Zombie apocalypse

.     A lot of scientific jargon can be tedious, like the next paragraph. I read this stuff and hear real english. It's just real english filled with a lot of "when this stuff is replaced by that stuff, it makes the new stuff that that stuff and this stuff makes, resist breaking down." Believe it or not, bigger words are easier to follow. 
.     "Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), also known as prion diseases, are a group of progressive conditions that affect the brain and nervous system of many animals, including humans. According to the most widespread hypothesis they are transmitted by prions, though some other data suggest an involvement of a Spiroplasma infection. Mental and physical abilities deteriorate and myriad tiny holes appear in brain tissue. The disorders cause impairment of brain function, including memory changes, personality changes and problems with movement that worsen over time. Prion diseases of humans include classic Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease, new variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (nvCJD, a human disorder related to Bovine spongiform encephalopathy), Gerstmann–Sträussler–Scheinker syndrome, fatal familial insomnia and kuru. These conditions form a spectrum of diseases with overlapping signs and symptoms." -Thank you Wikipaedia.
.     A mutation at codon 178 of the prion protein gene causes a person to change over the next two weeks to two years into what sounds and stumbles like a zombie. The mutation replaces a hydrophyllic amino acid to a hydrophobic one. Likes water vs. hates water, super important. As a cell trait that is dominant this replacement prompts the propegation of dysfuctional cells to exponentially increase. The codon at 178 that gets replaced is Glutamic Acid  (Molecular formula: C5H9NO4). It gets replaced by L-valine which in this example causes the cell indirectly to stop using the molecular building blocks it has stored up. Instead the effect is that the cellular purpose changes to one that reproduces (propagates) and resists deterioration. The understanding is similar to taking a fork in the road. As a result of resistance to digestion of building block proteins within the brain, what those brain cells need is not being given to them. Your brain cells can't fuel, they can not function and die of hunger and fatigue. Starve yourself of food or sleep for a few days and see what happens... (...seriously don't do that, 72 hours without sleep in some states is considered legally insane.)
.     Where's the zombie apocalypse? If this thing can transmit by clay, despite outdoor exposure, let alone by consumption or by blood to blood transmission, and some think it could be sexually communicable; which it can, I'd be only a little concerned. If it has the ability to spread like that and you put a solid outbreak smack into the center of a less regulated society, we would be looking at infected areas where everyone is starting to stumble, loose sanity, coordination, balance, speech... Think about it...
However I don't see a reason to fear a now heavily monitored and regulated disease. Don't feed brain to what you eat and don't eat any brain. Most anything else is either uncontrollable or your fault.
.     Your cells store up the ability to send messages (like feed me) through chemical naval bases. Need something, peel off a boat and send it off; the boat has "what's my address" instructions built into it and sometimes cells steal and propagate those instructions so that when one cell in the brain needs water, everyone up there gets some because the message's return address reads "brain." One of the instructions within the address bar includes a prion protein that directly impacts cell function. Normally this protein breaks up easily and provides certain chemicals to necessary processes to further operations. A diseased one refuses to break up and begins the process of sending itself to every near-by cell.  
.     The normal prion protein gene tells stored chemical and protein chains to break apart or digest easily. It normally travels and gets reproduced with any neurological chemical impulse. It also provides info on how often it should be copied. Which is wherever it goes to. There are instructions all along the chain of chemicals in storage saying where the edges are, start and stop. It's kind of like it comes with it's own instruction manual. A prion disease resists being broken down properly. Reminds me a little of cancer, aids and (oh yeah) zombies.
.     Still too much of a jump? A dominant prion gene that tells the bonds in the storage portion of the cell to be hydro phobic means you display symptoms of extreme fatigue. No, I mean extreme. One gene that was found to be a natural carrier of this dominant protein later (in 1765) is called fatal familial insomnia. Remember L-valine, that's the evil one, the transmittable zombie disease is the L-valine protein replacement in the prion; well this one has another prion replacement that is so similar it's part of the same family. The interesting thing here is fatal familial insomnia (FFI) genetically inherited and alwa"ys caused by a mutation to the protein PrPC, but can also develop spontaneously in patients with a non-inherited mutation variant called sporadic Fatal Insomnia (sFI). FFI has no known cure and involves progressively worsening insomnia, which leads to hallucinations, delirium, and confusional states like that of dementia. The average survival span for patients diagnosed with FFI after the onset of symptoms is 18 months." -Wiki
.     While you do get the dementia, poor vocal control, jerky often uncontrollable movements stiff gait or walk, lack of balance and coordination with altered memory and "psychosis" Symptoms lack a few key zombie characteristics. No peeling rotting skin, no intense hunger for brain (though there is something related to psychosis out there) and no undying. Gotta love that.

Deck Staining, DIY (Do it Yourself)

.     There's a plethora of knowledge and information. Videos with tips and step by step instructions. There's no need to be apprehensive about tackling a project that if you don't take care of it every year, will cost you a boat load more; like it will the folk I'm going to help tomorrow. 
.     Today I've come back and re-posted this with a day's worth of in the moment tips. Here's literally What I Learned in prep for the project. 
.     First step. Know what you want it to look like. If what you want is something that looks like wood, with a tint then 1. You have to maintain it yearly. 2. Wood, covered and protected or not, ages and removing that age after a year becomes an expensive and time consuming project. 3. Use the stain-lifting, mold-removing stripper. It helps. 
.     The difference between "re-stain the deck annually" (Or Else) and "this stain lasts two years but no more..." is the difference between hiding your "waited too long" to get around to staining it and now you have to take care of this problem yearly wood, and your "looks like new or kept like new" wood is literally upkeep and the right stain in the first place. The worse you let your deck age the harder it will be to make it look good. Despite tips I'll get to in a bit. The major thing to get from stain is: can't see-through stain lasts a year and usually is required if you waited too long.  Clear sealers and mostly clear stain is the better stain for the visually good deck and lasts longer.
.   Clean the deck means clean it. A decent broom and the proper deck stripper are musts. Power-washing tends to make the rest of the job harder, so hang up this idea unless you need to remove a damaged top layer of wood, in which case, power-washer second, stripper first. So seriously, get the "let set and rinse off, stain lifting" stripper. 
.     Of course you'll still need a scrub brush and a decent broom. Push-brooms actually save time and effort both for spot-scrubbing and for the rinse process. After this general cleaning you'll have to do some sanding, because I assume you used the neighbor's power-washer rather than that twenty-dollar old-fashioned hose sprayer nozzle you needed a new one of anyway. 
.     The sanding step can be skipped, though have a brillo handy, this will come in useful in a bit. For the real tough spots any visible imperfections are going to show through to some extent, there's a cheat here: newspaper. It's made from wood and soaks up stain. Here's what you do. The spot where the grill sits on the deck is black and oily and even the power-washer on the beaded setting didn't get the stain to go away. Try this next tip.
.     Coat lightly with stain, flatten newsprint over it so it sticks evenly and let sit. After a five to twenty minute bake in mid-day sun try to peel it up, If you can't peel it up, not even a little, it's good. Now take your brillo and scrub the paper like you're trying to get it off. You want to leave a roughed up but otherwise smooth layer of paper over your dark spot. Now that the area is "wood smooth" run over it with more stain. It should blend in and appear to be a grain-less section of wooden plank. Invest the elbow grease where it's simplest to do so.
.     Application can be done the fast and less effective way or the equally fast when you factor in the clean-up wipe down and splatter protection processes, old-fashioned way. Things like tarping the walls near-by and anything under the deck aren't often thought of but save a lot of effort if you don't want to explain speckled walls later. Get a roller, one of those thin ones, experts say not too pouffy, I say wide and whatever works will work. Bubbles weren't a problem for me, you go back over it with a paint brush anyway. 
.     Speaking of paint-brushes; get brushes that are as wide as your planks and brushes that are wider, but a two or three inch brush will make tight spots and corners easier. Trust me, every deck has their tight little spot. Paint sprayers don't pain around corners. By the way, there's this stuff called Tek-Dek, should have invested in that and might have to if this wood needs replacing instead of a paint-job. Zero-maintenance is worth it.
.     When you paint the stain on, back brush to get it evenly into the wood and to get a smoother look and finish. Correction, pour stain onto a board and roll on with roller, then go over the board with a brush to get in between the gaps and make sure the roller spread the paint well enough.  Do three or four boards at a time, end to end. If you stop in the middle of any one board then you stare at the imperfection all year with regret. Drips happen, try to catch them before they get bad, yet another reason to tarp under your deck and especially the edges. Spindles take twice as long at least and they are drip factories.  One more thing to note. A paint roller doesn't get the stain on evenly unless you go thick and thick leads to peeling. But it'll get it on quick enough, and after it's been gone over with a brush, minimal effort and good result.
.     And then clean up, no one like stuff dried into a brush and tarps are easiest pulled off of wood it was tacked into, Use 3/4 in. staples and a staple gun. They don't go in as far, makes 'em easier to pull out at the end. Also something to note, saw-dust isn't a big deal, it fills in gaps when it mixes with stain. that's how wood-filler works. Now, does that sound simple enough?

Empathetic Regression, Associative Regression, Revertigo, Mirroring, Parroting. So many names, so many uses!

.     The relevance of Empathetic Regression or what a TV show has recently dubbed Revertigo, is this: consciously and unconsciously many people use this type of communication daily in an effort to achieve favourable responses from others. The phenomena involves an apparent regression type of mirroring of traits, habits, other body language, and/or other communication skills.
.     Some psychoanalysts have studied how behaviour changes to "mirror" others they want desirable responses from, others have studied how in stressful and other situations people sometimes revert to an earlier stage of ego or personality as a coping mechanism. It therefore follows, and is no surprise that the behaviour also occurs as a positive response to pleasant experiences the likes of reuniting with an old friend.
.     Empathy is the tendency of people to "feel for" someone they care about. It is well studied and well-established that empathy is real. It is defined as the intellectual identification with or vicarious experiencing of the feelings, thoughts or attitudes of another. Moreover when one mirrors or on some level expresses the thoughts and attitudes of another they are expressing empathy. When these thoughts or attitudes are more explicitly defined as mannerisms that were the embodiment of a previous ego (younger personality) then this empathy has a regression or regressive quality to it.
.     Both empathy and regression are well studied concepts. Feel free to delve into your own research. How association impacts these two phenomena is an interesting theory to explore. When two people share knowledge and experiences, they sometimes freely associate towards the same ends. An example that comes to mind is a classroom and the nitrogen and rose experiment. When it comes time to take the test there may be many varying answers given say on an essay question but the rose has been associated with the knowledge and may be mentioned in more than one essay.
.     The study of associative regression, that is two people who at one point associated freely through several experiences and since have changed (therefore a reversion would be considered regressive) is in it's infantile stages but there are psychological principles worth being explored in the behavioural phenomena. As for me, I find it cute that when one does research on mirroring or on regression or on associtive regression, the results that immediately come up are related to a major media exposure where humor is gleaned from examples of the phenomena.
.     The positive effects of understanding revertigo and it's cousin: mirroring or parroting, is that comfort, non-threat, at-ease impression that interviewers, bosses and clients alike all rely on as their gut feeling as to whether or not this is a "good person". If you see someone at the interview get involved in a Revertigo with the hiring manager, you feel demoralized. Similarly if the interviewer starts to do so with you, you can feel at least partially assured that you've got some sort of leg-up over the competition. Do a bit of research on mirroring or parroting a lot of interpersonal, and therefore job-related stuff can be found and it's quite interesting. Stuff like this.

Book, Leftovers, LOL Cats

.     Tom Parada, published a book: "the leftovers" that deals with pre-millennial end-times and rapture theory. The concept is simpler than religious kitch. Rather it hints at what could be happening to the people in the story, all over the world. You never get the answer to your question: was it the rapture or not? The question is: what if millions of people mysteriously and instantaneously vanish.
.     This engrossing book talks about the people who are looking around and asking what happened to the people they love and now mourn. You get at first a vague connection to one and two characters and quickly you are thrown into their reality that this is a world-wide event and everyone is both touched by it and concerned. Regardless of who they are and where they come from.
.     Tom admits that he didn't do much research into the faces of mourners, but his extensive knowledge on the theological concepts that he touches; allows him to pose some expressive questions. How he approaches the experience of not knowing the answer is the real read to enjoy from this book. It being based in a religious story, just was an easy path to take; it was a pre-set plot.
.     As an agnostic, of sorts, Tom approaches this story more with a focus on people and how they cope. One of the groups of characters that have a presence in this book are an almost cultish group of "survivours" who after this disappearance event, follow others around everywhere playing witness to the final seven years or so of what is purported life.
.     The important thing about this novel is the perspective and the internal and personal detail as it is both discussing cultural and social norms and following personal reactionism. It's this focused perspective with broad undertones makes it a wonderful read one that when you put it down, you feel almost more accepting of the world.
.     Perspective is the Find of the day. I know, cheap cop-out. But do something today. Take a differing perspective from your own and visualize your world through that different belief system, through that different life, goals and priorities. If religion is too heavy and difficult a topic for you try everyone's favourite boredom reducer lolcats!

Arlington National Cemetary and the stories we share

.     Located in Arlington Virginia the cemetery sits on over 600 acres of land with surrounding lands of upwards of 200 acres potentially available in the future. The land was acquired from the Washington and Lee family by the government for reasons of an unpaid tax. The lesson one gets from learning the story is always go pay your taxes in person.
.     What's surprising to note is that while the area of the cemetery is so large, the distance between the attractions of the Arlington house, the Kennedy Gravesite and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is not a far walk at all. Given the chance to go again, I'd visit the section dedicated to nurses in the military and I'd explore section 60 to see what mementos have been granted a month's leave to be left at graves.
.     The nurses section seems to be less structured and has a peaceful shady solemn feel, and section 60 is the area of Arlington that is interring Afganistan and Iraq war veterans. Arlington has a no-leaving mementos policy, however collection is only the first friday of the month and if it appears to have been left recently, the collections guard will leave a memento until the next month's pick-up. They even have a policy for artistic or signifigant mementos to be photographed, catalogued, sometimes stored and sometimes put into the historic archives.
.     It has always been the story behind things that fascinates me. This is why I enjoy visiting cemeteries. The chance to read a quote, perhaps see a memento, and to imagine what an entire life may have had in any one moment. It is a feeling that is enjoyable. Not to mention the value of paying respects to someone who lived and died.
.     This brings me to my find of the day. Electronic barcodes on gravestones. Call it disrespectful or call it a good idea, but the concept was inevitable. With so much technology now, and with barcodes promising the ability to "find out more" by scanning a small digitized picture it's easy to create an online photo-album and information page and link to it easily through your phone or computer.
.     The ability to share a loved one's in-depth story with anyone who scans their stone can be comforting and empowering and makes for a unique date in my world. I remember wandering around wondering who were the people I'm reading dates and quotes about. Now I have the ability to find out details I never could have guessed, see pictures and know who might have survived this person who otherwise would have been  just a name and a date to little ol' me.
.     Arlington National Cemetery probably wont allow something like this, they are a bit more traditional, but for the rest of the millions of cemeteries out there there are companies that provide this service. However; some lamination tape, a basic bar-code creator and a web-site are really all you need to tell the world, or at least anyone who wanders by, about this important person and who they were to you.

What Vitamins Are Good for Hair Growth

.     Ask yourself what vitamins should i take for hair growth and these are the answers you'll find. But I have a few extra tid-bits of information not many people know or talk about that will really help. It pays to ask your elders first.
.     If you want to know what vitamins are good for hair growth you need not look far. Different sources will cite different vitamins as the most important ones. The real question is why do you want to grow your hair. If there is something wrong with the health of your hair then address that issue specifically. Here are a few of the more common issues and the best vitamins to take in order to remedy the malady.
.     Sebum. It's the oily substance your scalp produces to prevent your hair from dying out and to protect your hair from bacteria. It lubricates and too much can be a bad thing. Vitamin A aids in the production of healthy sebum. Lots of foods and most multi-vitamins all contain Vitamin A but for a boost of this hair-growth vitamin, try eating liver, spinach and carrots.
.     When trying to figure out what vitamin is good for hair growth, you'll hear a lot about citrus foods and Vitamin C. As with all the body's systems, vitamin C promotes health and wellness. Due to the fact that Vitamin C promotes better circulation, your scalp can more easily access the other nutrients it needs to promote healthy strong hair growth. Also contained in most all your multi-vitamins, foods rich in  Vitamin C are of course citrus fruits and peppers. 
.     Vitamin E is also one of what vitamins are good for hair growth, found in vegetable oils, nuts and seeds, Vitamin E dows more for your skin than it does for your hair. But an unhealthy scalp has a hard time producing healthy hair. Make sure your multi-vitamin contains a healthy amount of Vitamin E.
.     B-Complex is a term thrown around from time to time. It often includes Vitamins B3,  Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, and Vitamin B12. B-complexes often include surnames for a couple of these vitamins to seem like they are giving you more, but whether niacin and pantothenic acid are listed or these chemicals are called B3 and B5 does not matter. Get a healthy dose of B vitamins. Try chicken, fish, liver, eggs, milk, whole grains and here's a fun one, brewers yeast. These vitamins help promote scalp circulation and prevent graying and general hair-loss.
.     Biotin and Inositol. Two very important vitamins to make sure you take in. Not commonly listed on most multi-vitamins these two can be found in liver and whole grains. Most neonatal supplements can be a great booster source for these. Take biotin to keep your hair and follicles young and producing like they should. Take Inositol to promote stronger more productive follicles. 
.     So when asking yourself what vitamins should i take for hair growth you need only ask what vitamin is good for hair growth. And here is your answer. Take half a pre-natal pill every twelve hours and you'll notice hair everywhere more readily than you had before. Being a fan of old wives-tales, as most are based in some kind of tried and true fact, I also want to share this little scrap of wisdom. It will clean your body out of toxins, most of which will turn up as deposits in your hair and nails for the first couple weeks, but to give your body the chemical building blocks it needs to produce hair eat lots and lots of gelatin.

Description: Hair growth research can't tell what it pays to ask your elders first. Boitin, B-complex and Vitamins C and E are only the start.
...

I've writtin articles recently for a scammer posing as contentproz. E-mail from contentproe.su has this work but for the record I have the copy right and would like to see payment for services rendered.

The Road

Sorry about the fluff creative piece for filler today. I didn't want to break the habit of daily post. I'm currently doing some in-depth research for a fact-filled piece that's very thorough. So until I get that finished and polished. I hope you can enjoy a story or two.

.   It wasn't long 'til I saw past the road. The sun overhead had left a glare in my eyes and With him in the seat next to me I took a deep breath of the summer air. Smelled  like the dirty laundry we'd been carting around for a week. Living from laundry mat to laundry mat was getting old. So were we. So I looked over at him and smiled. When he smiled back I at least drew comfort from the fact that despite all this hell and poverty I could still give him something as powerful as a happy moment to enjoy.
.     Even if only for a moment. The truck had slammed into a tree and there was smoke pouring out of the engine. I could see it through what was left of the hood crumpled in front of me. I knew this was somehow my fault. But things like this are too tragic to ever be voluntary. So I took another deep breath and relaxed. I never wanted anything like this to be our life. Knowing there was another choice I walked away.
.     For too many sleepless nights I'd been watching the road go by. Night and day finding the next spot to go that was even a mile, didn't matter how much farther it was... so long as it was closer to where we were going. We were headed toward a better life. This was the lie I fed myself day in and day out. A trip to the make a bucket list memory was the cure-all bonding we needed and we never made it there.
.     My favourite thing to do was notice the different trees that were road-side natives to any one area. When we were lucky enough to take back-roads. Counting how many people had rose bushes in their yard. Big beautiful red ones, no one ever had a yellow one. Yellow roses made me think of the trip back home to him. But now the world seemed smaller and colder and somehow darker.
.     I still smiled at him through the wreckage. He couldn't understand how I could smile. Asked me if I knew what was going on. His words were muffled, he had blood in his mouth. So I turned my head to smile out of what was left of the window. I could kind of still see the road. I kept seeing instead where we were supposed to be going. Live out a dream. Make it across the country and tell people what we had seen. 
.     Mostly it was road. But the shining moments were real friendship, happiness and bonding. I could see the giant sequoia we planned to go to. I saw the aura borealis over the arctic ocean at midnight with his hand in mine.  I could see the colorado streets I had seen as a child. I was on my way to being happy in each one of these life-long memories I made. But now I saw a fragment of broken off scrub-brush by the side of the road. Hanging by a last bit of stem where the force of the truck... doing something a few inches above the ground.
. I smiled and laughed to myself because I knew even this was a life-long memory I'd much prefer to remember positively. At the moment I was on my way to the monestary. And nothing was going to stop me and stop me from being happy about at least that. I looked forward at this moment in time to crossing onver the chasm that seperated home from the rest of the violent world and living where it was respected to be thoughtful and nice and it was encouraged to be pleasant to be around.
. I wanted to feel like it was ok to want to make people feel at ease and comfortable. At least, if this turned bad I had gone out sharing a smile. I didn't want this to happen, but it happening wasn't going to ruin my attempt at passing on a good mood. I was determined to survive this as well as look back on it and say "but it didn't get me down." So every time I saw a bit of road-side scrub or rain; smiling and giving it time, it wasn't long before I started to see past the road.

Reading People...

.     ...And letting people read you is one of those skills that comes naturally. You may not realize that you're constantly sending non-verbal cues or what they are or why, but body-language speaks volumes. I love when I come across something like this because I spent my childhood stepping back and over-analyzing these and other subtle forms of interaction in order to teach them.
.     When I was very young, I realized my brother was different. He couldn't tell that other people didn't just listen to his words but his tone meant a lot too. He didn't notice that subtle cues were trying to tell him that another person was not angry but frustruated. When people learned they had to eliminate all verbal and non-verbal cues and focus strictly on the meaning of their words with my brother he made fast friends. I remember countless times that I accompanied his as a sort of translator between worlds.
.     My brother shows many similarities with autistics. While he does not have Autism, it was convenient to explain to others what my brother's developmental-delays resembled in terms that seemed familiar. Even when they weren't. Telling people (in a time when Autism, Downs and ADD were not household terms) that my brother had qualities from these disorders soothed their initial unease and often opened up the conversation of "I've heard of the one but what are the others?" It also gave me the immediate freedom to explain the traits my brother shared with these more common situations.
.     Time and again I found myself explaining that people often look for facial expressions to explain part-way what a person is talking about by what they are feeling. I understood satire and cynicism at a very early age because in some ways I lived with an unwilling example of them. And everywhere we went I would stop and turn to my brother to say: "Now J, I know you're happy to see her because you are but you need to smile when you see Grandma to let her know you're happy to see her." Or other such things.
.     Friendly body-language is one of the lessons I spent a lot of time on with my brother. I'd slow down a group of people we were introduced to and show them how to help him see these cues and understand what they meant. One such occasion is when someone said to me that I was like my brother's translator. I hadn't thought of it that way but kept the notion ever since. To see how he has progressed and remembered those lessons through the years has been fascinating and filled me with pride. He learned a lot of things that were difficult for him. And I never took for granted something so powerful; something that to be without, I knew, was a huge handicap.
.     So when someone said to me through gritted teeth "I like you" I had to swallow hard. I spent years teaching one person harmony between words and intentions and here was a blaring embodiment of what I had learned no one needs to have to cope with in their life. All at once I wanted to teach and to run. (Sorry Mom, once was enough, kinda why I'm a member of the zero population growth coalition.) It's nice to find a web-page I can refer the problem to.

Find me something else that might help people conserve.

Water Consumption

.     At the risk of sounding like a progressive nut, here's another little ditty about social problems. Years ago I took a class in college by a save-the-earth hippie turned college professor and one of the issues we studied all those years ago was the imminent water crisis. Not one of us in that class had realized such a thing was on the horizon, and some of us walked away from the class believing the numbers had some truth to tell. I can say it made a believer out of me, but an activist I hesitate to admit, I was not. I did become more conscious of water consumption though.
.     I've been working on a bit of spring cleaning for a few years now and I'd dragged my flower boy along on one of these cleaning excursions last week to provide moral support and a spare hand. I came across the book from that class and smiled to remember the class, the hippie and I thought of the water study we did. For the past few years I've been telling my intelligent friends to invest in de-salinization plants as water will become a commodity and factories that make salt water potable will be making money, like it or not.
.     According to the reports we studied back then, the water tables have been consistently dipped into at a faster rate than "mother earth" has been able to replenish and as a result all the studies showed an imminent water crisis in the near future. Listed was a seven year projection. We are now five years into that projection and sure enough, there seems to be a bit more public awareness going around.
.     I found in my web crawling an interesting table which encourages smarter water consumption and if you check it out, you may notice something about your water "footprint" that might make you feel a little guilty too. I, for one, am not a vegitarian. More the 'carnetarian', I rarely eat anything that doesn't have a healthy serving of meat in it. Unfortunately the amount of water used in the production of market-meats is so high. Too bad because I can't go without at least a weekly helping of good old fashioned steak.
.     One thing I wonder about though is if this chart refers to salad as a store-bought head of lettuce and other veggies as part of its figures, or if it references home-grown veggies. I've always been a fan of victory gardens, kept one when I was a kid and always wanted to have a yard to plant one in. Which, by the way hon, do you think the land-lord will be ok with us planting some veggies this season? As this is the first time I've been in one "home" consistently long enough to invest the time and effort. I certainly want to utilize the proverbial foot-print for something more beneficial than growing grass that ends up being cut anyway.
.     Plant a garden. I encourage at least this. Turn off the faucet when brushing your teeth. I remember wash-basins and using that water to wash up and brush. Why don't we start teaching ourselves and those close to us to make these little changes. You can't stop big corporations from wasting so much water but the more we save now, the more we'll have in the imminent future.

the Medical home

The book I head of on an NPR report was titled something like "the medical home". Enjoy!

.     The medical home, home health care, live-in patients, senior care; all very important things that more people are beginning to embark upon. I'm hoping to do a specific article pertaining to holistic medicine soon but for now allow me to share on something I've been close to for years. Turning yours into a medical home with specific needs in mind is a need which is becoming a huge part of life for many as an aging population is beginning to rely on younger generations and as the number of children born with disabilities increases exponentially every year.
.     When the need arises, there are a few routes to take. Hospice care offers over-crowding and expense. While the shortage of nurses makes it less than feasible to have a home-care professional spend large amounts of time any one place. Don't get me wrong, these professionals exist, my mom is one who is out of work due to injury. 
.     I do however, want to note that studies show the educational facilities available can not facilitate the influx of nursing applicants. As an interesting side note; Congress is looking to allow to eliminate numbers caps on green-card immigration for nurses and their families within the next week. There isn't much motivation for professors in the industry, pay is incomparably low as opposed to that of practicing the trade. Hey mom, have you thought about teaching lately?
.     So what's the alternative? Take care of those you love the best way you can. The first step is to know the health industry. With so few medical professionals and so many in need of medical care one must understand that specific details of a patient's care and needs my get lost forgotten or overlooked. There is a push in the industry recently to convert all medical records to electronic format that it may become accessible to any facility that may be called upon. The days of the primary-care physician who knows every detail about a person are dying out.
.     It has now become important for those with chronic-related needs to have someone case-specific, professional or personal, whom is intimately familiar with their medical history. In the home I grew up in, my mother was a private nurse who visited people at home to care for their needs on a daily basis and provide instantaneous life-saving as well as to be familiar with early warning signs of severe problems to prevent them before they occurred. 
.     My mother had a child with developmental delay issues and severe bronchial problems, consequently her specialty became pediatrics with breathing problems. Through my childhood I had lots of take your child to work days and there was one striking example of consistency from health-care home, to hospital to medical house across the spectrum. Records.
.     My house had lists of medications and allergies tacked to the pantry door. Many others had the lists tacked to the fridge. Hospitals had clip-boards at the foot of the bed. Elder care homes had medical bracelets. The medical home where I volunteer now has a laminated copy bed-side as well and in the cupboard. As personal as some of this information can sometimes get, it is crucial to have distributable copies. Send one with an ambulance if need be. Whether sending one to the school nurse, or informing a substitute or fill in for the day, the alternative to accessible records is tragic. It is important that informed care is being given.
.     Recently I encountered a woman who was sent to the hospital. They read a fax from the pharmacy saying she had previously been given a specific drug for pain. After giving her that drug the primary care-giver was told to take her home. She stayed in the hospital because they failed to cross-reference or they would have realized they gave her a drug she was allergic to. The pharmacy had referred to the incident through which the allergy was discovered.
.     Some elders are truly sharp-witted and can inform medical professionals on their own. But so many people in need don't have the where-with-all and need this information to be shared and edited freely on their behalf. With so little reason to trust the population these days, the problem then falls onto the responsibility of those who care about these individuals personally. There has got to be a better way.
.     Enter health care reforms. Now roll your eyes. The truth is there are no seemless and easy or fool-proof ways to ensure everyone gets the personal care and attention they should have. I shutter to think how those who don't have family or close friends to look after them are coping. But for those who have someone who cares there is information out there that can and will help.
.     For example, if you're building or remodeling a home keep in mind the possibility of someone who needs assistance. A walk-in shower and a ramp instead of front steps would save some massive headaches down the road. Shallower and lower shelves that make it easier to reach and to locate items like spices or coffee cups would be an ingenious thing. Front-load washers and dryers have their advantages. wider door-ways and even a wider sun room or patio make quality of life noticeably better.
.     Speaking of quality of life. With age comes limitations and the simple joy of feeling like you're not entirely helpless means a lot. I encountered a home once which had no bathroom walls. Instead there was a floating wall juxt-opposed to a corner, this made the facilities accessable from either side while giving the feeling of privacy. Along the oppposite corner were bench-like storage boxes. The lids were light but sturdy. and the boxes slid out easily - about the size of a laundry hamper. It gave the home a cleaner look and doing the house work was much easier as one could sit on the bench lid of one to rest while putting laundry into the other.
.     The point I want to make is this. Everyone needs to know how to render care, get educated. Between nursing shortages expected to peak in 2020 and strikes (see news of california this coming Thursday) and importation of nurses and care professionals from under-developed countries where diseases of a more delicate nature run rampant. The only way to ensure a clean-room on a budget is to do it yourself.

Single Serving Wine Glasses

http://www.novate.ru/blogs/140710/15114/
.     First, here is the site they are all referring to and if your browser doesn't do what mine does, you'll notice it's in Russian... I think. But the gist is this: Inventor's name, buncha pros, potential con, then overall soft sell. I really hope wine innovations puts up a feedback page because I'd like an excuse to tell him we're taking a picnic to try these.
.     Sitting in the basement having a beer doesn't strike me as an awesome date-night but I do like it so much that I'd like to move the comfortable silence out into the open air some nights. Something that makes an excuse of a break from the same ol' dinner and a movie scene sounds like something I could really get behind.
.     So I offer this thought. I like wine and sometimes don't want to get beer drunk. What can't you do with a bottle of wine? Party... is ok. Private party for two... do-able but that's a lot of wine between two people. Couples night in... yep.   But couples night out anywhere but a bar or restaurant... good luck. This means base-ball games. The little league game. Picnics (these cups are not glass!!) or planes. Or anywhere you didn't watch them open the bottle.
.     Ingenious. If transient. I'm behind this fad.

A simpler time.

.     A simpler time is something we can all look back on and reminisce about. 1972, the year Jenny McCarthy was born, 1994, the year Jenny McCarthy was in playboy, 2007 the year Jenny McCarthy started really getting behind Autism activism; it doesn't matter when you're looking back to - there was a simpler time we all remember and consequently something wrong with the world today that is worth complaining about. Of courts that also means there's something you can d about it. Activism, volunteering, fund-raising, awareness... Just to name a few.
.     It was a simpler time when children knew there place, or when people respected their elders or when kids these days hadn't gotten into politics and screwed things up yet. Some of those simpler times values have survived, they're just lost in the din of so many people trying to scrape out a living.
.     For instance, volunteer work still exists. It has its rewards too, that's why I get involved with such when I find it. Before long though the work comes with a desire to do more. A burning sense of obligation to get others to share in the helping and the satisfying feeling of having made a difference. Most people, unfortunately, have a greater need for an income than they used to... In a simpler time.
.     In my experience however, paid work leaves you with little money, usually not enough and it leaves you exhausted. So I challenge you to do something. Find an elder care home and go. Visit with the gents and bring the ladies flowers and ask them all how they liked their ice-creams and malts. At the very least you are bound to feel youthful and energized when you leave.
.     That being said, I found a site that brought back some great memories as these comics were my grand-parents' favourites:

http://www.familycircus.com/

Meanwhile the find I want to share today is something that I think might give you a smile, it sure would give quality of life to someone who wishes they could go back to a simpler time.

http://www.retirement-online.com/senior-relationships.html

Low TSH hypothyroid symptoms and all symptoms of hypothyroidism.

I found myself doing research for a friend today. As one of the undiagnosed cases, her doctor didn't realize her post-pardon medications could have sent her into a world of pain and problems. I recommend everyone know where their thyroid chemical levels at and get tested.

Low TSH hypothyroid symptoms and all symptoms of hypothyroidism.

.     All symptoms of hypothyroidism result from the fact that the thyroid gland is not making enough thyroid hormone. There are many reasons why the thyroid gland would begin to under-produce. Of the more common reasons are iodine deficiency and stress. However there are three classifications of hypothyroidism based on the organ with which the hypothyroidism is associated. 
.     Primary hypothyroidism is associated with the thyroid gland itself and typical symptoms range from asymptomatic to extreme versions of the following thyroid hypothyroidism symptoms:
Cold intolerance and increased sensitivity to cold, Constipation, Weight gain and water retention, Bradycardia (low heart rate – fewer than sixty beats per minute), Fatigue, Decreased sweating, Muscle cramps and joint pain, Dry and or itchy skin, Thin or brittle fingernails, Rapid thoughts, Depression, Poor muscle tone (muscle hypotonia), Female infertility and other menstrual issues, Hyperprolactinemia and galactorrhea, and Elevated serum cholesterol. Among other rarer or more severe symptoms.
.   All symptoms of hypothyroidism can also be displayed in secondary hypothyroidism. Secondary hypothyroidism is associated with the pituitary gland. It occurs if the pituitary gland does not create enough thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). Low TSH hypothyroid symptoms occur when the TSH isn't being produced to tell the thyroid gland to produce enough thyroxine and triiodothyronine. Secondary hypothyroidism has no clear-cut cause but usually is associated with damage to the pituitary gland, as by a tumor, radiation, or surgery. Secondary hypothyroidism, associated with the pituitary, accounts for less than ten percent of hypothyroidism cases.
.   All symptoms of hypothyroidism can also be displayed in tertiary hypothyroidism. Associated with the hypothalamus, tertiary hypothyroidism results when for some reason there is a failure of the hypothalamus to produce sufficient thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH). TRH prompts the pituitary gland to produce thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). Also termed hypothalamic-pituitary-axis hypothyroidism, tertiary hypothyroidism, like secondary hypothyroidism, can display  low TSH hypothyroid symptoms.
.     Thyroid hypothyroidism symptoms include in the severe stages:
Goiter, Slow speech and a hoarse voice – deepening of the voice can also be noticed, Dry puffy skin especially on the face, Thinning of the outer third of the eyebrows, Abnormal menstrual cycles, Low basal body temperature, and Thyroid-Related Depression.
.     Adrenal stress which is sometimes cited as a catalytic cause of thyroid hypothyroidism symptoms includes symptoms such as:
Fatigue, Headaches, Decreased immunity, Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, Mood swings, Sugar and caffeine cravings, Irritability or lightheadedness between meals, Eating to relieve fatigue, Dizziness when moving from sitting or lying to standing, and Gastric ulcers.
.     While all the symptoms afore mentioned are typically associated with nominal to severe hypothyroidism, also primary hypothyroidism, it is important to re-iterate the low TSH hypothyroid symptoms tend to present in decidedly mild manners. This seems to be a direct correlation; the higher the TSH levels the more severely and readily the condition will present symptoms. The best way to be sure when it comes to hypothyroidism is to go get testing done. When detected early, hypothyroidism can be prevented from disturbing one's life in severe manners. 

Description: As many as 200,000 and more cases of acute to mild hypothyroidism go undetected and untreated, learn the symptoms and get checked. 

On to the real find of the day: LifeHacker

Ok, I'm sorry for the bitch-post I found some educational material about propaganda and manipulating others towards goals, interview skills, the like. It seems wrong to me to exemplify these skills with selfish goal-sets in mind.

On to the real find of the day: LifeHacker

.     A testament to the social landscape, the title says it all: LifeHacker. It's much like an online magazine that celebrates and shares all the little tips and tricks to make life and life's woes easier to navigate, overcome, circumvent or just plain deal with. There are intrinsic adds and little sales pushes left and right but I have to say, I'm impressed with the format and concept execution.
.     According to web sources, LifeHacker.com debued late Januare 2005 and has since become a media outlet for tips and trick specifically targeted at navigating today's technology more efficiently. As a new MAC user, this site will probably become a staple for me for a while as I could use all the help I can get. My last system proficiency included a comfort zone somewhere in the realm of Windows 98. 
.     Life Hacker also seems to be up to spec when it comes to topics that are trending like job hunts and work-related skill-sets to hone. Most people find that their own habits and auto-pilot get in the way of advancement. It boils down to psychological mumbo-jumbo and interactions between differing opinions on the right ways to think about and approach situations and problems.
.     I want to add a side-commentary on one topic; If you find yourself stuck on something or in the proverbial rut, the advise is right, break some habit. Sometimes stepping out of the comfort zone can stimulate a person to feed off the new or differing experience and break free of the trapped or stuck feeling. 
.     When I for one, cant seem to get something done, I keep the problem in the back of my mind and go do something else. Occasionally, throwing a ball a few times for the dog or mindlessly dumping some ingredients into a crock pot frees me from the lethargy and I go back to my task with some previously unfound inertia and the ability to toss in some entirely off-topic reference that rounds off the work in a creative and personal kind of way. At the very least I feel better because I cooked dinner or worked on teaching the dog to put her toys away before coming in the house. A concept the child still hasn't grasped yet.

LifeHacker benefits from giving common-sense advice. I guess it's true: common sense is not so common. But why not check it out, learning something new is a progressive way to become an above average and more useful individual. Plus lazy short-cuts are something most of us can get behind heartily.

The propaganda problem can also be the solution.

.Propaganda, one of the many ways of altering opinions. Generally speaking, though time propaganda has been used to alter the social platform to favor a more desirable outcome. The anti-tobacco slogans that have been popping up lately, the political mud-slinging, health-related lifestyle choices, job-market advice, and advertisements; lately the media seems slewn with propaganda of some form or another. 
.There is, however, a burning question that begs to be answered. The traditional propaganda, the kind that encourages an entire nation to recognize a social flaw and rise up to change it, where has it gone? World War II saw lots of propaganda about women in the work-force. The depression saw union propaganda. Is our generation's social problem to fix being drown out by profiteers and advertisements?
.It's an exploited fact that values and principles when instilled young always shape what is to come. What are the values we are teaching our youth? There seems to be a lot of hype about the value of being celebrity. Idol is a propaganda machine in its own rite with greater voter turn-outs than elections. The judicial system and medical fields, education and social problems like poverty, hunger, water shortage all seem to be labeled negatively by all the social branding going on.
. It's it time for a change? If propaganda can find a way  to make boot-leggers and pop stars criminalized and idolized, why can't it be used to encourage a failing nation to begin the long and arduous task of recovery necessary?  Maybe this is my own propaganda talking, it certainly is my opinion: as a nation in shambles and with no future, it is high time we focus our propaganda towards the long-term truism goals. If that goal is economic dominance in the world stage, fine, start getting our kids to idolize the engineers and scientific problem-solvers. If the goal is to fill the hero/saviour role, then lets work on having a higher concentration of doctors, farmers and water technicians (like it or not we are going to run out of potable water).
.But really where is the propaganda to encourage our youth towards higher social goals and standards? I mean hell, I got out of college with an english degree and still have horrid grammar. Why don't we start to openly and overtly celebrate people who make the world a better, healthier, more sustainable and more profitable world instead of victimization and slanderization?

Propaganda, let's start using it to change what everyone around us does. Let's start working on the right mindset for the right future. Pick a value, write and share something positive about it. Make a motivational poster, something!

Be My Guest.

BeMyGuestPersonalChef.com might be the answer.

. Be My Guest... She's a chef with an idea to personalize and revolutionize the fast-food, frozen food or take out dilemma. Personalized menus, professionally prepared, packaged and wrapped with specific heating instructions, and oh... did I mention...? You set up a cook date for when your chef comes to cook you dinner while she freshly prepares your future meals, using ingredients she hand picked for you that morning, and packs them into you fridge. No mess to clean up either, she does it all and leaves without a trace. except of course for the amazing food that magically appeared in your fridge.
. The idea of a staff chef seems a little out-dated and expensive; it probably is too. But imagine paying a  chef once and getting a whole month's worth of custom meals out of the deal. I found something called Be My Guest and to be honest couldn't see it being relevant to me, nice idea but (excuses...). Then my femininity kicked in when I saw something on the site labeled: "romantic dinner for two". Now there's an idea.
. He just got me flowers for the first time ever and the strangest thing happened. I sat at the table staring at them and thinking how nice it was. I've never been the flowers type mind you, and I thought I had to be a louse to not even cook dinner. Truth be told I'm a terrible cook and would do more harm than good if I tried. But it might convince him to keep up this sweet behavior if I could somehow treat him to a romantic dinner for two at home some night. Hmm... I wonder if you can convince Be My Guest to bring flowers and candles too?

Be My Guest available in NJ and surrounding areas, will cook for you. Left-overs included (and delicious!)