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  • House Call Doctor: A Leap Forward by Looking Backward

    House Call Doctor: A Leap Forward by Looking Backward

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    We can look back at many things with a smile. There's playing Johnny-on-the-Pony at the corner park, stoop ball, summer nights at Coney Island with your significant other, a great meal at a special cheap restaurant in Chinatown-but one of the most important has to do with the doctor . Remember the house call?

    Back in the day receiving a house call was the norm. No one had to trudge to the hospital emergency room or their doctor's office when they were sick. This was unheard of! All you did was make a phone call and the doctor would arrive at an agreed upon time with his or her magical black bag of medical tricks and the healing would commence. How would you like to travel back to those days, the days of the house call?

    Just think about the ease of a house call. When a person is ill the last thing they want to do is to schlep across town to see a doctor. No, we much rather be in our warm comfy bed with a cup of tea, a few slices of dry toast, and the television on. So many things have changed over the years it's time we look to the past for some modern conveniences. What type of doctor would travel to you these days?

    Well, there are some operations out there. A board-certified doctor will arrive at your home, your hotel (or your job) laden with that big black bag of medical magic to dispense medical advice and / or write a prescription. In other words they will do what it takes to nurse you back to health. And all from the comfort of your own home (hotel or job)!

    Is it easy? Sure it is. A personal visit from a board-certified doctor is awaiting you if you want one. In three easy steps you can receive a house call. Number one is to simply dial the doctor's office to explain your medical issues, needs and to arrange a convenient time for the visit. During this time your credit card number will be recorded but it will not be charged until your home visit is completed. Number two is waiting for a quick call back when you will decide if a doctor is needed or if an accredited physician's assistant will do. Number three is simply to sit back and wait for the doorbell to ring!

    It's just that easy. A house call doctor can diagnose and treat so many of the same medical problems that he does in his office. So why travel all the way to him when you can receive your own personal house call today? Some things are a no-brainer, this is one of them. If a home visit is in your budget than a home visit makes the most sense of all your options. Say goodbye to the days of spending hours in a waiting room.

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    Source by Slava Fuzayloff

    Views: 0

  • Selecting the Character's Emotion

    Selecting the Character's Emotion

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    The last article covered the process used in selecting and portraying the character's objective. Many of the same principles also apply to the selection of the emotions. As with the objective, the ability to choose and convey strong emotions is a valuable tool for the actor. Many performances work mainly because of the powerful emotional portrayals.

    In a dramatic sense, what are emotions and how do they affect the audience? Emotions, together with intentions and obstacles, are the forces that move the characters through the story. They are feelings so powerful that they can change the character's life or destroy it. And by destroy, I mean decimate one's inner powers, beliefs, even one's life. For the actor, such feelings must be larger than life. They must also be readable to stir and lead the audience in the desired story direction.

    Emotions affect the audience in many ways. Most important is the empathy they create causing the audience to care about certain characters and follow their struggles. They likewise, create a for or against polarity for each main character as the audience observes, evaluates, judges, and even takes sides. As part of the behavior, emotions create deeper awareness of the character, often justifying their actions. In addition, emotions can change the audience perspective and the way they feel or think about a given issue. They are instrumental in leading the audience in the desired story direction

    Like the intention, the emotion can intensify the conflict within or between characters. It can likewise, establish sympathetic or antagonistic roles, ones that make the audience root for the hero and boo the villain.

    In choosing the emotion, the guidelines are similar to those used in selecting the objective. First read and study the entire play. Look for clues in the dialogue, the action, the stage directions, and in the resolution of the story. Select choices that result in the story line making sense.

    Like the intent of the character, the emotion is derived from the character's viewpoint, what the character knows and feels up to that point in the story.

    No one lives in a realistic world. We occupy a space of our own creation – bits and pieces of actuality mixed together with our internal perceptions, our hopes, our fears, our memories, and our anticipations. This "reality" we live in – half fact, half fantasy – is as much the product of our emotions as our rationality. Thus, in any given situation, what might be an acceptable intention and emotion for one character might be a contradiction for another character. Knowing the character's goals, flaws, and inclinations in context of the total story will aid in determining these choices.

    Next, we need to answer the question, does the character's emotion assist the intention or does the emotion create an obstacle? Placing the objective, what the character wants, in conflict with what he or she feels will likely shift the focus of the scene to the character with the greater internal struggle.

    Let's use the example where a man is at a dance and sees the women of his dreams sitting alone. His intention might be: To get to know her. But his emotion, fear of being rejected, would be in conflict with his intention. Thus the focus of the scene would be primarily on his internal struggle and the purpose of the scene might be to show the man overcoming his fear.

    But let's say her intention, to marry rich, is assisted by the emotion, ambition. And the scene resolves when the women walks away when she discovers the man is dirt poor. If his initial emotion of fear were replaced by desire and his intention remained to get to know her then the focus of the scene would center more on the relationship and the impending discovery. The purpose of the scene could be to introduce his major obstacle in the story, the women, along with his over all goal: To win her love.

    The initial choices for each character might look like this:

    MAN

    Objective: To get to know her

    Emotion: Fear / Desire

    WOMAN

    Objective: To marry rich

    Emotion: Ambition

    The above choices set up confrontations, the inner doubts of the man, and then, his desire for her is countered by the revelation that he's not rich enough for her. After the woman learns this, her emotion changes to contempt for the man and she walks away. The characters' choices would now change to:

    MAN

    Objective: To win her love

    Emotion: Determination

    WOMAN

    Objective: To marry rich

    Emotion: Contempt (for the man)

    These choices place the focus of the scene on the major conflict that is resolved later in the story when he wins her love. It, likewise, centers on what's important, the relationship.

    As with the intention of the characters, the emotion need not follow the logic of the dialogue and action. Modern plays and movies do not always express the thoughts and emotions of the characters clearly, nakedly, up front. Today, we have to play the duality of people; playing what they appear to want against what they really want. And sometimes the two may have no connection what so ever.

    In modern plays, every character has two behaviors. What is really going on and what they are willing to show to the world? So many emotions, to be played properly, need to be partially masked or repressed.

    Using the man and woman from our earlier example, let's set up a scene later in the story, one that demonstrates the duality of the characters and uses of partially masked or repressed emotions. At a shopping mall, they meet by chance and their dialogue is mainly small talk. The scene ends with each alluding to errands undone. The only hint about what is really going on is found in the following script action lines:

    He rarely looks directly at her.

    They shake hands, each holding on longer than necessary, and then each goes their way.

    In view of the story's final outcome, this is likely a scene where her objective, to marry rich, is weakening, and that she has some attraction for the man. Based on how their first meeting resolved, their selections might be as follows:

    MAN

    Objective: To not upset her / To win her love

    Emotion: Desire / Determination

    WOMAN

    Objective: To show him I don't care / To make him want me

    Emotion: Determination / Curiosity

    This would be a scene where the characters are not open with each other, yet the audience (or camera) is aware of the inner conflicts and what's really happening. The behavior could best be reflected through masked and / or repressed emotions.

    If the man were to play his emotion of desire openly, he would surely upset her. So he has to repress it or use a mask technique and unleash his desire when she is not looking at him. The woman is determined to show the man she doesn't care about him, but now he appears to have no desire for her. From her point of view, something has come to change the relationship and as a result, she alters both her objective and emotion.

    His apparent disinterest makes her curious and her objective in now: To make him want me, like all men do. Her actions might be to get his attention, to entice him. But the problem is, he's not looking at her. How can she obtain what she wants? She uses the lingering handshake.

    You can see where these choices create conflict both within and between the characters. They also create subtle shifts in behavior that move the story forward. Interest in the relationship is likewise increased because the audience is aware of something the characters are not. And as the scene ends, the audience has a pressing question: "What will happen the next time they meet?"

    The foregoing example demonstrates one answer to the character's choices. These are, by no means, the best or only selections. In fact, the type of actor you are is also a consideration. If you were Jack Nicholson, your emotions might be different than if Arnold Schwarzenegger were he playing the same role. Each actor brings to the scene his or her own perspective and emotional latitudes. Furthermore, a scene played as a comedy versus one being played as a drama might result in different sets of emotions for the characters.

    Here are some other factors that should be considered: Who are you in the story? What is the situation, and what is the relationship? For instance, if you were playing a love scene as a character that had little experience with the opposite sex, your emotion might be fear (fear of the unknown) rather than the expected desire or lust.

    Now change the situation to your having a good dinner with your loving spouse. Your emotion would change to maybe contentment or joy. Now change the relationship to your having dinner with an important client. Your emotion might range from apprehension to ambition to greed. Who you are, the relationships, and the situation, all have a bearing on the emotion selected.

    How many emotions can you use in a scene and how long do you play an emotion? As a general rule, work with only one dominant emotion in a scene – until something occurs to change it. These occurrences could be a change in the relationship, the situation, who you are, new information, overcoming obstacles, new obstacles, and succeeding or failing at one's intention. Any one of these events could have enough impact to motivate a change.

    Most scenes have one dominant emotion running through them and while the actor may use subtle shadings of other emotions, that one feeling prevails – until something occurs to change it. If the actor were to change the emotion at each minor occurrence, the audience would question the character's integrity and loyalty to the cause for which he is fighting.

    Too many changes cause the character to lose part of his identity. We become uncertain about who he is, what he's attempted in the past, or what he's after now. Credible characters are made up of consistent behavioral patterns. By that I mean, what has happened before will likely happen again should the same situation occur. There will, of course, be a few surprises, but for the most part, certain emotions will dominate each character's behavior as he or she progresses through the story.

    So when you research and study the entire play, you will likely find certain emotions and emotional patterns repeated to reinforce the identity and commitment of the character. For instance, the repeated pattern of mischief – embarrassment – fear might be the dominant emotions for a small overly rambunctious boy. A young executive struggling with business ethics might have an emotion pattern of ambition – determination – greed – guilt. A woman in jeopardy might follow a curiosity-suspicion – fear – terror progression.

    As you can see, certain emotions and their progressions make up a portion of the character. Also look for surprises where the emotion swings 180 degrees, ie, contentment to fear, desire to contempt, revenge to compassion.

    When working on a play or scene, write down in the margin of the script your choices in objectives and emotions, where the changes occur, and the motivation for making the change. Beginning actors tend to be non-committal while experienced actors, however, take dramatic risks and commit themselves to their choices. By writing them down, you've made a major step to that commitment.

    To aid in selecting the emotion, I've compiled discussions of root emotions , the primary forces in most scenes. These discussions explore the physical sensations, sources, forms, and dynamics of the most common root emotions. They will serve as a guide in stretching the clarity, strength, and polarity of your emotional repertoire.

    This article has covered the basic skills used in the selection of dramatic emotions. Use these skills as tools to nurture and release the character's true feelings, to foster the isolation and control of emotional behaviors, and to achieve the desired strength (story importance), clarity (audience knowing / feeling it) and polarity (protagonist-antagonist orientations ).

    Implementation of your selections is addressed in another article. This article will cover the various methods used to generate credible emotions.

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    Source by Erik Sean McGiven

    Views: 0

  • Nose Injuries – When There Is No Doctor

    Nose Injuries – When There Is No Doctor

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    Injuries to the nose are not uncommon; yet, when they happen, people tend to panic. Instead of letting the situations "lead you by the nose", follow these simple first-aid measures, and stay in control:

    Your nose is not merely an organ of smell. It's a filter, a temperature controller, a passageway and sometimes even an alarm system. It is closely connected with your eyes, mouth, ears and head, both cosmetically and physically. So, when it is injured, to treat it you've got to look beyond your nose.

    "In order to treat any injury to the nose, you must first understand the nature and extent of the injury," say ENT surgeons. "Basically, there are three kinds of injuries: those that involve the nose and the head; those that affect the nose and the face; those that pertain only to the nose. Only after the kind of injury has been ascertained can proper treatment or first aid follow. "

    The first two kinds of injuries are usually the result of a violent, perilous impact, like a fall from a great height, or a road accident. When the nose and the head are injured – and such cases are obvious even to a layman – the damage is serious and can occasionally be fatal. In all probability the victim will be unconscious and to render first aid would be impossible. Your only course of action is to rush the victim to a hospital and leave him in the hands of the doctors.

    If the head is not hurt, that is, if the injury is only to the front of the face, then check the extent of the damage. Any injury to the eye directly, or even to the area around the eye, will need a doctor's attention. You can try to control the bleeding of the nose, if there is any, but the person should be taken quickly to the hospital. Probably he will need the attention of the ENT surgeon and the ophthalmologist.

    Injury to the nose and to the area around it, that is, the sides and below, could mean damage to the sinuses and upper jaw. Ask the victim to make as if he is biting on something. Difficulty and pain in moving his mouth indicate probable fracture of the upper jaw. In this case, too, though you could try to control the bleeding from the nose, the victim needs medical attention. An ENT surgeon and a dental surgeon may have to work together to repair the damage. Therefore, such a case should be quickly taken to the hospital.

    The third type of injury is more commonplace. In this kind of injury, first aid can be given, but again, it will depend upon the cause and nature of the injury. Injuries to the nose can be broadly grouped as: external wounds; fractures; obstruction by foreign objects; bleeding from the nostrils.

    EXTERNAL INJURIES

    External injuries like abrasions, bruises, cuts and punctures can be treated as you do wounds. Clean the affected area, apply an antiseptic and bandage. Slight abrasions or cuts will heal with adequate care. Deep and extensive wounds should be shown to a doctor.

    Fractures of the nose are easily detectable from the distorted shape of the nose, the constant pain and swelling. Fractures have to be splinted and set right, which can only be done by an ENT specialist.

    Those with children will b familiar with the third type of nasal injury – that is, blockage of the passage due to insertion of foreign objects into the nose. "" Often, the child may not be aware that he has done something he shouldn't have, says ENT surgeon. "" So the object remains in the nose for days and is discovered only when infection sets in. then, either the parents notice that the child's nose is swelling, or the child complains of pain in the nose. "

    However, even if you know that the child has pushed something up his nose, don't try to extricate it yourself. You could push it in even further. Sometimes, lightly blowing the nose helps to dislodge the object. But if the object is edged, it may scrape or bruise the nose and bleeding may result. So it's safest to take the child to a doctor, preferably an ENT specialist, as he is better equipped to deal with the problem.

    NOSE BLEEDS

    Nosebleeds or epistaxis can occur due to a number of reasons: Sudden climatic changes; a rise in blood pressure; a traumatic injury; high fever.

    The air we breathe in has to be homogenised to the body temperature of 34 ° C before it reaches the lungs. The nose acts as a temperature controller. If the air is cold, the nose warms it; if the air is too warm, the nose cools it. In order to help it carry out its function, the nose is heavily lined with blood vessels. The supply of blood depends upon the difference in the body and atmospheric temperatures. When the temperature outside changes suddenly, as when we move from a warm climate to a cold place, or vice versa, the demands on the blood vessels can be extensive and, consequently, they are likely to rupture, resulting in a nosebleed.

    A rise in blood pressure forces the blood vessels to enlarge and sometimes even burst. Since the capillaries in the nose are fine, they rupture more easily. Thus a nosebleed could be a symptom of hypertension. Also, during plane flights, if cabin depressurisation takes place, the difference in air pressure outside the body and within affects the blood vessels and some passengers could experience bleeding from the nose.

    Any trauma inflicted on the nose – say, when you fall while running and hit your nose on the ground, or when a child is hit on the nose by a ball while playing – ruptures the blood vessels inside the nose. Often, in these cases, the bleeding may seem heavy, but if there is no fracture, it may not be grave. However, once you've stopped the bleeding, you should get the patient checked by the doctor.

    Sometimes the trauma can be light, as when a person digs in too hard to clean the nostrils. In that case, the bleeding stops spontaneously after a few minutes.

    A high fever may sometimes be accompanied by a nosebleed. Again, this is because of the nose having to adapt to the difference in temperatures of the body and the air outside. ENT surgeon says, "This is occasionally seen in typhoid cases where the temperature rises very high."

    When bleeding from the nose occurs, you should first prop up the patient. Don't let him lie flat. If you do that, the blood will rush back and enter the throat making him choke or cough, thus increasing the pressure on his blood vessels and forcing out more blood. "Sometimes the blood that is thus forced back goes into the stomach and the patient then vomits it out through the mouth," says ENT surgeon. "At such times, everyone panics because the patient has vomited blood. They don't realize he's merely throwing out what he has swallowed."

    Ideally the patient should be made to sit up; head bent over a bowl so that the blood can drip down from the nose. Pinch closed the nostrils, letting the patient breathe through his mouth. Often, this stops the bleeding. Or you could put an ice pack on the nose. To make the pack, put some crushed ice in a clean kerchief or cloth and pack it closely over the nose. Use crushed ice, not chunks, because it can be molded around the nose, and even pressure applied. If ice is not at hand, give the patient a freshly-cut onion, or crushed garlic pods, or ammonium bicarbonate, to smell. The strong odor will repulse his sense of smell, forcing the nostrils to contract, and this stops the bleeding.

    NOT SERIOUS

    Nosebleeds are generally not serious. "In a normal person, the bleeding stops on its own after about five minutes," says ENT surgeon. "That it lasts for a long time and that the flow is heavy are only impressions. What happens is that, in the absence of muscles in the nose, the tightly-packed blood vessels cannot contract. So the bleeding continues till clotting sets in. and that normally occurs in about five minutes. But if the bleeding does continue longer, don't panic. Pinch the nostrils or use an ice pack to stanch the flow, which will happen after a while provided there is no serious damage. even if the bleeding stops you should get the injury examined by an ENT specialist to preclude complications later. "

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    Source by Andy G

    Views: 1

  • Fractures & Sprains – When There Is No Doctor

    Fractures & Sprains – When There Is No Doctor

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    Oops it could happen anytime, anywhere, without advance warning, even to the fit, the active, and the healthy. A slip or a fall and – ouch – you’re landed (sometimes literally), with a fracture or a sprain. An expert orthopaedic surgeon outlines emergency procedures to help a victim until he can be got to a doctor.

    The basic mistake that people make in the handling of fractures and sprains is that both are given the wrong kind of importance. Sprains tend to be treated as a minor disability that time and home remedies will heal; fractures, on the other hand, generally result in the pressing of all panic buttons. Both approaches are faulty.

    “A neglected sprain could result in permanent instability of the joints which may require a major operation later,” warns orthopaedic surgeon. A sprain occurs when soft tissues such as ligaments, joint capsules, muscles and tendons are stretched beyond their limit, mainly as a result of lifting heavy weights, exercising in fits and starts or playing a strenuous game like badminton after a long interval.

    On the other hand, people over-play fractures. Because of the immediate and often unbearable pain they generate they are looked upon as a dire emergency and it is believed that if urgent treatment is not given, it will result in the permanent disability or loss of the limb. So, in sheer panic, the patient is rushed to the nearest doctor who, if inexperienced or incapable or plain mercenary, may perform an unnecessary operation “because it could develop into gangrene.” A corollary myth is that all fractures require surgery when in fact most fractures can be treated without an operation.

    When is it a fracture and when is it a sprain?

    When a person suffers a fracture, i.e. a break in the bone, he experiences a shooting pain, and the affected limb is incapacitated. In a sprain, the pain may not be so powerful. The exception is a spinal column sprain which could cause severe pain and result in a stiff back.

    In children, it’s usually the elbow and legs that suffer fractures whereas in adults, it’s the thigh, hip and spinal column. The parts most likely to suffer a sprain are the ankles (especially in women who wear high-heeled shoes), wrists, lower back and the neck.

    Don’t…

    “Till a definite diagnosis is made by a good orthopaedist, don’t give in to the temptation of resorting to a home remedy such as using a turmeric powder pack, it may only worsen the condition,” advises orthopaedic surgeon.

    And do’s…

    Both, sprains and fractures are best treated by lightly pressing an ice pack on the area to reduce the swelling and/or bleeding. Next, tie a firm bandage on the affected part, preferably reinforcing it with a handy splint like a foot-rule or a wad of newspapers or cardboard. The victim should be reassured and kept calm and made to rest while arrangements are made to take him to the doctor. Pain-killers may be given.

    However, if the accident occurs on the road or playground, the victim should be lifted by four to six persons, their bodies serving as cushions as far as possible and made to rest nearby. If the upper limbs or neck is injured, the victim can be helped to walk to a cab or other available transport. However, if it is the legs that are injured, he should be either carried or placed on a stretcher, if it’s available, all the time making sure he does not exert pressure on the affected limb.

    A child is less tolerant of pain and his agitated parents could alarm him further. Calmly reassure him with a drink until he can be got to medical attention. Tincture of iodine, or an antiseptic ointment or lotion could be used in case of an abrasion or cut.

    Any upper limb injury should be put in a sling (available at the chemist or you can make one at home).

    Making a sling

    A square metre of cloth (in an emergency a bedsheet or even a towel could do) cut diagonally across will make two slings. Support the hand by placing the widest angle pointing towards the elbow. The other two ends will go around the neck and are tied into a secure double knot at the nape.

    Head injuries

    Head injuries are usually caused by violent road accidents or by a fall from a height. This is a serious problem which requires quick action. The patient may become unconscious immediately or may gradually lose consciousness. If he is unconscious, do not let him lie flat on his back or he could choke if he swallows his saliva or blood (if he is bleeding in the mouth). Slowly turn him on to his side in ahead low position (without a pillow), so the secretions if any can flow out. Call the doctor or get an ambulance.

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    Source by Andy G

    Views: 1

  • The Success Story of Beethoven

    The Success Story of Beethoven

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    Beethoven was born on 16th, December, 1770 in Bonn of Germany. His father was a singer in local palace choir. Beethoven’s father was a very common person and he was addicted to gambling. However, his mother was a fairly kind-hearted and gentle female.She married an assistant as her first marriage and married to Beethoven’s father when her ex-husband died.

    Beethoven didn’t have access to go to school for the reason that his family was very poor. Nevertheless, he had a special feeling of music when he was very young.His father wanted to make use of his potential to make a big fortune. As a result, Beethoven had to practice playing clavecin and violin day and night under his father’s pressure.

    Beethoven had a performance on a stage for the first time when he was only seven years old and he made a huge success.Some famous musicians considered him as the second Mozart. Beethoven learned how to compose music from Nifo and published his first work named Concerto in A minor when he was 11. He went to Vienna to learn how to compose music from Mozart and Haydn.

    It seems that he would have a fairly bright future when Beethoven received the first success in 1800. Nevertheless, he was troubled with a terrible matter for years at that time.He found that he has became a deaf person. There couldn’t be anything more terrible than that for a musician. He sank into a blue mood for a long time as a consequence.

    Beethoven has an enthusiastic heart all the time.But his enthusiasm was often unfortunate. He often tolerated both hope and enthusiasm,disappointment and resistance. There was no doubt that all of these emotions had become his unique source of creation. He fell in love with Julia in 1801 and composed a music named Moonlight for her specifically. To his disappointed, she couldn’t understand his noble soul and refused him. Beethoven was upset and despairing for that and married a comte before long. It was the most hopeless moment for him and once a time, he wrote down a paper of posthumous papers.

    He came to life in 1803 and composed some bright and warm music such as The Second Symphonies. From then on, several more beautiful and marvelous music were produced. Some of them are fairly famous and I think you must have heard about them such as The Eroica and The Storm.

    Beethoven finished his masterpiece named The Ninth Symphonies in 1823. This piece of work expressed his world in his dream.

    He suffered from pulmonary edema in Dec.1826, which was resulted from a bad influenza.He passed away on 26th, March, 1827 for the reason of suffering from hepatopathy.

    It is said that the day on which Beethoven died was raining heavily and storming seriously. It seems that even the God grieved over his death.

    Beethoven’s funeral was fairly solemn and grand.It is estimated that over 20 thousand people presented his funeral.

    Beethoven’s wealth and success in music was huge and great. There are few people who can surpass his competence in music creation. He is a great musician for us and we shall miss him forever and appreciate his works.

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    Source by Linda Ding

    Views: 0

  • Dangerous Driving Habits

    Dangerous Driving Habits

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    Many of today’s drivers have dangerous driving habits. You do not have to travel far to see people driving with risky driving techniques. Dangerous driving habits can be observed on highways, on residential streets, and in parking lots. Dangerous driving habits are not only fraught with danger to the driver performing them, but to the public as well.

    Everyone eventually crosses paths with a reckless driver! Many of us survive these encounters, but some do not. Dangerous drivers kill people and destroy property everyday. As a result, Insurance companies cite dangerous drivers as one of the main reasons for the skyrocketing cost of automobile insurance.

    There are drivers from all age groups that have dangerous driving habits. Younger drivers can be dangerous drivers simply because they lack experience driving in various environments, such as driving at night, or driving on interstate highways. Older drivers are sometimes dangerous because their senses and reflexes are not as sharp as they once were.

    Technology has also added to dangerous driving habits. Cell phones are now more popular than ever, many drivers have cell phones. While driving in town or on the highway, it is rare not to see someone driving while talking on his or her cell phone. Another dangerous driving habit is applying makeup while driving. Applying make-up while driving is thought to be a leading cause of accidents, and is completely irresponsible. One of the most common dangerous driving habits is eating while driving. Many drivers leave the drive through lane of their favorite restaurant and immediately pull onto a road while trying to eat and drink the food they just purchased. All of those bad habits can distract a driver from paying attention to other drivers on the road and being aware of road conditions.

    There are many kinds of driving habits that are considered risky. Speeding is a very common driving habit that can lead to a disaster. Drivers that speed are engaging in reckless and impulsive behavior. It is especially dangerous to speed in residential neighborhoods where children and pets may be playing. Speeding drivers can also be dangerous in neighborhoods where homeowners in their vehicles are entering and exiting their driveways.

    Another category of dangerous driving habits is failing to use turn signals. Proper use of turn signals can help prevent most accidents. Failing to use turn signals properly can increase the rate of accidents with other vehicles and pedestrians. Turn signals are simple devices that can give advance notice to other drivers about your driving intentions. It is unfortunate that failing to use such a simple device can cause so many tragedies in terms of lives and property damage. Road rage is a one of the consequences of failing to use turn signals. Many drivers become enraged when they barely escape an accident due to another driver failing to use a turn signal to notify them before changing lanes or making a turn.

    Many dangerous driving habits are a result of over confidence. Drivers with years of experience sometimes become dangerous drivers because they are over confident with driving their particular vehicle, or a particular route between home and work. They are not prepared when something out of the ordinary occurs.

    There is an old saying, “Good habits are as hard to break as bad habits.” If you have dangerous driving habits you can change them by applying good driving skills for a few weeks, after a few weeks many of these good driving techniques will become your new habits. You should practice watching for speed limit signs, and adjust your speed if necessary. If you practice using turns signals every time you make a turn or change lanes it will quickly become a habit. Developing good, safe driving habits may one day save your life or the life of someone close to you.

    (c) 2006, Marcus Barber

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    Source by Marcus Barber

    Views: 0

  • Two Relationship Killers

    Two Relationship Killers

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    Consider a primary relationship in your life where you love someone and they love you. This could be an intimate partnership, a child-parent relationship or a very close friendship. Here are the two things to avoid, if you want to make sure love is present at all times.

    Relationship killer #1:

    Firstly, you should never expect that because someone loves you, they need to sacrifice themselves for you and put your needs first. We often mistakenly think that the degree to which someone suffers is a testimony for the amount of love they have for us. Likewise, we mistakenly believe that if someone puts their needs first, they don’t love us. But that is not true at all. If I refuse to sacrifice myself for you, it doesn’t mean I don’t love you. It simply means I am clear on what works for me and what doesn’t, and I don’t mess with my own needs. Please don’t take this personal. I love you nonetheless, but I certainly don’t have to suffer in order to prove my love for you. Besides, if you doubt it, chances are no matter how much I suffer, you will never believe me anyway. Get this: your partner having fun while you are in hardship doesn’t mean they don’t love you. The people who love you don’t owe you any suffering on their part whenever things are not working out for you. So don’t be jealous when your loved one is out with friends while you are working hard or cooking alone at home. No one needs to put their own life on hold only because yours is (even when they truly love you!). Of course, you can ask for support. That’s perfectly reasonable. But asking someone to sacrifice themselves and to suffer so you can feel loved – that is totally unreasonable. And it is a sure relationship killer.

    Relationship killer #2:

    The other way to kill a relationship is by trying to prove your love for someone by sacrificing your own needs and suffering as a consequence. See, whenever you suffer, there is no real love to speak of. If you were doing something for someone because you wanted to and because you loved them unconditionally, you wouldn’t be suffering. But if you sacrifice yourself out of obligation and/or guilt, the unconditional love is gone and you are likely to expect something in return. In other words, you try to manipulate someone into loving you back by doing things for them which they then have to repay you for. Sadly enough, you are playing a game thinking you can control someone else’s feelings and buy their love. Of course, the result is just the opposite – you are slowly but surely killing the relationship. So stop that immediately by starting to put yourself and your needs first. Find your own truth and start honoring it. Understand that you are allowed to have a good time without feeling guilty when your partner does not want to or cannot participate. Of course, you can support them when they are feeling low. But you don’t have to suffer with them or else you will become resentful and kill the relationship as a result.

    In conclusion:

    • Love should be free – no attachments, no suffering, no trading of favors, and no feelings of obligation and guilt.
    • Love should be independent – I love you and I put myself first; you love me and you put yourself first; we love each other and we honor our independent needs nonetheless.
    • Love should be by choice – I love you how I want to, not how I feel have to.

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    Source by Vyara Bridgeman

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  • Love One Another (A Sermon on John 13: 31-35)

    Love One Another (A Sermon on John 13: 31-35)

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    We are in the 13th chapter of the Gospel according to St John's this week, and I'm going to unpack our reading verse by verse as it is a difficult passage.

    "When he had gone out, Jesus said," Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. " (John 13:31)

    The person who had 'gone out' was Judas, and the sentence seems to suggest that Judas' leaving somewhat brought glory to Jesus, which sounds really odd.

    "If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once." (John 13:32)

    I really have no idea where to begin with that statement!

    "Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, 'Where I am going, you cannot come.'" (John 13:33 )

    That statement makes sense to us as Jesus speaking about his own impending suffering and death, though at the time it made no sense at all to His disciples.

    I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. "(John 13: 34-45)

    That concluding pronouncement, I suspect, is the most difficult to understand of all!

    "All you need is love!" – so said the Beatles.

    When I read statements like these from the lips of Jesus, I can almost hear the soundtrack of that well-known Beatles song playing in the background.

    "Love is all you need. Love is all you need …"

    It's not true, of course. Love isn't all we need – not in relationships, not in families, not in governments.

    We had an election yesterday. Did you vote for the most loving candidate? Should you have?

    I tried to give some thought after reading this passage as to who the most loving candidate for electoral office was. It wasn't obvious.

    It didn't take me long to come up with the names of politicians who were definitely NOT full of love and sweetness, but it seemed less obvious to me which candidates actually were.

    Did the candidate who loves us the most win? Do we care?

    In truth, in as much as we might say, "all we need is love" , I don't think we really care whether our political leaders love us, any more than we really care whether our boss at work truly loves us. Love is not all we need. A good capacity for management is probably far more important in cases like this than is love!

    Love is not all we need in government or in families, and it's not even all we need in a system of morality! This might sound counterintuitive. Is not all of morality – all our statements about what is right and what is wrong – really an extension of that basic ideal of love?

    Certainly, over the generations, scores of philosophers and other great thinkers have suggested that all of our moral intuitions can be reduced to one simple exhortation – if not 'to love' exactly, to something very akin to that.

    The British philosopher, John Stuart Mill, saw all of morality as a system of increasing pleasure for people and reducing harm. He is probably best remembered for his 'harm principle' :

    "That the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others."

    I have a feeling that if you'd asked Mill what the essence of morality was, he might not have said 'love one another' , but might well have said 'don't' harm one another ' , which is pretty similar.

    Likewise, the great 18th century German philosopher, Immanuel Kant, believed that morality could be reduced to a single maxim – the 'categorical imperative' :

    "Act only according to that maxim whereby you can, at the same time, will that it should become a universal law."

    That's always sounded to me like a really complex way of saying 'love your neighbor as you would love yourself " , which, of course, was Jesus' 'golden rule' that many people see as being His one-line summary of the moral law , along with the first and great commandment, of course, that you have to love God:

    "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. " (Matthew 22: 37-40)

    We are familiar with these commandments. We hear them every week in church, and they do seem to suggest that everything in the law of God comes down to love, and that the rest is just commentary.

    Is that really what Jesus was saying? St Augustine thought so, and in my previous sermons on these passages, I have suggested exactly that – that there is really only one law of God – that we love – and that the rest is just application. My more recent reading though has suggested that it's actually a lot more complicated than that, at least if Jesus really was being true to His Hebraic tradition.

    The Hebraic law centers around the Ten Commandments – the ten words of God to the people of Israel – and while it seems straightforward to see commandments like "thou shalt not steal" and "thou shalt not murder" as being extensions of the commandment to love , other commandments like "honor thy father and thy mother" do not seem to be so easily reducible. Honoring your father and your mother seems to be more about respecting authority than it is about love .

    I've been reading a very interesting book lately by moral psychologist, Jonathan Haidt, called "the Righteous Mind" , in which he outlines what he calls 'moral foundation theory' .

    I'm not suggesting that everyone should rush out to get a copy of this book. It is not an easy read and could prove difficult if you don't have an academic background in the study of philosophical ethics (which, thankfully, I do).

    The author's key point, at any rate, is that our moral intuitions can't be reduced to any one simple maxim such as 'love one another' as morality is invariably more complex than that.

    Haidt suggests that there are five reasonably independent dimensions to our moral awareness, and 'caring' for others is just one of those dimensions. The others are:

    • Fairness (which is all about justice, rewards and punishments)
    • Loyalty (which is associated with values ​​such as faithfulness and patriotism )
    • Authority (where you honor your father and your mother, king and country)
    • Sanctity (which involves respecting your body and potentially embracing things like chastity, temperance and cleanliness)

    Forgive me if I'm now sounding more dry and esoteric than the book I mentioned. My point is actually a simple one – that 'all you need is love' is both simplistic and inadequate. We don't only need love – not if we are going to be successful in our relationships or in all of life. We actually need a lot of things – courage, self-discipline, wisdom, nurture and support and a good education, and more!

    Of course, Jesus didn't say "love is all you need". That was ' The Beatles' . What Jesus did say was "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" . In other words, Jesus didn't say that love is all we need to live a full and productive life. What He said was that it was all we needed in order to show the world that we are His disciples. That might sound like much the same thing but it's actually quite distinct.

    The life of love is not a strategy for success, despite what any number of tele-evangelists might have told you. Indeed, if it's right to consider it a strategy at all, the life of love could only be a strategy for getting yourself killed. That's certainly how it worked for Jesus.

    I'm sure I've mentioned before that friend who said to me "I'm sick of hearing people tell me about all the problems they had before they met Jesus and how He solved them all for them. till I met Jesus! "

    That's difficult to hear, I think. We don't want to think of Jesus as the one who leads us down a path of suffering and misery. We want to think of Jesus as one who elevates us to heavenly places.

    Isn't that what religion is for after all? Isn't good religion supposed to benefit our lives and help us live more fully and peacefully with a great sense of purpose and fulfillment? Surely, it's not just about suffering in this world so that we can enjoy a better life in the next? Surely there's more to it than that?

    I don't think Jesus is saying that discipleship is all about suffering any more than it is all about success. Discipleship, Jesus says, is all about love, and everything else depends on what Jesus means by love .

    Jesus says His command to love is a new commandment, and that's a surprise. Certainly, the commandment to love is as old as the Scriptures themselves, so it must be the latter part of the commandment – to love one another ' as I have loved you' – that makes it new.

    When we hear those words, I suspect most of us immediately think of the cross and Jesus laying down his life for us. That makes sense, and indeed the same Gospel writer, John, writes in his first letter "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us" (1 John 3:16). Even so, without wanting to press the issue of the timeline too heavily, the exhortation we have in today's Gospel reading -to love one another "as I have loved you" happens before the cross, suggesting that the model on view here may not be the death of Jesus but the life of Jesus!

    Further, as noted, today's reading begins with a reference to Judas – "when he had gone out" – and Jesus' exhortation to love each other as He has loved us comes immediately before the two terrible betrayals from disciples whom Jesus had just broken bread with and whose feet Jesus had just washed – the one betrayal being from Judas, of course, and the other one being from dear Peter!

    Jesus loved Peter, was betrayed by Peter, and would eventually be reconciled with Peter. Jesus loved Judas but would never be reconciled with him. Even perfect love does not guarantee a perfect ending to the story. Even so, love anyway – that's the new commandment .

    Yes, "greater love has no one than this – to lay down one's life for their friends" (John 15: 3). That is true, and bodily self-sacrifice is indeed the ultimate example of love, but most of the time love is not so grandiose and (thankfully) not quite so painful. The far more common (and in some ways more difficult) labor of love is the ongoing work of having to forgive those who fail us, and sometimes fail us very badly.

    This, I believe, is the love by which everyone will now that we are His disciples – it's the love that breaks bread with those who betray us and that washes the feet of those who turn their backs on us. It's the love that finds its ultimate inspiration in the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross, but which likewise finds daily encouragement in the simple acts of grace shown by Jesus towards those whom He knew would radically fail Him.

    I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. "(John 13: 34-45)

    It's not a strategy for success. It's not a means to a better life or more successful relationships. It's just the way that we demonstrate to the world that we are followers of Jesus. We break bread, we wash feet, we empathise, we forgive. We love one another just as He loved us.

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    Source by David B. Smith

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  • Playing With the Cure Time of Molds and Casts

    Playing With the Cure Time of Molds and Casts

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    Every mold making and casting material comes with its own specific range of cure time. This is nothing but the time that the material will take to get completely cured. It can range from just a few minutes to hours or even a few days. The mold or cast has to be left to air dry on its own and there is nothing much that the artist can do in the meanwhile.

    Similarly, the pot time or working time is the time on hand to work with the product after it is mixed until it starts to set. After this, the material will not work properly.

    For instance, alginate is renowned for its quick setting and curing time, whereas materials like latex rubber require days on end to cure before they are ready for use. Most silicones have a cure time between 18 to 24 hours.

    What to do?

    Artists use various measures to speed up or prolong the cure time. In fact, delayed-setting and quick curing options are available for alginates, plasters, silicone and other materials. Sometimes, fibers, fillers, talc or magnesium oxide (for plaster) are added to achieve the same effect.

    For certain materials like silicone, fast catalysts are also available. These can be added to the silicone rubber to significantly reduce the cure time, sometimes to even just an hour! Care is needed as adding too much catalyst may make the material start curing even before it can be applied.

    Alternatively, techniques like hot air dryer, dehumidifier or baking in an oven are used to hasten the cure time. In fact, plaster casts are often baked to reduce the curing time to 12 to 24 hours. However, too much of the hot air can also cause the mold or cast to crack or spall. Also, silicone does not react very well to heating from dryers or lamps; it may just break out in unsightly bubbles all over the mold or cast.

    Temperature variation

    It should be noted that the pot time and cure time is generally measured at normal room temperature. It will definitely vary depending on the atmospheric and climatic conditions prevailing at the time of working/curing. For instance, cooler temperatures tend to increase the pot time and cure time while warmer weather is sure to reduce both working time and cure time.

    This phenomenon can be easily used to vary the pot/cure time to suit your convenience when trying how to make molds. All you have to do is gently warm the material (both base and catalyst for two-part materials) before using them. This will speed up the chemical reaction and the mold or cast will take lesser time to cure. But keep in mind that the working time is also reduced and the material will start setting much more quickly. Do not overheat the materials either.

    Similarly, cure time can be easily increased by refrigerating the material (both base and catalyst again) prior to use of how to make molds. This will give more time for working with the material per se.

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    Source by Ed McCormick

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