#prosper dentist

[brightteethtimes]

Who Needs Dental Scaling and Root Planing? 

A healthy smile goes beyond pearly white teeth. Healthy gums are equally important for maintaining a strong foundation for your teeth and overall oral health. However, gum disease, also known as periodontal disease, is a prevalent condition that affects millions worldwide. Fortunately, there's an effective treatment called dental scaling and root planing that can help combat gum disease and protect your smile. This blog delves into the question of who needs dental scaling and root planing, explaining the procedure and its benefits.

Understanding Gum Disease:

Gum disease occurs when plaque, a sticky film of bacteria, builds up on your teeth at the gumline. If left unchecked, plaque hardens into tartar (calculus), which can irritate your gums and cause inflammation. In its early stage, this inflammation is called gingivitis. Symptoms of gingivitis can include:

Red, swollen, or bleeding gums

Bad breath

Tenderness in the gums

If gingivitis is left untreated, it can progress to periodontitis, a more severe form of gum disease. Periodontitis damages the supporting bone and tissues around your teeth, potentially leading to tooth loss.

Who Needs Dental Scaling and Root Planing?

Dental scaling and root planing, also known as deep cleaning, is a non-surgical procedure used to treat gum disease, particularly in its early stages (gingivitis) and moderate stages of periodontitis.

Here are some indicators that you might need dental scaling and root planing:

Symptoms of Gingivitis: If you experience symptoms like red, swollen, or bleeding gums, scaling and root planing can help remove plaque and tartar buildup, promoting gum healing.

Persistent Bad Breath: Chronic bad breath (halitosis) can be a sign of gum disease. Scaling and root planing can address the underlying cause by removing bacteria and promoting gum health.

Receding Gums: If your gums appear to be pulling away from your teeth, exposing more tooth root surface, this can be a sign of gum disease progression. Scaling and root planing can help prevent further gum recession.

Loose Teeth: In moderate cases of gum disease, teeth may become loose due to damage to the supporting bone. Early intervention with scaling and root planing can help stabilize loose teeth.

Dental X-rays: During your regular dental checkup, X-rays might reveal signs of bone loss associated with gum disease, prompting a recommendation for scaling and root planing.

The Importance of Early Diagnosis and Treatment:

Early detection and treatment of gum disease are crucial for maintaining good oral health and preventing potential complications. If left untreated, gum disease can lead to several problems, including:

Tooth Loss: Periodontitis can damage the bone and tissues supporting your teeth, ultimately leading to tooth loss.

Increased Risk of Heart Disease: Research suggests a possible link between gum disease and heart disease.

Complications During Pregnancy: Gum disease can increase the risk of complications during pregnancy, such as preterm birth and low birth weight.

How Does Dental Scaling and Root Planing Work?:

The dental scaling and root planing procedure typically involves two stages:

Scaling: The dentist or hygienist uses specialized instruments to remove plaque and tartar buildup from the surface of your teeth, both above and below the gumline.

Root Planing: After scaling, the dentist smoothens the rough surfaces of the tooth roots. This discourages plaque buildup and allows your gums to reattach more tightly to the teeth.

Benefits of Dental Scaling and Root Planing:

Dental scaling and root planing offer numerous benefits for your oral health:

Removes Plaque and Tartar: The procedure effectively removes harmful bacteria and tartar buildup, reducing inflammation and promoting gum healing.

Improves Gum Health: Scaling and root planing can help reverse gingivitis and halt the progression of periodontitis, leading to healthier gums.

Reduces Bad Breath: By eliminating the source of bad breath (bacteria buildup), scaling and root planing can significantly improve your breath.

Preserves Teeth: Early intervention with this procedure can help prevent tooth loss associated with gum disease.

What to Expect After Dental Scaling and Root Planing:

Following dental scaling and root planing, you might experience some mild discomfort, such as gum sensitivity or soreness. This is usually temporary and can be managed with over-the-counter pain medication and applying a cold compress to the outside of your cheek. Your dentist will provide specific aftercare instructions, including maintaining good oral hygiene practices and scheduling regular dental checkups with prosper dentist to monitor your gum health.

Conclusion:

Dental scaling and root planing is a valuable tool in the fight against gum disease. By understanding who needs this procedure and its benefits.

[prospersmilestudio]

How Is Bruxism Affecting Your Teeth?

Do you wake up with a sore jaw or a dull headache? Do you find yourself clenching your teeth throughout the day without realizing it? If so, you might be suffering from bruxism, also known as teeth grinding. While bruxism is a common condition, its effects on your teeth can be far-reaching. This blog delves into the world of bruxism, exploring its impact on your oral health and offering strategies to manage this habit and protect your smile.

Understanding Bruxism:

Bruxism is a condition characterized by involuntary teeth grinding or clenching. It can occur during sleep (sleep bruxism) or while awake (awake bruxism). Many people are unaware they grind their teeth, often only discovering the issue through a partner's observation or experiencing dental problems.

How Does Bruxism Affect Your Teeth?

The constant friction caused by grinding or clenching teeth can lead to various dental issues, including:

Tooth Wear: Over time, bruxism can wear down the enamel, the hard outer layer of your teeth. This exposes the dentin beneath, which is softer and more sensitive.

Increased Sensitivity: Exposed dentin can cause increased sensitivity to hot, cold, and sweet foods and beverages.

Chipped or Cracked Teeth: The intense pressure from bruxism can cause teeth to chip, crack, or even fracture entirely.

Loose Teeth: In severe cases, bruxism can loosen teeth due to damage to the supporting bone and ligaments.

TMJ Disorders: The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) connects your jaw to your skull. Bruxism can strain this joint, leading to pain, clicking sounds, and difficulty opening and closing your mouth.

Beyond Teeth: The Impact of Bruxism

Bruxism's effects extend beyond your teeth. It can also contribute to:

Jaw Pain: The constant strain on your jaw muscles can cause pain and soreness, especially in the morning.

Headaches: Bruxism can contribute to tension headaches and migraines.

Earaches: TMJ pain can sometimes radiate to the ears, causing discomfort.

Sleep Disruption: Bruxism can disrupt your sleep and leave you feeling tired and fatigued during the day.

Identifying Bruxism:

If you suspect you might be grinding your teeth, consider these signs:

Morning Jaw Pain and Tightness

Worn Down or Flattened Teeth

Increased Tooth Sensitivity

Unexplained Headaches

Scalloped Tongue: The tongue can sometimes become indented from rubbing against the teeth.

Partner's Observation: Your partner might hear grinding noises while you sleep.

Managing Bruxism:

Several strategies can help manage bruxism and protect your teeth:

Wear a Mouthguard: A custom-made mouthguard worn at night can create a barrier between your teeth, preventing them from grinding together.

Stress Management: Stress is a common trigger for bruxism. Techniques like meditation, yoga, or deep breathing can help manage stress and potentially reduce teeth grinding.

Relaxation Techniques: Before bed, engage in relaxing activities like reading or taking a warm bath to unwind and reduce muscle tension.

Avoid Stimulants: Limit caffeine and alcohol intake, as these can worsen bruxism symptoms.

Dental Treatment: For existing dental damage caused by bruxism, your dentist can recommend appropriate treatment options such as crowns, fillings, or bonding.

The Importance of Professional Help:

If you suspect bruxism, schedule an appointment with your prosper dentist. They can diagnose the condition, determine its severity, and recommend the most appropriate treatment options. Additionally, they can assess any existing dental damage and develop a plan to restore your oral health.

Conclusion:

Bruxism might seem like a harmless habit, but its effects on your teeth and overall well-being can be significant. By identifying the signs, understanding the consequences, and implementing management strategies, you can protect your smile and prevent bruxism from grinding away at your oral health and overall well-being. Don't hesitate to seek professional help from your prosper dentist to address bruxism and ensure a healthy, happy smile.

[radiantsmilesdentistry]

Quick guide on wisdom teeth removal: from preparation and steps to recovery tips and what to expect. Simplify your procedure with our easy-to-follow infographic!

[activeandalive]

Exploring the Benefits of Endodontic Therapy: Preserving Your Natural Smile

Maintaining optimal oral health is crucial for a radiant smile and overall well-being. While routine dental care plays a significant role in preventive measures, there are times when specialized treatments become necessary to preserve your natural teeth. One such procedure is endodontic therapy, commonly known as a root canal. In this blog, we will delve into the world of endodontic therapy, its benefits, and how it can help you maintain a healthy and beautiful smile.

Understanding Endodontic Therapy:

Endodontic therapy is a dental procedure aimed at treating the interior of the tooth, particularly the pulp chamber and root canals.

The center of the tooth houses a soft tissue known as the pulp, which consists of nerves, blood vessels, and connective tissues.

When the pulp becomes infected or inflamed due to deep decay, cracks, trauma, or repeated dental procedures, endodontic therapy becomes necessary to save the tooth.

The Procedure:

Endodontic therapy is typically performed by an endodontist, a dental specialist trained in diagnosing and treating issues related to the dental pulp. The procedure begins with the administration of local anesthesia to ensure a painless experience. Next, the endodontist creates a small access point to reach the infected or inflamed pulp. The damaged pulp is carefully removed, and the canals are cleaned, shaped, and disinfected. Once the canals are prepared, a biocompatible material called gutta-percha is used to seal them. In some cases, a temporary filling is placed until a permanent restoration, such as a dental crown, can be placed to protect the tooth.

Benefits of Endodontic Therapy:

Preserving Natural Teeth: Endodontic therapy allows you to save your natural tooth, which is the best option for maintaining oral health and function. By eliminating the infection or inflammation, the procedure helps restore the tooth's structural integrity and prevents the need for extraction.

Pain Relief: Tooth infections or inflammation can cause severe pain. Endodontic therapy eliminates the source of the pain, providing much-needed relief and restoring your ability to bite and chew comfortably.

Efficient and Predictable Results: Thanks to advancements in dental technology and techniques, endodontic therapy has become a highly efficient and predictable procedure. With proper care, a treated tooth can last a lifetime, ensuring long-term oral health and functionality.

Aesthetic Appeal: Preserving your natural tooth means preserving the appearance of your smile. By undergoing endodontic therapy, you can maintain a seamless and natural-looking smile.

Conclusion:

Endodontic therapy, or root canal treatment, is a valuable dental procedure that allows you to preserve your natural teeth and maintain a healthy, beautiful smile. By addressing the infection or inflammation within the tooth, endodontic therapy offers pain relief, efficient results, and long-term oral health benefits. If you reside in Prosper, TX. Schedule your appointment with expert dentists in Prosper, TX and take the first step towards preserving your natural smile for years to come.

[eelhound]

"What is a city for? And to whom does it belong? If you believe that a city belongs to its people, as a place for them to live, work, eat, sleep, sing, love, argue, and ultimately die, then there’s no particular problem with graffiti. It simply expresses all of those things, which make up life itself. But if you believe that a city belongs to its property owners, then graffiti is very bad indeed. After all, it’s not that politicians and members of the economic elite object to the act of writing on walls as such. They write on walls all the time, and on a much larger scale than anyone else; they just call it 'advertising.' The giant gold letters spelling out T R U M P on a skyscraper are this kind of elite graffiti, the biggest 'tag' of all. But the elite believe that only those with money should be allowed to write their thoughts on the city’s surface. They take it as an article of faith that the right to do so must be bought and paid for, as they believe all things must — and in turn, that those who can’t pay have no right to leave a trace of their existence.

This way of thinking has nothing to do with aesthetics. A sublimely beautiful piece of graffiti on a bus shelter will be removed, while an ugly ad for a dentist or an insurance firm will stay up. Graffiti, which is free to anyone with a Sharpie or spray can, is an act of transgression by humanity against the existing order of property and power. That is why politicians and police are disgusted by it and spend a disproportionate amount of time, money, and effort trying to wipe it from existence. Giving the game away somewhat, Richard Ravitch — the former head of New York’s MTA, and later lieutenant governor of the state — once called graffiti 'a symbol that we have lost control.' (Someone should have asked him: who are 'we'?) More recently, after far-right blowhard Tucker Carlson visited Moscow, he praised it for having 'no graffiti' in sight. The kind of city he and people like him want is clean, orderly, prosperous, extensively policed — and utterly inhuman."

- Alex Skopic, from "In Defense of Graffiti." Current Affairs, 19 August 2024.

[esoteric-chaos]

Disability-Friendly Prosperity Magic

So let's face it, those who are disabled have a hard time with money in general, either from being unable to work or not having a steady, strong source of income. Sometimes we can monetize our hobbies, admittedly at a limited capacity (some less or more than others).

From our relationship with money, money mindsets, and income streams, it's hard. That's not to shame anyone, either. Some overspend to cope, while others are incredibly frugal.

In this post, I will review some resources, tips, and tricks for the struggling disabled witch.

The Mundane Before Magical

Step one is to make a budget and track your expenses. I'm serious. Sit down, look at where your money is going, and decide on a budget that you can realistically stick to. I use the 50/30/20 rule as a budget, which is 50% Needs, 30% Wants, and 20% Savings. However, I recently switched wants and savings around so I can save for a trip.

Now I do not want you to worry about a big fancy budget method. I don't want you to overthink it. Here is a resource (Canada, but it can be used in the USA) to start one. Focus on your needs like housing, utilities, basic clothing, food, etc. Then go into wants and entertainment, and finally, savings. I suggest you put any debt payoff into the needs category if you have any debt. You do not want a blow to your credit report.

Now do you have any financial goals? Going back to school? Debt payoff? A trip? Even a big medical trip coming up? Here is a resource (Canada, but it can be used in the USA) that can help you create a goal and a plan to pay this off.

Savings, please, your SAVINGS. It is vital to have an emergency fund. Job loss? Death? Vet bills? Children? Dentist? You better believe that piles up. It is recommended if you are single to have at least 3 months of income saved up, with a child and single at least 6 months. Married on two incomes, the same amount. Married with one income, it is recommended without children at least 6 months saved up and with children 9 months. It is vital you have the means to take care of yourself if an emergency strikes. It is never recommended that money be stopped from being put into these accounts.

If you are in debt, look at your debt relief options. Sometimes there are services out there that can advocate for you regarding debt. They will help you develop a plan, understand the relief options, sign documents with you, and develop a credit rebuilding program. These services are out there; even if they are paid, they can help you pay off some of your debt, especially credit card debt.

Educate yourself on investing, basic investing, and financial literacy, in stock markets and everything beyond. Know what kind of accounts you can hold and what could help you in your situation.

Need help applying for disability? Here's a resource for the USA (a lot can also be used for Canada).

The Magical

Upkeep a prosperity altar. Work with the spirit of money like you would any other spirit. Honour it, talk to it, venerate it. Money loves to be valued, moved, not wasted, and used in charity. Most importantly, money takes time. Money takes time to grow and build a relationship with.

This is the most important thing I've learned about money. It wants to be worked with. It's sitting there. It wants to help and aid you in ways that you need.

Work with this altar on Thursdays, incorporating the spirit of Jupiter. Jupiter rules over finances. Long steady finances, not quick finances. Jupiter rules over business, legal and all things finances. Jupiter is a slower-moving planet.

You can also incorporate the spirit of Mercury on Wednesdays along with your Jupiter workings. Mercury is a fast-moving planet, a planet for fast-moving money. However, you must build a long, steady form of finances over quick, easy cash (but sometimes you do need it right now).

You can create a money bowl and work with it on this altar, a Jupiter cashbox (I will make a future post on this), or a manifestation mirror box filled with petitions, sigils and your investment/banking information.

Fill your altar with greens and gold, imagery for wealth and abundance, pocket change, and anything else that symbolizes wealth.

Do not forget to leave offerings for your money altar. A simple glass of water can do but try to do more if you can.

Road opener workings or petition with an offering for the cross-road spirits who can unblock blockages in your way.

Final Take Away

I know this might not help everyone, but I sincerely hope this helps somebody. Financial literacy was not taught to everyone, nor were proper budgeting tips. I wanted to share what I've learned over the years as I believe it is vital information for some of the information I have collected.

Blessings

[3000s]

yessssss the prosperous dentists

[electronsprotonscroutons]

Surprised I haven’t seen anyone here posting about the Marubo tribe being given internet access via Musk’s nasty Skylink satellites. Tragic and absolutely fascinating, this remote tribe (and many others) have been carelessly and non-consensually thrown into the waters of modernity. What will come of their oral traditions? This just shows a complete disregard for the importance of language’s link to a culture’s prosperity.

I can’t find an article that says anything other than, “they’re all addicted to porn now.” So here’s some important bullet points that have nothing to do with these allegations:

People are falling for online scams and struggling to discern what information about the world is real.

Internet access has divided the tribe. Young people want to leave, travel the world. One wants to be a dentist in Sāo Paulo.

Okay sure, here’s the one pornography bullet point that is interesting: this is a culture where being public about sexuality is not the norm, and access to pornography is changing that.

The tribe has held meetings discussing whether they should ban internet access entirely, with the verdict being that the tribe could no longer "live without internet."

Co-ordination between villages has been made easier and medical assistance is more readily accessible.

[pinchofhoney]

my own worst enemy

gif is not mine, credit to the owner

ben barnes x celebrity!reader

word count: 3.1k

warning: mental illnes (depression), mention of drinking alcohol, language, angst, comfort

summary: Sometimes all you need is to lie in silence as your person holds you together. Especially when the world is once again flooded with gray and you see nothing on the horizon to herald a uncloud.

requested by: @wolfmoonmusic​

a/n: the moment i read this request, the idea immediately began to sprout in my head. i hope i succeeded in the challenge even if the mentioned topic is not easy. i was a little bit guided by my own emotions transferring them to the reader, so i hope it came out authentically. i borrowed the title from this robert pettersson song. every like and reblog is very much appreciated!!<33 the next thing i’d like to post will be a little valentine's surprise, so stay tuned!!

english is not my first language, excuse me for any mistakes

“Still no answer?”

“No” Ben replied, nervously walking around his trailer, when the call was again switched to voicemail. He was in Yorkshire, England working on his new film The Critic and a cell phone at the moment was the only medium to contact you as you stayed in your apartment in Los Angeles. But why was he desperately trying to reach you in the first place, having previously asked for a break during the shoot?

One of your best friends was the reason why.

Amita Suman called him.

You two met in the first year of London acting and drama school – Academy of Live and Recorded Arts. On the very first day of class, you felt a certain thread of communication between you and from then on you were almost inseparable. For this reason, she knew everything about you, or at least the great majority. She even knew more than your boyfriend, which in most cases was a huge advantage. Sometimes, however, it was the complete opposite, and the fact that Amita knew Ben very well didn't improve the situation at all. And this was also the case this time.

This was one of those weeks.

Weeks? It was one of those months.

Months in which, despite systematically taking medication, you again felt as if you deserved nothing and no one. You have been heavily overstimulated in recent months, which has only made things worse for you. As a result of taking a job with Pedro Pascal on the newly announced HBO series, My Dentist's Murder Trial, you've been working more than sleeping. As a newly prosperous actress, new to the world of movies in a serious way, you wanted to please every producer who offered you a job. You wanted to be the best version of yourself, the one who doesn't let others down and who can be trusted because no matter the project, she gives one hundred per cent of herself. That's the way you were raised, and despite being told over and over again in therapy that the world won't collapse if you allow yourself some rest, you haven't been able to change that.

But usually you were able to handle it. Years of strict treatment from your mother have allowed you to master adopting a fake mask to perfection, but it never reflected well on you.

This was also the same this time.

After long hours on set, you were sick of everything. But it wasn't the usual exhaustion that affects every adult having a hard day at work. You felt like isolating yourself from everyone. You didn't answer the phone or reply to any messages, unless they were related to your dream job, for which you had worked for a long time and which had recently turned into a nightmare. Every day, when you got home, you locked the door of your place and, without turning on any light, immediately headed for the kitchen. More and more often, you took larger doses of medication than you should have, and also reached for alcohol immediately afterwards, thinking that this was the only thing that would keep your thoughts occupied and allow you to get up again the next day and make it to the set on time.

Earlier this month, Ben flew to England, where he was supposed to start work on a new film. Given your recent condition, it was very much to your advantage that he was over eight thousand kilometres away from you. He knew about your problems, but still, you didn't like to show that something was wrong. This was also closely related to your childhood, when your mother would marginalise and belittle your problems, telling you to go to your room and stop ‘complaining’.

Still, when Ben was in the city and you could meet him at your spare time, you felt better. Much better. He was one of the two people you let into your chaos.

The other person was Amita.

The evening before Ben's flight to his homeland, you were on a date. You managed to get back from work sooner that day, as you only had a script reading scheduled with the rest of the cast. Your relationship was no secret, however, you valued your privacy. Occasionally, you added photos of you together to your social media profiles, but these often didn't portray you as a couple. You didn't like it when you were only mentioned when talking about Ben. You didn't go to the London School of Acting for so long that now your name was only mentioned when Barnes' name is brought up.

Unfortunately, the large majority of people didn't seem to share your perspective on your relationship, and the biggest problem was Ben's fans. You knew how much they meant to him and how much they mean to him. After all, it was also thanks to them that his career had flourished so much. But you were hurt by the comments you received from them, and they came every time you appeared in the media together. There have been times when you've been forced to turn off the ability to comment on your photos on Instagram because the amount of negative comments was starting to weigh you down. The profiles from which these comments were coming usually had a picture of Ben in the profile picture, and the name was either about Ben or about any of his characters. You didn't understand why the people who should theoretically be enjoying his happiness were dragging you down.

Ben, on the other hand, did not read any comments. He didn't bother with them. Sometimes he wasn't even the one to add posts to his social media – he had people for that. For this reason, he was not fully aware of what you were facing. When you mentioned to him that, again, benbarnswife claims that you two are not a good match he would only tell you not to pay attention to it, because, after all, it doesn't really matter anyway.

But for you it meant a lot.

You were sitting in your apartment, and the only source of light was a standing lamp in the corner of the living room. You were sitting on the couch with your dog's head on your thigh. In one hand you held a glass half-full of wine, while in the other you held your phone, where you read the comments under a photo of Ben, you added a few days ago. The photo was taken on the day before his flight, while walking through one of the larger bookstores in the city.

forbarnes lmaooooo she added his photo without her on itttttt she knows she’s ugly & fat juliebvrnes she really think she deserves him 🤣 biIlyrss0 he looks so done with her 💀 inlovewithdarkling SO IN LOVE WITH THIS!!!! bennn__ my husband barneswife kys<33333 lmao

You locked your phone screen and tossed it to the side, which scared your dog. You took a big sip of wine and, wiping your mouth with the sleeve of Ben's sweatshirt you were wearing, got up from the couch.

“I’m done of this shit, Rocky…” you said to your dog and dragging your feet walked to the kitchen to fill your glass with drink.

This was the first time you stopped answering calls even from your best friend. You just watched as the number of missed calls and unread messages from Amita had been growing for three days. Normally, she would have barged into your apartment after the first few rejected calls, regardless of whether you were inside or not. She had extra keys. Unfortunately, she was also several hundred kilometers away from you, busy with her work.

After pouring wine into your glass, you turned off all the lights and headed straight to the bathroom, where you began filling the tub with warm water. You needed a rest, and the alcohol seemed to have stopped working. So you reached for the traditional ways of relaxation – a bath in hot water full of foam. You took off your clothes, tossing Ben's sweatshirt into the washing machine, and looked in the mirror stretched on the wall in front of you. You ran your hand over your stomach, then looked into your tired face. You had the thought that you had lost a few pounds recently, but you couldn't find that one reason for your weight loss. A return of bad mood? Constant work-related stress? Maybe something else you didn't even realize? You sighed and took a check-up look at the water level in the bathtub. You reached for a brush and combed your hair, then tied it into a messy bun on top of your head.

You slowly entered the bathtub and after just a moment turned off the tap, deciding that there was already enough water. You dipped down to your chin and breathed deeply. You tilted your head back slightly, closing your eyes. It was pleasant, you felt the warmth of the water wrap around your entire body, and your tense muscles began to relax.

You didn't even notice when the alcohol in your veins combined with the temperature of the water made you feel breathless. Nor did you register the moment you lost consciousness.

When you opened your eyes again you were completely underwater. Panicked, you immediately wanted to take a breath in, which only caused pain in your respiratory tract. Without any hesitation, you emerged from the water and, pushing away the hair stuck to your face, you started coughing, leaning out of the tub.

When you felt all the water leave your throat and windpipe leading to your lungs, you began to take nervous gulps of air. Confused, you looked around the still-foggy bathroom. You didn't know what had really happened, or how long you had been under that water. You didn't even know if what had just happened was even possible. After all, it was not once said that people drowned after falling asleep while bathing. You were very lucky.

Helping yourself with trembling hands, you lifted yourself out of the tub. You reached for your towel and, wrapping yourself in it, sat down on the bathroom rug, beginning to cry hysterically. You were terrified by the situation, and the fact that no one was by your side didn't make you feel any better at all. When you finally calmed down, you felt that the temperature in the room decreased and goosebumps began to appear on your skin. You got up from the floor and quickly put on your pajamas. After what had happened, you felt as if all the alcohol had evaporated from your body. You opened the bathtub drain so that the water could flow out of it, and on your still shaking legs you left the bathroom.

“Rocky?” you called out to your dog with a weak voice. Fortunately, he heard you well and after just a moment you saw a young dalmatian walking towards you. “Come on, it's bedtime, baby” you pet the dog's head and went with him to the bedroom. When Ben wasn't with you for the night, Rocky was happy to take his place, occupying the great majority of the bed in the meantime. You didn't mind though, you liked to feel someone's presence at night, even if it was just your dog.

The next day you didn't show up at the location where you were supposed to shoot the next few scenes. That night you didn't sleep at all. Not only did you not have the strength to do anything, but the headache caused by an excess of wine and antidepressants made its presence known. First thing in the morning you called the producer, saying that you were feeling terrible and that you must have caught some kind of illness. He wasn't happy, but what else could he do? After all, he wouldn't forcibly drag you out of the apartment, and anyway he had no reason to be angry, because you had never failed him before.

You spent the whole day in bed. You had no appetite, so despite the audible burbling in your stomach and the accompanying feeling of hunger, you didn't eat anything. The only times you left the bedroom were your trips to the toilet, or quick walks with Rocky.

Late in the evening you heard someone banging on the door. It started out as knocking on the door and waiting patiently for an answer, but it quickly turned into a nervous pulling on the handle. Your dog reacted immediately. After just a few knocks he was at the door, barking. You weren't expecting any visitors, mainly because the only two people who could pay you a visit were in another state, or even – country. Reluctantly, you rose from the bed, realizing that the intruder on the other side of the door was not going to let go.

“I'm coming!” you called out to calm the unannounced visitor. You sighed deeply as you walked through the apartment and saw all the mess inside.

You finally turned the key in the lock, and to your eyes was seen none other than your boyfriend, who at that very moment should have been in Yorkshire. Seeing him, you only furrowed your eyebrows, not knowing what he was doing here. Did you miss some message? Possibly. You took a few steps back the moment the man, with concern painted on his face, entered the apartment. Being already inside, he closed the door behind him and immediately took you into his arms.

“Ben? What are you doing here?” you muttered into the fabric of his coat which he was wearing, embracing him with your arms after a while.

“I was so worried…” he said, stroking your hair as if he didn't believe you were safe and sound.

“W-why?” you asked confused. What could he be worried about? After all, no one knew about the events of the previous night. You didn't let anyone know about them, and your dog, of course, couldn't pass on the information.

Ben pulled away from you at arm's length. All the while holding you by the shoulders he looked at you carefully. “Amita said she has had no contact with you for three days. She told me that things haven't been very good with you lately… Why didn't you say anything?”

“I-” you didn't know what to answer him. You saw concern in his dark eyes. On top of that, he held you as if he was about to lose you forever.

You haven't even noticed that Rocky is persistently trying to get your attention. He loved Ben and didn't understand why the man was ignoring him.

“I didn't want to worry you…” you finally stutter out.

“Worry me? Love, I tried to reach you yesterday. You don't even know how it worried me. What's happening with you?”

“What are you even doing here?” you answered with a question to a question, not wanting to tell him about what you've been going through lately. “You should-”

“Don't change the topic” he said more harshly than he intended. However, he quickly recanted and muttered an apology under his breath. He took your hand and led you to the living room, where you both sat on the couch. He didn't even take off the coat he came in. “I arrived on the first plane I could”

Hearing his words made you even more stunned. What did he meant, he got away from the set? You saw him looking around the interior of the apartment, he must have noticed the chaos inside already at the entrance. After all, he had never seen anything like this at your place before.

“Is this one of those episodes?” he asked, unsure of the words he was choosing.

“I've been feeling worse lately” you finally started. Ben slipped his outerwear off his shoulders and threw it over the back of the couch, then focused all his attention on you again. “I don't know if it's the medications that stopped working or if I'm just exhausted from everything… I didn't want to worry you, I've always handled things on my own. It would be fine eventually”

“Eventually? Y/N, who am I to you?”

“What?” you asked, being surprised by the question Ben put to you.

“Just answer – who am I to you?”

“You-you know you’re the most important person in my life”

“Am I? Because lately I don't feel that way at all. How many times did you call me during this month while I was in England? Zero, Y/N, not even on-”

“O-okay, if you are going to get angry with me then just get out of here” you interrupted him, getting up from your seat. Tears began to gather in your eyes. Ben's words made you feel worse instead of feeling better around him. You stood in front of him, looking at him the whole time, fighting with yourself not to cry.

“No. No, I’m sorry. I didn't mean to sound like that, sorry” he replied, also getting up from the couch. “My point is that I would like you to be honest with me. That you wouldn't be afraid to tell me how you feel. I am here for you, Y/N. Even being thousands of miles away, you can count on me, love” he grabbed your hands, taking a step closer to you.

“It's not that easy, Ben…” you replied, slightly hanging your head and sticking your eyes on your hands.

“I know. I know, love” he let go of one of your hands and lifted your chin with his thumb so you could look at him. With his other thumb, he began to smooth the skin on your hand. “Just try to do it, okay?” he asked while looking straight into your eyes. You felt like running away with your eyes to the side, as the weight of his dark gaze began to make you shy. You swallowed your saliva, then nodded in agreement with his words.

“I am glad you are safe. Amita had such a frightened voice on the phone that I began to think of only black scenarios myself” he snorted a quiet laugh, resting his forehead on the one belonging to you.

“I'm sorry, I will never worry you again. I promise…” you promised, remembering the fear that accompanied you yesterday. No matter how bad you felt, you needed both Amita and Ben, because they were the only ones who could help you, in case you didn't have the strength to fight on your own.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Gail Godwin is one of our finest writers. Godwin's latest book "Getting to Know Death," will be published this month by Bloomsbury U.S..

This excerpt appears in Harper's Magazine.

>>>>>

DARK KNIGHTS OF THE SOUL

I have been close to people who one day found themselves in the desperate place and didn’t make it out.

I remember struggling to write a letter to a young man whose father had just hanged himself. The father had been the builder of our house. He was charming and talented and proud of his son. I wrote these things to the son and then came the point in the letter where I was supposed to write something hopeful for the future. All I could think of to convey was No, you’ll never get over it, but the time will come when you will be glad you can’t get over it because the loved one remains alive in your heart as you continue to engage with the who and the why of him.

Two people in my family didn’t make it out of their desperate place: my father and my brother.

Though I had seen my father only twice when I was a child, I sent him an invitation to my high school graduation. Mother said not to expect him to show up, but he did. He, his new wife, and his brother drove from Smithfield, North Carolina, to Portsmouth, Virginia, for the ceremony. In the early-summer weeks that followed, we wrote letters to each other. He had elegant handwriting and prose to match. He wrote that he would like more than anything to get to know me better. Could I—would it be possible for me to spend a few weeks with them at the beach this summer? I was in my first desperate place at that time and decided to tell him about it—though not all of it. I ended up going to the beach and returning with them to Smithfield and entering Peace College in the fall, paid for by my father.

My father had been doing some personal bookkeeping of his own. At the age of fifty, he had at last achieved a measure of stability. Finally, after thirty years of intemperate living, he had managed to stop drinking, had married a new widow in town with a prosperous brother-in-law, and was manager of sales at the brother-in-law’s car dealership. My father confided to me during the weeks we spent at his brother-in-law’s beach cottage that he regretted not having made more of himself. “You mustn’t let it happen to you,” he said. “Nobody is prepared for how quickly time passes, and you don’t want to be one of those people who wakes up in the late afternoon with nothing to show for it.” But later, in a radiant moment while we were lying on the beach working on our tans, he told me that I had come along at just the right time, and if he continued to win his battle against depression and alcohol, and if automobile sales continued like this, well, the future didn’t look so hopeless after all.

As we lay side by side, congratulating ourselves for finding each other, I had no idea that old disappointments were biding their time, stealthily building like waves, which in less than three years would drown him.

One winter afternoon when I was a junior at Chapel Hill, he phoned his brother at his office. “Just felt like saying hello, old son,” he said. “Son” was what the brothers called each other. After he hung up, he lay down on the floor of his bedroom in Smithfield and shot himself in the head.

Losing ground. Was that the thing that ultimately killed him? In his twenties, he began losing jobs, losing status, but always got back on his feet. A charming, handsome man, he did not need to keep a steady job as long as his mother was alive. And after her death, there would be other admirers waiting in line for whom his looks and charm were enough. By the time he met my mother, he was an alcoholic. After that came the mental disorders, given different psychiatric names as the years went by.

When they were driving back to Smithfield after my high school graduation, he came with a raging toothache. They found a dentist along the road who pulled the tooth. But the pain continued, and when they got home, the dentist told him it had been the wrong tooth. “I should have known,” he would finish this story, laughing. “I should have known when we drove into the parking lot and his shingle read: doctor payne.” He still had the charm but the looks were going.

This is from a June 16, 2018, New York Times op-ed, “What Kept Me from Killing Myself,” by the Iraq War veteran Kevin Powers. “Throughout that summer and into the fall . . . just below the surface of my semiconsciousness, was the constant thought: Maybe I won’t wake up this time.” Powers continues:

I doubt much needs to be said about the kind of despair that would make such an idea a source of comfort, despair that came not from accepting that things were as bad as they were going to get but, worse, that they might go on like that forever. The next step felt both logical and inevitable.

This sounds along the lines of what my twenty-eight-year-old brother might have been thinking in the hours that led up to his death.

In the last week of his life, Tommy was working on a long poem. He left behind two drafts. He titled one “Why Not Just Leave It Alone?” and the other “Why Change the World?” One line is the same in both drafts: “My pride is broken since my lover’s gone.” Both drafts end with the same image of the poet being laid to rest in his wooden home, “With my trooper hat on my chest bone.”

It was October 2, 1983. What happened, what we know happened, as opposed to all that we can never know, was that on the Sunday afternoon after Mother’s birthday, Tommy ironed a shirt at his parents’ house, where he had been living with his three-year-old son. He told Mother he was going over to see J., the woman he loved, a nurse who also had a three-year-old son. They had planned to marry; they had even made out a budget. Then J. suddenly broke it off. Tommy told Mother he was going over to ask J. to reconsider. “I’m going to settle it one way or another before the afternoon is out,” he said, and drove off alone.

COUPLE FOUND SHOT was the headline in the newspaper the next morning.

The day before, on Mother’s birthday, I knew Tommy was unhappy. But Tommy was always unhappy. He “felt things more than most” was the family euphemism for his troubled nature. He most took to heart the family’s fractures as well as the world’s. Drawing you in with his shy, closemouthed smile, he would offer his latest tale of woe. But always, always in his stories, there had been a quality of suspense, of entertainment. He starred in them as the knight-errant, complete with pratfalls and setbacks, but a knight-errant who picked himself up, dusted himself off, and set out on his next mission. Tommy was a modern Samaritan who carried a first-aid kit and a blue emergency beacon in his car in case he came across an accident.

We were in the kitchen and he told me the story of J. suddenly breaking up with him. But this time something was different. I was not, as usual, deriving the usual listener’s satisfaction from his story. Many years later, when remembering that kitchen scene, I realized what had spooked me about it: Not only was there not a trace of the shy, closemouthed smile, there was no knight-errant starring in my brother’s story. The tone was new: one of bafflement and resignation. There was no sense of any future missions. There was no tug of suspense. It was like a story that had already ended.

Tommy would be sixty-three now. He was born the same summer that my father drove from Smithfield to Glen Burnie, Maryland, and rescued me from my desperate place. If on that October afternoon twenty-eight years later there had not been a pistol handy in the glove compartment of J.’s car, would Tommy have remarried somebody else and raised his son and reconciled himself to a fallen world, as long as he had a firstaid kit and a job that gave him the satisfaction that he was rescuing people from injustice?

But now I do hear his voice, the old Tommy voice, just as it was in life, chiding me as he defends the position of his beloved National Rifle Association with its singsong refrain: “Gail, guns don’t kill people. People do.” I continue to engage with the who and why of my father and my brother.

During my life, I have found myself in the desperate place four times. But that first time, at age eighteen, was by far the worst.

Summer 1955 in Glen Burnie, Maryland. Everybody seemed to have a future but me. I had received a letter from Mother Winters, my mentor from ninth grade. She congratulated me on being salutatorian, asked about my plans for college, and brought me news of some of my classmates. “Pat has won the four-year Angier Duke scholarship to Duke, Carolyn will be going to Radcliffe, Stuart and Lee to St. Mary’s in Raleigh . . . ” Here I stopped reading and felt . . . what? A dry mouth, a pang in the chest, a sense of going down, of losing myself. All I knew to do was mark my position.

My position. At the time, I couldn’t hold all of it in my mind. If I had tried, I might have despaired, or lashed out and hurt myself or somebody else. I had so little experience to draw from and there was no escape.

Since my early teens, I had been building my life on false premises. I was creating a persona that was more extroverted than I really was. She pretended to more confidence and security than I felt. I became a pro at embellishing and editing my history. When I entered a new school, I “went out” for things I was good at that would bring me attention. The school paper, the drama club, painting posters and scenery, entering competitions—and, of course, getting high grades. I dated lots of boys, made it a point to be cagey and hard to get until each got fed up and moved on, usually just as I had begun to appreciate him.

That was the outside of things. At home, other dramas were playing out. We were not free people. Our embattled breadwinner, who was angry much of the time, sometimes knocked one of us to the floor for challenging him. There was no money for us except what he doled out and no going anywhere he didn’t drive us. As I entered my teens, the bread winner, who was only twelve years older than me, often spoke of how he “loved” me. His voice trembled. At night I would wake to find him kneeling in the dark beside my bed, his hand taking liberties.

My mother had shed her former confident self. As a child, I knew a mother who arrived home on the 10:00 pm bus after her wartime job on the newspaper, a woman who taught college and on weekends typed up love stories that earned one hundred dollars apiece. This powerless woman seemed more like someone I was visiting in prison. Only I was in prison with her. She suffered because there was no money to send me to college. She made phone calls to a private college in Baltimore to see if I could go as a day student. The registrar said a partial scholarship might be arranged, given my academic record, but where was the rest of the money to come from? There was no “rest of the money,” my stepfather reminded us, as though we were dim-witted. He suggested I take a year off and find a job, “maybe in sales work,” and save up for college next year. He added magnanimously that I could continue to live under his roof for the time being without paying rent.

That’s the way the ground lay that June 1955 morning in Glen Burnie, when the girl sat cross-legged on her bed, the letter from her old teacher clutched in her fist. “Pat to Duke, Carolyn to Radcliffe, Stuart and Lee to St. Mary’s.”

This is my life, but I may not get to do what I want in it.

I can’t see a way out of this.

Things will not necessarily get better.

In my novel Unfinished Desires, about life at a girls’ school, two old nuns are being driven back to their retirement home from a doctor’s visit, and one says to the other, “There was a sentence this morning in that Prayer for Holy Women: ‘In our weakness Your power reaches perfection.’ What do you think it means, Sister Paula?” Sister Paula thinks for a minute and then replies, “I think it means you have to admit you can’t save yourself before you’re fully available to God.”

That morning in Glen Burnie, God was undergoing some very slippery changes in my psyche. He had ceased being the attentive Heavenly Father who was always aware of me. All I could be certain of that long-ago summer morning was that I could not save myself.

But something else did, something already embedded in the tissue of my particular circumstances: the earthly father who had been the absent father. In a mood of defiant resignation, I decided to send him an invitation to my graduation. Of course he wouldn’t come.

But he did come. And when we were lying beside each other on the beach, he said, “When I opened your invitation, after I got over being pleasantly surprised, I thought to myself, Well, this is one thing I did that came to fruition. And then, after we began to write letters to each other, it struck me that I might be the rescuer you needed.”

Art Work: "When Day Touches Night," a painting by Michael Ho, whose work was on view last month with Gallery Vacancy at the art fair Independent New York.

(Follies of God)

[brightteethtimes]

Unveiling the Impact of Smoking on Your Dental Health

Smoking is a habit that has far-reaching consequences, affecting not only your lungs but also your overall health—including your dental well-being. As you draw on that cigarette, you're exposing your teeth to a myriad of potential issues. In this blog, we'll delve into the intricate relationship between smoking and your oral health, uncovering the harsh realities that lie beneath the smoke-screened facade.

Yellowing Yellows: The Staining Struggle

One of the most visible effects of smoking on teeth is staining. The tar and nicotine present in cigarettes can adhere to tooth enamel, gradually transforming your pearly whites into shades of yellow and brown. The longer you smoke, the more pronounced this discoloration becomes. However, hope isn't lost:

Commit to Quit: The most effective way to prevent further staining is to quit smoking. Your teeth have a remarkable ability to recover their natural color when you kick the habit.

Professional Cleaning: Regular dental cleanings can help remove surface stains caused by smoking, restoring a brighter smile.

Gum Woes: A Gingival Gamble

Smoking doesn't just affect the appearance of your teeth; it takes a toll on your gums too. The chemicals in tobacco smoke hinder blood flow to the gums, impairing their ability to heal and fight infection. This can lead to a slew of gum-related issues:

Gingivitis: Smoking increases the risk of developing gingivitis (gum inflammation), which can progress to more severe gum disease if left untreated.

Periodontal Disease: Smoking is a significant risk factor for periodontal disease, a severe form of gum disease that can result in tooth loss due to damaged bone and tissue.

Slow Healing: Wounds and Oral Surgery

If you're a smoker, you might find that healing after dental procedures or oral surgery takes longer than expected. The compromised blood flow to your oral tissues can hinder the body's ability to repair itself, leading to delayed recovery times.

Oral Cancer: The Most Dire Consequence

Perhaps the most alarming effect of smoking on your oral health is its association with oral cancer. Cigarettes contain numerous carcinogens that can damage the cells in your mouth, increasing the risk of cancer development. Regular dental check-ups are crucial for early detection and timely intervention.

Bad Breath: The Lingering Odor

Smoking doesn't just leave a physical mark; it also leaves an unpleasant odor that can linger on your breath. Known as smoker's breath, this scent can be challenging to mask and can negatively impact your social interactions.

Conclusion: Clearing the Air on Dental Health

The impact of smoking on your teeth is undeniable, ranging from cosmetic concerns like staining to more severe issues like gum disease and oral cancer. As you ponder the allure of that cigarette, remember that your dental health is at stake. Quitting smoking is the most effective way to safeguard your smile and overall well-being. If you're struggling to quit, consider seeking prosper dentist help and support—it's a choice that can lead to a brighter, healthier future for both you and your teeth.

[prospersmilestudio]

How to Avoid Bad Dental Habits for a Healthy Smile

Your smile is often the first thing people notice about you, and it's a powerful tool for communication and self-confidence. Taking care of your oral health is not only important for a beautiful smile but also for your overall well-being. Bad dental habits can lead to a range of oral health issues, from cavities to gum disease. In this blog, we will explore how to avoid bad dental habits and maintain a healthy, beautiful smile.

Brush and Floss Regularly

One of the most fundamental dental habits is to brush and floss your teeth regularly. Dentists recommend brushing at least twice a day and flossing once a day to remove food particles, plaque, and bacteria from your teeth and gums. Use a soft-bristle toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste for effective cleaning. Proper technique is essential; make sure to brush for at least two minutes and gently reach all surfaces of your teeth.

Choose the Right Toothbrush

Selecting the right toothbrush is crucial. Consider a soft-bristle brush to avoid damaging your tooth enamel and gums. Electric toothbrushes are also an excellent option as they can provide more consistent brushing pressure and better cleaning results.

Avoid Overbrushing

While regular brushing is essential, overbrushing can be just as harmful as not brushing enough. Overbrushing, or brushing with excessive force, can wear down your tooth enamel and irritate your gums. Use gentle, circular motions to clean your teeth and gums thoroughly without causing damage.

Don't Forget Your Tongue

Your tongue can harbor bacteria and contribute to bad breath. After brushing your teeth, gently brush your tongue or use a tongue scraper to remove any residual bacteria and keep your breath fresh.

Be Mindful of Your Diet

What you eat can significantly impact your oral health. Sugary and acidic foods and drinks can contribute to tooth decay and erosion. Try to limit your consumption of these items, and when you do indulge, be sure to brush your teeth or rinse your mouth with water afterward.

Say No to Tobacco

Smoking and using other forms of tobacco can lead to a host of dental problems, including staining, gum disease, and oral cancer. Quitting tobacco is one of the best things you can do for your dental health and overall well-being.

Limit Alcohol Consumption

Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to a dry mouth, which increases the risk of tooth decay and gum disease. If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation and make sure to stay well-hydrated.

Wear a Mouthguard

If you play contact sports or grind your teeth at night, wearing a mouthguard can protect your teeth from injury and damage. Your dentist can help you choose the right type of mouthguard for your specific needs.

Don't Use Your Teeth as Tools

Your teeth are meant for chewing food, not as tools to open packages or crack nuts. Using your teeth for unintended purposes can lead to chipped or broken teeth.

Visit Your Dentist Regularly

Regular dental check-ups and cleanings are essential for maintaining good oral health. Your Prosper dentist can catch and address problems early, offer guidance on your oral hygiene routine, and provide professional cleaning.

Conclusion

Taking care of your oral health and avoiding bad dental habits is a crucial part of maintaining a beautiful smile and overall well-being. By following these tips, you can protect your teeth and gums, prevent oral health issues, and enjoy a lifetime of healthy smiles. Remember, a healthy smile is a happy smile!

[the-jam-to-the-unicorn]

Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Inaugural Address (2019)

Dear Ukrainians!

After my election victory, my six-year-old son said: «Dad, they say on TV that Zelenskyy is the President … So, it means that…I am... the President too?!» At the time, it sounded funny, but later I realized that it was true. Because each of us is the President. Not just the 73 percent who voted for me, but all 100 percent of Ukrainians. This is not just mine, this is our common victory. And this is our common chance that we are responsible for together.  

It hasn’t been only me who has just taken the oath. Each of us has just put his hand on the Constitution and swore allegiance to Ukraine.

Now, imagine the headlines: «The President Does Not Pay Taxes,» «The Intoxicated President Ran the Red Light» or « The President Is Quietly Stealing Because Everyone Does.» Would you agree that it’s shameful? This is what I mean when I say that each of us is the President. From now on, each of us is responsible for the country that we leave to our children. Each of us, in his place, can do everything for the prosperity of Ukraine.

Our European country begins with each one of us. We have chosen a path to Europe, but Europe is not somewhere out there. Europe is here (in the head — Ed.) And after it appears here, it will be everywhere, all over Ukraine.

This is our common dream. But we also share a common pain. Each of us has died in the Donbas. Every day we lose each one of us. And each of us is a refugee — the one who has lost his own home and the one who has opened the door of his home, sharing the pain. And each of us is a migrant worker — the one who could’t find himself at home, but has found income in a foreign country, and the one who struggling with poverty, is forced to lose his own dignity.

But we will overcome all of this! Because each of us is a Ukrainian.

We are all Ukrainians: there are no bigger or lesser, or correct or incorrect Ukrainians. From Uzhgorod to Luhansk, from Chernigiv to Simferopol, in Lviv, Kharkiv, Donetsk, Dnipro and Odesa — we are Ukrainians. And we have to be one.  After all, only then we are strong.

Today I appeal to all Ukrainians in the world. There are 65 millions of us. Yes, don’t be surprised: there are 65 million of us — those born on the Ukrainian soil. Ukrainians in Europe and Asia, in North and South America, Australia and Africa — I appeal to all Ukrainians on the planet!

We really need you. To all who are ready to build a new, strong and successful Ukraine, I will gladly grant Ukrainian citizenship. You must come to Ukraine not to visit, but to return home. We are waiting for you. There is no need to bring souvenirs from abroad, but please, bring your knowledge, experience and values.

That will help us start a new era. Skeptics will say that it is impossible, a fantasy. But what if this is, in fact, our national idea — to unite and make the impossible against all odds?

Remember the Iceland soccer team at the European Championship — when a dentist, a director, a pilot, a student and a cleaner defended their country’s honor? No one believed they could do it, but the did it!

And this should be precisely our path. We must become the Icelanders in soccer, the Israelis — in the defense of their native land, the Japanese — in technology and the Swiss — in the ability to live with each other in harmony, despite all the differences.

However, our first task is ceasefire in the Donbas. I have been often asked: What price are you ready to pay for the ceasefire? It’s a strange question. What price are you ready to pay for the lives of you loved ones? I can assure you that I'm ready to pay any price to stop the deaths of our heroes. I'm definitely not afraid to make difficult decisions and I'm ready to lose my fame, my ratings, and if need be — without any hesitation, my position to bring peace, as long as we do not give up our territories.

History is unfair. We are not the ones who have started this war. But we are the ones who have to finish it. And we are ready for dialogue. I believe that the perfect first step in this dialogue will be the return of all Ukrainian prisoners.

Our next challenge is returning the lost territories. In all honesty, this wording does not seem entirely correct to me because it is impossible to return what has always been ours. Both Crimea and Donbas have been our Ukrainian land, but the land where we have lost the most important thing — the people.

Today we have to return their minds — that’s what we have lost. Over the years, the authorities have not done anything to make them feel Ukrainians and understand that they are not strangers, but they are our people, they are Ukrainians.  And even if they are granted 10 different passports, it won’t change anything. For being Ukrainian is not a line in the passport — being Ukrainian is here (in the heart — Ed.)

I know that for sure. I know that from the soldiers who are now defending Ukraine, our heroes, some of whom are Ukrainian-speakers, while others — Russian-speakers. There, in the frontline, there is no strife and discord, there is only courage and honor. So, I want to appeal to our defenders now:

There can be no strong army in a place where the authorities do not respect the people who every day sacrifice their life for the country. I will do everything I can to make you feel respect. This means decent, and most importantly, secure salaries, living conditions, vocation leaves after the combat missions and your and your families’ holidays. We must not just talk about NATO standards — we must create those standards.

Of course, besides the war, there are many other problems that trouble Ukrainians. Among them are the shocking utility tariffs, humiliating wages and pensions, painful prices and non-existent jobs. There is also the health care that is seen as improving mostly by those who have never been to a regular hospital with their child. And then, there are also the mythical Ukrainian roads that are being built and repaired only in someone's prolific imagination.

Allow me to quote one American actor who has become a great American president: «The government does not solve our problems. The government is our problem.»

I do not understand our government that only shrugs and says: «There is nothing we can do.»  Not true. You can. You can take a sheet of paper and a pen and free your seats for those who think about the next generations and not about the next election! Do it and people will appreciate that.

Your applause is pretty light…I guess not everyone likes what I’m saying? Too bad, since it’s not me, but the Ukrainian people who is saying that.

My election proves that our citizens are tired of the experienced, pompous system politicians who over the 28 years, have created a country of opportunities — the opportunities to bribe, steal and pluck the resources.

We will build the country of other opportunities — the one where all are equal before the law and where all the rules are honest and transparent, the same for everyone. And for that, we need people in power who will serve the people. This is why I really do not want my pictures in your offices, for the President is not an icon, an idol or a portrait. Hang your kids' photos instead, and look at them each time you are making a decision.

I can go on, but Ukrainians wants actions, not words. So, dear deputies! You have appointed the inauguration on Monday, a work day, which has one benefit -— it means you are ready to work.

Therefore, I ask that you approve:

1. The law on removing parliamentary immunity.

2. The law establishing criminal liability for illegal enrichment.

3. The long-awaited Electoral Code and open-lists.

Also, please dismiss:

1. Head of the Security Service of Ukraine.

2. Prosecutor General of Ukraine.

3. Minister of Defense of Ukraine.

This is certainly not all that you could do, but for now, it will suffice.

You will have two months to do that. Do it. And take all the medals for it — not a bad move before the snap parliamentary election. I am dissolving the Verkhovna Rada of the eighth convocation

Glory to Ukraine!

And finally:

Dear Nation!

All my life I tried to do all I could so that Ukrainians laughed. That was my mission. Now I will do all I can so that Ukrainians at least do not cry any more.

[beesechurgerho]

Hello there, 👋

I am Tamer Aldeeb, a dentist from Gaza.

We have suffered greatly from fear, displacement, and the destruction of our home and my clinic, and everything we literally own...

We want to save ourselves from what seems like an inevitable death.

I hope you can take a look at my campaign on the pinned post on my profile ,and help us by donating or sharing our campaign to reach the largest number of supporters.🌹🌹

Our campaign is verified by @90-ghost , @ibtisams , @el-shab-hussein , @nabulsi and @fairuzfan 🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸

Thanks a lot in advance ❤️❤️❤️

Hi, Tamer, thank you for reaching out! I'm so sorry for what you and your loved ones are going through, and I hope that someday peace, prosperity, and healing come to you and all Palestinians, and that justice is served to the ones who've committed these atrocities.

To my followers, here's the link to Tamer's GoFundMe campaign:

The campaign is just under halfway to its goal, so please share and donate if you can!

[regexkind]

Geppetto is out there teaching the alphabet to the ants but I'm teaching the prosperity gospel to the dentist aquarium fish