by Luke Schmaltz | Sep 30, 2022 | Uncategorized
Distressed, Depressed? Ask For Help! “One of the biggest defects in life is the inability to ask for help.”
by Luke Schmaltz
According to Science.org., the human brain has changed very little over the last 35,000 to 100,000 years. Yet, the degree and variation of stimulation and stress it is currently being subjected to has increased exponentially — especially over the last century.
In effect, the human brain is being bombarded by the wholesale results of its own sophistication run amok.
Our brains get overloaded, the veritable bandwidth therein gets saturated, and some people’s minds become sick. The circumstances can be equated to overeating and getting a stomach ache, but the consequences of a “mind ache” are far more devastating.
Crisis Created
Seek Safe Space: Achea Redd warns constant rumination on the same thought can cause you to go into hyper focus, heart racing, and lack of focus.
Brain Game: Our brains get overloaded, the veritable bandwidth therein gets saturated, and some people’s minds become sick.
The human race, particularly Western society, is in a mental health crisis. More and more people are finding themselves unable to cope with the pressure, responsibility, confusion, misinformation, and a myriad of other stimuli which are rampant in everyday life.
Yet, the mess can’t be unmade by dumping prescription pills into the void. We have to dig ourselves out of this hole with the same tool that got us here in the first place — our humanity.
People from any walk of life, at any time, can become saddened, distressed, depressed, and yes — suicidal. When the walls close in and you’re all alone, when life doesn’t seem worth living but a tiny part of you wants to turn the ship around and find a way out of the darkness, the best course of action is to ask for help.
How To Begin
Dr. Arin N. Reeves, author of “In Charge,” a guide for women tired of being tired, offers a guide to exhaustion as it relates to mental health. She says the problem is it’s hard to tell when exhaustion is not just exhaustion. While more open about mental health, “we still aren’t forgiving or patient with people who are in that gray zone. People are pressured to be okay instead of being okay with not being okay long enough to figure out the problem.”
The top roadblocks stopping people in crisis are stigma and shame, suggests Dr. Bill Howatt. The three types of shame, the psychological expert says are, “Self, peer, and organizational.” When a person doesn’t feel “good enough” they get caught in shame. Thus, they don’t have empathy for self and others.
Motivated to get away from pain, they focus on symptom relief such as drinking. The CEO of Howatt HR says we need to educate people that mental health is no differ than the flu. “We can have a physical flu, and with support it will pass. An emotional flu can pass as well with rest and support,” he enlightens.
When To Act
Warning signs of a looming mental health crisis are many and vary in individuals. Achea Redd, author of the recently published book titled, “Be
coming Your Own Safe Space,” suggests what to watch for based on personal experience.
She says to watch for these indicators: Sudden sleep pattern changes (either too tired or not able to sleep), change in appetite, not enjoying the things you used to, headaches, gastrointestinal issues, or stomach pain.
“Constant rumination on the same thought can cause you to go into hyper focus, heart racing, and lack of focus,” Redd warns.
Where To Turn
Licensed Social Worker Tina Rushing says, “I always say professionals are vital in a crisis. Loved ones can help [and] be there for you but mental health professionals have the proper tools to make the difference.” The PRSL website posts an extensive list of international resources available at any time, anywhere for those in crisis.
For example, the Crisis Text Line can be accessed in the U.S. by simply texting “HOME” to 741741, and the person will be connected (for free) to a mental health support network. “I have personally used it when I was spiraling into a panic attack after a fight with a loved one,” Rushing says. “They helped me navigate my thoughts and emotions and worked with me to sort out why I was spiraling afterwards.”
Resources on the PRSL website also include help lines for veterans (1-800-273-8255 press#1), domestic violence (text START to 88788), rape abuse and incest (1-800-656-4673), eating disorders (1-800-931-2237), suicide prevention (text TALK to 741741); LGBTQ+ (text START to 678678); plus many more options.
What To Say
Mental Tune-Up: The music community is noted for taking care of one another. Punk Rock Saves Lives focuses on health and wellness, with emphasis on mental health.
Dr. Howatt offers sound advice for those ready to voice their need for help. Begin with the understanding that a mental health crisis is an intrapersonal impairment of emotions and thoughts that drive behavior. The person does not need to know what is wrong or why they feel the way they do. “All they need to do is say ‘I am struggling w
See A Doc: Mental illness is no different than the flu, says Dr. Bill Howatt. Getting help is a good choice, so go see a doctor. Copyrighted Kayla Hannaford
ith my emotions and thoughts, and I am not sure what to do. I need some help [in order] to figure out what I can do.’”
Dr. Arin N. Reeves adds: “It’s helpful to have one person you really trust who you can share your plan with and ask them if they can do some of the communicating for you. If not, and you are trying to explain the crisis, focus on concrete things that can help you describe what you are going through.”
It’s tough for professionals to grasp your feelings in crisis. They need to hear facts they can wrap their arms around. Examples: “I haven’t been able to eat in two days, or I have not been able to sleep for more than two hours at a time, or I cannot make myself get out of the bed.”
Solving The Stigma
Western society’s obsession with perfection and the pursuit of an unattainable status quo, by default, places judgment, shame, and condemnation on those suffering from mental health conditions.
“Mental health has been looked at as a moral weakness for many years. To change the culture requires education and senior leaders to make mental health prevention and mental illness a priority,” explains Dr. Howatt. His point: There is nothing wrong with getting help. It is a good choice and no different than going to the ER, if you have a broken arm.
So, get to a doctor. Assess yourself. Pay attention to how you are feeling and take pain seriously. You are not a hero for hanging on when you should be letting go and getting help.
by Mark Smiley | Aug 26, 2022 | Uncategorized
by Mark Smiley & Jeff Stiglic
Cerveza: Marble Brewery from New Mexico, had a booth at Summer Brew Fest featuring a few different beers, including Cerveza, a crushable take on a Mexican-style lager.
WeldWerks: WeldWerks Brewing Co. from Greeley is a mainstay at the Summer and Winter Brew Fests at Mile High Station in Denver.
Two Standouts: Uhls’s Brewing from Boulder had Smoothie Phizz, a sour smoothie beer, and Coconut & Strawberry Daiquiri, a sour wheat ale.
For craft beer enthusiasts, there are many choices of beer fests throughout the summer. Summer Brew Fest held over two sessions on July 23, 2022, at Mile High Station is one not to miss. Over 25 craft breweries from around the state and a few from outside of Colorado were on hand each session to pour their summer beers.
The event featured live music, which added to the already festive atmosphere. The afternoon session had Chili Powder —a tribute to the Red Hot Chili Peppers, who played later that evening at Empower Field.
The first Denver Brew Fest by RightOn Productions was created in a parking lot near Coors Field. Since then, the Summer and the Winter Brew fests have developed into an annual Denver tradition at Mile High Station and now the celebrations have been expanded to Avon, Colo., as well.
Some standouts from the fest included Uhl’s Brewing Company in Boulder, who brought Smoothie Phizz, a sour smoothie beer, and Coconut & Strawberry Daiquiri, a sour wheat ale. They also had a Buffalo Trace bourbon barrel aged tripel they released at 2 p.m.
Steep Brewing and Coffee Company from Keystone was also in attendance with Pau Hana, a coffee coconut porter, with 30 pounds of toasted coconut and infused with smooth cold brew coffee that was brewed using their freshly roasted in-house Free Trade-organic brazil coffee beans.
Marble Brewery from New Mexico, had a few beers to try. Cerveza is their crushable take on a Mexican-style lager. WeldWerks from Greeley, was also on hand with its flight of beers.
For more information on all of the fests including the Winter Brew Fest in January, visit www.brewfestevents.com.
by Mark Smiley | May 20, 2022 | Uncategorized
Families Struggle To Pay Bills As Electric Prices Rise; Three-Rate Surge To Jolt Rates $16.49 A Month By Year’s End
by Glen Richardson
Costs Up In The Air: Volatility of global energy market is making it harder for homeowners to keep costs down. A utility helicopter is used to string conductor on a Colorado project.
Are you staring at your electric bill and starting to swelter?
You’re spot-on: The average electric bill from Xcel Energy went up $5.24 a month beginning April 1, a 6.4% increase. Rates for the average small commercial customer went up 6.2%, or about $6.62.
Xcel Energy – Colorado’s largest utility with more than three million electricity and natural gas customers — has also filed an overall natural gas rate increase, seeking a $8.14 price hike beginning November 1. More: Xcel is also asking for a temporary rate increase to recoup $550 million in extra electric and natural gas costs due to a 2021 winter storm. Bottom line: The three-rate increase will jump your energy bill by $16.49 a month by year’s end.
Summer Costs Cook
Coal Closure: Closure of Xcel Energy’s Pueblo coal plant is major factor in rising rates. Utility plans to shutter the Comanche 3 Plant by 2031, ending coal-fired electricity in the state.
This month marks the official beginning of summer as the sun’s rays strike Earth at a more direct angle. Summer solstice begins here at 2:13 a.m. on June 21. Use of electricity will soar in the weeks following. As usage jumps due to summer’s heat, utilities add more expensive generation sources to meet the increasing demand.
Weather is the biggest factor for fluctuation in utility bills. On average 50-60% of summer bills are made up of cooling costs. If your HVAC system runs on electricity, then you’ll see higher totals on your electric bill, especially if you place a higher demand on your HVAC system.
Given the surge in Xcel Energy’s rates already, energy bills this summer are increasingly likely to burn a hole in your wallet. That includes energy produced by solar and wind sources.
“Volatility of the global energy market is making it harder for homeowners to keep control of how much they pay for energy,” states Denise Stepto, communications officer for nonprofit Energy Outreach Colorado. The nonprofit helps those facing “utility shutoff” with programs to halt the crisis and assist them to get back on their feet.
Time Of Use Rates
Cutting down on home energy costs is no longer simply just switching off the lights or insulating the attic. Thus, since March, Xcel Energy has offered “Time of Use Rates” that base prices for electricity on when customers use energy. Prices are higher when customers use more energy and lower when they use less.
The system is divided into three rates: Off-Peak hours — before 1 p.m. and after 7 p.m. each day — the price is just 9.9-cents per kilowatt hour. Mid-Peak hours —between 1 and 3 p.m. — costs are 18.9-cents in the summer and 13.6-cents in the winter. On-Peak hours — between 3 and 7 p.m. — costs are 27.9-cents in the summer and 17.3-cents in the winter.
Weekends and holidays count as Off-Peak times. Summer rates run from June through September; winter rates from October to May. “Summer rates are higher because of the large amount of energy it takes to run air conditioners,” explains Xcel Energy regional VP Hollie Velasquez.
Controlling Bills
Beat The Heat: Keep your thermostat just cool enough to be comfortable, and then bump it up a degree. Each degree above 75ºF saves 10-15% in amount of energy used.
Here are tips from energy experts to help you beat the heat and save money: Get an air conditioner checkup or replacement. Cleaning a clogged AC unit filter alone can save 5-15% in energy cost. Keep your thermostat just cool enough to be comfortable, and then bump it up a degree. Each degree above 75ºF saves 10-15% in amount of energy used.
When home, close doors and AC vents in rooms that are not in use. When it cools off at night, turning off your cooling system and opening the windows lets cool air in plus hot air out. Keeping blinds drawn and windows closed helps keep heat from warming your interior. Also, fans use 1/60th the energy of an air conditioner. More: Ceiling fans can cut back the need for air conditioning, saving up to 40% on electricity.
Xcel Energy also urges users to follow these behavioral changes to contain costs: Run dishwashers at night plus wash and dry clothing during the weekend. Also bake major meals in ovens on weekends, then reheat the food.
Activists Aim At Profits
High Wire Rates: Xcel Energy, Colorado’s largest utility, is jolting homeowners with a sky-high three-rate increase that will jump residential electric bills $16.49 per month by year’s end.
As residential energy rates keep going up, Xcel Energy’s profits in Colorado are in the crosshairs of advocates for senior citizens and taxpayers. AARP says the rate hikes hammer residents who can least afford higher energy bills.
AARP asserts the utility is being allowed to add up to 1-1/2% to a clean energy “revenue rider” on the annual electric bill of monopoly members, including surcharges and franchise fees. The organization also says Xcel can add up to 1/2% of their revenue requirement to develop electric vehicle charging stations. Plus, the utility can add the cost of providing those facilities to their base rates.
Moreover, they argue the utility is entitled to a higher rate of return from electric appliances, furnaces, and hot water heaters. Plus, they also get an accelerated depreciation and are
Cool Summertime Idea: Get an air conditioner checkup or replacement. Denver’s Cooler Company is one of many providing air conditioning system service and repair.
able to retain part of the net economic value.
Profit Sharing?
What’s more, the Independence Institute is proposing an initiative that would require investor-owned utilities to share their annual profits by returning to taxpayers at least 5% of the company’s sales in the state.
Institute president Jon Caldara, head of the conservative think tank says, “Colorado’s system of regulating utilities is broken.” He wants to fix it by creating a proposal to make companies share some of their profits with customers.
His proposal would apply to all utilities that are regulated in exchange for being allowed to recover their costs and receiving an okay for a return on their investments. He makes it clear, nevertheless, that Xcel Energy is the target.
by Jessica Hughes | May 20, 2022 | Uncategorized
by Jessica Hughes
The beautiful entrance to the gallery provides even those passing by with a sense of David’s work from the street. Photo provided by Relévant Galleries
Relévant Galleries showcases the larger-than-life fine art photography prints of David Yarrow. Photo provided by Relévant Galleries
Opening last July in Cherry Creek, Relévant Galleries showcases the work of fine art photographer David Yarrow through a variety of larger-than-life wildlife and lifestyle pieces. Yarrow’s work documents the natural world from new perspectives with large archival pigment prints that feature stars and supermodels such as Cara Delevingne, Cindy Crawford, and Jordan Belfort. Often drawing inspiration from the natural wonders of Colorado, it felt like a natural fit with Relévant Galleries to house one of his largest exclusive collections in the United States.
Located between the newly revamped Hotel Clio and North Italia on Clayton Lane, the gallery is a show-stopper for anyone walking by. “The visual impact of the gallery is truly spectacular with an outsider’s view of large-scale black and white images. It is hard to walk by and not turn your head,” says Courtney Olson, the fine art advisor for Relévant Galleries. “That alone brings clients in, however, when they see an icon like Cindy Crawford or Ciara and Russell Wilson in a shot it adds an extra level of intrigue. His work is so unique that people do stop and stare to take it all in.”
Cindy Crawford is one of the many iconic celebrities featured in some of David’s most notable works. Photo provided by Relévant Galleries
Shot in Southwest Colorado on the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, much of David’s work features strong ties with Colorado. Photo provided by Relévant Galleries
In the words of David, “Be bold, embrace the unexpected, and aim to create pictures with an impact.” David’s stunning photography is something to be taken in and admired from both up close and from afar. The realness with which he brings natural scenes and not-so-natural scenes to life in one single shot makes an impression on anyone, even if just an admirer. “The world truly needs to experience his work and the impact he makes creating it,” says Olson. Viewing his work is an experience all on its own.
While Denver has long been known as an outdoor recreation destination, in recent years, Denver’s art scene has also become one of the reasons to visit the Mile High City. With new galleries opening up all around the city, Cherry Creek has become a popular destination for the art lover, including the recent addition of Relévant Galleries.
“Cherry Creek North is the premier luxury location in Denver, hosting over 300 unique shops. We have two other sister locations (Clayton Lane Fine Arts & Master’s Gallery) which have had a strong presence in the community for over 10 years. Right now, we believe Cherry Creek is the new cultural hub of Denver,” explains Olson.
With over 50 years of experience in the fine art business, Relévant Galleries represents both world-renowned and local artists, with a dedication to the support and patronage of fine art. The Cherry Creek art gallery is the newest fine art gallery to be introduced to the AD Galleries family, represented by a collection of eight galleries (and growing) in resort towns, including Aspen, Vail, Beaver Creek, and Santa Fe, New Mexico.
“We pride ourselves on creating an unforgettable experience that brings together both stunning images and stories,” Olson assures her clients and admirers of the gallery. “At Relévant Galleries, you will always walk away from the gallery with more than you came in with whether that is an emotional or physical connection to the art.”
To learn more about Relévant Galleries and special V.I.P. events, visit them at www.relevantgalleries.com.
by Mark Smiley | May 20, 2022 | Featured Stories & Advertisers, Uncategorized
by Mark Smiley | Jan 21, 2022 | Uncategorized
