When Treating Cancer Is Not an Option - NYTimes.com

<base href="data:"><div style="text-align: left; "><div class="postContent" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; margin-left: 126px; "><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.5em; ">When my husband learned he had advanced lung <a title="In-depth reference and news articles about Cancer." href="http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/cancer/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: underline; ">cancer</a>, he didn't even want to speak to an oncologist about<a title="Recent and archival health news about chemotherapy." href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/chemotherapy/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: underline; ">chemotherapy</a>. He saw no point in treatment that could not cure him and might make him feel worse.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.5em; ">Not so, though, for a majority of patients diagnosed with cancers of the lung or colon that have spread well beyond their original site and are currently not curable by any drugs in the medical armamentarium. Most patients with these so-called stage 4 cancers who choose to undergo chemotherapy seem to believe, incorrectly, that the drugs could render them cancer-free.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.5em; ">That is the finding of a recent national study of nearly 1,200 patients with advanced cancers of the lung or colon. Overall, 69 percent of those with stage 4 lung cancer and 81 percent of those with stage 4 <a title="In-depth reference and news articles about Colon Cancer." href="http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/colon-cancer/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: underline; ">colon cancer</a> failed to understand "that chemotherapy was not at all likely to cure their cancer," Dr. Jane C. Weeks, an oncology researcher at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, and colleagues <a title="Link to the study" href="http://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJMoa1204410" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: underline; ">reported in The New England Journal of Medicine</a>.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.5em; ">When patients do not understand the limitations of such treatment, their consent to undergo it is not truly informed, the authors concluded.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.5em; ">This is not to say that chemotherapy is pointless when cancer is far advanced. Various drugs, some with limited toxicity, can be used as palliatives, perhaps shrinking <a title="In-depth reference and news articles about Tumor." href="http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/tumor/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: underline; ">tumors</a> temporarily to relieve symptoms, slowing the cancer's growth and prolonging the lives of some patients.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.5em; ">But aggressive chemotherapy when death is but weeks or months in the offing can seriously compromise the quality of patients' remaining time and may delay their preparations for the end of life, to the detriment of both patients and their families.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.5em; ">"If you think chemotherapy will cure you, you're less open to end-of-life discussions," Dr. Weeks said in an interview.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.5em; ">When patients pursue chemotherapy under the false belief that they still have a chance for a cure, it often delays their transition to the comfort care of <a title="Recent and archival health news about hospice care." href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/hospice_care/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: underline; ">hospice</a>. When patients spend only a few days or a week in hospice, caretakers don't have enough time to get to know them and their families and offer the physical, emotional and practical benefits hospice can provide.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.5em; ">Dr. Weeks said continued chemotherapy involves more trips to the hospital, blood draws and X-rays, whereas hospice attends to patients' symptoms and concerns, and encourages them to leave meaningful legacies. When my husband entered hospice after two miserable weeks in the hospital undergoing palliative radiation, he experienced such relief that he said cheerfully, though in jest, "What if I decide I want to live?" and then enjoyed a treasured last visit with two of his grandchildren.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.5em; "><strong>'Optimistic Bias'</strong></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.5em; ">Communication is a two-way street; doctors and patients alike contribute to patients' failure to appreciate medicine's limited ability to treat advanced cancer.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.5em; ">In <a title="Link to the editorial " href="http://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJMe1211160" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: underline; ">an editorial accompanying the journal report</a>, Dr. Thomas J. Smith and Dr. Dan L. Longo pointed out that "people have an optimistic bias." Despite a grim prognosis, this bias prompts patients to believe treatment can cure them.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.5em; ">"Even with repeated discussions, about one-third of patients are not able to say they have a disease from which they will die in a year or so," Dr. Smith, an oncologist and director of palliative care at Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, said in an interview.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.5em; ">"Our job is not to force them into acceptance but to encourage them to plan for the worst while hoping for the best," Dr. Smith said. "Such patients have better outcomes — less depression and less distress, and they're more likely to die comfortably at home."</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.5em; ">Cultural and racial factors, and most likely religious beliefs, influence acceptance of the futility of continued treatment, Dr. Weeks said. In her study, nonwhite and Hispanic patients were more likely than whites to believe that chemotherapy could cure them. But surprisingly, patients' educational level, degree of disability and participation in decision-making were not associated with inaccurate beliefs about chemotherapy.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.5em; ">What can make a huge difference, Dr. Smith said, is how and how often doctors discuss options with patients and describe the potential of continued treatment. He and Dr. Longo suggested that practitioners master "the conversation known as 'ask, tell, ask,' which consists of asking patients what they want to know about their prognosis, telling them what they want to know, and then asking, 'What do you now understand about your situation?' "</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.5em; ">Among the questions Dr. Smith said doctors should be asking are, "How much do you want to know about your cancer? What do you know about your cancer? Who would you like to include in discussions about your care? Would you like me to write down the important points? What is important to you? What are you hoping for? Who are your other doctors so that I can communicate with them?"</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.5em; "><strong>Continuing Discussion</strong></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.5em; ">Finally, he said, rather than asking the patient "do you have any questions?" the doctor should ask, "Now that we have discussed this, what is your understanding of your situation?" And rather than having this conversation only once, Dr. Smith said, "It should be repeated at every transition point."</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.5em; ">He and Dr. Longo also recommend that oncologists state the patient's prognosis at the first visit, appoint someone in the office to discuss advance directives, schedule a hospice-information visit, and offer to discuss prognosis and coping at each transition.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.5em; ">Using this approach, practitioners in the <a title="US Oncology Network" href="http://www.usoncology.com/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: underline; ">US Oncology Network</a>, a group of community-based oncology physicians, have doubled the time patients spend in hospice, decreased costs, alleviated patients' symptoms, reduced stress on caregivers and often lengthened survival, Dr. Smith said. <a title="link to article" href="http://www.jpsmjournal.com/article/S0885-3924%2806%2900724-X/abstract" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: underline; ">Various studies</a> <a title="link to article" href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S009082581000404X" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: underline; ">have shown</a> that cancer patients in hospice live weeks to months longer than comparable patients not in hospice care.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.5em; ">When doctors fail to give direct, clear information, Dr. Smith suggests that patients ask, "What is my prognosis, really? What are my options? Can I meet with the palliative care and hospice teams?"</p><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.5em; ">He noted, "This is the hardest conversation for doctors to have. A lot of doctors wait for someone to bring it up." If the patient does not, then a family member can initiate the needed discussion.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.5em; "><div style="text-align: left; line-height: normal; font-size: medium; "><footer class="postMeta" style="display: block; clear: both; padding-top: 15px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 21px; padding-left: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><div class="postRelated module wrap" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 12px; clear: both; display: block; border-top-width: 1px; border-top-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-top: 10px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; position: static; z-index: auto; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; "><a href="http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/19/when-treating-cancer-is-not-an-option/?src=recg">http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/19/when-treating-cancer-is-not-an-option/?src=recg</a></span><div class="relatedArticlesModule column lastColumn" style="float: left; display: inline; overflow-x: visible; overflow-y: visible; margin-right: 0px !important; width: 427px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 10px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 15px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></div></div></footer></div></div></div><footer class="postMeta" style="display: block; clear: both; padding-top: 15px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 21px; padding-left: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "></footer></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; color: black; text-align: left; "><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div>

When Treating Cancer Is Not an Option - NYTimes.com

When my husband learned he had advanced lung  cancer , he didn't even want to speak to an oncologist about chemotherapy . He saw no poin...

Read more »

Eat to Live, Live to Eat

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Hola y’all! Since I’m busy corrupting the simple and decent people of Omaha, NE this week, I will use old memes as fodder on the days that it's my turn to post. IKNOWRIGHT!? So very exciting!<br /><br /></div><br /><b>How do you like your eggs?</b> Scrambled or over-easy<br /><br /><b>How do you take your coffee/tea:</b> When I do drink coffee I like cream and sugar. Or some Jameson’s Irish Whiskey or some Baily's Irish Cream<br /><br /><b>Favorite breakfast foods:</b> Bacon, eggs and hash browns<br /><br /><b>Peanut butter: smooth or crunchy?</b> Smooooooooooth<br /><br /><b>What kind of dressing on your salad?</b> I prefer French, but I can live with Italian or a balsamic vinaigrette<br /><br /><b>Coke or Pepsi? </b>Pepsi! <br /><br /><b>You're feeling lazy. What do you make? </b>Maybe just a hamburger patty and some fries or one of those frozen breaded chicken patties on a bun and some fries. Or maybe a frozen pizza. <br /><br /><br /><b>You're feeling really lazy. What kind of pizza do you order? </b>Being a simple kind of guy, I normally just get a pepperoni pizza with extra sauce on thin crust from Pizza Hut <br /><br /><b>You feel like cooking. What do you make? </b>Lots of different chicken meals, sometimes with pasta, sometimes with rice and maybe even meatloaf and sometimes pork. <br /><br /><b>Do any foods bring back good memories?</b> Mostly stuff like prime rib or really good steaks we would have at “family” gatherings at my dad’s house on holidays. Or big holiday meals with my REAL family. <br /><br /><br /><b>Do any foods remind you of someone?</b> When I have red beans and rice I think of my sister cause she makes GREAT red beans and rice. Oh and an awesome pork stew.<br /><br /><br /><b>Is there a food you refuse to eat?</b> When I was a kid there were, but now, I think I'd try most things. Well, not rodents.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglBSAT4OZesCjP_kPx6k7ArKHXW1u4muDrEIrYaY8uxQ1yhdQ751_9qfHL9xbv4nEelCHk7xJQZ54emPdBwMv3H3Rzkp_Y8UMUx_nbMGQ18v5aF_hmjaPL1qihXPq4H1TYiIE4UQ73FN8/s1600/Kate+Upton+Nude+Eating.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglBSAT4OZesCjP_kPx6k7ArKHXW1u4muDrEIrYaY8uxQ1yhdQ751_9qfHL9xbv4nEelCHk7xJQZ54emPdBwMv3H3Rzkp_Y8UMUx_nbMGQ18v5aF_hmjaPL1qihXPq4H1TYiIE4UQ73FN8/s400/Kate+Upton+Nude+Eating.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><b>What was your favorite food as a child?</b> Burgers<br /><br /><b>Is there a food that you hated as a child but now love?</b> Probably green veggies. Although I will not eat that nasty green pile of sludge that comes out of a can that they try to pass off as spinach. I like my spinach fresh and in a salad, thank you.<br /><br /><b>Is there a food that you loved as a child but now hate?</b> Can't think of any.<br /><br /><b>Favorite fruit or vegetable: </b>Veggie: Actually I love mixed vegetables with the green beans, corn peas, carrots and little lima beans. Fruit: Grapes<br /><br /><b>Favorite junk food:</b> Doritos Nacho Cheese Chips<br /><br /><b>Favorite between meal snack:</b> I love those peanut butter crackers or just saltines<br /><br /><b>Do you have any weird food habits: </b>You mean as in do I get freaky with food? I love strawberries and bananas and cereal, but I HATE strawberries or bananas IN my cereal. I love maple syrup over my sausage, but HATE maple sausage. And, as you probably know, I’m not a fan of handling foods so I wear food safe gloves. <br /><br /><b>You're on a diet. What food(s) do you fill up on?</b> Veggies and Chicken<br /><br /><b>You're off your diet. Now what would you like?</b> Great big old BBQ pork sandwich from Bodacious BBQ.<br /><br /><b>How spicy do you order Indian/Thai, etc? </b>Spicy foods tend to cause me problems, but I do love Indian food. Normally if I’m at an Indian Restaurant and they give us the choice of how spicy we want our food, I go with “not too spicy” just to save myself the trouble. <br /><br /><b>Can I get you a drink?</b> Scotch or Cabo Wabo Tequilla or Woodford Reserve Bourbon<br /><br /><b>Red wine or white? </b>Yes please. I love wine and will drink both reds and whites at any time. <br /><br /><b>We only have beer: </b>German or Belgian please. Or just good old Coors Light.<br /><br /><b>Favorite dessert? </b>A big warm brownie with an even bigger scoop of vanilla ice cream and some chocolate syrup poured over it.<br /><br /><b>The perfect nightcap? </b>In the winter time some hot chocolate is always good. <br /><br /><br />Okay, that was fascinating wasn’t it kids? Yeah, I thought so. <br /><br />Jayman<br /><a href="mailto:Jayman3768@gmail.com">Jayman3768@gmail.com</a><br /><a href="http://www.twitter.com/jayman_iws" target="_blank">@Jayman_IWS</a><br /><br />Also, on Sunday we had a great time just shooting the breeze on the <a href="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/im-with-stupid" target="_blank">I’m With Stupid Podcast</a>. Originally the idea was to give out advice to folks for dealing with the holidays, but we didn’t really get around to doing much of that. But, it was still a fun time of just talking about whatever came up. So, you should totally check it out! <br /><br /><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.adobe.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,0,0" height="105" id="143577" name="143577" width="210"><param name="movie" value="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/btrplayer.swf?file=http://www.blogtalkradio.com%2Fplaylist.aspx%3Fshow_id%3D4032719&autostart=false&bufferlength=5&volume=80&corner=rounded&callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/flashplayercallback.aspx" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><embed src="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/btrplayer.swf" flashvars="file=http://www.blogtalkradio.com%2Fplaylist.aspx%3Fshow_id%3D4032719&autostart=false&shuffle=false&callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/FlashPlayerCallback.aspx&width=210&height=105&volume=80&corner=rounded" width="210" height="105" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" quality="high" wmode="transparent" menu="false" name="143577" id="143577" allowScriptAccess="always"></embed></object><br /><div style="font-size: 10px; text-align: center; width: 220px;">Listen to <a href="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/">internet radio</a> with <a href="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/im-with-stupid">Im With Stupid</a> on Blog Talk Radio</div><br /><br /></div>

Eat to Live, Live to Eat

Hola y’all! Since I’m busy corrupting the simple and decent people of Omaha, NE this week, I will use old memes as fodder on the days that i...

Read more »

HAMAS’ PROPAGANDA WAR

<b><br /></b><br /><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>MANUFACTURING BLOOD LIB<span style="font-size: x-large;">EL</span> </b></span></span> <br /><div class="navi-top-alignment"></div><div class="postwrap"><div class="post-28477 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-hamas-islam-fundamentalists category-israel category-israelipalestinian-conflict category-media-bias-media category-palestinian-terrorism-israelipalestinian-conflict category-pro-palestinianism-israelipalestinian-conflict category-rob-harris tag-blood-libel tag-hamas tag-israel tag-israeli-palestinian-conflict tag-media-bias tag-muhammad-al-dura tag-operation-amud-anan tag-palestinian-terrorism tag-pro-palestinianism tag-propaganda-war tag-rob-harris tag-social-media" id="post-28477"><div class="post-content"><br /><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #233f55; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 0.04em;">I</span>ntensive propaganda campaigns led by Palestinian terrorist groups are perhaps the most predictable occurrence when it comes to any minor or major conflict involving Israel. Typically, the strategy is to exaggerate death tolls, and conflate the killing of terrorist combatants with that of innocent civilians, in an effort to turn the issue on its head when Israel engages in morally legitimate acts of self-defence.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">The display of highly emotive imagery is central to the strategy, and the most tasteless element must surely be the use of children. Children on both sides suffer, and conflict would of course cause fear to children, if not suffering. Nonetheless, these stories are often faked, and any apparent suffering paraded to the point of frenzy, a phenomenon that is intensifying with the use of social media sites like Twitter.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">The recent violence between Hamas and Israel, leading to Operation Pillar of Cloud, has proven no exception. Almost immediately, Hamas began misrepresenting <a href="http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Peace/2012/11/14/Hamas-Fakes-Casualties-on-Twitter" target="_blank">images of children that had been injured or killed</a> in Syria as Palestinian dead. Notably, one of Hamas’ own supporters called out some of the fakery in a Tweet.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Similarly, a <a href="http://bdsgb.wordpress.com/2012/11/14/keep-faking-dead-kid-photo-from-gaza-is-actually-syrian/" target="_blank">heartrending image of a dead two year-old child</a> killed by the Syrian armed forces has also been passed off as another Palestinian casualty in the recent Israeli air strikes.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_28481" style="text-align: justify; width: 388px;"><div class="wp-caption-text"><br /></div></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">The strategy: Jew-as-child-killer</span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">There are many examples of forged Palestinian propaganda, most of which get no media attention, other than the <a href="http://www.crethiplethi.com/the-muhammad-al-dura-hoax-and-other-myths-revived/israel/2011/">case of Mohammad Al-Dura</a>, a death proven to be falsified, and made in collusion with elements of the French media, a fact journalists at Haaretz and the Guardian have poured doubt upon.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">In June Hamas <a href="http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/157150" target="_blank">claimed</a> that an Israeli air strike killed a child. However, no strike appeared to have been conducted in the area in question, and the <a href="http://elderofziyon.blogspot.ie/2012/06/un-confirms-that-arabs-lied-about-dead.html" target="_blank">UN confirmed</a> another cause. In March, AFP retracted <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/story-removed-gaza-power-cuts-193131038.html" target="_blank">a faked Hamas story</a> concerning a child supposedly dying due to electricity shortages.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Such propaganda is heavily promoted internationally by pro-Palestinian groups, which can often come to resemble proxies, and indeed many pro-Palestinians are also very keen to take the initiative for themselves. Examples this year include <a href="http://www.theblaze.com/stories/u-n-media-employee-tweets-bloody-photo-of-palestinian-child-from-2006-but-attributes-it-to-current-airstrikes/" target="_blank">an image of a young girl purportedly killed in an Israeli air strike</a> but the girl in question was actually a casualty of an accident six years earlier, which was knowingly peddled on Twitter by no less than a member of the UN.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">This content goes viral within a very short time, so viewed by millions of users. The fakery does not need to be of a good standard to be believed either. Overtly falsified incidents, such as <a href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/world_now/2012/02/viral-photo-of-israeli-soldier-appears-fake.html" target="_blank">a staged event</a> where a child is seen under a supposed IDF soldier’s boot, have found similar success on the Internet.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Pallywood becomes Hammywood – Al Dura style</span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">It has been <a href="http://anneinpt.wordpress.com/2012/11/13/uk-media-coverage-of-the-rocket-fire-onto-the-south-of-israel/" target="_blank">noted</a> that many news outlets minimised or failed to report that the present conflict was very much initiated by Hamas. Indeed, the strategy of delaying the reporting of news stories concerning the conflict until Israel strikes back, whereby headlines lead with Israel’s actions, seems to have almost become editorial policy at the majority of mainstream news institutions, due to the <a href="http://blog.camera.org/archives/2012/11/post_104.html" target="_blank">astonishing frequency</a> of such occurrences.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">The BBC, a major international news outlet, <a href="http://www.anorak.co.uk/339538/news/israel-watch-bbc-broadcasts-fake-hamas-injury-as-fact.html/" target="_blank">broadcast content</a> on their prime news bulletins that was clearly falsified. This occurred only a day after Operation Pillar of Cloud had commenced.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="youtube"></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">A man in a tan-brown jacket, and black top featuring small print, is carried away by a crowd, circa 2:14 in the clip. The same man is seen walking around a short time later (circa 2:44). Both shots happened in the seemingly chaotic aftermath of a strike. Two alternatives can be posited. Either the scene was largely faked or a gravely injured man was up and walking again unassisted in a matter of minutes.</span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="266" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qwkdJJ001W8?feature=player_embedded" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="320"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="font-size: small;">BBC fake Hamas attack</span></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">The footage is in fact redolent of old unedited Pallywood material, in which <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_B1H-1opys" target="_blank">youths and men are seen falling</a> as if just shot by the IDF only to get up again.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Consequences</span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Palestinian movement, both at home and abroad, has engaged in an intensive campaign to delegitimise its enemy for decades. We see its consequences every time we see news of the conflict in newspapers, on TV sets, radios, computers, and increasingly even <span style="font-size: large;">on </span>phones.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Obviously such material further incites hatred in a region where there is already more than enough to go around. The examples cited in this article are just occasions when Hamas have been caught out, and it should be noted that the success of this material necessitates most being passed off as genuine.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Knowledge in the hands of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKeAVBYAbn0" target="_blank">would-be genocidists</a> is a tool of war, and ought to be treated as such. However, elements within the media are complicit.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">The focus on children taps into the anti-Semitic canard of the Jew as child killer, as exemplified by Carlos Latuff’s <a href="http://jcpa.org/article/anti-semitic-cartoons-on-progressive-blogs/" target="_blank">illustrations</a> — a motif prolifically adopted by mainstream pro-Palestinianism. It is a tool to engineer anti-Semitic blood libel.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">At this time of conflict, it should be affirmed that the many who defend Hamas do so at the expense of the Palestinians themselves! Those claiming Hamas are elected representatives conveniently forget that they imposed an <a href="http://carnegieendowment.org/2012/06/11/gaza-five-years-on-hamas-settles-in/birb#" target="_blank">effective dictatorship</a> on the electorate by repeatedly delaying elections. We are constantly told Hamas are pragmatists, sheep in the clothing of wolves, but with the present fracas Hamas have essentially started an unwinnable war over the killing of a leading terrorist. It shows where their priorities truly lie.</span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="266" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9Fic15V8ChE?feature=player_embedded" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="320"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;">Hamas MP: The Jews were brought to Palestina for the "Great Massacre </span></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.fas.org/irp/world/para/docs/880818a.htm" target="_blank">Article Seven</a> of Hamas’ Charter also gives a hint</span></div><div class="indent" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Day of Judgment will not come about until Moslems fight Jews and kill them. Then, the Jews will hide behind rocks and trees, and the rocks and trees will cry out: ‘O Moslem, there is a Jew hiding behind me, come and kill him.’</span></div><div class="indent" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Similarly the words of Hamas’ leaders attest to extremism, some of whom believe Allah brought the Jews to Palestine for the purpose of “The Great Massacre” to be instigated by the Palestinian nation:</span><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument></xml><![endif]--><br /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true" DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99" LatentStyleCount="267"> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/> </w:LatentStyles></xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]><style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Normale Tabelle"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style><![endif]--> <br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">HAMAS.</span></span></b></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="youtube"></span></span></div><div class="indent" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="indent" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>Rob Harris</b> contributes articles to several websites on contentious political issues (not to be confused with the popular English novelist (1957-) of the same name). He blogs at <a href="http://eirael.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">eirael.blogspot.com</a>. He lives in Ireland. For all the exclusive blog entries by Rob Harris, go <a href="http://www.crethiplethi.com/category/guest-writers/rob-harris/">here</a>.</i></span></div></div></div></div>

HAMAS’ PROPAGANDA WAR

MANUFACTURING BLOOD LIB EL   I ntensive propaganda campaigns led by Palestinian terrorist groups are perhaps the most pre...

Read more »

Using a Learnist board to curate information about the iPad Summit in Boston

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7JEa3HCsLPQVep79qHy4_oCcbBsK3J5vEwdsHvzqdpyfESKSoIKJCToQmDy3VQbb4kFUam_JXLwwfHViHWyVjrqbUj2HXMAj3LQAdSNsjATiLWEzc4jA7AEnvTS00bQ4ZCOzRCmiEft8/s1600/learnist2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7JEa3HCsLPQVep79qHy4_oCcbBsK3J5vEwdsHvzqdpyfESKSoIKJCToQmDy3VQbb4kFUam_JXLwwfHViHWyVjrqbUj2HXMAj3LQAdSNsjATiLWEzc4jA7AEnvTS00bQ4ZCOzRCmiEft8/s1600/learnist2.JPG" /></a></div><i>submitted by Fiona Beal</i> <br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For a while now I have been wanting to learn how to use Learnist for curating. I have tried (and LOVE using) Pinterest and Scoopit and today it was Learnist's turn. </span><em style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;">Learnist</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;"> makes it very easy to share what you know by curating the web. You can use videos, blogs, books, docs, images or anything on the web to explain </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;">. In my first attempt I used blogposts and a Google Docs presentation. Perhaps in my next Learnist I'll get more adventurous!</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>A Learnist board about the use of tablets</b></span><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since I am very interested in the use of  tablets in the classroom I thought a worthy topic would be to find out more about the recent iPad Summit which was held at Harvard in Boston earlier this month. I did an Internet search of relevant posts and was delighted with what I found.  So please take a look at my embedded Learnist. In one of our following Schoolnet blogposts I'll relate how to create a board using this great curation tool - Learnist.  </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Simply click on the heading in this image to be taken to the completed Learnist board called 'Ipad Summit posts'.  </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><br /><iframe frameborder="0" height="456px" scrolling="no" src="http://learni.st/users/36830/boards/7817-ipad-summit-posts/embed?o=v" width="300px"></iframe></div>

Learnist Web tools Using a Learnist board to curate information about the iPad Summit in Boston

submitted by Fiona Beal For a while now I have been wanting to learn how to use Learnist for curating. I have tried (and LOVE using) Pinter...

Read more »

Photo Shoot

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Today we had a photo shoot in our house for a UK Interiors Magazine.  It started this morning at about 10am when the photographer, <a href="http://www.reportage.ie/">Barbara Egan</a>, and stylist, Penny Crawford-Collins, arrived.  The stylist was very happy with the house and said she would need to add very few props as we had a very "strong look".  The shoot only took about 5 hours - again the stylist said this was very speedy as normally most houses need serious decluttering but ours thankfully didn't. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Here's a few photos from the shoot.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">A little rearrangement of a shelf by Penny the Stylist</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9qvQsFAQ1h3DfG5krmeOhPwTByBRUTR4Gricmh97fz9Cph5hlXCW3yXLhoMZUr-ICrzu2swn-y6nXqSKnBWvmFH0EV4NnVbkfmYUnqKRSSr8IoueXkTqCJe__CyWrWrUdry1BsPh3kQ97/s1600/IMG_2466%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9qvQsFAQ1h3DfG5krmeOhPwTByBRUTR4Gricmh97fz9Cph5hlXCW3yXLhoMZUr-ICrzu2swn-y6nXqSKnBWvmFH0EV4NnVbkfmYUnqKRSSr8IoueXkTqCJe__CyWrWrUdry1BsPh3kQ97/s320/IMG_2466%5B1%5D.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">Lamp being set up in the hallway (our habitat rug was removed from the hall as the stylist felt it didn't match the fabulous rugs that were loaned by <a href="http://www.rugart.ie/">RugArt</a></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYrL58uHjmI_VKske3kwu_SN_WwEOz8Hq6sW7gErz4CObI-nZhYvTRywJbvQOgoRKj48YBHHz9bbjxAeEh_ZQgp56ZS5KPB3MQWOM67P-7upiAr0HckAPUQqzmRi_vZbql9IcBuhA5ZlQF/s1600/IMG_2468%5B2%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYrL58uHjmI_VKske3kwu_SN_WwEOz8Hq6sW7gErz4CObI-nZhYvTRywJbvQOgoRKj48YBHHz9bbjxAeEh_ZQgp56ZS5KPB3MQWOM67P-7upiAr0HckAPUQqzmRi_vZbql9IcBuhA5ZlQF/s320/IMG_2468%5B2%5D.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">The stylist added accents of orange to the kitchen.  Oranges were arranged on a platter and my orange Le Creuset pot was set up on the induction hob.</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFacYzWiymHqyZGC27P90nvU_mp3wTHmmN5cSyjmbn_28EchfGDlJS1hC2Nd7V_rDTNsBgNrwIT7nJTGtkLUJYQNoYlrjSuM_Sb9eDs-3Lh4OpIIHAPg_pNHWubykKbzn2HUM7y1koE8Xi/s1600/IMG_2470%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFacYzWiymHqyZGC27P90nvU_mp3wTHmmN5cSyjmbn_28EchfGDlJS1hC2Nd7V_rDTNsBgNrwIT7nJTGtkLUJYQNoYlrjSuM_Sb9eDs-3Lh4OpIIHAPg_pNHWubykKbzn2HUM7y1koE8Xi/s320/IMG_2470%5B1%5D.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Here's Barbara the photographer taking a picture of the conversation pit</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKcGJduIAe8GFl4lfH66XfrjgwG-WWCgolJElkmZlSBlMos0VQ1SwGmCaJ-P9oHWmLDu6bYSRAMeFRva-8CpLAXzqyjs9ckoGFIbXEE5eUxmzgOrLK_UL61B1L8V_KNiOoc0nY17KWnowJ/s1600/IMG_2474%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKcGJduIAe8GFl4lfH66XfrjgwG-WWCgolJElkmZlSBlMos0VQ1SwGmCaJ-P9oHWmLDu6bYSRAMeFRva-8CpLAXzqyjs9ckoGFIbXEE5eUxmzgOrLK_UL61B1L8V_KNiOoc0nY17KWnowJ/s320/IMG_2474%5B1%5D.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Not a whole lot was changed in the master bedroom.  The stylist added these cushions and brought a few items from the guest room in to this bedroom</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcQafdRwZeKm_PvWQN94645fwolPhfysmoX-ZfYT9lRQOBb9a8Q1Sm-3Z448YL6goqsBMSJ9oSnD1LT45i2pdkNWYfJUBftzJ0TpsmFZ8eT6Z3tdu212UByg2_4l3d8uxTEcu6hv-A-uEo/s1600/IMG_2479%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcQafdRwZeKm_PvWQN94645fwolPhfysmoX-ZfYT9lRQOBb9a8Q1Sm-3Z448YL6goqsBMSJ9oSnD1LT45i2pdkNWYfJUBftzJ0TpsmFZ8eT6Z3tdu212UByg2_4l3d8uxTEcu6hv-A-uEo/s320/IMG_2479%5B1%5D.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglLJ-CjtFHiKCu3kUoxDI5HshYgm8CH-3_vqiB0ciBpFTIstzi6KgzoMKsJ8IKBp1_62hjsWcvh6Xj9aiGPcJqH2QrFmEiqfaMAwfIqgO8iM2Ld9gU0Y7A3iN7pN2CcDSeuarGLBhpZXty/s1600/IMG_2476%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglLJ-CjtFHiKCu3kUoxDI5HshYgm8CH-3_vqiB0ciBpFTIstzi6KgzoMKsJ8IKBp1_62hjsWcvh6Xj9aiGPcJqH2QrFmEiqfaMAwfIqgO8iM2Ld9gU0Y7A3iN7pN2CcDSeuarGLBhpZXty/s320/IMG_2476%5B1%5D.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu9R9DR7dY6zgi_8HqtqOkOActtg-im3_W73piuQNumPJd9W1xnHuUhKo5yAk91XrnR_djWDzhtY1NLPS25LgKxf87LMemERK-Oxylq9p1mJpUrMsOHMSiE-rhDGwQrWaP8pt7JPn7a6m5/s1600/IMG_2490%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu9R9DR7dY6zgi_8HqtqOkOActtg-im3_W73piuQNumPJd9W1xnHuUhKo5yAk91XrnR_djWDzhtY1NLPS25LgKxf87LMemERK-Oxylq9p1mJpUrMsOHMSiE-rhDGwQrWaP8pt7JPn7a6m5/s320/IMG_2490%5B1%5D.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">Here is the back of the house being photographed.  Isn't the <a href="http://www.kubekitchens.ie/designer-furniture">Calligaris</a> chair amazing?!!</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS39ZoxPKg4FZqwijIruC2qSv3SRsrqQTXHVfk9DZv-tTKRtbCbnWVfr6HC6Ls7iaEeVGHOinvmRPnEu0N0guaE_Ck16k10RkGoW3j4Eb1u4uW9boqICcHTBLMLAgQv3oFcA2xmsYR9uB4/s1600/IMG_2512%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS39ZoxPKg4FZqwijIruC2qSv3SRsrqQTXHVfk9DZv-tTKRtbCbnWVfr6HC6Ls7iaEeVGHOinvmRPnEu0N0guaE_Ck16k10RkGoW3j4Eb1u4uW9boqICcHTBLMLAgQv3oFcA2xmsYR9uB4/s320/IMG_2512%5B1%5D.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">Here is my own attempt at staging!!  I set up this little tray of cocktails (Cosmo's) and nibblies - it was used in the picture of the hot tub.</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisUcpTV-HRmZJ7jLi2dCg9jBWFDWbgfTOH9iPzn4if1KNQA_aghthrR5Dkcq25U-BiWnH6ybLOW39ZQWz1h-fCZEVYMRkIM3isJfLKzHYZ4rE97svvCxYwWJseSmiXwo8znCNZ-w4CBhnZ/s1600/IMG_2483%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisUcpTV-HRmZJ7jLi2dCg9jBWFDWbgfTOH9iPzn4if1KNQA_aghthrR5Dkcq25U-BiWnH6ybLOW39ZQWz1h-fCZEVYMRkIM3isJfLKzHYZ4rE97svvCxYwWJseSmiXwo8znCNZ-w4CBhnZ/s320/IMG_2483%5B1%5D.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Look to the left of the picture - it's my cocktail tray!</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">The stylist added the lovely bright cushions which make you nearly forget that it is November and that there was frost this morning!  <a href="http://www.shadowlight.ie/">Shadowlight</a> gave us the lamp to the right of the picture for the shoot.</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3jwuAeJp3qHeo4rucsHWKhjTrZQEfX-oa6cCfP5kVLCibEjFEdivxTDfxPszZrEkZHsZGlYyAvsMAauSRsUqNEu6RBheZa4e8X1rTfdkur5BsnSoUX3OcE8EMiuomRaCDUs7fKk54mqoV/s1600/IMG_2513%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3jwuAeJp3qHeo4rucsHWKhjTrZQEfX-oa6cCfP5kVLCibEjFEdivxTDfxPszZrEkZHsZGlYyAvsMAauSRsUqNEu6RBheZa4e8X1rTfdkur5BsnSoUX3OcE8EMiuomRaCDUs7fKk54mqoV/s320/IMG_2513%5B1%5D.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Ciaran and I were photographed along with the dog once the house was all done. Due to the fact that it will be possibly Summer before the photos are featured in the magazine I was advised that I should not wear winter clothes i.e no woolly jumpers or boots.  I was told to wear pale colours - no black, navy or brown.  I wore a cream floaty blouse with tan trousers and a pair of ballet pumps while Ciaran wore a pink shirt with dark chinos.  We were photographed in various poses such as relaxing watching TV, chatting on the couch and then Ciaran coming in the door with the dog and me greeting them from the couch.    </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">We enjoyed the whole experience and are looking forward to seeing the photos in the magazine! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: large; text-align: center;">As far as we know the photos won't be published until the middle of 2013 but I will keep you updated!!</span><br /><span style="font-size: large; text-align: center;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: center;">Here's a few more pictures to give you a taste of the day.  Enjoy!</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkhuUz-soOrp4fKORIZ8y7Pn9n8w5xTxsSP1oVTMlJpXoXxojRE-Kyr31W8eonHOpV16guBukYavf3yxgz-WQogyRaFiyPRWvX8cvFiZfq7Qu8aRpu-sR_YlAdgnACCa0uMVrmeREgHmtT/s1600/IMG_2508%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkhuUz-soOrp4fKORIZ8y7Pn9n8w5xTxsSP1oVTMlJpXoXxojRE-Kyr31W8eonHOpV16guBukYavf3yxgz-WQogyRaFiyPRWvX8cvFiZfq7Qu8aRpu-sR_YlAdgnACCa0uMVrmeREgHmtT/s320/IMG_2508%5B1%5D.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVKbMoNH3ijwiVqnVhnggh8d5DGIWdmDqfoiWV7eQ-D03LdA2-LbZWhPDNFsJKN1Iqt4R1nxGVBDVW25WgHYDRo-uF1Yh7xARGfgbIhKYuvTut_W84NOYy_EVa7hjmORf6PVgkLzEbGtNs/s1600/IMG_2509%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVKbMoNH3ijwiVqnVhnggh8d5DGIWdmDqfoiWV7eQ-D03LdA2-LbZWhPDNFsJKN1Iqt4R1nxGVBDVW25WgHYDRo-uF1Yh7xARGfgbIhKYuvTut_W84NOYy_EVa7hjmORf6PVgkLzEbGtNs/s320/IMG_2509%5B1%5D.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitw5WFpMndBRaGCrIQC-FTtJMuoz5ADJEMgWPJeglNDyQPw7BSArenfSmtyglo-W0autzMBWz3XpoWwwnH7_cxybXNjT7_mWB6y-LJMNLv0nasm1UxU4hOM8bePBVEHBSSeYaVaAQczzWd/s1600/IMG_2511%5B2%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitw5WFpMndBRaGCrIQC-FTtJMuoz5ADJEMgWPJeglNDyQPw7BSArenfSmtyglo-W0autzMBWz3XpoWwwnH7_cxybXNjT7_mWB6y-LJMNLv0nasm1UxU4hOM8bePBVEHBSSeYaVaAQczzWd/s320/IMG_2511%5B2%5D.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large; text-align: center;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: center;">You can checkout more pictures <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.453266344709707.90420.122333021136376&type=1">here</a>!</span>

Photo Shoot

Today we had a photo shoot in our house for a UK Interiors Magazine.  It started this morning at about 10am when the photographer, Barbara E...

Read more »

IWS Babe of the Week: Thanksgiving Hotties!!

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Thanksgiving is a few days away so let's gobble up some Thanksgiving Day Babes of the Week IWS style...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Anytime I see Rachel Ray pulling a hot, moist turkey from her oven, I get an incredibly hard wishbone...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt8cZ0mHmrRaRcZWwFKS4qdiWFaedm5R2HGPmD54-2s2tFxMPVswGbozVgPR_GNuB46YGAjHbdhZnTFDY0OhItPmuTBWsYMwYJXLpHntnQ9RXgsU3AftP4jhpuQBAdqocYS-MY7wc2H7w/s1600/Rachel+Ray+Sexy+Nude.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt8cZ0mHmrRaRcZWwFKS4qdiWFaedm5R2HGPmD54-2s2tFxMPVswGbozVgPR_GNuB46YGAjHbdhZnTFDY0OhItPmuTBWsYMwYJXLpHntnQ9RXgsU3AftP4jhpuQBAdqocYS-MY7wc2H7w/s400/Rachel+Ray+Sexy+Nude.jpg" width="229" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Democrats and Republicans may fail to get along, but Indians and Pilgrims not only can, they have an estrogen-filled good time doing so... </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdUCTgGL2Op5TaV-XgNgkIrRW9JBbTN2qTNkIMSgEFX5HNx_HpMPWX8xhvGL7kWamdbku7K_Q6OELoAJBwYYjDcSWDXkzazyhh1_rgU_aoQPqW6W0zfpHSCgylKoPQPlSy80qqyxyS-Tg/s1600/Thanksgiving+Sexy+Indian+and+Pilgrim.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdUCTgGL2Op5TaV-XgNgkIrRW9JBbTN2qTNkIMSgEFX5HNx_HpMPWX8xhvGL7kWamdbku7K_Q6OELoAJBwYYjDcSWDXkzazyhh1_rgU_aoQPqW6W0zfpHSCgylKoPQPlSy80qqyxyS-Tg/s400/Thanksgiving+Sexy+Indian+and+Pilgrim.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Can you say, Poke-a-Hottie..?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-GtlTnTrK4c-IfO9mPtx9112SiZWMccAcqzh7jm0tzkKvyxLIsPotE9wVq2GHlMVkWHI03jaHlAruNdq0b88SwrTzqzlWwsvsEGr2iHjK4mGeqQJ9rKAjRHww_xmV5dUpIewnTolnqg/s1600/Thanksgiving+Sexy+Indian.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-GtlTnTrK4c-IfO9mPtx9112SiZWMccAcqzh7jm0tzkKvyxLIsPotE9wVq2GHlMVkWHI03jaHlAruNdq0b88SwrTzqzlWwsvsEGr2iHjK4mGeqQJ9rKAjRHww_xmV5dUpIewnTolnqg/s400/Thanksgiving+Sexy+Indian.jpg" width="298" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I hope that the oysters that she is cooking up for the dressing are going to make her go mad for me...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOFoIirUT9E-bK13sIFsCu5qbMxAFP_YrnYEJf82hSbXmkkKS9tug8n-BRuJCV2e2dKqKj5fk_SzcXYoBORbmWUlkhwIbjZuIzUp8RDx6lIcWV8u2X1hprG22AoHBy1a8nQyt-7qt4lTQ/s1600/Hot+Sexy+Naked+Woman+Cooking.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOFoIirUT9E-bK13sIFsCu5qbMxAFP_YrnYEJf82hSbXmkkKS9tug8n-BRuJCV2e2dKqKj5fk_SzcXYoBORbmWUlkhwIbjZuIzUp8RDx6lIcWV8u2X1hprG22AoHBy1a8nQyt-7qt4lTQ/s400/Hot+Sexy+Naked+Woman+Cooking.png" width="343" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We already met Poke-a-Hottie, now allow me to introduce you to, Sock-It-Me-Uh...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivpFv8op65uy1wFwmYKvVO7SKT2z2vLKhL7qk1VGYakkYOtG4w8bB8sjMdHKGm_lYtqTkSWvTAa9f0YdEpZuodWfHnJoSjyK7bTmrfKujFoDMzdKfCVdY9HUlXV9b6T42a2pmEM26iV_E/s1600/thanksgiving+sexy+nude.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivpFv8op65uy1wFwmYKvVO7SKT2z2vLKhL7qk1VGYakkYOtG4w8bB8sjMdHKGm_lYtqTkSWvTAa9f0YdEpZuodWfHnJoSjyK7bTmrfKujFoDMzdKfCVdY9HUlXV9b6T42a2pmEM26iV_E/s400/thanksgiving+sexy+nude.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Not a big fan of Rachel Ray, but I bet her pie tastes awesome...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8-2rLWb5LUonU-iBlVzLCQe4NF9GW1QNeKq1axbm5NgXKU9CO1wqbX5sjMDtS3f35q8rZ6cfNx35rP8L0ZalHGglQmr8nPkGCBsvL8UUdAgqVvY98y77cv_kXxvehdv5Rv-V-9K35iHY/s1600/Rachel+Ray+Hot+Sexy+Nude.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8-2rLWb5LUonU-iBlVzLCQe4NF9GW1QNeKq1axbm5NgXKU9CO1wqbX5sjMDtS3f35q8rZ6cfNx35rP8L0ZalHGglQmr8nPkGCBsvL8UUdAgqVvY98y77cv_kXxvehdv5Rv-V-9K35iHY/s400/Rachel+Ray+Hot+Sexy+Nude.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Jay and I give thanks for her everyday, but on Thanksgiving, both of us always give a special thanks to our friend, the uber-lovely Tamra...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHrb6dQ9mCmXUmL2PnL90v6Bfnmp2Wetn9SZyOekCqj4lKyW8mNEKiiLLTsA_Z54JIKVNVa2TOUX-BsUc1pIuK9CcSkAaZopwxKo_aJk1CSW-SwiKe26pn8tPTvY9wffoNmARzH0GWOUY/s1600/Tamra+Looking+in+Mirror+Stockings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHrb6dQ9mCmXUmL2PnL90v6Bfnmp2Wetn9SZyOekCqj4lKyW8mNEKiiLLTsA_Z54JIKVNVa2TOUX-BsUc1pIuK9CcSkAaZopwxKo_aJk1CSW-SwiKe26pn8tPTvY9wffoNmARzH0GWOUY/s400/Tamra+Looking+in+Mirror+Stockings.jpg" width="335" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Happy Thanksgiving all, and...if you need advice on how to handle the stress, family in-fighting, and normal idiocy that transpires during the holidays...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">You need to listen to IWS Radio today LIVE at Noon ET, as we offer advice on how to handle the clusterfuck that is the Holiday Season.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">You can listen live today at NOON ET by clicking <a href="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/im-with-stupid/2012/11/18/advice-for-the-holidays" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><i>HERE</i></span></a>, and/or...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Call us live with your questions and dilemmas at 661.244.9852.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div>

IWS Babe of the Week: Thanksgiving Hotties!!

Thanksgiving is a few days away so let's gobble up some Thanksgiving Day Babes of the Week IWS style... Anytime I see Rachel Ray pulling...

Read more »

Archipendium Calendar

Yesterday I received a copy of the <a href="http://www.archipendium.com/">Archipendium 2012 Architecture Calendar</a>. Yes, it's a little late in the year to receive a calendar, but I made it a "test drive" to help people decide if they want to get the <a href="http://www.archimaps-shop.com/">2013 edition</a> now available. As can be seen below, it is a daily "tear-off" calendar with one building every day that is about 4.25x5.5 inches (11x14 cm), with a hole near the top for mounting on a wall.<br /><br /><img alt="archipendium2012-1.jpg" src="http://www.archidose.org/Blog/archipendium2012-1.jpg" title="Archipendium 2012 Calendar" /><br />[Archipendium 2012 Calendar | All photos by archidose] <br /><br />My first thought after taking a quick glance at the calendar was, "what do I do with the sheets after tearing them off?" Throwing them away—I mean recycling them—is certainly an option, but if saving them is more valuable, both environmentally and in terms of keeping an archive of the daily buildings, then the question is how to save them. I decided to build a base for the calendar, one side (left, below) for the torn-off sheets and one side (right, below) for the calendar; I used a screw post with the latter, to help keep it in place. <br /><br /><img alt="archipendium2012-2.jpg" src="http://www.archidose.org/Blog/archipendium2012-2.jpg" title="Archipendium 2012 Calendar" /><br /><br />Tearing my way through 10-1/2 months of the calendar, one day at a time, confronted me with a bevy of nice buildings, most of them in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. <a href="http://www.archi-maps.com/">Archimap Publishers</a>, who puts out the calendar, is based in Berlin, so this is no surprise. On the back of each daily photo is a description of the project and a drawing, sometimes a plan, but other times an elevation, a section, a detail, a rendering; whatever is of interest. Unfortunately, only about half of the projects are described in English; the rest are in German.<br /><br /><img alt="archipendium2012-3.jpg" src="http://www.archidose.org/Blog/archipendium2012-3.jpg" title="Archipendium 2012 Calendar" /><br /><br />As January 20 attests, there are buildings elsewhere, but they are much fewer than those within Europe, German-speaking countries or otherwise. More buildings in Asia, Australia, and South America would be nice, but again I'm not surprised by the geographic density of the projects.<br /><br /><img alt="archipendium2012-4.jpg" src="http://www.archidose.org/Blog/archipendium2012-4.jpg" title="Archipendium 2012 Calendar" /><br /><br />With 366 projects (2012 is a leap year), there's plenty of fresh architecture for even the most devoted architecture buff. I found a good deal of likable architecture that I was not familiar with, though it seemed that every one I wanted to learn more about was accompanied by a description in German. To the Internet!<br /><br /><img alt="archipendium2012-5.jpg" src="http://www.archidose.org/Blog/archipendium2012-5.jpg" title="Archipendium 2012 Calendar" /><br /><img alt="archipendium2012-6.jpg" src="http://www.archidose.org/Blog/archipendium2012-6.jpg" title="Archipendium 2012 Calendar" /><br /><br />The choice of buildings is decidedly modern, but there is still some eclecticism, as this project by FAT Architecture attests:<br /><br /><img alt="archipendium2012-7.jpg" src="http://www.archidose.org/Blog/archipendium2012-7.jpg" title="Archipendium 2012 Calendar" /><br /><br />Tearing through page after page, day after day, one thing I realized is that the quick-and-dirty base I made (with black museum board and electrical tape) isn't such a bad idea. But it would be a lot better if it could close, so then the torn sheets could be saved inside an archival box that could be referenced at will. Instead, I'll be left with a base that can be used for subsequent years and still be faced with the question of what to do with the torn sheets.<br /><br /><img alt="archipendium2012-8.jpg" src="http://www.archidose.org/Blog/archipendium2012-8.jpg" title="Archipendium 2012 Calendar" /><br /><img alt="archipendium2012-9.jpg" src="http://www.archidose.org/Blog/archipendium2012-9.jpg" title="Archipendium 2012 Calendar" /><br /><br />The 2012 calendar has an introduction by Tony Fretton, who jokes about "provid[ing] a thin veneer of respectability to the whole affair," but more accurately catches on to how the daily march of buildings produces some "awkward conversation[s]." A more expected but nevertheless an interesting tactic would take the relationship of building to day or time of year into account. Why not have the <a href="http://www.archidose.org/Dec06/25/dose.html">Ice Hotel</a> on Christmas Day? Or a building surrounded by cherry blossoms in early May? Or feature buildings from certain countries on days that coincide with major local holidays? There's lots that can be done to make something good even better.<br /><br /><img alt="archipendium2012-10.jpg" src="http://www.archidose.org/Blog/archipendium2012-10.jpg" title="Archipendium 2012 Calendar" />

Archipendium Calendar

Yesterday I received a copy of the Archipendium 2012 Architecture Calendar . Yes, it's a little late in the year to receive a calendar, ...

Read more »

The Importance of Regular Mental Health Checkups - NYTimes.com

<base href="data:"><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; color: black; text-align: left; "><div class="articleBody" style="margin-top: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.7em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 10px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 15px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); position: static; z-index: auto; "><nyt_text><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 1.467em; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); ">EVERYONE is familiar with the concept of a periodic medical checkup — some sort of scheduled doctor's visit to check your <a href="http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/test/blood-pressure/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier" title="In-depth reference and news articles about Blood Pressure." class="meta-classifier" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: underline; ">blood pressure</a>, weight and other physical benchmarks.</div></nyt_text></div><div class="articleBody" style="margin-top: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.7em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 10px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 15px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); position: static; z-index: auto; "><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 1.467em; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); ">Ideally, doctors should ask patients about their moods as part of a regular wellness visit, Dr. Borenstein said — there doesn't necessarily need to be a special visit to gauge mental health. But if the doctor doesn't bring it up, patients can educate themselves and start the conversation with their physicians.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 1.467em; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); ">Jeffrey Cain, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians, said family doctors were trained to spot symptoms of mental illness, like depression, and he encouraged patients to bring in questions or concerns for discussion. But people don't necessarily go to their <a href="http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/specialtopic/choosing-a-primary-care-provider/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier" title="In-depth reference and news articles about Choosing a primary care provider." class="meta-classifier" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: underline; ">family doctor</a> and say they are depressed, he said. Rather, they say they're tired, or that they lack energy, that they're having trouble concentrating or that their body aches — all of which can be symptoms of depression or anxiety.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 1.467em; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); ">There are some well-known screening tools that patients can use as a starting point to assess themselves, to help prompt a conversation with their doctor. Dr. Borenstein mentioned a common tool used by doctors to assess patients for depression: a "P.H.Q.," for "patient health questionnaire" He cautioned that the idea here was not to self-diagnose using such forms — there are several versions, varying by number of questions — but rather to self-assess, and then discuss your concerns with a professional.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 1.467em; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); ">The P.H.Q.-9, which asks nine questions, was developed by researchers at Columbia University and Indiana University, with help from a grant from Pfizer Inc. The form is available on several Web sites, including (<a target="_" href="http://phqscreeners.com/pdfs/02_PHQ-9/English.pdf" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: underline; ">phqscreeners.com/pdfs/02_PHQ-9/English.pdf</a>).</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 1.467em; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); ">It asks about the patient's outlook and health habits over the previous two weeks. The first question, for instance, asks patients whether they have had "little interest or pleasure" in doing things and asks them to check a box ranging from "not at all," which scores a zero, to "nearly every day," which scores a 3. A professional computes a total score, which gives more weight to frequent symptoms; the higher the score, the greater the likelihood of significant depression.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 1.467em; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); ">Another set of screening tools for depression and other mental health disorders were developed by Screening for Mental Health, a Boston-area nonprofit that creates assessment tools for use by health plans, colleges, the military and the general public. Founded by Douglas Jacobs, an associate clinical professor of <a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/psychiatry_and_psychiatrists/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier" title="Recent and archival health news about psychiatry." class="meta-classifier" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: underline; ">psychiatry</a> at Harvard Medical School, the organization grew out of the first National Depression Screening Day, which is held annually each October during Mental Illness Awareness Week.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 1.467em; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); ">Mental illnesses have specific signs and symptoms, much as a disease like <a href="http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/diabetes/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier" title="In-depth reference and news articles about Diabetes." class="meta-classifier" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: underline; ">diabetes</a> does, Dr. Jacobs said, and those symptoms can be identified and treated. Take depression, again, as an example. It's normal to be sad for a while after a personal loss or a traumatic event. But when the effects linger and begin to affect your self-esteem, or interfere with your ability to do your job or handle other responsibilities, he said, you may want to consider if you are suffering from a more serious depression that should be treated professionally — with behavioral therapy, medication or both.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 1.467em; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); ">At the site <a target="_" href="http://helpyourselfhelpothers.org/" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: underline; ">helpyourselfhelpothers.org</a>, which is sponsored by Screening for Mental Health, you can find locations near you that offer mental health services. Or, you can use a free online screening tool that can help you gauge if you might be at risk for various illnesses including depression, anxiety, <a href="http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/bipolar-disorder/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier" title="In-depth reference and news articles about Bipolar Disorder." class="meta-classifier" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: underline; ">bipolar disorder</a>, <a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/eatingdisorders/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier" title="Recent and archival health news about eating disorders." class="meta-classifier" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: underline; ">eating disorders</a> and <a href="http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/post-traumatic-stress-disorder/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier" title="In-depth reference and news articles about Post-traumatic stress disorder." class="meta-classifier" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: underline; ">post-traumatic stress disorder</a>.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 1.467em; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); ">You can choose a specific screening or answer questions to help narrow your choice. For instance, the tool asks you to complete the sentence "I have been..." with phrases like "feeling sad or empty," or "drinking more than planned."</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 1.467em; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); ">The depression screening tool asks questions about how you have been feeling during the last two weeks, like whether you have been "blaming yourself for things" some of the time, all of the time, or most of the time.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 1.467em; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); ">The questionnaire concludes with a finding based on your answers. For instance, it might tell you that "Your screening results are consistent with symptoms of an eating disorder," along with a recommendation to seek a professional evaluation. Gina N. Duncan, an assistant professor of psychiatry at the Medical College of Georgia at Georgia Health Sciences University in Augusta, who has blogged about the notion of a personal mental health checkup, said sleep disruptions were often a sign of stress. If you're sleeping much more or less than usual, or having <a href="http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/specialtopic/insomnia-concerns/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier" title="In-depth reference and news articles about Insomnia concerns." class="meta-classifier" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: underline; ">difficulty falling asleep</a>, that can be a warning signal.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 1.467em; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); ">Many large employers include mental health coverage as part of their health benefits packages, and recent federal rules on benefits "parity" mean such benefits at large plans should not have higher have co-payments and deductibles or stricter limits on treatment than benefits for other medical or surgical needs. Also, most large companies currently offer employee assistance plans, which provide counseling and referrals — both over the phone and in person — to workers and members of their families who are suffering from personal crises.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 1.467em; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); ">Helen B. Darling, president of the National Business Group on Health, a consortium of large employers, said employee assistance plans were an important way to screen for mental health problems. Help through them is generally provided free of charge outside of the main <a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/your-money/insurance/health-insurance/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier" title="More articles about health insurance." class="meta-classifier" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: underline; ">health insurance</a> plan, so using the service does not generate an <a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/your-money/insurance/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier" title="More articles about insurance." class="meta-classifier" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: underline; ">insurance</a> claim.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 1.467em; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); ">Over all, however, 15 percent of employers in the United States do not offer mental health coverage to employees, according to the Society for Human Resource Management. Such benefits may become more widely available in 2014, when many provisions of the Affordable Care Act take effect. Mental health benefits will be part of the "essential package" that must be offered by many insurance plans, including the new state-sponsored insurance exchanges.</p></div></div><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/14/your-money/the-importance-of-regular-mental-health-checkups.html?">http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/14/your-money/the-importance-of-regular-mental-health-checkups.html?</a><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; color: black; text-align: left; "><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div>

The Importance of Regular Mental Health Checkups - NYTimes.com

EVERYONE is familiar with the concept of a periodic medical checkup — some sort of scheduled doctor's visit to check your  blood pressur...

Read more »

Can Housework Help You Live Longer? - NYTimes.com

It's well known by now that active people typically live longer than those who are sedentary. But precisely what types or amounts of exercise most affect life span has not been clear. Several new studies, though, are beginning to provide some clarity, suggesting that certain activities may be better than others in terms of affecting mortality risk.<br /><br><br /><br>Perhaps the most memorable of the new studies was conducted by researchers in Europe who turned to a large database of health informationabout middle-aged British civil servants. The workers, ages 35 to 55 at the start, were followed for a decade or so, during which time they filled out repeated health questionnaires.<br /><br><br /><br>The topics included each man or woman's physical activity during the previous month. Specifically, the questionnaires asked about the number of hours that the volunteers had spent walking, gardening, performing housework, playing sports (swimming, cycling, golf or soccer) and puttering around the house completing yardwork and do-it-yourself repair projects.<br /><br><br /><br>Each activity was designated as "mild," like washing the dishes and cooking; "moderate," encompassing weeding and brisk walking; or "vigorous," which here included swimming and mowing the yard. (Riding mowers apparently didn't factor in.)<br /><br><br /><br>The researchers also checked death records for the civil servants.<br /><br><br /><br>They found that in general, physical activity of any kind was associated with longer life. But the association was much stronger among those people whose activities were relatively intense. Those who regularly painted and repaired their houses or walked briskly enjoyed more protection against premature death than those who washed dishes, even if people spent more overall hours engaged in "mild" activities.<br /><br><br /><br>That finding agrees with those of a study published this year in The European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, in which scientists in Copenhagen followed 5,106 adult recreational cyclists for about 18 years, asking their volunteers to occasionally report how many hours and how strenuously they were riding their bikes.<br /><br><br /><br>The researchers also tracked deaths among the group.<br /><br><br /><br>It turned out that the men and women who reported riding relatively hard (although none were racers) lived longer than those who rode at an easy pace, even if they weren't pedaling for as many hours. On average, cyclists who regularly rode hard lived about four or five years longer than those who went at a more leisurely pace.<br /><br><br /><br>"Our general recommendations to all adults would be that brisk cycling is preferable to slow," the authors conclude.<br /><br><br /><br>But not all researchers are convinced that intense exercise is essential, if your goal is a longer life. The general consensus among most researchers studying exercise and longevity "is that it is the total amount of energy expended that is important," and not whether you huff and strain during that expenditure, says Dr. I-Min Lee, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, an author of a major new examination of exercise and life expectancy.<br /><br><br /><br>In that study, published last week in PLoS Medicine, Dr. Lee and colleagues from the National Cancer Institute and other institutions compiled physical activity, body mass and mortality data for more than 650,000 American adults who'd participated in National Cancer Institute studies over the years.<br /><br><br /><br>The researchers compared the volunteers' activity levels against the current governmental recommendation of 150 minutes of moderate activity (like brisk walking) per week. They found that those who met the recommendation lived on average 3.4 years longer than people who didn't exercise. Those who ambitiously doubled the recommended amount of weekly exercise enjoyed additional gains in life span, but at a noticeably diminishing rate, typically living 10 months or so longer than those who just met the guidelines.<br /><br><br /><br>Even people who were overweight or obese lived longer if they exercised moderately, whether or not they lost weight during the study period.<br /><br><br /><br>Interestingly, the association between physical activity and longer life held true also for those volunteers who reported exercising only occasionally. "A very low level of activity, equivalent to 10 minutes per day of walking, was associated with a gain of almost two years of life expectancy," says Steven Moore, a research fellow with the National Cancer Institute, who led the study.<br /><br><br /><br>In fact, he says, "maximum longevity was reached at a physical activity level equivalent to 65 minutes per day of walking, with no evidence for gains above this level of activity."<br /><br><br /><br>What all of this suggests, Dr. Lee says, is "that physical activity, even at a modest level, can increase life expectancy."<br /><br><br /><br>But it's also probable, although not yet definitively proven, she continues, that "intense exercise gives additional benefit above the risk reduction afforded by energy expenditure alone."<br /><br><br /><br>In other words, pushing yourself during your next walk, bike ride or home-repair project might amplify the activity's longevity-enhancing benefits, Dr. Lee says. But if you don't wish to or cannot increase the intensity of your exercise, don't sweat it.<br /><br><br /><br>The largest gain in terms of adding years to someone's life, she says, comes in that space between "doing nothing to achieving the lower end of the activity scale," which makes even the usually tedious prospect of washing this morning's breakfast dishes more palatable.<br /><br><br /><br><a href="http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/14/can-housework-help-you-live-longer/?src=recg">http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/14/can-housework-help-you-live-longer/?src=recg</a>

Can Housework Help You Live Longer? - NYTimes.com

It's well known by now that active people typically live longer than those who are sedentary. But precisely what types or amounts of exe...

Read more »