Sun Fun First Aid

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Life is wonderful if you know a few rules :

• Don't jump out of airplanes without a parachute and
• Don't expose your skin to the sun as if it were a lawn.
• Don't look for anymore rules like this . . . 

Sunburn is caused from over-exposure to the harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun. While the symptoms (such as red skin that is painful to the touch) are usually temporary, the skin damage is often permanent and can cause serious long-term health effects, including skin cancer, pigmentation and premature aging. In addition to the skin, eyes can get burned from sun exposure; sunburned eyes turn red, dry, and painful, and can feel gritty.
Sunburn results when the amount of exposure to the sun or other ultraviolet light source exceeds the ability of the body’s protective pigment, melanin, to protect the skin. Sunburn in a very light-skinned person may occur in less than 15 minutes of midday sun exposure, while a dark skinned person may tolerate the same exposure for hours.

Sunlight contains an invisible form of radiation called ultraviolet (UV) rays. UV A and possibly UV B can harm skin, connective tissue and increase risk for developing skin cancer. Certain drugs such as some blood pressure medication, antibiotics and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs increase sensitivity to sunlight and the risk of getting sunburn.

SYMPTOMS
The first signs of a sunburn may not appear for a few hours. The full effect to your skin may not appear for 24 hours or longer. Possible symptoms include:
• Red, tender skin that is warm to touch. (lst degree burn) 
• Blisters that develop hours to days later. (2nd degree burn)
• Severe reactions (sometimes called “sun poisoning”), including fever, chills,
nausea, or rash.
• Skin peeling on sunburned areas several days after the sunburn.

FIRST AID
• Try taking a cool bath or shower. Or place wet, cold wash cloths on the burn for 10 to 15 minutes, several times a day. You can mix baking soda in the water to help relieve the pain. Small children may become easily chilled, so keep the water tepid.

• Aloe gel is a common household remedy for sunburns. Aloe contains active
compounds that help stop pain and inflammation of the skin. Results depend on the quality of the Aloe Vera used and it's processing.  I use Univera's Aloe in the Raw. Click Here for details.

Technorati Tags: aloe,aloe vera,inflammation,sunburned,sun,UV,UVA,UVB,Fun,First Aid,First-Aid

 

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Allopathy, Snake Oil and the Semmelweis Reflex

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Recently, I found myself using the word Allopathic or Allopathy.  When asked what it meant, I stumbled blindly towards the answer, " . . . a generalization of the standard practice of medicine."   I lucked out.  However, having looked up the word I am not inclined to use the word again.  Why?   It has to do with motivation and maturity.  People have a right to have their opinions.  You might hear them say, " . . .  that is the way it is done and all other ways are false".   Since the goal is to advance the efficacy our efforts we must be patient until one can demonstrate or show the value of new, different ways of restoring and maintaining our body's vitality or in any other area of life.   With that purpose in mind, I believe using 'Allopathy' or 'Allopathic' to describe the main stream, standard way of today's medicine or health practitioner is counter productive.  Just a useless as describing non-traditional health maintenance and renewal arts as 'snake oil' et al.

(This post acknowledges and encounter with Robin 6/8/09)

Allopathy is a term coined in the early 19th century^[1] by Samuel Hahnemann^[2], the founder of homeopathy, as a synonym for mainstream medicine. It was used by homeopaths to highlight the difference they perceived between homeopathy and conventional medicine, and its use remains common among homeopaths. The term derives from the Greek ἄλλος, állos, other, different + πάϑος, páthos, suffering. The distinction comes from the use in homeopathy of substances that cause similar effects as the symptoms of a disease to treat patients (homeo - meaning similar). The term allopathy was meant to contrast the homeopathic approach with those conventional medical treatments that are different from or which directly counter a patient's symptoms; hence the terms allopathic and antipathic. Homeopaths saw such symptomatic treatments as "opposites treating opposites". However, many conventional medical treatments do not fit this definition of allopathy, as they seek to prevent illness, or remove the cause of an illness by acting on the etiology of disease.^[3][4]

The term allopathic was used throughout the 19th Century as a derogatory term for the practitioners of heroic medicine,^[5][6] a precursor to modern medicine that did not rely on evidence. The meaning and controversy surrounding the term can be traced to its original usage during a heated 19th-century debate between practitioners of homeopathy, and those they derisively referred to as "allopaths."^[7] The meaning implied by the label has never been accepted by conventional medicine, and is still be considered pejorative by some.^[8][9] More recently, some sources have used the term allopathic, particularly American sources wishing to distinguish between conventional medicine and, say, osteopathic.^[10][6][11]

History is full of examples of this kind of tension or Semmelweis reflex; rejecting the obvious benefits in favor of the norm. 

Here is a YouTube story of a breakthrough where a Doctor looks at everything 'going on' and recognizes the obvious. Click Here  and further with  Univera Science (Univera White Papers)

Click here to email me or leave a comment below to go further with this discussion .

The Semmelweis reflex or "Semmelweis effect" is a metaphor for the reflex-like rejection of new knowledge because it contradicts entrenched norms, beliefs or paradigms. It refers to Ignaz Semmelweis, who discovered that childbed fever mortality rates could be reduced ten-fold if doctors would wash their hands (we would now say disinfect) with a chlorine solution. His hand-washing suggestions were rejected by his contemporaries.

There is some uncertainty regarding the origin and generally accepted use of the expression.

One source defines it as "the automatic rejection of the obvious, without thought, inspection, or experiment" and attributes the expression Semmelweis Reflex to author Robert Anton Wilson.^[1]

Sporadic use of the expression can be found on other webpages^[2] and blogs which may or may not be mainstream. One such website attributes Timothy Leary with the following polemical definition of the Semmelweis reflex: "Mob behavior found among primates and larval hominids on undeveloped planets, in which a discovery of important scientific fact is punished" from his book The Game of Life.^[3].

The expression has found way into philosophy and religious studies as "unmitigated Humean skepticism concerning causality".^[4]

Other writers define the Semmelweis reflex as: Automatic dismissal or rejection of scientific information "without thought, inspection or experiment". ^[5]

Technorati Tags: Semmelweis reflex,semmelweis,snake oil,medicine,allopathic,allopathy,alternative medicine,univera,supplementation

 

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MLM Brilliance

Think mlm's are bad. I'd say, 'Sour Grapes". Listen to this and think again. You might have gotten that opinion from the foxes who gave up on the trellised grapes, saying they're sour.

more about "MLM Brilliance", posted with vodpod

Socratic Method: Short Stories & James Hoskins

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Socratic Method: Short Stories and James Hoskins

May 18, 2009 01:12 PM PDT

Today on ID the Future, Casey Luskin interviews James Hoskins about his latest creative writing endeavors. Hoskins, a philosophy major at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, has written several pieces based on the debate between ID and Darwinian evolution, including one that pits Socrates and imaginary materialist Hector Dawkins against each other as they argue over the scientific merit of ID. Hoskins also reads excerpts from some of his stories, and describes the inspiration behind them.

Hoskins' work, including his Debate Between Socrates and Hector Dawkins, can be downloaded from ID Arts here.

 Click here to listen to this pod cast.

Technorati tags: Darwin, Darwinism, Luskin, Hoskins, Scrates, Dawkin, ID, Socratic Method

When To Start Receiving Retirement Benefits

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There are many ways to transition to a pro-active way to handle your future years.  If Univera's cellular renewal is indeed extending your productive life and you are beginning to see others are connecting to these benefits because of your sharing.  Perhaps the excellent compensation system of Univera is a way to go.  However, some may have a cash flow which is on a seemingly endless diet.  If you are 62 or older you may have an income boost which may be just the ticket for making that quantum leap from the same ole - same ole to a dynamic, expanding, business quadrant to match the changes in your life and your associations.   Here some information which may help from the Social Security Administration..

When To Start Receiving Retirement Benefits

SSA Publication No. 05-10147, July 2008, ICN 480136 [View.pdf] (En Español)

At Social Security, we're often asked, “What is the best age to start receiving retirement benefits?” The answer is that there is no one “best age” for everyone and, ultimately, it is your choice. You should make an informed decision about when to apply for benefits based on your individual and family circumstances. We hope the following information will help you understand how Social Security can fit into your retirement decision.

Contents

Your decision is a personal one

Monthly payments differ substantially based on when you start receiving benefits

Retirement may be longer than you think

Your decision could affect your family

You can keep working

Don't forget Medicare

Additional resources

Your decision is a personal one

Would it be better for you to begin receiving benefits early with a smaller monthly amount or wait for a larger monthly payment later that you may not receive as long? The answer is highly personal and depends on a number of factors, such as your current cash needs, your health and family longevity, whether you plan to work in retirement, whether you have other retirement income sources, your anticipated future financial needs and obligations, and, of course, the amount of your future Social Security benefit. We hope you will weigh all the facts carefully and consider your own circumstances before making the important decision about when to begin receiving Social Security benefits.

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Monthly payments differ substantially based on when you start receiving benefits

If you live to the average life expectancy for someone your age, you will receive about the same amount in lifetime benefits no matter whether you choose to start receiving benefits at age 62, full retirement age, age 70 or any age in between. However, monthly benefit amounts can differ substantially based on your retirement age. Basically, you can get lower monthly payments for a longer period of time or higher monthly payments over a shorter period of time. The amount you receive when you first get benefits sets the base for the amount you will receive for the rest of your life, though you do receive annual cost-of-living adjustments and, depending on your work history, may receive higher benefits if you continue to work

The following chart provides an example of how your monthly benefit amount can differ based on the age at which you decide to start receiving benefits.

Let’s say your full retirement age is 66 and your monthly benefit starting at that age is $1,000. If you choose to start getting benefits at age 62, your monthly benefit will be reduced by 25 percent to $750 to account for the longer period of time you receive benefits. This is generally a permanent reduction in your monthly benefit.

If you choose to not receive benefits until age 70, you would increase your monthly benefit amount to $1,320. This increase is from delayed retirement credits you get for your decision to postpone receiving benefits past your full retirement age. The benefit amount at age 70 in this example is 32 percent more than you would receive per month if you chose to start getting benefits at full retirement age.

[Top]

Retirement may be longer than you think

When thinking about retirement, be sure to plan for the long term. Many of us will live much longer than the “average” retiree, and, generally, women tend to live longer than men. About one out of every four 65-year-olds today will live past age 90, and one out of 10 will live past age 95. Social Security benefits, which last as long as you live, provide valuable protection against outliving savings and other sources of retirement income. Again, you will want to choose a retirement age based on your circumstances so you will have sufficient income when you need it.

[Top]

Your decision could affect your family

Your spouse may be eligible for a benefit based on your work record (spouse benefits are reduced if claimed before the spouse’s full retirement age). If you die before your spouse, he or she may be eligible for a survivor benefit based on your work record, particularly if you have earned more than your spouse over your lifetime. If you begin receiving Social Security benefits early, we cannot pay your surviving spouse a full benefit from your record. Also, if you wait until after the full retirement age to get benefits, your surviving spouse—if he or she is at least full retirement age—generally will receive the same benefit amount that you would have received.

Your children also may be eligible for a benefit on your work record if they are under age 18 or if they have a disability that began before age 22. For them to receive benefits, you must be getting benefits, too.

[Top]

You can keep working

When you reach your full retirement age, you can work and earn as much as you want and still receive your full Social Security benefit payment. If you are younger than full retirement age and if your earnings exceed certain dollar amounts, some of your benefit payments during the year will be withheld.

This does not mean you must try to limit your earnings. If we withhold some of your benefits because you continue to work, we will pay you a higher monthly benefit amount when you reach your full retirement age. In other words, if you would like to work and earn more than the exempt amount, you should know that it will not, on average, reduce the total value of lifetime benefits you receive from Social Security—and may actually increase them.

Here is how this works: after you reach full retirement age, we will recalculate your benefit amount to give you credit for any months in which you did not receive some benefit because of your earnings. In addition, as long as you continue to work and receive benefits, we will check your record every year to see whether the additional earnings will increase your monthly benefit.

[Top]

Don’t forget Medicare

If you plan to delay receiving benefits because you are working, you should sign up for Medicare three months before reaching age 65, regardless of when you reach full retirement age. Otherwise, your Medicare medical insurance, as well as prescription drug coverage, could be delayed, and you could be charged higher premiums.

[Top]

Additional resources

You can estimate benefit amounts and find more information to help you decide when to start receiving retirement benefits by using our Benefits Planners online at www.socialsecurity.gov/planners. When you’re ready to apply for benefits, you also can apply online at www.socialsecurity.gov/applyforbenefits. Many people can continue to work and still receive retirement benefits. If you want more information on how earnings affect your retirement benefits, ask for How Work Affects Your Benefits (Publication No. 05-10069), which has current annual and monthly earnings limits.

A wealth of other information—including copies of our publications—is available on our website at www.socialsecurity.gov. You also can call our toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213 (for the deaf or hard of hearing, call our TTY number, 1-800-325-0778). We can answer specific questions from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. We can provide information by automated phone service 24 hours a day.

When To Start Receiving Retirement Benefits

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Business Pandemic Influenza Planning Checklist

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 Documents in PDF format require the Adobe Acrobat Reader®. If you experience problems with PDF documents, please download the latest version of the Reader®.

Business Pandemic Influenza Planning Checklist (PDF - 284.24 KB) [En Español (PDF) (276KB)]

Letter to Business Leaders from Secretaries Chertoff, Leavitt, and Gutierrez

In the event of pandemic influenza, businesses will play a key role in protecting employees' health and safety as well as limiting the negative impact to the economy and society. Planning for pandemic influenza is critical. To assist you in your efforts, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have developed the following checklist for large businesses. It identifies important, specific activities large businesses can do now to prepare, many of which will also help you in other emergencies. Further information can be found at www.pandemicflu.gov and www.cdc.gov/business.

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Checklist Sections

Plan for the impact of a pandemic on your business Plan for the impact of a pandemic on your employees and customers Establish policies to be implemented during a pandemic

Allocate resources to protect your employees and customers during a pandemic Communicate to and educate your employees Coordinate with external organizations and help your community

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1.1 Plan for the impact of a pandemic on your business:

Tasks	Not Started	In Progress	Completed
Identify a pandemic coordinator and/or team with defined roles and responsibilities for preparedness and response planning. The planning process should include input from labor representatives.
Identify essential employees and other critical inputs (e.g. raw materials, suppliers, sub-contractor services/ products, and logistics) required to maintain business operations by location and function during a pandemic.
Train and prepare ancillary workforce (e.g. contractors, employees in other job titles/descriptions, retirees).
Develop and plan for scenarios likely to result in an increase or decrease in demand for your products and/or services during a pandemic (e.g. effect of restriction on mass gatherings, need for hygiene supplies).
Determine potential impact of a pandemic on company business financials using multiple possible scenarios that affect different product lines and/or production sites.
Determine potential impact of a pandemic on business-related domestic and international travel (e.g. quarantines, border closures).
Find up-to-date, reliable pandemic information from community public health, emergency management, and other sources and make sustainable links.
Establish an emergency communications plan and revise periodically. This plan includes identification of key contacts (with back-ups), chain of communications (including suppliers and customers), and processes for tracking and communicating business and employee status.
Implement an exercise/drill to test your plan, and revise periodically.

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1.2 Plan for the impact of a pandemic on your employees and customers:

Tasks	Not Started	In Progress	Completed
Forecast and allow for employee absences during a pandemic due to factors such as personal illness, family member illness, community containment measures and quarantines, school and/or business closures, and public transportation closures.
Implement guidelines to modify the frequency and type of face-to-face contact (e.g. hand-shaking, seating in meetings, office layout, shared workstations) among employees and between employees and customers (refer to CDC recommendations).
Encourage and track annual influenza vaccination for employees.
Evaluate employee access to and availability of healthcare services during a pandemic, and improve services as needed.
Evaluate employee access to and availability of mental health and social services during a pandemic, including corporate, community, and faith-based resources, and improve services as needed.
Identify employees and key customers with special needs, and incorporate the requirements of such persons into your preparedness plan.

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1.3 Establish policies to be implemented during a pandemic:

Tasks	Not Started	In Progress	Completed
Establish policies for employee compensation and sick-leave absences unique to a pandemic (e.g. non-punitive, liberal leave), including policies on when a previously ill person is no longer infectious and can return to work after illness.
Establish policies for flexible worksite (e.g. telecommuting) and flexible work hours (e.g. staggered shifts).
Establish policies for preventing influenza spread at the worksite (e.g. promoting respiratory hygiene/ cough etiquette, and prompt exclusion of people with influenza symptoms).
Establish policies for employees who have been exposed to pandemic influenza, are suspected to be ill, or become ill at the worksite (e.g. infection control response, immediate mandatory sick leave).
Establish policies for restricting travel to affected geographic areas (consider both domestic and international sites), evacuating employees working in or near an affected area when an outbreak begins, and guidance for employees returning from affected areas (refer to CDC travel recommendations).
Set up authorities, triggers, and procedures for activating and terminating the company's response plan, altering business operations (e.g. shutting down operations in affected areas), and transferring business knowledge to key employees.

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1.4 Allocate resources to protect your employees and customers during a pandemic:

Tasks	Not Started	In Progress	Completed
Provide sufficient and accessible infection control supplies (e.g.hand-hygiene products, tissues and receptacles for their disposal) in all business locations.
Enhance communications and information technology infrastructures as needed to support employee telecommuting and remote customer access.
Ensure availability of medical consultation and advice for emergency response.

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1.5 Communicate to and educate your employees:

Tasks	Not Started	In Progress	Completed
Develop and disseminate programs and materials covering pandemic fundamentals (e.g. signs and symptoms of influenza, modes of transmission), personal and family protection and response strategies (e.g. hand hygiene, coughing/sneezing etiquette, contingency plans).
Anticipate employee fear and anxiety, rumors and misinformation and plan communications accordingly.
Ensure that communications are culturally and linguistically appropriate.
Disseminate information to employees about your pandemic preparedness and response plan.
Provide information for the at-home care of ill employees and family members.
Develop platforms (e.g. hotlines, dedicated websites) for communicating pandemic status and actions to employees, vendors, suppliers, and customers inside and outside the worksite in a consistent and timely way, including redundancies in the emergency contact system.
Identify community sources for timely and accurate pandemic information (domestic and international) and resources for obtaining counter-measures (e.g. vaccines and antivirals).

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1.6 Coordinate with external organizations and help your community:

Tasks	Not Started	In Progress	Completed
Collaborate with insurers, health plans, and major local healthcare facilities to share your pandemic plans and understand their capabilities and plans.
Collaborate with federal, state, and local public health agencies and/or emergency responders to participate in their planning processes, share your pandemic plans, and understand their capabilities and plans.
Communicate with local and/or state public health agencies and/or emergency responders about the assets and/or services your business could contribute to the community.
Share best practices with other businesses in your communities, chambers of commerce, and associations to improve community response efforts.

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Source: Business Pandemic Influenza Planning Checklist

Technorati tags: Influenza, flu, preparedness, emergency management, planning, business, distribution, warning, response, employee, management.cdc, center for disease control, Obama, U.S., World Peace Temple, Pandemic, scare, Swine

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Blue Skied, Windy April Day by Miyuki

From Miyuki

Technorati tags: art, sketching, doodle, doodling, fun, fence, windy, day, April, clouds, cat tails, hat, girl, wind, joy