First, you need to educate yourself on common heart disease symptoms. Being aware of the symptoms will help you to know if your loved one’s condition is worsening, or if treatments and lifestyle changes are helping. Some common symptoms are pain in the chest, upper back, shoulders and neck region, shortness of breath, and fatigue. One way to monitor these symptoms is to ask the patient to rate their pain or discomfort on a scale of 1 to 10. Keep track of their answers and you may see a trend in their health improving or declining.

Another very helpful thing you can do is go to doctor visits with your friend or family member. This provides moral support in a time that can be frightening for them, and you can also talk to their doctor and learn other ways you can help. If your loved one is fatigued or feels ill it would also be nice to have someone drive them to their appointments.

If the patient has been ordered to get exercise, going for a walk with them on a regular basis is a great way to offer support. Having an exercise buddy will be motivating for them, and having someone to talk to will be a nice distraction from worrying about their health. Along the same lines, helping to prepare healthy meals is another way to support your loved one. It is often easier to eat healthy foods when you have a friend to talk to while enjoying meals.

If medication has been prescribed, you could help the patient remember his or her regular dosage schedule. For older people, in particular, forgetfulness can be a problem with taking medication on a regular basis. You could purchase a pill organizer and stock it once a week, or set a daily alarm to remind your loved one to take their medication.

Whatever you chose to do, simply knowing someone cares can be very important to a patient with heart disease. This will provide them with the motivation to keep up with their lifestyle changes, take their medications, and maintain a positive attitude toward their treatment.

Most online dating sites offer a few different options for making the first contact. Most offer the option of first sending a wink or a smile, and then waiting to see if it is returned. On some sites you can add a member to your favorites list, and the site will notify them that you find them interesting. Then you can wait for them to contact you. Otherwise you have the choice of sending a full-blown email.

Generally speaking, sending a wink or smile is a good way to break the ice if you’re shy. It can also come in handy if you find several members interesting, and you’re short on time to write all of them a personalized, individual message. On the other hand, you should be aware that some members might be exasperated that you didn’t take the time to send an actual message. This is especially the case for attractive women who receive dozens of winks per day.

Adding a member to your favorites list is worse than sending a wink. Basically, this function is worthless. Yes, they will receive an email saying you “favorited” them, but generally if you can’t even be bothered to send a wink or smile, this will be ignored. Favorites lists seem to be more useful for online stalking, so that you can receive updates on your favorite members, than they are for making real contact.

If you see a profile that really strikes a chord for you, the best course of action is to send a well thought-out email. It doesn’t have to be a novel detailing your entire life, but it should show you read the person’s profile and genuinely found them interesting. A wink on online dating sites is similar to a wink in a bar, but a nice, personal message makes the person on the receiving end feel as though you are genuinely interested in them.

Use the Power of the Sun

Light and electricity can easily come from the sun. All that is required is solar-powered lighting. Lights powered by the sun may have a higher price tag than electric lights but it will save money over time. First, homeowners will not have to make holes or install wires. What is just as important for many people is there will be no electric bill to pay. Just install the lights in the right places and allow the sun to power them.

Do Not Use Water Bottles

Plastic water bottles are extremely wasteful sources that pollute the oceans and environment. When one is thrown away, the bottles become trash that congests landfills. However, many bottles do not even go to the landfill and get rerouted to the oceans or other natural environments. A major problem with using these bottles is that they will remain intact for decades and create mounds of trash. Also, buying these bottles regularly can be very expensive for someone’s budget.

Filter Water

People who either own a home or do not have a permanent residence should use durable filters to clean water. Filter pitchers are highly affordable and can save hundreds that would have been used to buy water bottles. After filtering water, an option is to store it in a reusable bottle and decrease bottled water costs as a way to save the environment.

Eat Green, Healthy Foods

Adapting a green lifestyle means much more than reusing items and not buying bottles. Having solar lighting and clean water is good but it is also important to care for the body. People should eat healthy, exercise regularly, get some rest, and consume the right foods. One of the most effective ways to lose and maintain a body shape is to consume healthy foods.

Use Green Items

Going green also means using as many natural, healthy ingredients and products as you can. Everyday products that now feature natural ingredients are used for every kind of task related to house cleaning, hygiene, cooking, and more. Many of these products can be made from scratch, as well. People who have pets can buy flea and tick repellants that work just as effectively as those that are sold in stores. Some stores also come with a selection of organic foods that are healthier and more agreeable for humans and pets. There are even green toys for pets that are made with minimal plastic and toxic materials.

Trying to go green does not mean becoming a tree hugger. There are many ways both small and big that someone can go green. Five steps are not enough to adapt a proper green lifestyle but starting small is a step in the right direction.

Resources:
Good Housekeeping: Green living
http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/green-living/ways-to-go-green

For example, many sale prices are not really much of a discount. The MSRP, or Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price, is rarely the regular, set price for a particular item in a certain store. Many stores will rarely charge that much, and instead their regular price is 10 to 20 percent less than the MSRP on the tag.  They do this on a regular basis to make their customers feel as if they are getting a deal, so when they advertise a sale of “40 percent off”, it is really not as steep of a discount as it seems. For example, an item with a MSRP of 19.99 might be on sale virtually any time for 15.99, or  20 percent off.  When a store advertises the item for 11.99, they will claim it is 40 percent off, but it is really just a discount of about 25 percent. This is certainly a good deal, but it is not as exciting as the 40 percent they advertised. Stores do this for one reason: The more you think you have “saved” the more likely you are to purchase the item.

Another shopping trap to avoid is “buying fever”.  Stores may lure you in with a very low advertised price on a particular item, but once you’re in the store you end up spending a lot more on other items.  Shoppers often justify this in their mind by thinking of all the money they saved on the original item. Basically there are two things to remember here: If you weren’t going to purchase it anyway, you aren’t really saving money, and if you spend your savings on something else you didn’t already need, then once again you aren’t saving money. If you make a special trip to a store to purchase one particular low-priced item, take just enough money for that item, or get out of the store immediately after you find it.

Merchandising displays are another clever way of digging into your wallet, by placing tempting items in your path where they are hard to ignore. There are several ways to avoid this pitfall: Spending less time browsing and window shopping, making a shopping list and sticking to it, only carrying enough money for your intended purchase, and using your smart phone to investigate whether there might be a better deal elsewhere.

Last, remember that sales are a marketing tactic to draw you into the store, and the hope is that you will spend more money on other items once you’re there. The best approach to shopping is not just to follow the ads and shop because there is a sale, but to watch the items you want or need and shop accordingly. Some of the best sales are not advertised, because their goal is to clear out leftover merchandise, not to make much money off of you. The best deals are found not on advertised merchandise, but in the back of the store on clearance racks. Learn the clearance schedule at your favorite store, and watch your newspaper for “extra percent off” coupons – then use those coupons on already clearance-priced merchandise.

First of all, the phrase “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” applies to bear safety. Understanding bears and how they behave is very important in keeping yourself safe. For example, when hiking you should sing or talk, and travel in a group if possible. If bears can hear you coming they will most likely just avoid contact.  Since bears will attack when surprised, it is best give them some warning when you are out for a hike.

Another way you can prevent contact with bears is by not leaving food or trash out where they can get into it. Bears, like most other animals, become accustomed to regular food sources and will consider it their territory if they regularly obtain food in a particular area. By keeping food and garbage out of reach around your home or campsite, you will avoid attracting “regular customers”.

If you live in an area near bears, having a large dog who barks at “intruders” can be another way of scaring bears away from your property. Certainly most dogs would not be a match for a bear, but generally bears are looking for food, not a fight. A sudden loud noise such as barking will usually be enough to persuade them to look for food elsewhere (although leaving dog food outside might provide too  much temptation, so feed your dog indoors or remove his food bowl from the yard or porch when he is finished eat). Also consider outside lights with a motion detector. This will alert bears to the presence of humans if they prowl around your house at night.

If your efforts at preventing contact fail, and you do encounter a bear, you need to know what to do. Do not panic, and remember that bears are usually as afraid of you as you are of them. If you have surprised the bear by walking onto his territory in the woods, slowly back away, making sure not to look threatening. Do not make eye contact, as this is how many animals confront one another.  Most animal attacks happen because the animal feels their safety is threatened. Mother bears are particularly notorious for this; even if you don’t see any cubs does not mean they are not nearby. Showing the bear that you intend to leave their area and mean them no harm is the best course of action.

On the other hand, if the bear has sought you out for contact, then this is not an instance of him feeling defensive. In this case he is not defending himself, but is on the offense. Running will only activate his predatory instincts. If he is on your property you can yell, make noise, or clap your hands to demonstrate to him that you are dominant here.  If getting away or scaring him away are ineffective, playing dead is usually the best route. Curl into the fetal position, making sure to protect your head, until the attack passes.

In most cases, death and serious injury can be avoided through preventive efforts or playing dead. If you carry pepper spray when hiking, this can be helpful in some cases, but it is important to remember not to spray every bear you encounter since this may just anger them and make them attack. Instead, use such measures only if you are being attacked, or if an attack is imminent. Avoid making bears feel threatened, or being seen as a food source, are the two main ways to prevent a bear attack.

The Industry

In the early 19th century, “Timber barons” made fortunes by deforesting a large swath of the Midwestern U.S., and then relocated their companies to backcountry areas. need for timber eventually exhausted the supply.

Impact on the Environment

Approximately half the forests in the United States have already been cut. Logging, and the clearing of trees for cattle grazing and land use further reduces the size of our forests each year. Timber harvesting takes place in most areas of the United States, but most harvesting is in the South, the Northeast and the Pacific Northwest. Most timber is produced in the South; more than half of the timber is produced in the southern states.

Logging Methods

Clear-cut Logging

Clear cutting is the removal of all the trees in the area. Depending on management objectives, a clear-cut may or may not leave trees in reserve attain for regeneration, wildlife habitat management, and mitigation of potential erosion or water quality concerns. Cutting trees that bring in the most money and leaving those with little economic value is called “high grading. Some logging contractors clear-cut forests to make more money faster. Although this method may provide timber quickly and cheaply, it can result in erosion of topsoil, and can deter harvests in the future.

Full-tree Logging

Trees are cut down and conveyed to the side of the road with limbs and tops. The trees are then topped. Full-tree harvesting is the use of the complete tree, including tops, branches and stump. This method takes nutrients and soil cover from the area and can be harmful to the forest.

Cut-to-length Logging

Cut-to-length logging is the process of cutting the tree off at the stump; leaving limbs and tops. Lumberjacks harvest the trees and place the cut logs to be brought to the landing by a forwarder. This method is usable for smaller timber on flat terrain, but the forwarders cannot be used on sloping ground.

There is a substantial difference between sustainable and unsustainable logging.

Unsustainable logging practices result in:

• The astounding degree of attrition of wild areas such as the Amazon Rainforest, and old growth forests all over the globe.
• An increase in flooding and fires and extensive obliteration of populated areas
• Water pollution caused by erosion of top soil
• Large amounts of toxins are released into the air by pulp companies.
• The destruction of many animal habitats.
• The annihilation of plants, many from which have value as medicines.

Sustainable Logging Practices

Now that the legislature has passed heavy restrictive laws, logging companies are making an effort towards sustainability. Recycling, updated technology and the protection of endangered species have also had an effect on the harvesting of forests. However, restocking of harvested lands is still a necessity.

Forests are renewable resources. A renewable resource is one that can be replaced within the average person’s lifespan. Selective cutting is a more effective method of forest management. In selective cutting, only large, mature trees are cut. The smaller, younger trees remain. They store water, provide wildlife habitat and ensure natural reforestation. Selective cutting is more costly for loggers in the short-term than clear cutting, but it is more effective for sustained yields over a period. People can replant trees. Reforestation is the replanting of trees after a forest area has been cleared. Reforestation helps prevent soil erosion and water loss. It is an important part of forest management.

Trees are beneficial to the environment. They provide a habitat for wildlife and they divert rainfall and prevent erosion and flooding. The conservation of forest resources involves forest management as well as reducing waste in processing and recycling wood products.