hodder.
TMTalks: The Healing Power of Poetry. A conversation with Norman Rosenthal, M.D. (51:18).
Politics and Prose Virtual Book-Signing Event: This archived Zoomcast includes a special video that two-time Tony-award winning actress Katie Finneran made for Dr. Rosenthal, where she shares what the book meant for her, and reads two poems: One Art by Elizabeth Bishop and "Hope" is the thing with feathers by Emily Dickinson.
Choice Magazine: Britain's leading independent magazine for women and men over 50. The October 2021 issue published an article for their print edition, filed under Health. It will probably be archived online the following month. For now, click the title, which will take you to a PDF of the article: The healing power of poetry. Can poems act as a form of medicine? David Hughes seeks the answers…
Spirituality & Health: The Healing Power of Poetry by Mary Bemis. Regard a poem as a talisman, a locket that contains a secret.
MY REVIEW OF POETRY RX
I gave the book a 5-star rating on Amazon and goodreads. In my review I share Norman's introductory story of how he discovered the healing power of a poem (One Art by Elizabeth Bishop), how it led him to develop the practice of prescribing poems for his patients, and how he came to write this book. Here is the conclusion to my review of Poetry Rx.
Dr. Norman Rosenthal shows us how poetry can serve both as a balm and a vaccine for the soul.
Anyone can benefit from and enjoy reading this book. Dr. Rosenthal guides the reader, showing us how to get the most out of a poem. He explains each poem, points out takeaways, and gives us a backgrounder on the poem and the poet who wrote it. It's like having a friend of the family over for dinner that shares his enthusiasm for poetry, and in the process, entertains and enlightens us. I highly recommend this book.
In that review, I also mention the poem, 'Love After Love' by Derek Walcott, which Rosenthal includes in his collection on page 48. He reads and comments on it in his blog. I had posted the poem around 7 years ago after a friend had sent it to me. It reminded me of an experience I had had about 20 years earlier, about getting over a breakup and reclaiming yourself. But it was more than that.
I had done some research on Derek Walcott and discovered a new documentary film about him called, 'Poetry Is An Island'. In the trailer we hear his voice reciting that poem as he is seen walking on his property. You can view it here: Love after Love, by Derek Walcott, resonates deeply when you first acknowledge yourself.
Tags:Bob Roth, David Lynch Foundation, Derek Walcott, Jan Weissmiller, Love After Love, love and loss, Norman Rosenthal, Poetry Rx, Prairie Lights, Resilient Warrior Program, virtual book signing
Posted in Health, Literature, Poetry | Leave a Comment »
@ParadeMagazine asks @meditationbob what makes #TranscendentalMeditation so special
This is one of the most informative articles on Transcendental Meditation I've read. Nicole Pajer put it together for the February 19, 2020 issue of Parade. I asked Bob Roth about it and he said, "The reporter sent me a bunch of questions and I answered them, thinking she would lift parts of the answers for an article… instead they printed the whole thing!"
What Is Transcendental Meditation, the Practice Beloved by Celebs—and What Makes It So Special?
If you've done any research into the meditation, you've likely heard of Transcendental Meditation. Just about every celebrity seems to be practicing it these days. Popularized by The Beatles (who originally learned in 1967), it's now a favorite of Katy Perry, Hugh Jackman, Sheryl Crow and Liv Tyler. After discovering it herself, Oprah even paid for her 400 employees to become trained in the methodology!
But what exactly is TM and how does it differ from the other types of meditation out there? We caught up with Transcendental Meditation expert and CEO of the David Lynch Foundation, Bob Roth, who walked us through the ins and outs of this popular form of meditation.
What is Transcendental Meditation (TM)?
Transcendental Meditation (TM) is a mental technique that is practiced for 15 to 20 minutes twice a day, sitting comfortably with the eyes closed. During the technique, the mind and body settle down to a unique state of "restful alertness" where the whole physiology is deeply relaxed while the mind is quiet inside, yet wide awake. Hundreds of published studies show the technique is effective for reducing stress, anxiety, insomnia, depression and at the same time, improving health, focus and performance. TM does not involve religion, philosophy or a change in lifestyle. It has been learned by 10 million people.
How does TM differ from other forms of meditation?
The ocean is a great analogy for understanding different approaches to meditation. Just as the ocean can be turbulent on the surface with innumerable waves and quiet at its depth, so, too, the mind is active on the surface with innumerable thoughts but it is also naturally, profoundly quiet deep within. Other forms of meditation work to bring calm to the mind by stopping or observing thoughts—or visualizing new thoughts. This is like trying to create calm in the ocean by stopping the surface waves. On the other hand, Transcendental Meditation doesn't mind the surface thoughts, it provides access to deeper levels of the mind, which are already calm and peaceful. For this, TM does not require concentration or control of thoughts, nor does it involve visualization or any type of guided practice.
It requires one-on-one instruction to master.
Unlike other forms of meditation that can be learned from a book or tape, TM is always taught in personal, one-to-one instruction by a certified instructor. That is because the ability to "transcend," to settle down and access a field of silence that lies deep within the mind, while completely natural, is also a special skill that everyone learns at his or her own unique pace. For this, a teacher is incredibly helpful. The TM teacher instructs you in the skill of how to turn the attention of your mind, which is usually directed outward to the world around us, inward and to experience the deepest, most settled level of the mind where you are peaceful and quiet inside, yet wide awake and alert. For this your teacher will give you a mantra and then teach you how to use the mantra properly.
Transcendental Meditation is taught over four consecutive days, about 60 to 90 minutes each day. During the first session, your teacher will give you a mantra and then teach you how to use it properly. During the following three sessions over consecutive days, you learn addition information to stabilize the correct practice of the technique as well as learn about how the body reduces stress, improves health, and enhances brain functioning as you continue to meditate twice a day over the ensuing weeks, months, and years. Visit TM.org to find a certified TM teacher who offers a course in your area.
The technique is learned from a certified instructor, not from a video or book. That said, there are several videos you can watch that will help answer your questions about the technique and help you decide if you would like to learn:
(1) Transcendental Meditation: A Complete Introduction with Bob Roth
(2) An introduction to Transcendental Meditation by Dr. John Hagelin
There are also books that will give you more of a background on this type of meditation: Strength in Stillness: The Power of Transcendental Meditation by Bob Roth and Super Mind: How to Boost Performance and Live and Richer, Happier Life through Transcendental Meditation by Norman Rosenthal, MD.
Your practice will center around your own personal mantra.
The mantras in TM come from an ancient meditation tradition that is over 5,000 years old. A mantra is a specific word or thought that (1) has no meaning associated with it—because if there was a meaning then the mind would be stuck on the surface trying to it out and (2) the mantra is a soothing sound whose effects are known to be positive and life-supporting. When you learn TM, your teacher will give you a mantra and then equally importantly, will teach you how to use the mantra properly, which means effortlessly, without any concentration or control of the mind.
It's best performed for 15 to 20 minutes, twice a day.
Once in the morning, before the day begins to give you the energy, resilience, and focus to enjoy the day with less stress and fatigue, and again, in the late afternoon or early evening, to wash off the stress of the day so that you can truly enjoy the evening with family and friends and sleep better at night.
How much does Transcendental Meditation cost?
The initial TM course is four sessions, and a one-time fee—based on income and ranging from $380-$960—is charged to cover the teacher's salary. There is an option to split these payments over four months, and those who receive federal assistance such as SNAP may be eligible for a partial grant to help cover the fee. After these four sessions there is a lifetime of free follow up offered through any of the more than 200 teaching centers in the U.S. and any of the thousands of teaching centers worldwide.
What is a typical TM session like?
You sit comfortably with your eyes closed and you think the mantra in the easy, effortless way that your teacher has instructed you. There is no need for electronic apps or guided imagery. It is a natural process that is equally natural to practice. No tools, no apps, no videos. Just a comfortable place to sit and close your eyes for 20 minutes is all you need to participate.
Who can learn Transcendental Meditation?
Anyone from the age of 10 years and older can learn TM. Children ages 4-10 can learn a technique that is more appropriate for a youngster. TM is ideal for anyone: skeptic or advocate, experienced with other practices or novice. It is ideal for anyone who has had difficulty with techniques in the past that advocate stopping thoughts, clearing the mind of thoughts, or any form of concentration on the breath, sound, or areas of the body.
Is there anyone who shouldn't do TM?
TM can be learned by anyone and can benefit everyone. That said, if a person is suffering from PTSD or another form of extreme trauma and is under the care of a physician or therapist it is important to continue those treatments along with the addition of TM practice.
What are the health benefits of Transcendental Meditation?
Research shows that TM is highly effective for giving the body deep rest and reducing stress, fatigue and trauma. At the same time, research also shows that TM can have a positive impact on the 80 to 90 percent of the diseases and disorders that are either caused by stress or exacerbated by stress, which includes reductions in high blood pressure, anxiety, depression, and insomnia, along with improvements in focus, creativity, problems-solving, and overall physical and mental health.
Related: Other Parade articles posted on this blog: 'Dear Prudence' Bruns in Parade discusses world peace, the '60s, and why kids love the Beatles and What Transcendental Meditation does for Ringo. Parade also covered Lady Gaga's appearance on Oprah Winfrey's 2020 Vision: Your Life in Focus tour. She shared her history of trauma and the pain she's been dealing with, what she's doing for it, and how TM has been helping her in a big way. They discovered they had both learned TM from Bob Roth. You can see that part of the interview here.
Bob Roth recently appeared on a Frontiers podcast (S2:E4) by The Upside. In this episode Bob shared his journey to bring Transcendental Meditation to the Frontiers of medicine, education and the workplace. You can also listen to it on Apple Podcasts.
Tags:Bob Roth, celebrities who meditate, David Lynch Foundation, Norman Rosenthal, Oprah Winfrey, TM, Transcendental Meditation
Posted in Articles, David Lynch Foundation | 3 Comments »
Excellent article on Transcendental Meditation written by Sarah Klein in Prevention Magazine
Preface: Electrical Analogies
Norman Rosenthal
I find it fascinating that Norman Rosenthal and Jerry Seinfeld have come up with their own opposite electrical analogies to describe how Transcendental Meditation works — as both a surge protector and a battery charger!
People exposed to continual stressful trauma suffer from PTSD. Dr. Norman E. Rosenthal says Transcendental Meditation is like a surge protector against stress. First it calms the amygdala; it turns down that alarm bell where there no longer is a fire.
And equally important, TM acts as a buffer against future stressful reactions. The nervous system becomes more resilient to stressful stimuli; they're no longer interpreted as such. The individuals have normalized.
Jerry Seinfeld compares TM to a phone charger for your whole body and mind. He reminds us how we charge our cellphones and then use them throughout the whole day. That's what TM does for him. It sets him up for his day fully charged until his next TM session to recharge.
Prevention Magazine article on Transcendental Meditation
Bob Roth
Rosenthal was interviewed and Seinfeld mentioned in an excellent article for Prevention Magazine by staff writer Sarah Klein. It's nicely designed with graphics, photos and relevant links to cited studies and video clips.
Others interviewed were Bob Roth, executive director for the David Lynch Foundation, and Sandy Nidich, professor and researcher at Maharishi University of Management. Others referenced and linked to are Ellen Degeneres, Jim Carrey, and Oprah Winfrey.
Klein seems to understand her subject even though she probably has not experienced it. Her writing is clear and objective. She's done her homework when it comes to the science, and integrates her interviewees remarks to full advantage. It's a pleasure to read a TM article like this when someone gets it right!
Enjoy reading This Is Your Brain On Transcendental Meditation.
For information on Transcendental Meditation visit www.tm.org.
Transcendental Meditation at Prevention R3 Summit
A month before the Prevention Magazine article, Bob Roth was invited to give a talk on Transcendental Meditation at the 3rd annual Prevention R3 Summit. He spoke January 15, 2016, the opening night of the Summit, at ACL Live in The Moody Theater in Austin, Texas. Check the DavidLynchFoundation YouTube Channel for a description of his talk. Austin Art Examiner writer Nicolette Mallow was there and interviewed Bob Roth for her article on this self-transcending form of meditation that can transform people's lives for the better.
In related news, read about The first Transcendental Meditation elective course offered at a major US medical school.
Jennie Gritz explored the use of TM in education in her article for The Atlantic: Quiet Time Brings Transcendental Meditation to Public Schools.
Tags:Bob Roth, brain coherence, Ellen DeGeneres, health, Jerry Seinfeld, Norman Rosenthal, Oprah Winfrey, Prevention Magazine, PTSD, resilience, Sandy Nidich, Sarah Kleiin, stress, TM, Transcendental Meditation
Posted in Articles, David Lynch Foundation, Health, Maharishi University, Peace | 2 Comments »
Norman E. Rosenthal, M.D.'s new book, The Gift of Adversity, helps us to look at life differently
Throughout his storied career as a research psychiatrist, Dr. Norman E. Rosenthal has searched outside the box for ways to help people struggling with depression and other mood disorders. This search led him to diagnose and name seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and develop light therapy as a wonderfully effective treatment while at the National Institute of Mental Health. He went on to write several books that brought alternative, non-pharmaceutical treatments straight into public awareness, including "Winter Blues," "St. John's Wort: The Herbal Way to Feeling Good," and, most recently, the New York Times bestseller, "Transcendence," which explores the power of Transcendental Meditation in healing and transformation.
In his new book, "The Gift of Adversity: The Unexpected Benefits of Life's Difficulties, Setbacks and Imperfections," Dr. Rosenthal shares personal stories of adversity, as well as case studies and lessons he has learned from his heroes. Less scientific than his previous books, "The Gift of Adversity" is part memoir, part inspiration, and thoroughly enjoyable to read.
Adversity is an irreducible fact of life. Although we can and should learn from all experiences, both positive and negative, bestselling author Dr. Norman E. Rosenthal, believes that adversity is by far the best teacher most of us will ever encounter.
Whether the adversity one experiences is the result of poor decision-making, a desire to test one's mettle, or plain bad luck, Rosenthal believes life's most important lessons—from the value of family to the importance of occasionally cutting corners—can be best learned from it. Running counter to society's current prevailing message that "excellence" must always be aspired to, and failure or mistakes of any sort are to be avoided at all costs, Rosenthal shows that engaging with our own failures and defeats is one of the only ways we are able to live authentic and meaningful lives, and that each different type of adversity carries its own challenges and has the potential to yield its own form of wisdom.
David Lynch Foundation executive director and author, Bob Roth, interviews Dr. Norman Rosenthal on how he went from writing "Transcendence" to "The Gift of Adversity."
In this excerpt from the interview, Dr. Rosenthal shares with Bob Roth the gift he received from a very adverse situation early on in his life.
There are many reviews and interviews coming out on The Gift of Adversity and with Norman Rosenthal. Here are a few of them on Huffington Post and elsewhere: The Gift of Adversity: A Book Review by Lloyd I. Sederer, MD on HuffPost's HealthyLiving. Norman Rosenthal on the Surprising Benefits of Life's Biggest Challenges on Bookish. Norman Rosenthal posted an article on HuffingtonPost: The Gift of Adversity. Norman wrote Your Mind, Your Body, How to live a happier, healthier life, for Psychology Today. Jeanne Ball  posted 3 Ways Meditation Helps You Deal With Adversity also on HealthyLiving. The TM Blog posted an article by Dr. Norman Rosenthal: From Transcendence to The Gift of Adversity. And this excellent review by Jane E. Brody in the Personal Health section of the New York Times titled, Life's Hard Lessons.
Norman Rosenthal was interviewed on Writers' Voices: Looking for the Silver Lining with Dr. Norman E. Rosenthal and "The Gift of Adversity". Dennis Raimondi on his show Speaking Freely asks Norman Rosenthal about his new book, The Gift of Adversity on KRUU-LP 100.1 FM (23:51).
Guest host Susan Page interviewed Dr. Norman Rosenthal on The Diane Rehm Show
Norman Rosenthal was booked on the Diane Rehm Show to discuss his latest book, The Gift of Adversity, Wednesday, Sept 4, 11:00am to noon ET. Listen live on WAMU 88.5 FM or online.
As it turned out, Diane was on vacation, and guest host Susan Page, American Journalist and Washington Bureau Chief for USA Today, conducted the interview. Visit their post to read an excerpt of the book, Dr. Norman Rosenthal: "The Gift Of Adversity", and listen to a replay of the interview on their audioplayer.
He was also interviewed by Dr. Sherrill Sellman on her show What Women Must Know – The Gift of Adversity with Norman E. Rosenthal – 09/26/13.
As I continue to read this wonderful book I find myself quietly reflecting on my own life's experiences and lessons learned, triggered by reading Dr. Rosenthal's and those of the people he discusses. Each chapter has a takeaway point, something to reflect on and learn from the transforming alchemy of adversity.
I am reminded of two quotes that beautifully encapsulate the message of the book: One by Buddha: "Every experience, no matter how bad it seems, holds within it a blessing of some kind. The goal is to find it." And the other by Tom Bodett: "In school, you're taught a lesson, then given a test. In life, you're given a test that teaches you a lesson." Dr. Rosenthal looks for and finds the blessings and lessons that adversity has brought him and the subjects in his book. It should be required reading for young adults to help them build empathy and understanding, preparing them for their journey through life.
Dr. Rosenthal also gives us hope when he says that the stressful experiences of adversity can also lead to growth. Quoting Friedrich Nietzsche's famous dictum: "That which does not kill us makes us stronger," he tells us of the dividend of PTG from the payment of PTS, the post-traumatic growth that may come from the post-traumatic stress we've endured. And he also gives us the tools to deal with the stress, mentioned in his earlier books, like "Winter Blues", using light therapy to chase away the winter blues, and from "Transcendence", his most recent bestseller, extolling the healing and transformational virtues of Transcendental Meditation. Discovering what Dr. Rosenthal says in his books is like finding a thoughtful friend who dispenses wise advice.
On December 20, 2013 he spoke in New York at TEDx: Norman Rosenthal on The Gift of Adversity in which he describes the three kinds of adversities, and mentions his three heroes.
Tags:Bob Roth, Dennis Raimondi, diane rehm, dr rosenthal, national institute of mental health, new york times bestseller, Norman E Rosenthal, Norman Rosenthal, research psychiatrist, the gift of adversity, Transcendence, Transcendental Meditation, vicktor frankel, Writers' Voices
Posted in Articles, Education, Health, Peace, Videos, Writing | Leave a Comment »
'Tis the Season To Be Jolly … Or SAD? Article for Ageless Living by Helen Foster-Grimmett
'Tis the Season To Be Jolly … Or SAD?
By Helen Foster-Grimmett
Tonight, my husband told me that this article lacked pizzazz. I said: "Sorry, my serotonin is seasonally challenged – no sparkle." I find myself standing in front of travel agency windows mesmerized by posters of sun-drenched Hawaii, Mexico, Barbados. Mauritius looks delicious.
By Christmas – the season to be jolly – some people have been feeling sad, down, or downright depressed since the onset of autumn. And they'll motor on through to the first buds of spring feeling the same way. If you are one of those people, you may be experiencing Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, about five million Canadians experience the "winter blues," a mild form of Seasonal Affective Disorder. At least two to three percent have symptoms severe enough to be diagnosed as "SAD" – an apt acronym. People with SAD often feel a sense of happiness on a cloudy day when the sun peeks through the clouds, then deflated when the clouds cover the sky again. It's as if the clouds are a manifestation of their minds. For people with SAD, those inner clouds can be dark, and they sometimes don't lift until the spring flowers bloom and sunshine is more constant. The Canadian Mental Health Association tells us that women are more at risk for Seasonal Affective Disorder than men: eight times as many women as men report having SAD. Although the reasons for this are not defined, one suggestion is that women may spend more time indoors with their children than men and, therefore, less time in sunlight.
Sunless and SAD
Experts are not sure what causes SAD, but they generally link it to lack of sunlight. SAD is rare in those living within 30 degrees of the equator, where daylight hours are consistently long and bright. It is more common in northern countries, including Canada, where bright winter sunlight is sparse. Lack of light may upset our cycles and other rhythms. It may cause problems with a brain chemical called serotonin, which affects mood. People with mild winter blues manage to cope throughout the season. However, those diagnosed with SAD could feel more severe symptoms, including:
• Depression, apathy, negative thoughts, loss of self-esteem
• Lethargy, fatigue
• Overeating or little appetite
• Difficulty with concentration and memory
• Withdrawn – finding it hard to be around people
• Inability to deal with stress
If you are affected by any of these symptoms, take heart: there are remedies that work wonders for SAD.
Relief for SAD Symptoms
Millions of people with SAD have been helped by the work of Dr. Norman Rosenthal, a world-renowned psychiatrist. Rosenthal and his team at the National Institute of Mental Health pioneered research that first led to describing Seasonal Affective Disorder, and the use of light therapy to treat it.
According to the Seasonal Affective Disorder Association in the UK, "light therapy has been shown to be effective in up to 85 percent of diagnosed cases." Light therapy is now routinely prescribed for SAD in northern countries, but at the time Rosenthal and his team first used it, the results were dramatic. In his New York Times best-selling book Transcendence, Dr. Rosenthal recalls a comment from one of his colleagues. He had noticed a remarkable change in a patient who had been having light therapy for SAD for just one week: "I don't know what treatment she is receiving, but she's blooming like a rose!" A vivid metaphor for our need for light from the life-giving sun.
Dr. Rosenthal's other guide for readers who suffer from SAD is called Winter Blues. This book provides a self-test that readers can use to evaluate their own seasonal mood changes, presents remedies for SAD, research on the use of medication, and new recipes to counterbalance unhealthy winter food cravings. A cautionary caveat: if you or someone you know is seriously depressed, it is imperative to seek professional advice, as depression can be debilitating or even life-threatening.
The good news? The incidence of Seasonal Affective Disorder decreases with age. So for all you seniors out there, as we approach the holiday season, 'tis truly the season for you to be jolly!
Helen Foster-Grimmett writes on issues of health, education, and stress management. These days you may find her outside travel agency windows, looking wistful. Article references available upon request.
This is Helen's 2nd article for the Canadian magazine, Ageless Living. You can read her first article there: The Answer To Cancer.
For more information on Dr. Norman Rosenthal, his work and books: Winter Blues, and Transcendence, visit: http://normanrosenthal.com.
Tags:anxiety, canadian mental health association, climate, depression, dr. norman e. rosenthal, health, helen foster-grimmett, inability to deal with stress, lack of sunshine, light therapy, medicine, mental health, national institute of mental health, nature, Norman Rosenthal, SAD, Science, Seasonal Affective Disorder, sleep problems, stress, sunshine, Transcendence, travel, vacations, warmer climate, Winter Blues, winter sunlight
Posted in Articles, Health | Leave a Comment »
THE REMARKABLE DAVID LYNCH FOUNDATION — written by Norman Zierold for Healthy Referral
Posted 27 January 2012 in Healthy Referral Newspaper
THE REMARKABLE DAVID LYNCH FOUNDATION
It's no secret that problems abound in our society, but two areas that quickly come to mind are major sources of national stress—at-risk school children and veterans returning from wars abroad with post-traumatic stress.
Enter iconic American filmmaker David Lynch, director of TV's groundbreaking Twin Peaks, and feature films that include Eraserhead, Elephant Man, Blue Velvet, Mulholland Drive, The Straight Story, and most recently, Inland Empire. The United Kingdom's highly reputed Guardian has dubbed Lynch "the most important film-maker of the current era," but an illustrious career has not impeded his concern for the needy.
Mind you, many individuals and organizations have stepped forward in the troubled areas of our society. Much has been done, yet even more remains to be done. What is his modality of choice to help? Meditation, he declares, and specifically Transcendental Meditation, or TM, which is neither a religion nor a philosophy, and therefore requires no change of lifestyle.
Transcendental Meditation is a simple, easily learned technique, practiced for 20 minutes twice daily while sitting comfortably in a chair with eyes closed. This quiet time provides the mind and body with a unique state of "restful alertness" which allows stress and fatigue to be released in a natural way, resulting in better health, greater energy, more clarity of mind, and overall enhancement of the joy of life. It utilizes the natural tendency of the mind to go to a field of greater happiness, hence is basically effortless, differing thereby from all other meditation techniques, which invariably involve either concentration or contemplation, modalities that tend to keep the mind on the surface level of thought and so impede the transcending process.
John Hagelin, Ph.D., world-renowned quantum physicist ("What The Bleep Do We Know!?" and "The Secret") and recipient of the coveted Kilby Award in physics, describes Transcendental Meditation as "a systematic means to turn the attention powerfully within, to experience and explore deeper levels of mind, quieter levels of human awareness, a state of rest for the body deeper than sleep, where deep-seated stress is dissolved, providing an effective prevention and treatment for stress-related illness."
Over 600 scientific studies have been conducted on Transcendental Meditation at 250 medical schools and universities in over 30 countries to verify its wide range of benefits for the individual and society. Most notably, the U.S. National Institutes of Health, or NIH, funded in recent decades $26 million in grants to study the effects of TM practice on high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, obesity, and heart disease. Subjects for research have been readily available because the TM technique has now been taught to six million people in over 120 countries.
The timeless knowledge of TM derives from the Vedic heritage of India, the world's oldest system of knowledge. Veda means truth, or knowledge, and this tradition provides knowledge about many areas of life. For example, Yoga comes from the Vedic tradition, as does Ayurveda, the world's most ancient system of health care, and Sthapatya Veda, knowledge about building in accord with Natural Law. The knowledge of Transcendental Meditation was revived in our era by the revered sage Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, launched, in 1957, a worldwide movement to make it available on every continent. Maharishi first came to the United States in 1959, and on various occasions thereafter, to oversee the progress of the local TM movement.
Why did David Lynch take up the TM practice? Well, he just couldn't think of anything better to do. Just kidding. Lynch not only writes, produces, and directs his own films, but also composes popular music, and paints stunning pictures that are exhibited in major art galleries. And oh, yes, crowning a plethora of other avocations, he recently opened his own nightclub in Paris.
As for Transcendental Meditation, his sister first brought it to his attention. "My sister called, and she had started TM," he reminisces. "There was something in her voice—less stress and more happiness, a certain upbeat lilt. 'I gotta have that,' I said to myself. When I actually started, it was like boom, as if a cable had been cut and the elevator plunged right down into pure consciousness.
"I have been 'diving within' through the Transcendental Meditation technique for over 30 years now," he continues. "It has changed my life, my world, allowing me to release stress that was causing fear and anxiety, opening the door to heightened creativity and bliss."
"Not long ago, when I heard about the crippling levels of stress and violence in the lives of children today, about the need for armed guards to patrol school corridors, and about widespread use of prescription drugs with deleterious side effects, I became concerned about what this was doing to the health of these children and their ability to learn."
"Discussing the matter with a friend, the thought came that in today's turbulent world all school kids should have a class period to begin and end the school day where they can dive within and experience the field of silence, the transcendental level of life, which is an enormous reservoir of energy and intelligence within all of us."
To help at-risk students, the director established the David Lynch Foundation for Consciousness-Based Education and World Peace—and promptly made hefty donations to give it a jump-start.
Since then the DLF has helped fund "Quiet Time" programs, which are always voluntary, around the world, teaching TM to over 250,000 children in the United States and Latin America, the Middle East, Europe, and Africa. The US schools can be found in more than a dozen states.
Progress was made in the financial area by a benefit concert given at New York's Radio City Music Hall and featuring such renowned meditating artists as Beatles Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, legendary singer/songwriter Donovan, Mike Love of the Beach Boys, flute virtuoso Paul Horn, Sheryl Crow, Moby, Eddie Vedder, Ben Harper, Russell Simmons, co-founder of the pioneering hip-hop label Def Jam, and Jerry Seinfeld in a winning stand-up comic skit. Since a huge number of schools around the world remain on a waiting list for Quiet Time programs, plans are underway for future benefit concerts in different venues. Watch News conference Highlights from the day before the concert, and Watch Event Highlights, which include clips of David Lynch interviewing Paul, Ringo, Sheryl, Eddie, and excerpts from that amazing magical evening. Check here for other DLF featured past events.
Transcendental Meditation in Education
Dr. Sanford Nidich, professor of education and physiology at Maharishi University of Management, has been working with at-risk adolescents in U.S. schools and reports on a study conducted at the University of Connecticut involving 106 secondary school students from three public schools, primarily from lower-income, minority populations. "Meditating students," he relates, showed significant reductions in anxiety, emotional problems, and hyperactivity, and improved overall mental health after an average of four months compared to controls."
"Something must be done to help today's youth deal with the enormous amount of stress in their lives," says Dr. Robert Colbert, professor at the University of Connecticut and co-author of the study. "This study shows that something can help immediately—and it is easy to implement in any school setting.
Two more recent studies out last year, also funded by the David Lynch Foundation, showed TM improved standardized academic achievement and effectively lowered record stress levels in students.
The study, published in the journal Education, reported students who practiced the Transcendental Meditation program showed significant increases in math and English scale scores and performance level scores over a one-year period. Forty-one percent of the meditating students showed a gain of at least one performance level in math compared to 15.0% of the non-meditating controls.
The latest study published in the Journal of Instructional Psychology found the Transcendental Meditation technique significantly decreased psychological distress in at-risk racial and ethnic minority public school students by 36 percent over 4 months compared to controls. The study also found significant decreases in trait anxiety and depressive symptoms.
In the area of students with learning disabilities, one study, published in the 2009 issue of the peer-reviewed Current Issues in Education, followed a group of 10 middle-school students with ADHD who were practicing the Transcendental Meditation technique twice a day at school. After three months, researchers found over 50% reduction in stress and anxiety, and improvements in ADHD behavior regulation.
"The effect was much greater than we expected," says Dr. Sarina Grosswald, Ed.D., a George Washington University-trained cognitive learning specialist and lead researcher on the study. "The children also showed improvements in attention, working memory, and organization." The study was funded by grants from the Abramson Family Foundation and the David Lynch Foundation.
A follow-up study, also funded by the David Lynch Foundation, came out last year. This random-assignment controlled study conducted over a period of 6 months in an independent school for children with language-based learning disabilities in Washington, DC, found improved brain functioning, decreased symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, (ADHD), and improved language-based skills among ADHD students practicing the Transcendental Meditation technique. The paper, ADHD, Brain Functioning, and Transcendental Meditation Practice, was published in Mind & Brain, The Journal of Psychiatry.
At the Ideal Academy Public Charter School in Washington, D.C., students from the 5th through 12th grades now practice the TM/Quiet Time program. "It changed the whole climate of the school, says principal Dr. George Rutherford, a highly regarded D.C. educator. "It was just beautiful. The academic achievement has gone up, and behavioral problems have gone down. I could never work in a school that doesn't have the TM/Quiet Time program."
One student at the Ideal Academy reports, "I notice I haven't been mad for a while, since I learned TM. I used to get in fights and talk to people behind their back. And it helps me to not get distracted."
A student at the Tucson, Arizona, Museum of Art School was struggling in math, but now says, "I'm doing really good in there, and my behavior's been a lot better." One of the students at the Kingsbury School in Washington, D.C., states that just two weeks after practicing TM twice a day the nightmares he was having stopped, allowing him to sleep much better and so avoid the fatigue that usually followed during the day.
"I have had the pleasure of meeting many students who are "diving within" and experiencing Consciousness-Based Education," sums up DLF founder David Lynch. "These students are all unique individuals, very much themselves. They are amazing, self-sufficient, wide-awake, energetic, blissful, creative, powerfully intelligent and peaceful human beings. Meeting these students, for me, was the proof that Consciousness-Based Education is a profoundly good thing for our schools and for our world."
Principal James Dierke agrees. The 2008 National Association of Secondary School Principals—National Middle School Principal of the Year, says, "Stress is the number one enemy of public education, especially in inner-city schools. It creates tension, violence, and compromises the cognitive and psychological capacity of students to learn and grow. The TM/Quiet Time program is the most powerful, effective program I have come across in my 39 years as a public school educator for addressing this problem. It is nourishing children and providing them an immensely valuable tool for life. It is saving lives."
TM for Veterans: Operation Warrior Wellness
While the DLF's work with at-risk children got into full gear, founder David Lynch was given the staggering statistics from the Veterans Administration showing that more soldiers are dying from the trauma of combat incurred in Iraq and Afghanistan than at the hands of enemy combatants. Over 500,000 veterans have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress, or PTS, since 2001, with 18 veterans committing suicide each day.
To help meet this challenging situation, the David Lynch Foundation launched Operation Warrior Wellness, a national outreach to help 10,000 war veterans suffering from PTS by teaching them Transcendental Meditation. A December 2010 press conference and follow-up fund-raiser Gala Event at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York was supported by noted film directors Clint Eastwood and Martin Scorsese, fashion maven Donna Karan, pop music mogul Russell Simmons, and yet another Russell, versatile actor/comedian Russell Brand, plus "America's Doctor," Dr. Mehmet Oz.
A year later on December 2, 2011 the David Lynch Foundation launched Operation Warrior Wellness in Los Angeles with a global press conference at the Beverly Hills Hotel where David Lynch presented a check for one million dollars for Veterans to learn Transcendental Meditation. The 3rd Annual Change Begins Within Gala Event took place at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.Ellen DeGeneres opened the evening and then turned the proceedings over to host Russell Brand. Photos can be seen on the David Lynch Foundation photo stream.
Combatants from past and present conflicts delivered testimonials of their devastating war experiences and told of how TM gave them a new lease on life. World War II pilot Jerry Yellin spoke eloquently of the toll that extensive bombing raids against Japan had on his nervous system so that for three decades after the end of the war he felt no satisfaction from anything he did. "At 51," he recounted, "I took up TM and only then did I finally find peace."
Vietnam vet Dan Burks gave a moving account of the mental scars he carried after a battle in which he killed Vietnamese soldiers and lost many of his own comrades. "PTS is a wound," he concluded. "It takes your life away, just like losing a limb. But guess what? You can get rid of that wound. My life, after the discovery of Transcendental Meditation, was like the difference between heaven and hell."
Finally, David George, 23, a former infantry soldier, told of the trauma he experienced not only in Iraq, but also on returning home, where long ago battles still raged deep within his system. "Happily," he said, "I found TM and that cleared the air and I could tell where I was going. I felt this warm, groovy feeling. It just keeps getting better and better."
Veterans with PTS showed a 50 percent reduction in their symptoms after just eight weeks of practicing the stress-reducing Transcendental Meditation technique, according to a pilot study published in June 2011 in the scientific journal Military Medicine. The study found that Transcendental Meditation produced significant reductions in stress and depression and marked improvements in relationships and overall quality of life.
The paper's senior researcher, Norman Rosenthal, M.D., is clinical professor of psychiatry at Georgetown University Medical School and director of research at Capital Clinical Research Associates in Rockville, Maryland. "These young men were in extreme distress as a direct result of trauma suffered during combat," he affirms, "and the simple and effortless Transcendental Meditation technique literally transformed their lives."
The findings were similar to those from a randomly controlled study of Vietnam veterans conducted by researchers at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in 1985. In that study, published in the Journal of Counseling and Development, after three months of twice-daily TM practice, the veterans had fewer symptoms than those receiving conventional psychotherapy of the day. In fact, most of the TM-treated subjects required no further treatment.
"The soldiers are truly suffering," affirms David Lynch. "No one knows what they've been through. No one knows what they've done, what they've experienced, what they've seen, and their lives in many cases are a true nightmare. That's why we want to offer them Transcendental Meditation. It's a beautiful thing for the human being. It's a big stress-buster, and when these soldiers get this simple effortless technique, they're going to get their lives back again. It's not hocus-pocus. It's going to save lives, and help not only the soldiers, but all the families who are suffering, and their friendships as well."
For the already noted Operation Warrior Wellness benefit at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, Clint Eastwood, best known for playing violent, hardened characters on-screen, sent a video in which he stated his strong support of Transcendental Meditation. "I've been using it for almost 40 years now," he declared. "It's a great tool to combat stress, especially considering the stress our men and women in the armed forces are going through. There's enough studies out there that show TM is something that can benefit everybody."
Norman Zierold is the author of a bevy of books on Hollywood, including The Child Stars, The Moguls, Garbo, and Sex Goddesses of the Silent Screen, as well as two true-crime stories—Little Charley Ross: The Story of America's First Kidnapping for Ransom, and Three Sisters in Black, recipient of a Special Edgar Allan Poe Award from the Mystery Writers of America. He has also published articles in a plethora of magazines, ranging from New York Magazine, McCall's, and Popular Mechanics to Good Housekeeping, Variety, and Reader's Digest.
David Lynch Foundation http://www.davidlynchfoundation.org
Operation Warrior Wellness http://www.operationwarriorwellness.org
The Transcendental Meditation program http://tm.org
Ask the Doctors: Specialists answer your questions about TM and health http://askthedoctors.com
ADHD, the Mind and the TM technique http://www.adhd-tm.org
Maharishi University of Management http://www.mum.edu
If read in the UK, use this for The Transcendental Meditation Program: http://www.t-m.org.uk
Related article by Norman Zierold: Embody: focus on TM: Iconic Filmmaker David Lynch has a viable solution to a pressing problem.
And enjoy this article about Norman: The Chronicle of Higher Education: Notes From Academe: The Spokesman Who Kept Calling.
Here is an excellent Huffington Post interview with David Lynch that came out two years later, Dec 9, 2014: Interview With David Lynch: His Mission to Change the World Through Meditation.
Tags:at-risk youth, Change Begins Within, Consciousness, David Lynch, David Lynch Foundation, disease reduction, evolution, meditation, Norman Rosenthal, Norman Zierold, Operation Warrior Wellness, Personal and Spiritual Development, Personal Evolution, Post-Traumatic Stess Disorder, reduce heart disease, self-improvement, spirituality, stress reduction, TM, Transcendental Meditation, Vedic knowledge, veterans
Washington Post: VA testing whether meditation can help treat PTSD
VA testing whether meditation can help treat PTSD
By Steve Vogel, Published: May 3
Seeking new ways to treat post-traumatic stress, the Department of Veterans Affairs is studying the use of transcendental meditation to help returning veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan.
Veterans Affairs' $5.9 billion system for mental-health care is under sharp criticism, particularly after the release of an inspector general's report last month that found that the department has greatly overstated how quickly it treats veterans seeking mental-health care.
VA has a "huge investment" in mental-health care but is seeking alternatives to conventional psychiatric treatment, said W. Scott Gould, deputy secretary of veterans affairs.
"The reality is, not all individuals we see are treatable by the techniques we use," Gould said at a summit Thursday in Washington on the use of TM to treat post-traumatic stress suffered by veterans and active-duty service members.
By some estimates, 10 percent of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan show effects of post-traumatic stress disorder, numbers that are overwhelming the department
"Conventional approaches fall woefully short of the mark, so we clearly need a new approach," said Norman Rosenthal, a clinical professor of psychiatry at Georgetown University's medical school.
Rosenthal told the gathering that TM, a meditative practice that advocates say helps manage stress and depression, is "possibly even a game-changer" in how to treat PTSD.
VA is spending about $5 million on a dozen clinical trials and demonstration studies of three meditation techniques involving several hundred veterans from a range of conflicts, including Iraq and Afghanistan. Results from the studies will not be available for 12 to 18 more months.
But Gould said he was "encouraged" by the results of other trials presented at the summit.
Two independent pilot studies of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans showed a 50 percent reduction in symptoms of post-traumatic stress after eight weeks, according to the summit's sponsor, the David Lynch Foundation, a charitable organization founded by the American filmmaker and television director.
Results from the initial phase of a long-term trial investigating the effects of TM on 60 cadets at Norwich University, a private military college in Vermont, have shown promise, school officials said at the summit.
Students practising TM at Norwich showed measurable improvement in the areas of resilience, constructive thinking and discipline over a control group not using the method. "The statistical effect we found in only two months was surprisingly large," Carole Bandy, an associate professor of psychology who is directing the Norwich study, said at the summit.
"For us, it's all about the evidence," said Norwich President Richard W. Schneider, who added that he was a skeptic before the trial began.
Operation Warrior Wellness, an initiative of the David Lynch Foundation, is providing TM training to troops recovering from wounds at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state. Soldiers report "dramatic improvements" in sleep, according to the foundation, as well as significant reductions in pain, stress and the use of prescription medications.
Lynch, the director of "Blue Velvet," "Mulholland Drive" and the television series "Twin Peaks," is a longtime practitioner of TM.
"The VA is very interested in what this can do," Lynch said in a telephone interview Thursday. He acknowledged that many in the military are wary of transcendental meditation, with its New Age and mystic connotations.
"Big-time," Lynch said. "They're skeptical until they start hearing stories, or experiencing it for themselves."
Related articles: Washington Post: Does Transcendental Meditation help veterans with PTSD? | POLITICO: Coping with PTSD | Norwich University President Receives "Resilient Warrior Award" at National Veterans Summit in Washington, DC | Huffington Post: David Lynch Brings Transcendental Meditation To D.C.
Tags:David Lynch, David Lynch Foundation, Department of Veterans Affairs, Georgetown University Medical School, military college, Norman Rosenthal, Norwich University, Operation Warrior Wellness, Post-Traumatic Stress, research trials, Richard W. Schneider, TM, Transcendental Meditation, veterans
Washington Post: Does Transcendental Meditation help veterans with PTSD?
Posted at 02:45 PM ET, 05/03/2012.
This story has been updated. Previously titled: Summit Examines Use of Transcendental Meditation to help Vets with PTSD. Later published in Washington Post: VA testing whether meditation can help treat PTSD
Does Transcendental Meditation help veterans with PTSD?
By Steve Vogel
Seeking new ways to treat post-traumatic stress, the Department of Veteran Affairs is studying the use of transcendental meditation to help returning veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan.
"The reality is not all individuals we see are treatable by the techniques we use," said W. Scott Gould, deputy secretary for the Department of Veterans Affairs, told a summit on the use of TM to treat post traumatic stress Thursday in Washington.
Director David Lynch founded a charitable organization that funded a summit on using Transcendental Meditation to treat military veterans with PTSD. (David Livingston – GETTY IMAGES)
The VA is spending about $5 million on a dozen trials involving several hundred veterans from a range of conflicts, including Iraq and Afghanistan. Results from the trials will not be available for another 12 to 18 months.
But Gould said he was "encouraged" by the results of trials which were presented at the summit.
Results from the initial phase of a long-term trial investigating the effects of Transcendental Meditation on 60 cadets at Norwich University, a private military college in Vermont, have been encouraging, school officials said at the summit, held at The Army and Navy Club.
Students practising TM showed measurable improvement in the areas of academic performance and discipline over a control group. "The statistical effect we found in only two months was surprisingly large," Carole Bandy, an associate professor of psychology who is directing the study at the university, said at the summit.
"For us, it's all about the evidence," said Richard W. Schneider, president of the university, who added that he was a skeptic before the trial began.
"Conventional approaches fall woefully short of the mark, so we clearly need a new approach," Norman Rosenthal, a clinical professor of of psychiatry at Georgetown University Medical School.
Operation Warrior Wellness, a division of the foundation, is providing TM training to troops recovering from wounds at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state. Troops report "dramatic improvements" in sleep, according to the foundation, as well as significant reductions in pain, stress and the use of prescription medications
Lynch, the director of "Blue Velvet," "Mullholland Drive" and the television series "Twin Peaks," is a longtime practitioner of TM, a meditative practice advocates say helps manage stress and depression.
Related articles: POLITICO: Coping with PTSD | Norwich University President Receives "Resilient Warrior Award" at National Veterans Summit in Washington, DC | Huffington Post: David Lynch Brings Transcendental Meditation To D.C.
Posted in Articles, David Lynch Foundation, Health, Peace | 4 Comments »
Russell Brand Interviews Quantum Physicist At David Lynch Foundation Gala
DECEMBER 5, 2011, 6:00 PM ET
By Michelle Kung
With his manic energy and cheeky vocabulary, British comic Russell Brand hardly seems like a poster boy for Transcendental Meditation.
But Mr. Brand, who credits the meditation technique for helping him stay sober, is indeed a practitioner of TM and served as a master of ceremonies Saturday night for the David Lynch Foundation's annual "Change Begins Within" benefit at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. He was performing gratis, and hoped his good will would buy him "some wiggle room to act subversively and deviously."
Mr. Brand was introduced by talk show host Ellen DeGeneres, who Mr. Brand turned onto TM a year ago, and in turn introduced David Lynch. Though best known to American audiences as the director of atmospheric films like "Blue Velvet" and the television series "Twin Peaks," Mr. Lynch has also been an avid meditator for over three decades and created the David Lynch Foundation in 2005 to help implement meditation programs for both at-risk students and veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Mr. Lynch summed up his thoughts about TM by producing a painting of a tree and explained to the audience, which included actors like Marcia Gay Harden, Kristen Bell and honoree Russell Simmons, that the key to meditation was to "water to root" of the mind and "enjoy the fruit" of the ensuing knowledge. He also introduced his psychiatrist Norman Rosenthal to the crowd, who thanked his client for his "confidential" introduction and explained the health benefits of transcendental meditation — a subject they have written about for The Wall Street Journal's opinion page.
After hearing first-person account from war veterans and current high school students about how TM has personally affected their lives, Mr. Brand wrapped up the evening by interviewing quantum physicist John Hagelin — a situation that seemed to fill the actor full of glee. We've embedded the interview below:
(The included interview was from last year's Change Begins Within Gala Event in New York City. You can see this year's interview here, and the complete Third Annual David Lynch Foundation Benefit Gala, which took place December 3rd, 2011 at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.) See Ellen DeGeneres and Russell Brand raise awareness about TM for overcoming traumatic stress.
Tags:David Lynch, Ellen DeGeneres, John Hagelin, Katy Perry, Norman Rosenthal, Russell Brand, Transcendental Meditation, Wall Street Journal
Posted in Articles, David Lynch Foundation, Education, Health, Peace, Videos | 2 Comments »
Replay of David Lynch Foundation Launch of Operation Warrior Wellness Los Angeles
Watch Replay of Launch of Operation Warrior Wellness Los Angeles
http://www.livestream.com/davidlynch
News coverage: The Associated Press: The Washington Post: David Lynch donates $1 million in grants through his foundation to teach veterans to meditate | CBS NEWS: David Lynch gives $1M to teach vets meditation | and many more. Related: The Case for Using Transcendental Meditation to Treat Combat Related PTSD.
Watch the entire Operation Warrior Wellness press conference – Los Angeles launch, Dec 2011 then watch the Third Annual David Lynch Foundation Benefit Gala. See Ellen DeGeneres and Russell Brand raise awareness about TM for overcoming traumatic stress.
Tags:Clint Eastwood, Col Dr Brian Rees, Dan Burks, David George, David Lynch, David Lynch Foundation, Jerry Yellin, John Hagelin, MST, Norman Rosenthal, Operation Warrior Wellness, PTS, Resilient Warrior, TM, Transcendental Meditation, veterans
Posted in David Lynch Foundation, Health, Peace, Videos | 5 Comments »


Van Buren Schools – Home of the Black Knights!
Welcome to Van Buren Schools!
The Van Buren Local School District is committed to delivering a "small school feel" with "big school opportunities." Van Buren Local Schools is located in the village of Van Buren, just north of Findlay, Ohio and prides itself in being a highly ranked, progressive, consistently excellent district. Our students enjoy small class sizes, passionate teachers, and a long list of extracurricular activities.
If you are new to the area, please don't hesitate to call us and schedule a tour. We believe we are a part of something truly unique and we are willing to bet you will feel the same.
Welcome to Van Buren Schools! We are…..Black Knights!!


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PM/AM: Seawater Could Power Water Treatment Plants
Stories, videos, and our thoughts on big news you might have missed.
By Kathryn Free
Welcome to PM/AM, Popular Mechanics' morning briefing on the top science and tech stories for today.
(Photo credit: Leonardo Banchik/ Elsevier B.V.)
New research in the Journal of Membrane Science suggests we may be able to power wastewater-treatment plants by mixing saltwater and freshwater. The MIT researchers modeled an up-and-coming method of generating power, called pressure retarded osmosis (PRO), to figure out the most efficient design.
In a PRO system, a membrane separates two water supplies. One side contains salty seawater, or brine, and the other contains freshwater. To balance out the salinity, the freshwater flows into the salty side. The influx increases pressure on the salty side, creating a stream that powers a turbine.
The researchers created a model to see how PROs could maximize power generation. One finding makes complete sense: When the two streams have vastly different salinities, such as briny water and treated wastewater, they create twice as much power compared to ordinary seawater and river water. Additionally, the bigger the membrane, the more power it harnesses (though eventually there's a point of diminishing returns). To generate 95 percent of maximum power, a membrane can be half the size of one that generates 100 percent.
This is good news for desalination plants, which could use efficiently-designed PRO plants to provide power. Desalination plants have been a great resource for water-poor areas—including the U.S., Egypt, Spain, and Australia—but they require a lot of energy and generate briny wastewater.
Theoretically, a PRO system using the brine could power an entire treatment facility; however, it would require a membrane about a half-mile in area. It's not an impossible size—according to the press release that's the same size film as the one in the world's biggest reverse osmosis plant. And the membrane wouldn't have to be one humongous sheet—engineers could arrange smaller ones in a spiral to reduce their footprint. The big question is whether this can be an economically feasible solution.
USB made file-sharing and connecting external devices so much easier than it was in the days of old. So what technology comes next? [via href='http://online.wsj.com/articles/what-happens-when-police-officers-wear-body-cameras-1408320244?mod=ST1' target='_blank">The Wall Street Journal
Ford's New Cars Will Automatically Watch for Pedestrians
Tesla Wants to Pay Hackers a Full-Time Salary to Break Its Cars
New York State of Mind: Cadillac Will Move HQ to NYC
10 of the Maddest Scientists Who Ever Lived
Ford Offers to License Its Police "Surveillance Mode" Camera Tech to Other Cop-Car Makers
The Monumental Challenge of Mapping the Human Brain

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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A Loving Dad, His Daughter's Memory, and a Legacy of Angel Athletes
Ainsley Rossiter was a special little girl who loved running. Her father, Rooster, wants everyone to be able to experience the sport as she did.
By Runner's World
Loraine Marie
Kim "Rooster" Rossiter wasn't a runner before 2008. He was—and still is—an active duty Marine and a big guy at 6-foot-1 and 225 pounds. He liked to lift weights, and in his younger days, he was a baseball pitcher and in high school, a varsity football lineman.
Running was something he did only when the Marines required it: twice a year, for physical fitness tests. "By no means was running my strong suit or something I went out and did for leisurely fun," he says.
That changed one August day nine years ago. The middle born of his three children, Ainsley, who was nearly 5, completely upended the way he felt about running.
Shattering News
Rossiter was deployed in Iraq, and Ainsley was about 15 months old when his wife, Lori, first expressed concerns about Ainsley's development in a letter to him. Doctors were mystified.
Clockwise from bottom: Ainsley Rossiter, her siblings Kamden and Briley, and her parents, Lori and Rooster, pose together after the 2014 Marine Corps Half Marathon.
Rooster Rossiter
As they would later find out, Ainsley was born with an extremely rare genetic disorder called Infantile Neuroaxonal Dystrophy (INAD), which affected her nervous system—and is always fatal. The disease, as Rossiter explains, caused toxins to build up in her nervous system and gradually began to affect her ability to move. But it took two years and dozens of tests before they had a clear sense of what they were facing.
And when the word came, in 2007, Rossiter was again deployed. Lori contacted his unit and asked for him to call home so she could share the devastating news. "When we got the diagnosis, with it came the 'terminal' tag," Rossiter says, "and the fact that she would live to be 5 to 10 years old. It hit like a ton of bricks." At the time of Ainsley's diagnosis, which came when she was 3, she was one of seven children in the country with the condition.
It was another month before his deployment ended. After Rossiter came home, the family moved from North Carolina to Hampton Roads, Virginia, where Ainsley could be most comfortable and the family gained stability. And there, they discovered the joy of wheels along the ocean.
By 2008, when Rossiter joined Ainsley on that first run, she was unable to move much, but the feeling of the ocean breeze on her face that came with the rush of speed made her face light up.
Rossiter and Beery pick up speed along the streets of Hampton Roads, Virginia.
"We knew that day that this was going to be something we kept doing, because Ainsley enjoyed running," Rossiter says. "That started it. I became a runner for my daughter."
Rossiter's older daughter, Briley, had dance. His son, Kamden, had hockey. And Ainsley had running. The miles together were something the family could share. And as the years went on, people saw the fun they were having and wanted to join in. "It became pretty clear that this was something others should benefit from," Rossiter says. "We wanted to spread it."
That's how Ainsley's Angels of America was born. In 2011, Rossiter and his sister, Kristine, filed paperwork to create the nonprofit. By the summer of 2012, Ainsley's Angels was hosting its first inclusive running events outside of Virginia, in Louisiana and North Carolina. The group's mission: ensuring everyone can experience endurance sports while building awareness about the country's special needs community.
At Ainsley's Angels headquarters, Rossiter works on growing the nonprofit organization.
Now, Rossiter is the president of Ainsley's Angels, which has ambassadorships in more than 60 cities and 30 states. Growing daily, the charity has a registered membership of more than 10,000 people who are either angel runners, athlete riders, or guardian angels, who help the runner-rider pairings. The teams participate in workouts and races all over the country, bringing the joy of running to riders ranging in age from 18 months to older than 80. The riders, in turn, bring fresh inspiration to runners. "When you have something that is so pure, and so many people who can find the positives and can be a light, it's pretty doggone awesome how it grows," he says.
Ainsley Rossiter—whose love of running ultimately brought the joy of the sport to thousands of others with special needs—far outlived doctors' predictions for her. On February 23, 2016, she died at home, at the age of 12.
Medals from Ainsley Rossiter's racing career hang in the entryway of the Rossiter family home.
"I am proud of my daughter for having the courage to rest, because she had fought for so long and fought a great fight," Rossiter said shortly after her death.
In the weeks before Ainsley died, Rossiter had started a daily run streak, which continues, and passed two years on December 24. The requirements: one mile, faster than 11 minutes, no treadmills. "Get your tail outside and enjoy it," he says. Every day of his run streak has been in HOKA shoes, which he first tried in 2014 at a running store in Louisiana.
"Initially I became a runner for Ainsley," Rossiter, now 41, says. "I got to a point where I absolutely enjoy and cherish the opportunity and the ability to run. How can you not enjoy something that you are so fortunate to have the ability to do?
"Today, if you asked me why I run, I would say, 'I run because I have the ability to do so,'" he continues. "My intention is to run every day for the rest of my life so long as I'm able. And even then, I've dedicated my life to the world of running, so that everyone I come in contact with can also have this opportunity."
As Ainsley's Angels of America shows, he's well on his way.
The Legacy of New Zealand's Milers
Flea To Run Los Angeles Marathon
Listen: Paula Radcliffe on Her Legacy and the State of Running
Elliott and Garrett Heath's Family Legacy at Stanford
We All Could Use a Road Angel


Wellplace Zoo has operated as a local tourist attraction for over 37 years opening its gates to the public in 1968.
It is with regret that this will be the last year of our operation as we will shortly be retiring.
The last day of opening will be Sunday 10th September 2006.
Our aim when we first started business was to provide an enjoyable and valuable education experience at affordable prices.
Over the years we have established ourselves as a place families can enjoy and relax with their children and we have met many customers who have subsequently become our friends.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the staff who have looked after our animals, the local community for their on-going support and all of the customers who have visited us over the years.
The birds and animals have always been regarded by us as an extended family. We will be keeping some as pets and will ensure the remainder are re-housed to good homes once we cease to operate as a business.


text:
Q: Unable to read json data in ansible play I have the below json data file:
[
   {
      "?xml": {
         "attributes": {
            "encoding": "UTF-8",
            "version": "1.0"
         }
      }
   },
   {
      "domain": [

         {
            "name": "mydom"
         },
         {
            "domain-version": "12.2.1.3.0"
         },

         {
            "server": [
               {
                  "name": "AdminServer"
               },
               {
                  "ssl": {
                     "name": "AdminServer"
                  }
               },
               {
                  "listen-port": "12400"
               },
               {
                  "listen-address": "mydom.myserver1.mybank.com"
               }
            ]
         },
         {
            "server": [
               {
                  "name": "SERV01"
               },
               {
                  "log": [
                     {
                        "name": "SERV01"
                     },
                     {
                        "file-name": "/web/bea_logs/domains/mydom/SERV01/SERV01.log"
                     }
                  ]
               },
               {
                  "listen-port": "12401"
               },

               {
                  "listen-address": "mydom.myserver1.mybank.com"
               },

               {
                  "server-start": [
                     {
                        "java-vendor": "Sun"
                     },
                     {
                        "java-home": "/web/bea/platform1221/jdk"
                     }
                  ]
               }
            ]
         },
         {
            "server": [
               {
                  "name": "SERV02"
               },
               {
                  "log": [
                     {
                        "name": "SERV02"
                     },
                     {
                        "file-name": "/web/bea_logs/domains/mydom/SERV02/SERV02.log"
                     }
                  ]
               },
               {
                  "listen-port": "12401"
               },

               {
                  "listen-address": "mydom.myhost2.mybank.com"
               },
               {
                  "server-start": [

                     {
                        "java-home": "/web/bea/platform1221/jdk"
                     }                  ]
               }
            ]
         }

      ]
   }
]

I wish to display all the server names and their respective port numbers.
Below is my failed attempt to display all the server names viz
AdminServer
SERV01
SERV02

My playbook:
tasks:

  - name: Read the JSON file content in a variable
    shell: "cat {{ playbook_dir }}/tmpfiles/{{ Latest_Build_Number }}/testme.json"
    register: result

  - name: Server Names
    set_fact:
      servernames:  "{{ jsondata | json_query(jmesquery) }}"
    vars:
      jmesquery: '*.domain.server[*].name'

  - name: Server Names and Ports
    set_fact:
      serverinfo:  "{{ jsondata | json_query(jmesquery) }}"
    vars:
      jmesquery: '*.server[*].[name, port]'

  - name: Print all server names
    debug:
      msg: "{{ item}}"
    with_items:
      - "{{ servernames }}"

I also tried the below:
      jmesquery: 'domain.server[*].name'

There is no error but no data in the output as well. Output below:
TASK [Print all server names] *********************************************************************************
Monday 21 February 2022  03:07:47 -0600 (0:00:00.129)       0:00:03.590 *******
ok: [localhost] => (item=) => {
    "msg": ""
}

Can you please suggest how can I get the desired data?

A: lot of solutions, one
with jmespath, you could try this:

  tasks:

    - name: Read the JSON file content in a variable
      shell: "cat testme.json"
      register: result

    - name: jsondata
      set_fact:
        jsondata:  "{{ result.stdout | from_json }}"

    - name: Server Names
      set_fact:
        servernames:  "{{ servernames | default([]) + [dict(name=item[0], port=item[1])] }}"
      loop: "{{ jsondata | json_query(jmesquery0) | zip(jsondata | json_query(jmesquery1)) | list }}"
      vars:
        jmesquery0: '[].domain[].server[].name'
        jmesquery1: '[].domain[].server[]."listen-port"'

    - name: debug result
      debug:
        msg: "{{ servernames }}"

result:

ok: [localhost] => {
    "msg": [
        {
            "name": "AdminServer",
            "port": "12400"
        },
        {
            "name": "SERV01",
            "port": "12401"
        },
        {
            "name": "SERV02",
            "port": "12401"
        }
    ]
}

A: Due to the nature of your data being in lists, you'll have to resort to conditionals in order to get rid of the empty objects and single item lists that would otherwise pollute your data:

*

*[].domain[?server].server, to get the objects having a property server

*[?name].name | [0] to get the name

*[?"listen-port"]."listen-port" | [0] to get the port

So, a valid JMESPath query on your data would be
[].domain[?server]
  .server[]
  .{
     name: [?name].name | [0],
     port: [?"listen-port"]."listen-port" | [0]
  }

And in Ansible, with that single JMESPath query, given that the file is on the controller:
- debug:
    var: >-
      lookup(
        'file',
        playbook_dir ~ '/tmpfiles/' ~ Latest_Build_Number ~ '/testme.json'
      )
      | from_json
      | json_query('
          [].domain[?server]
            .server[]
            .{
              name: [?name].name | [0],
              port: [?"listen-port"]."listen-port" | [0]
            }
      ')
  vars:
    Latest_Build_Number: 1

This would yield
TASK [debug] *************************************************************************
ok: [localhost] =>
  ? |-
    lookup(
      'file',
      playbook_dir ~ '/tmpfiles/' ~ Latest_Build_Number ~ '/testme.json'
    ) | from_json | json_query('
        [].domain[?server]
          .server[]
          .{
            name: [?name].name | [0],
            port: [?"listen-port"]."listen-port" | [0]
          }
    ')
  : - name: AdminServer
      port: '12400'
    - name: SERV01
      port: '12401'
    - name: SERV02
      port: '12401'

If the file is on the nodes and not on the controller, then, you can either slurp the files first or resort to cat, as you did before applying the same JMESPath query.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Love the color would like for irlt tp last longer.
OMG, I just received my Foxy Brown lipstick and I am in love! You hear me???? Lol. I ordered 3 different shades and love them all but Foxy Brown is definitely one of my FAVES.
I wore Foxy Brown for the first time today and I liked it. I didn't have any other makeup on, so it was pretty subtle on me. I'm sure it will stand out better once I make my eyes up, but overall it's a nice color.
Love love love! So beautiful.
It's matte but it's moiturizing and it doesn't stain my lips. Wipes off clean.


text:
FICCI opposes move by states to curb open access in power sector
It has been reported that FICCI strongly opposes the recent move by States to curb competition in the power sector by invoking Section 11 of the Electricity Act, 2003 and restricting open access.
These, of course, are not rare incidents and to a certain extent expected in view of the approaching elections. Once again, instead of provisioning for sufficient electricity to meet consumer power demands, States have decided not to pursue the spirit and provisions of the Act. What is unfortunate is that even after 11 years, the implementation of the Act continues to remain a challenge.
Dr A Didar Singh, Secretary General of FICCI, said that "Open Access to the transmission and distribution network is the cornerstone of the Act, which was meant to unshackle the power sector by fostering competition, transparency, efficiency for the ultimate good of the consumer as well as the sector."
Today, over 2400 consumers and more than 200 captive generators across the various industry and commercial segments including steel, aluminium, textile, glass, automobile, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, commercial complexes, malls, educational institutions, group housing societies are leveraging open access to optimise their costs.
Competition in power supply is critical for commercial as well as social growth of the nation. FICCI would like to reiterate certain imperatives for bringing in competition in the real sense:
1. The States must realize that the open access is an opportunity and not a threat.
2. Segregation of content and carriage, both structurally as proposed in the most recent amendments to the Act initiated by the Ministry of Power, and operationally, will go a long way in implementing open access and ushering in the much-needed transparency.
3. Strengthening of Section 11, as also proposed in the most recent amendments to the Act, is vital in order to prevent its misuse by the States. The term 'extraordinary circumstances' mentioned inthe Statute must be defined and usual shortage of power should not qualify under this provision.
4. Implementation of a road map pertaining to the reduction of cross-subsidy surcharge as proposed under the Act must be pursued with alacrity.
5. On the operational front, there is need to streamline and expedite the process of securing clearances for open access. Instituting a centralized electronic open access registry is one of the possible solutions for reducing time taken.
FICCI opposes move by states to curb open access i...
Solar PV in India. Can it replace fossil fuels


This is the first of my If You're in the Neighbourhood series. This is the beginning of a series of posts that will cover the length and breadth of a specific neighbourhood, foodie find by foodie find.
I thought it an absolute must to start with The Whippet. As it embodies the essence of "supporting local", The Whippet sources from the local butcher and bakers. It's also shining a spotlight on the peach history of its neighbourhood Linden and reviving the neighbourhood coffee shop culture. Did you know that Linden was once a great peach exporter? I sure didn't.
How may times can I say neighbourhood?! ALOT!
I have spent two afternoons at The Whippet, at first glance I was taken by the clean lines whites and dark greys against wood tables and tops. Along with the quirky touches.
The staff are super knowledgeable about the history of the neighbourhood, the sources of the ingredients and their sustainability, along with the dishes themselves. Also they are diligent about getting introductions and names of patrons, made me feel like regular on my first time. This is warm service!
To eat we ordered the Whippet burger and the chicken salad. The Whippet burger has a mozarrella cheese centre, great surprise and super tasty. Alas the pic could not do it justice.
Although tasty the chicken salad should be renamed, baby spinach salad with chicken croutons. Please sir may I have some more chicken. The green olives are spectacular, I must remember to ask where they source them from.
I left with a takeaway lemon curd mini cake, a jar of peaches celebrating Linden's peach export heritage and lemon cordial.
This entry was posted in Breakfast/ Lunch, Jozi foodie fix and tagged Linden, restaurant review, The Whippet. Bookmark the permalink.
2 Responses to "If you're in Linden: The Whippet"
Looks amazing! This is the second post I've come across about the place. Definitely checkin it out.


How many times have we heard people say, "This generation just cannot stick to commitments" or "These kids have no value for love and relationships". Let's just say we beg to differ. Calling us commitment phobics isn't going to help. It isn't even making a point because let's face it, we aren't afraid of it.
You see us changing partners every now and then. You see us flirt with every other good looking person. You see us buying drinks for someone we just said a hello to. You also see us open to dating and relationships. And you simply judge us.
What you don't see is how we never say never to love. You don't see how in spite of being heartbroken, we still look for someone. You really don't see us talking to friends about love and the kind of partner we want.
You don't ever see us alone on the nights where all we look for is a shoulder to cry on. You judge us but you don't see us and that is exactly why you are wrong.
So here's the deal about commitment!
Dear world, while you think we are afraid to make a commitment, why don't we just shift the perspectives here? Most of us want to commit truly, with dedication, love, care, comfort and most importantly, confidence.
If we decide to commit our time, we want to do it with someone who really means a lot to us. Yes, sometimes we fumble and we fall, but we never call it a mistake. We simply believe that it wasn't meant for us.
But we never lose faith in love. We never give up. Our commitment with love is on-point.
Commitments are for all relationships. We would brace the storm for our parents, beat the hell out of the boy who hurt our friend, give a shoulder to that one person who really needed it. We care and we are here.
Don't prove us wrong just because we dated one too many people. We were just looking for the right one and we will keep doing it until they finally knock us out of our minds! If chaining one another in a relationship is what you call commitment, sorry you have got it all wrong. We beg to differ!
Yes, there are a lot of us who are only looking for physical intimacy. But that is how we have made a commitment with our bodies, with our inner self. Why will you not consider it? Because it only makes that one person happy? Since when did personal happiness become so undignified?
Our ways are different, our charms are cute, our love is fierce and our belief is strong. We believe that every love teaches us something. We do believe that we will keep looking until our eyes meet our soulmates.
We are not scared to believe in happily ever afters, we believe in counting the stars, we believe in taking long walks, we believe in being cheesy. We are not scared of commitments, we just do it our way. We don't do it your way but you don't get to judge us for that.
We deserve love, we all do.
10 Signs that say You are a Grammar Geek and that too a Proud One!


text:
- CounterPunch.org - https://www.counterpunch.org -
The Party of No Meets the Island of No
Posted By Sara Mann On September 29, 2009 @ 12:00 am In article,articles 2014 onward | Comments Disabled
This morning on Mackinac Island, Michigan the temperature was a beautiful 68 degrees. Wild daisies held tightly to the last of their summer glory and the leaves of maple trees were slowly turning colors in anticipation of fall. A freshwater breeze was in the air. All was right with the world, this weekend, as Republicans attended the 28th Biennial Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference.
Beautiful and serene Mackinac Island has a rich history in more than one respect. Originally inhabited by the Anishinaabe-Ojibwe tribe the island served as a gathering place where elders would meet and discuss events and plans. The area was rich in fish, fur and natural resources. Inevitably, this attracted early European settlers who kept the name Mackinac, after the Objibwe word Michilimackinac, (meaning the Great Turtle) and along with it- they kept the island too. Natives to the island were driven out, leaving only the new white Anglo-Saxon tenants.
Soon the island became a pleasant place to escape native America's growing pains. The french built missions designed to convert and "save" the local Indian tribes. It was a refuge from violent French-Indian battles. Both french and British settlers also came to Mackinac for the lucrative fur trade, dealing in Indian-trapped beaver, muskrat, otter, and fox pelts. Money was to be had from the area and entrepreneurs abounded.
Mackinac Island also played a role in the American Revolution. In 1754 the British believed that a fort on the island would prove a defensible location; remote and surrounded by bluffs. Though many battles took place on the island the British held their fort until the war of 1812, when they were forced to relinquish it to Americans.
It's important to know and understand the history of Mackinac, not because of it's popular tourist appeal or because of Michigan's influence on our nation and economy. It's important to learn about Mackinac Island because the area's history is a direct reflection of what Republicans attempted to do at their conference this weekend, take, escape and avoid.
During and soon after the Civil War, the island quickly became a popular resort destination and Mackinac's business switched to tourism. The healthy environment and beautiful scenery attracted white visitors weary of war and eager for relaxing vacations. How nice for our Republican leaders of today to escape and avoid the dull and disgusting issues and realities of a collapsing economy and crumbling union in nautical themed hotel rooms at an average cost of $240 per night.
The median annual household income of the 523 actual residents on Mackinac Island is $50,536. Surely it was nice for Republican politicians to dine on fish and attend seminars like "The Press: How to Handle and Survive" while far away from Michigan's largest city, Detroit, with a whopping median household income of $28,069. How nice it must have been to sit around one of the historic mansions or hotels, while in that largest city, 300 miles away, the average house costs $18.000. How relaxing to be away from things like reality, racial diversity (the island is 75.72% white and 0% black), and poverty.
Mackinac Island also has a long-standing history of anti-Semitism. How interesting that people who represent and encourage those who call our nation's leader a Nazi and wield posters of him depicted as Hitler are gathering on an Island that did not allow Jews to visit until the late fifties. Jews were told they need not apply for even the lowest paying serving positions at Island clubs with signs reading "Gentiles Only Please." Noted fascists and anti-Semites frequently spent leisure time at Mackinac Island hotels, including but not limited to Henry Ford Sr. and Father Charles Coughlin. The place was a refuge indeed.
Everyone deserves an opportunity to get away, from the minimum wage worker to the President to anyone in between. It's curious, though, when the Republican party seeks out a place with Mackinac's history for their retreat and rejuvenation. It seems the "party of no" is also the party of "no clue" and "no perspective".
Today was the last day of the conferance. Attendees enjoyed a lovely brunch and of course a "non-denominational" church service. Wonder how many shaloms could be heard.
SARA MANN is a Chicago-based flight attendant for a major airline and lives in her hometown of Rockford, Il. She can be reached at sara.mann@hotmail.com
Article printed from CounterPunch.org: https://www.counterpunch.org
URL to article: https://www.counterpunch.org/2009/09/29/the-party-of-no-meets-the-island-of-no/


text:
Home Mexican States Fusion is imminent! Low-pressure zones about to activate cyclone "Lester" in the Pacific
Fusion is imminent! Low-pressure zones about to activate cyclone "Lester" in the Pacific
The National Hurricane Center of the United States marks high probabilities of this merger between low-pressure areas that between this Thursday and Friday would activate system 12 of the cyclone and hurricane season named "Lester"
Mexico.- In its follow-up notice to the cyclone and hurricane season, the National Hurricane Center of the United States highlighted an imminent merger between the two low-pressure zones currently active in the Mexican Pacific.
The agency noted that it continues to monitor these two areas of altered weather off Mexico's Pacific coast, each with a medium chance of becoming a tropical depression as it meanders off the coast over the next few days.
5 am PDT Wed Sep 14: NHC continues to monitor 2 areas of disturbed weather off the Pacific coast of Mexico. Each has a medium chance of becoming a tropical depression while meandering off the coast during the next few days.https://t.co/PGa1xgxtTD pic.twitter.com/eYhT8JOIdz
— NHC Eastern Pacific (@NHC_Pacific) September 14, 2022
The agency marks one of these disturbances with a 60 percent chance of cyclone formation in five days that has been associated with a low-pressure trough. It also highlights that conditions would be conducive to development if the system remains offshore and a tropical depression could form as it moves slightly off the south coast over the next few days. It marks its shift over the next 48 hours to the west-northwest near the southern and southeastern coast of Mexico.
The other system is marked by the National Hurricane Center of the United States, with a 40 percent probability for cyclonic development in five days, and it is located southwest of Manzanillo and with the possibility of merging with the disturbance described above, and becoming in tropical depression in the next few days.
For its part, in its morning warning of this September 14, the National Meteorological Service locates the first low pressure zone with a 30 percent cyclonic probability in 48 hours and with a decrease of 60% in five days, 210 kilometers to the south-southwest of Punta Maldonado, Guerrero, moving slowly to the west-northwest.
Similarly, it indicates that the second increased its cyclonic probability in 48 hours and in five days 500 kilometers southwest of Playa Pérula, Jalisco.
During the session of the Conagua technical committee held on Tuesday the 13th, the coordinator of the SMN, Alejandra Méndez Girón, indicated that between September 15 and 17 the development of a tropical storm is expected, that in the numerical models a very large displacement is observed. close to the coast of Baja California Sur, but in others, a direct impact is marked in the area.
hurricane lester
pacific hurricanes
Previous articleMéxico en la Piel, the fashion and culture project that continues to adorn Taxco
Next articleTropical Storm Lester advances in the Pacific and moves through Oaxaca and Guerrero
Tropical Storm Lester advances in the Pacific moving on the coasts of Oaxaca and Guerrero
Tropical Storm Lester advances in the Pacific and moves through Oaxaca and Guerrero
Kay is now a hurricane leaving three dead in the state of Guerrero


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