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Sunday, May 29, 2011

Do You Really Need Heart Surgery?

Up to 30% for surgical procedures in the US are unnecessary. Each year, more than 1 million heart patients are treated with angioplasty and stents which restore normal circulation to the heart and reduce angina pain.

The problem is that angioplasty and stents are overused. A study of more that 2,300 patients by the American College of  Cardiology found that patients with stable angina that were treated with  medications like nitroglycerine had the same outcome  of those treated with invasive procedure of stents.

Who is helped by stents: People with unstable agina, people with a significant blockage in the left main coronary artery, or with three coronary arteries blocked and weakened heart muscle. People with stable angina should be treated with medications to control pain , reduce blood pressure and cholesterol.

The Best Houseplants For Healthier Indoor Air

The source of most indoor pollutants are volitile organic compounds (VOCs) that "gas out" from indoor paints, varnishes, adhesives, furniture, dry cleaned clothing, cleansers, detergents, disinfectants, spot removers and air freshners. Now, not all VOCs are bad. The frangrance of flowers and a fresh baked apple pie are VOCs. But many are bad for your health.

They can cause  asthma, headaches, fatigue, eye irritation, skin rashes and more. Some like benzene, are known carcinigens. But the good news is that houseplants can remove  VOCs from the air. The pollutants are absorbed through mircroscopic openings in the leaves. The best house plants for removing VOCs from the air are:

Purple Waffle ( Hemigraphis aternata ) English Ivy ( Hedera helix )  Wax plant ( Hoya carnosa) Asparagus fern ( Asparagus densiflorus ) Purple heart plant ( Tradescantia pallida ) Boston fern (Nphrolepus exaltata Bostoniensis ) Bamboo plant ( Chamaedorea seifrizzzii ) Rubber plant ( Ficus robusta ) Gerbera daisy ( Gerbera jamesonii ) and Golden pothos ( Epipremnum aureum ).

For maximum indoor air quality improvment, you should experimemnt with multiple species as needed. The exact number is difficult to determine depending on your indoor air quality. Also, keep in mind that plants grown without dirt, usually in pebbles or another open aggregate , are  30 to 50% more effective in removing VOCs than those grown in potting soil. This is due to the greater air flow through pebbles to the plant zone where microbes break down the VOCs.

Saturday, May 21, 2011

12 Best Food Festivals In The Northeast

1. Great Chowder Cook Off Newport, RI June 4 http://www.newportwaterfrontevents.com/ 2. Vermont Cheesemakers Festival -Shelburne, Vt July 24 http://www.vtcheesefest.com/ 3. Atlantic City Food And Wine Festival - Atlantic City, NJ July 28-31 http://www.acfoodandwine.com/ 4. Ice Cream Festival, Toms River, NJ July 16  http://www.downtowntomsriver.com/icecream/festival.htm 5. Maine Lobster Festival -Rockland, ME August 3-7 http://www.mainelobsterfestival.com/ 6. Taste Of The Caribbean And Jerk Festival Hartford, CT Aug 6 http://www.tasteofthecaribbeanct.org/ 7. Pittson Tomato Festival Pittston, PA Aug 18-21 http://www.pittstontomatofestival.com/ 8. Hard Crab Derby Cristfield, MD Sept 2-4 www.crisfieldchamber.com/etints 9 . National BuffaloWing Festival Buffalo, NY Sept 3-4 http://www.buffalowing.com/ 10. Milford Pumkin Festival Milford, NH Oct 7-9 http://www.milfordpumpkinfestival.org/
11. Bridgeville Apple Scrapple Festival Bridgeville, DE Oct 14-15 http://www.applescrapple.com/ 12. Wellfleet Oyster Fest Wellfleet, MA Oct 15-16 http://www.wellfleetoysterfest.org/

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Hang It Up For Less

If  you want to fill your blank walls with inexpensive and good paintings, prints and photos you don't have to be an art mogul to buy a masterpiece. The following sites offer art at great prices: www.20x200.com,
 www.Aceditions.com , www.ArtOfThePrint.Com , www.ArtStar.Com , www.CircuitGallery.Com , www.Exhibitiona.Com , www.EyeStorm.Com , www.Society6.Comwww.TinyShowCase.Com ,
www.theworkingproof.com , and www.Zatista.Com

Monday, May 16, 2011

Four Gourmet Popsicle Recipes That Will Blow Your Mind

1.Strawberry Basil-2 lbs fresh strawberries, 3/4 cup sugar, 10 large fresh basil leaves, 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar,juice of 1/2 lime. Hull and wash strawberries and put in blender. Add the remaining ingredients until smooth. Pour into molds, add sticks , and freeze until solid , 4-6 hours.

2. Plain Yogurt, Dried Fruit And Nuts 20 ounces plain non-fat  yogurt, 6 ounces of sugar,  1/2 cup of dried fruits and nuts. Blend yogurt until it liquefies, then add sugar until it disintegrates. Chop dried fruits and nuts into small pieces and add to yogurt in small quantities.  Stir in slowly to prevent the fruits and nuts from sticking together. Scoop the mix into molds making sure to get an even amount of nuts and fruit into each mold. Insert sticks and freeze solid 4-6 hours.

3. Blueberry Lemonade  11/2 cups blueberries, 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon zest, 2/3 cups of sugar, 2 1/2 cups of water. Rinse the berries them combine all ingredients in a blender on high until thoroughly and evenly pulverized. Hold a fine mesh strainer over a pitcher and strain the mixture by slowly pouring. Let the mixture rest until any froth has dissolved or remove it by spooning it off. Pour the liquid into molds and add sticks. Freeze until solid 4-6 hours.

4. Pineapple Chile 1 very ripe medium pineapple, 1 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, 1 cup water, 1/3 cup sugar. Peel and core pineapple. Separate fruit into thirds, set 1/3 aside. Cut the other 2/3 into cubes. Using a saucepan  cover with water and simmer for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool, Meanwhile finely chop the reserved pineapple and set aside. Once cooked pineapple is cool, transfer to a blender. Add sugar and cayenne to taste. Blend together and pour into mold leaving a little space to add the reserved chopped pineapple to each cavity. Add sticks and freeze solid, 4-6 hours.        



Saturday, May 14, 2011

Where The Jobs Are Now

 One of the biggest jobs fields right now is health care. The top paying jobs are: Radiologic Technologist 
They help doctors perform diagnostic exams like X-rays, CT scans and MRIs. They work in hospitals, clinics doctor's offices.  The median wage is $53,000. The job requires a two year associate degree from a community college or a 21-24 month certificate from a technical college. For more info visit www.arrt.org

Next is Physical Therapist Assistant They help patients implement programs developed by physical therapists. The median wage is $48,000. The job requires a two year associates degree from a accredited program and a licensing exam must be passed. For more info visit www.apta.org Also see www.CapteOnline.Org

Another career choice is Medical Assistant One and two year programs are offered by many vocational schools. The median wage is $29,000.  For more info visit www.aama-ntl.org

Dental Hygienists earn about $67,000 a year. They provide dental cleanings and exams in dental offices. A two year associates degree in dental hygiene is required and a licensing  exam must be passed. For more info see www.adha.org .

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Little Known Credit Card Perks

Extend Your Warranty -Besides points and cash back, Gold and platinum MasterCards, Visa and American Express cards all extend the manufacturer's warranty by one year. Plus if you loose or break that new laptop or digital camera within 90 days of purchase, Citi's new Thank You Premier card will pay to repair or replace it or reimburse you up to $1,000.

The same is true for purchases made with your American Express card. Also, most gold and platinum cards plus American Express  will pick up the collision insurance when you rent a car. You just need to refuse it when you pick up the car and and inform the rental company that your credit card will pick up the insurance. 

Get The Lowest Price -If you see an item you purchased with a Citi premium card advertised for less within 60 days, Citi will make up the difference up to $250. Many gold and platinum MasterCards offer the same protection. 

Get Covered On The Road -  If your laptop is stolen from your hotel room, MasterCard will reimburse you if you used a gold or platinum card to pay for the room. Likewise, if your luggage doesn't arrive when you do, MasterCard will reimburse you for the cost of replacing essential items. Plus, MasterCard will cover the cost to replace or repair damaged luggage.     







Thursday, May 5, 2011

How To Avoid Online Dating Scams

Scammers use a phony picture of a good looking man or woman. Then they flatter and fawn. Once you're hooked, they hit you with some variation of several war torn stories. Sometimes  they say they live abroad and desperately want to visit you but their banking system is broken. Or they're at the airport and their credit card has been declined. But all their stories all end up the same: "please wire cash and I'll  pay you back." These scammers usually reside in West Africa or one of the former Soviet republics. So to protect yourself, use search engines like Facebook  or Google.  There you can search for any sob story to see if it is common. Next, stick to PAID online dating services. Paid sites have a paper trail of their members from credit card information. Then ask for info before you share your e-mail address or phone number. Make sure his or her info on Facebook matches up with what they are telling you. Then for added insurance,  run a background check on sites like http://www.beenverified.com/