Models advertising Brazilian Beds
This is supposed to be an ad for some Brazilian Bed Company. However click on any of the images and you will notice a very odd thing about each photo. Probably NSFW.
Know what's missing?
Beds. That's right. I don't see any beds, do you? What's the point of advertising beds if you're not going to show what the beds look like? And by the way, where are the brand logos?
No, I'm afraid this is just a ploy to get you to the showroom where all you'll see are some slobs lying about on a Sealy Posturepedic ® that sells for 1200 bucks. Just FYI, there are some beds that sell for up to $50,000.00 (1).
Related:
An excellent review of shopping for a mattress can be found at USA TODAY - How not to lose sleep over buying a mattress
5 things you need to know before you shop for a mattress
1. You may not need a new mattress.
Even though a mattress is past the industry-recommended five to seven years for replacement, it may be just fine. If the mattress was a particularly high-quality one, is not used — or abused — often, it could have a few more good years in it...
2. Even if you need a new mattress, you may not need a new box spring.
During Consumer Reports' research on mattresses, testers realized that box springs often don't actually have springs but are more like "wire structures," says Ed Kippel, who managed the project. He suggests keeping a box spring unless it has major indentations or is ripped or otherwise damaged...
3. Don't buy based on the warranty.
Mattress warranty offers often sound too good to be true and, at a minimum, they are often at least unrealistic. After all, the industry says you should get a new mattress after seven years. But some warranties last 20 years or more, although they often are prorated, except for premium mattresses...
4. You can negotiate.
Don't decide you can't afford a mattress simply because the posted or "as delivered" price is too high. Lisa Lee Freeman, editor in chief of Consumer Reports' ShopSmart magazine, suggests asking the salesperson: "Can you do something for me?" The salesperson might drop the delivery fee or offer a better deal if you suggest, for example, that you are considering a cheaper similar model by the same manufacturer at another store...
5. Safety matters, which is why you may want to wait until after July 1 to buy.
It might pay to wait a few months if you are due for a new mattress. Starting July 1, all new mattresses must meet a tough new fire-resistance regulation.
[The Veg Blog] Vegan Mattresses
As I started looking into so-called "natural mattresses,” I saw that almost all of them have a layer of wool. This is because wool is a natural flame retardant (warning: do not set a sheep on fire to test this theory) and is used in place of the chemical-based retardants in standard mattresses. Apparently, the lanolin in wool also helps repel dust mites and bed bugs.
Of course, I don’t want to sleep on anything with wool in it. So I went looking for vegan mattresses and sure enough, they exist (hit CTRL-F and search for "vegan”). It’s a bit expensive, but it’s got lots of nice, organic cotton and will last twice as long as a regular mattress. Interestingly, California has stringent flame retardancy laws, which means that some stores won’t even sell natural vegan mattresses in the state and those that do require a doctor’s note.
The following is a commercial link but I believe useful for some of my readers: [Eco Street] Chemical free baby mattresses
Unlike standard polyurethane baby mattresses, all Natural Mat mattresses are handmade in Devon from 100% natural fibres and are chemical free. The materials we use include coir from the only organic coir plantation in the world, natural latex foam, mohair, horsetail hair and lambswool. Natural Mat mattresses have been proven to make babies sleep better.
Flesh and Color - Body Art
Craig Tracy - Painted Alive
Body Meets Art - Gallery
Patricia Keller - Body Painting
Lydia Bintener - Feel the Color
Martin Armand - Body Art
Disclaimer: I have not been paid by anyone for this post, I merely offer it as a public service for my readers. None of the above models (sigh) have been paid by me to strike provocative, naked, delicious poses. Not that I care about such matters.
Martin Armand's evolution as an artist has been a long and sometimes painful journey. He first learned to paint in his native Iran:
ENDNOTES
(1):
CNN, Is a good night's sleep worth $50,000?
CHICAGO, Illinois (AP) -- Can you put a price on a good night's rest?
Betting weary-but-wealthy baby boomers are willing to do just that, mattress companies are fluffing up their selections of ultra-luxe beds that retail for more than the cost of cars, college tuition and parcels of land.
With a heart-stopping price tag approaching $50,000 -- $49,500 to be exact, although the price will climb to $59,750 in April -- the Vividus bed launched last year by the Swedish manufacturer Hastens is among the most expensive sold in the United States.
But the Vividus, which means "full of life" in Latin, is just the latest bed to target a growing consumer appetite for high-end beds made from materials such as latex, flax, memory foam, silk, cashmere, lambswool and hand-tufted horse hair.
"If you could have beautiful, incredible sleep, what's that worth?" said David Perry, bedding editor of the trade publication Furniture/Today. "The whole idea is pamper yourself, you're worth it, go for it, live the dream, sleep on a cloud. That has some appeal."
