‘Just Noticing’: Observations Of A Blogger
Posted by Michelle Moquin on February 7th, 2010
Hellooo…
It has been a very social weekend for me, so most of my ‘observations’ are going to be from a more personal view today.
- I noticed that there is a drastic difference in the faces and hands of those who have smoked and drank, and abused their bodies for most of their adult life, compared to those that did it only casually, if any at all.
- I noticed that most people don’t drive the speed limit, including myself.
- While dancing Saturday night, I noticed one of my girlfriends got asked to dance consistently throughout the evening. The rest of us felt like wall flowers. It became the standing joke between us girls the entire evening. Four out of the six girls were brunettes – The one out on the dance floor? A long haired blond.
- I noticed that although many years out of high school, and many years of experience in whatever, when I am around a large group of my high school friends, I feel as if I have stepped back in time, and no time has passed. It is not because conversing comes easily and effortlessly, but more because I don’t ‘feel’ as if I am that much older.
- I noticed that the weatherman is not very accurate at predicting the weather.
Any observations you would like to share? Blog me.
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Bob: I liked that one. A good one for today’s ‘just noticing’.
Mike: To justify slavery by commenting that these people were ’immensely charming’ is to put it bluntly, ‘disgusting’. If the party could ‘charm’ their way back into the slavery days, and worse as you had mentioned, I wouldn’t doubt they would either.
Al: I find them and sources send them to me. Some are funnier than others but I really liked this one too. We can never have enough humor in our lives.
Suz: Another great observation. Thank you for bringing to my attention as well as my readers. I read labels all of the time in regards to food product contents, and I’m constantly checking out clothing and product labels to see their source of origin. But usually not on everyday products such as you mentioned. Thanks for ‘just noticing’.
Readers: Enjoy the Super Bowl if you are a fan.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)
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February 7th, 2010 at 2:14 pm
Guide to Over-the-Counter Painkillers
Russell K. Portenoy, MD
Beth Israel Medical Center
very day, 36 million Americans take an over-the-counter (OTC) painkiller, usually acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or aspirin.
We take those medications to stop a headache… ease an arthritis flare-up… soothe a sore shoulder after a weekend of yard work… or relieve any one of the everyday aches and pains that inevitably disrupt our lives.
But do you know which painkiller to take first for maximum effectiveness and safety?
Here are the latest guidelines…
HOW PAINKILLERS WORK
All three of the most common pain relievers — acetaminophen, ibuprofen and aspirin — reduce the production of cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes. These enzymes play a key role in the formation of prostanoids, biochemicals that sensitize the nerve fibers that produce pain and trigger inflammation.
What you may not know: There is no “best” OTC painkiller for every pain problem. That’s because not everyone responds to pain relievers in the same way — none of these drugs works consistently for everyone or for every type of pain.
You may find that ibuprofen relieves your headaches, but it may do nothing for your spouse, who swears by aspirin when his/her temples start to throb.
Even if ibuprofen works for both your and your spouse’s headaches, the amount each of you needs for pain relief may be different — and the amount that one person needs may cause a distressing side effect that never troubles the other. How can you determine the right drug and dose for you, and you alone? Follow the three-step plan below.
Important: This self-care plan is best for relief of mild-to-moderate acute pain, such as a toothache or headache. It is not appropriate for chronic pain. Long-term use of any painkiller should be monitored by a doctor because of the risk for side effects. All dosages listed are for adults. Also, don’t use products that combine two or more of these ingredients, such as Extra-Strength Excedrin, which includes acetaminophen and aspirin. Combination products have not been proven to work any better and may have an increased risk for side effects.
START WITH ACETAMINOPHEN
Because there’s no way to tell which OTC painkiller will work best for you, it’s sensible for most people (though not all) to start with the safest — the one that decades of clinical use has shown poses the lowest risk for side effects. That drug is acetaminophen.
Starting dosage: 500 milligrams (mg) to 1,000 mg.
Maximum dosage: Two extra-strength 500-mg capsules, four times daily. If you take acetaminophen repeatedly over many days, don’t exceed 4,000 mg a day.
Warning: The biggest risk from acetaminophen is liver damage, which can occur when more than the maximum dosage is taken. Don’t use acetaminophen at any dosage without a physician’s supervision if you have a liver disease, such as hepatitis C, or a history of heavy drinking (three or more drinks a day). Although ibuprofen generally would be preferred over the other painkillers in these cases, all painkillers have added risks for people who have liver disease or who are heavy drinkers.
If you haven’t been drinking heavily for several months, it is probably safe to use acetaminophen unless there is a history of liver damage.
NEXT, TRY IBUPROFEN
If acetaminophen doesn’t relieve your acute pain, switch to ibuprofen or one of the other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as naproxen (Aleve) or ketoprofen (Actron).
Starting dosage: 200 mg to 400 mg.
Maximum dosage: Use of more than 2,400 mg daily requires monitoring by a physician because high dosages can cause serious side effects.
Precautions: Like all NSAIDs, regular use of ibuprofen can damage the gastrointestinal tract, causing problems ranging from heartburn to bleeding ulcers. Other possible side effects…
Kidney damage, with swelling of the legs, worsening of high blood pressure and/or kidney failure.
Risk for blood clots, which increase the likelihood of angina, heart attack and/or stroke. If you have unstable angina (not effectively controlled with medical care), PAD (narrowing of the arteries in the legs) or have had a heart attack, a transient ischemic attack or a stroke, or have otherwise been diagnosed with cardiovascular disease, do not take ibuprofen regularly.
The more severe the circulatory disease, the greater the need for caution with ibuprofen. Acetaminophen is probably the better choice, but talk to your doctor.
ASPIRIN IS THE LAST CHOICE
If acetaminophen and ibuprofen don’t work, you can try switching to aspirin, with the understanding that aspirin is the most likely of these drugs to cause side effects in most people.
Starting dosage: Two 325-mg tablets.
Maximum dosage: Do not exceed 4,000 mg daily.
Precautions: The greatest risk with aspirin is bleeding ulcers.
interviewed Russell K. Portenoy, MD, chairman of the department of pain medicine and palliative care at Beth Israel Medical Center and professor of neurology and anesthesiology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, both in New York City. Dr. Portenoy is editor in chief of Journal of Pain and Symptom Management and has written, coauthored or edited 17 books and more than 450 scientific papers and book chapters on aspects of pain management.
February 7th, 2010 at 3:15 pm
I noticed that people tend to accept flaws in logic in themselves that they call stupid when they see other people do the same thing.
February 7th, 2010 at 3:20 pm
Now I know how good Howie and others fill when their name appears in print from you Michelle. Oh shut the fuck up Al. He can take it.
I especially like my name rolling off you lips Michelle. Wet dreams are heading my way. And to insure that they continue, here is another little ditty.
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“The older we get,
the fewer things
seem worth waiting in line for”.
J.W.
February 7th, 2010 at 3:27 pm
Bigger Tax Breaks from the IRS
Barbara Weltman, Esq.
ood news for taxpayers — the IRS provides cost-of-living adjustments to tax provisions for 2009. Key changes…
Bigger 401(k) contributions. The maximum employee contribution to 401(k) plans goes up in 2009 to $16,500 (from $15,500 in 2008). Those age 50 or older by the end of 2009 can make an additional $5,500 of contributions (up from $5,000 in 2008), for a total of $22,000.
Higher standard deductions. The amount taxpayers can write off on their returns in lieu of itemizing their deductions — the standard deduction — increases in 2009 to $11,400 for married couples filing jointly and $5,700 for singles (up from $10,900 and $5,450 respectively). Taxpayers age 65 or older and/or who are blind can take an additional standard deduction amount of $1,100 for joint filers and $1,400 for singles, up from $1,050 and $1,350, respectively, in 2008.
Additional write-off: Home owners who do not itemize their personal deductions can add another $500 ($1,000 for joint filers) to their standard deduction amount for real-estate taxes that they pay in 2009.
Increased earnings limit for Social Security recipients who work. While those who have attained full retirement age (for example, 66 years for those born in 1943 to 1954) can earn any amount from a job or self-employment without losing Social Security benefits — younger recipients lose $1 of benefit for each $2 of earnings over a limit. For 2009, this limit increases to $14,160 a year of earnings (up from $13,560 a year in 2008).
More freedom from the “kiddie tax.” Children under age 18 and dependents under age 24 who are full-time students pay income taxes at their parents’ highest tax rate on investment income over a threshold amount. This amount increases in 2009 to $1,900 (up from $1,800 in 2008).
Example: At a 5% rate of investment return, a child would need $38,000 in investments to become subject to the kiddie tax in 2009.
Larger tax-free gifts. You can give up to a fixed amount annually (called an exclusion) to as many recipients as you want, free from gift tax each year. This annual gift-tax exclusion is $13,000 in 2009 (up from $12,000 in 2008). In addition to the annual exclusion, you can use a lifetime exemption to make tax-free gifts — the lifetime exemption remains at $1 million and is not adjusted for inflation.
Bottom Line/Personal interviewed Barbara Weltman, Esq., an attorney based in Millwood, New York, and author of J.K. Lasser’s 1001 Deductions and Tax Breaks 2010 (Wiley). She is publisher of the free online newsletter, Big Ideas for Small Business, http://www.barbaraweltman.com.
February 7th, 2010 at 3:34 pm
Why is it that years after so many people from ordinary to famous to government officials even a former President have had UFO sightings and still we are told that those that claim to have seen one is lying or delusional?
Carol
February 7th, 2010 at 8:41 pm
Have you noticed that it is always the anti woman’s choice woman who pipes in with the “If I had aborted my son you wouldn’t have this hero.”
I’ve decided the next time I hear that or some other take off like it, I’s going to shout if your mother had had the good sense to abort your ignorant ass, we wouldn’t have to listen to your self-righteous bullshit.
Thelma
February 7th, 2010 at 9:34 pm
Carol,
Those with the power understand what is known as ‘mob mentality’. It is well defined in the book ‘Mobs, Messiahs and Markets’ as to the power of a mob mentality of group thinking. In the book “The Intention Experiment” it takes the ideas a bit farther through scientific proof of a mass consciousness and mob type of belief systems. The GOP and right winged media are masters at this, and Obama knew this and capitalized on its power to become President.
The powers that be know that order is best orchestrated by dumbing the masses down. It is your responsibility as a part of the human specie to see beyond what the media and 1% wants you to see. Remember it makes no difference whether it was famous, government or ordinary people, but it makes a difference as to what you take from the multitude of information out there, and what as truth in order to make informed decision. As Ayn Rand said, there in lies an inherent truth…
February 7th, 2010 at 11:12 pm
Doug, Ayn Rand was a selfish, horny, old woman who chased young men at every opportunity. She broke up my parents. My mother saved pictures of her blowing my father on many occasions.
She along with Walt Disney and that “never saw a dollar he wouldn’t sell our for” Ronald Reagan sold out to the House Committee on Unamerican Activies to falsely incriminate members of the Hollywood community.
Walt Disney did it to rid himself of the competition because he was never as talented as we are led to believe. He was a serious thief of other peoples ideas.
Ronald Reagan was just another poor bastard who new he was an untalented actor so he sold his sole for the proverbial “few dollars more.”
Ayn Rand was always afraid to be a jew. She feared the power of white people. So she courted young white men like my father. The jew bitch felt that if they ever opened the ovens again, she would be spared by the white men she fucked.
That kind of derangement must have affected her writings. She so wanted to please her captives. So quote her if you wish, but the inherent truth is that she would do or say anything to endear herself to the white race.
Joyce
February 7th, 2010 at 11:25 pm
Hafa adai
I just got off work. We have been talking about the recent Guam Supreme Court decision concerning who would control who got to use the internet on Guam.
Unlike your as Anonz would say “bought and paid for” Supreme Court ours still have some integrity. They decided for the people of Guam not their pockets and the rich and powerful corporations that keep them full.
So for those of you who do not have a clue about the history of Guam I give you this.
______________________________
INTERNET LAW – The Supreme Court of Guam Held that Internet Access Service is Neither a Telephone Service
Guam is an island located in the Western Pacific Ocean; it was controlled by Spain from 1668 until 1898 when it was surrendered to the United States as part of the Treaty of Paris, the treaty that ended the Spanish-American War. Thus, Guam is currently an unincorporated territory of the United States. Guam is governed by the President of the United States, an elected governor, and a unicameral 15-member legislature. As any unincorporated territory of the United States, Guam has its own judicial system, including a Supreme Court. In 2009, the Guam Supreme Court held that Internet service access is neither a telephone service nor a supplement to telephone service. This decision is consistent with decisions rendered by United States courts on whether Internet service access is a telecommunication service.
In Carlson v. Guam Tel. Auth., 2002 Guam 15, (2002), The Supreme Court of Guam was to decide whether internet access service was a telephone service within 12 Guam Code Ann. § 7104(a)(1993). 12 Guam Code Ann. § 7104(a) (1993) is the statutory provision that regulates the Guam Telephone Authority (GTA). According to this provision, GTA has the power to “install, maintain, sell and supply to individuals, firms, corporations and governments, including the government of Guam, telephone services.” Thus, GTA could only provide Internet access services if that service is considered a telephone service or a supplement to telephone service.
The controversy arose when GTA started offering Internet access service, through an Internet service provider (ISP) called GuamTel.net, on December 02, 2000. Plaintiffs, a group of private parties, sought declaratory relief and a permanent injunction against GTA. The trial court granted relief for the plaintiffs and a permanent injunction against GTA. GTA appealed before the Supreme Court of Guam.
The Supreme Court of Guam commenced its analysis by stating that there was not case on point to decide this issue, and that Ada v. GTA, 1999 Guam 10 was “arguably useful” to decide this controversy. The parties to Carlson had different interpretations of the Ada case. In Ada, GTA submitted a bid to acquire a Federal Communications Commission license to provide and operate personal communication services (PCS) in Guam. The case went to court and the trial court ruled for GTA, and the Supreme Court of Guam affirmed. PCS is a wireless telecommunication service that combines cellular telephone features with other advance technologies. Thus, in Carlson, the Supreme Court of Guam refused to apply Ada. Additionally, the court held that it was unnecessary to rely on the Federal Communications Commission””””s interpretation of the terms “telecommunication services” and “information services” arising out of the Federal Telecommunications Act of 1996. Rather, the court provided its own interpretation of 12 Guam Code Ann. § 7104(a)(1993), outside federal law.
The court held that telephonic communication is the transmission of speech over distances, and telephone service is the service that facilitates a two-way communication. Then, according to these definitions, the court was to decide whether Internet access service was a telephone service or a supplement to it. The Supreme Court of Guam concluded that Internet access service is a data-transmission service. It supported this conclusion by providing examples of the other services provided by ISP such as e-mail, chatting, and other Internet-based features. So, the real issue in Carlson was to determine whether Internet access service was a supplement to telephone service. The court concluded that “Internet access service allows for a type of transmission of data and information that is by-and-large unrelated to ordinary telephone service, and therefore does not supplement such service.” Thus, Internet access was considered an animal on its own rather than a supplement to telephone service.
The court in Carlson, therefore, held that “GTA does not have the statutory authority to provide internet access services and GTA therefore exceeded its statutory authority in attempting to do so through its operation of GuamTel.Net.”
?[Reference 1]?[Reference 2]
______________________________________
I am so proud of my country. Even though I know that it will not be able to withstand the white boy will bring to my small Island, today, I am proud to be a Guamanian.
Chamorros wherever you are in the world rejoice this day. Guam has stood against the white boy’s greed this day for the people of Guam.
Peter
February 7th, 2010 at 11:40 pm
Ayn Rand was an alien
February 8th, 2010 at 12:25 am
My Wonderful mother sent me this. I want to share:
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Carrots, Eggs & Coffee
A carrot, an egg, and a cup of coffee… You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again.
A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.
Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.
In about fifteen minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, ‘ Tell me what you see.’
‘Carrots, eggs, and coffee,’ she replied.
Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg.
Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, ‘What does it mean, mother?’
Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water.
Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.
‘Which are you?’ she asked her daughter. ‘When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?
Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?
Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with
a stiff spirit and hardened heart?
Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance
that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you.
When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?
May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy.
The happiest of people don’t necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way.
The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can’t go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.
When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling.
Live your life so at the end, you’re the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.
If you don’t send it, you will just miss out on the opportunity to brighten someone’s day with this message!
May we all be COFFEE!!!!!!
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I tend to think that most women are coffee by necessity. We have to change the stuff around us or wilt under the constant pressure of existing in a world that men force upon us via some god or religion.
Evelyn
February 8th, 2010 at 12:33 am
I may have seen this here first, but I thought it wouldn’t hurt to share.
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The list of vitamin D benefits gets even longer
Is it possible for a single vitamin to do everything?
Maybe not — but if I had to pick one all-purpose must-have nutrient, I’d go with that dazzling D. It’s about as close to perfect as a single letter can be.
And now, two new studies add to the already impressive body of evidence for this wonder vitamin: It may help you control your blood pressure, and even lower your risk of dying from heart disease.
The first study, published in Nature Reviews Cardiology, finds that the sunshine vitamin is especially good at helping people who already have hypertension to lower their blood pressure levels.
The second one, carried out by researchers at the University of Colorado, Denver and Massachusetts General Hospital, found that patients who don’t get enough D are three times more likely to die from heart disease and 2.5 times more likely to die from any cause.
That fits in with other studies that have shown that vitamin D can help reduce your overall risk of death. And that’s in addition to research showing how D can help keep your bones healthy and lower your risk of fracture, reduce your risk of cancer, increase muscle strength, improve your immune system, and so much more.
The best source of D is the sun. Our bodies can make it naturally if we get enough of the right kind of sunlight.
But most of our bodies aren’t doing a very good job of it these days.
No, they’re not protesting the sweaty working conditions. We’re simply not getting enough sun — and when we do, it’s often not the right kind.
Your clothes, sunblock, cloud cover, and the seasonal angle of the Earth are all factors in the quality of your sunlight, and whether or not your body is able to turn it into that all- important D.
In most cases, it can’t… and as a result, we’re D-ficient. That means a high-quality supplement is your best chance of ensuring that you get enough of your daily D.
Forget the U.S. RDA, which badly understates how much you need of so many nutrients. Follow that pointless chart, and you’ll end up with 400 IUs daily. In reality, we need much more than that.
Even Harvard University — not exactly known for its acts of nutritional rebellion — places the optimal intake at around 2,000 IUs for most of us, and suggests that many people — including folks with darker skin and people who get little direct sunlight — can use up to 4,000 IUs daily.
That’s up to 10 times the U.S. government’s recommendation!
So if you’re not taking a D vitamin, check your multivitamin closely. If it says you’re getting “100 percent” of what you need, you’re simply not getting enough, and you probably want to add a separate D supplement to your regimen.
A lot of companies will try to sell you a miracle pill — but D is the real deal.
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Lois
February 8th, 2010 at 12:35 am
Maybe, but when did she become an alien?
February 8th, 2010 at 10:14 am
Howie,
What more can you tell us about this Mariana Trench. There are curious minds who really want to know.
Anono