The Mornin' Mail is published every weekday except major holidays
Tuesday, April 15, 2008 Volume XVI, Number 212

did ya know?

Did Ya Know?... C.A.N. D.O. Senior Center at 404 E. 3rd St., Carthage is holding an All You Can Eat Breakfast on Saturday, April 19 from 7:00 - 10:00 am. Adults: $4.00, Kids 12 & Under $3.00. All proceeds benefit C.A.N. D. O. Senior Center. For advance order carryout and more information call 358-4741.

Did Ya Know?... "Magic Moments Riding Therapy is in need of several volunteers to help with our 5:30 pm Tuesday class. Volunteers are needed as horse handlers and sidewalkers, and should be at least 14 years old, able to follow directions and unafraid of horses. If you are interested, please call us at (417) 325-4490 for more info.

Did Ya Know?... Saturday Night Idol. A fundraiser for McCune Brooks Hospital. Presented by GFWC Women’s Service League of Carthage. Register now for the preliminaries on Sat., April 19. Register in person at the First United Methodist Church at 617 S Main St, Carthage, MO, West Entrance on April 19th from 10am to 1pm. To get registration form ahead a of time, EMAIL - saturdaynightidol@yahoo.com. For more information, check our Website - http://snidol.tripod.com

today's laugh

"What time do you get up in summer?"
"As soon as the first ray of the sun comes in my window."
"Isn’t that rather early?"
"No. My room faces west."

1908
INTERESTING MELANGE.
A Chronological Record of Events as they have Transpired in the City and County since our last Issue.

Spider Culture.

Thirteen years ago a French missionary started the systematic rearing of two kinds of spiders for their web, and the Board of Trade Journal states that a spider web factory is now in successful operation at Chalais-Meudon, near Paris, where ropes are made of spider web intended for balloons for the French military aeronautic section. The spiders are arranged in groups of 12 above a reel, upon which the threads are wound. It is by no means easy work for the spiders, for they are not released until they have furnished from 30 yards to 41 yards of thread each. The web is washed and thus freed of the outer reddish and sticky cover. Eight of the washed threads are then taken together, and of this rather strong yarn cords are woven which are stronger and much lighter than cords of silk of the same thickness.

School Books cheap, Fitzer’s.

 

Today's Feature

Public Works Committee.

The City Council Public Works Committee will meet this afternoon at 4:00 p.m. in the Public Works Department building, 623 E. 7th Street. Items on the agenda include the discussion of an administrative subdivision at 912 S. Orner, the discussion of bid openings for Drainage improvements from Centennial to 13th Street, and the discussion of bid openings for the annual street paving contract.

Just Jake Talkin'

Mornin'

Relay For Life Luminaries.

Relay For Life will kick-off June 6 and 7, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. in Central Park with entertainment, games and the first Survivors lap scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Each Relay team will have a camp site and will have activities in which everyone can participate.

Luminary lighting will take place at 9:30 pm. Luminaries can be purchased in advance or the night of Relay for $5.00 Luminaries are "In Honor" or "In Memory" of a loved one. The Luminary services are a very special part of the Relay and this includes the lighting and reading of names of each survivor and of those who have lost their life to cancer.

Luminaries may be purchased by calling 417-358-8131, ext. 4804.

Sponsored
by
McCune Brooks Regional Hospital
To Your Good Health
By Paul G. Donohue, M.D.

Exercise for Emphysema and Chronic Bronchitis

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My wife’s mobility has been quite limited by her breathing difficulty from COPD. Are there suggestions that could enable her to start very gradually on an exercise program to build muscle strength, mainly leg-muscle strength? - E.M.

ANSWER: Emphysema and chronic bronchitis are the two chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases. Most people with COPD have a touch of both illnesses. Emphysema is a destruction of the lung’s air sacs. Shortness of breath on slight activity is its hallmark symptom. Oxygen can't get into the blood through damaged air sacs, so people are always short of breath. Chronic bronchitis is irritation of the airways. Cough with thick sputum is its main symptom.

Exercise isn’t easy for people with COPD, since they become breathless so quickly. Yet exercise is necessary. COPD patients tend to sit most of the time. Their muscles become deconditioned, that’s another impediment to them being active.

Interval exercise usually can be tolerated. On a stationary bike, interval exercise means pedaling somewhat quickly for only 20 seconds and then slowing down for the next 40 seconds. Repeating these cycles as many times as possible builds muscle strength and helps COPD patients achieve mobility. The same kind of training can be done while walking or swimming.

Breathing through pursed lips helps a person with COPD. These people should inhale through the nose to a count of four then exhale through pursed lips to a count of six. Pursed lips are lips held like when one whistles.

While exercising, COPD patients should lean slightly forward at the waist to give the lungs more room to expand.

DOLLARS AND SENSE

By David Uffington

Bracing for Tough Times

Recession, depression, downturn in the market -- no matter what it’s called, there’s less money going around. Taking the right steps now can help you get through what might be a bumpy time.

If you’ve been considering a job change, perhaps to a middle-management slot in the same or another company, give it long thought before you accept a position. "Last hired, first fired" could apply if your new company downsizes, and middle managers are most vulnerable. Meanwhile, be indispensable at the job you do have.

Develop multiple sources of income. If you have a marketable mini-skill or hobby (small engine or appliance repair, sewing, home maintenance) that allows others to fix what they have rather than buying new, consider starting a part-time business. Invest in a few ads to promote your services and increase your presence in local groups. The more you’re known in places like church or social or service groups, the more opportunities you’ll have to spread the word and to hear what others are able to provide.

Set up a trade system with likeminded others. If you can fix a computer, but your neighbor is good with oil changes or alterations, you both can benefit.

Do it yourself where possible. If your local community college or chain hardware store offers classes in home repair, take advantage of those that will allow you to avoid the high cost of repairs.

Sign up on Freecycle (www.freecycle.org), a site that promotes the reuse of goods.

Don’t take on any new debt. When magazine subscriptions expire, don’t renew. Get out of book clubs, gym memberships (unless it causes a penalty fee) and anything that involves an automatic expense each month.

Minimize the number of automatic bill-paying deductions you have coming out of your checking account. Write checks each month instead, staying more in control of your money.

Take care of maintenance now for anything from dental work to roof repair to forestall big expenses down the road.

Consider unemployment insurance to cover your mortgage.

Imagine that your income is cut off tomorrow. Calculate how long you would be able to survive and pay your bills on the money you have now. Consider what a dollar means to you today versus what it might mean tomorrow.

FROM START TO FITNESS
By Andrea Renee Wyatt, M.S.S., C.S.C.S.

Rediscover Sports You Loved as Child

Q: Growing up, I was very active in sports and other activities. As an adult, I enjoy exercising but miss the competition. The chance to compete in sports as an adult are limited in my area. Any suggestions on finding something that can motivate me the way sports did in my childhood?

A: Many adults who took part in sports as children found the experience to be rewarding. But as life becomes more focused on work, family and other responsibilities, time for "play" takes a back seat. Finding or creating activities that will bring back your competitive spirit can be easier than you think.

Think of the athletic activities you enjoyed as a child. Sports such as basketball, softball, swimming, running or tennis still can be done today as an adult. In addition, practicing and preparing for a game, match or competition can create a purpose to exercise, and motivate you to stick with your routines even when tired.

You might be surprised at how many other adults are feel the same way you do. Mention to a few friends how you miss competing in different sports, and how you would like to find other adults who, say, might want to organize and start a weekly game of basketball, or find other couples to play doubles tennis.

Check with your local recreation department, YMCA or fitness facility. Evening programs are often offered for adults in a variety of activities such as martial arts or basketball. If none are available, suggest to the program director the need for adult programming at their facility.

Another option can be to exercise for a cause. Many charitable organizations offer team training for triathlons, marathons and 100-mile bike rides, which function not only as training for the participant, but also as a way to raise money for the charity. The training required to complete these events can be intense, but also rewarding and fun.

The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (www.teamintraining.org) and The American Diabetes Association (www.diabetes.org) both have Teams in Training that organize your training and help you learn more about their causes. The races also tend to be in great locations such as Hawaii.

Creating your own competition can be fun too. You might not live where triathlon training is available, but you can create your own triathlon challenge. Find and area to run, bike and swim, and challenge yourself to complete the distances of an actual triathlon. Distances range from fun/sprint distances to longer distances.

Sprint triathlons could be as little as a 200-yard swim, a 5-10 mile bike and a 3-mile run. At the other extreme are Ironman distances: a 2.4 mile open-water swim, 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2 mile run. Find a distance that is good for you, and push yourself. Set a goal to complete your triathlon. Whether it is all in one day or over the span of a month, you will feel a sense of accomplishment when finished.

Keep having fun, even as an adult, and continue to keep moving just as you did as a child. Always consult a physician before beginning an exercise program.

Moments In Time
The History Channel

On April 19, 1775, at about 5 a.m., 700 British troops march into the Massachusetts town of Lexington to find 77 armed minutemen waiting for them. Suddenly, the "shot heard around the world" was fired from an undetermined gun. When the brief Battle of Lexington ended, eight Americans lay dead or dying and 10 others were wounded. The American Revolution had begun.

On April 20, 1841, Edgar Allen Poe’s short story "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" first appears in Graham’s Lady’s and Gentleman’s Magazine. The tale is generally considered to be the first detective story.

On April 14, 1912, just before midnight in the North Atlantic, the RMS Titanic hits an iceberg, rupturing five watertight compartments along her starboard side. Hours later the massive vessel sank, and more than 1,500 people died in the icy North Atlantic waters.

On April 17, 1937, Daffy Duck makes his debut in the Warner Bros. short "Porky’s Duck Hunt." In the 1920s, movie houses had started showing a short cartoon before feature presentations, but the form became more popular after sound was introduced in 1928.

On April 16, 1947, a massive explosion occurs during the loading of fertilizer onto the freighter Grandcamp at a pier in Texas City, Texas, killing 600 people. The blast was heard 150 miles away and was so powerful that the ship’s 3,000-pound anchor was found 2 miles away.

VETERAN’S POST
By Freddy Groves

Gulf War Syndrome Is for Real

I spent a whole afternoon on the Internet looking for (and finding) research information about Gulf War Syndrome and how far back the powers that be have known about the damage caused by exposure to chemicals like nerve gas and pesticides.

What I found is disheartening. They’ve known for a long time.

One example: A 1999 study revealed there is a genetic reason why some soldiers got sick after exposure to chemicals and some didn’t. It’s called (in scientist shorthand) PON-Q, which is an enzyme that destroys chemical toxins that invade the body, especially sarin. Those who had low levels of this enzyme in their blood got sick after exposure. Those with high levels didn’t.

And yet it’s only now, in a recently published study by Dr. Beatrice Golomb of UC San Diego, that all the information has been pulled together in one massive study of the literature.

The bottom line: The evidence satisfies "presumptive criteria for causality," meaning cause and effect can be proved. Gulf War Syndrome may well have been caused by sarin, pesticides and the anti-nerve gas pills given to military personnel. The greater the exposure to AChEi (acetyl cholinesterase inhibitors), the worse the damage to the body.

I’m grateful that Dr. Golomb has pulled all 115 pieces of research together. I just wish someone had listened before when so many of these studies came out one after the other.

To learn more about what the VA has to say about Gulf War Syndrome, go to www1.va.gov/gulfwar. Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the page to click to the GulfLINK Medical Information page, which has dozens of links to Gulf War medical information (some links may no longer work). And don’t miss the Med Search link at the very bottom.

Art in the Park Day.

In conjunction with National Park Week, George Washington Carver National Monument invites the public to the second annual Art in the Park Day. Held on Saturday, April 26th, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., this free event celebrates the artwork of George Washington Carver.

George Washington Carver was inspired by the natural environment and gained a sense of serenity and personal rejuvenation from his artistic work. Like Carver, artists will be set up across the park grounds, drawing inspiration from nature. Hands-on workshops will be provided throughout the day and all visitors are encouraged to participate. Workshops will feature techniques in acrylics, oils, pastels, clay, pencil, natural dyes, and watercolors.

A special exhibit, Expressions of the Soul, will feature artistic creations by George Washington Carver, including some of his original artwork on display for this special day.

April 26th is also National Junior Ranger Day and a special Junior Ranger booth will feature art activities. Children are encouraged to earn their own Junior Ranger badge to add to their collection.

George Washington Carver National Monument preserves the birthplace and childhood home of George Washington Carver. The monument is located two miles west of Diamond, Missouri on Hwy V, then south ½ mile on Carver Road. For more information, please call the park at 417-325-4151 between 9:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

 

Sponsored by
Oldies & Oddities
 

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