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Saturday, July 24, 2010

Volcanos, Tornados and Quakes! Oh, my!

With last nights tornado warning for New York it makes you think how wacky and crazy the weather has been lately. Here are a few instances of some wacky city weather that makes you go "Whaaa?"

Miami - Tornado


This photo was taken on May 12 in 1997 at downtown Miami. USA Today reported that
the tornado swept past the station and Miami's high-rise condominiums, smashing windows and damaging roofs and cars in a two-mile path as people scrambled for cover.

No one was killed and only five injured, including a woman who suffered a heart attack.





Chicago - Earthquake


I was witness to the earthquake of April 2008.  As per Associated Press A 5.2-magnitude earthquake centered in southern Illinois rocked people awake across the Midwest early Friday, surprising residents unaccustomed to such a powerful tremble. This quake is the strongest one ever recorded in IL.

As recently at June of this year an earthquake was felt in Chicago.



Milwaukee - Flooding

There have been severe flash flooding instances over the last week.CNN says flash flooding occurred Thursday evening as severe thunderstorms developed and moved over the area, dumping up to 8 inches of rain in some locations, according to weather service officials.





New York - Tornado

Apparently this is not the first time New York has had a tornado warning recently.

The National Weather Service had issued a tornado warning for portions of Staten Island and Brooklyn at 6:28 am. Tornado warnings were also briefly issued for Manhattan, Queens and  Nassau County on Long but no tornadoes were reported in those areas.







 Iceland - Volcano

Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull (not a misspelling) volcano erupted twice in April this year causing huge floodwaters and much panic among locals. The ash cloud from the volcano was so extreme that it delayed approximately 300 flights in Europe for many days.





What could be next??? Maybe a little bit of this....

Daa- da- dum- dummm.......(courtesy of The Day After Tomorrow..horrible movie, btw)

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Anthropology of the Due Date - Guest Blog by Shawn Tassone


 

So much mysticism and mythology surrounds the pregnancy due date.  Much of the mysticism is held by physicians who hold on to the old ways of  determining when a pregnant woman will deliver.  Believe me, most physicians would love a way to determine the due date so we could plan our lives around the deliveries of our patients, but the truth is only 1-2% of women will actually deliver on their due date.  So what determines a due date, and what is the difference between EDC (estimated date of confinement) and EDD (estimated date of delivery) and what the heck is Naegele’s Rule.  This post will help show the origins of the due date and how we are currently using a system that is about 250 years old.

Franz Karl Naegele (1778-1851) was the German obstetrician who initially came up with the rule to determine a woman’s due date based on her last menstrual period (LMP).  There are many ways to calculate Naegele’s Rule.  I use the system where you take the LMP, add 7 days, and subtract three months.  So if your LMP was April 1, 2009 then your due date would be January 8, 2010.  You can impress your friends at parties with this maneuver.  There are problems with Naegele’s Rule and many people have pointed out that this 250 year old method is no longer appropriate for our advanced age.  What are some of the potential errors with calculating the EDC in this method?
  • It assumes that you are having a regular period and that you ovulate on day 14 of your cycle.  I am a gynecologist and there are many women out there that have irregular cycles that ovulate on day 20, 25, 12, 15….you get my point.  This obviously would add potential error to the EDC determination and could change things by days to weeks.  
  • There is another assumption that the routine pregnancy is 280 days long and that is based on our current calendar system.  The problem with this is that there are many months that contain 30 days or 31 days and what happens in a leap year, or if you are not pregnant over the shorter month of February.  The point is that there is a movement out there that is trying to say that the number should be 288 days and that we are inducing women that have premature babies.  A study done in 1990 stated that the proper method for determining a due date was to take the LMP, count back three months and add fifteen days for a primiparous (first pregnancy) woman or 10 days for a multiparous (subsequent births) woman.  This was published in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology. 
  • There are many that argue this method of calculating the EDC is as archaic as the term EDC itself.  Lending to the agrarian societies from whence it came, the EDC literally came from the fact that a woman was confined to her bed for the last part of her pregnancy to prevent preterm labor.  While we still prescribe bed rest today as a possible therapy for preterm labor it does seem odd that the medical establishment uses terminology from the 1700’s.
The due date is as individual as the pregnant mother.  While the EDC is currently calculated by Naegele’s Rule this does seem a bit archaic and inefficient; especially if we are using this dating method to determine inductions and postdatism.  There have been other methods with increased accuracy but they require a woman to measure body temperatures and be move involved in her own self-care.  Many reading this article are very involved with birth and feel as though self-care is very important, but there are many women out there that simply choose not to be observant of their own cycle.  So, what do we “do” with the “due”.  Unfortunately, I think we will keep going with the current system and back it up with ultrasounds which are accurate within 5 days if done in the first trimester.

Approximately 3% of so-called term births (occurring after 37 weeks) are completed with fetal lung immaturity and this could be because the baby may have been between 35-37 weeks and not term.

Are we too involved in the birthing process?  Are there better ways to determine the pregnant due date or should we not worry about and just let man/woman  be born in his own time.  The Latin word natura gives rise to the word natural and means “to be born”.  Maybe we should just leave well enough alone.

http://www.handsoffmybellyguide.com
Hands Off My Belly! The Pregnant Woman’s Survival Guide to Myths, Mothers, and Moods is for sale on Amazon and Barnes and Noble and at most brick and mortar stores.

Shawn A. Tassone, M.D. author of “Hands Off My Belly! The Pregnant Woman’s Guide to Surviving Myths, Mothers, and Moods” – Mom’s Choice Gold Recipient and Arizona Book Publisher’s Glyph Award Winner.


Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Seven Easy Ways to Ignite the Flame in Your Relationship!


Here's a great article from one of our featured authors, Melody Brooke. Melody is a Professional, Marriage and Family Counselor and InterPlay leader. Her approach uses body, mind, and spirit to help her clients heal themselves with her gentle and compassionate guidance.

This article (from Blogcritics) provides practical steps to ignite, or keep that spark, in your relationship. This is a must-read article that is guaranteed to improve your relationship (assuming you are willing to take action).

Here are the tips:
1. Love is an action: Show your partner how you feel about them every day, at least once a day. 
2. We are all kids at heart: Recognize that no matter how grown up your partner seems, they are really a little kid inside.


3. Bedtime sharing: If you live together, go to bed at the same time, together, every night. This is huge.
4. Don’t let things slide: When your partner says or does something you don’t agree with or that upsets you, tell them. Don’t just let it slide
5. You are not enemies: When you are in a conflict with your partner, stop your arguing for a moment.Breathe deeply.
6. Touch well, touch often: Touch your partner as often as possible, and get them to touch you as often as possible.
7. Play together. Be playful in your interactions. Have a sense of humor in times of stress.

To read the entire article go here.

Then + Now = Wow!

While watching the movie Annie with my sister yesterday I couldn't help but wonder what cute little Annie looked like now. Once I found her I couldn't believe how different she looked! It made me wonder, what do the young stars from the 80's look like today?

Aileen Quinn aka Annie
Where is she now?
While she was a hit in Annie, she did some acting jobs after Annie she currently does a few acting jobs but is also currently a Spanish, Drama and Dance teacher at a high school in New

Travis Tedford -Spanky from Little Rascals
Where is he now? 
Once a child actor in a few commercials and then in Our Gang now has retired acting.Apparently Travis is now 19 and working at WalMart in Texas. 


Ross Bagley - aka Nicky Banks from Fresh Prince
Where is he now?
Aww remember little Nicky? Not only was he in Fresh Prince but played Buckwheat in Our Gang and was Will Smiths son in Independence Day! He still does a few acting jobs but is currently attending college. Good for him.

Bryton McClure - aka Little Richie from Family Matters

Where is he now?
Oh Little Nicky how you've grown! Now 23 he is an actor and a singer and has worked with charities to help young kids. He currently acts on the daytime show The Young and the Restless.

Monday, July 19, 2010

Update: UFO in China news

The July 7th UFO sighing in China has gained a lot of press all around the world. Having been featured on all the major networks such as CNN, ABC and many photos and videos are starting to surface from that nights events.

Most recently is this video claimed to be shot by a viewer that night. Considering that no government officials have yet to fully debunk the UFO and what actually caused the delay that night, it's hard not to think that this might be the real thing!




Hopefully they will look like this:

Elmo is who??

My son, like many other kids, love Elmo and watching Elmo's World. While having lunch with a mom the topic of kids shows came up and she whispered to me out of ear shot of our kids "Did you know that Elmo is actually a tall, African American guy??" And (sadly) I had no idea!

So of course I had to look it up as soon as I got home and sure enough, there he was! According to  the Sesame Street website Kevin Clash, the third Muppeteer to perform Elmo, wasn’t too enthusiastic about the character at first. But then he spent some time observing small children in the daycare center where his mother worked, and saw for himself that Elmo was resonating with them. The monster’s joyful laughter and positive outlook on life struck a chord with kids and parents alike. 

Here are other voices Clash has done:
Many puppets on Sesame Street such as:
Hoots the Owl, Kingston Livingston III, and apparently occasionally  played Ms. Piggy!
Dinosaurs- Baby Sinclair
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Splinter



Elmo and Ricky Gervias

11:11 Make a wish!

I never really knew about this phenomenon until my sister brought it up the other day. She kept mentioning how she always misses 11:11, either during the day or at night and how when does catch it and makes a wish that they come true.

So being the ever inquisitive person that I am I had to look it up myself. Apparently it's a bigger deal than I realized! Not only is a there a Facebook page dedicated to it but tons of sites discussing it's significance. The biggest belief is that there are Spiritual Guardians related to 11:11. Apparently there are 1,111 Angels or "Midwayers" that are here to guide and help us. As per Suite 101 there are many reasons that the numbers 1111 is so important. They claim that11:11 is said to open up the channel between man and the frequency of the invisible, an impasse that forces man to question his understanding of who he is and his understanding of the world around him. They even note the significance of the numbers and the events of  9/11. Deep.


My sister's theory is this: "It's special because it is the only numbers in the day that can repeat it's self within 24 hours."  One can only imagine what craziness will happen on November 11, 2011 at 11:11!

Have you made your wish today?

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Need help with your company? Maven is here to help!



In today's society not only are women becoming high authority figures in Fortune 500 companies, but are also starting companies of their own! Momprenueres are hitting the scene hard these days but with so many factors in having a successful business where's a girl to start? With companies like MAVEN you don't have to work on your company alone!

Maven is a business matchmaking company that specializes in connecting you with professionals that span across a variety of disciplines such as PR, Web Development, and Marketing to Capital Funding and Distribution. MAVEN does not charge the client to source talent from our Network. The MAVEN process is quite simple....you let them know what areas in your business need assistance and then they tap into their Network and provide a 'Match Document' outlining your match candidate and why you'll click.

Here is a little insight on how their matching process works:

MAVEN has created a unique process to match your growing pains and business goals to our talented Network saving you time and money.

Step 1: Meet the Matchmakers
MAVEN’s complimentary consultation includes a thorough evaluation of your business goals, budget and all growing pains.

Step 2: Client + MAVENS = Perfect Match
The MAVEN team taps into their intellectual capital to match you with top professionals from a range of disciplines and industries based on your needs.

Step 3: Meet your MAVENS and Project Managers
The Matchmakers kick off your first ‘blind date’ to meet your MAVEN’s and set up the background on your business needs and the rationale for your match. Once you are satisfied with your match, MAVEN leaves you to focus on the most important task at hand…growing your business!





MAVEN is run by Erin Green and Marni Sky out of Canada, both of which have extensive backgrounds in marketing and management. Although their company and virtually new (having started in 2009) they are gaining much success and publicity!


For more information visit MAVEN and if you have any questions feel free to email the girls here!

Alcohol Flavored Ice Cream? Yummy!

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Top 15 Ways to Lose Weight Easily


Who said that you have to join a fancy gym or work out for hours to shed weight? Here is a list of easy ways to drop pounds without having to touch a dumbbell.

1. Eat slowly and calmly. Put your fork or spoon down between every bite. Sip water frequently. Intersperse your eating with stories for your dining partner of the amusing things that happened during your day. Your brain lags your stomach by about 20 minutes when it comes to satiety (fullness) signals. If you eat slowly enough, your brain will catch up to tell you that you are no longer in need of food.

2. Switch to ordinary coffee. Fancy coffee drinks from trendy coffee joints often pack several hundred calories, thanks to whole milk, whipped cream, sugar, and sugary syrups. A cup of regular coffee with skim milk has just a small fraction of those calories. And when brewed with good beans, it tastes just as great.

3. Bring the color blue into your life more often. There's a good reason you won't see many fast-food restaurants decorated in blue: Believe it or not, the color blue functions as an appetite suppressant. So serve up dinner on blue plates, dress in blue while you eat, and cover your table with a blue tablecloth. Conversely, avoid red, yellow, and orange in your dining areas. Studies find they encourage eating. 


4. Eat 90 percent of your meals at home. You're more likely to eat more -- and eat more high-fat, high-calorie foods -- when you eat out than when you eat at home. Restaurants today serve such large portions that many have switched to larger plates and tables to accommodate them! 


5. Use flavorings such as hot sauce, salsa, and Cajun seasonings instead of relying on butter and creamy or sugary sauces. Besides providing lots of flavor with no fat and few calories, many of these seasonings -- the spicy ones -- turn up your digestive fires, causing your body to temporarily burn more calories.

6. Use vegetables to bulk up meals. You can eat twice as much pasta salad loaded with veggies like broccoli, carrots, and tomatoes for the same calories as a pasta salad sporting just mayonnaise. Same goes for stir-fries. And add vegetables to make a fluffier, more satisfying omelet without having to up the number of eggs.


7. Sniff a banana, an apple, or a peppermint when you feel hungry. You might feel silly, but it works. When Alan R. Hirsch, M.D., neurological director of the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago, tried this with 3,000 volunteers, he found that the more frequently people sniffed, the less hungry they were and the more weight they lost -- an average of 30 pounds each. One theory is that sniffing the food tricks the brain into thinking you're actually eating it.




8. Brush your teeth after every meal, especially after dinner. That clean, minty freshness will serve as a cue to your body and brain that mealtime is over. 

9. Eat fruit instead of drinking fruit juice. For the calories in one kid-size box of apple juice, you can enjoy an apple, orange, and a slice of watermelon. These whole foods will keep you satisfied much longer than that box of apple juice, so you'll eat less overall.

10. Eat five or six small meals or snacks a day instead of three large meals. A 1999 South African study found that when men ate parts of their morning meal at intervals over five hours, they consumed almost 30 percent fewer calories at lunch than when they ate a single breakfast. Other studies show that even if you eat the same number of calories distributed this way, your body releases less insulin, which keeps blood sugar steady and helps control hunger.

11. Eat cereal for breakfast five days a week. Studies find that people who eat cereal for breakfast every day are significantly less likely to be obese and have diabetes than those who don't. They also consume more fiber and calcium -- and less fat -- than those who eat other breakfast foods. Of course, that doesn't mean reaching for the Cap'n Crunch. Instead, pour out a high-fiber, low-sugar cereal like Total or Grape Nuts.

12. Order the smallest portion of everything. If you're ordering a sub, get the 6-inch sandwich. Buy a small popcorn, a small salad, a small hamburger. Studies find we tend to eat what's in front of us, even though we'd feel just as full on less.

13. Take a walk before dinner. You'll do more than burn calories -- you'll cut your appetite. In a study of 10 obese women conducted at the University of Glasgow in Scotland, 20 minutes of walking reduced appetite and increased sensations of fullness as effectively as a light meal.

14. Eat a frozen dinner. Not just any frozen dinner, but one designed for weight loss. Most of us tend to eat an average of 150 percent more calories in the evening than in the morning. An easy way to keep dinner calories under control is to buy a pre-portioned meal. Just make sure that it contains only one serving. If it contains two, make sure you share.

15. Serve individual courses rather than piling everything on one plate. Make the first two courses soup or vegetables (such as a green salad). By the time you get to the more calorie-dense foods, like meat and dessert, you'll be eating less or may already be full (leftovers are a good thing). 

[source]

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Oprah is looking for fun couples!

Oprah's offices recently reached out to Moms in the City to see if city moms would be interested in spicing up their love life with a new show called -  In The Bedroom With Dr. Laura Berma

  Here is the info!

Are you struggling with your sex life or relationship?  Dr. Laura Berman, a world-renowned Sex & Relationship Expert, has a brand new show on OWN…and she’s here to help you! 

  • Have you lost the spark in your relationship? 
  • Is intimacy – or lack thereof – a source of conflict between you and your partner? 
  • Are you desperate to reconnect but don’t know where to turn, or don’t have the resources to get the information you need?
Dr. Laura Berman can help!!!

You’ve seen her segments on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” and “The Dr. Oz Show” and heard her great advice on “Oprah Radio” but now Dr. Berman has a brand new TV show, In The Bedroom With Dr. Laura Berman, fully dedicated to helping couples achieve greater intimacy and connection, not to mention better sex!  
Dr. Berman understands the juggling act you go through every day and the significance of keeping your sex life a top priority. If you're struggling with your intimacy, want a better relationship and long for  a more fulfilling sex life,  Dr. Berman is here to shed some light. Let Dr. Berman show you how to get exactly what you want and need in the bedroom and beyond!  

If you want Dr. Berman’s advice, contact us today!   Please be sure to include a description of your family and the issues you’re dealing with, along with a recent photo.  Couples need not be married but must be committed to making a change and be willing to appear and discuss their private lives on Television, if selected. 


We look forward to hearing from YOU!

 

Friday, July 9, 2010

UFO's in the City

On July 7th there are reports that an unidentified flying object delayed flights at the Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport and has since gained world wide curiosity. While the government has claimed that many of the photos and videos circulating the web are a hoax they have admitted that some of the footage is real and have yet to explain the 60 minute delay that day.

Here is some of the footage from that day :   






Apparently this isn't the first time that China has been visited either! According to AOL News in July 2009, during the viewing of a solar eclipse in China, scientists at the Purple Mountain Astronomical Observatory in Nanjing filmed 40 minutes of a UFO reportedly near the sun. No definitive explanation of the event has emerged.

In a Jan. 11, 2000, article, The New York Times reported that many UFOs were seen in the skies above China, noting that "the normally conservative official news media have been lavishing attention on UFO news." In July 2009, during the viewing of a solar eclipse in China, scientists at the Purple Mountain Astronomical Observatory in Nanjing filmed 40 minutes of a UFO reportedly near the sun. No definitive explanation of the event has emerged.

In a Jan. 11, 2000, article, The New York Times reported that many UFOs were seen in the skies above China, noting that "the normally conservative official news media have been lavishing attention on UFO news."

What's next from these space visitors? Hopefully nothing like this:


Stay tuned humans.