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Monday, February 28, 2011
How Wall St. Banksters Got Away With The Biggest Rip-Off Ever
How The Banksters Got Away With The Biggest Rip-Off Ever
Hats off to Matt Taibbi for staying on the Wall Street crime beat, asking in his most recent report in Rolling Stone: “Why Isn’t Wall Street in Jail?”
“Financial crooks,” he argues, “brought down the world’s economy — but the feds are doing more to protect them than to prosecute them.”
True enough, but that’s only part of the story. The Daily Kos called his investigation a “depressing read” perhaps because it suggests that the Obama Administration is not doing what it should to reign in financial crime. Many of the lawyers he calls on to act come from big corporate law firms and buy into their worldview.
Kos should be more depressed by the failure of the progressive community to focus on these issues, and not pressing the government to do the right thing.
There is much more to this story. It’s also more about institutions than individuals, more about a captured system that enables and covers up crime and, then, deflects attention away from the deeper problem.
Ten problems
You could see that when television host Bill Mahrer pressed Taibbi to name the biggest Wall Street crooks, on his weekly political comedy show, he didn’t fully understand what we are really up against.
Here are ten of well-planned but flawed factors that help explain the procrastination and rationalisation for inaction. The government is not just to blame either. Several industries working together, through their firms associations, and well-paid operatives, collaborated over years to financialise the economy to their own benefit.
Personalising bad guys makes for good TV without offering a real explanation.
When financial institutions and services became the dominant economic sector, they, effectively, took over the political system to fortify their power. It was a done incrementally, over years, with savvy, foresight and malice.
First, many of those who might be charged with financial crimes and fraud invested in lobbying and political donations to insure that tough regulations and enforcement were neutered before the housing bubble they promoted took off.
After hundreds of bankers were jailed in the wake of the Savings and Loan crisis, financial fraudsters pushed for weakened regulations, guaranteeing that their colleagues wouldn’t be jailed in when the next crisis hit.
In effect, their deregulation strategy also deliberately ”decriminalised” the environment to make sure that practices that led to high profits and low accountability would be permissible and permitted. What was once illegal soon became “legal”.
No enforcement
The cops and watchdogs were taken off the beat. Anticipating and then dissolving restraints, they engineered a low-risk crime scene in the way the Pentagon systematically prepares its battlefields. This permitted illicit practices, to be encouraged by CEOs in a variety of control frauds to keep profits up so that the executives could extract more revenue.
Today’s proposed Republican cutbacks of the funding of regulatory bodies aims to undercut recently passed financial reforms. One Commissioner of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission said if the budget is slashed, “there would essentially be no cop on the beat…we could once again risk another calamitous disintegration.” He added, according to a New York Times report, “the process will mean nothing, squat, diddley … if we get cut we’re going to be in a world of hurt.”
Second, the industry invented, advertised and rationalised exotic financial instruments as forward looking “innovation” and “modernisation” to disguise their intent while enhancing their field to maneuver.
This was part of creating a shadow banking system operating below the radar of effective monitoring and regulation. Where is the focus on controlling the out of control power of the leverage-hungry gamblers at unregulated hedge funds?
Third, the industry promulgated economic theories and ideologies that won the backing of the economics profession which largely did not see the crisis coming, making those who favored a crackdown on fraud appear unfashionable and out of date.
As economist James Galbraith testified to Congress: “…the study of financial fraud received little attention. Practically no research institutes exist; collaboration between economists and criminologists is rare; in the leading departments there are few specialists and very few students. Economists have soft-pedaled the role of fraud in every crisis they examined, including the Savings & Loan debacle, the Russian transition, the Asian meltdown and the dot.com bubble. They continue to do so now.”
Fourth, prominent members of the financial services industry were appointed to top positions in the government agencies that should have cracked down on financial crime, but instead looked the other way. The foxes were indeed guarding the chicken coop guiding institutions that tolerated if not enabled an environment of criminality.
Alan Greenspan and Ben Bernanke were repeatedly warned by underlings at the Federal Reserve Bank about pervasive predatory practices in the mortgage and Subprime markets and they chose to do nothing. Now Greenspan acknowledges pervasive fraud but decries the lack of enforcement while Bernanke wants to run a Consumer Protection Agency after ignoring consumer complaints for years. Even as the FBI denounced “an epidemic of mortgage fraud” in 2004, their white-collar crime units were downsized.
Fifth, the media has been complicit, seduced, bought off and compromised. The housing bubble mushroomed in the very period that the media was forced to downsize. Dodgy lenders and credit card companies pumped billions into advertising in radio, television and the internet almost insuring that there would no undue media investigations.
Financial journalists increasingly embedded themselves in the culture and narrative of Wall Street by hyping stocks and CEOs. The “guests” routinely chosen by media outlets to explain the crisis were often part of it.
Foxes guarding the chicken coop
“Many of the ‘experts’ whom I read or see on TV seem clueless, [and] full of hot air. Many of their predictions turn out wrong even when they seem so self-assured and well-informed in making them,” writes Jim Hightower,
His advice: “Don’t be deterred by the finance industry’s jargon (which is intended to numb your brain and keep regular folks from even trying to figure out what’s going on).”
Sixth, politicians and corporate lawyers fashioned settlements of abuses that were exposed rather than prosecutions. The government benefited by getting large fines while businessmen avoided jail.
Financial executives were often rewarded with bonuses and huge compensation for practices that skirted or crossed the line of criminality.
Intentional violations of the spirit and letter of laws were justified because “everyone does it” by high priced legal firms that often doubled as lobbyists. Conflicts of interest were sneered at. Judges, dependent on industry donations for reelection looked the other way.
Seventh, as the economy changed and industries that were once separated began working together, laws were not updates. Financial institutions worked closely with Insurance companies and real estate firms. Yet law enforcement did not recognised this new reality.
Financial crime was still seen almost entirely under the framework of securities laws that are designed to protect investors, not workers or homeowners who suffered far more in the collapse. Cases are framed against individuals with a high standard of proving intent, not under other kinds of laws used to prosecute organised crime and conspiracies.
By defining crimes narrowly, prosecutions became few and far between.
“Cases against Wall Street executives can be difficult to prove to the satisfaction of a jury because of the mind-numbing volume of emails, prospectuses, and memos involved in documenting a case,” Reuters news agency reported.
Criminal minds
Convicted financial criminal Sam Antar who appears in my film Plunder is contemptuous of how government tends to proceed in these cases, in part because they don’t seem to understand how calculated these crimes and their cover-ups are. ”Our laws—innocent until proven guilty, the codes of ethics that journalists like you abide by limit your behavior and give the white-collar criminal freedom to commit their crimes, and also to cover up their crimes,” he said.
“We have no respect for the laws. We consider your codes of ethics, and your laws, weaknesses to be exploited in the execution of our crimes. So the prosecutors, hopefully most prosecutors, are honest if they’re playing by the set of the rules; they’re hampered by the illegal constraints. The white-collar criminal has no legal constraints. You subpoena documents, we destroy documents; you subpoena witnesses, we lie. So you are at a disadvantage when it comes to the white-collared criminal. In effect, we’re economic predators. We’re serial economic predators; we impose a collective harm on society, time is always on our side, not on, not on the side of justice, unfortunately.”
Eighth, even as the economy globalises, and US financial firms spread their footprint worldwide, there was little internationalisation of financial rules and regulations.
Today, even as the French and the Germans propose such rules, Washington still opposes a tough global regime of codes of conduct.
Overseas, in Greece and England, and other parts of Europe, there has been an indictment of American corporate predators, especially Goldman Sachs. They are being denounced as “financial terrorists” and discussed in terms of their links to various elite business formations like the Bilderberg Group.
Ninth, With the exception of softball inquiries by a financial crisis inquiry commission, there has been no intensive investigations in the United States even like the tepid 9/11 Commission.
While Senator Carl Levin of Michigan did spend a day aggressively grilling Goldman Sachs on one deceptive practice, their defense was more telling about the real nature of the problem: “everyone did it”.
The case for criminality has still not achieved critical mass as an issue to become a dominant explanation for why the economy collapsed. In fact, it is still being sneered at or ignored.
Finally, tenth, a big problem in my countdown, are the progressive critics of the crisis who also largely ignore criminality as a key factor and possible focus for an organizing effort.
They treat the crisis as if they are at a financial seminar at Harvard, focusing on the complexities of derivatives, credit default swaps and structured financial products in language that ordinary people rarely can penetrate. They argue that banks should not be too big to fail, but rarely they are not too big to jail.
Few progressive activist groups stress the immorality of these practices, much less their criminality after all these years! There is little active solidarity even in the progressive community with the newly homeless or jobless.
Where is the active empathy, compassion and the caring for the victims of the financial crimes?
A populist response to the crisis has been muted. There is little pressure from below on the Administration and Justice Department—which has now created a financial crimes task force—to take real action. It is as if this crime crisis within the financial crisis does not exist.
Curiously, as they refuse to discuss the pervasive fraud that did occur, the Obama administration is considering a “global settlement” of all housing fraud to get the issue off the table. They a proposing a $20bn dollar deal to bury the problem.
By all means, workers should rally to protect their jobs and pensions as they have in Wisconsin, but they should realise that it is the banks who are ultimately to blame for the financial pressures behind the attack on them. Pension funds have lost billions because of Wall Street scams. State governments have taken a big hit.
Why have the unions and leftist groups been mostly silent on these issues?
Even after the markets melted down, even after Wall Street bonus scandals and bailout disgraces, Wall Street has hardly been humbled. It is still spending a fortune on PR and political gun slinging with 25 lobbyists shadowing every member of Congress to scuttle real reform.
Its arrogance is evident in an email the Financial Times reported was “pinging around” trading desks. It reads in part:
“We are Wall Street: It’s our job to make money. Whether it’s a commodity, stock, bond, or some hypothetical piece of fake paper, it doesn’t matter. We would trade baseball cards if it were profitable… Go ahead and continue to take us down, but you’re only going to hurt yourselves. What’s going to happen when we can’t find jobs on the Street anymore? Guess what: We’re going to take yours… We aren’t dinosaurs. We are smarter and more vicious than that, and we are going to survive.”
Perhaps it’s not surprising, that in an act of preemptive anticipation, some years ago, Wall Street firms began financing the construction and administration of privatised jails. They know how to profit from incarceration too.
When will we call a crime a crime? When will we demand a jail-out, not just more bail-outs. Unless we do, and until we do, the people who created the worst crisis in our time will, in effect, get away with the biggest rip-off in history.
Filmmaker and News Dissector Danny Schechter edits Mediachannel.org.
For more on his film Plunder: The Crime of Our Time and companion bookThe Crime Of Our Time: Why Wall Street Is Not Too Big To Jail, visitplunderthecrimeofourtime.com.
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Happiness is ... kinky sex | Relationships - Life & Style Home - smh.com.au
via smh.com.au
: An unusual sex survey has found that Australians who enjoy bondage and discipline are not damaged or dangerous, and might even be happier than those who practise "normal" sex.
The research showed two per cent of adult Australians regularly partake in sadomasochism and dominance and submission-type sexual role play.
And contrary to commonly-held stereotypes, they are not doing so in reaction to sexual abuse or because they are "sexually deficient" in some way, according the study of 20,000 Australians by public health researchers at the University of NSW.
"Our findings support the idea that bondage and discipline and sadomasochism (BDSM) is simply a sexual interest or subculture attractive to a minority," Associate Professor Juliet Richters and her colleagues wrote in the Journal of Sexual Medicine.
The findings showed that it was more common among gay, lesbian and bisexual people, and that participants were more likely to have been more sexually adventurous in other ways.
"However, they were no more likely to have been coerced into sexual activity and were not significantly more likely to be unhappy or anxious," said Prof Richters, author of the book Doing It Down Under.
In fact, men who take part may be happier, with results showing they score significantly lower on a scale of psychological distress than other men.
The researchers did not study why this was, but suspect it might simply be that they're more in harmony with themselves because they're into something unusual and are comfortable with that.
Prof Richters says the findings go against professional views of BDSM.
"People with these sexual interests have long been seen by medicine and the law as, at best, damaged and in need of therapy and, at worst, dangerous and in need of legal regulation," she said.
There was also an assumption, mostly among the general public, that people involved in BDSM were sexually deficient in some way, "and need particularly strong stimuli such as being beaten or tied up to become aroused".
She said she hoped the results would help change these stereotypes.
AAP
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Saturday, February 26, 2011
Upcoming Possible Space Station Sighting : Weather Permitting : #cleveland
THE FOLLOWING ISS SIGHTINGS ARE POSSIBLE FROM FRI FEB 25 TO SAT MAR 12
SATELLITE LOCAL DURATION MAX ELEV APPROACH DEPARTURE DATE/TIME (MIN) (DEG) (DEG-DIR) (DEG-DIR)
ISS Fri Feb 25/07:18 PM 2 17 15 above NW 15 above N ISS Sun Feb 27/06:36 PM 2 17 15 above NW 15 above N ISS Fri Mar 04/07:13 PM 1 15 15 above N 15 above NNE ISS Sat Mar 05/07:38 PM 2 28 17 above NNW 28 above NNE ISS Sun Mar 06/08:03 PM 2 55 16 above NW 55 above NW ISS Mon Mar 07/06:54 PM 4 30 15 above NNW 16 above E ISS Mon Mar 07/08:30 PM < 1 20 20 above W 20 above W ISS Tue Mar 08/07:20 PM 4 86 20 above NW 20 above SE ISS Wed Mar 09/07:47 PM 2 25 23 above WSW 16 above S ISS Fri Mar 11/07:04 PM 2 22 22 above SW 15 above S ONLY DAYS WITH SIGHTING OPPORTUNITIES ARE LISTED
THE FOLLOWING SHUTTLE SIGHTINGS ARE POSSIBLE FROM FRI FEB 25 TO WED MAR 09
SATELLITE LOCAL DURATION MAX ELEV APPROACH DEPARTURE DATE/TIME (MIN) (DEG) (DEG-DIR) (DEG-DIR)
SHUTTLE Sun Feb 27/06:36 PM 2 17 15 above NW 15 above N SHUTTLE Fri Mar 04/07:12 PM 1 15 15 above N 15 above NNE SHUTTLE Sat Mar 05/07:37 PM 2 27 17 above NNW 27 above NNE SHUTTLE Sun Mar 06/08:03 PM 2 55 16 above NW 55 above NW SHUTTLE Mon Mar 07/06:54 PM 4 29 15 above NNW 16 above E SHUTTLE Mon Mar 07/08:29 PM < 1 20 20 above W 20 above W SHUTTLE Tue Mar 08/07:20 PM 4 85 20 above NW 20 above SE ONLY DAYS WITH SIGHTING OPPORTUNITIES ARE LISTE
THE FOLLOWING ISS SIGHTINGS ARE POSSIBLE FROM FRI FEB 25 TO SAT MAR 12
SATELLITE
LOCAL
DURATION
MAX ELEV
APPROACH
DEPARTURE
DATE/TIME
(MIN)
(DEG)
(DEG-DIR)
(DEG-DIR)
ISS
Fri Feb 25/07:18 PM
2
17
15 above NW 15 above N
ISS
Sun Feb 27/06:36 PM
2
17
15 above NW 15 above N
ISS
Fri Mar 04/07:13 PM
1
15
15 above N 15 above NNE
ISS
Sat Mar 05/07:38 PM
2
28
17 above NNW 28 above NNE
ISS
Sun Mar 06/08:03 PM
2
55
16 above NW 55 above NW
ISS
Mon Mar 07/06:54 PM
4
30
15 above NNW 16 above E
ISS
Mon Mar 07/08:30 PM
20
20 above W 20 above W
ISS
Tue Mar 08/07:20 PM
4
86
20 above NW 20 above SE
ISS
Wed Mar 09/07:47 PM
2
25
23 above WSW 16 above S
ISS
Fri Mar 11/07:04 PM
2
22
22 above SW 15 above S
ONLY DAYS WITH SIGHTING OPPORTUNITIES ARE LISTED
THE FOLLOWING SHUTTLE SIGHTINGS ARE POSSIBLE FROM FRI FEB 25 TO WED MAR 09
SATELLITE
LOCAL
DURATION
MAX ELEV
APPROACH
DEPARTURE
DATE/TIME
(MIN)
(DEG)
(DEG-DIR)
(DEG-DIR)
SHUTTLE
Sun Feb 27/06:36 PM
2
17
15 above NW 15 above N
SHUTTLE
Fri Mar 04/07:12 PM
1
15
15 above N 15 above NNE
SHUTTLE
Sat Mar 05/07:37 PM
2
27
17 above NNW 27 above NNE
SHUTTLE
Sun Mar 06/08:03 PM
2
55
16 above NW 55 above NW
SHUTTLE
Mon Mar 07/06:54 PM
4
29
15 above NNW 16 above E
SHUTTLE
Mon Mar 07/08:29 PM
20
20 above W 20 above W
SHUTTLE
Tue Mar 08/07:20 PM
4
85
20 above NW 20 above SE
ONLY DAYS WITH SIGHTING OPPORTUNITIES ARE LISTE
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Friday, February 25, 2011
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Deep Brain Stimulation -Dystonia Medical Research Foundation
Deep Brain Stimulation
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) involves implanting stimulating electrodes into selected targets in the brain in order to mimic the effects of lesioning. Surgeons began using DBS in place of lesioning for Parkinson's disease patients in the mid-1990s. DBS also has applications to tremor and pain. Whereas DBS has been used to treat thousands of persons with Parkinson's disease, the procedure began being applied to dystonia less than 10 years ago. It is estimated that just under 1,000 dystonia patients have been treated with DBS.Bilateral pallidal DBS produces significant benefit in dystonia with average improvements of about 50-60% in the Burke-Fahn-Marsden dystonia rating scale. Some primary generalized patients have been reported to have up to 90% improvement. DBS has also been performed on persons with secondary dystonias, cervical dystonia, segmental dystonia, and myoclonic dystonia with encouraging results.
The complete DBS apparatus includes the DBS electrode, a connecting wire, and a pulse generator (a.k.a. "brain pacemaker" or stimulator) that contains a battery. The initial procedure to implant DBS is identical to that of the pallidotomy and thalamotomy. Once the brain target is mapped and identified, instead of creating a lesion, the surgeon places the DBS electrode into the target. The wire and pulse generator may be implanted at the same time as the electrode or at a later date. The generator is implanted under the collarbone, and the wire is tunneled up the neck, behind the ear, and to the site of the electrode (the patient is under general anesthesia for this part of the procedure). The wire is connected to the electrode, and the incisions are closed. Most DBS procedures involve the implantation of two generators and are done in two surgeries. It is possible to implant both generators in a single surgery, and surgical centers vary in their preferred approach. Immediately after the operation, the patient may temporarily resume medications. The patient may be discharged the next day.
Once the generator is implanted, the patient must wait a week or two before the batteries are activated. This waiting period is necessary to allow the swelling that normally occurs with the surgery to diminish. The DBS electrode conveys electrical pulses into the brain using power produced by the battery in the generator. A series of visits to the hospital are required to adjust the voltage settings to the needs of the individual. It may take several weeks or months to achieve the correct settings. The patient can check the status of the generator using a handheld device that resembles a TV remote control. Using this device, the patient can determine if the generator is on or off, and can turn it back on in the event that it shuts down unexpectedly. (Certain phenomenon such as magnetic fields caused by security devices may cause the battery to temporarily stop working.)
The expected life span of a battery at a typical voltage is about four years. At a very high voltage, the battery may need to be replaced after a year; at a very low voltage, perhaps up to seven years. Replacing a battery can be done under general or local anesthesia as an outpatient procedure.
Dystonia does not respond to DBS in the same as other movement disorders do. For example, persons treated for tremor will generally improve within seconds of turning the generator on. In patients with dystonia, improvement may be delayed for days, and weeks or months may pass before the full extent of the benefit is reached. DBS does not necessarily eliminate the possibility of subsequent drug or botulinum toxin treatments.
Side effects are minimal, but no procedure is without risks. The main risk in DBS is a fatal hemorrhage. However 99-99.5% of patients do not have significant bleeding. Despite vigorous efforts to avoid it, infection is a risk in approximately 2% of patients. Infection can be serious and warrant the removal of the hardware. If this happens, it may be possible to re-implant the hardware once the infection is treated. Hardware failure is also a concern, though this is rare and precautions are in place in the event of situations such as a battery failing. It is estimated that in 5% of DBS procedures for dystonia some complication may arise, most of which can be addressed without removing the hardware.
Although no longer considered 'investigational' for dystonia by the United States Food & Drug Administration, DBS is in its relatively early stages as a treatment for this disorder. The preliminary results are quite positive, and the procedure is expected to evolve over time as more patients are treated and more data is collected.
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Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
This was prescribed to me today: Albuterol and Ipratropium Inhalation
How should this medicine be used?
The combination of albuterol and ipratropium comes as a solution (liquid) to inhale by mouth using a nebulizer (machine that turns medication into a mist that can be inhaled) and as an aerosol to inhale by mouth using an inhaler. It is usually inhaled four times a day. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Use albuterol and ipratropium exactly as directed. Do not use more or less of it or use it more often than prescribed by your doctor.
Your doctor may tell you to use additional doses of albuterol and ipratropium combination if you experience symptoms such as wheezing, difficulty breathing, or chest tightness. Follow these directions carefully, and do not use extra doses of medication unless your doctor tells you that you should. Do not use more than 2 extra doses of the nebulizer solution per day. Do not use more than 12 puffs of the inhalation aerosol in 24 hours.
Call your doctor if your symptoms worsen or if you feel that albuterol and ipratropium inhalation no longer controls your symptoms. If you were told to use albuterol and ipratropium as needed to treat your symptoms and you find that you need to use the medication more often than usual, call your doctor.
If you are using the inhaler, your medication will come in canisters. Each canister of albuterol and ipratropium aerosol is designed to provide 200 inhalations. After the labeled number of inhalations has been used, later inhalations may not contain the correct amount of medication. You should keep track of the number of inhalations you have used. You can divide the number of inhalations in your inhaler by the number of inhalations you use each day to find out how many days your inhaler will last. Throw away the canister after you have used the labeled number of inhalations even if it still contains some liquid and continues to release a spray when it is pressed. Do not float the canister in water to see if it still contains medication.
Be careful not to get albuterol and ipratropium into your eyes. If you are using the inhaler, keep your eyes closed when you use the medication. If you get albuterol and ipratropium in your eyes, you may develop narrow angle glaucoma (a serious eye condition that may cause loss of vision). If you already have narrow angle glaucoma, your condition may worsen. You may experience widened pupils (black circles in the center of the eyes), eye pain or redness, blurred vision, and vision changes such as seeing halos around lights. Call your doctor if you get albuterol and ipratropium into your eyes or if you develop these symptoms.
The inhaler that comes with albuterol and ipratropium aerosol is designed for use only with a canister of albuterol and ipratropium. Never use it to inhale any other medication, and do not use any other inhaler to inhale albuterol and ipratropium.
Do not use your albuterol and ipratropium inhaler when you are near a flame or source of heat. The inhaler may explode if it is exposed to very high temperatures.
Before you use albuterol and ipratropium for the first time, read the written instructions that come with the inhaler or nebulizer. Ask your doctor, pharmacist, or respiratory therapist to show you how to use it. Practice using the inhaler or nebulizer while he or she watches.
To use the inhaler, follow these steps:
Hold the inhaler with the clear end pointing upward. Place the metal canister into the clear end of the inhaler. Be sure that the canister is fully and firmly in place.
Remove the protective dust cap from the end of the mouthpiece. If the dust cap was not placed on the mouthpiece, check the mouthpiece for dirt or other objects.
If you are using the inhaler for the first time or if you have not used the inhaler in more than 24 hours, you will need to prime it. Shake it well for at least 10 seconds and then press down on the canister three times to release three sprays into the air, away from your face. Be careful not to get albuterol and ipratropium in your eyes.
Hold the inhaler between your thumb and your next two fingers with the mouthpiece on the bottom, facing you. Shake the inhaler well for at least 10 seconds.
Immediately breathe out deeply through your mouth.
Hold the canister with the mouthpiece on the bottom and facing you and the canister pointing upward. Place the open end of the mouthpiece into your mouth. Close your lips tightly around the mouthpiece. Close your eyes.
Breathe in slowly and deeply through the mouthpiece. At the same time, press down once on the container to spray the medication into your mouth.
Hold your breath for 10 seconds. Then remove the inhaler, and breathe out slowly.
If you were told to use 2 puffs, wait about 2 minutes and then repeat steps 4 to 8.
Replace the protective cap on the inhaler.
To inhale the solution using a nebulizer, follow these steps:
Remove one vial of medication from the foil pouch. Put the rest of the vials back into the pouch until you are ready to use them.
Twist off the top of the vial and squeeze all of the liquid into the reservoir of the nebulizer.
Connect the nebulizer reservoir to the mouthpiece or face mask.
Connect the nebulizer reservoir to the compressor.
Put the mouthpiece in your mouth or put on the face mask. Sit in a comfortable, upright position and turn on the compressor.
Breathe in calmly, deeply, and evenly through your mouth for about 5 to 15 minutes until mist stops forming in the nebulizer chamber.
Clean your inhaler or nebulizer regularly. Follow the manufacturer's directions carefully and ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions about cleaning your inhaler or nebulizer.
via ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
: Albuterol and Ipratropium Inhalation(al byoo' ter ole) (i pra troe' pee um)
Last revised: August 1, 2010.
U.S. National Library of Medicine
National Institutes of Health
Why is this medication prescribed?
The combination of albuterol and ipratropium is used to prevent wheezing, difficulty breathing, chest tightness, and coughing in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD; a group of diseases that affect the lungs and airways) such as chronic bronchitis (swelling of the air passages that lead to the lungs) and emphysema (damage to the air sacs in the lungs). Albuterol and ipratropium combination is used by people whose symptoms have not been controlled by a single inhaled medication. Albuterol and ipratropium are in a class of medications called bronchodilators. Albuterol and ipratropium combination works by relaxing and opening the air passages to the lungs to make breathing easier.
How should this medicine be used?
The combination of albuterol and ipratropium comes as a solution (liquid) to inhale by mouth using a nebulizer (machine that turns medication into a mist that can be inhaled) and as an aerosol to inhale by mouth using an inhaler. It is usually inhaled four times a day. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Use albuterol and ipratropium exactly as directed. Do not use more or less of it or use it more often than prescribed by your doctor.
Your doctor may tell you to use additional doses of albuterol and ipratropium combination if you experience symptoms such as wheezing, difficulty breathing, or chest tightness. Follow these directions carefully, and do not use extra doses of medication unless your doctor tells you that you should. Do not use more than 2 extra doses of the nebulizer solution per day. Do not use more than 12 puffs of the inhalation aerosol in 24 hours.
Call your doctor if your symptoms worsen or if you feel that albuterol and ipratropium inhalation no longer controls your symptoms. If you were told to use albuterol and ipratropium as needed to treat your symptoms and you find that you need to use the medication more often than usual, call your doctor.
If you are using the inhaler, your medication will come in canisters. Each canister of albuterol and ipratropium aerosol is designed to provide 200 inhalations. After the labeled number of inhalations has been used, later inhalations may not contain the correct amount of medication. You should keep track of the number of inhalations you have used. You can divide the number of inhalations in your inhaler by the number of inhalations you use each day to find out how many days your inhaler will last. Throw away the canister after you have used the labeled number of inhalations even if it still contains some liquid and continues to release a spray when it is pressed. Do not float the canister in water to see if it still contains medication.
Be careful not to get albuterol and ipratropium into your eyes. If you are using the inhaler, keep your eyes closed when you use the medication. If you get albuterol and ipratropium in your eyes, you may develop narrow angle glaucoma (a serious eye condition that may cause loss of vision). If you already have narrow angle glaucoma, your condition may worsen. You may experience widened pupils (black circles in the center of the eyes), eye pain or redness, blurred vision, and vision changes such as seeing halos around lights. Call your doctor if you get albuterol and ipratropium into your eyes or if you develop these symptoms.
The inhaler that comes with albuterol and ipratropium aerosol is designed for use only with a canister of albuterol and ipratropium. Never use it to inhale any other medication, and do not use any other inhaler to inhale albuterol and ipratropium.
Do not use your albuterol and ipratropium inhaler when you are near a flame or source of heat. The inhaler may explode if it is exposed to very high temperatures.
Before you use albuterol and ipratropium for the first time, read the written instructions that come with the inhaler or nebulizer. Ask your doctor, pharmacist, or respiratory therapist to show you how to use it. Practice using the inhaler or nebulizer while he or she watches.
To use the inhaler, follow these steps:
Hold the inhaler with the clear end pointing upward. Place the metal canister into the clear end of the inhaler. Be sure that the canister is fully and firmly in place.
Remove the protective dust cap from the end of the mouthpiece. If the dust cap was not placed on the mouthpiece, check the mouthpiece for dirt or other objects.
If you are using the inhaler for the first time or if you have not used the inhaler in more than 24 hours, you will need to prime it. Shake it well for at least 10 seconds and then press down on the canister three times to release three sprays into the air, away from your face. Be careful not to get albuterol and ipratropium in your eyes.
Hold the inhaler between your thumb and your next two fingers with the mouthpiece on the bottom, facing you. Shake the inhaler well for at least 10 seconds.
Immediately breathe out deeply through your mouth.
Hold the canister with the mouthpiece on the bottom and facing you and the canister pointing upward. Place the open end of the mouthpiece into your mouth. Close your lips tightly around the mouthpiece. Close your eyes.
Breathe in slowly and deeply through the mouthpiece. At the same time, press down once on the container to spray the medication into your mouth.
Hold your breath for 10 seconds. Then remove the inhaler, and breathe out slowly.
If you were told to use 2 puffs, wait about 2 minutes and then repeat steps 4 to 8.
Replace the protective cap on the inhaler.
To inhale the solution using a nebulizer, follow these steps:
Remove one vial of medication from the foil pouch. Put the rest of the vials back into the pouch until you are ready to use them.
Twist off the top of the vial and squeeze all of the liquid into the reservoir of the nebulizer.
Connect the nebulizer reservoir to the mouthpiece or face mask.
Connect the nebulizer reservoir to the compressor.
Put the mouthpiece in your mouth or put on the face mask. Sit in a comfortable, upright position and turn on the compressor.
Breathe in calmly, deeply, and evenly through your mouth for about 5 to 15 minutes until mist stops forming in the nebulizer chamber.
Clean your inhaler or nebulizer regularly. Follow the manufacturer's directions carefully and ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions about cleaning your inhaler or nebulizer.
Other uses for this medicine
This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
What special precautions should I follow?
Before using albuterol and ipratropium,
tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to ipratropium (Atrovent), atropine (Atropen), albuterol (Proventil HFA, Ventolin HFA, Vospire ER), levalbuterol (Xoponex), any other medications, soya lecithin, soybeans, or peanuts.
tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements and herbal products you are taking or plan to take. Be sure to mention any of the following: beta blockers such as atenolol (Tenormin), labetalol (Normodyne), metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol XL), nadolol (Corgard), and propranolol (Inderal); diuretics ('water pills'); epinephrine (Epipen, Primatene Mist); medications for colds; other inhaled medications, especially other medications for asthma such as formoterol (Foradil), metaproterenol (Alupent), levalbuterol (Xopenex), and salmeterol (Serevent); and terbutaline (Brethine). Also tell your doctor if you are taking any of the following medications or if you have stopped taking them within the past 2 weeks: antidepressants such as amitriptyline (Elavil), amoxapine (Asendin), clomipramine (Anafranil), desipramine (Norpramin), doxepin (Sinequan), imipramine (Tofranil), nortriptyline (Pamelor), protriptyline (Vivactil), and trimipramine (Surmontil); or monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), tranylcypromine (Parnate), and selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam). Your doctor may have to change the doses of your medications or monitor you carefully for side effects.
tell your doctor if you have or have ever had glaucoma (an eye condition); difficulty urinating; a prostate (a male reproductive gland) condition; seizures; hyperthyroidism (condition in which there is too much thyroid hormone in the body); high blood pressure; an irregular heartbeat; diabetes; or heart, liver, or kidney disease.
tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding. If you become pregnant while using albuterol and ipratropium, call your doctor.
if you are having surgery, including dental surgery, tell the doctor or dentist that you are using albuterol and ipratropium.
you should know that albuterol and ipratropium inhalation sometimes causes wheezing and difficulty breathing immediately after it is inhaled. If this happens, call your doctor right away. Do not use albuterol and ipratropium inhalation again unless your doctor tells you that you should.
What special dietary instructions should I follow?
Unless your doctor tells you otherwise, continue your normal diet.
What should I do if I forget a dose?
Use the missed dose as soon as you remember it. However, if it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule. Do not use a double dose to make up for a missed one.
What side effects can this medication cause?
This medication may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:
cough
headache
nausea
heartburn
diarrhea
constipation
leg cramps
pain
difficulty urinating
frequent urination
pain when urinating
voice changes
Some side effects can be serious. If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately:
fast heartbeat
chest pain
hives
rash
itching
swelling of the eyes, face, lips, tongue, throat, hands, feet, ankles, or lower legs
difficulty breathing or swallowing
sore throat, fever, chills, and other signs of infection
Albuterol and ipratropium may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while you are using this medication.
What storage conditions are needed for this medicine?
Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Keep unused vials of nebulizer solution in the foil pouch until you are ready to use them. Store the medication at room temperature and away from excess heat and moisture (not in the bathroom). Throw away any medication that is outdated or no longer needed. Talk to your pharmacist about the proper disposal of your medication. Do not puncture the aerosol canister, and do not discard it in an incinerator or fire.
In case of emergency/overdose
In case of overdose, call your local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. If the victim has collapsed or is not breathing, call local emergency services at 911.
Symptoms of overdose may include:
chest pain
fast heartbeat
What other information should I know?
Keep all appointments with your doctor.
Do not let anyone else use your medication. Ask your pharmacist any questions you have about refilling your prescription.
It is important for you to keep a written list of all of the prescription and nonprescription (over-the-counter) medicines you are taking, as well as any products such as vitamins, minerals, or other dietary supplements. You should bring this list with you each time you visit a doctor or if you are admitted to a hospital. It is also important information to carry with you in case of emergencies.
In this page
Why is this medication prescribed?
How should this medicine be used?
Other uses for this medicine
What special precautions should I follow?
What special dietary instructions should I follow?
What should I do if I forget a dose?
What side effects can this medication cause?
What storage conditions are needed for this medicine?
In case of emergency/overdose
What other information should I know?
Brand names
American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Disclaimer
AHFS® Consumer Medication Information. © Copyright, 2011. The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc., 7272 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, Maryland. All Rights Reserved. Duplication for commercial use must be authorized by ASHP
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Sunday, February 20, 2011
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Friday, February 18, 2011
Monday, February 14, 2011
Sunday, February 13, 2011
For Some Reason...
...in times of doubt, we have a tendancy to imagine the worst, when nothing could be further from the truth.
Knowing her as little as I do, it's enough to feel confidently that she's way more concerned for the mental health of the children first ...not having the energy, time or desire to see someone romantically. The differences she & you have, they are immeasurable compared to the importance that the children perceive thier surroundings to be as stable as possible. A scenario otherwise is out of the question, especially understanding that it all falls on you two. I love and respect both of you, this is why, standing on the outside looking in ...I have to give you absolute truth, even though it may not be what you want to hear. I believe there is no one else. There can't be, not right now.
Stay assembled. The children will need you.
In the meantime, stay busy. Be with family and friends. I know, as I'm sure you're experiencing ...nothing can be lonlier than the space that echoes your own thoughts. Love & strength... -me Sent from ._:kltr:_. iPod
Knowing her as little as I do, it's enough to feel confidently that she's way more concerned for the mental health of the children first ...not having the energy, time or desire to see someone romantically. The differences she & you have, they are immeasurable compared to the importance that the children perceive thier surroundings to be as stable as possible. A scenario otherwise is out of the question, especially understanding that it all falls on you two. I love and respect both of you, this is why, standing on the outside looking in ...I have to give you absolute truth, even though it may not be what you want to hear. I believe there is no one else. There can't be, not right now.
Stay assembled. The children will need you.
In the meantime, stay busy. Be with family and friends. I know, as I'm sure you're experiencing ...nothing can be lonlier than the space that echoes your own thoughts. Love & strength... -me Sent from ._:kltr:_. iPod
Posted via email from Get it?
Saturday, February 12, 2011
VERY INTERESTING
VERY INTERESTING
1. The Garden of Eden was in Iraq .
2. Mesopotamia, which is now Iraq, was the cradle of civilization!
3. Noah built the ark in Iraq .
4. The Tower of Babel was in Iraq .
5. Abraham was from Ur, which is in Southern Iraq .
6. Isaac's wife Rebekah is from Nahor, which is in Iraq .
7. Jacob met Rachel in Iraq .
8. Jonah preached in Nineveh - which is in Iraq .
9. Assyria, which is in Iraq, conquered the ten tribes of Israel .
10. Amos cried out in Iraq .
11 Babylon , which is in Iraq , destroyed Jerusalem .
12. Daniel was in the lion's den in Iraq .
13. The three Hebrew children were in the fire in Iraq (Jesus had been in Iraq also as the fourth person in the Fiery Furnace!).
14. Belshazzar, the King of Babylon saw the 'writing on the wall' in Iraq .
15. Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, carried the Jews captive into Iraq .
16. Ezekiel preached in Iraq .
17. The wise men were from Iraq .
18. Peter preached in Iraq .
19. The 'Empire of Man' described in Revelation is called Babylon --which was a city in Iraq.
And you have probably seen this one: Israel is the nation most often mentioned in the Bible. But do you know which nation is second? It is Iraq !
However, that is not the name that is used in the Bible. The names used in the Bible are Babylon , Land of Shinar , and Mesopotamia ... The
word Mesopotamia means between the two rivers, more exactly between the Tigris And Euphrates Rivers. The name Iraq means country with deep roots.
Indeed Iraq is a country with deep roots and is a very significant country in the Bible.
No other nation, except Israel , has more history and prophecy associated with it than Iraq. And also, this is something to think about:
Since America is typically represented by an eagle, Saddam should have read up on his Muslim passages ...
The following verse is from the Koran, (the Islamic Bible) Koran ( 9:11 ) - For it is written that a son of Arabia would awaken a fearsome Eagle.. The wrath of the Eagle would be felt throughout the lands of Allah and lo, while some of the people trembled in despair still more rejoiced; for the wrath of the Eagle cleansed the lands of Allah; And there was peace. (Note the verse number)
Sent from ._:kltr:_. iPod
Posted via email from Get it?
Friday, February 11, 2011
Wednesday, February 09, 2011
Tuesday, February 08, 2011
What's That Song From the Ford Explorer 'Go Do' Commercial? - Spinner
via spinner.com
'Go Do,' Jónsi
Breaking free of his notoriously anti-commercial band Sigur Rós, lead singer Jón Bor (Jónsi) Birgisson has shown that he's less averse to lending out his songs. And Jónsi went big-time: The Icelandic musician allowed Ford Motor Company to use his 'Go Do' to sell some big ol' SUVs.
Notably more poppy than the iconic experimental Sigur Rós sound, 'Go Do' is a percussion-heavy track that meshes well with active twentysomethings, well, going and doing. Using the 2011 Explorer to get to the beach, mountains and a cabin, Ford imparts the desire to traverse the outdoors onto its audience.
'Go Do' can be found on Jónsi's debut full length album, 'Go,' which was released in April 2010. As announced by Jónsi in January of last year, Sigur Rós are on "an indefinite hiatus," and he is using his free time to work on his solo career.
Although the album was critiqued by some as disjointed but has been generally well-received, 'Go' is built more on a pop foundation than the work of Sigur Rós, which could generate a more widespread appeal for Jónsi's music. Having his song played during NFL playoff games probably won't hurt his mass popularity, either.
Posted via email from Get it?
Monday, February 07, 2011
Sunday, February 06, 2011
Thursday, February 03, 2011
Get the Most out of Apple Address Book | ATMac
Get the Most out of Apple Address Book
By Ricky Buchanan • September 23, 2007
This is a great article from MacTips explaining most of the many things the OS X Address Book app is able to do:
Although it at first appears to be a very simple application, Apple’s Address Book actually has a lot of tricks up its sleeve, and some excellent plugins are available to guide its way to become an incredible tool for remembering birthdays, getting directions, and organizing all your contacts.
I use the Address Book to dial the regular phone for me (via PhoneValet, which I haven’t written about yet), put upcoming birthdays and anniversaries into iCal, start iChat and Skype calls, print envelopes for mail, keep my contacts in groups (family, RL friends, net friends) and smart groups (companies, local people, and so on) so it’s easy to find people to email or call them, and make more general notes about stuff I should remember … like that so and so’s cat’s birthday is the 2nd of April! You never know, I might need to remember it some day - I’m strange like that.
- Ricky Buchanan
Categories: Geek, Information, Neurologically Impaired, Primary Mouse Users, Users, VoiceOver
Tags: addressbook, dial phone, remember birthdays
via atmac.org
Posted via email from Get it?
I'm Considering A Facebook Break
When I was out of work there for awhile, and the Social Media thing was starting to take off, I dove deep in to the existing networks, tools made available from the same and how these platforms could benefit a company or the individual. Many close to me didn't seem to get it, as if i were just "playing" around on the internet. Now of course, the impact of Social Media is evident. Fortunately, I found my way in to the company I'm with now and while I managed to help a few folks with Social Media, it was no longer necessary for me to pursue Social Media as potential full-time employment.
These days, for me personally, Social Media is more informative recreation than anything else. In fact, with certain personal goals to be achieved by Winter's end, it may even be a bit of a distraction. I do enjoy seeing updates from friends near and far, especially those I've know since Kindergarten and the paths they've walked since ...but, I'm thinking it might be time to take a break on a couple networks.
I believe that while I pursue the aforementioned, I'm going to dip away from the "mainstream" networks, digging a little deeper on networks such as last.fm http://www.last.fm/user/glennhudson and soundcloud http://soundcloud.com/klutr See you out there...
These days, for me personally, Social Media is more informative recreation than anything else. In fact, with certain personal goals to be achieved by Winter's end, it may even be a bit of a distraction. I do enjoy seeing updates from friends near and far, especially those I've know since Kindergarten and the paths they've walked since ...but, I'm thinking it might be time to take a break on a couple networks.
I believe that while I pursue the aforementioned, I'm going to dip away from the "mainstream" networks, digging a little deeper on networks such as last.fm http://www.last.fm/user/glennhudson and soundcloud http://soundcloud.com/klutr See you out there...
Posted via email from Get it?
Wednesday, February 02, 2011
...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead at Grog Shop (Cleveland Heights) on 8 May 2011 – Last.fm
...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead
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Sunday 8 May 2011
2785 Euclid Heights Boulevard
Cleveland Heights, Cleveland 44106
United States
Show on MapTel: (216) 321-5588
Web: www.grogshop.gs/
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Google, Twitter assist protesters in Egypt - Daily Campus - News
this is test-->-->Google, Twitter assist protesters in Egypt
Speak2Tweet launches as way to bypass government lockdown
By Ashley Withers-->Email: awithers@smu.edu
Published: Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Updated: Wednesday, February 2, 2011 15:02
Print Whole Article --> Whole Article
- Whole Article
The Internet is shut down across Egypt. The Egyptian government is censoring Al Jazeera, the Middle East's main broadcasting company, and yet all over the world, people can see a minute-by-minute update on the political action.
This is the power of Twitter.
Speak2Tweet launched Monday, giving the people of Egypt a way to bypass the government's web lockdown.
This special service was created by Google, Twitter and Google's recently acquired service "SayNow" that allows people on the ground in Egypt to call one of three different international numbers and leave a voicemail message, according to The Daily Caller website.
The voicemail is then published as a link to Twitter with the hashtag #Egypt. The hashtag before a word allows Twitter users to access all stories on the topic. Followers of @Speak2Tweet can then click the link to hear the original voicemail.
Twitter accounts are not required to use this service or view the website.
The official Google blog posted about their new technology saying, "We hope that this will go some way to helping people in Egypt stay connected at this very difficult time."
Major news networks have also used Twitter to update viewers on the situation in Egypt.
Both CNN and The New York Times have created lists of people who are reporting directly from Egypt. The list includes both on location reporters and Egyptian citizens.
Twitter users can then follow the list as a whole, consolidating their sources for the latest Egypt news.
According to Marketing Gum, an online marketing blog, there are more than 105 million Twitter users worldwide and 60 percent of these are from outside of the U.S.
SMU also has its fair share of Twitter fans, many of whom have been actively using the social network to follow the latest Egypt protest news.
"I'm glad I have twitter to keep updated on the news especially when really important things are happening like right now in Egypt so when it comes up, I do have some idea of what I'm talking about," junior Jordan Kragen said.
Twitter's availability and constant updates make the site an ideal news source for busy college students.
"I like to stay informed of world news and twitter makes it easy to follow and stay updated without having to search for information online because of the constant tweets," junior Christie Long said.
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