#children's doctor kit australia | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

maplecatra · 4 years

Text

i am back for a brief moment!!! so, i live in the USA, if you are curious about the current political situation, here’s what’s going on:

several politician figures who are running for elections for positions have been using social media to say that the blm organization should be caterogized as a terrorist orginization, using the fact that the website says they are looking to disrupt the nuclear family idea and raising their kids in “villages” of friends and family. this way of raising kids, by the way, is very good for them because it gives them a strong community of role models that will help raise the kids and give them a more varied experience with people early on.

antifa, or antifascist, has now been classified as a terrorist orginization.

president trump is continuing to send armed police to peaceful protests, it has been appearing less in the media now. the peaceful protests for justice that aren’t disrupted by the police are not reported on making many americans who haven’t actively been following in support of the the cause believe that there are no longer any protests and that the only protests that happened were turned into riots by bad civilians supporting blm. in truth, most of the violence and rioting is started by either undercover cops or people who came to make the movement look bad.

the current black lives matter protests spurred by the death of george floyyd and pushed on by the police brutality that has killed many innocent black people is now the biggest civil rights movement of all time. there are protesters in most places now, and even the news channels, which are largely supportive of the police and avoid supporting anyone that is a victim of the police recognized the death of george floyyd as completely unwarranted and an outrage. some news channels who had not suported other innocent black people who died from police because of an excuse the cops made have taken a complete 180. others have used the chance to take videos of the riots and censor them to not show what the police have done. at one point, the news broadcasted a video that was cut off of the protests. it cut off right before the police car drives through a group of civilians.

police so far, both in past riots and current peaceful protests have:

blocked ambulances from areas in the riots where people have set up first aid kits.

driven past peaceful protests with a gun out their window

killed a black shop owner who had supplied them with free food previously and left his body in the streets for over 12 hours

gotten extremely physical with peaceful protesters, grabbing people who have done nothing wrong aggressively and forcing them down, or in painful positions.

used excessive force even with a crowd and many people recording, using violent action of protesters not resisting arrest and only not causing possibly long lasting injuries because another cop or another person the cop seems to deem an ally lifts them off at least 2 times

have taken photos with protesters faking peace for the media and tear gassing them immediately

shootig rubber bullets into crowds, which are lumps of rubber a little less than the size of your palm with metal shrapnel designed to ricochet outward. these prices of metal shrapnel have enough power to go through a persons leg, and are lethal as they are. in close range, however, they become even more dangerous and cause more damage and also panic.

used teargass to clear out an area where trump was scheduled to have a photo shoot. after teargassjng all the protesters out he took photos and said some things about how proud and brave he was.

they have gone to the supply tents of some peaceful protests and have broken all the water bottles and ruined the food so they had no supplies

currently, the US is becoming a facist nation. our president has stated that he is against antifa, has quoted hitler in a speech, has set up borders that send immigrants back into dangerous conditions or just take their kids into dangerous conditions. ICE has begun spraying harsh chemicals on and around the detention camp that is irritating the eyes, lungs and skin of the immigrants inside sometimes 3 times a day or more.

closer to the start of donald trumps term, he had disbanded the pandemic response team, and now refuses input from actually doctors and scientists. when they suggested they pause meat plants, donald trump refused and stated that they should keep working. after people started suing meat companies because of covid cases, they brought up an article with a subsection that they stated allowed them to keep working. millions have been wasted on this. upon closer inspection of the article, which was implemented by donald donald trump who stated that meat plants would keep running, does not say that meat plants are legally allowed to stay open.

our current political climate is incredibly right leaning, and bernie sanders is the only current candidate who has somewhat centrist ideas. most people in power are right wing, which means that many ideas donald trump proposes will be approved and anything that the other branches proposed will be approved by trump.

trump has a past of sexually harrasing women. it was leaked by a well known hacker that donald trump had been prosecuted for raping a 13 year old girl. he and jeffery epstein, a pedophile who ran a child sex trafficking ring for high profile people on a private island, had been fighting over who would take the virginity of the young girl. it was said that jeffery epstein killed himself before he could go to jail, but the leading theory and the most likely as well is that one of his high profile clients had him killed so he wouldn’t tell anyone their name.

trump has consistently harmed and mocked many race minorities in the US, and while parading that he has many avid minority supporters. the reality of it is that if you attend a single trump rally you will find only white people.

donald trump has made people feel more confident about being open in their racism. this appeals to many white people who believe minorities want to actively harm them when they try to gain justice for themselves, and especially for white people who were shoving these feelings down because they recognized that it was not a popular opinon but who still felt constantly motivated to share it. trump supporters are always bigoted, even if they don’t believe they are. they believe their opinion is not biggoted despite it showing incredible hypocrisy. for example, some say they support the lgbt community but don’t think they should be in kids media. that shows that they believe that only cishet characters are appropriate. and even if you haven’t heard them say anything biggoted or they say “i don’t support him but he shares my political alignment so i have to vote for him” they are bigoted. simply by supporting a person like donald trump you are supporting his ideals, his action, and a person who acts like that in a seat where he can access much more people who can become victims and can use his position to spread his biggoted opinions on every inch of news

as a result of the protests, donald trump now has a bunker. he has called trump supporters who were yelling and acting rudely “nice people” and peaceful blm protesters “savages”

the government is currently trying to make it harder for local post offices (the USPS) to function. they’re trying their best to pass things and many people haven’t noticed. taking out the USPS would take out local newspapers, which are a very reliable source. they share the voice of the people and do not have a reason to not give unbiased information. this means we will be fed mostly propaganda if this happens.

to bring up old news, i would like to take a moment to remember the time donald trump put the government in lockdown (?? he just basically pressed pause) for i think 60-70 days till the officials were begging him to stop. i don’t remember what happened to spur that on but i certainly still think that the response was inappropriate.

the US is becoming a facist nation. donald trump is putting markers on his supporters by giving them a free gift and mass emailing how to get them. the US is becoming a facist nation and it feels like my world is burning down and collapsing in on itself. people often ask why no one noticed that hitler was a horrible disgusting monster, but the reality of it is that they don’t show it until they’re in power, and then they slowly start to coax people into the idea that he is not bad. even if many americans recognize that donald trump is horrible, a devoted group of many aggressive registered voters just keep falling for it because they are tired of holding their ugliness and hatered toward others in check. no one noticed until minorities started to be put in camps and be killed by the people in power.

i’ve lived in the US my entire life and was always fed on the idea that places in the middle east were always poor and less than the US, that they were pitiful and needed the protection of our armies. i know that’s not true now, but action movies and media keep on circulating the idea that the USA is better than everywhere else and that everywhere foreign (other than canada, no one talks about canada really, and russia, the uk and australia are pretty safe) is strange and gross and any food that comes from them is censored and dulled to fit into one aisle. it’s not right, and young children are still constantly being fed these harmful ideas that they have to unlearn later in life.

the US is becoming a facist nation and the older people in my life, even if just by 2 years, refuse to recognize it.

if your outside of the US, ask any friends there if they have a plan to leave if they need to. it’s heading into a direction where it might become dangerous, the best thing to do is to be prepared.

if you can add on anything about the situation, please do. If youre from the US you can share your feelings on the situation and ways to help as well

15 notes · View notes

thestraggletag · 5 years

Text

Indulgence AU, Part 2

AKA the Fuck Anon ‘verse. An AU where Jefferson never reaches Gold in time to tell him about Belle meeting Jones by herself. First part here. Also guys I need a proper name for this! Any ideas?

Prompts filled:

Wouldn't Mal visit Belle in the hospital? Just saying, there's a prompt there somewhere.

Need. More. Starbucks. Angst. Please. Please. Please. PLEASE.

F*ckAnon!Prompt: "I'm sorry Mr. Gold, we can only allow ICU visitors to family."

Fuck Anon prompt, Mal visits Belle in the hospital. Gold's there... there's a fight. A loud one at that.

Need. More. Fuck. Anon. Fic.

For Fuck Anon/Indulgence AU, Mal comes to visit at the hospital.

I'm not super creative but I hope theres an angsty Starbucks prompt out there!

It was surprising how easy it was to get used to the sound of heart monitors and the constant intrusion of hospital staff. After a while it became easy to tune all the noise out, to focus on Belle and any minute change in her complexion or expression, anything that would indicate whether she was in pain, or nearer to waking. He was determined she would not do so alone. He’d be here to comfort and reassure her.

Three nurses, a security guard and two doctors had already tried to talk to him about visiting hours and protocol, but a phone call to the head of the hospital’s finance department had stopped all that. He was a regular donor for both Children of Bellevue and The Bellevue Association, which put him outside hospital staff reach. It didn’t particularly endear him to them, especially the nurses- he could feel them glare and glower every time they had to side-step his chair to check on an IV drip- but he did not particularly care.

When the police showed up he wasn’t surprised to hear they wanted to take his statement. After his rather heated conversation with Hatter he understood fully what had happened and had had time to spin the narrative in such a way that would leave Maurice French out of it. A pity, since it meant also getting Regina off the hook, but he consoled himself with the notion that he would deal with her at a later date.

He told them about his prior relationship with Jones, who they already knew as a low-level hustler and sometimes drug-seller. Told him of his stupid fixation with the idea he was somehow to blame for his ex-wife’s death and how he’d vowed revenge. He told them about him stalking Belle, and eventually extorting her for money in exchange for him leaving her alone.

“It was obviously a rouse to get her to meet him at a deserted location, of course. I assume he planned on… getting even with me.”

He could not bring himself to spell it out, but he knew. Knew Belle’s stab wounds had narrowly missed vital organs, that she had gotten lucky and likely had fought like hell to prevent him from accomplishing his goal. He could see defensive wounds, slashes on her arms and bandaged knuckles. She’d clearly hit him and more than once. The doctor had told him, when he had gathered the courage to ask, that the rape kit had been negative, though there were slash marks on her lower abdomen that he guessed were clumsy attempts at cutting her pants open.

The policemen were gentler with him that he would have given them credit for, and told him all the necessary resources were being utilised to try and track down Jones. Nick tried to appear as if he cared, as if he hadn’t set in motion his own plans regarding the Irishman.

He was anxious to go back to Belle’s room so he was relieved when the policemen finished their questioning, clearly happy with the information he had provided and seeming to be convinced he did not know where Jones was nor had the means to procure such information. Good.

As much as he wished to return to Belle’s room he forced himself to go to the entrance of the hospital, where he met Dove. He had a change of clothes with him, as well as food. He took the later outside to one of the benches scattered around the hospital’s small gardens and wolfed it down, feeling the reprobing gaze of Dove as he did so. He was a lover of good food, he knew, and surely disapproved of not giving a good wagyu beef sandwich the time and attention it deserved.

He was on his way back inside when he practically smacked into Mallory, looking sleek and pissed in an Hermés dress and coat and apparently making enemies out of the entire nursing staff at the hospital. When she turned around and spotted him she smiled, looking strangely feral.

“Oh look who it is! Belle’s doting fiancé. Congrats on the engagement you lying piece of shit.”

The later part was hissed at him, though her expression made it look like they were a couple of old friends discussing the weather. How the fuck did she do that? Reluctantly he managed to drag her to an empty waiting area. It was getting late, which meant the hospital was emptying of visitors and ambulatory patients. In harsh, clipped tones he told her about his talk with the hospital’s financial department, and how he had managed to pull some strings to bypass the rules regarding visitors in the ICU.

“Besides, being my fiancé will guarantee Belle the best of care. I don’t doubt you can put the fear of God into these people, dearie, but money talks even louder, and I happen to be one of the hospital’s main donors. Being engaged to me makes things not only easier but better for Belle.”

“What neat bit of bullshit you managed to sell yourself, darling, but I’m not buying it. You never do something for nothing.”

“It’s different with Belle. Surely you know that.”

The businesswoman snorted.

“Could’ve fooled me, given what the past few weeks have been like. And given the fact that it was your association with you that landed her in here in the first place.”

It was a low blow, but an effective one.

“Don’t you fucking go there, Mal. Don’t you fucking dare.”

He clenched his fists, angry that any display of violence would likely mean the police being called and he being unable to return to Belle’s room until tomorrow at the earliest.

“And why shouldn’t I? It’s the truth. You got into a fight with her, left her alone to fend for herself against an old acquaintance of yours who wanted revenge- probably just the first in a long line of many- and now here you are, sitting by her bedside, making her medical decisions and making false claims on her person. Taking titles that you don’t deserve.”

“I know!” Somehow anger had given way to pain, to what he had kept mostly locked away ever since he had received the call from the hospital. “It’s my fault she’s in here, don’t you think I fucking know that? I fucked up. I should’ve realised, should’ve kept tabs on Jones, should’ve… forced her to talk to me. Something was wrong and I jumped to the conclusion that was most familiar to me, most comfortable. Let myself wallow in self-pity. Belle didn’t deserve that. But I’m trying-” His voice broke and he looked away, grateful that Mallory was also likely to be uncomfortable with his display of emotion and would not push him. “I’m trying to make it right.”

“Do you think that’s what Belle would want?”

“She didn’t remove me as her emergency contact, or revoke my medical power of attorney. I have to think that means she’d want me here with her.”

It gave him a perverse sort of pleasure to see the Englishwoman so patently uncomfortable at the sight of his reddened eyes and the sound of his wobbly voice. She considered for a few more minutes, as if trying to ascertain the honesty of his words, and then nodded.

“I expect you to keep me in the know at all times. If she wakes up, you call me. If the doctors tell you something new, you call me. If she fucking sneezes you call me. And for God’s sake, when her father gets here from Australia you let him sit with her for a while and go take a damn shower. Get some sleep. You’re all Belle has until she gets out of the ICU. Hopefully that will be soon. And then she can decide what to do with you.”

She walked out into the hallway, people around her moving out of her way. She turned around just as she was about to reach the front doors, as if she’d remembered something.

“And I want to see her tomorrow morning. So I expect you to make a phone call and make it happen. Good night, Nick.”

Well, fuck.

#rumbelle #rumbelle fic #Indulgence AU #Thestraggletag fanfiction #starbucks series

21 notes · View notes

twofacetoo · 5 years

Note

Can you post some more of your 'good ideas from around the world'?

As I’ve received several requests for this already I’ll be making one large post about it right here, right now, and linking to that in the future.

Romania

Every minor gets a monthly allowance from the state until they turn 18.

Textbooks are free.

Portugal

In 2000 Portugal decriminalized ALL drugs. If police find someone with a supply larger than 10 days worth of personal use they aren’t arrested but brought before a “dissuasion panel” made up of experts who evaluate the person & prescribe treatment. Both HIV infections & deaths by OD have plummeted.

Australia

If you are an Australian resident and fail to vote, you are hit with a fine, and forced to provide a reason for your failure to vote.

When transport unions strike it often takes the form of a free travel day for the public instead of shutting down the transport system

Western Australia crowd sources emergency medical assistance through an app that alerts all qualified users within 500m of an emergency and provides a map with the location of every registered defibrillator in the state

United Kingdom

OFCOM, a regulatory body set up in the United Kingdom to ensure impartiality in news reports on television and on radio. Their work has helped to ensure that TV news organisations in the UK are regarded as some of the most impartial in the world.

Jay walking doesn’t exist. You can cross streets at any time by looking both ways first. You get hit, it’s always the driver’s fault.

Germany

First aid training is mandatory if you wish to obtain a driver’s licence, and every vehicle has to carry a first aid kit.

Every animal shelter is 'no kill'.

Spain

Much like Germany, the mandatory first aid kit for all cars also applies.

Finland

You pay speeding tickets proportional to your income meaning some people can pay over $100,000.

Netherlands

It's possible, if both parties agree to it, to pay for driving lessons with sex.

Italy

In time of crisis, the Italian parliament can stop democratic functions in the country and give power to people with “expert skills” without any political affiliation, transforming the country into a Technocracy until the crisis has passed.

The Italian government is offering all 18 year olds a €500 ‘culture bonus,’ which can be spent on books, concert tickets, theatre tickets, cinema tickets, museum visits and even trips to the country’s national parks.

Russia

Russia has laws to fine parents for “failing to perform parental duties for raising minors” if their kids act up.

Switzerland

It is illegal to own just one guinea pig in Switzerland. These animals need social interaction and can die of loneliness so an animal rights bill in 2008 required owners to have more than one. There are also rent-a-guinea-pig services for those who want to rent a friend for their pet.

If you fail your driving test in Switzerland more than 3 times you must take a psychological exam before being allowed to retake it.

France

French preschools serve four-course lunches (including a cheese course) to educate them in taste and stimulate their senses.

Planned obsolescence is illegal in France; it is a crime to intentionally shorten the lifespan of a product with the aim of making customers replace it. In early 2018, French authorities used this law to investigate reports that Apple deliberately slowed down older iPhones via software updates.

There is a law in France stating that models have to provide a doctor’s certificate attesting to their overall physical health, with special regard to their body mass index (BMI)

Child beauty pageants are illegal to prevent the hyper-sexualization of young children. Punishment can be up to two years in prison

Belgium

Belgium has a Time Credit System that entitles employees to take a one year secured absence to prevent burn-out and provide an opportunity to pursue other things in life.

Japan

Japanese vending machines are operated to dispense drinking water free of charge when the water supply gets cut off during a disaster.

China

An organisation in Hong Kong provides students with dogs when they get their exam results to help calm their nerves

America

In California all DUI convicts are made to sign “The Watson Admonishment”, which forces them to acknowledge the danger of DUI. If you are the cause of fatal DUI after signing this you are charged with murder rather than manslaughter.

Arizona has a law called the “Stupid Motorist Law” that allows the state to charge drivers for their rescue if they ignore barricades and get stuck in flooded roadways

Sweden

Stockholm tested a “Speed Camera Lottery” where speed limit-abiding drivers were automatically entered into a drawing to win a prize pool funded out of fines paid by speeders

#good ideas from around the world

35 notes · View notes

quinlin-blog1 · 6 years

Text

The Lost Island ~ Chapter One

**Just a quick note. This is one of the first ever books I wrote. Disclaimer being that it’s going to be cringe-y at the beginning but it does get better**

The warm May sun beams, joyfully, almost playfully, through the window of a tall house at the end of a quiet street. Children cheerfully ran playing up and down the road and skipping ropes at the local park. From inside the house, a girl of sixteen could see her little siblings as they rough-housed in the front yard. The sun came through the window, illuminating her bright green eyes and shining on her long soft brown hair, with its teal dip-dyed ends tumbling down to her lower back.

That's me. My name is Adriana Langster, I have five siblings, four of which are younger than me, and one is older. I live in Australia, though I won’t say where exactly.

My head was resting on my palm, my other hand sketching the scene in front of me. I found myself smiling as I thought about my little siblings, but then, the smile dropped.

I will be going away soon. My mother is sending me to a finishing school for girls on faraway island. I won’t see my friends or family for three years. My baby sister will be starting school, with my brothers and younger sister.

Flashback:

I was in my backyard, playing With Maya, my baby sister.

"Adriana!" My mother, Lana, called.

"Coming mum!" I called back and set Maya on the sun chair, and ran inside. My mother was sitting on the couch, looking absolutely elated.

"What's up mum?" I asked sitting in my favorite chair, swinging my legs off the edge of the arm.

"Remember how when you were younger, you said you’d like to go to that finishing school that our neighbor Olive went to?" She asked me. Yes, I remembered, but why was she bringing this up now? That was eight years ago.

"Uh-huh?" I answered hesitantly. ‘Wow, really elegant Addy’ I thought.

"Well. Guess who was accepted?" She asked eagerly with a huge grin.

"Lily?" I asked hopefully. ‘Oh No, I don't want to go!’ I begged inside my head.

"No silly, you! They have accepted you in! Isn't that great!?" Mum shouted as she tackled me with a hug.

"Uh mum?" I asked. How was I supposed to tell her?

"Yeah?" She asked, smiling like a goof.

"You do realize that, that was eight years ago right?" I started slowly.

"Yes, time flies huh?"

"I don't think I want to go anymore mum" I told her.

She looked confused. "Why? When Olive told you about it you were begging to go" She pointed out to me.

"Yeah but, I've changed since then. I've made friends, I have a life now. I'm enjoying myself here. That place is a school to teach girls how to become proper ladies. I don't really think I belong there" I told her.

"That's why you're going. Because you need to learn to become a lady."

"If that was your plan to send me there, then why not send me earlier?! Why would you wait till now, when I’m happy and comfortable here?" I snapped.

“Sweetheart your name has been on that list since you first showed interest in going! Olive made sure of it!”

“I know mum! But I've changed from the little girl I was then!”

“Don't think that I haven't noticed.”

“My point is! I've changed, I don't want to go to that school any more. I'm happy with the one I’m going to now!”

"I'm not sending you because I want to ruin your life, I'm sending you because it's better for you and will give you more opportunities." She said.

I shouted in exasperation and stomped upstairs to my bedroom.

End flashback.

As you can tell I didn't take it so well.

Someone banged on my door, knocking me out of my thoughts. I went over and opened it. No one was there.

"Addy!" A little voice cried.

I looked down to see Maya hugging my legs. She couldn't pronounce my name right, none of them could at that age. I leaned down and picked her up. Since Maya was born, we’ve always had a very special connection. I sit down on my bed and bounce her on my knee. Maya loves this. She also find's it funny when someone sneezes. Seriously, it's like the funniest thing in the world for her.

"Addy's going to have to go away soon" I told her. Tears coming to my eyes. I hated the idea of abandoning my baby sister. She needs me and I need her. Maya tilted her head slightly. Her small hand reached up and touched my cheek lightly.

“Why?” She asked me quizzically.

I didn’t want to answer the question, so instead I brought up another subject.

"Are you hungry?" I asked her.

"Yes" She replied. Of course, she’s always hungry. I smiled down at her.

I lifted Maya up and put her on my shoulders. She giggled as I bounced down the stairs. Her small arms wrapped tightly around my neck as she hung on.

I haven't been on very good terms with my mother since that conversation. Though we still speak it's not as carefree as it used to be. When I reached the kitchen. Lily and Lysander were taking large drinks of water. They had bruises and slight scrapes on their arms and legs. I smiled and shook my head slightly.

"Hi Addy,” Lysander said.

"Are you coming to our magic show tonight?" Lily asked. They were always putting on magic shows and performances. The two of them were almost like twins, even though Lily was a few years older than Lysander.

"Of course. Why not?" I told them.

They smiled. Uriah, my youngest brother ran in, holding his superhero figure out with his arms spread wide open.

"What time is your magic show?” I asked. Peeling an apple and cutting it into quarters. "Ow!" I exclaimed when Lysander bumped into me making me cut my finger.

"Oh! Sorry Addy!" He stated.

"It's alright" I said, running the cut under cold water.

"The magic show is at six o'clock. Here's your ticket" Lily stated, handing me a piece of paper with my name and a big six on it. I smiled at my sister and kissed Lysander’s head.

"Ew! Sister Germs!" He yelled and ran away. Lily chasing after him.

"Addy? Can we watch a movie?” Uriah asked me.

"Of course, let's go" I said, Picking Maya up off the counter and carrying her into the living room where Uriah turned on the T.V. Backyardagains was playing. Uriah plopped on the floor in front of it. I sat on the couch with Maya curled up on my lap, gnawing on an apple slice. Eventually I fell asleep listening to the cheesy songs from the show and Uriah’s laughing.

I was awoken abruptly, when the family dog Lee and my dog Twilight ran into the living room, wanting me to take them for a walk. Twilight was huge, being part Dane part husky, I often put Maya on her back and let her ride Twilight. Lee, on the other hand, was just a tiny little thing. We rescued her a few years ago when she was two years old and she still looks like a puppy.

I groaned.

"Alright, alright!" I said. Getting up and stretching. My back made a series of relieving popping noises.

I walked to the door and grabbed Lee’s leash. Twilight never left my side. I had rescued her when she was a puppy from some kids that were throwing rocks at her. I took her home, cleaned her and nursed her to health. Since then she has become my best friend and protector. Of course, she was the protector of the entire family. When Maya was born, Twilight looked after her like she was her own. I was Twilight's mother and Maya was the baby sister.

I clipped the leash to Lee’s collar and I opened the door. I was instantly hit by a wave of heat. Even though it was autumn it felt like midsummer.

We walked down the streets, waving to the neighbors, when suddenly I was slammed into the ground, there was a person was on top of me. Catherine.

"You know. If you weren't so shy, I would say to try out for the football team" I groaned sarcastically. She laughed and climbed off me.

Catherine was quiet most of the time, though when we're together she's quite animated figuratively speaking. She had pale blonde hair and amber colored eyes. It was hard for Catherine at first, because her hearing is impaired, we had issues communicating when we first met for a school project, but my mother had taught me basic sign language at a young age.

But, of course, Catherine wasn’t alone. Our other friend Crystal was standing not too far away during these events, holding Lee. Crystal always loved that dog, probably because she was easy to pick up and cuddle.

Crystal was something else to say the least. Crystal is Catherine’s opposite. She tends to be more girly than either of us. Her black hair was cut just to her shoulders, the roots dyed bright. And she tends to be quite random.

Catherine’s purple streaked hair was pulled back into a ponytail, as per always, while Crystal’s was a riot of braids.

I had already told my friends that I was leaving in a few days.

We had been spending as much time together as possible. We headed over to my house to drop off Lee. Twilight will whine if we left without her, so we decided to bring her along.

"Hey mum?! I'm going to go to the park with Crystal and Catherine!" I called up as I left the house on my bike. Crystal and Catherine had already grabbed their bikes and were waiting for me.

We didn’t usually go to the park, unless we had to take the little kids with us.

Luckily Lily was best friends with Alex, Catherine’s younger sister so we regularly brought them to the playground.

When it was just us, we went to our favorite grove of trees on a cliff, overlooking a lake, covered with vast trees. There, we had made our tree houses, three separate from one main one.

No one ever came here, but if they did they wouldn't have been able to find the tree houses unless they knew what they were looking for. Mine, was filled with pictures that I had taken…I want to be a photographer, a video camera and an underwater camera, a lap top for photo editing, my snorkel and mask, books. The main house had a few seats and an extra-large first aid kit. Catherine’s idea, she wants to be a doctor. Getting up there wasn't easiest thing in the world, let me tell you. We had to make it hard to get up so that people won't think of trying. We each have different ways of getting up. Crystal's way is an inconspicuous platform that she can crank up, Catherine’s is a rope ladder that she wove the first day (It took several tireless days to get this all done, in which our parents thought we were out at a science fair) and mine was a simple, "find as many ways to climb up as possible" kind of deal.

We reached the hang out and climbed up to the main house. I looked at my surroundings. Many pictures of past summers, Halloweens, Christmases, Easters, Birthdays and many more different ones, hung up on the walls. We made this tree house three years ago. It made me sad that I would have to leave it all behind for another three. What will change while she's gone? All this would be gone. We would be older. Nineteen, wow.

"Don't worry Dell. We won't ever change" Catherine said as she came in. I must have looked as confused as I felt because Crystal spoke up next.

"You were thinking aloud Dell”

(Some clarity, my friends call me Dell to stand for Delta, Catherine is Alpha or Alphs for leader and Crystal is Beta or Bets.)

"Sorry, can't help myself. Think, I won't be able to see you guys for three years, excluding Christmas." I stated sadly.

"I'll see you. My mum set me up to go too. Aren't otters adorable?" Crystal asked.

"Yes Bets, otters are adorable. Then it's just me?" Catherine said

"Why don't you go?" I asked.

"Because Dell, you know my mum" Catherine had a point. Her mother wasn't the nicest person on the planet, she was very stern and had a high shrill voice that could cut glass at the lowest whisper. She didn't like me or Catherine very much so she loved to lecture Catherine on us. This was one of the reasons Catherine was so shy.

"You don't have to tell us we're going. You can tell her that you've given it some thought and decided you wanted to go" I stated.

"I couldn't ask for an otter" Crystal sang happily.

I face-palmed, so it's otters now? Last week it was bunnies, the week before it was sloths. Crystal is obsessed with cute baby animals. She begs her parents for one, they say no, she moves on to a new one and repeat. Catherine seemed to be thinking the same thing because she repeated my actions.

"Are we allowed to bring pets?" Catherine asked. Last month, her parents had caved and bought her a pet penguin that she named Sparkle. Personally, I still couldn’t believe that she had gotten a penguin, we were in Australia for heaven’s sake!

"Yeah, I'll be bringing Twilight." I explained.

We were quiet for a few minutes, each one of us doing our own thing, when Catherine suggested going swimming, to which Crystal and I agreed.

I ran out and ran across the bridge to my house, wobbling unsteadily as I did so. I took out my bathing suit and changed quickly, before climbing down the tree and jumping the last few feet to the ground. I raced to the cliff at the edge of lake with Crystal and Catherine chasing after me. I reached the lake and began to remove my shorts and t-shirt and dove into the water just as Crystal and Catherine arrived. I resurfaced and was splashed by Catherine. Crystal was rubbing sunscreen onto her pale skin on shore since she did not tan well. Catherine and I began to splash each other, laughing uncontrollably. After a while we headed back to shore and collapsed in the sand to relax and tan for a bit.

I was going to miss my girls.

"We'll miss you too Dell" Catherine stated.

I need to stop thinking out loud. I thought.

"Yes, you do" Crystal agreed.

"Dang it!” I exclaimed and my best friends laughed.

"What if your mum says yes? Then we could all go together!" Crystal tried.

"Yeah, I could ask her tonight when I get home" Catherine stated.

"Actually, I was thinking we could have a sleepover tonight. You could ask if that’s ok when you go to get your stuff" I told them. I had asked my dad this morning and he said it was all right. He thought that since I’d be leaving soon we should cram in as much time together as we could.

"Sounds good." Crystal said happily. She's always happy. Maybe that's not a bad thing

I leaned over, making sure that my friends didn't see, and picked up two handfuls of wet sand, balled it up and threw it at them. Crystal screamed and Catherine fell off her chair face first into the sand.

"DELL!" They screech. I ran.

It quickly turned into an all-out sand war. Catherine threw one into my hair and I hit Crystal in the shoulder. Crystal set a timer for one hour, and the sand fort competition began. Forty- five minutes later my fort was done, with walls taller than myself and a foot thick. As the others continued to build up their forts. I began to make ammo.

I had made about twenty sand balls before the timer began to sing the duck song. ‘Really Bets?’ I thought to myself.

Instantly Crystal let out a war cry and began to throw sand bombs at both me and Catherine, who ducked behind her fort for cover. I ran around them and behind Catherine. Grabbing a handful of sand and shoving it down the back of her shirt. She squealed and jumped up and down, trying to get the sand out of her shirt. I was rolling on the floor laughing until tears rolled down my face. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Catherine stop throwing sand and look at Crystal. Suddenly they both jumped from behind me grabbing sand and shoving it down my own shirt as revenge.

This continued for ages, with us teaming up against each other. Finally, we all collapsed on the sand, panting for air.

"Alphs, what time is it?" I asked.

Catherine reached over to her bag and pulled out her phone.

"Two twenty- eight" She replied.

"We've been here for three hours?" Crystal questioned

"Yup" I answered.

"What do we do now?" Catherine said.

"Well my dear buddies. We, are going to shower, get dressed, then go to my place. My mom wants to take us out for dinner, to celebrate" Crystal stated.

"Celebrate what?" I asked.

"Getting into school. Alphs will have time to convince her mom to let her go before we leave" Crystal pointed out.

"She has a point" I said.

"I guess I can try. It wouldn't be too bad getting out of that place for a while." Catherine concurred.

"Great! Let's head back and meet up at my place around four, mum wants to take us at five thirty" Crystal said happily.

"Then we can have time to get ready for you guys staying over" I said.

"I'm glad we don't ever do these things at my house, last time it was a disaster" Catherine mused

It was true, the last time we had a sleep over at her house was two year ago. Boy we sure learned our lesson. We accidentally burst one of her feather pillowed and stained her carpet and bed sheets with grape juice, her mother was none too impressed to say the least. Mind you we were like ten.

"We'll have the basement tonight, Lily.... Oh no!" I exclaimed.

"What?" My friends asked.

"Lily and Lysander are doing a magic show tonight at six! I won't be able to see it and they'll be upset”

The last time I pulled a stunt like this they whined at me for three days straight.

"Maybe they would bring it earlier if we told them we'd come" Catherine told me.

Lily loved Catherine more than she did me, though I loved Alex, Catherine’s little sister, tons, so it worked out nicely.

"I'll let her know that" I said and grabbed out my phone and turned on Skype. Instantly a message from Lily.

"When are you getting home? Is Cathy coming with?" It read.

"Well that's the thing, Cathy will be coming with me, but can you move the show the earlier so she can be there? Crys’ mum wants to see us at five thirty" I explained. It took a few moments but my phone beeped again none the less.

"Fine, but You have to be here at five" Lily stated.

"Perfect I'll be home soon. The others will be coming too, plus Alex" I could almost hear her squeal.

After saying quick goodbyes, I hung up the phone and turned to my friends with a grin.

"We're good, as long as your there by five and have Alex with you, she can stay over too.

"Oh, she'll love that. She'll probably screamed louder than anything and run to pack for the night" Catherine said amused

"That's why I love her" I said taking my hair out of its bun that was falling to the nape of my neck and shaking it out.

So, we left the beach back to our houses to drop off our stuff and head back to our actual homes. My brain couldn't stop thinking about how much things are going to change when I leave. I would be sixteen where I got back for the summer. I wouldn't be coming back for another summer for three years, Christmas and spring breaks, but nothing else. Then I would have to go back for another three years. By the time I'd finished the school I'd be nineteen!

“You’re thinking' too much about it Ads! It won't be as bad as you think!”

I have four voices in my head, two boys and two girls. The girls named Cal and Tori, the boys named Zell and Arrow.

Zell, Arrow and Tori mostly keep a level head about things, while Cal insists on always looking on the bright side. They had apparently been in my head since I was born. I hadn't ever told anyone accepts for Catherine and Crystal, who also had voices in their heads. I had never told my parents, though I had come very close to at many points in my life. Mostly when Cal and Tori were nagging me about something, or when Zell and Arrow were annoying me, or when one of them let something slip that they weren't meant to. I got so caught up in thought that my parents would notice and ask me about it. I always lied my way out of it smoothly.

“I can't help myself Arrow. I'll be gone for so long! Everything would be different!” I replied to Arrow’s statement.

“You’re thinking too much about it Sissy! It won't be that bad!” Cal said to me.

“Oh Sure! Everything is Goin' t' be fine and dandy when she be goin' t' a place where she don' be knowin' anyone, or even know where to be goin' Sure Cal She'll be fine!” Zell said sarcastically.

“This can't get any worse. I completely agree with Zell on this one. I don't know anything about where I'm going or who I'll be meeting”

“You'll be fine Mistress. It's best that you go to this school” Tori spoke up.

“Wait? Do you guys know anything about this school that I'm going to?” I asked.

“Er- No, nothing. We only know what you know” Tori lied.

“Nice try Tor. We be knowin' everythin' 'bout this. We just can't be tellin' you 'bout it” Zell covered.

“Under whose authority?” I said, dignified.

“The boss man! The big guy! The toughie! Think about it Ads. He's the one who doesn't want you to know anything about yourself that you don't already know! Remember that time when you were ten and playing football? There was no way you could have made that shot but you willed yourself to so you did! You saved the game because you did something impossible! I'll bet-” Arrow's monolog was interrupted by a loud smacking sound and his loud call of “Ouch”. Tori or Cal had Smacked Arrow.

“Arrow! You weren't supposed to say anything! We could get into trouble!” Tori scolded a pouting Arrow.

“Well it ain't like we can be leavin' Ads in a rut with no way out, Tor.” Zell pointed out to Tori

“But the master told us not to tell her anything she doesn't need to know!” Cal reminded them.

This conversation seems to be very one sided.

“And we ain't goin' t'. But we ain't goin' t' leave 'er with Nothin'!” Zell said firmly.

“Yeah! She has the right to know what's going to happen! Or at least a rough edge of it!” Arrow agreed.

Yep, very one sided.

“Well how do we know she can handle it?” Cal asked.

“Are you kidding me!? It's Ads! Of course, she can handle it!” Arrow exclaimed.

“Are you sure? Because it's this kind of stuff that makes people worry and stress.” Tori pointed out.

“It's Ads we be talkin' 'bout! O' course she can handle this!”

“Guys!” I shouted, finally having enough. People looked at me weirdly.

“Go back to your knitting!” I told them and they averted their eyes.

“Point to Ads” Arrow joked.

“Thanks. What is going on?”

“What we are going on about Ads, is that the fact that you’re going to the school is important, you have to go. But Catherine and Crystal are going to be there too.” Cal reassured me.

Seems like I have no choice. I thought to myself. As I stepped through my door,. I was instantly ambushed by Maya and Twilight.

Maya riding on Twilight's back as they came romping up and trampled on top of me. Twilight licking my face, while Maya insisted on jumping endlessly on my belly. And I suddenly felt the bile rising in the back of my throat. No, I didn't really throw up. Thank whoever may be out there, for my iron stomach.

“Help! I'm being sat on by a demon baby!” I shouted

My mother poked her head around the corner to see what was going on, only to roll her eyes, smile and walk back into the living room

“Thanks for the help!” I shouted after her.

“You're welcome!” Came the reply.

I turned back to Maya who was literally making my breakfast come back up.

“OK! OK! I'll make you a smoothie if you get off” I offered, laboring to breathe.

Maya got off and I hobbled off into the kitchen to make myself and Maya a smoothie.

A loud ringing of the doorbell interrupted my giggling as Maya and myself hid away from Catherine, Alex and Crystal, who were the ones that were ringing.

You see, we were hiding from them, partly because I didn't want to get dressed, but mostly because we were hyper on sugar. It wasn't our fault that mother had left the cake and pies unattended.

So here we were, hiding in Maya's large play house that was in her playroom. We heard footsteps up the stairs and the door open.

“Addy! I know you're in here! I want to hide too” Alex's voice came.

I opened the door and let her into the small house. We giggled and waited for Catherine and Crystal to come up and find us.

“Come on out Dell!” Catherine called.

“Yeah. Either we'll find you. Or the man- eating otters will!” Crystal added.

Que Catherine face palm and Alex's stifled laughter. Crystal and her silly obsession with baby animals. Alex and I were completely busting a gut, so much so that we failed to keep our laughter quiet for much longer.

“They’re in the house!” Crystal exclaimed as they heard us

“No, we're not” I said

“Yes, you are!” Catherine stated

“Can't touch this” I sang quietly to Alex who laughed harder, if possible.

“What did you say?!” Catherine and Crystal asked loudly

“Nothing!” We replied.

I counted down and we busted down the door, running out of the room with Maya asleep on the little bed in the house.

“Can't touch this!” I sang loudly causing both Catherine and Crystal to laugh.

“That's what you said!” Crystal exclaimed.

We ran into my room and collapsed on my bed and floor, laughing too hard.

“W-when do you l-leave?” Alex stuttered out as she tried to calm her laughter.

“In about six days.” I replied, taking in air.

“Cathy asked mother if she could go, I think mother will let her though. I'd love to go” Alex said to me.

“You’re just too young Al. You'll be going soon enough” I reminded her.

“Yeah, I know. Then Lily and I can go together!” Alex said brightly.

“Yeah, we'll be back soon enough for Christmas and then spring breaks. Three years from now you can go too” I told her.

“I know. But it's going to feel like forever!” She emphasized the “Forever” in the sentence.

“I know!”

“Alright Alex. We need to get Dell ready, so out you go.” Catherine said as they walked in.

“Yeah. Come on, Delly!” Crystal Smirked. This was never a good sign.

#Actual stories #first book #Lost Island #stories #superpowers #first chapter

1 note · View note

classyfoxdestiny · 3 years

Text

Secret proposals to ration care by age in pandemic branded ‘unacceptable’

Secret plans to withdraw hospital care from over-70s in the case of a catastrophic pandemic have been branded “totally unacceptable” by charities representing older people.

Confident documents produced following a pandemic planning exercise in 2016 proposed a “triaging” system to be put into operation if healthcare resources were exhausted, under which people in nursing homes could be offered “end of life pathways” instead of medical assistance.

The government said the proposals related to “hypothetical scenarios” and had never been adopted as official policy.

But Age UK charity director Caroline Abrahams told The Independent that Britain had come “perilously close” to an approach of this sort at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic last year.

And she said that the government and NHS should be clear that treatment decisions must always be based on clinical need.

The documents on “NHS surge and triage” and adult social care in the case of a pandemic, labelled “confidential” and “official sensitive”, were obtained by an NHS doctor under freedom of information legislation and published on Saturday by the Daily Telegraph.

Written in 2017 and 2018, they suggested that in the case of a serious flu outbreak which overwhelmed the NHS’s ability to respond, patients could be “triaged” – or prioritised for treatment – based on their “probability of survival” rather than “clinical need”.

In a severe pandemic, the health secretary could authorise medics to prioritise some patients over others and even stop providing critical care altogether, the documents suggested.

Ms Abrahams expressed deep concern that the approach had even been considered.

UK news in pictures

Show all 50

1/50UK news in pictures

UK news in pictures

30 July 2021

Great Britain’s Bethany Shriever and Kye Whyte celebrate their Gold and Silver medals respectively for the Cycling BMX Racing at the Ariake Urban Sports Park on the seventh day of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Japan

UK news in pictures

29 July 2021

Great Britain’s Mallory Franklin celebrates on the podium after she won silver in the women’s C1 Canoe Slalom at Tokyo Olympics

Reuters

UK news in pictures

28 July 2021

Canoers on Llyn Padarn lake in Snowdonia, Gwynedd. It was announced that the north-west Wales slate landscape has been granted UNESCO World Heritage Status

UK news in pictures

27 July 2021

A view of one of two areas now being used at a warehouse facility in Dover, Kent, for boats used by people thought to be migrants.

UK news in pictures

26 July 2021

A woman is helped by Border Force officers as a group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover, Kent, onboard a Border Force vessel, following a small boat incident in the Channel

UK news in pictures

25 July 2021

Vehicles drive through deep water on a flooded road in Nine Elms, London

AFP/Getty

UK news in pictures

24 July 2021

Utilities workers inspect a 15x20ft sinkhole on Green Lane, Liverpool, which is suspected to have been caused by ruptured water main

UK news in pictures

23 July 2021

Children interact with Mega Please Draw Freely by artist Ei Arakawa inside the Turbine Hall at the Tate Modern in London, part of UNIQLO Tate Play the gallery’s new free programme of art-inspired activities for families

UK news in pictures

22 July 2021

Festivalgoers in the campsite at the Latitude festival in Henham Park, Southwold, Suffolk

UK news in pictures

21 July 2021

A man walks past an artwork by Will Blood on the end of a property in Bedminster, Bristol, as the 75 murals project reaches the halfway point and various graffiti pieces are sprayed onto walls and buildings across the city over the Summer

UK news in pictures

20 July 2021

People during morning prayer during Eid ul-Adha, or Festival of Sacrifice, in Southall Park, Uxbridge, London

UK news in pictures

19 July 2021

Commuters, some not wearing facemasks, at Westminster Underground station, at 08:38 in London after the final legal Coronavirus restrictions were lifted in England

UK news in pictures

18 July 2021

A view of spectators by the 2nd green during day four of The Open at The Royal St George’s Golf Club in Sandwich, Kent

UK news in pictures

17 July 2021

Cyclists ride over the Hammersmith Bridge in London. The bridge was closed last year after cracks in it worsened during a heatwave

Getty

UK news in pictures

16 July 2021

The sun rises behind the Sefton Park Palm House, in Sefton Park, Liverpool

UK news in pictures

15 July 2021

Sir Nicholas Serota watches a short film about sea monsters as he opens a £7.6 million, 360 immersive dome at Devonport’s Market Hall in Plymouth, which is the first of its type to be built in Europe

UK news in pictures

14 July 2021

Heidi Street, playing a gothic character, looks at a brain suspended in glass at the world’s first attraction dedicated to the author of Frankenstein inside the ‘Mary Shelley’s House of Frankenstein’ experience, located in a Georgian terraced house in Bath, as it prepares to open to the public on 19 July

UK news in pictures

13 July 2021

Rehearsals are held in a car park in Glasgow for a parade scene ahead of filming for what is thought to be the new Indiana Jones 5 movie starring Harrison Ford

UK news in pictures

12 July 2021

A local resident puts love hearts and slogans on the plastic that covers offensive graffiti on the vandalised mural of Manchester United striker and England player Marcus Rashford on the wall of a cafe on Copson Street, Withington in Manchester

Getty Images

UK news in pictures

11 July 2021

England’s Bukayo Saka with manager Gareth Southgate after the match

Pool via Reuters

UK news in pictures

10 July 2021

Australia’s Ashleigh Barty holds the trophy after winning her final Wimbledon match against Czech Republic’s Karolina Pliskova

Reuters

UK news in pictures

9 July 2021

England 1966 World Cup winner Sir Geoff Hurst stands on top of a pod on the lastminute.com London Eye wearing a replica 1966 World Cup final kit and looking out towards Wembley Stadium in the north of the capital, where the England football team will play Italy in the Euro 2020 final on Sunday

UK news in pictures

8 July 2021

Karolina Pliskova celebrates after defeating Aryna Sabalenka during the women’s singles semifinals match on day ten of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London

UK news in pictures

7 July 2021

The residents of Towfield Court in Feltham have transformed their estate with England flags for the Euro 2020 tournament

UK news in pictures

6 July 2021

A couple are hit by a wave as they walk along the promenade in Dover, Kent, during strong winds

UK news in pictures

5 July 2021

Alexander Zverev playing against Felix Auger-Aliassime in the fourth round of the Gentlemen’s Singles on Court 1 on day seven of Wimbledon at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club

UK news in pictures

4 July 2021

Aaron Carty and the Beyoncé Experience perform on stage during UK Black Pride at The Roundhouse in London

Getty for UK Black Pride

UK news in pictures

3 July 2021

England’s Jordan Henderson celebrates after scoring his first international goal, his side’s fourth against Ukraine during the Euro 2020 quarter final match at the Olympic stadium in Rome

UK news in pictures

2 July 2021

Dan Evans serves against Sebastian Korda during their men’s singles third round match at Wimbledon

Getty

UK news in pictures

1 July 2021

Prince William, left and Prince Harry unveil a statue they commissioned of their mother Princess Diana, on what would have been her 60th birthday, in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace, London

UK news in pictures

30 June 2021

Dancers from the Billingham Festival and Balbir Singh Dance Company, during a preview for the The Two Fridas, UK Summer tour, presented by Billingham International Folklore Festival of World Dance in collaboration with Balbir Singh Dance Company, inspired by the life and times of female artists Frida Kahlo and Amrita Sher-Gil , which opens on July 10 at Ushaw Historic House, Chapel and Gardens in Durham

UK news in pictures

29 June 2021

A boy kicks a soccer ball in front of the balconies and landings adorned with predominantly England flags at the Kirby housing estate in London

UK news in pictures

28 June 2021

Emergency services attend a fire nearby the Elephant & Castle Rail Station in London

Getty

UK news in pictures

27 June 2021

People walk along Regent Street in central London during a #FreedomToDance march organised by Save Our Scene, in protest against the government’s perceived disregard for the live music industry throughout the coronavirus pandemic

UK news in pictures

26 June 2021

A pair of marchers in a Trans Pride rally share a smile in Soho

Angela Christofilou/The Independent

UK news in pictures

25 June 2021

Tim Duckworth during the Long Jump in the decathlon during day one of the Muller British Athletics Championships at Manchester Regional Arena

UK news in pictures

24 June 2021

A member of staff poses with the work ‘The Death of Cash’ by XCopy at the ‘CryptOGs: The Pioneers of NFT Art’ auction at Bonhams auction house in London

EPA

UK news in pictures

23 June 2021

Bank of England Chief Cashier Sarah John displays the new 50-pound banknote at Daunt Books in London

Bank of England via Reuters

UK news in pictures

22 June 2021

Actor Isaac Hampstead Wright sits on the newly unveiled Game of Throne’s “Iron Throne” statue, in Leicester Square, in London, Tuesday, June 22, 2021. The statue is the tenth to join the trail and commemorates 10 years since the TV show first aired, as well as in anticipation for HBO’s release of House of the Dragon set to be released in 2022

UK news in pictures

21 June 2021

Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon receives her second dose of the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine

AFP/Getty

UK news in pictures

20 June 2021

Joyce Paton, from Peterhead, on one of the remaining snow patches on Meall a’Bhuiridh in Glencoe during the Midsummer Ski. The event, organised by the Glencoe Mountain Resort, is held every year on the weekend closest to the Summer Solstice

UK news in pictures

19 June 2021

England appeal LBW during day four of their Women’s International Test match against India at the Bristol County Ground

UK news in pictures

18 June 2021

Scotland fans let off flares in Leicester Square after Scotland’s Euro 2020 match against England ended in a 0-0 draw

Getty

UK news in pictures

17 June 2021

Members of the Tootsie Rollers jazz band pose on the third day of the Royal Ascot horse racing meet

AFP/Getty

UK news in pictures

16 June 2021

A woman and child examine life-size sculptures of a herd of Asian elephants set up by the Elephant Family and The Real Elephant Collective to help educate the public on the elephants and the ways in which humans can better protect the planets biodiversity, in Green Park, central London

AFP/Getty

UK news in pictures

15 June 2021

Hydrotherapists with Dixie, a seven-year-old Dachshund who is being treated for back problems common with the breed, in the hydrotherapy pool during a facility at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home’s in Battersea, London, to view their new hydrotherapy centre

UK news in pictures

14 June 2021

Scotland’s David Marshall in the net after Czech Republic’s Patrik Schick scored their second goal at Hampden Park

Reuters

UK news in pictures

13 June 2021

Raheem Sterling celebrates with Harry Kane after scoring England’s first goal of the Euro 2021 tournament in a match against Croatia at Wembley

Reuters

UK news in pictures

12 June 2021

Oxfam campaigners wearing costumes depicting G7 leaders pose for photographers on Swanpool Beach near Falmouth, Cornwall

EPA

UK news in pictures

11 June 2021

Members of the Vaxinol team, who are commercial, industrial and residential cleaners specialising in disinfection and decontamination, use electrostatic spray systems to deep clean the Only Fools Bar in Liverpool

“Whatever the status of this planning document may be, we know from other reports that during the early part of this pandemic we got perilously close to triage approaches being introduced in hospitals that took age heavily into account,”she said.

“If they had been put into practice the result would have been that a relatively healthy 70-year-old would not have got access to the intensive treatment they needed – they would effectively have been written off.

“At that time there was huge uncertainty and fear, as doctors struggled to cope with a virus that was threatening to overwhelm the NHS.

“However, we said at the time and repeat now that there is no place for treatment decisions based on age in a civilised society. Whatever the pressures, these decisions should always be based on clinical need.

“To do otherwise is blatantly ageist and totally unacceptable.”

Prof Martin Green, chief executive of Care England, which represents independent providers of adult social care, told The Independent: “The NHS should not have blanket policies and every single person should be assessed on the basis of need.

“The NHS should be available to all citizens and any scenario planning for a pandemic should focus on the needs of citizens, not the needs of organisations.”

Dr Moosa Qureshi, who obtained the plans, said it was “unprofessional” that they were not given to medics.

“The Information Commissioner held that clinicians must be supported by a clear framework when allocating care during a severe pandemic, and that the framework needs public debate,” he said. “The NHS triage paper provides real guidance for front-line staff if NHS services are overwhelmed. Why did the Department of Health, NHS England and BMA keep it secret from healthcare professionals?”

An NHS spokesman said: “The NHS was asked to produce this discussion document based on a specific and extreme hypothetical scenario to inform the Government’s pandemic flu preparedness programme rather than for operational use and it did not form the basis of the NHS response to coronavirus.”

A government spokesman said the reports were “historical draft briefing papers that include hypothetical scenarios which do not and have never represented agreed government policy”.

Source link

0 notes

toysadelaide · 3 years

Text

GIFT IDEAS FOR AN ASPIRING DOCTOR: EXPLORE THE HUMAN ANATOMY TOYS !

2 kidneys and 1 liver or 1 kidney and 2 livers?

Don't allow your child to fall prey to the same puzzlement that you went through. Our life size model of a human anatomy torso with 11 detachable plastic organs will perfectly imprint in your child's brain all that he's read in his books.

https://www.switchedonkids.com.au/.../50cm-anatomy-human... #CelebrateLearning #SwitchedOnKids

#unique gift ideas for kids #toys to learn #children's doctor kit australia #best gifts for 14 year old boy #educational toys for 10 year olds #christmas gift for 6 years old girl #educational toys for 12 year olds

0 notes

mathbonsai7 · 4 years

Text

Buy Melanotan 2 Sun Tanning Injections Uk

Melanotan 2 Darkens Hair?

Content

' Everyone Is Asking Me Where I Have Actually Gotten On Holiday'.

Get Melanotan ☀ Sun Tanning Injections.

Melanotan 2 Uk Distributors.

Buy Sun Tanning Injections From One Of The Most Reputable Store.

Featured Products.

How much do Melanotan injections cost?

Although the drug is illegal here, Aussies can order the product online from international websites. Costs range from AUD60-80 per vial, or anywhere from AUD85-100 for a 'starter kit', which includes pre-injection wipes, insulin syringes and sterile water.

Package has instructions on how to utilize Ubertan, which involve splashing the product up your nostrils twice a day for 10 to 2 week. " You really feel a bit dizzy and you obtain a head rush like you have actually had your very first cigarette of the day," she stated.

Filling your diet with a range of nutritious ingredients can not only improve general health but also assist you grow taller or keep your elevation. Not only that, however study reveals that cow's milk can stimulate boosted growth in kids and also may assist support weight gain and bodybuilding. It can likewise assist sustain growth by supplying numerous nutrients that are necessary for bone health, including calcium, phosphorus, and also magnesium. Milk is typically considered a crucial element of a healthy, versatile diet regimen. In addition, salmon is high in protein, B vitamins, selenium, and also potassium.

youtube

They likewise consist of both soluble and insoluble fiber, which can advertise digestive system wellness and promote the development of excellent gut germs. In addition to enhancing immune function as well as decreasing swelling, some research reveals that probiotics can assist enhance development in children. Specific kinds likewise have probiotics, which are a sort of useful bacteria that can help sustain gut health and wellness.

How long does Melanotan last in your system?

“The injections are meant to stay in your system for six months. The tan lasts for about two months.”

Nonetheless, melatonin can trigger changes in high blood pressure, consisting of hazardous and unforeseen spikes. People with hypertension or that are taking medicines that lower high blood pressure should speak to a doctor before using melatonin. Melatonin is a popular supplement that many individuals utilize to aid them sleep via the evening. Nevertheless, it impacts individuals differently, so some people might take more of it. RxList does not supply clinical suggestions, diagnosis or treatment.

Is vitiligo caused by stress?

Vitiligo can be triggered by stress to the melanin pigment-producing cells of the skin, the melanocytes. The triggers, which range from sunburn to mechanical trauma and chemical exposures, ultimately cause an autoimmune response that targets melanocytes, driving progressive skin depigmentation.

What Not To Take With Melatonin.

I have actually asked over a hundred individuals in Toronto if they understand of this item given that I learnt about it last month and none have. I am having imagine distributing it as well as ending up being very rich lol. 2) In your viewpoint should I still attempt it "on my rats" and also if so, how much?

How can I get tan fast?

How to get a tan faster 1. Use sunscreen with an SPF of 30. 2. Change positions frequently. 3. Eat foods that contain beta carotene. 4. Try using oils with naturally occurring SPF. 5. signing up here stay outside for longer than your skin can create melanin. 6. Eat lycopene-rich foods. 7. Choose your tanning time wisely. More items

If you hold on to it, both your rest and wellness will certainly suffer. Melatonin is a hormone that aids to regulate everyday body rhythms. It likewise fills several other duties and boasts a wealth of prospective medical usages. For some people fighting with insomnia or having problem resting, a rest specialist may have the ability to provide added tips.

It took me weeks prior to I had actually also gotten to a dose of 250 mcg pre-tanning. This is because I took a very conventional method, tapered very gradually, and also tapered my UV exposure very gradually too. I have actually used some tanning lotions as well as lotions in the past with bronzers in them, and they all would certainly come off on my clothing or stain whenever I sweat.

Side Effects Of Tanning Shots

As melanin is the main determinant of skin color, the much more melanin you generate, the darker your skin can potentially become. American Cancer Society medical info is copyrighted material. Your work-related anxiety is psychological baggage that you have to learn not to drag home with you.

As an outcome of this procedure, Melanotan II can efficiently secure your skin from exposure damage. As you might have presumed, reasonable skinned people have low base degrees of melanogenesis. After taking Melanotan II, your body will be boosted to generate a tremendously higher degree of melanin.

There are all things Shop Pt141 Moldova 10mg vial x2 of Melanotan-- Melanotan I as well as Melanotan II. They function by raising the degrees of melanin (the body's all-natural pigment that secures us from the sun) leading to a suntan.

Most of users source the medication by means of "underground" online suppliers at expenses varying from A$ 30-50 for a one-month supply, and also self-administer the shots in the house.

Some darkening of the skin might take place using the injection alone however the results are far more remarkable when made use of in addition to direct exposure to UV light 2-3 times a week initially and then 1-2 times a week thereafter.

Nonetheless, Melanotan's tanning capability as well as potential use as a "all-natural" photoprotectant has additionally gotten much public passion, and led to its appropriation as a way of living medicine.

They caution that uncontrolled use Melanotan might result in a boost in the number of people seeking clinical guidance regarding transforming moles as well as might also confuse the diagnosis.

They were both sunbed users and both had injected Melanotan I and II, purchased from the web, quickly prior to their moles transformed.

https://cro.melanotan.eu/product/pt141-15ml-nasal-spray/ of certain drugs used to deal with type 2 diabetes have agreed to include a stronger caution for the danger of heart failure.

They recommend healthcare experts look out for unanticipated tanning as a clue to such use.

Individuals report a range of short-lived negative effects including face flushing, nausea or vomiting, short-term freckling and also dimming of moles, and also in some males, spontaneous erections.

The authors explain two patients attending their dermatology center with rapidly altering moles and also an extreme tan, in spite of their fair skin kind.

To lessen any type of adverse impacts, simply choose a reduced dosage. Usually the individuals that run into problems or unfavorable side results are just application method expensive.

youtube

Bacteriostatic Water for Injection is provided in a multiple-dose 30 mL plastic fliptop vial that is plastic and not pressurized. It is not made use of for neonatal medications due to possible high blood pressure changes and also toxicity of benzyl alcohol. If Bacteriostatic Water is injected intravenously with no watered down substance, it may create some red cell lysis because it is not isotonic.

Can you take melanin pills to get tan?

Though some products claim to be “tanning pills” that can darken skin, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) say these products are not proven to be safe and effective. They may even cause serious adverse reactions, including eye damage.

They're particularly high in vitamin C, which advertises cell growth and also tissue repair service. What's even more, one research study in 874 kids observed that frequently consuming eggs was associated with raised month-to-month height gains. Quinoa is also an outstanding resource of magnesium, a needed element of bone tissue that can raise bone mineral density. And also, sweet potatoes are loaded with other vital nutrients, including vitamin C, manganese, vitamin B6, and potassium.

Some study additionally suggests that omega-3 fats might be associated with bone health and wellness and might advertise bone turn over to make the most of growth. Berries likewise provide a variety of other minerals and vitamins, including fiber, vitamin K, and manganese. Vitamin C also raises the synthesis of collagen, which is the most abundant protein in your body.

youtube

#melanotan #melanotan buy #melanotan online #what is melanotan?#melanotan 2 #How long does Melanotan take to work?#Does Melanotan work without sun?#Does Melanotan 2 burn fat?#How often should you use Melanotan?#Do you have to refrigerate Melanotan 2?

0 notes

gamehayapkmod · 4 years

Photo

YooHoo: Pet Doctor Games for Kids!

Game YooHoo: Pet Doctor Games for Kids! là dòng game AdventurePretend Play

Giới thiệu YooHoo: Pet Doctor Games for Kids!

Treat all the animals in a fascinating round-the-world journey playing these kids doctor games for girls and boys! 🚑🐻🐼 Play these pet games for kids and become a true doctor! Hey! 👋 Our neighbor animals got sick and we must help them!😕 We won't make it without you, and that's why you must embark on a journey with us! You will be able to treat the most exotic animals from all around the world! There are 10 characters waiting for you in these pet games for kids, and they keep on getting different illnesses; there will also be 5 places where you can go together with YooHoo and his friends! 🚑🚑 It's your chance to become a true doctor in this vet game! 👩‍⚕️👨‍⚕️ Put on a medical cap, pack the medical kit and let's play kids doctor games! Being a doctor is, undoubtedly, difficult, but in this doctor game anyone will be able to master this profession, including the smallest users! Play these animal doctor games - kids games and learn how to treat different illnesses! In these games for children you will find out: - how to treat a runny nose; - what to do if you get a lump; - how to treat fever; - what to do if your ears or eyes are sore; and many other things! 💊 Meet interesting animals! 🐰🐻🐼🐵 You will head for Eurasia, Australia, Africa, North America, and even the Antarctic 🌎! You will see what exotic animals live in such places! Pandas, penguins, hippos, polar bears and others in our pet doctor games for kids! 😉 Play cool mini games for children: - fly the hoverboard with YooHoo! Fly and overcome all the obstacles! - play hide-and-seek with Pammee and her friends! - a minigame with Lemmee: feed all the animals with fruit! - make presents with Roodee's cool gadget - a high tech pen! - a minigame with Chewoo: she's now a photographer and needs you to help her take pictures of the animals! 🎁 Or course we couldn't leave you with no present! Start these kids doctor games for girls and boys, complete all the tasks, treat all the animals and get a prize! Are you ready to set out on an exciting adventure around the world and treat everyone?🌎 YooHoo is ready! 📲 Download these veterinarian games: “YooHoo and Friends: Pet Doctor Games for Kids!” Let’s treat all the animals in animal doctor games for kids free! Your subscription will automatically renew at the end of the subscription period. The free trial will automatically convert to a paid subscription at the end of the trial period unless you turn off the auto-renew at least 24 hours before the end of the period. Your account will be charged for the applicable subscription fee within 24 hours of the end of the previous subscription period or trial period. You may turn off auto-renewal at any time from your Google account settings. The current version of Terms of Use is available here: https://devgamekids.com/terms-of-use.html ✉️ Contact us: [email protected] 🔔 Stay tuned: https://www.facebook.com/DEVGAME.Kids 💻 Our website: https://devgameou.com/ Update the game and get to the patients today!

Download APK

Tải APK ([app_filesize]) #gamehayapk #gameandroid #gameapk #gameupdate

0 notes

jwesulm · 5 years

Text

Social distancing for COVID-19: Buying time to reinforce the front

Hi everyone, just an update as a lot of you across several social media have been in touch with me about coronavirus Q&A’s and the possibility of posting up a weekly, detailed FAQ here on your questions; as some of you have heard, I’ve had to put that aside for now since, alongside primary duties, I’m working on applying a bioinformatic system I developed years ago in a bid to help more rapidly identify promising COVID-19 drug candidates. It’s a bit of ad hoc improvisation at best on a pre-developed resource, and even under the most optimistic scenarios there’s not going to be a cure with this, only some extra tools in the therapeutic arsenal to reduce COVID-19 severity and expedite recovery. But for that very reason, I wanted to don my public health hat one more time before going on quasi-social media hiatus, since even the most promising new SARS-CoV-2 treatment prospects won’t amount to much if the (already imminent) torrent of new COVID-19 cases rises even more steeply than it already is to swarm US hospitals: Please, please diligently follow all the social distancing measures being outlined by public health authorities to the letter, especially avoiding mass gatherings and taking pains to wash hands thoroughly after touching surfaces with high contact (such as doorknobs and handles).

I know how stir-crazy things are getting right now especially with all the mounting anxiety (and desire to assuage it with public get-togethers to greet springtime’s arrival), but having lately been in touch with medical colleagues in US epicenters like Seattle, NYC, San Francisco -- even unexpected hotspots like Kansas City, Phoenix, and Orlando -- I can’t emphasize this point enough: the nightmare scenarios we’ve been witnessing recently in parts of Italy, Spain, Britain and the Middle East aren’t worrisome hypotheticals anymore, they’ve already arrived in many regions of the United States. American hospitals are being inundated, we’re critically low on PPE (personal protective equipment) and test kits for complex reasons I don’t want to get into here, and healthcare workers are themselves suffering casualties from infection even with full-body protective gear -- the bottom line is we’re on a war footing in the US, in the most concrete sense imaginable. And we need assistance from all corners to relieve pressure on the front: the medical centers being overwhelmed with a rapid surge in COVID-19 cases. As abstract and intangible as it can often seem at times, social distancing and contagion control, practiced at an individual + small group level X millions of Americans, is absolutely crucial to flatten the curve and buy the time we need to get reinforcements in the form of additional ventilators and supplies, vaccines, and treatments to improve survival and recuperation.

While all of us are liable to slip up from time to time amid the strictures of the lockdowns and shelter-at-home orders, there are still far too many cases of heedless, gratuitous mass assemblages like the Spring Break parties down in Florida or the multitudes thronging in Bondi Beach, Australia. For all practical purposes, those crowds right now are mass Petri dishes for SARS-CoV-2 to multiply like mad and launch new chain reactions to infect millions more people. I realize this sounds grisly but regrettably, that’s how aggressive this microbial foe is. In the lingo of viral epidemiology, this betacoronavirus -- the taxonomic subgroup to which SARS-CoV-2 belongs -- has a significantly higher R0 (R naught) than the flu, a metric of its contagious capacity; is now known to linger in the air for potentially hours; and is transmissible on many fomites (surfaces with frequent human contact) for days. It has a long incubation period (now thought to be around five days) during which it can be disseminated before a victim is symptomatic, and is thus uniquely capable of exponential spread. The US was also relatively slow to ramp up testing compared to South Korea and Italy (with the Koreans testing 20,000 a day, until recently more than America in a month), which means that undetected community spread has been rampant in the USA for weeks. Brisk strolls in the park and exercise al fresco are fine to break the cabin fever, but especially at this point, large gatherings are a formula to mass-disseminate SARS-CoV-2 still further and utterly deluge America’s already limited supply of hospital beds, ICU rooms, ventilators, and hospital staff to provide treatment. Keep in mind that COVID-19 is slamming us on top of a ruthless flu season and an increase in other medical issues to boot, all of which are being pushed aside to triage for the novel coronavirus avalanche. And then you have another accelerant to the vicious cycle with the attrition from nurses and doctors falling ill (which is exactly what happened to me as a doctor in a previous epidemic from pertussis, requiring years to recover).

Not trying to sound dismal here, but to provide a critical reality check on how basic behavioral modification by communities across the USA, on a mass scale, is pivotal to prevent an overwhelming and potential collapse of the US healthcare apparatus if the caseload surges still further; as dark as things are right now, there is real prospect for hope on the horizon if we can make it through the gauntlet we’re facing in the next few months. We’ve been here before, after all, with horrific pandemics like the 1918 Spanish flu (a misnomer as it may have originated right here in Kansas in a WWI army barrack) and numerous smallpox, typhus, cholera, polio, yellow fever, and even plague epidemics ravaging the US before the era of mass immunization or antibiotics for bacterial contagions. Early vaccine research is promising, though it can’t be rushed much beyond the (likely minimum) 18 month lag time due to vaccines’ administration to healthy people, and the technical difficulty of ascertaining the most immunogenic cocktail to prime the immune system. And there are dozens of resourceful research and clinical groups across the world right now seeking to develop new COVID-19 drugs or redirect old ones, to which I’m contributing. Many countries have successfully beaten this thing and protected their populations with aggressive public health measures, particularly Taiwan, Vietnam, South Korea, Singapore, China (with rigorous control after the initial blunders and half-measures in Hubei), Hong Kong, and some countries in Europe and South America. COVID-19 takes a level of mobilization and mustering of public resources beyond any we’ve had to marshal in recent decades, far more than the H1N1 swine flu pandemic in 2009 or Ebola in 2014, but it can be and has been managed successfully. So we don’t have to despair, because new tools are on the way to help us prevail.

Yet this makes it all the more important to buy time for such relief and reinforcements to be produced and arrive at the front. And just to be clear, such public health measures are imperative for all demographics, including younger ones. Contrary to conventional wisdom at the outset, more recent findings are showing that COVID-19 is quite dangerous to children and young adults, much more so than initially thought. The early complacency about this may simply have resulted from the sheer scale of China’s all-out effort to contain the contagion once Wuhan’s and Hubei’s authorities woke up to it, and the similar success of Taiwan and South Korea with mass testing, tracking, and selectively targeted isolation. This nipped SARS-CoV-2’s spread in the bud in East Asia, not only forestalling further infection but also probably reducing viral load and severity of the infectious course among those who did catch it, particularly children. Unfortunately, the comparative lack of early testing, screening, tracking, and isolation in the US and many other Western countries translates into greater sick contact density and a potentially higher viral load for infections here, which raises the danger level for everyone, including kids and college students at beach parties. (For the technically-minded among you out there, the paper in Amer J Respir Crit Care Med, 2010, by DeVincenzo et al., has a good summary of how initial viral load can greatly exacerbate pediatric infection severity: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3001267/ ) We likewise know that there at least two major strains of this deadly coronavirus -- S-type and L-type -- and now possibly more given its high mutation rate.

Moreover, not only is COVID-19’s lethality at least an order of magnitude higher than the flu, but it also has an alarmingly high rate of serious illness in acute cases, and we know precious little about medium or longer-term sequelae; not to mention that SARS-CoV-2 is hardly confined to the lungs but has been shown to affect the liver and GI tract, kidneys, and even central nervous system in many patients. And it’s not yet clear why, but immunity to COVID-19 seems to wane precipitously in many patients infected by SARS-CoV-2, leaving them vulnerable to deadly re-infections -- a likely reason that initial attempts to achieve “herd immunity” through clustered infection (as opposed to immunization) in some countries, as trial-ballooned in e.g. the UK and Australia, have had catastrophic results and been abandoned. There’s not going to be a magic bullet or straightforward victory here. This is going to be a months-long grind as the infectious curve is flattened and new options emerge to mitigate contagious spread and facilitate recovery in those already afflicted. Meanwhile, communities across the country need to do everything possible to buy time for the aforementioned reinforcements to arrive, and this means rigorous adherence to social distancing and other measures announced by authorities to break the chain of contagion. We will get through this; please keep safe everyone. -- J. Wes Ulm, MD, PhD

0 notes

twofacetoo · 5 years

Note

Do you have a post with all of your compiled "good ideas from around the world" because I would LOVE to read that

I generally just post them from the TXT file, so here’s what I’ve got. Some of these may need further clarity or explanation but so far as I know, they’re all true.

Romania

* Every minor gets a monthly allowance from the state until they turn 18. * Textbooks are free.

Portugal * In 2000 Portugal decriminalized ALL drugs. If police find someone with a supply larger than 10 days worth of personal use they aren’t arrested but brought before a “dissuasion panel” made up of experts who evaluate the person & prescribe treatment. Both HIV infections & deaths by OD have plummeted.

Australia * If you are an Australian resident and fail to vote, you are hit with a fine, and forced to provide a reason for your failure to vote. * When transport unions strike it often takes the form of a free travel day for the public instead of shutting down the transport system * Western Australia crowd sources emergency medical assistance through an app that alerts all qualified users within 500m of an emergency and provides a map with the location of every registered defibrillator in the state

United Kingdom * OFCOM, a regulatory body set up in the United Kingdom to ensure impartiality in news reports on television and on radio. Their work has helped to ensure that TV news organisations in the UK are regarded as some of the most impartial in the world. * Jay walking doesn’t exist. You can cross streets at any time by looking both ways first. You get hit, it’s always the driver’s fault.

Germany * First aid training is mandatory if you wish to obtain a driver’s licence, and every vehicle has to carry a first aid kit. * Every animal shelter is 'no kill'.

Spain * Much like Germany, the mandatory first aid kit for all cars also applies.

Finland * You pay speeding tickets proportional to your income meaning some people can pay over $100,000.

Netherlands * It's possible, if both parties agree to it, to pay for driving lessons with sex.

Italy * In time of crisis, the Italian parliament can stop democratic functions in the country and give power to people with “expert skills” without any political affiliation, transforming the country into a Technocracy until the crisis has passed. * The Italian government is offering all 18 year olds a €500 ‘culture bonus,’ which can be spent on books, concert tickets, theatre tickets, cinema tickets, museum visits and even trips to the country’s national parks.

Russia * Russia has laws to fine parents for “failing to perform parental duties for raising minors” if their kids act up.

Switzerland * It is illegal to own just one guinea pig in Switzerland. These animals need social interaction and can die of loneliness so an animal rights bill in 2008 required owners to have more than one. There are also rent-a-guinea-pig services for those who want to rent a friend for their pet. * If you fail your driving test in Switzerland more than 3 times you must take a psychological exam before being allowed to retake it.

France * French preschools serve four-course lunches (including a cheese course) to educate them in taste and stimulate their senses. * Planned obsolescence is illegal in France; it is a crime to intentionally shorten the lifespan of a product with the aim of making customers replace it. In early 2018, French authorities used this law to investigate reports that Apple deliberately slowed down older iPhones via software updates. * There is a law in France stating that models have to provide a doctor’s certificate attesting to their overall physical health, with special regard to their body mass index (BMI) * Child beauty pageants are illegal to prevent the hyper-sexualization of young children. Punishment can be up to two years in prison

Belgium * Belgium has a Time Credit System that entitles employees to take a one year secured absence to prevent burn-out and provide an opportunity to pursue other things in life.

Japan * Japanese vending machines are operated to dispense drinking water free of charge when the water supply gets cut off during a disaster.

China * An organisation in Hong Kong provides students with dogs when they get their exam results to help calm their nerves

America * In California all DUI convicts are made to sign “The Watson Admonishment”, which forces them to acknowledge the danger of DUI. If you are the cause of fatal DUI after signing this you are charged with murder rather than manslaughter. * Arizona has a law called the “Stupid Motorist Law” that allows the state to charge drivers for their rescue if they ignore barricades and get stuck in flooded roadways

Sweden * Stockholm tested a “Speed Camera Lottery” where speed limit-abiding drivers were automatically entered into a drawing to win a prize pool funded out of fines paid by speeders

4 notes · View notes

bigyack-com · 5 years

Text

As Deaths Mount, China Tries to Speed Up Coronavirus Testing

Dr. Zhang Xiaochun, who works in a hospital in Wuhan, was in dismay. Her patient had been running a fever for nine days, and a CT scan showed signs of pneumonia — symptoms of the new coronavirus sweeping across the central Chinese city. But a test to confirm the diagnosis would take at least two days. To Dr. Zhang, that meant a delay in isolating her patient — and getting potentially lifesaving treatment. This past week, Dr. Zhang started a social media campaign with an urgent call to simplify screening for the new coronavirus. It was an unusually public effort that quickly found support among public health experts and the government as China grapples with one of the deadliest epidemics in its recent history. “The purpose is to isolate and treat quickly,” Dr. Zhang said in a telephone interview. “It amounts to extraordinary measures taken in extraordinary times.” The new coronavirus has sickened more than 40,000 people and killed more than 900 people in China. Hardest hit are the residents of the outbreak’s epicenter, Wuhan, and the surrounding province of Hubei. Hospitals are overwhelmed and medical supplies are scarce, leading to delays in treatment for thousands of people. A major bottleneck has been a shortage of nucleic acid testing kits used to confirm the presence of the coronavirus. So Dr. Zhang proposed that doctors could first use CT scans to detect pneumonia and quickly isolate and treat patients who have it. CT scans are convenient and can produce immediate results, Dr. Zhang said. Experts say people infected with the coronavirus would be likely to have lesions in both lungs. Two days after Dr. Zhang posted her proposal online, the Chinese government issued the fifth and latest edition of its national diagnosis and treatment plan. It included a significant change: Doctors in Hubei Province should use CT scans to make a clinical diagnosis of suspected coronavirus infections. The testing kits would then be used to confirm the coronavirus infection. The government’s decision to modify the protocol, unusual in its swiftness, underscored the pressure it is under, particularly in Hubei’s capital, Wuhan, a city of 11 million where pleas from residents desperate for medical help have caused widespread public anger. The vast majority of deaths in China from the coronavirus have been recorded in Wuhan. Updated Feb. 10, 2020 What is a Coronavirus? It is a novel virus named for the crown-like spikes that protrude from its surface. The coronavirus can infect both animals and people, and can cause a range of respiratory illnesses from the common cold to more dangerous conditions like Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS. How contagious is the virus? According to preliminary research, it seems moderately infectious, similar to SARS, and is possibly transmitted through the air. Scientists have estimated that each infected person could spread it to somewhere between 1.5 and 3.5 people without effective containment measures. How worried should I be? While the virus is a serious public health concern, the risk to most people outside China remains very low, and seasonal flu is a more immediate threat. Who is working to contain the virus? World Health Organization officials have praised China’s aggressive response to the virus by closing transportation, schools and markets. This week, a team of experts from the W.H.O. arrived in Beijing to offer assistance. What if I’m traveling? The United States and Australia are temporarily denying entry to noncitizens who recently traveled to China and several airlines have canceled flights. How do I keep myself and others safe? Washing your hands frequently is the most important thing you can do, along with staying at home when you’re sick. Dr. Joe Chang, a specialist at the department of radiation oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, said the use of CT scans to screen patients in Hubei made sense. “The issue now is the number of patients,” he said. “No country can be prepared for these kinds of numbers.” In Wuhan, long lines of people snake around the city’s hospitals, and many residents with fevers, coughs and other symptoms of the virus say they can’t get tested. Yuan Xiuhua, a 49-year-old Wuhan resident, came down with a fever on Jan. 22 and went to a hospital, where CT scans showed lesions in her lungs. She has repeatedly asked her community district, which prioritizes who gets tested for the coronavirus, to give her one, but was told that because there were too many possible cases, she was better off isolating herself at home. Her husband, she said, recently came down with a fever and diarrhea. Ms. Yuan said she was still calling her community district every day to ask for a test. “They keep on saying that there are no free spots,” she said. “They didn’t provide me with any help. They’ve just made me wait.” Faced with criticism over the slow response in the first weeks of the outbreak, Beijing has ordered increasingly extreme measures. The government in Wuhan was to hospitalize or place in mass quarantine centers all confirmed infected patients. On Saturday, Jiang Chaoliang, the party secretary of Hubei, the province’s top leader, said the city would concentrate efforts over two days to test everyone suspected of being infected. The need to improve testing speeds is a global concern. The World Health Organization said on Thursday that it would ship 250,000 test kits to 159 laboratories across the world to help countries diagnose the new virus more quickly. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it would distribute a new, more rapid test to state and international laboratories. Chinese doctors diagnose the new coronavirus by taking a throat or nasal swab from a person showing symptoms, such as a fever. Samples are transported in batches to laboratories run by the local centers for disease control, where they are put through machines that use a polymerase chain reaction — a form of D.N.A. analysis — to detect the virus. In Hubei, it takes hours for samples to be sent to the laboratories and days for the results to be issued. The local health department says the labs can run 6,000 tests a day, but even with staff working around the clock, there aren’t enough laboratories to keep up with the workload. The province is seeking outside help. More crucially, Hubei is running short of testing kits and reagents. Only seven manufacturers have government approval to make test kits for the coronavirus. Their employees have been working overtime to deliver the kits, according to local news reports. More newly developed testing kits are in the pipeline, but it is unclear when they will be ready for use. Dr. Joseph Tsang Kay Yan, an infectious disease specialist in Hong Kong, said the health authorities in China should use the testing kits more widely to get a clearer picture of the epidemic. He warned that the main disadvantage of using CT scans would be missing patients with mild symptoms, raising the risk of spreading the infection. In a study published on Tuesday by the journal Radiology, researchers found that out of 21 patients with the coronavirus in China last month, three initially had normal chest CT scans. “We can’t rely on CT alone to fully exclude presence of the virus,” said the study’s lead author, Michael Chung, assistant professor in the Department of Diagnostic, Interventional and Molecular Radiology at Mount Sinai Health System in New York. There is also some risk of radiation exposure from CT imaging, even though the small doses used in routine tests are usually safe. Children should avoid these tests to minimize their exposure, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in 2018, in their guidelines on how doctors should manage head injuries. For many in Wuhan, the delays in testing are a matter of life and death. Li Jiasheng, 32, has the coronavirus and is worried that his 62-year-old father does, too. He said that when the elder Mr. Li, who has pneumonia, took the nucleic acid test, the result was negative. He is due for another test, but no one knows how long it will take. “Waiting in line for the test takes time, and you have to take more time to wait for the results of the test,” the younger Mr. Li said. “Does my father have that much time to wait?” Amber Wang and Yiwei Wang contributed research. Read the full article

#China #Coronavirus #Deaths #health #HealthNews #Mount #Speed #Testing

0 notes

ovchinnkiov-robertgu08j6s · 5 years

Text

Viagra And Nitrites

Background—Sildenafil citrate (Viagra) is indicated for the treatment of erectile dysfunction.Large and sudden decreases in systemic blood pressure were reported in a substantial number of patients taking sildenafil citrate combined with nitroglycerin.

Read full

Viagra and nitrates both cause the muscles that control the size of blood vessels to relax. When these muscles relax, the vessels enlarge in diameter and, as a result, blood pressure drops. When Viagra and nitrates are taken together, the effects are greater than when either one is used alone.

In their recommendations Monday, the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association warned emergency physicians not to give nitrates to patients within 24 hours of taking Viagra.

Read full

Viagra and nitrites >> Get Now May be you can escape into a holiday trip and that may solve all your problems with your understanding online pharmacy australia partner. Organic impotence becomes more common as women get older.

Read full

Viagra and nitrites price:usa. Consider that he may need to use items from the kit to occasionally help roommates, friends, and visitors to the dorm. Wanda Nobles Colon viagra cosmo Hippies…lol.. Sjarif Background: Iron deficiency is more common in obese children.

Read full

Our Services. Viagra and nitrites Pills for sale! Cheap pills online, best secure and anonymous. Licensed and Generic products for sale. 100% secure bill. cialis coupon code efectos al usar viagra He ended up with severe brain injury.

Read full

Sildenafil (Viagra) is the most effective oral therapy currently available for erectile dysfunction. Patients should be given clear instructions regarding the use of sildenafil. The most common side effects include flushing, headaches, dyspepsia, and transient visual changes. In combination with nitrates, it can and has caused fatal hypotension.

Read full

if you take nitrates. Do not take Viagra if you are also using a nitrate drug for chest pain or heart problems. This includes nitroglycerin, isosorbide dinitrate, and isosorbide mononitrate. Nitrates are also found in some recreational drugs such as amyl nitrate or nitrite ("poppers").

Read full

Doctors give trusted answers on uses, effects, side-effects, and cautions: Dr. Fowler on can sodium nitrates in foods interact with viagra: Only prescription nitrates are contraindicated with cialis.

Read full

Nitrates and Viagra Don’t Mix. Nitrates help lower your blood pressure. Viagra also lowers your blood pressure (it’s part of how Viagra helps you get an erection). But when you take nitrates and Viagra at the same time, the combination can lower your blood pressure to dangerously low levels. Nitrates, Viagra, and Blood Pressure

Read full

Background —Sildenafil citrate (Viagra) is indicated for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. Large and sudden decreases in systemic blood pressure were reported in a substantial number of patients taking sildenafil citrate combined with nitroglycerin.

0 notes

shannrussell-blog1 · 5 years

Photo

Located off the coast of Queensland, K’Gari (commonly known as Fraser Island) has quickly become one of the most popular 4WDing and camping destinations in Australia, and it’s not hard to see why.

It has been on our bucket list for a while, so we finally took some time off work and made the journey up north to Fraser Island from Sydney. The drive was really long with a sick and restless toddler, so an overnight stop near Macksville made the 14-hour drive much more bearable. Every second of the drive was worth it once we arrived though.

Fraser Island really is an escape from the big smoke. It boasts some of the most beautiful, natural landscapes in the world, with everything from subtropical rainforests to crystal clear perched lakes, it sure lives up to its name K’Gari (meaning paradise).

The island is World Heritage Listed and it is the largest sand island in the world, measuring approximately 123 kilometres in length and 22 kilometres in width. It is also home to the purest dingoes in Australia.

Fraser Island is a world heritage listed destination.

How to get there

You will need to catch a barge to get across to Fraser Island. The Manta Ray Barge runs daily from Inskip Point (which is roughly a 3-hour drive from Brisbane).

Once you are on the barge, it only takes 10-15 minutes to get across to Fraser Island. Don’t forget to reduce your tyre pressures to maintain traction on the soft sand! Inskip Point is notorious for bogged vehicles.

The barge operates daily from 6 am to 5:15 pm and at the time of writing this costs:

Car/4WD (including passengers) $120 return

4WD/car + Trailer (up to 5 metres) $190 return

Car/4WD + Trailer (5 metres and up) $220 return

You will need to purchase a ticket to get on the barge to Fraser.

Camping and vehicle permits required

All vehicles must have a vehicle access permit displayed on the windscreen before driving onto the island. At the time we went, the permit cost us approximately $55 for 1 month (or you can pay $250 for an annual permit).

If you intend on camping, you will need to buy a camping permit. The cost of this permit is about $6.35 per person per night, or $25.40 per family per night (1 or 2 parents accompanying children under 18 years). Children under 5 years are free.

During peak times, camp spots fill up quickly, so try to book in advance where possible. Don’t forget to attach a camping tag, with your booking number onto your tent.

Once you purchase your permit, ensure you have it displayed.

Booking before vs booking as you go

Permits, barge tickets and camping tags can all be purchased online in advance. Due to limited phone reception on Fraser, I would highly recommend booking everything prior to arriving on the island.

We didn’t pre-book anything which meant that we had to stop at the Manta Ray Permit Office to buy a barge ticket. From here, we were able to buy our return barge ticket, as well as all of the other necessary vehicle and camping permits/ tags.

If you haven’t been to Fraser before and aren’t sure where you want to camp, you do have the option to book campsites as you go. That’s what we did, and it worked out great! It allowed us to explore campsites and travel around the island with so much more flexibility! If you are thinking of booking this way, please keep in mind that phone reception is very limited and this can make booking spots quite difficult).

Police and rangers patrol Fraser Island, so it is important to make sure you have the necessary permits for 4WDing and camping. Our campsites were checked frequently by rangers.

Ensure you have all the relevant permits, so you can have a stress-free stay.

Where to camp?

There is no shortage of choice when it comes to camping on Fraser Island. You can pitch your tent on the edge of the sand dunes or amongst the tranquil rainforests. You can ‘wild’ camp amongst the dingoes or camp within the safety of dingo deterrent fences.

On our first day, we arrived late in the afternoon with absolutely no plans. Since it was getting dark, we decided to spend our first night at Central Station. Central Station is a fenced campsite set amongst the utterly beautiful, tranquil rainforest. Even though we hadn’t intended on camping in any fenced zones, it was nice setting up camp and cooking dinner without having to worry about dingoes. It was also really easy for us to visit the iconic Lake McKenzie the following day.

The rest of our trip was spent camping along the western and eastern coasts. To be honest, all beach camping zones are beautiful in their own way. You can’t really go wrong booking along the coastline.

Refer to the Fraser Island map and Fraser Island beach camping zone map for locations and specific camping areas.

There are so many incredible campsites to stay at on Fraser Island.

Fenced Camp Sites

Fenced camping is recommended if you have children under the age of 14. Interactions with dingoes can be dangerous and sometimes even fatal. The names of these fenced sites are listed below:

Central Station

Dundubara

Lake Boomanjin

Waddy Point

Cornwells

Cathedrals

These formal campsites provide basic facilities including toilets, tap water, BBQs, bins and waste disposal. Some of them even offering coin-operated hot showers ($2 for 3 minutes).

If you can, book your site in advance to secure it especially during peak season.

‘Wild’ Camp Sites

Eastern camping (ocean side)

The eastern beach consists of 9 camping zones. These campsites have stunning ocean views and are set up high up on the edge of the sand dunes. From Dilli Village North all the way up to Sandy Cape.

Western camping

The western beach consists of 7 stunning remote camp spots between Moon point and Wathumba Creek. These are very isolated campsites, so make sure you are well prepared with recovery gear and a first aid kit… just in case.

When we stayed on the western side of Fraser we had a sick toddler, this made the isolation feel pretty intimidating. Luckily, we were very well prepared with Panadol and plenty of supplies. If you are planning to camp over on this side, please make sure you have all of the emergency essentials. You are a very long way from help and the tides dictate the times you can come or go.

Southern Inland camping

There are multiple campsites located along Hook Point inland road. These campsites are not beachfront spots but they are ideal for late arrivals or when waiting for the low tide.

There are so many spots to stay along the beach on Fraser.

Things to do on Fraser Island

We could have easily spent 2-3 weeks exploring Fraser as we struggled to see the whole island in 7 days. We made it to most of the iconic spots though, but there are still plenty of places that we didn’t get to visit. Here are some of our favourites:

Lake McKenzie

A stunning freshwater lake with pure white sand. One of the many ‘perched’ lakes on Fraser Island. You have to see it to believe it! The lake was packed with tourists when we were there in the offseason, so I’d say it gets quite busy during peak seasons.

Eli Creek

We loved strolling along the tranquil boardwalk and floating down this crystal clear, freshwater creek on our inflatable pool toys. This was a highlight for our 2-year-old!

Lake McKenzie is one of the most well-known spots to visit on the island.

Champagne Rock Pools

This was another highlight for us and is the perfect place for a family swim. The name explains it all! There are large foamy rockpools caused by waves crashing over the walls.

Sandy Cape Lighthouse

Stunning views paired with a very steep hill climb. Closed footwear is recommended and if you have small children, be prepared to carry them for the long uphill climb.

Maheno Shipwreck

Built in 1905, the SS Maheno’s rusty remains have been beached for over 80 years after it was hit by a cyclonic storm in 1935. This beautiful structure is a must-see. It is great fun for the whole family. During low tide is the ideal time to visit, so you can walk around the entire shipwreck and get a really good look.

Visit the Maheno shipwreck at low tide, so you can see everything.

Indian Head Lookout

This lookout is located at the most easterly point of Fraser Island, and sounds like the perfect place to look for sea life! This was something that we didn’t manage to fit into our trip but we will definitely check out when we return to Fraser Island.

Ngkala Rocks

Drive your vehicle through one of the largest exposures of coffee rock. Try not to get stuck on the way out! Make sure you have low tyre pressures to maintain traction on the soft rocks and the large sand hill afterwards!

Ngkala Rocks is another spot that is notorious for bogged vehicles. In saying that, we didn’t have any trouble getting our heavy Landcruiser through with low tyre pressures.

It’s vital to be careful around the dingoes on the island.

Important Information

Dingoes are wild and unpredictable, so keep your children close to you at all times. Lock for any food and rubbish inside your car at night. I must admit I was a bit paranoid at first (Mum instincts), however, the dingoes stayed away from us most of the time. Our encounters usually happened when we were driving around.

There are a number of dangerous marine animals that could potentially be found around Fraser Island. These include sharks, crocodiles and marine stingers (in the summer months).

It takes a lot of driving to get around and see everything. Fuel is really expensive on the island (we paid $2.20 per litre for diesel), so if you can, try to fill up your tanks before getting on the barge.

There are several supply shops on the east coast, all of which sell basic supplies. However, it is recommended that you bring everything you need as there are limited supplies and no doctors or pharmacies on the island.

Fraser is extremely tidal, so make sure you have a tide table with you in your car. As a general rule, try to make sure you are not beach driving within 2 hours either side of high tide. We planned our travel days in advance around the tides, which allowed us to get around the island much more efficiently.

Ensure you fuel up before your trip as it can be expensive once you’re there.

Essentials for emergencies

It is important to remember that most campsites on Fraser Island are remote and often extremely isolated, so in an emergency call 000 immediately. I’d recommend that you take the following gear with you for emergencies:

Map and tide table

Toolkit

Snatch strap

Fraser Island is a picturesque must-see spot.

Fraser Island is wild and rugged, yet beautifully maintained and controlled. It is so easy to fall in love with its picturesque landscapes. But, don’t forget to use common sense and be prepared for all situations.

Have you ever visited Fraser Island? What was the highlight of your trip?

The post 4WDing and Camping on K’Gari (Fraser Island) appeared first on Snowys Blog.

#>First-aid #/specFilters=5m!-!2039&pageSize=40&orderBy=-1&pageNumber=1 #/specFilters=5m!-!2090&pageSize=40&orderBy=-1&pageNumber=1>D #/specFilters=5m!-!2025&pageSize=40&orderBy=-1&pageNumber=1">Shovel</a></li>

0 notes

oltnews · 4 years

Link

is(Screenshot ) The Rolling Stones occur remotely as part of Global Citizen's "One World Together At Home" concert on April 18. If there cannot be visits from Coachella and Bonnaroo, the arena or the stadium Rolling Stones, Billie Eilish, Elton John or Taylor Swift among many others others or really live performances in person whatsoever during this cursed pandemic of COVID-19, Global Citizen tonight "One world: together at The home concert was a much-needed respite from the shortage of live entertainment and endless quarantine. Organized in part by Lady Gaga, hosted by Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert and broadcast by their respective networks (NBC, ABC and CBS), as well as broadcast on a myriad of social media and streaming platforms and broadcast in over 175 countries, the The two-hour show presented impressive performances and mainly unique songs from some of the greatest musicians on the planet in the name of supporting frontline healthcare workers and the world. World Health Organization raising approximately $ 127 million for the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, according to Global Citizen.In addition to the aforementioned stadium and arena fillers at McCartney, Eilish, the Stones, Elton, Gaga and Swift, there were also Lizzo, Celine Dion, Stevie Wonder, Eddie Vedder, Andrea Bocelli, Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello , Billie Joe Armstrong, Kacey Musgraves, Maluma, Keith Urban, Jennifer Lopez, John Legend, Sam Smith, Burna Boy and Chris Martin, among others. Famous level A artists and speakers have given many thanks to the heroic health workers and other frontline workers who in this crisis put themselves in danger for the sake of others. Most had no choice but to reduce their recorded performance their houses or studios and most often solo. But at such high levels of talent and musicality, these performances for the most part betrayed betrayed exactly why these artists achieved superstar status. Although the sounds and the images were of varying quality, and most were pre-recorded and not broadcast live, these artists mostly transcended the limits of format and overall, production was solid. The event could have used more hip-hop, country, hard rock, jazz and electronic fixtures; a few could be seen on the previous six-hour "One World At Home" stream, but not enough were featured on this pop-heavy show.Sir Paul McCartneyThat said, seeing Sir Paul McCartney anywhere anytime is thrilling - but playing an organ in what looked like a windowless studio for forty or so offered a jolt of excitement. Here he made a looser, bluesier interpretation of "Lady Madonna," which he introduced, noting that his "mother Mary was a nurse and midwife during and just after World War II." What he said gave him great respect for the "doctors, nurses and other medical personnel who keep us healthy." During his performance, photos of health care workers whose photographs appeared poignantly next to him.Stevie Wonder's tribute to his late friend Bill Withers playing "Lean On Me" before embarking on his own ballad "Love needs love today", as so many representations of the night had a particular meaning and resonance for today. Likewise, Lizzo's inspired choice of "A Change is Gonna Come", a song Sam Cooke turned into a civil rights anthem took on a whole new meanings with lines like "now I know I'm able to continue", and "it's it's been a long time since his powerful voice reached an incredibly high sound Notes.[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vgfBJhlEEo[/embed]The Stones may have had the best performance of the evening, with Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood and Charlie Watts interprets "You can't always get what you want" separately, but re-combined one by one on a screen divided into four quadrants. Jagger, the 76-year-old spark plug, pranced with strap-on acoustics; Richards was seated fairly elegantly on his sofa riding on an acoustic; Wood played on a balcony with his Stratocaster; and Watts apparently playing a crate in his living room but hitting inanimate objects like a chair that apparently made no noise and betrayed prerecorded drums. The a cappella score in the middle of the song and the subsequent crescendo of that night have been transformed into a perfect unique family room. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7pZgQepXfA[/embed]Billie Eilish, who was the youngest superstar in the series at 18, was joined by his brother Finneas on the organ and sang a cover of Bobby Hebb. awesome classic of the soul of 1966 "Sunny". She introduced the song saying, "It always warmed my heart and it made me feel good and I wanted to make you guys feel good. "The beautifully pure sound of Eilish and the slower song the tempo made the song more jazzy than the original. The organ, however, was mixed a bit strong dominating the mix. Its postponed arena tour will easily be one of the biggest tours when we are operational again.[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJuHn8JzhP0[/embed]The exquisite version of Eddie Vedder from "River Cross" by Gigaton, The new release of Pearl Jam in 2020, featured the leader of Pearl Jam on a classic pedal pump organ from what appeared to be his candlelit studio with a nearby drum kit and other instruments. The song was recorded using an organ from the 1850s, which could be the same instrument used in this hot performance.[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvRuZIyV1Eo[/embed]In addition to the classic covers of Eilish and Wonder, the night seemed to have a predisposition for classic songs. This included: “Stand By Me” by Ben E. King, which John Legend and Sam Smith played beautifully; Lady Gaga interpreted Charlie Chaplin's "Smile song", which Nat King Cole then popularized; the somewhat cursed "People" sung by J. Lo, which Barbara Streisand made famous; "Higher Love" by Steve Winwood, which Keith Urban impressively replicated three times before signing with his children and wife Nicole Kidman; and "What A Wonderful World" by Nat King Cole, performed by the royal pop couple Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxj4y9c9KiA[/embed]Between performances, there were tributes and gratitude, often by huge celebrities, to those who worked on the front lines for others, including healthcare workers, teachers, delivery people, grocers, police and firefighters and citizens around the world making sacrifices for the greater good. This included praise from Oprah Winfrey, first ladies Barbara Bush and Michelle Obama, Beyoncé, Usher, LL Cool J, David and Victoria Beckham, Ellen DeGeneris, Shah Rukh Khan, Alicia Keys, Bill and Melinda Gates, Awkwafina, Priyanka Chopra , Pharrell, Idris and Sabrina Elba and Kerry Washington among others. BeyonceAfter thanking the many heroes, Beyoncé, then Alicia Keys, took note of the disproportionate deaths of COVID-19 in minority communities. Having pointed out that minorities make up a large number of the deliverers, letter carriers and sanitation workers, Beyoncé said, "This virus is killing black people at an alarming rate here in America. A recent report from my hometown, Houston, Texas, showed that for deaths from COVID-19 within the city limits of Houston, 57% of the fatal cases are African Americans. Please protect yourself, we are one family and we need you and we need your voices, abilities and strength all over the world. " Although the show avoided partisan politics, most artists called for improving the health care system for everyone while seeking to raise money for the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Organization Health, a global agency of the United Nations, President Trump, was controversial last week. . The show's finale featured a lush rendition of "The Prayer" directed by Céline Dion, Andrea Bocelli, Lady Gaga, John Legend with virtuoso pianist Lang Lang. The song was originally recorded by Dion and Bocelli for the film "Quest for Camelot "and won both the Academy and a Grammy Awards.[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYJCYr1I-Sk[/embed]Picture ThisEarlier today, a six-hour warm-up kind of broadcast on social media and streaming platforms and was part of this extremely ambitious concert, One World: Together at Home. ” The show mainly featured non-superstar musicians (although there are some like John Legend) and sometimes lower production values, the ability to hear incredible performances by rarely seen artists was excellent. For the last two or three hours I have seen it, the stomping Irish rock band Picture This has made their new single "Troublemaker;" Another highlight was Black Coffe and Delilah Montage on the pop point "Drive" dance floor; Zucchero's excellent interpretation of "Everyone has to learn for a while;" a reduced Killers by making a phenomenal version of "Mr. Sparkling Eyes;" Finneas doing a great performance of "Let us fall in love with the night" (it really is Billie Eilish's not-so-secret sauce), Christine & the Queens presenting her central voice on "People I’ve Been Sad;" Australia's Delta Goodrem makes a fantastic version of "Together, we are one," "Adam Lambert's exaggerated version of" Superpower "was something to behold; and Kesha's powerful interpretation of" Praying "took it all. on another level. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHcWhT34ufA[/embed][embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIxsfBI9oSQ[/embed]While none of these performances over an eight hour period (!) Can ever match the experience and the thrill of seeing one of these artists live or be at a festival, if one is to be put in quarantine "One World: Together At The home concert was not at all a bad way to go. (function (d, s, id) var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "https://connect.facebook.net/en_GB/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.4"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); (document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); (function(d, s, id) var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = 'https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.12'; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); (document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); https://oltnews.com/paul-mccartney-stevie-wonder-rolling-stones-and-billie-eilish-in-the-concert-one-world-together-at-home-by-the-citizen-of-the-world-star-pollstar?_unique_id=5e9f82ec9748b

0 notes

gordonwilliamsweb · 5 years

Text

Must-Reads Of The Week From Brianna Labuskes

The Friday Breeze

Newsletter editor Brianna Labuskes, who reads everything on health care to compile our daily Morning Briefing, offers the best and most provocative stories for the weekend.

Happy Friday the 13th! Which feels extra appropriate this week. One of the very few silver linings of our current situation is the 368% increase in social media pictures of people’s pets as they work from home. (Shoutout to Brianna Ehley, a health reporter at Politico, whose pup made me gasp out loud from cuteness overload.)

On to my best attempt to get you the most important and interesting news about the COVID-19 outbreak. This is one of those stories that’s changing by the minute, however, so I would highly recommend checking out KHN for our coverage and also signing up for the Morning Briefings to get a comprehensive look at what’s going on.

But here we go:

— As of this morning, the House was barreling toward a coronavirus deal after Speaker Nancy Pelosi (and the lawmakers she tapped to help her) spent yesterday working through partisan complaints together with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who has been acting as the administration’s point person on the plan. But I’m still seeing rumblings about House Republicans not warming up to the legislation. If President Donald Trump doesn’t embrace the bill, it’s likely to get passed along partisan lines — not a good sign for it getting through the Senate. The president will discuss the coronavirus crisis at a 3 p.m. news conference.

— What’s in the legislation? Provisions include unemployment insurance to furloughed workers and hundreds of millions of dollars toward nutrition programs; an additional $500 million to help feed low-income pregnant women or mothers with young children who lose their jobs or are laid off because of the virus outbreak; $400 million to help local food banks meet increased demand; and free coronavirus testing for anyone who requires it, including uninsured people.

— One of the sticking points between the two parties has been paid sick leave. The issue has been thrust into the spotlight as public health experts and doctors say that workers should stay home if they have flu-like symptoms. But because the U.S. has no mandatory sick leave, some employees just can’t afford to do that.

The Friday Breeze

Want a roundup of the must-read stories this week chosen by KHN Newsletter Editor Brianna Labuskes? Sign up for The Friday Breeze today.

Please confirm your email address below:

— Trump is mulling an emergency declaration, which he has been hesitant to announce — despite his propensity of using presidential power in less urgent crises — because it would likely contradict the rosy messaging he’s put forth since the start of the outbreak.

— Meanwhile, the action that the president did take — instituting a travel ban — was panned by public health experts as a useless distraction. As one said, “This virus is everywhere.” The stock markets seemed to agree with that assessment following Trump’s Oval Office address as they tumbled more sharply than they had previously. It was the worst trading day since 1987, which, for those of us who were paying attention during the 2008 crash, is not exactly reassuring.

— Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, had a grim reality check for Congress (and the administration) when he agreed that the worst is yet to come with the outbreak. He also criticized the government for not providing quick and easy testing, saying that the “failing” system “is not really geared to what we need right now.” “The idea of anybody getting it easily the way people in other countries are doing it — we’re not set up for that,” he said. “Do I think we should be? Yes. But we’re not.”

— On that note, there’s still a slew of anecdotes of people who have symptoms that match the coronavirus, have tested negative for the flu and yet still aren’t receiving tests. A startling graphic from Vox shows just how far behind other developed countries the U.S. is in testing. (Read that whole story for an in-depth look at everything that’s gone wrong, including how a shortage of chemicals used in the kits is hampering scientists’ efforts.)

— So, we know we don’t currently have an accurate snapshot of how many Americans are infected (because of above testing stumbles), but what’s the worst-case scenario in terms of outbreak totals? CDC experts have projected that between 160 million and 214 million people in the U.S. could be infected, while as many as 200,000 to 1.7 million could die. Also, 2.4 million to 21 million people in the U.S. could require hospitalization.

— Which leads to what experts say is the scariest part of the outbreak: Hospitals already stretched thin from a bad flu season and ever-increasing budget cuts are simply not equipped to handle the surge in patients we’re likely to see. There aren’t enough ventilators or ICU beds, and if the United States follows in Italy’s footsteps, health care providers might have to start making tough choices about who gets treated and who gets left behind.

— What can Americans do to help mitigate this? (Or “flatten the curve,” as the cool kids say.) Public health officials and experts are recommending social distancing when possible, which includes working from home and avoiding large social gatherings. Even if the total number of cases were to plateau, taking nationwide measures to slow down the speed of the outbreak could help keep hospitals from being overwhelmed (see above).

— A slew of closures, cancellations and post-postponements this week helped toward that end (and possibly helped drive home the seriousness of the threat). Those include, but are not limited to: basketball, soccer, hockey and baseball games; concerts; Disneyland; colleges (which mostly moved to online classes) and schools; Broadway; any gatherings over 250 people in some states; the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Smithsonian museums, including the National Zoo; St. Patrick’s Day parades across the country; and more. The unified message from private and government organizations alike: America, it’s time to shut down.

— Beyond the astronomical economic toll this crisis will take, some observers are also worried it’s going to deepen our loneliness crisis. As trivial as it might seem, chronic loneliness, especially in the elderly (the population most in danger of a critical reaction to the coronavirus), can produce severe negative health outcomes.

— Speaking of both closures and vulnerable populations, the U.S. Capitol put the kibosh on public tours following an announcement that a Senate staffer tested positive for the virus. Considering the demographics of Congress, and given how often lawmakers travel and interact with strangers, politicians are particularly susceptible to getting sick during this outbreak.

— In other news from the administration’s response: CMS denied states’ requests to use Medicaid funding more freely to help contain the outbreak. In previous emergencies, including the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Hurricane Katrina and the H1N1 flu outbreak, both Republican and Democratic administrations loosened Medicaid rules to empower states to meet surging needs.

— And it turns out that a day-long email crash, traced to CMS, created a snafu for health officials right as the crisis was heating up.

— Oh, you might have noticed that we’ve started calling this thing a pandemic. That’s because WHO finally officially deemed it one, after weeks and weeks of hesitating to make that call. “We have rung the alarm bell loud and clear,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

So, those are the bigger highlights you need to know. But here are some interesting and compelling stories that also appeared this week:

— What will it cost you if you get sick? Many insurers have waived testing fees, but they haven’t gone as far as to make promises about treatment costs.

— Trump and other Republicans continue to frame the coronavirus using racist and xenophobic language, despite public health experts saying that’s dangerous and irresponsible. Take a look at the history of the strategy.

— One area in which scientists are hoping the coronavirus mirrors the flu is that it tends to slow down in warmer months. But we simply do not know enough about the virus to say hot temperatures are its kryptonite — yet.

— A series of high-profile people (including Tom Hanks and the Canadian prime minister’s wife) have tested positive for the virus, driving home how seriously people should be taking the threat. As an aside on the Tom Hanks story, his case highlights how easy Australia has made it to get testing.

— The pandemic highlights how little authority WHO actually has. It has supposed to act as a global coordinator, but when no one is trying to work together, the organization’s efforts can fall flat.

— What happens to America’s spy operations in moments like this?

— A devastating tale of two health care providers in China shows just how cruelly random this virus can be.

— A look at the underlying conditions, including diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer and more, that can often exacerbate the virus’s toll on the body. And an explainer on how the coronavirus actually infiltrates your cells.

— And immigration groups call on the government to release high-risk detainees from facilities where they’re worried the virus will spread like wildfire.

I think other things happened in the world, but I’ve already forgotten them. Remember, wash your hands, don’t create mask shortages for health care workers who actually need them, practice social distancing when you can to flatten the curve and realize that anxiety is inevitable, but you don’t let it have to consume you.

Please have a safe, healthy weekend. See you next week!

Must-Reads Of The Week From Brianna Labuskes published first on https://nootropicspowdersupplier.tumblr.com/

0 notes