Mi Vida Ocupada: My Busy Life!

PSA: Dry Drowning

**If you have kids, you will want to read this**

How many of you have heard of Dry Drowning?  I hadn't at all until yesterday when I read this article at MSNBC.com.   Basically, it is the story of a 10-year-old boy who died an hour or so after he walked home from a day at the pool.  What!? How is that possible???? Well, according to Wikipedia.org:

"Dry drowning is when a person's lungs become unable to extract oxygen from the air, due primarily to:

• Muscular paralysis
• Puncture wound to the torso (affecting ability of diaphragm to create respiratory movement)
• Changes to the oxygen-absorbing tissues
• Persistence of laryngospasm when immersed in fluid
• Breathing for too long any gas other than oxygen that does not kill the patient on its own. (e.g. Helium)

The person may effectively drown without any sort of fluid. In cases of dry drowning in which the victim was immersed, very little fluid is aspirated into the lungs. The laryngospasm reflex essentially causes asphyxiation and neurogenic pulmonary edema (oedema)."

MSNBC.com also had this to say:
"According to the Centers for Disease Control, some 3,600 people drowned in 2005, the most recent year for which there are statistics. Some 10 to 15 percent of those deaths was classified as “dry drowning,” which can occur up to 24 hours after a small amount of water gets into the lungs. In children, that can happen during a bath."

Symptoms include:

1. Trouble breathing
2. Extreme fatigue
3. Unexpected change in behavior

Just thought everyone should know about this....

PSA: A friendly reminder to backup your files.....

Just thought I'd remind and encourage all of you to back up all of your documents, pictures and files that may be on your computer to an external hard drive.  I recommend doing this at least 1-2x per month!
You just never know when your system might crash and I have seen many people devastated to lose everything that was on it because they never bothered to back up their files.
So if you ahven't already done it, go  by yourself an external hard drive!! You can get one pretty inexpensively just about anywhere, including Target!

Bloggers, I also recommend archiving your blog files.  Most blogging services can be exported into .htm format.

Hope this helps at least someone out there!!

PSA: Avoid products with soy!!!

How many of you have heard that products made from soy were good for you?  I always did until this morning after doing a little research to follow up an e-mail a friend sent me about its harmful effects.

These are FACTS: Taken from the Westin A. Price Foundation

Confused About Soy?--Soy Dangers Summarized

• High levels of phytic acid in soy reduce assimilation of calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc. Phytic acid in soy is not neutralized by ordinary preparation methods such as soaking, sprouting and long, slow cooking. High phytate diets have caused growth problems in children.
• Trypsin inhibitors in soy interfere with protein digestion and may cause pancreatic disorders. In test animals soy containing trypsin inhibitors caused stunted growth.
• Soy phytoestrogens disrupt endocrine function and have the potential to cause infertility and to promote breast cancer in adult women.
• Soy phytoestrogens are potent antithyroid agents that cause hypothyroidism and may cause thyroid cancer. In infants, consumption of soy formula has been linked to autoimmune thyroid disease.
• Vitamin B₁₂ analogs in soy are not absorbed and actually increase the body's requirement for B₁₂.
• Soy foods increase the body's requirement for vitamin D.
• Fragile proteins are denatured during high temperature processing to make soy protein isolate and textured vegetable protein.
• Processing of soy protein results in the formation of toxic lysinoalanine and highly carcinogenic nitrosamines.
• Free glutamic acid or MSG, a potent neurotoxin, is formed during soy food processing and additional amounts are added to many soy foods.
• Soy foods contain high levels of aluminum which is toxic to the nervous system and the kidneys.

Here is what Dr. Joseph Mercola says about consuming soy products.

Here is a link to several research articles about soy and its damage to the body

Scary stuff!!!

This is what Snopes.com had to say about soy (last updated over 2 years ago!)

Do yourself a search on Google and you will find this information is EVERYwhere.

PSA: Be careful with the Jalapenos!

PSA: If you ever find yourself chopping real jalapenos, make sure you never rub your eye, no matter how many times you've washed your hands.  It will burn like HELL and you will find yourself flushing your eye and holding ice over it (for what feels like forever) until the burn cools.  Your eye will swell up and you will have a hard time seeing.

So, um, yeah, I am the idiot who pulled that move.  Its all good NOW, 12 hours later!

I cannot believe it is Friday already! Where did the last week go?  I have been hanging out all week, going to lunch with my honey and relaxing to the max.  I even had Mexican food three times this week!

Went out on the boat with my neighbors on Wednesday evening while they fished.  It was very hot and sunny that day....no fish for them, but I caught a tan :) It always surprises me how fast I go from white-girl to brown-girl.  The few hours I was out with the fam on Father's Day gave me a lot of good color.  I have to be very careful of my face though, because I have a skin-condition called melasma and the pigment in my face is very uneven....I get super dark patches when I am in the sun so I usually wear heavy sunscreen and a visor to protect my forehead.  It sucks, but I do NOT want skin cancer like my Gramps.  He has to have them removed like every-other-month.  Here is a pic I captured on the lake (Bald Eagle Lake, a few blocks from our house).  This is one of the only sections of the lake that doesn't have big homes on it.

Books: I am reading a new book, The Kindness of Strangers, by Katrina Kittle.  So far it is very good! It is written from the viewpoints of different characters, similar to some of Jodi Picoult books.  The subject matter also reminds me of something Jodi Picoult would write about.  Very good.  I am also re-reading Harry Potter 6.  I always re-read the book that comes before the newest release so that I can remember all the details when the new one comes out.

Speaking of books, I have already sent out five books to people on www.paperbackswap.com and have received one in the mail (two more on their way).  I have three credits ready to be redeemed for new books too :) Has anyone else signed up yet?  I have soooo many books on my shelves and have collected them for years.  I have many that I would never dream to part with (my favorites and classics), but there are some that I bought that were just "okay",  not "keepers".  Those are the ones I have listed to trade.  I think I need to make a list of all the books I still want to read/own.  Any recommendations out there?

Have a super weekend!

PSA: Database with personal information

I saw the following message on Scrapjazz this morning.  And this is NOT A JOKE.  I am a little freaked out at how much information about me is out there and all of you should be too!  People can actually buy your background report for $50.  Horrible!!!! Scary!!!!!

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Beginning this month a New Database will be available to the general public free of charge that displays your personal information
(names, addresses, phone numbers, birth dates). (Soc. Sec. is available for a price.) The database is found at http://www.zabasearch.com/ type in your name and check...
I urge you to forward this information to family and friends. Check to see if your name and information is in their database. If so and you want it removed, send them an e-mail at info@zabasearch.com to request it be removed. I do not know how our names are appearing there, but I checked my own and a few other random ones and they are all in this database!
After opting out by email, check back after a few days to make certain your information has been removed. If it has not been removed then file a complaint with your State's Attorney General.

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****Not only do they show addresses and phone numbers, but it also lists people that you are related to.  Both of my brothers, my parents and one of my cousins were listed next to my name  http://www.intelius.com/people-search.html

PSA: Petfood Recall

As some of you pet-owners may be aware, there has been a major recall of SEVERAL different pet foods that were sold within the past month.  A new product used in these foods has been making cats and dogs sick from kidney failure...many animals have actually died.  This is sooooo soooooo sad and I just thought I'd do my good deed of the day by listing info to help you out.  Thank God our specific food is not listed, I almost freaked out when I heard about this.  Here is more information http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17650075/

And the list of recalled pet foods   http://www.menufoods.com/recall/

PSA: Driving Tips....

What should I write about today??

Hmmm...well, how about some driving tips??  I am one of those people who get very annoyed while out driving....not road rage or anything, I just see too many drivers out there who just don't pay attention to the other drivers on the road. Rather than complain about it, I am going to educate based on my observations.  Maybe someone who really needs these tips will stumble across my little blog!

Here is my list of courteous driving tips....things you may or may not already do, but at least now you can be aware!!

1.  Put on your turn signal with plenty of time to spare (not just the standard 30 feet) if there are cars near you anywhere! It drives me crazy when I want to turn in one direction but have to wait on someone who appears to be going straight and then they put on their signal at the last minute and turn. I waited for nothing!!  Can't you see that I am trying to turn and I am waiting on your a$$? Put on your signal early so I know I can GO!

2. When driving in the right lane on the freeway and you see a car coming down the entrance ramp to get on....MOVE TO THE LEFT LANE if you can.  Don't be a jerk and let the guy in!

3.  When trying to merge with traffic, make sure you are going to proper speed. Stopping or slowing down too much can be very dangerous!!

4. When you see two lanes of traffic merging into one....don't think you can just zoom by everyone and get in at the last minute.  This just causes more of a hold up.  You aren't better than everyone else who had to wait in that same line, so wait like the rest of us!

5. Do not EVER stop in the middle of a busy street to drop someone off or pick someone up.  Are you kidding me?? Pull over at the next side street or into a parking lot.  Duh!!!

6. Go the stinkin speed limit and pay attention if you're going to talk on your celly and drive at the same time!!! Being on the phone is no reason to drive around oblivious to everything going on around you.

7. Parking lots are NOT obstacle courses or speedways. Please use caution...you never know when someone's little kid is going to run out in front of you.

These are all I can think of off the top of my head.  Please feel free to leave a comment about other driving tips that people should know!

I am sick of idiot drivers!

PSA: ICE your cell phone

I think this is a really great idea, so I want to help spread the word........ hopefully none of us will never need it to be used.

Following the subway bombings in London, a British Ambulance Service has launched worldwide campaign for people to enter an "In Case of Emergency" (ICE) number into their cell phones.

The idea is to store the number for your Emergency Contact in your cellular phone address book with the word ICE in front of their name, which stands for "In Case of Emergency".

In an emergency situation ambulance and hospital staff will then be able to quickly find out who your next of kin are and be able to contact them. It's so simple that everyone can do it.

If you find the ICE idea helpful, please store it in your phone then pass on the message to your family and friends.

It won't take too many 'forwards' before everybody will know about this. It really could save your life, or put a loved one's mind at rest.

For tips, news and the history of ICE go to

http://www.iceyourcellphone.com

 

**My Brother Jeff designed this website.  There are many ads for new cell phones, and I am in the market for a new one.  I think I want to buy this Awesome New Cell Phone, especially since I can get it FREE!!!!!!!  And so can all of you, if you are willing to switch to Cingular!!

***This is my PSA for the day :)