assistive technology devices: May 2013

Friday, May 31, 2013

2 dead when tornado hits Oklahoma City area

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) ? The Oklahoma Highway Patrol says a mother and child were killed as tornadoes moved through Oklahoma City.

Highway Patrol Trooper Betsy Randolph says troopers found the bodies in a vehicle along Intersate 40 west of the city Friday.

Tornadoes slammed Oklahoma City and its suburbs, crumbling cars and tractor-trailers.

The broad storm hit during the evening rush hour, causing havoc on I-40, a major artery connecting suburbs east and west of the city.

To the south, winds approaching 80 mph were forecast for Moore, where a top-of-the-scale EF5 tornado killed 24 on May 20.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/2-dead-tornado-hits-oklahoma-city-area-015538099.html

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What My Father Taught Me: Mike Rowe

"People love chopping wood. In this activity one immediately sees results."
?Albert Einstein

When I was 14, I woke up one Saturday morning to see my father standing at the foot of my bed, sharpening a double-sided ax. "It's time," he said. "Let's go." My father has a tendency to start conversations in the middle. He's also suspicious of anything too modern. Like nouns.

"Time for what?" I said. Knowing the futility of the question before I even asked, I rolled out of bed, pulled on my jeans and work boots, and tried again. "Is it cold out?"

"Invigorating," he replied. "Your mother made oatmeal. Eat it fast."

Outside, the Massey Ferguson tractor idled impatiently as we loaded up the wood cart with ropes and pulleys, jacks and wedges, two chain saws, and various other weapons of war. My mother added a lunch box to the arsenal, along with a large thermos of coffee. It stated to snow. "Try not to kill yourselves," she said. "Dinner's at 6."

I can't even remember how many times my dad and I drove the old tractor down the stone road, through the lower pasture, and deep into the woods to do battle with the Pine, the Maple, the Oak, and the mighty Locust?his personal favorite. ("The hard wood puts up a tough fight, but it burns the best!") The fact that we heated most of the old farmhouse with nothing but a wood stove was a source of great pride for my father, and the inspiration for endless witticisms. ("Chop your own wood?it'll warm you twice!")

Finding the right tree and taking it down properly was an undertaking that my father relished. Although there was nothing valuable nearby for the tree to fall on, my father liked to pretend there was. He imagined himself as the contestant on some sort of lumberjack game show, challenged perhaps to drop the tree between a Mercedes and a school bus full of children with inches to spare on either side. With pulleys and ropes and lots of delicate chain saw work, he would coax the tree to the ground, determined to see it land precisely where he wanted it. ("Measure twice, cut once! That's the ticket, my boy!")

Once the tree was on the ground, we'd strip the limbs and branches and cut them to stove-length pieces. Then we'd turn our attention to the trunk, working backwards from top to bottom. As each cut became progressively thicker, the chain saw whined louder and higher. ("Sharpen that blade, son. A dull one's twice as dangerous!") I still remember how my arms shook, even after the thing was turned off and put away.

Hauling the wood back to the house was a full day's work. But splitting the larger chunks into pieces that fit the insatiable wood stove?that was a chore without end. Every day after school meant an hour in the woodpile with Dad. I can still hear his voice as I prepared to swing the ax: "Aim for the chopping block, Mike, not the wood. If you aim for the wood you'll hit nothing."

Einstein (being Einstein) was right. Chopping wood yields immediate results, and it's gratifying to see progress unfold. But up there in the woodpile, the real gratification would be delayed. Because my dad was not just teaching me how to swing an ax?he was teaching me that work and play were two sides of the same coin. He was showing me how to enjoy the challenges of doing a hard thing. He was preparing me to become a perpetual apprentice?a role that eventually would define my unlikely career in television.

A few years ago, I stumbled across a poem that I had forgotten about. It's called "Two Tramps in Mud-Time," and it took me back to those days at the woodpile with my dad. In it, Robert Frost is splitting wood in his own backyard, ruminating on work and life. He wrote:

My object in living is to unite
My avocation and my vocation
As my two eyes make one in sight.

For only when love and need are one
And work is play for mortal stakes
Is the deed ever really done
For Heaven and for future's sake.

My dad is 80 this year. He no longer ventures into the woods or swings the ax. But the blade is still sharp. And the trees still fall where he wants them.

Previously:

What My Father Taught Me: Bill Nye

What My Father Taught Me: Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger

What My Father Taught Me: Boing Boing Editor and sci-fi author Cory Doctorow

What My Father Taught Me: NASA Chief Technologist Mason Peck

Source: http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/what-my-father-taught-me-mike-rowe-15538982?src=rss

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Yves Behar's August Smart Lock Lets Users Open Doors With A Mobile App

The smart home has grown in importance over the years, with new technologies being used to connect users with what used to be dumb objects. A startup called August, which provides a $199 keyless lock system powered by a mobile app, was founded by tech entrepreneur Jason Johnson and industrial designer Yves Behar, who were searching for a new way to give users access to their homes.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/syyBzjf95AM/

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Thursday, May 30, 2013

College students thank IRS for illicitly targeting conservative groups [VIDEO]

Almost 50 students at the University of Colorado Boulder voluntarily ? sometimes gleefully ? signed a huge, fake thank-you card to the Internal Revenue Service on Tuesday. The card expressed gratitude to the IRS for its extensive efforts to target conservative and religious groups for audits and protracted nonprofit-status processing.

A merry conservative prankster named Caleb Bonham is the prime mover behind the YouTube stunt, reports The College Fix. Bonham was active as a College Republican at nearby Colorado State University before graduating in 2011.

The card is giant piece of white poster board with the words ?THANK YOU IRS? emblazoned in block letters. The set piece also reads: ?TEA PARTY DESERVE IT?

There?s an image of President Barack Obama at the bottom. He appears to be giving the thumbs-up sign. There are a couple festive balloons for good measure

?We?re sending a giant thank-you letter to the IRS thanking them for targeting the tea party conservative groups,? Bonham explains to his first liberal victim. ?You wanna write a quick message??

?Sure,? says a guy holding a long brown thermos.

With jovial music playing in the background, the video then cuts to several more signatories.

?Yes, because I think it?s a fake scandal and I think it makes sense to prosecute the 501(c)(3)s, or whatever it is,? says a long-haired dude on a bike.

?Oh cool!? responds a guy with a terrible mustache. ?I think this is pretty rad,? he then adds as he prepares to sign the poster board.

?I read about that,? says a woman with a sweet leather backpack. ?I thought it was pretty funny because the IRS is actually, like, doing the right thing but the wrong thing at the same time. You know what I mean??

Amazingly, Bonham gets a guy wearing a San Francisco Giants shirt to admit: ?I love discrimination.?

He somehow convinces another woman to say, ?Support Obama. Target the tea party.?

Bonham told The College Fix that he was unsure how people on the CU-Boulder would react to his fake card. In the end, 45 people signed it. He claims that only two people refused to participate in the hoax.

?This really demonstrates the need for limited government and conservative principles,? Bonham added. ?Government using its enforcement arm to target groups. That is tyranny. If students don?t recognize it, then we are in a lot of trouble.?

Watch:

Join the conversation on The Daily Caller

Gene that helps honey bees find flowers (and get back home) discovered

May 29, 2013 ? Honey bees don't start out knowing how to find flowers or even how to get around outside the hive. Before they can forage, they must learn how to navigate a changing landscape and orient themselves in relation to the sun.

In a new study, researchers report that a regulatory gene known to be involved in learning and the detection of novelty in vertebrates also kicks into high gear in the brains of honey bees when they are learning how to find food and bring it home.

Activity of this gene, called Egr, quickly increases in a region of the brain known as the mushroom bodies whenever bees try to find their way around an unfamiliar environment, the researchers observed. This gene is the insect equivalent of a transcription factor found in mammals. Transcription factors regulate the activity of other genes.

The researchers found that the increased Egr activity did not occur as a result of exercise, the physical demands of learning to fly or the task of memorizing visual cues; it increased only in response to the bees' exposure to an unfamiliar environment. Even seasoned foragers had an uptick in Egr activity when they had to learn how to navigate in a new environment.

"This discovery gives us an important lead in figuring out how honey bees are able to navigate so well, with such a tiny brain," said Gene Robinson, a professor of entomology and neuroscience and director of the Institute for Genomic Biology at the University of Illinois. "And finding that it's Egr, with all that this gene is known to do in vertebrates, provides another demonstration that some of the molecular mechanisms underlying behavioral plasticity are deeply conserved in evolution." Robinson led the study with graduate student Claudia Lutz.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

Journal Reference:

C. C. Lutz, G. E. Robinson. Activity-dependent gene expression in honey bee mushroom bodies in response to orientation flight. Journal of Experimental Biology, 2013; 216 (11): 2031 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.084905

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment/~3/MyKvkgC1LE0/130529144329.htm

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No charge against Chinese mother of baby in sewer

In this still image made from video from May 25, 2013, a baby who was rescued after being trapped in a sewage pipe just below a squat toilet in a public building, lies on a bed at a hospital in Jinhua city, eastern China. A 22-year-old single woman who alerted the authorities of a newborn boy trapped in a sewer in eastern China has admitted that she was the mother, but had refused to come forward because she could not support the child. (AP Photo/Shaanxi TV via AP Video) CHINA OUT

In this still image made from video from May 25, 2013, legs with bruises of a baby, are seen on a bed at a hospital, after the newborn boy was rescued while being trapped in a sewage pipe just below a squat toilet in a public building, in Jinhua city, eastern China. A 22-year-old single woman who alerted the authorities of the boy trapped in a sewer in eastern China has admitted that she was the mother, but had refused to come forward because she could not support the child. (AP Photo/Shaanxi TV via AP Video) CHINA OUT

In this still image taken from video from Saturday May 25, 2013, rescue workers cut away parts of a sewage pipe where a newborn baby was trapped in Pujiang in east China's Zhejiang province. Chinese firefighters have rescued a newborn boy from a sewer pipe below a squat toilet, sawing out an L-shaped section and then delicately dismantling it to free the trapped baby, who greeted the rescuers with cries. A tenant heard the baby?s sounds in the public restroom of a residential building in Zhejiang province in eastern China on Saturday and notified authorities, according to the state-run news site Zhejiang News. A video of the two-hour rescue that followed was broadcast widely on Chinese news programs and websites late Monday and Tuesday. (AP Photo) CHINA OUT

In this still image taken from video from Saturday May 25, 2013, a firefighter holds a section of a sewage pipe where a newborn baby appears trapped in Pujiang in east China's Zhejiang province. Chinese firefighters have rescued a newborn boy from a sewer pipe below a squat toilet, sawing out an L-shaped section and then delicately dismantling it to free the trapped baby, who greeted the rescuers with cries. A tenant heard the baby?s sounds in the public restroom of a residential building in Zhejiang province in eastern China on Saturday and notified authorities, according to the state-run news site Zhejiang News. A video of the two-hour rescue that followed was broadcast widely on Chinese news programs and websites late Monday and Tuesday. (AP Photo) CHINA OUT

BEIJING (AP) ? The mother of a Chinese baby boy who was rescued from a sewer pipe beneath a restroom shortly after birth is unlikely to face criminal charges because authorities concluded he fell into the toilet accidentally, local officials and media reports said Thursday.

The baby was released from a hospital to his maternal grandparents late Wednesday, while his 22-year-old mother remains under medical care, the state-run Jinhua Evening News reported, in an account confirmed by a local police official who declined to give his name.

The baby's stunning, two-hour rescue from a pipe underneath a squat toilet in Zhejiang province's Pujiang county captivated the world, prompting both horror and an outpouring of charity on his behalf.

The mother initially raised the alarm about the baby when he got stuck Saturday in a pipe just below a squat toilet in a public restroom of a residential building, but she had cleaned the room of signs of a fresh birth and did not immediately come forward as the mother, officials have been quoted as saying.

She admitted she was the mother two days later when confronted by police who found baby toys and blood-stained tissues in her apartment, the reports said.

Police later concluded that the incident was an accident and that the woman did not initially come forward because she was frightened, but that she later started telling the truth, the Jinhua Evening News and a Pujiang county propaganda official said. The police initially treated the case as a possible attempted homicide, but now are unlikely to file criminal charges, the newspaper and the official said.

A man tracked down by police who is believed to be the baby's father has requested a paternity test and ? if the baby is his ? is willing to help support the child, said the Pujiang official, who declined to give his name, as is customary among Chinese officials.

Officials have not publicly released the names of anyone connected with the case, which has raised discussion over China's lack of proper education about sex, birthing and contraception in many schools. Unwanted pregnancies have been on the rise because of an increasingly lax attitude toward premarital sex.

Duan Wanjin, a criminal lawyer based in Xi'an, said local police erred in not prosecuting the mother. He said she could be charged with attempted homicide for not immediately calling for help after the newborn became stuck.

"The local police may have considered the woman was still young and did not have any malice, and have come to the decision from the human perspective, but it sends a terrible signal to the public," Duan said.

Sociologist Li Yinhe said the only mistake by the woman was not to immediately admit the baby was hers. "I don't think that's a big deal. After all, the child is safe, and it has a happy ending," Li said. "The Chinese people still lean heavily on the human considerations. Let it be bygones if there's no serious crime."

The woman told police she got pregnant after a brief affair with the man, hid her pregnancy from family and neighbors, and secretly delivered the child Saturday in a rental building's restroom. She said the infant accidentally slipped into the squat toilet and ? after cleaning up the scene ? raised the alarm.

Firefighters who arrived at the rental building found the infant trapped in an L-shaped section of sewage pipe just below the squat toilet in one of the building's shared restrooms.

In video footage, officials were shown removing the pipe from a ceiling that apparently was just below the restroom and then, at the hospital, using pliers and saws to gently pull apart the pipe, which was about 10 centimeters (3 inches) in diameter.

The baby, who weighed 2.8 kilograms (6 pounds, 3 ounces), had a low heart rate and some minor abrasions on his head and limbs, but was mostly uninjured, according to local reports. The placenta was still attached.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-05-30-AS-China-Infant-in-Sewer/id-bae2d76b155949d5806789f0b38b0fee

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Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Chinese hackers access major weapons systems: Washington Post

WASHINGTON/CANBERRA | Tue May 28, 2013 7:29am EDT

WASHINGTON/CANBERRA (Reuters) - Chinese hackers have gained access to designs of more than two dozen major U.S. weapons systems, a U.S. report said on Monday, as Australian media said Chinese hackers had stolen the blueprints for Australia's new spy headquarters.

Citing a report prepared for the Defense Department by the Defense Science Board, the Washington Post said the compromised U.S. designs included those for combat aircraft and ships, as well as missile defenses vital for Europe, Asia and the Gulf.

Among the weapons listed in the report were the advanced Patriot missile system, the Navy's Aegis ballistic missile defense systems, the F/A-18 fighter jet, the V-22 Osprey, the Black Hawk helicopter and the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

The report did not specify the extent or time of the cyber-thefts or indicate if they involved computer networks of the U.S. government, contractors or subcontractors.

But the espionage would give China knowledge that could be exploited in a conflict, such as the ability to knock out communications and corrupting data, the Post said. It also could speed China's development of its defense technology.

In a report to Congress this month, the Pentagon said China was using espionage to modernize its military and its hacking was a serious concern. It said the U.S. government had been the target of hacking that appeared to be "attributable directly to the Chinese government and military."

China dismissed the report as groundless.

China also dismissed as without foundation a February report by the U.S. computer security company Mandiant, which said a secretive Chinese military unit was probably behind a series of hacking attacks targeting the United States that had stolen data from 100 companies.

AUSTRALIAN "SECURITY BLUNDER"

In Australia, a news report said hackers linked to China stole the floor plans of a A$630 million headquarters for the Australia Security Intelligence Organization, the country's domestic spy agency.

The attack through the computers of a construction contractor exposed not only building layouts, but also the location of communication and computer networks, it said.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei, asked about the Australian report, said China disapproved of hacking.

"China pays high attention to the cyber security issue and is firmly opposed to all forms of hacker attacks," Hong said at a daily briefing.

"Since it is very difficult to find out the origin of hacker attacks, it is very difficult to find out who carried out such attacks," Hong said. "I don't know what the evidence is for media to make such kinds of reports."

Repeating China's position that every country was susceptible to cyber attacks, Hong said nations should make joint efforts towards a secure and open Internet.

Australia security analyst Des Ball told the ABC that such information about the yet to be completed spy headquarters made it vulnerable to cyber attacks.

"You can start constructing your own wiring diagrams, where the linkages are through telephone connections, through wi-fi connections, which rooms are likely to be the ones that are used for sensitive conversations, how to surreptitiously put devices into the walls of those rooms," said Ball.

The building is designed to be part of an electronic intelligence gathering network that includes the United States and Britain. Its construction has been plagued by delays and cost over-runs with some builders blaming late design changes on cyber attacks.

The ABC report said the Chinese hacking was part of a wave of cyber attacks against business and military targets in the close U.S. ally.

It said the hackers also stole confidential information from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, which houses the overseas spy agency, the Australian Secret Intelligence Service, and had targeted companies, including steel-manufacturer Bluescope Steel, and military and civilian communications manufacturer Codan Ltd.

The influential Greens party said the hacking was a "security blunder of epic proportions" and called for an inquiry, but the government did not confirm the breach.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard said the reports were "inaccurate", but declined to say how.

Despite being one of Beijing's major trade partners, Australia is seen by China as the southern fulcrum of a U.S. military pivot to the Asia-Pacific. In 2011, it agreed to host thousands of U.S. Marines in near-permanent rotation.

Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei was last year barred from bidding for construction contracts on a new Australian high-speed broadband network amid fears of cyber espionage.

The Reserve Bank of Australia said in March that it had been targeted by cyber attacks, but no data had been lost or systems compromised amid reports the hackers had tried to access intelligence negotiations among a Group of 20 wealthy nations.

(Additional reporting by Terril Yue jones in BEIJING; riting by Bill Trott in WASHINGTON and Rob Taylor in CANBERRA; Editing by Michael Perry and Robert Birsel)

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Reuters/domesticNews/~3/BSmXPEnMsuQ/story01.htm

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EU?s Almunia says likely to demand more Google concessions

BRUSSELS (Reuters) ? EU regulators are likely to demand fresh concessions from Google once they have received feedback from rivals on the Internet search giant?s proposals to settle anti-competitive complaints, the EU?s antitrust chief said on Tuesday.

Source: http://itblog.kubik.ws/eus-almunia-says-likely-to-demand-more-google-concessions/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=eus-almunia-says-likely-to-demand-more-google-concessions

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Here's Everything That's Changed Since Apple Announced The iPad Mini ? 230 Days Ago (AAPL)

Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Apple's Tim Cook

Apple is going to take the stage on June 10 at its Worldwide Developers Conference to announce a new version of iOS, the operating system that powers the iPhone and iPad.

This will be the first time we see an Apple event focused entirely on products since October. That's 230 days between product events, the longest gap in Apple's recent history.

The tech industry moves very quickly, and nothing proves that more than taking a look at how much has changed since Apple's last big product announcement.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/typepad/alleyinsider/silicon_alley_insider/~3/JT8TP9PpSfo/apple-since-the-ipad-mini-2013-5

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Tuesday, May 28, 2013

China President Says Relations with US at Critical Juncture (Voice Of America)

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Tips On Purchasing The Best Golf Gift To Present To A Golfer Friend

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Microsoft tries to tamp down worries that new Xbox will follow your every move

By Toby Davis PARIS, May 27 (Reuters) - With a piercing flat forehand and a serve launched from high in the Parisian sky, Daniel Brands laid out a blueprint for how to upset claycourt king Rafa Nadal in his own backyard. For the best part of two sets on Court Philippe Chatrier on Monday, Nadal was lost for ideas and looking up into the ether for a drip of inspiration to help him fathom a solution to Brands' hard hitting, heavy-pressure tennis. It was not the first time the seven-times champion had been shaken by a big server with the hammerhead approach shot. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/microsoft-tries-tamp-down-worries-xbox-every-move-202558366.html

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Monday, May 27, 2013

Americans gather to honor fallen service members

Americans gathered at memorials, museums and monuments and the president laid a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery to honor fallen service members on Memorial Day, as combat in Afghanistan approaches 12 years and the ranks of World War II veterans dwindle.

"Let us not forget as we gather here today that our nation is still at war," President Barack Obama said after laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns.

"When they give their lives, they are still being laid to rest in cemeteries in quiet corners across our country, including here in Arlington," he said. He told the stories of three soldiers who had died. Each had been devoted to their mission and were praised by others for saving lives.

Earlier in the morning, he and first lady Michelle Obama hosted a breakfast at the White House with "Gold Star" families of service members who have been killed.

Another wreath-laying ceremony was at Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park on the southern tip of Roosevelt Island in New York City. The park is a tribute to President Roosevelt's famous speech calling for all people to enjoy freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want and freedom from fear.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg joined military leaders and others at the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument in Manhattan. He said celebrate the day and the good weather but also "remember the sacrifice that was made so that we could be here."

At the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, about 20 bicyclists clustered around veteran and museum volunteer Tom Blakey. The paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division jumped at Normandy on D-Day ? June 6, 1944 ? and in May 1945 helped liberate the work camp at Wobbelin in northwest Germany.

"Most of us wondered why we were there, killing people and being killed," he said. "We didn't do anything to deserve it. When we got to that camp and saw what was there, the lights came on."

The cycling group makes regular weekend training runs, and on Monday started a Memorial Day ride about seven miles away at the national cemetery in Chalmette, where the Battle of New Orleans ? the last in the War of 1812 ? was fought.

"I'm glad I took this ride to hear a personal story," Scott Gumina, 41, said. "Hearing one man's account of his personal experience was pretty impressive to me."

Across much of New England, several days of heavy rain gave way to sunny skies for parades in towns large and small.

In Portland, Maine, kids and even pets displayed the Stars and Stripes as veterans, youth groups law enforcement officials and civic organizations paraded to Monument Square to the tunes of a marching band, sirens from a police car and the rumble of motorcycles.

"It's a very important day, not only for the Veteran of Foreign Wars but every veteran organization, every branch of the service, and every patriot in general ? every American. This day is hugely significant and should never be forgotten," said David Olson, 66, of Portland, the VFW's state senior vice commander.

He said he was pleased to see a large turnout of youngsters, both in the parade and along the parade route. "As they get older, they'll realize exactly why we do this," he said.

For some veterans, it was a somber event.

Richard Traiser, a Marine injured when his tank came under attack in Vietnam, helped deliver a three-volley salute with the Marine Corps League.

Memorial Day gives those who served an opportunity to get together and remember friends who didn't make it.

"I think about them a lot, especially the people I lost in my platoon," Traiser said. "A couple of kids were 19 years old. I don't dwell on it in a morbid way, but it's on your mind."

In Connecticut, a Waterford man who was killed in the Vietnam War was honored with a hometown park area named for him. Arnold E. Holm Jr., nicknamed "Dusty," was killed when his helicopter was shot down on June 11, 1972. A group of at least 100 dedicated the park this weekend.

In suburban Boston, veterans gathered in a park to mark Memorial Day this year rather than hold a parade because of failing health and dwindling numbers. The city of Beverly called off its parade because so few veterans would be able to march. The parade has been a fixture in the town since the Civil War.

In Atlanta, a dedication of the History Center's redone Veterans Park was scheduled for early evening. Soil from major battlefields will be scattered by veterans around the park's flagpole.

The holiday weekend also marked the traditional start of the U.S. vacation season. AAA, one of the nation's largest leisure travel agencies, expected 31.2 million Americans to hit the road over the weekend, virtually the same number as last year. Gas prices were about the same as last year, up 1 cent to a national average of $3.65 a gallon Friday.

At the American Airpower Museum on Long Island, N.Y., a program honored Women Air Service Pilots, or WASPs, who tested and ferried completed aircraft from factories to bases during World War II. Thirty-eight died during the war, including Alice Lovejoy of Scarsdale, N.Y., who was killed on Sept. 13, 1944, in a midair collision over Texas.

"It's very important that we recognize not only their contribution to American history, but women's history," said Julia Lauria-Blum, curator of the WASP exhibit at the museum. "These women really blazed a path; they were pioneers for women's aviation. And most important, they gave their lives serving their country and must be honored like anyone else on Memorial Day."

Associated Press writers David Sharp in Portland, Maine; Janet McConnaughey in New Orleans; and Darlene Superville in Washington contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/americans-gather-honor-fallen-members-091220037.html

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Raising the bar in property management | Surf Coast Times ...

Julie Collett and Whitford sole director Michael Ferris.

Whitford Torquay had expanded their team with the employment of a new and experienced property manager.

Julie Collett joins Whitford with nearly 15 years of experience in property management in Melbourne, where she managed a large portfolio. Her desire to live and work on the beautiful Surf Coast has driven her ambition to relocate here with her family. Julie is looking forward to a long career with Whitford.

?I am extremely excited to be joining a great team of people all working toward the same goal in raising the benchmark in real estate,? she said.

?I look forward to a long and thriving career here.?

Julie is a recent sea changer, having holidayed here over the years with the intention of moving to Torquay one day.

?I have always intended to move down here with Matt and the children and was just waiting for the perfect job to come along, and now I have it.?

Sole director Whitford Torquay Michael Ferris said Julie is passionate about real estate and has a proactive approach towards the day to day management, solving issues before they become a problem.

?Our focus is the improvement of property management which has previously been overlooked in terms of level of service, quality of marketing, landlord feedback, inspection commitment, rent reviews and maintenance savings.

?I know from personal experience that there is a lot to be desired when you start your search for a rental property, the photos are minimal and of poor quality, the agent opening the home for inspection often seems complacent and lacks the enthusiasm you receive when you are looking to buy and that shouldn?t be the case.

?Negotiation, sales, presentation and marketing are all services we look forward to offering within our property management department and Julie is ready and willing to help you make the most of your investment portfolio.?

If you feel your investments could be better managed, call 0455 335 557 to speak with Julie.

Source: http://www.surfcoasttimes.com.au/mycoastalproperty/industryinformation/2013/05/27/raising-the-bar-in-property-management/

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Questions For Barbara J. King, Author Of 'How Animals Grieve'

Attributing human characteristics to animals makes for great cartoons, but it's not usually considered rigorous science. Now, a new book argues that animals do think and feel in ways similar to humans.

Barbara J. King is a professor of anthropology and a commentator on NPR's science blog, 13.7. And her book, How Animals Grieve, makes a powerful case for the presence of love, affection and grief in animals ? from a house cat mourning her lost sister to elephants who pay respects to the bones of their matriarchs.

While there's little research right now on grief in animals, King says that's starting to change. "It's a very exciting time to be studying animal emotion, because there's an immense sea change underway. Scientists are starting to pay attention to animal grief, both at field sites and in zoos and sanctuaries," she writes in an email.

"There's a database emerging now in the peer-reviewed scientific literature, ranging from chimpanzees and elephants to dolphins, giraffe, and birds. The next step, I hope, will be to investigate seriously what we 'animal people' have known for a long time: that farm animals and our companion animals including cats and dogs may grieve as well.

"In the 19th century, Charles Darwin readily saw emotions as varied as grief, jealousy, and joy expressed by a variety of species. But then there developed a concern that we were projecting our own feelings wrongly onto other animals ? in other words, there developed a worry about anthropomorphism. That stance of skepticism has taken a long time to recover from, but in fact we're once again opening up to a key realization. If we look at their behavior with an open mind, it's the animals themselves who will tell us in no uncertain terms how deeply they feel their lives.

"Credible definitions, cautious observation, and winnowing out what doesn't count as grief in the array of animals' responses to death are all important. But I think the primary requirement is a refusal to assume on principle that human emotions are unique in the animal kingdom."

It seems, despite the lack of research, like there's plenty of anecdotal evidence about animal grief ? and even biological evidence.

Barbara J. King is a professor of anthropology at the College of William & Mary.

Sarah Hogg

Barbara J. King is a professor of anthropology at the College of William & Mary.

Sarah Hogg

"In the book I tell stories ? some gleaned from the scientific literature, others from interviews with animal caretakers ? of individual animals and how they expressed love for a relative or friend, then grieved when that other animal died. Rather than writing about grief in the collective or as an abstract, I describe what happened when a gorilla silverback lost his closest gorilla friend, when the house cat Willa lost her sister Carson, when a dolphin mother observed in Greek waters lost her infant. It's from those stories that patterns, and hypotheses to test, emerge.

"I also describe field scientists who use GPS collars to track elephants' movements then closely observe the behavior of individuals as they approach the body of a dead matriarch, or others who compare hormonal (e.g., glucocorticoid) changes experienced by monkeys who have lost kin in witnessed predator attacks versus monkeys who have not lost kin but witnessed those same predator attacks. Video, too, is revolutionizing the study of animal emotion; when we film what happens as an animal is dying or dies, we can assess the behaviors by rewatching and coding the tapes, rather than by making snap judgments about what's unfolding quickly in real time."

What do you say to skeptics, people who say oh, you're just anthropomorphizing; there's no way we can ever tell what an animal is actually thinking?

"Yes, there's that A word again. I agree that we can't always, or even often, discern what an animal is thinking. For example, whenever a chimpanzee or gorilla mother is seen carrying the corpse of her baby, the media headlines fly about 'maternal mourning!' And that may be right ? or it may not. If the mother is going about her normal routine, or simply staring at her baby, we have no firm basis on which to say that she is steeped in grief.

"My definition of grief requires that an animal's normal behavior routine is significantly altered, and that she shows visible emotional distress through body language, vocalizations, social withdrawal, and/or failure to eat or sleep. So while I do need to follow consistent criteria in describing grief, I don't need to know what an animal is thinking, any more than I'd need to know what a person is thinking, if he shows marked emotional response to a death."

You make an interesting distinction ? that while all animals are capable of grief, not all of them do grieve. What has to happen for an animal to express what we would perceive as grief?

"That's right, animals are individuals. Not all elephants, not all dogs, grieve when a relative or friend dies ? some may be curious and want to explore the body, others may be indifferent. I wouldn't want to say 'all animals are capable of grief,' though, because we don't know the scope of animal grief yet. Would I expect amphibians, reptiles, and insects to have the capacity for grieving as birds and mammals do? No, not really. We've yet to fully discover how brain physiology correlates with the expression of emotions like grief in the animal kingdom.

"We humans grieve differently than other animals do: using language, enacting symbolic rituals like funerals, and with an acute awareness of our own and others' mortality. Other animals don't do those things. But many other animals do love. My book is as much about love as it is about grief, because it's from love that the grief emerges."

What can animals teach us about grief in humans?

"Animals teach us that grief is a natural, if at times profoundly difficult, result of feeling love and joy with another being. If you don't mind though, I'd like to conclude by tackling a different question: What can animal grief teach us about our relationship with other creatures? To me, that's the heart of why animal emotion is incredibly important to study and understand.

"The more we understand that the chimpanzee (or cat or rabbit) confined to a biomedical lab feels his life and his friend's death in the next cage over, and that the dairy cow sorrows over the repeated loss of her calves as they're taken away to slaughter, the more we work effectively towards animal welfare. Each one of us can do something for animals. Maybe you're all about educating children in wildlife conservation, or working to get cats and dogs spay-neutered. Or maybe you decide not to eat animals anymore. Whatever works for you, it all makes a difference."

Source: http://www.npr.org/2013/05/27/185815445/questions-for-barbara-j-king-author-of-how-animals-grieve?ft=1&f=1007

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iPhone biosensor cradle brings us one step closer to having tricorders (video)

It seems like every day we're getting a little bit closer to having tricorders, and today's no exception. Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have designed hardware and software that turns the iPhone into a powerful biosensor that's useful for toxin and pathogen testing as well as medical diagnosis. The package consists of a cradle that contains an assortment of lenses and filters which line up with the handset's camera, along with an app that guides the user through the testing process. At the core of the device is a photonic crystal slide which basically turns the iPhone into a high-resolution spectrometer. While the cradle only contains about $200 worth of parts, it's just as accurate as laboratory equipment costing tens of thousands of dollars, with the added bonus of being hand-held. The team just received an NSF grant to explore other applications for the device and is working on a cradle for Android phones. Hit the break for a demo video and a peek into the future.

Filed under: Misc, Mobile, Alt, Apple

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Source: University of Illinois

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/25/iphone-biosensor-cradle-brings-us-one-step-closer-to-having-tric/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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Sunday, May 26, 2013

Community outreach key to Obama counterterror plan (The Arizona Republic)

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Boston Marathon Runners Finish At Indianapolis 500

INDIANAPOLIS -- Bundled up against the cold and with tears in their eyes, dozens of runners unable to complete the Boston Marathon due to the bombings last month finally finished their runs over the famed yard of bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday.

The runners were honored at the Indianapolis 500 by having the opportunity to run down the front stretch moments before to the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing." Thousands of people, including some crew members of the race teams, cheered them on as they ran down pit road.

Jennifer Black, a 61-year-old from Loveland, Ohio, said she ran to the finish line with tears in her eyes after she saw her husband waving to her from the track's fourth turn.

"I was crying while I was running and blowing kisses to the crowd," she said.

The group crossed the finish line flanked by firefighters and police officers, breaking the tape less than 10 minutes before the command was given to start the engines.

"It was incredible. I have never run through a crowd like this," said Amber Larason of Nashville, Tenn., who was running the Boston Marathon with her mom and about two miles from the finish line on Boylston Street when the bombs exploded on April 15.

"I've never experienced anything like this," Larason said. "It was amazing."

All the runners who participated Sunday were pulled off the Boston Marathon course by officials after the bombings, which killed three people and wounded more than 250. Speedway officials extended an invitation to finish to the Boston Athletic Association, which contacted runners from Indiana and nearby states.

"The tragedy last month in Boston still resonates with everyone, so we wanted to give runners the chance to finish the race in front of thousands of fans who will appreciate their persistence and determination," said Doug Boles, the speedway's chief operating officer.

Black was wearing her Boston numerical marker with the number "21015" pinned to the top of her running jersey. She was about a half-mile from the finish when the bombs went off at the marathon, and remembers thinking medics were rushing to aid a runner who suffered a heart attack. When she learned it was a bomb, Black said she feared that her sister, former Rep. Jean Schmidt, R-Ohio, might have been injured. Schmidt was waiting near the finish line, uninjured.

On Sunday, Schmidt waited again for her sister as she crossed the finish line, this time at the speedway. Schmidt urged people to donate to a fund established for victims of the bombing ? onefundboston.org.

"These people need our help. There will be no government help like there will be for the people in Moore, Okla.," she said. "There will be no government aid to these people. These people have an economic loss as well as limbs lost ? life lost, lives permanently damaged."

Ron Kuczma, a 65-year-old from Hudson, Ohio, said it was thrilling to be able to take part in a ceremonial finish at the speedway, where several fans waved American flags.

But Kuczma said he couldn't help thinking about the families of the bombing victims and the runners who are still recovering.

"We're here having a lot of fun today. We were treated like dignitaries," he said, "but there were a lot of people who were hurt in the bombings. And people died. We ran for them today. They couldn't be here and we could so we ran for them."

Paul Ryan of Marlborough, Mass., brought his father and sons to the race from the Boston area, and was unaware that the speedway was honoring victims of the bombing.

"I think it's great that they were bringing people out here to honor and still to keep it going because people forget stuff so fast these days. It's great that they were acknowledged out here," he said. "There's a lot of awful things going on right now that it's easy to lose focus.

"We just appreciate it, being from Boston, that other people notice it."

___

Associated Press writer Rick Callahan and AP freelance writer Jim Johnson contributed to this report.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/26/boston-marathon-runners-indianapolis-500-finish_n_3339850.html

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Brangelina's Little Girl Grows Up: Shiloh's First 7 Years

As Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's adorable little girl gets even cuter, we take a look at her globetrotting life as she turns 7 on May 27.

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/shiloh-jolie-pitt-photos-1/1-b-20925?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3Ashiloh-jolie-pitt-photos-1-20925

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Saturday, May 25, 2013

Death penalty reprieve in Colorado: what it could mean for James Holmes

Colorado Gov. Hickenlooper called off the execution of a death row inmate, firing up the death penalty debate and potentially complicating the prosecution of alleged Aurora shooter James Holmes.

By Ryan Lenora Brown,?Correspondent / May 23, 2013

Accused Aurora movie theater shooter, James Holmes (2nd from r.) is shown in this courtroom artist sketch listening to his legal team during hearing in Centennial, Colo., May 13.

Bill Robles/Reuters

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Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper has called off the execution of one of the state?s three death row inmates, churning new debate over the wrenching issue of capital punishment as the state prepares for the trial next year of accused Aurora movie theater shooter James Holmes.

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?Our system of capital punishment is imperfect,? he told reporters gathered Wednesday outside the state capitol. ?There?s inherent inequity at a level of punishment that really does demand perfection.? ??

In an executive order granting a ?temporary reprieve? to Nathan Dunlap, who was convicted of murdering four people in a suburban Denver restaurant in 1993, the governor wrote that ?death is not handed down fairly? in the state and cited national and international trends toward abolition of the practice.

The death penalty is an issue that Governor Hickenlooper, a Democrat, has dodged deftly until now ? and with good reason. For a governor who ran as a moderate in 2010, he has already been dragged leftward on a laundry list of social issues: the legalization of marijuana, civil unions, and, most visibly, gun control. That?s caused rising unease in a state that, while recently slanting leftward, retains a strong conservative base.?

Now, with Wednesday?s executive order, which will be in force unless revoked by another executive order, the governor has set himself up for an emotional confrontation with conservatives in next year?s gubernatorial race.

Republican Attorney General John Suthers, echoing sentiments?expressed by many prominent conservatives in the state, said in a statement that Hickenlooper ?has proven to be uncomfortable confronting the perpetrators of evil in our society.?

The governor's announcement also circles back to what has become one of the most unexpected political challenges of his term in office: the aftermath of last summer?s Aurora shooting.

Although his order was specifically targeted at Mr. Dunlap, it will throw a wrench into the prosecution of Mr. Holmes, says Karen Steinhauser, a former prosecutor and Colorado defense attorney. ?

?When the prosecution seeks the death penalty, they need to be able to say to the victims and to themselves that there is a real likelihood the execution they?re seeking will take place,? she says. ?Now that notion is in limbo.?

Like many states, Colorado balances in a shadowy no-man?s land on the death penalty issue. The practice is technically legal, but has only been used once since 1967. In March, the Colorado House of Representative's Judiciary Committee voted against a repeal of the practice after the governor implied that he would veto the bill.

In granting Dunlap a reprieve, however, Hickenlooper noted that his decision was based on the ethical implications of the death penalty in general.

?My decision to grant a reprieve to Offender No. 89148 is not out of compassion or sympathy for him or any other inmate sentenced to death,? he wrote. ?It is a legitimate question about whether we as a state should be taking lives."

The governor also cited the ?arbitrary nature? of who receives a death sentence in the state. Of the three men who currently sit on Colorado?s death row, all were convicted of murders in a single Denver suburb, Aurora, which was also the site of Holmes? alleged rampage last July. ?

In many ways, the governor?s reprieve for Mr. Dunlap simply holds the status quo. He is not calling for the abolition of the death penalty, experts note, nor is he even granting Dunlap permanent clemency. If Hickenlooper is ousted from his seat in next year?s election, the next governor is free to reverse his decision on the case.

At the same time, the reprieve will likely be a deterrent to future death penalty prosecutions in the state, says Sam Kamin, a University of Denver law professor who coauthored a study on the death penalty cited by the governor in his executive order.

Hickenlooper?s action, he says, ?makes clear that Colorado will not be executing anyone anytime soon.?

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/XRMJ_d9mk3s/Death-penalty-reprieve-in-Colorado-what-it-could-mean-for-James-Holmes

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Storm chasers catch Okla. twister as it forms

Storm chasers from an outfit called Fast Unit 70 uploaded raw footage of the first 10 minutes of the Moore, Okla., tornado that gives viewers a harrowing sense of what the EF5 twister looked like.

As cars and trucks zoom past, Chance Coldiron and Justin Cox's camera focuses on the dark gray funnel as it touches down. The tornado then tightens and begins to pick up debris. After a few minutes, someone can be heard saying, "It hit a house." Cars are then seen tossed into the air as the sky turns even more menacing. Urgent warnings can be heard on the storm chasers' car radio telling people to get underground.

justincox81 on YouTube posted the clip and wrote this in the description field:

Raw footage of Fast Unit 70's (Chance Coldiron & Justin Cox) coverage of the Moore tornado that was used by KOCO5 during the event on May 20th, 2013. We watched as the tornado formed in front of us and rapidly intensified then moved across highway 37 in Newcastle, OK. Then the tornado continued to intensify as it tracked across the Canadian River and the interstate 44 bridge. The monster tornado was filmed from close range off the I-44 bridge north of Newcastle as it was headed for Moore.

Other storm chasers uploaded their own clips of the twister's fury. A group calling itself Basechasers captured footage from outside a car. Roofs are blown away and houses destroyed. The wind is so strong that it becomes difficult to hear anyone speaking.

This clip, shot from a parking lot and posted by Charles Cook on YouTube, has racked up over 7 million views.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/video-storm-chaser-footage-oklahoma-tornado-173006836.html

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Drift Innovation HD Ghost

Action cameras come in all shapes and sizes, but all feature the same basic fixed wide-angle lens. That's where the Drift Innovation HD Ghost ($399 direct) differentiates itself from the pack, with a unique rotating lens element that allows you to adjust the angle of your shot to compensate for unleveled mounting. The HD Ghost?also has a built-in LCD that lets you frame and review shots without any added accessories like you need on competitors like the GoPro Hero3 Black Edition. While video quality is good, with crisp details and accurate exposure, the HD Ghost tops out at 1080p30?the Hero3 can shoot 1080p60 and even 4K at 15 frames per second. The HD Ghost is a fine action camera, but for the money, you get better video performance with the Hero3.

Design and Features
The HD Ghost shares a similar barrel-like design with the Sony Action Cam, but is much bulkier at 2.0 by 1.3 by 4.1 inches (HWD) and 5.9 ounces?more than double the weight of the 2-ounce Action Cam and 2.6-ounce Hero3. Along the top edge are Menu, Forward, Back, and Record buttons, which we found difficult to press. On the right side is a 2-inch color LCD, an upgrade from the monochrome LCDs used on the Action Cam and Hero3, which lets you change settings and frame shots right on the camera without any added accessories. To do this on the Action Cam you'd have to link the camera to a smartphone, and the Hero3 requires an additional LCD BacPac that costs $79.99. A door on the back houses the battery and microSD card slot, while the front features the rotating lens element. You can twist the lens a full 360 degrees in either direction, helping to level a shot once the camera is mounted?definitely a useful feature. Also on top is a multicolored LED, which indicates the recording state. ?

A wireless remote is also included with the HD Ghost, and can be worn around your wrist using the included strap. There are two buttons, Record and Stop, and multicolored LEDs that indicate recording state. It's a nice inclusion, as you can confirm recording status without having to look at the camera itself.

The HD Ghost is waterproof to 9 feet without any additional housing. Drift includes curved and flat adhesive mounts, as well as a goggle mount, but you'll have to buy an optional waterproof housing ($50 list) if you plan on going deeper than 9 feet. Like the Sony, Drift offers optional handlebar, helmet, and suction cup mounts, but still falls a bit short on mounting options when compared with GoPro.

Built-in Wi-Fi allows you to connect a smartphone or tablet to the HD Ghost using the free iOS or Android app. From there you can use your device as a viewfinder, trigger recording, or upload shots to the Web. Battery life was better than the GoPro with Wi-Fi enabled, but couldn't match the Action Cam's longevity.

Video Quality and Conclusions
The Drift HD Ghost can shoot video at 1080p30, 720p60, 720p30, and 480p120 resolutions and frame rates. It can't, however, shoot 1080p60 like the Sony Action Cam or GoPro Hero3 Black Edition. ?

For testing, we sent the Hero3, Sony Action Cam, and Drift HD Ghost out with our photographer on his most recent ski trip. Although the HD Ghost tops out at 1080p30, it outperformed the Action Cam when it came to detail. The HD Ghost's footage looked crisp, with a lot of fine details retained, like tree branches and snow texture, which appear smudged and waxy on the Action Cam. When it comes to action cameras, however, frame rates can be equally important as resolution and detail. Fast moving action isn't quite as smooth as the 1080p60 footage on the Hero3 or Action Cam. Video detail overall couldn't match the Hero3 either, though it came a good deal closer than the Action Cam.

A unique feature to the HD Ghost is what Drift calls Flashback Video mode. In this setting, the HD Ghost continually captures video, saving up to five minutes before starting the loop over again. It's a neat feature that can help ensure you never miss a shot.

Still image quality is on par with the Hero3, which is to say good, but not great. The HD Ghost shoots images at 11-, 8-, or 5-megapixels. You're still dealing with a good deal of distortion introduced by the wide angle lens, but images look sharp and colors really pop. I noticed the HD Ghost had the tendency to blow-out highlighted areas, but otherwise the images looked crisp and generally noise free.

There's a lot to like from the Drift Innovation HD Ghost?it shoots great-looking video, has a built-in LCD and built-in Wi-Fi, includes a wireless remote, and is waterproof without an extra housing. Unfortunately, at this price point, it just can't compete with the GoPro Hero3 Black Edition when it comes to pure video performance. The Hero3, and even the far less expensive Sony Action Cam, can shoot 1080p60 video, which is pretty important in the fast-paced world of action cameras. The HD Ghost is a nice option, but if you're going to spend $400, I'd recommend the Hero3 Black Edition.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/evA3rrD8mFo/0,2817,2419101,00.asp

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Friday, May 24, 2013

This Ad Gets Eaten Away By Bugs To Show the Dangers Of Crack Cocaine

In an attempt to illustrate the harmful effects of using crack cocaine, Talent, a Brazilian ad agency, created a series of posters featuring images of addicts that are slowly eaten away and destroyed by Flour beetle larvae?or mealworms.

Alzheimer's Society comment on treatment for a key hallmark of ...

Published 23 May 2013

A phase 3 trial exploring whether the compound LMTX can stop the development of a key hallmark of Alzheimer?s disease has been initiated by pharmaceutical company TauRx Therapies.

The study will involve over 1,500 patients in 20 countries including patients at 16 medical centres in the UK.

100 patients so far have begun the trial, which will investigate whether the compound LMTX could target the buildup of the protein tau on the brain, a process which is thought to play a significant part in the progression of Alzheimer's.

Alzheimer's Society comment:

'We know that tangles of tau, a protein found in the brain, are a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease and cause the death of brain cells. If we can find a way to stop them building up we could potentially stop Alzheimer's in its tracks.

It?s a scandal that despite 800,000 people living with dementia in the UK there are more clinical trials for hayfever than some of the most common forms of the condition. This Dementia Awareness Week? we need people to be shouting from the rooftops for more research into dementia to defeat it once and for all.'

Dr. James Pickett
Senior Research Manager
Alzheimer's Society

Find out more

Source: http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/news_article.php?newsID=1596

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End of Life Plan, Caring for Dying Family, TED Conference, Aging ...

Bulletin Today | Caregiving | Home & Family Print

When the annual Technology, Entertainment, Design (TED) conference began in 1984, the Los Angeles Times?called it ?an obscure gathering of engineers, theorists and artists.? But in the nearly three decades since then, TED has morphed into a series of mind-expanding showcases staged in several countries that attract scores of celebrity visionaries, ranging from physicist Steven Hawking and neurologist Oliver Sacks to former President Bill Clinton and rock stars Bono and Peter Gabriel.?Better yet, the nonprofit Sapling Foundation, which stages the conferences, now makes hundreds of ?TED talks available on its website. (If you?re not sure which ones to pick, you can even listen to playlists of TED talks selected by luminaries in various fields.)

A surprising number of the TED talks turn out to be related to aging, such as Stanford Center for Longevity director Laura Carstensen?s 2011 talk, ?Older People are Happier,??and Jane Fonda?s talk from that same year on ?Life?s Third Act.??But a just-posted TED talk gets into another age-related subject, one that many of us probably try to avoid thinking about.

?Prepare for a Good End of Life??is a February 2013 presentation by?Judy MacDonald Johnston, a publisher of learn-to-read materials for children who also has started a side project, Goodendoflife.com. The latter is a set of online worksheets and advice aimed at helping older people to make difficult decisions ? who should speak for you if you cannot speak, and whether you should fill out a do-not-resuscitate form ? before that inevitable day arrives when such instructions may be needed.

Johnston, as she makes clear at the beginning of her talk, isn?t a geriatrician, and her knowledge about end-of-life preparations is based on the experience of two close friends, Sonoma County, Calif., livestock ranchers and wildlife preservationists Jim and Shirley Modini, for whom she served a trustee and advocate when they reached their 80s and found themselves in ill health. ?I became the person who managed their end-of-life experiences,? she explains. ?And we learned a few things about how to have a good end.?

Johnston suggests these five important steps for anyone preparing for the end of life:

Make a plan. This involves ?answering straightforward questions about the end you want,? she explains. ?Where do you want to be when you?re no longer independent? What do you want in terms of medical intervention? And who?s going to make sure that your plan is followed??
Find multiple advocates for your interests.??Having more than one increases your chance of getting the end you want,? she says. Rather than automatically relying on your spouse or child, think about who has the time and the physical proximity to do the job well and also has the ability to work with the people who may have an important influence on your fate.
Be ready for the hospital. Johnston advises preparing a one-page summary of your medical history, medication list and physician?s contact information, and putting it in an envelope with copies of your insurance cards, power-of-attorney form, and do-not-resuscitate order. ?Tape a set to your refrigerator,? she advises.
Line up good caregivers. Johnston recommends assessing your personality and financial situation, in order to determine whether moving into a senior community or staying at home is best for you. In either case, though, she says that it?s crucial to find caregivers who?ll not only be attentive and communicative, but willing to put in a little extra effort when needed. In her friends? case, finding a caregiver who was willing to shoot video of their ranch, so that they would see that it was being maintained, provided real peace of mind.
Choose your last words. ?What do you want to hear at the very end, and from whom would you like to hear it?? Johnston asks. ?In my experience, you?ll want to hear that whatever you?re worried about is going to be fine.?

Also of Interest

See the?AARP home page?for deals, savings tips, trivia and more

Tagged: aging, death, dying, end of life, longevity, palliative care, terminal illness??? Share via: Facebook

Source: http://blog.aarp.org/2013/05/22/end-of-life-plan-caring-for-dying-family-ted-conference-aging-well/

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