Community in Action

The Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina hit the southern states in 2005. The storm started in the Bahamas and at first seemed innocuous but soon gathered momentum and virulence and ended up being the sixth strongest Atlantic storm to hit the USA. Not since 1928 and Hurricane Okeechobee had people in America experienced such a devastating storm. It might partly be for this reason that many people initially regarded the storm warnings with complacency. By the end of the storm and the widespread flooding the death toll was 1,836. The cost to property was estimated at $81 billion. Although much of the storm damage has been repaired, the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina is still with us. One consequence of the storm has been to change the demographics of New Orleans.

The New Orleans levee system was built in 1965 by the US Army Corps Engineers. This levee was breached in over 50 places by the sea because of Hurricane Katrina. This is regarded as the worst engineering disaster in American history. Despite this, the US Army Corps Engineers were protected from litigation by the Flood Control Act of 1928. Because of the levee breaches 80% of the city of New Orleans was submerged stranding many people on their rooftops for several days.

The Meteorological Office was praised for its early warnings of severe floods. FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency were strongly criticized for not responding to the emergency situation quickly enough.

While many escaped the storm by heeding the early warnings, many did not either because they had no car or they thought they could sit out the storm. At one point all but one of the roads leading out of New Orleans were out of use. The airport was immediately closed but later reopened to bring in emergency supplies.

Most of the police after New Orleans was flooded were deployed on search and rescue operations. This left many parts of the city unpoliced. The largely unaffected French Quarter experienced a mass of looters many of whom who had guns. The ensuing confusion hampered many relief operations. While it is true that looting occurred in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina it is pertinent to note that many rumors about sniper fire and rape turned out to be merely rumors. The media focus on the looters had a strong racial bias suggesting the black community of New Orleans were all criminals of the worst type. The media has never apologized for this racist stereotyping.

The truth is that in any natural or man-made disaster it is always the poorest sections in society that are the worst affected. The poor have not the means to escape. The poor do not have the means to re-build. The jobs that the poor rely upon are often the often scarcest after the disaster.

Hundreds of thousands of black people were evacuated from New Orleans because of the storm. They received on average $2,000 to relocate. As a result many have not returned to New Orleans. This has lead to a serious change in the demographics of the city. The black population of New Orleans fell from 67.3% to 60.2%. That represents 100,000 black people who have been evicted from the city. Less than 25% of the city’s public housing units have been rebuilt. (http://blackgirlgreenworld.com/2011/09/the-gentrification-of-post-katrina-new-orleans/)

At the same time white Americans have been buying up land in New Orleans for a song and starting the inevitable process of gentrification. As more neighborhoods change from urban black to middle-class white areas house prices have been going up.

There is an inherent racist dynamic at work here. The system fails those at the bottom of society and this failure is exploited by the middle and upper classes for their long term gain. This is the real tragedy of Hurricane Katrina not the 1,000 odd deaths. People stood by and watched the historic city of New Orleans be white washed. The voting in of the first African-American President seems like a distraction to the real issues thrown up by the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

The purpose of this website is to take a wider look at society and disasters: how the two interact and what this says about human nature. Only by studying the dynamics of change (especially violent and sudden change) can we prepare for the next disaster. By being aware of the issues it is hoped that that those most vulnerable to the effects of change can do more to protect their property, their reputation, their culture and their way of life the next time something terrible happens.

Check out the New Orleans Food Co-op

The New Orleans Food Co-op opened in October 2011.I highly recommend getting involved if you are in the area. Food co-ops are fast becoming a real alternative to supermarkets. The beauty of these setups is that they are owned by the members and rather than being driven by profit, the whole idea is to benefit the local community.

Typical goals of local food co-ops are things like:

  • providing tasty, healthy food at a fair prices
  • promoting local and regional food production
  • being a hub of community activity
  • job creation in the local community
  • practicing environmental responsibility and sustainability

Being able to purchase locally grown, organic food at reasonable prices is an amazing opportunity to get hold of great tasting health foods. In other words, fruits and vegetables. Of course, if you have a chance to visit the co-op, you will find that there is a lot more besides.

These days, a popular option when it comes to health foods is making home made juices. There are all kinds of options such as a juice cleanse, juice fasting and simply juicing for health. The best juices use organic produce. This is what makes local food co-ops such an amazing place to shop for people interested in juicing for health.

The official New Orleans Food Co-op website is here: http://www.nolafood.coop/

Learn more about juicing fruits and vegetables here: http://www.cooksway.com/

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Finding Ways Of Building A Community

There are many reasons why communities across the country are failing and drug abuse and delinquency in youths is on the rise but what are the ways that we can stop this happening in our own communities?

It goes without saying that what might work for one community may not work for another and it may take several attempts and schemes before success is found. One thing is for sure though, with hard work and perseverance it is possible to make a change in peoples lives and see that change benefit the community.

Community programmes need to be set up because I am sure we have all heard the excuse that people go off the rails because there is nothing better  for them to do with their time and community centers and youth drop in centers can offer them somewhere to go.

Although some may get funding and can offer such things as computer consoles to play on which will entice children to come in it doesn’t always have to be so expensive. Such things as the new chess game that features all the top characters from Batman comics has proven to be immensely popular and a great way of introducing chess to youths who may not have had the opportunity to play the game before.

Setting up sports clubs is another way of teaching children discipline as well as showing them a healthy and active lifestyle choice that they may not have had the opportunity to take part in without these community set ups.

Of course their are a great many different ways to go about it and their are a lot of ideas that can be found by looking online but as has been previously mentioned it is the hard work and effort that is the most important thing in making sure that this is a successful idea.

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Cheerleading in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina

After Hurricane Katrina affected New Orleans, the place had almost lost interest in sports. Most of the grounds were destroyed or badly affected whose repair would mean spending a huge sum of money. Due to the economic downfall of the place, no investors were ready to put money into sports or in recreating and reconstruction of grounds and other sports places. The players especially the football team had almost lost hopes to shine again. They were getting no place to play and practice. Soon after, some private investors showed interest in this area and gave the idea of introducing cheerleaders. The cheerleaders were made to wear short and tight Victory Cheer Uniforms cheerleading uniforms, and their main aim was to motivate and encourage their players to perform better and better.

The cheerleaders were given special lessons and training by some renowned trainers of the world. Their shinny short dress and their props made them look apart from the white clad players. These cheerleaders brought some colour into the ground which acted strongly to motivate the players. The cheerleaders were asked to raise slogans and good wishes whenever their team performed well, and encourage the team members when they were losing their spirit. This strategy gave hope to the investors as well as the players to perform well. The New Orleans was able to get back its glory and fame in the sports field where its players performed tremendously well.

The cheerleaders were in some or the other way a driving force for the players. The cheerleading uniforms were designed in a unique way, which matched with the team’s colour and logo. The cheerleaders were full of energy every time their team performed well so they shacked and waved their props to show their happiness.

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Leading the community financially

We live in communities and in many cases, spend a large amount if our time with other members of our community. In order to make our community a better place filled with wise people, it is important that you contribute. One of the best ways to contribute towards the development of the community is to teach and share some best practices. Every week, during the community meeting, you can speak about something that will benefit others and make your community the most harmony-filled.

It is a known fact that people around the world struggle with finances and money matters. How wonderful it will be if you can stand up and tell others from the community about taking control of their finances? Well, it may be a bit rough in the beginning but unless you don’t start, there is no happy ending. You could organize a small gathering every weekend at the local community meeting room. While the agenda about what’s going to be discussed and shared is already decided, by using a quality hand blender juicer those not participating can get some snacks and cola. You could probably take some fresh juice along made

No matter what you speak and talk about money and personal finances, it is advisable to be wary of others’ feelings. Some members of the community may not be very comfortable discussing this on a public platform. There is no better service and social cause than standing up for your own community. Every step you take in the interest of the community helps brighten up the present and the future. It is great way to give back to people what you have got from them. Communities thrive on members’ prosperity and leading the club financially means providing them leverage with knowledge.

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Community In Action In Nicaragua (Of All Places)

I must say I’m a big fan of Community Refund, a not-for-profit set up by this group of Nicaragua real estate developers, promoters and commentators.  It’s basically a funding mechanism driven by a pretty unique model – one that I hope inspires other real estate actors across Central America.

The mission is a simple one:

“To ensure that the real estate activity taking place in Nicaragua also benefits the local community”

The implication is that often the local community in areas that receive an influx of real estate development and sales activity don’t always benefit from the flow of real estate dollars. And that’s not a good thing for investors either.  Real estate values will appreciate more quickly (and more sustainably) if the local area also develops and improves.

Makes sense right?

So what’s so special about the model?  Well it tries to include all parties to a real estate transaction.  And when you count them up, there are quite a few:

  • the real estate agent
  • the title insurance company
  • the real estate attorney (both sides)
  • the seller
  • the buyer
  • the architect/builder (for pre-construction sales)

During a closing there’s lots of money sloshing around, and it’s precisely at that time that Community Refund encourages the real estate actors to donate a percentage of their commission, their policy fee, their legal fee, their sales price and so on.

And it seems to be working.  More and more Nicaragua real estate agents have started to participate; some of the more prominent legal firms have taken part and the title insurance companies are also supportive.  The goal of course is to spread this activity to include every real estate transaction, and not just the occasional one.

And then perhaps to share the model more widely.  Perhaps to Costa Rica or to the Panama real estate market (see article).  Community in action!

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My Greenhouse Was Destroyed by the Storms

During the recent record breaking storms we have had recently, my greenhouse was destroyed. It seems that the wind got in and blew the glass out from the inside. Now i am looking to buy a new one.

Greenhouses for sale are everywhere from garden centres to DIY stores.  Obviously it is personal choice but I have discovered the best place to find greenhouses for sale is on the internet.  You can browse quite easily in the comfort of your own home.

Online prices seem to be cheaper than garden centres in general.  You can order online with a card and wait for delivery.

The best way to know exactly what you are going to get is to find the greenhouse you require in a garden centre, then check out the prices online for that particular make and model.

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New Orleans Living

Looking for homes and sometimes the most difficult job and ever especially when those houses need a lot of work. “No houses need more work done than the homes in new Orland’s. After the floodwaters receded, many hundreds of people left New Orleans never to return or claim their land. There was too much to repair. But now many properties to rent are available at incredible prices in remarkable neighborhoods.

The tragedy in New Orleans was the greatest man-made disaster in modern history. The overtopping of the levees claims by the Army Corps of Engineers is a falsehood. The high watermark can be seen on all levees leading up and down the canal system of New Orleans. The only problem that led to the failures of the loveI at a part of 20 different spots. What’s due to rudimentary mistakes in their design and construction. Engineers did not take proper samples to see that the base materials below their Levy were strong enough to support. Specifically they did not check for Sam. When water seeps through the sand it was able to go directly under the levee. If the engineers had properly noticed this and engineered against it, there would be a way to stop water moving from the canal to the towns.

The cover-up that followed was due to the Army ability to keep funding flowing. The army corps of engineers is only interested in keeping their jobs. They do not care for our safety. And are only interested in the almighty dollar. I never thought our military would be corrupted by such blatant capitalist buffoonery. But I guess I could have expected given the past 15 years of war. I’ll never understand how America slid into the status of police state but I hope one day we can get back to our democratic roots.

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Our Local Vets Give Great Advice

Our local vets at Banfield Pet Hospital in Gulfport Mississippi, often give talks to the local community about proper care for their animals and they recommend certain products that they think the community will appreciate.  At the most recent meeting, one of their recommendations was for some litter box furniture for cats, available from many places on the internet such as pouncingcat.com.  They informed us that cats crave privacy when going about their toilet business and these furniture products can keep a litter box out of view and keep all those nasty smells inside! They are designed to look like a standard end table and come in many different colors and materials so you can also find a design that matches your other home furniture.

There are few pet stores in town where we can buy pet products so I often  take advantage of no sales tax and free delivery by shopping on the internet.  My grand kids can’t believe that their old granny even knows what the internet is but I absolutely love it!

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Latest World News In Communication

Cordyceps_CommunicationsThe latest world news in communication is that the world’s largest search engine is changing its privacy policy. This is a bid to make the search engine’s results more accurate and close to what the users would like to access. 60 policies will be affected in the review in a bid to make the search engine better and faster. The Google’s director of privacy, product and engineering says the move will help advertisers connect with their clients. Some of the products that the Google products that would be affected include YouTube, Gmail, Google search and its recent social networking site, Google plus.

This is a great score to those who promote Cordyceps and its application. There has been an increased demand on information concerning Cordyceps and most patients would like to know its treatment scope, its usability and the price. Many would also like to know if Cordyceps could be sold in their states and the procedures of importing and exporting the medical remedy. If the latest world news in communication is anything to go by then many will benefit from specialized searches about Cordyceps.

Cordyceps is a natural remedy, which has seen many take care of chronic and terminal illness. The remedy can also be used as a preventive measure. It is known to inhibit the tumor cells from developing. The Cordyceps have successfully been used to take care of wide ranging skin diseases as well as digestive problems. Those who promote Cordyceps online, would now have a chance to connect with their target audience without facing competition from sites that deal with competing products. The latest world news on communication has also assured users that they can now share their private information on the Cordyceps related sites and be sure to have it safe with the internet company.

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How to Help Your Community in Your Own Way

We all belong to a particular community. But, have we ever wondered what can we do to help improve the overall standing of our community? If you think your busy schedule from work or business is what inhibits you from doing something productive, then, this is the perfect chance to get out and be involved. It won’t take a great deal of your time. Simple active contributions on your part would make a big difference to your community.

Below are some suggestions on how you can be a part of the changes for the better in your community. Learn them and try to do one each day if given the opportunity:

  1. Support the litter-free programs in you place. This is a good way to start doing some concrete actions for the improvement of your community’s surroundings and garbage concerns. If you see litter along the pavement while you walk, pick it up and throw it to the nearest garbage bin.
  2. Volunteer for medical missions or youth programs held in your community. This is an effective way to give something back to your community. If you have the expertise to teach some Adobe Photoshop free download tutorials, volunteer as a teacher and set aside a free time where you can show them how to use this software and become talented with the use of internet that will later on be a source of their income.
  3. Buy locally made products in you community. Not only you will add extra income to your community’s total earnings but you can also get extra service for availing their products offered in your place like free delivery.
  4. Promote the beautiful tourist spots found in your community. This is one way to attract possible visitors to your place. Cite fun-filled activities that anyone can enjoy in their trips. Additional number of tourists would mean possible extra earnings for your local government that will eventually lead to more money to put on improvements of your community’s services and other infrastructures.
  5. Exercise your vote. This is a good example of a good citizen in your community. When elections are announced, check out for any local candidates belonging to your community or who support any advocacy focused on your community’s progress. Vote wisely for the most suitable and reliable candidate.

Doing your part in your community that poses greater opportunities is a good start in helping build a wonderful community that is nice to live in. Now is your chance to prove your worth to your community and make a big difference to everyone’s life.

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Internet Brings Possibilities to Our Community

Since Gulfport was established in 1898, the town has come a long way.  It has always been  a successful commercial town, over the years the railroad and latterly the port have brought millions of dollars into the areas and the State of Mississippi in general.   Although the first prosperity to the area was probably as a port for lumber, Gulfport has never been afraid to branch out into new and exciting business opportunities.

The casinos have helped the Town diversify and bring in tourists to the wonderful scenery and sights of the State.  We have some great events like the Fishing Rodeo, classic car events and even a weekend based on the many speedboats to be found across the  area.

But the economy is struggling just like the rest of the US and indeed the majority of the World. It is a great opportunity to use the power of the internet to bring in new business and visitors.  For instance most companies can benefit from a web presence, there are few exceptions.  Also the days of investing tens of thousands for a reasonable web site are long gone, you can get set up yourself for a few bucks or pay someone a little more to set one up for you.

You can open your market up in a lot of ways, obviously some goods and services are restricted to being sold in the Gulfport area.  However when you start to think you’ll be surprised to discover that most have possibilities for supply services and goods further afield.

Don’t be afraid of using the internet as a development tool either.  Have a look at what other businesses like yours are doing on the web.  Invest in a cheap anonymous surfing tool and you can also bypass internet filters and post ads on regional advertisers like Craigslist.

The people and businesses of Gulfport have always been quick to adapt to different problems and opportunities.  Make sure you use the internet to invest in your business or skills.  There’s help available in many civic areas and they’ll also be able to point you to resources and extra assistance if you need it.

 

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Enjoying a Camping Trip in Gulfport, Mississippi

Gulfport, Mississippi has a great reputation as a tourist destination for people from all over the country as well as from all over the world. There are a number of truly great and luxurious hotels and resorts in the area but what if you are camping kind of family, the kind who prefer cooking over an open outdoor fire pit rather than eating out of a hotel room microwave? What does the Gulfport, MS area have to offer you? The answer is far more than you might imagine.

Where you choose to pitch your tent however will depend on how much of a camper you really are. There are those who really love to rough it. They enjoy a campsite that is truly away from it all. No TV, no running water, no bathrooms and the only source of heat coming from the previously mentioned outdoor fire pit. Their idea of an ideal camping trip truly does involve getting away from it all.

For these hardier souls the Gulfport, MS area has a number of formal campsites to offer. The Moody’s Landing site, which is just five miles from Brooklyn, MS, is such a site. it offers amazing views and an abundance of land but little in the way of other amenities.

But some campers want a few more of the comforts of home available at the campsite that they choose. The idea of living without electricity or a nice hot shower is not at all appealing to them even though sleeping under the stars is.

Fortunately for everyone many of the campsites in the Gulfport, Missisipi area offer the best of both worlds. For example the Gulf Islands National Seashore offers both wilderness camping along the Davis Bayou and campsites further inland that feature all the conveniences of modern life including formal playgrounds, shower rooms and on site restaurants.

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Entry Level Jobs in Gulfport, Mississippi

Finding entry level jobs is the usual goal of fresh graduates, as well as those who still have a few credits to earn, but want to make a living. It’s liberating, it can be fun with the right attitude, and it helps polish the skills the person may have, so that they can determine what they want to do, the things that they’re good at, and the things that need improvement.

In Gulfport, Mississippi, there are plenty of job opportunities. Some of the largest employers in that area are Gulf Coast Laundry Services, Gulfport Memorial Hospital, Page & Jones, and Gulf Coast Laundry Services. Some of the entry level jobs that people are likely to encounter in Gulfport are medical billing and coding specialists, warehouse stock room clerks, customer service representatives, and survey takers. And then there are also higher positions like sales managers, operations managers, and network engineers.

The question is, what does the person want to do and what are his strong and weak points and qualifications? Is he good with people? Is he customer-oriented? Does he have exemplary communication skills? Perhaps he has a way of spotting potential customers and winning them over so he can close a deal. Or is he more comfortable being at the top, where people look to him for answers and the course of action that the team should take. It may sound pretty tedious for entry level jobs, but these people need to prepared if they don’t want to stay in that position forever.

Of course, one should not forget the person’s qualifications. Did he finish school, and up to what level? Has he had much experience in a certain field and does that have any relevance to the position he’s applying for? If this is to be his first job after graduating, perhaps he can at least show some of the things that he has worked on, before the company decides to hire him.

Finding entry level jobs may be easier in some places and a little difficult in others. However, the most important thing is to focus on the essentials. List the credentials, work experiences if any, skills, and the desired position. Interviews ought to be taken seriously, but one needs to remember to relax and to have just the right amount of confidence. The opportunity is there. Seize it!

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Ensure That Your Water is Safe

Many North Gulfport residents have installed an undersink water filter in their homes in recent years to ensure that their drinking water supply is safe.  With the environmental disasters that have swept the community, many residents are taking extra precautions to make sure their family has access to clean drinking water.  Many North Gulfport residents have also been urging friends and family in other areas to install a water filter in their own homes, regardless of how safe their water supply may appear. Contaminants appear in tap water supplies all across the world, but many people are unaware about the safety issues that these contaminants may cause.

If you are in need of an undersink water filter for your North Gulfport home, your best option is to research several models online and see which one will work best for you.  A brand that many NG residents recommend is Culligan, and appropriate filters range in the $200 to $600 range with occasional upkeep costs (e.g., replacement filters).  Many residents feel that it’s well worth the cost!

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Common Surnames Found In The Gulfport Area

The North Gulfport Community Land Trust (NGCLT) is a non-profit organization set up to provide permanent affordable housing for the local community. Gulfport is situated on the Gulf coast to the east of New Orleans. Somewhat surprisingly a disproportionately large number of the local population have the surname Thomas, a name that originated in Wales, part of the United Kingdom. Those with this name may be interested in the origins of the name Thomas. First found in Llwyn Madoc, Breconshire, where the family claims to be descended from Owen Glendower, Lord of Glyndwyrdwy, Prince of Southern Wales. The name is one of the most common found today in Wales.

The coat of arms is a black chevron on a silver shield with three ravens. The family motto is in Welsh and translates as ‘To God be thanks’.

The name was found first in America in Virginia in 1621. It is thought that most of the holders of the name in the Gulfport area are probably descended from a slave owner who was resident in the area.

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NGCLT: Transforming A Community

The North Gulfport community in Mississippi is made up of land that has a lot of cultural significance to the African American people living there. That is why the NGCLT was formed: to try to prevent outsiders from buying up the land just to make money (try DayJobNuker for hints on making money online) by turning it into strip malls and other undesirable businesses.

That land needs to stay in the hands of the locals so it can be used to build neighborhoods with affordable housing for all. Additionally, the wetlands need to be preserved which is what this land trust does.

The NGCLT was formed in 2004 and has allowed people to buy land at reasonable prices. Building homes on the land props up the community and makes it a better place to live for everyone. North Gulfport used to be a vibrant place to live and raise a family before it came upon hard times. This land trust will hopefully allow this community to get back up on its feet as well as help preserve the environment.

 

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The Gulf Area and Wine?

Mississippi isn’t exactly known as a food capital of the United States.  Certainly regions of the south have gained some fame with Southern cooking, but given the success of the drinking culture in New Orleans I’ve often wondered if there is a region capable of growing wine in the south.

We also know that communities in the south are incredibly adept at supporting their own, so some sort of a southern wine would likely do quite well overall, even if they only started a wine of the month club to ship their own wines.  Given a climate which has enough coastal influence to keep temperatures reasonable in combination with a history of growing crops on the land, is this part of Mississippi the first true southern wine state outside of Virginia?

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Is Debt Relief Helping The North Gulfport Community?

This community has always been one for helping each other out.  So I want to give a tip to the members of such a wonderful place.  Right now so many people are hurting from this recession and in desperate need of financial help.  Getting the proper aide can come in the form of helping them crawl out of debt.  Many solid debt settlement plans can help these folks to find the financial freedom they so need.  And plus this can help them avoid bankruptcy and not have that permanent stain on their public record.  If you live in North Gulfport than look to get help today.

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Can Sleep Apnea Treatment Be Covered By Insurance?

 

Many members of the poverty stricken North Gulfport community are dealing with the condition known as sleep apnea.  The problem is most people don’t even know that their insurance provider has the ability to cover some of the treatment cost.  Both CPAP and oral appliance therapy can be covered through many medical insurance plans.  Ask your doctor or dentist who is treating you if they can help you to get the proper coverage and avoid having to pay the expensive price of quality sleep apnea treatment.  Getting the treatment can help you become much more productive in other areas of your life.

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Uniting communities via internet marketing

With the current state of the economy, it really becomes imperative to find other means to earn a living. While browsing through the internet, it came to me that hey, this is one rich resource and powerful medium that I can tap to make money.

As a blogger, I know for a fact that the internet has become a very pervasive medium and it has already become an important part of man’s life in a lot of aspects. May it be in the field of communication, information, entertainment or business, the fact is, the internet is really of great help. And perhaps, you are reading this article because you are well aware of that, too.

So here is my tip for you. The internet is one tool you can use to give you an edge over your competitors. You may already heard about internet marketing and how it can boost your business and profits.

I have done research myself. And essentially, an seo agency will market or indirectly sell your products, services and business through helping you establish and maintain a strong online presence. But of course, you can only maximize the many benefits of internet marketing if you find the best internet marketing companies for your business.

You must bear in mind that it is very important for you to find the internet marketing companies that render the services that you need. You can read reviews about various companies and find out which of them give the internet marketing services that you need. Check out which ones have the positive reviews. And of course, find out which companies also suit your budget.

As a rule of thumb, it is always best to go with the established and credible internet marketing companies. This way, you can be assured of the best results.

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We Need to Take Action As a Community For Our Mental Health Patients

Today I want to discuss something widespread in mental hospitals across the country. Sure, you can find cases of great hospitals, unfortunately there are a lot of .. well ..not so great ones.

How you are treated in hospitals depends on the hospital staff. Hospital staff are basically free to ignore the law with little fear of meaningful consequences. While in theory your rights are protected by law, in practice you have little protection:

1. In most cases it is your word vs the staff. You are a mental patient, they are licensed professionals, and they write the logs.
2. The staff is protected by various levels of legal immunity, you have nothing.
3. The regulatory/accreditation agencies are fairly toothless.
a. Your claims have to fall into their jurisdiction.
b. They have to substantiate your claims with records or witnesses.
c. The proof must be iron clad perfect. The slightest discrepancy voids it.
d. Depending on the agency you may not be informed of any results.
e. Then the agency may cite the hospital and request a response.
f. The response is usually to train staff (yet again).
g. If you feel this is insufficient or disagree, tough. You have no recourse.
h. The hospital has its lawyers, medical groups, consultants, and lobbyists. You don’t.
i. In most cases they keep the investigation secret. You have no idea what happened.
4. The police are unwilling to get involved even when staff violate criminal law. They defer to the “professionalism” of the staff. The Fremont police officer who refused to even take a criminal report on staff assault suggested he would take the report “if the staff used something like a baseball bat”. He was also reluctant to investigate Fremont Hospital because the staff didn’t like the police bringing their guns into the hospital.
5. Civil litigation is difficult, time consuming, and expensive. Psychiatric medical malpractice is difficult to prove and does not pay the lawyer as well as regular medical malpractice.
6. A staff vs patients attitude “white wall of silence” to invalidate your claims.
7. The hospital will follow “risk management” guidelines regarding your issues. Generally this means denying anything happened. It is doubtful you will get any meaningful reform from the hospital itself. In theory and words the hospital protects patients, but in deeds they protect themselves and the staff.

The only real protection you have against abuse is the morals and professionalism of the staff. If you are lucky, they will treat people with psychological disorders as patients and human beings. If not, you are viewed as a “psycho” to be controlled. While the quality of individual staff members will vary, the hospital culture itself will be your best indicator of how you will be treated. If the hospital has a reputation for requiring their staff to follow the rules, treat patients humanely, and discourages a code of silence (the “white wall of silence” or “white code of silence”) then you have a good chance of actually being helped. On the other hand if the hospital has a reputation for ignoring problems, allowing mistakes to be covered up, and hiring substandard staff then you will likely be further damaged. In the “Consumer Info” section there are some suggestions on how to tell the difference, and some suggestions on what to do to protect yourself.

Another issue is how acute mental hospitals operate today; in these HMO driven times they are very cost conscious. The insurance company wants you out as soon as possible and this means medications. The days of talking to a therapist are over. Today you will be examined, drugged, observed, then turned loose with an absolute minimum of contact with the staff. Staff costs money, so only the absolute minimum required are on duty. This means that there are few resources available for you to just sit down and talk with someone. The staff on the ward with you are the lowest paid and least trained. Therapists are not usually available outside set group therapy.

If you start to “decompensate”, the staff will do little other than to demand you change your behavior and take more meds. If you decompensate enough to cause trouble then they will get physical, and since there are few staff on duty, this threshold is very low. The staff cannot afford to have you set off the other patients, so they react very quickly to any disturbance. At this point you will be forced to take sedatives and/or anti-psychotics and possibly secluded or restrained as well. Thus an easily preventable problem escalates into a life (yours) threatening situation. Patients die in restraint. While the hospital will give lip service to “de-escalation” procedures, it is quicker and cheaper to just drag you into a room strap you to a bed and shoot you full of drugs.

The “white wall/code of silence” has two aspects. The tracking and disciplinary systems are run by medical professionals for medical professionals. The information is kept from the public by law. If the watch dogs tend to turn a blind eye towards misdeeds, the public is none the wiser. This allows serial killers to masquerade as angels of mercy who freely move from one hospital to another. Secondly staff supports staff. If one staff witnesses a misdeed, they won’t blow the whistle. They don’t want to alienate their co-workers.

What We Want:

1. Recension of the 5150, mitigation of its civil rights impact.
2. Correction of the hospital log to reflect what really happened.
3. Meaningful and verifiable changes to ensure future patient safety and rights.

“I want to see a mighty flood of justice, a river of righteous living that will never run dry”

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Protecting The North Gulfport Community From The Multi National Companies

There are over two hundred community land trusts in the USA and one of those is the North Gulfport Community Land Trust or NGCLT for short. When Hurricane Katrina devastated the area with flood waters it all but wiped out many family homes of people that were already struggling to make ends meet. This is where the community formed the Trust to help protect the local people from land developers coming into the area and help bring life back to the area for residents that were there before the disaster.

Instead of big companies coming in and building food and designer shoes stores on the land the idea is for this land to be protected on behalf of the people. Will the NGCLT succeed in doing this? We can only hope, but what we do know is the only way this will happen is through the support of members, sponsorships by small businesses and fund raising activities.

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North Gulfport Port Expansion

The North Gulfport region in Mississippi is famed for its wonderful fishing.  Even with the devastating damage to the areas reputation caused by Hurricane Katrina and the BP oil spill, the region continues to be a fishing industry hotspot.

Local officials have proposed expanding the port of Gulfport in order to jumpstart local industry. Local community leaders are opposing this move, saying the funds that would be used on this expansion would be better spent on reconstructing and repairing communities directly impacted by Katrina.

The economic justification for expanding the port rests on the upcoming expansion of the Panama Canal.  Some argue that a portion of the increase of ship traffic up the East Coast will stop at the newly improved Port of Gulfport, bringing additional economic activity to the area.

Part of the project would be the expansion of the local rail lines to a full six tracks.  These would be needed to transport the Chinese goods unloaded from the ships in Mississippi to the rest of the country.

If this plan was implemented, it does seem likely it would spur economic growth.  Initially it would be the construction jobs to actually perform the expansion of the port and railroads.  Once this was complete there would be ongoing employment for dockhands loading and unloading the huge cargo vessels.

Storage capacity in the area would have to be increased.  Local refrigerator sizes and capacities would have to be increased greatly to handle imported perishables, and not just fish caught in neighboring waters.

All grown in the North Gulfport community comes at a cost however.  Poor neighborhoods in the area would be sliced and diced by the increased amount of rail and truck traffic.  While some would benefit from the additional jobs and others from customers having more to spend at local businesses, there is always a group left out of the benefits of economic growth.

These people would suffer all the downsides and none of the upside.  If the decision is made to go ahead with the expansion, attempts should be made to accommodate these citizens and ensure all share the bounty this project potentially offers.

 

 

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The Story Behind Hurricane Katrina

Katrina ranks as one of the most punishing hurricanes ever to hit the United States. Damage, costing billions of dollars, has made it one of the costliest storms on record. In New Orleans, floodwaters from the breached levee rose to rooftops in the poorest neighborhood, and in many areas residents were rescued from roofs of homes that became uninhabitable.

When the storm made landfall, it had a Category 3 rating on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale–it brought sustained winds of 100–140 miles per hour and stretched some 400 miles. It damage my house and I lost my family that’s why I had to move, leave my village, friends brings the memory of my childhood and starts a new life in Colorado withy my uncle.

The universe offers me a place to have great times to meet strangers and eventually become friends, develop bonds between them which may enable me to live and have a superb life every day, one of my new neighbor give a beautiful bag she order from www.grosirtas.co. I am quite happy living here. But life isn’t always about happiness, like winning millions and spending it to the fullest.

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Farmers in Ghana Plan for the Worst

One of the problems with natural disasters in many countries, is that there is simply no planning or infrastructure to cope with the effects.  In the more developed countries there are contingency plans, disaster councils and a series of mitigation efforts which can be deployed to help in most situations.  However in places like Ghana, the people are largely hit without warning and then left to cope with the resultant fallout.

However slowly mainly due to the impending threat of global warning and it’s weather patterns, countries are beginning to try and plan for these situations.  One example of this is a recent meeting of the farmers , chiefs and agriculturalists in Garu, a district in Ghana.  The meeting took place over two days and participants were able discuss the situations that could occur in the event of severe weather such as droughts, floods or hurricanes.

This meeting was put together by a new organisation in Ghana called the Adaption Learning Programme (ALP), it was entitle the Participatory Scenario Planning meeting.   It was opened by presenting the Ghana Meteorological Service’s seasonal forecast for the forecoming year in Ghana.  These weather predictions formed the basis of discussion with the participants who were able to share their knowledge and beliefs of the current weather patterns.

There seemed to be a concensus in the meeting based on many different facts that the co untry could expect heavy rain and strong flooding.  There were lots  of reasons cited including the previous dry season, high yields in certain trees which often preceded such weather patterns.  Some people even pointed out that in their experience the unusual croaking of toads often happened before such heavy rain.

The chiefs and farmers although arriving at their expectations from completely different standpoints, broadly agreed that rain would probaly be  the main issue followed by a prolonged period of drought.  Participants where then able to discuss effects in different elements of their farming  and what if any mitigation factors could be implemented.  One of the positive steps was that early maturing maize seed could be acquired to fit in with the expected dry spells.

There is no doubt that this sense of sharing knowledge and experience is a great help to communities like Gara.  Of course whilst many of us have found the barriers of communication are being shattered by the internet, others are not quite so lucky.  Particularly in Africa most simply have no access or those who have are impacted by trivial and oppresive filtering for a variety of reasons.  This is of course also happening in less likely places too – if you can believe the Icelandic Government who are intending to implement filtering on pornograpy for example by blocking proxies – read it here.

There is hope for communities though, with organisations like the ALP and we wish them success in their efforts.

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Weathering The Storm

Here on the eve of landfall for Hurricane Sandy, better known as “Frankenstorm”, it is hard not to remember back to September of 2005 when Hurricane Katrina devastated the city of New Orleans.  I remember watching news coverage of the city in the aftermath, and wondering how some of the residents of New Orleans would ever be able to call the city home again.  

Now, even more than seven years later, many residents still have not been able to rebuild from the hurricane.  One resident of New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina is now one of my closest friends.  Believe it or not, I met her at the gym a few years ago.  Both of us were trying to decide what class to take, and reading P90X reviews, when we began talking about the impact the hurricane had on the city.  She lost all of her worldly possessions in the hurricane.  Her home and everything inside of it, including her pets, was lost.  She knew the storm was coming, but like so many residents at the time, she thought she would weather the storm like she had weathered so many others in the past.  

While she may have lost everything in Hurricane Katrina, she still has her family, and a wonderful attitude.  She took the devastating loss of all her worldly possessions as an opportunity to change her life for the better.  Her family relocated to another part of the country, and she decided to begin to live a healthier lifestyle. Weathering the storm for her had more to do with a change in lifestyle than holding down the fort to get through the weather event.  And now, after several years, she and I have gone from two women trying to decide whether or not to begin the P90X program to inseparable friends.  We also happen to be in very good shape, too!

 

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Building Lives

There are a great many ways to help rebuild a community following a disaster. A community can actually get back to where it was and even become stronger because of the bonds that will have been forged in the hardwork needed to get back up on its feet.

There are stories of companies helping out with work and materials as well as stories of clinics performing cosmetic surgery on people who may have been physically affected by the disaster. Although this might not seem as crucial as getting the infastructure of the town back up and running on a personal level it will alow the victim to try and move on with confidence from such a traumatic event.

Being given the opportunity to rebuild a community allows them to say what was right and what was wrong before and how they can improve things. Even though nobody would ever choose to be in a natural disaster or have their friends and family go through it, it is important to pick yourselves up and make the most of an opportunity to make sure the town and community as a whole grows from it.

We don’t know where or when the next terrible tragedy might occur but hopefully they can pick themselves up again. After all it is not the falling that matters but how you land.

 

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Why Communities Need to Help Each Other

Communities need to help one another to flourish, prosper and thrive. If all the members in a community work together for the betterment of all, everyone will prosper and benefit. If only a few work together, their chances of success will be limited. And even if they do succeed, there is bound to be friction and dissent because some will naturally feel entitled to more resources since they did their part while the others did not.

Helping You Deal with Challenges and Change

Another reason why communities need to help each other is that humans are social creatures, and they naturally long for company, something which a community can provide.   Second, communities can help you and your family cope with change, especially if you just moved to a new location. The people in your community can make you feel welcome and very much at home.

Furthermore, communities need to come together in times of calamity and disaster, as they will depend on each other for food, shelter and comfort. As everyone knows, the only thing that is constant in life is change, and you need people to help you deal with it. By providing support for each other, a community will prosper and this can spread to other communities around you. 

There are ways you can build a community. You can set up your own website where you create a place for people to interact, share ideas, and help each other out. With low web design pricing, starting a website need not be expensive. Most designers can offer minimal web design pricing for their services, especially for simple websites.

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Healing Trauma After Disaster

Disaster always left a deep grief loss felling that may cause traumatic for the victims. The emotional toll can result in a wide range of intense, confusing, and sometimes frightening emotions. Just as it takes time to clear the rubble and repair the damage, it takes time to recover your emotional equilibrium and rebuild your life. There are specific things you can do to help yourself and your loved ones cope with the emotional aftermath of the traumatic event.

Giving an automatic dog feeder with timer can be a nice present fot your familly perhaps they don’t have much time to feed their dog because they need to do some reparation or still getting the trauma of disaster. Anticipate that this will be a difficult time in their life. Allow them to mourn the losses they have experienced. Try to be patient with changes in their emotional state. Listen and empathize with their situation

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Helping The Folks Of Gulfport To Avoid Repossession

If you have found yourself struggling to pay your bills then you might be facing repossession. This is not something that many people like to admit and it really does look bad on your credit. That is why it is often very important to try to find a way to avoid repossession whenever possible. You can do avoiding repossession in a number of different ways, you just need to be willing to research a few of the options that you have available to you.

You might want to start by trying to sell whatever it is that is in danger of being repossessed. It can often be very difficult to part with your belongings but if you are able to get what you owe out of it, then you could sell it and then pay off your debt. You would also be helping your credit if you decided to do this.

There are many people that will take their time and call the lenders that they owe money to. When you do this you can speak with them about trying to decrease your payment amount. This is a good thing to do because you will be able to keep your possessions but you will have a lower payment to work with each month. Some people do not realize that this is possible but if you take the time to call you might find out that the lenders are willing to help you. They are willing to share financial planning ideas just to help you out. They want their money.

Finally, try being honest with the people that you owe money to. We all know that the economy is in trouble right now. That is why some lenders will be willing to find a way to help you. They want to know what is going on and they want to know that you are trying to pay your bills. You might get pretty far if you just try being honest.

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Rebuilding Community

One of the things I have been thinking of lately about natural disasters is how communities truly come together to support each other and how that can affect small, local business.

So here’s the thing, large franchises don’t see their bottom lines affected much if at all by a small localized natural disaster, or even something as large as Hurricane Sandy. For a small locally owned busines though, an owner might lose his entire income, his home and any hope for a reasonable future.

For a community, isn’t it those small local businesses which both build our communities, but that we also need to spend the most time and effort to make sure they are rebuilt in a timely and efficient manner?

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Take Care of Your Health to Take Care of Your Community

Blood pressure should be watched closely no matter who the person is. It is more closely watched in people who are prone to developing blood pressure issues. For instance, the elderly, overweight, genetically prone and in some cases, children. There are a number of reasons as to why someone might get high blood pressure.

A prime example of someone who might get high blood pressure is someone who has high cholesterol due to the overwhelming intake of fatty foods and fast foods. The people in the world today are always on the go and for this reason alone, someone would reason to stop and get a burger from a fast food joint rather than going home to cook a meal. For this reason, more and more people are developing high blood pressure.

The use of a blood pressure chart will help someone to learn if they have high blood pressure or not. If you know more about what high blood pressure for men is and how you can avoid it, it would be easier for you to learn what to do in order to avoid it.

Someone who is obese does not necessarily have to have high blood pressure. They could for a number of reasons but weight alone, typically not the reason. They could be and most likely is an underlining reason. You will need to refer to the blood pressure chart to know if you have high blood pressure or not.

High blood pressure is calculated by looking at the two numbers displayed when your blood pressure is taken. For instance, the top number is the systolic number and should be between the numbers of 80 and 120. The bottom number is the diastolic number which should be below 80.

After the first 20 points above 120, it could be time for you to be placed on medication. If you are slightly above 120, your doctor is going to ask that you make some healthy lifestyle changes. This can include the stopping of smoking, stopping the intake of caffeine and by shedding a few pounds. It will depend on just how much your pressure is above the 120 mark. The higher the numbers get, the more vital it is that you are watched.

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A Community of Small Business

aftermath of SandyIn the aftermath of Katrina and now Sandy, we’re often asked the same question: how can we help?

The people that always come to mind for me are those who lost both their business and the way they earn a living along with their home as well.  Basically, I am always most concerned with small business owners since they clearly have the most to use if economic prosperity in their neighborhood goes down.

One marketing plan I saw which made me smile the other day was a local Long Island wine gift basket which is being sold nationally. The idea is pretty simple, wine lovers are traditionally a rich bunch and they love a great story: adding other products help other business in the greater NY and NJ area to recover more quickly as well.

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Housing Rights After Katrina

One of the biggest problems that was highlighted in New Orleans after Katrina hit was the lack of affordable housing that was available.  It was not just the number of such houses but how they were allocated.  After all consider that many residents had their houses destroyed, yet there was no guarantee that they would be at the top of the list when such housing was made available.  This actively discriminated against the poorer residents in New Orleans who through no fault of their own had suddenly become homeless.

There were huge numbers of public housing communities that had to be demolished and they were not always replaced with the same type of stock.  Instead firms built mixed-income housing which combine low rent affordable housing combined with standard houses at the market rate.  Obviously if you leave the decisions entirely to  the market the standard housing would be built as it offers the largest profit.  The lack of public housing replacements meant that authorities and people in power were able to radically alter the social mix of the city.  Without the right of return for former residents this was in some senses inevitable.

In some senses there was almost certainly many who profited from Katrina’s rebuilding.  I remember reading by using my UK proxy, a programme on the BBC about the insurance claims being put in as regards the Katrina damage.  The payments were huge and represented a chance to rebuilt New Orleans, this has happened but many of the ex-residents found themselves isolated.

For example, lots of families who lost their homes previously paid between 300 and 400 dollars a month for their homes.  Admitedly many of these were in a poor state of repair and needed some investment.  However after renovations and repairs were completed the rental prices were nearer $800 a month.  The ex residents weren’t able to afford these prices and were therefore denied the chance to return to their homes.

There were more infrastructure changes with many of the public schools and hospitals never returning.  So even those low paid residents who were able to return found that many of the public services that they previously relied on were gone forever.

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Tips On Picking up The Correct Self Cleaning Litter Box.

There are some people who have not yet fully recovered from the catastrophe of disaster. Some people who were affected by disaster still have nightmares about what had happened. These people may have undergone therapy and counseling already but still they find it hard to move on. If these things weren’t able to help them then they should try other steps to finally forget the past. There is an easy way to help them. You can give them a cat. Some people don’t like to tell others how they feel but feel okay talking to pets. Cats are sweet and loving and may help them feel okay. But how is about cat’s litter? How do they clean it meanwhile they don’t have time to clean that? You can also give them an automatic cat litter box. Automatic cat litter box is a tool for cleaning cat’s litter. We can manage cat’s litter easily with this tool.

Automatic cat litter box is an open pan that uses a metal rake. The motor attaches to the top of the pan on the long edge and traverses the box from one end up to the waste receptacle and back. Fifteen minutes after the cat leaves, the motor drives the rake across the box. When it reaches the waste receptacle, the rake lifts up the waste and rotates toward the top of the box. The receptacle opens and the waste slides down the rake into the receptacle. The receptacle is lined with any type of bag that is fitted to the receptacle. The lid of the receptacle has a carbon filter to help with the odor.

Automatic cat litter box is solidly constructed and easy to assemble. The receptacle is a bit small; it needs to be emptied once a week with one cat. This means it will require more frequent emptying with multiple cats. Automatic cat litter box comes with a ramp which is useful if your cat gets old or has trouble climbing in the box.Cleaning is the same as all auto litter boxes that use clumping litter. It is necessary to disassemble it and clean the litter area and receptacle periodically with a mild soap. Disassembly is not too difficult. No screws are used to hold it together. Automatic cat litter box plugs into a standard wall outlet with a cube-shaped DC transformer plug. A household extension cord can be used if needed. Power consumption is similar to all auto litter boxes. It does not cost much to run Automatic cat litter box.

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Community Spirit And The Rewards

In the wake of disaster communities can often get together and create a bond that is long lasting. The spirt of Londoners during the blitz and the communities that pulled together following Hurricaine Katrina pay testament to that and it is this community spirit that we want to see all the time, we shouldn’t need terrible tragedies to bring us together.

Communities need to find a way to create these kind of bonds and to keep them that way as far to many people are too concerned with themselves and do not take into account what their actions may have on the larger community.

IN Scotland we try to have get togethers and street parties to get the community together and having stalls and competition makes it so much more fun and exciting. In fact at the last one wee had some great prizes like trips to Lodges and for lodges Soctland is the best. Getting everyone involved and having a build up brings the interest and door to door sales of raffle tickets for the prizes lets everyone know about the upcoming event and raises the money for the prizes and we always make sure a percentage goes to local charities and communities.

It is these little things that gets neighbours talking and sees people greeting each other on the street and helping each other in times of need.

 

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How Would a Hurricane Affect California?

Over the years, we’ve seen a definite change in weather patterns on the east coast haven’t we?  I mean, New York City was once considered an unlikely spot for Hurricane’s to surface, although the City is now confronted with a hurricane every few years.  With a public transportation system largely centered below ground, that isn’t exactly ideal.

I wonder, how would a hurricane affect San Francicso and the region beyond including the historic wine regions of Napa and Sonoma?

Rain is generally a good thing for grape vines, but as a member of a couple of 90 point wine clubs, I can tell you that I know for sure that a hurricane would destroy a number of vines.  The big issue with that destruction is that, unlike other produce, it takes a wine grape vine about 5 years to produce world class grapes.  If Napa and Sonoma suffered severe hurricane’s as often as New Orleans or New York City, the wine industry in these places would basically cease to exist.

For wine drinkers across the world, that’s a scary thought isn’t it?

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Many New Yorker’s Lose in Insurance Claims

For those of us who merely watched on the TV the events of Hurricane Sandy have now started to fade as the next news stories hit our screens.  But for the families involved in this disaster, Sandy is still very much part of their lives.   One of the big issues is with insurance and the various problems people are having making claims.   Some NY’ers having previously checked they were covered for hurricane damage are being told that damage caused by the water is classed as flood damage and is therefore not covered!

The story sounds far fetched but it is a situation increasingly being faced by many trying to insure against disasters like Sandy.  It seems that some insurers are only covering for direct damage caused by the Hurricane, although when high winds rip off your roof and flood damage is caused seems incredible to be not covered.  Some are even being told that they are not being covered for physical damage when the floods knock something into the house.

Others are being told that water damage caused by a hurricane ripping out water pipes is not covered either.  Incredibly they are also being told that it is flood damage not hurricane and so they are not covered.  There is some hope for some in the form of FEMA grants but again not everyone is eligible for these.  For example if you run a business from home or are not classified as residential then you may have problems here to.

John Ascot, found he was uninsured and not eligible for the grants because he ran a small business from home.  His company  - The New Proxies supplies information on IT related matters like proxies, VPNs and content filters.  However even though he ran everything virtually – his home was deemed as company premises.

 

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The Journey from Katrina

It is said by some psychologists that if you experience a tragedy or an event of great trauma then you start a new timeline in your life.  That is to say that you will tend to refer to events as being before or after the event.

If you speak to the residents of New Orleans then you’ll have no doubt that is true.  The date August 29th, 2005 is the day that Hurricane Katrina stormed through their home city.  That date is marked in  the psyche of the city and every single one of it’s inhabitants. From the shop owner in the French quarter to the worker in the plantation – all look at their lives as being before and after Katrina.

The scars are now beginning to heal, largely due to the tremendous sense of community that the tragedy has created in the survivors.   Much of the city has simply been rebuilt brick by brick. There have been many government agencies who have helped repair and improve the flood defence systems which failed so dramatically,

The French Quarter in the picture actually suffered less than the rest of the city mainly due to it’s height.  The Quarter is just that little bit higher than the rest of the city, and it made a huge difference to the extent of the damage caused.  It’s a very historic section of the city and I spent many happy hours in bars there.  One bar owner became a good friend of mine after I showed him how he could access the French TV Station My Replay by using a French proxy server and his laptop!

All across the city though, you’ll see rebuilding still happening and a genuine sense of community.  There are many people who have failed to return deciding against living with the dangers that the city has to accept.  But there’s no doubt that it’s a fantastic place to live and I’m certain people will return slowly.

 

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Community in preventing natural hazards

Climate change in late 20th and 21st century together with global warming has certainly raised weather issues such as hurricanes, flooding etc. One of most recant hurricanes in Haiti made enormous damage to the country and took more then 500 lifes. It there would not be the help of community all over the world, the final effect would be much worse. Studies show that there is correlation between the numbers of nature disasters and climate change in last 30 years. As scientists agree, this is mainly caused by the pollution in atmosphere that damages ozone layer. This all results in greenhouse effect and causes instant temperature changes.

Community can help preventing disasters in future with greener thinking. Recycling garbage, using public transport or walking instead of driving a car, not polluting air, using green energy and many other things. Even a small action can make a greater positive effect in future. Such organisations as Greenpeace, Anti-nuclear movement, Plant a tree today, Earth day and many others help in raising the awareness in society about climate changes and the importance of green thinking. We need to educate people about the danger of pollution, climate change and other. Hundreds of communities are trying to make people think about world as a heritage for their children and grandchildren.

if we act together, world can truly be a much more greener, happier and better place. We can reduce the waste, pollution and with our action neutralize climate changes. This all could reduce the amount of natural hazards. For example hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding, tsunamis and other natural hazards take thousands and even millions of life’s every year. The tsunami in Indian ocean took 230-280 thousands of deaths and tens of billions $ damage to environment. In this tsunami Malaysia had the smallest damage as it is located closer to Pacific ocean. Therefor Malaysia could be a safer destination for tourists. For more information in traveling to Malaysia check at malaysiawalker.com.

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Creating community based websites

If you have a company, you should plan for your website on your own or else you get yourself a pal or perhaps a relative to build it. If you have a small business, a person have a tendency to feel that an experienced website is not required since it costs money. But when you would like to placed your own website in to meaningful one, you might want to have it developed by a professional. In the event you build a website which could build your offline business visible with a world-wide market, it will be possible to make your current community based websites to promote around your international stage.

Most small company don’t realize the value of having expert web design templates. They appear for building websites because his or her competition acquire their personal websites. Consequently, they do not take website developing as a significant task. This is because a beginner constructed website won’t be able to get search engines like Google. If you own an e-commerce website you can provide your web visitors an alternative choice to purchase throughout extremely markets. They might do internet shopping without leaving their properties. And then there will not waste their time and ranking difficulties.

This is a wise decision to think about how to construct a great website which could make great results. The straightforward fact is that you need to decide a community based website and to anticipate the idea to complete. If you possess answers to these kind of queries, that’ll be the first step on creating a good website. Companies might utilize the benefits of excellent sites quickly after they create good websites. They may take the concept of these services and products towards the worldwide level from your current community level. It’s your obligation to produce a shipping device to supply the products to the residences of the buyers.

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Helping Others Forget Hurricane Katrina

The southern part of America has been hit badly by Hurricane Katrina last 2005. It may be 7 years ago already but still, there are some people who have not yet fully recovered from the catastrophe. Some people who were affected by Hurricane Katrina still have nightmares about what had happened. Some even became so much afraid of storms, lightning and thunders.

These people may have undergone therapy and counseling already but still they find it hard to move on. If these things weren’t able to help them then they should try other steps to finally forget the past. If you know someone who still haven’t gotten over Hurricane Katrina, below are the few things that you may do to help them.

Give Them a Pet Cat
Some people don’t like to tell others how they feel but feel okay talking to pets. Cats are sweet and loving and may help them feel okay. You just have to buy an http://www.automatickittylitterbox.com/, a place to sleep and cat food.

Let Them Read Inspirational Stories
It will be helpful if they will be able to read stories about how other people were able to cope up with the bad things that happened in their life. This may motivate them to start a new life.

Encourage Them to Do Whatever They Love to
It may be playing sports, reading books, writing stories, knitting beanie hats, mountain climbing or even dancing.

It is not hard to help those that were affected by Hurricane Katrina to get out of the darkness that the disaster brought them. You may help them by just using the tips above.

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New Orleans – Skate Park Lower 9th

The famous musician Lil Wayne has just generously built a skate park in one the parts of New Orleans that was devestated by the Hurricane Katrina.  He said that he was keen to just help out his home city especially the kids.

The 2005 storm wrecked so much on New Orleans, the death toll was over 1800 and hundreds of thousands had their homes destroyed.  The Rap star actually grew up in this area just around the corner from the new park.

“I wanted to give them something to do, something they haven’t done before,” he said.

It’s been nearly seven years now since the storm hit and there are still many areas that are pretty much empty.  Recreation facilities were obviously prioritised below essential services so progress has been slow in some areas.  The Rap star became a fan of skateboarding about a year ago.  He first thought it was a hobby but quickly became hooked.

However it’s not been without it’s problems for Lil Wayne, last year he needed treatment after a nasty fall whilst skateboarding.  The 30 year old actually required 9 stitches for his head after knocking it.  It’s been an interesting few years for the rapper as he’d only recently been released from jail.  He was sentenced to eight months in Rikers Island Jail for possessing an illegal hand gun.

You can see Lil Waynes concerts on all the popular US media sites like Hulu, NBC and ABC.  The shows are limited to the US though so if you’re trying to access from somewhere else you’ll need to disguise your IP address.  This site - http://www.proxyusa.com/ shows you how to connect using an American VPN in order to appear to be surfing from the US.  It’s worth checking out as it really does work. 

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Giving Wine Gifts

Hurricane Katrina was certainly a wake up call for this country and how we achieve proper disaster preparedness as well as response.  I’ve lived in California almost my entire adult life and one thing I’ve realized is that the average American doesn’t understand how difficult it is to deal with wild fires.

After the most recent set of wild fires, my wife and I gave a series of wine gifts to those living in government disaster shelters.  Wine might seem like an odd gift when someone has had their home destroyed, but one thing we realized being evacuated ourselves was/is that anything you can do to provide a sense of normalcy makes a ton of difference!

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How students can use short term loans to buy books

If you have just become a member of a new institution, you obviously need study books and your credit rating may be a question to focus on. Short term loans are easy to access since, lenders will rarely ask for your credit rating. In addition, there are so many lending companies for which you can access these loans from, and the internet provides an opportunity for different quotes. Due to competition, you are likely to get very nice quotes from competitor companies when accessing these loans. Note that short term loans may rarely go beyond 1000USD.

As a student, it can’t be that easy to make it through college if you do not have money to buy books, if you have been employed in college or outside college, you can choose to borrow money from lenders and get your careers going. This kind of money is also known as bad credit loan. While most lenders would demand that the applicant should be earning more than 1000USD each month, in most cases, there are exceptions for those with special needs like a student looking to buy books. Loans accessed for infrastructure are also known as conventional loans and this is the application of more short term loans.

For short term loan information check this site: http://minileningenbelgie.be/studentenlening-aflossen-en-terug-betalen/

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How short term loans can help give entrepreneurs start

Short term loans are a type of loans that should be repaid within the shortest time possible. People start a business to make money, but did you know in order to start a business a huge sum of capital is necessary. Startup businesses may not be able to access all that money since some of those kinds of loans require collateral and if you don’t have enough collateral, it might be utterly impossible. For this reason, short term loans become the only option to start business. For short term cash loans in Belgium http://minileningenbelgie.be/ is definitely the best place to find more info.

While short term loans aren’t that much, in terms of money, they are easy to pay. Most of short term loans are used to clear urgent medical bills or take care of other kinds of bills that need a matter of urgency.  Entrepreneurs are highly challenged when putting up a new business, not just because of the loans but also funding that would be needed to advertise that business and create awareness to the public. It isn’t that easy to put up an organization, but once it’s there, you can find ways to manage it. This is what short term loans endeavor to do. Expansion of your business can obviously come later when you already have a few things in place.

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Fostering Community – Bake Sales

A great way for a community to pull together and develop a sense of togetherness if through fund raising in order to assist when disasters – whether local or far away – occur.

A traditional means of fund raising is the community bake sale.  These can be organized by a group such as the girl guides or boy scouts, or perhaps a larger organization like the local middle school or church.

The great thing about bakes sales is that they give everyone in the community the chance to contribute, even in a small way.  Everyone pulls together in the name of a common cause, and a sense of community is born.

At a bake sale, everyone has – quiet literally – something to bring to the table.  My personal favorite is my secret pineapple cake recipe – I would never reveal the secret ingredients to the neighbors, but I’m more than happy to contribute a pineapple cake or two to our towns fundraising efforts.

Even small children can contribute however, which is what makes them great communal events.  We have all seen the colorful cupcakes a young child contributes – made, of course, with a little help from mom and dad.  Everyone rushes to buy one of these as no one wants the poor kid to feel bad, so lots of money is raised!

Bake sales are definitely a great way to foster a sense of community in your town, and I encourage you to organize one next time a worthy cause needs aiding.

 

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Community and Energy Efficiency

The fight to save species extinction and the other negative consequences of global warming has largely failed on an international level. In the last COP 18 meeting as in the previous climate change conference in Copenhagen world leaders and their representatives flew in on personal jets bickered about it was not fair that China didn’t have to take CO2 cutting measures and then flew out again after having made vague but not binding promises to do more about carbon emissions. Countries are like people they are greedy and small-minded.

In contrast communities are selfless. Communities work together to make everybody’s lot better. Thus if our leaders won’t do anything to save the planet, then the normal people should take the lead. Here are some suggestions:

1) Days should be put aside for people in a community to tend to and plant trees. They should also work together to put green roofs on public buildings. Green roofs lower both heating and cooling bills and add extra habitat to an urban environment.

2) Meetings should be organized to explain to people how they can make their homes more energy efficient by doing such things as using energy saving light bulbs. The importance of installing programmable thermostats should be instilled as well as sensible settings for that particular climate. Volunteers to install programmable thermostats for those not able to do so by themselves should be organized.

3) Recycling bins should be put out in the community and residents encouraged to use them. The money made from the recycling can be put back into carbon saving measures for the community.

4) A hacker space should be set up that can take things like broken TVs and turn them into useful electrical equipment for people in the community, especially those not weatlthy.

These are just a few ideas for how a community can act to reduce its carbon output collectively and to help fight global warming.

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Recovery After Hurricane Katrina

After the great storm that we had experience, my family and I lost everything, our house, our clothes, all of those expensive electronic stuff and many more. Nana our beloved cat was lost, I remembered searched for automatic cat litter box reviews in internet just a week before this disaster happened. We positively become homeless. Then my dad gets the idea to start over the new life. We move to my aunt’s house and stay there for about a month. Then my dad gets a job at the local office. Our life gets a little better then.

After a lot of struggling from both my mom and dad, we finally have enough money to buy a small house for our self in the country. What I learn about the tragedy is that I am very thankful that I am still alive, and so are my family members. We learn that a bad thing can happen to us anytime, we can’t see it coming but it surely does come. My family member’s reacting over the tragedy is good enough.

They can accept that they lose home and stuffs. They do not mourning over for a long time, but they put an action to get everything better. My younger sister who lost her precious stuffs does not feel despondent about that. She still has a spirit to get her things back. She starts attending school again when we already have steady live.

She has new friends quickly enough to cure her sorrow. At the time like this friend is a good companion to share sadness. My mom does not stand idle also; she tries her best to help my dad regain our life back. She works at the flower shop at the town.

I really admire her for that. I in the other hand work very hard to get back to college, I am in my last year so it is really waste if I do not finish it. I reenter my university again after absent for six month. It is hard to follow the material but I will not give up. Tragedy can happen anytime but we cannot give up our life just because of that. We have to fight to get everything back in our control.

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Community and Parties

One sign of a strong community is the fact that the people can come together on occasion. When a sense of community is weak it is because the community is fragmented. People don’t know each other; neighbors don’t introduce themselves to each other, and don’t watch out for each other’s children and property. This is often the case with communities that have undergone gentrification such as some areas in New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

It is not only in times of hardship that communities should come together, it is also in times of gladness and joy. For example, Rio is reborn every year, despite its massive crime problem, by the world famous carnival. The Bronx parties of Kool DJ Herc in the early 1970s helped create Hip Hop music and thus give a voice to black urban communities all over America.

In Koh Phangan in Thailand, the situation is slightly different. This is the island that has the largest monthly party in Asia, namely the Full Moon Party. It was started in the late 1980s by Paradise Bungalows to let the backpackers have a good time on the beach. As the party grew in size so the local community of business owners in Haad Rin benefitted from the money that the party brought to the Koh Phangan. It was never intended as a party for the local community to express their joy, just to make money.

Today the Full Moon Party in Haad Rin draws 20,000 plus mostly young people intent on having a good time. There are inevitable side effects of such a big party. The most visible is the litter on the beach. Volunteer groups are continually trying to preserve the natural beauty of the area. Another side effect is the spin-off parties. There are now half a dozen other major parties in Koh Phangan. Most of these occur near the village of Bantai. They are outdoor parties that use large sound systems. The booming noise from the parties reverberates for miles around and keeps the local community unwillingly awake all night. The people of Bantai have tried to petition the local authorities to regulate the parties but to no avail.

A party in your community is thus not always an expression of community joy, but a means of making some rich and to deprive the sleep of many more.

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Community and Parties

hello world

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Community and Parties

hello world

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Finding Wine Gifts in LA

Louisiana is known for its alcohol isn’t it?  Heck almost every America has heard about the Hurricanes being poured and made in New Orleans where people are allowed to drink while walking down the middle of the street.

Wine isn’t exactly a huge hit in the area for a number of reasons, mainly because well let’s be honest the hot and humid summers in that portion of the world aren’t exactly condusive to growing high quality grapes.  There are a few ways to find high quality wine gifts from Louisiana though and therefore allow yourself to support communities which were destroyed by Katrina.  One way is to find companies which supply wine grown in the area (think Texas, or even as far as Virginia) and combine it with local flavors like Crayfish, Hurricanes and those darn fried donuts whcih are incredible, they’re called Beignets right?

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When Weather Strikes Wine Regions

It’s unfortunate, but we’ve all seen what happens when bad weather events come to urban areas.  Hurricane Katrina decimated New Orleans only a few years ago, showing how important it can be to have a realistic set of disaster support procedures.

For a winemaker trying to make the best wine gift possible, it’s hard sometimes to see how setting aside some funding for disaster support and community outreach makes sense.  That is, of course, until you think about what would happen, as an example, if the Napa river crested early in October unexpectedly and destroyed an entire years worth of crops.  At that point you’d have at least 5 years before Napa could produce grapes again, leading to a serious problem for the local economy and the national appetitie for fine wine!

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Bring Back Wine to N.O.

When we think of the food and drinks scene in New Orleans, wine isn’t normally a part of it is it?

Not for me, I tend to think of the scene as one which includes Hurricanes and other mixed drinks moreso than wine.  One thing a couple of my favorite premium wine clubs have shown me of late though is that great wine can be made anywhere these days and that the wine industry can be incredibly helpful for bringing in tourists and other people to visit.

For New Orleans, trying to make some type of wine tasting area in the city makes a ton of sense, espcially with the huge number of tourists who show up in the city every year already.

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Repurposing Buildings

There are no real upsides to a disaster. I suspect that even those people who profitted by looting after Hurricane Katrina would have preferred for there not to have been a levee breaking hurricane in the first place. However, it is often a good idea to take the postives from any bad situation. One those postives could be the better use of old buildings in New Orleans and other hurricane hit towns.

Repurposing is an idea that has become more popular since the rise of an ecological conscience that wishes to recycle and reuse rather than continue to plunder and pollute the earth by making new things. The same philosophy of finding a new purpose for a used (and often not wanted) thing can apply to buildings. If it is possible to save the shells of old buildings that were damaged during the storm and subsequenjt flooding we could look to create new and exciting community and business centers.

One possibility is new hotels. It has been shown to be effective in cities around the world such as Bangkok. An old and disused building can be refitted and turned into a successful business. In Bangkok former Prince Chakrabongse’s villa was being left to fall apart. The luxury villa was built so that the Prince could attend to affairs of state in the nearby Grand Palace. When democracy came to Thailand and the royal court was moved the building became defunct.

Instead of seeing the beautiful riverside residence go to ruin, a developer turned the structure into a small boutique hotel called Chakrabongse Villas. It is now the most historical and luxury boutique hotels in Bangkok that is turning a healthy profit.

It is this type of thinking that is needed in the wake of disasters. How can buildings be repurposed so that they benefit the whole community and conserve the history and culture of the area. Making quick sales to developers who will tear everything down as part of a cheap gentrification process is not the same thing.

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Tsunami Relief

On 26th December 2004 there was an earthquake off the coast of Indonesia that triggered a massive tsunami that went both east and west hitting Indonesia and the west coast of Thailand as well as east Africa. It caught nearly everyone off guard. The death toll and damage to property was horrific.

In Thailand government figures state that 4,812 people were confirmed dead, 8,457 people were injured and another 4,499 people went missing. This was the worst natural disaster in living history in Thailand.

All of the western regions of Thailand suffered death and damage. Although the highest concentration of people was in the number one tourist spot of Phuket less people died there because much of the accommodation is high rise. 80 km north in the tourist area of Khao Lak the death toll was much higher. This is a flat area with mostly bungalows at the time.

Although some government money was made available for the victims of the tsunami in Thailand, many still lost their livelihoods. The fishing industry was badly affected. Another sector that was badly hit was tourism. While the big hotels had the resources to rebuild after the tidal wave, many small independent and local guest houses and shops were never rebuilt for lack of funds. Many of these people were forced to sell up and move on. Naturally developers took advantage of the cheap prices for land in Khao Lak and elsewhere immediately after the disaster.

Since 2004 tourist numbers have returned to normal in Phuket, Khao Lak and elsewhere on the west coast.

Very recently on April 11th 2012 there was another earthquake off Sumatra with an intensity of 8.9 on the Richter-scale. This time the early warning systems put in place worked effectively and people were quickly evacuated. The expected tidal wave in Khao Lak never appeared. The chance to see the early warning system working was almost worth the scare.

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Post Huricane Guilt Over Wasteful Procedure

I hadn’t thought about getting my mole removed for even a second for most of my life, but I turned 50. At that point everything changed. My doctor told me that the one I have on my back could be precancerous. He explained me that’s a lot of melanin in my system at one point, the mole, can breakdown in sunlight and cause cells to divide uncontrollably. He recommended that I take the mole off completely as opposed to taking photographs and making sure the mole never changes in shape or color. The tracking method seems destined to be inaccurate. I’m sure I wouldn’t remember what a mole looked like before I was twenty.

I didn’t want to have some wasteful surgery, that wasn’t a priority, clogging up hospitals and wasting electricity. But my Dr. pointed out that chemotherapy is far more destructive to body and mind than a simple mole removal. I asked him about needles, as I’m not a big fan of being poked with sharp objects. But he assured me and I quickly learned that the needle was nothing to worry about.

Perhaps I was lucky because I could not see the mole removal in progress. But there was a very odd sensation while pressure was applied and presumably my mole was cut off. It was not terribly uncomfortable. I was very happy that the procedure only lasted an hour. But I was very relieved that I was not drugged up for a day. The anesthetic wore off in an hour and a half. All I did was take a few Advil and I had no problem . I’ve now started talking to my parents about getting a few of their moles removed just in case. I wonder if, at the age of 90, mole removal seems like polishing a t*rd.

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