tagged w/ Quality of Life
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Most of Greece’s public service workers have gone on general strike on Wednesday to express their discontent with the government’s severe austerity program. Train and ferry services have been suspended, while flights will be grounded for several hours. Public transport workers in the Greek capital also walked out.
See video and read more here:
http://www.politicalfailblog.com/2011/05/greece-paralyzed-by-general-strike-over.htmlMost of Greece’s public service workers have gone on general strike on Wednesday... more
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Bizarre
http://ramanan50.wordpress.com/2011/03/24/interactive-tool-to-help-homes/
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Nurse caught on CCTV turning off paralysed patient’s life support machine
A paralysed patient has been left severely brain damaged after a nurse switched off his life support machine in an incident captured on CCTV.
Telegraph.co.uk
By Murray Wardrop
25 Oct 2010
Violeta Aylward, an agency nurse working for the NHS, was caught on camera turning off the ventilator keeping quadriplegic Jamie Merrett alive.
The 37-year-old, left paralysed from the neck down following a car accident in 2002, had a bedside camera set up at his home after becoming concerned about the standard of care he was receiving.
Click to see..(SHOCKING VIDEO) Incompetent Nurse Caught Shutting Off Ventilator, Causes Serious Brain Damage…http://ctpatriot1970.wordpress.com/2010/10/25/nurse-switched-off-his-life-support/Nurse caught on CCTV turning off paralysed patient’s life support machine
A... more
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A recent study shows that that 80% of people are dissatisfied with their jobs.
As the economy falters and more companies downsize, laid-off workers are being faced with a new decision: find more work as a corporate cog or create something new for themselves.
An August issue of Bloomberg Business Week quotes John Seely Brown...
"more people seem to be choosing a passion over a paycheck... In a world of mounting economic pressure driven by intensifying global competition, passion is essential to the kind of performance improvement needed to succeed."
Is he right? Will more people use the downtime they face from unemployment to become entrepreneurs? In this economy can you choose a job you are passionate about over a job that pays a lot?A recent study shows that that 80% of people are dissatisfied with their jobs.
As the... more
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Reservoirs and stagnant streams created by dams can be conducive for mosquito breeding.
People living less than one kilometer of the Koka Dam in central Ethiopia are nearly three times more likely to get malaria than people living one to two km away, and nearly 20 times more likely to contract the disease than people living more than five km away, according to research by the Sri Lanka-based International Water Management Institute.
The study also found that better management of the water releases from the reservoir can reduce mosquito breeding grounds and decrease malaria transmission.
Dams have long been known to influence malaria rates in warm areas, especially in locations with a rainy season. Reservoirs create standing pools of water and stagnant rivers downstream of the dam—ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
Sub-Saharan Africa comprises 86 percent of global malaria cases and 90 percent of deaths. A 2005 review estimated that 9.4 million people in the region had higher risks of malaria infection because of proximity to dams and irrigation systems, but it did not include data on disease transmission. The IWMI study is one of a few to quantify the effects of a specific dam.
The Koka Dam, of Ethiopia’s Rift Valley, was completed in 1960 and provides hydropower, irrigation and flood control. Researchers found that malaria rates were highest in communities living near the reservoir, but that the reservoir releases could be coordinated to reduce standing pools of water and dry out mosquito habitat.
Meanwhile other studies have corroborated this. Managing water flow to create conditions averse to mosquito breeding was an important factor in reducing malaria in the state of Orissa in northeastern India. A study of several villages in Orissa found that the construction of small dams helped to regulate rivers and decreased malaria rates.
The IWMI authors suggest that a health impact assessment should be completed in a dam’s planning stages along with an environmental impact assessment. Health assessments, however, are rarely included as the pace of water resources development increases.
Dam building is proceeding swiftly in many African countries. The Ethiopian government has promised to invest $13 billion in 10 hydropower plants over the next 10 years. There are also calls for more water storage in Africa to increase economic opportunity. Rain-fed agriculture supports 94 percent of the cropped acreage on the continent. A report released two weeks ago by IWMI at World Water Week in Stockholm called for an increase in water storage to increase agricultural productivity and protect farmers against climate change.
Source: IWMI Research Report 132: Malaria Transmission in the Vicinity of Impounded WaterReservoirs and stagnant streams created by dams can be conducive for mosquito... more
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Cleveland leads a slew of Midwestern towns on our annual list, but thanks to high taxes New York and Chicago make it too.
The city of Cleveland has had a colorful history. The Cuyahoga River, which runs through the city, famously caught fire in 1969 thanks to rampant pollution, and it wasn't the first time. In 1978 it became the first U.S. city to default on its debts since the Great Depression. Cleveland sports fans have had to endure more anguish than those in any other city. The city has been dubbed with a less than endearing nickname: the Mistake by the Lake.
This year Cleveland takes the top spot in our third annual ranking of America's Most Miserable Cities. Cleveland secured the position thanks to its high unemployment, high taxes, lousy weather, corruption by public officials and crummy sports teams (Cavaliers of the NBA excepted).
Misery was on the rise around the country last year. Sure the stock market was up big, but so were unemployment, foreclosures and bankruptcy filings. Meanwhile housing prices, the U.S. dollar and approval ratings for Congress continued their downward spiral.
The widely tracked Misery Index initiated by economist Arthur Okun, which combines unemployment and inflation rates started 2009 at 7.3 and rose to 12.7 by the end of the year thanks to soaring joblessness. That is the highest level since 1983.
Our Misery Measure takes into account unemployment, as well as eight other issues that cause people anguish. The metrics include taxes (both sales and income), commute times, violent crime and how its pro sports teams have fared over the past two years. We also factored in two indexes put together by Portland, Ore., researcher Bert Sperling that gauge weather and Superfund pollution sites. Lastly we considered corruption based on convictions of public officials in each area as tracked by the Public Integrity Section of the U.S. Department of Justice.
We expanded the list of cities under consideration this year to include the 200 largest metropolitan statistical areas (in years past we've examined 150), which led to a shuffling in the ranks. Any area with a population of more than 245,000 was eligible.
Cleveland nabbed the top spot as a result of poor ratings across the board.
MORE---
http://realestate.yahoo.com/promo/americas-most-miserable-cities-2010.html
(and a bit extra on Cleveland)---
http://andreakristen.wordpress.com/2009/04/08/cleveland/Cleveland leads a slew of Midwestern towns on our annual list, but thanks to high... more
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February 17, 2010
Should euthanasia be legal?
Posted: 06:00 PM ET
The photo, taken in Brussels, Belgium shows a so-called euthanasia kit, which is available to doctors in some countries, but not in the U.S. The kits must be ordered, picked up, and administered by the doctors themselves. (PHOTO CREDIT: ETIENNE ANSOTTE/AFP/Getty Images)
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Some Canadian doctors want their government to decriminalize euthanasia.
They say that euthanasia is already widely practiced in Quebec's hospitals; and the government should stop ignoring it. They say doctors know when death is "imminent and inevitable" and suggest there should be guidelines for medical professionals to follow in such circumstances.
Those who support what they call dying with dignity say it could apply to patients with a terminal disease like cancer, or babies born with serious medical conditions or seniors whose bodies are simply shutting down on them.
Euthanasia is legal in some countries - including the Netherlands and Belgium - while Switzerland allows doctor-assisted suicide.
Here in the U.S., Washington state and Oregon have laws that allow doctors to prescribe lethal drugs to terminally ill patients. They must be at least 18 years old and mentally competent. There is some support in Montana for a similar rule.
Euthanasia has long been a controversial issue - much like abortion - especially among religious groups. Critics worry that doctor-assisted suicide will pressure people with terminal illnesses - who may be poor or disabled - to end their lives early. Supporters insist it is a dignified way for people who are suffering to go in peace.
One of the most well-known supporters of euthanasia is Jack Kevorkian - who was dubbed Dr. Death. The Michigan doctor served eight years in prison after saying he had assisted in at least 130 suicides.
Here’s my question to you: Should euthanasia be legal?
Tune in to the Situation Room at 6pm to see if Jack reads your answer on air.
And, we love to know where you’re writing from, so please include your city and state with your comment.
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Lisa writes:
I think euthanasia should absolutely be legal. I treat cancer patients, and the some of the suffering I see is heartbreaking. Changing the law would foster the type of end-of-life discussions that are not possible now.
Steena writes:
I have just started nursing school to be an RN. My first rotation has been in nursing homes. After spending time caring for patients whose bodies are failing them and seeing how miserable their lives are, I 100% support euthanasia. Quality of life should trump quantity of life, and for those who disagree, I say spend some time with a terminally ill person.
Loren in Chicago writes:
No, Euthansia should not be legalized. There are too many variables in deciding whether a death is imminent and inevitable and too many ways for persons with bad intent to fix the system to meet their ends.
Jim in Illinois writes:
Many Americans will spend most of their family's financial resources in their last year of life, then die - too often painfully. The current system in the U.S. is broken. But, sorry, I forgot, we should not even think about reforming the medical and health insurance system.
Sarah in Wisconsin writes:
No, euthanasia is murder.
M. writes:
Yes, it should be legal. For those who disagree I urge you to spend three days and nights being fully present at the bedside of four terminally ill patients in hourly rotations at a nursing home. One cannot adequately address this serious matter without witnessing the lives of those who are in the process of dying.
Tom writes:
Yes, Jack. When the vet tells you your dog is terminal and there is no quality of life ahead only suffering, you do the humane thing and put him down. Why shouldn't we show as much love and concern for a human?February 17, 2010
Should euthanasia be legal?
Posted: 06:00 PM ET
The photo,... more
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BBC World Service Presents - The Noisy Ape!
A look into today's noisy culture and its consequences to human life in the planet.
Mankind has spent the entire last century making itself louder. A great deal louder. But why? And what are the consequences?BBC World Service Presents - The Noisy Ape!
A look into today's noisy culture... more
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We are making some progress folks! The US Environment Protection Agency finally put together a page on Noise Pollution;
Noise Pollution Announcements
Revised Regulation for the Labeling of Hearing Protection Devices (HPD)
See Current Activities
On this page:
* What is Noise Pollution?
* Health Effects
* Protection from Noise
* The Role of EPA
* Noise Sources Regulated by EPA
* Currect Activities
* Frequently Asked Questions
* Resource CenterWe are making some progress folks! The US Environment Protection Agency finally put... more
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Something to remember when we see the benefit food drives this holiday season..."Some 691,000 children went hungry in the US in 2007, an alarming rise of 50 percent over the previous year"
"Based on a US Department of Agriculture (http://www.usda.gov/) study conducted on 45,600 households representing approximately 118 million households in the US, some 69,000 American children were identified as having "very low food security."
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In the vein of posting solutions rather than just highlighting the problems via news, this is a great resource to find out where you can help in your local community (by zip code and category):
http://www.volunteermatch.org/search/Something to remember when we see the benefit food drives this holiday... more
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For many of us, clean water comes with the twist of a faucet. But for 1 in 6 people, access to water requires hard work: hours of walking, waiting in line and heavy lifting.
The time spent fulfilling this basic need keeps many children out of school and prevents women from carrying out all the domestic and income generating work for which they are responsible. In rural Africa, it is often necessary to walk five miles (8km) or more every day to fetch water.
In many countries, traditional water collection involves carrying a 5-gallon (20-liter) bucket on the head. This practice puts a great burden on the body and can damage the spine, neck and knees over time. A full Hippo Water Roller only feels like 22 pounds (10 kg) when rolled over level ground, making it possible for almost anyone to transport 24 gallons (90 liters) of water in much less time and with greater ease.
http://www.hipporoller.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippo_water_rollerFor many of us, clean water comes with the twist of a faucet. But for 1 in 6 people,... more
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Few challenges facing America -- and the world -- are more urgent than combating climate change. The science is beyond dispute and the facts are clear. Sea levels are rising. Coastlines are shrinking. We've seen record drought, spreading famine, and storms that are growing stronger with each passing hurricane season.
Climate change and our dependence on foreign oil, if left unaddressed, will continue to weaken our economy and threaten our national security.
Stopping climate change won't be easy. It won't happen overnight. But I promise you this: When I am president, any governor who's willing to promote clean energy will have a partner in the White House. Any company that's willing to invest in clean energy will have an ally in Washington. And any nation that's willing to join the cause of combating climate change will have an ally in the United States of America. Thank you.Few challenges facing America -- and the world -- are more urgent than combating... more
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Brian Kammerer, the 45-year-old chief financial officer of a small hedge fund, called his wife one day from a cellphone in the men's room of his Manhattan office building. A colleague had just asked him for something, he whispered, but he had no idea what it was.
[Brian and Kathy Kammerer] Family
Newlyweds Brian and Kathy Kammerer in 1991
"It clicks and it holds papers together," he said.
"A stapler?" Kathy Kammerer asked.
"I think that's what it's called," he replied.
Soon after that exchange in early 2003, the father of three was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, capping nearly five years of uncertainty and fear about his increasing forgetfulness and difficulty with language.
While most people who get Alzheimer's are over 65, Mr. Kammerer is one of about 500,000 Americans living with Alzheimer's or other dementias at an atypically young age. Alzheimer's takes a long time to develop -- usually, it isn't diagnosed until 10 years after the first symptoms appear -- but more Americans are identifying it early, thanks in part to aggressive screening programs pushed in recent years by groups including the Alzheimer's Foundation of America, a national alliance of caregivers.
The disease can be especially torturous when it creeps up on those in their 30s and 40s. As these patients move through Alzheimer's early stages, they are forced to cope with the dread of not knowing what is happening to them, often in the years when they're raising young children and building financial security. As the disease progresses, there are slip-ups to cover, appearances to keep up. When these "early onset" Alzheimer's sufferers are finally diagnosed, they face hard questions -- whom to tell and when, and what these divulgences mean for their jobs and health insurance.
Overall, an estimated 5.2 million Americans have Alzheimer's, with as many as 10% diagnosed under the age of 65 -- the definition of early onset, according to the Alzheimer's Association, a national research organization. As the population ages, the number of individuals with Alzheimer's is expected to hit 7.7 million in 2030.Brian Kammerer, the 45-year-old chief financial officer of a small hedge fund, called... more
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Forget to take your ginkgo biloba today?
Don't worry, the herb isn't likely to jog your memory any way, according to a study out Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Doctors found daily doses of ginkgo biloba, widely believed to slow memory loss and slash rates of Alzheimer's disease, didn't stop elderly patients from deteriorating.
"I think this is the last chapter in the ginkgo story," said Dr. Gary Kennedy, dementia expert and director of geriatric psychiatry at the Bronx's Montefiore Medical Center.
The study of 1,500 elderly showed that 246 patients who popped a placebo pill were diagnosed with dementia compared with 277 who took ginkgo twice daily.
Participants were age 75 or older, randomly selected and tracked between 2000 and 2008, said Dr. Steven DeKosky of the University of Pittsburgh, the lead author on the study.
"Based on the results of this trial," he said, "ginkgo biloba cannot be recommended for the purpose of preventing dementia."Forget to take your ginkgo biloba today?
Don't worry, the herb isn't... more
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LONDON – 18th November, 2008 – Verdiem, a leader in network energy management, today announces the availability of Edison, a free energy monitoring application that allows eco-conscious consumers to actively control their PC’s energy consumption – and their household’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. As part of a global campaign against PC energy waste, Verdiem is launching Edison in the UK to help Brits save up to 80 percent of the energy used by their desktop computer, just as Edison users in the US are saving an average of £30 per year and 325 kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions per PC.
Made for the Microsoft Windows operating system, Edison enhances existing PC power settings and provides a consumer-friendly interface that is easy to set up and manage.
“PCs are the hidden energy wasters of the home and most users have no idea that they are needlessly throwing away 80 percent of their PC’s energy,” said Allison Cornia, Vice President Product Management, Verdiem. “If just 1 percent of all PCs used Edison we could potentially reduce environmental impacts by 3.2 million metric tons of CO2, which is equal to taking approximately 600,000 cars off the road. By finding ways to embed offsets in our daily life – even something as simple as downloading software – we will create permanent reductions in energy use and have a huge impact on our environment and resource sustainability.”
Power in numbers
Verdiem, Climate Savers Computing Initiative and Microsoft aim to empower individual PC users to understand the energy and environmental impacts of PC power management and take control of their power efficiency. This is part of a larger vision to encourage the UK public to reduce CO2 emissions in both their work and home lives.LONDON – 18th November, 2008 – Verdiem, a leader in network energy... more
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By Margot Roosevelt
November 19, 2008
President-elect Barack Obama sent an explicit message Tuesday to international negotiators of a new global warming treaty that, under his administration, the U.S would move to slash its own greenhouse gas emissions by more than 80% by mid-century, and "help lead the world toward a new era of global cooperation on climate change."
The videotaped message, played to a conference on climate change in Los Angeles, electrified more than 700 delegates from 19 countries gathered to debate strategies for cutting planet-warming pollution.By Margot Roosevelt
November 19, 2008
President-elect Barack Obama sent an... more
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JERUSALEM (AFP) – Israel's interim Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Monday announced the release of 250 Palestinian prisoners as a gesture of goodwill towards president Mahmud Abbas, officials said.
Olmert made the announcement during talks with Abbas in Jerusalem which are part of the US-backed peace talks launched nearly a year ago but that have made little visible progress.
"Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told Abbas of his decision to release 250 Palestinian prisoners belonging to the pragmatic camp as a gesture of goodwill towards Abbas," said a senior Israeli official.
Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat said, "Abbas had asked him to free Palestinian prisoners and Olmert told him of the decision to release 250 at the beginning of December" ahead of the Muslim Feast of the Sacrifice.
The Israeli official said that none of the prisoners belonged to the radical Palestinian movements such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad. More than 11,000 Palestinians are held in Israeli prisons.JERUSALEM (AFP) – Israel's interim Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Monday... more
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BAGHDAD (AFP)--Iraqi security forces have arrested an alleged "senior" Iranian commando from the elite Revolutionary Guard's Quds Force at Baghdad International Airport, the U.S. military said Wednesday.
The military said they suspected the man of "involvement in facilitating Iranian weapons shipments into Iraq" under the cover of working for an organization involved in the restoration of Iraqi religious sites.
The man is alleged to have used the organization as a front in order to bring weapons into Iraq concealed in shipments of building materials, the military said in a statement released late Tuesday.
The U.S. military has long accused Iran's Quds Force of arming, training and funding Iraqi militiamen to stoke the sectarian violence that has convulsed the country since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, charges Tehran has denied.
The statement also said the man was carrying an "unspecified amount" of cocaine.
The arrest came as Iraq's parliament was mulling a wide-ranging security pact with the U.S. that would require all U.S. troops to leave Iraq by the end of 2011, a pact that Iran has vehemently opposed.BAGHDAD (AFP)--Iraqi security forces have arrested an alleged "senior"... more
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MIAMI - The children of more than a dozen Cuban doctors and medical professionals who defected from the communist island nation are not being allowed to travel to the United States even though they have visas, their parents said Tuesday.
The parents are all Cubans who worked in countries such as Venezuela and Belize as part of a Cuban government program. Most fled to the United States, but their children remained in Cuba.
A 2006 Homeland Security policy would allow them to bring spouses and children to the United States, but critics charge Cuba has made that difficult.
The parents spoke Tuesday at the Miami headquarters of The Cuban American National Foundation, a U.S. group known as CANF that represents Cubans in exile.
Foundation lawyers said they know of 18 cases involving more than 20 children who have been barred from leaving the island, but said there could be many more.MIAMI - The children of more than a dozen Cuban doctors and medical professionals who... more
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Nursing-home residents have sexual needs too. And now researchers are finding ways to educate staff on the taboo topic and provide accommodations for the elderly to shack up under some privacy.
"Most staff have the same mindset many of us do, which is 'I don't want to think about my parents having sex, let alone my grandparents,'" Gayle Doll, who directs Kansas State University's Center on Aging, told LiveScience.
The researchers suggest educating staff about sexuality and making sex in nursing homes less hush-hush. In the long run, they hope federal guidelines will help all nursing homes deal with sexuality in a positive way, especially as baby boomers age and bring their 1950s and 1960s attitudes about sex with them to the facilities.Nursing-home residents have sexual needs too. And now researchers are finding ways to... more
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