Category Archives: FEATURED

CURRENT ISSUE, FEATURED, HEALTH CARE

5 Best Ways to Avoid Weight Gain During Holiday Season

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The holiday season is fast approaching and everybody is looking forward to spending time with their families and friends, exchanging gifts, rejoicing in their fortunes and, best of all, eating delicious holiday fare. Unfortunately, all good things come with the price. One of the biggest drawbacks of the holidays is that most people experience some weight gain during this time. Popular belief holds that an average person gains anywhere from 5 to 10 pounds during the holidays. However, the studies conducted by the National Institute of Health have shown that, on average, people gain around 1 to 2 pounds during this period. While you might think that 1-2 pounds weight gain does not amount to much, the real problem is that these pounds stick- for ever. Over the years, the gradual weight gain might translate into real problems such as diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and such. However, with some discipline and determination, you can enjoy all the parties without sacrificing your figure. All you have to do is follow these 5 easy rules.

  1. Exercise portion control. The easiest way to do so is to visualize your plate (go for a smaller plate if possible). Divide the plate into 2 halves and fill one half with salad and other vegetables (preferably steamed), avoid fatty sauces and go for oil-and-vinegar based dressings. Divide the remaining half of the plate into two parts and fill one part with proteins such as lean meats, fish, and beans; fill the remaining part with something starchy.
  2. Limit your alcohol intake. Drinking alcohol during parties not only adds up to your calorie intake, but also lowers your inhibitions and makes you forgo all the promises you made to yourself. Also, make better choice of beverages- go for a light beer or wine instead of eggnog and limit yourself to 1-2 drinks. Accompany each drink with a glass of water to avoid drinking too much alcohol.
  3. Have a snack before the party. It is best to have a light healthy snack such as piece of fruit (banana, green apple, etc) or yogurt with granola before heading to the party where you will be tempted with all the delicious food. This tactic allows you to have better control over your cravings and make wiser food choices.
  4. Do not fall into all-or-nothing mentality. If you could not resist eating some sumptuous fried appetizer or went for an extra piece of chocolate cake, do not despair and say to yourself, “Oh well, I blew it already so might as well go for it!” It is OK to indulge a little, the key word being “little.” If you still ended up eating a bit too much, undo the damage the next day. One of the most effective ways to do so is to limit yourself to a glass of kefir every 2 hours during the whole day. This will stabilize your stomach and prevent any weight gain from previous night.
  5. Socialize as much as possible. Instead of zeroing in on the food during the party, take a chance to reconnect with your friends and family- talk, laugh and, best of all, dance. After all, that’s what the holidays are all about!
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CURRENT ISSUE, FEATURED, WAITING ROOM BLOG

Obama and Racist America

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Now, since Obama’s regime, all of a sudden, folks have gotten mad, and want to take America Back…BACK TO WHAT/WHERE is my question?????

After The 8 Years Of The Bush/Cheney Disaster, Now You Get Mad?

You didn’t get mad when the Supreme Court stopped a legal recount and appointed a President.

How many white American's openly admit they are uncomfortable with a black President?

You didn’t get mad when Cheney allowed Energy Company officials to dictate Energy policy and push us to invade Iraq.

You didn’t get mad when a covert CIA operative got ousted.

You didn’t get mad when the Patriot Act got passed.

You didn’t get mad when we illegally invaded a country that posed no threat to us.

You didn’t get mad when we spent over 800 billion (and counting) on said illegal war.

You didn’t get mad when Bush borrowed more money from foreign sources than the previous 42 Presidents combined.

You didn’t get mad when over 10 billion dollars in cash just disappeared in Iraq.

You didn’t get mad when you found out we were torturing people.

You didn’t get mad when Bush embraced trade and outsourcing policies that shipped 6 million American jobs out of the country.

You didn’t get mad when the government was illegally wiretapping Americans.

You didn’t get mad when we didn’t catch Bin Laden.

You didn’t get mad when Bush rang up 10 trillion dollars in combined budget and current account deficits.

You didn’t get mad when you saw the horrible conditions at Walter Reed.

You didn’t get mad when we let a major US city New Orleans, drown.

You didn’t get mad when we gave people who had more money than they could spend, the filthy rich, over a trillion dollars in tax breaks.

You didn’t get mad with the worst 8 years of job creations in several decades.

You didn’t get mad when over 200,000 US Citizens lost their lives because they had no health insurance.

You didn’t get mad when lack of oversight and regulations from the Bush Administration caused US Citizens to lose 12 trillion dollars in investments, retirement, and home values.

You finally got mad when an African American was elected President and decided that people in America deserved the right to see a doctor if they are sick. Yes, illegal wars, lies, corruption, torture, job losses by the millions, stealing your tax dollars to make the rich richer, and the worst economic disaster since 1929 are all okay with you, but helping fellow Americans who are sick…Oh, Hell No!!

 

 

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CURRENT ISSUE, FEATURED, TECHNOLOGY

Google+ Circles Review

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Google+ Circles allow you to place other Google+ users and non-users (an invite  is sent whenever you share something with them) into separate networking “circles”. This allows you to avoid embarrassing situations such as your parents hearing about what you have been getting up to in the evening, or your boss hearing what you really think of the company that you work for. Here is how it works.

You start with 3 main circles; Friends, Family and Acquaintances. There are also Following and Blocked, which allows you to Follow people without them becoming your friend and also allows you to Block annoying people.

So, whereas with Facebook everyone will see your latest status update or photo, in Google+ you can upload a photo and then select the Friends circle to share with. Everyone else will be unaware of your new photo.

You can of course break this down further, for example you may want one group just for University friends and another for your friends in the football club. Likewise, you could use acquaintances for everyone in your work and business life, or use it exclusively for people you have met online but do not know very well. For example, I had added many people to Acquaintances who I have chatted to on forums and known through blogs etc.

So if I post something specifically about me or my family, I can share with just friends and family. If I post an article about a great new service I have found, such as MyBlogGuest.com, I can share it with Acquaintances only as many of my friends are not interesting in the business of the Internet. You can select people to individually share items with too, which makes it like a private messaging system. This is really what Circles is about.

Some other main features are importing  Picasaweb photos into Google+. Any Picasaweb photos that you upload or comment on from now will appear on your Google+ homepage and be visible in accordance with the rules set in your Picasaweb settings. This is the first of the negative points though. If you chose to follow someone who is very popular then you may find that their photos infest your homepage as each time a new comment is added the photo will jump to the top of the page again. This is where the Mute button comes in very useful – you can chose to stop seeing updates on a post / photo / video etc.

Sparks so far seems to be lacking in any substance. The sites that come up in Sparks are generally not very well chosen. I have nothing else to say about Sparks at the moment other than it is a disappointment.

The other main feature is the Hangout. Here you can chose to arrange a Hangout with up to 10 people and chat in live with video or just audio, and generally use it to hook up. This is another feature which Facebook is severely lacking in and could be something to draw in the younger crowd.

Some Tips for Google+

When you first sign up by default you will receive email notifications for everything that you are involved in. You may want turn off these emails as your inbox will quickly get flooded. I chose to only receive notifications for when someone shared something with me for the first time. This seems to work well.

At the moment it is very clear that the Googlers are still doing a lot of testing, which is why not many people have been invited so far. Down the bottom right there is a “send feedback” button which will allow you to send a screenshot of any problems you are seeing.

The main difference between Google+ and Facebook at the moment, other than the lack of people, is that there are no diversions. No games, no extra add ons. It is refreshing in a way, but Facebook’s strength is that people login in the evening and stay glued to it all night as even when their friends are busy there are games to play or groups and pages to discuss things in. Google+ is a little quiet at the moment, and no groups either – apart from your own.

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FEATURED, HEALTH CARE, LIVING WITH DIABETES

Exercise and Glucose

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For an individual with either type-1 or type-2 diabetes, the threat of hypoglycemia — commonly known as low blood glucose — is constant. Blood-sugar levels that drop too low present a variety of health risks, and exercise can cause blood-glucose levels to drop in both diabetics and those without diabetes. When exercising, it’s important to understand the relationship between physical activity, food intake and hypoglycemia.

Diabetes and Blood Sugar

Individuals with type-1 and type-2 diabetes, also respectively known as juvenile diabetes and adult onset diabetes, must closely monitor their blood glucose levels. Blood sugar that is too high can cause behavioral changes and result in long-term damage to the body, while low blood sugar can cause immediate danger; if not raised with a fast-acting glucose, such as fruit juice, low blood sugar may cause a seizure or coma. Diabetics need to take care when exercising, as physical activity can lead to a rapid decline in blood-glucose levels.

Eating and Exercise

When exercising, your body burns the fuel you’ve taken in from food, especially the carbohydrates that have been converted into blood glucose. When exercising, it’s important to ensure you’ve provided your body with enough fuel to accommodate the level of exercise you’ll be doing to prevent blood sugar from dropping to a dangerously low level . For this reason, if you haven’t had a hearty, well-balanced meal before an intense workout, it’s necessary to have a carbohydrate-rich snack that will provide you with enough energy to carry you through your work out.

Hypoglycemia

Hypoglycemia takes place when your blood glucose drops lower than normal. Eventhough this typically occurs in a diabetic who has administered too much insulin in relation to the amount of carbohydrates ingested, this can also occur in those who don’t have diabetes and exercise on an empty stomach. Among the symptoms of hypoglycemia are headache, excessive perspiration, elevated heart rate, blurred vision, shakiness, mental confusion and irritability. When blood glucose levels drop to dangerously low levels, symptoms can include slurred speech, seizures, fatigue and, eventually, coma. Because early symptoms such as sweating and a faster heart rate can also be attributed to exercise, the easiest way to prevent hypoglycemia is to eat a healthy meal or snack before exercising.

Carbohydrates

Remember, it’s possible that eating carbohydrates immediately before exercising may lead to a condition known as rebound hypoglycemia. AKA the Somogyi Effect, rebound hypoglycemia occurs when your blood glucose drops rapidly and becomes low enough to cause your body to release a hormone called glucagon, which raises blood sugar. This sudden rise in blood sugar will usually result in the activation of stress hormones that will keep blood-glucose levels elevated for a sustained period of time, often accompanied by symptoms that are similar to those of hypoglycemia. The advice to avoid eating carbohydrates between 30 and 60 minutes before exercising are “unfounded.” But, researchers concluded that exercisers may experience symptoms similar to those of hypoglycemia, but these are usually not linked to low blood glucose levels or exercise performance. Rather, reduced exercise performance due to eating carbohydrates right before a workout is “minimal,” and may even improve performance.

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CURRENT ISSUE, ENTERTAINMENT, FEATURED

Entertainment, a necessity

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-B. Arora

Entertainment may be defined as an activity in which an individual is passively involved in the act of amusement in leisure time. However, the definition of entertainment seems to have changed and is merely an act of amusement with passive involvement of the individual. Inception of entertainment as a profession can not be pointed back to a date in the history. Entertainment has been a crucial part of life for centuries, but last few decades have seen a major drift towards entertainment being set up as an industry and being taken up by people as a profession.

In those days, the entertainment sources used to provide laughter, fun and enjoyment and were limited to social dance, theatre, sports, music, puppets and acts of pantomimes. It was a profession opted by only a handful of people with not much money or fame attached to it.

While, this new and revived form of entertainment industry has a lot of wealth and fame on offer. This is the main reason for more and more people taking it up as a profession. This large scale involvement of people in this industry with the upbringing of television and the other new sources of taking entertainment to the people differently, has made it more of a necessity. Earlier, people used to connect with it in their leisure time, but now, with all the cleverly designed acts of entertainment there is a rising desire in people to stay connected and come back to it more and more often.

People are getting addicted to entertainment industry as a whole and also to its various sources. The most popular and most addicting form of these sources include television series, cartoons, movies and video games. Entertainment sources are though not as addictive as liquor or drugs but still have a substantial effect on the individual and his capabilities. This overuse or overdose of entertainment is affecting the thinking and reasoning ability of people, making them lazy, aggressive and irritable at the same time.

People need to realise the urgency and need to move away from these sources of entertainment, that are acting as a hurdle in their goals. Especially, this large dependency on electronic sources must be reduced and alternative sources of entertainment, that involve active participation must be preferred. They are also helpful in improving your skills and abilities. Some of the active sources include playing a musical instrument, outdoor sports, dramatics or plays and dance. Entertainment makes a worthwhile industry, but complete dependence on anything must be avoided, and it holds true for all other sources as well.

Entertainment industry also has its pros in the form of media, that acts as a bridge between us and the world. It updates us on various day to day activities around the world. With a number of informative programs it makes us well informed, technically sound and responsible citizens. But, these days its cons seem to have overpowered its pros for most of the people.

It is the responsibility of the individual to select what is good and what not, which must be avoided in all circumstances.

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FEATURED, WAITING ROOM BLOG

Ultra Conservative Laws

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Written by Sirron Kyles

Are America’s ultra conservative laws becoming it’s financial downfall?

There really is simple ways to fix America financial and job problems, but we must be willing to think out side of the Box in order to make it happen! The only hope of turning the economy around really rest on three laws, that must be amended, over turned, or struck down in order for full long term recovery to happen.

1. Change the tax Laws for the upper 2%
2. Immigration laws reform
3. Legalize Cannabis/Marijuana

All of us must agree that both Medicare and Social Security should be overall, but only if it does not impact senior citizens or the disable.It is said that the US has always been controlled by a small minority, mostly white, extremely wealthy that have use their wealth and influences to created fear misinformation by manipulating and spinning half truths, that has influence the public, in order to maintain power over Americans. They specialize in securing lobbyist to do there bidding in Congress for support of laws that allow them to maintain that power and control. It is said they will fight any changes to these laws.

The government must adjust, amend or strike down these laws, which are undermining the very fabric of our financial and cultural systems. All they have done is create debt and wasteful spending while inciting fear. Has to be done America is going to get out of this mess.

TA X INCREASE, which is included in most sound genuine recovery plans, I agree that reforming the tax laws, but with a plan guaranteeing millions of long-term non-government jobs if implemented. Make it perfectly clear, that not one of these jobs related to this tax plan would be a Federal job!

By taxing the upper 2% of those with higher incomes, in order to address the nations debt and job issues is a must. Congress continues to make emotional political decisions, with little regards to sound reasoning passing plans that only hurt Americans, and will not work. Again they need to think out side of the box.

The 2% affected by the tax increase should have the option to pay the increase to the government, or use the exact amount of the tax due, to hire long-term employees. Perfect for providing; job opportunities for veterans. Of course employers must be able to justify hiring additional employees, this can be achieved by adjusting the products or services that their company provide to match the demands of China, India, Indonesia, and other large populated countries and create much needed job opportunities for veterans and help off set the US debt with China. This plan should be agreeable for the House GOP.

IMMIGRATION LAWS REFORM is a must. Instead of spending millions of dollars on preventing illegal aliens from illegally entering America, let these potential illegal aliens, allegedly paying coyotes/smugglers $4,000/$7,000 per person on average to be smuggle into the US, pay the US.

Instead of this money going to smugglers/drug lords, change the laws so that fees can be paid to the US towards an application for applying for legal entry status. This plan if implemented would also deal major blows to the drug lords, who use the illegal aliens to smuggle drugs.

LEGALIZING CANNABIS/Marijuana would eliminate nearly 500 Billions dollar (DEA budget, http://www.drugwarfacts.org/cms/Marijuana), that is spent annually fighting drug smuggling, not to mention the billions of dollars in aid to Mexico, Columbia and other countries in support of the drug war. These laws put in place by the US, create the drug wars, and in order for it to end the law has to be, abolish.

This drug law in theory is racist, and based on conservative moralist thinking, with the intent and willingness to control others. Fighting a drug war supported by the Americans, which creates the need for smugglers, is crazy. Americans use some $250,000,000 of marijuana/cannabis annually.

The majority of cannabis, smuggle into the US is grown in Mexico. Tax the users, same as taxing alcohol cigarettes, etc. This would also allow the DEA to concentrate it focus on the 4 or five countries that grow, process and produce cocaine and heroin, the roots of drug addiction around the world. Unlike cannabis, which is grown everywhere in, the world cocaine and heroin is harvest in only a few countries.

I also agree that both the Medicare and Social Security systems should be overall. There is no reason for anyone making over $250,000 a year should receive Medicare or Social Security benefits even if they are older than 65. The younger generations are living heather longer, and I have no problem in the enrollment age limit being raised to 67, for all citizens under 55 years of age.

It is well-known facts that America ‘s infrastructure is falling apart in the US, which can be used to provide job opportunities for all able veterans, waiting to happen.

A good idea I endorse is Americans should by American made, products and services if possible!

These are my ideas; get involve, let you legislators know yours.

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CURRENT ISSUE, FEATURED, TECHNOLOGY

Future Advancements in Modern Technology

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A. Jain –

The healthcare and medicine sector is one of the important sectors known to man. Hence it is not surprising that a lot of research work is being done in these areas to further push the boundaries of human health and disease free existence. In the last 50 years alone, the life expectancy has been increased by at least 10 years on a global level. In the developed countries, like the USA, the scientists are on a roll and many unprecedented breakthroughs are expected in the field of medicine in the near future, few of which will be discussed in this article.

Nowadays, the smart phones existing in the market are sophisticated to even take care of our medical needs. Many applications are being developed that measure our heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature and other body vitals at regular intervals and store it for future use. And all this is possible through your mobile phone itself. In case of any aberration, immediately an alert would be sounded to your physician who will then take over and advise you accordingly. There might even be some add on devices which could be used to measure our ECG readings right from the comfort of our homes and transmit them to our physician via internet.

Regenerative medicine is moving from strengths to strengths. It is basically the process living and functional tissues which can be used to repair or replace a non-functioning tissue or organs. Scientists are trying to regenerate damaged tissues and organs by the use of this technology by stimulating healing. In addition, there is also some work being done to generate tissues and organs in the laboratory itself and then implant them in the body of the patient. If successful, this technology has the potential to solve many issues such as the shortage of organ donors.

Scientists are predicting that artificial wombs are going to be in vogue after a couple of decades. These are nothing but some means to grow a human embryo outside the female body. The research is still not in advanced stages but already some scientists at Cornell University have been able to grow mice embryos in artificial, man-made wombs. When in operation, it could be a blessing for parents who previously could not bear children. On top of that, it can also save mothers from the stress and anxiety involved in childbirth. But it will also bring a set of ethical and moral questions, which will require some thought. The controversies would include the implications of such a technology as well as any side effects, which might appear in the form of a stunted growth in the child. These issues will need to be resolved before going out in the open with this thing.

Apart from these, there are many other scientific marvels, which are waiting on the horizon. Pharmacogenomics is studying the effects of a drug on an individual’s body due to his genetic inheritance. One day, this can result in drugs being tailor made for every individual. Then there are pills or capsules being developed which will disintegrate in the body at the exact place where they are supposed to, based on the acidity of the internal organs. They will also be armed with sensors and processors, which will capture the body vitals and send the reports over to your computer. So a disease free human existence might actually be a real possibility if the scientists and researchers continue their good work.

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CURRENT ISSUE, FEATURED

The Roots of the Rastafarian Philosophy

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Haile Salassie I (1892-1975)
Ethiopian Emperor from 1930 to 1974

Haile Salassie I, was originally called Ras (Prince) Tafari Makonnen. He took the name Haile Selassie, meaning “Instrument in the Power of the Trinity,” when he became emperor. His early life was marked by tragedy. His 10 brothers and sisters were killed in a boating accident when he was a child, and his father died when he was 15. Ras Tafari was crowned Emperor on November 2, 1930, after the death of Empress Zauditu. He took the title Haile Selassie I, King of Kings, Conquering Lion of Judea, and Elect of God, and immediately moved to establish Ethiopia as a modern state. He abolished slavery, instituted a constitution, and set up an appointed, advisory parliament and a more modern judiciary.

In 1935, Italy, which already controlled Eritrea and Italian Somaliland, invaded Ethiopia. Though Ethiopia was able to field an army of 1,000,000 men, it was not able to cope with air strikes, poison gas warfare, and modern mechanized assault tactics. Haile Salassie I was forced to flee in 1936, but return in 1941 when the British, with the aid of Ethiopian guerrillas, recaptured the country.

Under Haile Salassie I, Ethiopia became one of the charter members of the United Nations, and a leader in the establishment of the Organization of African Unity. When he first came to power, there were fewer than 10 schools throughout the country. Twenty- five (25) years later there were over 10,000. His autocratic rule, combined with famine in the Horn of Africa, resulted in unrest in the 1960s. He was over-thrown by a military coup in 1974 and murdered the following year. In addition to his legacy in Ethiopia, Haile Selassie I became one focus of Rastafarianism, a religion in Jamaica that derives its name from Haile Selassie’s original name, Ras Tafari

RASTAFARIANISM: A religion that developed in Jamaica in the 1930s and that continues to have a widespread impact. Rastafarians believe that the Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie I was a direct descendant of the biblical King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba and was a living god. The Belief in the holiness of Haile Selassie derived from Marcus Garvey’s prophecy that an African King will arise who would unite all the black peoples in the world. Rastafarians do not cut their hair, nor does the men shave, their hair hangs in long twisted strands “dreadlocks”. Rastafarians see themselves as the reincarnation of the ancient Hebrews of Israel, and their interpretation of biblical scriptures differs substantially from mainstream Christian and Jewish doctrine. Rastafarian beliefs focus on the oppression of black peoples around the world, the future overthrow of wicked, repressive governments (referred to symbolically as Babylon), and the eventual triumph of the poor and righteous. Though many Rastafarians are vegetarians and refrain from using alcoholic beverages, the use of marijuana or “ganja”, is an important part of various Rasta rituals, especially “Groundation,” during which Rastafarians reaffirm their beliefs. Among the most famous Rastafarians was legendary Bob Marley.

Details taken from Susan Altman’s “Ency. of Afro.-Amer. Heritage”

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CURRENT ISSUE, FEATURED, HEALTH CARE

Dealing with Sports Injuries

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Dealing with Sports Injuries: Children & Adults:

Alfred Atanda Jr., MD
Prevention First

Worried about sports injuries? Don’t sweat it. Think of avoiding injury as just another part of playing by the rules only this rulebook is the one that keeps you from getting hurt. That’s because the best way to deal with sports injuries is to prevent them. Prevention includes knowing the rules of the game you’re playing, using the proper equipment, and playing it safe.
But you’ve practiced with your team, played it safe on the field, and still sustained an injury. Don’t worry, it’s not the end of the world just the beginning of a healing process. Read on to find out what this process is and how you can deal with a sports injury.
What Are Sports Injuries?

Sports injuries are injuries that typically occur while participating in organized sports, competitions, training sessions, or organized fitness activities. These injuries may occur in teens for a variety of reasons, including improper training, lack of appropriate footwear or safety equipment, and rapid growth during puberty.

There are two general types. The first type is an acute traumatic injury. Acute traumatic injuries usually involve a single blow from a single application of force like getting a cross-body block in football.
Acute traumatic injuries include:

a fracture a crack, break, or shattering of a bone
a bruise, known medically as a contusion caused by a direct blow, which may cause swelling and bleeding in muscles and other body tissues
a strain a stretch or tear of a muscle or tendon, the tough and narrow end of a muscle that connects it to a bone
a sprain a stretch or tear of a ligament, the tissue that supports and strengthens joints by connecting bones and cartilage
an abrasion a scrape a laceration a cut in the skin that is usually deep enough to require stitches

The second type of sports injury is an overuse or chronic injury. Chronic injuries are those that happen over a period of time. Chronic injuries are usually the result of repetitive training, such as running, overhand throwing, or serving a ball in tennis.
These include:

stress fractures tiny cracks in the bone’s surface often caused by repetitive overloading (such as in the feet of a basketball player who is continuously jumping on the court)

tendinitis inflammation of the tendon caused by repetitive stretching
epiphysitis or apophysitis growth plate overload injuries such as Osgood-Schlatter disease

Often overuse injuries seem less important than acute injuries. You may be tempted to ignore that aching in your wrist or that soreness in your knees, but always remember that just because an injury isn’t dramatic doesn’t mean it’s unimportant or will go away on its own. If left untreated, a chronic injury will probably get worse over time.
What Can Be Injured?

You may think of your back or your arms and legs as the only places where you could get hurt while playing, but you can get a sports injury anywhere on your body, including your face, neck, head, back, sex organs, hands, and feet.
Head and Neck Injuries

Head injuries include concussions, contusions, fractures, and hematomas. A concussion is a violent jarring or shock to the head that causes a temporary jolt to the brain. If severe enough, or recurrent, concussions can cause brain damage but fortunately this is not common in teens. A hematoma is a bleeding or pooling of blood between the tissue layers covering the brain or inside the brain. All of these injuries can be caused by impact to the head from a fall, forceful shaking of the head, a blow to the head, or whiplash. Whiplash is an injury to the neck caused by an abrupt jerking motion of the head.
Always wear helmets for contact sports and when doing activities like biking and in-line skating to prevent head injuries.

Neck injuries are among the most dangerous. You can hurt your neck through a sudden traumatic injury in sports like mountain climbing, skydiving, horseback riding, gymnastics, diving, rugby, judo, or boxing.
Neck injuries include strains, fractures, contusions, and sprains. Another very common sports-related neck injury is a stinger or burner from stretched nerves in the neck. Most neck injuries are caused by impact to the head or neck sustained during a fall or a blow. Your neck can also be injured a little at a time. Too much strain on your neck can cause increasing pain, sometimes only on one side of your neck. Sometimes you may feel only a slight pain when you move a certain way.

If the injury is severe and there is a chance that the neck might be injured, it’s very important to keep the injured person still with the head held straight while someone calls for emergency medical help. If the person is lying on the ground, do not try to move him or her. Never try to move someone who may have a neck injury a mishandled neck fracture could lead to permanent paralysis or even death.
How do these injuries happen? Serious head and neck injuries occur most often in athletes who participate in contact sports (like football or rugby) or sports with the potential for falling accidents, such as horseback riding.
Back Injuries

Back injuries include sprains, fractures, contusions, stress fractures, and strains and are caused by twists or overexertion of back muscles during bending or lifting movements. These injuries can occur in contact sports like football and ice hockey or in weight lifting, figure skating, gymnastics, dancing, baseball, and basketball.
Sex Organs

When it comes to injuries to the sex organs, guys usually suffer more trauma than girls because the penis and testicles are outside the body and lack natural protection during contact sports. Guys should always wear athletic supporters, or in some sports a cup, to protect the genitals from serious injury.

Injuries to the uterus or ovaries are rare, but breast injuries are common complaints among teen girls. As the breasts develop, they can often be sore, and a blow from a softball or a jab from an elbow, for example, can be painful. Girls should wear supportive sports bras while playing sports or exercising.

Hand and Wrist Injuries

Hand, finger, and wrist injuries include fractures, dislocations, and sprains and often occur in contact sports such as football, lacrosse, and hockey. Hand injuries can result from a fall that forces the hand or fingers backward, a forceful impact to the hands, or a direct blow.

Foot Injuries

Foot injuries can include ligament strains, stress fractures, heel bruises, and swollen growth plates. Because your feet support all of your weight and must absorb a lot of force over and over again, they can be particularly susceptible to injury. Another reason some teens may suffer foot injuries is because of differences in their feet. For example, some people have flat feet or high arches. These differences don’t mean that sports should be avoided, but it does mean that precautions, such as a special shoe insert, may be needed.

Taking Care of Sports Injuries

If your pain progressively increases with activity (what sports medicine doctors call an “upward crescendo”) and causes swelling, limping, or loss of range of motion, you need to see a doctor as soon as possible.
What kinds of pain should you be on the lookout for? Any injury that results in swelling, numbness, intense pain or tenderness, stiffness, or loss of flexibility should be taken seriously.
You should also know the difference between soreness and chronic pain. Soreness is temporary, but chronic pain continues over a greater length of time. For example, it’s not always necessary to see a doctor right away if your shoulder is sore, but you should schedule an appointment if the pain is worsening at any time or if it persists for a week or more. You should also see a doctor if your pain progresses from happening only after playing to happening during sports or if you notice it when you wake up or are doing daily activities.
The most important thing to do when you suspect you are injured is to stop doing whatever sport has caused the injury right away and go see a doctor. For more severe or complicated injuries, it may be best to see a doctor who specializes in sports medicine.

The doctor will examine your injury and use diagnostic tools such as X-rays and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to determine the extent of your injury. MRI allows doctors to see soft tissues more clearly than X-rays or CT scans do.

Once the full extent of your injury is known, the doctor usually will start with conservative treatment techniques such as rest and ice to help decrease swelling. Pain relief and anti-inflammatory medicines such as ibuprofen (like Advil or Motrin) may be prescribed. Splints, casts, and surgery also might be needed, depending on the injury.

One of three things will happen next. Your doctor may:

recommend that you not play while you heal
that you play and use a protective device (a knee brace or wrist guard, for example)
that you undergo rehabilitation (physical therapy)

Sports medicine doctors won’t let you play if you are at risk for getting another injury or aggravating an injury you are recovering from.

Getting Back in the Game

If your doctor has asked you to stop playing, your #1 question is probably “When can I play sports again?” This depends on your specific injury, so make sure you discuss this with your doctor. You can do other things while injured to stay fit without making your injury worse but make sure you check with your doctor first. These activities are known as cross training, and they include using stationary cycles, swimming, water therapy, and rowing machines.

Your rehabilitation program will also help you stay fit as you recover. Rehabilitation, or rehab, is the process that gets you back in shape and ready for action again. Rehab may be part of your treatment program and can include exercise, manual therapy from a physical therapist (a specialist who is trained to help you recover from a sports injury), and technology such as ultrasound. Ultrasound equipment is used to heat the injured area. This heat relieves pain, promotes healing, and increases your range of motion.
Playing Safe

What can you do to protect yourself from getting hurt again? Use protective gear such as helmets for contact sports like football that is appropriate to the specific sport.

When you return to play, you might need some new protective gear, including modified shoes (such as those with inserts or arch supports or those designed for use in a particular sport), taping (tape used to wrap a knee, for example, to provide extra support), knee and elbow braces, and mouth guards. These devices help support and protect your body part from strains, direct blows, and possible re injury.
To help prevent re injury, be sure to warm up adequately before practice and games. Remember to take it slow when you first get back into your sport and gradually build back up to your preinjury level.
Also, know your limits. If the previously injured part (or any body part) begins to hurt, stop immediately and rest. Don’t delay in seeking medical attention if the pain persists. It’s your body’s way of telling you something is not right.
So play, but play safe. Try to learn from your experience and do the things that can help you avoid getting hurt again.
What Can Be Injured?

You may think of your back or your arms and legs as the only places where you could get hurt while playing, but you can get a sports injury anywhere on your body, including your face, neck, head, back, sex organs, hands, and feet.

Head and Neck Injuries

Head injuries include concussions, contusions, fractures, and hematomas. A concussion is a violent jarring or shock to the head that causes a temporary jolt to the brain. If severe enough, or recurrent, concussions can cause brain damage but fortunately this is not common in teens. A hematoma is a bleeding or pooling of blood between the tissue layers covering the brain or inside the brain. All of these injuries can be caused by impact to the head from a fall, forceful shaking of the head, a blow to the head, or whiplash. Whiplash is an injury to the neck caused by an abrupt jerking motion of the head.
Always wear helmets for contact sports and when doing activities like biking and in-line skating to prevent head injuries.

Neck injuries are among the most dangerous. You can hurt your neck through a sudden traumatic injury in sports like mountain climbing, skydiving, horseback riding, gymnastics, diving, rugby, judo, or boxing.
Neck injuries include strains, fractures, contusions, and sprains. Another very common sports-related neck injury is a stinger or burner from stretched nerves in the neck. Most neck injuries are caused by impact to the head or neck sustained during a fall or a blow. Your neck can also be injured a little at a time. Too much strain on your neck can cause increasing pain, sometimes only on one side of your neck. Sometimes you may feel only a slight pain when you move a certain way.

If the injury is severe and there is a chance that the neck might be injured, it’s very important to keep the injured person still with the head held straight while someone calls for emergency medical help. If the person is lying on the ground, do not try to move him or her. Never try to move someone who may have a neck injury a mishandled neck fracture could lead to permanent paralysis or even death.
How do these injuries happen? Serious head and neck injuries occur most often in athletes who participate in contact sports (like football or rugby) or sports with the potential for falling accidents, such as horseback riding.
Back Injuries

Back injuries include sprains, fractures, contusions, stress fractures, and strains and are caused by twists or overexertion of back muscles during bending or lifting movements. These injuries can occur in contact sports like football and ice hockey or in weight lifting, figure skating, gymnastics, dancing, baseball, and basketball.
Sex Organs

When it comes to injuries to the sex organs, guys usually suffer more trauma than girls because the penis and testicles are outside the body and lack natural protection during contact sports. Guys should always wear athletic supporters, or in some sports a cup, to protect the genitals from serious injury.

Injuries to the uterus or ovaries are rare, but breast injuries are common complaints among teen girls. As the breasts develop, they can often be sore, and a blow from a softball or a jab from an elbow, for example, can be painful. Girls should wear supportive sports bras while playing sports or exercising.
Hand and Wrist Injuries

Hand, finger, and wrist injuries include fractures, dislocations, and sprains and often occur in contact sports such as football, lacrosse, and hockey. Hand injuries can result from a fall that forces the hand or fingers backward, a forceful impact to the hands, or a direct blow.
Foot Injuries

Foot injuries can include ligament strains, stress fractures, heel bruises, and swollen growth plates. Because your feet support all of your weight and must absorb a lot of force over and over again, they can be particularly susceptible to injury. Another reason some teens may suffer foot injuries is because of differences in their feet. For example, some people have flat feet or high arches. These differences don’t mean that sports should be avoided, but it does mean that precautions, such as a special shoe insert, may be needed.

Taking Care of Sports Injuries

If your pain progressively increases with activity (what sports medicine doctors call an “upward crescendo”) and causes swelling, limping, or loss of range of motion, you need to see a doctor as soon as possible.

What kinds of pain should you be on the lookout for? Any injury that results in swelling, numbness, intense pain or tenderness, stiffness, or loss of flexibility should be taken seriously.

You should also know the difference between soreness and chronic pain. Soreness is temporary, but chronic pain continues over a greater length of time. For example, it’s not always necessary to see a doctor right away if your shoulder is sore, but you should schedule an appointment if the pain is worsening at any time or if it persists for a week or more. You should also see a doctor if your pain progresses from happening only after playing to happening during sports or if you notice it when you wake up or are doing daily activities.

The most important thing to do when you suspect you are injured is to stop doing whatever sport has caused the injury right away and go see a doctor. For more severe or complicated injuries, it may be best to see a doctor who specializes in sports medicine.
The doctor will examine your injury and use diagnostic tools such as X-rays and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to determine the extent of your injury. MRI allows doctors to see soft tissues more clearly than X-rays or CT scans do.
Once the full extent of your injury is known, the doctor usually will start with conservative treatment techniques such as rest and ice to help decrease swelling. Pain relief and anti-inflammatory medicines such as ibuprofen (like Advil or Motrin) may be prescribed. Splints, casts, and surgery also might be needed, depending on the injury.
One of three things will happen next. Your doctor may:

recommend that you not play while you heal
that you play and use a protective device (a knee brace or wrist guard, for example)

that you undergo rehabilitation (physical therapy)
Sports medicine doctors won’t let you play if you are at risk for getting another injury or aggravating an injury you are recovering from.
Getting Back in the Game

If your doctor has asked you to stop playing, your #1 question is probably “When can I play sports again?” This depends on your specific injury, so make sure you discuss this with your doctor. You can do other things while injured to stay fit without making your injury worse but make sure you check with your doctor first. These activities are known as cross training, and they include using stationary cycles, swimming, water therapy, and rowing machines.
Your rehabilitation program will also help you stay fit as you recover. Rehabilitation, or rehab, is the process that gets you back in shape and ready for action again. Rehab may be part of your treatment program and can include exercise, manual therapy from a physical therapist (a specialist who is trained to help you recover from a sports injury), and technology such as ultrasound. Ultrasound equipment is used to heat the injured area. This heat relieves pain, promotes healing, and increases your range of motion.
Playing Safe

What can you do to protect yourself from getting hurt again? Use protective gear such as helmets for contact sports like football that is appropriate to the specific sport.

When you return to play, you might need some new protective gear, including modified shoes (such as those with inserts or arch supports or those designed for use in a particular sport), taping (tape used to wrap a knee, for example, to provide extra support), knee and elbow braces, and mouth guards. These devices help support and protect your body part from strains, direct blows, and possible re injury.
To help prevent re-injury, be sure to warm up adequately before practice and games. Remember to take it slow when you first get back into your sport and gradually build back up to your preinjury level.
Also, know your limits. If the previously injured part (or any body part) begins to hurt, stop immediately and rest. Don’t delay in seeking medical attention if the pain persists. It’s your body’s way of telling you something is not right.
So play, but play safe. Try to learn from your experience and do the things that can help you avoid getting hurt again.

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CURRENT ISSUE, FEATURED

Understanding Fear

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The Root of all Evil

Taken from Process Number Five on Fear, The Process, Church of the Final Judgment

Fear is at the Root of man s destruction of himself. Without Fear there is no blame.

Without blame, there is no conflict. Without blame, there is no destruction. But there is Fear; deep within the core of every human being, it lurks like a monster; dark and intangible. Its outward effects are unmistakable. Its source is hidden.

It can be seen on one level in furtive embarrassment, argumentative protest, social veneer and miserable isolation.  It can be seen on another level in the mammoth build-up of war machines in every corner of the world. It can be seen in the fantasy world of escapism known as entertainment. It can be seen in riot torn streets and campuses.  It can be seen in the squalor of ghettos and the pretentious elegance of civilized society.

It can be seen in the desperate rat race of commerce and industry, the sensational slandering by the press, the constant backbiting of the political arena and the lost world of the helpless junkie, who has passed beyond the point of no return. The tight-lipped suppression of the rigid moralist reflects it, as does the violent protest of the anarchist.

But more starkly and tragically than anywhere else, it manifests in the pale Grey shadow of the ordinary person, whose fear clamps down on all their instincts and traps him in the narrow confines of the socially accepted norm.

Afraid either to step down into darkness of their lower self or to rise up into the light of their higher self, we hang suspended in between, stultified or into an alien pattern of nothingness.

But to a greater or lesser degree, and manifesting one way or another, all human beings are afraid. And some of us are so afraid that we dare not show our fear. Sometimes we dare not even know our fear. For fear itself is a terrifying concept to behold.

We may confess to being afraid of violence and pain and even ghosts; and with such obvious terrors, pigeonhole our fear to our own satisfaction. But fear of people, fear of ourselves, fear of failure, fear of loss, fear of our closest friends, fear of isolation, fear of contact, fear of loneliness, fear of involvement, fear of rejections, fear of commitment, fear of sickness, fear of deprivation, fear of inadequacy, fear of emotion, fear of GOD, fear of knowledge, fear of death, fear of responsibility, fear of sin, fear of virtue, fear of guilt, fear of punishment, fear of damnation, fear of consequences of our actions and fear of our own fear? How many of us recognize these fear presence in ourselves?

And if some of us recognize some of them, are we prepared to see the full extent of them? Do we know just how afraid we are? And do we know effect that our fear has on our lives? Do we know completely that, we are governed by our fear? And do we know the world is governed by the sum total of every human being’s fear, and ours is not excluded? Do we know the extent to which we are at odds with one another – despite some promising transparencies, simply through our fear of one another?

Do we know the extent to which we are at war with one another on every level from personal to world wide – because we are afraid? And do we know that wars and rumors of wars mount up in ascending spiral of violence and potential violence, as the fear in the hearts of men, intensifies?

Do we know that strife of every kind increases as hatred, resentment, jealousy and prejudice increase, and that all these stem from one thing only: Fear? And do we know that one thing only ensures the escalation of the spiral of violence and destruction, our unwillingness to recognize the full sum of our fear and its effects our fear of fear?

For each and everyone of us, as long as we or afraid, and unwilling to see with full clarity his fear and for what it is, contributes to the clipping conflict that has become the hallmark of this world of ours.

And as long as there is fear, together with unwillingness to see it clearly and completely, as long as human being are afraid and also fail to recognize the fact in their embarrassment, in their sense of failure, in their feeling of resentment and frustration, in their desire for revenge, in their guilt, in their confusion, in their uncertainty, in their disappointment, in their anxiety about the future and their wish to forget the pass, in their need to blame others and justify themselves, in their sense oh helplessness and despair, in their revulsion and disgust, in their need to be vicious and spiteful, in their failure to respond, in their sense of inadequacy, in their feeling of envy, in their futility, in their misery and in their scorn; as long as human being fail to see THEIR fear reflected in these and a hundred other manifestations of FEAR, then we will fail to see our part in the relentless tide of hatred and violence, destruction and devastation, that sweeps the earth. And the fear tide will not ebb until all is destroyed or faced, and understood by man.

It’s a Fact! Fear only Interferes with Sound Judgment, and is a Tool of Negativity

Sirron Kyles

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FEATURED, WAITING ROOM BLOG

AIRLINE CAPTAIN: We have an H.R.

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AIRLINE CAPTAIN:

Anonymous

He writes:

My lead flight attendant came to me and said, “We have an H.R. On this flight.” (H.R. Stands for

Human remains.) “Are they military?” I asked.

‘Yes’, she said.

‘Is there an escort?’ I asked.

‘Yes, I already assigned him a seat’.

Would you please tell him to come to the flight deck. You can board him early,” I said.

A short while later, a young army sergeant entered the flight deck. He was the image of the perfectly

Dressed soldier.

He introduced himself and I asked him about his soldier. The escorts, of these fallen soldiers talk about them

as if they are still alive and still with us.

‘My soldier is on his way back to Virginia,  he said.

He proceeded to answer my questions, but offered no words.

I asked him if there was anything I could do for him and he said no. I told him that he had the toughest job

In the military and that I appreciated the work that he does for the families of our fallen soldiers.

The first officer and I got up out of our seats to shake his hand. He left the flight deck to find his seat.

We completed our preflight checks, pushed back and performed an uneventful departure.

About 30 minutes into our flight I received a call from the lead flight attendant in the cabin.

‘I just found out the family of the soldier we are carrying, is on board’, she said. She then proceeded to tell me that the father, mother, wife and 2-year old daughter were escorting their son, husband, and father home. The family was upset because they were unable to see the container that the soldier was in before we left. We were on our way to a major hub at which the family was going to wait four hours for the connecting flight home to Virginia …

The father of the soldier told the flight attendant that knowing his son was below him in the cargo compartment and being unable to see him was too much for him and the family to bear. He had asked the flight attendant if there was anything that could be done to allow them to see him upon our arrival. The family wanted to be outside by the cargo door to watch the soldier being taken off the airplane. I could hear the desperation in the flight attendants voice when she asked me if there was anything I could do. ‘I’m on it I said. I told her that I would get back to her.

Airborne communication with my company normally occurs in the form of e-mail like messages.

I decided to bypass this system and contact my flight dispatcher directly on a secondary radio.

There is a radio operator in the operations control center who connects you to the telephone of the dispatcher.

I was in direct contact with the dispatcher. I explained the situation I had on board with the

Family and what it was the family wanted.

He said he understood and that he would get back to me.

Two hours went by and I had not heard from the dispatcher. We were going to get busy soon and I needed to know

What to tell the family.

I sent a text message asking for an update. I saved the return message from the dispatcher and the following

Is the text, ‘Captain, sorry it has taken so long to get back to you. There is policy on this now and I had to check on a few things.

Upon your arrival a dedicated escort team will meet the aircraft.

The team will escort the family to the ramp and plane side. A van will be used to load the remains with a

secondary van for the family. The family will be taken to their departure area and escorted into the terminal where the remains can be seen on the ramp. It is a private area for the family only.

 

When the connecting aircraft arrives, the family will be escorted onto the ramp and plane side to watch the

remains being loaded for the final leg home. Captain, most of us here in flight control are veterans. Please pass our condolences on to the family. Thanks.’

I sent a message back telling flight control thanks for a good job. I printed out the message and gave it to the

lead flight attendant to pass on to the father. The lead flight attendant was very thankful and told me,  You have no idea how much this will mean to them.’

Things started getting busy for the descent, approach and landing. After landing, we cleared the runway and taxied to

the ramp area.

The ramp is huge with 15 gates on either side of the alleyway. It is always a busy area with aircraft maneuvering every which way to enter and exit.

When we entered the ramp and checked in with the ramp controller, we were told that all traffic was being held for us.

He did that and the ramp controller said, ‘Take your time.’

I stopped the aircraft and set the parking brake. I pushed the public address button and said, ‘Ladies and gentleman, this is your Captain speaking I have stopped short of our gate to make a special announcement. We have a passenger on board who deserves our honor and respect.

His Name is Private XXXXXX, a soldier who recently lost his life. Private XXXXXX is under your feet in the cargo hold. Escorting him today is Army Sergeant XXXXXXX. Also, on board are his father, mother, wife, and daughter. Your entire flight crew is asking for all passengers to remain in their seats to allow the family to exit the aircraft first. Thank you.’

We continued the turn to the gate, came to a S top and started our shutdown procedures.

A couple of minutes later I opened the cockpit door. I found the two forward flight attendants crying, something you just do not see.

I was told that after we came to a stop, every passenger on the aircraft stayed in their seats, waiting for the family to exit the aircraft.

When the family got up and gathered their things, a passenger slowly started to clap his hands. Moments later more passengers joined in and soon the entire aircraft were clapping.

Words of God Bless You’, I’m sorry, thank you, be proud, and other kind words were uttered to the family as they made their way down the aisle and out of the airplane. They were escorted down to the ramp to finally be with their loved one.

Many of the passengers disembarking thanked me for the announcement I had made.

They were just words, I told them, I could say them over and over again, but nothing I say will bring back that brave soldier.

I respectfully ask that all of you reflect on this event and the sacrifices that millions of our men and women have made to ensure our freedom and safety in these United States of America …

Footnote:

As a Viet Nam Veteran I can only think of all the veterans including the ones that r o de below the deck on their way home and how they were treated.

When I read things like this I am proud that our country has not turned their backs on our soldiers returning

from the various war zones today and give them the respect they so deserve.

I know every one who has served their country who reads this will have tears in their eyes, including me.

Prayer chain for our Military… Don’t break it!

Please send this on after a short prayer for our service men and women.

Don’t break it!

They die for me and mine and you and yours and deserve our honor and respect.

May is the month to remember our fallen veterans.

Observe Memorial Day!

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CURRENT ISSUE, FEATURED

THE GREEN THING

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W. Lewis Jr.

In the line at the store, the cashier told the older woman that she should
bring her own grocery bag because  plastic bags weren’t good for the
environment .

The woman apologized to him and explained,
“We didn’t have the green thing back in my day.”

The clerk responded, “That’s our problem today.
The former generation did not care enough to save our environment.”

He was right, that generation didn’t have the green thing in its day.
Back then, they returned their  milk bottles,
soda bottles and  beer bottles to the store.

The store sent them back to the plant to be washed
and sterilized and refilled,
so it could use the same bottles over and over.
So they really were recycled.

But they didn’t have the green thing back in that customer’s day.

In her day, they walked up stairs,
because they didn’t have an escalator in every store and office building. They walked to the grocery store and
didn’t climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time they had to go two blocks.

But she was right. They didn’t have the green thing in her day

Back then, they washed the baby’s diapers
because they didn’t have the throw-away kind. They dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts –
wind and  solar power really did dry the clothes.

Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing.

But that old lady is right, they didn’t have the green thing back in her day.

Back then, they had one TV, or radio, in the house –
not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief,
not a screen the size of the state of Montana .

In the kitchen, they blended and stirred by hand because
they didn’t have electric machines to do everything for you.
When they packaged a fragile item to send in the mail,
they used a wadded up old newspaper to cushion it, not styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.

Back then, they didn’t fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. They used a push mower that ran on human power
They exercised by working so they didn’t need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.

But she’s right, they didn’t have the green thing back then.

They drank from a fountain when they were thirsty
instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time
they had a drink of water.

They refilled their writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen,
and they replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull.

But they didn’t have the green thing back then.

Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus
and kids rode their bikes to school or walked
instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service.
They had one electrical outlet in a room,
not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances.
And they didn’t need a computerized gadget
to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space
in order to find the nearest pizza joint.

But isn’t it sad the current generation laments how wasteful the old folks
were just because they didn’t have the green thing back then?

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CURRENT ISSUE, FEATURED

I Didn’t Know!

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Paula Vallen –

You can Hypnotize Chickens

A chicken can be hypnotized, or put into a trance by holding its head down against the ground, and continuously drawing a line along the ground with a stick or a finger, starting at its beak and extending straight outward in front of the chicken. If the chicken is hypnotized in this manner, it will remain immobile for somewhere between 15 seconds to 30 minutes, continuing to stare at the line.

You can have an erection once dead

A death erection (sometimes referred to as “angel lust”) is a post-mortem erection which occurs when a male individual dies vertically or face-down the cadaver remaining in this position. During life, the pumping of blood by the heart ensures a relatively even distribution around the blood vessels of the human body. Once this mechanism has ended, only the force of gravity acts upon the blood. As with any mass, the blood settles at the lowest point of the body and causes edema or swelling to occur; the discoloration caused by this is called lividity. Sorry, no photo for this one!

Your hand can have a life of it’s own

Alien hand syndrome (or Dr. Strangelove syndrome) is an unusual neurological disorder in which one of the sufferer’s hands seems to take on a life of its own. AHS is best documented in cases where a person has had the two hemispheres of their brain surgically separated, a procedure sometimes used to relieve the symptoms of extreme cases of epilepsy. It also occurs in some cases after other brain surgery, strokes, or infections. The HAND is after you!

 

Don’t laugh too much, it can kill you

Fatal hilarity is death as a result of laughter. In the third century B.C. the Greek philosopher Chrysippus died of laughter after seeing a donkey eating figs (hey, it wasn’t THAT funny). On 24 March 1975 Alex Mitchell, a 50-year-old bricklayer from King’s Lynn, England, literally died laughing while watching an episode of The Goodies. According to his wife, who was a witness, Mitchell was unable to stop  laughing whilst watching a sketch in the episode “Kung Fu Kapers” in which Tim Brooke-Taylor, dressed as a kilted Scotsman, used a set of bagpipes to defend himself from a psychopathic black pudding in a demonstration of the Scottish martial art of “Hoots-Toot-ochaye”. After twenty-five minutes of continuous laughter Mitchell finally slumped on the sofa and expired from heart failure. His widow later sent the Goodies a letter thanking them for making Mitchell’s final moments so pleasant.

 

A weapon could make you Gay

Gay bomb is an informal name for a potential non-lethal chemical weapon, which a U.S. Air Force research laboratory speculated about producing. In one sentence of the document it was suggested that a strong aphrodisiac could be dropped on enemy troops, ideally one which would also cause “homosexual behaviour”. So that’s how they got Saddam!

 

It’s true, Men can breastfeed

The phenomenon of male lactation in humans has become more common in recent years due to the use of medications that stimulate a human male’s mammary glands. Male lactation is most commonly caused by hormonal treatments given to men suffering from prostate cancer. It is also possible for males (and females) to induce lactation through constant massage and simulated ‘sucking’ of the nipple over a long period of time (months).

A supernumerary nipple (also known as a third nipple) is an additional nipple occurring in mammals including humans. Often mistaken for moles, supernumerary nipples are diagnosed at a rate of 2% in females, less in males. The nipples appear along the two vertical “milk lines” which start in the armpit on each side, run down through the typical nipples and end at the groin. They are classified into eight levels of completeness from a simple patch of hair to a milk-bearing breast in miniature suggests that mucophagy may be a natural and even healthy activity, which exposes the digestive system to bacteria accumulated in the mucus, thereby helping to strengthen the immune system.

So what crazy science stuff do you know? Comment it!

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CURRENT ISSUE, FEATURED

Cuba Today

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Katherine Gordy

 

THE CUBAN REVOLUTION S 50th anniversary has sparked academic conferences, debates and articles assessing its past and future.(1) How and why has the revolution survived? What does the future hold for Cuba? Or, as it is often put, more crudely, what will happen when Fidel/Raul dies?

 

My responses to these questions have always been short. The Cuban revolution has survived much as any established system survives, through a combination of coercion and consent.(2) The future holds gradual change, again, much as in any system that has been successfully institutionalized.

 

The questions assume that without Fidel Castro, or his doppelganger brother, there would be no Cuban revolution. They also assume that nothing ever changes in Cuba until crisis forces it. The language of crisis pervades contemporary treatments of Cuba in the United States. Academic and journalistic analyses often argue that the Cuban state prefers this perpetual state of crisis, since it allows it to wield power.

 

Cuba, by these accounts, is in crisis because Raul has dismissed vice-president Carlos Lage and foreign minister Felipe Perez Roque. It was in crisis because Fidel Castro was ill, Raul had taken over, the Soviet trading block had disappeared, or the dollar had been legalized. Each crisis was supposed to be the beginning of the end. Each time that Cuba pulled through only bolstered Colin Powell s claim, issued after the 2003 arrest of 75 dissidents, that Cuba was an aberration in the West. (3)

But what makes Cuba unique is not, as Powell suggested, infringements on civil liberties or human rights (including the use of capital punishment, which the United States uses with abandon). What distinguishes Cuba from the United States is that in Cuba, ideology and pragmatism are constantly being held in tension. Ideology isn t a dirty word used to dismiss one s opponents. Pragmatism is always couched in ideological terms, and those ideological terms are rooted in history and in practice. The cycle of dream followed by disappointment is one that Cubans are used to.

Socio-economic equality, unified leadership and inclusive nationalism were fundamental aspirations in 19th century debates on annexation, slavery, independence and the nature of the Cuban Republic. The compromising of Cuban independence, most poignantly illustrated in the passing of the Platt Amendment (1902) following the Spanish-American war, was a shock to those who had long struggled for it.The term shock suggests a dramatically different interpretation of Cuban history. Shock recognizes important moments in Cuban history as times of re-evaluation rather than rejection of the past and an embrace of post-crisis normality. In Cuba as elsewhere, crisis may force dramatic change, but the history of the Cuban revolution is one of constant adjustment. The revolution is ready to outlast not just Fidel Castro, but Raul as well.

 

From Fidel s to Raul s Cuba Observers tend to see Raul as more pragmatic than Fidel, yet such distinctions between hardliners and reformers within the party are rarely useful. Both Castro brothers combine pragmatism and ideology. They would not have been so successful at staying in power were this not the case. within the party who are seeking reforms are motivated by pragmatic and ideological concerns, as are those opposing them. Raul is considered a hardliner, yet he is more concerned with the institutionalization process than Fidel, who tended to oppose in principle various market-oriented policies adopted in 1990s or treat them as temporary measures in light of exceptional circumstances.

If Raul is a hardliner, he is one who believes that new policies, and especially those that appear to mark a change in course, should be considered carefully and introduced with clear guidelines. Laws that are introduced as stopgap measures, as the experience of the 1990s has shown, are laws that few understand and few take seriously.

 

Raul s style of leadership involves more power sharing and consultation, both with other top party officials and with those below. He is not the only one running the show, although he is still at liberty to dismiss such important government officials as Carlos Lage and Perez-Roque, who were considered members of the Fidel camp and resistant to the institutionalization process.

Unless increased reliance on the market is accompanied by greater popular participation, some worry Cuba will wind up looking like China or Vietnam, with state-run market economies and little or no popular participation. In 2006, Cuban literary critic Desiderio Navarro voiced concern that neo-Stalinist elements might try to take over the power vacuum left by Fidel Castro.(4)

Critics on the left have also argued that pre-revolutionary class divisions in Cuba, obscured in the early years of the revolution, are re-emerging. Their argument shares a striking similarity with the argument that the radicalization of Cuban Revolution in the beginning of the 1960s was a betrayal of the popular reformist movement of middle-class professionals (July 26th Movement) that brought Castro to power.

Many of this movement s members left the country and this export of dissent has been an important element in the consolidation of the revolution. Many on the Cuban Left also departed. They felt betrayed, and still do, by the revolution s centralization of power and the narrowing of realms in which workers, black Cubans, farmers, and others whose interests the revolution claimed to defend could organize themselves.

 

These critics ignore the transformative nature of the revolutionary process. The revolution has created its own adherents from different classes in Cuban society through a variety of campaigns aimed either at bringing middle-class professionals into the fold (the literacy campaign, for instance) or improving the lot of the large number of people who did not share Cuba s prosperity in the first half of the 20th century. Middle-class converts became some of the strongest believers.

 

By the 1990s, Cuba s professionals had a variety of pre-revolutionary class backgrounds. The dollar economy created new class divisions that at times coincided with older divisions (people with pre-revolutionary middle-class backgrounds might be more likely to have family abroad from whom they could receive remittances, while black and mulatto Cubans were less likely to have those networks), and at times didn t (professionals, regardless of class background, were some of the hardest hit, were less likely to work in the dollar economy and are often supporters of the revolution).

 

Marketization: Who Benefits?

The class that does seem to be in the best position to benefit from the incipient market shock is the military, which is responsible for most of the foreign investment and joint ventures in Cuba.

Starting in the 1990s (long before Raul, a career military man, took over), the military became heavily involved in the market economy when the government cut military spending. It is the military s economic model of firm autonomy and hard budgets that is being introduced into the larger economy in the form of the Sistema Perfeccionamiento Empresarial (the System of Enterprise Improvement).

Raul admires the Chinese model, but is aware that Cubans would not tolerate the levels of inequality associated with this or the Vietnamese model. Such inequality would challenge the legitimacy of the revolutionary leadership, which has always attempted to balance growth with equity, and usually privileged the latter.

 

There is still reason for concern that increasing marketization of the Cuban economy may not be accompanied by greater political opening, so that those who are not among the new elites will remain marginalized.(5) However, this new elite is in part a creation of the revolution and not a class that was sitting in deep freeze for almost 50 years waiting for the right moment to make their move.

Many of these elites are advocating for more popular participation. For instance, Raul s daughter Mariela Castro Esp n is director of the Cuban National Center for Sex Education in Havana and a LGBT activist. While not part of the Central Committee, she has pushed for a participatory socialism in Cuba, arguing that this is the most effective way to preserve the socialist achievements of the revolution in the 21st century.(6) Ironically, this was the position of many academics at the Center for the Study of the Americas, which was disbanded in 1995 and its members repremanded in a speech by Raul Castro. Yet critical intellectuals do not identify as dissidents, in spite of such characterizations from abroad and occasionally by the Cuban leadership, and instead insist upon their particular role in the Cuban revolution as organic intellectuals whose loyalty lies with the principles of Cuban socialism.

The dissident movement in Cuba is disorganized and easily discredited by links, both real and fabricated, with the United States. While dissident groups are not all allied with the United States and do not always support U.S. policy toward Cuba nor free market capitalism, their voices are shut out by the war of words between the U.S. and Cuban government.

 

New Demands

Challenges come from elsewhere, including from those who grew up with the revolution. They don t remember the days of Batista when Cuba was a country of extreme wealth and extreme poverty, but they do remember the 1980s when the Cuban standard of living was something to envy and when Cuba was an important international player. They expect more, and yet their values are shaped by revolutionary ideology.

 

Another important venue for critique is in the arts. Hip-hop and nueva trova serve as vehicles to raise issues of race and class in Cuba. Literature provides a view of the rough side of Cuban life.

Students have begun making demands. They want their education to mean something. Last year students at the University of Havana met with the president of the National Assembly, Ricardo Alarcon, and complained about inequality, the privileging of foreigners, the dual currency, and the low purchasing power of the Cuban peso.

 

It is true that there is great frustration in Cuba. After surviving the collapse of the Soviet Union and a period of extraordinary hardship in Cuba, things seemed to be getting better in the late 1990s and early 2000s, only to slip back again. Changes, such as last year s legalization of cell phone use and the lifting of laws that restricted Cuban access to tourist hotels, are ones that few Cubans can really take advantage of. Many young people, and particularly professionals, are leaving Cuba.

 

As a consequence, one of Cuba s major challenges is to make use of its highly educated population and avoid brain drain. One way to do that has been through medical missions, which allow Cuban doctors to work abroad and earn a much higher salary than they otherwise would at home.

In some cases, exchanges work in favor of Cuba s larger economy. For example, Venezuela sells oil to Cuba at discounted prices while Cuba sends doctors to Venezuela.

 

Other issues include: the construction of new housing, as a chronic housing shortage forces generations to live together; the re-evaluation of the Cuban peso to boost its purchasing power and diminish the gap between wage earners and those with access to remittances or the tourist industry; and pursuing ecotourism as a way to capture hard currency without the negative social and environmental effects associated with tourism in the Caribbean and in Cuba.

 

Finally, another major concern has been with increasing production, particularly in the agricultural sector. The country spends roughly $2 billion annually on food imports. One quarter of that is paid for in cash to U.S. agribusiness. Two-thirds of food production in Cuba comes from private farmers who control only a small fraction of the farmland.

 

The government has handed over fallow, but arable, land to small farmers and made other increases in material incentives in order to improve production.

 

Cuba has not always been able to balance growth with equity, but perhaps its greatest legacy is that it has always tried and never allowed itself to lose sight of the latter. Its other legacy may that the politicization of all spheres of Cuban life can feel burdensome to Cubans, but can also spill out beyond control in ways that cannot fit easily into categories of dissidence or party dogmatism.

 

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Fifth Grade Assignment

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Wouldn’t this be great if it was taught in every school.

A fifth grade school teacher asked her class to look

At TV commercials and see if they could use them in 20 ways

To communicate ideas about God.

 

Here are some of the results: scroll down.

 

God is like.

BAYER ASPIRIN

He works miracles.

 

God is like.

A FORD

He’s got a better idea..

 

God is like.

COKE

He’s the real thing.

 

(This is great)

 

God is like.

HALLMARK CARDS

He cares enough to send His very best.

 

God is like.

TIDE

He gets the stains out others leave behind. ..

 

God is like.

GENERAL ELECTRIC

He brings good things to life.

 

God is like.

WAL-MART

He has everything.

 

God is like.

ALKA-SELTZER

Try Him, you’ll like Him

 

God is like.

SCOTCH TAPE

You can’t see Him, but you know He’s there.

 

God is like..

DELTA

He’s ready when you are.

 

God is like.

ALLSTATE

You’re in good hands with Him.

 

God is like.

VO-5 Hair Spray;He holds through all kinds of weather

 

God is like.

DIAL SOAP

Aren’t you glad you have Him? Don’t you wish everybody did?

(that one is my favorite)

 

 

 

 

God is like .

The U.S. POST OFFICE

Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet nor ice will keep Him from

His appointed destination.

 

 

God is like.

Chevrolet. . . .the heart beat of America

 

God is like

Maxwell House. ….. .

Good to the very last drop

 

 

 

God is like.

B o u n t y . . . .

He is the quicker picker upper. . Can handle the tough jobs. ..

And He won’t fall apart on you

 

Peace, Love and Prosperity to all !

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