Chlorine - You're Swimming in It!

Have you ever thought about what you're swimming in? And we don't mean the water!

Chlorine is the chemical most often used to keep swimming pools and hot tubs free of bacteria that can be hazardous to humans.

While the bacteria-killing properties of chlorine are very useful, chlorine also has some side effects that can be annoying to humans, and possibly even hazardous. Chlorine has a very distinctive smell that most find unpleasant, and some find overwhelming. There is also the "itch factor" -- chlorine can cause certain skin types to become itchy and irritated.

The hypochlorite ion in chlorine can cause many fabrics to fade quickly when not rinsed off immediately after exiting the pool. This is why your swimsuit may look faded and worn so early in the summer.

Make sure that the pool you are swimming in is well ventilated; extremely high amounts of chlorine gas hovering above a pool can be hazardous to your breathing.

Some companies have developed alternatives to chlorine, including other chemicals and ion generators. Some of these are good alternatives, but they don't achieve the cleanliness, oxidation levels or low price that chlorine provides.

Chlorine kills bacteria though a fairly simple chemical reaction. Chlorine kills microorganisms and bacteria by attacking the lipids in the cell walls and destroying the enzymes and structures inside the cell, rendering them oxidized and harmless.

Ideally, the level of pH in the pool should be between 7 and 8; 7.4 is ideal -- this is the pH of human tears. Once acids and ions in chlorine are done cleaning the pool, they either combine with another chemical, such as ammonia, or are broken down into single atoms. Both of these processes render the chlorine harmless.

Sunlight speeds these processes up. You have to keep adding chlorine to the pool as it breaks down.

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Pain Relief Following a Swim Workout

Pain after swimming is no laughing matter. You may not need a prescription to pop an aspirin or a few ibuprofen. But that doesn't mean you aren't swallowing serious medicine.

In recent years, research has shown that over-the-counter pain relievers may help prevent everything from Parkinson's disease to some forms of cancer. The rub: Overdoing it on the very same drugs could kill you.

'Most people aren't aware of the long-term effects of OTC (Over The Counter) abuse,' says C. Mel Wilcox, M.D., a professor of medicine at the University of Alabama. So how do you safely harness the power of pain medication?

With this quick guide to what labels don't tell you. As always, see your doctor if you have any questions or concerns.

ASPIRIN

Best for beating: Sore muscles and back pain Hidden benefits: Swallowing 100 mg daily lowers heart-attack and stroke risk, and may help prevent some forms of cancer. Danger areas: Taking more than 100 mg every day may overly thin the blood and increase the risk of cranial bleeding.

ACETAMINOPHEN

Best for beating: Headaches and toothaches Hidden benefits: When taken daily, may prevent plaque from building up inside arteries. Danger areas: Taking more than 4,000 milligrams (mg) in a day can cause liver damage.

NAPROXEN

Best for beating: Joint pain and arthritis Hidden benefits: May reduce the risk of lung cancer when taken daily. Danger areas: Daily use can increase the risk of sunburn and sensitivity to light. Wear sunscreen and sunglasses.

IBUPROFEN

Best for beating: Fever and minor muscle aches and pains Hidden benefits: Taking 200 mg daily may help lower the risk of Parkinson's disease by 38 percent. Danger areas: Taking more than 1,200 mg per day can lead to kidney failure

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Ear Drops Best for Swimmer's Ear; New Guidelines Recommend Ear Drops First, Not Oral Antibiotics, to Treat Swimmer's Ear.

Ear drops are the best medicine for swimmer's ear, according to the first-ever recommendations on how to treat the common condition.

Swimmer's ear affects about 1 in every 100-250 women each year and is caused by water trapped in the ear canal. Although associated with swimming and areas with warmer climates and higher humidity, any person can get swimmer's ear, also known in medical terms as acute otitis externa.

The trapped water causes bacteria in the ear canal to multiply and leads to infection and inflammation of the external ear canal. Symptoms include pain, swelling, and itching of the external ear canal and outer ear.

The guidelines recommend using ear drops to treat swimmer's ear locally and say that oral antibiotics should not be used unless the infection has spread outside the ear canal or if there are other symptoms that call for oral antibiotics.

A panel of experts from the fields of head and neck surgery, pediatrics, family medicine, infectious disease, internal medicine, emergency medicine, and medical informatics compiled the guidelines based on a review of research on swimmer's ear.

The results showed that swimmer's ear is often severe and can interfere with work or leisure activities. With proper therapy, the pain usually improves after one day and the condition completely resolves within four to seven days.

Experts say antiseptic and antibiotic ear drops are the preferred treatment for most cases of swimmer's ear because they offer safe, prompt, and effective relief while not promoting antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Oral antibiotics are not recommended for initial treatment of swimmer's ear because overuse of antibiotics can increase the spread ofa antibiotic-resistant bacteria, are associated with more side effects, and may be less effective than ear drops.

Ten Meter Radio and the Oscars

No, I'm not talking about the Academy Awards. Ham radio has it's own Oscars, but they're not awards given to glamorous movie stars, directors and writers. In radio terminology an Oscar is a satellite.

OSCAR stands for Orbiting Satellite Carrying Amateur Radio. These satellites allow ham radio operators all over the world to communicate with each other.

The world's very first satellite - Sputnik 1 - was launched in 1957. It was the opening event and defined the start of the space age. An age when the final frontier was named and then explored. The most exciting event was of course the Moon Landing, but although travel to the moon stopped after only a few flights, there have been more and more satellites and the vast majority of these are designed for communication.

OSCAR-1 was launched on th Twelfth of December 1961 - only four years after sputnik and was a huge hit with ham radio operators all over the world. So far there have been at least 70 OSCARs launched by twenty three different countries. In many cases these are small scale projects built by Universities and similar institutions and the satellite is available for use by the ham radio community free of charge.

Ham Radio and Space exploration go hand in hand. A large number of astronauts hold amateur radio licenses and many enthusiasts enjoy contacting the International Space Station using two meter radio equipment. Shuttle Atlantis carried the first radio equipment to the International Space Station in 2000 leading to the first amateur radio contacts by Commander William Shepherd in November of the same year. Since then there have been a huge number of calls between organisations such as schools and colleges and astronauts and cosmonauts on the ISS. In 2010 this has averaged over 1 per week.

Working with NASA, AMSAT and the National Association for Amateur Radio (ARRL) have formed ARRISS (Amateur Radio and the International Space Station) which co-ordinates contact between the Space Station and school assemblies, science museums, space camps and other similar public forums. The objective is to foster interest in science, technology, space and amateur radio.

Today the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (usually known as AMSAT) publishes information about the OSCARs available on its website at http://www.amsat.org. To encourage amateur radio operators, AMSAT has a number of certificates and awards available to those who make certain numbers and types of radio communication. The organisation also holds a number of symposia and conferences, usually open to all amateur radio operators with an interest in space and space exploration.

A large number of OSCARS operate on the ten meter waveband, making ten meter radio an ideal introduction to this fascinating aspect of radio communication.

How To Cure Jock Itch- 3 Easy Solutions Exposed

I recently started a workout routine... I've been wearing briefs during my workout that makes me sweat, "pretty heavily" in that particular area...I'm beginning to itch like crazy in the groin...because, I never had it before...I'm wondering if this jock itch?

...Do sprays and creams really work?-- what can I do to get rid of it?

Here's some tips to help your problems with jock itch...

Look after your feet-- "why should I check my feet?" you may ask...because, the fact is-- jock itch is caused by the same fungus that causes "athlete's foot" ...and ...it can be transferred to your groin area.

By checking between your toes, for signs of athlete's foot (red scaly appearance)...And treating it immediately...You can avoid the fungus from spreading...

Wear comfortable, 100% cotton underwear-- don't wear tight or binding underpants...especially, during sporting activities. Although sweating doesn't cause jock itch rash, These conditions create an environment for the fungus to thrive.

Take steps to minimize skin damage-- avoid bathing or showering with heavily perfumed soaps, shampoos and shower gels. These products are known to cause minor skin damage...which, In turn is also a breeding ground for jock itch causing fungi.

Try washing with un-perfumed soap...when washing your hair in the shower --don't let the foam from shampoo's seap into creases in the groin area. When toweling off-- pay special attention to carefully drying off in and around that area.

By taking these common sense measures...

and making them a daily habit...

Your jock itch problems will improve greatly. But, in more serious cases further treatment may be necessary.

Bargain Holidays

Bear in mind that tour operators and major airlines operate all year round and have to maintain their profit margins. You can find yourself a good holiday deal either for last minute breaks or for next year's holiday if you are prepared to put some work into searching.

Booking a holiday is no longer a matter of just picking a destination and letting the tour operator sort out all the details. Holiday deals are becoming more sophisticated and you can grab a good deal by paying closer attention to what is on offer. Late deals can be found on the internet or teletext if you are prepared to travel at very short notice. Just be aware of the hidden costs, such as transfers from the airport, airport taxes, flight meals, single supplements. The prices quoted are rarely the final amount.

If you are looking to book in advance, then now is a good time to bag a bargain with the tour operators and airlines needing to entice customers in order to maintain their profit margins.

If you want to go away next year, look for deals that include free child places. Look for low deposit holidays - if anything happens between now and your holiday, then losing a small deposit is preferable. Use comparison sites - most of these are up-to-date and some of the best will point out the hidden costs.

If you are looking for a package holiday, compare the price of self catering against all-inclusive. All inclusive holiday deals can offer extremely good value for money, especially if you are travelling as a group. If you have children, then this may also be a cost effective option - there's nothing worse than paying for a meal that isn't eaten!

Sign up for holiday newsletters and check them regularly. Also, widen your horizons - if you want a beach holiday, try looking away from the perennial favourites to less well known destinations.

Finally, holiday deals are only good if the holiday itself turns out to be good. You won't appreciate saving a few hundred pounds if the resort isn't to your liking. So don't go with the cheapest option unless you have researched the destination thoroughly. A cheaper hotel full of partying young people won't go down too well with a family trying to get a baby to sleep!

Explaining the Insurance Indemnity

The insurance is the protection given to an individual against any financial loss or injury. In the insurance indemnity when a person causes any harm or injury to any other person then the first party is considered to be liable for the financial or any physical loss. The first party has thus to give compensation to the third party. The insurance indemnity in that case protects by providing the compensation. The compensation covers the financial coverage either by a payment, repairing or replacement.

The indemnity insurance is of two types - personal indemnity insurance and professional indemnity insurance. The personal insurance can be defined with an example - if someone has taken responsibility to take care of any individual's property then if any damage is caused to the property, then the care taker will be supposed to provide compensation. However, if the care-taker gets harmed because of some defect already present in the concerned product or land and the person has already complained about it to the owner. Then the owner has to pay the costs for injury because it is his responsibility to pay for loss. Thus the personal insurance is related to the person and his family.

The professional indemnity arises if damage has occurred due to any advice given to the client. This insurance is much essential for all the professions like financial advisor, medical, architecture and beauty. It protects one from all the legal charges that occur because of false advice given to the customers in the business. The insurance indemnity will protect any person or business from legal and financial expenses in case any damage is done to them.

Reality Bites - And So Do Children

I've been talking with other mothers recently. Other mothers who have admitted to me that they struggle with this motherhood thing. I think a lot of us believe that everyone else has got it all figured out. I'm here to tell you *I don't*. I make mistakes. *All the time*.

So. Full disclosure time.

I think mothering is hard. Really, really hard. Way harder than I expected it to be. There is something to be done, all the time, every day. And there is never enough time to get it all done. This summer, there have been times when I've gone through an entire day and realized at the end of it that I never took a shower or even brushed my teeth. Ew.

Parenting with a partner is hard. My husband and I come from very different parenting philosophies. We don't just disagree at times, we *clash.* It's hard, SO hard, to find the common ground that our children need and deserve. It's getting easier. But it's by no means easy. I don't know that it ever will be.

I *crave* quiet and calm. Children are LOUD and active. There are times when I ask my 5 year old to please, please just stop talking for 5 minutes. And then I feel really, really guilty because I know how many parents would give anything to have their biggest problem be a 5 year old who talks too much.

There are times when I find parenting exceedingly boring. Times when I feel like I'm stuck in an episode of Groundhog's Day. Times when I pretend I'm engaged in a game or a book while I'm really sneaking (another) glance at the clock to see how long it is until bedtime.

And let's talk about some of the mistakes I make. Ready? (Deep breath here...)

Too often, when I'm trying to get things done, I treat my children like interruptions instead of the beautiful, funny, amazing children that they are. I am too critical of my children sometimes. I expect too much. I am really, really, *really* grumpy in the middle of the night. There are times when I've parented from a place of frustration or anger instead of from a place of calm. Although this doesn't happen often, it's happened *too* often. I've yelled. Very loudly. I've said mean things that I immediately wanted to take back. Even though I don't believe in spanking, I have swatted James' butt. I've grabbed his arm a little too tightly. And there is nothing--nothing-- I regret more than the parenting that happens in those moments of frustration.

So what do I do?

I apologize. When I realize I've made a parenting mistake, especially if I've overreacted to something, I tell James. I apologize for my actions. I explain that it's not about him, that it's about me. I tell him that everyone makes mistakes and that I just made one. I'm not sure if this is the right approach, but I do it anyway.

I try to see the shades of gray. I'm a perfectionist. I have really high standards for a lot of people, including myself. And when I fail, especially at mothering, I sometimes get into black and white thinking where the world consists of good moms or bad moms. I've made mistakes so I am a bad mom. A bad mom who ruined *everything.* So then I try harder to perfect, to avoid mistakes, to make everything good again. But this black and white thinking just makes me more anxious, more apt to be on edge, more likely to do the very mistakes for which I was already berating myself. As time has gone on, I've learned to forgive myself for mistakes more quickly, even when I feel like I don't deserve it. I try to remember that the road is long, and that I'll have many, many more chances to do things right. I remind myself that real-life parenting involves very little black and white and lots of shades of gray. I'm not the world's best mom, but I'm not a terrible mom either. And I don't have to be perfect to be a good mother and to raise happy children.

I talk to other moms. I hear their struggles, and I know that I am not alone. Behind the shiny exteriors that we present to the outside world, we are all fighting an internal battle to do the best we can, with what we've got, and love ourselves despite the mistakes we make.

I try again. And again, and again, and again.

In the end, isn't that all we can do?