Mike Rowe’s “Prison Workout”

Sure, I’m a big fan of Mike Rowe from Dirty Jobs and, yes, I have recently posted a another of his video’s but bear with me; this one’s different. Mike, as you may have guessed, spends a lot of time on the road. One of his fans sent him an email asking how he stayed in shape, a common problem for travelers the world over as well as those of us who don’t travel quite so much. I personally haven’t tried this yet, I’m still resting from all the work I did this weekend, but I really like the idea. I think you will, too.

more about "Mike Rowe’s "Prison Workout"", posted with vodpod


Published in:  on March 29, 2009 at 8:20 pm Leave a Comment

Thinking Eco-Tourism? Think Bonaire

When I was a boy my parents took me to a little island off the coast of Venezuala called Bonaire. It is a picturesque place, one of the ABC islands that include Curacao and Aruba. Above sea level it is just the remnants of a dormant volcano, but beneath the sea it is one of the world’s most beautiful places, and, as this video points out, 98% of it shoreline is covered in coral.
This video takes a very definite point of view, that our coral reefs need to be preserved. But it also shows some of the amazing scenes available under this little island.

more about “Endangered Coral in Bonaire“, posted with vodpod


 

 

 

Published in:  on March 26, 2009 at 6:40 pm Leave a Comment
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Forced Medicare? It’s True According to this Attorney

Every American is elligible for Part A Medicare on truing age 65. But what if you didn’t want the enevitable government intrusion and beauracracy of Medicare benefits and are in a position to pay for private healthcare? According to a recent ruling, refusing Medicare benefits will mean also forgoing Social Security benefits, even if you have been paying into that system for more than 50 years. Hence: forced Medicare.

Steps are being taken to overturn the effects of this ruling, but this an article well worth the read: http://xurl.jp/qin

Published in:  on March 25, 2009 at 12:30 pm Leave a Comment
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A Nurse Takes a Long Look at a Difficult Topic

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As Americans we seem to have a great deal of trouble when it comes to addressing the topic of death. We all seem to think we will live forever. Oh, we never say that, but when we get to the hospital we expect miracles even when they are highly unlikely.

Theresa Brown in an R.N. who has seen this scenario all too often. In her posting she takes a long look at a situation where a family has to make some very difficult decisions about end of life issues. With remarkable poise and grace, she and the attending doctor address these issues with the family, giving them the information they need to make the right choices for thier loved-one. Do they make the wrong decision in spite of Brown’s best efforts? You’ll have to read the article to find out, but what is truly remarkable here is Brown’s gift for speaking to this family when so many would look the other way.

http://xurl.jp/nin

Published in:  on at 11:34 am Leave a Comment
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A Real Superhero in Action…

Fireman in Bangkok saves autistic boy with a clever ruse.

Fireman in Bangkok saves autistic boy with a clever ruse.


On his first day of school, a young autistic boy in Bangkok, Thailand, wandered out onto the third floor balcony and dangled his legs over the rail. When rescuers came to get him he would cry and refused to let them near. Fearing for his safety, teachers called in the fire department when they and the boys mother were unable to coax him off the ledge. Enter Firefighter Somchai Yoosabai who often gives fire safety speeches to local schools. He heard the conversation between the boy and his mother and references to his love for superheros. Yoosabai ran back to the fire department to get his Spiderman suit; the one he often uses for his fire safety classes. When he saw Spiderman coming to rescue him, the boy broke into a smile. “Spiderman is here to save you,” he told the boy as he further instructed him to walk slowly as he pulled to boy to safety.

Hey, I don’t care who you are; that’s good stuff!
(Click on the photo for the original story from NBC.)

Published in:  on at 9:47 am Leave a Comment
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A New Book Addresses a Daunting Problem: Eldercare

My wife is a long time nurse and educator and as such she is constantly keeping me aprised of the trends in the healthcare field. One of the most pressing issues we have been discussing has been the increasing need for long term care in our generation. Consider the following; 80 million baby boomers have just begun to hit the Social Security rolls. Add to that our current financial woes and we are presented with the makings of a real problem. At the same time, science is making remarkable progress in helping us live longer. (When Social Security started the average man didn’t live to age 65, now there is a good chance they will make it to 85.) And, of course, all this new science comes with a very high procetag.

So, what are people like you and me to do in light of such a daunting problem? Author w. Neil Gallagher has twenty years exxperience in the field and he has a number of suggestions for us in his new book “The Money Doctor’s Guide to Taking Care of Yourself When No One Else Will.” In spite of its wordy title, the book offers very practicle advice on subjects such as:

  • How to choose the right nursing home, should you decide to go that route
  • How to ensure that you and your loved ones are protected financially—long-term care (LTC) insurance, living trusts, income annuities, offshore corporations, and more
  • The physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual dynamics of aging
  • The pros and cons of alternate care options—self-care, private pay, Medicare, and Medicaid
  • How to be a good caregiver—valuable information you need to know, whether you’re stepping into or continuing your care giving role

    • I know I am adding this important book to my reading list and I would suggest that any of you with elderly parents make the same decision. All too soon, we are all going to be facing these decisions.eldercare

    Published in:  on March 23, 2009 at 7:27 am Leave a Comment
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    You Knew it had to Happen…

    Social networks are all the rage these days. I mean, if you are not on MySpace, Facebook or Twitter, your just not withdivorce the times. I had been resisting the siren call of social networking for quite some time; when I finally yielded and opened an account, I was surprised to find my dad was already there and had posted photos of his overseas trip!

    So, in the pantheon of inevitable events, the one social network you knew was coming is here: DivorceNetwork.com. Here you can vent your spleen on all the indignities you suffered, comisserate with other divorcees, and perhaps even hook up with your future ex. And, as you might expect, one of the key features of the sight is a section called, “I got screwed…” where participants can tell how their lawyer, in-laws or ex did them wrong.

    Is it tawdry and tacky, sure. But you knew it had to happen…

    Published in:  on March 19, 2009 at 11:05 pm Leave a Comment
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    A New Test for Detecting Alzheimer’s

    alzheimers1The University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine has discovered a new test for detecting the onset of Alzheimer’s disease and its progression. The test measures proteins in spinal fluid and has been proven to be 87% accurate in detecting the disease.

    Why is this significant? In the past it was often difficult with the loss of memory associated with aging from the signs of early onset Alzheimer’s. Empirical diagnoses was only possible on close examination during an autopsy. That meant families often dealt with the agony of indecision for weeks and months as they waited for the disease to progress to the point where the symptons confirmed the onset of the disease.

    In the future Alzheimer’s is going to put increasing strain on our country’s resources. The average Alzheimer’s patient can live more than twenty years with the disease with cost of care increasing as the disease progresses. Full time care for an Alzheimer’s patient can exceed $60,000 a year; enough to deplete all but the largest family nesteggs. Early detection could help patients seek agressive treatment earlier and thereby ameliorate or even delay many of the worst of the symptoms.

    On the flip side, insurance companies who sell long term care policies will have new help in predicting patients at risk for Alzheimer’s. Don’t be surprised if your insurance company asks for a spinal tap before issuing your policy.

    Published in:  on March 17, 2009 at 10:13 am Leave a Comment
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    Prescription Drugs Through Your ATM? What will they think of next?

    atmA Canadian firm has been testing a machine much like your familiar ATM machine that dispenses prescription drugs. The machine scans both sides of your prescription and then puts you in touch with  a person who makes an evaluation. The machine dispenses 340 commonly used medications and about 800 people have been dispensed so far to obtain about 1200 different prescriptions.  Could this be coming to a neighborhood near you? Check out the articel here: http://bit.ly/IfB9H

    Published in:  on March 16, 2009 at 5:25 pm Leave a Comment
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    What if Women Ruled the World?

    if-women-ruledHave you ever wondered how the world might be different if women ruled? The website Worth1000.com posted that question on their followers and came up with about 100 different photographic possibilities; some good, some not so good but most are pretty funny. See them for yourself here: http://bit.ly/t6YC8

    Published in:  on March 15, 2009 at 7:48 pm Leave a Comment
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