Afraid to Give a Talk in Sacrament Meeting?

tvvoodoo (sxc.hu)

Fear of Public Speaking? Talk Yourself Out of It

Do you dread public speaking? There’s a simple but very effective way to reduce your anxiety. It doesn’t involve any drugs and it works quickly. The secret: An anxiety-reducing form of “self-talk” that makes it much easier to address a crowd without feeling as though you’re going to explode, pass out or throw up from nervousness.

In fact, a new study reveals that this technique works not only for people who simply feel anxious about speaking in public, but also for those with social anxiety disorder, for whom public speaking and other social situations provoke severe distress.

Sinkhole Danger!

 

How to tell if there could be one in your yard

After a Florida man was killed in February when a 20-foot-wide sinkhole opened under his bedroom, many people wondered, Could that happen to me?

Thousands of sinkholes appear in the US each year—but sinkhole deaths are very rare. Only two other people are known to have been killed by sinkholes in the past 40 years in the US. Both were in Florida, and both people were operating heavy well-drilling equipment at the time. Serious injuries are rare, too, though minor injuries such as twisted ankles from small, overlooked holes do occur. In March, a man playing golf suffered a dislocated shoulder after he fell into an 18-foot-deep sinkhole on a golf course near Waterloo, Illinois.

While the risk to life is low, the risk to property can be considerable. What you need to know…

Toothache Relief

Cieleke (sxc.hu)

 

 

Ouch! Do you have a nagging toothache? And the dentist can’t see you till when? Calm the throbbing with nature’s painkiller—cloves.

Fainting First Aid

neyl (sxc.hu)

Why People Faint

Fainting is a frightening experience—especially when you don’t know the cause.

What you may not realize:

 Up to half of all Americans will faint at least once during their lives.

The cause is often relatively harmless, such as standing up too quickly, getting overheated, becoming dehydrated, receiving bad news or experiencing intense fear. You can even faint when a vigorous cough stimulates nerves that trigger a decrease in blood pressure and brain circulation. But in some cases, fainting can be a red flag for a potentially serious medical condition that affects your heart, lungs or nervous system.

Treating Cuts on Your Dog or Cat

plethr (sxc.hu)

Sooner or later, just about every dog or cat gets a wicked-looking cut—or, more often, a bite from another dog or cat. In many cases, you can tend the wound yourself, but if the bleeding doesn’t slow or stop within 10 minutes, see your veterinarian right away.

SAFETY FIRST

Dogs and cats may bite humans when they’re frightened or in pain. If you can’t restrain your pet while doing first aid—this generally requires having a helper so that you have two sets of hands—let your veterinarian handle it.

For dogs, use a muzzle. You can fashion one at home by wrapping a strip of gauze around the dog’s snout and tying it behind the ears. You can try this with cats, but it’s less likely to stay in place because of their shorter snouts—and because they’ll do their best to paw it off.

Restraining a cat may even be a three-person job. One person grips the loose skin on the back of the neck, another grips the hind legs and spreads the cat out lengthwise and the third person administers treatment. Unless you have an unusually docile cat, it’s probably safer to let your vet do the work.

FIRST-AID BASICS

Asthma Attack Survival Without an Inhaler

(© Jenny Rollo)
buzzybee (sxc.hu)

If you have asthma, then you know how scary it can be when you have an attack and have trouble breathing for anywhere from a few minutes to a few days, depending on its severity.

So you’re probably careful to keep your rescue inhaler with you at all times—in case of an emergency.

But what happens if an attack starts and you discover that your inhaler is empty or you don’t actually have it??

How can you lessen the severity of an asthma attack and/or stop it altogether without your trusty inhaler?

To find out, I called Richard Firshein, DO, director and founder of The Firshein Center for Comprehensive Medicine in New York City and author of Reversing Asthma: Breathe Easier with This Revolutionary New Program. And he had some very interesting advice…

Preparation for a Power Outage

jzlomek (sxc.hu)

Power Outage Prep…Beyond the Obvious

My family and I are still counting our blessings after Hurricane Sandy wreaked her havoc in our region. We only lost power for three days, and had no real damage to our home; just a few random shingles off the roof.  Needless to say, millions of others were not so lucky.

We had ample warning about the storm and, like most others in the region, made many preparations in case of a power outage. Of course there were the obvious steps we all know about, like loading up on batteries for flashlights and radios…stocking up on nonperishable food, water and firewood…filling bathtubs with water…filling our gas tanks …stowing outdoor items.

To help you prepare next time, here are some beyond-the-obvious tips, gathered from my wide network of friends, coworkers and expert contributors. And please post your own additions below!

What to Do When You’re a CPR Bystander

evelyn1977 (sxc.hu)

Let’s say that you’re at the mall, the library, a sports arena or some other public place, and a stranger suddenly collapses and is lying motionless on the ground.

If someone nearby rushes to this victim’s aid and begins performing CPR, you might think to yourself, A hero has arrived. This person has the situation under control. Clearly, I don’t need to jump in here and interfere. And you might walk away.

But actually this is the wrong decision.

Hurricane Terms

Familiarize yourself with these terms to help identify a hurricane hazard:

Tropical Cyclone: A warm-core non-frontal synoptic-scale cyclone, originating over tropical or subtropical waters, with organized deep convection and a closed surface wind circulation about a well-defined center. Once formed, a tropical cyclone is maintained by the extraction of heat energy from the ocean at high temperature and heat export at the low temperatures of the upper troposphere.

Fire Prevention Week October 7-13, 2012

Oct 9-Sparky greeted NFPA employees  to kick off Fire Prevention Week with some breakfast treats and this year’s FPW t-shirt

was established to commemorate the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.

This year’s theme,“Have 2 Ways Out!”, focuses on the importance of fire escape planning and practice.

Visit http://www.fpw.org

September is National Preparedness Month

Be Ready!

Would you be ready if there were an emergency? Be prepared: assemble an emergency supply kit, make your emergency plans, stay informed, and get involved in helping your family, your business, and your community be ready for emergencies.

Throughout September there will be activities across the country to promote emergency preparedness. More than 3,000 organizations – national, regional, and local public and private organizations – are supporting emergency preparedness efforts and encouraging all Americans to take action.

Join the effort! Visit our Web site for “Emergency Preparedness and Response” and follow these four steps:

Natural Disasters—We Don’t Have to Be Afraid

As we seek Heavenly Father’s guidance, the Holy Ghost will help us prepare for, endure, and recover from natural disasters.

The last days will be marked by many calamities and the rise of evil in the world. Against these threats the Lord and His prophets have given us counsel on how to be righteous and avoid spiritual pitfalls and evil. However, calamities—such as tornadoes, earthquakes, and tsunamis—seem to strike randomly and devastate the just as well as the unjust. These calamities terrify many of us. But I have learned that we don’t have to be afraid of disasters. When we are grounded in the gospel and when we are prepared, we can weather any storm.

Before the Storm: Make Preparation a Family Priority

In September 2005, I was an Area Seventy serving in the North America Southwest Area, which included parts of the United States such as Houston, Texas. We learned that Hurricane Rita—the most intense cyclone in recorded history that had ever been observed in the Gulf of Mexico—was headed straight for us.

How to Remove a Splinter

iwanbeijes (sxc.hu)

 

Sterilize pointed tweezers and a sewing needle in boiling water or over an open flame—or just wipe them clean with an alcohol pad. Clean the skin around the splinter with an alcohol pad. Don’t use soap and water—it might soak and soften a wood splinter, making it more difficult to remove. If necessary, pinch the area and work the needle along the length of splinter, stretching the “tunnel” that the splinter has made to expose an end. Once you can firmly grip the end, pull out the splinter with tweezers. Check for any remaining pieces, then wash the area with soap and water, apply an antibiotic ointment and bandage if necessary.

 

Source: Richard O’Brien, MD, emergency physician, Moses Taylor Hospital, Scranton, Pennsylvania, and spokesperson, American College of Emergency Physicians.

 

National Hurricane Preparedness Week May 27 – June 2

Family Finances

“We encourage you wherever you may live in the world to prepare for adversity by looking to the condition of your finances. We urge you to be modest in your expenditures; discipline yourselves in your purchases to avoid debt. … If you have paid your debts and have a financial reserve, even though it be small, you and your family will feel more secure and enjoy greater peace in your hearts” (All Is Safely Gathered In: Family Finances).

Pay Tithes and Offerings

Successful family finances begin with the payment of an honest tithe and the giving of a generous fast offering. The Lord has promised to open the windows of heaven and pour out great blessings upon those who pay tithes and offerings faithfully (see Malachi 3:10 and Isaiah 58:6–12).

Tithing

If our tithing is the first obligation met, our commitment to this important gospel principle will be strengthened and the likelihood of financial mismanagement will be reduced.

National Flood Safety Awareness Week

katman1972 (sxc.hu)

March 12 – 16, 2012

Flooding is a coast to coast threat to the United States and its territories in all months of the year. The week of make you aware of some of the ways floods can happen, the dangers associated with floods, and what you can do to prepare before hand and how to life and property.

Please see posts on this site under  “flood”.  You can visit the following sites for more information.

 

http://www.ready.gov/floodawareness

http://www.floodsafety.noaa.gov/

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• Flood water safety advice (thinnerblueline.wordpress.com)

Disaster Proofing Your Home

 

Ayla87 (sxc.hu)

The federal government declared 86 major natural disasters in the first nine months of 2011, more than in any full year in the past. Ten of those disasters topped $1 billion in damage, and at least three—Hurricane Irene along the Atlantic coast up to Vermont…the Virginia-based earthquake…and wildfires as far north as Minnesota—remind us that disasters can strike homes that are not built to withstand them. There’s no way to make a house completely disaster-proof, but there are home-improvement projects that can significantly limit damage and/or improve the odds that a home will survive. Not all of these projects make financial sense for every home owner, but many provide considerable protection at a reasonable price.

Helpful: Insurers sometimes offer discounts to home owners who invest in home-protection upgrades.

Ordinary Citizens can Foil Terrorists

psansao (sxc.hu)

William McCarthy, PhD, CPP, president of Threat Research, Inc. (www.ThreatResearchInc.com), and former commanding officer of the NYPD Bomb Squad, asserts that we should expect more terrorist attacks to occur here in the US.

It is simply too difficult to stop all of the crazies, whether they are homegrown or “imported.” Awareness remains our best defense. Ordinary people following their instincts foiled would-be terrorists in these recent events…

Hurricane Alert!

Elnias (sxc.hu)

Steps to Protect Your Home

The peak of hurricane season is now upon us, and this year the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration expects to see an above-normal Atlantic storm season.  What home owners need to do to protect their properties…