Light Up Night...Let the consumerism begin!


Dear citizens of the world!

Thanksgiving is almost here, but it has already been usurped by Christmas.

Last week, Pittsburgh held the "Light Up" festival to kick off the holiday shopping season.


The festival was a nice mixture of live music, huge Christmas trees, ice-skating, ice-carving, and a fireworks display for the grand finale.


However, the festivities held five weeks in advance of the holiday on November 19th seem ... excessive, even for United Statesians.

This Friday, November 26th, "Black Friday" kicks off with its' normal lunacy. Many of the stores will be open at 5:00 am! This all happens four weeks before Christmas -- a reasonable amount of time compared to the five week advance ceremony in downtown Pittsburgh.

Are you ready to shop until you drop?

The United Statesian

Popular posts from this blog

Neck exercises for Long Covid-- Part Deux

Image
  Image created with Midjourney by D. Troy Roach (Feb 18th, 2023) Neck Exercises for Long Covid-- Part Deux This is my 8-month update from the neck exercises (TMJ exercises, Throat exercises, Posture, etc).  January 2024 update : See the " Mewing " section below for a new "Tongue Circle" exercise which I think will be a game changer. Ma rch 2024 : I have now added tongue circles. The tongue is a huge muscle that can help strengthen the neck as a whole. https://youtu.be/B3dF5TDkgiY?si=ZInmhrtoLbYW4VpA It has been a long journey since March 2020!  Since my second SARS2 infection in April of 2021, my main physical symptom (not counting fatigue, PEM, etc...) has been neck pain. Nothing I did seemed to help improve neck issues; stretching, weekly PT, Chiropractor, different pillows, muscle relaxers, etc. were all a bust! Luckily, in June 2022 I found some isometric exercises which have made a big difference! Notes/Disclaimer: My N=1, not medical advice.  Don't do a
Read more

A POTS/OI at-home, easy, free, safe rehab program hypothesis:

Image
A POTS/OI at-home, easy, free, safe rehab program hypothesis: Made with Stable Diffusion by D. Troy Roach, 26th July 2023 Ground Rules: 1. Understand that this is just a theory . Your input will be valuable in improving the technique and refining it for future users. 2. Take care of yourself first. Do not push yourself or risk injury in any way. Actually, if there is danger or pain... then stop! Each step should be done from a place of calm & safety! 3. Each exercise/movement should be done with a calm/steady Heart Rate (HR) and Blood Pressure(BP) . If your HR or BP spikes... then you are pushing too hard. No problem, take a break, take a step back and continue. Step 1: Read through and understand each part. Since you are doing this without 1-to-1 guidance, it is important to clearly understand the theories. In summary, POTS/OI (Orthostatic Intolerance) is caused by dysautonomia. The nervous system is not communicating correctly with the cardiovascular system. This system used to k
Read more

The Good and Bad Effects of Nicotine on the Brain and Body, from Neuroscience-Broscientist Andrew Huberman Ph.D. (Video/Podcast)

Image
The Good and Bad Effects of Nicotine on the Brain and Body, from "Neuroscience-Broscientist" Andrew Huberman Ph.D. (Video/Podcast) This is my summary of the 2hr long podcast/video Dr. Huberman did on nicotine. This summary is mostly for people wanting to use nicotine patches for medicinal reasons (short-term use). However, the summary might be helpful for anyone interested in this topic who just wants the highlights. And, this is not medical advice....Only a summary to help speed up research before speaking with your personal doctor. Show notes with time stamps and links is pasted at the bottom for your convenience. The "How to quit Smoking or Vaping section" has few details since addiction is not an issue with this kind of treatment. Smoking and Vaping are bad. Nicotine on its own can be "good." Nicotine, mixed with other substances included in vaping , makes it very addictive for the brain. Mental Focus is like an arrow : The direction of focus comes f
Read more