Happy 4th - and Stay Safe!
Posted on | July 3, 2009 | No Comments
Good info from the National Council on Fireworks Safety:
1. Use fireworks outdoors only.
2. Obey local laws. If fireworks are not legal where you live, do not use them.
3. Always have water handy. (A hose or bucket).
4. Only use fireworks as intended. Don’t try to alter them or combine them.
5. Never relight a “dud” firework. Wait 20 minutes and then soak it in a bucket of water.
6. Use common sense. Spectators should keep a safe distance from the shooter and the shooter should wear safety glasses.
7. Alcohol and fireworks do not mix. Have a “designated shooter.”
8. Only persons over the age of 12 should be allowed to handle sparklers of any type.
9. Do not ever use homemade fireworks of illegal explosives: They can kill you! Report illegal explosives to the fire or police department in your community.
Have a wonderful 4th!
- Susan
Farrah and Michael
Posted on | June 25, 2009 | No Comments
Wow. Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson both pass away on the same day. Farrah, 62, after a long battle with cancer and Michael, 50, paassed away after a cardiac arrest.
Farrah passed away in the hospital surrounded by friends, including Ryan O’Neal, who has been her long-time partner. Her death, while crushing for family and friends, was not unexpected in the last few weeks.
Michael’s death, on the other hand, is surprising people. After his prolific life in music, the glare of the legal spotlight and his marriages; he will be remembered.
Thoughts go to family, friends and fans of both.
Lightning Week
Posted on | June 22, 2009 | No Comments
Already this year, 15 people have been killed by lightning.
For context, 28 were killed last year.
The National Weather Service is highlighting Lightning Safety and Awareness Week this week. They go on with some 2008 victim stats:
- 100% were outside
- 79% male
- 36% males between the ages of 20-25
- 32% under a tree
- 29% on or near the water
There’s also this disturbing statement: “People struck by lightning suffer from a variety of long-term, debilitating symptoms including memory loss, attention deficits, sleep disorders, numbness, dizziness, stiffness in joints, irritability, fatigue, weakness, muscle spasms, depression, and an inability to sit for long.” (It’s like a commercial for TV drugs to ask your doctor about….).
Be careful this summer!
- Susan
Austin MN - Tornadoes
Posted on | June 18, 2009 | No Comments
Austin, Minnesota, which is just north of the Iowa border, was hit by a tornado last night. (see full report on WCCO-TV).
The town lost power, which is just being restored today - as well as trees, power lines and cars.
Here’s good advice on what to do after a tornado hits - the recovery, who to call, determining what you’ve lost, what emergency organizations will help and when, plus lots more.
- Susan
Telemarketing test (it’s working) and no radio/tv
Posted on | June 17, 2009 | No Comments
Tip #1 - Your radio - the one that also has the TV band? - won’t carry TV anymore thanks to the digital switch last week. What does this mean? It means it is time for a new radio…
Tip #2 - Telemarketers. Even though we are on every ‘do not call’ list known to man, we are still getting annoying telemarketing calls.
Here’s a good idea to discourage telemarketers (the live ones and the recorded ones): Simply record that loud, annoying, three note ‘disconnected number noise’ on your voice mail/answering machine. After the noise is recorded, wait a moment and THEN start your message. We’ve tried it at our house and telemarketing has dropped considerably because they think the number has been disconnected.
We did tell our friends, too, so they know we’re still there 
- Susan
Digital TV: Three Options
Posted on | June 12, 2009 | No Comments
Digital TV is here, with all of its bells and whistles. If you have TV, you fall into one of three DTV options:
Option 1: You have cable or satellite TV, you’re OK.
This is a great option because you don’t need to do anything. Here’s a tip: tomorrow (Sat.) re-scan your cable channels to make sure you’re getting all the channels in your plan.
Option 2: You have an analog TV with an antenna and no cable.
Well, here it’s more complex. You have three choices. You can read about them here under Option 2.
Option 3: You have a TV with a built-in ATSC digital tuner and an antenna, but no cable service.
You’re OK, but if you feel like the picture quality is not good, you may want to change the antenna.
If you’re looking for a history of the digital switch and more on this, see our article, Days from Digital
- Susan
Disaster of the Day - Guard Dies After Holocaust Museum Shooting
Posted on | June 10, 2009 | No Comments
Every day at WHN we hear stories of hope, smart advice and more - and then a headline like this comes along and shakes your belief in the goodness of people.
From MSNBC: “An 88-year-old gunman with a violent and virulently anti-Semitic past opened fire with a rifle inside the crowded U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum on Wednesday, fatally wounding a security guard before being shot himself by other officers, authorities said.”
I’m amazed at the news lately - killing a doctor in church and killing a security guard in the Holocaust Museum.
Who are these old, white men who hate so much they think killing makes sense? When did evil take hold of them and wring their brains dry? To spend time hating and planning how to show it; it’s beyond comprehension.
These men don’t deserve anyone’s additional time or energy.
Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the security guard who gave his life today.
- Susan
Seat Belt Safety - Best of the Day
Posted on | June 9, 2009 | No Comments
Here in Minnesota, we just passed a seat belt safety law. If you’re stopped for not wearing a seat belt, you’re fined $25.
Our friends at WCCO/CBS have a good story on it. It’s here. (Always good news and info from WCCO.)
And you’ll see our accompanying article on Kids and Car Safety. This is one of my favorites - practical, good tips from experts as well as moms and dads on safety in AND out of the car.
Please read it -Kids and Car Safety.
Have a good day,
Susan
Disasters of the Day
Posted on | June 9, 2009 | No Comments
Today is not a good day:
- Workers are missing after a roof collapsed at a Raleigh, North Carolina ConAgra food plant, reports CNN.
- MSNBC is reporting that Tuesday evening, suicide bombers blew up The Pearl Continental, a luxury hotel in Pakistan. At least five are dead, dozens more wounded.
- In news on another disaster front, a large part of Air France 447’s tail section has been recovered. Also, the first bodies found from the wreckage are on the archipelago, Fernando de Noronha.
Here’s to a better day…
Susan
June 1-7, 2009 is Sun Safety Week–A Great Reminder to Protect Yourself and Your Family.
Posted on | June 2, 2009 | No Comments
Sun safety should start at birth! There are so many reasons and ways to protect yourself and your family from the sun’s harmful rays. Since it is Sun Safety Week, we are reminded to take a few moments to educate ourselves and our families about sun dangers and protection.
I witnessed the painful devastation of melanoma while two of my relatives tried valiantly to fight it. In the end, it is such a dangerous and pervasive disease, it took both of their lives. One of the victims was just 35 years old. He left a wife and young daughter behind. The total years spent in his battle? Eight. At the five-year mark, he was deemed cancer-free. They had waited for that milestone to start a family. Unfortunately, cancer came back with a vengeance and his child was only 18 months old when he died.
The best way to fight melanoma, other skin cancers and the aging effects of the sun is prevention. Click here for great information and links prepared by the National Safety Council. Sun protection should be part of our ritual all year long. In the summer months, when the sun’s impact is heightened and we tend to wear lighter clothing, it is especially important to protect ourselves!
If you have questions or would like to share your experiences, please email me: Leann (at) WhatHappensNow.com.
Tags: Aging > Doctor Visit > Health > Skin Cancer > Summer Skin Care > Sun Safety