For those involved in?elder care, either as an occupation or out of respect for the needs of a loved one, the subject of?Parkinson?s Disease?may become part of their daily vernacular. As the second most common neuro-degenerative disorder in the United States, Parkinson?s Disease is most common among the 50 years of age and older population. With that said, it is also important to note that this debilitating disease process can begin in people as young as 30 years of age.
Early Signs and Symptoms
Early signs of the disease process include loss of coordination, muscle stiffness, weakened voice, tremors and loss of sexual function (in men). For many patients, the neuro-degeneration caused by Parkinson?s Disease can proceed slowly for the rest of their lifespan, meaning that, while these symptoms may not improve, they will not grow noticeably worse in a rapid time-frame. Fortunately, this means that a large percentage of Parkinson?s Disease patients will require limited?elder care?services beyond basic in-home care or the assistance of a private caregiver to successfully live at home with the disease.
Elder Care and Parkinson?s Disease
As caregivers, there are a few things that can be done to assist patients suffering from Parkinson?s Disease. Physical therapy, especially during the early and middle stages of the degenerative process, may be extremely helpful in maintaining the patient?s range of motion and flexibility, thus prolonging the painful stiffening of the joints and other debilitating effects of the disease. Some patients also respond well to vitamin supplement and drug therapies to reduce or slow the progress of pain, inflammation and other symptoms of the disease process. In the later stages of the process, a patient may become more reliant upon the assistance of others to accomplish basic tasks, such as shaving, brushing of teeth or bathing. Unfortunately, due to degeneration of cognitive and sensory functions, the patient may not recognize the need for added assistance so it falls to the caregiver to decide when the extra help is appropriate.
While the physical effects of Parkinson?s Disease can be devastating, the non-motor function effects of the degeneration process are often the most troubling for patients, family members and the?elder care?team that is trying to provide needed support. As a neuro-degenerative process, Parkinson?s disease can cause patients to suffer from depression and anxiety. The disease can also cause normally fluent speakers to lose their train of thought or develop a twitch during conversations, which makes communication difficult. Caregivers can assist the patient by displaying patience and empathy in these situations, as well as redirecting the patient when lessened cognitive function is causing them to make dangerous decisions.
By providing for the patients physical and mental needs, caregivers can ensure that those suffering from Parkinson?s Disease can continue to live a full and well-adapted life at home or in assisted living.
Assisted Living At Home is an elder care company servicing Burlington County, Camden County and Gloucester County with a primary focus on care for Alzheimer?s/dementia care for individuals in their home. For more information about elder care, call us at (856) 432-2602.
OHSU researchers discover potential way to repair brain damage in multiple sclerosisPublic release date: 31-Oct-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Todd Murphy murphyt@ohsu.edu 503-494-8231 Oregon Health & Science University
Discovery could be 'life-changer' for millions with MS, stroke and other conditions that cause brain damage
PORTLAND, Ore. Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University have discovered that blocking a certain enzyme in the brain can help repair the brain damage associated with multiple sclerosis and a range of other neurological disorders.
The discovery could have major implications for multiple sclerosis, complications from premature birth and other disorders and diseases caused by demyelination a process where the insulation-like sheath surrounding nerve cells in the brain becomes damaged or destroyed. Demyelination disrupts the ability of nerve cells to communicate with each other, and produces a range of motor, sensory and cognitive problems in MS and other disorders.
The study was published this week in the online edition of the Annals of Neurology. The study was conducted by a team of researchers led by Larry Sherman, Ph.D., who is a professor of cell and development biology at OHSU and a senior scientist in the Division of Neuroscience at the Oregon National Primate Research Center.
"What this means is that we have identified a whole new target for drugs that might promote repair of the damaged brain in any disorder in which demyelination occurs," Sherman said. "Any kind of therapy that can promote remyelination could be an absolute life-changer for the millions of people suffering from MS and other related disorders."
Sherman's lab has been studying MS and other conditions where myelin is damaged for more than 14 years. In 2005, he and his research team discovered that a sugar molecule, called hyaluronic acid, accumulates in areas of damage in the brains of humans and animals with demyelinating brain and spinal cord lesions. Their findings at the time, published in Nature Medicine, suggested that hyaluronic acid itself prevented remyelination by preventing cells that form myelin from differentiating in areas of brain damage.
The new study shows that the hyaluronic acid itself does not prevent the differentiation of myelin-forming cells. Rather, breakdown products generated by a specific enzyme that chews up hyaluronic acid called a hyaluronidase contribute to the remyelination failure.
This enzyme is highly elevated in MS patient brain lesions and in the nervous systems of animals with an MS-like disease. The research team, which included OHSU pediatric neurologist Stephen Back, M.D., and OHSU neuroscientist Steve Matsumoto, Ph.D., found that by blocking hyaluronidase activity, they could promote myelin-forming cell differentiation and remyelination in the mice with the MS-like disease. Most significantly, the drug that blocked hyaluronidase activity led to improved nerve cell function.
The next step is to develop drugs that specifically target this enzyme. "The drugs we used in this study could not be used to treat patients because of the serious side effects they might cause," said Sherman. "If we can block the specific enzyme that is contributing to remyelination failure in the nervous system, it would likely cause few, if any, side effects."
Sherman and other researchers at the ONPRC are uniquely positioned to test newly developed drugs for their safety and effectiveness in nonhuman primates at ONPRC that spontaneously develop an MS-like disease. If they find a drug that is effective in these monkeys, they will be in a good position to test such drugs in patients.
Sherman cautioned that the discovery does not necessarily signal a cure for MS. Many other factors can contribute to the problems associated with MS and other demyelinating diseases, he said. But discovering the actions of this enzyme and finding a way to block it "could at the very least lead to new ways to promote the repair of brain and spinal cord damage either by targeting this enzyme alone or by inhibiting the enzyme in conjunction with other therapies."
###
The research was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, Fast Forward, LLC (a subsidiary of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society), the Laura Fund for Multiple Sclerosis Research, the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation and the American Heart Association.
About OHSU
Oregon Health & Science University is a nationally prominent research university and Oregon's only public academic health center. It serves patients throughout the region with a Level 1 trauma center and nationally recognized Doernbecher Children's Hospital. OHSU operates dental, medical, nursing and pharmacy schools that rank high both in research funding and in meeting the university's social mission. OHSU's Knight Cancer Institute helped pioneer personalized medicine through a discovery that identified how to shut down cells that enable cancer to grow without harming healthy ones. OHSU Brain Institute scientists are nationally recognized for discoveries that have led to a better understanding of Alzheimer's disease and new treatments for Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis and stroke. OHSU's Casey Eye Institute is a global leader in ophthalmic imaging, and in clinical trials related to eye disease.
About Fast Forward, LLC
Fast Forward, LLC, is a nonprofit organization established by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society in order to accelerate the development of treatments for MS. Fast Forward accomplishes its mission by connecting university-based MS research with private-sector drug development and by funding small biotechnology/pharmaceutical companies to develop innovative new MS therapies and repurpose FDA-approved drugs as new treatments for MS. More information can be found at www.fastforward.org.
About The National Multiple Sclerosis Society
The National MS Society addresses the challenges of each person affected by MS. To fulfill this mission, the Society funds cutting-edge research, drives change through advocacy, facilitates professional education, collaborates with MS organizations around the world, and provides programs and services designed to help people with MS and their families move forward with their lives. In 2011 alone, through its national office and 50-state network of chapters, the Society devoted $164 million to programs and services that assisted more than one million people. To move us closer to a world free of MS, the Society also invested $40 million to support more than 325 new and ongoing research projects around the world. The Society is dedicated to achieving a world free of MS. Join the movement at www.nationalMSsociety.org.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
OHSU researchers discover potential way to repair brain damage in multiple sclerosisPublic release date: 31-Oct-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Todd Murphy murphyt@ohsu.edu 503-494-8231 Oregon Health & Science University
Discovery could be 'life-changer' for millions with MS, stroke and other conditions that cause brain damage
PORTLAND, Ore. Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University have discovered that blocking a certain enzyme in the brain can help repair the brain damage associated with multiple sclerosis and a range of other neurological disorders.
The discovery could have major implications for multiple sclerosis, complications from premature birth and other disorders and diseases caused by demyelination a process where the insulation-like sheath surrounding nerve cells in the brain becomes damaged or destroyed. Demyelination disrupts the ability of nerve cells to communicate with each other, and produces a range of motor, sensory and cognitive problems in MS and other disorders.
The study was published this week in the online edition of the Annals of Neurology. The study was conducted by a team of researchers led by Larry Sherman, Ph.D., who is a professor of cell and development biology at OHSU and a senior scientist in the Division of Neuroscience at the Oregon National Primate Research Center.
"What this means is that we have identified a whole new target for drugs that might promote repair of the damaged brain in any disorder in which demyelination occurs," Sherman said. "Any kind of therapy that can promote remyelination could be an absolute life-changer for the millions of people suffering from MS and other related disorders."
Sherman's lab has been studying MS and other conditions where myelin is damaged for more than 14 years. In 2005, he and his research team discovered that a sugar molecule, called hyaluronic acid, accumulates in areas of damage in the brains of humans and animals with demyelinating brain and spinal cord lesions. Their findings at the time, published in Nature Medicine, suggested that hyaluronic acid itself prevented remyelination by preventing cells that form myelin from differentiating in areas of brain damage.
The new study shows that the hyaluronic acid itself does not prevent the differentiation of myelin-forming cells. Rather, breakdown products generated by a specific enzyme that chews up hyaluronic acid called a hyaluronidase contribute to the remyelination failure.
This enzyme is highly elevated in MS patient brain lesions and in the nervous systems of animals with an MS-like disease. The research team, which included OHSU pediatric neurologist Stephen Back, M.D., and OHSU neuroscientist Steve Matsumoto, Ph.D., found that by blocking hyaluronidase activity, they could promote myelin-forming cell differentiation and remyelination in the mice with the MS-like disease. Most significantly, the drug that blocked hyaluronidase activity led to improved nerve cell function.
The next step is to develop drugs that specifically target this enzyme. "The drugs we used in this study could not be used to treat patients because of the serious side effects they might cause," said Sherman. "If we can block the specific enzyme that is contributing to remyelination failure in the nervous system, it would likely cause few, if any, side effects."
Sherman and other researchers at the ONPRC are uniquely positioned to test newly developed drugs for their safety and effectiveness in nonhuman primates at ONPRC that spontaneously develop an MS-like disease. If they find a drug that is effective in these monkeys, they will be in a good position to test such drugs in patients.
Sherman cautioned that the discovery does not necessarily signal a cure for MS. Many other factors can contribute to the problems associated with MS and other demyelinating diseases, he said. But discovering the actions of this enzyme and finding a way to block it "could at the very least lead to new ways to promote the repair of brain and spinal cord damage either by targeting this enzyme alone or by inhibiting the enzyme in conjunction with other therapies."
###
The research was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, Fast Forward, LLC (a subsidiary of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society), the Laura Fund for Multiple Sclerosis Research, the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation and the American Heart Association.
About OHSU
Oregon Health & Science University is a nationally prominent research university and Oregon's only public academic health center. It serves patients throughout the region with a Level 1 trauma center and nationally recognized Doernbecher Children's Hospital. OHSU operates dental, medical, nursing and pharmacy schools that rank high both in research funding and in meeting the university's social mission. OHSU's Knight Cancer Institute helped pioneer personalized medicine through a discovery that identified how to shut down cells that enable cancer to grow without harming healthy ones. OHSU Brain Institute scientists are nationally recognized for discoveries that have led to a better understanding of Alzheimer's disease and new treatments for Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis and stroke. OHSU's Casey Eye Institute is a global leader in ophthalmic imaging, and in clinical trials related to eye disease.
About Fast Forward, LLC
Fast Forward, LLC, is a nonprofit organization established by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society in order to accelerate the development of treatments for MS. Fast Forward accomplishes its mission by connecting university-based MS research with private-sector drug development and by funding small biotechnology/pharmaceutical companies to develop innovative new MS therapies and repurpose FDA-approved drugs as new treatments for MS. More information can be found at www.fastforward.org.
About The National Multiple Sclerosis Society
The National MS Society addresses the challenges of each person affected by MS. To fulfill this mission, the Society funds cutting-edge research, drives change through advocacy, facilitates professional education, collaborates with MS organizations around the world, and provides programs and services designed to help people with MS and their families move forward with their lives. In 2011 alone, through its national office and 50-state network of chapters, the Society devoted $164 million to programs and services that assisted more than one million people. To move us closer to a world free of MS, the Society also invested $40 million to support more than 325 new and ongoing research projects around the world. The Society is dedicated to achieving a world free of MS. Join the movement at www.nationalMSsociety.org.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
GOLDEN, Colo. (Reuters) - A teenager who authorities said confessed to the abduction, killing and dismemberment of a 10-year-old Colorado girl was formally charged as an adult on Tuesday with first-degree murder, kidnapping and sexual assault on a child.
Austin Sigg, 17, appeared in Jefferson County District Court to hear the charges against him in the slaying of Jessica Ridgeway as prosecutors for the first time accused him of sexually assaulting the schoolgirl.
Sigg also was charged with attempted murder, attempted sexual assault and attempted kidnapping in connection with the botched abduction of a 22-year-old woman near the girl's home months before the Ridgeway killing.
The community college student, who turns 18 in January, was charged with 17 counts related to the two crimes. Even though he was charged as an adult, Sigg is not eligible for the death penalty because he was a minor at the time of the murder.
Shackled and clad in green prison garb, Sigg did not speak during the brief hearing as a prosecutor read the charges against him.
Ridgeway vanished on her way to school in the Denver suburb of Westminster on October 5, triggering a frantic six-day search for the missing fifth-grader.
Police ultimately identified dismembered remains found about 10 miles from the Ridgeway home as those of the missing girl, and Sigg was arrested on October 24 after his mother turned him into police.
The girl's kidnapping and slaying drew national media attention, and it terrified parents in Westminster and surrounding areas, leading them to walk or drive their children to and from school and to keep youngsters from playing outdoors unattended.
Relatives of Ridgeway, all wearing the girl's favorite color of purple, sat on one side of the courtroom. They were separated from the Sigg family by sheriff's deputies.
Sigg's parents, who are divorced, both wept quietly during the hearing.
Despite prosecution of the teenager as an adult, public defender Mitch Ahnstedt told Jefferson County District Court Judge Stephen Munsinger that he will ask that the case be sent back to juvenile court, a request allowed under Colorado law.
The judge gave Ahnstedt seven days to request a hearing on that issue.
Citing a gag order imposed by the judge, neither prosecutors nor defense lawyers would comment after Tuesday's proceeding.
At an earlier hearing, prosecutor Hal Sargent said Sigg had confessed to the girl's slaying and that there was "overwhelming" evidence linking him to the killing.
Sigg remained held without bond at a juvenile detention facility until the issue of whether he will be tried as an adult is settled.
(Editing by Mary Slosson, Steve Gorman and Cynthia Osterman)
KIEV, Ukraine (AP) ? The Ukrainian president's party will retain its strong grip on power, according to returns Monday from a parliamentary election that was criticized by Western observers as unfair and biased against the opposition.
The West was paying close attention to Sunday's vote in the strategic ex-Soviet state of 46 million people, which lies between Russia and the European Union and serves as a key transit nation for Russian energy supplies to many EU countries.
Observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe called the vote a setback to Ukraine's democratic and European aspirations. That assessment could lead to a further freeze in Kiev's ties with the West and push it closer to Russia.
Monitors said the election was marred by the absence of jailed former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and another opposition leader, the ruling party's use of government funding for the campaign and the skewed media coverage that favored the ruling party. While the voting process got positive ratings at most polling stations observed, the vote tallying lacked transparency, the group said.
"Considering the abuse of power and the excessive role of money in this election, democratic progress appears to have reversed in Ukraine," said Walburga Habsburg Douglas, the special coordinator who led the OSCE election observation mission. "We do not think that this election was fair because it was not level."
"Ukrainians deserved better from these elections," said Andreas Gross, the Head of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe delegation. "Unfortunately, the great democratic potential of Ukrainian society was not realized in yesterday's vote."
The U.S. State Department characterized Ukraine's elections as "a step backwards from progress made during previous parliamentary elections and the 2010 presidential election, elections that had marked important steps forward for Ukraine's democracy."
In a statement, the State Department expressed concern over "the use of government resources to favor ruling party candidates, interference with media access, and harassment of opposition candidates."
The State Department also was "troubled by allegations of fraud and falsification in the voting process and tabulation, by the disparity between preliminary results from the Central Election Commission and parallel vote tabulations, and by the Central Election Commission's decision not to release precinct results."
President Viktor Yanukovych's Russia-friendly Party of Regions was leading in the count with 34 percent of the vote. Tymoshenko's pro-Western party was second with 23 percent, trailed by the Communists, Yanukovych's traditional allies, with 15 percent. Another liberal party, Udar (Punch), led by world boxing champion Vitali Klitschko had 13 percent and the far-right Svoboda (Freedom) party had 9 percent.
Yanukovych's party benefited strongly from an electoral change last year that replaced the strictly proportional electoral system with a mixed one, in which half of parliament's seats are elected based on party lists and the other half in individual races.
Despite a combined strong showing of opposition parties, Yanukovych's party was poised to retain its parliamentary majority as its candidates were expected to take the lead in individual races, benefitting from greater access to government funds and the opposition's fielding of multiple candidates.
Tymoshenko's party alleged widespread violations such as vote-buying and multiple voting. Tymoshenko, who was sentenced last year to seven years in prison for abuse of office in a trial condemned by the West as politically motivated, launched a hunger strike to protest the vote violations.
The Party of Regions defended Sunday's election, saying it reflected the people's will.
"We received a great credit of trust from the voters who said that we are moving down the right path," said Yanukovych adviser Hanna Herman.
The opposition tapped into the anger over Tymoshenko's jailing, the country's rampant corruption and a stagnant economy to make a strong showing in the proportional section of the vote. It remains to be seen whether Tymoshenko's group, Klitschko's party and the radical Svoboda can form a strong alliance.
"The Party of Regions won by the number of points, but the opposition scored a moral victory," said Kiev-based political expert Volodymyr Fesenko. "The monopoly on power will be harder to maintain."
Experts say while Yanukovych's supporters seem poised to retain their parliament majority, they will fall short of winning the two-thirds of seats needed to change the constitution.
Political analyst Vadym Karasyov said the new parliament will be "turbulent" and the opposition will seek to block some of the undemocratic initiatives the president may launch.
"Yanukovych can get a simple majority, but it doesn't mean anything, because without a constitutional majority in parliament he cannot radically change anything," Karasyov said.
The showing of the far-right Svoboda party, which had been expected to barely pass the 5 percent vote threshold, emerged as a big surprise.
Svoboda, which campaigns for the preservation of the Ukrainian language and culture and strongly attacks Yanukovych, is also known for xenophobic and anti-Semitic rhetoric. Analysts said the party's popularity was due more to many Ukrainians' anger with the ruling party than vehemently nationalist views.
Skittles was left on Friends of Animals' doorstep early one morning last August. She was well-groomed, well-fed and all alone.
She adjusted well to the cattery routine and has made many new friends among the cats and volunteers. Maybe 3 or 4-years-old, petite Skittles wears her classic black-and-white tux well. She?s friendly, personable, and ready for that stable, loving home she so desires. If you?d like to visit Skittles, just call 310-479-5089 or email frndsofanimals@aol.com
Friends of Animals Foundation? is a humane organization dedicated to the loving rehabilitation and caring placement of abused, abandoned and homeless dogs and cats. Established in 1983 FOA has rescued and found loving and responsible families for thousands of neglected pets. FOA is a 501 ? 3 organization registered with the Board of Charitable Trusts in Sacramento.
?Considering the complexities of the Intellectual property law, it is very common that many people confuse the terms especially with regards to Copyright and Trademarks. More often than not, when our customers apply for a trademark, they themselves aren?t sure if it is a trademark or a copyright they want/need. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to help you understand the difference between Copyright and Trademarks and how they serve two different purposes.
Copyright ?A person who has a copyright over something is a person, as the word suggests, who has the right to create and/or sell copies of that thing. This could be a literary piece like a novel or essay, the lyrics of a song, the song?s tune, a movie reel etc.
Trademark As the name suggests again, is a mark with which represents the trade of a business. It is basically any sign or an indicator which is used by a business which makes it identifiable in the marketplace by customers. In markets where there is considerable competition, a trademark acts as a differentiator, making it easy for your customers to identify your products. Examples of popular trademarks are the Nike ?swoosh?, the Blackberry symbol etc.
Case Study 1 ? simple differentiation
Let?s take a case study here. Flipkart.com started business, and very quickly, their name and symbol becomes associated with affordable prices, wide range of products and timely delivery (in most cases!). Hence, it became important for flipkart to get exclusive rights to trade with that name and logo so that no one else enjoys or tarnishes the trust flipkart?s customers have by using a similar name or logo. Hence, Flipkart here must go in for a trademark registration.
Sometime later, flipkart.com hires an analyst and asks him to research what exactly it is about the website that makes customers want to buy products from there apart from prices and range. On conducting a survey, the analyst came out with the results that the blog on the website has gained a lot of followers who have found the content very entertaining and hence created some sort of brand loyalty there. So to make sure, that before someone else copies this content and uses this content on their own site to garner public interest, flipkart.com files for a copyright.
So, as illustrated here an organisation may need a trademark and a copyright depending on the nature of the intellectual property.
Case Study 2 ? dual applicability
Recently, KFC came out with a slogan ?it?s finger lickin? good?, which has gained some considerable popularity, and hence, without a doubt had been trademarked by KFC. However, KFC also recently came out with a jingle having the slogan as it?s lyrics. So they had the lyrics and the tune copyrighted.
So as illustrated here, a thing can be trademarked or copyrighted, completely depending on what what it has been put to use for.
As the internet continues to expand, its capacity to disseminate information and knowledge has also increased, making Intellectual Property rights extremely important in the online world. Information and knowledge are sources of value in today?s world. E-Commerce, more than any other business, often involves the sale of products and services based on Intellectual Property. IPRs are important to E-Commerce as the internet is the best way to distribute Intellectual Property. In such businesses, all the websites and its content are protected by Copyright Laws including all the images, texts, graphics, music, etc. However, the business names, logos, product names, domain names and all other signs posted on the website are protected by trademarks. An individual must ensure all such information is protected by Intellectual Property rights and also ensure they are not infringing anyone else?s Intellectual property.
About Vakil Search
VakilSearch is India?s leading online legal services provider for businesses and individuals. As the official partner of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and knowledge contributor to Sulekha.com, the Hindu Business Line, Entrepreneur Magazine and the All India Rubber Association, VakilSearch reaches out to thousands of businesses, entrepreneurs and individuals on a regular basis. So when you visit vakilsearch.com, you can be assured of quality legal guidance and comprehensive documentation for your business and personal needs, at affordable prices.
Koolertron 45?11cm Sound music Activated Car Stickers Equalizer Glow Red Light by Koolertron Buy new: $29.99 2 used & new from $22.99 (Visit the Hot New Releases in Car Audio list for authoritative information on this product?s current rank.)
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TIP! Take stock of your alcohol use to see if you are drinking too much. Do you harm your body through smoking, or in other ways? Your body should be treated with the respect it deserves.
The number of people looking to improve themselves is huge, if not limitless. Some people are looking for improvement in their personal lives, while others have their focus on the professional aspect of their life. This article will have you well on your way to self-betterment.
TIP! One of the most common obstacles to personal development is a failure to set reasonable and specific goals. You should make your goal very specific.
Read books that promote your sense of well-being. In certain cases, this could take the form of religious volumes, in others, it could be a collection of historical quotations. These materials are a good source of support during stressful situations.
TIP! Your physical limitations should be your guide when working toward achieving a goal. You should know your limit and stop when it is reached.
Look to your internal beauty, rather than your external appearance. It makes no difference if you have fancy clothing or resemble a movie star. Your natural personality is what always shows through in the end. Focus on improving your character instead of your external appearance.
TIP! Stress can greatly interfere with your mood. When we are stressed out, it harms us mentally and physically.
Having trouble meeting a significant other in your life? Have a look on the Internet. Approximately 40% of all couples these days met online. Your special someone could be looking for you right now. Both things have good things and bad things.
TIP! If you see yourself failing to reach goals, then you need to analyze the situation to figure out what the problem is. Take a little time to research what others have done when their goals were similar.
Exercise is for all people, not just someone looking to lose weight. There are many reason you should do physical exercise. For one thing, exercise stimulates your brain to produce chemicals that improve your mood.
TIP! Your personal goals should be concrete and specific. The more specific your goals, the easier it will be to chart a course from where you are now to where you want to be in the future.
Being dramatic or overreacting will only cause more stress. It?s best to train yourself to cope with your daily stress, and it begins with analyzing every situation where you tend to feel strained. Even if it?s a mistake, you can always live through it or fix it. When you start feeling anxious about a situation, focus on the positive things, not the negative ones.
TIP! A great self help tip to deal with anxiety is to accompany a friend to the movies. This gives you the opportunity to engage in a social activity that does not have a lot of risk.
Let your personal principles guide your self improvement. Everyone has a set of beliefs that is integral to their identity. You will be able to feel proud of yourself if you do not make compromises and follow your values. Better yet, this practice encourages consistency, which is an excellent character trait to maintain.
TIP! Seek out those with similar positive attitudes. This will help you to maintain a positive focus in your own life.
Try to make the most of your time at work and get more done. One trick to doing this, is to take more breaks. Although it sounds counterproductive, taking breaks when working actually allows to to get more accomplished, because you aren?t getting burnt out. The breaks allow you a chance refresh yourself and work harder.
TIP! Take some risks to be truly happy! Being a little too risk-averse carries its own dangers, because someone who avoids failure or rejection at all costs can wind up feeling safe, but unsatisfied. When you take a risk, you are showing yourself that you have courage, which is important to finding happiness.
Simplify your life by getting organized. When you are organized, you will improve your confidence and feel accomplished in many different areas of your life. You will also help relieve stress that is caused by disorganization. Having everything in its rightful place will give you a sense of calm and ease.
TIP! Eliminate any unnecessary stress in your life. You only create more stress than before when you over-react to negative events, and that is pointless.
Sexual capital is a new trait that?s extremely important to develop. This involves using your wit and charm to help you get the things that you need. Not just anyone can have great social skills, but by having them, you can go further in your life.
TIP! Pick up a book to find out more about personal development. These types of reading materials can often provide new insights and give you methods to alter your behavior in lifelong positive ways.
Everyone makes unhealthy food choices every now and then. The stress that you can cause yourself by worrying about going off diet and consuming extra calories can be as unhealthy for you as actually eating a chocolate candy bar. Keep your positive outlook even when things don?t go exactly as planned.
TIP! Identify the biggest obstacle that is preventing you from succeeding. This is a difficult task for many people.
Always look for new challenges. This can create new possibilities in your life. You will see, do and explore more things than you ever thought possible. Maybe you can set a new standard by doing some type of groundbreaking work. Look for your own thing to do, instead of accomplishing things people have already done.
TIP! Exercising, and taking care of your physical self are important aspects of the personal development process. A good diet, a lot of sleep and activity will give you more energy and help you get a healthier and better-looking body.
While many people can identify possible areas for improvement in their lives, few know exactly how to make those changes. This article has tips and advice that can be the impetus to your personal development plan, but you are the one who has to do the actual work. Keep this article handy for those times when you need a motivational nudge.
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It's official; the good people at Webroot have achieved a new record with their latest security suite. Webroot SecureAnywhere Internet Security Plus 2013 ($59.99 direct for three licenses) has a longer name than any other current product in its class. I had to crank down the font size just to fit it in my charts. However, it's not hugely different from the company's entry-level antivirus, adding password management and an option to use each of your three licenses on either a PC or an Android device, but not much else of note.
At its core, this product offers the same excellent antivirus protection found in Webroot SecureAnywhere Antivirus 2013, which scored higher than any other product in my malware blocking test and tied with Norton Internet Security (2013) for top score in my malware removal test. I'll summarize my testing results here; for full details please read my review of the antivirus.
Small and Simple Webroot's installer takes less than a megabyte on disk, and a full installation occupies vastly less disk space than most suites. During installation it automatically self-configures to offer the best security for your particular computer system. The first time you try making your own configuration changes, the product reminds you that its configuration has already been optimized. You don't have to change anything, though you're free to make changes if you wish.
Webroot runs a full scan during the install process. If it finds any threats, it will scan again and again until the system comes up clean. That's not as lengthy a process as it sounds, because each scan takes around five minutes. With minor help from tech support I installed the product on twelve malware-infested virtual machines and completed my testing in a single day. Other products have required days of back-and-forth with tech support or hours of remote-control repair just to complete the installation. Webroot's speed was definitely refreshing.
Best Malware Blocking In testing, Webroot detected every single one of my current set of malware samples and scored 9.9 of a possible 10 points for malware blocking. BullGuard Antivirus 2013, Trend Micro Titanium Internet Security 2013 , SecureIT Plus, and Daily Safety Check Home Edition all detected 97 percent of the samples. SecureIT scored next best after Webroot with 9.7 points.
The article How We Test Malware Blocking explains how I carry out and score this test.
Thorough Malware Cleanup Webroot's full scan finishes quickly, but as noted it will re-scan after any scan that found a virus or other malicious program. On one test system it scanned five times before it was satisfied. For this test, Webroot shares the top score (6.6 points) with Norton.
The runners-up, with 6.5 points, are Kaspersky Internet Security (2013) , AVG Internet Security 2013 , and Daily Safety Check. For a full run-down on my hands-on malware cleanup test, see How We Test Malware Removal.
The combination of a winter-time jet stream, warm tropical air and a full moon is turning Sandy into a huge and complicated storm that has the potential to devastate the Northeast and parts of the Mid-Atlantic. TODAY's Matt Lauer reports.
By Alan Boyle
Hurricane Sandy is posing a monster challenge for weather forecasters and emergency agencies, due to an amazing combination of meteorological factors, but what's just as amazing is how well they've been able to predict what seemed to be an unpredictable disaster.
"It looks like we've been fairly consistent on this, even five days out," Chris Landsee, science operations officer at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, told me today. "I think when all is said and done, on the track forecast, we're going to be quite accurate."
Sandy's path, which took a left turn from the Atlantic to slam head-on into the heavily populated Northeast, is just one of the unusual aspects of this storm. "The size of this system, the late-season nature, and the track?? all these are fairly unique characteristics," Landsee said. To look for precedents, you have to go back to infamous hurricanes such as Agnes in 1972, Hazel in 1954, even the great storms of 1944, 1938, 1815 and?1804. But today, the region is so much more populous and developed that the impact is certain to be far greater.
Here are five factors that have turned Sandy into a superstorm:
Northerly track: Atlantic tropical storms most commonly tear through the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico, and lose energy as they pass over the U.S mainland. This storm, however, crept along the Eastern Seaboard, where waters that were warmer than usual for this time of year kept the storm alive. As the storm moved northward, it morphed into a hybrid storm, drawing additional strength from the differential between the storm's warm air and cold northern air from the jet stream.
"There's a transformation that this system is undergoing," Landsee explained. "This is actually evolving into a winter storm, and later, a nor'easter." One result of this evolution is that the storm system has widened to more than 800 miles in diameter, stretching from the Carolinas to Maine and Canada.
NASA / NOAA
NOAA's GOES-13 weather satellite shows the storm system associated with Hurricane Sandy covering the northeastern United States even before landfall on Monday.
The left turn:?Hurricanes that get so far north could drift off into the cold Atlantic to die?? but they can also be pushed into the mainland, as Hurricane Irene was last year. Irene followed a path that was roughly parallel to the coastline, but Sandy took a hard left turn that put it on a course for a direct, perpendicular strike on the coast. That's because a cold front on the mainland is drawing the storm westward, while the current state of a weather pattern known as the North Atlantic Oscillation is blocking the storm from heading eastward.?
Storm surge: Sandy's top sustained winds of 85 miles per hour typically wouldn't rate as a superstorm, but its effects will be magnified, Landsee said. "Even though it's not a 'major' hurricane by any means ... there is substantial threat because of the storm surge and because of the rainfall. There's going to be flooding. Both of those factors are going to be killers," he said. The storm surge is projected to range from 6 to 11 feet. One of the big reasons for such a high surge is that the waters off the coast of New York and New Jersey are so shallow: As the surge from the deeper ocean nears the coastline, all that water piles up to create a higher wave.
Full moon:?Another reason for the huge storm surge is the fact that the moon is hitting its full phase just as Sandy is making landfall. The celestial lineup of the sun, moon and Earth contributes to higher-than-normal high tides.?
Winter storm: Sandy is such a late-season storm that it's running into winter weather in the northeastern United States, which is adding an extra dimension to the misery. "I have not been around long enough to see a hurricane forecast with a snow advisory in it," Craig Fugate, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, told NBC's TODAY. The storm could trigger up to 3 feet of snow in the Appalachians, the National Weather Service reported. The Weather Channel's Tom Niziol said that "an amazing combination of factors" have come together to make Sandy a threat due to the snow as well as the rain.
Landsee and other forecasters may marvel at the factors behind what some have called a "perfect storm" or "Frankenstorm," and there'll surely be lots of lessons learned for future weather modeling. But that's not what's uppermost on their mind right now. "What's really important are the impacts," Landsee said.
To keep on top of the storm, and to keep safe, keep an eye on NBC News' hurricane coverage:
Alan Boyle is NBCNews.com's science editor. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's?Facebook page, following?@b0yle on Twitter?and adding the?Cosmic Log page?to your Google+ presence. To keep up with Cosmic Log as well as NBCNews.com's other stories about science and space, sign up for the Tech & Science newsletter, delivered to your email in-box every weekday. You can also check out?"The Case for Pluto,"?my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for new worlds.
KIEV (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich shrugged off international criticism on Tuesday of an election which showed his party on a winning course, while opposition nationalists alleged vote-rigging and threatened possible street protests.
With the count from Sunday's vote nearing its end, Yanukovich's Party of the Regions and its communist allies were set to retain a comfortable majority in the 450-seat parliament to cement his grip before he seeks a second term in 2015.
The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which sent 600 observers, called the election a "step backward" for Ukraine's democracy. It said state resources were misused to support the ruling party and media were biased, and noted that Yanukovich's main rival, ex-prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko, is in jail. It did not however criticize the voting itself.
"The observers gave a positive assessment to the process of voting," Yanukovich said in a statement that ignored the OSCE's critical comments about the election campaign.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton backed the OSCE criticism and called on Yanukovich to free Tymoshenko.
"We share the view of OSCE monitors that Sunday election constituted a step backward for Ukrainian democracy," Clinton said, adding that "politically motivated convictions" of opposition leaders like Tymoshenko had kept them from standing.
Tymoshenko has announced a hunger strike in protest against what she called electoral fraud. Her party has yet to make a statement on results that show it placing second and losing about a third of its parliamentary representation.
The election will bring two other opposition parties into parliament for the first time, making the fractious body even rowdier - a liberal bloc led by world heavyweight boxing champion Vitaly Klitschko, and a far right group. Each looked set to secure about 35-40 seats, enough to make them viable fixtures on Ukraine's political scene.
The communists invoked Ukraine's pre-World War Two past to condemn the arrival of the far-right Svoboda (Freedom) party, whose showing was surprisingly strong.
Since coming to power in February 2010, Yanukovich, whose power base lies in the Russian-speaking areas of the east and south, has pressed ahead with policies which opponents say favor the big business industrialists who back him.
The former Soviet republic of 46 million has become increasingly isolated because of the jailing of Tymoshenko, with the European Union refusing to settle a major free trade pact.
COST OF PROMISES
Corruption is a big concern in Ukraine and many ordinary Ukrainians suffer economic hardship. Voters were frustrated with the performance of the established political parties.
Even in areas that traditionally support the Party of the Regions, some voters said they were disillusioned by government policies on tax and pensions. But public sector wage increases, welfare handouts and promises to boost the status of the Russian language appeared to have won over many waverers.
Those election-driven economic policies have had a cost. The state budget deficit reached almost $1 billion in September and the hryvnia slipped to an eight-week low on Tuesday as people expect depreciation after the vote.
Half of seats are allocated to candidates who win the most votes in individual constituencies, and half to parties by proportional representation. With 87 percent of votes counted, figures from the Central Electoral Commission showed the Regions had won 117 constituency seats and 75 from party lists.
Though this was short of the outright 226-seat majority, the Regions should easily make up the shortfall by cutting deals with their traditional communist allies, who placed third in the party list tally, and independents.
Tymoshenko, 51, is serving a seven-year jail sentence for abuse of office over a gas deal she brokered with Russia in 2009 when she was prime minister. She is an old enemy of Yanukovich's going back to 2004 when she led the "Orange Revolution" protests which doomed his first bid for the presidency.
The leadership of her Batkivshchyna (Fatherland) bloc has yet to make a declaration on the election. The count showed it with an estimated 103 seats, down from 156 at the last election.
The Ukrainian nationalist Svoboda party, which is allied to other far-right groups in Europe, said votes had been stolen from its candidates and its leader threatened street action alongside Batkivshchyna and other opposition groups.
"We have evidence of large-scale theft of votes from Svoboda," leader Oleh Tyahnybok told journalists, saying that 3 percent of Svoboda's vote in the party lists and 4 seats in the single-mandate constituencies had been "stolen" from it.
"We have agreed with our partners Batkivshchyna that if there is any call for people to turn out on the streets in mass demonstrations then we will do this only together," he said.
Communist leader Petro Symonenko called Svoboda's arrival in parliament "a tragedy for Ukraine", harking to European fascism: "I refer you to the history of the 1920s and 1930s."
West Health Institute licenses Kinect-based physical therapy technology to Reflexion Health; West Health Investment Fund makes $4.25 million investment
Startup becomes second company to transfer technology from West Health Institute and move to West Health IncubatorSAN DIEGO, Oct. 30, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ ??The West Health Investment Fund has made a $4.25 million investment in Reflexion Health, Inc., a newly formed startup company that has licensed Microsoft Kinect for Windows-based physical therapy software developed at the West Health Institute.? Reflexion Health is the second startup company to emerge from the West Health ecosystem, which is solely focused on lowering the cost of health care.(Logo ? http://photos.prnewswire. ?
Tags: Banking, Finance
This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 30th, 2012 at 4:00 am and is filed under Politics, 2012 Presidential Election, Banking, Politics, GOP, Politics, Politics, Presidential Election. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
West Health Institute licenses Kinect-based physical therapy technology to Reflexion Health; West Health Investment Fund makes $4.25 million investment
Startup becomes second company to transfer technology from West Health Institute and move to West Health IncubatorSAN DIEGO, Oct. 30, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ ??The West Health Investment Fund has made a $4.25 million investment in Reflexion Health, Inc., a newly formed startup company that has licensed Microsoft Kinect for Windows-based physical therapy software developed at the West Health Institute.? Reflexion Health is the second startup company to emerge from the West Health ecosystem, which is solely focused on lowering the cost of health care.(Logo ? http://photos.prnewswire. ?
Tags: Banking, Finance
This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 30th, 2012 at 4:00 am and is filed under Politics, 2012 Presidential Election, Banking, Politics, GOP, Politics, Politics, Presidential Election. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
A healthcare IT startup is developing physical rehabilitation software that could be prescribed by doctors or physical therapists.
Reflexion Health has raised $4.25 million from the West Health Investment Fund for its Rehabilitation Tracker program, according to a company statement. It is an affiliate of the West Health Institute founded by telemarketing billionaires Gary and Mary West.
The program uses Microsoft Kinect motion software licensed from the West Health Institute. The Rehabilitation Tracker provides exercises, instructional videos and patient education material that can be set to the needs of each patient. The software allows a physician and physical therapist to track the performance and adherence of their patient.
The concept of prescribing software programs isn?t a new one. New York-based Happtique has been recruiting for a prescription apps pilot program that includes physical therapy as well as areas such as rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes and personal training.
It?s the second of two companies in the La Jolla, California-based West Health Incubator, also affiliated with the West Health Institute. The first was Sense4Baby, a company developing wireless, remote fetal monitoring systems to help obstetricians monitor the health of a mother and baby remotely when a physician isn?t available.
In an interview with Xconomy, Reflexion CEO and co-founder Spencer Hutchins said it will use the funding to advance development of its interactive software. Hutchins said the company wants to explore a marketing approach that would entail enrolling physicians and physical therapists as resellers who would prescribe the program.
Patient adherence is a hot area for providers who are under pressure to reduce readmissions that stem from issues like not following physician instructions or taking medication.
Copyright 2012 MedCity News. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Have you always wanted to earn money on the stockmarket and never actually discover the bravery to do so? It also has a tendency to plunge into apparently complicated behaviours at certain times. It also takes real courage, smarts, and the will to take a position in the best securities dealing system to make your investments pay-off. One must have the knowledge wanted to purchase and sell stocks for a reasonable profit. If he had an opportunity to try something to switch his life for the better, it needed to be now. Her spotted the CNN reports on TV . He overheard conversation at a purchasers house. A promoting telephone call from an investment company was the final signal that made him notice that his response to a higher quality life was hooked up to his obsession with the stock exchange.
That evening he subscribed to a course to learn as much as he could about the exchange. Look for a full refund guarantee because this is both an indication of good faith from the publisher and proof that they are pushing a credible programme, but also at the exact same time you can test the programme first hand before totally committing to it.
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There are several online techniques that can be employed to boost your information and experience about the stock exchange. There are online coaching courses, reading material, and even programs which may let you practice your investment talents. When you select a web agent, ensure they have these decisions open to you. They're going to help you achieve your investment goals together with increasing your confidence. The seriousness of education can't be very stressed, particularly for noob securities trading.
NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stock and options markets will be closed on Monday, and possibly Tuesday, as regulators, exchanges and brokers worry about the integrity of markets and the safety of employees in the face of Hurricane Sandy.
Market participants and regulators decided late on Sunday to shut the market, reversing a plan to keep electronic trading going on Monday. Bond markets will remain open, but will close at noon, a trade group said.
The decision to close stock and options markets came after regulators, exchanges, and dealers discussed the unknowns that would have been tested if the markets opened on Monday, three sources familiar with the situation said.
For example, NYSE Euronext's New York Stock Exchange had initially planned to shut its physical trading floor, which would have meant operating as an all-electronic exchange for the first time.
The decision to shut down the stock markets came after Wall Street had prepared to open for business on Monday with limited staffing after a mass transit shut-down in New York, booking hotel rooms for key employees and leaning on offices in other cities.
Wall Street banks, including Goldman Sachs Group Inc and Citigroup Inc, activated their emergency plans, which many firms put in place after the September 11, 2001, attacks. It was not immediately clear if those plans had also changed.
Some bank offices in lower Manhattan's Financial District are in evacuation zones and most non-critical staff and employees who don't rely on high-speed systems, including some investment bankers, were asked to work from home.
"SUPER STORM"
The storm is expected to slam into the U.S. East Coast on Monday night, bringing torrential rain, high wind, severe flooding and power outages. The rare "super storm" - created by an Arctic jet stream wrapping itself around a tropical storm - could be the biggest to hit the U.S. mainland, forecasters said.
The scramble started early as the threat of the storm forced the New York mass transit system to shut down on Sunday evening, leaving tens of thousands of employees stuck at home.
About 8.5 million commuters use the Metropolitan Transit Authority's transit lines daily, meaning most Wall Street employees would be unable to get to work. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg also closed public schools and ordered an evacuation of 375,000 people in coastal areas, including downtown offices of banks such as Citigroup.
The major exchanges and most big trading firms have alternate trading facilities if downtown Manhattan is inaccessible, but the storm's wide path may affect a number of sites in the New York metropolitan area. Authorities have warned of possible widespread power outages that could last for days.
Wall Street was spared the worst of Hurricane Irene in August last year. Officials had feared Hurricane Irene would flood lower Manhattan and cripple business in the world's financial capital, but the flooding was minor and there were no major disruptions at the exchanges.
All of the U.S. exchanges, as well as major broker-dealers, and regulators were involved in the decision to close the markets, according to several executives at exchanges and financial firms.
The U.S. markets have seen three high-profile snafus this year, beginning with the failed IPO of BATS Global Markets, the No. 3 U.S. equities exchange, on its own exchange; Facebook Inc's botched markets debut on Nasdaq's exchange; and a software glitch that cost trading firm Knight Capital well over $400 million, nearly forcing it into bankruptcy.
BOND MARKETS
The Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association said earlier on Sunday it is recommending an early close of noon EDT on Monday for the trading of U.S. dollar-denominated, fixed-income securities. It said its member firms should decide for themselves whether their fixed-income departments remain open for trading.
The foreign exchange market's activity generally follows the fixed income markets.
The New York Federal Reserve has calls scheduled for early Monday morning with dealers to see what each dealer is doing to cope with the storm, and will modify its market activities accordingly.
In Washington, the Commerce Department said it would post its report on personal income and spending for September on its website at 8:30 a.m. as scheduled, even though the federal government was closed.
The Federal Reserve said it would postpone its regularly scheduled releases, including its weekly report on selected interest rates and daily commercial paper data. The Fed said it would release the data when federal offices in the Washington area reopened.
CME Group Inc said it will be closing its U.S. equity index futures and equity index options on futures markets on the trading floor and on CME Globex at 8:15 a.m., Central Time, on Monday. All other CME Group futures and options on futures markets will remain open.
IntercontinentalExchange Inc said trading in the ICE Futures Russell equity index futures and options will close early, at 9:15 a.m. Eastern Time on Monday. It said ICE Clear Credit will close at noon Eastern Time on Monday, with the U.S. fixed income markets. It said all other ICE markets and clearing houses will remain open and follow regular market hours.
WORK FROM HOME
Goldman, whose office in lower Manhattan is in one of the areas to be evacuated, told employees earlier on Sunday that it would open for business, with some staff working from offices in Greenwich, Connecticut, and in Princeton, New Jersey. It also plans to use teams in London and other locations around the world for support.
Citigroup, which has three buildings in the evacuation zone, said "non-critical personnel should invoke their work-from-home strategies."
JPMorgan Chase & Co said its buildings were still open Monday and the bank was planning to be fully operational, using resources in the United States, Europe and Asia.
For many investment bankers and private equity executives, working from home will make the most sense. Blackstone Group planned to close its office on Monday.
Hurricane Sandy also led to some events being canceled or postponed. Citigroup Prime Brokerage postponed a hedge fund event that had been scheduled for Tuesday.
(Reporting by John McCrank, David Gaffen, Caroline Humer, David Henry, Charles Mikolajczak, Richard Leong, Edward Krudy, Lauren LaCapra, Dan Wilchins and Rick Rothacker; Editing by Paritosh Bansal, Jennifer Merritt, Tiffany Wu, Maureen Bavdek, Dale Hudson, Gary Crosse and Robert Birsel)
On APW, we spend a lot of time talking about women's cultural conditioning for relationships. Which makes today's post from Bec particularly interesting. She's an educator of teenage boys, and she sees first hand the way we fail to teach and model what healthy relationships are and can be for men. But perhaps more powerfully, she makes the point that we, as a culture, undervalue teenage relationships. We write them off as meaningless because hey, they're not 'adult.' Which is flat out bullshit, when you think about it. Like Bec, I married someone I fell in love with in High School, so I find the idea of valuing all relationships, for people of all ages, particularly important. If we were all taught to value all our relationships, romantic and otherwise, from a young age, how would that shape our lives?
?Maddie for Maternity Leave
A couple of months ago, I married the man I have been with for the last nine years. It is also coincidentally eight and a half years since I graduated from high school.
There's much to be said about marrying the first person you meet and start dating and the conflicting messages that go along with it (Great! Good! Fantastic! You're not a slut! But what's wrong with him? Did he get a chance to sow his wild oats? Sigh.), but what?I want to write about is my job and how it changed my view on marriage?and how my impending marriage changed how I approach my job. I teach at an all-boys school where I am in a distinct minority; there are roughly thirty female teachers out of staff of more than one hundred. Compounded with a thousand plus students, it has been an interesting experience for a reasonably vocal feminist and educator.
Boys and young men have an incredible capacity for compassion and consideration. In the lead-up to getting married I was overwhelmed by offers of help and support from a demographic best known for epic Diablo 3 sessions: sneaky (and illegal, per school policy) cans of Diet Coke whenever I looked frazzled; taking my co-curricular teams for training whenever I had a mishap to iron out; or offering to sing or film at my ceremony were genuine and heart-felt offers of love from young people and they have made my job feel ever that more worthwhile.
From mentoring and working with young people I've observed a real shortcoming in pastoral care with how we teach and model marriage and relationships?particularly when it comes to boys. The ones I work most closely with are the same age I was when I started my own relationship, and in them I can see the same anxieties, fears, and hopes I had.
I don't shy away from who I am and what I believe, both in my employment and in my relationship. If young people ask me a professionally appropriate and respectful question about human relationships, they deserve a sincere response. In the process of teaching them, I've learned plenty about the gaps in their education, and in a way, my own; there were no adults willing or able to tell me, in my final year of school, that sometimes a day spent stuffing around with your boyfriend is actually more beneficial to your mental health and happiness than a day studying, or that the flaky friends who enable your bad habits and who ditch you when you find love are actually not worth crying over. Or, especially, that you don't have to listen to adults who are in crappy, dysfunctional relationships who try to tell you that you are just infatuated, and that it's lust, and not love, driving your bond.
These gaps aren't only for teachers to fill; they're for parents, and friends, and extended family too. They're?for people who coach, mentor, and nurture the young because they think that it's a valuable investment in our shared futures:
They want you to support and validate the very concept of building relationships. Young people are going through what is likely the most trying experience of their lives. They are expected to know exactly what it is they want to do for a career and to focus on achieving this to the exclusion of all other things (apart from co-curricular pursuits or familial obligations). There's a good chance they are going to hear the word 'socialising' being used in a disparaging manner by both parents and teachers alike.
There's a lot of dialogue about suicide amongst young men and how our boys are neglected emotionally, but I become increasingly irate when the same voices complaining about this are the ones telling kids they need to stop wasting time talking to people online, or going out with their friends, so they can study. Building and sustaining quality relationships on any level?romantic or otherwise?is vital for quality of life and for preserving good mental health and connectedness. (And I won't even go into the shitbag of sexist connotations associated with the word 'socialise'; men 'bond' or 'network' and it is VITALLY IMPORTANT, but not too often, whereas women 'socialise' and fritter away their time. Don't even get me started on it.) Extending on this...
They want you to support and validate their own relationships?the ones that start when they are young and still in school.?Perhaps I wouldn't hold this position if my own life experience didn't give testament to the potential for high school relationships to blossom into worthwhile, life-long partnerships. There are plenty of young people who happen to find the person they care for and connect with while young, who don't get or stay together just because of status or sex. For them, rituals, shared experiences, and compassion drive and motivate them to build the partnerships they're in. They want to recognise special dates and create meaningful traditions as a couple. They want their relationships to be recognised with the same validity as adult relationships. Many of them go through the same hardships as adults, helping their boyfriend or girlfriend deal with grief, loss, stress, mental and physical health concerns, disadvantage and poverty, or it may be that they're dealing with these things themselves.
The young people in your life are going to hear plenty of disparaging comments about the instability, lustfulness, or superficiality of their love; I know I did. They don't need it to come from you.
They want you to support and validate the concept of romantic relationships, and to be vocal in affirming your own. You may be the only adult in that young person's life who can provide any sort of role modelling. There are plenty of kids growing up without a decent male figure in their life?and probably the same number without a decent female figure. They don't want you to make crappy nineties sitcom jokes about women loving shopping or husbands forgetting anniversaries. They want to hear from you that loving another person is worth the time and effort, and they want to learn strategies to nourish and strengthen a relationship. On a recent school camp I went on, I overheard some older male colleagues joke about how their wives wanted to 'waste all their money'. I'm not particularly good at keeping my comments internal, so I blurted out, ?How could you talk about your spouse like that?? They responded that they were just joking, and the phrase you'll understand when you've been married as long as we have may have come into play. These are good guys who do love their wives, but do they not get that the seventeen-year-old boys around us hear and absorb those messages about women and normalise them? I was honest, and said that I would be heartbroken if I ever learned that my fianc? had made the same comments about me, and likewise for him.
Young folk, and particularly young men, deserve a great deal more than the platter of turds served up to them by the patriarchy, and they deserve a better world view than the one on offer from Dane Cook and Tucker Max. They deserve to hear that relationships and marriages can be far rosier than the bleak pictures painted by angry men's rights activists and jaded cynics.
And if you value quality human relationships, they want to hear what you have to say. I know I did.
Early Signs and Symptoms
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Public release date: 31-Oct-2012
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could be a literary piece like a novel or essay, the lyrics of a song, the song?s tune, a movie reel etc.
A healthcare IT startup is developing physical rehabilitation software that could be prescribed by doctors or physical therapists.