ObamaCare

As a Former USMC Staff Sergeant, Here is my solution from Allendale, MI..  We wouldn't be so critical of ObamaCare if the method of implementation wasn't EXTORTION upon ourselves and our families. MAKE IT OPTIONAL!  (-It would still be the largest HMO in the country.)  BE THE HERO, CONGRESS! Defund Obamacare until it is made optional.  Seems fair and legit, eh?
 Share this!, re-tweet, Email, call, but certainly #DefundObamaCareUntilItIsOptional
Semper Fi, All.
-God's speed, wisdom, and blessing.

Why not tell people that Jesus gives happiness, peace, and joy?

Why not tell people that Jesus gives happiness, peace, and joy?

 Two men are seated in a plane.  The first is given a parachute and told to put is on as it would improve his flight.  He’s a little skeptical at first because he can’t see how wearing a parachute in a plane could possibly improve the flight.

He decides to experiment and see if the claim is true.  As he puts it on he notices the weight of it upon his shoulders and he finds that he has difficulty in sitting upright.  However, he consoles himself with the fact that he was told the parachute would improve the flight.  So, he decides to give the thing a little time.

As he waits he notices that some of the other passengers are laughing at him, because he’s wearing a parachute in a plane.  He begins to feel somewhat humiliated.  As they begin to point and laugh at him and he can stand it no longer, he slinks in his seat, unstraps the parachute, and throws it to the floor.  Disillusionment and bitterness fill his heart, because, as far as he was concerned, he was told an outright lie.

The second man is given a parachute, but listen to what he’s told.  He’s told to put it on because at any moment he’d be jumping 25,000 feet out of the plane.  He gratefully puts the parachute on; he doesn’t notice the weight of it upon his shoulders, nor that he can’t sit upright.  His mind is consumed with the thought of what would happen to him if he jumped without that parachute.

Let’s analyze the motive and the result of each passenger’s experience.  The first man’s motive for putting the parachute on was solely to improve his flight.  The result of his experience was that he was humiliated by the passengers; he was disillusioned and somewhat embittered against those who gave him the parachute.  As far as he’s concerned it’ll be a long time before anyone gets one of those things on his back again.

The second man put the parachute on solely to escape the jump to come, and because of his knowledge of what would happen to him without it, he has a deep-rooted joy and peace in his heart knowing that he’s saved from sure death.  This knowledge gives him the ability to withstand the mockery of the other passengers.  His attitude towards those who gave him the parachute is one of heart-felt gratitude.

Now listen to what the modern gospel says.  It says, “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ.  He’ll give you love, joy, peace, fulfillment, and lasting happiness.” In other words, “Jesus will improve your flight.” So the sinner responds, and in an experimental fashion, puts on the Savior to see if the claims are true.  And what does he get? The promised temptation, tribulation, and persecution.  -The other “passengers” mock him.  So what does he do? He takes off the Lord Jesus Christ, he’s offended for the word’s sake (Mark 4:17), he’s disillusioned and somewhat embittered, and quite rightly so.  

He was promised peace, joy, love, fulfillment, and lasting happiness, and all he got were trials and humiliation.  His bitterness is directed toward those who gave him the so-called “good news”.  His latter end becomes worse than the first: another inoculated and bitter backslider.

Instead of preaching that Jesus improves the flight, we should be warning the passengers they’re going have to jump out of the plane.  That it’s “appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).  And when a sinner understands the horrific consequences of breaking God’s law, then he will flee to the Savior solely to escape the wrath that’s to come.  And if we’re true and faithful witnesses, that’s what we’ll be preaching.  That there is wrath to come; that God “commands all men everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30).  Why? “Because He has appointed a day, in which He will judge the world in righteousness” (vs.  31).

The issue isn’t one of happiness, but one of righteousness.  It doesn’t matter how happy a sinner is, how much he’s enjoying “the pleasures of sin for a season” (Heb 11:25).  Without the righteousness of Christ, he’ll perish on the day of wrath.  “Riches profit not on the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death” (Prov 11:4).  Peace and joy are legitimate fruits of salvation, but it’s not legitimate to use these fruits as a draw card for salvation.  If we continue to do so, sinners will respond with an impure motive lacking repentance.

Can you remember why the second passenger had joy and peace in his heart? It was because he knew that parachute was going to save him from sure death.  And as a believer, I have, as Paul says, “joy and peace in believing” (Rom 15:13), because I know that the righteousness of Christ is going to deliver me from the wrath that’s to come.

With that thought in mind, let’s take a close look at an incident on board the plane.  We have a brand new stewardess.  She’s carrying a tray of boiling hot coffee.  It’s her first day; she wants to leave an impression on the passengers, and she certainly does!  As she’s walking down the aisle, she trips over someone’s foot and slops that boiling hot coffee all over the lap of our second passenger.  Now what’s his reaction as that boiling liquid hits his tender flesh? Does he go, “Man that hurt!”? Yes,  He does.  But then does he rip the parachute from his shoulders, throw it to the floor and say, “The stupid parachute!”? No.  Why should he? He didn’t put the parachute on for a better flight.  He put it on to save him from the jump to come.  If anything, the hot coffee incident causes him to cling tighter to the parachute and even look forward to the jump.

If we put on the Lord Jesus Christ for the right motive, to flee from the wrath that’s to come, when tribulation strikes, when the flight gets bumpy, we won’t get angry at God; we won’t lose our joy and peace.  Why should we? We didn’t come to Christ for a better lifestyle: but to flee from the wrath that’s to come.

If anything, tribulation drives the true believer closer to the Savior.  Sadly, we have literally multitudes of professing Christians who lose their joy and peace when the flight gets bumpy.  Why? They’re the product of a man-centered gospel.  They came lacking repentance, without which they cannot be saved.

Kirk Cameron Talks About Monumental

Dishonorable Disclosures

Quick money saving hints

Here's a little story.

I once had a garage replace the exhust on my Nissan Altima.  $450 bucks.  It rusted out in 16 months, I went back to see if they would honor their product or service. NOPE.  So I walked next door, bought the parts, and was SHOCKED to see that for them to walk 40 feet, they added an extra 40% on the parts and charged me for it.  Never again.
..The next time, I bought the parts, put them in the vehicle, went to another mechanic who charged me a-hundred-bucks to install. Completed perfectly for $250.00.

Same thing for having the coils replaced on our Nissan MPV.  Get the parts in advance of the mechanic doing the work.

Roofing Job to be done?  Do some research!  Figure out how many square the roof is, what is required, and get material quotes.  Even Home Depot or Lowes will save you money on a contractors estimate for materials.. If you really want to save some money, call a lumber yard or roofing supply company for a materials quote.  You'll save another $150.00 off of Home Depots Prices!  The Company will deliver it to the site so its there waiting for the contractor when they arrive to do the work.

Questions?  Feel free to comment or email.  I'd be happy to help

Get to it!

Bob Parsons® 16 Rules for Success in Business and Life in General

1. Get and stay out of your comfort zone.

I believe that not much happens of any significance when we're in our comfort zone. I hear people say, "But I'm concerned about security." My response to that is simple: "Security is for cadavers."

2. Never give up.

Almost nothing works the first time it's attempted. Just because what you're doing does not seem to be working, doesn't mean it won't work. It just means that it might not work the way you're doing it. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it, and you wouldn't have an opportunity.

3. When you're ready to quit, you're closer than you think.

There's an old Chinese saying that I just love, and I believe it is so true. It goes like this: "The temptation to quit will be greatest just before you are about to succeed."

4. With regard to whatever worries you, not only accept the worst thing that could happen, but make it a point to quantify what the worst thing could be.

Very seldom will the worst consequence be anywhere near as bad as a cloud of "undefined consequences." My father would tell me early on, when I was struggling and losing my shirt trying to get Parsons Technology going, "Well, Robert, if it doesn't work, they can't eat you."

5. Focus on what you want to have happen.

Remember that old saying, "As you think, so shall you be."

6. Take things a day at a time.

No matter how difficult your situation is, you can get through it if you don't look too far into the future, and focus on the present moment. You can get through anything one day at a time.

7. Always be moving forward.

Never stop investing. Never stop improving. Never stop doing something new. The moment you stop improving your organization, it starts to die. Make it your goal to be better each and every day, in some small way. Remember the Japanese concept of Kaizen. Small daily improvements eventually result in huge advantages.

8. Be quick to decide.

Remember what General George S. Patton said: "A good plan violently executed today is far and away better than a perfect plan tomorrow."

9. Measure everything of significance.

I swear this is true. Anything that is measured and watched, improves.

10. Anything that is not managed will deteriorate.

If you want to uncover problems you don't know about, take a few moments and look closely at the areas you haven't examined for a while. I guarantee you problems will be there.

11. Pay attention to your competitors, but pay more attention to what you're doing.

When you look at your competitors, remember that everything looks perfect at a distance. Even the planet Earth, if you get far enough into space, looks like a peaceful place.

12. Never let anybody push you around.

In our society, with our laws and even playing field, you have just as much right to what you're doing as anyone else, provided that what you're doing is legal.

13. Never expect life to be fair.

Life isn't fair. You make your own breaks. You'll be doing good if the only meaning fair has to you, is something that you pay when you get on a bus (i.e., fare).

14. Solve your own problems.

You'll find that by coming up with your own solutions, you'll develop a competitive edge. Masura Ibuka, the co-founder of SONY, said it best: "You never succeed in technology, business, or anything by following the others." There's also an old saying that I remind myself of frequently. It goes like this: "A wise man keeps his own counsel."

15. Don't take yourself too seriously.

Lighten up. Often, at least half of what we accomplish is due to luck. None of us are in control as much as we like to think we are.

16. There's always a reason to smile.

Find it. After all, you're really lucky just to be alive. Life is short. More and more, I agree with my little brother. He always reminds me: "We're not here for a long time, we're here for a good time!"


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Married in the USA

True

"The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.
- GK Chesterton”


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New Employment Initiatives for Veterans

The Gold Card provides unemployed post-9/11 era veterans with the intensive and follow-up services they need to succeed in today's job market. The Gold Card initiative is a joint effort of the Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration (ETA) and the Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS).
An eligible veteran can present the Gold Card at his/her local One-Stop Career Center to receive enhanced intensive services including up to six months of follow-up. The enhanced in-person services available for Gold Card holders at local One-Stop Career Centers may include:

• Job readiness assessment, including interviews and testing;
• Development of an Individual Development Plan (IDP);
• Career guidance through group or individual counseling that helps veterans in making training and career decisions;
• Provision of labor market, occupational, and skills transferability information that inform educational, training, and occupational decisions;
• Referral to job banks, job portals, and job openings;
• Referral to employers and registered apprenticeship sponsors;
• Referral to training by WIA-funded or third party service providers; and
• Monthly follow-up by an assigned case manager for up to six months.

Eligible veterans can print a Gold Card here

Rightfully Pwnd by Pearl Harbor Vet

This Article Contributed by Voting American http://votingamerican.wordpress.com/

Good Morning my Fellow American Patriots and Friends. I would like to Honor this


Wonderful Veteran in every way I can and hope that everyone will re-post his letter in emails and anywhere else you think this man would get the recognition he deserves. Please Tweet this Post as often as you like because the message is clear and present to all that is important to America.

Here is a Letter a 95 Year Old Pearl Harbor Survivor wrote to President Obama



Dear President Obama,

My name is Harold Estes, approaching 95 on December 13 of this year. People meeting me for the first time don’t believe my age because I remain wrinkle free and pretty much mentally alert.

I enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1934 and served proudly before, during and after WW II retiring as a Master Chief Bos’n Mate. Now I live in a “rest home” located on the western end of Pearl Harbor , allowing me to keep alive the memories of 23 years of service to my country.



One of the benefits of my age, perhaps the only one, is to speak my mind, blunt and direct even to the head man.

So here goes.

I am amazed, angry and determined not to see my country die before I do, but you seem hell bent not to grant me that wish.

I can’t figure out what country you are the president of.
You fly around the world telling our friends and enemies despicable lies like:
” We’re no longer a Christian nation”
” America is arrogant” – (Your wife even
announced to the world,” America is mean-
spirited. ” Please tell her to try preaching
that nonsense to 23 generations of our
war dead buried all over the globe who
died for no other reason than to free a
whole lot of strangers from tyranny and
hopelessness.)
I’d say shame on the both of you, but I don’t think you like America, nor do I see an ounce of gratefulness in anything you do, for the obvious gifts this country has given you. To be without shame or gratefulness is a dangerous thing for a man sitting in the White House.

After 9/11 you said,” America hasn’t lived up to her ideals.”

Which ones did you mean? Was it the notion of personal liberty that 11,000 farmers and shopkeepers died for to win independence from the British? Or maybe the ideal that no man should be a slave to another man, that 500,000 men died for in the Civil War? I hope you didn’t mean the ideal 470,000 fathers, brothers, husbands, and a lot of fellas I knew personally died for in WWII, because we felt real strongly about not letting any nation push us around, because we stand for freedom.

I don’t think you mean the ideal that says equality is better than discrimination. You know the one that a whole lot of white people understood when they helped to get you elected.

Take a little advice from a very old geezer, young man.

Shape up and start acting like an American. If you don’t, I’ll do what I can to see you get shipped out of that fancy rental on Pennsylvania Avenue . You were elected to lead not to bow, apologize and kiss the hands of murderers and corrupt leaders who still treat their people like slaves.

And just who do you think you are telling the American people not to jump to conclusions and condemn that Muslim major who killed 13 of his fellow soldiers and wounded dozens more. You mean you don’t want us to do what you did when that white cop used force to subdue that black college professor in Massachusetts , who was putting up a fight? You don’t mind offending the police calling them stupid but you don’t want us to offend Muslim fanatics by calling them what they are, terrorists.

One more thing. I realize you never served in the military and never had to defend your country with your life, but you’re the Commander-in-Chief now, son. Do your job. When your battle-hardened field General asks you for 40,000 more troops to complete the mission, give them to him. But if you’re not in this fight to win, then get out. The life of one American soldier is not worth the best political strategy you’re thinking of.

You could be our greatest president because you face the greatest challenge ever presented to any president.
You’re not going to restore American greatness by bringing back our bloated economy. That’s not our greatest threat. Losing the heart and soul of who we are as Americans is our big fight now.
And I sure as hell don’t want to think my president is the enemy in this final battle…

Sincerely,
Harold B. Estes

Is it any wonder we call them

“The Greatest Generation”

http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/haroldestes.asp

When a 95 year old Hero of “The Greatest Generation” Stands Up and Speaks Out like this, I think we owe it to him to share his words with as many Americans as we can.


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Turn Your Old Router into a Ranger-Boosting Wi-Fi Repeater

Turn Your Old Router into a Range-Boosting Wi-Fi Repeater

I generally dont cut and paste articles, but if you LOVE life-hacks, and find an indispensible hack you've just GOT to share, so be it..  So here is an awesome article from LifeHacker.  Kudos', and Good luck!

If you're upgrading to a faster, stronger wireless router, don't chuck your older Wi-Fi box. With the magic of DD-WRT, you can turn your older wireless router into a range-expanding Wi-Fi repeater to cover everywhere you need a connection.
The advent of wireless home networks grew slowly in the past decade, but reached the point at which nearly every home with a high-speed connection had a wireless router that shared Wi-Fi connections throughout the home. Now Wireless N has become the standard at electronics retailers, promising faster connectivity with your wireless devices, faster transfer and streaming speeds between devices, and better connectivity. So what's to be done with your home's first wireless router?

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Our suggestion is to install the open-source DD-WRT firmware on your router and turn it into a repeater for your main router, expanding your Wi-Fi signal to reach every nook and cranny of your house, and even into your backyard or garage, if needed. You'll be able to use the same password and security scheme, you won't need anything except a power outlet for the repeater when you're done, and most of your devices will automatically switch between the two signals when needed.
We've previously run down how to install DD-WRT on a Linksys router to give it many, many more features, including the repeater function we'll cover here. If you've already installed DD-WRT, then, skip to the section on repeater configuration. One notable difference in this guide, too, is that I'm installing a custom build of DD-WRT, the "micro" flavor, on a Linksys WRT54G ver. 6, or "version 6." Adam wrote his original guide in 2006, with a fully-DD-WRT-compatible Linksys WRT54GL router, and at that point, those who picked up a blue Linksys box without knowing about open-source firmware were pretty much stuck. Now there's a huge array of supported devices, and even my sadly restricted Linksys can run a Micro build, and Micro now includes a repeater function.

Update: A Note on Speed

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Some intrepid bandwidth watchers, Will Smith among them, have pointed out that their own experiments with repeating signals has left them with slower connections. To be honest, I was using the repeater mostly for Google Reader in bed, and browsing and web working from outside the house, so I hadn't seen a noticeable drop in speed. A few tests at SpeedTest.net tell the tale. Pictured at left here is the result from my main router, a Buffalo model with Wireless N (detailed here), connecting from my upstairs office to the downstairs living room, then Buffalo, NY to Toronto, ON.

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This result is through the modified Linksys WRT54G ver. 6 router about 10 feet away, connected as a repeater to the Buffalo router downstairs, and then tested again through Toronto. There is, as you can see, a download speed difference, and if I'd been using my Wireless N modem, it might be even more severe. So take a repeater for what it is—a slight trade-off in speed for a greater reach, with your mileage varying based on your hardware and connection. You might also note, though, that using SpeedTest's Android app, I actually received better download speeds from my office through the repeater than through the main router—for a smaller antenna, perhaps, connectivity can sometimes win over latency concerns.

What You'll Need

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• Compatible router: Grab that old-but-still-works router and flip it over. Get the model number off the label, and write down the MAC address, while you're at it—the locations for both, on a standard Linksys "blue box," are pictured above. Type the first few characters of your model number into DD-WRT's router database, and look for your model to pop up. If you get any kind of green "Yes" listed with your model, you're in the clear—even the most pared-down DD-WRT build, micro, supports the repeater function.

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• Firmware files for your router: In that same router database, click on the line that relates to your router model, then grab all the files listed there. You may not end up using all of them, but once you've taken your router offline, even if it's not your main router, you'll want to have all your files available offline.
• Print-out of your instructions: There's a good chance, if you've got a fairly popular router, that you'll have access to specific router model instructions on the DD-WRT wiki. You'll usually see a link on the same page as your firmware files; if not, go ahead and search the wiki. If you don't have a printer, or hate wasting paper, use a print-to-PDF tool like doPDF or the Nitro PDF Reader for Windows, or the built-in PDF functions in Mac or Linux. The reason, again, is that you want to be prepared in case you lose internet connectivity on one or more routers during the flash process.
• Ethernet cable & computer with Ethernet port: Enough cable to comfortably reach from your computer to the router you're working on, and a computer without any networking problems that you know of.
• A pen and paper: The paper for notes, and the pen for both writing and pressing and holding down the reset button on your router.
• At least an hour's time, and patience: Instructions for most routers are laid out in step-by-step detail, with very specific instructions. Even so, you do not want to rush things, or load the wrong file at the wrong time. Doing so opens the potential for a "bricked" router, one that doesn't work and can't be accessed or set back to its default, factory-fresh state. That's not going to happen to the patient, cautious firmware flasher, though.

11:59:59 secs...

I am amazed.  God has been SO gracious and awesome this week.  Above and beyond measure my family has been blessed!  HE always shows up @11:59:59, just to show me, that 'I am not in control..  HE is'.   ...and He, is.

Have a blessed night blogworld!
In Jesus!
-C

8 Germiest places in the Mall - Got Hand Sanitizer?

After a super busy American black Friday you'll be thankful that Cyber Monday allows you to stay at home and contend with your own family's germs instead of thousands of others germs that you've not built up a resistance to.  Here are the "Top 8 Germiest places in the mall":

1. Restroom sinks

The filthiest area in a restroom (and therefore in the whole mall) isn't the toilet handle or the doorknob -- it's the sink, our experts say. Bacteria, including E. coli, fester on the faucet and handles because people touch those surfaces right after using the toilet, explains panelist Charles Gerba, Ph.D., a professor of environmental microbiology at the University of Arizona.

"The sink area is a moist environment, so bacteria can survive longer there," he adds.

Watch out for soap dispensers, too -- not only are they handled by many dirty hands, but the soap itself may harbor germs. When Gerba's team tested liquid soap from refillable dispensers in public bathrooms, they found that one in four contained unsafe levels of bacteria.

Protect yourself: Wash your hands thoroughly after using a public loo: Lather with soap for at least 20 seconds, then rinse well. Use a paper towel to turn off the water and open the door. If there's no soap or paper towels, kill germs with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, using at least a tablespoon of product.

Gerba also advises avoiding refillable soap dispensers (usually made of clear plastic with a removable lid) and only using liquid soap that comes in a sealed refill; if that's not an option or you're not sure, follow up with hand sanitizer.

2. Food court tables
Even if you see the table being wiped down, that doesn't mean it's clean, says panelist Elaine Larson, Ph.D., a professor of epidemiology at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University: "The rags themselves can actually spread harmful bacteria such as E. coli if they are not changed and washed regularly."

Protect yourself: Consider stashing a pack of hard-surface disinfecting wipes in your purse so you can swipe the table before you sit down. "Look for ones that contain alcohol or another disinfecting agent in order to make sure you're killing germs, not just wiping away grime," Tierno says.

3. Escalator handrails

"In our testing, we have found food, E. coli, urine, mucus, feces, and blood on escalator handrails," says Gerba. "And where there is mucus, you may also find cold and flu viruses." Tierno concurs: "We've found respiratory flora on handrails," he says, "which makes sense because people cough into their hands, then touch the rails."

Protect yourself: Play it safe: Avoid touching handrails altogether, recommends Gerba, unless you absolutely have to -- in which case, give yourself a generous squirt of hand sanitizer afterward.

Health.com: The germiest places in America

4. ATM keypads

After testing 38 ATMs in downtown Taipei, Chinese researchers found that each key contained an average of 1,200 germs, including illness-inducing microbes like E. coli and cold and flu viruses, Tierno says. The worst key of all? The "enter" button, because everyone has to touch it, Gerba points out.

Protect yourself: "Knuckle" ATM buttons -- you'll avoid getting germs on your fingertips, which are more likely to find their way to your nose and mouth than your knuckles. And be sure to wash your hands or use sanitizer afterward.

5. Toy stores

Toy stores can actually be germier than play areas, carousels, and other kid-friendly zones, Tierno says, simply because of the way little ones behave there. "Kids lick toys, roll them on their heads, and rub them on their faces, and all that leaves a plethora of germs on the toys," he says. The goods their parents don't buy end up back on the shelves, where your kid finds them.

Protect yourself: If you make a purchase, wipe down any toy that isn't in a sealed box or package with soap and water, alcohol, or vinegar (which has antimicrobial properties) before giving it to your child. And, of course, reach for the hand sanitizer after you've been hands-on in the toy aisle.

6. Fitting rooms

You won't pick up much from the hooks or the chair. The germ culprit? What you try on.

"After people try on clothing, skin cells and perspiration can accumulate on the inside," says Tierno. "Both can serve as food for bacterial growth." You can even pick up antibiotic-resistant bacteria, such as MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), just by trying on clothes, says Tierno.

Protect yourself: Always wear full-coverage underwear (no thongs!) when trying on clothes, especially pants, bathing suits, and any other garment that touches your genitals or rectum. Bandage cuts or scrapes before trying on clothes, as "open wounds can be a gateway to dangerous bacteria," Tierno says. And be sure to wash new clothes before you wear them.

7. Gadget shops

While you're playing around on that new smartphone, you could be picking up germs from the thousand people who tested it out before you. "Most stores do clean their equipment," says Tierno, "but they certainly don't clean after each use."

A study published last year in the Journal of Applied Microbiology found that viruses easily transfer between glass surfaces (think iPad or smartphone faces) and fingertips. And a recent report found that of four iPads swabbed in two Apple stores located in New York City, one contained Staphylococcus aureus, the most common cause of staph infections, while another registered a bacteria associated with skin rash. That's not even counting the cold and flu germs that might be lurking.

Protect yourself: Before you try out the latest gizmo, quickly wipe it down with a disinfecting wipe. And (yes, once again) use a hand sanitizer after you're done.

8. Makeup samples

Heading to the makeup counter? You might end up picking up a

staph infection right along with the latest lipstick shade. A 2005 study found that between 67% and 100% of makeup-counter testers were contaminated with bacteria, including staph, strep, and E. coli. "This study shows us that someone was sick or went to the bathroom, didn't wash their hands, and then stuck their finger in the sample," Tierno says.

Protect yourself: "Avoid using public makeup samples to apply cosmetics to your lips, eyes, or face," says Tierno, who suggests asking for a single-use unit (you open it, try

 it, and throw it away). If that's not available, use a tissue to wipe off the sample and

then apply the product to the back of your hand.

The best line of defense: Buy then try. Returning stuff to the store may be a little more of a hassle, but it's a heck of a lot better than bringing home a nasty bug.

(source: health.com)

Home hacks we're working on for our next post

• Recycle your old router as a home wi-fi repeater. Don't throw that old linksys out yet! We're going to post directions on how to turn it into a wi-fi repeater. Garage too far away for wireless?  Not anymore




(Yep, these are OUR little angels!)


• The top 10 'breaks&Stains', and how to get them fixed, or gone!  If you have children, there is a huge chance that you've said; "Can't we keep anything nice around here!"  Thursday we'll reveal the top 10 breaks&Stains, and simple ways to minimize the damage.

Emergency Medicine Files - Holding a Hand

Saturday morning (0500am) at work, a patient called into the E.R. stating that she had been awakened by her tongue swelling, and was curious on what to do. The charge nurse explained to her that since she was taking Lisinopril for high blood pressure, it would be wise to come into the E.R. and get the situation checked out. It was a good thing she did.

After driving themselves into the hospital, instead of calling 911 for an Ambulance, the patient seemed uncomfortable, but otherwise none the worse-for-wear except for the discomfort and anxiety of her tongue being swollen.

What would unfold before our eyes was clinically amazing.

The patient, a 40'ish y/o African American female, had been taking ACE inhibitors for her high blood pressure for over four years. ACE inhibitors, such as Lisinopril, have rare side effects such as dizziness, anaphalaxis, and hives.. A person can be taking the med for years and never have a negative side effect, and then, one (random side effect) may occur with literally no warning.

What was taking place before our eyes was that her airway was quickly closing. In a short amount of time, her airway would be closed completely, and she would suffocate to death. This formerly stable patient, had now become top priority.

With tears in her eyes, she (the patient) acknowledged the importance of letting us sedate her and put a tube into her trachea before the swelling completely prevented her from breathing. It was a strange emotion to witness.

 

The only other time I had witnessed this weird emotional perception was over five years ago when one of our patients was already intubated and on a ventilator.. The difficulty was that although the patient was paralyzed and was awake and responsive; that particular patient had a DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) order that the staff was previously unaware of.. The attending physician was asking the patient to make a choice. Stay on the ventilator and live, or have us honor his DNR and previous decision, and take him off of the vent, to where he would suffocate and die.

Needless to say, the reality of the situation hit both patients the same way and they chose for us to do everything possible for them to live. The difference between the two cases is that Saturday's case was a temporary bridge to prevent the unfortunate demise of an otherwise healthy patient. Regardless, time to contemplate was not an option.

As the patient was sedated with Etomidate, she turned out to be one of those few that clench their teeth tightly shut when sedated with Etomidate, thereby preventing our access to preserve her airway. With the clock ticking, respiratory therapists were "bagging" the patient while alternate meds were retrieved for further sedation.

Diprivan was pushed through her I.V., as well as Versed, which sedated the patient further and provided a relaxed/hypnotic state for the patient. As the resident physician attempted to intubate the patient, the difficulty of a swollen airway coupled with the heavy-set nature of the patient provided for a more-than-complex task. The attending physician took over.

While beeps, buzzers, and alarms were sounding; complimented by everyone's procedural medical jargon; I felt that amidst all of the 'gray noise' that we were creating, my primary inclination had led me to ...Hold her hand.

There was a four-fold benefit to what I had chosen to do:

By speaking directly to the patient and holding her hand, I was extending a sense of human compassion to her while she endured the panic of the situation. By someone 'being there' I was hoping to provide a calming hand to reduce her anxiety and reduce her clenching, thereby facilitating the intubation. By holding her hand I could feel when she would begin to squeeze my hand. This indicated that she was regaining muscle tone and needed more anesthetic. -And lastly, If it was me; in her shoes, I would hope that someone would just stop a moment, and hold my hand..

The attending physician assumed position for the actual intubation and placed the tube in the trachea, just where it needed to be, and just in time.

After the tube was sunk,(in place) I believe we all breathed a cumulative and audible sigh of relief. The patient was placed on the vent and administered additional therapeutic meds before being sent to the I.C.U.

It is important to note that medicine is about clinical data, practice, objectiveness, statistical values, procedural applications, and outcome percentages. Medicine is not what is perceived on shows such as 'E.R., or Grey's Anatomy'. Although these shows provide entertainment value, they do not provide much else. I've never, nor have I ever seen others; cry over every third case, carouse around with other staffers, get involved with patients, or anything else of the like. That is TV-land, not reality.

Over the past ten or so years I've had bouts of cynism and empathy; (depending on the level and frequency of bogus patients) However, I've clearly noticed that the best professional practitioners extend a higher amount of consistent empathy than many others. When this is combined with professional excellence; I believe it is a recipe for success that is mentorable.

A buddy of mine recently stated this of me in the closing of an email while I was in Haiti: "You've always had more heart than brains. But that's why your my brother". Although flattered, (I think) I prefer the explanation provided on a plaque I've noticed at work:

Excellence

"Excellence is the result of caring more than others think is wise; risking more than others think is safe; dreaming more than others think is practical, and expecting more than others think is possible".

Nice plan. Now, execute it!

Got Water?

Got secure water?

Last year, noticing the lack of secure controls with our own local water utilities (not to mention the rise in cost if we wanted to water the gardens), I took advantage of a non-working shallow well on our land. 

The well head was dry, so after doing some research and making some notes, I rounded up the supplies needed to see if it was do-able.  After sinking the well pipe down an additonal 14 feet into the water table, obtaining a pump and other hardware, I can now say with confidence that if the water utilities ever get knocked out (natural cause or otherwise), I can get us up-and-running safe water, off grid in less than a day.

After reading the latest news hacks...  Yep.  Happy its there.  Just in case.
-TR Hilton

Water utility hackers destroy pump, expert says



Are our public water sources secure? 

  Hackers destroyed a pump used by a US water utility after gaining unauthorized access to the industrial control system it used to operate its machinery, a computer security expert said.

Joe Weiss, a managing partner for Applied Control Solutions, said the breach was most likely performed after the attackers hacked into the maker of the supervisory control and data acquisition software used by the utility and stole user names and passwords belonging to the manufacturer's customers. The unknown attackers used IP addresses that originated in Russia.

Weiss cited an official government report from the state where the regional water district was located. It was dated November 10, two days after the hack was discovered. The document indicates that the utility had been experiencing unexplained problems with its computerized system in the weeks leading up to the breach.

“Over a period of two to three months, minor glitches had been observed in remote access to the water district's SCADA system,” Weiss said during an interview, in which

he read a verbatim portion of the document to The Register. He said that the attackers were able to burn out one of the utility's pumps by causing either the pump or the SCADA system that controlled it to turn on and off “repeatedly.”

Weiss said he obtained the report on the condition that the water utility and the state where it's located aren't disclosed. A statement issued by the US Department of Homeland Security indicated the utility was located in Springfield, Illinois. Weiss published bare-bones details of the hack on Thursday because he wanted to bring attention to an incident he said raised serious concerns about the ability of the US government to secure critical infrastructure.

“This is really a big deal, and what's just as big a deal is what isn't being said or isn't being done,” Weiss said. “What the hell is going on with DHS? Why aren't people being notified?”

(Article Credit to writer Dan Goodin in San Francisco. 'UK The Register'.)

Local CraigsList Shout!

Classic Anchor Brand clothes wringer, $100.00, Ships light and wheel Nautical table (Light works! Glass is 1/2"thick tempered. Heavy!) Ships clock $40. Prices are somewhat negotiable. (2) Champion Vintage Sleds $80/$70,Motivated seller. Serious buyers please email. thank-you!.

Local Pickup only friends!  Thank-you!  It'd be really cool to have these vintage items go to someone and complete their collection.
Cheers!
-Carl


•Location: Allendale
•it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests



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Aside from all the behind the scenes framework involved in getting ready to deliver the best & coolest content available, this spot on the web will be a "freedom-of-Speech" zone! (Finally!!)
Semper Fidelis,
--More to come.
SSGT. Hilton, USMC Ret. & Tribe


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Happy 236th Birthday U.S. Marine Corps



The oldest and youngest living Medal of Honor recipients. 11/11/2011.
Priceless.

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