Last night, I found myself walking to a bus stop unusually late from an event. I discovered that an offer for a ride home unexpectedly changed, but Seattle has a pretty decent public transit system, with service to my neighborhood, so I didn't panic. I punched in the info to a Metro trip planner, and headed off to the bus stop according to the map. [common use #1 - bus finder and Google maps]
The bus stop was located on the opposite side of a busy freeway. After three attempts to figure out how to get to the other side (as there was no overpass), a homeless person pointed to a dimly-let sign: pedestrian underpass. I walked on the sidewalk of the busy street, getting honked at a few times by cars who must like frightening the bah-jesus out of women. Forget doing some Yoga breathing to stay calm: the sidewalk and stairwells of the underpass smelled of beer and urine, and reminded me that men really do think the entire world is their toilet. At these times, I wonder if my sacrifice of reducing my carbon footprint is really worth the sacrifice.
Twenty minutes later, teeth chattering and hugging my iPad for warmth [uncommon use #2 - heat source], my bus came. Thank goodness I exchanged my WiFi-only iPad for a 3G+WiFi model within two weeks, because 3G was the only connectivity available on the side of the 99 Highway, though I clearly saw the names of locked networks all around. As great as the iPhone4 is, it wouldn't have kept me warm.
As I sat down, a man spoke to me with a French accent: "Nice shoes. And the hat and the scarf work for you." As he was saying this, he was smiling and looking at my iPad. [uncommon use #3 - man magnet]. He worked for a tech company, but certainly wasn't talking tech. When he got off at his stop, he asked for my first name, took my hand, placed a soft kiss upon it, and said, "It was lovely to meet you."
On came a man who had taken an earlier bus: "I didn't want to wait at the stop I saw you at. This one is further downtown, a lot of gang bangers, but at least it wasn't so isolated." Good point: I should have downloaded MyNextBus.com, gotten a transfer, and waited with a bunch of smokers. Not.
We chatted about the iPhone all the way to West Seattle, where I bid him, "Au revoir." About a half a block into my walk home, I realized all the street lights were down, and the people of that street didn't do a lot of gardening and maintenance to the overgrowth. I tripped and nearly fell, cursing myself for not replacing the mini flashlight I used to carry in my purse. Without really thinking, I took out my iPad, slid the unlock button and punched in the password, and held the screen facing away from me [uncommon use #4 - iPad as a mobile street lamp]. Needless to say, I had a nicely illuminated path all the way home.
Well, some people say that the iPad isn't all that magical. I didn't need it to be. Instead, it got me thinking about uncommon uses of everything we have around us, if only we'd use our own heads and creativity to see.
Do you see?
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Creativity: Blank page or Template?
With just 18 days left until Seattle's largest bellydance festival, Mediterranean Fantasy Festival I made a decision two weeks ago to challenge my usual patterns of creating choreography. Usually, I start with a piece of music I love but have never choreographed, study it, and start interpreting the music into movement. I then get a couple of sets of eyes to look at it with me, and give me feedback and suggestions to help milk the movement for ultimate emotional impact.
This year, I'm doing something different.
Blame it on Artist's Circle, which has been challenging my thinking about what makes belly dance "work" for me. Sprinkle on some pressure from BollywoodSeattle.com, where my time is being squeezed out of me like toothpaste as we prepare for our first group performance and solos at Medfest 2010 July 15-17, a restaurant, and a parade. Oh, and I could slide in an equally legitimate excuse as I work behind the scenes on getting speakers lined up for Gnomedex August 19 - 21, 2010, Seattle's "confluence of influence" for technology enthusiasts (and n00b's like me). The bottom line: what will allow me to show share with my fans my personal growth as an artist?
Over the years, I've learned to keep my choreography and song selection a secret. The powers that be have strange ways of teaching you about the malevolence and unkindness of others. This year, I considered that I might change things up a bit, so much that what I'm doing is transparent.
For nearly five years, I've been in love with a piece of music. Take a look at Tina Sargent, winner of the Miss Belly Dancer USA contest, performing Maleeha's choreography to "A Shot of Glory" from The Cafe (Mareal Caracalla):
Choreography by Maleeha (Iowa).
Having studied veil technique with master dancer and choreographer Sabura while also having taken the same choreography workshop with Maleeha featured in the above video, I have formulated a new approach to this year's offering: give a nod to my mentors, teachers, and heroes of dance, and then build upon it by adding my own flair. I'll be performing "Shot of Glory", using the first moments of Maleeha's choreography, and then departing from the choreography as you see it in the video, and welcoming you into my interpretation of those same musical notes.
If you're in Seattle, be sure to mark July 15 - 17, 2010 in your calendar. I'm dancing Sunday July 17 twice: at 11:12 am on the indoor stage with Bollywood Seattle, and later the same hour in my solo of "Shot of Glory" on the same stage at 11:50 am. Believe me, I'll be having people back stage tearing off my Bollywood costume, jewelry, and redoing my hair in a quick turn around for this belly dance solo.
If you do not live in Seattle, I'll have my interpretation of "Shot of Glory" filmed for Youtube and my websites, and if it turns out well, you'll be able to find it there on my channel Yourlilchinagirl. You'll be able to see the clear departure from Maleeha's choreography, yet still get a sense of who I've studied with, admire, and highly respect in the world of belly dance and folkloric performance art.
For me, dance has never been about the diva behavior I've been exposed to in the past few years. The proof is in the ability to give it away for free because the world needs your art to add to its beauty. It is all about the inspiration and joy we find in the dance when we share it with the world. As cheesy and tree-huggerish as that sounds, it still remains true.
This not to say that artist's aren't worth their weight in gold. I formed Hipsforhire.com to help artists like myself get hired for reasonable pay while raising money for various charitable causes. Though it's been slow going, HFH is finally being recognized, with emails and calls for paid events throughout the Northwest. I am so humbled that people are recognizing this vision, and I am thrilled that people are paying me well for my performances. Yet there are times when it is appropriate to dance for free.
I'm giving my dance away, because now it has become something that is worth being copied, yet cannot be stolen.
This year, I'm doing something different.
Blame it on Artist's Circle, which has been challenging my thinking about what makes belly dance "work" for me. Sprinkle on some pressure from BollywoodSeattle.com, where my time is being squeezed out of me like toothpaste as we prepare for our first group performance and solos at Medfest 2010 July 15-17, a restaurant, and a parade. Oh, and I could slide in an equally legitimate excuse as I work behind the scenes on getting speakers lined up for Gnomedex August 19 - 21, 2010, Seattle's "confluence of influence" for technology enthusiasts (and n00b's like me). The bottom line: what will allow me to show share with my fans my personal growth as an artist?
Over the years, I've learned to keep my choreography and song selection a secret. The powers that be have strange ways of teaching you about the malevolence and unkindness of others. This year, I considered that I might change things up a bit, so much that what I'm doing is transparent.
For nearly five years, I've been in love with a piece of music. Take a look at Tina Sargent, winner of the Miss Belly Dancer USA contest, performing Maleeha's choreography to "A Shot of Glory" from The Cafe (Mareal Caracalla):
Choreography by Maleeha (Iowa).
Having studied veil technique with master dancer and choreographer Sabura while also having taken the same choreography workshop with Maleeha featured in the above video, I have formulated a new approach to this year's offering: give a nod to my mentors, teachers, and heroes of dance, and then build upon it by adding my own flair. I'll be performing "Shot of Glory", using the first moments of Maleeha's choreography, and then departing from the choreography as you see it in the video, and welcoming you into my interpretation of those same musical notes.
If you're in Seattle, be sure to mark July 15 - 17, 2010 in your calendar. I'm dancing Sunday July 17 twice: at 11:12 am on the indoor stage with Bollywood Seattle, and later the same hour in my solo of "Shot of Glory" on the same stage at 11:50 am. Believe me, I'll be having people back stage tearing off my Bollywood costume, jewelry, and redoing my hair in a quick turn around for this belly dance solo.
If you do not live in Seattle, I'll have my interpretation of "Shot of Glory" filmed for Youtube and my websites, and if it turns out well, you'll be able to find it there on my channel Yourlilchinagirl. You'll be able to see the clear departure from Maleeha's choreography, yet still get a sense of who I've studied with, admire, and highly respect in the world of belly dance and folkloric performance art.
For me, dance has never been about the diva behavior I've been exposed to in the past few years. The proof is in the ability to give it away for free because the world needs your art to add to its beauty. It is all about the inspiration and joy we find in the dance when we share it with the world. As cheesy and tree-huggerish as that sounds, it still remains true.
This not to say that artist's aren't worth their weight in gold. I formed Hipsforhire.com to help artists like myself get hired for reasonable pay while raising money for various charitable causes. Though it's been slow going, HFH is finally being recognized, with emails and calls for paid events throughout the Northwest. I am so humbled that people are recognizing this vision, and I am thrilled that people are paying me well for my performances. Yet there are times when it is appropriate to dance for free.
I'm giving my dance away, because now it has become something that is worth being copied, yet cannot be stolen.
Bellydancers Have The Bigger Knife
As a belly dancer who also uses a sword or scimitar as a dance prop, I was highly amused to hear this story (see link below). Her sword would have been much longer than a hand-held knife, putting her in less danger as she was pointing it at his belly (unless he wanted to take a chance and throw his knife at her, which the average person does not know how to do with accuracy). The point of a scimitar is not sharp, but with enough force applied, you can impale someone on it. It's good the would-be robber decided not to take his chances!
Good for you, Miss Moody. Way to calm your fears, keep your head, and stare the f*cker down.
Would-be robber gets the point, moody, purse, knife - News - YumaSun
Good for you, Miss Moody. Way to calm your fears, keep your head, and stare the f*cker down.
Would-be robber gets the point, moody, purse, knife - News - YumaSun
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Troll Patrol: Five Reasons To Have Them Visit You
I have friends who think that what I'm trying to do is amazing. As I continue to use Social Media not only to promote performance art or connect people to use my project, "Video Nurse", they remind me that they don't know anyone else who is doing this in quite the same way. More likely than not, they explain to me in plain words, "I couldn't do that. I'm too scared."
My question: too scared of WHAT? Or, WHO are they scared of?
I can only imagine the fear they express has something to do with stories of breaches of privacy and security that have been the source of lawsuits, complaints against almost all Social Media platforms, and news that has now become as commonplace to our lives as credit card fraud. Most people don't want to open themselves up to this kind of nuisance. But now, we have something else to deal with that is a problematic as security breaches.
When I first initiated an Internet presence through a website in 2000, I couldn't have conceived of the types of web terrorism that we now have on our hands today. Sure, I was aware enough back then to keep my private information off the web, such as home phone numbers and addresses, or the names of my family members and children.
But now we have on our hands the web equivalent of a gang-style, drive-by shooting, something which I'm naming a Troll Patrol. The troll patrol is a group of loosely-organized douchebags mostly composed of young males. They gather at appointed times, comb the Internet for unmoderated shows, livestreams, and web communities, and once designating a target, swarm an unsuspecting site. Comments are saturated with boring uses of expletives, racist and bigoted remarks, repeated lines of garbage, and progressively more violent, misogynistic, or rude comments to try to provoke the moderator or web manager to react. Those who were enjoying the site feel terrorized in the volatile environment, and they may leave and plan not to return. Whereas a single troll can easily be blocked or removed, a horde as large as 200 or 300 trolls is a bit more like trying to spray insect repellent on a horde of angry hornets. This hornet's nest, however, is composed of bored teenagers looking for fun at your expense.
At first glance, interacting with a group of bored teenagers might not sound very daunting, nor scary. But you might recall an incident a few years ago involving a pair of teens who threw the switch of a train, sending it off the tracks and killing several on board. When interviewed as to why they did this, the answer: they were bored. Use this example as a reminder of what a group of bored teens and young adults can do collectively using smartphones, laptops, and the power of Google to search the web for information about you.
If a troll patrol comes and visits YOUR sites, could there possibly be any reason to celebrate?
Five Reasons to Celebrate a Troll Patrol Visitation
1. Use a Troll Patrol visit as an education. As disgusting as some of their comments may become, you are receiving a fast education about what this generation of users has absorbed from the Internet. For better or for worse, study your market.
2. Their presence on your site, for however long it lasts, may signal that you have a good presence on the Internet. They aren't targeting first time users. Break out the bubbly, and congratulate yourself: you have arrived.
3. Practice handling hostility. Someday, this will help you if you have a PR nightmare on your hands if you ever get a public complaint about your business, or you make a mistake that needs your quick answer, free of defense or excuses. How you handle a Troll Patrol is a pretty good indicator of quick thinking and fast action.
4. Stand on your own feet. A moderator, spam bot, or your blocking application won't be helpful. Visitations are brief, and you won't be able to remove them as fast as they can return; at the same time, you have to protect your real fans, client, and viable community. Here'a great chance to allow people to sling mud and for you to not take any of it personally. Your true community will see you for who you truly are: strong and confident. The trolls are doing you a favor: while demonstrating their own pathos, group trolls are unwittingly making you look good to your community.
None of this is about you; it is clearly about them. Watch how they turn on each other if you laugh and smile at their comments while they search for ways to "get to you." One of the comments on my recent troll patrol visitation speculated that I must have a child who was retarded. The commenter asked if I was angry. Another commenter added that he would like to me in the . I observed their frenzy with fascination and amusement.
5. Use the experience as a "shake-down" for security measures you may want to add to your sites, such as age restrictions, user registrations, and blocking abilities. If you don't have a moderator, you might want to find one by searching through your most loyal clients or fans. In exchange for moderating your site, you could give free product, discounts, services, or a title on your site that connotes honor and loyalty.
Have you been visited by a Troll Patrol? How did you handle it? If you have a funny or interesting related story, please share it offline at info@hipsforhire.com.
My question: too scared of WHAT? Or, WHO are they scared of?
I can only imagine the fear they express has something to do with stories of breaches of privacy and security that have been the source of lawsuits, complaints against almost all Social Media platforms, and news that has now become as commonplace to our lives as credit card fraud. Most people don't want to open themselves up to this kind of nuisance. But now, we have something else to deal with that is a problematic as security breaches.
When I first initiated an Internet presence through a website in 2000, I couldn't have conceived of the types of web terrorism that we now have on our hands today. Sure, I was aware enough back then to keep my private information off the web, such as home phone numbers and addresses, or the names of my family members and children.
But now we have on our hands the web equivalent of a gang-style, drive-by shooting, something which I'm naming a Troll Patrol. The troll patrol is a group of loosely-organized douchebags mostly composed of young males. They gather at appointed times, comb the Internet for unmoderated shows, livestreams, and web communities, and once designating a target, swarm an unsuspecting site. Comments are saturated with boring uses of expletives, racist and bigoted remarks, repeated lines of garbage, and progressively more violent, misogynistic, or rude comments to try to provoke the moderator or web manager to react. Those who were enjoying the site feel terrorized in the volatile environment, and they may leave and plan not to return. Whereas a single troll can easily be blocked or removed, a horde as large as 200 or 300 trolls is a bit more like trying to spray insect repellent on a horde of angry hornets. This hornet's nest, however, is composed of bored teenagers looking for fun at your expense.
At first glance, interacting with a group of bored teenagers might not sound very daunting, nor scary. But you might recall an incident a few years ago involving a pair of teens who threw the switch of a train, sending it off the tracks and killing several on board. When interviewed as to why they did this, the answer: they were bored. Use this example as a reminder of what a group of bored teens and young adults can do collectively using smartphones, laptops, and the power of Google to search the web for information about you.
If a troll patrol comes and visits YOUR sites, could there possibly be any reason to celebrate?
Five Reasons to Celebrate a Troll Patrol Visitation
1. Use a Troll Patrol visit as an education. As disgusting as some of their comments may become, you are receiving a fast education about what this generation of users has absorbed from the Internet. For better or for worse, study your market.
2. Their presence on your site, for however long it lasts, may signal that you have a good presence on the Internet. They aren't targeting first time users. Break out the bubbly, and congratulate yourself: you have arrived.
3. Practice handling hostility. Someday, this will help you if you have a PR nightmare on your hands if you ever get a public complaint about your business, or you make a mistake that needs your quick answer, free of defense or excuses. How you handle a Troll Patrol is a pretty good indicator of quick thinking and fast action.
4. Stand on your own feet. A moderator, spam bot, or your blocking application won't be helpful. Visitations are brief, and you won't be able to remove them as fast as they can return; at the same time, you have to protect your real fans, client, and viable community. Here'a great chance to allow people to sling mud and for you to not take any of it personally. Your true community will see you for who you truly are: strong and confident. The trolls are doing you a favor: while demonstrating their own pathos, group trolls are unwittingly making you look good to your community.
None of this is about you; it is clearly about them. Watch how they turn on each other if you laugh and smile at their comments while they search for ways to "get to you." One of the comments on my recent troll patrol visitation speculated that I must have a child who was retarded. The commenter asked if I was angry. Another commenter added that he would like to
5. Use the experience as a "shake-down" for security measures you may want to add to your sites, such as age restrictions, user registrations, and blocking abilities. If you don't have a moderator, you might want to find one by searching through your most loyal clients or fans. In exchange for moderating your site, you could give free product, discounts, services, or a title on your site that connotes honor and loyalty.
Have you been visited by a Troll Patrol? How did you handle it? If you have a funny or interesting related story, please share it offline at info@hipsforhire.com.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Relationship Talk on Ustream.tv
Love stinks. Yeah yeah [love stinks]. Love stinks! Yeah yeah [love stinks].
Well actually, I'm no executioner of love. In fact, I am probably more in line with the belief, "All We Need Is Love" (and maybe a really good prenuptial agreement, in some cases, lol). Today I decided to let loose with an hour of talk about relationships for my one-hour segment of "Video Nurse", which aired June 21, 2010 at 4 PM PST. It was one hour earlier than usual, due to a scheduling snafu that Chris Pirillo takes full responsibility for, as he had not alerted me that I was attending a Tweetup at 5:30 pm in which he needed my n00b presence to help balance out the number of Social Media savvy and n00bs in the room.
I recorded just a couple of segments from the hour, with one shorter one up on Youtube, and this one here on my post from "Shaw" (I had his spoken permission to use his question for discussion).
http://www.ustream.tv/myvideos/1/7814582
I think you'll find some valuable questions and exercises to do (pen and paper, or iPad!) that could help you or someone you know how to move on from a relationship that you feel "stuck" on thinking about longer than what seems to be helpful.
It certainly isn't all that I would tell a person who is grieving from the end of a relationship. But it is a start. The transition from being in a relationship to being without that person can take many forms, and there is no designated timeline on how long that takes. However, this person sounded like he is struggling with the other person bringing up the relationship again after a long period of time.
My private practice at Seattle Direct Counseling encounters these kind of relationship questions (and more) on a regular basis. Video Nurse is simply an avenue where community can build and gather to talk about what interests us most about health, mental health, and relationship issues. Join us next time at our regularly scheduled time Mondays at 5 pm PST. Join in the dialogue.
I'd like to thank Chris Pirillo for use of his office, lighting, and Comcast High Speed Internet connection for this segment of Video Nurse.
Well actually, I'm no executioner of love. In fact, I am probably more in line with the belief, "All We Need Is Love" (and maybe a really good prenuptial agreement, in some cases, lol). Today I decided to let loose with an hour of talk about relationships for my one-hour segment of "Video Nurse", which aired June 21, 2010 at 4 PM PST. It was one hour earlier than usual, due to a scheduling snafu that Chris Pirillo takes full responsibility for, as he had not alerted me that I was attending a Tweetup at 5:30 pm in which he needed my n00b presence to help balance out the number of Social Media savvy and n00bs in the room.
I recorded just a couple of segments from the hour, with one shorter one up on Youtube, and this one here on my post from "Shaw" (I had his spoken permission to use his question for discussion).
http://www.ustream.tv/myvideos/1/7814582
I think you'll find some valuable questions and exercises to do (pen and paper, or iPad!) that could help you or someone you know how to move on from a relationship that you feel "stuck" on thinking about longer than what seems to be helpful.
It certainly isn't all that I would tell a person who is grieving from the end of a relationship. But it is a start. The transition from being in a relationship to being without that person can take many forms, and there is no designated timeline on how long that takes. However, this person sounded like he is struggling with the other person bringing up the relationship again after a long period of time.
My private practice at Seattle Direct Counseling encounters these kind of relationship questions (and more) on a regular basis. Video Nurse is simply an avenue where community can build and gather to talk about what interests us most about health, mental health, and relationship issues. Join us next time at our regularly scheduled time Mondays at 5 pm PST. Join in the dialogue.
I'd like to thank Chris Pirillo for use of his office, lighting, and Comcast High Speed Internet connection for this segment of Video Nurse.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Video Nurse: 50 Health Tips for Busy People
Ten years ago, one of my professors told me he thought I was a good writer. All I knew back then is that I love to write. Now I know that I not only enjoy writing, I am thrilled when my words are heard or read in such a way that makes a difference in someone's life.
Every so often, Chris Pirillo sends me a piece of fan mail usually containing a thank you for content someone read that changed their life. Eight out of ten times, those pieces of fan mail were not about his technology reviews or funny videos, but instead were about his eBooks such as 140 Twitter Tips, or his video on "How To Lose Weight Fast". Chris doesn't claim to be a doctor, and yet with personal research and an inquisitive mind, he's done a fine job in communicating what you should know about this health topic. After reading a few of these fan emails, he told me, "You should write your own eBooks."
It is with great pleasure that I am announcing a series of eBooks for 2010 and 2011, starting with my Video Nurse series, "Video Nurse: 50 Health Tips For Busy People". Each downloadable PDF eBook comes with an attractive cover sheet (designed by Kristin Marshall), and fifty tips gleaned from personal experience as well as years of professional experience as a back-office Registered Nurse in Community Health and as a private practice psychotherapist. You'll also see my QR code on the title page, so if you purchase this for a friend, co-worker, or family member, they'll be able to see my contact information should they wish to obtain my confidential services or simply send an email with questions or feedback. Simply scan the QR code with a smartphone's QR reader, and the my contact information comes up. Cool, eh?
Each eBook will be five dollars or under, with the exception of a hard-copy book I hope to publish in 2011 (the topic is a secret, but know you're going to love it). Copies can be obtained for now by going to Seattle Direct Counseling and clicking on the Paypal "Buy Now" button (located on the bottom of the home page), where you'll be prompted on how to give your information so I can release the PDF to your email's inbox. Later, this process will be streamlined automatically on my new website (due out July 1, 2010).
Right now, my website is a bit sad looking. Honestly, I'm not a web designer, and I never claimed to be. The website that is up today has cost me nothing (free template), and the web hosting a mere $13.94 per month to run. You are going to LOVE the new website coming, with an interactive blog, ability to schedule, Video Nurse archives and a link to Ustream.tv, and of course, a user-friendly area to purchase my eBooks. I sincerely hope you'll come check out my new website when it's finished, and share my link to my eBooks (or buy them for friends) with your loved ones.
The heart of my business is building relationships. Video Nurse is just one project in 2010 that I hope will help me build a relationship with you that helps you create your most satisfying (and healthy!) life.
Every so often, Chris Pirillo sends me a piece of fan mail usually containing a thank you for content someone read that changed their life. Eight out of ten times, those pieces of fan mail were not about his technology reviews or funny videos, but instead were about his eBooks such as 140 Twitter Tips, or his video on "How To Lose Weight Fast". Chris doesn't claim to be a doctor, and yet with personal research and an inquisitive mind, he's done a fine job in communicating what you should know about this health topic. After reading a few of these fan emails, he told me, "You should write your own eBooks."
It is with great pleasure that I am announcing a series of eBooks for 2010 and 2011, starting with my Video Nurse series, "Video Nurse: 50 Health Tips For Busy People". Each downloadable PDF eBook comes with an attractive cover sheet (designed by Kristin Marshall), and fifty tips gleaned from personal experience as well as years of professional experience as a back-office Registered Nurse in Community Health and as a private practice psychotherapist. You'll also see my QR code on the title page, so if you purchase this for a friend, co-worker, or family member, they'll be able to see my contact information should they wish to obtain my confidential services or simply send an email with questions or feedback. Simply scan the QR code with a smartphone's QR reader, and the my contact information comes up. Cool, eh?
Each eBook will be five dollars or under, with the exception of a hard-copy book I hope to publish in 2011 (the topic is a secret, but know you're going to love it). Copies can be obtained for now by going to Seattle Direct Counseling and clicking on the Paypal "Buy Now" button (located on the bottom of the home page), where you'll be prompted on how to give your information so I can release the PDF to your email's inbox. Later, this process will be streamlined automatically on my new website (due out July 1, 2010).
Right now, my website is a bit sad looking. Honestly, I'm not a web designer, and I never claimed to be. The website that is up today has cost me nothing (free template), and the web hosting a mere $13.94 per month to run. You are going to LOVE the new website coming, with an interactive blog, ability to schedule, Video Nurse archives and a link to Ustream.tv, and of course, a user-friendly area to purchase my eBooks. I sincerely hope you'll come check out my new website when it's finished, and share my link to my eBooks (or buy them for friends) with your loved ones.
The heart of my business is building relationships. Video Nurse is just one project in 2010 that I hope will help me build a relationship with you that helps you create your most satisfying (and healthy!) life.
Friday, June 18, 2010
n00b Kid On The Block
I like being the n00b kid on the block.
In an earlier blogpost on my Ning site, I explained how being a beginner at something has its adventures, advantages, and downfalls. So far in my 261 days as "the n00b of Social Media", there haven't been many pitfalls. I've had a rather thrilling ride through Social Media 101 Blogworld 2009, LeWeb 2009, 140TC 2010, SXSWi 2010, ReThink Hawaii 2010, and I'm currently volunteering with Gnomedex 2010 for August 19-21. I just finished my first eBook, started a third Twitter account @VideoNurse, and launched a regular Ustream.tv show "Video Nurse" airing Mondays at 5 pm PST talking about health care and its intersection with technology. I've assisted with content on another eBook, and I'm about to launch a fully-interactive website for my psychology and wellness website, SeattleDirectCounseling.com (coming on WordPress soon!).
By far, this doesn't make me:
1. Successful
2. Rich (!)
3. An expert
I'd like to convert my forays in Social Media to become:
1. Richer
2. A Savvy and smart business woman
3. A better networker
4. Helpful to others with a much larger reach than one person at a time.
Nothing felt more "n00bier" than receiving several emails from different fields, requesting easy tips on turning their current websites into monetized blogs. I felt n00bish because my first reaction is "Who am I to give advice on this? What do I really know? What have I really done?" I'm still in the "hard work, all for fun, where's the money" stage. Though each email was a sincere ask for help, I felt n00bish because I'm frankly still a n00b, and I enjoy being a n00b.
Sound Effects for Your Thoughts
With just 104 days of my n00b year left, I'm asking all those hard questions. What can I really show for that year? What were the losses? What were the gains? If I could do anything differently, what would it be? And what am I deeply satisfied with?
One thing that has become apparent: just about everything I've done has shown up on an unfinished list from Chris Pirillo on the topic of making money from blogging. That isn't the only thing I'm trying to do, but at its essence, a blog doesn't survive for long if it doesn't yield a measureable return on your investment (ROI). One of the tips eluded to is a tried-and-true motto:
Easy money usually means hard work.
Five seconds ago, I tried to think of one word that would describe my immersion into Social Media. The only word that flashed was this one:
mentor
To clarify, the word is MENTOR, not "mental", although there have been times that I have felt the latter quite deeply.
A few related words also suit the effect: coach, teacher, model. You see, I have a pile of books in my house, and all of them are full of information, insight, suggestions, exercises, and reviews. However, I'm not very motivated to learn from these books and swim through the minutiae to find out what HTML code I need to insert in my website in order to make a button bigger or smaller. I'm just not that kind of Neek (hybrid nerd and geek). I'm not inclined to read 50 reviews to find out if the camera I'm using is the best one for my purposes. But I am sold on the process of sitting with someone who shows me in front of my face what I'm doing right and what I can improve, even if that is done in a group setting. I'm all into the learning process, but I'm suggesting that your learning process cannot be limited to a CD and book study program (just $49.95 plus shipping and handling). It can't be encapsulated in a friend's well-meaning but greatly attenuated "hot list" of things you need to do.
As my motivational coaching practice takes flight (I already have clients!), I believe I'm going to see more of this trend happen in Social Media. The emails with requests for short cuts and tips will keep coming in. However my answer will remain the same: "There are no short cuts, and there is no free lunch. Get a mentor or a coach." I am passionate about this answer, because this is what has been done for me.
I am indebted to two men, Joe Kennedy and Chris Pirillo, for the n00b journey I've been on. Joe Kennedy is responsible for inviting me to Social Media 101 September 25, 2009 and being the incredible networker that he is. Chris Pirillo is responsible for asking me out to coffee after I shyly told him I had just launched my first Twitter handle. He showed me what happened when he retweeted my Tweet: "What would Scooby Doo do with a Macbook and an iPhone?" As people responded to that Tweet, my eyes were opened. Everything else is history.
Please follow me on Twitter @hipsforhire @VideoNurse and Facebook ImeiYogaDance, and check out video on YouTube YourLilChinaGirl
In an earlier blogpost on my Ning site, I explained how being a beginner at something has its adventures, advantages, and downfalls. So far in my 261 days as "the n00b of Social Media", there haven't been many pitfalls. I've had a rather thrilling ride through Social Media 101 Blogworld 2009, LeWeb 2009, 140TC 2010, SXSWi 2010, ReThink Hawaii 2010, and I'm currently volunteering with Gnomedex 2010 for August 19-21. I just finished my first eBook, started a third Twitter account @VideoNurse, and launched a regular Ustream.tv show "Video Nurse" airing Mondays at 5 pm PST talking about health care and its intersection with technology. I've assisted with content on another eBook, and I'm about to launch a fully-interactive website for my psychology and wellness website, SeattleDirectCounseling.com (coming on WordPress soon!).
By far, this doesn't make me:
1. Successful
2. Rich (!)
3. An expert
I'd like to convert my forays in Social Media to become:
1. Richer
2. A Savvy and smart business woman
3. A better networker
4. Helpful to others with a much larger reach than one person at a time.
Nothing felt more "n00bier" than receiving several emails from different fields, requesting easy tips on turning their current websites into monetized blogs. I felt n00bish because my first reaction is "Who am I to give advice on this? What do I really know? What have I really done?" I'm still in the "hard work, all for fun, where's the money" stage. Though each email was a sincere ask for help, I felt n00bish because I'm frankly still a n00b, and I enjoy being a n00b.
Sound Effects for Your Thoughts
With just 104 days of my n00b year left, I'm asking all those hard questions. What can I really show for that year? What were the losses? What were the gains? If I could do anything differently, what would it be? And what am I deeply satisfied with?
One thing that has become apparent: just about everything I've done has shown up on an unfinished list from Chris Pirillo on the topic of making money from blogging. That isn't the only thing I'm trying to do, but at its essence, a blog doesn't survive for long if it doesn't yield a measureable return on your investment (ROI). One of the tips eluded to is a tried-and-true motto:
Easy money usually means hard work.
Five seconds ago, I tried to think of one word that would describe my immersion into Social Media. The only word that flashed was this one:
mentor
To clarify, the word is MENTOR, not "mental", although there have been times that I have felt the latter quite deeply.
A few related words also suit the effect: coach, teacher, model. You see, I have a pile of books in my house, and all of them are full of information, insight, suggestions, exercises, and reviews. However, I'm not very motivated to learn from these books and swim through the minutiae to find out what HTML code I need to insert in my website in order to make a button bigger or smaller. I'm just not that kind of Neek (hybrid nerd and geek). I'm not inclined to read 50 reviews to find out if the camera I'm using is the best one for my purposes. But I am sold on the process of sitting with someone who shows me in front of my face what I'm doing right and what I can improve, even if that is done in a group setting. I'm all into the learning process, but I'm suggesting that your learning process cannot be limited to a CD and book study program (just $49.95 plus shipping and handling). It can't be encapsulated in a friend's well-meaning but greatly attenuated "hot list" of things you need to do.
As my motivational coaching practice takes flight (I already have clients!), I believe I'm going to see more of this trend happen in Social Media. The emails with requests for short cuts and tips will keep coming in. However my answer will remain the same: "There are no short cuts, and there is no free lunch. Get a mentor or a coach." I am passionate about this answer, because this is what has been done for me.
I am indebted to two men, Joe Kennedy and Chris Pirillo, for the n00b journey I've been on. Joe Kennedy is responsible for inviting me to Social Media 101 September 25, 2009 and being the incredible networker that he is. Chris Pirillo is responsible for asking me out to coffee after I shyly told him I had just launched my first Twitter handle. He showed me what happened when he retweeted my Tweet: "What would Scooby Doo do with a Macbook and an iPhone?" As people responded to that Tweet, my eyes were opened. Everything else is history.
Please follow me on Twitter @hipsforhire @VideoNurse and Facebook ImeiYogaDance, and check out video on YouTube YourLilChinaGirl
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Veil For Belly Dance
After five years of dance study with a variety of different master teachers, I have heard a lot of smack talk about using veil for Middle Eastern belly dance. Usually there is a split down the middle between the old school, who believes that authentic belly dance should only use the veil for a short entrance piece but ditch it before the meat of the choreography (the visceral opening of the guts of a musical arrangement), and those who have found an ethereal (and maybe even spiritual) place akin to the whirling dervish dances where the dancer is both tranced and sweeps the viewer into the magic of concealing and revealing veil work.
I think you can figure out where I stand. As one of my teachers once pounded into my brain, "It really doesn't matter what movement you do, as long as it expresses the music and emotion." My amendment to that is that the majority of those movements do need to come from Middle Eastern Raks Sharki to be considered belly dance, but that doesn't exclude movement found in most folkloric dances, such as spins and turns.
I'm not here to argue with old-schoolers how much veil work to include in your choreographies in order to make them "authentic". If you're an old-schooler, you've already convinced yourself of that answer. What I enjoy doing is passing on what I've learned of various veil movements used to express the vocabulary of emotion found in Middle Eastern music, and to let the dancer choose the presence, absence, and volume of veil movement in his or her own choreographies.
In my years of study with "veil master" Sabura (her website appears to be down at this time) has passed on some beautiful veil technique, which she teaches throughout the U.S. and Canada. It would be completely unfair to her to reveal her more advanced technique to others. If you are interested in learning Sabura's advanced veil technique, please request her in a city near you. Her double veil and her "triple wrap" work are just stunning to see and to learn, but you won't likely see this on a teaching DVD. It has also inspired me to find my own variations and to encapsulate them in a different genre, such as what I call "Imei's Latin Veil", using Latin dance inspiration in the midst of exciting veil work and combinations.
Learning veil for a choreography? I challenge you dancers to start putting some good stuff out there on Youtube. Have a question about a veil move? Please post it to my Youtube channel, YourLilChinaGirl.
Check out Sandra's classic veil entrance DVD (she included it in the last Bella costume I purchased from her recently) for a nice veil choreography to "Faddah", which happens to be one of Sabura's favorite pieces of music.
I think you can figure out where I stand. As one of my teachers once pounded into my brain, "It really doesn't matter what movement you do, as long as it expresses the music and emotion." My amendment to that is that the majority of those movements do need to come from Middle Eastern Raks Sharki to be considered belly dance, but that doesn't exclude movement found in most folkloric dances, such as spins and turns.
I'm not here to argue with old-schoolers how much veil work to include in your choreographies in order to make them "authentic". If you're an old-schooler, you've already convinced yourself of that answer. What I enjoy doing is passing on what I've learned of various veil movements used to express the vocabulary of emotion found in Middle Eastern music, and to let the dancer choose the presence, absence, and volume of veil movement in his or her own choreographies.
In my years of study with "veil master" Sabura (her website appears to be down at this time) has passed on some beautiful veil technique, which she teaches throughout the U.S. and Canada. It would be completely unfair to her to reveal her more advanced technique to others. If you are interested in learning Sabura's advanced veil technique, please request her in a city near you. Her double veil and her "triple wrap" work are just stunning to see and to learn, but you won't likely see this on a teaching DVD. It has also inspired me to find my own variations and to encapsulate them in a different genre, such as what I call "Imei's Latin Veil", using Latin dance inspiration in the midst of exciting veil work and combinations.
Learning veil for a choreography? I challenge you dancers to start putting some good stuff out there on Youtube. Have a question about a veil move? Please post it to my Youtube channel, YourLilChinaGirl.
Check out Sandra's classic veil entrance DVD (she included it in the last Bella costume I purchased from her recently) for a nice veil choreography to "Faddah", which happens to be one of Sabura's favorite pieces of music.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Choking Smoking
I'm a pretty forgiving person, but one of the most difficult events I have come to forgive is the gift of asthma from my father's 1.5 pack-a-day smoking in the house, in the car, and everywhere in between until I moved away from home. Second-hand smoke, combined with living in L.A. for four years, are the two most likely contributors to my present diagnosis of asthma. After countless doctor visits, inhalers, reverse breath techniques, allergy identification and removal, and an aggressive cardiovascular fitness routine, I recently removed my fast-acting inhaler from my purse and laid it to rest, knowing that I could still have a massive asthma attack at anytime, but also knowing that the primary trigger to my asthma has been removed: smoking.
When Washington enacted its current Chapter 70.160 RCW smoking ban from all public indoor spaces (including the 25 foot rule which goes beyond most state's smoking bans) in 2005, I did a little dance of joy. For years, going out in public for a meal, entering a nightclub for music concerts, or accepting an invitation to a public party meant knowing that at any moment, a smoker's cloud directed towards my airspace could mean hours, days, and weeks of illness, shortness of breath, or a trip to the hospital. Until international cities like Paris adopted similar laws, a trip to gay Paris meant at least a week of coughing, bronchitis, and repeated asthma symptoms; a visit to Taipei, Taiwan still means coughing until I vomit, wearing a mask at all times, and nothing short of physical misery.
Recently, someone asked the question, "What do you love most about living in America?" My immediate gut response is unequivocally, "Freedom." But freedom includes every person's right to pursue happiness and pleasure, including smoking cigarettes. What right do I, a smoke-sensitive person on par with fitness trainer Bob Greene (who coaches weight-loss clients to quit smoking first, for their health and because of his own sensitivity to smoke), have to tell people they should give up their freedom to kill themselves with cancer sticks?
When I first learned how addictive cigarette smoking truly is to the human body and brain, I felt a tinge of sorrow. Maybe people don't quit because they can't. Ironically, while watching the movie, "G.I. Jane", the movie includes a quote from D.H. Lawrence's poem "Self-Pity": "I never saw a wild thing sorry for itself. A small bird will drop frozen dead from a bough without having felt sorry for itself." We are a kind of wild thing, we humans. Yet we feel sorry for ourselves and others when maybe pity isn't what's needed. Action -- your true right to choose freely after seeing the truth -- is what's needed.
At the time of my personal education, I was a nursing student caring for a woman in her 40's, a double amputee due to poor circulation directly linked to her two pack-a-day smoking habit. Crying while still smoking on the balcony of the hospital after her third amputation to the thigh on both legs, she begged me for mercy and understanding. I will never forget that day, nor what I said. I looked at her, and said quietly, "It doesn't matter if I grant you mercy. If mercy is what you seek, you already have it. But if you don't quit smoking now, there is no more of your legs to cut off. There is no remedy. You must stop, or you will die." She was later treated, discharged, and I never saw her again. I don't even know if she's still alive. I do know that she had a cigarette hanging out of her mouth as her family members wheeled her away to their car.
From my experience as a nurse and psychotherapist, the reason why anyone would continue to repeat an action that they know is harmful to them is not because they don't know better, but because that action is doing something for them. That action has to feel incredibly good, be convenient and easy to use, and/or highly addictive. In the case of chronic smoking, nicotine is delivering nothing less than self-medication for anxiety and unsettling emotions which similar to carb loading, over-exercise, or certain drugs like Xanax and even TCH in marijuana, provide a temporary respite. Not only are there physical cravings when smoker's attempt to quit, but there are psychological ones as well.
Having treated many people for anxiety, I have a certain level of compassion for the "drug of choice" that each anxious person chooses, whether it becomes an OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) ritual, an Eating Disorder, psychotropic medication for anxiety, or cigarettes. I only know that nobody can stay at a high level of anxiety for long without feeling like they are going to crawl right out of their skin.
However, knowing that there are more healthy options to treat anxiety gives me some hope that those who are willing to get an "education" as I did about cigarette smoking might come to the same conclusion: while smoking is the number one cause for preventable diseases (such as cancer, stroke,and heart attack), it's not a very good way to treat anxiety! Neither is marijuana, for that matter, as you end up trading one problem for a host of others. For my many friends and future clients who wish to quit smoking but feel too anxious to do so, I don't judge you personally. I only know that there are better ways to treat your anxiety and cravings, and when you're ready to quit, there is help to do so. Just tell me when.
Video Nurse will be featuring a one-hour hosted chat on Ustream.tv Monday June 14, 2010 at 5 pm Pacific Standard Time, finishing out the series, "Five Things People Do That Could Kill Them". Smoking is an obvious one, but Video Nurse will take on all the stuff we don't talk about, since most of us know the statistics. It's like telling a fat person, "You're fat." That doesn't help. Instead, we'll talk about the "why's" behind cigarette and marijuana smoking, and worldwide trends that'll have you thinking about what the tobacco industry will be doing to make sure they stay in business for years to come, as well as the link between smoking and obesity, as smoking doesn't always serve to curb one's appetite.
I'll then edit a five minute video segment on Youtube, so you can share it with friends. I hope it's not only informative, but entertaining as well. I find that even when we're talking about death and cancer, there's always something strangely funny or bizarre to share. Tune in and check it out for yourself.
When Washington enacted its current Chapter 70.160 RCW smoking ban from all public indoor spaces (including the 25 foot rule which goes beyond most state's smoking bans) in 2005, I did a little dance of joy. For years, going out in public for a meal, entering a nightclub for music concerts, or accepting an invitation to a public party meant knowing that at any moment, a smoker's cloud directed towards my airspace could mean hours, days, and weeks of illness, shortness of breath, or a trip to the hospital. Until international cities like Paris adopted similar laws, a trip to gay Paris meant at least a week of coughing, bronchitis, and repeated asthma symptoms; a visit to Taipei, Taiwan still means coughing until I vomit, wearing a mask at all times, and nothing short of physical misery.
Recently, someone asked the question, "What do you love most about living in America?" My immediate gut response is unequivocally, "Freedom." But freedom includes every person's right to pursue happiness and pleasure, including smoking cigarettes. What right do I, a smoke-sensitive person on par with fitness trainer Bob Greene (who coaches weight-loss clients to quit smoking first, for their health and because of his own sensitivity to smoke), have to tell people they should give up their freedom to kill themselves with cancer sticks?
When I first learned how addictive cigarette smoking truly is to the human body and brain, I felt a tinge of sorrow. Maybe people don't quit because they can't. Ironically, while watching the movie, "G.I. Jane", the movie includes a quote from D.H. Lawrence's poem "Self-Pity": "I never saw a wild thing sorry for itself. A small bird will drop frozen dead from a bough without having felt sorry for itself." We are a kind of wild thing, we humans. Yet we feel sorry for ourselves and others when maybe pity isn't what's needed. Action -- your true right to choose freely after seeing the truth -- is what's needed.
At the time of my personal education, I was a nursing student caring for a woman in her 40's, a double amputee due to poor circulation directly linked to her two pack-a-day smoking habit. Crying while still smoking on the balcony of the hospital after her third amputation to the thigh on both legs, she begged me for mercy and understanding. I will never forget that day, nor what I said. I looked at her, and said quietly, "It doesn't matter if I grant you mercy. If mercy is what you seek, you already have it. But if you don't quit smoking now, there is no more of your legs to cut off. There is no remedy. You must stop, or you will die." She was later treated, discharged, and I never saw her again. I don't even know if she's still alive. I do know that she had a cigarette hanging out of her mouth as her family members wheeled her away to their car.
From my experience as a nurse and psychotherapist, the reason why anyone would continue to repeat an action that they know is harmful to them is not because they don't know better, but because that action is doing something for them. That action has to feel incredibly good, be convenient and easy to use, and/or highly addictive. In the case of chronic smoking, nicotine is delivering nothing less than self-medication for anxiety and unsettling emotions which similar to carb loading, over-exercise, or certain drugs like Xanax and even TCH in marijuana, provide a temporary respite. Not only are there physical cravings when smoker's attempt to quit, but there are psychological ones as well.
Having treated many people for anxiety, I have a certain level of compassion for the "drug of choice" that each anxious person chooses, whether it becomes an OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) ritual, an Eating Disorder, psychotropic medication for anxiety, or cigarettes. I only know that nobody can stay at a high level of anxiety for long without feeling like they are going to crawl right out of their skin.
However, knowing that there are more healthy options to treat anxiety gives me some hope that those who are willing to get an "education" as I did about cigarette smoking might come to the same conclusion: while smoking is the number one cause for preventable diseases (such as cancer, stroke,and heart attack), it's not a very good way to treat anxiety! Neither is marijuana, for that matter, as you end up trading one problem for a host of others. For my many friends and future clients who wish to quit smoking but feel too anxious to do so, I don't judge you personally. I only know that there are better ways to treat your anxiety and cravings, and when you're ready to quit, there is help to do so. Just tell me when.
Video Nurse will be featuring a one-hour hosted chat on Ustream.tv Monday June 14, 2010 at 5 pm Pacific Standard Time, finishing out the series, "Five Things People Do That Could Kill Them". Smoking is an obvious one, but Video Nurse will take on all the stuff we don't talk about, since most of us know the statistics. It's like telling a fat person, "You're fat." That doesn't help. Instead, we'll talk about the "why's" behind cigarette and marijuana smoking, and worldwide trends that'll have you thinking about what the tobacco industry will be doing to make sure they stay in business for years to come, as well as the link between smoking and obesity, as smoking doesn't always serve to curb one's appetite.
I'll then edit a five minute video segment on Youtube, so you can share it with friends. I hope it's not only informative, but entertaining as well. I find that even when we're talking about death and cancer, there's always something strangely funny or bizarre to share. Tune in and check it out for yourself.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Video Nurse: Are Tanning Beds Safe?
This is segment from a series of answers given during Video Nurse, which aired on June 7, 2010 at 5 pm on ustream.tv. Video Nurse talked about "Five things people do that could kill them". Rather than take the top five things, Video Nurse took five random things, from the common to the not so common, and did some research on each subject to give people a glimpse into their options.
Some of you know last year I placed a status update on my Facebook page about getting a package of tanning sessions in preparation for my photo shoot with Sarah Lyons. Immediately, several concerned friends cautioned me, stating the dangers of indoor tanning. Since then, my bigger question has been not just about overall safety, but also the way tanning beds work, and at what levels should we consider them to be "overused" and a health risk. You'll be happy to hear that I have no skin cancer, and my skin remains healthy.
Here's a few things I learned:
1. What is considered "overuse" of tanning beds? A number of medically-based articles stated that 100 hours per year is considered overuse in the UVA/UVB enhanced beds. However, your risk factors of skin cancer are based not only on use, but also your genetics. If you are pale skinned and sensitive to the sun, you have a higher risk for skin cancer. If you have more melanin in your skin, you have more protection built into your skin against the damaging rays of the sun.
2. It doesn't matter at what age you start tanning. What does matter is the number of years you've been using tanning beds or staying outdoors without protection for your skin. It's a little bit more like smoking: the more years you smoke, the more damage.
3. Tanning beds in general can't be used to increase Vitamin D absorption. The ones that could be useful are those that have adjustable settings where you can decrease the UVA rays and increase UVB rays, as it is the latter that assist Vitamin D absorption, and it's the UVA rays that cause the skin to turn brown. You could also limit the sessions to seven minutes at a time a couple of times a week during the winter months when sunlight exposure is the shortest, and this might be helpful in lifting some of the depression associated with Vitamin D deficiencies.
4. Although not mentioned in the video, there are some medications that make the skin subject to burns from sun exposure. If you are on these medications, a tanning bed is no place for you, and the risk for burns and skin cancer is increased significantly if you choose to ignore the warnings clearly labeled on these prescription medications.
At the very least, Video Nurse found answers to the unspoken question, "If tanning beds are so unsafe, why are they allowed to be in operation?" There may be some limited use for tanning beds with adjustable settings in the near future, but for the most part, tanning salons know that they aren't holding a gun to anyone's head and saying, "Get tanned or else!" There is no addictive element, and both operators and clients are counseled about the benefits and risks of indoor tanning beds. I don't believe we're going to see tanning salons banned in the U.S. any sooner than we're going to see cigarette smoking outlawed. If anything, I predict tanning bed makers are going to simply create a lower powered one for domestic use and sell them to high-end real estate owners and community clubs.
This is not to say that Video Nurse believes indoor tanning beds are completely safe. It appears that safety depends on the machinery, the amount of use, and the genetics of the user. Just don't be ignorant and believe everything the indoor tanning industry tells you. It's a conflict of interest for studies to be conduct by the insiders in the industry, as this tends to skew the outcome of the studies. Instead, look for independent studies, or go outside the industry and read medical journal articles on the subject.
Some of you know last year I placed a status update on my Facebook page about getting a package of tanning sessions in preparation for my photo shoot with Sarah Lyons. Immediately, several concerned friends cautioned me, stating the dangers of indoor tanning. Since then, my bigger question has been not just about overall safety, but also the way tanning beds work, and at what levels should we consider them to be "overused" and a health risk. You'll be happy to hear that I have no skin cancer, and my skin remains healthy.
Here's a few things I learned:
1. What is considered "overuse" of tanning beds? A number of medically-based articles stated that 100 hours per year is considered overuse in the UVA/UVB enhanced beds. However, your risk factors of skin cancer are based not only on use, but also your genetics. If you are pale skinned and sensitive to the sun, you have a higher risk for skin cancer. If you have more melanin in your skin, you have more protection built into your skin against the damaging rays of the sun.
2. It doesn't matter at what age you start tanning. What does matter is the number of years you've been using tanning beds or staying outdoors without protection for your skin. It's a little bit more like smoking: the more years you smoke, the more damage.
3. Tanning beds in general can't be used to increase Vitamin D absorption. The ones that could be useful are those that have adjustable settings where you can decrease the UVA rays and increase UVB rays, as it is the latter that assist Vitamin D absorption, and it's the UVA rays that cause the skin to turn brown. You could also limit the sessions to seven minutes at a time a couple of times a week during the winter months when sunlight exposure is the shortest, and this might be helpful in lifting some of the depression associated with Vitamin D deficiencies.
4. Although not mentioned in the video, there are some medications that make the skin subject to burns from sun exposure. If you are on these medications, a tanning bed is no place for you, and the risk for burns and skin cancer is increased significantly if you choose to ignore the warnings clearly labeled on these prescription medications.
At the very least, Video Nurse found answers to the unspoken question, "If tanning beds are so unsafe, why are they allowed to be in operation?" There may be some limited use for tanning beds with adjustable settings in the near future, but for the most part, tanning salons know that they aren't holding a gun to anyone's head and saying, "Get tanned or else!" There is no addictive element, and both operators and clients are counseled about the benefits and risks of indoor tanning beds. I don't believe we're going to see tanning salons banned in the U.S. any sooner than we're going to see cigarette smoking outlawed. If anything, I predict tanning bed makers are going to simply create a lower powered one for domestic use and sell them to high-end real estate owners and community clubs.
This is not to say that Video Nurse believes indoor tanning beds are completely safe. It appears that safety depends on the machinery, the amount of use, and the genetics of the user. Just don't be ignorant and believe everything the indoor tanning industry tells you. It's a conflict of interest for studies to be conduct by the insiders in the industry, as this tends to skew the outcome of the studies. Instead, look for independent studies, or go outside the industry and read medical journal articles on the subject.
Video Nurse Says, "Read the Labels"
Not that I totally like to live life on the dramatic side, but after doing my research, there are certainly enough things that can kill us to take in account. There are so many things, in fact, that sometimes I am reminded as to why life is such a miracle when so many things could go horribly wrong. By the way, if you're neurotic, you might want to skip this blog and move onto some of my more entertainment-friendly pieces.
From edited segments from Video Nurse on June 7, 2010, talking about "Five Things People Do That Could Kill Them", the first segment is something that people do NOT do that could harm them: they don't read the ingredients list on packaging, and they don't read the labels, dosing, and side effects and contraindications the accompany prescription medications.
How can not reading ingredients lists be harmful? In some cases, all you're going to get is some junk in your mouth. In other cases, you might have a food sensitivity and not notice that it's in the food you're about to eat. In other cases, you might mix a medication with something you shouldn't (such as a NSAID or Tylenol), and get an adverse reaction. If you don't know the side effects of medications, you might not know whether these are expected side effects, or you should discontinue the medication and call your doctor.
The rest of the segments can be viewed on my Video Nurse channel , where you'll hear the other three things that could kill you (and the last one I'm saving up for its own segment). Video Nurse airs every Monday at 5 pm PST (unless otherwise indicated).
Not reading ingredients lists over the long haul leads to the problems we're facing as a nation with the obesity crisis, Type II Adult Onset Diabetes, and the problem of corn in almost all our foods. Corn is a filler used to beef up animals for slaughter, but most of us are either allergic to it, or we don't digest it well at the quantities that are showing up in our food. Author Michael Pollan reminds us to not eat from the same place we fuel our cars (biodiesel); we need to know what's in our foods so we can eliminate the stuff that's killing us off or at least harming our quality of life.
Video Nurse wants to encourage you to take back your taste buds and your control over what goes into your body by helping you get informed about your food choices. Why should you allow food producers to groom your taste buds away from natural foods, and towards foods that are high in bad fats, sodium, cholesterol, and excess sugar? Whatever has been done can be undone, but it's going to take some knowledge and discipline. You might not stop craving chocolate cake (and I'm not saying you should!), but you can make choices about what kind of chocolate cake, ingredients, frequency, and in what portion size you want to eat that piece of decadence.
Follow me on Twitter at @HipsForHire and @VideoNurse, or on my Facebook page ImeiYogaDance.
From edited segments from Video Nurse on June 7, 2010, talking about "Five Things People Do That Could Kill Them", the first segment is something that people do NOT do that could harm them: they don't read the ingredients list on packaging, and they don't read the labels, dosing, and side effects and contraindications the accompany prescription medications.
How can not reading ingredients lists be harmful? In some cases, all you're going to get is some junk in your mouth. In other cases, you might have a food sensitivity and not notice that it's in the food you're about to eat. In other cases, you might mix a medication with something you shouldn't (such as a NSAID or Tylenol), and get an adverse reaction. If you don't know the side effects of medications, you might not know whether these are expected side effects, or you should discontinue the medication and call your doctor.
The rest of the segments can be viewed on my Video Nurse channel , where you'll hear the other three things that could kill you (and the last one I'm saving up for its own segment). Video Nurse airs every Monday at 5 pm PST (unless otherwise indicated).
Not reading ingredients lists over the long haul leads to the problems we're facing as a nation with the obesity crisis, Type II Adult Onset Diabetes, and the problem of corn in almost all our foods. Corn is a filler used to beef up animals for slaughter, but most of us are either allergic to it, or we don't digest it well at the quantities that are showing up in our food. Author Michael Pollan reminds us to not eat from the same place we fuel our cars (biodiesel); we need to know what's in our foods so we can eliminate the stuff that's killing us off or at least harming our quality of life.
Video Nurse wants to encourage you to take back your taste buds and your control over what goes into your body by helping you get informed about your food choices. Why should you allow food producers to groom your taste buds away from natural foods, and towards foods that are high in bad fats, sodium, cholesterol, and excess sugar? Whatever has been done can be undone, but it's going to take some knowledge and discipline. You might not stop craving chocolate cake (and I'm not saying you should!), but you can make choices about what kind of chocolate cake, ingredients, frequency, and in what portion size you want to eat that piece of decadence.
Follow me on Twitter at @HipsForHire and @VideoNurse, or on my Facebook page ImeiYogaDance.
Hands on the Wheel Instead of the Cell Phone
Not so long ago, in a galaxy called West Seattle, I used to get up in the morning, fix myself breakfast, grab my tote bag, and make the drive between Seattle and Everett. The approximate 30 mile commute went from 40 minutes to well over an hour on bad traffic mornings (Tuesdays being the worst), and yet I needed to commute for a few months before handing my office space over to a colleague and moving my private psychotherapy practice to West Seattle. Sometimes I commuted on my motorcycle, which made things a little less stressful, except when I was polite enough to line up on the backed-up stretches of the entrance ramp to I-5.
By the time six months slid by, I wanted to someone to take me out back and shoot me. I hated commuting, and it was making feel sick.
Once I got past the mobile phone "drop zone" on the West Seattle bridge, I used to try making phone calls to catch up on errands. But the stress of using my commute for more "work" made this idea less and less appealing. The commute time was also inappropriate for client calls because of distraction.
Like most people, I began considering alternatives: listen to music, listen to news programs, practice learning French using language CD's. Each of these alternatives had a point: keep your hands on the wheel, and your eyes on the road. Reduce your distraction, and remember that when you climb behind the wheel of an automobile, you are taking your life (and possibly someone else's) into your own hands.
Whatever happened to old-fashioned, undistracted driving? Unless you have your own driver (that isn't you), when did you think it would ever be OK to take your hands off the wheel and move your eyes and your attention somewhere else than on the road and the cars, bicycles, and pedestrians around you? Almost every time a car has veered through a crosswalk when I had the right of way as a pedestrian, nine out of ten times that driver had a cell phone in his and her hands. Likely, the driver never even noticed me.
Check out what King 5 News had to say about the new hands-free cell phone law that starts Thursday June 10: http://www.king5.com/news/consumer/LOOPHOLE-IN-NEW-CELL-PHONE-LAW--95824039.html. Now you can be pulled over and cited for holding your cell phone while driving without any other reason for being pulled over (such as a traffic violation). You can still talk on your phone, but you can't hold it in your hand to your ear or cradle it between your ear and shoulder (though it can be in your hand, just not held to your ear). And it's still not OK to violate traffic laws, cell phone or no cell phone. [added 06/10: a woman holding a Bluetooth device to her ear was pulled over, but did not receive the $124 fine].
And though cell phone users and drivers have plenty of hands-free devices to help them be compliant, I implore you to go a few steps further:
1. Don't engage in emotional conversations with others while driving. Emotions can cloud your judgment and elongate your reaction times.
2. Keep your conversations brief and business-like, such as, "I"m just calling you to let you know I'm running 5 minutes late, see you soon."
3. Consider talking briefly only on freeways and highways, and not in congested areas involving bicycles and pedestrians. Use voice dialing.
4. For crying out loud, don't text or jabber away on your cell phone while taking your babies and children on errands with you. Pull over to the side of the road, and take care of what you need to on your phone. We already know that parent drivers have to split their attention between the road and their children. You don't need to give any more attention away to a cell phone.
Some cars are outfitted with Bluetooth and a decent set of speakers. Still, I (as Video Nurse), advocate cautious and informed use of calls made from your car, especially because of the distraction factor. What conversation in the car could possibly be worth the value of your life, or someone else's life?
The first time I saw a police officer use a computer while engaged in a high speed chase (I was doing a ride-along program to learn more about our police force), I was momentarily terrified. Then again, officers are trained to do this. The minute the officer punched data in, both hands were on the wheel, pedal went to the metal, and I have never felt safer. The rest of us don't have hours of experience learning how to control a car AND communicate vital information back to police headquarters WHILE occasionally punching in data onto a netbook-sized keyboard. So if you don't have this kind of experience, don't pretend that you do. Put the phone down, and limit your use of voice dialing and cell phone calls.
So, how did I pass all those hours of commuting without losing my mind? I practiced singing show tunes, learning about 300 tunes at one point in time. Guess some day it'll pay off when I do some serious karaoke, or if you ever ask me to sing in your wedding.
By the time six months slid by, I wanted to someone to take me out back and shoot me. I hated commuting, and it was making feel sick.
Once I got past the mobile phone "drop zone" on the West Seattle bridge, I used to try making phone calls to catch up on errands. But the stress of using my commute for more "work" made this idea less and less appealing. The commute time was also inappropriate for client calls because of distraction.
Like most people, I began considering alternatives: listen to music, listen to news programs, practice learning French using language CD's. Each of these alternatives had a point: keep your hands on the wheel, and your eyes on the road. Reduce your distraction, and remember that when you climb behind the wheel of an automobile, you are taking your life (and possibly someone else's) into your own hands.
Whatever happened to old-fashioned, undistracted driving? Unless you have your own driver (that isn't you), when did you think it would ever be OK to take your hands off the wheel and move your eyes and your attention somewhere else than on the road and the cars, bicycles, and pedestrians around you? Almost every time a car has veered through a crosswalk when I had the right of way as a pedestrian, nine out of ten times that driver had a cell phone in his and her hands. Likely, the driver never even noticed me.
Check out what King 5 News had to say about the new hands-free cell phone law that starts Thursday June 10: http://www.king5.com/news/consumer/LOOPHOLE-IN-NEW-CELL-PHONE-LAW--95824039.html. Now you can be pulled over and cited for holding your cell phone while driving without any other reason for being pulled over (such as a traffic violation). You can still talk on your phone, but you can't hold it in your hand to your ear or cradle it between your ear and shoulder (though it can be in your hand, just not held to your ear). And it's still not OK to violate traffic laws, cell phone or no cell phone. [added 06/10: a woman holding a Bluetooth device to her ear was pulled over, but did not receive the $124 fine].
And though cell phone users and drivers have plenty of hands-free devices to help them be compliant, I implore you to go a few steps further:
1. Don't engage in emotional conversations with others while driving. Emotions can cloud your judgment and elongate your reaction times.
2. Keep your conversations brief and business-like, such as, "I"m just calling you to let you know I'm running 5 minutes late, see you soon."
3. Consider talking briefly only on freeways and highways, and not in congested areas involving bicycles and pedestrians. Use voice dialing.
4. For crying out loud, don't text or jabber away on your cell phone while taking your babies and children on errands with you. Pull over to the side of the road, and take care of what you need to on your phone. We already know that parent drivers have to split their attention between the road and their children. You don't need to give any more attention away to a cell phone.
Some cars are outfitted with Bluetooth and a decent set of speakers. Still, I (as Video Nurse), advocate cautious and informed use of calls made from your car, especially because of the distraction factor. What conversation in the car could possibly be worth the value of your life, or someone else's life?
The first time I saw a police officer use a computer while engaged in a high speed chase (I was doing a ride-along program to learn more about our police force), I was momentarily terrified. Then again, officers are trained to do this. The minute the officer punched data in, both hands were on the wheel, pedal went to the metal, and I have never felt safer. The rest of us don't have hours of experience learning how to control a car AND communicate vital information back to police headquarters WHILE occasionally punching in data onto a netbook-sized keyboard. So if you don't have this kind of experience, don't pretend that you do. Put the phone down, and limit your use of voice dialing and cell phone calls.
So, how did I pass all those hours of commuting without losing my mind? I practiced singing show tunes, learning about 300 tunes at one point in time. Guess some day it'll pay off when I do some serious karaoke, or if you ever ask me to sing in your wedding.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Video Nurse: Five Things People Do That Could Kill Them
Just another friendly reminder: Video Nurse will be talking about, "Five Things That People Do That Could Kill Them". Yeah, yeah, we know that we're all going to die someday, and that death is an inevitability. But Video Nurse is going to talk about some uncommon thoughts about people's every day choices that can lead to dramatic (and sometimes devastating) results in regards to their health.
Video Nurse has already released several short segments on Youtube covering the following subjects: dirty money (should you wash your hands after handling money?), hawt dogs (shoes and foot care), Eating Disorders, and how to stave off a cold. Now we're coming to you live to unleash the power of technology and community to help foster discussion on what you can do to improve your overall physical and mental health.
Video Nurse makes its official debut Mondays at 5pm Pacific Standard Time on Ustream.tv (look for Video Nurse) starting June 7, 2010. It's a one-hour show by topic, with time for people in the chat room to ask questions and jump in the dialogue about health-related topics. I'll occasionally record segments of the show and archive them by topic.
While Video Nurse does not exist to diagnose or treat any specific person's disease or disorder, I can speak generally about the disease/disorder, and point callers towards resources to help them make the most informed choices possible.
Video Nurse has already released several short segments on Youtube covering the following subjects: dirty money (should you wash your hands after handling money?), hawt dogs (shoes and foot care), Eating Disorders, and how to stave off a cold. Now we're coming to you live to unleash the power of technology and community to help foster discussion on what you can do to improve your overall physical and mental health.
Video Nurse makes its official debut Mondays at 5pm Pacific Standard Time on Ustream.tv (look for Video Nurse) starting June 7, 2010. It's a one-hour show by topic, with time for people in the chat room to ask questions and jump in the dialogue about health-related topics. I'll occasionally record segments of the show and archive them by topic.
While Video Nurse does not exist to diagnose or treat any specific person's disease or disorder, I can speak generally about the disease/disorder, and point callers towards resources to help them make the most informed choices possible.
Friday, June 4, 2010
In a Nutshell: The Truth About Allergies
Ask a roomful of people, "Who has an allergy?" and the majority of hands will go up. For some, it's outdoor allergens like grass, flowers, weeds, and dust. For others, it's indoor allergies such as mold, pet dander, or perfumes.
Since I was very young, I have been allergic to more things than can be listed in a short blogpost. In fact, my present allergy list takes up three full pages (and that is in a summarized report). Somehow, I managed to survive all the pets I grew up with, the weeds I rolled in, and the foods I subsequently ate without knowing what it would do to me. The "wake up" call came in 2001, when I ate food specifically ordered without peanuts (a known allergen to me), only to discover later that the peanuts had simply been "removed" from the food and re-served to me by the cook. Alone in my office, wheezing, and on my knees, knowing I only had minutes to respond, I dragged myself to my office's kitchen, made strong black coffee, and drank three cups of it after calling for help. [And no, I didn't have an epinephrine pen on me]. The caffeine works as a vasoconstrictor, buying me precious time when I feared I might be running out of it.
Today, I live with the same allergies and sensitivities, but it appears I'm not alone. Not only have many schools banned peanuts from their premises, but now the DOT is looking into banning peanuts from flights. Right now, only United Airlines bans peanuts and peanut products from all flights, creating "no peanut" zones [and we're cautioned to check that fact with United, as things can change].
The kinds of questions I receive about severe peanut allergies range from the curious ("Why does there seem to be a rise in the number of people with peanut allergies?") to the ignorant ("Why can't people with peanut allergies just not eat peanuts? Why do the rest of us have to be deprived?"). Here are a few facts:
1. Food allergic reactions can also occur by contact or air, meaning, an allergic person can be affected by contact with or by breathing the air containing the allergy. At the writing of this post, a friend sent me a link to an article where a person was handed a peanut-dusted pillow by an airline attendant. Not good.
2. Peanut allergies may be linked to the use of soy milk and baby lotions containing peanut oil. A study in 2003 was conducted in England demonstrating that link (www.bristol.ac.uk/alspac/documents/peanut-allergy-press-release.pdf). There are possible ways to treat peanut reactions coming in the future, but for the most part, there is no known way to remove a peanut allergy, only to treat the rashes, swelling, digestive, or anaphylaxis associated with this allergy.
3. Peanut allergies doubled in the U.S. between 1997 and 2002, but the incidence seems to be unclear. I have seen one report in Wikipedia stating incidence is between 0.4%-0.6% of the population, and another more recent report stating that percentage has climbed to 1.1% or higher. Approximately 100 deaths occur from peanut allergies, making it the most deadly of all known allergies. Possibly the difference in percentages reported is that the collection of data may have only included those reporting severe sensitivities, or incidences that were reported by schools and hospitals for treatment. It may not include the mom who had a child who responded with mild tongue swelling or a rash, but was resolved with an OTC antihistamine.
4. Not all children outgrow allergies as adults. And yes, you can develop allergies later in life. [In my case, I did not find out I was allergic to peanuts until I was 28, and still remember what it was like to eat my first peanut butter and jelly sandwich as a child, without incident].
5. This is so not funny, but a peanut-allergic person can die from kissing someone who ate peanuts earlier. I am truly sorry for the boyfriend of this young gal.
So, what are our choices when it comes to flying, sharing the air (no pun intended),and staying alive? Here's what the DOT is considering (as taken from http://regulationroom.org/airline-passenger-rights/peanut-allergies/)
The Proposed Solutions:
DOT thinks perhaps the time has come to address again the problems of travelers with severe peanut allergies. It is considering the following options:
An outright ban on airlines serving peanuts and peanut products
Banning service of peanuts and peanut products only on a flight where a passenger with a peanut allergy requests a peanut-free flight in advance
Requiring the airline to provide a peanut-free buffer zone around a passenger with a medically-documented severe peanut allergy if the passenger makes a request in advance.
But DOT is open to other solutions, as well as to not adopting any regulation on this issue. See next section.
Already, peanut-sensitive people have resources to help them make the safest decision in regards to airline flight. They know who they are, and they usually take great steps to ensure their own safety, including medical alert bracelets, epi pens, and peanut product avoidance. The bigger question is if airlines need to do more to reduce their liability and incidence of peanut allergies on flights, AND if the public takes this as a cue to researching how infiltrated their food supply has become with oils, fats, and faux ingredients that are harmful and unhealthy.
What do you think? Should the FAA and DOT move towards a ban of peanut products on all flights? Do you believe peanut-allergic people take enough strides to protect their health, and need the public's help in taking the next step? I welcome your comments.
And by the way, did you know I'm airing "Video Nurse" live on Ustream.tv/video-nurse Mondays at 5pm Pacific Standard Time? Join in the fun as we discuss, "Five Things People Do That Could Kill Them". Follow me on Twitter @HipsForHire and @VideoNurse.
Since I was very young, I have been allergic to more things than can be listed in a short blogpost. In fact, my present allergy list takes up three full pages (and that is in a summarized report). Somehow, I managed to survive all the pets I grew up with, the weeds I rolled in, and the foods I subsequently ate without knowing what it would do to me. The "wake up" call came in 2001, when I ate food specifically ordered without peanuts (a known allergen to me), only to discover later that the peanuts had simply been "removed" from the food and re-served to me by the cook. Alone in my office, wheezing, and on my knees, knowing I only had minutes to respond, I dragged myself to my office's kitchen, made strong black coffee, and drank three cups of it after calling for help. [And no, I didn't have an epinephrine pen on me]. The caffeine works as a vasoconstrictor, buying me precious time when I feared I might be running out of it.
Today, I live with the same allergies and sensitivities, but it appears I'm not alone. Not only have many schools banned peanuts from their premises, but now the DOT is looking into banning peanuts from flights. Right now, only United Airlines bans peanuts and peanut products from all flights, creating "no peanut" zones [and we're cautioned to check that fact with United, as things can change].
The kinds of questions I receive about severe peanut allergies range from the curious ("Why does there seem to be a rise in the number of people with peanut allergies?") to the ignorant ("Why can't people with peanut allergies just not eat peanuts? Why do the rest of us have to be deprived?"). Here are a few facts:
1. Food allergic reactions can also occur by contact or air, meaning, an allergic person can be affected by contact with or by breathing the air containing the allergy. At the writing of this post, a friend sent me a link to an article where a person was handed a peanut-dusted pillow by an airline attendant. Not good.
2. Peanut allergies may be linked to the use of soy milk and baby lotions containing peanut oil. A study in 2003 was conducted in England demonstrating that link (www.bristol.ac.uk/alspac/documents/peanut-allergy-press-release.pdf). There are possible ways to treat peanut reactions coming in the future, but for the most part, there is no known way to remove a peanut allergy, only to treat the rashes, swelling, digestive, or anaphylaxis associated with this allergy.
3. Peanut allergies doubled in the U.S. between 1997 and 2002, but the incidence seems to be unclear. I have seen one report in Wikipedia stating incidence is between 0.4%-0.6% of the population, and another more recent report stating that percentage has climbed to 1.1% or higher. Approximately 100 deaths occur from peanut allergies, making it the most deadly of all known allergies. Possibly the difference in percentages reported is that the collection of data may have only included those reporting severe sensitivities, or incidences that were reported by schools and hospitals for treatment. It may not include the mom who had a child who responded with mild tongue swelling or a rash, but was resolved with an OTC antihistamine.
4. Not all children outgrow allergies as adults. And yes, you can develop allergies later in life. [In my case, I did not find out I was allergic to peanuts until I was 28, and still remember what it was like to eat my first peanut butter and jelly sandwich as a child, without incident].
5. This is so not funny, but a peanut-allergic person can die from kissing someone who ate peanuts earlier. I am truly sorry for the boyfriend of this young gal.
So, what are our choices when it comes to flying, sharing the air (no pun intended),and staying alive? Here's what the DOT is considering (as taken from http://regulationroom.org/airline-passenger-rights/peanut-allergies/)
The Proposed Solutions:
DOT thinks perhaps the time has come to address again the problems of travelers with severe peanut allergies. It is considering the following options:
An outright ban on airlines serving peanuts and peanut products
Banning service of peanuts and peanut products only on a flight where a passenger with a peanut allergy requests a peanut-free flight in advance
Requiring the airline to provide a peanut-free buffer zone around a passenger with a medically-documented severe peanut allergy if the passenger makes a request in advance.
But DOT is open to other solutions, as well as to not adopting any regulation on this issue. See next section.
Already, peanut-sensitive people have resources to help them make the safest decision in regards to airline flight. They know who they are, and they usually take great steps to ensure their own safety, including medical alert bracelets, epi pens, and peanut product avoidance. The bigger question is if airlines need to do more to reduce their liability and incidence of peanut allergies on flights, AND if the public takes this as a cue to researching how infiltrated their food supply has become with oils, fats, and faux ingredients that are harmful and unhealthy.
What do you think? Should the FAA and DOT move towards a ban of peanut products on all flights? Do you believe peanut-allergic people take enough strides to protect their health, and need the public's help in taking the next step? I welcome your comments.
And by the way, did you know I'm airing "Video Nurse" live on Ustream.tv/video-nurse Mondays at 5pm Pacific Standard Time? Join in the fun as we discuss, "Five Things People Do That Could Kill Them". Follow me on Twitter @HipsForHire and @VideoNurse.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Lose Weight With One Change A Day
Recently I've been chatting with web entrepreneur Chris Pirillo about weight loss. Chris has been keeping up a steady pace of weight loss by counting calories and exercising fairly regularly. Yet even Chris experiences a day that ends with a "F*ck it!" and an extra helping of something or other. We all do.
What if you want to lose weight, but you're in no real big hurry to do it? You want it, but slow and steady, at nothing more than one pound a week. Is there anything you can do that doesn't take a dramatic shift in diet or routine, and doesn't involve an expensive magic pill?
I'm been reading Michael Pollan's, "In Defense of Food", the sequel to "The Omnivore's Dilemma", and Chapter Four lists most of the tips I tell my clients at Seattle Direct Counseling if they just want to make a change at a time towards healthier eating and subsequent weight loss.
Here's the skinny on those tips, with my additions [in brackets]:
1. Pay more, eat less. [By paying for higher quality food, you're likely to need and eat less].
2. Eat Meals. [Eat real meals, and snack less. At the very least, don't eat meal-sized snacks].
3. Do all your eating at a table. [And the computer desk does not count as a table. See #7]
4. Don't get your fuel from the same place your car does. [Corn is biodiesel. Get rid of it.]
5. Try not to eat alone. [You're less likely to binge, and you eat slowly and enjoy eating]
6. Consult your gut. [Learn internal cues to satiety and satisfaction].
7. Eat slowly. [Your brain needs more time to figure out you're full]
8. Cook, and if you can, grow a garden. [You're more likely to know what's in your food, and you can learn to portion it correctly].
You can try instituting one of these tips a day, and see what effect it makes. For example, take your lunch to work, but eat in a public space with other co-workers, and chat it up. Or with Tip #2, skip your office's doughnuts offered as mid-meal snacks, and have a small apple and sparkling water available if everyone else is standing around eating and you feel legitimately hungry.
None of these tips are designed to give you fast weight loss, but all of them are safe, and all of them are associated with the habits of the most health-conscious and lower weight cultures on the planet.
I'll be putting together my best weight loss tips for you in an eBook soon. In the meantime, let me know how any of these tips from Pollan's books are working for you to either help you lose weight slowly over time, or maintain a healthy lifestyle.
What if you want to lose weight, but you're in no real big hurry to do it? You want it, but slow and steady, at nothing more than one pound a week. Is there anything you can do that doesn't take a dramatic shift in diet or routine, and doesn't involve an expensive magic pill?
I'm been reading Michael Pollan's, "In Defense of Food", the sequel to "The Omnivore's Dilemma", and Chapter Four lists most of the tips I tell my clients at Seattle Direct Counseling if they just want to make a change at a time towards healthier eating and subsequent weight loss.
Here's the skinny on those tips, with my additions [in brackets]:
1. Pay more, eat less. [By paying for higher quality food, you're likely to need and eat less].
2. Eat Meals. [Eat real meals, and snack less. At the very least, don't eat meal-sized snacks].
3. Do all your eating at a table. [And the computer desk does not count as a table. See #7]
4. Don't get your fuel from the same place your car does. [Corn is biodiesel. Get rid of it.]
5. Try not to eat alone. [You're less likely to binge, and you eat slowly and enjoy eating]
6. Consult your gut. [Learn internal cues to satiety and satisfaction].
7. Eat slowly. [Your brain needs more time to figure out you're full]
8. Cook, and if you can, grow a garden. [You're more likely to know what's in your food, and you can learn to portion it correctly].
You can try instituting one of these tips a day, and see what effect it makes. For example, take your lunch to work, but eat in a public space with other co-workers, and chat it up. Or with Tip #2, skip your office's doughnuts offered as mid-meal snacks, and have a small apple and sparkling water available if everyone else is standing around eating and you feel legitimately hungry.
None of these tips are designed to give you fast weight loss, but all of them are safe, and all of them are associated with the habits of the most health-conscious and lower weight cultures on the planet.
I'll be putting together my best weight loss tips for you in an eBook soon. In the meantime, let me know how any of these tips from Pollan's books are working for you to either help you lose weight slowly over time, or maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Newbies and n00bs: SSDD
TSSTechangel shared an acronym with me today on my Ustream.tv chatroom (Hips for Hire):
SSDD = Same Sh!t, Different Day.
I suppose the same thing could be said about experts and gurus claiming to be Social Media experts. When Scott Berkun delivered his presentation to SMCSea (Social Media Club Seattle) last week, "How to Call B.S. on a Social Media Guru", the audience murmured with agreement that so-called experts in this new field need to substantiate their claims and do not need to be received as experts just because they have a book or a program to sell. No one, however, mentioned that because Social Media is so new, maybe we ought to stop looking for gurus and just learn as much as we can collectively.
Oh but wait: that would make all of us in the room a bunch of newbies and n00bs. Is this possible? Therefore, SSDD.
For the past eight months, I've been calling myself "the n00b of Social Media". Two weeks after having launched a new company idea, HipsForHire.com, and armed with a Twitter account and a blog, I attended BlogWorld 2009 in Las Vegas. Seated across from me during a radio interview was Chris Pirillo, and across from him was the most "newbie" person in the room: me. I figured "n00b" was a better description than "village idiot".
Eight months later, I'm told that essentially everyone who uses Social Media is a newbie. We don't know what we're doing. Even Mark Zuckerberg in his most recent admissions has shared that Facebook has made mistakes. We simply don't know what the impact of our actions are in this sensitive new media climate.
Why then are so many people quick to name themselves as Social Media master consultants and experts? Why aren't they taking Berkun's advice by allowing others to label a person as an expert? Since October 2009, I'm managed to attend four Social Media Events: Blogworld 2009, LeWeb 2009, SXSW 2010, ReThinkHawaii 2010. By August, I'll have attended my first Gnomedex, and I'll be rounding the corner into the final days of the first n00b year. And I'll still be calling myself a n00b.
If anything I'm learning in my journey of immersion into the world of Social Media, it is that we only end up learning how much we don't know. Albert Einstein got it right, "If we knew what we were doing, we wouldn't call it Research."
I'm a n00b, and likely I'll stay a n00b for years to come. I'm still researching, still learning, still growing. Every day I'm exposed to some new tool, some little trick, a different way of organizing and disseminating products, services, or ideas. This Social Media universe is big. . I'll let some other person call himself an expert. With title comes responsibility. Then again, if you never make any mistakes, you probably weren't working on anything of importance.
SSDD = Same Sh!t, Different Day.
I suppose the same thing could be said about experts and gurus claiming to be Social Media experts. When Scott Berkun delivered his presentation to SMCSea (Social Media Club Seattle) last week, "How to Call B.S. on a Social Media Guru", the audience murmured with agreement that so-called experts in this new field need to substantiate their claims and do not need to be received as experts just because they have a book or a program to sell. No one, however, mentioned that because Social Media is so new, maybe we ought to stop looking for gurus and just learn as much as we can collectively.
Oh but wait: that would make all of us in the room a bunch of newbies and n00bs. Is this possible? Therefore, SSDD.
For the past eight months, I've been calling myself "the n00b of Social Media". Two weeks after having launched a new company idea, HipsForHire.com, and armed with a Twitter account and a blog, I attended BlogWorld 2009 in Las Vegas. Seated across from me during a radio interview was Chris Pirillo, and across from him was the most "newbie" person in the room: me. I figured "n00b" was a better description than "village idiot".
Eight months later, I'm told that essentially everyone who uses Social Media is a newbie. We don't know what we're doing. Even Mark Zuckerberg in his most recent admissions has shared that Facebook has made mistakes. We simply don't know what the impact of our actions are in this sensitive new media climate.
Why then are so many people quick to name themselves as Social Media master consultants and experts? Why aren't they taking Berkun's advice by allowing others to label a person as an expert? Since October 2009, I'm managed to attend four Social Media Events: Blogworld 2009, LeWeb 2009, SXSW 2010, ReThinkHawaii 2010. By August, I'll have attended my first Gnomedex, and I'll be rounding the corner into the final days of the first n00b year. And I'll still be calling myself a n00b.
If anything I'm learning in my journey of immersion into the world of Social Media, it is that we only end up learning how much we don't know. Albert Einstein got it right, "If we knew what we were doing, we wouldn't call it Research."
I'm a n00b, and likely I'll stay a n00b for years to come. I'm still researching, still learning, still growing. Every day I'm exposed to some new tool, some little trick, a different way of organizing and disseminating products, services, or ideas. This Social Media universe is big. . I'll let some other person call himself an expert. With title comes responsibility. Then again, if you never make any mistakes, you probably weren't working on anything of importance.
Interview with DJ Chuang
A friend of mine has been using social media tools and the Internet ("new media" was what it was called before) for years. Dj Chuang (djchuang.com) is a web guy, engineer, ePastor, and geek in his own right. He decided to interview me about my immersion into Social Media as a non-geek, non-industry person -- otherwise known as a "n00b".
Check out the video interview (and sorry for the verbosity, I got really excited about sharing my story!) about how I got into using Social Media for my businesses and my newest direction for Video Nurse.
What do you think? Does Video Nurse have a place in all the voices and talking heads out there?
Check out the video interview (and sorry for the verbosity, I got really excited about sharing my story!) about how I got into using Social Media for my businesses and my newest direction for Video Nurse.
What do you think? Does Video Nurse have a place in all the voices and talking heads out there?
Video Nurse: Five Things People Do That Could Kill Them
It happens all the time. In fact, it happened yesterday evening.
A friend emails me, asking about a side effect of a medication he is taking. He wants to know if he should stop taking it, or if he should continue taking it. Can he stop taking a pain killer he was prescribed, and take some OTC Tylenol instead?
As an RN and licensed mental health counselor, I have the licenses and background to field general questions -- something like a triage nurse -- and help you, the consumer, find practical answers. With cheeky humor, entertainment, knowledge, and maybe a tiny bit of pointed sarcasm for the belligerent help-resistant person, I can point you in the right direction. I'll help you wade through medical journal articles, understand studies and statistics, and tell you when something sounds downright fishy (or as my friend says, "It's a bunch of crap!").
Video Nurse makes its official debut Mondays at 5pm Pacific Standard Time on Ustream.tv (look for Video Nurse) starting June 7, 2010. It's a one-hour show by topic, with time for people in the chat room to ask questions and jump in the dialogue about health-related topics. I'll occasionally record segments of the show and archive them by topic.
While Video Nurse does not exist to diagnose or treat any specific person's disease or disorder, I can speak generally about the disease/disorder, and point callers towards resources to help them make the most informed choices possible.
Here's just one example of Video Nurse:
On Monday June 7, 2010, Video Nurse will cover the topic, "Five Things People Do That Could Kill Them". I already gave you a hint to one of the five in the above example. When you don't read your prescription carefully and mix medications, you are playing "mad scientist" with your body as the lab experiment. In the example above, Tylenol had an adverse reaction to the pain killer this friend wanted to replace. The same could be said about stopping a medication mid-prescription without informing your doctor (for follow up): that's almost always a dumb thing to do, because doctor's usually do not prescribe medication without a reason.
Every single person is responsible for his or her own health, even if you see a physician. No matter your culture, age, gender, or sexual orientation, it is your right to be informed about what keeps you healthy. Ultimately, the choices available are yours to take. Watch Video Nurse, and start living your most satisfying life today.
A friend emails me, asking about a side effect of a medication he is taking. He wants to know if he should stop taking it, or if he should continue taking it. Can he stop taking a pain killer he was prescribed, and take some OTC Tylenol instead?
As an RN and licensed mental health counselor, I have the licenses and background to field general questions -- something like a triage nurse -- and help you, the consumer, find practical answers. With cheeky humor, entertainment, knowledge, and maybe a tiny bit of pointed sarcasm for the belligerent help-resistant person, I can point you in the right direction. I'll help you wade through medical journal articles, understand studies and statistics, and tell you when something sounds downright fishy (or as my friend says, "It's a bunch of crap!").
Video Nurse makes its official debut Mondays at 5pm Pacific Standard Time on Ustream.tv (look for Video Nurse) starting June 7, 2010. It's a one-hour show by topic, with time for people in the chat room to ask questions and jump in the dialogue about health-related topics. I'll occasionally record segments of the show and archive them by topic.
While Video Nurse does not exist to diagnose or treat any specific person's disease or disorder, I can speak generally about the disease/disorder, and point callers towards resources to help them make the most informed choices possible.
Here's just one example of Video Nurse:
On Monday June 7, 2010, Video Nurse will cover the topic, "Five Things People Do That Could Kill Them". I already gave you a hint to one of the five in the above example. When you don't read your prescription carefully and mix medications, you are playing "mad scientist" with your body as the lab experiment. In the example above, Tylenol had an adverse reaction to the pain killer this friend wanted to replace. The same could be said about stopping a medication mid-prescription without informing your doctor (for follow up): that's almost always a dumb thing to do, because doctor's usually do not prescribe medication without a reason.
Every single person is responsible for his or her own health, even if you see a physician. No matter your culture, age, gender, or sexual orientation, it is your right to be informed about what keeps you healthy. Ultimately, the choices available are yours to take. Watch Video Nurse, and start living your most satisfying life today.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Video Nurse Moves to HipsForHire on Blogger!
Video Nurse on Youtube made its debut earlier this year (2010) with the encouragement of web entrepreneur Chris Pirillo and the support of various friends both inside and outside the medical world. They know my passion for health care and particularly Community Health, which is my emphasis as a B.S.N./RN and psychotherapist.
Now I am temporarily moving Video Nurse segments to my new Hips For Hire Blogger site (its current home is HipsForHire.ning.com, but we'll be wrapping up that community this month). I am launching a Ustream.tv show, "Video Nurse" airing Mondays at 5pm PST, fielding questions about health care and mental health care, and preparing interesting subjects in a "Dr. Phil" type of format, without formally diagnosing or treating anyone (for liability issues). Please check out my show starting June 7, 2010 on ustream.tv (search for Video Nurse).
For those of you joining my web community or reading this post, here's a post I wrote in March 2010 explaining the idea and environment in which Video Nurse evolved:
Why Video Nurse Makes Sense
by Imei Hsu, RN, MAC, LMHC
SeattleDirectCounseling
March 5, 2010
We already know that the Internet has changed the way we do life in general. In a survey of Americans taken by Yahoo! as shown on the Today Show on March 5, 2010, people have indicated that the Internet is something they can't do without, and even more importantly, email has replaced snail mail as the quintessential form of communication of letters and notes. And with movies like "Avatar" and "Alice in Wonderland", 3-D movies are changing the way we literally see life. What next?
If video killed the radio star, can video "kill" or change the way we deliver medicine?
Though we will never replace the need for a set of eyes, hands, ears, nose and a brain to physically observe a person showing a set of symptoms, video and digital reproduction are being used in innovative ways to keep us healthy. The ways we can use new technologies are endless.
At the SMC Seattle's Tweetup at Swedish Medical Center last week, I sat at a machine that allowed me to get the feel of conducting a lap-band procedure. Grasping handles that were so much more comfortable than Joy-stick style game controllers, I plucked, lifted, stretched, and lassoed a number of gelatinous objects in my viewer, whilst others looked at the real objects and cheered me on in my imaginary world of lap band placement. I walked away feeling like a pro, though I assure you, it would be many hours of training before the average medical student will be performing his or her first procedure.
If only bariatric training could have been so cool. Back in the day, nurses and doctors studied books and watched videos of surgeries and procedures. Then we scheduled "cut and sew alongs" (my phrase), practicing on real people with an supervising physician. Every medical newbie remembers the first time s/he cauterized a bleeder, or placed stitches on an ear hanging precariously off the side of a patient's head. With real-time video, streaming, and digital reproduction, learning is faster, realistic, and vivid. Just like my philosophy instructor said, "Like the Matrix, the virtual is now more real than the Real."
If these technologies, documentation, and videos are available for people to access, why do we need something like "Video Nurse", a new concept I am testing on Youtube to provide questions and answers from the Internet about health, mental health, and relationships? One of my Youtube subscribers said it succinctly: because there isn't anything else like it on Youtube, and because people are lazy. The info is there. Yet we still like to talk to a warm body and be pointed in a direction that makes sense to us.
If curiosity killed the cat, I wonder how many of my cat lives are dead. I love finding good questions, and then I literally want to do a combo "pee-pee dance/O face" of excitement whilst I research answers off the Internet, compare statistics and sources, and decide what is essential to share.
Got an interesting question for Video Nurse? Send it in, and let me at it. Chances are, someone out there has been asking the same question, and together, we can do a world of good. If there are enough questions for a full-life show, I'll stream my answers in a 30 minute or 60 minute event on Ustream.tv. Grab your popcorn - or, oh wait! Find out what Video Nurse has to say about digestion and corn, and then make your own decision about what to grab for a snack.
Now I am temporarily moving Video Nurse segments to my new Hips For Hire Blogger site (its current home is HipsForHire.ning.com, but we'll be wrapping up that community this month). I am launching a Ustream.tv show, "Video Nurse" airing Mondays at 5pm PST, fielding questions about health care and mental health care, and preparing interesting subjects in a "Dr. Phil" type of format, without formally diagnosing or treating anyone (for liability issues). Please check out my show starting June 7, 2010 on ustream.tv (search for Video Nurse).
For those of you joining my web community or reading this post, here's a post I wrote in March 2010 explaining the idea and environment in which Video Nurse evolved:
Why Video Nurse Makes Sense
by Imei Hsu, RN, MAC, LMHC
SeattleDirectCounseling
March 5, 2010
We already know that the Internet has changed the way we do life in general. In a survey of Americans taken by Yahoo! as shown on the Today Show on March 5, 2010, people have indicated that the Internet is something they can't do without, and even more importantly, email has replaced snail mail as the quintessential form of communication of letters and notes. And with movies like "Avatar" and "Alice in Wonderland", 3-D movies are changing the way we literally see life. What next?
If video killed the radio star, can video "kill" or change the way we deliver medicine?
Though we will never replace the need for a set of eyes, hands, ears, nose and a brain to physically observe a person showing a set of symptoms, video and digital reproduction are being used in innovative ways to keep us healthy. The ways we can use new technologies are endless.
At the SMC Seattle's Tweetup at Swedish Medical Center last week, I sat at a machine that allowed me to get the feel of conducting a lap-band procedure. Grasping handles that were so much more comfortable than Joy-stick style game controllers, I plucked, lifted, stretched, and lassoed a number of gelatinous objects in my viewer, whilst others looked at the real objects and cheered me on in my imaginary world of lap band placement. I walked away feeling like a pro, though I assure you, it would be many hours of training before the average medical student will be performing his or her first procedure.
If only bariatric training could have been so cool. Back in the day, nurses and doctors studied books and watched videos of surgeries and procedures. Then we scheduled "cut and sew alongs" (my phrase), practicing on real people with an supervising physician. Every medical newbie remembers the first time s/he cauterized a bleeder, or placed stitches on an ear hanging precariously off the side of a patient's head. With real-time video, streaming, and digital reproduction, learning is faster, realistic, and vivid. Just like my philosophy instructor said, "Like the Matrix, the virtual is now more real than the Real."
If these technologies, documentation, and videos are available for people to access, why do we need something like "Video Nurse", a new concept I am testing on Youtube to provide questions and answers from the Internet about health, mental health, and relationships? One of my Youtube subscribers said it succinctly: because there isn't anything else like it on Youtube, and because people are lazy. The info is there. Yet we still like to talk to a warm body and be pointed in a direction that makes sense to us.
If curiosity killed the cat, I wonder how many of my cat lives are dead. I love finding good questions, and then I literally want to do a combo "pee-pee dance/O face" of excitement whilst I research answers off the Internet, compare statistics and sources, and decide what is essential to share.
Got an interesting question for Video Nurse? Send it in, and let me at it. Chances are, someone out there has been asking the same question, and together, we can do a world of good. If there are enough questions for a full-life show, I'll stream my answers in a 30 minute or 60 minute event on Ustream.tv. Grab your popcorn - or, oh wait! Find out what Video Nurse has to say about digestion and corn, and then make your own decision about what to grab for a snack.
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