Features
Norah Myers proving by example that Pilates is for everyone
By REBECA KUROPATWA Growing up in Winnipeg, Norah Myers (34) enjoyed spending a lot of her time reading. Born prematurely -when Norah was only eight-days-old, she suffered brain trauma.
As a result one year later, Norah was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy, a disability that affects her movement and posture.
Despite having Cerebral Palsy, and its attendant physical challenges, Norah’s intellectual abilities developed quickly.
Norah began writing fiction at a very young age, eventually getting into writing professionally (attributing her creativity in writing and the arts to her Jewish father’s side of the family). “My first career was in the publishing industry,” said Norah.
“After seven years, I decided to become a Pilates instructor. I’ve been practicing Pilates for 12 years now.”
Last September, Norah received her instructor certification in Pilates. She now specializes in using Pilates for individuals with certain disabilities and pregnant women.
Norah’s passion for Pilates came about in 2008, when her massage therapist said she needed to be exercising more in order to obtain the full benefits from her massage treatments.
As it happened, there was a Pilates studio right up the road from her massage therapist’s office, so she decided to try it.
And, since then, Norah has never looked back.
Some may assume that Pilates is an exercise that is geared to rehabilitative treatment for chronic pain post-trauma, like a car accident or stroke. But it’s much more than that, Norah explained: “Pilates is also a preventative treatment you can do when you’re healthy and strong, to prevent injuries and prevent things from happening.
“Lots of people come to Pilates only when they’re at the end of their wits, because other things haven’t been working. But, you can also do it when you’re healthy and you’re not injured. And, you can prevent injuries as well.”
According to Nicole, “Pilates is focused on dynamic movement. With Pilates, you are always moving. You are on the ground, you are standing up…you are in constant movement the whole time. It is exercise done on a mat and on equipment – usually in an hour-long exercise class designed as injury rehabilitation or prevention.”
As for her own experience with Cerebral Palsy, Norah has found it is a big help in maintaining her balance, strength, and posture. “It has helped me a lot with just becoming stronger,” she said. “I have ab[dominal] muscles now. And, I have way better body awareness and body control, because of regular Pilates classes. You are correcting muscle imbalances. You are improving your strength, your balance, and your coordination.
“It really helps with everyday things – being able to do housework…and, if I drop my keys, I am able to bend to pick them up. Also, if I need to carry the groceries from the car to the house, I can do that.
“If you are picking your grandson up out of the highchair, and holding him, you can do that…it just makes everyday things doable. Even going outside – if you slip, Pilates helps you to develop fast enough reflexes that, if you stumble, you can actually catch yourself before you fall down.”
Different Pilates exercises are designed to help with lifting, carrying, balancing, and moving. These are referred to as “functional exercises,” ones that help in your everyday life.
“I work with a lot of pregnant women,” said Norah. “Pilates really helps you to have a safe, uncomplicated, easy delivery. And, it helps you recover fast and in a healthy way. All the women I have helped have had a really easy, safe labour, and have recovered very quickly.”
When it comes to reaching the disability community, Myers has found that, while the response so far has been good, she realized right away that individuals with disabilities are often not aware that doing Pilates is within their capabilities, or that it helps with pain management, stress, and everyday life.
“I partnered with a couple disability organizations to offer classes to their members,” said Norah. “I’ve been doing Pilates instructing for a year-and-a-half now, and I’ve noticed there is a very common assumption that Pilates is only for people who are already in shape…or people who are flexible, or who are dancers, or who already have a certain amount of strength or body control.
“But, that’s not the case. People come to Pilates after severe accidents, after surgery, when they have cancer, when they have a broken arm, or a broken foot, or whiplash, or whatever it may be.”
For now, all of Myers’ classes are offered online over Zoom. In-person classes at Pilates Winnipeg, in St Vital, will be available once some degree of normalcy returns post-Covid restrictions.
Myers teaches classes everyday. They are semi-private and in groups of three online. These, as well as private classes will resume once Pilates Winnipeg reopens.
No equipment is needed to start Pilates, apart from an exercise mat. Norah added, “If support is needed for knees, back, or shoulders, I’d also recommend a pillow or a rolled up towel. Equipment is good to have, but it’s also good to start without it – just to see how you feel, so that you don’t spend a bunch of money on equipment you may not ever use.”
For more information, visit www.wellnessbynorah.com.
Features
Will the Democratic Socialists of America control the Democratic Party?
By HENRY SREBRNIK On June 23, radical Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) candidates backed by New York mayor Zohran Mamdani won multiple Democratic Party primaries in New York City and elsewhere in the state. They also were victorious in other parts of the country.
The socialist victories in New York far surpassed anyone’s predictions. Who, three years ago, could have predicted that a Muslim anti-Zionist would be elected mayor of a city with 900,000 Jews and would lead insurgents to victories in that party’s primaries in 2026? Yet here we are.
Marxist Third Worldist ideology has moved out of the universities into the polling booths, after campus activism, divestment campaigns, and social media have reinforced an anti-Israeli framework for years. The DSA’s platform states it plainly: It pledges “support for Palestinian self-determination against Israeli apartheid and settler-colonialism.”
The mayor, a long-standing DSA member, worked overtime to appear at countless campaign events for a trio of candidates he dubbed “the Team”: Claire Valdez, Darializa Avila Chevalier, and Brad Lander. The last two unseated incumbent Democratic congressmen. Mamdani has assembled a coalition in New York City that is capable of elevating like-minded candidates to office.
In the Seventh Congressional District, which straddles northern Brooklyn and southwestern Queens, an open primary to replace retiring progressive Rep. Nydia Velázquez saw State Assembly Member Claire Valdez’s’s defeat Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. She was even further left than Mamdani himself. In the end, it was not even close: Valdez prevailed with 56.1 per cent of the vote to Reynoso’s 35.8 per cent.
In 2019, Valdez joined the DSA after seeing the rise of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and state senator Julia Salazar, both of whom were elected with the DSA’s help. Valdez emphasized her anti-Israel activism as a key part of her campaign. At events, her staff handed out signs that said “Free Palestine.” She launched her campaign alongside Mahmoud Khalil, a key anti-Israel leader at Columbia University that the Donald Trump administration has tried to deport.
Valdez referred to Israel’s war against Hamas as a “genocide” as early as October 13, 2023. She lambasted police for restraining anti-Israel mobs chanting “Globalize the Intifada” and waving Hezbollah flags outside a Brooklyn synagogue last June. “New Yorkers don’t just have the right to protest the sale of stolen Palestinian land — they have a responsibility to,” she declare. She has repeatedly criticized the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). She also boasted on social media of having “wiped my hand on the American flag.”
In the Thirteenth Congressional District, covering the upper Manhattan neighborhoods of Harlem, Washington Heights, and Morningside Heights and parts of the West Bronx, Darializa Avila Chevalier won a much more startling victory over Rep. Adriano Espaillat, a five-term incumbent Democratic Party power broker and chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Espaillat’s campaign was heavily backed by AIPAC. Chevalier defied expectations and won by gaining 49 per cent to Espaillat’s 46 per cent. She told the crowd at her watch party that she had fought against the “Democratic machine.” Espaillat lost despite the backing of Democratic leaders in Congress and the state, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, and Julie Menin, speaker of the New York City Council.
When Chevalier, draped in a keffiyeh, first announced her candidacy in November of last year, few outside her immediate circle knew her name. But her message was clear: she presented herself as an organiser working to unite families torn apart by the immigration system and against “what we all know is a genocide in Palestine.”
Chevalier has publicly proclaimed her hatred for Israel, the United States, and “Western civilization” as a whole. She has called for the abolition of prisons, open borders and an end to deportations — even for people convicted of violent crimes. As a student at Columbia University, she was involved in Students for Justice in Palestine. In 2024, she returned to her alma mater to help organize an anti-Israel encampment that was ultimately disbanded by the police.
She co-founded Columbia University Apartheid Divest: “We are Westerners fighting for the eradication of Western Civilization. We stand in full solidarity with every movement for liberation in the Global South. Our intifada is an Internationalist one,” it states.
The day after the October 7 attack, Chevalier attended an anti-Israel demonstration in Times Square. “I can only say I have been advocating for the human rights of Palestinians for my adult life,” when asked about her attendance at the rally. Chevalier has said that her conversion to Islam was inspired by the Israel-Hamas war. Mamdani celebrated her win, describing Chevalier as a person “of clarity, of conscience and of conviction.”
The war was also on the minds of voters in former Comptroller Brad Lander’s race against another AIPAC-funded incumbent, Rep. Dan Goldman, in New York’s Tenth District, covering lower Manhattan and part of Brooklyn. Both are Jewish, but Goldman has been a steadfast friend of Israel while Lander is the quintessential anti-Zionist and a key faction of his coalition was anti-Israel. It was a contest that laid bare the party’s divisions over the Israel-Gaza war.
At his son Marek’s bris, Lander gave a speech lambasting Israel. “We pray fervently that by the time you read this, the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, the settlements, the house demolitions, the violence will be history,” which was later reprinted in a 2003 book titled Wrestling with Zion. Lander enjoyed the night’s biggest victory, winning 65.8 per cent of the vote to Goldman’s 34 per cent. Many Democrats have suggested that Lander has proved useful to Mamdani and other leftists who have been accused of antisemitism for singling out the Jewish state for opprobrium.
In the run-up to Election Day, a chain of Brooklyn coffee shops called Poetica posted that it would have barred Goldman entry had they recognized him during a recent visit to their storefront. “We don’t serve racists, fascists, homophobes, genocide enablers,” Poetica declared. “Too bad we didn’t recognize you right away, or we would have turned you away.”
At the state level, seven of the eight candidates endorsed by the DSA for the New York State legislature also won their primary elections. One of them is Aber Kawas, a Queens-based community organizer. If she, as expected, wins in November, she will be the first Palestinian woman elected to state office in New York history.
“Were defeated congressmen Dan Goldman and Adriano Espaillat insufficiently anti-Trump?” asked Will Rahn, a senior editor and writer for The Free Press, rhetorically, in a June 26 column. “Of course not. They lost because they aren’t anti-Israel enough. ‘Free Palestine’ is now the binding issue on the left, the only thing that actually matters.” No matter who you are, how you identify, or what causes you’ve championed, if you refuse to fall in line on Israel, you risk being ostracized from communities you’ve long called home.
For most of the postwar era, support for Israel was one of the least controversial positions in Democratic Party politics. That consensus has not merely weakened; it has collapsed. Once viewed as a righteous anti-colonial cause, Zionism has been reframed by radical thinkers as the ideology of a colonial oppressor of stateless Palestinians. Opposition to Israel is now the litmus test in Democratic Party politics. “There’s a cliff, and we’re heading towards it,” warned Daniel C. Kurtzer, a Princeton University professor who was ambassador to Israel under President George W. Bush.
The DSA has now built an entire ecosystem that runs parallel to the official Democratic apparatus, equipped with their own consultant network, endorsing organizations, donors and even billionaires who back them.
A generation after Pat Buchanan was denounced as an antisemite by all proper liberals for saying things like “Capitol Hill is Israeli-occupied territory,” will the left now embrace him as a “premature antizionist”? Even satire can’t match this.
Think about it: Since October 7, Israel has done what every other country viciously attacked by implacable enemies throughout history has done: It has lashed back in a defensive war. This is a policy that any state that cared for the life of its citizens would have to adopt.
Yet Israel has become the “omnicause.” That’s why antisemitism and antizionism are two sides of the same coin: hatred of Jews. Jews around the world aren’t being attacked because of Israel. Israel is itself being condemned because it’s Jewish.
American Jews have been blindsided by this, as the French writer Simone Rodan-Benzaquen, senior envoy for Europe at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, tells us in a brilliant article, “Stand Up,” Tablet, July 6, 2026. “When anti-Jewish hostility arrives wrapped in the language of liberation, antiracism, decolonization, and human rights –when it emerges among allies, colleagues, students, professional peers, or other minority communities — the disorientation is deeper. It is inside the world in which one has built a life. It speaks in familiar accents. It borrows cherished values.”
In “A Profound Question Haunting Jews Today,” New York Times, July 6, 2026, Nicholas Lemann, the former dean of the Columbia University Journalism School, agrees. He writes that for half a century or more, American Jews could achieve, “through being successful, culturally Jewish, Zionist, liberal and not especially observant,” a status that elsewhere has persistently eluded them.
“This set of certainties has evaporated. Today, Israel is the pariah nation of the world, and ‘Zionist’ has become an epithet, something it’s unacceptable to be, at least in progressive circles,” where most Jews have usually found themselves.
So, are the Democrats going to become America’s anti-Israel party? And then what?
Henry Srebrnik is a professor emeritus of political science at the University of Prince Edward Island.
Features
Discover Your Ultimate Smooth at Sets on Corydon: Nanoplasty vs. Keratin vs. Japanese Straightening
Are you ready to wake up with flawless, effortless hair every single day? While standard straightening methods try to fit everyone into the same box, your hair has its own unique structure, strength, and history.
We offer three distinct, state-of-the-art smoothing and straightening systems. Finding the perfect match depends entirely on your hair type, your lifestyle, and your ultimate hair goals.
Here is exactly how they compare so you can choose the path to your most beautiful, resilient hair.
The Treatment Breakdown
1. The Elite Standard: Nanoplasty (Our Premier Selection)
Nanoplasty is a revolutionary, high-technical smoothing treatment that works at a deep cellular level. Using nanotechnology, nutrients and amino acids are deeply integrated right into the hair cortex (the inner core of the hair strand). It heals, seals, and straightens from the inside out without harsh chemicals.
- How it works: It uses an acidic formula triggered by specialized infrared heat to realign the hair bonds. It does not just coat the cuticle; it restructures it while infusing massive hydration.
- The Finish: Ultra-glossy, high-shine, sleek, and straight, while retaining natural movement and zero frizz.
- The Big Benefit: Formulated without formaldehyde or harsh chemicals. There are no fumes, no burning eyes, and you can wash your hair or tie it up the very same day.
- Longevity: Lasts up to 4 to 6 months.
2. The Classic De-Frizzer: Keratin Treatment
The traditional choice for managing unruly texture. Keratin acts like a protective shield, filling in the cracks along a compromised or distressed hair cuticle (the protective outer layer).
- How it works: A liquid keratin formula is sealed into the outer layer of the hair with a flat iron.
- The Finish: Soft, smooth, and incredibly manageable. It reduces curl volume by roughly 50 to 70% and completely deletes frizz, but leaves some of your natural body and bounce.
- The Big Benefit: Ideal for hair that has undergone chemical stress or bleaching. It acts like a temporary protein bandage to restore softness and cut your blow-dry time in half.
- Longevity: Lasts 3 to 4 months, gradually washing out over time.
3. The Permanent Sleek: Japanese Straightening (Thermal Reconditioning)
For those who want absolute, pin-straight hair that defies high humidity and never reverts.
- How it works: This is a permanent chemical process that physically breaks down the internal bonds of the hair, which are then precision-ironed perfectly flat and neutralized to lock in the new shape forever.
- The Finish: Mirror-smooth, pin-straight, glassy hair with zero wave or curl.
- The Big Benefit: It is completely permanent on the hair that is treated. Rain, humidity, and workouts will not change it. Only your new root growth will need touching up.
- Longevity: Permanent (requires root touch-ups every 6 to 9 months).
Which One Is Right For You?
| Feature | Nanoplasty | Keratin Treatment | Japanese Straightening |
| Primary Goal | Deep cellular repair, sleek straightening, intense gloss. | Frizz elimination, volume reduction, softer texture. | Permanent, absolute pin-straight results. |
| Hair Condition | Healthy to moderately sensitized or colored hair. | Highly compromised, bleached, or heat-distressed hair. | Healthy, resistant, coarse, or virgin hair only. |
| Chemical Type | Amino acids & organic acids (No formaldehyde fumes). | Cuticle-coating formulas (May contain standard preservatives). | Traditional alkaline straightening solution. |
| Post-Care Window | Wash or style immediately. No waiting period. | Must wait 48 to 72 hours before washing or tying up. | Must keep completely dry and straight for 48 to 72 hours. |
An Important Note on Hair Integrity: Beautiful hair is healthy hair. Because Japanese Straightening permanently alters the internal architecture of the hair strand, it is completely unsuitable for heavily highlighted, bleached, or fragile hair. If your hair has a history of heavy chemical processing, a customized Nanoplasty or Keratin Treatment will give you the breathtaking, smooth results you want while respecting and preserving the strength of your hair structure.
Let’s curate your perfect look. Book a structural hair analysis with us today, and let’s design a smoothing protocol tailored exactly to your hair’s unique signature.
Features
Why Digital Innovation Keeps Elevating PH Bingo Online in the Philippines
Bingo culture in the Philippines draws from decades of shared moments—barangay get-togethers, family weekends, office fundraisers, and local assemblies where cards, markers, and number calls set the pace of the room. The pull often comes from anticipation: one more number, one more match, one step closer to a winning pattern. That familiar rhythm now appears in PH Bingo Online, where the classic experience stays recognizable while the delivery shifts to a faster, more flexible digital format.
Digital innovation around online bingo centers on convenience and player experience rather than changing the heart of the game. Technology supports easier entry, cleaner interfaces, stronger security, and tools for time and budget awareness. Within this space, platforms such as GameZone position online bingo as a modern option that still respects traditional gameplay structure.
From Bingo Halls to Phone Screens: Convenience as the Main Upgrade
Offline bingo often required planning. Venue distance, session schedules, traffic, seating capacity, and start times shaped participation. For many players, the issue never involved lack of interest; the issue involved logistics.
Online access changes the path to play. A mobile device turns idle minutes into potential game time, whether that means a short session after work, a quick round during downtime, or weekend play without commuting. The bingo card format remains intact, and the core mechanics stay familiar—numbers called, cards tracked, patterns completed—while the steps around participation become simpler.
With increased accessibility, PH Bingo Online reaches players outside the usual venue radius: those who live far from halls, those with rotating schedules, and those who prefer home-based entertainment. Digital convenience broadens the audience without demanding a new learning curve.
Digital Innovation That Improves the Online Bingo Experience
Online bingo involves more than transferring a paper card onto a screen. Modern platforms refine the full player journey, from sign-in to gameplay flow, with upgrades designed to reduce friction.
Key improvements commonly found in PH Bingo Online environments include:
Faster access and session entry
Less waiting and fewer steps before joining gameplay, especially compared with traveling to a venue and lining up for a seat.
Cleaner interface design
Card tracking becomes easier with readable layouts, clear number displays, responsive controls, and features that reduce mis-clicks or confusion.
Mobile-first accessibility
Support for play across compatible devices, allowing sessions at home or on the go.
Stability and performance upgrades
Optimized apps and server infrastructure help reduce lag, disconnections, or slow loading during active rounds.
Secure account management
Stronger login protection and account verification processes help reduce risk related to unauthorized access and imitation sites.
Responsible gaming tools
Built-in reminders and control features encourage healthier play habits, especially for players who want structure around spending and time.
Each feature targets the experience around bingo without altering the basic identity: number calls, card matches, and pattern wins.
Why Bingo Matches Digital Attention Habits
Bingo’s appeal often sits in its balance. The game requires attention, but not intense strategy. Each number call triggers a quick scan and a small decision—mark or move on—creating a cycle of anticipation that feels active without becoming mentally exhausting.
Digital platforms amplify that comfort by removing distractions tied to offline logistics. Travel time, venue noise, managing physical cards, and tracking multiple paper boards become less of a concern. The focus narrows to the core rhythm of the game, which fits players seeking light entertainment with consistent suspense.
This structure helps explain repeat engagement. When online platforms deliver smooth navigation and stable performance, bingo becomes an easy-to-enter pastime that works well for casual play, short breaks, or end-of-day downtime.
GameZone and the Modern Bingo Hub Experience
GameZone’s appeal often connects to its mixed offering: familiar entertainment presented through a modern interface. Alongside popular card selections, the platform includes Bingo games on GameZone, creating a single space for players who prefer switching between categories without opening multiple apps.
A platform-style hub typically supports:
- one account across several game types
- consistent interface and navigation design
- partnerships with recognized game providers
- in-house titles aimed at convenience-focused play
- responsible play tools integrated into the experience
Risk Assessment for PH Bingo Online Players
Online bingo convenience comes with practical risks that benefit from awareness and simple safeguards.
Unofficial or imitation platforms
Risk level: High
Copycat sites can mimic branding and create account safety issues.
Tip: access GameZone only through its official website and official app channels.
Playing while distracted
Risk level: Moderate
Multitasking affects enjoyment, focus, and time awareness.
Tip: choose a calmer setting and treat the session as dedicated playtime.
Long sessions without breaks
Risk level: Moderate
Extended play can weaken awareness of time and spending.
Tip: use session reminders or set limits before starting.
Ignoring updates
Risk level: Low
Outdated versions may miss important fixes for security and performance.
Tip: keep apps updated to maintain stability and protection.
Tips for a Better PH Bingo Online Experience
Get comfortable with the interface
Knowing where controls sit, how cards display, and how sessions move improves confidence and reduces mistakes.
Choose the right timing
Short sessions after a stressful workday may feel better with a quick break first. A refreshed mindset often improves the experience.
Explore other bingo formats
Starting with PH Bingo provides familiarity, while exploring other Bingo games on GameZone introduces variety in pacing and format.
Prioritize entertainment over outcomes
A recreation-first mindset supports healthier expectations and more sustainable enjoyment.
Downloading the GameZone App Safely
A typical setup process starts with the official GameZone website, followed by account registration or login. After that, the platform provides steps for downloading the official app. Supported app stores may also host the app depending on device and availability.
Official sources help ensure access to current versions, updated security protections, and performance improvements tied to the latest release.
Responsible Gaming on a Licensed Platform
GameZone operates as a PAGCOR-licensed gaming platform, available only to individuals 21 years old and above. Responsible gaming support often includes:
- session reminders for time awareness
- spending controls for budget structure
- self-exclusion options for stronger personal limits
Frequently Asked Questions
What is PH Bingo Online?
PH Bingo Online refers to digital versions of classic bingo, designed to preserve the familiar card-and-number format while enabling online access.
How does online bingo differ from offline bingo?
Core rules often remain the same, while convenience features, interface design, and platform tools vary by provider.
Can the GameZone app be downloaded?
Download access typically begins through the official GameZone website after registration or login, with installation guidance provided. Availability may also extend to supported app stores.
Is GameZone legitimate?
GameZone operates under PAGCOR licensing and limits access to players aged 21 and above.
Why do responsible gaming tools matter?
Session reminders, spending controls, and self-exclusion options support balanced play habits and long-term sustainability.
