text:
This material must not be used for commercial purposes, or in any hospital or medical facility. Failure to comply may result in legal action.
Lay Person Cpr On Children
Lay person cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an emergency procedure for a child who is at least 1 year old. A lay person is someone who is not a trained healthcare worker. A child may need CPR because his heart stopped or he stopped breathing. This may be due to an accident, injury, or medical condition. CPR combines chest compressions with rescue breathing. A chest compression is when you put pressure on and off the child's chest. Rescue breathing means giving breaths to the child through his mouth, nose, or both.
If you find a child who is not breathing:
- Call 911 immediately, or send someone to call for help. Call 911 before you start CPR. The faster help arrives, the greater the chance the child will live. Stay on the telephone with the 911 operator until he tells you to hang up.
- Make sure the area is safe to enter, and approach the child. Move him only if the area is dangerous, such as in a fire. Tap the child's shoulder. Ask loudly, "Are you okay?"
- Kneel beside him. Look to see if his head, neck, or back may be hurt. Carefully turn him onto his back while you support his head and neck. Keep the child's body straight as you turn him onto his back.
- Begin CPR if the child is not breathing or is only gasping. Continue CPR until he responds, help arrives, or an automated external defibrillator (AED) becomes available. An AED is a device that gives a person's heart a shock if it is needed. AEDs are often kept in public areas and are usually mounted to a wall.
How to give CPR to a child:
- Learn the steps used to give CPR to children by remembering C-A-B : C hest compressions, A irway, and B reathing. Do 30 compressions immediately. Then open the child's airway. Hold the airway open and give 2 rescue breaths. Repeat a pattern of 30 chest compressions and 2 rescue breaths until the child responds, help arrives, or an AED becomes available.
- If you are not able to give rescue breaths, you can do chest compressions without giving rescue breaths. Chest compressions alone make it more likely that the child will live than if you do nothing at all. Do chest compressions until the child responds, help arrives, or an AED becomes available.
To do chest compressions:
Chest compressions press the heart between the spine and sternum (breastbone). This forces blood out of the heart and to the child's brain and body.
- Use one of the following methods, based on the child's size. Give chest compressions with one hand if the child is small. Use both hands if the child is larger than you. For both positions, point your fingers up, and keep them off the child's chest. Compressions are done over the sternum. This is where the child's ribs meet in the middle of his chest, between the nipples. Do not lay your fingers on the chest, because you may do compressions in the wrong place. Incorrect hand positioning can break the ribs during compressions.
- One hand: Put the heel of your hand on the lower half of the child's sternum. Keep your other hand on the child's forehead. Get up on your knees and position your body right over the child. With the heel of your hand, press straight down on the child's chest 2 inches (5 centimeters). This should be at least ⅓ the depth of the child's chest. Keep your arm straight when you do chest compressions. Look down at your hand.
- Both hands: Put one of your hands on top of the other. Put the heel of your bottom hand on the lower half of the child's sternum. Press both hands straight down on the child's chest 2 inches (5 centimeters). This should be at least ⅓ the depth of the child's chest. Keep your arms straight when you do chest compressions. Look down at your hands.
- One hand: Put the heel of your hand on the lower half of the child's sternum. Keep your other hand on the child's forehead. Get up on your knees and position your body right over the child. With the heel of your hand, press straight down on the child's chest 2 inches (5 centimeters). This should be at least ⅓ the depth of the child's chest. Keep your arm straight when you do chest compressions. Look down at your hand.
- Do not push your hands forward when you press down. Go only up and down. The compressions should be constant and equal. This means that it should take the same amount of time to press down as it does to go back up. Allow the chest to relax completely between compressions. This allows blood to come back into the heart before you compress again. Leave your hands on the child's chest in the correct hand position between compressions.
- Do 30 chest compressions at a rate of at least 100 to 120 every minute (2 per second). Push hard and push fast. Hard, fast compressions are more likely to keep the child's brain and heart alive. Count the compressions out loud to help you do them at a steady, even speed.
To open the child's airway:
- Put 1 hand on the child's forehead and press firmly backward to tilt his head back. Do not place your hand on the back of his neck to tilt his head.
- Lift the child's chin with your other hand. Hold his mouth open. Do not press deeply into the soft tissue under his chin, because this can close his airway.
- Look into the child's mouth for something that may be blocking his airway at the back of his throat. Examples are food and small toys. If you see something that looks easy to get, carefully scoop it out with your finger.
To give rescue breaths:
- Take a deep breath and put your lips around the child's mouth, nose, or both, making an airtight seal. If your mouth only covers the child's mouth, gently pinch the child's nose closed. This stops air from escaping through the nose.
- Give 2 breaths (1 second for each breath) into the child's mouth. Do not give large breaths. Do not breathe hard or fast. Take a normal breath for yourself after each breath that you give.
- The child's chest will rise each time you give a rescue breath if his airway is open. You may need to change his head position to reopen his airway. If you still cannot get air in, the airway may be blocked by an object. Look again to see if you find an object you can remove.
How to use an AED:
The following are general directions for AED use. Follow the step-by-step directions that may be found on or inside the AED. Do not remove an AED from its storage case unless you intend to use it. Remove all clothing from the child's chest before you open the AED.
- Open the AED: There may be a latch on one or both sides of the device to open it.
- Find the electrode pads: You may need to pull a handle or open or unwrap the pads. The pads may be attached to the device by thin wires. Do not detach the pads from the device.
- Prepare the pads: Electrode pads may have a sticky side that sticks to the child's chest. You may need to remove paper backing from the pads to expose the sticky side before they can be used.
- Prepare the child: Remove any medicine patches on the child's chest and wipe the area. Move the child out of water if needed. Wipe any water, sweat, or blood off his chest. The skin must be dry before you apply the pads.
- Apply the pads: Place one pad on either the left or right side of the upper chest, toward the middle and below the clavicle (collarbone). Place the other pad on the opposite side, just below and to the side of the breast. You may also place each pad on each side of the ribcage, just below and to the outside of the breasts.
- Turn on the AED: The on button or switch should be clearly marked. The AED will tell you what to do next. If the AED tells you to shock, press the flashing red light. Do not touch the child when the AED analyzes or shocks the child. If no shock should be given, the AED will tell you to continue CPR.
- Continue CPR: Give CPR again immediately after you give a shock or the AED is done analyzing. Continue CPR until the child responds or help arrives. Stop CPR only to let the AED analyze.
Prevent respiratory and cardiac arrest in children:
- Foreign body airway obstruction: Do not leave small objects within the reach of children. Children tend to put small objects into their mouths. Examples include batteries, coins, marbles, buttons, balloons, and small toys or toy parts. Do not allow your child to hold anything small enough to fit through a toilet paper roll. Airway obstruction can also be caused by foods such as hot dogs, grapes, nuts, popcorn, and hard candy.
- Suffocation: Do not leave plastic bags within a child's reach. Children may put plastic bags over their heads, making them unable to breathe.
- Strangulation: Keep drapery and extension cords out of the reach of children. Do not put any type of cord or string around a child's neck. Some examples are cords or strings with pacifiers or jewelry attached to them.
- Drowning: Do not leave your child alone in or near water. This includes a pool, bathtub, or pail of water.
- Car safety: Keep your child secured in a car safety seat while you are driving. Never leave your child in a car alone. Do not drive if you have been drinking alcohol, or if you have taken illegal drugs or medicines that make you sleepy.
- Falls: Do not leave your child alone on a high surface, such as a changing table. Use toddler gates at the top of stairs. Stand near your child when he climbs on high playground equipment.
- Gun injuries: Store guns in a locked safe or cabinet out of the reach of children. Keep guns unloaded. Store and lock all bullets in a separate place out of the reach of children.
- Poisoning: Keep cleaning supplies and other harmful products out of children's reach and locked up tightly.
© 2017 Truven Health Analytics Inc. Information is for End User's use only and may not be sold, redistributed or otherwise used for commercial purposes. All illustrations and images included in CareNotes® are the copyrighted property of A.D.A.M., Inc. or Truven Health Analytics.
The above information is an educational aid only. It is not intended as medical advice for individual conditions or treatments. Talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before following any medical regimen to see if it is safe and effective for you.


text:
Sounds like whoever has Howard Beal and Michael KG just hit the jackpot
If this doesn't pan out or another spot opens up please keep me in mind. I have been playing for years, and I am very committed. My league was dissolved this year and i was left with no options and have been looking for another. I'll play (and make do) with whatever team I inherit.
Ahh man, you should of kept quiet.
Now your last 4 weeks in the season looks like this.
18 Multiple Scorgasms
19 CoolClyde's Bruisers
20 The Beef Helmets
21 The Bronx Veto
My trade offer got countered and now New Vegas Patriots are making me think with this
Klay Thompson
I don't think Thompson vs Terry is equal....Vasquez has been consistent and one of my best players all year, I'm just accepting Beal for Vasquez just based on the fact I'm hoping to Beal to not hit the rookie wall, same with MKG vs Kirilenko.
Howard vs Duncan is datable, Howard does that have surgically repaired back he's playing with...a fragile player and TD produces basically the same numbers as Howard in less minutes.
I'm itching to make a trade, but this one doesn't tickle my pickle.
I'll have a look through the schedule later on and make sure it's balanced and everyone plays each other a suitable amount.
Gotta make sure the divisional matchups are more or less equal given that it's divisional placement that decides playoff seeds.
Alright I looked through the whole schedule and found some games that don't make sense. I'll fix it up later only a few small changes need to be made.
Please don't change the schedule before I do this or all that work is gonna get screwed up

subset: commoncrawl


text:
While Dell's
initial tactics involved banning at least one vocal member of the
support forum who was detailing the problem, the company also was
hard at work on patches to try to fix it. The fruits of that
endeavor have now been realized, with Dell pushing out a plethora of
patches according
to users.
The patched BIOS seem to prevent the machines
from experiencing their heating issues and from underclocking the CPU
down to as low as 100 MHz. They also remedy unpleasant noises
coming from the Seagate hard drives installed in some units.
The hard drive issue appears to be a similar problem to the one
MacBook Pro owners were complaining
about earlier in the year.
While the Latitude series got
some TLC, the Studio XPS 1645's issues still remain unsolved.
Dell is shipping users new AC power adapters if they call and
complain. It now appears the Alienware m15x may be having
problems as well.
For now Dell has fixed the overheating
problems for most, but some are still left to deal with the issues.


text:
ARM Buys Sensinode for IoT Software
7 comments
SAN JOSE, Calif. — ARM has acquired Sensinode Oy, a 20-person company developing machine-to-machine software based on the 6LoWPAN, which ARM will add to the portfolio of products it licenses. The move is a sign of growing adoption in the emerging Internet of Things sector of the 6LoWPAN standard, roughly based on web standards such as Internet Protocol.
ARM provided no financial details of the acquisition. Similarly, Sensinode declined to comment on how much venture financing it had taken since it was founded in 2005 or the size of its revenues.
ARM will make the Sensinode code available for evaluation through its so-called mbed project, which lets engineers try out products via an online connection, said John Cornish, general manager of ARM's System Design Division in an interview.
Adam Gould, CEO of Sensinode since 2010, said several groups are migrating towards Web standards for IoT software including the Zigbee Alliance, powerline groups, and others. Gould will remain with ARM.
Last year, Linear Technology bought Dust Networks, another IoT startup that has pioneered 6LoWPAN software. In 2010, Cisco Systems bought Arch Rock, yet another IoT startup that helped drive 6LoWPAN.
Related posts:


text:
I need someone who willing to help me to explain some scripts of C++ code, its all about networking, acquiring data from access point by snmp query and using WRAPI library. I used few weeks to study the codes line by line, but still cant really get to understand of it. Kinda slow progress. So i need your help. Please.
Thank you thank you.


text:
My daughter was home for the Labor Day weekend and she saw KimSue's center on my design wall. She really liked it. My friend at our Guild gave me a great idea for the border. I hope I can do a good job.
Nikki - I got your center. Will work on it next week.
Nikki: It looks like I will be a Grandma on Wednesday :) This will be my third grand-daughter.
I'm so jealous. All my children are in their 30's and still no grandchildren. I'm so happy my center arrived and you like it Hope you have a great weekend.
Georgetown CA I'd Rather Be Quilting
I missed you guys. I got home to Texas from Virginia late last night. I put 3500 miles on my Suburban! I am so tired. I got some great fabric in Williamsburg for the new center. I need a couple good nights sleep and then I will be ready to tackle it. Already know what I am going to do.
KimSue, glad you had a good trip and made it back home safely. 😉
aka Grandma Sunshine
Hello All - this week was/is pretty "crazy" at work. Lots of changes and after work training and organizing. I'm glad tomorrow is Friday! I didn't spend much time in my sewing room however I have everything ready for Nikki's border.
KimSue - I'm glad you had a great vacation I hope you are well rested and ready to sew :D!
Nikki, enjoy you little bundle. They grow up way too soon!
Oh it's been soo quiet here! I hope all of you are well and working on your first border. I'm almost done. Yay!
Hi everyone. Just checking in. I got my pattern for my border on Lily's center, so I am ready to get going. I hope everyone had a great weekend.
Whew! Have been sewing up a storm to finish the border for KimSue's beautiful center. I hope she likes it. I do. I had alot of fun but it was challenging. Had to get it done this week since next week is gonna be busy for me. Now I've got to work on those scrapbooks...I'm so behind....
Melissa and Lily I'm glad everything is moving along smoothly. I just got done with my border "happy dance"!
Nikki - did you read my PM I sent you more than a week ago?..
Hi all, just checking in. I am just sewing along. I hope everyone else is sewing along smoothly.


text:
How Footing Impacts Musculoskeletal Health, Performance
Footing is one of the most common factors cited when a horse performs poorly or suffers an injury.
Photo by iStock
Safe Longeing for Horse Health
This common exercise modality can be surprisingly risky; learn how to keep your horse--and yourself--safe.
Photo by Mallory Haigh/The Horse
Troubleshooting Horse Arena Hazards
Maximize safety, soundness, and performance by solving your equine arena surface snafus.
Photo by Thinkstock
Reducing Horse Racing Fatalities: Where Do We Go from Here?
January 19, 2018
Fatal injuries in North American flat racing horses has decreased by 23%, but there's still work to be done.... Read More
How Footing Impacts Musculoskeletal Health, Performance
January 10, 2018
Footing is one of the most common factors cited when a horse performs poorly or suffers an injury. ... Read More
Safe Longeing for Horse Health
January 02, 2018
This common exercise modality can be surprisingly risky; learn how to keep your horse--and yourself--safe.... Read More
Does Your Horse Have Healthy Hooves? Keep Them That Way
November 22, 2017
Consider the big picture--from farrier care and diet to environment and genetics--when maintaining your horse's feet.... Read More
Troubleshooting Horse Arena Hazards
November 08, 2017
Maximize safety, soundness, and performance by solving your equine arena surface snafus. ... Read More
The Lowdown on Drylots
October 07, 2017
Find out how drylots, small paddocks sacrificed to allow pastures to rest, could help your facility this winter.... Read More
How Does Arena Footing Affect an Athletic Horse's Longevity?
September 13, 2017
An equine sports medicine specialist shares how footing can impact soundness and offers footing selection advice.... Read More
NYSGC Investigating Spate of Horse Deaths at Saratoga
August 15, 2017
The NYSGC is working to determine what might have contributed to a dozen recent racing- and training-related deaths.... Read More
Improving Arena Surfaces
July 04, 2017
Find a safe and durable footing to support your horse's soundness.... Read More
Poll Recap: Public or Private Lands for Horseback Riding?
May 30, 2017
Of the 825 respondents, 370 (45%) said they do most of their riding on private land.... Read More
Study: Wood Chips Can Improve Paddock Soil Quality
May 18, 2017
Adding absorbent, biodegradable materials to paddocks can keep water sources cleaner and favor healthy grass growth.... Read More
Studs: Boosting Horses' Traction in Sporting Events
April 25, 2017
Take a look at how adding studs to horseshoes can help horses navigate less-than-ideal footing.... Read More
Arena Surface Impacts Fetlock Kinematics in Extended Trot
March 26, 2017
Researchers confirmed that footing properties could impact dressage horses' risk for suspensory ligament injury.... Read More
Selecting a Horse Boarding Stable
March 06, 2017
Are you searching for a facility at which to board your horse? Here are a few things to consider.... Read More
Farriers Discuss What Shoe Wear Reveals
March 04, 2017
A roundtable at the International Hoof Care Summit covered shoe wear and what it indicates about the horse.... Read More
Poll Recap: Winter Horse Care Concerns
January 17, 2017
Of the 556 respondents, 190 (34%) said their biggest concern is keeping horses' water sources from freezing.... Read More
Poll Recap: Dealing With Ice and Horses
January 10, 2017
Of the 395 respondents, 234 (59%) said ice is a problem on their horse property during the winter. ... Read More
Setting Goals for Managing Your Horse Property
December 29, 2016
Winter is a great time for planning. Here are some tips for planning, prioritizing, and tackling your "to do" list.... Read More
Take the Winter Solstice Chore Efficiency Test
December 21, 2016
Can you pass Alayne's test? Get advice for winterizing and making your horse property chore-efficient. ... Read More
Managing Barns and Buildings During the Winter
December 10, 2016
Take steps to ensure your barns, arenas, and other structures stay safe when cold and snow abound.... Read More
Not Your Grandmother's Bedding: Horse Bedding Alternatives
December 08, 2016
In search of a new type of bedding for your horse? Check out these different options.... Read More
Tuesday's Top Tweets from the 2016 AAEP Convention
December 07, 2016
Tweets and take-homes from sessions on lameness, rehabilitation, equine back issues, and more! ... Read More
Building an Indoor Riding Arena? First, Do a Needs-Analysis
November 12, 2016
Horses for Clean Water's Alayne Blickle explains how she weighed the need for an indoor arena against the cost.... Read More
Winter Horse Pasture and Paddock Management
October 28, 2016
Protecting your horse's turnout now can help ensure green pastures later.... Read More
Poll Recap: Fall Mud-Management Projects
October 11, 2016
Of the 545 respondents, 175 (32%) said they will add gravel and/or sand for high-traffic areas on their farm this fall.... Read More
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Q. An equine sports medicine specialist shares how footing can impact soundness and offers footing selection advice.
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- Footing Q&A for Outdoor Reining Arenas


text:
STANTON – Orange County Sheriff's deputies chased a man Saturday morning after he passed out in a fast-food restaurant drive-through lane and rammed a patrol car trying to escape, authorities said.
Deputies arrived at a McDonald's, 11097 Beach Blvd., at 3:07 a.m., and found John Raymond Celis, 36, of Garden Grove, Lt. Joe Balicki said.
When authorities attempted to talk to the driver, he woke up and became uncooperative, authorities said.
The man rammed into an occupied patrol car escaping the drive-through lane, Balicki said.
Authorities said the man drove north on Beach Boulevard, turning east on Ball Road. Deputies managed to stop his vehicle near Ball Road and Gilbert Street in Anaheim.
During the pursuit on Ball Road, an officer fired one or more shots at the driver just before Dale Street, Sheriff's Capt. Steve Doan said. Celis was grazed by a bullet but was not seriously injured, Doan said.
Orange County District Attorney officials are investigating the incident, Doan said.
No deputies were injured, but the driver was taken to a hospital, Balicki said. He is expected to survive, authorities said.
Celis has been released from the hospital, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Department and booked into the Orange County Central Jail on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon for ramming the patrol car, Balicki said.
Staff writer Daniel Langhorne contributed to this report.
Contact the writer: (714) 704-3764 or email@example.com


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Braves look to find consistency in second half
Atlanta hopes to tap into talent that struggled to gain momentum early on
By Mark Bowman / MLB.com
ATLANTA -- Unpredictable seems to be the most appropriate way to describe this year's Braves team, which has to feel fortunate to enter the All-Star break tied for first place in the National League East. This might not have been the position they envisioned when they won 17 of their first 24 games. But given they produced the NL's third-worst winning percentage over their next 48 games, they have to be happy with the resurgence they've had the past three weeks.
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As they won 16 of their final 24 games before the break, the Braves essentially repeated their hot start and built some momentum to carry into the season's second half. Now, as they attempt to defend their division crown, they can only hope that their underachieving offense builds off some of the improvements that were recently seen.
Five Key Developments
1. The suspect injury-depleted starting rotation that proved masterful throughout most of April has simply been mediocre during the 2 1/2 months that have followed. While Aaron Harang has already been a bargain, Ervin Santana has some work to do to live up to his $14.1 million salary.
2. While the relief corps is not going to match the franchise record bullpen ERA set last year, it gained a great asset with Shae Simmons' May 31 promotion. With Simmons and Jordan Walden, the Braves have two setup men capable of bridging innings to closer Craig Kimbrel.
3. Freddie Freeman struggled near the end of April and went silent for three weeks beginning last May, but the 24-year-old first baseman looked like himself over the past month. His .878 OPS is quite similar to the .854 mark he carried into last year's break.
First-half awards
|MVP: Freddie Freeman
While Heyward has positively impacted the club on multiple fronts, Freeman gets the nod because he's been more consistent with the bat.
|Top starter: Julio Teheran
Along with having the necessary stuff, Teheran has proven he has the mentality necessary to serve as an ace at a young age.
|Top rookie: Tommy La Stella
While recognizing Shae Simmons has been quite valuable, La Stella has had a greater impact as he has proven to be Dan Uggla's antithesis.
|Top reliever: Craig Kimbrel
The only debate is whether this dominant closer remains the game's top reliever.
4. Jason Heyward has proven why he is often described as a center fielder playing right field. Heyward easily leads all Major Leaguers with 27 defensive runs saved. If he starts hitting lefties again, he could easily be the club's most valuable player down the stretch.
5. Despite benching Dan Uggla after one month and promoting Tommy La Stella's contact presence in late May, the Braves are still in position to break the franchise strikeout record for a fourth straight season.
Five storylines to watch for in the second half
1. As the Braves approach the Trade Deadline, they will be looking for bullpen depth, preferably of the left-handed variety, and bench players. They do not have much financial flexibility, having gone over budget to sign Santana in March. But general manager Frank Wren has proven he can make deals in this situation. He threw in an extra prospect to get the Astros to pay all of Michael Bourn's remaining salary in 2011.
2. Evan Gattis had established himself as one of the lineup's most dangerous assets before he was sideline with a bulging disk in early July. If Gattis stays healthy and immediately regains his power, the Braves will have plenty of power potential in the middle of their lineup. They just have to hope Justin Upton proves to be more consistent over longer periods of time.
Players to watch in second half
|Mike Minor
Though he has yet to live up to the promise he created the previous year and a half, Minor could round into form as he distances himself from what was an unorthodox Spring Training.
|Justin Upton
If the Braves are going to distance themselves from the Nats, they may need Upton to go on one of his patented tears, like he did during the past two Aprils and during last year's 14-game win streak.
|Chris Johnson
The Braves hope the power barrage Johnson had this past weekend at Wrigley propels him to a second half that is closer to what he did last year, when he competed for a batting title and proved to have a knack for delivering key two-out hits.
3. It will be interesting to see how long the Braves stick with B.J. Upton in the leadoff role. Upton has hit .260 with a .296 on-base percentage in the 18 games played since he moved to the top of the lineup. Heyward might seem to be the better choice. But while the numbers are pedestrian at best, this is as productive as the Braves have seen B.J. over a three-week stretch since he arrived last year.
4. The Braves have reason to feel good about a bullpen that counts Walden, Simmons and the improved Anthony Varvaro as its most dependable assets to date. If David Carpenter can round into form and Juan Jaime starts throwing strikes again for Gwinnett, the Braves would have a more favorable bullpen than last year.
5. Despite totaling 21 runs in their final two games, the Braves entered the break having scored more runs than only the Cardinals and Padres. But this maddening offense did show some consistent signs of life as it hit .275 and averaged 5.1 runs during the past 17 games. Time will tell if that was a sign of things to come or a product of facing sub-.500 clubs throughout this stretch.
Mark Bowman is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
10 Scary Noises Your Body Makes and Why
Treating minor health problems doesn't have to be expensive. In fact, you may already own some of the miracle-workers in this slide show. Click through to find out which foods, drinks and craft supplies (yes, craft supplies) can make you feel better fast.
Plain white vinegar helps ease the pain and itch of a recent burn, and may also prevent blisters from forming. If the burn is on your face, soak a cotton ball in vinegar and dab onto affected areas. If it's on a larger part of your body, use a washcloth or paper towel and cover your skin for 15 minutes.
3 Easy Ways to Relieve Neck Pain


text:
Jennings appreciates those who paved way
Aaron, Mays among African-American stars also from Alabama
By Bill Chastain / MLB.com
But Jennings, a native of Alabama, knows who they are and how they helped pave the way for future black athletes housing a dream of playing in the Major Leagues.
A talented and athletic outfielder, Jennings, 24, is one of the top prospects in the Rays' organization. Born and raised in Birmingham, Ala., the youngster was thoughtful and careful with his words as he spoke about his upbringing and how his father made sure to connect him to the rich baseball past of his home state.
In addition to Aaron and Mays, other African-American standouts from Alabama include Billy Williams, Willie McCovey, Lyman Bostock, Tommy Agee, George Foster, Oscar Gamble, Bo Jackson, Monte Irvin, Lee May, Amos Otis, Juan Pierre, Ozzie Smith, Andre Thornton and Willie Wilson.
Of that group, Mays, Aaron, McCovey and Williams produced 11,976 hits, 7,230 RBIs and 2,362 home runs.
"Oh yeah, my dad was a big baseball fan, so I definitely was aware of who came from Alabama," Jennings said. "How long ago it was made it a little bit difficult for me to understand what they went through when I was young, but as I got older, it hit me differently."
February is Black History Month, so Jennings' thoughts on the progress that has been made since Aaron and Mays broke into baseball seemed appropriate.
"You can't really explain what the people before me did coming up," Jennings said. "The opportunity that they've given us because of what they've done, you can't really explain it, you can only imagine what they went through."
Jennings grew up playing baseball, basketball and football, and he was a standout in all three sports.
"I loved all of them," Jennings said. "I still do love all three sports."
While Jennings allowed that he would like to see the number of black athletes in baseball rise, he explained why he chose baseball over basketball or football. Had he taken the football route, he was earmarked to play wide receiver at the University of Alabama after signing a football scholarship.
"There definitely are not as many African-Americans in baseball as there are in football and basketball, I can't explain why," Jennings said. "I chose baseball because I just felt it was a better opportunity for me and it felt like a better fit. I played baseball from when I was 5. It kind of grew on me when I was younger. I just stuck with it. I remember that love of the game, and that brought me to the game. Like I said, my dad loved the game, so he kept me around it."
As for the racism and hatred experienced by many of the black players before him, Jennings feels fortunate that he has not had to travel the same path.
"When I do hear stuff, I let it go in one ear and out the other," Jennings said. "You see stuff and you hear stuff. But it wasn't too bad with me growing up or in [professional baseball]. So yeah, I guess that is progress."
Jennings put together his first full year of professional baseball in 2009 after getting hurt in his two previous seasons. As a result of that stint, he was named MVP of the Southern League at Double-A Montgomery before advancing to Triple-A Durham, where he showed he could play.
Unfortunately, Jennings was revisited by the injury bug in 2010, when a sprained left wrist suffered during Spring Training caused him to open the season on the disabled list. He went on to hit .278 with three home runs and 36 RBIs and 37 stolen bases in 109 games for Durham before getting recalled on Sept. 1. In 17 games with Tampa Bay, he hit .190 with two RBIs and two stolen bases.
The scouting report on Jennings calls him a gifted athlete who can play center field and runs good routes to track down fly balls. He has the ability to hit and is expected to eventually hit for some power.
"I picked up on him last Spring Training when he got hurt," Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said. "D.J. is really a good makeup guy. ... These guys, really good football players, tend to be that way. He's a really good football player."
What surprised Maddon the most was Jennings' baseball instincts. As a wide receiver, Jennings ran excellent routes, said Maddon, and "maybe that is the carryover, because he runs good routes in the outfield."
Maddon was also impressed with how Jennings ran the bases and took secondary leads away from the bag.
"Of course, he's going to make a mistake once in a while," said Maddon. "He got picked off at the latter part of the season, but he sees things well."
Jennings will get a good look during Spring Training, but based on the lack of offense he showed during his late-season callup and the fact Johnny Damon is earmarked play a lot in left field, it's likely Jennings will start the season at Durham.
"This guy's going to be fine, he's going to hit enough," Maddon said. "He's going to hit for some power. His defense is going to be spectacular. He's going to throw all right, but he is a good athlete with a good head for this game. That tells me he's going to get a lot better. It's really fascinating, actually. [In a] couple more years, he's going to be a solid performer in this league."
When asked if Jennings was going to be the next Carl Crawford, Maddon smiled: "No, he'll be the first Desmond Jennings."
Jennings said he's feeling good and ready to take his best shot at making the team out of Spring Training.
"It was a struggle a little bit last year," Jennings said. "But I've been doing things to get myself right, so it should be a different year this year. I'm looking forward to it."
Bill Chastain is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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All those university presidents and conference commissioners who had pushed through the new college football playoff system in that Washington ballroom Tuesday talked about how there were still a lot of details to work out … such as how to split up the revenue among all the parties.
One detail is firmly in place, though, and it was never in doubt.
The players cut will remain what it was under the BCS system, the Bowl Alliance, the Bowl Coalition, the AP-and-UPI-poll system, and all the previous postseason systems.
(Told you yesterday we were coming back to this.)
Fortunately, in the same manner in which fans never shut up about how unfair the BCS was, those who want fairness for the players who create the wealth that created both the BCS and the new playoff system aren't going to shut up, either.
For instance, here is what the National College Players Association (NCPA) says about this latest cash grab by these academic and athletic administrators:
The least you could have done was given us a seat at the negotiating table. Now that you've blown that off, the least you can do now is try to protect our health and our future a hell of a lot better than you have so far.
Because, guess who puts their lives and futures on the line most in this new system, and who benefits from it least?
You're familiar with the NCPA—as are the football powers-that-be and the NCAA. That's the California-based advocacy group that has spent the past 11 years working to give the otherwise voiceless, powerless, under-the-thumb athletes in every sport—but especially the "revenue" sports of football and men's basketball—a voice and some power.
Not to mention more than the usual crumbs off the table. Remember, the NCPA had a few thoughts about the $11 billion TV deal for March Madness signed last year.
Thus, before the BCS presidents and commissioners even entered the conference room Tuesday afternoon, the NCPA and its president and co-founder, former UCLA linebacker Ramogi Huma, had issued two statements on his concerns for his constituents.
One outlined an NCPA-devised plan to reduce the risk of head trauma and concussions—the "CARE" proposal, for Concussion Awareness and Reduction Emergency—that the presidents and commissioners should commit to funding. (Details of the plan are on the group's website, ncpanow.org.)
"Our universities shouldn't add extra games without adding extra protections to minimize the head trauma risks associated with contact sports," Huma said in the statement.
It's probably the most overlooked aspect of the new playoff system: the extra games—and extra weeks of practice—for the advancing teams. Adding games to the season is still a steaming-hot topic in the NFL, for those very reasons. But at the level below that, in the NFL's free farm system, loaded with younger, more vulnerable players with virtually no financial safety net, it's hardly mentioned.
Start mentioning it, the NCPA insists. Start caring about the players' health as much as we do—and as much as a so-called institution of higher learning is supposed to for its students.
Later in the day came another release, urging the officials to include them in all the talks about how to allocate the billions that will pour in from TV rights, bids on the championship game host city and all the other new revenue streams.
"No one cherishes the game more than the athletes themselves," Huma said, "which is why we are working diligently to provide a voice for their education, wellness and careers in order to protect the game's essence."
None of these are new positions, by the way. The NCAA knows full well that the scholarships it touts as fair compensation for the players' efforts fall well short of the cost of attendance. It knows that it doesn't fully insure players. That it still gets away with one-year scholarships, which can be yanked for any reason. That transfer restrictions are downright oppressive.
It knows that the "free" education comes with so many strings and obstructions that the graduation rates can't help but stay low. And it knows that players constantly navigate a land mine of rules that keep the proceeds of their efforts out of their hands and in the hands of all those officials.
You don't have to be an NCPA member, or even a follower, to know that, if you pay even the slightest attention to college sports.
The attention the new playoff system is getting will never be described as "slight."
Those who speak on behalf of the athletes—because they have no one else to speak for them, and because the public still needs to believe that they're "lucky to be getting a free ride for playing a game"—ask only this:
Give a little attention to what's being demanded of us in order to entertain you and to enrich the college hierarchy.
Oh, and that $5 billion-plus this long-awaited playoff will produce … give us a taste of that, too.
Since you're this concerned with being "fair."


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Alonso cleared to play defense, will take swings soon
By Corey Brock / MLB.com
PHILADELPHIA -- First baseman Yonder Alonso, who hasn't played since Aug. 30 due to soreness in his right hand, has been cleared to play defense and will likely hit in the cage this weekend when the team heads to Atlanta for a series with the Braves.
"I've been throwing the past couple of days and it's still a little sore," Alonso said.
Alonso missed 34 games earlier this season with a fractured metacarpal bone in his hand. He returned from the disabled list on July 12, but the strength in his hand wasn't the same as it was earlier this year when he hit .284 with six home runs in his first 190 at-bats.
After returning from the disabled list in July, Alonso hit .278 with no home runs and four doubles and said he wasn't able to do the same things with his swing that he could before the initial injury.
"Yonder is doing great, he's going to be able to play defense," said Padres manager Bud Black. "We're comfortable with him throwing and are comfortable with him if he has to dive. There's motivation for Yonder to get back on the field."
He's running out of time. After Thursday's series finale against the Phillies, the Padres have only 17 games left in the regular season.
"I'm optimistic about it [returning]. But it's just a matter of time for this thing to heal," said Alonso, who noted that he'll likely have a grip-strength test when the team returns to Petco Park on Monday.
The Padres have used Kyle Blanks at first base, though rookie Tommy Medica -- who hit a home run on Wednesday for his first Major League hit -- got the start there again on Thursday.
Hoffman to work with pitchers full time in new role
PHILADELPHIA -- Trevor Hoffman is getting back in a Padres uniform, as Thursday he was named the team's upper level pitching coordinator and special assistant to general manager Josh Byrnes.
Hoffman, who turns 46 next month, notched 601 saves over an 18-year Major League career -- with 552 of those saves coming with the Padres from 1993-2008.
This newly created role will see him working with pitchers at the Double-A, Triple-A and big league levels with an eye on communication and preparing younger pitchers for what it will take to succeed in the Major Leagues.
"When we decided to go two hitting coaches, the job had become too big for one person," Byrnes said. "It's the same thought process now. He'll make sure we communicate and do everything we can do to help finish these guys off as Major League pitchers."
Hoffman, who for the past three seasons reported to former Padres president and CEO Tom Garfinkel, will offer more than just mechanical tips and fixes.
"I'm definitely excited about really being more integrally involved with guys pushing the big league level. … It's about finishing some guys off, filling their toolbox with more information so that they can reach the Major League level," Hoffman said.
Randy Smith, the Padres' vice president of player development and international scouting who, oddly enough, was the general manager when the team obtained Hoffman from the Marlins in 1993, thinks that Hoffman is the ideal guy for this job.
"His ability to communicate with [manager Bud Black and pitching coach Darren Balsley], he brings that instant credibility … it's a natural fit," Smith said. "It's sort of like having two hitting coaches at the big league level. It makes sense. And, he's going to make us better."
Hoffman, who pitched in 2009-10 with the Brewers before he retired, has since been out of uniform, other than stretches in Spring Training and when he helped with Minor League affiliates. But this move, this job, represents a full-time return to baseball.
"I think it's a great thing for us, for Trevor, for our pitchers to have him involved on an everyday basis," Black said. "He likes the ballpark, he likes that environment. It's going to get his juices flowing.
"All the way around, there's a lot of positives."
Padres hosting Tijuana Little Leaguers next week
PHILADELPHIA -- The Padres will hold Hispanic Heritage Night presented by Verizon on Sept. 20 at Petco Park.
The pregame ceremony will include a Hispanic-themed celebration, the Padres' nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award, honoring of the Comunidad Award winners and also the Tijuana Little League team that advanced to the Little League World Series last month.
National Hispanic Heritage Month -- which runs from Sept. 15-Oct. 15, celebrates the history, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, the Caribbean and Central and South America.
The Padres have long been active in the Hispanic community, working year round with organizations to serve Hispanic youth on both sides of the border. The team also has a community outreach program in the Dominican Republic.
Some examples of Padres players involved include:
First baseman Yonder Alonso, who maintained contact and supported the Little League teams from Eastlake and Tijuana during the Little League playoffs and hosted visits to Petco Park (Sept. 7 for Eastlake and on Sept. 20 for Tijuana).
Catcher Nick Hundley and outfielder Will Venable have been involved with the Monarch School, which serves a high percentage of Hispanic students. Outfielder Carlos Quentin, a San Diego native, also has visited Barrio Logan College Institute.
Corey Brock is a reporter for MLB.com. Keep track of @FollowThePadres on Twitter. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Every one know. that how to make Chinas food, Continantale food and various kind of food,
but its my question to all , If any know how to make dog food and cat food. why we bought food from markete for our pets. if we make in our own hand fresh in best quality .I think its better than other.
so its my question have there are any animal food sheff?


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Critical Overview
(Short Stories for Students)
Wright's literary reputation was established in the early 1940s when he published two critically acclaimed bestsellers, Native Son and Black Boy, in rapid succession. Though he was a prolific writer in many genres, over the decades the great majority of critical attention has focused on these two major works and, to a lesser extent, his first book of short stories, Uncle Tom's Children, all written before Wright turned forty.
At the height of his popularity Wright was considered the best African-American writer of his generation, but his critical reputation has since declined. In fact, recent critics view his work as uneven. In 1946 Wright left the United States to live in France. He continued to write fiction and nonfiction until his death at age fifty-two.
In 1960, when Eight Men appeared, Wright had fallen into relative obscurity with his earlier success sometimes attributed to his topical subject matter rather than the literary merits of his writing. Additionally, scholars may have neglected Wright because his career fell between two great high points in African-American letters—the Harlem Renaissance of the 1930s and the Black Power movement of the 1960s. However, the rise of the field of African-American studies has led to a renewed scholarly interest in Wright in recent years.
The critical reaction to Eight Men was tepid; most reviewers find only one or two of the eight stories up to Wright's standards. The collection contains stories written over the course of twenty-five years, representing a...
(The entire section is 645 words.)


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From time to time, I notice that my GMAIL logs out before its supposed 2 week set time.
A month ago, my PC ran into BSOD twice. So I upgraded hard drives, etc. However, this week I found out online that malware Alureon caused a lot of recent BSOD and was named a critical threat to Microsoft Windows exploit for 32 bit computers.
In any case, my question is: Could hacked passwords spoof the victim's IP address and log in to their email account, so that the victim would hardly noticed that their email was logged in elsewhere because GMAIL's IP details indicate it? ... Is this a plausible situation?


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A shale gas boom brings change and stress to a quiet town
WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. -- On a farm north of this old timber town that stretches out along the banks of the Susquehanna River, Perry Landon's 82-year-old mother confronts the promises and trepidation of a new era of energy wealth.
The 150-acre homestead in Tioga County where she lives has been in the family for generations. The dairy farm, apple orchard and streams inhabit Landon's memories and bind the family to northern Pennsylvania's Allegheny Plateau. Trapped in the clay and minerals deposited under his mother's property is a slice of the region's multibillion-dollar bounty of natural gas.
Williamsport (population 30,706) and its neighboring counties are ground zero for gas companies drilling into the deep geological formation called the Marcellus Shale. It stretches across West Virginia, eastern Ohio, Pennsylvania and southern New York, and it contains enough natural gas to meet the heating, electricity and industrial needs of the densely populated Northeast.
Today, as Landon tells it, a new phalanx of the deep-pocketed land speculators many thought left with the lumber barons a century ago are busy poring through land records and knocking on doors. These people aren't after forestland. They're trying to lock up the underground riches in the nation's largest emerging energy basin.
"For Mom, it's just overwhelming," Landon says. "She grew up in the Depression. Her parents were very poor. It's hard for her to get her mind around this amount of money, and that you would get it for doing nothing."
Gas is testing oil's position as the most sought-after energy commodity, as the global hunt for black gold faces technological limits, environmental risk and relentless political instability in oil-rich regions. Gas-burning electricity generators release half the greenhouse gases of conventional coal-burning plants.
For that, the fossil fuel has moved into the foreground of the strident U.S. energy debate, where natural gas has some bragging rights because it can lower power plant emissions tied to global warming.
But the industrial nature of extracting natural gas challenges the faith of conservationists concerned about the impact of the drilling boom. BP PLC's sunken Deepwater Horizon oil rig places in sharp relief the potential for disaster. In Pennsylvania and New York, the deep-sea Gulf of Mexico catastrophe has pumped oxygen into public concern about unrestrained onshore gas drilling and whether water and air quality are adequately protected under federal and state regulations.
Coal mining and timber harvesting ruled northern Appalachia for more than a century. Here, natural gas remains a bit foreign, an energy frontier. In some corners of the energy industry, tapping the shale gas has become every bit as enticing and adventurous as exploring in the Arctic and the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
The gas rush has generated a frenzy in the region over the past two years. The desire to buy land and buy it fast, before the drilling begins, is every bit as strong to some in rural Pennsylvania as the housing bubble was in cities and suburbs across America. That bubble burst. Whether this one will remains part of the adventure.
Weighing the virtues against the risks
Late last month, Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers said there appears to be about 650 trillion cubic feet of recoverable shale gas under the United States. At today's consumption, that resource could supply the nation for almost 30 years. But the MIT team cautioned against irrational exuberance. The gas exists in hard-to-model subsurface pores, and the kind of historical data and reliable methodology that predict the performance of conventional gas fields don't exist yet for the shale.
At the unveiling of the two-year gas study, team co-chairman Anthony Meggs reminded a Washington audience that only about 1 percent of shale gas potential has been produced. Much of that has been in Texas, where drilling is well established. And there are a lot of open questions: "How much is there? Will it be productive? What are the characteristics that make it productive? What recovery factors will we achieve?"
"There's a lot of upside, but there's also a lot of downside," he said. "The resource estimates assume that wells will last for 30 or 40 years. Well, actually maybe, or maybe not."
But for gas companies operating in Pennsylvania and New York, tapping the potential of these organic-rich shale deposits has become a near-obsession. The industry has spent millions of dollars in 2009 and 2010 raising its profile. TV commercials extol the virtues of "cleaner-burning" gas for power generation and natural gas vehicles.
New industry groups, such as America's Natural Gas Alliance and the Marcellus Shale Coalition, lobby state and federal lawmakers for market incentives. From public relations shops in Washington, Dallas, and Harrisburg, Pa., the gas industry blasts out e-mails that respond to opposition groups protesting industrial air emissions, water use, methane leaks, waste pits, toxic chemicals and explosions that come with extracting gas from 8,000 feet underground.
Opposition to this industrial juggernaut has halted near-term prospects for drilling gas wells in the Catskill Mountains and Delaware River watershed that supplies New York City. In Pennsylvania, public anger about an accident in early June that spewed gas- and chemical-laced wastewater for 16 hours has pushed Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell's administration to toughen its stance against the gas industry.
Meanwhile, a debate rages on in Pennsylvania about the true economic impact of the latest boomtown industry. "This is a billion-dollar industry going after a trillion-dollar asset. Opposing it would be silly," says Jon Bogle, who leads a Williamsport-area citizens group called the Responsible Drilling Alliance. "But people aren't aware of the risks to the environment."
A quiet economic boom has emerged out of the hollows of Tioga, Bradford and Susquehanna counties. Williamsport sits just south of there, and its 31,000 people make up the biggest town in this corner of gas country.
There, real estate and industrial space going for a premium blunt the impact of the worst American recession since the Great Depression. Williamsport and the countryside that hugs the Susquehanna are the regional hub for a growing list of gas producers, contractors, engineers and oil-service companies.
"We want blue-collar jobs, gray-collar jobs and white-collar jobs," says Jason Fink, executive vice president of the Williamsport-Lycoming Chamber of Commerce.
'Mailbox millionaires,' roughnecks and speculators
The Marcellus has changed the fabric of daily life. Language has been created. "Mailbox millionaires" quietly spend their riches. "The influx," which used to describe the emigration of low-income residents escaping Philadelphia's urban decay, now describes the roughnecks and engineers purchasing higher-end downtown apartments.
Hotels in Williamsport fill up during the week with drillers, contractors and businessmen. In the evenings, the out-of-towners line bars at the Bullfrog and the Old Corner Hotel. There, on one Wednesday night in May, two young oil and gas-service workers from Calgary lamented the "act of God" that sent methane gas up the BP well, engulfing the rig in flames on April 20. The blowout preventer at the bottom of the sea failed, the same piece of equipment used to seal off an onshore natural gas well.
One of them, a lanky roughneck, finishes smoking a Marlboro Red out on the patio. He ribs another Williamsport entrant whose boss has recently transferred him here from New York, where opposition to drilling has effectively shut down the shale gas business.
The job of one of the men from Calgary is to carve out a niche and train a small office. "We're not here to take people's jobs," he says in a gravelly voice.
In Williamsport, Chesapeake Energy Corp. is behind many of the land men and the speculators. Rumors abound that Chesapeake has been willing to pay north of $7,000 an acre for prime acreage in northeastern Pennsylvania. For some companies, that climbs to $11,000 an acre for areas of central Pennsylvania experiencing their first blush of freewheeling resource capitalism.
Chesapeake and other prominent drillers such as Anadarko Petroleum Corp. have looked for ways to build goodwill in the community. Anadarko, for instance, hired a former Williamsport mayor to act as liaison to landowners and city officials.
Shining up the Rust Belt
Late last summer, Sandra Rife received an unexpected phone call from Chesapeake. Would the Lycoming County Historical Society accept a gift of $5,000 from her boss, a Chesapeake executive? He's quite a history buff, the caller explains. "We scrounge for every penny we get," says Rife, the museum director. "It was vital."
Outside the museum, along the town's Millionaires' Row, a quarter-mile stretch of mansions built by 19th-century lumber industry barons, Williamsport shows signs of aging and renewal. The town has battled the boom-and-bust cycles of the American Rust Belt since the barons stripped the land bare and abandoned their opulent homes a century ago. Manufacturing jobs dried up in the 1990s. Warehouses sat empty as commerce trickled in and out of the rail yard.
Today, sand and equipment travel across northeastern Pennsylvania on the short lines and Norfolk Southern's mainline. Warehouses on the edge of town are larger than big-box Walmarts. People here say gas is going to replace a gradual 30-year decline in manufacturing, but they're cautious.
"Let's do natural gas but make sure we don't ignore our existing industries and don't ignore the need for developing new ones," says City Councilman Jonathan Williamson. "If a problem hiccups, you don't want to be the next coal town or steel town or auto town that just dies."
In the midst of a recession, Williamsport's real estate developers are revitalizing downtown, filling empty shops and rebuilding deteriorating landscapes. Spaces that sat empty for years are becoming upscale restaurants the owners hope will attract older gas industry patrons.
"This is the kind of place you'd expect to find in Georgetown, not the kind of place you'd expect to find here," Williamson says, talking about a first-floor martini bar and second-floor loft development.
Gas companies are making audacious payments to landowners with prime property on top of the shale formation. Through 2011, according to industry figures, payments in the form of upfront bonuses and leases for gas exploration are expected to surpass $6 billion.
What people talk about over beer
There isn't a lot of flash in Williamsport. People buy new cars and tractors and put the rest in the bank. Still, envy is natural, says Bonita Kolb, a business professor at Lycoming College. If a neighbor leases her land ahead of another, it doesn't go unnoticed. "That's what people talk about over beer," she says.
The land speculator who toured the Landon farm last year offered almost $400,000 for the property. The offer dwarfed the $500 per acre paid out by an energy company six years ago for the mineral rights. On the advice of an attorney, the Landons kept the land man at bay, turning down offers to buy the farm.
When production begins, the attorney tells Landon, the gas royalties will be in the millions of dollars. The largesse would pay for college tuitions and for the kind of security still rare in this mineral-rich part of the state.
Landon's father was born on the land, and the large Landon contingent of children and grandchildren still admire the stillness and isolation of Tioga County. When the hunt for gas-rich acreage started, his mother did the natural thing. She walked the friendly land man through the apple orchard and sent him off without a contract. At the time, she thought little of it.
But what he represents is inescapable. Today, the gas boom is a daily story in the local paper. "It has caused people's focus to be on something that it never was before, and it takes people's eyes off of what's really important," Landon laments.
His mother, at times, is overcome with stress. Money isn't the first thing on her mind. Her world has changed too quickly. People who feel the weight of a slow, jobless economic recovery are hopping on the drilling bandwagon. "But the environment, and a runaway industry without regulation, I think that concerns people," Landon says.
The legal hurdles to ensure taxes get paid and the anxiety of financial decisions are daunting. In a fit of frustration, as Landon tells it, his mother has said she might sell the land to the land man just to put it behind her.
For financial reasons and for sanity's sake, Landon wants the family to take it slow.
"None of us are suffering or wanting of anything," he says. "We want Mom to live through this with as much contentment as possible."
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text: We are pleased to announce that Intel has asked us to carry on the tradition of Developer Ignite. Intel feels that it is best that they act as a sponsor to the event and will continue to be involved in that capacity. We have been working closely with the organizers at Ignite Phoenix and at O'Reilly's request will be changing the name to Ignite Phoenix Developer 3. The event will be held at Gangplank in Chandler, Arizona on Thursday May 13th. Submissions are now open. Please submit your talk now! Submissions will close on Friday, April 30 at 5 pm.


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Greed Monger Kickstarter Success!
Nov 13, 2012 – With 16 days to go, Greed Monger for PC and Mac ( www.greedmonger.com) has officially passed its Kickstarter Goal and now begins work on the first of multiple stretch goals. Imagine, if you will, a land teeming with life; forests, rivers, animals, monsters… and nothing else. No buildings. No people. Welcome to Greed Monger, a land that will literally be shaped by its players, where unlimited opportunity and infinite danger lurks on the horizon of every footfall. Join the Kickstarter event and gain access to the game, anything from a small plot of land to an entire guild run island at http://kck.st/TXKUKS.
In Greed Monger the first players will set foot into an unpopulated world and begin building the foundations of civilization. With crude tools made from bones and wood, and huts made of little more than mud and hay, will flourish true civilization that will advance over time. A unique dynamic quest system will establish towns, cities, inns, and more. Players will battle, loot, and tame the land, expanding ever further into the vast wildernesses of harsher climates in their quest for ever better tools to continue their conquest. Combat is not the end, it is merely the beginning, as players will join together to construct massive structures, beautiful works of art, and create the very story within the game.
Greed Monger is a free to play experience, where players can fight, hunt, and gain skills as much as they want. If a player desires they can purchase a land parcel, which will allow them to construct their very own house, trader stall, and more. After this, a player can sell their land and the structures on it in a real cash transaction, giving real world impact to their virtual lives.
The kickstarter event still has 16 days to go! This is the only opportunity to purchase large scale land parcels. After the event closes, purchases will be limited to a set number of land areas. For single players, gain access to the game for as little as $25. For guilds, from $300 you can own a 16 player guild with 16 parcels of land and have your village on the world map at the start. This goes all the way to the grand daddy of them all, a $3,500 Royal Castle on your own 60 parcel island with access to 65 of your guildmates. No matter your budget or if you are in a guild, there's a package for everyone. Find out more at http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/appleton/greed-monger-a-crafting-focused-sandbox-mmorpg
|[View All]


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Turns out that the latter leads to the former! Recent research by the University of Buffalo Department of Communication and the University of Hawaii reveals that the people who watch reality television visit social networking websites to engage in behaviors like the celebrities they see on shows like American Idol or Survivor.
When people on reality TV are rewarded for their behavior, it communicates to the (usually) young audience that these behaviors are good things. These so-called "reality" TV shows depict people being exploitive, deceitful, hyper-emotional, vengeful, conspiratorial, sexually promiscuous, generally undignified, immodest, self-centered, and basically exhibitionistic.
According to the university research, "heavy reality TV viewers may adapt personality traits association with celebrities….Reality TV even may be to blame for the erosion of the distinction between the everyday world and the celebrity world."
This phenomenon is encouraging young folks to make personal information about themselves publicly available online. We've all heard about the proliferation of youngsters sending photos to each other and through the Internet, revealing their genitals and showing themselves engaged in various sexual acts. Instead of this being "shameful," it's trendy. Parents are becoming way too lax in allowing their children access to electronic equipment, from cell phones to the Internet, without any supervision. So, with a little "push" and little "pull" back, kids are getting themselves into situations which will impact them for a lifetime.
When children behave like out-of-control celebrities, including drug use, sex, having out-of-wedlock babies, "shacking up," and testing their parents' limits as well as the limits of the law, they are less likely to be studying, participating in sports, or contributing charitably in their neighborhoods.


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I've just begun reading a new book by Brian Kennedy and Elizabeth Guo, _Chinese Martial Arts Training Manuals: A Historical Survey_. So far, I'm really enjoying it, and find it to be very informative about various issues of authorship, historical context, and content of early martial manuals. There are some very nice illustrations and photos, helping to capture the authentic flavor of early Chinese manuals, some of which are quite rare. Check it out. I would be interested to hear other folks' impressions once you've had a chance to read it.
Take care,


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The National Black Law Students Association's Frederick Douglass Moot Court Competition
Renowned as the premier black legal advocacy competition, this program facilitates and promotes academic excellence. Each year, more than 150 teams of black law students have the opportunity to compete in oral advocacy at the national level and to connect with black attorneys and judges. This moot is organized by the National Black Law Students Association (NBLSA), the largest student-run organization in America. Students who are members of BLSA are eligible to participate in this moot. Students will work on the brief during the fall and early portion of the spring semesters and will compete in February. Students will receive 2 credits for their participation in the Frederick Douglass Moot in Law 872.


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" Brand: Huggies / Type: Newborn starter kit containing a pack of Huggies Newborn nappies, Huggies wipes and a cotton baby hat "
8/12/12 - UPDATE: We have used up all the size 1 newborn nappies and they have not leaked and also have a great cut out bit that sits around the umbilical cord so I am really pleased with the nappies this time around.
This is a review of the Huggies Newborn Starter Kit we were bought as a gift to welcome our new baby. My Mother in Law spotted it whilst doing her weekly shopping at the supermarket and thought it was a good buy.
What's in it?
The set used to come with a hat included (I think I got one of these with my last baby!) but has now been updated with the new cotton sheets instead of the hat.
- A pack of size one nappies (27 nappies)
- A pack of Huggies cotton soft sheets (x 60) which are a new product line
- A pack of Huggies pure wipes (x64)
Once you remove the cardboard wrap which has coupons printed on the inside, you are left with a brown sturdy little square cardboard box with adorable ducks printed on it. It really is nice enough to keep as a keepsake or storage box for your baby (I love things like this!). Inside, there are nappies in a plastic pack, wipes that are sealed and the new Huggies cotton soft sheets which are in a clear plastic with tie string top.
My thoughts
I was not a massive fan of Huggies the first time around, we found them a bit leaky on our daughter so it was not a brand of nappy that I planned to use although I am happy to try them out. I also don't want to stockpile a load of size one nappies (like we did last time!) as they can soon be in to size two nappies if they are born a good weight. With regards to the baby wipes, it is advised not to use these on new born babies, rather cotton wool and warm water although I packed the cotton soft sheets included in the set in my hospital bag to use rather than cotton wool. I really like the cotton soft sheets for a number of uses, dry and wet and find they are a handy item to have so I will probably buy these again in the future instead of cotton wool.
How much?
Obviously, this was a gift so I don't know the exact shelf price but I know they are often on offer during baby events and that the Huggies vouchers you get in a lot of the maternity packs will work against these at the till. Inside the wrapper are also further vouchers off nappies, wipes and swim nappies so you can use them against future buys. Expect to pay around £5 although they are sometimes on offer for £3.33 in Boots if you pick the right time!
Final word
I have heard of people buying multiple sets of these when on offer, taking advantage of the coupons inside but as I am not a big fan of Huggies nappies I won't be playing this game. I do appreciate the gift though and love the duck box. We've already used the wipes on our daughter (they were OK, nice and moist but easily ripped) and the nappies will come in handy over those first few weeks with the baby. The best product for me in the set is the cotton soft sheets which are versatile and safe to use on a new born baby. You can buy these in the supermarket for around £1.30 which I don't think is too bad for 60 wipes.
Since finding out I was pregnant last year I have been on the look out for any coupons or freebies that I could get, my Dad found a voucher for an Asda Free Huggies Newborn Starter Kit. The voucher didn't actually say what the starter kit included but after all it was a freebie so I didn't really mind. We do have a very small Asda store just a couple of miles down the road from our house, however they did not stock the Huggies Newborn Starter Kit and suggested we went to a larger store, we do have an Asda store about 15 minutes away so the next time we went that way we called in the larger Asda and picked up one of the Starter Kits for free.
The Huggies Starter Kit comes in a beige coloured cardboard box, this has a cardboard sleeved wrapped around it, this has the words "Huggies, Newborn Starter Kit" written on all sides along with a picture of a baby wearing a hat. The sleeve simply slides off of the box to reveal the box inside, this open by releasing a tab on the side of the box, the top of the box lifts up to reveal the contents inside. Once the sleeve was removed I found that there were several money off vouchers printed on the inside of the box, there was about 4 in total and included money off vouchers for nappies including newborn nappies and also Huggies Little Swimmers, the coupons are also repeated in Euros as well as pounds, I was pleased to find that other vouchers were included in the kit as these will be useful for when the baby arrives.
Since being pregnant I have received other starter kits containing free samples of different baby products however a lot of these tend to be miniature versions, I expected the Huggies Starter kit to be the same. When I opened the kit I was surprised to find a full sized packet of Huggies Newborn Nappies, exactly the same as what you would buy on the shelf in the shop for about £4 or £5. The kit also included a full sized packet of Huggies Pure wipes, again exactly the same as those that can be purchased in the shop for £2 or £3, there were no miniatures at all everything was full sized. Inside the box you also received a little white cotton hat, this comes wrapped inside a clear plastic wrapper, the hat is plain white with a small tag and the Huggies logo on it, and the hat itself has a small knot tied in the top of it, it is very cute and looks as though it would be a good fit for a newborn baby, this would be ideal for the summer months, and with my baby due at the end of April its perfect timing.
Although I got a voucher for a free Huggies Starter Kit you can actually buy it for around £5.00 from Asda, it is not just something that is available with a free voucher. Personally I would say that the Starter kit is worth the money, if you were to buy the items within the kit separately it would cost you well over £5.00 so you do get a lot for your money if you were to pay for the Huggies Starter Kit.
This kit would make quite a good present for someone due to have a baby or for new parents, whilst its probably not the most exciting of presents it is practical and does include some of the essentials needed for a new baby., you also get the added bonus of some money off vouchers for futures purchases.
Obviously I have not used any of my Huggies Starter Kit yet but it will certainly come in handy for when our baby does arrive, we have collected up various samples of nappies and wipes using different vouchers and freebies but this is the only kit we have got which contain full sized packs of nappies and wipes. The kit is quite reasonably priced if you were to buy it but if like us you can find a voucher to get the kit for free then it is definitely worth it. The kit would make an ideal gift for new parents to help with baby's essentials needed. This is certainly a kit I would recommend and worth a trip to Asda especially if you have a free voucher!
While I was pregnant with my fourth (and definitely final) baby I was given some vouchers to spend in Asda where I could get free Huggies Newborn Starter Kits. Loving a freebie as I do I could wait to hotfoot it to our nearest Asda (nearest as in around twenty miles away!) to pick them up.
What I got for my voucher, and what ordinary people will get for a fiver, is a packet of Huggies Newborn nappies, a pack of Huggies Pure wipes and a white cotton hat. I've been told a previous box contained muslin squares instead of the hat, which doesn't sound half as sweet to me!
The nappies are size one and were as good as a packet of Huggies Newborn you'd buy off the shelves; I was impressed to find I received a full sized packet in each Starter Kit, which actually resulted in me not needing to buy nappies for David until he was six weeks old. The wipes were also a full packet, although being Huggies Pure I wasn't as happy as if they had included one of their other types of wipe. I have just never got on with the Pure variety, they are far too thick and wet to be able to clean baby properly and are actually more suited as a facial wipe than one for use on a bum.
The cotton hat is gorgeous and David has worn it plenty of times. It's quite thin so perhaps more suitable for during the summer months, although I'm lazy and tend to use the car more than the pushchair so I also used it plenty through the winter to avoid his head becoming too hot while travelling in the car. It features a taggie with the Huggies logo, perfect for a brand-junkie like myself, and has been a good fit from birth until very recently (around fourteen weeks).
All this came in a cute cardboard box showing a very placid and happy looking babe lying naked in a hat which isn't the Huggies hat. It would have been better to have the baby in one of their nappies with the Huggies hat on his head, but maybe that wouldn't have had the same 'ahhh' factor. Inside the box there were a few money off coupons for (if I remember correctly) £2 off Huggies nappies and £1 off Huggies wipes, I have a sneaking suspicion there was also a voucher for money off Little Swimmers too but I could well be imagining that!
The Huggies Starter Kit would be an ideal gift for someone you know who is due to have a baby. It wouldn't be the most exciting gift in the world (so men, do NOT buy it for your labouring wife instead of flowers) but will definitely help out with the expenses and stress of the first few days with a brand new bundle of joy.
I've just had a quick reckon up and if you purchase the kit for £5 you're not saving much on the cost of a pack of newborn nappies and wipes, a few pence perhaps, but you do get the gorgeous hat which in my opinion is definitely worth a trip to Asda for.


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Rush to judgment: Let's stop eating our young
What often causes the most stress for police officers is the tension between us — our co-workers and supervisors — not the carnage and mayhem we deal with on the streets
As police officers we make judgments every day. Which vehicle or person gets stopped? Who gets a ticket? Who goes to jail? It's part of our job and we usually do as thorough an investigation as the situation and circumstances allow, and then make those decisions based on the facts as we understand them at the time.
I've noticed, however, that when it comes to judging other cops a lot of that training and experience goes out the window. When I started out in this profession I was not immune to the problem.
On more than one occasion I jumped to a conclusion of how another cop had "screwed up" based on what I was told by another officer, who heard from another officer who "knew" all the facts.
Then, based on that dubious source of information, would come to some conclusion of how if I (or we, because it's usually more fun to do it in a group) had been that officer it would have been done much better.
This is what I have heard described as "eating our young."
I will admit I've been seated at the table of judgment and feasted on more than one occasion.
I've since learned that, amazingly, most of the time the story that I heard wasn't quite the same as the story of the incident from the officer involved.
So, I learned try to go to the source rather than repeat the inaccurate story that was circulating. I'd love to tell you that this change came about as the result of some altruistic epiphany. The fact is that I decided to change my ways after I found myself as the subject of those discussions.
Funny how being the dinner (and not the diner) suddenly makes the feast a whole lot less fun.
Going to the source is easy when you work on a small department. On a larger department, that task becomes very difficult.
Furthermore, the Internet multiplies the opportunity to feed ourselves at the ever-growing worldwide table of judgment and you have a veritable smorgasbord provided at the speed of a hyperlink.
In a rush to judgment, feelings, relationships, and reputations can be hurt. Careers can be destroyed and lives can be lost.
For just one example, let's consider an incident in which an undercover officer is shot in the vest by a suspect. He calls for assistance. He is mistaken by the responding uniform officers for the suspect, is then shot again, and seriously wounded.
A rumor starts (and quickly circulates) that the undercover officer intentionally shot and wounded himself to avoid an upcoming military deployment. Eventually the Chief of Police released a statement saying that their investigation showed the rumor was false.
Despite that, rumors continued to plague the officer.
He committed suicide.
So why do we sit at the table of judgment and feast or gorge ourselves. It boils down to one thing: EGO.
One source defines ego as "a person's sense of self-esteem or self-importance."
We like to be right because that builds our ego. For all of us, some more than others, the easiest way to build ourselves up is to tear someone else down. If that is the construction plan for your life and career, some words of caution: A pile of rubble is an unstable base; expect that at some time there will be a collapse.
Another factor that plays into this game is ignorance. Now, when I use the word ignorance I want you to understand that I don't mean it in a derogatory manner. Ignorance is defined as a lack of knowledge. Ignorance is cured by gaining knowledge.
You may have heard that the Great Wall of China can be seen from space. While it's true that it can be seen from Low Earth Orbit, the Great Wall is actually narrower than the average interstate highway, so if you're any farther up, it is not visible to the naked eye.
So how did that "common knowledge" statement become "common knowledge" even though it is incorrect?
A famous astronaut said it, and the statement was repeated and repeated until it became accepted as fact.
As just shown, "common knowledge" isn't always fact. We judge others by what we think we know. I recently attended the Force Science Research's Force Analyst certification class. During the weeklong course we were exposed to the scientific principles of what happens to the human body and mind under extreme stress and how that affects human performance and perception.
The class was made up of attorneys and officers involved in use-of-force investigations and training.
In that room were hundreds of years of expertise in police investigations.
Yet, one of the most common statements I heard during those five days was:
"If I had known this information ___ years ago Officer ________ would not have been (disciplined, terminated, or prosecuted)."
We know that one of our greatest stressors in this job is the relationships that we have with one another. We also know that how we choose to judge one another can have a direct impact on that relationship.
In an upcoming series of articles, I'll use a recent officer-involved shooting as a foundation to explain how we — all too often — come to the wrong conclusions regarding other officers' actions.
We'll look at the incident from three different perspectives — a surveillance video, a TV news video, and the unedited interview with the officers. We will discuss a few of the principles taught by the Force Science Analyst class to gain a better understanding of the science behind what happens. With the knowledge gained regarding officer involved incidents we take a step towards avoiding any future rush to judgment.


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Pacific Island nations contribute less than 1% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. Since this seems an insignificant amount why would leaders of these nations want to make their economies and lifestyle more sustainable?
"Consumerism and economic growth are not the only priorities for any nation but unfortunately this is the case right now," says Fei Tevi, Coordinator of the Leadership, Green Growth and Sustainability Initiative at IUCN Oceania. "In the Pacific Islands people also value their culture, their land, and their families and for the majority their spirituality and the concept of green growth encompass all of these aspects."
Tevi believes that leaders should be concerned about the future of their people who elected them and not so much about global image.
According to Tevi the idea of green growth presents an opportunity for island leaders to change and move away from thinking "you caused it, you change it".
"Green growth is not just about making processes and systems green but the gist of it is really about changing the current thinking that our leaders have which is largely centered on profit".
For a region economically, socially and culturally dependent on its natural resources the urgency comes with the issue of climate change.
"Climate change is the gun to green growth," says Tevi. "If we don't change now our land and our people will be the first to go under."
The good news is change is happening in the region but slowly. For instance, at the Special Melanesian Spearhead Group Summit held in March 2012, leaders of the Melanesian countries made some huge declarations on blue carbon, green growth and climate change.
Green growth will be a widely debated topic at the 2012 IUCN World Conservation Congress. On September 10 Tevi will feature in the event 'Rethinking sustainability in Melanesia' at the Just World Pavilion.


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Smoking Doesn't JUST Cause Lung Cancer
While most smokers are aware of some of the health problems smoking causes, such as lung cancer and heart disease, they may not be aware of the 12 other types of cancer smoking can cause, or other health problems associated with smoking. These may include stroke, lung diseases (emphysema and COPD), peripheral vascular disease, diabetes, ulcers, osteoporosis, infertility (in men and women) and impotence in men, just to name a few. In addition, smoking affects the health of those around you through second hand smoke exposure- children are particularly susceptible to the health effects of second hand smoke. Learning about the negative effects of smoking may be the motivation some people need to quit. For some, the diagnosis of cancer in a close friend or family member can be the impetus to quit. Whatever the motivation, quitting can be very difficult. Use the links below to learn more about the importance of quitting, planning a quit date and finding the support needed to be successful. Keep in mind, most people attempt to quit many times before being successful. If you fall off the horse, dust yourself off and get right back on!
Why quit? Tobacco smoking is the greatest single cause of early death, killing about half the people who continue to smoke for most of their lives. Half of those deaths will occur before age 69. Tobacco use is responsible for nearly 1 in 5 deaths or almost ½ million people a year in the U.S. The U.S. Surgeon General first reported on the detrimental health effects of cigarette smoking in 1964, yet 23% of all men and 18% of all women, in the United States, still smoke cigarettes today.
Smoking causes 85% of lung cancer cases in the U.S., but is also a primary cause of cancers of the oral (mouth) and nasal (nose) cavity, sinuses, pharynx (throat), larynx (voice box), esophagus (tube from the throat to the stomach), stomach, pancreas, liver, bladder, kidney, cervix and one type of leukemia (acute myeloid leukemia). A person's risk of developing cancer increases with the time that they smoke (number of years) and the amount that they smoke (number of cigarettes per day). However, there is no safe amount to smoke and even one cigarette can cause damage to the DNA of your cells. Quitting is beneficial at ANY time- no matter how long you have smoked. Quitting allows your body to begin to reverse some of the damage smoking has done, and reduces risk of cancer and other health problems compared to people who continue smoking.
- Estimating your risk of lung cancer in numbers
- How does tobacco cause cancer?
- Are you ready to quit smoking?
- Benefits of quitting cigarettes
- Symptoms of withdrawal from tobacco
- Resources for Quitting
- Life after tobacco
Estimating your risk of lung cancer in numbers
Many current and former smokers want to know their risk of developing lung cancer in numbers. For example, some people want information such as "I have a 10% chance of developing the disease." Assigning a number to risk is very complicated and is often hard to interpret- while one person may think 10% is a high chance, another thinks that is a relatively low number.And for the person who is in that 10% and develops the cancer, the number is meaningless. Remember that statistics like these are numbers based on large groups of people. It can be difficult to translate what that means for any one individual. In other words, don't let the number convince you that it is okay to continue smoking.
If you are still interested in knowing some numbers, researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center have developed an online tool that estimates risk of lung cancer in numbers for people between 50 and 75 years old who have smoked at least 25 years, though they can be current or former smokers. Remember this tool only considers lung cancer risk and not risk of the 12 other types of cancer or other health conditions that smoking causes.
If you don't fall into that tool's population, you can talk with your doctor about your risk. Calculating a risk is very complicated and some researchers have spent entire careers trying to quantify an individual smoker's risk. Risk calculation takes into account the amount smoked, over what time period and can include other parts of your health history that can increase your risk (asbestos exposure, COPD).
How does tobacco cause cancer?
Tobacco and tobacco smoke cause cancer because they contain many chemicals that are known carcinogens (cancer causing agents). Cigarettes, cigars, chewing and pipe tobacco are made from dried tobacco leaves, as well as ingredients added for flavor and other reasons, such as making smoking more pleasant. More than 7,000 different chemicals have been found in tobacco and tobacco smoke -- among them are more than 60 known carcinogens. Some of the substances that are released by cigarettes and make up tobacco smoke include: ammonia, arsenic, benzene (like that found in pesticides and gasoline) cyanide, formaldehyde (a known carcinogen chemical used to preserve dead bodies), tar, and carbon monoxide. Similar substances are found in smokeless tobacco, including Polonium 210 (nuclear waste), cadmium (used in car batteries), lead (which causes nerve poison), nitrosamines, arsenic, and cyanide.
The chemicals in tobacco and tobacco smoke cause damage in the most basic level of our bodies, the cells and genes. Normally, the body has systems, controlled by genes, which regulate cell growth, repair and death. The genetic damage caused by smoking causes this regulation to malfunction, leading to uncontrolled growth. This uncontrolled growth can, in turn, lead to the formation of tumors that grow and spread throughout the body because they are not detected or repaired by the body's normal monitoring systems.
Are You Ready to Quit Smoking?
Quitting is beneficial, no matter how long a person has smoked tobacco. Quitting smoking has major health benefits that start right away. This is true even for people who already have a smoking-related disease or cancer. The argument that it is too late to quit smoking because the damage is already done is not true. It is never too late to quit smoking!
The Benefits of Quitting Cigarettes
Your risk of having lung cancer and other smoking-related illnesses and cancers depends on how much you have been exposed to cigarette smoke over your lifetime. However, the good news is that the risk of these diseases is reduced when you stop smoking. The risk of lung cancer is less in people who quit smoking than in people who keep smoking. The risk of cancer becomes less as the number of years you have been smoke-free increases. People who stop smoking while they are young get the greatest health benefits from quitting. Those who quit in their 30s may avoid most of the risk due to tobacco use. But even smokers who quit after age 50 largely reduce their risk of dying early.
Within minutes of smoking the last cigarette, the body begins to restore itself. Just look at these facts from the U.S. Surgeon General's reports and the American Cancer Society:
20 minutes after quitting
Your heart rate and blood pressure drop. (Effect of smoking on arterial stiffness and pulse pressure amplification, Mahmud A, Feely J. 2003. Hypertension:41:183)
12 hours after quitting
The carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal. (US Surgeon General's Report, 1988)
2 weeks to 3 months after quitting
Your circulation improves, meaning your blood is pumped better and your lungs work better. (US Surgeon General's Report, 1990)
1 to 9 months after quitting
Coughing and shortness of breath decrease; Lung function improves increasing the ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, and reduce the risk of infection. (US Surgeon General's Report, 1990)
1 year after quitting
The excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker's. (US Surgeon General's Report, 2010)
5 years after quitting
Your risk of stroke is reduced to that of a non-smoker 2-5 years after quitting. The risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus and bladder is cut in half after 5 years. (US Surgeon General's Report, 2010)
10 years after quitting
The lung cancer death rate is about half that of a person who is still smoking. (US Surgeon General's Report, 2010)
15 years after quitting
The risk of coronary heart disease is that of a non-smoker's. (US Surgeon General's Report, 1990)
These health benefits are certainly appealing. In addition, keep in mind the day to day benefits of better smelling breath, hair and clothes; further, your senses of smell and taste may improve, and you may begin to notice less shortness of breath when doing simple activities. You will be setting a great example for other smokers who want to quit and your family and friends will be proud of your achievement, not to mention the benefits for them. In addition, you will be saving lots of money; set aside what you would usually spend and do something nice for yourself with the money!
Symptoms of withdrawal from tobacco
Stopping or cutting back on smoking cigarettes, or any other type of tobacco, causes symptoms of nicotine withdrawal, which can affect a person both physically and mentally. Physically, the body is reacting to the absence of nicotine. Mentally and emotionally, one is faced with giving up an addiction, which calls for big changes in behavior and routine. Both the physical and mental factors must be dealt with to quit and stay quit.
Those who have used tobacco regularly for a few weeks or longer, and suddenly stop or greatly reduce the amount used, ,may have withdrawal symptoms. Symptoms usually start within a few hours of the last cigarette, dip or chew and get worse about 2 to 3 days later when most of the nicotine and its by-products are out of the body. Quitters may experience: dizziness (which may last 1 or 2 days after quitting), depression, feelings of frustration, impatience, anger, anxiety, irritability, trouble sleeping (including trouble falling asleep, staying asleep and having bad dreams or nightmares), trouble concentrating, restlessness, headaches, tiredness and increased appetite.
Withdrawal symptoms can last for a few days to up to several weeks. These uncomfortable feelings can lead you to start using tobacco again, but remember: They will get better every day that you stay tobacco-free! Nicotine replacement products and other medications can help you get through the tough times. There are also wonderful resources available online and in the community - learn more in the resources for quitting below.
Resources for Quitting
Quitting tobacco is not easy, but you can do it! Whether you're a smoker or someone who uses smokeless tobacco, to have the best chance of quitting and staying quit, you need to know what you're up against, what your options are, and where to go for help. Below are some resources that will help you.
Smoking cessation. Where do I start?
Start here for help in creating a quit plan, tips to coping with common obstacles and resources for support and smoking cessation programs.
Smoking Cessation Aids:
This article reviews the available treatments, both pharmacologic (drug) and non-pharmacologic, to aid in successful smoking cessation.
Life After Tobacco
Unfortunately, quitting tobacco cannot completely erase the damage done from previous smoking. You should always be honest with healthcare providers about your smoking history and be aware of the risks associated with this history.
As recommended by the American Cancer Society, you should tell your healthcare provider about any of the following symptoms:
- Any change in a cough (for example, you cough up more phlegm or mucus than usual)
- A new cough
- Coughing up blood
- Hoarseness
- Trouble breathing
- Wheezing
- Chest pain
- Loss of appetite
- Weight loss
- Feeling tired all the time (fatigue)
- Frequent lung or respiratory infections (like pneumonia or bronchitis)
- Development of sores or white patches in your mouth.