Jazz guitarist Jeff Linsky (Born 1952) will pay tribute to the residents of Kalaupapa at a concert Saturday at the Doris Duke Theatre. Photo: Jimmy Bishop / Gideon

HONOLULU, Hawaii (Star Bulletin), September 18, 2008:

By Gary C.W. Chun

Jazz guitarist Jeff Linsky has toured the world over. As he puts it, he frequents "impressive concert halls in Europe, Asia, and North and South America. For one recent engagement, (my wife Lisa and I) spent an entire month in an overwater bungalow at the St. Regis Bora Bora.

"I've played Brazilian music in Brazil, French music in France, Japanese music in Japan, etc. Yet, I've never had a more rewarding and appreciative audience than our friends in Kalaupapa."

In fact, his experiences performing at the former Hansen's disease (Leprosy) settlement have been so moving that, at Linsky's latest concert at the Honolulu Academy of Arts, he will pay tribute to his friends on Molokai. Linsky will share with audiences the workings of the nonprofit Ka 'Ohana O Kalaupapa, an organization that highlights the dignity of all patients exiled to the island peninsula dating back to 1866.

The guitarist has invited some old friends to join him on stage: pianist Rich Crandall and singer Jimmy Borges, whom Linsky hopes will make the gig in spite of his busy performance calendar. Makana, a fan of Linsky's, also will be a special guest.

LINSKY, already an established guitarist on the Los Angeles scene when he was just a teenager, decided at the age of 19 that he wanted to live in Hawaii. Writing via e-mail while on his way to a gig at a private event in Pebble Beach, Calif., Linsky said, "I arrived in Honolulu in 1972, and although I continued to travel around the world, I kept a home in Hawaii until 1988.

"During those early years in Hawaii, I had heard of the famous Kalaupapa settlement on Molokai, but never visited there. It wasn't until just a few years ago, during one of our yearly concert trips to Hawaii, that my good friend Sonny Silva told us about his cousin Olivia in Kalaupapa. Olivia Breitha had written a famous autobiography entitled 'Olivia: My Life of Exile in Kalaupapa.'

"When my wife Lisa was a little girl in Catholic school, she had raised money in the name of Father Damien for the patients of Kalaupapa. When we learned about Olivia and read her book, we were inspired to visit Kalaupapa and hoped to share the gift of music with the patients there. Thanks to Sonny and Olivia, we were sponsored in for a special concert," he continued.

"Sadly, on the day we arrived in Molokai, Olivia passed away. We went on with the concert in her honor, and began our friendship with the patients and (kupuna) of Kalaupapa."

The guitarist has written a composition called "Kalaupapa" to honor its residents, a lovely piece that includes some familiar slack-key motifs amongst his usual Latin- and Brazilian-influenced playing. Linsky also donates CD royalties to Ka 'Ohana O Kalaupapa.

"The first time I performed in McVeigh Hall in Kalaupapa was inspirational," he said. "When you see a woman in a wheelchair before you, visibly ravaged by a difficult disease, with no fingers, bandaged feet and very little vision, and she is smiling and swaying to the music, doing the hula in her wheelchair (and) wearing her pink Las Vegas visor -- I'm telling you, she just couldn't be any more beautiful or darling."

JEFF LINSKY: KA 'OHANA O KALAUPAPA
The Doris Duke Theatre, Honolulu Academy of Arts
Visit www.honoluluacademy.org
www.kalaupapaohana.org

gchun@starbulletin.

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Many Canadians may feel that this election - Stephen Harpers election - is unnecessary. Harper promised a fixed election date. Taking advantage of a weak Liberal leader, he has broken his promise.

Nevertheless, this election represents an opportunity for change. The NDP, nationally and in Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale, is ready to lead that change.

Stephen Harpers government has protected and advanced the interests of the privileged, of big business, and of the oil industry. The Conservatives have sat back and let Canadian industry suffer with the rise in the Canadian dollar, and weakening of the world economy.

The Conservative government talk about protecting Medicare with guaranteed wait times has proved empty. We have no serious wait time guarantees, and no serious federal action to protect Medicare.

Harper has a long history of failing to take environmental concerns seriously, and his government continues to do as little as possible to address global warming and environmental sustainability.

The NDP will put hard working Canadians - rather than business interests and the wealthy - first. The NDP believes that government can have an active role in the economy - other than protecting the interests of the oil industry. The NDP will invest in companies that provide training, and are innovating in the new energy economy and green collar jobs. The resource economy is ultimately a dead end. The NDP is ready to build an alternative.

In health care - as a physician and health researcher, a particular interest of mine - the NDP will take real action to protect Medicare, and address the problems that the Conservatives have ignored. This means training the doctors and nurses that Canada needs, and instituting national pharmacare and home care programs.

The NDP has concrete plans, rather than empty words, to address the environment. The NDP plan sets absolute caps on major industrial emitters, which account for 50% of Canadas greenhouse gas emissions. These emitters would be required to purchase emissions credits at market-based prices. In year one alone, with carbon prices projected to exceed $35 per ton, auctioning credits would generate at least $2.5-billion. All of these funds would be invested in developing green technologies and making them affordable for the average consumer.

Im proud to be representing the NDP, the true, strong voice for change that meets the needs of those who want a Canada for all Canadians.

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Insure a safer life with Umbilical Cord Blood
Cord Blood is the blood that remains in the umbilical cord immediately after the birth of a baby. The Umbilical cord blood which was previously discarded after birth has emerged as an alternative source of hematopoietic stem cells for hematological reconstitution, mainly for leukemia patients, as well as for some hematological deficiencies and bone marrow failures. In recent years, it has become increasingly clear that cord blood, as well as the surrounding tissue of the umbilical cord; contain additional stem cells which have been shown to be of great potential for regenerative medicine. The collection of cord blood is quick, painless and has no side effects on the mother or the baby. Cord blood is special because it is a rich source of stem cells.
These cord blood cells can be used for bone marrow transplant. Some parents have chosen to have this blood diverted from the babys umbilical blood transfer through early cord clamping and cutting, to freeze for long-term and storage at a cord blood bank should the child ever require the cord blood stem cells (for example, to replace bone marrow destroyed when treating leukemia). This practice is somewhat controversial with critics asserting that early cord blood withdrawal actually increases the likelihood of childhood disease.
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists 2007 opinion states, There is still insufficient evidence to recommend directed commercial cord blood collection and stem-cell storage in low-risk families.
In the future, cord blood-derived embryonic-like stem cells (CBEs) may also be banked and matched with other patients, much like blood and transplanted tissues. The use of CBEs could potentially eliminate the ethical difficulties associated with embryonic stem cells
After delivery, the umbilical cord and placenta are no longer needed and are often discarded. But the blood remaining in the umbilical cord and placenta is rich with blood-forming cells. These healthy blood-forming cells can be collected and stored so they can be used by a patient who needs them.
Before your baby is born, the umbilical cord is a lifeline. After birth, that lifeline can provide hope to other patients suffering from life threatening diseases. Like bone marrow, cord blood is rich in the blood-forming cells that can be used in transplants for patients with leukemia, lymphoma. (These cells are not embryonic stem cells.) When a patient needs a transplant, his or her doctor will decide what the best source of blood-forming cells is.
Patient’s own cells (autologous): If the best choice is to use the patient’s own cells for transplant, the cells are usually collected from the patient’s blood stream before the transplant.
Donated cells (allogeneic): If the best choice is to use donated cells for transplant, the doctor will look for a donor or a cord blood unit with a tissue type that matches the patient’s as closely as possible. A patient’s best chance of finding a match is with a brother or sister. If a brother or sister is a match, the cells for transplant can be collected from that sibling’s bone marrow or peripheral blood or cord blood unit.
But 7 out of 10 people will have to look outside their family because there is not a suitably matched person within their family.
Your decision about what to do with your baby’s umbilical cord blood is a personal one. Today, expectant parents may choose from among the following options:
?Donate to a public cord blood bank. When you donate cord blood to a public bank, you are making it available to any patient in need of a transplant to treat a life-threatening disease. Learn more about donating cord blood.
?Store it in a private family cord blood bank. When you pay to store cord blood in a private family cord blood bank, it is saved for your family.
?Save it for a family member with a medical need. When a sibling or relative has a disease that may be treated with a bone marrow or cord blood transplant, parents can choose to save their baby’s cord blood for directed donation. Collecting and storing cord blood for directed donation is often offered at little or no cost through many public and family cord blood banks, if it is medically indicated.
?Donate it for research studies. Laboratories and technology companies conduct studies to help improve the transplant process for future patients. (This cord blood is not stored for transplant.) The collection process for research is free.
?Do nothing. You can choose to do nothing with the umbilical cord blood, and it will be discarded after birth.
If you are expecting a baby, talk to your health care provider about these options. Your decision could help change someone’s life.
Resource box
Umbilical Cord Blood is the source of life saving stem cells which can help in the treatment of life threatening diseases. For more information on cord blood log on to http://www.cordbloodinfo.org/umbilical-cord-blood.

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I suppose that somewhere Home Owners Associations serve some sort of useful purpose, but for the life of me I haven't seen it yet. The one for my neighborhood hasn't done much for me except take my money and send the occasional letter out to the neighborhood reminding us when we are allowed to put our trash out for pick up and where to store those trash cans. Granted, you want to have some standards in your neighborhood. You don't want the houses around you to be in total disrepair or to be overgrown with weeds and unmowed grass. So I guess they do have some use.

However, in my mind this HOA has gone just a little too far. In this particular neighborhood, the HOA is actually telling the residents the type of vehicle they can park in their driveway. Jim Greenwood bought a new Ford F-150 pickup truck and parked it in his driveway. The Stonebriar HOA has sent him three notices and threatened him with fines because his truck violates HOA rules. The HOA would allow him to park a Honda Ridgeline, Cadillac Escalade, or a Lincoln Mark LT because they are fancier and don't look so much like a truck. Mr. Greenwood argued on appeal that his Ford was not much different than the Lincoln truck and was told that "It is our belief that Lincoln markets to a different class of people."

"A different class of people?" What's next? Be careful. Next thing you know you won't be able to serve Folgers Coffee, only Starbucks. God forbid that you want to eat a Hershey's chocolate bar. Only Godiva will do for the Stonebriar HOA. Standards are fine, but this borders on snobbery at best, discrimination at worst.

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Nyanza Economic Conference 2008
University Hotel, Kisumu, Kenya – 7 8 August, 2008

Preliminary Programme (Day 1)

08h00-08h30 Registration, Tea/Coffee08h30-10h00 OPENING SESSION (CHAIR: Mr Pete Ondeng’)Opening Introduction
• Mary Onyango, Chair, Nyanza Economic Forum Official Welcome
• His Worship, Mr. Sam Okello, Mayor of Kisumu
Opening Remarks
• Mr. Paul Olando, Nyanza Provincial Commissioner
Keynote Address
• Hon. William Ruto, Minister for Agriculture
10H00 –10H30 Tea/Coffee 10H30-13H00 SESSION II: KEY SECTORS (CHAIR: Mr George Ooko)10H30-11H00 FISH INDUSTRY: Nyanza’s Unexploited Lake Resources
• Hon. James Otuoma, Minister for Fisheries

11H00-11H30 FINANCIAL SERVICES: Reaching the Unreached
• Mr. Joseph Kwaka, Executive Director, Community Aid International
11H30-12H00 KENYA DEVELOPMENT FUND CORP (KDFC): The Diaspora’s Response to Investment in Nyanza
• Mr. Peter Odhengo and Mr. David Ndolo, KDFC-Kenya
12H00-12H30 AGRIBUSINESS: Towards Commercial Agriculture in Nyanza
• Dr. Peter Okoth, Project Manager, Tropical Soil Biology Fertility Institute

12H30-13H00 MANGO PROCESSING and Value Addition for Increased Incomes
• Mr. Arshfod Njagi, Manager, GTZ—PSDA
13H00 –14H00 Lunch 14H00-17H00 SESSION III: KEY SECTORS (Cont.)
(CHAIR: Ms Joyce Miguda Majiwa)
14H00-14H30 Vision 2030: Implications for the Development of Western Kenya
• Mr. David S. Nalo, PS, Ministry of East African Corporation
14H30-15H00 DAIRY: Proven Strategies for Small Producers
• Mr. Fred Ogana, Country Director, Technoserve
15H00-15H30 TOURISM: Can Nyanza be the Next Frontier for Tourism?
• Dr. Ongong’a Achieng, Managing Director, Kenya Tourism Board15H30-16H00 SUGAR
INDUSTRY: How to Maximize the Economic Impact of Sugar in Nyanza
• Mr. Martin Owiti Odero, Managing Director, Muhoroni Sugar Company
16H00-16H30 FOREIGN INVESTMENTS IN KENYA: What Does Nyanza Need to Know?
16H30 -17H00 Tea/Coffee
• Mrs. Susan Kikwai, Managing Director, Kenya Investment Authority
17H00-18H00 Plenary Discussion
(Joint Chairs: Mr. Goerge Ooko Ms. J. M. Majiwa)18h00-19h30 Cocktail/Reception
(Sponsored by KCB, Short Speech, Martin Oduor Otieno)
21H30-22H30 SESSION IV:
PANEL DISCUSSION
(Coordinator, Mr. Pete Ondeng’)
21h30-22H30 Panel
Discussion-live on Citizen TV: Louis Otieno Live (Panelists below)
Nyanza Economic Conference 2008
University Hotel, Kisumu, Kenya – 7 8 August, 2008
(Day 2)

08H00-10H30 SESSION V: EMERGING EFFORTS LESSONS LEARNT
(CHAIR: Mr Joseph Kwaka)
08H00-08H30 The Proposed Lake View Resort City Initiative
• Mr. Ndevi Muli, Managing Director, Kenya Railways Corporation
08H30-09H00 How should the Private Sector Contribute to the Rural Nyanza Economy?
• Mr. Sunil Shah, Kisumu Businessman
• Ms. Josephine Omanwa, MD of Jonzavike Stationers Bookshop, Kisii
09h00-09H30 The Pathway to Success: What should we know about success in Business?
• Mr. Fred Osewe, Proprietor, Ranalo Foods
• Mr. Hasmukh Dawda, Chairman, House of Manji
• Mrs. Munira Gilani, Director Fresh-foods Limited, Kisumu
09H30-10H00 Green Forest Social Investment Trust: The Case of Suba Green Initiative
• Dr. Kim Hartog, Green Forest Investment Trust
10H00-10H30 FINANCIAL SERVICES: Reaching the Unreached
• Mr. Martin Oduor-Otieno, Managing Director, Kenya Commercial Bank
10H30 – 11H00 Tea/Coffee Break 11H00-12H30 SESSION VI:
THE ROLE OF MPS CONCLUSIONS (CHAIR: Dr. PLO Lumumba)
11H00-12H00 Open Dialogue with Nyanza MPs.
12H00-12H15 Meeting Summary Wrap Up-Dr.

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When you plan to travel to USA, the visitor medical insurance is necessary for you. Without the insurance, you will not be operated in care of any kind of medical emergencies. Visitors to USA need to take the visitors insurance for themselves at any cost in order to avoid the financial hassles or medical emergencies.
The visitor insurance covers various costs if you are traveling to countries like USA, Europe or Canada. In most other countries like USA, the hospitals and medicines are very costly and may burn a hole in your pocket.

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This is a fear that stops many would-be runners in their tracks and lurks in the back of the mind of even the most experienced runners. Running and injuries go together like shin splints and ice, so it's entirely reasonable to wonder about the prospects of long-term damage.
These fears should be put to rest by a pair of long-term studies due to be published this year.
In next month's Skeletal Radiology, a team of Austrian radiologists presents knee MRIs of seven runners who had taken part in a previous MRI study before running the Vienna marathon in 1997. The use of MRIs offers a significant diagnostic advantage compared to earlier studies that relied on X-rays.
The results were clear: no new damage in the knee joints of the six subjects who had continued running in the intervening decade. "In contrast, the only person who had given up long-distance running showed severe deterioration in the intra-articular structures of his knee," the authors note.
An even more long-term study at Stanford University has been following 45 runners and 53 non-runners since 1984. All had been taking regular X-rays. The latest results, which will appear in a future edition of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, show that after 18 years, 20 per cent of the runners had developed osteoarthritis in the knee, compared with 32 per cent of non-runners.
These studies raise a possibility that several earlier studies have proposed: Running may help preserve the joints. But that's not a conclusion that can be drawn at this point, says Eliza Chakravarty, lead author of the Stanford study.
"I don't think I would strongly recommend running for the purpose of protecting the knees."
One drawback with both studies is selection bias. The runners in both cases were committed recreational runners who had a history of being able to run without serious problems.
Data for non-runners who are considering taking up running are harder to come by - a gap that was partly addressed by a large-scale study that appeared last year in the journal Arthritis Rheumatism, involving 1,279 subjects from the famously long-running Framingham Heart Study.
Rather than studying "runners" versus "non-runners" the researchers examined the general study population, looking for associations between exercise (including running) and the development of knee osteoarthritis over a nine-year period. They found no link, suggesting even overweight non-runners can start exercising without putting their knees at risk.
In sharp contrast, though, the American College of Sports Medicine recently reported that each additional pound of body mass puts four extra pounds of stress on the knee, so packing on a pound a year for about a decade increases your chances of developing arthritis by 50 per cent - a fairly powerful argument for running to keep off weight and protect your knees.
Of course, the decision doesn't have to be strictly utilitarian. As one of the Vienna study participants (who was preparing to run his 37th marathon) put it in a recent e-mail to lead author Wolfgang Krampla, "Even if minor aches and pains occur over the years, the gain in joie de vivre far outweighs them."
Alex Hutchinson is a former member of Canada's long-distance running team, and has a PhD in physics.
Source: GlobeandMail.

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…how are things since the decision? Gabriel asked in a comment on my last post, which I wrote over a month ago. I had decided that I didnt want to ask my doctor to increase the dosage of my Epival. I figured I would ride it out and be all right on the current dosage.
This was indeed the way things were working out, but then I went off meds for a few weeks. On purpose, because I am stupid. Hypomania can be fun. It is not fun nearly as often as most people assume it is, though, or at least it isnt for me. The times when I am sure I am connected to every other atom in the universe are few and far between compared to the times that all the overload is too much and everything in the universe annoys me. For every hypomanic episode where I am actually productive, I have tons where I go to bed and try to go to sleep but I cant, so I wind up staring at the ceiling and around the room for six hours, because I am too awake to manage to close my eyes. I am not up at night writing the Great Canadian Novel or cleaning my room or even blogging, because I am too tired for that, but I am still. so. damn. AWAKE and my thoughts keep racing but theres nothing I can do with them. Even though Im exhausted, I still have so much energy that I cant keep still while I lie there. Instead I kick and fidget so much that my muscles are sore for days afterwards, and I flap my hands and hit them off things until I worry that I actually might break a finger.
Anyway, thats not even whats been really bugging me lately, although of course I have been having some nights like that. Im mainly just ashamed of myself. I know I shouldnt go off meds without telling anybody, but I did it anyway, and Im ashamed of that. When I am ashamed of myself, I dont want to write any posts. I dont want people to know that Im being a dumbass. Ive held things together quite well overall, but now Im starting to scare myself a bit, so Im going back on meds. My bank account cant handle this hypomania, and it hasnt done anything positive for me except make my life a little bit more interesting. It would be fun to have an I Love Everything and Everything Loves Me episode, but this isnt one of those. You would think that by now I would have realized that I cant make them happen.
Overall, I am fine, though. You likely wouldnt notice that anything was out of the ordinary. But I do. Its good that I can keep the slight trouble Im having with things like anger and paranoia under control but Id really rather that I didnt have to wrestle with these things. Id really rather that they were non-issues. Hence, meds.
Speaking of keeping things under control, though You know those statistics that tell you that (some large number)% of people who suffer from manic depression also have substance abuse problems? Id thought for a long time that Id dodged that particular bullet. In the past few months, though, Ive realized that I have a problem with what Experimental Chimp wonderfully termed binge drinking and consequent inappropriate-yet-impossible-to-remember-behaviour. I dont think I really want to say any more about that right now, though. Ive already babbled enough.
I dont like writing posts that are All About Me, by the way. Or at least not all about me as I am right now. Id rather talk about something I read in the newspaper or on another website, or tell stories about stuff I did/that was done to me Back When I Was Crazy. Because, you know, for the most part, I am now. Whenever I mention currently having any symptoms whatsoever of bipolar disorder, I feel that it smacks of failure. I guess if I was really 100% and I would be so mentally healthy that such things wouldnt faze me at all and I wouldnt see them as failures. But I dont think Ill ever be that well.

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Like any kind of gift buying, gift shopping at yard sales is easier and more fun when you have plenty of lead time and know the person you're buying for well. This is particularly true for people who have passions. The friend who loves sailing or cats or cooking, for example, is a joy to have on a yard sale shopper's list.
Here is a smattering of yard sale gift ideas.
1. Make a collection around a theme. Start by look for those wonderful, glossy illustrated books that retail for upward of $30 and can be found easily at yard sales in mint condition for a few dollars.
2. Interesting pots and vases abound. Add the right plant or flowers -- from your houseplants, garden or the local supermarket. African Violets can be lovely in an old lidless sugarbowl.
3. For the new mother -- books on babies and children, a basket that you fill with good-as-new baby toys (dishwasher sterilized), a sterling silver baby spoon that you tie with a satin ribbon, and any of the infinite baby clothes that were never worn (wrong season, wrong size) that wind up at a yard sale for $3 instead of $23.
4. A basket of pastel bunnies or of teddy bears. Last week, I found a yard sale that had more than 100 beanie babies for sale at 50 cents each.
5. Watch for items that are new in box and still have the tags. A young couple were selling some of their unwanted wedding gifts. I found large made in Canada wind chimes and bought them for $10. When I checked the price online, they retailed for $69.

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Canada Post Commemorative Stamp Honours Nursing Profession
Ottawa, June 16, 2008 Canada Post will recognize the centennial anniversary of the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) with the release of a commemorative stamp on June 16, 2008. The stamp will be unveiled by Environment Minister John Baird, Judy Middlemiss, occupational health programs manager at Canada Post, and Marlene Smadu, CNA president, at the opening ceremonies of CNAs biennial convention in Ottawa. Almost 1,000 nurses will be in attendance.

Depicting the nursing profession, the worlds largest group of health professionals, on such a small canvas is no easy task, says Smadu. We congratulate Canada Post and artist Doreen Colonello for taking on this difficult challenge and succeeding in designing a vibrant stamp. At CNA we are committed to communicating to the public the considerable education, knowledge and experience that registered nurses possess to deliver safe, competent and ethical health care in a challenging and complex system, and we thank Canada Post for supporting this vision.

CNA applied for the stamp in 2003 and mounted an energetic letter-writing campaign involving nurses, provincial and territorial nursing associations, and other organizations from across Canada. Every year, Canada Post receives hundreds of stamp suggestions, which are reviewed by the Stamp Advisory Committee. Approximately 25 themes per year are chosen.

We are proud to mark this significant anniversary with a commemorative stamp, said Bob Waite, chairman of the Stamp Advisory Committee and senior vice-president, Corporate Social Responsibility, at Canada Post. Through the stamp program, we celebrate our country, our people, our heroes, our achievements and who we are as a nation. With this stamp, nurses as well as all Canadians can share in this milestone.This stamp is an honour to and a recognition of our history, our contributions and the success of CNA in engaging and leading change in our health system, says Lucille Auffrey, chief executive officer of CNA. We look forward to working with Canada Post again when we celebrate our 150th!

This is the second time Canada Post has issued a commemorative stamp honouring CNA. The first time marked CNAs 50th anniversary in 1958.

CNA is the national professional voice of registered nurses in Canada. It is a federation of 11 provincial and territorial nursing associations and colleges. CNA believes that the sustainability of a publicly funded, publicly administered, not-for-profit health system rests upon a vibrant nursing workforce.

Stamp Story

The first trained nurses in this nation were a trio of Augustinian nuns dispatched by France in 1639 to provide assistance to Jesuit missionaries struggling in the wilds of the New World. Revered for their compassionate care, these nursing sisters served as both administrators and doctors. They performed surgery and concocted medicines. Myriad miracles were attributed to their efforts. Today, their legacy is carried forward by more than a quarter million registered nurses in Canada. A domestic rate (52) stamp, marking the centenary of the Canadian Nurses Association, celebrates the enduring contribution of Canadian registered nurses to the past, present and future. The stamps are available in booklets of 10.
"The commemorative Canadian Nurses Association stamp features the Association's logo along with the image of a nurse," says Liz Wong, Manager of Stamp Design and Production at Canada Post.
Doreen Colonello, senior designer at Toronto's Gottschalk+Ash International says the goal was to depict a modern nurse, her capabilities and significant role in the Canadian health-care system. "The image we chose was a working nurse in her greens, carrying a tray of nursing tools, clearly serving as a compassionate, dedicated and knowledgeable caregiver."
Wanting to capture the ambience of a hospital room at night, Colonello admits it was a challenge to achieve a unique light setting. "We used gels to accomplish this. We wanted the lighting to be warm and special, but still realistic."
The accompanying official first day cover portrays a clinical nurse "tending to a patient, bedside, in a manner that conveys one of the five professional roles that registered nurses practice today," adds Colonello.
The early roots of the profession were a driving force in building today's internationally renowned Canadian health-care system. The profession flourished, which necessitated the call for a congruent organization that would ensure nurses of Canada had a national voice, and by 1899, nurses began to organize themselves into formal groups across the country. In 1908, representatives from all organized nursing bodies in Canada were invited to meet in Ottawa to discuss uniting as a national association, and The Canadian National Association of Trained Nurses was formed. The following year, in July 1909, the Canadian group was accepted as a full member at the International Council of Nurses meeting in London, England. In 1924, the association changed its name to the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA). Today, the CNA is an influential federation of provincial and territorial associations.
In its early days, the association's main goal was to secure legislation for nursing professionalsa daunting task in an age of gender inequality. Although the profession is still largely comprised of women, males represent more than five per cent of registered nurses. In 2005, the ratio of practising registered nurses to the Canadian population was one to every 120 persons, a force that's had a monumental impact on health-care delivery.
Holding true to the actions of Canada's nursing pioneers, and on the occasion of the Canadian Nurses Association's 100th anniversary, nursing remains a profession focused on the personal touchhelping people attain, maintain and recover optimal healthfrom birth to end of life.

Stamp Specifications
Date of Issue : 6/16/2008
Last Day of Sale : 6/15/2009



Product Number : 413705131
Layout : Official First Day Cover
OFDC Cancellation Location : Ottawa, Ontario
Quantity : 23,000
Price : $1.52



Product Number: 413705111
Layout : Booklet of 10 stamps
Printer : Canadian Bank Note
Printing Process: Lithography in 8 colours
Quantity : 2,500,000
Paper Type : Tullis Russell
Tagging : General, 4 sides
Perforations : Simulated perforation
Gum Type : Pressure sensitive
Price : $5.20
Photography : Laura Arsie Photography
Dimensions : 30.75 mm x 30.

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stamp supporting Mental Health. The stamp will carry a 10-cent donation, with that entire amount being directed to the Canada Post Foundation for Mental Health. The stamp will be issued on October 6, 2008 to coincide with Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW), sponsored by Canada Post.

"The goal is to raise one million dollars this year," Moya Greene told attendees at the company's Annual Public Meeting. "When it comes to investing in communities, I am particularly proud that we have decided to champion mental health as our cause of choice. We were the first major company to adopt this cause, which has too long been an orphan nobody wanted. I hope others will follow."

"We have plans to involve our more than 60,000 people from coast to coast to coast, as well as all Canadians. Working together, we will change the face of mental illness in Canada," said Ms. Greene.

Phil Upshall, national director of Mental Illness Awareness Week, applauded Canada Post's move. "Stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness are still perhaps among the most profound barriers to treatment, but with the leadership shown by Canada Post and its employees, I'm confident we're about to make a major difference in the lives and families - one in five Canadians - touched by mental illness. Canada Post should be very proud." Mr. Upshall has been named the first trustee of the new Canada Post Foundation for Mental Health.

Additional information on the Foundation and the company's fundraising efforts will follow at a later date.

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If you compete in a sport during hot weather, you may be helped by this tip for recovering between events.

Researchers at Edith Cowan University in Australia showed that you can recover faster and compete at a higher level by soaking your legs in cold water (14 degrees C) for five minutes during rest periods between events (British Journal of Sports Medicine, June 2008). The cooling session dropped body temperature a half degree centigrade and the athletes were able to cycle faster with greater power output.

The best top 10 >>> canada health

Previous studies have shown that patients with obesity may not be receiving the same quality of health care as non-obese patients.

Reasons for this are likely to be complicated: yes, there is a provider bias - health professionals are likely to blame most complaints on the presence of obesity and perhaps not order the same tests that they may for the same complaints in a non-obese individual - on the other hand, patients with obesity may be more reluctant to go to their family physician because of embarrassment, frustrations about only being told again and again to simply lose weight, or fear of furniture or equipment that's too small.

How do these circumstances affect the rates of preventive screening?

This was addressed in a study by our own Rebecca Mitchell and colleagues from the University of Alberta, who examined the relationship between body weight and cancer screening in data from the 2003 Canadian Community Health Survey 2003. (The paper will appear in the August issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine).

Of the nearly 38,000 women participants, 82.6 percent reported having cervical cancer screening (Pap test) within the past three years. However, women with a BMI of 35 or higher, were nearly 40 percent less likely than others to have had a Pap test.

The findings were not explained by differences in socioeconomic status, health habits, chronic medical conditions or health care access. Reasons for less tests were more likely attributable to fear of pain, embarrassment or of finding something wrong.

Obesity did not alter mammogram or colorectal screening.

This study is only the latest in a number of studies that have looked at this issue before. Thus, Sarah S. Cohen and colleagues from the University of North Carolina in their review of 32 relevant published studies (10 breast cancer studies, 14 cervical cancer studies, and 8 colorectal cancer studies) found that in women obesity most likely is a barrier to screening for breast and cervical cancers whereas the evidence for colorectal cancer screening was inconclusive.

These finding certainly send a message to health care providers to be vigilant that their larger patients receive the same level of screening as their leaner patients - especially since obesity has been noted as a risk factor for both breast and cervical cancers.

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$53 million verdict brake mechanic suffering from mesothelioma

$13.5 million verdict one of the very first Vioxx trial cases

$15 million settlement man wound up a paraplegic due to negligent hospital care

$37 million verdict 2 asbestos lung cancer plaintiffs

$47 million verdict boilermaker who died from mesothelioma

$75 million verdict historic consolidated trial involving men who had worked at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in the 1940s and 1950s

$12.7 million verdict iron worker who was injured due to unsafe working conditions

$64.65 million award 4 asbestos plaintiffs

$17.5 million consolidated trial of 5 mesothelioma victims

$25 million jury verdict brake reliner

$5.8 million settlement failure to perform timely C-Section

$30 million verdict 7 former power-plant workers suffering from asbestos-related illnesses

$6 million settlement pediatric malpractice case

$14 million consolidated verdict 5 asbestos-related cancer suits: shipyards/powerhouses/construction

$8 million settlement obstetrical malpractice resulted in neurological deficits

$3.5 million 2 asbestos exposure cases

$600,000 settlement motor vehicle negligence resulting in serious injury

$44 million verdict 5 asbestos cases, including $11.6 million awarded to widow of sheet metal worker who died of mesothelioma

$1.6 million settlement suicide after premature hospital discharge

$2.6 million settlement ill-fitting prosthesis caused decubitus ulcers

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Balance SheetWhether you're walking a tightrope or scribbling in your checkbook, balance is a good thing. And, one of the best ways to evaluate a company is to glance at its balance sheet to see what it owns with what it owes.
The balance sheet is a paragon of simplicity and is made up of three components: assets (the stuff it owns), liabilities (the money it owes), and shareholders' equity (the company's value to its shareholders).
Assets take two forms: short-term (or current) assets and long-term assets. Under short-term, there¿s good ol' hard cash. Then, there¿s something called "cash equivalents," which are assets like short-term bonds that can be sold so quickly, they might as well be cash. There you factor in inventory, which (if you're a reasonably competent business owner) you can sell to customers in return for--you guessed it--cash. (The raw materials a company owns to make that inventory also falls under this category.)
Long-term assets are things that are harder to convert into cash. (Think real estate and equipment.) Long-term assets depreciate, meaning they lose some value over time. Also under the long-term category are what's called intangible assets: things like patents and brands, that are important, but hard to quantify. Accountants earn their stripes figuring out the real overall value of these assets.
Once you know your assets, it's time for liabilities. As with assets, liabilities are separated into short-term or current, and long-term. Current liabilities are what a company owes in that year: Things like payments to employees or accounts payable to suppliers. Long-term liabilities are debts paid over several years.
Shareholders' equity is determined by subtracting the liabilities from the assets. That number represents the value of the company after all its bills are paid.
Obviously, investors should pay close attention to balance sheets. Spikes in the amount of debt carried, or a reduction in shareholders' equity, are usually red flags.

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Some 50,000 workers marched in Montreal Saturday for the annual May Day rally, this time to express vehement opposition against plans to introduce private health care options in the region.
Lina Bonamie, Quebec Nurses Federation president, shouted out this year's battlecry: "To (Health Minister Philippe) Couillard and company: Health care in Quebec is a right," The Montreal Gazette quoted Bonamie.
"We'll stand up to protect our rights. We'll block you at every turn if you want to turn health into a commodity," she added.
According to reports, this year's May Day rally is one of the largest held in Montreal since the annual march began in 1972. Organizers say workers came from far and wide out of concern for Quebec's health care system.
"The Charest government is allowing (the health care system) to slip slowly into the private sector," Michel Arsenault, president of the 600,000- strong Fédération des travailleurs et travailleuses du Québec, told The Gazette.
Labor unions had rented buses to ferry participants to and from rally, which was described by police authorities as relatively peaceful. The protest was characterized by music and festive party atmosphere.
A week before, the Quebec-Canada-Ontario Health Coalition called on labor unions and cause-oriented groups to support the May Day rally and fight the proposed privation of health care in Quebec.
"Quebec is ground-zero for health care privatization. A recent Supreme Court decision along with new legislation, have opened the floodgates to private clinics and two-tiered care. For years now right-wing think tanks have targeted Quebec as the new testing ground for private health care and the province is facing a deep crisis within their system," the group's statement read.

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