FYI Central

Thanksgiving Day, passes so fast that the Spirit of Thanksgiving will be gone before you know it.

It’s that time of year, again, when the holiday spirit begins to fill the air. Thanksgiving is just around the corner. The time of family feasting will have come and gone, only to be replaced by, the Spirit of Christmas. The change comes and goes so fast, it is easy to miss catching the Spirit of Thanksgiving.

It is only right to take one day of the year to give thanks, for being able to live one more yea r and all that their is to be thankful for. Or thank God, as the pilgrims did every year, as they prepared for the coming harsh winter season, which many did not survive. Or just be thankful, that we as Americans have our freedom.

Experience the Thanksgiving Spirit and keep it all year.

Be thankful everyday for every thing you, can do. Remember a time when you sprained your wrist or ankle and could not do simple things? People live that way in pain daily, and it could happen to you, again.

Giving – this is the other half of the spirit of, Thanksgiving.

I have an exercise I hope will encourage you do and pass on to others. Not by telling this story but by your action of doing something for others.

If you do what I say, I promise, you will find a contentment  in your heart which the true meaning of the Thanksgiving Spirit.

My story started a several years ago, when my job transfer me from a beach city office building, to Downtown L.A. which is located couple of miles from skid row (where many homeless live on the streets and in shelters). It is not, uncommon (in any city throughout our country), to see someone asking for money or food at a traffic signal.

For the first couple of years, I tried to ignore them, sometimes roll up the window and look the other way. One day, I had some food and on this particular corner the same guy was always there. I told him, “I don’t like to give money, but do you want some food?” [it might go to drugs, alcohol or a Mercedes Benz] . Of course he was happy and thankful for it.

So, for the last few years, when I went to Mickey D’s to get my lunch, I’d get an extra something, and save it for ‘later’. I’d heat it up and have a hot meal in my car to give to someone. Not everyday, but the days I did, were good for both of us.

Wolf (the name of the regular guy at the corner I normally use), sometimes is not there or I get rerouted, due to roadwork or just want to give a hot meal to someone else. I would take a different route. To me these nights are always more satisfying, than giving to Wolf.

Giving to someone, that is not asking, is a really, Good-Feeling.

If you see someone tossing and turning, trying to sleep on a sidewalk, or with all their worldly possessions, in a shopping cart. You know, they are hungry.

If you have a bag with food in it, ready to give, and ask. Are you hungry?  It doesn’t take much effort, hand it out the window. Or, to turn on the flashers, jump out of the car and hand it to them, or set the bag down, (if you are a woman or are nervous), then jump back into your car.

Wolf and I, say a few words once in awhile, as I wait for the light to change. He knows I won’t give him money. I’ve reminded him a few times (some of you might think is wrong but if I give money often, he’d ask for it often, I am not sure he needs it, that’s been “his corner”, for the last five years and sometimes dress, kind of nice). He knows my car and if he sees an arm holding a bag, he’s off the curb and happy. We both get to smile, as he intercepts his gift.

You don’t have to be afraid of doing a nice thing.
The fact that, you did something ‘Good’, is enough to be thankful for, next Thanksgiving.
Some other things to be thankful for are:
You have a job.
You have your health.
You have a home.
You have loved ones.
Someone went to sleep with a hot meal, because of you.

My story is about over, but there is another, silent blessing, you will get out of just being nice.
My co-worker at first wondered, why I didn’t eat all my food or offer it to them. But instead, I’d heat it up and head home. Eventually, they learned it was giving food to the homeless guys down the street. I don’t preach, my Christian beliefs on them, unless they ask. But, by my actions of what is a Christian thing to do, says, more than words. They know where my heart is, and hopefully they learn, by example.

Try this with your kids.
It Will Break Your Heart with Joy

It feels good to live by example; as long as you are, doing something good. Take this experience to a new level. Someday, when you are with your kids and you see someone, with a “Hungry-sign’ or looks in need of, an expression of kindness (You’ll know when if you look for it).

When the time is right, buy an extra meal or save a portion of yours. Then have them hand it to that person. See what happens.

Do it yourself and I promise you.
You can experience, the Thanksgiving Spirit, any month or, day of the year.

• “Enjoy the present hour, be mindful of the past; and neither fear or wish the approaches of the last”.
  
• “Think of three things, whence you came, where you are going, and to whom you must account”.
  

• “What is serving God? ‘Tis serving Man”.

Poor Richard’s Almanack
Written by, Benjamin Franklin
Chapter: To Live Jollily

This Saturday morning I turned on the T.V. and all the channels were announcing; “BREAKING NEWS”, he hills north of Los Angeles, is on fire. “EVACUATION IS IN PROGRESS IN AREAS OF … We are in a State of Emergency”… My first thought was , what is going on?

A fire started about 1:30 in the early morning, it is now spreading quickly, threatening thousands of homes. This not all that uncommon in Southern California. We hear about brush fire every year, but “Evacuations” are always of more intriguing (kind of like, a high speed pursuit).

Most Angelinos (L.A. residents), know brush fires are located, far from the middle class homes. These homes are, or should be heavily insured (usually, homes worth over a million dollars). The major concern for police and fire fighters are; for the life of the resident first, (as it should be). Saving homes and business structures second priority, followed by containment.

This time the fires were out of control from the beginning. Due to the weather conditions and those created by the fire itself the flame traveled extremely quickly. It also destroyed structures (500 mobile homes) during the first few hours and threatened several tracks of new homes built in the hills (not so much in the canyons where most of our fires are). This time the threat involved several thousand homes and families.

· News broadcast in Progress
Between 1:30 and 8:45 a.m. (the time I turned on my television) –
The Mayor of Los Angeles and emergency personal report;
2,600 acres burned,
500 homes so far have been destroyed.
10,000 residence had to evaluate there homes.
Several interstate highways have been closed.
Our electric power grid is threatened to be disrupted by rolling blackouts.
Thousands of more residents are told to stand by and wait for orders to evacuate.
Police, fire and all emergency personal are stretched to their limit.
Smoke and hurricane force winds hamper the 600+ fire fighters on the ground and in the air.
Fire Chief reports the saving of life’s take priority over saving structures at this point.

It’s no big deal, it happens all the time
In Southern California this is not an uncommon scenario. Because of your dry climate, surrounding hillsides foliage and several years of below normal rainfall, as well residential communities built into the surrounding hillsides.

All Southern Californians are encouraged throughout the year by emergency agencies to PREPARE for WILDFIRES, MUDSLIDES, COASTAL FLOODING and EARTHQUAKES.

Progress report
As for the same the fire watch has progressed. Within two hours Amber’s traveled more then 30 to 40 miles (which I find hard to believe but either way).another fire started in Yorba Linda & Chino Hills 30 miles east of the Sylmar fire.

As of midnight, two days later;

For two days now, smoke has darkened the sky and ashes are dropping constantly speckling our homes and cars with ash. Report tonight; which was difficult to find, because only one channel was reporting on the fire when I tuned in. (keep in mind the fire went on for over a weeks and this was no longer “news” to us, Angelinos). The news coverage of the fires went on in the Nations News Networks for nearly two weeks.

Miraculously no causalities have been reported.

Sayers Fire:

• 10,000 acres burnt
• 10,000 residents evacuated
• 10 homes and 500 mobile homes destroyed
• Fire 40% contained
• Canine search teams are looking for victims but no reports of causalities have been reported.

Sylmar Fire:

• 36,000 residents evacuated
• 100 homes leveled
• Fire 19% contained

Yorba Linda, Diamond Bar and Chino Hills Fire:

• 24,000 acres burnt
• 800 homes leveled

1,400 Homes Destroyed to me that is not such a bad number of homes destroyed compared to the number it could have been. The Fire Department and all the First Responders, County Sheriffs, medical and utilities personal, animal rescue teams down to the food services personal, Good Job!

What would I do if the Police knocked on my door and said, Get Out Now?

This was my second thought when I heard the breaking news. How much easier it would be for these people to rebuild their lives; if they had all there important documents stored online? I know if I had to run out of my house in the middle of the night I wouldn’t care about my documents or which photo album to grab. I’d grab my dads cat, my wallet some cloths, perhaps my family trust and check book and maybe some photo albums. But if the house is shaking, the ceiling is cracking, windows about to burst, the fish tank is splashing water over the top and everything keeps shaking?

I’m not going to grab anything except my head as I run for shelter. Thank God I have gotten use to these and it usually passes before I realize what is going on. But then it’s time to be concerned over the after shocks. It may be too late if a big one hits first but then what can I do but try to live though it.

I would want to begin to rebuild my life and home as soon as possible. Trying to find documents for insurance policies and bank accounts in rubble of ashes would be a problem.

· I don’t worry;
I have all my documents and policies stored online. I know I can rebuild with less hassle and delay. All the information I will need to rebuild;
policies,
phone numbers,
as well as pictures of every room of my house and
valuable personal possessions stored online.

I could log-on from anywhere and get the information for my agents, as well as other information, such as; prescriptions, account numbers, address and accounting books to name a few things the online filing system.

· You see, I know this because I built this; On-Line Safe Deposit Box, for emergency situations for myself (now you can benefit).

· I know I, or my family will need this information.

· I live in Earthquake, Mud-Slide, Brush-Fire, Title-Wave/tsunami Flood, and Riot prone California. How about you? What disasters do you live with?

· Being Prepared is as important as being, Aware, of what is going on around you.

Go to the website I built just for “State of Emergency,” situations.

(at the top of this page, “learn more” will get you there)

Watch the Flash tour and look for the sample of the sixty plus templates.

Alzheimer’s disease damages the brain’s intellectual functions (memory, orientation, calculation), but at first, it largely spares those parts of the brain that control sensation and movement. The memory often is affected early and gradually deteriorates, causing impaired judgment and other problems that may affect your ability to perform normal daily activities. Although Alzheimer’s usually begins later in life, generally after age 60, it can affect people as young as age 30.

In Alzheimer’s disease, deposits of proteins called amyloid and TAU distort communication between brain cells. Also, levels of a chemical called acetylcholine that helps transmit messages between brain cells begin to drop, causing more communication problems. Eventually, brain cells themselves are affected. They begin to shrivel and die, causing certain areas of the brain to shrink.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia, accounting for 50% to 67% of all cases in people aged 65 and older. Approximately 4 million people in the United States currently have the disease.

Everyone is born with the potential to develop Alzheimer’s disease. Your lifetime risk of developing the disease is about 10% to 15%. However, several factors may increase your risk:

• Age The older you get, the greater your chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
• Family history If members of your family, especially parents or siblings, have Alzheimer’s or have died of it, your risk of developing the disease increases. Your personal risk also depends several factors, including how many family members are affected with Alzheimer’s.
• Genetic factors Some genetic (inherited) factors may increase your lifetime risk of getting Alzheimer’s disease.

SYMPTOMS

In the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s disease, new or recent memories are difficult to recall. You will find it hard to learn and retain new information. Eventually, older or more distant memories are gradually lost. Other symptoms may appear, including difficulty expressing thoughts as spoken words, difficulty carrying out simple instructions and difficulty interpreting familiar faces or other well-known objects.

A person with early Alzheimer’s disease may not be able to plan meals, manage money, remember to keep doors locked or take medicines. You also may lose your sense of direction and get lost while driving or walking, even in a familiar neighborhood.

A person with early Alzheimer’s disease usually is able to feed, bathe, dress and groom without help. Two thirds of people develop psychological problems, such as personality changes, irritability, anxiety or depression. When these types of symptoms appear before the disease is diagnosed, relationships with family members and friends can become strained.

As Alzheimer’s disease progresses to its middle and late stages, you may have delusions (irrational beliefs, especially about being persecuted or having your belongings stolen) and hallucinations (seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting or being touched by something that isn’t really there). You also may become aggressive or may begin to wander away from home if left alone.

DIAGNOSIS

By interviewing both you and your family members, the doctor will determine whether you have any of the following problems: memory lapses, difficulty using language, problems learning and retaining new information, difficulty following directions or handling complex tasks, episodes of poor judgment or unusual or risky behaviors. The doctor will perform a neurological examination (to check the brain and nerves), as well as a brief mental state examination, which includes visual, writing and memory testing. The doctor will check for other illnesses that can cause symptoms that resemble Alzheimer’s disease. Testing may include blood tests to make sure that blood chemistry and the levels of vitamin B-12 and thyroid hormone are normal.

In some cases, the doctor may order a brain imaging study to be more certain that there is not some other reason for the symptoms. The results of a computed tomography (CT) scan, a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan and a positron emission tomography (PET) scan cannot diagnose Alzheimer’s with certainty. However, the radiologist (doctor who reads the scans) can suggest that the images are consistent with the disease. If your symptoms are not typical (10% to 20% of cases) or if the neurological examination shows signs of a sensory or movement problem, the doctor may refer you to a specialist, such as a neurologist, geriatrician or a geriatric psychiatrist, to confirm the diagnosis.

Alzheimer’s disease is irreversible. Once the diagnosis is made, mental function usually declines over 3 to 20 years (average, 10 years) until death.

WHAT TO DO

There is no way to prevent Alzheimer’s disease. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may offer some protection. This is being studied. Staying physically and mentally active and having a high educational level is associated with a lower risk of developing the disease.

Four medications, tacrine (Cognex), donepezil (Aricept), rivastigmine tartrate (Exelon) and galantamine (Reminyl), may slow the intellectual decline in some people with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease. These drugs (called cholinesterase inhibitors) increase the brain’s levels of acetylcholine, which helps to restore communication between brain cells. Another medication, memantine (Namenda), has been shown to stabilize memory in people with moderate to severe Alzheimer’s disease. It is the first in a new class of medications called NMDA receptor antagonists.

Other strategies used to help people with Alzheimer’s include psychotherapy techniques (reality orientation and memory retraining) and medications to relieve depression and calm agitated behavior.

As much as possible, you should follow a regular exercise routine, maintain normal social contacts with family and friends and continue intellectual activities. In addition to regularly scheduled doctor visits, patients and their families should take advantage of community resources and support groups. Discuss any safety concerns, especially driving, with the doctor.

Although several nonprescription products claim to improve mental function, the scientific evidence to support this claim is weak. Check with your doctor before taking any nonprescription medication, especially if you are taking a prescription medication for heart problems, diabetes, high blood pressure or mental illness or if you have problems with your heart or liver.

WHAT’S NEXT

Call your doctor whenever you or a family member has any of the following problems: serious lapses in memory or judgment (forgets medication, forgets the stove is on, allows strangers into the home); disorientation (gets lost) while driving or walking, especially in a familiar neighborhood; a substantial change in personality. The affected person often is unaware of these problems and may even deny that they exist.

Although no medication is available to cure Alzheimer’s disease, cholinesterase inhibitors may improve the ability to perform daily activities, relieve behavior problems or possibly delay the need for a nursing home.

Today is Veterans Day.
A day to Honor for the Men and Women, that dedicated their lives to serve and protect our Country. I can remember, when as a kid, (mostly, from watching war movies), Veterans were, guys with guns that kicked butt.

Those soldiers from WW l & ll wore, drab green and pot helmets or in dress uniform (green, black or white).
The veterans of WW l, have all but a few passed away, and they have taken the memories of fallen buddies with them. May they, Rest in Peace.

Today is a day to remember them. Every man and women that fought for our freedom, which goes back to the time our country was in its infant stages; The Colonial battles; when the English, French and Prussians, wanted to claim territories on the soil we now call, “The United States of America”. The soldiers of, The Civil War and other conflicts for democracy, also needs to be remembered.

As a youth, the Veterans I remember from my neighborhood, were a old guys. Many were of Hawaiian/Japanese Americans decent. Many wore aloha shirts in the parades and you would never have known, they fought in the in the South Pacific, Korea, and Europe. They were Hero’s of the day, in an era before my time.

Vietnam Veterans, at a time when the draft did not discriminate (much), as to who is going to be a Veteran (a time I can relate to). It was a young Mans’ War, (to say the least, young men had no/little choice) and the women were all a blessing, working behind the lines of fire, to support and patch up our guys in camouflage green fatigues.

The Gulf War Veterans, I salute the soldiers of today.  Both men and women, fighting side by side in battle. Taken away from their families and children. Putting their” life on the line”, for the sake of protecting the guy next to them, as well as serving, our country. Putting in time, which will live in their memories, forever. Experiencing things we will never know, unless we were there. My hat is off to you. Your generation, as you grow old I hope society will take care of you upon your return home.

The mind set of every, War Veteran; I believe every veteran experienced the feared being killed in action and met great people. You lost friends and you grew up fast. You also gain respect, for yourself and life in general by giving thanks for surviving every day. War, was instrumental in building your character.

Being away from home on your own working as a team, helping each other live; you became men and women of character. You learned a lot! Be proud of your accomplishments and humble knowing your are a survivor.

When I see a soldier wearing your desert gray or sand cami’s and tee shirts, I may not say it but, I feel the pride and appreciation of what you; do and have done, on my behalf. Thank you!

We all tend to forget, that the old man, at the restaurant table next to us, could be one of you, a Veteran.
Today is a time to remember, we are here living in a country that is still, the best country in the World to live in because of brave people like you.

Age, race and sex, no longer makes a difference. We all bleed the same color and all carry wounds from the past. I only hope you will come out a stronger and better person knowing you did your part; the best you could. As you age, don’t forget the kids you fight for today will be soldiers of tomorrow. And when they grow up, may they never forget you.

Because of you, we can say, “We Are Proud To Be, An American”.

God Bless You All, Veterans past and present.