Guest Blogger: How to Choose a Warm Bedroom Rug this Cold Winter

?Entry #2058, January 30, 2012

Rugs don?t only look nice but they add warmth to your house as well. We show you how rugs add comfort underfoot, create a cosy and beautiful atmosphere and support your home insulation.?

Rug Sizes and Styles

Warm up your home over these winter months by using a lusciously soft rug. They come in a selection of styles, sizes and depths. Pick a modern, traditional, plain or patterned rug but first you must consider the size of your room and decide on how much of the floor you want covered. Most importantly, use the decor to determine what rug design will compliment the room and help form a seamless look throughout your home.

Warm your home with textured rugs

A variety of cheap rugs from Carpetright mean you can find the rug that suits your taste whatever your budget. Unlike carpet, rugs can easily be moved around, so if you tend to change the look and feel of your interior frequently, a rug can be easily moved from one room to another!

Bedroom Ideas

Soft rugs are ideal for bedrooms, especially if you have vinyl or laminate flooring. Place one for when you step out of bed so that you can feel the lusciously soft fabric of the warm rug underfoot. Did you know that even a small cosy rug can add warmth by covering a part of the floor and minimise the chill?

Also, bedroom rugs are versatile and enable you to add colour and character to any room, so be sure to inspire and create a focal point in a room where you spend a third of your life. We therefore know that you don?t even need to compromise on style when you have the practicality of a comfortable rug.

Add color to your boring bedroom!

Warm Shaggy Rugs

Preparing your home for winter could mean a simple purchase of a soft shag pile rug that is superb at preventing a draft in your home. With shaggy rugs available, you can add extra warmth and comfort underfoot without contradicting your interior design. You can even merge your new rug with your furniture in order to create a consistent overall look in your home.

Warm your room with a shaggy rug

Inspire your family and guests and be smart this winter with simple floor covering. It is because rugs are affordable that you can replace it more frequently if the need ever arises, which means you have peace of mind as well as a beautiful warm home.

If it is cold outside, why not stay indoors? Shop from the comfort of your own home and visit www.carpetright.co.uk!

For more carpet and flooring ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Source: http://stagetecture.com/2013/01/guest-blogger-how-to-choose-a-warm-bedroom-rug-this-cold-winter/

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Is Your Job Search Like a Bad Super Bowl Commercial? | The ...

Every year, big brands bring together the best minds in advertising. Their mission: to create one television commercial good enough to air during the Super Bowl of advertising: the Super Bowl.

To ensure they make the ?Best of?? lists that appear on Monday, advertisers plug in as many pop references and celebrities as possible. After months of effort, the spots are presented to the ?judges? on the world?s stage, 30 seconds at a time.

For some, the investment is well worth the effort ? their brand gets a huge boost in recognition and sales; some even rise to the top. Others spend a lot of time, energy and money ? and fail to impress? sometimes miserably. (Remember Groupon?s ads from a couple years ago?)

How does this scenario compare to your job search?

You spend months perfecting on your resume, often bringing in the best minds within your sphere of influence (usually a significant other, roommate or parent). You scour the web for resume templates and accompanying cover letters for what you believe the audience will most appreciate ? complete with buzzwords and influential name-drops. When you?re sure your presentation is complete, you submit to the judges: the gatekeepers, recruiters and human resources.

After all this effort, if the judges don?t view you as the best ? and place the other contenders well above you on their version of a ?Best of?? list ? you?ll need to try again. And again. And again.

To carry this analogy further?

Do you think the companies whose commercials get widely panned this year will use the same agency and talent for next year?s Super Bowl? Not likely. They?ll bring in new creatives, experts and support teams. They?ll do much better research on what works and what doesn?t. They?ll learn from their mistakes.

They won?t fail again.

If your job search is struggling, and you consistently find yourself falling short as a would-be contender, you may want to take the same approach:

• Using someone other than your significant other, roomie or mother for review ? repackage your resume, cover letter and online presence

• Consult a professional career expert to help with your interview techniques and to introduce best practices that work in today?s competitive job market

• Before submitting even one more application, research the company and the hiring manager/recruiter ? learn what works for them, and what doesn?t ? and customize your message accordingly; perhaps even build a networking relationship with someone already working at the company

• Quit beating your head against the wall hoping ?this one will be different? ? it won?t, until you make it different ? by learning from your mistakes

Don?t go into your next ?big game? with yet another message that won?t appeal to the audience. Prepare now ? start over if necessary, again and again. The next time you interview, you just may find yourself on the ?best? list.

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Like this post? Subscribe to get even more brilliance, and exclusive content, in your Inbox!

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About the Author: CEO and Founder of YouTern, Mark Babbitt is a serial entrepreneur and mentor. Mark has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, Mashable, Forbes and Under30CEO.com regarding job search, career development, internships and higher education?s role in preparing emerging talent for the workforce. A keynote speaker and blogger, Mark?s contributions include Huffington Post, Switch and Shift, The Daily Muse and Under30CEO.

Mark has been honored to be named to GenJuice?s list of ?Top 100 Most Desirable Mentors? and was recently featured on HR Examiner?s ?Top 25 Trendspotters in HR? and several top blogger lists, including JobMob?s ?Top Career Bloggers of 2012?. Contact Mark via email or on Twitter!

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Despite revival, US economy still on life support

16 hrs.

John W. Schoen , NBC News

After four years of government prodding ? from federal stimulus spending to the Fed?s historic easy-money policies ? the U.S. economy finally?is showing signs of sustainable growth.?

But?it?s not out of the woods yet.

The hopeful signals are coming from a broad range of indicators - from upbeat reports on home and car sales to business investment and manufacturing orders. Those reports have raised hopes that the ongoing move to balance the federal budget with tax increases and spending cuts won?t dampen the emerging recovery.

?We think the U.S. economy will be able to power through that this year ? even with the drag,? said?Tony Fratto, an economist at Hamilton Place Strategies and former Treasury official under President George W. Bush.

But when Federal Reserve officials wrap up?their two-day meeting Wednesday, they?re widely expected to continue to keep their foot on the gas pedal by extending their aggressive program of holding interest rates near zero.?

Though some critics think it may be time for the central bank to begin winding down its epic easy-money strategy, Fed policy makers have already promised to stick with it until the unemployment rate falls below 6.5 percent. ?

The halting pace of the recovery is expected to be highlighted Wednesday when the government takes its initial estimate of the growth of gross domestic product for the last three months of 2012. Analysts polled by Reuters expect the report to peg expansion at a weak 1.1 percent annual rate, down from a 3.1 percent rate in the previous three months.

But a basket of separate reports this week is expected to confirm the marked pickup in growth as the year drew to a close.?

Orders for durable goods jumped by 4.6 percent in December, the?Commerce Department said Monday, more than double what private forecasters had expected. Though many business managers complained loudly that uncertainty in Washington had left them unwilling to take on new workers, they were busy investing in new plant and equipment to keep up with rising demand from customers.

?CEOs may have been worrying about falling off the cliff but demand for big-ticket items still soared,? said Joel Naroff, chief economist at Naroff Economic?Advisors.

The report followed wider signs of a broad pickup in demand throughout the economy. Rising home sales, which began to pick up in the second half of last year, continue to push prices higher, helping convince reluctant buyers and sellers that the market has finally bottomed out. ?

Car sales jumped 16 percent in the fourth quarter of last year compared to the previous year, and are on pace for another annual sales increase. Automakers will report monthly sales on Friday and are expected to post another month of robust demand. The prolonged sales downturn during the Great Recession left behind an aging fleet of cars and trucks that buyers are now replacing. ?

Despite a lackluster holiday shopping season, overall retail sales in the last three months of the year were up 6 percent from a year ago.?Manufacturers are also seeing a solid pickup in orders for new goods. Lower energy costs -- the result of an ongoing boom in natural gas production?--?have helped them win bids against low-cost foreign competitors.?

But unemployment remains stubbornly high, as the latest reading, due this Friday, is expected to show. Economists are looking for a net gain of just 163,000 new jobs for the latest month. That?s barely enough to keep up with population growth and not enough to move the needle of the unemployment rate which forecasters expect to remain stuck at 7.8 percent.

To be sure, the Fed?s easy money policy is helping some households ? especially those with investments in the stock market. With interest rates at near zero, investors looking for a positive return have few alternatives.?

Stocks are up 15 percent since June. In January alone, investors sank $55 billion in new cash into stock mutual funds and exchange-traded funds, the biggest monthly inflow on record, according to TrimTabs Investment Research.?

Fears of a financial meltdown in Europe have faded. Last year?s worries about a sharp slowdown in Asia have eased for now.?And despite continued threats of political disruption in Washington, the long-running battle over the federal budget seems to be inching toward resolution.

On Monday, credit rating agency Fitch said last week?s deal to delay suspension of the country's debt limit have reduced the odds that it might strip United States of its AAA rating. Another rating agency, Standard and Poor?s, cut the U.S. debt rating one notch after the last debt ceiling debacle in July 2011 pushed the Treasury to the brink of defaulting on its bonds.?

But the recovery remains weak by historical standards. Four years after a recession, pent-up demand typically produces a strong rebound in growth and a?sustained hiring spree by employers. So far, that hasn?t happened.?

Most forecasters expect the slow steady pace of expansion to continue through this year and into 2014, with the unemployment rate gradually falling.?

The consensus sees GDP picking up to a 2.7 percent annual rate by the end of this year and 3.0 percent by the end of 2014, according to the latest survey by Blue Chip Economic Indicators. That pace is expected to pull the unemployment rate down to 7.5 percent by the end of this year and to 7.0 percent by the end of next year.

If that scenario plays out, it will be awhile before the Fed reaches its 6.5 percent jobless rate target and begins to throttle back its money-making machinery. ? ? ? ??

?At some point were going to have to wean ourselves off that kind of support,? said Fratto. ?And I think we?re going to see that this year. But we have to go through that ? and it?s going to bode well for the future.?

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/economywatch/despite-recent-revival-us-economy-still-needs-life-support-1C8145732

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US durable goods orders rise 4.6 pct. on aircraft

WASHINGTON (AP) ? U.S. demand for long-lasting manufactured goods rose sharply in December on strong gains in volatile aircraft orders. But companies slowed their orders of goods that signal investment plans, indicating manufacturing could stay choppy in 2013.

The Commerce Department said Monday that overall orders for durable goods increased 4.6 percent in December compared with November. The gains were led by a 56.4 percent increase in military aircraft orders and a 10.1 percent increase in commercial aircraft orders.

Orders rose in other major categories, including machinery, communications equipment and primary metals.

A more closely watched gauge of business investment plans increased just 0.2 percent. Economists were encouraged that orders for so-called capital goods kept rising in December after gains of 3 percent in both November and October.

Still, the increases followed a weak stretch in demand for those goods that had raised concerns about companies' confidence in the economy. And with Americans paying higher Social Security payroll taxes this year without much gain in their wages, most economists predict consumer spending to suffer. That could dampen demand for big-ticket items and slow overall economic growth.

"The strength in durable goods orders for December is a most welcome development," said Dan Greenhaus, an analyst at BTIG. "Going forward though, despite the better numbers, we still expect business investment ... to slow yet again in 2013. This is a trend that remains in place given the weaker demand environment."

Orders for durable goods, which are expected to last at least three years, can fluctuate from month to month. For all of 2012, durable goods orders rose 4.1 percent. Demand for core capital goods fell 0.3 percent last year.

Paul Ashworth, chief U.S. economist at Capital Economics, said the growth rate of business investment in equipment and software in the October-December quarter should come in close to 5 percent, an encouraging sign.

Ashworth, however, is also worried about the increase in Social Security payroll taxes. That could make businesses nervous and further slow economic growth.

The economy grew at an annual rate of 3.1 percent in the April-June quarter. The government will provide its first look at overall economic growth in the October-December quarter on Wednesday. Many analysts believe growth slowed in the final three months of last year to less than 2 percent.

The government releases its first estimate of economic growth for the fourth quarter on Wednesday.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/us-durable-goods-orders-rise-4-6-pct-145057287--finance.html

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US Justice Department asks FCC to delay Sprint's merger with Softbank (update: Sprint statement)

It appears that Dish wasn't the only one who wants the FCC to put the brakes on Softbank's merger with Sprint. Bloomberg reports that the US Justice Department has just requested that the FCC delay the deal as well. No word on why governmental lawyers are making the request, but we'll update this post as soon as more information is available.

Update: While the DOJ has recommended that the FCC delay its approval of the deal due to national security concerns, it turns out that Dish has decided not to stand against the merger, after all. So, Sprint and Softbank have exchanged a private sector problem for a governmental one. The DOJ's scrutiny certainly provides a significant hurdle for the deal to clear, but it doesn't necessarily mean that the two telcos can never be together. We'll have to wait and see whether Uncle Sam gives the merger its final stamp of approval.

Update 2: Sprint has issued a statement on the matter: 'This is a routine request when working with the CFIUS agencies regarding national security." So, it seems that the folks in Overland Park aren't overly concerned with the DOJ's snooping.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Sprint

Comments

Via: The Verge, Bloomberg (Twitter), Bloomberg

Source: FCC

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/29/us-justice-department-fcc-delay-sprint-softbank-merger/

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Iran launches monkey into space, showing missile progress

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran said on Monday it had launched a live monkey into space, seeking to show off missile systems that have alarmed the West because the technology could potentially be used to deliver a nuclear warhead.

The Defense Ministry announced the launch as world powers sought to agree a date and venue with Iran for resuming talks to resolve a standoff with the West over Tehran's contested nuclear program before it degenerates into a new Middle East war.

Efforts to nail down a new meeting have failed repeatedly and the powers fear Iran is exploiting the diplomatic vacuum to hone the means to produce nuclear weapons.

The Islamic Republic denies seeking weapons capability and says it seeks only electricity from its uranium enrichment so it can export more of its considerable oil wealth.

The powers have proposed new talks in February, a spokesman for the European Union's foreign policy chief said on Monday, hours after Russia urged all concerned to "stop behaving like children" and commit to a meeting.

Iran earlier in the day denied media reports of a major explosion at one of its most sensitive, underground enrichment plants, describing them as Western propaganda designed to influence the nuclear talks.

The Defense Ministry said the space launch of the monkey coincided "with the days of" the Prophet Mohammad's birthday, which was last week, but gave no date, according to a statement carried by the official news agency IRNA.

The launch was "another giant step" in space technology and biological research "which is the monopoly of a few countries", the statement said.

The small grey monkey was pictured strapped into a padded seat and being loaded into the Kavoshgar rocket dubbed "Pishgam" (Pioneer) which state media said reached a height of more than 120 km (75 miles).

"This shipment returned safely to Earth with the anticipated speed along with the live organism," Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi told the semi-official Fars news agency. "The launch of Kavoshgar and its retrieval is the first step towards sending humans into space in the next phase."

There was no independent confirmation of the launch.

SIGNIFICANT FEAT

In Washington, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters she could not confirm whether Iran had successfully sent a monkey into space or conducted any launch at all, saying that if it had done so "it's a serious concern."

Nuland said such a launch would violate U.N. Security Council Resolution 1929, whose text bars Iran from "any activity related to ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, including launches using ballistic missile technology."

The West worries that long-range ballistic technology used to propel Iranian satellites into orbit could be put to use dispatching nuclear warheads to a target.

Bruno Gruselle of France's Foundation for Strategic Research said that if the monkey launch report were true it would suggest a "quite significant" engineering feat by Iran.

"If you can show that you are able to protect a vehicle of this sort from re-entry, then you can probably protect a military warhead and make it survive the high temperatures and high pressures of re-entering," Gruselle said.

The monkey launch would be similar to sending up a satellite weighing some 2,000 kg (4,400 pounds), he said. Success would suggest a capacity to deploy a surface-to-surface missile with a range of a few thousand kilometers (miles).

Michael Elleman, a missile expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies think-tank, said Iran had demonstrated "no new military or strategic capability" with the launch.

"Nonetheless, Iran has an ambitious space exploration program that includes the goal of placing a human in space in the next five or so years and a human-inhabited orbital capsule by the end of the decade," Elleman said. "Today's achievement is one step toward the goal, albeit a small one."

The Islamic Republic announced plans in 2011 to send a monkey into space, but that attempt was reported to have failed.

Nuclear-weapons capability requires three components - enough fissile material such as highly enriched uranium, a reliable weapons device miniaturized to fit into a missile cone, and an effective delivery system, such as a ballistic missile that can grow out of a space launch program.

Iran's efforts to develop and test ballistic missiles and build a space launch capability have contributed to Israeli calls for pre-emptive strikes on Iranian nuclear sites and billions of dollars of U.S. ballistic missile defense spending.

MANOEUVRING OVER NEXT TALKS

A spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said the powers had offered a February meeting to Iran, after a proposal to meet at the end of January was refused.

"Iran did not accept our offer to go to Istanbul on January 28 and 29 and so we have offered new dates in February. We have continued to offer dates since December. We are disappointed the Iranians have not yet agreed," Michael Mann reporters.

He said Iranian negotiators had imposed new conditions for resuming talks and that EU powers were concerned this might be a stalling tactic. The last in a sporadic series of fruitless talks was held last June.

Iranian officials deny blame for the delays and say Western countries squandered opportunities for meetings by waiting until after the U.S. presidential election in November.

"We have always said that we are ready to negotiate until a result is reached and we have never broken off discussions," IRNA quoted Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi as saying.

Salehi has suggested holding the next round in Cairo but said the powers wanted another venue. He also said that Sweden, Kazakhstan and Switzerland had offered to host the talks.

In Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told a news conference: "We are ready to meet at any location as soon as possible. We believe the essence of our talks is far more important (than the site), and we hope that common sense will prevail and we will stop behaving like little children."

Ashton is overseeing diplomatic contacts on behalf of the powers hoping to persuade Tehran to stop higher-grade uranium enrichment and accept stricter U.N. inspections in return for civilian nuclear cooperation and relief from U.N. sanctions.

IRAN DENIES FORDOW BLAST

Reuters has been unable to verify reports since Friday of an explosion early last week at the underground Fordow bunker that some Israeli and Western media said wrought heavy damage.

"The false news of an explosion at Fordow is Western propaganda ahead of nuclear negotiations to influence their process and outcome," IRNA quoted deputy Iranian nuclear energy agency chief Saeed Shamseddin Bar Broudi as saying.

In late 2011 the plant at Fordow began producing uranium enriched to 20 percent fissile purity, well above the 3.5 percent level normally needed for nuclear power stations.

While such higher-grade enrichment remains nominally far below the 90 percent level required for an atomic bomb, nuclear proliferation experts say the 20 percent threshold represents the bulk of the time and effort involved in yielding weapons-grade material - if that were Iran's goal.

Tehran says its enhanced enrichment is to make fuel for a research reactor that produces isotopes for medical care.

Diplomats in Vienna, where the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency is based, said on Monday they had no knowledge of any incident at Fordow but were looking into the reports.

"I have heard and seen various reports but am unable to authenticate them," a senior diplomat in Vienna told Reuters.

The International Atomic Energy Agency, which regularly inspects declared Iranian nuclear sites including Fordow, had no immediate comment on the issue.

Iran has accused Israel and the United States of trying to sabotage its nuclear program with cyber attacks and assassinations of its nuclear scientists. Washington has denied any role in the killings while Israel has declined to comment.

(Additional reporting by William Maclean and Marcus George in Dubai, Justyna Pawlak in Brussels, Fredrik Dahl in Vienna; Writing by Mark Heinrich; Editing by Robin Pomeroy, Jon Hemming and Cynthia Osterman)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/six-world-powers-hope-meet-iran-atom-talks-120752016.html

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Bo Xilai trial not in Guiyang today: court official

GUIYANG, China (Reuters) - The trial of disgraced senior Chinese leader Bo Xilai will not be held in a southern Chinese city on Monday as some media had reported, a court official said.

"It is fake information", a court official told reporters outside the People's Intermediate Court building in Guiyang, the capital of Guizhou province.

"It is definitely not happening today", said the official, who did not give her name.

Once a contender for China's top leadership, Bo was ousted from his post as Communist Party chief in the southwestern city of Chongqing last year following his wife's murder of a British businessman.

Bo, 63, was widely tipped to be promoted to the party's elite inner core before his career unraveled.

The downfall came after his former police chief, Wang Lijun, fled briefly to a U.S. consulate in February 2012 and alleged that Bo's wife, Gu Kailai, had poisoned the businessman, Neil Heywood.

(Reporting by John Ruwitch; Writing by Terril Yue Jones; Editing by Paul Tait)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/bo-xilai-trial-not-guiyang-today-court-official-013603729.html

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Chubby Blog: [Revisit] De Luca

I'm the kind of person who has been having issues with weight ever since I was little.. and perhaps that's the main reason that I always *try* to keep my eating portion less than the average people.. gosh, how I envy you who can eat anything without gaining even an ounce of fat.. I easily gain weight and that's may be why I never had a full meal, as far as I can remember..?

however, when it's Christmas season, there will always be an exception.. especially when De Luca?offered a lunch package for Rp98,000++.. I fell into temptation and surrender right away.. the package consisted of soup of the day, main course (with several options), fresh fruits and drink (mineral water/lemon tea/hot tea).. so let's the full meal begins..?

I started by ordering hot tea.. well, a little bitterness and warmth in a cup of tea is necessary to accompany the upcoming meal.. I love the cup and saucer, really.. where can I buy them? then along came a bowl of free bread, typical served in Italian restaurant.. I love the fact that the bread were still warm and I usually dip the bread in the mixture of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.. just a tiny bit as too much bread will end up ruining your appetite..

not so long after, the soup came.. it was minestrone vegetable soup with beef stock.. minestrone?is Italian thick soup, quite famous apparently.. well, De Luca's minestrone?was not too thick but somehow just the right consistency for my liking.. it tasted really refreshing with very fresh condiments.. I remember finding cucumber, tomatoes, onions, black olives and pumpkin.. it was a beautiful soup with very generous and well-cooked fillings..?

onto the main course, the star of the day.. roasted?rosemary chicken served with mashed potatoes and mix grilled vegetables.. why did I chose this? well, it's the most expensive menu of the main course options hihihi.. I'm typical girl who will bother to look at the price tag to determine my choice haha.. when it came, it looked really tempting.. two pieces of perfectly grilled chicken on top of tomato puree and mashed potatoes, beautifully arranged with grilled veggies.. what not to love about this dish's appearance? the moment of truth, the taste.. the chicken was very tender and well seasoned.. it went really well with the tomato puree and the still-crunchy veggies.. the mashed potato was silky and smooth, just the way I would have want it.. I didn't find it hard to finish the whole, big plate *big grin*

our lovely meal was closed with a plate of fresh fruits, consisted of red melon, watermelon and cherry.. such a perfect meal.. my tummy was really happy and it just boost my mood for the rest of the day..

overall, it was a good meal.. I love everything about it.. but definitely would come back for more Rosemary chicken.. as for now, do you have any experience eating a full-meal yourself? come and share it with me.. meanwhile, follow my twitter for more food!

De Luca
Plaza Senayan
Palm Gate Entrance Unit CP 101 A
Jl. Asia Afrika 8, Senayan
Jakarta 10270
Ph.: 6221 5725170
www.deluca-italian.com

Source: http://visit-sheilla.blogspot.com/2013/01/revisit-de-luca.html

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Guantanamo inmate seeks European court ruling against Poland

WARSAW (Reuters) - Lawyers for a man who says the CIA held him in a secret prison in a Polish forest asked the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on Monday to rule on his case because they say a criminal investigation run by Poland is going nowhere.

The decision by lawyers for Saudi-born Abu Zubaydah to go to the court in Strasbourg raises fresh questions about how serious Poland is about investigating allegations that the CIA, as part of a global operation to detain suspected al Qaeda militants a decade ago, used facilities on Polish territory.

Poland is the only country in the world known to have opened a criminal investigation into the alleged CIA jails, but it is now in its fifth year and there is no sign that anyone is close to being put on trial.

"Polish authorities ... have failed to conduct a thorough, effective and timely criminal investigation," said a letter that lawyers for Abu Zubaydah, now held in the U.S. military jail at Guantanamo Bay, said they had faxed to the ECHR on Monday.

"In 2008, a criminal investigation was opened, but it was limited in scope, shrouded in secrecy, and it has made little or no progress in practice," said the letter. "It has become apparent to the applicant that there is no meaningful prospect of a remedy being available to him in Poland."

The letter notified the ECHR that Abu Zubaydah's lawyers would be filing a formal application for a hearing. They want the court to rule on whether Polish officials violated his human rights by helping U.S. intelligence agents to detain him.

The ECHR has already taken up the case of another Saudi man who says he was held in a CIA-run jail in Poland - Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri.

SLOW INVESTIGATION

If the Polish criminal investigation founders, human rights campaigners say it will greatly reduce the chances that the full picture about the methods used by the CIA in the U.S. "war on terror" will ever emerge.

Polish officials deny that the CIA operated jails on Polish soil. They say they want a full and fair investigation, and that there is no political pressure on the prosecutors.

The prosecutors say they are doing their best to investigate the allegations, but that it is a slow process, not helped by the fact that U.S. authorities have not responded to requests for information.

However, lawyers for Abu Zubaydah and al-Nashiri say they suspect the investigation is being deliberately stalled because a trial would be politically embarrassing for the Polish state, and its allies in the United States.

According to documents filed by their lawyers, Abu Zubaydah, al-Nashiri and several other people believed by the CIA to be militants were flown in secret to a remote Polish airport.

They were then allegedly held, without a hearing before a judge or access to a lawyer, at a Polish intelligence academy at Stare Kiejkuty, a thickly forested area about 180 km (110 miles) north of the Polish capital. Their lawyers and rights activists say they were subjected to treatment that amounted to torture.

If Polish officials knew about the CIA operation, or provided support to it, that could be deemed a crime under Polish law and international human rights conventions.

U.S. officials have acknowledged that the CIA held al Qaeda suspects outside the United States, but have never publicly disclosed where or in what circumstances.

The U.S. government says Abu Zubaydah ran a camp in Afghanistan that trained some of those who carried out the September 11, 2001 attacks on U.S. cities. It accuses al-Nashiri of directing an attack on the U.S. warship Cole in the Yemeni port of Aden in 2000 that killed 17 sailors.

(Editing by Kevin Liffey)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/guantanamo-inmate-seeks-european-court-ruling-against-poland-182129976.html

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High school teacher accused of having sex with student

By Pat Battle, NBCNewYork.com

A New Jersey high school teacher has been arrested for allegedly having a sexual relationship with a student, authorities said.

Jennalin Garcia-Calle, a 28-year-old algebra teacher at Plainfield High School, was arrested Thursday in Davie, Fla., and charged with second-degree sexual assault and fourth-degree child abuse.

According to prosecutors, Garcia-Calle began the relationship with the 16-year-old boy in December. Prosecutors allege that at least three sexual encounters occurred in a classroom inside the school.

"The boy is not at a stage in his life where he's able to make that type of legal and quite frankly mature enough decision," said Union County Prosecutor Theodore Romankow.

Authorities became aware of the alleged relationship after the student told a family member what had happened. Students at the high school said the boy also bragged about the relationship to classmates.

"They both knew what they were doing, they both knew they were wrong," said senior Imani Campbell.

Prosecutors said Garcia-Calle realized her relationship with the boy had been discovered, prompting her to check into a rehabilitation center in Florida, as well as send the boy messages asking him to erase certain evidence. U.S. marshalls traced those messages and arrested Garcia-Calle.

For more visit NBCNewYork.com

She is being held without bond in Florida, awaiting extradition to New Jersey.

The Plainfield Board of Education has placed Garcia-Calle on an administrative suspension.

Information on an attorney for Garcia-Calle was not immediately available.

Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/26/16711719-nj-high-school-teacher-accused-of-having-sex-with-student?lite

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Barge with 80,000 gallons oil hits bridge, leaks

A barge carrying 80,000 gallons of oil hit a railroad bridge in Vicksburg, Miss., on Sunday, spilling light crude into the Mississippi River and closing the waterway for eight miles in each direction, the Coast Guard said. A second barge was damaged.

Investigators did not know how much had spilled, but an oily sheen was reported as far as three miles downriver of Vicksburg after the 1:12 a.m. accident, said Lt. Ryan Gomez of the Coast Guard's office in Memphis, Tenn.

It wasn't immediately clear whether the second barge also hit the bridge or if it ran into the first barge, he said. The first barge was still leaking late Sunday afternoon, and emergency workers set out booms to absorb and contain the oil, Gomez said. The river's closure halted at least five northbound and two southbound vessels, he said.

The bridge was found safe for trains, said Petty Officer Carlos Vega

Both barges were being pushed by the tugboat Nature's Way Endeavor. The website for Nature's Way Marine LLC of Theodore, Ala., identifies it as a 3,000-horsepower, 90-foot long boat, making it the largest and highest-powered of the company's five tugs. It was built in 1974 and underwent a complete rebuild in 2011, according to the company.

A company manager referred calls to the Coast Guard command center at Vicksburg.

The Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Vicksburg sent a team to assess the spill and oversee the cleanup, a Coast Guard news release said. The agency said a command center at Vicksburg included representatives from the Coast Guard and Nature's Way, as well as local officials and law enforcement.

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Online:

http://www.natureswaymarine.com/default.asp

Information about Endeavor: http://bit.ly/VefsWz

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/barge-80-000-gallons-oil-hits-bridge-leaks-214747183.html

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Russian ex-dissident and prison rights activist Abramkin dies

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Valery Abramkin, a former Soviet dissident, nuclear scientist and rights activist who was held for years in the Siberian gulag and campaigned for prison reform in Vladimir Putin's Russia, has died, his colleagues said on Saturday.

Abramkin, 66, head of the Moscow Center For Prison Reform and a member of the Moscow Helsinki rights group and Putin's Presidential Rights Council, died late on Friday after a long illness.

"(Abramkin) sincerely strove to contribute to the development and humanization of national legislation, the strengthening of the modern system of protecting human rights and freedoms of citizens," Putin wrote in a condolence telegram cited by the Kremlin's press service.

An advocate of civil liberties and reforms in the Soviet Union during the 1970s and 1980s, he served six years in prisons and in a Siberian colony for "anti-Soviet propaganda," before being sent to exile to the Tver region in 1985.

While in the camps, Abramkin, who was fired from his job in 1976 at the Moscow Institute of Chemical Technology for "anti-Soviet activity," contracted tuberculosis and its side-effects plagued him for the rest of his life.

In 1988, along with Nobel-prize winning nuclear scientist and dissident Andrei Sakharov, he founded the Prison and Liberty group that later became the Moscow Center for Prison Reform.

(Reporting and writing by Lidia Kelly; Editing by Mark Heinrich)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/russian-ex-dissident-prison-rights-activist-abramkin-dies-141624890.html

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Stephen King writes post-Newtown essay on guns

BANGOR, Maine (AP) ? Horror writer Stephen King is seeking to provoke a discussion on gun control and gun rights following the school shooting massacre in Newtown, Conn.

The Maine native is a gun owner. He calls for three "reasonable measures" to curb gun violence in an essay titled "Guns," released Friday as a Kindle single through Amazon.

King says he wants background checks on all gun sales and bans on high-capacity magazines and military-style weapons like the rifle used in the Newtown shooting, which killed 20 children and six school officials.

King describes a pattern of mass shootings in which anger and frustration give way to political rhetoric before discussions of gun control "disappear into the legislative swamp." He says on his website: "If this helps provoke constructive debate, I've done my job."

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Online: http://www.stephenking.com/index.html

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-01-25-School%20Shooting-Stephen%20King/id-2e614ccd7ce24fbf8402f52e8506a1b0

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Science Communication Migration Map

By Glendon Mellow?| January 25, 2013 |??

Share ?Email ?Print

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? Kate Prengaman

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Kate Prengaman blogs at Xylem: An Ecology and Environment Blog and created this stunning map of ScienceOnline 2013 attendees.

I have to say, it makes me happy that the number of artists has increased so much over the last couple of years. There?s more to science communication than journalism! ?You need effective visuals, not stock photo.

Thanks so much to Kate for sharing this map ? read more about it at Xylem!

About the Author: Glendon Mellow is a fine artist and illustrator inspired by evolutionary biology working in oil and digital media. You can see his portfolio at glendonmellow.com and work-in-progress at The Flying Trilobite blog. Follow him solo at @flyingtrilobite and with co-blogger Kalliopi Monoyios at @symbiartic. Follow on Twitter @symbiartic.

More??

The views expressed are those of the author and are not necessarily those of Scientific American.

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Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=ec4dcdcf627707c226cb09addee63f38

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Joe's Health Calendar 1/26/13 Walk More Eat Less

Insectfest (Science for Kids)

Jan. 26 (today) 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.:?Come join the?World of Wonders Science Museum, 2 N. Sacramento St., Lodi,?for a day of insect-dedicated fun. The WOW Science Museum will be filled with a variety of insects brought to you by local stores and museums. In addition to the chance to touch some of their creepy crawlers, the WOW will offer temporary face tattoos, arts and crafts, and other bug-related activities. Come see what ?all the buzz? is about! Regular museum admission prices apply.

Kick Off New Year With Pledge to Your Health

Jan. 26 (today) 9 a.m.:?The fun, family-friendly St. Joseph?s 5K Fun Run/Walk for Wellness starts at?Maple and North California streets in Stockton. The race is a flat, double looping, 5km (3.1 mile) run/walk through University Park for people of all ages and fitness abilities. Last year, nearly 400 runners and walkers joined to kick off the new year with a pledge to a healthier lifestyle. Proceeds from this year?s Run/Walk for Wellness will benefit the St. Joseph?s CareVan. St. Joseph?s CareVan is a mobile health clinic that provides health care services for over 4,000 low-income, medically underserved and vulnerable individuals in Stockton. The CareVan decreases unnecessary hospitalizations including emergency department visits and assists patients in finding medical homes. Get your family, friends and co-workers to sign up today and have a great time giving back to the community. Kids and baby strollers are welcomed and encouraged. Registration is $35 and includes an event long-sleeve T-shirt and a goody bag. Children younger than 10 are $10. Each child participant will receive a medal courtesy of Fleet Feet Stockton. Registration and information:www.StJosephsCares.org?or Jenny Cooke at?(209) 461-3338?or?Jenny.Cooke@DignityHealth.org.

VA Offers Flu Vaccine to Veterans

The 10 facilities of the VA Palo Alto Health Care System are offering flu vaccinations to thousands of eligible California military veterans. While veterans are encouraged to request their flu vaccination during regularly scheduled appointments, walk-in clinics are available at the following locations and times. Current information from the VA Palo Alto Health Care System is always posted at?www.paloalto.va.gov?and?www.facebook.com/vapahcs:

• Stockton:?Community Based Outpatient Clinic, 7777 S. Freedom Road, French Camp; Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Palo Alto:?3801 Miranda Ave.; Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Menlo Park:?795 Willow Road, Bldg. 321, Front Desk; Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m.
• Livermore:?4951 Arroyo Road, Bldg. 62, Third Floor; Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Capitola:?Community Based Outpatient Clinic, 1350 41st Ave., Suite 102; Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Fremont:?Community Based Outpatient Clinic, 39199 Liberty St.; Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Modesto:?Community Based Outpatient Clinic, 1524 McHenry Ave.; Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Monterey:?Community Based Outpatient Clinic, 3401 Engineer Lane, Seaside; Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• San Jose:?Community Based Outpatient Clinic, 80 Great Oaks Blvd.; Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Sonora:?Community Based Outpatient Clinic, 13663 Mono Way; Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

CareVan Offers Free Daily Health Clinic

St. Joseph?s Medical Center CareVan offers a free health clinic for low-income and no-insurance individuals or families, 16 years old and older. Mobile health care services will be available to handle most minor urgent health care needs such as mild burns, bumps, abrasions, sprains, sinus and urinary tract infections, cold and flu. Clinics do not offer chronic care services such as high blood pressure and diabetes, unless noted. No narcotics prescriptions will be available. Information:?(209) 461-3471.?Clinic schedule is subject to change without notice. Walk-In appointments are available.

• Jan. 26 (today) 8 a.m. to noon:?St. Joseph?s 4th annual 5K Fun/Run Walk for Wellness at University Park, 1004 N. Grant St., Stockton. All proceeds will benefit St. Joseph?s CareVan Program.
• Jan. 28 (Monday) 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.:?Dollar General, 310 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Stockton. Includes diabetes and blood pressure screening. This clinic is sponsored by St. Joseph?s Spirit Club members.
• Jan. 29 (Tuesday) 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.:?Spanos School, 536 S. California St., Stockton.
• Jan. 30 (Wednesday) 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.:?Rite Aid, 1050 N. Wilson Way, Stockton.
• Jan. 31 (Thursday) 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.:?San Joaquin County Fairgrounds: 1658 S. Airport Way, Stockton. A representative will be available to screen patients for insurance eligibility.

Your Diabetes Success Plan in Stockton

Jan. 29 (first of eight Tuesdays) 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.:?St. Joseph?s Medical Center CareVan Program offers free eight-session diabetes class series on basics to a healthy life: diabetes overview and blood sugar monitoring; diabetes nutrition and exercise; heart health; diabetes medications; know your blood sugar numbers; basic carbohydrate counting; your diabetes success care plan; and putting the pieces together, ?Life?s Sweet Journey.??Arnold Rue Community Center Social Hall, 5758 Lorraine Ave., Stockton. Registration is not required. After attending six sessions, participants diagnosed with diabetes will receive a free glucometer. Information:(209) 461-3251?or?www.stjosephscares.org/diabetes.

Stockton Meth & Crime Town Hall

Jan. 31 (Thursday) 6:30 p.m.:?The Stockton Meth & Crime Town Hall will feature award-winning journalist Scott Thomas Anderson, who spent 18 months as an embedded reporter with Northern California law enforcement in order to produce his new book, ?Shadow People: How meth-driven crime is eating at the heart of rural America.? Stockton Mayor Anthony Silva will be a special guest. The free event will be at?San Joaquin County Behavioral Health Services, Conference Rooms A & B, 1212 N. California St., Stockton. Light refreshments will be served. Information: Carol at?(209) 323-0499. This event is sponsored by?Celebrate Life Meth Free, St. Joseph?s Behavioral Health Center and Anthem Blue Cross.

Support Heart Health for Women, Get Free Soup

Feb. 1 (Friday):?Mimi?s Caf? is dedicated to raising awareness for heart health and truly supporting the women we love. For 10 years, 627,000 women?s lives have been saved through the American Heart Association?s Go Red For Women movement, but the fight is far from over. Health is not an option and Mimi?s wants all their guests and teammates to join together to help prevent heart disease, the No. 1 killer of women. Mimi?s Cafe is again raising awareness and funds for Go Red For Women this February, American Heart Month, with its second annual campaign, Mimi?s Goes Red. Come into?Mimi?s Caf?, 5607 Pacific Ave., Stockton, on Feb. 1, the 10th National Wear Red day, wearing red and receive a free cup of Mimi?s Signature Soup. In addition, throughout the month, guests who donate $1 will receive a heart-shaped tribute card to inscribe and display in the restaurant to complement the iconic red dress standee and red d?cor. A $5 donation comes with a limited-edition sparkle red dress lapel pin, with 100 percent of all donations going directly to the American Heart Association. As a thank you, donors will receive up to $30 in Mimi?s savings. Every Tuesday throughout the month, as a show of appreciation, warm-hearted guests can also enjoy a complimentary cup of Mimi?s hot and savory soup with a donation. Information:(209) 952-1150.

Your Diabetes Success Plan in Manteca

Feb. 1 (first of eight Fridays) 9 to 11 a.m.:?St. Joseph?s Medical Center CareVan Program offers free eight-session diabetes class series on basics to a healthy life: diabetes overview and blood sugar monitoring; diabetes nutrition and exercise; heart health; diabetes medications; know your blood sugar numbers; basic carbohydrate counting; your diabetes success care plan; and putting the pieces together, ?Life?s Sweet Journey.??Manteca Senior Center, 295 Cherry Lane, Manteca. Registration is not required. After attending six sessions, participants diagnosed with diabetes will receive a free glucometer. Information:?(209) 461-3251?orwww.stjosephscares.org/diabetes.

Give Kids a Smile Free Dental Services

Feb. 2 (Saturday) 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.:?Free dental screenings, cleanings, X-rays, fluoride and emergency treatments for children up to 17 years old will be offered atUniversity of the Pacific?s Chan Family Health Sciences Learning Center, 757 Brookside Road, Stockton. All children must be accompanied by an adult. The event, Give Kids a Smile Day, includes games, clowns and face painting. Give Kids a Smile is annually sponsored by the San Joaquin Dental Society in association with University of the Pacific. Services will be provided by volunteer dentists from the community and students from Pacific?s Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry. Information:?www.sjds.org.

National Alliance on Mental Health: Family-to-Family Education Course

Feb. 2 (and 11 following Saturdays) 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.:?NAMI presents a free series of 12 weekly education classes for friends and family of people with major depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder, borderline personality disorder, panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder and co-occurring brain disorders. Classes will be held at?530 W. Acacia St., 2^nd?Floor, Stockton?(across from Dameron Hospital). Information:?(209) 468-3755.

Meet Lodi Hospital?s New Da Vinci Surgical Robot

Feb. 2 (Saturday) 2:30 to 4 p.m.:?Don?t miss the special da Vinci open house for the public in the main lobby of?Lodi Memorial Hospital, 975 S. Fairmont Ave., Lodi.?The da Vinci technology allows surgeons to use the assistance of a robot for general, gynecological and urological surgeries. It offers less invasive surgeries and, because of its precision, the chance for greatly improved outcomes. Several Lodi Health surgeons have recently become certified experts with the technology, and they will be on hand to demonstrate their skills. And there will be a contest for those 18 and younger to name the robot. The winning entry will receive $250 for their college fund.

The Secrets of Baby Behavior

The Public Health Breastfeeding Initiative is pleased to bring this terrific four-hour training to San Joaquin County. Our goal is to spread these important?Baby Behaviormessages to hospital staff, health care providers and community organizations throughout the county. You are welcome to attend any session at any location, but pre-registration is required.?Click here for information?or contact Mary Woelfel at?(209) 468-3267?or?mwoelfel@sjcphs.org. Presented by the?UC Davis Human Lactation Center:

• Feb. 7 (Thursday) 1:30 to 5:30 p.m.:?San Joaquin General Hospital, French Camp; RSVP:?(209) 468-6914.
• Feb. 15 (Friday) 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 6 p.m.:?Sutter Tracy Community Hospital, Tracy; RSVP:?(209) 833-2419.
• March 15 (Friday) 7:30 to 11:30 a.m.:?Dameron Hospital, Stockton; RSVP:?(209) 461-3136.
• March 25 (Monday) 7:45 to 11:45 a.m.:?St. Joseph?s Medical Center, Stockton; RSVP:?(209) 467-6331.
• March 28 (Thursday) 1 to 5 p.m.:?Robert J. Cabral Agricultural Center, Stockton; RSVP:?(209) 468-3267.

Breastfeeding Class in Lodi

Feb. 7 (Thursday) 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. (or March 7):?Lodi Health offers ?Breastfeeding: Getting off to a Great Start,? a free, one-session class covering the advantages of breastfeeding, basic anatomy, the breastfeeding process, common problems and solutions. An additional breastfeeding class for working moms is held Tuesday, March 19, 6:30 to 8 p.m., and is available only to participants who have already attended ?Breastfeeding: Getting off to a Great Start.? Classes are held at?Lodi Memorial Hospital, 975 S. Fairmont Ave., Lodi. Registration:?(209) 339-7520. Visit?www.lodihealth.org?for information.

Black Barbershop Free Health Screenings

Feb. 9 (Saturday) noon to 4 p.m.:?Free screenings for blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes during the annual Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program, hosted by the University of the Pacific Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, will be held at three barbershops in Stockton. The program is part of a national outreach effort designed to bring awareness to the African American community about how important it is to obtain regular screenings for blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes. Those three illnesses have been identified as the leading causes of death in African Americans. The event is free and all are welcome to participate. Information: Adaeze Okeh at?(619) 245-9876?or?a_okeh@u.pacific.edu. The Black Barbershop screenings will be held at:

• Dudes and Divas, 345 N. California St., Stockton.
• Bay Kutz, 533 W. Harding Way, Stockton.
• Tru Barber Styles, 8037 West Lane, Suite A, Stockton.?

Healthy by Choice, Not by Chance

Feb. 10 (Sunday) 3 to 6 p.m.:?Manteca CHIP (Complete Health Improvement Program) presents its fourth annual Valentine?s Banquet at?Robert J. Cabral Agricultural Center, 2101 E. Earhart Ave., Stockton. It will feature vegetarian cuisine, entertainment, drawings and a presentation with featured guest Dr. Hans Diehl, founder of Manteca CHIP. Tickets: $35 for those 16 and older;?$30 early bird by Jan. 18. Information: Linda at?(209) 589-3807.

Free Mass Fatalities Planning and Response Training

Feb. 12 (Tuesday) 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.:?The Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium (RDPC) is making it easier for emergency responders in the Northern San Joaquin Valley to be prepared for such events by delivering a free U.S. Department of Homeland Security-certified course in mass fatality planning and response for rural communities. This eight-hour instructor-led course will be offered at the?Stanislaus County Sheriff?s Regional Training Center, 3805 Cornucopia Way, Modesto, giving participants the basics of mass fatality response while providing the opportunities to exchange rural perceptions and brainstorm solutions to simulated emergencies.?Registration deadline is Jan. 29.?Click here to register.

Teaching Healthy Habits for Life: A Community Approach

Join the California Department of Education at one of four forums to forge partnerships among school districts and other agencies that provide nutrition education and promotion in your community. Explore how each organization?s structures, services and goals support students in discovering how to eat and have a healthy life. Together, we will strategize how best to leverage and share resources for the common goal of improving the health and academic success of students. Information: Heather Reed at?hreed@cde.ca.gov.

• Feb. 13:?San Jose.
• Feb. 21:?Woodland.
• March 6:?Fresno.
• March 15:?Los Angeles.

Total-Joint Replacement Class

Feb. 14 (Thursday) 1 p.m. knee class; 2 p.m. hip class (or Feb. 28):?Lodi Health?s Outpatient-Rehabilitation Services offers a free, educational class for those planning to have total joint-replacement surgery of the hip or knee at?Lodi Health West, 800 S. Lower Sacramento Road, Lodi. Learn about preparations and exercises to do before surgery; the day of surgery and what to expect during the hospital stay; rehabilitation following surgery; techniques to decrease pain and swelling; and ways to promote maximum healing and return to normal function. Call?(209) 333-3136?for more information or to sign up for the class. Family and friends are welcome and encouraged to attend. For information on other classes, visit?www.lodihealth.org.

Asthmanology

Feb. 23 (Saturday) 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.:?Asthmanology ? Aimed to bring asthma awareness and education to the community. Joined by Respiratory Works, the?World of Wonders Science Museum, 2 N. Sacramento St., Lodi,?will be filled with activities aimed to increase awareness of asthma. Educated staff from Respiratory Works will be on site to advocate and bring asthma education and awareness to kids and families. If you have asthma, know someone with asthma or want to learn more about asthma, this event is for you. Regular museum admission applies. Information:?(209) 368-0969?or?jen@wowsciencemuseum.org?orwww.wowsciencemuseum.org.

SALUD Outreach

Feb. 23 (Saturday) 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.:?University of the Pacific student pharmacists will be offering free screenings and health information at?The Market at San Joaquin Delta College, South Burke Bradley Road, Locke 3 Parking Lot, Stockton. Attendees can have their blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes checked and receive a health consultation. Admission and parking are free and Spanish speakers will be available. Information:?SALUDPacific@gmail.com.

Childbirth Preparation Class in Lodi

Feb. 23 (Saturday) 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (or March 23):?Lodi Health?offers a complimentary one-day childbirth-preparation class at?Lodi Memorial Hospital, 975 S. Fairmont Ave., Lodi. Call?(209) 339-7520?to register. For information on other classes, visit?www.lodihealth.org.

Planning a Career in Health Services?

Deadline Feb. 24 (Sunday):?Health Plan of San Joaquin?s Health Careers Scholarship Program awards up to 20 $2,500 scholarships to high school seniors from San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties to pursue a medical career.Click here for information and application.?Visit?www.hpsj.com?to learn more about Health Plan or contact Shani Richards at?(209) 461-2284?or?srichards@hpsj.com.

Volunteer for HICAP in Stockton and Lodi

Week of Feb. 25:?HICAP (Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program) volunteer counselors help people understand Medicare. Do you enjoy working with seniors? Are you energetic, computer-literate and interested in giving back to your community? Medicare is a complex and often confusing health insurance benefit for individuals 65 and older, as well as for younger disabled individuals. Would you like to help people understand Medicare and assist in the resolution of problems with Medicare or related health plans? Our counselors typically volunteer 20 hours per month during business hours.? We currently need additional counselors in Stockton & Lodi. HICAP Services of Northern California provides a comprehensive training and mentoring program. Our next training session will be held in West Sacramento and begins the last week of February.? Our counselors are registered with the California Department of Aging and provide services right here in San Joaquin County. If this sounds of interest to you, please contact HICAP about becoming a Registered HICAP Counselor. Get an application packet now from Susan Billings, assistant program manager, HICAP Services of Northern California, at?(916) 375-3761?or?sbillings@hicapservices.net.

Kidney Smart Class

Feb. 28 (Thursday) 2 to 4 p.m. (or March 28): Stockton Home Training Davita, 545 E. Cleveland St., Suite B, Stockton, has redesigned its free Community Kidney Disease Education classes offered monthly as space allows. Information:?(209) 944-9055.

Big-Brother/Big-Sister Class in Lodi

March 13 (Wednesday) 3 to 4:30 p.m.:?Lodi Health offers a free big-brother/big-sister preparation class at?Lodi Memorial Hospital, 975 S. Fairmont Ave., Lodi.?This class, for children ages 3 through 8, will help youngsters adjust to the arrival of the new baby. Registration:?(209) 339-7520. Information:www.lodihealth.org.

Diabetes Resources in San Joaquin County

Diabetes is a costly disease, both in terms of people?s health and well-being, and in terms of dollars spent on treatment, medications and lost days at work and school. San Joaquin County annually accounts for among the worst death rates from diabetes among all 58 California counties. In an attempt to make its estimated 60,000 residents with diabetes aware of the many local resources available to help them deal with the disease, a dozen billboards in English and Spanish have been posted around the county directing readers to the?UniteForDiabetesSJC.org?website. At that website is information on numerous free classes and programs that provide education and training on preventing diabetes, managing the disease, controlling its side effects, and links to more resources, including special events and finding a physician. For questions on how to navigate the website or find a class, residents may call Vanessa Armendariz, community project manager at the San Joaquin Medical Society, at(209) 952-5299. The billboards came about through the efforts of the Diabetes Work Group, a subcommittee of San Joaquin County Public Health?s Obesity and Chronic Disease Prevention Task Force. Funding was provided through a grant from Kaiser Permanente Community Benefit Programs Division-Central Valley Area.

Covered California Annual Report

The first-ever Covered California Annual Report has been delivered to the governor and Legislature and is now available online.?This annual report is statutorily required. A link to the annual report has been added to Covered California?s homepage at?www.hbex.ca.gov?or access the report using this?link.

Protect Yourself and Pets Against Extreme Cold

San Joaquin County residents can expect very cold weather over the next week or more, particularly overnight, and should take steps to protect themselves, their pets and livestock, according to San Joaquin County Public Health Services. ?Taking precautions and making preparations for extremely cold weather will reduce the risk of weather-related health injuries,? said county Health Officer Dr. Karen Furst. ?Exposure to extreme cold can cause injury or serious health conditions. Those especially at risk during cold weather include seniors, infants and other vulnerable people,? Furst said. Tips to stay healthy and safe during cold weather include the following:

• Maintain a heated environment inside your home. Have extra blankets on hand. Be aware that space heaters can be a fire risk. Choose heaters with an automatic shut-off switch and nonglowing elements.
• If you do not have heat, go to a friend or family member?s home or local shelter.
• Do not bring outdoor heating devices into the home (e.g. barbecues and other cooking equipment) because they can produce deadly carbon monoxide (visit CDC athttp://www.cdc.gov/CDCTV/QuietKiller/index.html).
• Regularly check on family members or neighbors who are elderly or have special needs, especially if they live alone.
• If you live alone, keep in contact with friends and family.
• Wear several layers of lightweight and warm clothing, a hat and mittens, and cover your mouth with a scarf to protect your lungs when outside.
• Avoid heavy exertion in the cold; cold weather can put added strain on the heart. If you must work outdoors, dress warmly and work slowly.
• Be cautious when traveling; check road conditions before traveling and let others know of your route and estimated time of arrival. Keep extra blankets, food and water in your vehicle.
• Move family pets indoors or to an enclosure out of the elements. Likewise, protect livestock or other large animals from the cold weather. Make sure they have access to unfrozen water.
• Insulate pipes and allow faucets to drip slowly during cold weather to avoid freezing; learn how to shut off water valves (in case a pipe bursts).

The most common cold-related health problems are frostbite and hypothermia:

• Frostbite results in a loss of feeling and color in affected areas of the body. It most often affects the nose, ears, cheeks, chin, fingers or toes and can permanently damage the body.
• Hypothermia occurs when the body is exposed to very cold temperatures and begins to lose heat. In adults, hypothermia can appear as shivering, confusion, memory loss, fumbling hands, numbness or slurred speech. Children may have very low energy and cold skin that appears red. If any of these signs appear, the person?s temperature should be checked. Individuals with temperatures below 95 degrees Fahrenheit require medical attention immediately.?San Joaquin County residents who have an emergency related to the cold weather should call 911.

Other common symptoms of cold-related health problems to be aware of include: stiff muscles, slowed breathing, dizziness, puffy face and waxy or discolored skin. If you need emergency medical attention, call your physician or 911 immediately. County officials will continue to monitor the weather conditions. Additional tips to stay healthy and safe during cold weather are available on the San Joaquin County Public Health Services website,?http://www.sjcphs.org/.

Better Mommy Care Will Improve Community

First 5 San Joaquin invites you to partner with us to help expecting and new parents give their baby the best possible start in life, and help keep new moms in good emotional and physical health. Statistics show that the earlier a woman starts prenatal care, the healthier she and her baby will be. San Joaquin County ranks near the
bottom in infant mortality, low birth weights and prenatal care. However, there is much we can all do to address this and help to ensure that new and expecting mothers receive the best ?mommy care? possible.?Read on for?more information and resources to assist you in your efforts!

Baby With Birth Defect Born Every 4? Minutes

January:?Every 4? minutes, a baby is born with a major birth defect in the United States. January is National Birth Defects Prevention Month, a time to focus on raising awareness about the frequency with which birth defects occur and of the steps that can be taken to prevent them.?While not all birth defects can be prevented, there are things a woman can do get ready for a healthy pregnancy. In light of this, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has put together a site filled with guidelines, quotes, and rights-free resources on how to manage health conditions and adopt healthy behaviors before, during, and after pregnancy.?View CDC?site here.

CHNA.org?is a free web-based platform designed to assist hospitals (with particular attention to critical access and other smaller facilities), nonprofit organizations, state and local health departments, financial institutions, and other organizations seeking to better understand the needs and assets of their communities, and to collaborate to make measurable improvements in community health and well-being.

State Makes it Easier to Dispute Health Plan

The California Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC) launched?a new secure, easy-to-use online form?to allow Californians to file complaints regarding their health plan quickly and easily from any computer.?The portal?(click here), available in both English and Spanish, enables consumers to request an external review of a health plan?s denial of medical services, known as an Independent Medical Review.? Previously, health plan enrollees had to submit the required forms and paperwork via mail or fax. ?With more Californians to gain health care coverage under the Affordable Care Act, this new online portal will ensure there is a fast and easy way for them to get the care they are entitled to,? said Diana Dooley, secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency. Each year, the DMHC receives and resolves approximately 4,000 complaints from health plan members. Topics range from issues relating to access to care, claims, enrollment, benefits or coordination of care. Additionally, the DMHC annually administers approximately 1,700 Independent Medical Reviews of a health plan denial of service. These reviews are conducted by independent doctors not affiliated with the health plan.??This new online portal will help more Californians take advantage of the free health care assistance available through the Department of Managed Health Care?s Help Center,? said Brent Barnhart, DMHC director. The DMHC also unveiled two new online videos explaining the services available through the DMHC Help Center. Independent Medical Review process:?http://youtu.be/zUjzcAVqjqY. Services available through the DMHC Help Center:?http://youtu.be/zIbsB_1lz6Y. The secure complaint portal and online videos were funded through a federal Affordable Care Act grant. The DMHC regulates managed care health plans in California, protects the rights of approximately 20 million health plan enrollees, educates consumers on their health care rights and responsibilities, and preserves the financial stability of the managed health care system. Since 2000, the department has helped more than 1 million Californians resolve health plan problems through its Help Center. Information and assistance is available 24/7 at?www.HealthHelp.ca.gov?or by calling?(888) 466-2219.

No Time Like Now to?GET FIT!

First 5 San Joaquin invites you to partner with us to help families and communities in San Joaquin County?GET FIT!?Recent reports indicate that 1 in 5 children between 2-5 years old are already overweight or obese.? More than two-thirds of obese children will become obese adults.? Obesity can cause health problems that may include high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and elevated blood cholesterol levels.? Children who are physically fit are less likely to suffer from chronic diseases in childhood and adulthood, and are more likely to become physically active adults. This quarter?s health messaging efforts will focus on equipping educators and advocates with resources to help families to?GET FIT.??Read on for more information and resources to assist you in your efforts.?Join the movement to help families make the change!

Senior Gateway?Website: Don?t Be a Victim

California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones has unveiled a new consumer protection tool for California seniors, who have traditionally been prime targets for con artists. The California Department of Insurance (CDI) is hosting a new Web site?www.seniors.ca.gov?to educate seniors and their advocates and provide helpful information about how to avoid becoming victims of personal or financial abuse. The Web site, called?Senior Gateway, is important because seniors, including older veterans, are disproportionately at risk of being preyed upon financially and subjected to neglect and abuse. The Senior Gateway is sponsored by the Elder Financial Abuse Interagency Roundtable (E-FAIR), convened by CDI and includes representatives from many California agencies who share a common purpose of safeguarding the welfare of California?s seniors. ?The goal of this collaborative effort is to assemble, in one convenient location, valuable information not only for seniors, but their families and caregivers. This site will help California seniors find resources and solve problems, and will enable participating agencies to better serve this important segment of our population,? Jones said. The site offers seniors valuable tips and resources in the following areas, and more:

• Avoiding and reporting abuse and neglect by in-home caregivers or in facilities; learn about different types of abuse and the warning signs.
• Preventing and reporting financial fraud, abuse and scams targeting seniors.
• Understanding health care, insurance, Medicare and long-term care; know what long-term care includes.
• Locating services and programs available to assist older adults.
• Knowing your rights before buying insurance; what seniors need to know about annuities.
• Investing wisely and understanding the ins and outs of reverse mortgages.

The Great Health Care Debate Workshop-in-a-Box

The?Central Valley Health Policy Institute?based at Fresno State has developed an Affordable Care Act Policy Education Tool, ?The Great Health Care Debate Workshop-in-a-Box,? to be offered to community organizations and members of the public. The Great Health Care Debate Workshop-in-a-Box can be described as a basic curriculum and process for introducing the Affordable Care Act, understanding its flaws, options for improvement and understanding the Romney/Ryan voucher care alternative. ?It?s a nice, objective, nonpartisan presentation,? said Dr. John Capitman, executive director of the Central Valley Health Policy Institute. ?People learn tools that can be used for making their own judgments about health care reform.? Included in The Great Health Care Debate Workshop-in-a-Box is a complete power point presentation with a full script and accompanying participant workbook. The workbook provides a frame through which health care policy should be examined, as well as an examination of the ACA and Ryan/Romney proposal. The Workshop-in-a-Box also includes a supporting glossary, reference section, quick sheets and current health care policy news. The Great Health Care Debate Workshop-in-a-Box is designed so that even a health care policy novice can learn, examine and understand the ACA in a way that allows them the capacity to engage others in the debate around current health care policy options in the U.S. ?We will facilitate workshops with organizations that request the service and will also provide the Workshop-in-a-Box to others in the hopes that they facilitate The Great Health Care Debate Workshop in their own communities or organizations,? Capitman said. To request The Great Health Care Debate Workshop-in-a-Box or to schedule a workshop,?contact Dr. John Capitman at (559) 228-2159.

Affordable Care Act Toolkits

As consumers, businesses and health plans continue to prepare for full implementation of the Affordable Care Act in 2014, the California Department of Managed Health Care has released a?series of toolkits?to educate Californians about the changes that have already occurred in the health care system. ?The Affordable Care Act puts in place strong new consumer protections, provides additional coverage options and gives people more tools to make informed choices about their health care,? DMHC Director Brent Barnhart said. ?These toolkits?are designed to ensure that individuals, families, seniors and businesses are aware of the ways they can benefit from these changes in our health care system.??The four toolkits?are designed to provide information and resources targeted to individuals, families, seniors and small businesses and contain audience specific questions and answers, a resource guide, and fact sheets on topics such as: when a plan can cancel your coverage; how to file a grievance or appeal; how to keep your coverage through a ?grandfathered? health plan; getting the most from your health care dollars; and the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP). The?toolkits?were funded through a federal Affordable Care Act consumer assistance grant.

$5,000 Grants Help Pay for Children?s Medical Expenses

UnitedHealthcare Children?s Foundation (UHCCF)?is seeking grant applications from families in need of financial assistance to help pay for their child?s health care treatments, services or equipment not covered, or not fully covered, by their commercial health insurance plan. Qualifying families can receive up to $5,000 to help pay for medical services and equipment such as physical, occupational and speech therapy, counseling services, surgeries, prescriptions, wheelchairs, orthotics, eyeglasses and hearing aids. To be eligible for a grant, children must be 16 years of age or younger. Families must meet economic guidelines, reside in the United States and have a commercial health insurance plan. Grants are available for medical expenses families have incurred 60 days prior to the date of application as well as for ongoing and future medical needs. Parents or legal guardians may apply for grants at?www.uhccf.org, and there is no application deadline. Organizations or private donors can make tax-deductible donations to the foundation at this website. In 2011, UHCCF awarded more than 1,200 grants to families across the United States for treatments associated with medical conditions such as cancer, spina bifida, muscular dystrophy, diabetes, hearing loss, autism, cystic fibrosis, Down syndrome, ADHD and cerebral palsy.

Facts About Fruits and Vegetables

Click here?for lots of great information about fruits and vegetables.

We?re FAT!

Here are the latest statistics?on Stockton and surrounding cities on overweight and obesity.

Questions About Health Reform Law?

• How are small businesses affected by health reform?
• Will everyone have to buy health insurance?
• How will the new provision allowing young adults to remain on a parent?s insurance work?

The FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) section of the Kaiser Family Foundation?s new Health Reform Source provides concise answers to common questions about the health reform law. You can search for your question or submit a new question if yours is not addressed.?http://healthreform.kff.org/faq.aspx. Additional questions addressing the affordability of health insurance, how programs like Medicare and Medicaid (Medi-Cal in California) will be financed under health reform and others are addressed in a series of Video Explainer clips featuring foundation experts answering specific questions about the law on a variety of health policy topics.http://healthreform.kff.org/video-explainers.aspx. Kaiser?s Health Reform Source,?http://healthreform.kff.org, an online gateway providing easy access to new and comprehensive resources on the health reform law, provides these and other new features and tools including an interactive timeline showing when health-reform provisions take effect, all the latest polling data, links to other information resources, and the latest health-reform headlines from Kaiser Health News.

Journey to Control Diabetes Education Program

Mondays 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.:?Dameron Hospital offers a free diabetes education program, with classes held in the?Dameron Hospital Annex, 445 W. Acacia St., Stockton. Preregistration is required. Contact Carolyn Sanders, RN, at?c.sanders@dameronhospital.org,?(209) 461-3136?or?(209) 461-7597.

Man-to-Man Prostate Cancer Support Group

First Monday of Month 7 to 9 p.m.: Dameron Hospital, 525 W. Acacia St., Stockton,?holds a support group for men diagnosed with prostate cancer and their families and caregivers. The meetings are facilitated by trained volunteers who are prostate cancer survivors. Information: Ernest Pontiflet at?(209) 952-9092.

Crystal Meth Anonymous Recovery Group

Mondays 6:30 p.m.:?825 Central Ave., Lodi. Information:?(209) 430-9780?or?(209) 368-0756.

Yoga for People Dealing with Cancer

Mondays 5:30 to 7 p.m.:?This free weekly Yoga & Breathing class for cancer patients will help individuals sleep better and reduce pain. This class is led by yoga instructor Chinu Mehdi in Classrooms 1 and 2, St. Joseph?s Medical Center, 1800 N. California St., Stockton. Information:?(209) 467-6550?or?SJCancerInfo@dignityhealth.org.

Respiratory Support Group for Better Breathing

First Tuesday of month 10 to 11 a.m.:?Lodi Health?s Respiratory Therapy Department?and the American Lung Association of California Valley Lode offer a free ?Better Breathers?? respiratory-support group for people and their family members with breathing problems including asthma, bronchitis and emphysema. Participants will learn how to cope with chronic lung disease, understand lungs and how they work and use medications and oxygen properly. The group meets at?Lodi Health West, 800 S. Lower Sacramento Road, Lodi.?Pre-registration is recommended by calling?(209) 339-7445. For information on other classes available at Lodi Memorial, visit its website at?www.lodihealth.org.

The Beat Goes On Cardiac Support Group

First Tuesday of month 11 a.m. to noon:?Lodi Health offers a free cardiac support group at?Lodi Health West, 800 S. Lower Sacramento Road, Lodi. ?The Beat Goes On? cardiac support group is a community-based nonprofit group that offers practical tools for healthy living to heart disease patients, their families and caregivers. Its mission is to provide community awareness that those with heart disease can live well through support meetings and educational forums. Upcoming topics include exercise, stress management and nutrition counseling services. All are welcomed to attend. Information:?(209) 339-7664.

Planned Childbirth Services

Tuesdays 6 to 8 p.m.:?Dameron Hospital, 525 W. Acacia St., Stockton,?hosts a four-class series which answers questions and prepares mom and her partner for labor and birth. Bring two pillows and a comfortable blanket or exercise mat to each class. These classes are requested during expecting mother?s third trimester. Information/registration: Carolyn Sanders, RN?(209) 461-3136?or?www.Dameronhospital.org.

Say Yes to Breastfeeding

Tuesdays 6 to 8 p.m.:?Dameron Hospital, 525 W. Acacia St., Stockton,?offers a class that outlines the information and basic benefits and risk management of breastfeeding. Topics include latching, early skin-to-skin on cue, expressing milk and helpful hints on early infant feeding. In addition, the hospital offers a monthly Mommy and Me-Breastfeeding support group where mothers, babies and hospital clerical staff meet the second Monday of each month. Information/registration: Carolyn Sanders, RN?(209) 461-3136?or?www.Dameronhospital.org.

Precious Preemies

Second Tuesday of the month, 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.:?Precious Preemies: A Discussion Group for Families Raising Premature Infants and Infants with Medical Concerns required registration and is held at?Family Resource Network, Sherwood Executive Center, 5250 Claremont Ave., Suite 148, Stockton. Information:?www.frcn.org/calendar.asp?or?(209) 472-3674?or?(800) 847-3030.

Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous

Are you having trouble controlling the way you eat? Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous (FA) is a free Twelve Step recovery program for anyone suffering from food obsession, overeating, undereating or bulimia. For more information or a list of additional meetings throughout the U.S. and the world, call?(781) 932-6300?or visit?www.foodaddicts.org.

• Tuesdays 7 p.m.:?Modesto Unity Church, 2547 Veneman Ave., Modesto.
• Wednesdays 9 a.m.:?The Episcopal Church of Saint Anne, 1020 W. Lincoln Road, Stockton.
• Saturdays 9 a.m.:?Tracy Community Church, 1790 Sequoia Blvd. at Corral Hollow, Tracy.

Break From Stress

Wednesdays 6 to 7 p.m.:?St. Joseph?s Medical Center offers the community a break from their stressful lives with Break from Stress sessions. These sessions are free, open to the public, with no pre-registration necessary. Just drop in, take a deep breath and relax through a variety of techniques. Break from Stress sessions are held in St. Joseph?s Cleveland Classroom (behind HealthCare Clinical Lab on California Street just north of the medical center. Information:SJCancerInfo@DignityHealth.org?or?(209) 467-6550.

Mother-Baby Breast Connection

Wednesdays 1 to 3 p.m.:?Join a lactation consultant for support and advice on the challenges of early breastfeeding. Come meet other families and attend as often as you like. A different topic of interest will be offered each week with time for breastfeeding assistance and questions.?Pre-registration is required. Call?(209) 467-6331. St. Joseph?s Medical Center, Pavilion Conference Room (1st?floor), 1800 N. California St., Stockton.

Adult Children With Aging Relatives

Second Wednesday of month 4:30 p.m.:?Lodi Health offers an Adult Children with Aging Relatives support group at the?Hutchins Street Square Senior Center. Information:?(209) 369-4443?or?(209) 369-6921.

Smoking Cessation Class in Lodi

Wednesdays 3 to 4 p.m.:?Lodi Health?offers an eight-session smoking-cessation class for those wishing to become smoke free. Classes are held weekly in the?Lodi Health Pulmonary Rehabilitation Department at Lodi Memorial Hospital, 975 S. Fairmont Ave., Lodi. Topics covered include benefits of quitting; ways to cope with quitting; how to deal with a craving; medications that help with withdrawal; and creating a support system. Call the Lodi Health Lung Health Line at?(209) 339-7445?to register.

Individual Stork Tours At Dameron

Wednesdays 5 to 7 p.m.: Dameron Hospital, 525 W. Acacia St., Stockton,?offers 30 minute guided tours that provide expecting parents with a tour of Labor/Delivery, the Mother-Baby Unit and an overview of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. New mothers are provided information on delivery services, where to go and what to do once delivery has arrived, and each mother can create an individual birthing plan. Information/registration: Carolyn Sanders, RN?(209) 461-3136?or?www.Dameronhospital.org.

Brain Builders Weekly Program

Thursdays 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.:?Lodi Health and the?Hutchins Street Square Senior Center?offer ?Brain Builders,? a weekly program for people in the early stages of memory loss. There is a weekly fee of $25. Registration is required. Information or to register, call?(209) 369-4443?or?(209) 369-6921.

Infant CPR and Safety

Second Thursday of month 5 to 7 p.m.:?Dameron Hospital, 525 W. Acacia St., Stockton,?offers a class to family members to safely take care of their newborn.? Family members are taught infant CPR and relief of choking, safe sleep and car seat safety.? Regarding infant safety, the hospital offers on the fourth Thursday of each month from 5 to 7 p.m. a NICU/SCN family support group. This group is facilitated by a Master Prepared Clinical Social Worker and the Dameron NICU staff with visits from the hospital?s neonatologist. Information/registration: Carolyn Sanders, RN?(209) 461-3136?or?www.Dameronhospital.org.

Group Meetings for Alzheimer?s Patients, Caregivers

Thursdays 10 to 11:30 a.m.:?The Alzheimer?s Aid Society of Northern California in conjunction with Villa Marche residential care facility conducts a simultaneous Caregiver?s Support Group and Patient?s Support Group at?Villa Marche, 1119 Rosemarie Lane, Stockton. Caregivers, support people or family members of anyone with dementia are welcome to attend the caregiver?s group, led by Rita Vasquez. It?s a place to listen, learn and share. At the same time, Alzheimer?s and dementia patients can attend the patient?s group led by Sheryl Ashby. Participants will learn more about dementia and how to keep and enjoy the skills that each individual possesses. There will be brain exercises and reminiscence. The meeting is appropriate for anyone who enjoys socialization and is able to attend with moderate supervision. Information:?(209) 477-4858.

Clase Gratuita de Diabetes en Espa?ol

Cada segundo Viernes del mes:?Participantes aprender?n los fundamentos sobre la?observaci?n de az?car de sangre, comida saludable, tama?os de porci?n y medicaciones. Un educador con certificado del control de diabetes dar? instruccion sobre la autodirecci?n durante de esta clase. Para mas informaci?n y registraci?n:?(209) 461-3251. Aprenda m?s de los programas de diabetes en el sitio electronico de St. Joseph?s:www.StJosephsCares.org/Diabetes

Nutrition on the Move Class

Fridays 11 a.m. to noon: Nutrition Education Center at Emergency Food Bank, 7 W. Scotts Ave., Stockton.? Free classes are general nutrition classes where you?ll learn about the new My Plate standards, food label reading, nutrition and exercise, eating more fruits and vegetables, and other tips. Information:?(209) 464-7369?or?www.stocktonfoodbank.org.

Crystal Meth Anonymous Recovery Group

Fridays 6 p.m.:?St. Joseph?s Behavioral Health (in trailer at the rear of building), 2510 N. California St., Stockton. Information:?(209) 461-2000.

Free Diabetes Class in Spanish

Second Friday of every month:?Participants will learn the basics about blood sugar monitoring, healthy foods, portion sizes, medications and self-management skills from a certified diabetic educator during this free class.?St. Joseph?s Medical Center, 1800 N. California St., Stockton.?Information and registration:?(209) 461-3251.Learn more on St. Joseph?s diabetes programs at?www.StJosephsCares.org/Diabetes.

All Day Prepared Childbirth Class

Third Saturday of month 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.:?Dameron Hospital, 525 W. Acacia St., Stockton,?offers community service educational class of prebirth education and mentoring. Information/registration: Carolyn Sanders, RN?(209) 461-3136?or?www.Dameronhospital.org.

Big Brother/Big Sister

Second Sunday of month:?Dameron Hospital, 525 W. Acacia St., Stockton,?has a one-hour class meeting designed specifically for newborn?s siblings. Topics include family role, a labor/delivery tour and a video presentation which explains hand washing/germ control and other household hygiene activities. This community service class ends with a Certification of Completion certificate. Information/registration: Carolyn Sanders, RN(209) 461-3136?or?www.Dameronhospital.org.

Outpatient Program Aimed at Teens

Two programs:?Adolescents face a number of challenging issues while trying to master their developmental milestones. Mental health issues (including depression), substance abuse and family issues can hinder them from mastering the developmental milestones that guide them into adulthood. The Adolescent Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) offered by?St. Joseph?s Behavioral Health Center, 2510 N. California St., Stockton, is designed for those individuals who need comprehensive treatment for their mental, emotional or chemical dependency problems. This program uses Dialectical Behavioral Therapy to present skills for effective living. Patients learn how to identify and change distorted thinking, communicate effectively in relationships and regain control of their lives. The therapists work collaboratively with parents, doctors and schools. They also put together a discharge plan so the patient continues to get the help they need to thrive into adulthood.

• Psychiatric Adolescent IOP meets Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 4 to 7:30 p.m.
• Chemical Recovery Adolescent IOP meets Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 4 to 7 p.m.

For more information about this and other groups,?(209) 461-2000?and ask to speak with a behavioral evaluator or visit?www.StJosephsCanHelp.org.

Stork Tours in Lodi

Parents-to-be are offered individual tours of the?Lodi Memorial Hospital Maternity Department, 975 S. Fairmont Ave., Lodi.?Prospective parents may view the labor, delivery and recovery areas of the hospital and ask questions of the nursing staff. Phone?(209) 339-7879?to schedule a tour. For more information on other classes offered by Lodi Health, visit?www.lodihealth.org.

Click here?for Community Medical Centers (Channel Medical Clinic, San Joaquin Valley Dental Group, etc.) website.

Click here?for Dameron Hospital?s?Event Calendar.

Click here?for Doctors Hospital of Manteca?Events finder.

Click here?for Hill Physicians website.

Click here?for Kaiser Central Valley News and Events

Click here?for Lodi Memorial Hospital?Event Calendar.

Click here?for Mark Twain St. Joseph?s Hospital?Classes and Events.

Click here?to find a Planned Parenthood Health Center near you.

Click here?for San Joaquin General Hospital?website.

Click here?for St. Joseph?s Medical Center?s?Classes and Events.

Click here?for Sutter Gould news.?Click here?for Sutter Gould calendar of events.

Click here?for Sutter Tracy Community Hospital?events, classes and support groups.

San Joaquin County Public Health Services General Information

Ongoing resources for vaccinations and clinic information are:

1. Public Health Services Influenza website,?www.sjcphs.org
2. Recorded message line at?(209) 469-8200, extension 2# for English and 3# for Spanish.
3. For further information, individuals may call the following numbers at Public Health Services:

• For general vaccine and clinic questions, call?(209) 468-3862;
• For medical questions, call?(209) 468-3822.

Health officials continue to recommend these precautionary measures to help protect against acquiring influenza viruses:

1. Wash your hands often with soap and water or use alcohol based sanitizers.
2. Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue or your sleeve, when you cough or sneeze.
3. Stay home if you are sick until you are free of a fever for 24 hours.
4. Get vaccinated.

Public Health Services Clinic Schedules (Adults and Children)

Immunization clinic hours are subject to change depending on volume of patients or staffing. Check the Public Health Services website for additional evening clinics or special clinics at?www.sjcphs.org. Clinics with an asterisk?(*)?require patients to call for an appointment.

Stockton Health Center: 1601 E. Hazelton Ave.; (209) 468-3830.

• Immunizations: Monday 1-4 p.m.; Tuesday 1-4 p.m.; Wednesday 10 a.m.-1 p.m.; Thursday 8-11 a.m. and 1-4 p.m.; Friday 8-11 a.m.
• Travel clinic*: Thursday 8-11 a.m. and 1 to 4 p.m.
• Health exams*: Tuesday 1-4 p.m.; Wednesday 10 a.m.-1 p.m.; Friday 8-11 a.m.
• Sexually transmitted disease clinic: Wednesday 3-6 p.m. and Friday 1-4 p.m., walk-in and by appointment.
• Tuberculosis clinic*: Tuesday; second and fourth Wednesday of the month.
• HIV testing: Tuesday 1-4 p.m.; Thursday 1-4 p.m.

Manteca Health Center: 124 Sycamore Ave.; (209) 823-7104 or (800) 839-4949.

• Immunizations: Wednesday 10 a.m.-1 p.m. and 3-6 p.m.
• Tuberculosis clinic*: first and third Wednesday 3-6 p.m.
• HIV testing: first Wednesday 1:30-4 p.m.

Lodi Health Center: 300 W. Oak St.; (209) 331-7303 or (800) 839-4949.

• Immunizations: Friday 8-11 a.m. and 1-4 p.m.
• Tuberculosis clinic*: Friday 8-11 a.m. and 1-4 p.m.
• HIV testing: second and fourth Friday 1:30-4 p.m.

WIC (Women, Infants & Children) Program

Does your food budget need a boost? The WIC Program can help you stretch your food dollars. This special supplemental food program for women, infants and children serves low-income women who are currently pregnant or have recently delivered, breastfeeding moms, infants, and children up to age 5. Eligible applicants receive monthly checks to use at any authorized grocery store for wholesome foods such as fruits and vegetables, milk and cheese, whole-grain breads and cereals, and more. WIC shows you how to feed your family to make them healthier and brings moms and babies closer together by helping with breastfeeding. WIC offers referrals to low-cost or free health care and other community services depending on your needs. WIC services may be obtained at a variety of locations throughout San Joaquin County:

Stockton?(209) 468-3280

• Public Health Services WIC Main Office, 1145 N. Hunter St.: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Wednesday 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; open two Saturdays a month.
• Family Health Center, 1414 N. California St.: Wednesday 8 a.m. to noon, 1 to 5 p.m.
• CUFF (Coalition United for Families), 2044 Fair St.: Thursday 8 a.m. to noon, 1 to 5 p.m.
• Taylor Family Center, 1101 Lever Blvd.: Wednesday 8 a.m. to noon, 1 to 4 p.m.
• Transcultural Clinic, 4422 N. Pershing Ave. Suite D-5: Tuesday 8 a.m. to noon, 1 to 5 p.m.

?Manteca??(209) 823-7104

• Public Health Services, 124 Sycamore Lane: Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 8 a.m. to noon, 1 to 5 p.m.

?Tracy?(209) 831-5930

• Public Health Services, 205 W. Ninth St.: Monday, Wednesday 8 a.m. to noon, 1 to 5 p.m.

Flu Vaccine Available at Calaveras Public Health Department

Recent news reports of an expected severe flu season in 2013 have created an interest in receiving flu vaccine. The Calaveras County Public Health Department encourages residents who have not been vaccinated to do so soon. ?Flu cases in the U.S. have occurred earlier than normal and the severity of the flu this year is greater,? reported Dr. Dean Kelaita, county health officer. State and county health officials anticipate increased flu activity in California in the coming weeks and urge vaccination now.? ?Getting vaccinated now allows time for immunity to develop from the vaccine before cases increase,? Kelaita said. People at high risk for complications from the flu, include:

• Children aged 6 months until their 5th birthday
• Pregnant women
• People 50 years of age and older
• People of any age with certain chronic medical conditions
• People who live in nursing homes and other long term care facilities

All individuals over 6 months of age are recommended to get flu vaccine to protect young infants and high risk family members. Medi-Cal and Medicare are accepted. Fee: $16, but no one is turned away for inability to pay. Information:?(209) 754-6460?or?www.calaveraspublichealth.com. Vaccination clinics:

• Mondays 3 to 5 p.m.:?Calaveras County Public Health Department, 700 Mountain Ranch Road, Suite C-2, San Andreas.
• Third Tuesday monthly 3 to 5:30 p.m.:?Valley Springs United Methodist Church, 135 Laurel, Valley Springs.
• Thursdays 8 a.m. to noon:?Calaveras County Public Health Department, 700 Mountain Ranch Road, Suite C-2, San Andreas.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

What You Need to Know About Joe?s Health Calendar

Have a health-oriented event the public in San Joaquin County should know about? Let me know at?jgoldeen@recordnet.com?and I?ll get it into my Health Calendar. I?m not interested in promoting commercial enterprises here, but I am interested in helping out nonprofit and/or community groups, hospitals, clinics, physicians and other health-care providers. Look for five categories: Community Events, News, Ongoing, Hospitals & Medical Groups, and Public Health.?TO THE PUBLIC:?I won?t list an item here from a source that I don?t know or trust. So I believe you can count on what you read here. If there is a problem, please don?t hesitate to let me know at?(209) 546-8278?or?jgoldeen@recordnet.com.?Thanks, Joe

Source: http://blogs.esanjoaquin.com/stockton-health-care/2013/01/26/joes-health-calendar-12613/

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