text:
Only 6% of int'l tourists return to Vietnam: survey
Sunday, November 02, 2014, 16:34 GMT+7
Japanese tourists during a tour to My Tho City in the Mekong Delta Province of Tien Giang
A survey recently launched by one EU-funded tourism development program revealed that a mere 6% of the questioned international tourists choose to return to Vietnam due to poor tourism services, inconvenient transport and inadequate investment.
The survey, launched by the Management Board of the EU-funded Environmentally and Socially Responsible Tourism Capacity Development Program (EU Project in short), also showed that over 90% of the international respondents are first-time visitors.
The survey was launched in five of the country's major tourist attractions: Sa Pa town in Lao Cai Province, UNESCO-recognized Ha Long Bay in Quang Ninh Province in northern Vietnam, Hue- the country's imperial capital which is home to UNESCO-recognized monument complex, Da Nang and Quang Nam Province's UNESCO-acclaimed Hoi An Old Town in the central region.
The respondents were some 3,000 domestic and international tourists touring at the five mentioned spots in March and April, and July and August.
Hoi An and Da Nang boast longer tourist stays than Sa Pa, Hue and Ha Long Bay, according to the survey.
Tourists stay in Da Nang and Hoi An on an average of almost 4.5 nights, while they only spend 1.5-2.5 nights in Hue, Sa Pa and Ha Long.
The survey also pointed out that among the questioned domestic tourists, 39%, 24% and a mere 13% are on their first, second and third visits to the sites.
A number of tourism experts and tour guides told Tuoi Tre (Youth) Newspaper that the survey results reflect quite precisely the current Vietnamese tourism, which is endowed with stunning landscapes, but is plagued by inadequate investment, scanty tourism services and difficult transport.
Reluctant to return
Nina Walker and Julian Roopp, two German young tourists, spent almost 30 days travelling from the northern region to Ho Chi Minh City on their first visit to Vietnam.
They shared that the more they traveled southward, the fewer unique Asian features they could find in the sites, except for a hot humid climate.
"HCMC is nice and modern but its lack of typical Asian architecture makes it look just like any other modern city in the world. We didn't know where to go for traditional Vietnamese art performances in the evening," they said.
Similarly, Amyna and Fatou, from France, found buying purely Vietnamese souvenirs a real challenge on their first visit to the country.
Many souvenirs look just like those found in Thailand or China, they added.
The four young foreigners all shook their heads when asked if they would return to Vietnam.
These were among the many foreigners Tuoi Tre reporters met at the Notre Dame Cathedral and HCMC Central Post Office- two of the city's most-frequented spots- where the newspaper launched a mini survey.
According to Tuoi Tre findings, most of the respondents replied that they wouldn't come back to Vietnam as the spots' appeal remains limited.
Carlo Campisrn, an Italian tourist, and his girlfriend were about to complete their first visit to Vietnam after four weeks travelling to Sa Pa, Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Hue, Hoi An and HCMC.
"I haven't thought about revisiting Vietnam. Your country's landscapes are really gorgeous but seriously polluted. Garbage is pervasive in Ha Long Bay and Hanoi streets," Campisrn commented.
He pointed out that in Venice, one of the world's famed tourist attractions, the tourism authorities there always make sure that tourists are pampered and provided with adequate information and services.
By contrast, Vietnam boasts a large number of relics and scenic spots, which aren't appealing enough due to improper investment to draw second-time visitors, he stressed.
"We were often pestered by peddlers, who tried their best to talk us into buying their items. We and other tourists who don't go in tours also found traveling from one place to another by public means of transport a challenge due to lack of information," he complained.
A veteran officer at one of the country's major international tour operators, acknowledged that international tourists' unwillingness to return to Vietnam is put down to monotonous services and products.
"Our tourism industry lags far behind other Southeast Asian countries, let alone other developed ones. Thailand launches five to 10 new spots each year, while Vietnamese attractions remain almost unchanged for several years," he noted.
Thanh, a tour guide at a company in HCMC, said that his company always tries to add seeming novelty and diversity to their tours to draw clients.
His company launches sightseeing tours on "xich lo" (pedicabs) and bicycles within Hoi An Old Town to avoid boredom.
He added that while the quality remains almost unchanged, increased admission fees, such as the planned 30% rise in fees to Hue's monuments, and doubled fees to Ha Long Bay, have further deterred tourists from returning.
According to local tour operators, inbound tours from European countries vary from US$900 to over 1,000 for a tour of nine or ten days depending on the itinerary and hotel quality.
Most international tourists come to Vietnam for only sightseeing and exploration of the native culture.
By contrast, other countries also combine sightseeing, culture discovery with diverse shopping and recreational activities, considerably boosting their chance of coming back.
Tran Xuan Hung, CEO of Viking, a local tour operator, said that his greatest headache is to guide international tourists, particularly those from Islamic countries, where to go for recreation and shopping at night.
"The major shopping mall complexes in HCMC aren't by no means on par with similar venues in their countries, while pure Vietnamese souvenirs and traditional art performances are really hard to come by," he noted.
Ngo Thanh Phong, a tour guide at major tour operator Saigontourist, stressed that many international tourists on tours to the Mekong Delta said they would certainly prolong their stay if transport to the places was easier.
The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) recently reported that more than 380,000 Vietnamese holidaymakers traveled to Singapore in 2013, a four percent increase from 2012.
These tourists have contributed US$616 million to Singapore's tourism industry, the STB said.
In the first eight months of this year alone, 303,000 Vietnamese tourists have traveled to the island country, a 14 percent year on year spike, according to the latest STB statistics.
In 2013, up to 52% of Vietnamese holidaymakers returned to Singapore, and only 48% of them were on their first visit to the island country.
59% and 41% of tourists from other countries are first and second-time holidaymakers respectively.
TUOI TRE NEWS
tourist return attraction
Hawker boy brutally attacked, robbed by stranger in central Vietnam
The 13-year-old lottery ticket seller suffered a broken right arm and multiple bruises on his left arm and legs
Ex-official charged in elevator child molestation flees from reporters at Vietnam court
This man was trying to run through a crowd of reporters to enter a court in Ho Chi Minh City, where he would be tried for child molestation
Vietnamese woman exports bags made from wild water hyacinth
In Vietnam's Dong Thap Province, 26-year-old Tran Thi Ngoc Nhi is popularizing water hyacinths as a hot material for making handicrafts.
Thirty-three people were confirmed dead, an official for the Kyoto City Fire Department said
Vietnamese octogenarian promotes tourism on hometown island
Being an octogenarian won't stop Bui Hoang from making his small hometown island world famous


Nye begins the show with ninjas invading the stage in regards to online hackers. Lovely. I can sum up this entire episode in a few words. If you're a targeted individual, you're f*cked. There's no amount of online security you can get unless you go off the grid, have fictitious identities for bank accounts, and become a white hat hacker. Anything less than that and you're fucked.
The only reason why most people haven't been hacked is because they have very little value and because they're not targeted. Hackers would have an easier time targeting a company, a city, a non-profit organization, or a hospital. Individuals are just easy pickings and usually won't pay if they're smart enough to back up their data once in a while.
But look at it from another angle. When cities and homes become smart cities and smart homes using 5G infrastructure, you inject any malware in there and it's done.
Next up, Nye gives a comical demonstration of digital security. A mailbox running away? Jokes.
Just so you know, people have been using public wifi at Starbucks, McDonalds, Tim Hortons, and your local library...all safely.
While everyone is vulnerable to hacking, if you have common sense and are not a targeted individual, you're fine.
And now we go to Nye's panel (Karlie Kloss, Golan Ben-Oni, and Keren Elazari).
They talk about the usual cybersecurity issues and cyberespionage. And yes, white hat hackers play a crucial role in cybersecurity. But if you train generations of people with such capabilities, the odds that some will turn in the future will increase.
And yes, Hedy Lamarr and many brilliant female inventors/scientists were fucked over badly by men in control. And yet even today, its men that still control the keys to the kingdom.
And yes, any electric device (regardless of whether it's connected to the internet) can be hacked. Contrary to what you may think, hackers existed long before the internet.
Later on, Nye talks with someone named Steve-O from Jackass. Who? Apparently he got hacked in 2014? That's news to me. What's wrong with his voice?
Tim Meadows? Wow. I haven't seen you on the big screen in so long.
There is no response to the verification request on a previous post.
Okay, I have unbanned @shawnalli.
Congratulations @shawnalli! You have received a personal award!


text:
Esceparnas () foi um nobre caucasiano do . Em 549/550, quando os abasgos deixaram de reconhecer a autoridade do Império Bizantino, foi escolhido como governante da porção ocidental do Reino de Abásgia ao lado de Opsites, que governou a porção oriental. Em 550, quando o país foi invadido pelos generais bizantinos João Guzes e Uligago, Esceparnas estava no Império Sassânida atendendo à convocação do xá  .

Bibliografia

História da Abecásia
Guerra Lázica

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Singaporean cyclist killed in Thailand
Denison Seah, 57, was killed in an accident on Sunday morning (July 1) while on a casual ride in Chiang Mai, Thailand, where he had lived for the past three years.PHOTO: THE NEW PAPER
Jul 2, 2018, 2:00 pm SGT
http://str.sg/oM8X
David Sun
SINGAPORE (THE NEW PAPER) - He was a competitive cyclist who had taken part in numerous regional competitions for more than 20 years.
But retired businessman Denison Seah, 57, was killed in an accident on Sunday morning (July 1) while on a casual ride in Chiang Mai, Thailand, where he had lived for the past three years.
The Singaporean was cycling with his Thai girlfriend when he was reportedly hit by a five-tonne lorry on a two-lane road.
Mr Seah's Thai friend, who wanted to be known only as Mr Justin, 55, a powerboat race director, told The New Paper yesterday that the couple were on a popular cycling route in the Hang Dong district, heading from his home in the town of Mae Hia to the Samoeng district, when the accident happened.
"He usually woke up at 5am on weekdays to train, but he did not have training on Sundays," Mr Justin said.
"He died while he was being taken to the hospital after the accident."
He added that Mr Seah was a good racer whose main interest was in road cycling, and he had many cycling buddies in Thailand and Singapore.
Mr Seah's daughter, Miss Christine Seah, 27, a dog groomer, told TNP that Mr Justin called her at around 11.30am on Sunday with the news that her father had been in a bad accident.
"He said that my dad was on the way to the hospital and asked me to go to Chiang Mai quickly. He then hung up abruptly."
As she was struggling to cope with the shocking news and lack of information, he called again after five minutes.
"That was when he told me that my dad had passed away," she said.
Pictures of the accident circulating on Thai social media show a cyclist believed to be Mr Seah lying in a pool of blood, and a distraught woman, believed to be his girlfriend, kneeling beside him on the road.
Miss Seah said she will be flying to Thailand on Monday with her uncle to bring her father back for a funeral in Singapore.
She said she was still unclear on the exact details of what had happened but added that her father moved to Chiang Mai about a year after her mother died in 2014.
"We were not always on the best of terms, and I last saw him two years ago when he came back to Singapore for a while," Miss Seah added.
"He was happy there. This was really sudden and unexpected, but I guess the comfort we have is that he went out doing what he loved most."
She said she regretted not reaching out to him when she had the chance.
"We are both the type who aren't open with our feelings and did not know how to show affection.
"I made the mistake of not talking to him more, not telling him that despite all our fighting and dramatics, that I loved him very much and was thankful that he had raised me to be the person of extreme resilience that I am today.
"Rest in peace, dad. I am sorry I was not there."

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The Israeli-Palestinian conflict transcends countless generations, and now it's coming to 4G.
An iPhone app called Fact on the Ground maps out Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank. It's produced by a group called Americans for Peace Now, which is a "pro-peace, pro-Israel" non-profit organization.
Maps are a fascinating part of Middle East history. Most borders in the region are arbitrary lines drawn in the desert by the French and the English, and Israel's borders are even more complex. Each Middle Eastern map is a political statement in and of itself, and the APN one is no different.
Using the iPhone to map out the age-old land conflict is a perfect illustration of what Tom Friedman described as the dichotomy of the Lexus and the olive tree in his 1999 book. Now, if AT&T could get some decent reception, people might actually get to use it.


Formally known as AYSO Challenge, AYSO United - Santa Clarita serves the communities of Saugus, Newhall-Valencia-Stevenson Ranch, Castaic and Canyon Country. AYSO United-Santa Clarita is open to all AYSO, club or recreational soccer players.
AYSO United - Santa Clarita players will be selected through tryouts hosted by participating regions in the Santa Clarita Valley. All AYSO United - Santa Clarita players, will play at least half (50%) of every game, have coaches that follow AYSO's Coaching Philosophies, will practice exemplary good sportsmanship and will have advanced player development opportunities to grow in a challenging environment. AYSO United offers the most competitive level of play available through AYSO.
Our Club Program has had the highest winning percentage of any club team in the Santa Clarita Valley the past three years in a row, in large part because we develop our players from age 4 on up. AYSO United-Santa Clarita is a division of AYSO United, the national club program of AYSO, the biggest soccer club in the world. Our club allows players to enjoy more advanced play, participate in intense competition and receive cutting-edge training while still enjoying the benefits of AYSO.
For more information see United Santa Clarita's website at aysounitedsantaclarita.org.
Santa Clarita high school coaches put together their best first and second eleven. On the Second team, we are proud to say Kristen Mcilrath was selected by our local high school coaches.
Kristen grew up playing soccer in our AYSO core program and was part of one of our first EXTRA teams in the girls U12 program. She then went on to play for AYSO Challenge, Saugus United team within our club program and is currently playing in her junior year for the Saugus United 1999 Girls team.
We are very proud to see one of our homegrown players chosen among so many other competitive high school players.
Well done Kristen! Region 46 is very proud of you!


text:
Tag Archives: savings
Ask Brianna: How do I save for goals other than retirement?
October 14, 2016 Associated Press	Leave a comment
"Ask Brianna" is a Q&A column from NerdWallet for 20-somethings or anyone else starting out. I'm here to help you manage your money, find a job and pay off student loans — all the real-world stuff no one taught us how to do in college.
Q: I know I should save for retirement, but that's so far away. How do I also save for the things I want sooner, like a house, a vacation or a move to a new city?
A: You'll see me write about retirement over and over in this column — it comes with the territory as a personal finance writer. Talking retirement gets my planning, strategizing, and, yes, lecturing engines going, because Americans need encouragement. Almost half of families had no retirement account savings in 2013, according to an Economic Policy I nstitute analysis of Federal Reserve data.
You'll need to start saving now if you want your post-work years to be filled with excitement and possibility, not anxiety over how to pay your bills. But while you save, you can also live a varied, satisfying life in your 20s and 30s. Decide on your priorities, make a plan, and be savvy about where you put your money. Smart money management now means more fun stories to tell your grandkids when you're happily retired later on.
GET YOUR RETIREMENT SAVINGS ON TRACK
As a 20- or 30-something, you have one big advantage over older folks when saving for retirement: time. The money you earn on your investments has decades to grow, so you can save a little every month without drastically cutting back on other expenses. If you wait to save, you might have to make some tough sacrifices to catch up in your 40s and 50s.
Contribute to a 401(k) if you have one at work, and add enough to match your company's contributions if they're offered. Open an individual retirement account if you don't have a 401(k). Aim to save 10 percent of your gross income for retirement, which can include an employer match.
PRIORITIZE OTHER GOALS
Pick your top nonretirement goals, decide when you want to achieve them, then create a savings plan. You can set up direct deposit at work so part of your paycheck goes straight into your savings account, says Damian Dunn, a financial planner and president of NextGen Financial Life Planning LLC in Auburn, Indiana. You'll be less likely to spend your money if it's not easily accessible, he says; federal law limits withdrawals from savings accounts to six per month.
Here's how to save for the three common goals you mentioned in your question:
Down payment: Renting works just fine for many 20- and 30-somethings, especially if you want to be able to move easily. But if buying a house is a major dream of yours, start saving as early as you can to get close to the 20 percent down payment most conventional mortgage lenders prefer.
The best place to save depends on how soon you think you'll buy. An online savings account is the most flexible, but a certificate of deposit, also known as a CD, will offer a higher interest rate if you can wait for four or five years. CDs require you to keep your money locked away at a bank or credit union for a certain amount of time, which will keep you from dipping into your account in the interim.
Travel: Online savings accounts are also ideal for upcoming trips; some let you set up sub-accounts you can name (say, "Costa Rica Adventure Fund") to keep you motivated. Consider using a cashback or travel rewards credit card before your trip, especially if it has a sign-up bonus, to get discounted flights or hotel stays. Pay off your balance each month so you don't pay interest, which is money that could go toward your vacation instead.
Moving: Your 20s is an ideal time to explore careers and live in different places. But with rent and student loans to pay, you'll need to save money before you can run away to Los Angeles to pursue your acting dreams. Save at least six months' worth of necessary expenses so you have a buffer if you can't find a job right away. Before the move, try making extra money by negotiating down or canceling subscriptions like cable, taking on extra part-time work or socking away tax refunds and bonuses.
A full life is more than just planning for the future, and your postgrad job lets you afford the trips or leather jackets you could only covet when you were in college. You should enjoy those things in the decades before you retire. All you have to do is plan for them.
NerdWallet: Which CD Term Length Should You Choose?
https://nerd.me/3-nerdwallet-banking
This column was provided to The Associated Press by the personal finance website NerdWallet. Brianna McGurran is a staff writer at NerdWallet. Email: bmcgurran@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @briannamcscribe.
ask briannacollegeeconomyfinancesgenerationincomemillennialsmoneynerdwalletretirementsavingssecruitytwentysomething
Featured News, National, News
Women more likely than men to face poverty during retirement
July 12, 2016 Associated Press	Leave a comment
During their working years, women tend to earn less than men, and when they retire, they're more likely to live in poverty.
These are women who raised children and cared for sick and elderly family members, often taking what savings and income they had and spending it on things besides their own retirement security.
The National Institute on Retirement Security, a nonprofit research center, reports that women are 80 percent more likely than men to be impoverished at age 65 and older. Women age 75 to 79 are three times more likely.
While experts cite a pay gap as a major cause for retirement insecurity, other factors play a role, from single parenthood and divorce to the fact that women typically live longer than men.
For Marsha Hall, 60, the process of trying to save for retirement has been nearly impossible.
"I've had jobs that included a 401(k) and I was able to put some money aside, every month," she says.ß "But then I would get laid off and have to cash out the 401(k) to have money to live on."
Born and raised in Detroit, Hall is divorced and doesn't have any children. She works part time as a file clerk. She and her siblings pitch in to care for their 75-year old mother. Hall says she tries not to think about what her situation will be like at that age.
"My bills are current, I have food," she says, "but I'm still living paycheck to paycheck, if it wasn't for Section 8 (a housing subsidy), I don't know where I'd be living."
Joan Entmacher, vice president for family economic security at the National Women's Law Center, says "the solution to the retirement (funding) crisis starts with the earnings and wage gap."
The wage gap
That gap narrowed between the 1970s and 1990s, but stopped shrinking in 2001. Women earn about 76 cents to 79 cents on the dollar, compared with men.
Women are more likely to report that Social Security is the biggest source of income _ 50 percent to 38 percent for men, according to a recent poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Women are 14 percentage points less likely to say they will receive a pension.
Entmacher says women are more likely to take on caregiving responsibilities, which increases the likelihood they will end up working part-time jobs, often for lower wages, and without benefits such as pensions, sick leave and health care.
"The bulk of stay-at-home moms are not these high income, well-educated women that you read about," she says.
Over a 40-year career, the pay gap between men and women adds up to an average of $430,480, according to the Census Bureau. For minorities and women of color, the number is much higher.
"If we are talking about a 65-year-old black woman, she was born before desegregation," says Karen Lincoln, a professor at the University of Southern California and director of a center for geriatric social work.
"This has a huge impact on things like the quality of education they receive, the employment opportunities available to them, and their ability to accumulate wealth," Lincoln says.
Lincoln points to additional census data showing African-American women are paid 64 percent of what white men get, compared with 54 percent for Hispanic and Latina women. In addition to making less, women are much more likely to be single parents, putting additional economic strains on them.ßIn 2013, almost 83 percent of custodial parents were mothers, according to the census.
The war on poverty
Starting with the Johnson administration's "War on Poverty" in 1964, and the creation of safety-net programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, poverty rates among both men and women have been falling steadily. In 1966 the percentage of women over 65 living below the federal poverty line stood at 32 percent, compared with 12.1 percent in 2014. For men over 65, the numbers are 23.5 percent and 7.4 percent, respectively.
Yet some analysts say the poverty rate is a poor gauge to assess the quality of life for aging seniors.
"The poverty rate is a deceptive number, it doesn't reflect the money they (men and women) need to actually exist," says Jennifer Brown, manager of research at the National Institute on Retirement Security.ß
Brown says that increasing life spans mean a woman in the United States today will live five years longer than the average man, and about four years longer than her grandmother.
"Those increases in longevity come with huge increases in medical costs," Brown says. "Especially if you're talking about things like long-term care or treatment for mental disabilities such as dementia and Alzheimer's."
Medicare does not cover long-term care. To get some subsidized coverage, seniors would need to spend down their assets to qualify for Medicaid or have a long-term care insurance policy.
In 2016, the census poverty threshold for a single person is $11,880. According to UCLA's Elder Index, a measure of the cost for housing, food, transport and health care, for a 65-year-old renter shows that the base cost for these needs is $24,024 and growing.
economyequalityincomemenpay gappovertyretirementsavingswealthwomen
Labor Department releases guidelines for employee benefits post-DOMA
September 19, 2013 Wisconsin Gazette	Leave a comment
The U.S. Department of Labor on Sept. 18 announced guidance for plans, plan sponsors, fiduciaries, participants and beneficiaries on employee benefits, especially retirement, in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling repealing the Defense of Marriage Act's ban on federal recognition of gay marriage.
Labor said that, in general, the terms "spouse" and "marriage" in Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 and in related department regulations should be read to include same-sex couples legally married in any state or foreign jurisdiction that recognizes such marriages, regardless of where they currently live.
"This decision represents a historic step toward equality for all American families, and I have directed the department's agency heads to ensure that they are implementing the decision in a way that provides maximum protection for workers and their families," Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez said in a news release. "The department plans to issue additional guidance in the coming months as we continue to consult with the Department of Justice and other federal agencies to implement the decision."
"By providing greater clarity on how the Supreme Court's decision affects one of the laws we enforce, we are contributing to greater equality and greater protection for America's working families," added assistant Secretary for Employee Benefits Security Phyllis C. Borzi.
The Employee Benefits Security Agency protects the retirement, health and other workplace-related benefits of America's workers, retirees and their families.
The agency oversees about 701,000 private sector retirement plans, 2.3 million health plans and other plans that provide benefits to more than 141 million Americans. Collectively, these plans hold more than $7.3 trillion in assets.
department of labordomaemployee benefits plansequalityGaylesbianLGBTmarriageobama administrationretirementsame-sex couplessavingsSection 3u.s. supreme courtwindsor
Wisconsin Republicans reintroduce anti-immigrant legislation that sparked uprising
Community,	News,	Opinion,	Views & Opinions March 03,2017
Wisconsin's progressive alternative for news and entertainment


Tagged Long-tailed Duck. Bookmark the permalink.
Wonderful photos Jim. One duck that I still need to add to my life list.
Thanks for sharing, Jim. I found myself fascinated by the drops of water, of all things.


text:
package com.nokia.xfolite.xforms.dom;

import com.nokia.xfolite.xforms.dom.CaseElement;
import com.nokia.xfolite.xml.dom.Document;
import com.nokia.xfolite.xml.dom.Element;
import com.nokia.xfolite.xml.dom.events.DOMEvent;

public class ToggleElement extends ActionElement {

	ToggleElement(Document ownerDocument, String aNamespaceURI, String aPrefix, String aLocalName) {
        super(ownerDocument, aNamespaceURI, aPrefix, aLocalName);
	}

    public boolean elementParsed() {
        super.elementParsed();
        return true;
    }

    public boolean childrenParsed() {
        super.childrenParsed();
        return true;
    }

    public void doHandleEvent(DOMEvent evt, ActionElement outermost) {
    	//#debug info
    	System.out.println("********** Toggle: got event " + DOMEvent.getNameFromType(evt.getType())
    			+ ", sent to " + evt.getTarget().getLocalName() + " with id " + ((Element) evt.getTarget()).getAttribute("id"));
        String caseAttr = getAttribute("case");
        //#debug info
        System.out.println("Toggling to case " + caseAttr);
        Element caseEl = null;
        if (caseAttr != "") {
            caseEl = ((XFormsDocument)ownerDocument).getElementById(caseAttr);
        } else {
            logError("No case element id given in toggle");
            return;
        }
        if (caseEl != null && caseEl instanceof CaseElement) {
            ((CaseElement)caseEl).selectThis();
        } else {
            logError("No such case element id: " + caseAttr);
        }
    }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Rawson Sniper Gun PU/Poly 9'8"
The Sniper Gun features a low entry rocker, forward volume, a slightly beaked nose and 5-fin set up. Just like shortboard development over past several years, guns have modernized (and domesticated) making them significantly easier to paddle and scratch into bombs on.
If you're looking for Rawson tried and true confidence, combined with fuller dims and added volume, the Rawson Sniper Gun is the board that will get you into the wave of your life. Trip Forman used his Rawson Sniper Gun 9'10 to nab this beast in Puerto Rico.
The Rawson Sniper Gun is hand shaped by Pat Rawson on the North Shore of Oahu.


Here you will find portfolio best selected whores Riviere-du-Milieu, which satisfy your hunger.
It is a cancer upon the lives of everyone involved. Phone numbers of Whores Riviere-du-Milieu - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. Girls Shetland Sociopaths use a variety of strategies to cause people in their lives to do things for them.


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NSW win Game One
Tony Webeck, NRL.com
Wed 28 May 2014, 10:28 PM
NSW have delivered one of the most stirring defensive efforts in the state's history to breathe even greater life into the 2014 State of Origin series with a pulsating 12-8 win over Queensland at Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday night.
Everything that has made Origin so great over the past 99 encounters was brought to bear in Game No.100 with desperate defence, scintillating attack and brutal physical punishment dished out on both sides in front of a captivated crowd of 52,111.
It was high drama from the very start, with Queensland halfback Cooper Cronk forced to leave the field after just 10 minutes with a suspected arm injury broken left arm, while Maroons skipper Cameron Smith was troubled by an injury to his right ankle for much of the second half.
Be at AAMI Park in Round 13 when Storm take on the Roosters. Book tickets.
Leading 10-4 at the break, the Blues extended their lead to 12-4 in the 43rd minute through a second penalty goal to halfback Trent Hodkinson but for almost the entire remainder of the second half held on for grim death as the Maroons launched wave after wave of attack on the Blues defence - yet it ceded just the once.
Enjoying a run of possession that at one point saw them have 10 of 14 sets midway through the second half, Queensland got back within reach in the 56th minute when Darius Boyd scored his second try of the night in almost a carbon copy of his first in the fifth minute.
The Blues had but a handful of opportunities down the other end of the field and survived a frantic final 45 seconds when the Maroons attempted to pull yet another famous victory from the jaws of defeat when they were awarded a penalty right on the goal-line.
Blues captain Paul Gallen was inspirational in the middle of the field, Jarryd Hayne a constant threat both at the back and when sliding into the backline, while Josh Reynolds will face a nervous wait before he learns whether he will be cited for a possible lifting tackle in the 28th minute.
Tries to Brett Morris and Hayne gave the Blues a six-point lead at half-time after the Maroons were thrown into disarray following the departure of Cronk early in the match.
NSW suffered their own scare when Brett Morris appeared to have injured his right shoulder in scoring his side's opening try and in the 28th minute Reynolds was placed on report for a possible lifting tackle on Queensland winger Brent Tate.
Queensland dominated the opening exchanges and took until just the fourth minute before back-rower Chris McQueen cut a swathe through the Blues defence before offloading to Greg Inglis, who took play down towards the Blues' 20-metre line.
Nate Myles was the unexpected kicker at the end of the set and although his kick skewed off the side of his boot Blues winger Daniel Tupou was bundled into touch when he recovered possession.
From the ensuing scrum the Maroons stacked the left side and came up trumps immediately, Darius Boyd putting 11 weeks of turmoil behind him to score his 13th Origin try – second on the all-time tally – and give his side a 4-0 advantage after just five minutes.
Billy Slater sent shockwaves through the Blues nerves when he broke free from a kick return in the ninth minute but soon after the Maroons meticulous preparation was given its greatest test when Cronk left the field and was replaced by Daly Cherry-Evans.
With Reynolds and Hayne causing the Maroons' left-side defence plenty of problems and on the back of a weight of possession they levelled the score in the 19th minute when Hayne created space for Josh Morris who positioned brother Brett perfectly on his inside to score in the corner.
Further expansive attack instigated by Hayne and Reynolds saw Beau Scott take play deep into Maroons territory in the 28th minute, the Queensland defence holding on for a fraction too long and Trent Hodkinson converting the penalty from 28 metres out right in front.
Enjoying all of the running and with 59 per cent of possession in the first half, the Blues extended their lead to six points in the 33rd minute when Hayne was tackled short of the line but rolled into the in-goal by the Maroons covering defence and planting it across for the Blues' second try of the night.
Queensland finally had a chance down in enemy territory three minutes from the break but a shift to the right saw Matt Gillett spill a flat Cherry-Evans pass 10 metres out from the line.
New South Wales Blues 12
Tries: Brett Morris, Jarryd Hayne
Goals: Trent Hodkinson 2
Queensland Maroons 8
Tries: Darius Boyd 2
This article originally appeared on NRL.com.
The views expressed in this article are solely of the author and do not reflect the views of Melbourne Storm Rugby League Club.


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Leonard Pitts: After latest Census numbers, brace yourself for a hissy fit
A drop in the number of white people in the U.S. portends an America that will be a challenge, yes, but also an opportunity – if we get there.
By Leonard Pitts Jr.The Miami Herald
Chris Rock described it as a kind of temper tantrum.
This was in 2011. "When I see the tea party and all this stuff," the comedian told Esquire, "it actually feels like racism's almost over." He likened the tea party – with its street theatrics, overwrought histrionics and overt panic at the idea of living under a Black president – to little kids throwing one last hissy fit at bedtime. "They're going crazy. They're insane. You want to get rid of them – and the next thing you know, they're … knocked out. And that's what's going on in the country right now."
The intervening decade has proven how right Rock was. And how wrong. Because, yes, a large portion of white America was certainly having a racial temper tantrum back then. But the idea that it would soon be over is refuted by the obvious fact that it is still going on.
And it's about to get much worse.
Last week, the Census Bureau dropped a demographic bombshell. According to its 2020 count, the number of white people in this country has fallen for the first time since the first census in 1790. To be clear: This is not a measurement of white as a percentage of the population, a figure that's been dropping for years as we move toward a majority people-of-color population. No, this is white as an absolute number. It seems the group of Americans who identify as white alone (i.e., not biracial) shrank by 5.1 million, a decrease of 2.6 percent.
We're talking a demographic demotion that will leave some of us terrified.
We already know what that leads to. Indeed, hysteria over the pending loss of straight, white, Christian primacy has driven the tumult of the last decade and a half. Meaning, yes, the obvious stuff like the church massacre in Charleston, the synagogue massacre in Pittsburgh, the murder in Charlottesville and street violence against Asian Americans.
But that hysteria is also at the root of outrages some might find less obvious. It's why the Republican Party has withdrawn from basic democratic norms, why Donald Trump was elected, the Capitol was ransacked and state laws now suppress Black votes while restricting the teaching of Black history. It's why conservatives often cast Democratic legislation in racial terms, as when Rush Limbaugh dubbed the Affordable Care Act "reparations." It's why some people find the likes of Ilhan Omar and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez so deeply frightening, why they rail against masks and vaccinations as incursions on their "freedom," why Tucker Carlson warns his audience of older white people on seemingly a nightly basis that they are being "replaced."
There is a sweaty desperation to all of this, as if some white people – thank heaven, only some – cannot conceive of themselves without the perks, privileges, power and prerogatives of majority. And if that's how they felt before last week's announcement, imagine how they feel now. Suffice it to say, we should brace for more upheavals.
Almost lost in the midst of all this is the fact that these demographic changes, seismic as they are, portend a vibrant new America, one that will be a challenge, yes, but also an opportunity – and a hope. Assuming we get there. Assuming we are not undone by those whose allegiance to democracy is dwarfed by their allegiance to skin tone.
They will scream and cry and stomp and kick and make a mess trying to get their way. But the good news is that no tantrum – not even the most epic – can last forever.
It just feels like forever, is all.
Leonard Pitts Jr. is a columnist for The Miami Herald. He may be contacted at:
columns, Leonard Pitts, opinion, race, racism, U.S. Census


IMPACT Strategies employees work together to build an accessible deck and entrance for a disabled Belleville resident. Reflecting back on 2014, IMPACT Strategies President Mark Hinrichs takes pride in the successful projects that the company built throughout the region. However, what stand out most in his mind are the company's philanthropic efforts that made a difference in the community.
In the fall, IMPACT Strategies completed construction on a new building that will supply handicap-accessible restrooms and a concession stand for a new baseball field at Longacre Park in Fairview Heights. What makes this field special is it was built in partnership with The Miracle League of Fairview Heights, a non-profit that provides children and adults with disabilities the chance to participate in organized sports.
When The Miracle League reached out to Impact Strategies for help, staff and subcontractor partners donated their time, skills and materials to the project. Major supporters included Pyramid Electrical Contracting, Woolpert Inc., Toenjes Brick Contracting and Bergmann-Roscow Plumbing.
In an effort to support the City of Belleville and its bicentennial celebration, IMPACT Strategies volunteered to build several holiday huts for the city's first annual Christkindlmarkt. Staff volunteered after work hours to help.
Over the holidays, the company organized a food drive for the Fairview Heights Food Pantry to help families in need. Also, in lieu of giving holiday gifts to clients in 2014, IMPACT Strategies financially contributed to the St. Louis Fisher House, a guest house for military families whose loved ones are being treated at the St. Louis VA Medical Center.


1969 House Bill 3859. Resolve Discharging A Moral Obligation Of The Commonwealth In Favor Of James E. Curry.
Title 1969 House Bill 3859. Resolve Discharging A Moral Obligation Of The Commonwealth In Favor Of James E. Curry.


Snowy owls got their share of the limelight when Hedwig stole the hearts of many in the popular Harry Potter series. Here's a look at some interesting snowy owl facts.
Well, I don't know if a snowy owl would actually be able to carry a Nimbus 2000, but Hedwig certainly did so for our very own Harry Potter! She was the best snowy owl any wizard could probably have. A little moody at times, she always remained faithful and loyal to Harry Potter even during his troubled times. Reading about Hedwig may make us feel the need to own a snowy owl at some point or the other, but I feel they are best left in the wild! After all, not all snowy owls are like Hedwig who did not mind being cooped up in a cage all-day long.
Where are Snowy Owls Found?
Scientifically known as the Bubo scandiacus, the snowy owl is also known as the Arctic Owl or the Great White Owl. These are the heaviest of owls in North America and breed on the Arctic tundra. These beautiful snowy owls are found in Greenland, Iceland, Canada and the Northern parts of USA.
This large bird has a rounded head with yellow eyes and a black bill. The overall plumage is speckled with thin and horizontal bars or spots. The male snowy owl's plumage is almost purely white, whereas the adult females have around four to six tail bands. These owls are around 53-65 cm in length and have a wingspan of around 125-150 cm. The young snowy owls are uniformly brown. They also have scattered tips of white.
The snowy owl does perch on trees but is known to live in hollowed-out holes. This bird very rarely travels into the forest areas. They are mainly spotted in open grasslands, along shores of lakes, marshes and marine coastlines. Many snowy owls migrate to the Great Plains of Canada around November and leave this area around March.
Amongst the important snowy owl facts, one would be that they are diurnal. This simply means that unlike other owls, the snowy owls are active and hunt during the nighttime as well as the daytime. They are known to have a strong and steady flight with very powerful strokes. This species nests on the ground by building a scrape on top of a boulder. They also make short flights, which are close to the ground in the hunt for food.
The voice of the snowy owls varies. During the non-breeding season, they are relatively silent. The male snowy owl has a typical call, which is very harsh and sounds like a bark. The female snowy owl has a higher pitched call. When it's time for the mating season, the male snowy owls have a loud and booming sound. They are also known to clap their beaks when annoyed. Young ones are known to "cheep" for at least the first 2 weeks.
The diet of the snowy owl consists of lemmings and rodents. These owls are known to sit and wait for their prey. They can capture their prey on the ground and in the air. These owls are also known to grab the prey off the surface of water bodies. Snowy owls use their beaks or their talons to weaken the prey.
Their courtship behavior generally begins in midwinter till March or April. The female snowy owls are visible on the ground while the males are known to fly in an undulating manner. The behavior of the male on the ground is showy. He bows, fluffs up his feathers and is known to strut around by dragging his wings to impress the females! If this is not enough, the males also kill and display their preys to the females.
What are Their Nesting Attributes?
The nest sites of the snowy owl are always near good hunting sites. They are also relatively free from snow. Sometimes, a pair of owls may nest in the same spot for several years. The female snowy owl incubates her eggs while the male hunts for food and also guards the nest.
Snowy owls face threat due to human activities that are causing the loss of natural habitats for these beautiful birds. Well, if only, everybody would love these majestic birds like Harry Potter.


Projector Bike leavesEdinburgh Gardens in Fitzroy and takes a ride through this unique suburb exploring its bike paths and blank walls! We will meet at the basketball court.
Showing award-winning short films with a fresh playlist every week, join us as we meander through Fitzroy on a unique once off magical mystery tour.
Bring your bike and meet at Edinburgh Gardens in Fitzroy, or catch up with us via Twitter updates. Projector Bike will be situated in the middle of the basketball court playing music.
Testing Grounds is now closed for the winter so this is part of our winter Friday rides project 'Projector Bike in Your Burb'.


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Morrissey Pounces On Australian Government's 'Ferocious' Feral Cat Cull Plan
"The Australian government as ruled by Tony Abbott is essentially a committee of sheep-farmers who have zero concerns about animal welfare or animal respect."
By Lars Brandle
Lars Brandle
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Morrissey performs at FYF at the LA Sports Arena & Exposition Park on August 23, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. Matthew Simmons/WireImage
Morrissey is having a cat fight with the Australian government.
The singer, author and outspoken animal rights activist has seized upon Canberra's controversial plans to cull two million feral felines by year 2020.
The proposal for solving the feral cat problem — by baiting, shooting or poisoning — has been pitched by the country's environment minister to help protect Australia's native mammal and bird populations. Try get that past Moz.
Morrissey Begs Americans Not to Elect Trump at FYF Fest 2015 Day 2
The former Smiths frontman has let Australia's leaders know his mind in a brief, but perfectly-formed blast in which he describes the "unimaginable and lengthy horror" of the act of poisoning, blasts its unpopular prime minister and team, and draws a parallel with the unfortunate killing of Cecil the Lion in Zimbabwe.
"We all know that the idiots rule the Earth, but this is taking idiocy just too far," Moz says on the True To You Website. "The cats (who keep the rodent population under control) will be killed in a ferocious manner, using Compound 10/80, which is a gut-wrenching poison of the most unimaginable and lengthy horror. The people of Australia would never agree to this – but of course they will not be consulted, because the Australian government as ruled by Tony Abbott is essentially a committee of sheep-farmers who have zero concerns about animal welfare or animal respect. The cats are, in fact, 2 million smaller versions of Cecil The Lion. All I can say is … come, come, nuclear bomb…"
Morrissey Describes Battle With Depression, Calls Suicide 'Admirable'
Morrissey, whose first novel List of the Lost will be available from Sept. 24 in the U.K., New Zealand and Australia, gave a memorable spray to Glastonbury Festival founder and dairy farmer Michael Eavis last year, who he defined as an "animal hater."
In other news, Morrissey has announced a string of South America tour dates ahead of Christmas. Thousands of fans in the region missed out in 2013 when the British artist canceled shows due to medical issues ranging from Barrett's Esophogus to food poisoning.
Morrissey's South America concert dates:
Nov. 11 — Movistar Arena, Santiago, Chile
Nov. 17 — Teatro Renault, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Nov. 21 — Citibank Hall, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Nov. 25 — Citibank Hall, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Nov. 29 — Net Live, Brasilia, Brazil
Dec. 9 — Teatro Opera Allianz, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Dec. 17 — Teatro de Verano, Montevideo, Uruguay
Dec. 19 — Parque de la Exposición, Lima, Peru


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With our free Website SEO Analysis, we provide you with actionable insights into how you can increase your website's performance and achieve higher page ranking.


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Home/News/The Ground-Breaking Tech of 'toy Story 3'/Full Text
The Ground-Breaking Tech of 'toy Story 3'
By CNET
At Pixar Animation Studios, which will release "Toy Story 3," its 11th feature film, on Friday, each new movie is an opportunity both to notch huge box office numbers and to break new ground in the technique of using computers in digital animation.
To veteran Pixar watchers, the latter dynamic should by now be very familiar. With "Finding Nemo," the studio had to figure out how to use its technology to craft believable underwater scenes. With "Monsters Inc.," the challenge was animating the characters' lush fur. In "Cars," it was determining how to use procedural animation to avoid having to manually animate each of the 300,000 fans in a giant stadium. And with last year's Oscar-winning "Up," the task was finding a way to make thousands of helium balloons hoisting the main character's house take on the characteristics of realistic physics without having to manually animate each and every one of them.
"The whole deal with our films, from our point of view, is that we want you to be enveloped in the emotion and the storytelling and not think about the effects," said Darla Anderson, the producer of "Toy Story 3." We hope that you notice [the effects] maybe the fifth time you watch it...but most of the time we just want to entertain you and envelope you."
AI May Come to the Rescue of Future Firefighters
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Communing on Computing
Robin K. Hill


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Bid Confirmation
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The Hammer Price shall be paid to "Kedem" by the Purchaser, together with a commission ('the Commission') and Israeli VAT on commission only. The commission per lot will be 23% of the hammer price up to and including $180,000, 18% of the portion of the hammer price above $180,000 up to and including $1,000,000, and 12% of the portion of the hammer price above $1,000,000. Payment to "Kedem" shall be effected immediately upon the conclusion of the auction but, at any event, not later than seven days after the date of the auction. In order to view the full terms click here.
The airplane sign by the title of a lot indicates an item that arrived from outside Israel and is subjected to the Israeli tax laws, meaning an 17% value added tax on the purchase price and the buyer's commission. This tax will not be collected from foreign residents paying in foreign currency and exporting the item(s) via a shipper recognized by Kedem.
Auction 37
Books, Manuscripts, Rabbinical Letters
Single Leaves...
Printed Letter by Rabbi Shmuel Salant – Regarding the Rabbinate of Rabbi Eliyahu Dovid Rabinowitz–Teomim, Jerusalem 1901
"To our dear brothers" – Printed letter by the Ga'on Rabbi Shmuel Salant, announcing the appointment of "famous righteous Ga'on Rabbi Eliyahu Dovid Rabinowitz–Teomim – who was selected as per my request on behalf of the genius Torah giants of Russia… to assist and succeed me in the leadership of my holy congregation of the Ashkenazi Prushim…". Jerusalem, Iyar 1901. With the personal stamp of Rabbi Shmuel Salant.
Ga'on Rabbi Eliyahu Dovid Rabinowitz–Teomim – the Aderet (1845-1905) Av Beit Din of Ponevezh, Mir and Jerusalem. Famous from childhood as exalted genius. Appointed to rabbinate of Ponevezh at a very young age. After approximately twenty years relocated in order to serve as chief rabbi in Mir, from where he was summoned by the elderly rabbi of Jerusalem, Rabbi Shmuel Salant, to immigrate and serve as chief rabbi in the Holy City. Approximately three years after accepting the position he passed away (in the year 1905 at the age of sixty), during lthe ifetime of Ga'on Rabbi Shmuel Salant, who passed away in 1909 at the age of almost one hundred.
30 cm. leaf. Good-fair condition, stains and folding marks.
Auction house commission: max 23%
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Strands Hair Salon & Skin Spa is an oasis of beauty in the city, conveniently located in the heart of Hamilton. For 30 years, Strands remains the leader in hair care and beauty in Bermuda and has earned a solid reputation for consistent dedication to the highest-quality services backed by the world's finest products. Strands Spa is a designated Clarins Skin Spa. They are proud distributors of Clarins skin-care products which are used exclusively at their Skin Spa, as well as the Goldwell hair care ranges used in their hair salon. They also use OPI nail-care products. Strands brings you hair and skin-care excellence in a welcoming atmosphere, with highly trained professionals and a caring staff that will help to bring your best self to the forefront. Let them help you have a better relationship with your hair and skin!


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Session 179: The Role of Nostalgia in Managing Anxiety
Author: Dr. Joy Harden Bradford Published on: October 28, 2020 Published in: Podcast
If you're anything like me, you've probably been spending much of your time watching or re-watching some of your favorite shows from the past like Girlfriends, Living Single, or One on One. But did you know that there's a very good reason why so many of us are turning to old favorites right now to help soothe ourselves? Joining us again this week to dig into why, is Dr. Alicia Little Hodge. She and I chatted about how nostalgia works to calm anxiety, how anxiety looks different since the pandemic, and she offers her perspective on managing our anxiety around the election season.
Shoulda Sharonda & Friends Thinking Styles
Make a plan to cast your vote and support voting rights at andstillivote.org
Get free shipping on your variety pack of cereal at magicspoon.com/therapyforblackgirls Be sure to enter THERAPYFORBLACKGIRLS at checkout.
Where to Find Dr. Hodge
Listen to Dr. Hodge on Session 38 of the podcast discussing anxiety.
slayyouranxiety.com
Twitter: @helpmehodge
Instagram: @helpmehodge
Dr. Joy: Hey, y'all! Thanks so much for joining me for Session 179 of the Therapy for Black Girls podcast. If you're anything like me, you've probably been spending much of your time watching or rewatching some of your favorite shows from the past, like Girlfriends, Living Single or One on One. But did you know that there's a very good reason why so many of us are turning to our old favorites right now to help soothe ourselves? Joining us again this week to dig into why, is Dr. Alicia Little Hodge who you may remember from Session 38–Slaying Your Anxiety, an all-time favorite.
Dr. Hodge is a licensed psychologist in Maryland and a registered psychology associate in the state of Virginia. She received a master's in counseling psychology from Bowie State University, as well as a master's and doctorate degree in clinical psychology from the University of Hartford. Dr. Hodge has extensive experience in providing cognitive behavioral therapy across various treatment settings with adolescents and adults, and is a certified adoption-competent therapist.
She and I chatted about how nostalgia works to calm anxiety, how anxiety looks different since the pandemic, and she offers her perspective on managing our anxiety around the election season. If something resonates with you during our chat, please share it with us on social media using the hashtag #TBGinSession. Here's our conversation.
Dr. Joy: Thank you so much for joining us again, Dr. Hodge.
Dr. Hodge: Thank you for having me back. I'm so excited.
Dr. Joy: Always a pleasure. If you missed Dr. Hodge's first interview with us about slaying your anxiety, Session 38, it is a classic so you definitely want to revisit. But I wanted to have you back today to talk about something that it feels like is unique to what's happening with the pandemic. It feels like there has been a resurgence in people revisiting their old favorites. We know Netflix just got Girlfriends and One on One, and people are just kind of going back to watching some of their favorite TV shows. Can you talk a little bit about how that might be calming and the purpose of that during the pandemic?
Dr. Hodge: I think that because the times are so uncertain, it can be nice to revisit something that gave us fond memories, good feelings, just the warmth of it, like sort of returning to something. If you think about it, we already know what happened so there's no surprises, there's a little bit less suspense, but it's also giving you a space to sort of like focus and/zone out on something that you don't have to essentially think too hard about.
Dr. Joy: Mm hmm. Yeah, and I think when we think about just our bandwidth and the amount of mental resources we have, for a lot of us, they're probably minimal, right? So if we want to kind of just feel entertained, we don't necessarily want to have to do a whole bunch of extra thinking.
Dr. Hodge: Exactly. Because when you think about it, a lot of these stories, the cast members feel like friends or family to us, we're familiar with them. Although we may be watching it again with different eyes because of life experience, it feels very comforting to not have to follow in great detail, like a plot development. And you return to something like, "I remember this." In a way, this is when times felt simpler.
Dr. Joy: Right, yeah. You mentioned that it is kind of escapist and I know it feels like that's an interesting thing to talk about as it relates to anxiety. Because even when you were with us the first time, you talked about some escape is okay but too much is not great, especially when we're talking about anxiety. Can you talk a little bit about where that line is, about escapism versus doing too much to avoid the anxiety?
Dr. Hodge: Definitely. I will admit the line is blurry, meaning we all need… You mentioned bandwidth and I believe that we all have limited bandwidth, especially right now, and it can be very tempting to say I want to disconnect in a way that is entertaining. That's usually through like TV and now that we have the ability to binge, we have the ability to sort of cocoon ourselves because we are at home, you have to pay attention to "Am I losing track of time?" Because I can intentionally binge. There are times when I'm like, I'm going to watch four episodes and make no apologies for it. And I think that can be okay, but it's more so if you look up and you're like, "I started watching this at one and it's six o'clock, and I don't really know how I got here. And I actually haven't even really been watching the show." That might be a sign that you are escaping under the guise of relaxing and entertainment.
Dr. Joy: And how much of that is okay right now, Dr. Hodge? Because we know so much of this even started with us being anxious about contracting COVID-19 and we're still concerned about that, right? But it just feels like anxiety is at such an all-time high that I honestly don't know all the time where the line is about, like, how much is manageable and how much is not.
Dr. Hodge: That's a good point. And to be honest, I wish I had a hard and fast answer like "this is okay–this is not okay." I think the reality of it is "are you particularly not attended to certain responsibilities?" might be the answer. So, if you find I've just been escaping, bingeing and I haven't been eating properly, I haven't done any of my responsibilities and/or chores and now I feel potentially worse, then I would take a look at how are you coping? How are you taking care of yourself?
But with anxiety, I think one of the things that I talked about in our last interview was the difficulty with uncertainty and everything is uncertain right now, if you ask me. You don't know what's safe and what's not safe. Of course, I will be clear, we have CDC guidelines. However, it doesn't feel so great to go out and do the things that we used to do or we're restricted. So ultimately, we don't know, like there's no end date to the pandemic, there's no specific answer about what is okay and what's not okay. So, I would say it's a really personal thing to say or to evaluate what am I potentially dropping the ball on? Meaning, I may not make dinner every day like I used to; however, if I'm not making dinner and I'm not eating and I'm not feeling well and I'm not sleeping, those are sort of signs that this may be out of proportion to how I would expect someone to try to be coping at the moment.
Dr. Joy: Mm hmm. And is there any kind of programming that you would say is probably not programming we want to be engaged in right now? Or we may just want to kind of think twice about?
Dr. Hodge: You know, I have to admit that I used to be a fan of some of those movies like "end of world." End-of-world movies! And if you still have the capacity for it, go for it, but if you start watching it and you notice your heart is beating significantly or you're just like, oh my gosh, this is just like now. I knew it. These are the signs. I would encourage you to take a step back from some of those apocalyptic movies and maybe stick to another type of thriller.
Dr. Joy: Mm hmm. Which, you know, is so interesting because I think early on in the pandemic, a lot of people were revisiting those kinds of movies and I think it was an attempt to get some answers. Even though we knew it was fictionalized, people still were just craving like, okay, what can I expect? Because we have no framework for how a pandemic really unfolds.
Dr. Hodge: That is true. There is some research on individuals with anxiety who actually enjoy scary movies because it sort of allows them to assert some sort of control, like I am intentionally scaring myself in a small dose. So that, to me, kind of explains wanting to look at some of those things. But if you find that it puts you in a worse off place, you definitely have it under your power to say: You know what? I will not engage in that way.
Dr. Joy: Right. It also feels like a lot of people have turned to horror movies or horror shows. Lovecraft is one of the ones that I see most people talking about. I mean, it feels like it is still some escapist kind of stuff but kind of getting lost in this world that is kind of very familiar to lots of us, but in some ways not familiar.
Dr. Hodge: Yeah, and that's the hard part. I definitely don't fault all of us for wanting to escape. It is tempting and sometimes needed, so I'm definitely not doing the "all or nothing" thing to say, "Hey, don't watch any of these things." It's more so being mindful of how does this impact me? And does it perpetuate maybe some of the fears that I have? Or is it bringing me some sense of peace or is it like strictly for the purposes of entertainment? You have to touch base with yourself as much as possible and say, "Where can I assert my control?"
Because reality is I don't think that we have much and the pandemic really gave light to those of us who may have been more controlling than others. It really challenged our sense of like, wow, I thought that I was really in charge in the driver's seat here and this situation has made me feel like, you know… Some of my clients say, like, not only am I in the passenger seat; I feel like I'm in a trunk right now. Like, I don't know where we're going, I don't know what we're doing!
Dr. Joy: Yes! I want to hear more about that, Dr. Hodge because your whole practice is really helping people to manage their concerns around anxiety. How has your work changed since the pandemic?
Dr. Hodge: I will say I have received significantly more calls, as you can imagine, of people noticing "this felt manageable to me before and now it is not." I won't say that it has entirely changed. I think that I actually do a lot more normalizing. Meaning a lot of my work can be around asking, like, is this rational or irrational? Where's the evidence for this? And challenging those types of thoughts. Whereas now, it's mostly all rational. There's a lot of fear, there's a lot of concerns, and it actually has resulted in me probably disclosing more to say like, "Listen, I'm struggling, too, sis. I don't want you to think that I'm over here just taking a few deep breaths and just living my life. Like, this is really difficult." And I think it's okay for us to all acknowledge that this is difficult and almost leave it at that.
Not to justify it. I hear a lot of my clients feeling guilty and saying, oh, I know it could be worse. And I'm like, "Yeah, but what would that look like?" That is a minimization of your feelings for you to say, "Oh, it could be worse." Because the reality of it is it could always be worse, so let's just sit with what we're feeling now and say: I am mourning the fact that I didn't have a birthday party for my kid; I am mourning the fact that I can't travel. Whatever those things might have been. And it could be worse, but this sucks.
Dr. Joy: I'm glad you shared that because it does feel like we've had this conversation on the podcast, too, as it relates to grief. That it feels like, okay, some people have lost loved ones and so, of course that feels significant. But there's also space to grieve all of these other losses that we've experienced this year as well.
Dr. Hodge: Mm hmm. Yeah, definitely. It's really normalizing and saying… I've told all of my clients that your level of anxiety, if it has gone up, do not interpret that as a personal failing. Like what is wrong with me? Why can't I just cope? Remind yourself this is entirely unexpected. There's no one way to go about this and therefore I may actually feel more anxious. I think biologically understanding what a pandemic is and understanding that your life could be threatened in some form, you're going to be on higher alert and that's just normal.
Dr. Joy: Mm hmm. What about, Dr. Hodge, for people who already had concerns about germs, and contamination and stuff and now we have this pandemic that is real? That there is a real concern about contracting things. What kinds of suggestions would you have for people or what does that work look like?
Dr. Hodge: I have to admit, I did have some clients circle back to me and be like, "Remember all that stuff you told me about germs? I was right!" And, you know, to some degree, we had a laugh about it just like we're laughing now. And I was like, "You know what? I hear you and you may be very equipped with your stash of Clorox wipes right now." However, what my guideline has been, are you remaining at least within the CDC guidelines? If the CDC said do X, Y, and Z, I would encourage you to do that. But if you're doing that times 20, that still may be an indication of anxiety fueling your behavior, not what we know to be true.
What I have is sort of talked about just level of comfort and functioning and letting people sort of help me and collaborate with me around what feels comfortable to you. Okay, for example, if the CDC says six feet with masks is okay... If I have clients who are telling me, "I'm not really feeling that," it hasn't been my place to say, well, you need to do it right away. It's more so me saying, okay, but what do you feel comfortable with? Let's work with that. I'm not interested in seeing you now isolate yourself for the next five months. Are you interested in eight feet? Can we work with that? So it's more so being flexible and not me taking a hard and fast stance on what is rational versus irrational, but kind of working with people's comfort and challenging them when possible.
Dr. Joy: Mm hmm. Yeah, and it does feel like some of that is so much in the air, right? I mean, because it is still a chance. And I know when you were with us the first time, you talked about the in vivo work that you would do. Like maybe you would be walking on the sidewalk with your client and so I'm curious to hear how that has changed or shifted for the virtual environment. Are you still able to do some of that stuff?
Dr. Hodge: I definitely... even of myself, I'll admit, I have suspended sessions in person. A, for comfort. B, for convenience and having family members that I have to take into consideration. And also my office was like, we would have been *[inaudible 0:17:14] on the walls with masks. I just think therapy sessions like that would be awkward. But I have done some virtual, somewhat in vivo. More around getting people out of the house. Not necessarily into public but, in particular, if a client is concerned about just outside air exposure, we may challenge that notion and say, "Well, let's do a walk around the block. I'm not asking you to talk to anyone, I'm not asking you to socialize or touch anything, but let's sort of reestablish what feels safe and what isn't safe."
Dr. Joy: And you know, Dr. Hodge, that's the thing that I am most concerned about. Is how many of us even recover after the pandemic, right? Like you already mentioned, we don't have any end date, we have no idea really how long this is going to go on and when it will be safe to kind of reengage. And so I'm curious to hear if you've already started thinking about what kinds of things we will need to kind of readjust to, once the pandemic is not in full swing like it is now.
Dr. Hodge: You know, I have somewhat... and I'll admit that I even refrain a little bit from being too future-focused. Because I will start the what ifs, like, oh, my gosh, what about this? And what about that? But I have considered how this impacts the way we socialize–what we consider necessary versus unnecessary. And I see extremes: I see people rushing to return to "normal" and be at large gatherings. But I think it has really, in the beginning, at least, made us sort of reevaluate our activities and the meaningfulness of family time and like being very choosy about the things we're doing. So my hope is that we don't make a dramatic shift of like, "Okay, everything's fine now and we don't wash our hands anymore." Because that's probably not the way. But I think ultimately, it's going to be a learning curve. I'm not an expert, but moving slow and just asking yourself, "What feels good to me? And how can I get my needs met in a way that appears to be safe?"
Dr. Joy: Mm hmm. And we've talked about this too, just in terms of like school openings and kind of reminding yourself that you have agency over what happens for you and your children. So even though the school system may be open, if it's not something that you feel comfortable with and you have the option to, you don't necessarily have to send your kids back to school.
Dr. Hodge: Yeah, absolutely. And I think that kind of falls into boundaries work. Which, although my specialty is anxiety, I'm really interested in helping my clients feel (for lack of a better term) whole all around. That they're operating in agency. So really, you have to kind of evaluate what are my boundaries? Like you said, maybe school might be open but I might be making a move to a different alternative style of education. And not allowing other people to necessarily make you feel bad about that. That is your choice. It's always been your choice and this is a great time to enforce those boundaries and maintain them.
Dr. Joy: It feels like something else that has been coming up in terms of boundary work is around making decisions about attending gatherings for family and friends. Some people decided to cancel weddings, other people have decided to go forward with weddings and birthday parties and stuff like that. So it feels like there's some boundary work that's been tested for people around, like how to say no. Or if you want to go, how do you keep yourself safe? It does feel like these are continuing exercises in boundary-setting that we didn't have to think about a year ago.
Dr. Hodge: Yeah, definitely. And it allows you to see for yourself, like you said, there's always work to be done. I think having been confronted with some of those things, people saying like, "Oh, well, why don't you just do this?" And having to say, like, because I don't want to.
Dr. Joy: Yeah, reminding ourselves that it is always our choice, at least in most cases.
Dr. Hodge: Usually.
Dr. Joy: Yeah. The other thing that we've talked about a lot as it relates to managing throughout the pandemic is the importance of routine and predictability. We know that a lot of that has kind of gotten upended, so what suggestions do you have for people who may be trying to figure out still, like, what does routine look like right now?
Dr. Hodge: Oh, my gosh, I'm so glad you asked that because I did a podcast interview, I believe maybe a month into social distancing, and even some posts. I do believe in routine but I have to admit that this has challenged me to be even more flexible. So I sort of was like, keep a routine, do these things, and that's when I felt like this is going to last 90 days. And now, in my own life, my routine has been upended multiple times for multiple reasons, and I believe the one thing that has kept me is the flexibility. So instead of being so rigid to say, "Here's my routine, this is what I do every single day in this manner," I have to be open to the fact that if it doesn't happen for one day it's not shot. Not doing the all-or-nothing, black-or-white thing.
Or maybe realizing that I'm going to institute something to try to keep me on track and structure, but it's only three days a week. I think sometimes we jump from not having a routine to then saying I'm going to do this, seven days a week... And I found that my clients have really struggled with that and sometimes the guilt of not being consistent. And I've talked about, hey, if you would like to wake up at a certain time, even though workwise you would log in later, let's shoot for that time. Let's set an alarm. But if you don't wake up and it's not consequential to you, (meaning like you're gonna be in trouble at work or fired) then ask yourself what do you need?
If you want to wake up at seven and you need to log in at nine, and you wake up at seven thirty, it's not worth the energy to be like, "Oh my gosh, I should have woke up at seven. I'm messing up, my routine is shot." You just say, hey, maybe I was a little tired today. I'm glad I'm up now. And then I'm gonna shoot for seven tomorrow. You know, have the grace to be flexible.
Dr. Joy: Yeah, the grace piece is important, right? Because like you said, so much is unpredictable and we think we wake up and have an idea of what the day is gonna look like and then something happens and the day is completely different.
Dr. Hodge: Correct, especially those of us who are at home with other people to consider, be that other adults or even children, we have to understand that. While things "look normal," we have our back-to-school or back-to-work, this is not how we were doing things before so it's not going to flow the same and may not be the same. And as I said before, I know uncertainty and anxiety can go hand in hand, but I think perspective shift as well is really important to say, "You know what? I have a couple of things that I really need to get done, like I'm gonna prioritize a day and do my best, but if everything else changes, I can go with that. I can ride that wave as well."
Dr. Joy: Mm hmm. I know and you're right, like I also (doing interviews and stuff) very early on talked about the importance of a routine. And it feels like there are some parts of that that we do want to at least make an effort for, because it feels like what I often hear people talk about is this sense of you have no idea what time of day it is. It just feels like hours move into hours and you're like, "Oh, it's midnight. What did I do today?" I think that that's a part of why some of the routine is important. But if not a routine, are there other things that you would suggest for helping people to kind of demarcate what's happening from day to day?
Dr. Hodge: Definitely. I often have been encouraging clients to have something to look forward to at the end of the day, whether that is some ice cream, like dessert, or even like we're mentioning, watching that show that you've been looking forward to at seven. But sort of realizing like this is sort of a start, middle, and ending of my day. The in-betweens may look a little different but sort of like having a cap. If people do have a work-from-home space, I encourage people to try to keep doing their work in that space. So then when they're done working, they can kind of not have that association in the rest of their home, if possible.
And then also, I know a lot of us work really hard but, if it's possible, choosing an end time to be working or doing homework. And then tell yourself this remaining time is for me and me only. Not to have everything spilling into each other because I think that is the fastest way to wake up and be like, what's today? what am I doing? I found that even for myself, I have clients, I have a schedule, but I do catch myself being like, what's today? Like Wednesday? I don't know! Because it does feel a lot like the same day over and over again.
Dr. Joy: Mm hmm. I like that. It doesn't really matter as much what happens in the middle if you can have like a clear beginning and a clear end that helps to frame it, at least a little. And you already mentioned setting alarms, right? I would imagine some of that might be helpful, too. Not that the alarm is necessarily indicating that you have to do something, but that it is alerting you to: okay, this is the time where we want to wrap up work or we want to start the workday.
Dr. Hodge: Yes. I also have recently been suggesting... For some of my clients who are teleworking and have a fairly involved schedule or work demands, I've been suggesting, like, make a couple of random alarms to remind yourself to go take a walk around the house or around the block, if you feel comfortable. Go get some water. Just take a step away because you can kind of fall into that tunnel vision and then, like you said, you look up... Especially now with the season changing and the daylight savings depending on where you are, I don't want you to look up and be like, wow, it's dark. I don't even remember; did I eat lunch? I'm not sure. I think that can be really destabilizing.
Dr. Joy: Mm hmm. Something else or a couple of other things that I've noticed people talking about. People are really struggling with sleep. There's like an increase (it feels like) in insomnia. People are up either kind of scrolling on social media or watching the news or doing different things, and they're talking about having trouble actually falling asleep at night. Do you have suggestions for people about how they can do better maybe or do a little bit better at maybe falling asleep at night?
Dr. Hodge: Yeah, for sure. That is definitely a challenge that I can admit that I've also had that challenge, just because it's so easy to stay up and, like you said, scroll or think about things. If you were to have a routine at all, maybe around bedtime would be really a great time to sort of institute and give your body and brain some signals. Like, okay, here are these few things that I do before bed: I turn off the TV for a little while, I try not to be activated by the screen because the screen is a really big interference with sleep. I think we all knew that but we're really seeing it now with maybe we're doing like computer work, phone time, TV time. Our brain is just like, what next? What are we doing next? And I think ultimately, you have to give yourself a little bit of time to start to decompress from the screen, if possible. Put on the... I can't remember what the mode is called on my phone but it decreases the light. I would encourage people to kind of put that setting on so that helps your brain sort of decompress a little bit.
But also just having like a quick routine. It doesn't have to be elaborate like a bubble bath and massaging with oils, all these things. But it can be a quick one, two, three–these are the three things that I do before bed and I kind of rest. This is why I think if you can have a workspace that's not working in your bed, you don't have that association of like, the bed or the bedroom is very potentially stressful or this is the time where I do all the thinking. I would encourage people to try to keep that space reserved for sleeping if possible.
But also give yourself, again... Grace is my favorite word during this time because I've had a lot of people telling me about getting really tense around, I'm looking at the clock, and I'm like, "Oh my gosh, I'm still awake. I only have three hours now. Oh my gosh, I'm never gonna go to sleep." And I tell people those are sleep-interfering thoughts. And although this sounds paradoxical, one of the easiest things that you can do when you are coming up on "I've been up for a couple of hours" is to say, "That's cool. I'm just gonna stay up all night." And most of my friends are like, what? I don't want to do that. Why would you tell me that? And I'm like, because at that point, thinking and/saying that yourself, your brain actually gets less interested in what time is it and stops sort of saying "I'm never going to get to sleep" and you actually kind of just relax into the idea of "Alright, I'm gonna be up," and you usually fall asleep.
Dr. Joy: Mm hmm. Are there other paradoxical thoughts that you think could be helpful for people right now, that you've maybe been suggesting more often?
Dr. Hodge: I'm big on humor; that's just my personality style. I think sometimes when my clients come to me and discuss some of the feelings of guilt that they may be having or "it could be worse," I sort of lean into it and just get extreme. And I'm like, it could be worse: you could have no hands, you could have no arms, you could have no neck! And then we sort of laugh and I'm like, so do you understand how you're being tight-fisted around either it could be worse?
Or I kind of give an example. I think I was discussing around like caretaking, how it can be difficult to care for your family in a way that maybe you were doing before the pandemic. And I kind of got a little bit facetious and I was like: yes, you're a really bad caregiver, like your children don't ever eat, they sleep outside... And then we sort of laugh because I was like, no. You have to recalibrate your concept of what a caretaker is right now. Mom before pandemic probably maybe was like making homemade muffins and doing all these things. Pandemic Mom might not have time for that, and that's okay.
Dr. Joy: Yeah, so really readjusting those baselines.
Dr. Hodge: Mm hmm. And challenging your idea of the value judgment of what a good "blank" is. A good mom does this, a good friend does this, a good daughter does this, and it's sort of like, okay, who made that rule? Was it you? Because if it was you, then you are at liberty to change it.
Dr. Joy: I like that. The other thing that has been giving people lots of anxiety is the upcoming election. I mean, I have the anxiety myself so I think lots of people just feel very anxious, very worked up. Especially, at least I find myself getting more anxious when I see these countdowns. Like, we only have 25 days left and 23 days left, and it feels like, oh my gosh, we're counting down to this thing! What kinds of things might you offer or any suggestions you have for people who are struggling with anxiety as it links to the election?
Dr. Hodge: You know, as an expert, I'm going to say that this one is tough. This is when I reflect on the idea that I often share with my clients like I deal with these things just as much as you do. And ultimately, that is when we talk about the healthy levels of escape or boundaries or limiting your exposure to things. I have found that I have really decreased how much I'm reading about the elections, sometimes (I will admit) at the risk of being uninformed. Because I realized that I would over-incorporate at times. I would go hard. I'd be like, I need to read this article and this one and this one and now I know too much, so to speak.
So, yeah, I don't have a great answer for you. I will admit that that is stressful for myself included. When I see things like countdowns, I will close the window. And the one thing I will say that I told myself is I'm going to do what I can–which is in my control–and exercise my right to vote. And I'm going to try to be hopeful that other people will exercise that right and that is the most that I can do in this moment. Like, that's the most that I can bring myself to deal with.
Dr. Joy: Mm hmm. I agree. I mean, it definitely feels like I will fall down a rabbit hole reading stuff, right? And paying attention to the news! And you have to remember that the news really plays on the loop so the story that you get, if you watch the news at one o'clock, is the same thing that you're going to get at three o'clock. But you're not necessarily paying attention because like the anchors might change. If you're looking at something like CNN or MSNBC, it feels like it's a slightly different story because it's a different maybe panel of guests or whatever, but it's still the main point. They're discussing the same things so I think that it does help to kind of limit like, "Okay, I'm gonna check in a little bit, but I don't need to have CNN on the whole day."
Dr. Hodge: Oh, definitely. I watch at a clip, because as you said, the story just recycles itself and I don't need to hear it four times. And then also, the one thing that I tell people, because I do have some people share with me like, "Oh, you know, I keep it turned on because I don't want to miss anything." In the age of technology and social media and alerts, you will not. Every time there is a breaking news, so to speak, it pops up somewhere some way. Don't sort of buy into this concept of like I won't know what's going on. You will know. If anything big happens, you will know, so let it come to you. You don't have to go look for it.
Dr. Joy: Right, I think even the term breaking news, right? Do you have to know it the moment it happens? There are some things safety wise you may need to know, like a fire alarm or whatever, but the latest story out of the White House or whatever, it probably is not going to be detrimental if you don't know it the moment that it happens.
Dr. Hodge: Exactly. If there's an emergency, you'll get an emergency alert on your phone.
Dr. Joy: Right! What does overthinking and like the what if game...? You've already alluded to that. What does that look like now in the midst of the pandemic? When you were here before, you talked about playing out the what if game. How does that look different now?
Dr. Hodge: Oh my gosh. I often joke with my clients when we start going down the what if hole... I'd be like you're in 2025 right now; I just want to let you know that. I believe that there are so many what ifs and the harder part, I have to admit, is that some of them sound real possible. So sometimes we're like, oh, what if this? And what if the earth explodes? And I'm like, okay, you know, come on now. However, some of the what ifs I've heard lately, I'm like, yeah. And sometimes I just sit with asking what if that would happen? Let's talk about it because it's exposing you to this feared idea anyway that I want you to sort of play out. Because most often than not (I can't speak for every single what if, of course) but more often than not, you would be able to manage that what if.
I'm not talking about something like very devastating to some extent. For example, if you were maybe in an industry that feels threatened by COVID and you notice that your hours were reduced and you think like, "Oh, my gosh, what if my place of employment closes?" Which is a scary thought and a very realistic one. Instead of sort of looping on what if it closes, what if it closes, what if it closes? I will sit with someone and say, what if it closed? What will we do? And get them to sort of confront the thought and talk through how would I seek out another job?
The fear underneath it is maybe I'll be destitute and I won't have anything. And again, legitimate. If you can't work, how would you earn income? But I want to talk through, like we said before, your agency. What is your ability within this situation and what would you do? And oftentimes, we are able to say, like, that would really be awful and I would update my resume, and I would look for something else and I would do X, Y and Z now. I've helped you problem solve in a way that was useful to you. Not overthink, which is just an ineffective style of problem solving.
Dr. Joy: Mm hmm. Yeah, when you can kind of get down to, "Okay, these are the resources that I have available. This is how I might act." Then it takes some of the sting really out of all of that overthinking.
Dr. Hodge: Mm hmm, absolutely. Because usually overthinking doesn't land on a solution; it just lands on a lot of information and over-incorporating. And the ideas that your brain is trying to problem solve, it's just a little stuck or confused.
Dr. Joy: Yeah, mostly because you don't have all the information, right? Because we're trying to future-focus and we can't fill in the blanks.
Dr. Hodge: Mm hmm. I agree.
Dr. Joy: What are some of the favorite, or maybe if you have a favorite right now, exercise that you would suggest for somebody who is struggling with overthinking or is just struggling with overwhelming anxiety right now? What kind of technique or strategy have you been sharing that you find clients really enjoy or is super effective?
Dr. Hodge: Oh, that's a good one. Two things come to mind. One, which I believe I mentioned on the first podcast is just a classic. Grounding. Because it is so easy to fly into the future mentally and it's so easy to be overwhelmed or consumed by physical sensations of anxiety. My go to is just: let's take a step back, let's sit down, let's pay attention to our five senses. Take some deep breaths. What are some things in the room that you see, hear, potentially smell or feel? Meaning I feel the sensation of my body in the chair, I feel my shirt. But really working to get yourself into the present moment as much as possible and just sort of being mindful, is exercising a muscle in your brain. What I mean by that is, it's very easy to be carried away by our thoughts and by coming to the present, by sitting still, we are basically training ourselves to say, "No, mind. Come back, thoughts. Come back to the present moment and just be, instead of anticipate or fear."
And I would say the second thing that I've suggested to people is scheduling worry time. So, we are all worrying (myself included) about lots of different things. And if you find that you are worrying significantly or to a good degree that the worries are spilling into most moments of your day, I would say I would like you to pick a time. Preferably not before bed because that is not a good idea, but maybe let's say three o'clock in the afternoon. Get a pen and paper and just jot down some of your worries for about 10, 15, 20 minutes max. I don't want you to have like a book when you're done but jot down some of the worries that you have.
And what this does is, A, it gets them out of your head a bit. But also, if you start worrying at seven, you have to tell yourself, "I need to let that pass. I'll write it down tomorrow at three when my scheduled worry time is." Because what that does is that helps you, similarly to grounding, bring your mind back to the present and say there are some things that I worry about but I don't have to let every single thought take me away. I don't have to let everything that pops into my mind set me off. I'm going to table that and I will worry about it tomorrow. It sounds strange and when people practice it, they tend to enjoy it.
Dr. Joy: Yeah, that definitely is one of my favorite go to's as well. And you're right: it sounds like something you would be really hesitant to try because your first thought is that's not gonna work. But it is something that after you practice for some time, you recognize you're providing a container for yourself. You're helping yourself to think, okay, this is when I will do that thing and it doesn't have to spill into every area of my life.
Dr. Hodge: Right. Exactly.
Dr. Joy: Thank you for sharing those.
Dr. Hodge: You're welcome.
Dr. Joy: Any additional resources that you'd like to share? You gave us a ton the first time you were here, but I don't know if there are other books or podcasts or videos that you've come across that you really feel like would be helpful for people who want to maybe dig more into this.
Dr. Hodge: No. Honestly, those have still been my go to's. I have a document, just a copy-paste, the ones that I've recommended before. I essentially sent them to everyone after the first session, like, copy-paste: here are some things that I recommend.
Dr. Joy: Got it.
Dr. Hodge: Yeah. The other thing that maybe I can think of is I found this graphic recently and I have to look it up, who created it. I want to give them a proper credit. But I talk a lot about thinking styles, meaning getting people to step back and examine: what is my perspective and how am I seeing things, and is this point of view possibly distorted? And I found a recent graphic that gave these thinking styles actual character names, like personifications. I believe it is probably intended for children, but it works for all ages.
For example, when I talked earlier about having that guilt and people saying "oh, I should be doing this or I should be doing that," in the thinking styles graphic, it's called Shoulda Sharonda. And it says something like, "Sharonda lives her life in this way and even if no one told her to do it, Sharonda feels like she should be doing it and it makes her feel bad." I shared it recently with a few people in a group and they were like, oh my gosh, that's so helpful. When I get that information, I will share it with you specifically because I think it's really cool. It sticks in your head and you're like, "I'm being a Shoulda Sharonda. This is not helping!"
Dr. Joy: Yes, and those kinds of little techniques and tricks are really helpful to kind of get yourself out of that negative self-talk. Like you can catch it and then it gives you a little chuckle, like you're doing right now.
Dr. Hodge: Exactly.
Dr. Joy: Yes, I appreciate that. We'll definitely find that and make sure to share it with everybody in the show notes. Remind us how to contact you, Dr. Hodge. What is your website as well as any social media handles you want to share?
Dr. Hodge: If you would like to find me, my website is www.SlayYourAnxiety.com which was definitely inspired by the Slay Your Anxiety podcast, so right on trend there. And if you also would like to follow me on social media, I'm on most platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter @helpmehodge.
Dr. Joy: Perfect. Thank you so much for visiting with us today. I really appreciate it.
Dr. Hodge: Thank you. As always, always a great time when we're together.
Dr. Joy: I'm so glad Dr. Hodge was able to join us again today. To learn more about her and her work or to check out the resources she shared, be sure to visit the show notes at TherapyForBlackGirls.com/session179. And don't forget to share this episode with two other sisters in your life who might appreciate the conversation. If there's a topic you'd like to have covered on the podcast, please submit it to us at TherapyForBlackGirls.com/mailbox.
And if you're looking for a therapist in your area, be sure to check out our therapist directory at TherapyForBlackGirls.com/directory. If you want to continue digging into this topic or connect with some other sisters in your area, come on over and join us in the Yellow Couch Collective where we take a deeper dive into the topics from the podcast and just about everything else. You can join us at TherapyForBlackGirls.com/YCC. Thank y'all so much for joining me again this week. I look forward to continuing this conversation with you all, real soon. Take good care.
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