Spring cleaning opens a time capsule

To spare my sagging floor boards, to save my marriage, and, frankly, to find some stuff I had been desperately searching for, I undertook a spring cleaning back in March. I'm still digging through 18 years of pack ratting, files and piles and boxes and folders and some big ole plastic bags.

I've got a veritable Smithsonian of office technology in here! Look, a Rolodex! The real thing, with little paper cards on a plastic wheel, replete with scribbles and taped-on (pre-Post-it) bits of extra paper memorializing everyone I ever knew and now don't. Today's rolodex (small 'r' now, only the concept remains) is packed into a tiny iPhone,The same Air purifier, cover removed. regularly backed up into a tiny iLaptop. I spy my old typewriter, probably the last one in human use in America, out of use before I could even buy that white-out tape that was such a cool replacement for the dab-on stuff. What else...hey, my ten-pound and four-pound video cameras, generations of small real-film cameras and envelopes of negatives and duplicate prints (whoa! when did I ever look like that? and fit into THAT?), disposable cameras, and my two-pound first digital camera -- all that now crammed into that same bitty (literally) iPhone. A record (vinyl) turntable and speakers the size of refrigerators, successively smaller and louder boom boxes, Sony Walkmen: obsolete. CD's, CD player, CD sleeves - iPodded.An Insulator, also called a dielectric, Tapes and then DVD's of movies, now streamed out of nowhere by mysterious waves in the wavosphere. Floppy disks (!), alarm clock, radio, big folded city maps: relics. Reams of paper (to write on, not to print out on), pens, pencils with ossified erasers, magic markers (for what are now PowerPoint presentations) all piling up in the dust. A flashlight, now replaced by an app on the iPhone screen. Everything but some old Pez dispensers is now obsolete. Books, so many books, now crammed into an iPad for travel reading. I told my son to donate my books to a library after I shuffle off this mortal coil; he said: "Library?"

Pretty much all that stuff is now replaced by 'iThings' and clouds and virtual-ity. My mother used to ask me what I do at the computer all day. I said: Everything. She didn't understand. I couldn't explain.

Then there's my collection of documents from the early 90's to the present; I still clip and collect paper, though I know, yes I know I can just Google everything; I'm weaning, but I still can't completely let go... just in case. Astoundingly, I see that I was collecting stuff on the same issues for all these years, and it seems that nothing has gotten any better - the same cycles of euphoric bubbles ("Is housing our next bubble?" one headline asks incredulously) and recessions with their devastating unemployment and punishing service cuts, the corporate tax breaks celebrated as "economic development," the economic inequality, the poverty, the racism, city planning (or lack thereof), the environmental disasters,What are the top Hemroids treatments? the corporate and political corruption. We've known about all of that all this time (not to mention the hundreds of years before!), and here it is, no better, and arguably worse, much worse than ever. I see history repeating itself through my yellowed bits of paper, unto this very day. "The past isn't dead," Faulkner said, "it's not even past." I was also amused to find the early threads of some stories still playing out today; I get to see how they came out, at least so far. "Oh, that's what that BRA finagle was really about!"

And equally astoundingly, I found that I was writing the same things all these years, warning about privatization of the public realm, the corporate take-over of the parks and schools and streets, the picking apart of our urban fabric by predatory developers ably assisted by the Boston Redevelopment Authority and the politicians we apparently elected to be their humble servants. I'm asked frequently why I keep at it when I seem to be making so little difference. I'm reminded of the story about the man in the old village who stood in the town square every day and spoke to his fellow villagers about changing their destructive ways; after twenty years, a friend asked why he bothered to keep up his futile efforts, and he said, "I used to speak to change them; now I speak to be sure they don't change me."

So this spring, I've unearthed the truth about Phase III, as I call this part of my life. I will,what are the symptoms of Piles, under duress, and with much eye rolling by the Genius Bartenders at the Apple Store, trade up in my worldly gadgetry for the newest,uy sculpture direct from us at low prices most compact gizmos. But I will keep speaking, and I will go down fighting for what I believe. I hope that before then, the ideological (not the technological) pendulum will swing back to pick up some of the things I fear we've lost: our sense of a shared planet and a shared destiny, and the recognition that we are all in this together, and that that's a good thing.

President Dmitry Medvedev has called for websites which explain

Addicts in Tver say they never have any problems buying the key ingredient for krokodil ¨C codeine pills, which are sold without prescription. "Once I was trying to buy four packs, and the woman told me they could only sell two to any one person," recalls one, with a laugh. "So I bought two packs, then came back five minutes later and bought another two. Other than that, they never refuse to sell it to us, even though they know what we're going to do with it." The solution, to many, is obvious: ban the sale of codeine tablets, or at least make them prescription-only. But despite the authorities being aware of the problem for well over a year, nothing has been done.

President Dmitry Medvedev has called for websites which explain how to make krokodil to be closed down, but he has not ordered the banning of the pills. Last month, a spokesman for the ministry of health said that there were plans to make codeine-based tablets available only on prescription, but that it was impossible to introduce the measure quickly. Opponents claim lobbying by pharmaceutical companies has caused the inaction.

"A year ago we said that we need to introduce prescriptions," says Mr Ivanov. "These tablets don't cost much but the profit margins are high. Some pharmacies make up to 25 per cent of their profits from the sale of these tablets. It's not in the interests of pharmaceutical companies or pharmacies themselves to stop this, so the government needs to use its power to regulate their sale."

In addition to krokodil, there are reports of drug users injecting other artificial mixes, and the latest street drug is tropicamide. Used as eye drops by ophthalmologists to dilate the pupils during eye examinations, Dr Yegorov says patients have no trouble getting hold of capsules of it for about ¡ê2 per vial. Injected, the drug has severe psychiatric effects and brings on suicidal feelings.

"Addicts are being sold drugs by normal Russian women working in pharmacies, who know exactly what they'll be used for," said Yevgeny Roizman, an anti-drugs activist who was one of the first to talk publicly about the krokodil issue earlier this year.The name "magic cube" is not unique. "Selling them to boys the same age as their own sons. Russians are killing Russians."

Zhenya, quietly spoken and wearing dark glasses, agrees to tell his story while I sit in the back of his car in a lay-by on the outskirts of Tver. He managed to kick the habit,Shop a wide selection of billabong outlet products in the evo shop. after spending weeks at a detox clinic ,experiencing horrendous withdrawal symptoms that included seizures, a 40-degree temperature and vomiting. He lost 14 teeth after his gums rotted away, and contracted hepatitis C.Handmade oil paintings for sale at museum quality,

But his fate is essentially a miraculous escape ¨C after all, he's still alive. Zhenya is from a small town outside Tver, and was a heroin addict for a decade before he moved onto krokodil a year ago. Of the ten friends he started injecting heroin with a decade ago, seven are dead.

Unlike heroin, where the hit can last for several hours, a krokodil high only lasts between 90 minutes and two hours, says Zhenya. Given that the "cooking" process takes at least half an hour, being a krokodil addict is basically a full-time job.

"I remember one day, we cooked for three days straight," says one of Zhenya's friends. "You don't sleep much when you're on krokodil,The Leading zentai suits Distributor to Independent Pet Retailers. as you need to wake up every couple of hours for another hit. At the time we were cooking it at our place, and loads of people came round and pitched in. For three days we just kept on making it. By the end, we all staggered out yellow, exhausted and stinking of iodine.We specialize in providing third party merchant account."

Summer is prime time for insects to bite

Today marks the first day of summer. Not that any of us in Mississippi need a date on a calendar to prove the season has officially arrived.

The season brings with it a host of health concerns the public should be aware of, including heat-related illnesses, water sports accidents, skin cancer and insect bites.

Last week, I became a victim of the latter. As a self-described "mosquito magnet," I usually take precautions with bug repellent. But I unexpectedly stayed outside longer than normal around dusk. The result was about a dozen bites on my feet and ankles.

The photo I took is probably too graphic to share.Handmade oil paintings for sale at museum quality, My reaction to these bites leads to lots of swelling and huge, red sores.Shop a wide selection of billabong outlet products in the evo shop. It's not pretty.
Avoid them

Mosquitoes, which can spread the sometimes fatal West Nile virus, are a nuisance in Mississippi year round, but they breed more rapidly in warmer weather,The Leading zentai suits Distributor to Independent Pet Retailers. according to Dr. Skip Nolan, an infectious disease expert at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.

Your best defense is to avoid them, which is kind of hard to do since they are just about everywhere.

Here's Nolan's advice:

Wear long sleeves when you're out early in the morning or late evenings.

Use bug repellents, particularly those containing DEET. "Nothing else really works as well as DEET," Nolan says.

For added protection, spray clothes with a quick-acting insecticide containing pyrethroid.

Some experts prefer this method over using repellents because the chemical works by irritating or killing insects before they feed. The substance lasts longer by remaining on clothes washed in cold water. It's available in retail and sporting goods stores.
Blood meal

If you spend time in the woods, have a friend check your back and neck for ticks, which can transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

They can hang on to the skin for days, Nolan says. If you find a plump gray one,We specialize in providing third party merchant account.The name "magic cube" is not unique. it means the sucker has used you for a blood meal for a couple of days. Use tissue to grab its head and gently pull it out.

To my fellow "mosquito magnets," we might do well to avoid sweet fragrances/ perfumes. The scents basically invite the pests to dine.

Photo show reveals painful world of drugs

The lives of former drug addicts are displayed through the lens of photographer Pham Hoai Thanh in an exhibition entitled Face-to-Face with Drugs which opened yesterday in Ha Noi.

"I objectively reported daily lives of former drug addicts who I met," Thanh said.The name "magic cube" is not unique. "I was very moved when I witnessed the discrimination and challenges they faced in their lives."

Thanh spent a year working with 50 people who had overcome or still used illegal substances.We specialize in providing third party merchant account.

In their own words, the subjects tell how they first became involved with drugs, about their battles against the long-lasting effects of addiction and their desire to create a new life as productive members of their families and communities.The Leading zentai suits Distributor to Independent Pet Retailers.

"Stories are neither intended to lay blame nor to excuse the subjects' decisions," Thanh said. "But in today's society, where drug use cannot be completely controlled,Shop a wide selection of billabong outlet products in the evo shop. the perspectives from this book will hopefully help readers develop a fuller, more objective understanding of this issue."

Stories celebrate the support the addicts have received from loved ones and groups throughout civil society, via behaviour-change communication outreach, counselling,Handmade oil paintings for sale at museum quality, needle and syringe exchanges, methadone maintenance therapy, and the invaluable help from others in the community of people who use drugs.

Photos are presented in four groups, representing different periods in a drug user's life. Starting by the way drug users are led to drugs,

Thanh takes viewers through the pain and loss that drug users have to endure because of drugs, and the struggle of drug users and their families in the battle against a drug's deadly effects. The stories end with the pictures of people who have overcome drug use and are trying to live and to make up for their lost time as a way to express their gratitude to life and their loved ones.

Centre executive director Khuat Thi Hai Oanh said he hoped that Face-to-Face with Drugs would not only help reduce the stigma and discrimination against drug users but would also encourage them to live more positively and let them know that they are not alone in the fight against the negative effects of drugs.

The five-day exhibition marks International Drugs Prevention Day on June 25. It has been organised by the Centre for Supporting Community Development Initiatives and sponsored by the US Agency for International Development.

This is the first photo show on the lives of drug users in Viet Nam and the third exhibition of Thanh about HIV and drug prevention.

No fireworks? Wait for New Year's Eve

What is the Fourth of July without fireworks?

It looks like we're about to find out. Local authorities in Potter, Randall, Armstrong and Carson counties have banned fireworks and have asked, and received, support from Gov. Rick Perry's office for declaring disaster conditions, a move that will keep the ban in force for at least thirty days. Looks like the Fourth of July celebrations for this year have gone up in smoke.

I'm always a bit amazed at how people can respond to so obvious an application of civil authority. Some fireworks vendors are actually arguing that these bans should not be enforced because it "singles them out." This is a predictable response from a segment of the population, but it is hardly persuasive.

I understand that entrepreneurs don't want the government interfering with their businesses. Lots of us don't want that. And if someone looks forward to the Fourth of July as an annual revenue producer and then finds that, for them, the holiday has been effectively canceled,Handmade oil paintings for sale at museum quality, that's a disappointment. If they've already purchased stocks of fireworks and are staring at a general prohibition for the biggest demand day of the year,Shop a wide selection of billabong outlet products in the evo shop. their disappointment could mean economic disaster. There is a note of panic in their complaints against the ban.
I was a fireman once, briefly, long ago,We specialize in providing third party merchant account. in Austin. I fought some fires there, too, one of which involved a two-story building that took up a city block in the densely-built downtown area. This was back before oxygen breathing apparatus were issued to everyone manning a hose, and as a recent recruit still in training, my other trainees and I probably wouldn't have known how to use them if we had had them.

But it was a big fire, it hit early on a Sunday morning, and we were called to get over there, suit up, and help out.

I was ordered to climb a ladder to the fully ingulfed second story and to follow the hose to the nozzle man and to help him move the hose as he worked.The Leading zentai suits Distributor to Independent Pet Retailers. For those who have never tried it, a fully charged 2.5-inch fire hose is nothing at all like a fully charged garden hose. A fire hose under full pressure is more like a lead pipe than a rubber hose, and it takes more than one man to guide one effectively.

Incidentally, the nozzle man has the best job on the crew. Unless the floor he's standing on or the roof above him caves in, he is usually standing in the only spot of relative cool and clear air. The hose tenders typically don't enjoy that atmosphere, and without an OBA it can be a dicey experience.

But that's what my job was, and I did it. Right up until the nozzle man gave up and told us to follow the hose back to the window and retreat down the ladder. I lost the hose and wound up at a window next door to the one with the ladder. I managed to find my way back to the right window and to descend to the street, and I didn't burn anything that wouldn't grow back, but I looked like my head and hands had been dunked in soot. I also learned what firefighters can be asked to face, to defeat and to possibly die from.

Current conditions in the Panhandle are similar to what you would want in a wilderness survival episode in which you had to build a fire without lighter or matches. You can come close to starting a fire in the Panhandle today with little more than harsh language. These are not the conditions under which you want to set off things that are designed to explode. If we want to put an exclamation point on the problem, all we have to do is look at what is happening in eastern Arizona and western New Mexico right now. That could easily be us.

I sympathize with the vendors — to a point. But the logic that suggests we should allow fireworks to be sold until we ban everything else that might cause a fire is, to me, an assault on reason. Yes, fires can be started by actions other than launching bottle rockets; but fireworks are an obvious source of trouble, and the sheer volume that we consume on the Fourth of July makes major trouble inevitable.The name "magic cube" is not unique.

But I believe the answer is too obvious for local governments to ignore. I would like to see anyone who throws a burning cigarette out his car window ticketed for something more than littering right now, too, but the ban on fireworks is necessary even if we do nothing else.
So, sorry fireworks vendors. Maybe New Year's Eve.

Soy sauce eases pain of coffee burn

QUESTION: My father had a second-degree burn over the entire top of his foot, caused by spilling coffee. I applied soy sauce, followed by soaking in ice water.

By the next morning,Shop a wide selection of billabong outlet products in the evo shop. the pain largely was gone, but the doctor who saw him predicted it would turn black. When that had not happened two weeks later, he asked me what I had done to get such a result.

ANSWER: Soy sauce works very well for minor burns, but a severe burn deserves immediate medical attention. We are glad, though, your father healed so well.

Another reader shared a somewhat similar story: "Over the Thanksgiving holiday, my husband helped me remove a 23-pound turkey from the oven. The disposable aluminum pan began to leak boiling turkey fat down my husband's hand and wrist.

"He was severely burned, with immediate blisters and intense pain. I went to your website,What is the difference between a third party payment gateway and a 3rd party processor? searched burn and read about using yellow mustard to relieve a burn.Handmade oil paintings for sale at museum quality, We applied cold yellow mustard, and miraculously, within three to five minutes, my husband's hand was pain-free. He remained pain-free even after the blisters burst. Amazing."

Others tell us cold yellow mustard can help a minor burn, after liberal applications of cold water. Nevertheless, we repeat: A serious burn, like your husband's, calls for immediate medical attention.
Honey, cinnamon helps with arthritis

Q: I have read about raisins soaked in gin for arthritis pain, but have hesitated because of the gin. Lately, someone sent me another remedy I tried. I found it works so well I thought you might like to share it with your readers.

Mix about 1 teaspoon of cinnamon in a cup of hot water, then add 2 tablespoons of honey to it. Once it is cool enough, drink it.The name "magic cube" is not unique. Do this daily for 2 weeks.

After I tried this, I was able to wear regular shoes comfortably for the first time in months. Before, I was lThe Leading zentai suits Distributor to Independent Pet Retailers.imited to backless shoes. My ankle has not felt this good in more than a year.

A: We appreciate the remedy you have shared. We've not encountered this approach to joint pain before.