Please forgive the brief diversion though this can be considered a health issue as these people have put me under a severe amount of stress over the last few months. I had never before quite understood those people who complained about being treated badly by customer services, up until now I had considered that to be a character flaw!
But now I completely understand the helplessness and out of control feeling of being ripped off and not being able to do a damn thing about it and thinking that screaming down a phone will actually solve the problem....
Pipex used to be a brilliant ISP until they were taken over by Tiscali and then it all went horribly wrong. Billing discrepancies, charges for cancelling the contract when the service was obviously still in effect, promises of having sorted it out leading to more calls, emails, then back to square one.
I am not alone in this, I found several forums with similar Pipex grievances and finally complained to the ISPA which has prompted, what seems to be, positive action from them to sort out my account and refund my money though I'm not holding my breath
Not brilliant, and I will be switching at the end of my contract, or sooner if I can escape without being charged another cancellation fee!
On top of this my credit card company said they could not do a thing about it as I had given Pipex my card number and authorised them to take money out of my account. They would only act if someone had got hold of my number fraudulently. This is not right surely! Anyone taking out an unagreed amount without my consent is committing fraud in my book.
From now on I will only be using Direct Debits which I can cancel myself and will not be giving anyone my credit card number to do what they like with!
And while in ranting mode I'd like to mention premium rate telephone numbers, even my doctor has one now! I can perfectly understand them for things like technical support and advice lines but to call a company to buy something from them and pay a premium rate telephone charge on top for the privilege, that's just taking the piss.
For several years I have used http://saynoto0870.com where you can find alternatives and they have a growing database of telephone numbers you can add to and I urge you to do this! There are still a lot of old fashioned numbers out there you can use and the site is doing a terrific job, good on you folks :)
Monday, May 26, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
Man Has Operation On Hand Without Anaesthetic
I read a local news story recently about a man, Alex Lenkei of Worthing, undergoing an operation on his hand without an anaesthetic. The 80 minute procedure involved removing some bone and fusing some joints together and all carried out under self-induced hypnosis which the patient took about 30 seconds to induce. Granted the man is an experienced hypnotist but I have seen the exact same thing, orthopaedic operations carried out on conscious patients, conducted by Dr. Escudero of Valencia, Spain.
It is his extraordinary technique, called Noesitherapy, which makes this possible and it has fascinated me for years. I used it successfully to have a minor operation carried out on a very delicate part of my anatomy, assisted by Martin Dawes, who taught me the technique originally.
So amazed am I at its efficacy, and its many applications in daily life, that I have included the technique in a book I have just written on Alternative Pain Relief.
You can find out more here: http://alternative-pain-relief.com
It is his extraordinary technique, called Noesitherapy, which makes this possible and it has fascinated me for years. I used it successfully to have a minor operation carried out on a very delicate part of my anatomy, assisted by Martin Dawes, who taught me the technique originally.
So amazed am I at its efficacy, and its many applications in daily life, that I have included the technique in a book I have just written on Alternative Pain Relief.
You can find out more here: http://alternative-pain-relief.com
Thursday, March 27, 2008
How To Identify A Stroke And Why You Must Act Quickly
This is such important information that I have copied it here word for word including the initial story which emphasizes how critical it is to identify a stroke straight away and take action immediately.
STROKE IDENTIFICATION:
During a BBQ, a friend stumbled and took a little fall - she assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) and just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes. They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food - while she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying herself the rest of the afternoon. Ingrid's husband called later saying that his wife had been taken to the hospital and passed away. She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be with us today. Some stroke victims don't die, they end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead.
A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within three hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke . . . totally. He said the trick was having a stroke recognized, diagnosed and then getting the patient medically cared for within three hours, which is tough.
RECOGNIZING A STROKE:
Thank God for the sense to remember the "3" steps.
Read and Learn!
Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.
Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:
S *Ask the individual to SMILE.
T *Ask the person to TALK, to SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE. (Coherently) (i.e. . . It is sunny out today)
R *Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.
NOTE: Another 'sign' of a stroke is this: Ask the person to 'stick' out their tongue . if the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other, that is also an indication of a stroke
If he or she has trouble with any one of these tasks, call an emergency number immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.
You also need to know that there is a three hour window to receive throbolitics after a stroke. If a person gets this medication in that time frame there is a bigger chance of them not having paralysis or brain damage.
STROKE IDENTIFICATION:
During a BBQ, a friend stumbled and took a little fall - she assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) and just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes. They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food - while she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying herself the rest of the afternoon. Ingrid's husband called later saying that his wife had been taken to the hospital and passed away. She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be with us today. Some stroke victims don't die, they end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead.
A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within three hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke . . . totally. He said the trick was having a stroke recognized, diagnosed and then getting the patient medically cared for within three hours, which is tough.
RECOGNIZING A STROKE:
Thank God for the sense to remember the "3" steps.
Read and Learn!
Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.
Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:
S *Ask the individual to SMILE.
T *Ask the person to TALK, to SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE. (Coherently) (i.e. . . It is sunny out today)
R *Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.
NOTE: Another 'sign' of a stroke is this: Ask the person to 'stick' out their tongue . if the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other, that is also an indication of a stroke
If he or she has trouble with any one of these tasks, call an emergency number immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.
You also need to know that there is a three hour window to receive throbolitics after a stroke. If a person gets this medication in that time frame there is a bigger chance of them not having paralysis or brain damage.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Energy Saving Lightbulbs Contain Mercury!
So while they may be saving the amount of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere and do help to slow down global warming they can potentially poison our water supply and environment.
I have never seen a warning on the box of one of these bulbs though I cannot guarantee it isn't there (when was the last time you read the outside of a light bulb carton?)
And yes it does make sense to use them, 9 million bulbs can save 1.5 million pounds of carbon dioxide being dumped into the atmosphere BUT there are no guidelines for disposal or any protocols in place to deal them once they have reached the end of their 10,000 hour lives.
Five milligrams of mercury, a neurotoxin than can cause kidney and brain damage, which is barely enough to cover a pen tip, can contaminate 6000 gallons of water and even the bulbs that are claiming low mercury, have enough in them to poison 1000 gallons, and that's just one bulb!
What is going to happen, say, in 10 years time when billions of these things have been dumped in landfill sites?
We can't know but can expect, as usual, the authorities to drag their feet and only act when a catastrophe has occurred.
I've heard of a woman in America who smashed one of these bulbs and when she called a local government agency for advice was referred to a private clean up company that wanted to charge her $2000 to contain the mercury and dispose of it!
So for anyone who should have such an experience here are the current guidelines for cleaning up a broken energy saving light bulb.
Before cleanup: Vent the room
1. Open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or more.
2. Shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system, if you have one.
Cleanup steps for hard surfaces
3. Carefully scoop up glass fragments and powder using stiff paper or cardboard and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.
4. Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder.
5. Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes and place them in the glass jar or plastic bag.
6. Do not use a vacuum or broom to clean up the broken bulb on hard surfaces.
Cleanup steps for carpeting or rug
3. Carefully pick up glass fragments and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.
4. Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder.
5. If vacuuming is needed after all visible materials are removed, vacuum the area where the bulb was broken.
6. Remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister), and put the bag or vacuum debris in a sealed plastic bag.
Disposal of cleanup materials
7. Immediately place all cleanup materials outside the building in a trash container or outdoor protected area for the next normal trash.
8. Wash your hands after disposing of the jars or plastic bags containing cleanup materials.
9. Check with your local or state government about disposal requirements in your specific area. Some states prohibit such trash disposal and require that broken and unbroken lamps be taken to a recycling center.
Future cleaning of carpeting or rug
10. For at least the next few times you vacuum, shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system and open a window prior to vacuuming.
11. Keep the central heating/air conditioning system shut off and the window open for at least 15 minutes after vacuuming is completed.
I have never seen a warning on the box of one of these bulbs though I cannot guarantee it isn't there (when was the last time you read the outside of a light bulb carton?)
And yes it does make sense to use them, 9 million bulbs can save 1.5 million pounds of carbon dioxide being dumped into the atmosphere BUT there are no guidelines for disposal or any protocols in place to deal them once they have reached the end of their 10,000 hour lives.
Five milligrams of mercury, a neurotoxin than can cause kidney and brain damage, which is barely enough to cover a pen tip, can contaminate 6000 gallons of water and even the bulbs that are claiming low mercury, have enough in them to poison 1000 gallons, and that's just one bulb!
What is going to happen, say, in 10 years time when billions of these things have been dumped in landfill sites?
We can't know but can expect, as usual, the authorities to drag their feet and only act when a catastrophe has occurred.
I've heard of a woman in America who smashed one of these bulbs and when she called a local government agency for advice was referred to a private clean up company that wanted to charge her $2000 to contain the mercury and dispose of it!
So for anyone who should have such an experience here are the current guidelines for cleaning up a broken energy saving light bulb.
Before cleanup: Vent the room
1. Open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or more.
2. Shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system, if you have one.
Cleanup steps for hard surfaces
3. Carefully scoop up glass fragments and powder using stiff paper or cardboard and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.
4. Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder.
5. Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes and place them in the glass jar or plastic bag.
6. Do not use a vacuum or broom to clean up the broken bulb on hard surfaces.
Cleanup steps for carpeting or rug
3. Carefully pick up glass fragments and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.
4. Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder.
5. If vacuuming is needed after all visible materials are removed, vacuum the area where the bulb was broken.
6. Remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister), and put the bag or vacuum debris in a sealed plastic bag.
Disposal of cleanup materials
7. Immediately place all cleanup materials outside the building in a trash container or outdoor protected area for the next normal trash.
8. Wash your hands after disposing of the jars or plastic bags containing cleanup materials.
9. Check with your local or state government about disposal requirements in your specific area. Some states prohibit such trash disposal and require that broken and unbroken lamps be taken to a recycling center.
Future cleaning of carpeting or rug
10. For at least the next few times you vacuum, shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system and open a window prior to vacuuming.
11. Keep the central heating/air conditioning system shut off and the window open for at least 15 minutes after vacuuming is completed.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Aspartame - The World's Best Ant Poison
I read an appalling thing on a forum the other day. Someone was asking how to get rid of ants and the topic of aspartame and how poisonous it is raised its ugly head once again.
Here is the full article from the Idaho Observer, 2006, lifted directly from the post.
"We live in the woods and carpenter ants are a huge problem. We
have spent thousands of dollars with Orkin and on ant poisons
trying to keep them under control but nothing has helped.
So when I read somewhere that Aspartame (Nutrasweet) was
actually developed as an ant poison and only changed to being
considered non-poisonous after it was realized that
a lot more money could be made on it as a sweetener than as an
ant poison, I decided to give it a try. I opened two packets of
aspartame sweetener, and dumped one in a corner of each of our
bathrooms. That was about 2 years ago and I have not seen any
carpenter ants for about 9 to 12 months. It works better than the most deadly poisons I have tried. Any time they show up again, I simply dump another package of Nutrasweet in a corner, and they will be gone for a year or so again. Since posting this information I have had many
people tell me of their success solving ant problems with this substance, when nothing else worked.
We found later that small black ants would not eat the
aspartame. It was determined that if you mixed it with apple
juice, they would quickly take it back to the nest, and all
would be dead within 24 hours, usually. I have found that
sometimes it will kill them, and sometimes it does not. Not sure
why, may be slightly different species of ants or something.
Fire Ants: We got our first fire ant hill about 2 weeks ago.
Poison did not work. We tried aspartame and the ants ignored it
until we got a light rain. It was just a sprinkle, enough to
moisten the Nutrasweet and ground, but not enough to wash it
away. They went crazy, hundreds of them grabbing it and taking
it back into the mound. When I checked the mound 2 days later, there was no sign of the fire ants. I even dug the mound up some, and still saw none of them.
How it works:
Aspartame is a neuropoison. It most likely kills the ants by
interfering with their nervous system. It could be direct, like
stopping their heart, or something more subtle, like killing
their sense of taste so they can't figure out what is edible, or
smell, so they can't follow their trails, or mis-identify their
colonies members, so they start fighting each other.
Not sure what causes them to end up dying; just know that for
many species of ants, it will kill them quickly and effectively.
As with any poison I recommend wearing gloves and washing any
skin areas that come in contact with this poison, and avoid
getting it in your mouth, despite anything the labeling may
indicate. I suspect it will work for other insects such as
yellow jackets as well, but have not tested that yet.
More information on this fantastic poison can be found
at: http://www.dorway.com "
I remember years ago seeing a program about how the initial results on rats had been tampered with and literally hundreds of bags of dead rats were disposed of secretly.
And now please watch a short vid about the manufacturers and the power they have over the media and market place and you will see why the rise and use of this powerful poison (which I am convinced attacks and adversely affects the nervous system of humans from my observations over the years), aspartame, has gone unchallenged.
Outrageous!
Here is the full article from the Idaho Observer, 2006, lifted directly from the post.
"We live in the woods and carpenter ants are a huge problem. We
have spent thousands of dollars with Orkin and on ant poisons
trying to keep them under control but nothing has helped.
So when I read somewhere that Aspartame (Nutrasweet) was
actually developed as an ant poison and only changed to being
considered non-poisonous after it was realized that
a lot more money could be made on it as a sweetener than as an
ant poison, I decided to give it a try. I opened two packets of
aspartame sweetener, and dumped one in a corner of each of our
bathrooms. That was about 2 years ago and I have not seen any
carpenter ants for about 9 to 12 months. It works better than the most deadly poisons I have tried. Any time they show up again, I simply dump another package of Nutrasweet in a corner, and they will be gone for a year or so again. Since posting this information I have had many
people tell me of their success solving ant problems with this substance, when nothing else worked.
We found later that small black ants would not eat the
aspartame. It was determined that if you mixed it with apple
juice, they would quickly take it back to the nest, and all
would be dead within 24 hours, usually. I have found that
sometimes it will kill them, and sometimes it does not. Not sure
why, may be slightly different species of ants or something.
Fire Ants: We got our first fire ant hill about 2 weeks ago.
Poison did not work. We tried aspartame and the ants ignored it
until we got a light rain. It was just a sprinkle, enough to
moisten the Nutrasweet and ground, but not enough to wash it
away. They went crazy, hundreds of them grabbing it and taking
it back into the mound. When I checked the mound 2 days later, there was no sign of the fire ants. I even dug the mound up some, and still saw none of them.
How it works:
Aspartame is a neuropoison. It most likely kills the ants by
interfering with their nervous system. It could be direct, like
stopping their heart, or something more subtle, like killing
their sense of taste so they can't figure out what is edible, or
smell, so they can't follow their trails, or mis-identify their
colonies members, so they start fighting each other.
Not sure what causes them to end up dying; just know that for
many species of ants, it will kill them quickly and effectively.
As with any poison I recommend wearing gloves and washing any
skin areas that come in contact with this poison, and avoid
getting it in your mouth, despite anything the labeling may
indicate. I suspect it will work for other insects such as
yellow jackets as well, but have not tested that yet.
More information on this fantastic poison can be found
at: http://www.dorway.com "
I remember years ago seeing a program about how the initial results on rats had been tampered with and literally hundreds of bags of dead rats were disposed of secretly.
And now please watch a short vid about the manufacturers and the power they have over the media and market place and you will see why the rise and use of this powerful poison (which I am convinced attacks and adversely affects the nervous system of humans from my observations over the years), aspartame, has gone unchallenged.
Outrageous!
Thursday, February 7, 2008
A Public Apology
To all Americans I may have been rude to, or about, or thought badly of, at some, or any point, in my life.
After watching Michael Moore's Sicko I can now understand how stressed out you all must be, all the time. Constantly on the edge of wondering if you, or any loved ones, become sick, how you will manage.
It is a disgrace, and not just through neglect, but with blatant volition. Careers and fortunes built on actively denying basic healthcare.
Shame on your legislators.
After watching Michael Moore's Sicko I can now understand how stressed out you all must be, all the time. Constantly on the edge of wondering if you, or any loved ones, become sick, how you will manage.
It is a disgrace, and not just through neglect, but with blatant volition. Careers and fortunes built on actively denying basic healthcare.
Shame on your legislators.
Detoxing
I read an article the other day that said detoxing was a load of nonsense and just a fad and that if you drink enough water and exercise it's totally unnecessary as our liver is quite capable of handling everything.
Duh! Isn't that the point! The fact that few of us DO drink enough water or exercise and that our poor liver does need some help from time to time when we've overdone things?! Or is that just me?
And it doesn't have to be strenuous. A few drops of Tachyon Water a couple of times a day and some added to a bottle of mineral water is all that is needed.
Simple.
Duh! Isn't that the point! The fact that few of us DO drink enough water or exercise and that our poor liver does need some help from time to time when we've overdone things?! Or is that just me?
And it doesn't have to be strenuous. A few drops of Tachyon Water a couple of times a day and some added to a bottle of mineral water is all that is needed.
Simple.
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