News for today's 2018: 04/27/13

Babe of the Week: Raging Bitch Gwyneth Paltrow

9:00 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /> <br /><div class="MsoNormal">IWS Radio is proud to present Oscar winning actress, singer, cookbook author and lifestyle guru Gwyneth Paltrow as our Babe of the Week! </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_KSBePI6ZIflvAbqn9-tcUZ3D0tuOishE7LyHBl989AuppbwFAIQJl_w5K-qqWDRN-c6hbWPewP1hyphenhyphenegWWf95Z1fPtyBbHbHyn650dExfZVKGi5Gt60tK2l6FeoWONj-u3yKr-W5tP7k/s1600/Gwyneth-Paltrow-Cleavage-Boobs-Legs-Sexy-Cunt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_KSBePI6ZIflvAbqn9-tcUZ3D0tuOishE7LyHBl989AuppbwFAIQJl_w5K-qqWDRN-c6hbWPewP1hyphenhyphenegWWf95Z1fPtyBbHbHyn650dExfZVKGi5Gt60tK2l6FeoWONj-u3yKr-W5tP7k/s320/Gwyneth-Paltrow-Cleavage-Boobs-Legs-Sexy-Cunt.jpg" width="235" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Recently named People Magazine’s “World’s Most Beautiful Woman” Gwyneth is one of the most multi-faceted and talented … Oh screw this! She was named “Most Beautiful” by People at the same time that “Iron Man 3” was premiering and we’re supposed to believe People wasn’t bought off for that? PUH-LEEZE! I can’t take it. Paltrow is an over-privileged pretentious self-absorbed snob who thinks she’s better than everyone … </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX9B1gjtUvjx5l5m-2YuyDkMtujm8nZSpEoM92AQqLwYjhjHbqB2uzNaAGXI1cmJ_Uiy-0Ex4bMHrirwnRqR0-1TqnidHnV81BEcVD5bdhVG__-4UYg0ImROMyj1i_8z7i6GqK0mdWYJk/s1600/Gwyneth-Paltrow-See-Through-Iron-Man-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX9B1gjtUvjx5l5m-2YuyDkMtujm8nZSpEoM92AQqLwYjhjHbqB2uzNaAGXI1cmJ_Uiy-0Ex4bMHrirwnRqR0-1TqnidHnV81BEcVD5bdhVG__-4UYg0ImROMyj1i_8z7i6GqK0mdWYJk/s400/Gwyneth-Paltrow-See-Through-Iron-Man-3.jpg" width="218" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Is she pretty? Sure she is! Tall, lean, leggy blue-eyed blonds usually are. But so is the girl who works at the Dollar General here in Redneckville. The difference is the girl at DG doesn’t look down on everyone who shops there and tell them what sad, pathetic people they are! </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtkVOPDHSZW2UIh293wuMqmFisc-yYTcLOlUfi73RcwdLMoJ-e8gQ7tkpmADOEGBbj8f0UEhZrU2_wiVFoTE6zTsBnooLkUjoqkPP4VGGkddm_Bt5fqsNEdYPs9aWRqb8LQTNcwkBU-nE/s1600/Gwyneth-Paltrow-Legs-Hot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtkVOPDHSZW2UIh293wuMqmFisc-yYTcLOlUfi73RcwdLMoJ-e8gQ7tkpmADOEGBbj8f0UEhZrU2_wiVFoTE6zTsBnooLkUjoqkPP4VGGkddm_Bt5fqsNEdYPs9aWRqb8LQTNcwkBU-nE/s400/Gwyneth-Paltrow-Legs-Hot.jpg" width="223" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">Gwyneth is just another one of these snooty condescending bitches who was born on third base but thinks she hit a triple. She can’t be bothered to live in America because were all sooooooo uncouth. She has to live in London where she claims everyone is a sophisticated, worldly intellectual on her level. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTa5xpHnZRGhnMTcasPIWgX_pDltj9xRzuMPJWnhxTUAmcAmddEcDUiycVPP7f4rTA9dcgHVzI1nRTeOcT7RktngNEND9i_4-4XtFU4HtjXaeLaUZxhawuugxAXAO4Nd6gGGnAlbEnVy8/s1600/Gwyneth-Paltrow-Nude-Topless-Hot.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTa5xpHnZRGhnMTcasPIWgX_pDltj9xRzuMPJWnhxTUAmcAmddEcDUiycVPP7f4rTA9dcgHVzI1nRTeOcT7RktngNEND9i_4-4XtFU4HtjXaeLaUZxhawuugxAXAO4Nd6gGGnAlbEnVy8/s400/Gwyneth-Paltrow-Nude-Topless-Hot.bmp" width="223" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Her favorite thing in the world to do is to go onto her website tell all the downtrodden people of the world what they can do to <strike>better their lives</strike> BE MORE LIKE HER!!!! I would congratulate “Gwennie” on her Babe of the Week hono(u)rs, but she has probably already congratulated herself. Of course, while staring at herself in the mirror and being mesmerized by her beauty and greatness, she is also asking how it could possibly have taken so long for this to happen since she’s sooooooo much more deserving than the babes who have won before she did.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">How on Earth the lovely, charming and delightful Blythe Danner could have given birth to this snooty self-important cunt I have no idea. Anyway, enjoy being the Babe of the Week Gwyneth. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>By the way, don't forget to listen to<a href="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/im-with-stupid/2013/04/28/at-long-last-spring" target="_blank"> I'm With Stupid LIVE Sunday at 12 Noon ET</a> as we talk about Spring Cleaning and other fun stuff.<br /><br /></div>

Babe of the Week: Raging Bitch Gwyneth Paltrow

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Lifestyle changes...a matter of life or death

9:24 AM Tukiyooo 0

I saw the naturopath oncologist on Thursday. She provided me with a wealth of information. Sadly, I was turned off by her pushiness to sell me $200 worth of supplements (a one-month supply) at the end of our appointment. <br /><br />We got into a bit of an argument when I told her my current situation, divorce and now medical bills, had created a very tight budget for me. She got nasty and said this was my life we were talking about and if I wanted to live I needed to take these supplements, and of course, buy them from her since "they were of the highest pharmaceutical quality". I told her well, if it was a choice of a roof over my head or the supplements then I would have to choose the roof. It sort of ruined the good feelings I had been feeling up to that point. <br /><br />Regardless, I did walk away with a lot of knowledge and $100 of "essential" supplements that she said was a must. I haven't taken any of them yet since I have to run them by my traditional oncologist to make sure she approves. There was a green tea extract, some sort of cumin powder mixture that I'm suppose to drink, and a mushroom capsule. I looked them up online and two of them, the green tea extract and the cumin powder do seem to have a history of building the immune system. The mushroom stuff was referred to as "folk" medicine. I really didn't like the high pressure sales. I'm sure they make a lot of money off of this stuff and it seems wrong to tell a cancer patient who has no money that they need to buy this stuff or their cancer will probably return. Obviously, I'm still a bit disappointed this happened.<br /><br />Now for the really big changes in my life. I have to totally change my eating. I'm going to organic vegetables and fruits, with emphasis on the vegetables and small amounts of fruit (sugar is sugar). Small amounts of animal protein that is free-range and organic. Mostly chicken and fish, very little, if any, red meat. I'll be eating as little processed foods as possible. More lentils and beans, but I have to really watch the carbs due to I need to keep my insulin levels stable. I'm not diabetic but my fasting glucose has always been on the high end, in the 90's. Not pre-diabetic, but too close for comfort. <br /><br />Portion sizes have to change to smaller meals and more often. Gone are the days of starving myself to death so I can wear size 6 jeans, then binge eating my way right back to size 18. Now it's really eating to live.<br /><br />I'm also cutting back on dairy, which is a little sad because milk has always been my beverage of choice. Everything I've been reading talks about animal products causing inflammation, including milk. If there are cancer cells running around in my bloodstream, they're looking for inflammation. That's where they'll reseed and start growing. Small servings are okay, but big glasses of milk with my meals are no longer on the menu. Fermented dairy, like yogurt, is okay, but very low sugar.<br /><br />Processed sugar is completely off the menu. Everything I've read indicates cancer feeds on sugar. I've known for years that sugar isn't a good thing to be eating. It always trigger cravings, and I really don't miss it. The key for me is to avoid it 100%. One bite triggers cravings for me. <br /><br />I had already starting eating like this about a week ago when I was reading about cancer online and how important nutrition is to prevent the cancer from returning. I'm finding it a lot easier to eat like this than I expected. There's a bonus too, I feel so much better already. <br /><br />I also can't believe how much better organic food tastes. It taste incredibly delicious. I baked a a free-range, oganic chicken last night with organic carrots, yukon gold potatoes, celery, asparagus and onion. It was literally one of the best meals I've eaten in my entire life. I had no idea there would be such a difference in the taste and texture of the food.<br /><br />There's a whole list of things I have to work on besides nutrition, like sleep, exercise and my mental attitude (handling stress) are just a few things. I'm reading a couple of books that are really helpful, Five to Thrive, "your cutting-edge cancer prevention plan". And Love, Medicine, and Miracles. These are great books and are giving me a lot of insight and knowledge on how to deal with my cancer diagnosis.<br /><br />My oncologist (the traditional one) gave me the go ahead last Wednesday to return to the gym. I still haven't gone, but I plan a visit this morning. It's only been 2 1/2 weeks since my total abdominal hysterectomy. I feel better but I'm far from 100% recovered. My workout will be gentle, just enough to get my heart rate up and light weights. <br /><br />One thing I haven't mentioned in a long time is my binge eating. When my evil, soon-to-be ex-husband lived here I would get up in the middle of the night and eat. Not a little, but a lot. It was serious, out of control binge eating. That went on for years. It was a constant battle and barely a night went by when I wasn't in the kitchen at 1 or 2 a.m. looking for something to eat. I would eat a huge amount of food and go back to bed, alone in my bedroom.<br /><br />A strange thing has happened. When my husband was arrested for assaulting me and I have a restraining order against him, my binge eating came to a halt. I may have done it a few times right after he left, but I haven't done it for months (he's been gone six months). In hindsight I know it was my unhappiness and feelings of not being loved that caused the binge eating. <br /><br />I'm feeling very positive about my fight against cancer and my life. These life changes are challenging, but this really is a matter of life or death.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />

Lifestyle changes...a matter of life or death

Health Blogs & News Posts – ABC News

7:22 AM Tukiyooo 0

Health Blogs & News Posts – ABC News

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/…

Can a SmartPhone Do What Your Doctor Does? - ABC News

7:20 AM Tukiyooo 0

<div class="font-toggle" style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div style="padding-top: 15px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; ">During our medical training, we're taught to gather and use information from three sources: a patient history, a physical exam and lab tests. By far the most difficult to master is the physical exam. A good exam requires knowledge of anatomy and physiology and awareness of normal variations that allow a doctor to recognize abnormalities.</div><div style="padding-top: 15px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; ">Technology can help, and at TEDMED 2013, the SmartPhone Physical exhibit by MedGadget/Nurture showcased some of the latest advances. The goal was to bring complex tests that are pricey to perform with traditional equipment into primary care clinics.</div><div style="padding-top: 15px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; ">The result: accessible, affordable $200 phone accessories, most of them approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as "equivalency standards," or equal to the industry standard. This technology could improve access to these tests, cut down on referrals, and provide overall better care.</div><div style="padding-top: 15px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; ">"It's great for primary care physicians, new doctors with less experience, teaching and even some patients," said Shiv Gaglani, a medical student at Johns Hopkins and curator of the exhibit. "Some physicians can go through their entire training without really learning to look into an eye."</div><div style="padding-top: 15px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; ">But I was skeptical. In medicine, we learn to question everything. If my own mother came to me saying hugs were good for a cold, I would take the hug then ask to see the evidence. So I decided to try it out. Gaglani would be my "doctor" for this 10-minute exam using the following gadgets:</div><div style="padding-top: 15px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><strong style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">Blood Pressure Monitor by Withings and Blood Oxygen Monitor by iSp02</strong></div><div style="padding-top: 15px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; ">We started off, like in all physical exams, by taking the vital signs: blood pressure; heart rate; and oxygenation. The screen buzzed with colorful readings and real-time measurement, and then uploaded my information into an iPad, where I could get it through an app.  It was a start, but I wasn't that impressed. The technology for "automated vital signs" had been around for a while, and a few years ago I taught my 7-year-old cousin how to use the machine on my grandmother.</div><div style="padding-top: 15px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><strong style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">ECG Cellphone Case by AliveCor</strong></div><div style="padding-top: 15px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; ">By squeezing my thumbs onto the metal plates of this iPhone cover, I was able to get a partial ECG that was uploaded and emailed to me. Interesting! One of the problems physicians have is that patients with heart symptoms often improve and the ECG normalizes by the time they see the doctor. This device was simple enough that patients with symptoms could get this cell phone case and be taught how to use it. So the next time it happened, we could get an ECG from during the cardiac event. One of the women who tried it earlier had palpitations during her exam and was diagnosed with a rhythm abnormality.</div><div style="padding-top: 15px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><strong style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">iExaminer by Welch Allyn</strong></div><div style="padding-top: 15px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; ">The eye exam, or "fundoscopy," is the only way we can look directly at blood vessels inside the body without having to cut anything open. It can tell us a lot about diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes. Unfortunately, it takes a lot of practice, so many of us end up referred to an ophthalmologist. The iExaminer was able to take an impressive visual photo of the inside of my eye and turn it into a .pdf.</div><div style="padding-top: 15px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><strong style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">SpiroSmart</strong></div><div style="padding-top: 15px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; ">This SmartPhone looked at lung function, which usually is done at a special lab during an uncomfortable exam. Guidelines for chronic lung diseases such as asthma, cystic fibrosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease  suggest these tests should be done regularly, but because it is often inconvenient to make a separate trip, they're  underused. It would be great if this was more accessible.</div><div style="padding-top: 15px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; ">"Unlike the lab machine, which uses pressure, this device uses sound and has been shown to be almost as accurate," said SpiroSmart co-creator Mayank Goel. "This opens up so many doors; imagine even being able to do this test over the phone!"</div><div style="padding-top: 15px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; ">Other devices included ThinkLabs' ds32A digital stethoscope that records body sounds (like heart murmurs), the MobiUS SP1 handheld ultrasound machine that looked at the carotid arteries in the neck and was surprisingly accurate compared to the full ultrasound machines, and an otoscope that looked at my ear drum and took a picture.</div><div style="padding-top: 15px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; ">Overall, I was grudgingly impressed. The devices seemed to combine the best parts of human experience and technology; using technology to gather reliable information, especially for those with less experience, and the physician to interpret the results.</div><div style="padding-top: 15px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; ">Studies looking at "inter-rater reliability," the concept of how likely is it that different people interpreting the same physical exam sign will get the same diagnosis, show that technology is often better for gathering consistently objective information.</div><div style="padding-top: 15px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; ">The long lineup at the SmartPhone Physical Booth at TedMed included the surgeon general and Dr. Daniel Kraft, faculty chair of medicine at Singularity University in San Diego, who was impressed by the  potential for improving access to care, whether in remote areas or overseas.</div><div style="padding-top: 15px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; ">"It can enable primary care anywhere. And even though we need to do more testing to ensure accuracy, the potential is great," Kraft said.</div><div style="padding-top: 15px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; ">One of the problems, however, is that each device has to be attached to the phone in a separate way, and data is uploaded to different apps, creating a huge amount of information to sift through.</div><div style="padding-top: 15px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; ">"Our ability to gather data is overtaking our ability to pare it down and use it to improve our health," said TEDMED editor-in-chief John Benditt.</div><div style="padding-top: 15px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; ">And it's true. The creation of complex devices and technology is surpassing our ability to learn it and use it to its full potential before the "next big thing" comes out. What I'd really like to see is an ECG machine and BP machine that combines data with the lung machine and uploads it to the same profile. Arguably, the next big challenge in medicine may not be the creation of new technology, but finding a way to integrate existing ones.</div></div><div class="clr" style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; vertical-align: baseline; clear: both; height: 0px; overflow: hidden; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"></div><br><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2013/04/27/can-a-smartphone-do-what-your-doctor-does/?">http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2013/04/27/can-a-smartphone-do-what-your-doctor-does/?</a>

Can a SmartPhone Do What Your Doctor Does? - ABC News

During our medical training, we're taught to gather and use information from three sources: a patient history, a physical exam and lab tests. By far the most difficult to master is the physical exam. A good exam requires knowledge of anatomy and phys…

Ask Well: Coaxing Parents to Take Better Care of Themselves - NYTimes.com

5:08 AM Tukiyooo 0

<div class="module qaModule askWellQAModule" style="margin-bottom: 12px; clear: none; border-top-style: none; padding-top: 10px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; float: left; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 10px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 15px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); position: static; z-index: auto; "><div class="moduleHeader questionsHeader" style="font-family: nyt-franklin, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.3em; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.4em; text-transform: uppercase; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><h6 class="askWellQuestionHeading" style="margin: 0px 0px 6px; color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: 1em; line-height: 1em; font-weight: normal; font-family: nyt-karnak-display-130124, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-transform: uppercase; width: 22px; height: 15px; padding: 6px 0px 0px; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; background-color: rgb(135, 203, 134); text-align: center; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Q</h6><div class="question" data-question-id="9891" style="width: 466px; height: auto; margin: 0px; float: none; clear: left; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: normal; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1em; text-transform: none;"><h2 class="moduleHeading" style="margin: 5px 0px 2px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 1.2307em; line-height: 1.125em; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; display: block; font-weight: bold;">How can I coax my parents to take better care of themselves?</h2><h4 class="moduleSubHeading" style="margin: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 1.083em; line-height: 1.3846em; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; padding: 5px 0px;">My parents are in their mid-60s and don't eat well or exercise. They are poorly informed about good nutrition and the benefits of moderate exercise, or even what constitutes moderate exercise. Is there a book that gives accurate, commonsense information without the patronizing tone that I would almost inevitably use? I'm trying to be patient, but it's hard to deal with aging parents who aren't taking care of themselves.</h4><div class="moduleMeta"><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 0.9167em; line-height: 1em; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); ">Reader Question • 349 votes</div></div></div></div><div class="moduleBody answer" style="width: 466px; height: auto; margin: 6px 12px 0px 0px; float: none; clear: left;"><h6 class="askWellAnswerHeading" style="margin: 0px 0px 4px; color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1em; font-weight: normal; font-family: nyt-karnak-display-130124, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-transform: uppercase; width: 22px; height: 15px; padding: 6px 0px 0px; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; background-color: rgb(135, 203, 134); text-align: center; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">A</h6><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.5em;">Your dilemma of wanting to get your parents to change their ways to eat better and exercise reminds me of an old joke:<br></p><blockquote style="margin: 0px 0.5em; font-size: 1.6em; line-height: 1.4em; clear: left; text-indent: 0px; color: rgb(112, 112, 112); padding: 5px 0px;"><em>How many psychologists does it take to change a light bulb? Answer: Only one, but the light bulb has to really want to change.</em><p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em;"></p></blockquote><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.5em;">Sounds like your parents may be about as motivated as the light bulb right now. Still, there are things you can do to encourage them to move in a healthier direction. But the first step should not be to hand them a book. Unless you lay some prior groundwork, that gesture may seem almost as patronizing as an impatient tone of voice – and probably as likely to backfire.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.5em;">Instead, start a conversation in a caring, nonjudgmental way. Ask, don't tell. "Say, 'You know, I might not know what I am talking about, but I am really concerned about you," suggested Kevin Leman, a psychologist in Tucson, Ariz., and author of 42 books on changing behavior in families and relationships. Ask simply if there is anything you can do to help.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.5em;">Leading by example is also more effective than lecturing. "The son can role-model health by inviting his parents to dinner and serving healthful items that he is fairly certain they will find acceptable, or ask them if they are interested in going out dancing with him and his wife," suggested Ann Constance, director of the Upper Peninsula Diabetes Outreach Network in Michigan.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.5em;">Pleasure is a better motivator for change than pain or threats. Use the grandchildren as bait. Ask if they want to take the grandchildren to the zoo or a park that would require a good bit of walking around for everyone. Or the grandchildren could ask them to come along on one of those 2K fund-raiser-walks that many schools hold. After all, a day with the grandchildren is always a pleasure in itself. (O.K., usually a pleasure.)</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.5em;">Tempted to give them the gift of a health club membership? "Save your money," Dr. Leman said. Try a more indirect (and cheaper) approach. Create a mixed-tape of up-tempo music from their era. ("Songs they listened to from the ages of 12-to-17, which is what we all listen to for the rest of our lives," said Dr. Leman) They will enjoy it any time — maybe even while walking.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.5em;">If you really want someone you love to make a change, the key is to ask them to do something small and easy first because that increases the chances they will do something larger later. Psychologists call that "the foot in the door technique," said Adam Davey, associate professor of public health at Temple University in Philadelphia, referring to a classic 1966 experiment called <a href="http://psycnet.apa.org/index.cfm?fa=buy.optionToBuy&id=1966-10825-001" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: underline;">"Compliance Without Pressure."</a> In the study, which has been duplicated by others in many forms, researchers asked people to sign a petition or place a small card in a window in their home or car about keeping California beautiful or supporting safe driving. About two weeks later, the same people were asked to put a huge sign that practically covered their entire front lawn advocating the same cause.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.5em;">"A surprisingly large number of those who agreed to the small sign agreed to the billboard," because agreeing to the first small task built a bond between asker and askee "that increases the likelihood of complying with a subsequent larger request," Dr. Davey explained.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.5em;">Any plan for behavioral change is most likely to succeed if it is very specific, measurable and achievable, according to Ms.Constance.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.5em;">And the new behavior should also be integrated into daily life — and repeated until it becomes a habit. For example, if you want to walk more, start with a 10-minute walk after dinner on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Ms. Constance suggested. The next week, bump it up to 12 minutes.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.5em;">Don't give up, even if you meet initial resistance — it is never too late for your parents or you or any of us to change. "Taking up an exercise program into one's 80s and 90s to build strength and flexibility can result in very tangible and enduring benefits in a surprisingly short time," insisted Dr Davey.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.5em;">As for instructive reading, Dr. Leman is partial to one of his own books,<a href="http://bakerpublishinggroup.com/books/have-a-new-you-by-friday/321071" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: underline;">"Have a New You by Friday,"</a> and Dr. Davey recommends "Biomarkers: The 10 Keys to Prolonging Vitality," by William Evans. Ms. Constance recommends the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Web site on<a href="http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/guidelines/olderadults.html" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: underline;">physical activity and exercise tips for the elderly</a>, as well as the National Institute of Health's <a href="http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/dash/" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: underline;">site on the DASH diet</a>.</p><div><br></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; line-height: normal; font-size: medium; "><a href="http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/19/ask-well-getting-your-parents-to-take-better-care-of-themselves/">http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/19/ask-well-getting-your-parents-to-take-better-care-of-themselves/</a></span></div></div></div>

Ask Well: Coaxing Parents to Take Better Care of Themselves - NYTimes.com

QHow can I coax my parents to take better care of themselves?My parents are in their mid-60s and don't eat well or exercise. They are poorly informed about good nutrition and the benefits of moderate exercise, or even what constitutes moderate exerci…

Therapy for the Elderly: Finally Getting a Load Off Their Minds - NYTimes.com

5:06 AM Tukiyooo 0

<div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); position: static; z-index: auto; " class="">Marvin Tolkin was 83 when he decided that the unexamined life wasn't worth living. Until then, it had never occurred to him that there might be emotional "issues" he wanted to explore with a counselor.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " class="">"I don't think I ever needed therapy," said Mr. Tolkin, a retired manufacturer of women's undergarments who lives in Manhattan and Hewlett Harbor, N.Y.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " class="">Though he wasn't clinically depressed, Mr. Tolkin did suffer from migraines and "struggled through a lot of things in my life" — the demise of a long-term business partnership, the sudden death of his first wife 18 years ago. He worried about his children and grandchildren, and his relationship with his current wife, Carole.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); position: static; z-index: auto; " class="">"When I hit my 80s I thought, 'The hell with this.' I don't know how long I'm going to live, I want to make it easier," said Mr. Tolkin, now 86. "Everybody needs help, and everybody makes mistakes. I needed to reach outside my own capabilities."</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " class="">So Mr. Tolkin began seeing <a href="http://www.weillcornell.org/rcabrams/" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); text-decoration: none;" class="">Dr. Robert C. Abrams</a>, a professor of clinical psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College in Manhattan. They meet once a month for 45 minutes, exploring the problems that were weighing on Mr. Tolkin. "Dr. Abrams is giving me a perspective that I didn't think about," he said. "It's been making the transition of living at this age in relation to my family very doable and very livable."</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " class="">Mr. Tolkin is one of many seniors who are seeking psychological help late in life. Most never set foot near an analyst's couch in their younger years. But now, as people are living longer, and the stigma of psychological counseling has diminished, they are recognizing that their golden years might be easier if they alleviate the problems they have been carrying around for decades. It also helps that <a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/medicare/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); text-decoration: none;" class="">Medicare</a> pays for psychiatric assessments and therapy.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " class="">"We've been seeing more people in their 80s and older over the past five years, many who have never done therapy before," said <a href="http://med.stanford.edu/profiles/Dolores_Thompson/" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); text-decoration: none;" class="">Dolores Gallagher-Thompson</a>, a professor of research in the department of psychiatry at Stanford. "Usually, they've tried other resources like their church, or talked to family. They're realizing that they're living longer, and if you've got another 10 or 15 years, why be miserable if there's something that can help you?"</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " class="">Some of these older patients are clinically depressed. The National Alliance on Mental Illness <a href="http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=By_Illness&template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=7515" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); text-decoration: none;" class="">reports that more than 6.5 million Americans over age 65 suffer from depression</a>. But many are grappling with <a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/mentalhealthanddisorders/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); text-decoration: none;" class="">mental health</a> issues unaddressed for decades, as well as contemporary concerns about new living arrangements, finances, chronic health problems, the loss of loved ones and their own mortality.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " class="">"It's never too late, if someone has never dealt with issues," said Judith Repetur, a clinical social worker in New York who works almost exclusively with older patients, many of whom are seeking help for the first time. "A combination of stresses late in life can bring up problems that weren't resolved."</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " class="">That members of the Greatest Generation would feel comfortable talking to a therapist, or acknowledging psychological distress, is a significant change. Many grew up in an era when only "crazy" people sought psychiatric help. They would never admit to themselves — and certainly not others — that anything might be wrong.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " class="">"For people in their 80s and 90s now, depression was considered almost a moral weakness," said Dr. Gallagher-Thompson. "Fifty years ago, when they were in their 20s and 30s, people were locked up and someone threw away the key. They had a terrible fear that if they said they were depressed, they were going to end up in an institution. So they learned to look good and cover their problems as best they could."</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " class="">But those attitudes have shifted over time, along with the medical community's understanding of mental illness among seniors. In the past, the assumption was that if older people were acting strangely or having problems, it was probably <a href="http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/dementia/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); text-decoration: none;" class="">dementia</a>. But now, "the awareness of depression, anxiety disorders and <a href="http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/specialtopic/drug-abuse/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); text-decoration: none;" class="">substance abuse</a> as possible problems has grown," said <a href="http://gero.usc.edu/faculty/knight/" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); text-decoration: none;" class="">Bob G. Knight</a>, a professor of gerontology and psychology at the University of Southern California, and the author of "Psychotherapy With Older Adults."</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " class="">A <a href="http://www.samhsa.gov/data/aging/chap1.htm" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); text-decoration: none;" class="">report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration</a> found that about half of all Americans ages 50 to 70 will be at high risk for alcohol and marijuana abuse by 2020, compared with less than 9 percent in 1999.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " class="">In years past, too, there was a sense among medical professionals that a patient often could not be helped after a certain age unless he had received treatment earlier in life. Freud noted that around age 50, "the elasticity of the mental process on which treatment depends is, as a rule, lacking," adding, "Old people are no longer educable." (Never mind that he continued working until he died at 83.)</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " class="">"That's been totally turned around by what we've learned about cognitive psychology and cognitive approach — changing the way you think about things, redirecting your emotions in more positive ways," said <a href="http://www.human.cornell.edu/bio.cfm?netid=kap6" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); text-decoration: none;" class="">Karl Pillemer</a>, a gerontologist and professor of human development at Cornell, and author of "30 Lessons for Living."</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " class="">Treatment regimens can be difficult in this population. Antidepressants, for instance, can have unpleasant side effects and only add to the pile of pills many elderly patients take daily. Older patients may feel that they don't have the time necessary to explore psychotherapy, or that it's too late to change.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " class="">But many eagerly embrace talk therapy, particularly cognitive behavioral techniques that focus on altering thought patterns and behaviors affecting their quality of life now. Experts say that seniors generally have a higher satisfaction rate in therapy than younger people because they are usually more serious about it. Time is critical, and their goals usually are well defined.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " class="">"Older patients realize that time is limited and precious and not to be wasted," said Dr. Abrams. "They tend to be serious about the discussion and less tolerant of wasted time. They make great patients."</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " class="">After her husband died two years ago, Miriam Zatinsky, a retired social worker who is now 87, moved into an independent living facility at Miami Jewish Health Systems. It was a difficult transition to make late in life.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " class="">"It was really strange to me, and I couldn't seem to make any friends here," Ms. Zatinsky said. "I really couldn't find my way. I was having a terrible time."</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " class="">The medical director for mental health at the facility, <a href="http://www.marcagronin.com/" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); text-decoration: none;" class="">Dr. Marc E. Agronin</a>, a <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/01/us/01elderly.html" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); text-decoration: none;" class="">geriatric psychiatrist and the author of "How We Age,"</a> told her that her problems were not unusual for someone in her situation, and encouraged her to make some friends. He prescribed Xanax to help with anxiety, which she said she rarely takes, and he put her in touch with a social worker, Shyla Ford, whom Ms. Zatinsky saw once a week until Ms. Ford moved (Ms. Zatinsky now has a new social worker she talks to). They strategized on how she could reach out. And slowly, she did.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " class="">"Sitting at the table for dinner, you talk to people," said Ms. Zatinsky, who has become president of her building.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " class="">Typically, 15 to 20 sessions of talk therapy are enough to help an older patient, unless he or she is struggling with a lifetime's worth of significant problems. Still, even long-term issues can be overcome.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " class="">After a debilitating depression in which she spent three months unable to get out of bed, Judita Grosz, 69, of Pembroke Pines, Fla., decided to see Dr. Agronin, who prescribed medication. (She also tried group therapy but didn't like it.) He also practiced some cognitive behavioral techniques with her — for instance, requiring her to get dressed every day for a minimum of 15 minutes.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " class="">Eventually, she began to feel better. "I learned to adjust my thinking, and I don't get as anxious as I used to," said Ms. Grosz, who has since begun making and selling jewelry. "I found out at this age that I am artistic and creative and innovative and smart. I just woke up to the fact that I have a mind of my own. Talk about a late bloomer."</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " class="">Dr. Agronin, who still meets with Ms. Grosz monthly, said, "You might not be able to gain a magical insight and wrap up theirentire life in therapy, but you might be able to accomplish one or two small but meaningful goals."</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " class="">Sometimes, what older patients really need is help putting a lifetime in perspective.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " class="">"Things can be seen differently from the perspective of old age that relieve some guilt and challenge assumptions that you've had for decades," Dr. Abrams said. " 'Maybe it wasn't too terrible after all; maybe I shouldn't blame myself.' Maybe some of your worst mistakes weren't so egregious, and maybe there were unavoidable circumstances you couldn't control."</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " class="">Mr. Tolkin still stops by Dr. Abrams's office for a monthly checkup.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " class="">"Everybody has a certain amount of heartache in life — it's how you handle the heartache that is the essential core of your life," Mr. Tolkin said. "I found that my attitude was important, and I had to reinforce positive things all the time."</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); position: static; z-index: auto; " class="">He said he wishes he had tried therapy years ago. But he adds: "I can't go back. I can only go forward."</div><br class=""><a href="http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/22/how-therapy-can-help-in-the-golden-years/">http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/22/how-therapy-can-help-in-the-golden-years/</a>

Therapy for the Elderly: Finally Getting a Load Off Their Minds - NYTimes.com

Marvin Tolkin was 83 when he decided that the unexamined life wasn't worth living. Until then, it had never occurred to him that there might be emotional "issues" he wanted to explore with a counselor."I don't think I ever needed therapy," said Mr. T…

God and Doctor - NYTimes.com

5:04 AM Tukiyooo 0

When he came to the hospital, he did not look well.<br /><br><br /><br>You might think that everyone with a recent leukemia diagnosis appears ill, but that isn't true. Some go to their primary care doctor with vague complaints of feeling tired or of having a cold, and a few hours after having their blood drawn are stunned to receive a phone call that they must get to the hospital immediately. Some get "stuck" in the Kübler-Ross stage of denial, refusing to believe they have leukemia even after they've received chemotherapy for it, or in the bargaining stage, negotiating for just one more bone marrow biopsy to confirm the diagnosis.<br /><br><br /><br>Others look like my new patient.<br /><br><br /><br>"His hemoglobin is 2.7," my leukemia fellow told me. A normal hemoglobin for a man should be closer to 15. "When we drew his blood, it came out almost clear."<br /><br><br /><br>"How many bags of blood are you going to give him?" I asked.<br /><br><br /><br>She hesitated. "He's refusing any blood product transfusions. He's a Jehovah's Witness."<br /><br><br /><br>The Jehovah's Witnesses are a religious group that believe, among other things, that only a minority of people reach heaven. They also believe that it is wrong to receive the tissue of another human being, and that doing so violates God's law, even if it is potentially lifesaving.<br /><br><br /><br>This presented quite an ethical quandary. To treat our patient's cancer adequately, we would need to give him chemotherapy at doses high enough to obliterate his entire bone marrow, at least for a while. During this time, he would not be able to manufacture his own red blood cells or platelets, so we would have to support him with transfusions — sometimes as frequently as daily. Supportive measures like blood product transfusions and antibiotics have led to a marked drop in mortality from the actual leukemia treatment over the past half century, to less than 5 percent. Without such supportive measures, death is almost guaranteed. Without chemotherapy, though, death is certain, at the hands of the leukemia itself.<br /><br><br /><br>My fellow and I walked into our patient's room to talk with him. He was lying in bed and surrounded by his relatives, who were sitting in chairs or on his bed. He smiled weakly at us, pale but handsome. We introduced ourselves to everyone and then started talking about how to treat his leukemia.<br /><br><br /><br>"So, you understand that the therapy we recommend has the potential to cure you, but it is unlikely you'll be able to survive the chemotherapy without receiving blood transfusions?" I summarized.<br /><br><br /><br>"I understand," he said.<br /><br><br /><br>"But if we don't treat your leukemia, you will die from it." I looked him in the eyes, at the crow's-feet that told me he had laughed a lot of times in his life, and down to his hands, holding those of his niece, sitting by his side. Tears were streaming down her cheeks.<br /><br><br /><br>"I know."<br /><br><br /><br>"I heard that you're a Jehovah's Witness. I come from a different background — I'm Jewish."<br /><br><br /><br>"Well, nobody's perfect!" his brother piped up. Everyone laughed, easing the tension in the room.<br /><br><br /><br>"I have different beliefs from you, so I can't say I totally understand where you're coming from, but I respect your faith, and we'll follow your lead on what you want to do," I told the patient. "You're the boss."<br /><br><br /><br>"No, he's the boss," he said, pointing toward the ceiling, and beyond. Others in the room nodded in agreement.<br /><br><br /><br>He declined transfusions, but he did want to receive chemotherapy, so we compromised on a lower-dose treatment, and minimized our lab draws to one per week, to preserve what blood he had. After two weeks his hemoglobin dropped to 2.1; after three weeks, it fell to 1.8. One month into his hospitalization, he became too dizzy to stand, and his heart, starved for the oxygen his missing red blood cells would have carried, just stopped beating. He went into cardiac arrest and died.<br /><br><br /><br>The staff on the leukemia floor took his death hard, all plagued by the same question: Had we done enough for him?<br /><br><br /><br>We enter our chosen profession to kill that malignant golem, leukemia. But our patient approached his leukemia focusing more on eternity than his time on earth. While many felt his belief had tied our hands so that we couldn't treat his leukemia optimally, ultimately our responsibility must be to our patient's goals more than to our own: in this case, his relationship to God, and his desire to reach heaven. I hope he made it.<br /><br><br /><br><a href="http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/25/god-and-doctor/?src=recg">http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/25/god-and-doctor/?src=recg</a>

God and Doctor - NYTimes.com

When he came to the hospital, he did not look well.You might think that everyone with a recent leukemia diagnosis appears ill, but that isn't true. Some go to their primary care doctor with vague complaints of feeling tired or of having a cold, and a…

Daily Education and Technology News for Schools 04/27/2013

2:30 AM Tukiyooo 0

<ul class="diigo-linkroll">      <li>      <p class="diigo-link">                <a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/top50/2013/education">The Australian - Top 50 2013 education | The Australian</a>      </p>      <p class="diigo-description">The top 50 people to watch in education in Australia. I enjoy looking at these lists and also following those who are thought leaders / educators. (I don't really follow politicians in the movements.) We have a lot to learn from each other.</p>              <p class="diigo-tags">          <span>tags:</span>                      <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>            <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a>            <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/edreform">edreform</a>            <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/australia.">australia.</a>            <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/edu_news">edu_news</a></p>                                        </li>      <li>      <p class="diigo-link">                <a href="http://pandodaily.com/2013/04/25/why-online-education-is-mostly-a-fantasy/">Why online education is mostly a fantasy</a>      </p>      <p class="diigo-description">NOTE: The linked article is NSFW - it has a word of profanity where the author quotes Good Will Hunting.  But the points are right. Some teachers worry they will be outdated or not needed with the online education movement. This article has some great points that I agree with. I do think online learning is part of our future but perhaps not the savior some make it out to be.  "The online education utopians ignore the fact that free learning has existed for decades in the form of the public library and despite that availability, every kid within bicycling distance to his local branch didn’t turn into a self taught entrepreneur. Suggesting that online courses are the cure-all for our educational needs is like saying all you have to do to teach kids in the ghetto is give away textbooks on the corner.  Recent studies have shown there is a significant gap between the completion rates of online students compared to classroom based students. When you consider that online learning is often promoted as a cost effective solution for at-risk learners who don’t have the financial resources for face-to-face instruction, it becomes clear that the online movement is offering a product that makes it easier to drop out to students who are already more prone to quitting in the first place."</p>              <p class="diigo-tags">          <span>tags:</span>                      <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>            <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a>            <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/mooc">mooc</a>            <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/onlinelearning">onlinelearning</a>            <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/edu_news">edu_news</a></p>                                        </li>      <li>      <p class="diigo-link">                <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/04/26/the-real-problem-in-education-the-opportunity-gap/">The real problem in education: the ‘opportunity gap’</a>      </p>      <p class="diigo-description">"But even by reasonable standards, the nation’s educational outcomes are not in much better shape than they were in 1983. Whether we’re looking at overall scores or at achievement gaps, the trend lines for NAEP, the so-called Nation’s Report Card, generally show a post-reform picture that looks pretty much like the pre-reform picture – with positive trend lines but apparent slowing after 1990. There is no way to tease those data into showing that test-based accountability reform is accomplishing its key learning goals."</p>              <p class="diigo-tags">          <span>tags:</span>                      <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>            <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/edreform">edreform</a>            <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/testing">testing</a>            <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a>            <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/all_teachers">all_teachers</a></p>                                        </li>  </ul><p class="diigo-ps">Posted from <a href='https://www.diigo.com'>Diigo</a>. The rest of my favorite links are <a href='https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher'>here</a>.</p>

Daily Education and Technology News for Schools 04/27/2013

The Australian - Top 50 2013 education | The Australian The top 50 people to watch in education in Australia. I enjoy looking at these lists and also following those who are thought leaders / educators. (I don't…