howtolowerhighbloodpressure.org

Onions have similar characteristics and are often used in combination with garlic. To preserve the beneficial effects of garlic it should not be boiled. The fresh juice is the most effective preparation. For nervous spasms, cramps and seizures, crush one clove of garlic in a glass of hot milk. For high blood pressure, take one clove of garlic each morning. Prepare oil of garlic by placing eight ounces of peeled minced garlic in a wide-mouthed jar with enough olive oil to cover. Close tightly and shake a few times each day; allow to stand in a warm place for three days.
- The Way of Herbs by Michael Tierra

Garlic has achieved a legendary reputation as an antihypertensive medication. It’s been used in China for centuries for that purpose, and the Japanese government officially recognizes garlic as a blood-pressure depressor. American scientists first tried garlic against high blood pressure in 1921. Garlic consistently lowers blood pressure in laboratory animals.
- The Food Pharmacy: Dramatic New Evidence That Food Is Your Best Medicine by Jean Carper

Eat more garlic. It is another legendary folk remedy for high blood pressure, and it is effective, according to recent studies. Long used in China and widely used today in Germany as a blood pressure medication, garlic can have a striking impact. In a recent double blind German test of Kwai, an over-the-counter garlic preparation, doses comparable to a couple of daily garlic cloves pushed diastolic blood pressure down in patients with mild high blood pressure.
- Food Your Miracle Medicine by Jean Carper

I heard a lot about garlic being a good remedy for colds, but I was hesitant to try it because I also heard it lowers high blood pressure. Since my blood pressure is normal, I thought the garlic might cause it to drop. Fortunately, I read where a medical doctor said that garlic normalizes high or low blood pressure, but does not disturb normal blood pressure. With this assurance, I tried Kyolic garlic tablets the next time I felt I was starting to come down with a cold. Within a few days, I felt fine.
- Secrets of the Chinese Herbalists by Richard Lucas

The confidence the Egyptians had in garlic is demonstrated by the fact that they reportedly used it to strengthen the workers who built the pyramids. Pliny recommended garlic for 61 maladies in his Historia Naturalis; Hippocrates recommended it as a laxative, diuretic, and cure for tumors of the uterus. Garlic has been used to treat high blood pressure for centuries in China and Japan. In first-century India, garlic and onion were thought to prevent heart disease and rheumatism. Garlic even had a reputation as an aphrodisiac in Shakespearean England.

via Garlic is natural medicine for treating high blood pressure by Mike Adams the Health Ranger.

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(CNN MONEY Magazine) — When Kimerby and Tony Simmons were married last month at a vineyard in the foothills outside Atlanta, they participated in the African-American tradition of jumping over a broom – an act symbolizing their entrance into a new phase of life together.

For Tony, 41, this was the second time making such a leap, his previous marriage having ended in divorce. That breakup “put a big dent in my finances,” says the software sales executive. “I thought there was no way I was getting into another relationship.”

But then, on a flight from Chicago to Atlanta, he met Kimberly. And, soon, he fell in love. “It was the flight that changed our lives,” says Kimberly, 39, for whom this is a first marriage.

As they enter this new phase, the Simmonses will face hurdles bigger than that broom, particularly when it comes to their money. Tony enters the union with slightly less in assets than his new wife but far greater financial obligations: With three kids from his first marriage – ages 8, 16, and 21 – he has child support, alimony, and future college bills to pay.

Such financial challenges are typical for second-time-around couples, who often enter into marriage with children to support, not to mention significant income and savings disparities. Additionally, the spouses, often older and more established, may be hesitant about joining financial lives, particularly if money caused tension in their previous relationships. “They’re coming in with baggage,” as financial educator Ruth Hayden, author of “For Richer, Not Poorer,” says bluntly. Those going down the aisle a second time need to unpack these money issues:

With second marriages the stakes may be higher in terms of the assets and liabilities each partner brings. To quell any tensions before they arise, each should prepare a list of what’s owned and owed. Then start the conversation with the obligations: Determine who will be responsible for what. Will you, for example, help tackle your spouse’s debts? In particular, says Hayden, discuss expenses related to children and exes, as these can drive a wedge of resentment between newly reweds. Tony’s planning to pay his child support and alimony from his commissions to keep that obligation separate. Meanwhile Kimberly, a clinical pharmacist, wants to help with college savings: “We’re both committed to doing the best thing for the children.”

Next up: the plus side of your balance sheet. One of the toughest issues couples in second marriages face is how, practically, to marry assets and income. All joint, all separate, or a mix? Most financial pros advise having at least a joint checking account. “It helps you act as a couple with money,” says Hayden. But it needn’t be all or nothing: Kimberly and Tony, for example, will combine some money but also have their own accounts for discretionary spending. Whatever you choose, do develop savings goals together so you have something positive to work toward as a team.

To make sure everyone is provided for after your death, you’ll want to … Revisit beneficiary designations. These trump a will, so be sure your ex spouse isn’t listed on retirement accounts and insurance policies.

Rethink wills.

Be sure to leave money outright to your children from a previous marriage – or they may end up with nothing, depending on the state. If the kids are minors, set up a qualified trust for them (you can place accounts with beneficiary designations under this too), and name a third party as trustee so that there’s no risk your spouse will disinherit them. With other money, you may want to set up a qualified terminable interest property trust (QTIP). That way your spouse can draw income after you die, but what’s left over after his or her death goes to your offspring. Otherwise your partner’s heirs, not yours, could get the money, says estate attorney Charles Pyke Jr. of Stockbridge, Ga.

Consider a prenup. Besides stating how money will be divided in a divorce, a prenuptial agreement can also spell out your estate wishes. And as a bilateral contract, it’s harder to contest than a will. Despite these benefits, Tony and Kimberly chose not to sign a prenup. As she says, “We didn’t want to go into this thinking there was an out.” Fair enough.

More than half of those who remarry decide to fully merge finances. Turns out, the instinct to join may be a good one.

A prenuptial agreement, which couples mainly use to state how money will be divided if the marriage doesn’t work, can cost from $2,000 to $25,000. Is it worth it? Maybe, if you …

1. … have a family business. With a prenup you can cut the spouse out of business appreciation, says attorney Mitchell Karpf. “Otherwise he or she may be entitled to half.”
2. … have vastly more savings than your spouse. If you’d be unhappy splitting assets squarely in the event of a divorce, you may want a prenup to state a different arrangement.
3. … have kids from a previous marriage. A prenup can back up the terms of your will by spelling out the assets that you don’t want your spouse to inherit upon your death.

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Margaret Chin stands 4 feet 11, but the veteran community activist is casting a long shadow over the political landscape in New York.

Chin is poised to win election next month as the first Chinese-American on the New York City Council to represent New York’s Chinatown, one of the largest concentrations of Chinese outside of mainland China.

She ousted a two-term incumbent in September’s Democratic primary and will be on the ballot November 3 in a district that overwhelmingly favors Democrats.

If elected, she also will be the first Asian-American woman to join the 51-member body responsible for governing the country’s largest and most diverse urban area.

Her likely win is another milestone in the political rise of a rapidly growing Asian-American community.

For Chin, a 56-year-old Hong Kong immigrant, the long road to political victory has not been easy. As she closes in on a probable November victory, though, she’s confident the lessons learned along the way will serve her — and her constituents — well.

Chin’s American story began almost a half century ago, during the Kennedy administration. Her father, seeking new opportunities, left China for Colombia. A few months later, he became an undocumented U.S. worker, scratching out a living as a waiter in the Bronx section of New York.

When the family’s immigration papers came through in 1963, he borrowed money to bring them to America. Margaret, the third of five children, remembers her dad’s exhaustion and pain after spending long days on his feet.

She also remembers the skills he perfected preparing the restaurant’s dim sum, a traditional Chinese morning meal.

“He made the best shrimp dumplings,” she recalled in a recent CNN interview. “He had the technique down pat on how to make the skin so thin. They were wonderful.”

Chin’s father died a long time ago, but his decision to pursue the American dream — starting as an undocumented immigrant — left a lasting impression on his only daughter. Today, immigration reform is one of her passions.

“People are here because of the opportunities America has to offer,” she said. “They work hard. They struggle. We need to fix our immigration system so more people can help build the country.”

Chin is campaigning on a range of traditional lunch-bucket issues — affordable housing, job creation, and better care for senior citizens. Repairing the city’s aging infrastructure is also a priority in a sprawling Manhattan district that encompasses Chinatown as well as Wall Street, Soho, the Lower East Side, Tribeca, and Battery Park City.

More than four in 10 people in the district are Chinese-American, according to campaign spokesman Jake Itzkowitz. The bulk of those residents — including Chin’s mother, a retired garment worker — live in rapidly gentrifying Chinatown.

They and other Asian-Americans make up the fastest-growing minority group in New York City.

“This City Council district was drawn in the early 1990s in part to enable Chinatown residents to elect a candidate of choice,” noted Margaret Fung, head of New York’s Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund.

“Eighteen years later, an Asian-American has finally been chosen. It’s a significant step forward for Asian-American political representation.”

Chin is one of three Asian-Americans now positioned to win seats on the City Council, Fung noted. John Liu, the Democratic nominee for comptroller, is poised to become the first Asian-American to win a citywide office.

In the past decade, the total nationwide population of Asians and Pacific Islanders jumped to almost 13 million, a nearly 50 percent increase since 1990, according to the Asian American Action Fund.

While Asian-Americans make up roughly 4 percent of the nation’s population, they have been slow to win office on the national or state level. They currently hold only 1 percent of the seats in Congress, the Action Fund notes.

In politically powerful California, according to the Action Fund, Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders account for well over 10 percent of the population, but hold less than 8 percent of the seats in the state legislature.

Chin draws a parallel between the transformation of New York’s Chinatown, home to a growing number of young professionals and a vibrant commercial hub, and the gradual political maturation of the Chinese-American community.

One of the reasons Chinatown has not yet had a Chinese-American representative in City Hall, she believes, is because the community did not know how to mobilize effectively.

“A lot of Chinese-Americans simply did not understand how the political process works,” she said.

“New York is a largely Democratic city, but they didn’t know that many elections are basically decided in the Democratic primary. So they didn’t register as a member of either political party.”

Chin helped lead the fight for local election ballots printed in Chinese in the early 1990s.

“There’s often not an accurate Chinese translation for English names, and vice-versa,” she noted. “Too many people couldn’t understand the ballots. Other people who got the registration process right were still turned away at the polls because election workers couldn’t understand their names.”

Chin has run three losing Democratic primary campaigns for the City Council — in 1991, 1993, and 2001. The current campaign is different, she said, partly because of greater mobilization among Chinese-Americans and partly because of her own political education.

This time, Chin launched her campaign two years before the primary. She left her job with the advocacy group Asian Americans for Equality so she could run full time.

“I have to credit my husband, Alan, for that,” she said with a laugh. “He told me, ‘If you want to do it, focus. Quit your job and do it.’ It’s great to have family support.”

Her son Kevin, studying photography in Santa Barbara, California, provides moral support from afar.

Chin also stepped up fundraising operations, raising and spending the legal limit of $161,000 in the primary. Her campaign headquarters, located in the ground floor of a Chinatown apartment high rise, is humming most days with five to 10 volunteers.

The campaign has one paid staffer. More than 400 people have volunteered to answer phones, stuff envelopes, and knock on doors — the unglamorous nuts-and-blots work of many campaigns.

One factor working in Chin’s favor is voter backlash against a recent decision to repeal a two-term limit for City Council members and the mayor. The City Council member Chin defeated in the primary, Alan Gerson, was one of several incumbents ousted largely as a result of that issue.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg also backed the repeal, and is now seeking a third term. Chin disapproves.

“Eight years is enough,” she argued. “You can do a lot of good in that time. I won’t serve more than two terms.”

Bloomberg may be popular, but the billionaire businessman’s agenda doesn’t always sit well with Chin, who remains in many ways a New Deal-style Democrat.

“He needs to be a mayor for everyone. I think he’s favoring the more well-to-do,” she said. “New York City’s working families have lots of needs, and he hasn’t always been there for them.”

Chin’s likely election as the first Chinese-American to represent Chinatown comes amid other historic political developments.

Gov. David Paterson is New York’s first African-American governor as well as the first legally blind governor in the United States. And President Barack Obama, of course, is the nation’s first African-American president.

So could there be an Asian-American president one day?

“Sure,” Chin said, “but I’d really like to see a woman president. We are long overdue.”

Could she be that woman?

Absolutely not, she replied with a chuckle.

“The City Council is enough,” she said. “It took me a long time to get to this point. And soon it will be time to give someone else a chance.”

–>

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To understand this problem, some suggested reading would be New York University Professor Frederic Thrasher’s report of gangs in Chicago. He points out how typical it is for unsupervised youth (boys) in disadvantaged neighborhoods to form into groups that attack rival groups who trespass into their territory.

Some groups are loosely organized – hardly more than mobs – while others are more formal gangs with names and rituals of membership. All these groups typically arise under conditions of poverty, social discrimination and familial distress that leave the boys desperate for any claim of respect, power or authority. What may surprise you is Thrasher’s report was published in 1927. Has anything really changed since 1927? Have we progressed and evolved to a more secure and sophisticated environment since then?

Street fights between rival groups of youth are not a new problem. In fact, Thrasher found that the most common nationalities of Chicago gangs in the 1920s were Polish, Italian and Irish. What has changed is that these ethnic groups have become assimilated into American society with all of the accompanying political, economic, social, educational and psychological benefits.

The commonly accepted prejudices against Polish, Italian and Irish peoples as intellectually and morally inferior now seem ridiculous; unfortunately, other disadvantaged groups have filled their places in our social hierarchy.

The problem of youth violence is not confined to Chicago and can be found in any American city, as well as our suburbs and rural regions. Population density creates more opportunity for conflict, but the propensity for young men to align themselves into warring groups is hardly unnatural.

The youths who participated in the Chicago brawl are not deviant or aberrant, although they may well have grown accustomed to fighting as a way to settle disputes and regarded it as the only way to maintain a fragile sense of self-respect. These attitudes can be found in any community but especially in neighborhoods where there are few conventional sources of respect and abundant indications of its absence.

Mayor Richard Daley’s plan to add more police officers at schools and Jesse Jackson’s call to train parents to monitor student travel to and from school are welcome and well-intentioned attempts to provide more supervision. However, increased monitoring is not enough.

To paraphrase H.L. Mencken, another scholar of the 1920s, “For every problem, there is a solution that is simple, neat and wrong.” The deadly brawl in Chicago grew out of a chain of events and combination of circumstances that require a comprehensive, prevention-oriented approach.

The recent proposal by the Chicago public schools to take such an approach seems well-conceived, but they should be sure to make use of the most current and well-studied prevention methods rather than those that seem most expedient or politically popular.

In 2002, the U.S. Department of Education, in collaboration with the Secret Service, issued a report that called for schools to adopt a threat assessment approach to youth violence prevention. Threat assessment places primary emphasis on identifying student threats and intervening to resolve conflicts and address problems before they escalate into violence.

Our own research at the University of Virginia has found evidence that threat assessment is a practical, safe and efficient practice for schools. Local authorities should have responded to the growing hostility and threats of violence that preceded the deadly confrontation.

There is ample scientific evidence that we know how to reduce student aggression and improve school safety. In 2003, researchers from the Vanderbilt Institute of Policy Studies published an analysis of 221 controlled studies of school-based programs designed to reduce student aggression. Various programs were designed to provide counseling and education in conflict resolution, anger control, social competence, problem solving and related skills.

When programs were fully implemented and carefully monitored, they reduced aggressive behavior such as fighting by about 50 percent, an impressive outcome for any intervention in medicine, psychology or education. The researchers noted, however, that many programs were not so carefully implemented and demonstrated smaller or no effect.

It is critical that schools implement evidence-based programs with fidelity in order for them to work. Often, schools lack the capacity for mental health and safety programs because their resources are stretched to the limit and prevention is regarded as a lower priority.

In 2006, President Bush responded to a high-profile school shooting at an Amish school in Pennsylvania by convening a White House Conference on School Safety. After all the publicity and fanfare of the conference, the matter was dropped and allowed to fade from public memory. In the meantime, state grants for violence and drug prevention were reduced.

Will the new administration respond differently? U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Attorney General Eric Holder held a high-profile conference in Chicago and pledged new federal support to reduce youth violence. This is a welcome, but ironic, promise.

In its endeavor to trim the budget deficit, the Obama administration has proposed cutting the U.S. Safe and Drug-Free Schools (SDFS) program, eliminating the most important and widely used source of school safety funding in the nation.

The efforts of SDFS officials to instill evidence-based programs, reduce bullying and harassment, and promote objective assessment of school climate are critical to improving school safety and reducing youth violence. Funding cuts to states will be devastating to schools across the country that will lose their violence prevention programs.

It is terrific that President Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to reduce violence around the world. Let’s hope he will direct some of these efforts, and the necessary funding, to the goal of peace in our schools and neighborhoods.  A lot of good, solid parenting wouldn’t hurt either.

Editor’s note: Much of this article provided by Dewey Cornell, a forensic clinical psychologist and professor of education in the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia, where he directs the Virginia Youth Violence Project. He is author of “School Violence: Fears versus Facts” and “Guidelines for Responding to Student Threats of Violence.”

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Dana and I visited my grandma one Saturday to tell her the news that we were getting married. Grandma was a simple and God-fearing woman. When she learned I was joining the military, she told me not to shoot straight because the best shooters were taken to war first. Grandma listened and congratulated us. She looked at us both and said “There’s nothing like it (marriage) if you have the right one.” After a long pause she continued with “There’s nothing like it if you have the wrong one too”. Two simple statements that pretty much summed up the first secret to marriage: finding the right person – not just anybody – but the right person.

20 Years of Bliss

Finding the right person is easy. Yeah, right. Not that easy. I see TV commercials for X-dating website that compares several compatibility “traits” with other’s to find that right match for your personality. Hey, if it works for you then go for it. For the rest of us, finding a suitable mate for life may be a little harder than completing a questionnaire and submitting it to a computer. Don’t force the issue – you’ll meet someone that is right for you in time but look in the right places. I would urge you to, for lack of a better term, “network” with your family, friends, and co-workers. Prepare yourself for a lot of frogs before you find the right person. One of the frogs may lead you to the right person so take your time. If you go to a bar, then be prepared to find a person who likes to be at a bar.

For each problem you have in a marriage, there will typically be one root cause: control. One of you will seek control, whether subconsciously or consciously, over the other through use of money, sex, or some other available weapon. Momma’s told me several times that marriage is not a contest. I never really understood that until later in life when I found I was attempting to “control” my marriage. It’s not a game to be won or lost. Marriage is not a series of “one ups” or tally marks to count. Marriage is not “I did this for you. What are you going to do for me?” Marriage is compromise. Marriage is analogous to growing vegetables in a garden. The garden must be worked daily to prevent weeds from choking the life out of the harvest. If you give the garden care, love, and nourish it, your garden will be productive. The goal in marriage should be the giving and receiving of unconditional, unqualified love.

I found her need to maintain a separate checkbook had to do with security

Money is the root of all evil. Many spouses will argue routinely over the lack of money, how money is spent, how money is saved, who makes too little money, who makes too much money, etc. Money will add undue stress upon a marriage if you allow it. I asked Dana before our marriage to identify which checking account she would like to use as a consolidated account for our new family. She said “Both. I’m using my checking account and you are using your checking account.” Initially I was taken aback until we discussed it. Dana’s first husband did not manage money well and would leave her to “figure it out” when it came time to pay the bills at the end of month. After our discussion I found her need to maintain a separate checkbook had to do with security.  I was willing to lower my pride to seek a resolution in which we could both be happy. Our solution was simple. We both maintained our credit cards and other banking accounts. I added her to my account and she added me to her’s. We divided our monthly bills according to percentage of money earned. For example, if Dana earned 45% of the total monthly net household income, then she paid 45% of the total bills. Likewise, if I made 55% of the total monthly net household income, I paid 55% of the total household bills. As screwy as it sounds, it worked! Dana and I have never argued over money and there’s been less than 3 times in 20 years we’ve even borrowed money from one another. I highly recommend it.

Working together can be the next biggest pitfall or the lack thereof.  Everyone in the household must work to keep it going.  I came home one night after work when Jake, our son, was about 1 year old. I promptly went to our bedroom and changed clothes. I proceeded to plop my big butt down on the couch and watch the 6 PM news. Dana was in the kitchen preparing our dinner and Jake was in his high-chair eating his dinner and throwing it about. Dana came over to me calmly and asked me how my day went. I started listing a long line of problems and issues and finished by declaring my need for rest. She looked at me and asked “When do I rest?” I am ashamed to say that never crossed my mind. It hit me like a brick. I immediately got up and began working. I wasn’t helping Dana. We were working together – there’s a difference. “Helping Dana” infers that it is her work to complete rather than “our” work to complete. That was a valuable lesson. She had worked all day just like I did. She had the same important issues at her work. I was blind to my family’s needs. After I realized how selfish I was being, life changed for the better and we both enjoyed working together.

Parenting is difficult as well.  Again, Dana and I went back to grandma’s house to tell her we were going to have a baby.  She congratulated us and then gave us 2 pieces of advise.  First, she warned us  to never promise a child anything we did not have the power or willingness to give or provide.  “How you deal with promises teaches your child something about you” she said.  She went on to say a child never forgets unfulfilled promises.  A child must be secure in knowing your word is true.  Next she told us never to act alone to discipline or decide something major without mother and father first agreeing on the outcome.  Never show a child you disagree with each other over anything.  A unified front is always best – solve your differences away from the children.

Another trouble area for some couples is sex. Let me start this conversation by saying I am not God’s gift to the world concerning sex at all. Just like any other problem area, there are root causes that can be addressed and overcome. I think good marital relations in the bedroom begin with honesty. Being honest with your spouse and knowing each other well enough to share openly about anything is the key. After 20 years there’s not much that can be done differently or even better. I can tell you that sex is important, but its not the main ingredient for a great marriage.

Over the years our marital priorities change. Oh how difficult it would be if my priorities were totally opposite from Dana’s. If that were the case, our marriage would be characterized by working to accomplish different goals, wasting our resources, and disagreement. Understand “things change”. By that I mean our priorities change. In the beginning, priorities tend to be more aligned along individual career paths. Starting a family rearranges priorities to achieve economic goals for college savings or the purchase of a home. When the children begin college, our priorities begin to focus on how to retire comfortably. All along this journey, spouses should be talking to each other.

• Identify and agree on your family priorities
• Make plans on how to attain the results you desire and when
• Put your plans into action
• Review your priorities annually on your anniversary and make necessary revisions or changes

While this seems simple enough to do, many couples never discuss the future. Many couples never implement any plans and time slowly slips away until its too late. Couples working toward achieving the same goals have a central, common focus.  Couples working for totally different goals are not working together – they’re working for themselves.

There are many more secrets to a happy marriage. Those discussed here are the “majors” – the issues that cause most of the problems. If you will embrace these ideas and treat your marriage as a bond of equals with the respect you both deserve, marriage will be fun. That’s not to say your marriage will be problem-free. It means you’ve identified some issues that could be pitfalls and you are working to avoid my mistakes.

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Before reading this article, go to the link provided and review the results.

As of October 10, 2009, here are the results as listed at http://reportcard.cnn.com. Letter grades in “( )” are from the first 100 days in office for comparison.

• Economy: C- (B)
• Health Care Reform: D (NA)
• Foreign Affairs: C (B+)
• Secretary of State Clinton: C+ (B)
• Vice President Biden: C- (B)
• Your Senators: C- (C+)
• Congress: D (NA)
• Republican Leadership: D (C-)
• The Media: D (NA)
• President Obama: C- (B)

To be fair, I am a registered Republican. Not to sound “wishy washy” or “non-committal” but I like parts of both the Republican and Democratic parties. I’m more of a middle of the road politician. Some would want me to draw a line in the sand and commit to one party or the other. I say there is nothing wrong with owning one’s beliefs and being non-conformist. I’d rather stand firm for the right reasons than bend with the breeze to fit in a crowd or political party.

The genesis of the Democratic control we see today began some time ago.  You need to go back to the when Nancy Pelosi took the reigns as the House Speaker.  Many promises were made.  Nancy Pelosi and some of her Democratic colleagues promised to right the wrongs of the previous Republican controlled House. To date, not much has happened and in fact, Mrs. Pelosi is enjoying an all-time low approval rating that makes her the least popular member of the Democratic Party. No need to blame it all of this on Nancy. Congress, whether controlled by the Republicans or Democrats, can be an inactive group marred in greasy political pork – the kind of pork that clogs your financial arteries.

After President Obama won the presidential election, clearly the Democrats were riding high on a wave of hope, reform, and change. Out with the Republicans and in with the new. Here we go again. Another “cleaning house” that will make our country better. Better? Better than what? Than who? This would be the time to remind everyone of the old saying “people in glass houses should not throw stones”.

Former President Bush’s administration reminded me of Barnum and Bailey’s circus at best.  At times, the left hand simply didn’t know what the right was doing. Disjointed planning, incomplete estimates, lack of focus on the real issues. Remember, hindsight is 20/20. Any armchair politician can sit back and find plenty of Republican failures. So, back to my original question: How is the Obama administration doing after their second 100 days in office?

The economy, foreign affairs, Vice President Biden, Secretary of State Clinton, and President Obama: All of these areas scored a full letter grade lower today than after the first 100 days in office. The honeymoon is over folks! Rhetoric is being replaced with proof. In other words, don’t talk about it – Americans want proof. Sadly the democrats can’t do it – or at least to “our” collective satisfaction. Give them time. Rome wasn’t constructed in a day and these highly complex issues will not be resolved in 100 days, 200 days, over even 400 days.

A controversial Colombian senator who has obtained the release of 16 hostages held by Marxist guerrillas is the leading candidate to receive this year’s Nobel Peace Prize

I think it interesting that President Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize yet there are no scores for the second 100 days that warrant such an award. I’m glad he received this honor but clearly President Obama’s achievement was a surprise to most Americans and others around the world. CNN reported on Friday, October 9, that “a controversial Colombian senator who has obtained the release of 16 hostages held by Marxist guerrillas is the leading candidate to receive this year’s Nobel Peace Prize.” CNN – you might want to check that headline.

Columbian Senator Piedad Cordoba

I admire President Obama and his intentions. I cannot remember a more refreshing approach to the Presidency. His plain talk and commonsensical way of thinking coupled with his charisma make him a modern President poised to take on a variety of issues. The problem is we can’t afford to pay for everything that needs to be fixed. America simply can’t overload our butt’s with eternal debt payments.  The public debt increased from $5,629 billion to $9,926 billion during the Bush presidency from 2000 to 2008. The debt is now projected to double under the Obama presidency to a level close to 97% of GDP (Gross Domestic Product).

I know how to increase the Obama Administration grades for the third 100 days. President Obama, here is your step-by-step plan to higher grades and souring approval ratings.  In short, this will make my life (a voter’s life) better:

• Find a way to end our involvement in these wars.
• Focus on the economy.
• Lower our debt and increase our GDP and exports.
• Focus on health care reform.

Mr. President, I did not vote for you in the last election. I would gladly consider voting for you in the next election if your administration would clearly communicate your vision by priority and how I’m going to pay for it with realistic numbers without the smoke and mirrors.

Friends, you see it really doesn’t matter who is in office – Republican or Democrat. What matters is how government goes about doing the work of the people by fixing the problems affecting our daily lives. President Obama has the ability and desire.  How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. We can’t tackle every ill affecting America.  Prioritize and finalize.

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• Barack Obama cancels meeting with Dalai Lama ‘to keep China happy’ (telegraph.co.uk)
• Obama To Congress: Wrap Up Health Care (huffingtonpost.com)
• Health-Care Reform: Democrats Brace for Next Challenge – TIME (time.com)
• Could a GOP Majority be Obama’s New BFF? (themoderatevoice.com)
• Pelosi Puts Republicans in Their Place in McChrystal-Afghanistan Flap (usnews.com)

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Flu refers to illnesses caused by a number of different influenza viruses. Flu can cause a range of symptoms and effects, from mild to lethal.

Two strains of flu, seasonal flu and the H1N1 (Swine) flu, are currently circulating in the United States. A third, highly lethal H5N1 (Bird) flu is being closely tracked overseas.

Most healthy people recover from the flu without problems, but certain people are at high risk for serious complications.

Extensive efforts are underway to track and monitor the spread of all flu viruses. In the U.S., epidemiologists at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) are working with states to collect, compile and analyze reports of flu outbreaks. More on the current situation.

Flu symptoms may include fever, coughing, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, headaches, body aches, chills and fatigue. In H1N1 (Swine) flu infection, vomiting and diarrhea may also occur.

Annual outbreaks of the seasonal flu usually occur during the late fall through early spring. Most people have natural immunity, and a seasonal flu vaccine is available. In a typical year, approximately 5 to 20 percent of the population gets the seasonal flu and approximately 36,000 flu-related deaths are reported.

This year, the H1N1 (Swine) flu virus may cause a more dangerous flu season with a lot more people getting sick, being hospitalized and dying than during a regular flu season. H1N1 (Swine Flu) is a new virus first seen in the United States. It is contagious and spreads from person to person. Like seasonal flu, illness in people with H1N1 can vary from mild to severe.

A flu pandemic occurs when a new influenza A virus emerges for which there is little or no immunity in the human population; the virus causes serious illness and spreads easily from person-to-person worldwide. On June 11, 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that a global pandemic of H1N1 (Swine) flu is underway.

H5N1 (Bird) flu is an influenza A virus subtype that is highly contagious among birds. Rare human infections with the H5N1 (Bird) flu virus have occurred. The majority of confirmed cases have occurred in Asia, Africa, the Pacific, Europe and the Near East. Currently, the United States has no confirmed human H5N1 (Bird) flu infections, but H5N1 (Bird) flu remains a serious concern with the potential to cause a deadly pandemic.

Find a Flu Shot Site Near You!

H1N1 (Swine) Flu Virus: Facts for Parents (& Expecting)

• Vaccinating children is a priority. Flu is more dangerous than the common cold for children. More…
• Plan ahead for this school year. More…
• Talk to children about H1N1 (swine) flu. More…
• Do not stop breastfeeding if you are sick. Your breast milk is good for the baby. More…
• The symptoms for all flu, including H1N1 (swine) flu, are similar. However, be on the lookout for signs of serious illness. More…
• Don’t wait; call your doctor immediately if your child gets sick with flu-like symptoms. More…
• Relieve the symptoms of H1N1 flu with certain over-the-counter medications. More…
• Treat and prevent H1N1 with antiviral drugs. More…
• Emergency medical care may become necessary. Know the signs. More…
• Clinicians should consider these facts before prescribing antivirals. More…

Vaccinating Children

All people from 6 months through 24 years of age are a priority group for the H1N1 flu vaccine. Getting your child vaccinated as soon as possible is the best method for protecting him or her from the flu. Use our Flu Shot Locator to get vaccinated where you live.

• There are separate vaccines for seasonal flu and H1N1.
• You should have your children get both vaccinations as soon as possible.
• Flu vaccine will be available in different settings, such as vaccination clinics organized by local health departments, healthcare provider offices, schools, and other private settings, such as pharmacies and workplaces.

For more information on priority vaccinations see CDC Advisors Make Recommendations for Use of Vaccine Against Novel H1N1.  

Prepare for the Flu During the 2009-2010 School Year

Before you are faced with a sudden school dismissal or a sick child, find out what your employer’s procedures are for working from home while you care for children out of school, or sick family or household members.

• If working from home is not possible, plan ahead for child care at home if your child gets sick or their school is dismissed.
• Identify a separate room in the house for the care of sick children or other household members.
• Update emergency contact lists.
• Have workbooks, learning videos, and other materials available at home that support classroom exercises.
• Collect games, books, DVDs and other items to keep your family entertained if anyone must stay home for an extended period of time.
• If school is dismissed, monitor the school’s Web site, local news, and other sources for information about returning to school.

Talking To Children About H1N1

Educate yourself first.  Know the basic facts about H1N1—the symptoms, how it spreads, and how you can help protect yourself and your child from getting sick. Consider following some of these helpful tips:

• Share information about H1N1 in a calm, reassuring manner. Be careful not to worry children. 
• Limit their exposure to media and adult conversations about H1N1.
• If your children are watching television, try to watch with them or make sure you are available to answer questions about H1N1.
• Use their questions as an opportunity to talk about what they can do to avoid getting H1N1 flu.
• Keep activities as consistent and normal as possible even if your normal routine changes (due to daycare or school closures).
• Be a good example. Show children that you wash your hands frequently with soap and water.  When you cough or sneeze, cover your mouth or use a tissue then throw the tissue away.

See Talking With Children About Flu for more tips. View the Sesame Street public service announcements  about flu featuring Elmo.

Guidance on Breastfeeding

Mothers who are breastfeeding should continue to nurse their babies while being treated for the flu. Breast milk passes on antibodies from the mother to a baby. Antibodies help fight off infection.

• If possible, only adults who are not sick should care for infants, including providing feedings.
• If you are too sick to breastfeed, pump and have someone give your milk to your baby.
• Your doctor might ask you to wear a facemask to keep from spreading this new virus to your baby (see Interim Recommendations for Facemask and Respirator Use to Reduce Novel Influenza A (H1N1) Virus Transmission).
• Be careful not to cough or sneeze in the baby’s face; wash your hands often with soap and water.

• The doctor may start your child on antiviral drugs even after 48 hours when symptoms began, especially if the child has been hospitalized or is at high risk for flu-related complications.
• Children younger than 5 years old and children with chronic medical conditions, such as asthma and diabetes, may be at higher risk for complications from flu. Check with your doctor about any special treatment requirements for them. 
• Some over-the-counter medicines are approved for children to use to relieve flu symptoms.
• If your child has a fever, use fever-reducing medicines that your doctor recommends based on your child’s age.
• A fever is a temperature taken with a thermometer that is equal to or greater than 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 degrees Celsius). If you are not able to measure a temperature, the child might have a fever if he or she feels warm, has a flushed appearance, or is sweating or shivering.
• Keep your sick child home until at least 24 hours after the child no longer has a fever or signs of a fever (100°F or 37.8°C) (without the use of a fever-reducing medicine, such as Tylenol®). Read detailed information about how long to stay away from others.
• Make sure your child gets plenty of rest and drinks clear fluids (such as water, broth, sports drinks, electrolyte beverages for infants, Pedialyte®) to keep from being dehydrated.
• Keep your sick child in a separate room in the house as much as possible to limit contact with household members who are not sick.
• Consider having just one person be the main caregiver for the sick child.
• You can consider sending your child back to school after at least 24 hours has passed since his or her temperature returned to normal WITHOUT the use of medications.

Over-the-Counter Medication Guidance

Your child or teen will probably feel miserable with body aches, sore throat, and other symptoms of the flu. Taking certain over-the-counter medicines can help relieve their flu symptoms. A doctor will decide if antiviral medications are necessary. Call the doctor’s office if your child experiences any side effects, such as nausea, vomiting, rash, or unusual behavior.  See Medications to Help Lessen Symptoms of the Flu for more details.

Symptoms of H1N1 (Swine) Flu

It is important to watch for any signs that your child doesn’t feel well and to pay attention to any unusual behavior. Although the symptoms for all flu are similar, infants could have a fever or be lethargic, but may not have a cough or other respiratory symptoms.

• fast breathing or trouble breathing
• bluish or gray skin color
• not drinking enough fluids
• severe or persistent vomiting
• not urinating or no tears when crying
• not waking up or not interacting
• being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
• flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough

People with Health Conditions

• People with certain health conditions such as asthma, diabetes, cancer, HIV/AIDS, and heart or kidney disease may face special medical challenges during flu season. More…
• Additional Guidelines for people with asthma More…
• Additional Guidelines for people with diabetes More…
• Additional Guidelines for people with cancer More…
• Additional Guidelines for people with HIV/AIDS More…
• Additional Guidelines for people with heart disease More…

All Health Conditions and the Flu

• If you have one of these health conditions — asthma, diabetes, cancer, HIV/AIDS, and heart or kidney disease — and you develop flu-like symptoms, contact your health care provider or seek medical care.
• Serious complications from the flu include pneumonia, ear and sinus infections, dehydration, or even death.
• If you have a chronic medical condition, during a flu outbreak you should:

If you have a chronic medical condition, do the following to prevent from getting sick:   

If you do get the flu:   

More Information about the Flu for People with Certain Medical Conditions [PDF]

 Listen to the Podcast “High Risk Groups Should Prioritize to Immunize” from CDC

Information on Vaccination

Asthma and the Flu

• Adults with asthma should get vaccinated: Respiratory infections like influenza are more serious in patients with asthma, and such infections can often lead to pneumonia and acute respiratory disease.
• Children with asthma aged 6 months to 8 years who never have had a seasonal flu shot will need two doses the first time. Children who have had a seasonal flu shot in the past only need one shot. Persons with asthma should not use the inhaled “FluMist®” vaccine.
• Children with asthma older than 6 months should get the 2009 H1N1 flu shot as soon as possible. The 2009 H1N1 flu shot is not the same as the shot for seasonal flu.

 Listen to the Podcast “Your Child with Asthma Needs a Flu Shot!” from CDC

Asthma Information for Patients and Parents of Patients

Information on Vaccination

Diabetes and the Flu

• People with diabetes who come down with the flu could become very sick and are at risk for complications. Being sick by itself can raise your blood glucose. Moreover, illness can prevent you from eating properly, which further affects blood glucose.
• People with diabetes should get vaccinated for flu.

More information: If You Have Diabetes, A Flu Shot Can Save Your Life [PDF]

• People with diabetes who contract the flu should follow the following guidelines:

• People with diabetes who contract the flu should call their health care provider or go to an emergency room if they experience any of the following:

• More information: “Taking Charge of Your Diabetes” from CDC [PDF]

Cancer and the Flu

• Ask your health care providers if they have a flu outbreak plan. People with cancer and their caretakers should determine how they will access ongoing medical care such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy during a flu outbreak.

HIV/AIDS and the Flu

• People with HIV/AIDS are considered at increased risk from serious influenza-related complications. Studies have shown an increased risk for heart and lung-related hospitalizations in people infected with HIV during influenza season.
• Once the H1N1 (Swine) flu vaccine becomes available, CDC will make recommendations for people with HIV/AIDS.

More information on HIV/AIDS and the flu

Heart Disease, and the Flu

• Patients with chronic cardiovascular disease and cerebrovascular disease (CVD) are at increased risk of experiencing severe flu.
• People with heart disease who contract the flu should follow the following additional guidelines: 

More information on H1N1 and Heart Disease

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• Small Businesses Prepare for a Hit from the H1N1 Flu (time.com)
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• Pandemic Payoff from 1918: A Weaker H1N1 Flu Today (scientificamerican.com)
• CDC: 76 Children Dead of Swine Flu as Cases Rise (abcnews.go.com)
• Your resource for tracking the swine flu (news.cnet.com)

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Get Vaccinated!

My 16 year old son and I were diagnosed with the flu on Tuesday. My wife was diagnosed on Wednesday. What luck?

Concerning the seasonal flu, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) says I am contagious 1 day before symptoms develop and up to 5-7 days after becoming sick. Do the math. That is 6-8 days of germ spreading capability walking around. Knowing this, our family physician, Dr. Dabney, “quarantined” us in our home for 5 days or until we were fever-free for at least 24 hours. Our son decided he was well enough to attend school after his 4th day.  His tempreture had returned to normal so we allowed it.  He was experiencing cabin fever.  He also wanted to attend the Friday night football game.

While not the family vacation we envisioned, we did make the best out of a bad situation. We did something we haven’t done in a while.  We watched movies together daily. One day we watched “Valkyrie” with Tom Cruse.  The next day we saw “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” with Brad Pitt. We started watching “The Alamo” with John Wayne but never got past the opening scenes.  You have to really be sick to watch the entire 2 volume set of “The Alamo”.

We read the newspaper from cover to cover every day and seldom touched the computer. There’s something about being sick that makes you want to stay away from banging out keys on the computer. I can’t explain it. I know that our laptop stayed in its place for well over 3 days without being touched. My son’s computer was used once daily for 15 minutes as he downloaded his homework and other assignments from teacher websites. Now that we are all better, the first thing we’re looking for is the computer.

Work. I went to work on Monday and felt utterly miserable so I left at 10 AM and returned home. After being diagnosed an official case of the flu, I called the office and told them “I have the flu and won’t be able to return to work until Monday”. That sounds pretty self-explanatory to me. Unfortunately, they did not understand what I said. I received several phone calls about minor issues that could  wait or someone else could solve. I decided my cell phone had an “off” button and I remembered how to use it. I answered my voice mails once a day to stay current with the office. The most frustrating voice mail I received was a lady calling me to express her concern over my entire family having the flu and ended the conversation by asking me to do something trivial for her immediately. As I’m listening to the voice mail, I’m wondering if the world would stop turning if her insignificant need was put on hold until I could return to work.

To make things worse, I just coordinated a company-wide flu shot clinic at work over the last 2 weeks. Naturally I didn’t get a flu shot. I never take the flu shot. I never get the flu – until now. I’ve read that the flu vaccine is formulated and batched at least 6 months in advance based upon scientific guesses of which flu will prevail the upcoming flu season. I never was big on shots in the arm, butt, or anywhere else. Now, I encourage you to get a flu shot every year. While it may be a shot in the dark, it certainly is better to spend 5 minutes getting a flu shot rather than being quarantined 5 days.  It’s like the lottery. You can’t win unless you play.

I encourage you to get a flu shot every year

When I return to my job, the work will be there. I’ll be behind for a few days. People will laugh at me for not taking the flu shot. I’ll have crow each day for lunch. But when everything is considered, I wouldn’t have changed a thing. Our family grew closer during this sickness. I’m not sure who took care of who but it was certainly a silver lining to having the seasonal flu.  What a great vacation!

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• ‘No Flu Shots for My Kids’ (health.usnews.com)
• To vaccinate or not? Wary of H1N1 choice (cnn.com)

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Minutes ago, I received a forwarded email (the new chain letter) telling me to forward it to as many people as possible.  In return I will receive $245 for every person that forwards this email to another person, etc.  The best part is within 2 weeks, Microsoft is going to send me a check for the entire amount!  WOW! The email goes on to explain that the original author of the email collected a whopping $24,800 for forwarding this email. The author tells everyone that “2 pages were devoted to this in USA Todayon Tuesday”. Come on people. Are you that greedy and gullible?

I receive “forwarded emails” from time to time with a few recipients listed (less than 6). This email had over 20 persons listed as recipients per forward which equalled approximately 80 people receiving this one email.

Now for the truth. I went to USA Today and searched for this “eureka” of free money and did not find anything that supports it. I called my friend who forwarded it to me and asked if they took the time to verify the information. “Verify? Why take a chance? I just forwarded it.” He went on to express his need for the money. 

“if it seems too good to be true, it typically is”

The Internet, that started as a legitimate vehicle for learning, business, and sharing information worldwide has turned into a pile of dung and scams. Try this experiment:

Go to Google and search these terms:  “make money”, “living honestly”, “finding employment”.  Here are the results:

• “make money” yielded 203,000,000 results
• “living honestly” yielded 21,600,000 results
• “finding employment” yielded 41,800,000. results

Why do you think “make money” yielded 7-10 times the results of the other search terms?

We all know there is no such thing as “free money”.  The only way I know of to get totally “free money” is by purchasing a $2 lottery ticket and being lucky enough to have the winning number.  Of course most of the people I know that play the lottery are in the hole so deep they can’t see the top. I spend approximately $40 a week on the lottery.  I would have to win over $10,000 to break even on what I’ve spent on the lottery over the past 5 years. Yep – that’s free money for you.

Money is received from only a few sources:

• You earn it
• You inherit it
• You sale something and keep the profit
• You find it
• It is given to you

If you are looking for ways to improve your bank balance, I can help.  I promise these will work.

• Save money – spend less
• Sale stuff you don’t need
• Work harder and earn more
• Don’t play the lottery

For every honest way to make money on the Internet, there are at least 40 that will waste your time and take your money. The vast majority of these are designed to “suck you in” with your own greed. In actuality, someone is making money on the Internet – its the person that was able to catch a fish like you to participate in their program. I’ve seen sane friends of mine invest huge sums of money in online stores, reseller hosting, resume sites, and other online ventures that produced nothing. I will say that some eBayers make profits and do well online. eBay would be one exception.

Go to eBay and search for “established Internet businesses”.  If you will take the time to read through a couple of listings, you will find an offer to buy a website that “estimates” you will make $XX per sale per day, per week, per month, and per year. Each “estimate” is larger than the one before. It appears to be easy money that will enable you to quit your full-time job, work online for an hour a day and make huge sums of money. What a deal – for only $95!

About 6 months ago a very close friend of mine called me and asked if I would like to join them and take advantage of a money-making proposition. After some discussion I found it was a pyramid or multi-level marketing program.  I would need to invest approximately $2200 and then recruit 4 other people who invested $2200 and so on.  My “payouts” would come from the people I signed up. While some of these folks are making more than their initial investment, it’s still something I don’t want to be part of. I politely told him that I preferred to keep friends as friends and my business as business. I wonder if they are paying taxes on the money they are receiving?

In summary, greed is a powerful thing. It will make normal, every day people take every penny of savings out of the bank and invest it in something the promises double your money back or even triple. This would be the best time to remember that old saying “if it seems too good to be true, it typically is.”

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Ever wonder who is in your home working on the heating unit? Did you know that the person changing the oil in your car is a convicted thief? Is your child’s soccer coach a felon? Do you know the driving history of the people driving your company vehicles on the roadways? Who is representing your company?

Surveys show that 40% of applications and resumes submitted are fabricated or misleading in hopes of increasing the applicant’s chances of getting the job. Eighty percent of the information received from personal references is misleading. How do you make a good hiring decision based upon the information you know? Flip a coin.

In this article we will provide you with concrete ways to increase the amount of factual information you have available for any applicant in order to make a good hiring decision and increase the likelihood of finding the right person for the job. If implemented correctly, these techniques could decrease your Workers’ Compensation, general liability insurance, and vehicle insurance premiums and increase your reputation in the community.

During the application process, require all applicants to provide 3 professional references – not personal references. Personal references tend to be friends, coworkers, and family members who either do not feel comfortable telling the entire truth or have not observed the applicant actually working or know very little about an applicant’s work habits, ethics, etc. I strongly recommend you obtain 3 professional references who have no personal connection to the applicant but can attest to their abilities and employment history. While this will provide a small portion of information you need in total to make a good decision – it will add to whatever else you find out about your potential employee.

Next you should require every applicant to interview in person. After 20 minutes of speaking to the applicant face-to-face, you should have a good idea if they are a good fit for your company and the position to be filled. Make sure you ask difficult questions and watch for their response. If possible, give them either a written test or hands-on test. For example, if you are hiring someone that is required to use a computer program like Microsoft Excel, have them complete an exercise on a computer using that program. Be creative. While it may add time to your interview process, view as an investment in your company. I’d rather spend an additional 30 minutes making sure I have the best possible candidate than making a fast decision and hiring a “dud”.

…both were convicted of felony larceny, safecracking, breaking and entering….

After the interview, it’s time to conduct a criminal background check. Believe or not, the majority of companies do no background check at all. They simply accept the word of the applicant concerning their history which is dangerous and it increases the company’s liability dramatically. I’ve been in human resources for over 20 years. I remember 2 brothers that came in together and applied for 2 vacant positions dealing with the public requiring a valid driver license. On paper and in person, they were outstanding candidates and I was ready to hire them both. After I conducted an electronic background check and driver license verification (MVR), I found that both were convicted of felony larceny, safecracking, breaking and entering, and neither had a valid license. Are these people you want representing your company? I would not have known any of this information if I hadn’t checked. We didn’t hire them.

Drug screening prior to employment is essential. There are some good laboratories you should be able to find locally that will test your applicants for around $30 – $40 each. It is money well spent. Identifying drug users reduces your liability. Think for a moment what would happen if John is operating one of your vehicles and hits a pedestrian because he likes to smoke marijuana or abuse prescription drugs. That is a lawsuit waiting to happen.

Call the professional references we spoke about in the second paragraph. Ask questions that yeild information about how they work, punctuality, trust, need for supervision, and ability to do the work assigned. Listen to what they say about the applicant. Sometimes the best information is what they don’t say. Listen for long pauses as they think how to phrase a response to your question.

When you’ve completed the interview, hands-on testing, criminal background check, drug screening, and calling the professional references, you should have a more complete picture of the person applying for your position. You should know if they are right for your organization. Now act. Decide who to hire, contact them and make an offer for employment.

You probably are asking yourself “How much does all this cost?” All of this should take about 40 minutes to process which includes interview time. The background check and drug screening should cost anywhere from $50 – $60 for every new hire. I know it seems expensive but you need not spend the money on every applicant – just the one you anticipate hiring. Spending this money upfront is an investment. If you prevent one accident or theft – you’ve profited and your company benefits. Knowing who you hiring: priceless.

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