Almost everyone had Wi-Fi in the house due to its convenience. However, there have been some safety concerns and the conclusion it that Wi-Fi can be detrimental to the overall health, especially in children. So, Wi-Fi has a negative effect on various things, from brain health to sleep quality.
Potential Dangers of Wi-Fi
Damages Childhood Development
The non-thermal radio frequency radiation from Wi-Fi can disrupt normal cellular development, especially fetal development. This radiation affects growing tissues, such as in children and youth. Consequently, they would be more susceptible than average to the described effects and are at greater risk of developmental issues.
Contributes to the Development of Insomnia
Wi-Fi has also a great effect on sleep. If you feel like you cannot fall asleep, have an irregular sleeping pattern, it may be due to the low-frequency modulation from cell phones and Wi-Fi. People who are exposed to electromagnetic radiation have a significantly more difficult time falling asleep. And we all know that sleep deprivation can be harmful to the health.
Agitates Brain Function
Wi-Fi affects the concentration and the brain function. So, the brain activity is reduced, and as a result, you may experience trouble concentrating or have memory loss.
Neutralizes Sperm
Wi-Fi is another reason which threats man’s virility. Hence, exposure to Wi-Fi frequencies reduce sperm movement and cause DNA fragmentation. Moreover, it may impact fertility or increase the risk of abnormal pregnancy.
Causes Cardiac Stress
Many people experience a real physical response to electromagnetic frequencies, including increased heart rate. Therefore, Wi-Fi increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Increases the Risk of Cancer
The exposure to electromagnetic radiation increases the risk of tumor development.
Wi-Fi Radiation – How To Protect Yourself
Fortunately, there are ways you can protect yourself from the dangers, including:
Avoid placing a wireless router in your kitchen or bedroom.
Do not keep the phone in your pocket.
Use wired phones when at home, to reduce electromagnetic radiation.
If you’re pregnant, don’t keep the phone close to the belly.
Make sure you keep your phone at the other end of the room, or on the seat of the car.
Use texting more than talking.
Do not use wireless baby monitors, as they all operate on microwave frequency.
Disconnect all Wi-Fi devices before going to sleep.
How much radiation are you actually getting?
The effect of radiation is determined on the proximity of the transmitting device to the user. The further away, the less power is received, and this is usually in the “inverse proportion” rule. This means that at a given power output, if you are twice the distance from the source you will receive 1/4 of the radiation power; and if you are 4 times the distance away from the source, 1/16th of the radiation will be received, and so on.
3G devices (in the U.S.A.) don’t really have a set frequency, but rather will operate at various levels ranging from about 800 MHz to 2.4 GHz (more if you’re using Bluetooth or 4G phones).
WiFi signals, on the other hand, share the same general frequency as microwave ovens at right around 2.4 GHz.
But because of how we use these signals, it becomes a battle of distance and duration. Mobile phones are used right next to our skin for short bursts of time, while routers or laptops generally sit far away from us for extremely prolonged periods of time. The UK’s Health Protection Agency noted in 2007 that:
Sitting in a wi-fi hotspot for a year results in receiving the same dose of radio waves as making a 20-minute mobile phone call.
But the thing to learn from this is that you probably don’t have to worry too much about this kind of radiation having any seriously dangerous long-term (cancerous) effects on you (provided you’re not walking around with wireless devices taped to every inch of your skin). That’s not to say long term exposure to low-level radiation might not have other adverse health effects, but it’s hugely unlikely to be cancer. Any radiation below ultraviolet (radio, microwave, infrared, and visible light) is non-ionizing and won’t penetrate bone, meaning it can’t break down atoms (and consequently DNA, leading to cancer) and it can’t get to your brain. The “do power lines/microwaves/mobile phones/next radiation-emitting-device-that-most-people-don’t-fully-understand give you cancer?” studies are all, as they’ll always be, resoundingly inconclusive.
Even the newest WHO review of cell phones (described by CNN with a typically alarmist title) somehow makes the claim that cell phones are “possibly carcinogenic to humans,” despite the fact that “The WHO work group did not find that there was sufficient evidence linking cancer and environmental or occupational exposures with microwave energy,” implying that the possible carcinogens must come from the phones themselves, and not the radiation.
Looking at the picture above, it is somewhat alarmist as none of those devices would be normally found in a child or baby’s bedroom!
Feeling smug when you get a pack of sushi rolls for lunch, thinking you have made the healthy decision?
Depending on what filling you’ve opted for, you could be eating more than 1000 calories in one sitting – or more than twice what you should be consuming.
Sushi is among Australia’s favourite lunch options but it simply isn’t as healthy as many think.
A sweet chilli prawn hand roll from Sushi Train, for example, contains a whopping 275 calories, a further 1030mg of stroke-inducing sodium, 7.6 grams of sugar and 5.6 grams of fat.
Throw on some soy sauce and the salt content is even higher.
Many sushi rolls, like crispy chicken or teriyaki chicken options, are laden with mayonnaise-rich fillings and sauces but even if you go for raw salmon or cucumber and avocado, what you are mainly eating is white rice – around half a cup per roll.
So if you’re eating four at a time, you’re a step up from a nutritionally poor diet of two cups of rice.
“There’s not a lot of fibre, not a lot of protein and minimal vegetables,” Melissa Adamski, a researcher in the Nutrition and Dietetics Department at Monash University, told The New Daily.
“When you sit down with two cups of white rice in a stir fry, you can gauge how much you’re actually eating … wrapped up in a roll, it’s harder to gauge.”
Ms Adamski said it is too easy for people to “overeat” sushi hand rolls and recommends people opt for brown rice options, limit themselves to two and add a side salad – or maybe a piece of raw fish without the rice for a protein boost.
“The brown rice makes you feel fuller and provides more fibre,” she said.
Joel Feren, an accredited practising dietitian and spokesperson for the Dietitians Association of Australia, told The New Daily that “eating three or four [hand rolls] in one sitting is much too much”.
The government recommends an intake of around 2000 calories per day.
Mr Feren added that sodium is the “elephant in the room” with sushi.
“There’s so much focus on calories and fats and sugar, but we know that Australians eat far too much salt,” he said.
“You can really overdose on salt with sushi. Some dishes are cooked in soy [sauce], crab meat is high in sodium – and when you add one of those 5ml containers of soy [sauce], you’re adding an extra 300 mg of sodium.”
Sushi or a Big Mac? Photo: Getty
A statement from the Heart Foundation to The New Daily notes that sodium content in sushi hand rolls generally ranges from 400-730mg per 100g, which is roughly one hand roll containing white rice.
“So, if people eat two sushi rolls then they can reach around half of their maximum daily salt intake in that one meal – approximately 1000mg sodium (2.5g salt),” they said.
“If you consider the fact that people also add soy sauce, this will take the salt content of this one meal even higher.”
This means that people eating four hand rolls in one sitting are consuming the maximum daily salt intake – and that is prior to adding soy sauce.
The recommended maximum salt intake for adults is 5g (one teaspoon) per day but Australians, on average, consume double that.
Eating too much salt can lead to high blood pressure, which is the leading risk factor for heart disease – the single biggest killer of Australian men and women.
If you have high blood pressure, you have a higher risk of heart disease, heart attack and stroke.
And that is another reason to go easy on the sushi.
The operator of an airport fire engine that ran a red light and killed three people in a crash has been ordered to pay $160,000 to the Commonwealth for breaching the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
Renowned architects Greg McNamara, his wife Lena Yali, and Kevin Taylor died when the fire truck, which was on its way to assist at a fire at Wyuna, collided with their car in Darwin in 2011.
The airport fire trucks occasionally assisted on jobs outside of the airport grounds.
Airservices Australia admitted fault in 2013 during a coronial inquest, and conceded the training provided to drivers was not adequate.
But the legal battles have continued, as federal workplace safety organisation Comcare launched additional action against Airservices Australia earlier this year.
They argued it breached the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
The main argument was that Airservices failed to give appropriate training to its employees and did not identify risks to its employees or other road users.
Justice John Reeves today handed down his judgment finding Airservices breached the act and ordered it to pay the fine.
Justice Reeves noted the “airport fire engine was much larger than the majority of other vehicles driven on public roads, and the potential for serious injury and damage if they come into collision with another vehicle or a pedestrian is obvious”.
Primarily, the Russian people have only been driving for a short time. Prior to the fall of communism in 1989, private ownership of motor vehicles was severely restricted by cost, but more importantly, to restrict the free movement of the population within the former Soviet Union. Access to motor vehicle ownership in the last 27 years has increased exponentially! What has not increased however is the skill, ability, psyche and consideration that goes with the operation of a motor vehicle. Accompanied by this, is a distinct lack of experience, discipline and courtesy needed when driving on a public road.
There also appears to be no concept of consequence in Russia. This results from a lack of lateral thinking which is not nurtured in Russian society as well as their education. So they drive like aggressively without regard for road rules believing they’re not causing any harm. Russians believe the bigger the car they drive, the safer they are. Hence why drivers of 4x4s tend to be even more aggressive then drivers of a Fiat Punto.
Russia: The only place where you can be rear-ended whilst overtaking, driving the wrong way up a one way street!
Corruption
Corruption is rife in Russian which means that money can buy anything, including a driver’s licence. Russian get drivers licences with no knowledge of road rules or even the ability to drive a car! As a result there is little reason to learn the highway code. Thus everyone has their own view as to what the laws of the road really are. Continuing with corruption, if you drive like a idiot and get stopped, you can generally bribe your way our of being punished. Thus there is basically no fear of punishment which reinforces the belief that Russian drivers can behave at the wheel as they wish with impunity. Police are generally nowhere to be seen. They might occasionally pull you over nearer the centre of a city by being flagged down but a police car pulling someone over? Never! There are no cameras, except around the city centre but even if you are sent a fine, there is no system in place to actually guarantee payment of that fine. Many Russians who have been sent a fine have never paid it. So again, you can act without fear of punishment,
“There are only two types of Russians – those who give bribes and those who take them.”
So all in all, this theme finds its way into the Russian psyche. The Russians are not stupid because, if you are stupid, you still know the difference between right and wrong. 80 years of communism has lead Russians to be disillusioned and somewhat primitive. There is a big difference.
Driving in Russia is hazardous: Last year, 200,000 traffic accidents killed 27.025 people in Russia in 2013. Addressing those high levels, President Dmitry Medvedev blamed the “undisciplined, criminally careless behaviour of our drivers,” along with poor road conditions. However, Medvedev made no mention of the totally dysfunctional Russian traffic police!
Russians consistently ignore red lights, overtake on the inside, overtake on the outside when unsafe or blind, speed and couple this with little or no technical expertise or driving ability, this is a recipe for disaster!
While accepting that drivers certainly play a role, Medvedev did not mention Russia’s traffic police, which, “is known throughout their land for brutality, corruption, extortion and making an income on bribes.”
According to information published by New Times(2009), one day’s corrupt income for a traffic policeman is $1000. Everyone regards the law enforcement agencies, chiefly the police, as extortioners in uniform and it is generally recognised that a policeman’s official salary is only part of his income. Medvedev’s police reform, carried out by the police establishment itself, has failed. The overwhelming majority of Russians have no more faith in the police than they did in the Soviet past.
Russia ranks 133rd among the world’s nations in corruption (where number one is the least corrupt), according to Transparency International. So going to the police with a legitimate complaint is far from sure to produce a good result.
In addition to authorities they deem untrustworthy, Russian drivers must contend with the possibility of being attacked by another driver. The below video compiles fights between drivers that feature crowbars, slapping, punching, and worse.
Then there are pedestrians who get themselves hit by cars on purpose, for a payoff. A video compilation (below) of failed scams offers a few examples.
Overall, in a country where traffic conditions are horrible, insurance scams and roadside fights are always a possibility, and the police are widely viewed as corrupt, video evidence of one’s innocence can be a very valuable thing.
There are are number of things which also contribute to this situation:
Harsh climate. It means foggy mornings in the summer, rainy autumns, snowy winters notorious of its blizzards and ice, springs with huge lots of wet dirt.
Poor road conditions. Yes, that is no secret, that the bigger part of roads in Russia are not good. Perestroika, the crisis of 90’s and other economic problems including theft and corruption inside the Road construction department resulted in poor roads conditions
Large distances. It is much more easy and convenient to build and service roads in a small country, neither in Russia where distances between settlements sometimes can be counted in hundreds of km. Living in Siberia, one can take a ride from one city to another and not see civilisation for hours with only taiga forest around. In Australia, large distances are also an issue, but Australians do not have the poor driver behaviour as exhibited in Russia!
The Russian government did not expect people to have so many cars. The number rose dramatically over the last 25 years. In the west, the culture of proper driving was formed over a longer period, while in Russia it just boomed. The problem is much worse for big cities of 1 million citizens or more. Here we see too many cars on tiny roads and a lack of parking spaces. It makes people nervous while driving.
The other factor is culture. Russian people today haven’t learned to respect each other. And they won’t until the economic situation improves.
Vehicles and Vodka
Russia has a long history of alcohol consumption. The average Russian drinks 20 litres of pure alcohol per annum, nearly twice as much as their nearest rival. This of course carries onto the streets of Russia.
According to data, the number of drunk drivers has been steadily increasing in the past few years. In the last eight months of 2012, the number of accidents caused by drunk drivers rose by 3.5%. In that time, there were 152 alcohol related accidents in Moscow, which caused 15 deaths. And Moscow is far from being the worst city in Russia: in the Krasnoyarsk region there were 433 drunk driving accidents over the same period.
Some worry that stricter laws will mean serious punishment even for drivers who don’t drink, since Russia’s laws don’t specify a blood alcohol level at which one is considered drunk. United Russia lawmakers think that establishing specific criteria for drunk drivers is essential to the success of a stricter law. A threshold is important because human blood will always contain some alcohol, which could be detected in blood tests. Russia had an alcohol limit until 2010, but then-President Medvedev thought drivers interpreted the law to mean they could drink up to that point, and changed the law to zero-tolerance.
On the other hand, people who knowingly drink and drive might not be deterred by the new law at all. The police say people who regularly drive under the influence and accumulate suspended licenses for years simply ignore the sanctions (such as the driver in the recent accident in Moscow, whose license had been suspended in 2010 for drunk driving).
In the past two years, more than 18,000 drivers have had their license suspended for drunk driving. Among those drivers, some had been punished for drunk driving 100 times or put in administrative arrest 16 times for driving without a license. The law has no effect on this type of person, so a completely different approach is needed with them. It has been suggested that if they can’t stop themselves from drinking and driving, they need to be under the strict control of the courts and medical staff.”
The Russian Dash-Cam
In Russia, everyone should (and does) have a camera on their dashboard. It’s better than keeping a lead pipe under your seat for protection (but you might still want that lead pipe).
The conditions of Russian roads are perilous, with an insane gridlock in the city and gigantic ditches, endless swamps and severe wintry emptiness of the back roads and highways. Then there are large, lawless areas you don’t just ride into, the police with a penchant for extortion and deeply frustrated drivers who want to smash your face.
Psychopaths are abundant on Russian roads. You best not cut anyone off or undertake some other type of maneuver that might inconvenience the 200-pound, six-foot-five brawling children you see on YouTube hopping out of their SUVs with their dukes up. They will go ballistic in a snap, drive in front of you, brake suddenly, block you off, jump out and run towards your vehicle. Next thing you start getting punches in your face because your didn’t roll up your windows, or getting pulled out of the car and beaten because you didn’t lock the doors. These fights happen all the time and you can’t really press charges. Point to your broken nose or smashed windows all you want. The Russian courts don’t like verbal claims. They do, however, like to send people to jail for battery and property destruction if there’s definite video proof. That is why there’s a new, growing crop of dash-cam videos featuring would-be face-beaters backing away to the shouts of “You’re on camera, fucker! I’m calling the cops!”
Dash-cam footage is the only real way to substantiate your claims in the court of law. Forget witnesses. Hit and runs are very common and insurance companies notoriously specialize in denying claims. Two-way insurance coverage is very expensive and almost completely unavailable for vehicles over ten years old–the drivers can only get basic liability. Get into a minor or major accident and expect the other party to lie to the police or better yet, flee after rear-ending you. Since your insurance won’t pay unless the offender is found and sued, you’ll see dash-cam videos of post hit and run pursuits for plate numbers.
And sometimes drivers back up or bump their pre-dented car into yours. It used to be a mob thing, with the accident-staging specialists working in groups. After the “accident,” the offending driver–often an elderly lady–is confronted by a crowd of “witnesses,” psychologically pressured and intimidated to pay up cash on the spot. Since the Age of the Dash-cam, hustle has withered from a flourishing enterprise to a dying trade, mainly thriving in the provinces where dash-cams are less prevalent.
And then, sometimes, someone will jump under your car at a crossing, laying on the asphalt, simulating a badly hurt pedestrian waiting for that cop conveniently parked nearby. This dramatic extortion scheme was common, until the Age of the Dash-cam. Oh, and there are such juicy, triumphant tales about of would-be extortion victims turning the scheme around and telling the cast members to pay them money or they’re going to jail for this little performance! Don’t try it.
While those lucky enough to traverse the Russian roads with an American or other Western passport are hassled less, the Russian Highway Patrol is notorious throughout their land for brutality, corruption, extortion and making an income on bribes.
Russian websites go for the uncut, the horrible accidents–trucks flipping over, people being smashed into pieces and sedans flying up in the air and exploding. Given that television programing is mostly vacuous and heavily censored, dash-cam videos are very popular in Russia. It’s uncensored–drama, comedy, tragedy, horror, thriller and educational genres fused into one super-genre of “dash-cam.” Who needs Klitschko when you can watch to tough guys box in the street?
To better understand and navigate this “community service”, here’s a Russian Dash-cam Video Thesaurus for the blog tag cloud. It is comprised of purposely misspelled hick and thug slang and phrases used sarcastically…while people die. Ah, Russian humour.
поциент – “Patient.” The poor bastard, the dumb idiot in the video getting pulverized, run over or smashed into. A wordplay of “potz,” the Russian translation of the Yiddish “schmuck.”
летчик – “Pilot.” The idiot who zooms by and crashes in the grand finale of a video.
слабоумие и отвага – “Courage and dementia.”
последние секунды жизни – “Last seconds of life.” Videos featuring persons before and after fatal accidents.
кетай как всегда пиздец – “China is always fucked.” Clips from China that feature severe crashes and frequently feature passersby ignoring the bodies and car debris.
кирпичи – “Bricks” (as in “shitting bricks.”) The audio track often features the driver panting or shouting the entire Russian vocabulary of swears at the top of their lungs. Used for videos with near misses or close shaves.
железобетонное очко – “Anus of Concrete.” Honorific given to drivers who, faced with sudden danger like a huge truck coming head-on, remain calm, only saying “shoot” or “darn” quietly in the background, and efficiently steer away from danger, displaying some seriously fucking great driving skills.
наварра – The infamous video featuring a black Nissan Navarra SUV swerving to the oncoming freight liner and being smashed into a cloud of small pieces. It is the metaphor for a gruesome, intense, fatal accident.
But there are moments of humanity among the Russian people,. At a city accident scene, you could see as many as twenty cars pulling over, drivers running out to the scene. This comes from the recognition of the fact that on a 300-mile stretch of uninhabited territory, help can only come from passing vehicles and not emergency services. Most Russian long-distance routes East of the Ural Mountains are that way. There is really only one highway like that in North America: the Western Canadian to Alaskan Stretch of the Pan-American Highway. The camaraderie between strangers, shoveling the snow and hailing a freight truck or tractor to pull the car out. The kudos. The cheers. The knowledge that you could be very well be next.
And don’t you forget it. Aside from the kindness of strangers, it’s just you and that little gadget versus the hell that is the Russian people on the road.
I have always said that wee drop of whisky (in moderation) was good for you. I have a large collection of whiskies (usually single malt) which I enjoy on special occasions.
I recently found this article which seems to support my belief:
The Health Benefits of Whisky:
1. Memory Boost: Whisky contains antioxidants that help improve the health of the brain. Additionally, alcohol boosts blood circulation, both of which contribute to your memory. Also, the ethanol in whisky helps your neurons function properly, which further aids recall.
Whisk(e)y made in the US is referred to as bourbon
2. Stress Relief: In moderation, whisky can reduce stress and calm the nerves. The combination of slowing down brain activity and increasing circulation (which helps provide the body with oxygenated blood), are essential for achieving tranquility.
3. Fight Weight Gain: Compared to its counterparts, whisky is a low-calorie alcohol, free of fat and cholesterol. If you’re on a diet but still want a drink – it’s your best choice.
4. Reduce the Risk of a Stroke: Whisky prevents cholesterol from accumulating in the cardiovascular system and can help remove excess cholesterol from the body. It also relaxes the walls of the arteries, reducing the risk of obstruction. All of these factors help reduce the risk of stroke considerably.
5. Reduce the Risk of Cancer: Whisky contains an antioxidant called ‘ellagic acid’, an acid that stops DNA from coming in contact with cancer-causing compounds, such as nitrosamines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. It is also beneficial in protecting the body from damage during chemotherapy.
6. Helps with Digestion: For centuries, whisky was considered a digestive aid, to be consumed after a heavy meal. Whisky’s composition and high alcohol percentage also make it an effective appetite suppressant.
7. Live Longer: The antioxidants in whisky help fight free radicals – the number one cause of aging, as well as prevent various diseases. This double-whammy helps your body live a longer, healthier life.
8. Diabetic-Friendly: Containing zero carbs, whisky won’t readily elevate blood sugar levels, making it the number one choice for diabetics. However, alcohol intake significantly increases the risk of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar levels). So if your diabetes is already well controlled, a moderate amount of alcohol may be fine either before, during or soon after a meal. Alcohol (whisky or otherwise) should be drunk in moderation and avoided on an empty stomach. Always consult your doctor for specific advice.
9. Improve Your Heart’s Health: Drinking whisky actually helps your heart stay healthy, similarly to red wine. It reduces the risk of blood clots, thus it can prevent strokes and heart attacks. The antioxidants in the whisky also inhibits the oxidation of low density lipoprotein – a main factor in heart disease.
10. Improve the Health of Your Brain: A 2003 study found that, thanks to the antioxidant qualities of the ellagic acid, moderate consumption of whisky reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia, and also improves cognitive functions. Basically, one drink a day will keep the brain doctor away.
11. Prevent & Treat Cold and Flu: Whisky is known for its positive effects in battling allergies and colds. It’s an effective cough syrup for people suffering from an itchy throat, and the alcohol helps kill bacteria in the throat. The best results are achieved by adding a little bit of whisky to a cup of hot water and lemon.
At first glance, this appears to be a vintage ad by the “Soda Pop Board of America” extolling the virtues of drinking cola at an early age. It’s been circulating around the internet for quite a while, during which time many sites have angrily responded to the claims made in the ad.
For instance, the Queen Anne Chiropractic Center declared that the ad demonstrates “just how wicked the Mad Men of yesteryear were.” The parenting blog babble.com wrote: “We all know that, on occasion, advertisements can offer some fairly crappy advice. Back in the day, though, ads had no shame.” And NaturalNews.com offered the ad as evidence that, “Soda companies, much like drug companies, have relentlessly tried to convince parents that forcing their products onto their children is a smart thing to do.”
I could go on, but I’ll cut to the chase: the ad isn’t real. It’s just a very successful vintage-ad parody created in 2002 by RJ White, who explains its full provenance thus:
About seven or eight years ago, I made this fake ad, exhorting parents to give soda to their babies. It was done on a bored afternoon when J.D. Ryznar asked for someone to make that very specific thing on his livejournal. I whipped it together, posted it to the web, joke over.
A couple of years later- it started showing up online, in those weird lists that pop up every so often with a “Oh man, ads sure were strange back then, weren’t they?” theme. Thing is, those ads are largely real and mine is not and very obviously so.
White links to the original livejournal post that inspired him to create the ad. His ad seems to be currently enjoying a fresh wave of popularity thanks to tumblr and pinterest which are presenting it to new audiences, many of whom (once again) seem to be accepting it at face value as a genuine vintage ad.
The Soda Pop Board of America does not exist, and neither does the address listed on the ad.
I have often noted the aircraft VH-UER depicted on the Australian $20, and have wondered what it’s history was.
VH-UER on the AU $20 note.
The aircraft was original registered G-AUER was a De Havilland D50A and was used for general aviation until 1928 when it was refurbished for use as the first air ambulance for the Australian Inland Mission (AIM) – as can be seen by the small Maltese Cross under the pilot’s cockpit. Upon starting service under contract for the AIM, The Rev John Flynn, the famous Flying Doctor, renamed it ‘Victory’.
The AIM was the founding organisation of the now Royal Flying Doctor Service, bringing medical services to remote Australian outback communities.
De Havilland D50A VH-UER
This De Havilland could carry a pilot and four passengers at a cruising speed of eighty miles per hour for a range of 500 to 600 miles. In those days, not much territory was charted, and so pilots were forced to navigate by river beds, fences, telegraph lines and other familiar landmarks. Despite these obstacles, in its inaugural year, the Aerial Medical Service (which changed its name to the Flying Doctor Service in 1942 and the Royal Flying Doctor Service in 1955) flew 50 flights to 26 destinations and treated 225 patients. Flynn’s dream had become a reality.
PARENTS who philosophically object to giving their children lifesaving vaccines could be prevented from accessing welfare payments and childcare subsidies.
Social Services Minister Scott Morrison has confirmed the Abbott Government is reviewing a loophole which continues to allow mums and dads who refuse to immunise their children against deadly diseases on personal or philosophical grounds the right to claim family tax benefits and childcare rebates.
Under the national immunisation program, the government requires all parents to vaccinate their children in order to claim generous family payments and childcare benefits, but there are exemptions available.
The proposed polcy is about to change this. The move was designed to prevent some parents from opting against vaccinating their children, which compromises the overall immunity of the population and puts other youngsters at risk.
This is the proposal announced today, to “encourage” more parents to immunise their children.
I strongly object to the stance proposed by the Australian Federal Governmennt, whereby they intended refuse welfare payments and childcare subsidies to parents who object to immunising their children.
These people who are likely to belong to a lower socio-economic group, are already “doing it tough”, and stand to be further penalised by the punitive action suggested by the Federal government.
Those persons in upper classes or more financially well-off will be least affected by this decision, as they will have the financial wherewithal to seek alternative arrangements, and of course they are less dependent on government hand-outs of child support.
Australian Vaccination Rates as at 31/12/2014
Australia enjoys one of the highest vaccination rates in the world with rates of over 90% compliance.
If the fedral government wants to increase this already high compliance rate then perhaps increased public health education explaining the benefits of vaccination is a better vehicle to drive this change, rather than financially penalising those families who can least afford it.
I am advised today (16/04/2015) that members of the Church of Scientology in Australia will be exempt from the new vaccination legislation! Why is that? It should then follow that members of the Catholic or Anglican Churches in Australia should be afforded the same exemption. If it’s good enough for the members of one church to be exempt, then surely it’s good for another! Will this happen? Not likely!
Professor Paul Dastoor explained that he and his research team had developed paint with semi-conducting particles and this enabled them to download electronic designs that could be cheaply printed from an ink-jet printer onto a slip of plastic.
‘‘On this principle we have developed a saliva-based test of glucose levels for diabetic patients using a reel-to-reel printer, potentially making blood tests a thing of the past,’’ he said.
‘‘We print electrical components using an ink that is a semi-conductor, mixing in the enzyme which will detect the presence and level of glucose when a diabetic places a sample of saliva on the test.’’
By 2020 it is predicted there will be 500 million people with diabetes.
The usual way of testing for glucose relies on a finger prick to draw blood for testing, however many diabetics find needles unpleasant and can be tempted to avoid measuring their levels as often as they should.
‘‘The creation of the non-invasive test for diabetes has been described as the Holy Grail in diabetes research for decades,’’ Professor Dastoor said.
Each individual test is estimated to cost less than 1¢ to create and Professor Dastoor said he and his
He said one possibility was for people to buy a cartridge with the special ink and print their own tests from an ink-jet printer at home.
Professor Dastoor said eventually, as they made more advancements, it could be possible for a person to lick the device, which would then send their glucose reading to their mobile phone.
Professor Dastoor said their patented innovation, which took eight years to develop, had many other potential medical purposes.
He said they were looking at developing a test for stress by sampling a person’s sweat.
George Brown is a decorated soldier and health professional and 40 year veteran in the field of emergency nursing and paramedical practice, both military and civilian areas. He has senior management positions in the delivery of paramedical services. Opinions expressed in these columns are solely those of the author and should not be construed as being those of any organization to which he may be connected.
He was born in the UK of Scottish ancestry from Aberdeen and a member of the Clan MacDougall. He is a member of the Macedonian community in Newcastle, and speaks fluent Macedonian. While this may seem a contradiction, it is his wife who is Macedonian, and as a result he embraced the Macedonian language and the Orthodox faith.
His interests include aviation and digital photography, and he always enjoys the opportunity to combine the two. Navigate to his Flickr site to see recent additions to his photo library.
Џорџ Браун е украсени војник и професионално здравствено лице и 40 годишен ветеран во областа на за итни случаи старечки и парамедицински пракса, двете воени и цивилни области. Тој има високи менаџерски позиции во испораката на парамедицински услуги. Мислењата изразени во овие колумни се исклучиво на авторот и не треба да се толкува како оние на било која организација тој може да биде поврзан.
Тој е роден во Велика Британија на шкотскиот потекло од Абердин и член на Kланот MacDougall. Тој е член на македонската заедница во Њукасл, и зборува течно македонски. Иако ова можеби изгледа контрадикција, тоа е неговата сопруга кој е македонски, и како резултат научил македонскиот јазик и ја примија православната вера.
Неговите интереси вклучуваат авијација и дигитална фотографија, и тој секогаш ужива во можност да се комбинираат двете. Отиди до неговиот Фликр сајт да видите последните дополнувања на неговата слика библиотека.
Discussion on the law that applies to or affects Australia's emergency services and emergency management, by Michael Eburn, PhD, Australian Lawyer. Email: meburn@australianemergencylaw.com
Oh, let's see...distinguished Gen-X'er, frustrated writer and mom living in the confines of a small town that thinks it's a big deal. And have I mentioned Walmart yet?
Words, By George! 