Cyclone Safety Tips

Food and Water

Water

Store water in plastic containers such as soft drink bottles. Avoid
using containers that will decompose or break, such as milk cartons or
glass bottles. A normally active person needs to drink at least two
quarts of water each day. Hot environments and intense physical
activity can double that amount. Children, nursing mothers, and ill
people will need more.
Store one gallon of water per person per day.
Keep at least a three-day supply of water per person (two quarts for
drinking, two quarts for each person in your household for food
preparation/sanitation).*
Food

Store at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food. Select foods
that require no refrigeration, preparation or cooking, and little or
no water. Select food items that are compact and lightweight. Include
a selection of the following foods in your Disaster Supplies Kit:

Ready-to-eat canned meats, fruits, and vegetables
Canned juices
Staples (salt, sugar, pepper, spices, etc.)
High energy foods
Vitamins
Food for infants
Comfort/stress foods
First Aid and Non-Prescription Drugs

First Aid Kit
Assemble a first aid kit for your home and one for each car.

(20) adhesive bandages, various sizes.
(1) 5" x 9" sterile dressing.
(1) Roller gauze bandage.
(2) Triangular bandages.
(2) 3 x 3 sterile gauze pads.
(2) 4 x 4 sterile gauze pads.
(1) Roll 3" cohesive bandage.
(2) Germicidal hand wipes or waterless alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
(6) Antiseptic wipes.
(2) Pair large medical grade non-latex gloves.
Adhesive tape, 2" width.
Anti-bacterial ointment.
Scissors (small, personal).
Tweezers.

Non-Prescription Drugs

Aspirin or nonaspirin pain reliever
Anti-diarrhea medication
Antacid (for stomach upset)
Laxative
ORS

Tools and Supplies

Mess kits, or paper cups, plates, and plastic utensils
Emergency preparedness manual
Battery-operated radio and extra batteries
Flashlight and extra batteries
Cash or traveler's checks, change
Non-electric can opener, utility knife
Fire extinguisher: small canister ABC type
Pliers
Tape
Matches in a waterproof container
Aluminum foil
Plastic storage containers
Paper, pencil
Needles, thread
Shut-off wrench, to turn off household gas and water
Whistle
Plastic sheeting
Map of the area (for locating shelters)
Sanitation, Clothing and Bedding

Sanitation

Toilet paper, Hand towels
Soap, liquid detergent
Feminine supplies
Personal hygiene items
Plastic garbage bags, ties (for personal sanitation uses)
Plastic bucket with tight lid
Disinfectant
Household chlorine bleach
Clothing and Bedding
*Include at least one complete change of clothing and footwear per
person.

Sturdy shoes or work boots
Rain gear
Blankets or sleeping bags
Hat and gloves
Thermal underwear
Sunglasses
Special Items

Remember family members with special requirements, such as infants and
elderly or disabled persons.

For Baby*

Formula
Diapers
Bottles
Powdered milk
Medications
For Adults*

Heart and high blood pressure medication
Insulin
Prescription drugs
Denture needs
Contact lenses and supplies
Extra eye glasses
Entertainment

Board games and other games that don't require batteries or
electricity, books for adult readers and for children.
For Pets

Do not leave your pets behind.
Securely fasten a current identification tag to your pet's collar and
carry a photograph of your pet. It's important to include the phone
number of a friend or family member on the tag so anyone who may find
your pet is able to reach someone who knows you.
Pack a week's supply of food, water and other provisions, such as
medication or cat litter.
Do not wait until the last minute to evacuate. Rescue officials may
not allow you to take your pets if you need to be rescued.
Keep a list of emergency phone numbers (veterinarian, local animal
control, animal shelters, Red Cross, etc.).
Possessions and Documents

Keep these records in a waterproof, portable container:
Will, insurance policies, contracts, deeds, stocks and bonds
Passports, social security cards, immunization records
Bank account numbers
Credit card account numbers and companies
Inventory of valuable household goods, important telephone numbers
Family records (birth, marriage, death certificates)
Store your kit in a convenient place known to all family members. Keep
a smaller version of the supplies kit in the trunk of your car.
Keep items in airtight plastic bags. Change your stored water supply
every six months so it stays fresh. Replace your stored food every six
months. Re-think your kit and family needs at least once a year.
Replace batteries, update clothes, etc.
Ask your physician or pharmacist about storing prescription
medications.

20 Tips for More Efficient Google SEARCHES....

 

1. Either/or. Google normally searches for pages that contain all the words you type in the search box, but if you want pages that have one term or another (or both), use the OR operator â€" or use the symbol (pipe symbol) to save you a keystroke. [dumb | little | man] 2. Quotes. If you want to search for an exact phrase, use quotes. [dumb little man] will only find that exact phrase. [dumb little man] will find pages that contain the word dumb and the exact phrase little man. 3. Not. If you dont want a term or phrase, use the - symbol. [-dumb little man] will return pages that contain little and man but that dont contain dumb. 4. Similar terms. Use the ~ symbol to return similar terms. [~dumb little man -dumb] will get you pages that contain funny little man and stupid little man but not dumb little man. 5. Wildcard. The * symbol is a wildcard. This is useful if youre trying to find the lyrics to a song, but cant remember the exact lyrics. [cant * me love lyrics] will return the Beatles song youre looking for. Its also useful for finding stuff only in certain domains, such as educational information: [dumb little man research *.edu]. 6. Advanced search. If you cant remember any of these operators, you can always use Googles advanced search. 7. Definitions. Use the define: operator to get a quick definition. [define:dumb] will give you a whole host of definitions from different sources, with links. 8. Calculator. One of the handiest uses of Google, type in a quick calculation in the search box and get an answer. Its faster than calling up your computers calculator in most cases. Use the +, -, *, / symbols and parentheses to do a simple equation. 9. Numrange. This little-known feature searches for a range of numbers. For example, [best books 2002..2007] will return lists of best books for each of the years from 2002 to 2007 (note the two periods between the two numbers). 10. Site-specific. Use the site: operator to search only within a certain website. [site:dumblittleman. com leo] will search for the term leo only within this blog. 11. Backlinks. The link: operator will find pages that link to a specific URL. You can use this not only for a main URL but even to a specific page. Not all links to an URL are listed, however. 12. Vertical search. Instead of searching for a term across all pages on the web, search within a specialized field. Google has a number of specific searches, allowing you to search within blogs, news, books, and much more: * Blog Search * Book Search * Scholar * Catalogs * Code Search * Directory * Finance * Images * Local/Maps * News * Patent Search * Product Search * Video 13. Movies. Use the movie: operator to search for a movie title along with either a zip code or U.S. city and state to get a list of movie theaters in the area and show times. 14. Music. The music: operator returns content related to music only. 15. Unit converter. Use Google for a quick conversion, from yards to meters for example, or different currency: [12 meters in yards] 16. Types of numbers: Google algorithms can recognize patterns in numbers you enter, so you can search for: * Telephone area codes * Vehicle ID number (US only) * Federal Communications Commission (FCC) equipment numbers (US only) * UPC codes * Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airplane registration number (US only) * Patent numbers (US only) * Even stock quotes (using the stock symbol) or a weather forecast regarding the next five days 17. File types. If you just want to search for .PDF files, or Word documents, or Excel spreadsheets, for example, use the filetype: operator. 18. Location of term. By default, Google searches for your term throughout a web page. But if you just want it to search certain locations, you can use operators such as inurl:, intitle:, intext:, and inanchor:. Those search for a term only within the URL, the title, the body text, and the anchor text (the text used to describe a link). 19. Cached pages. Looking for a version of a page the Google stores on its own servers? This can help with outdated or update pages. Use the cached: operator. 20. Answer to life, the universe, and everything. Search for that phrase, in lower case, and Google will give you the answer.

__,_._,___

Ways to Use Coffee

Ways to Use Coffee Around the House and Garden

 

Coffee may be the most popular beverage in the world – and if it's not, it's pretty darn close – but tasting good isn't the only thing that coffee does well. Coffee has many uses around your home and garden that might surprise you – though chances are good that your grandmother knew them well. Coffee can clean your hands, fix scratches on your wood furniture, get rid of that nasty smell in your basement and make your plants grow faster than weeds. Really, it can. Here's how.

 

Coffee in the Garden:

Coffee comes in hand in the garden in a few different ways. Here's a quick list:

1. Dump those coffee grounds right into the compost heap. They'll decompose quickly and help other things decompose more quickly.

2. Work spent coffee grounds into the dirt around azaleas, rose bushes and other acid loving flowering bushes for bigger, showier blooms. Be sure to work the
grounds into the soil a few inches away from the stems for best results.

3. Coffee grounds make a great slug and pest repellent. Just draw a line of coffee grounds around plants that are attracting slugs and snails and you'll find that the
little critters turn aside and head in another direction.

 

Coffee in the Shower:

No, I'm not suggesting that you bring your coffee mug into the shower to help you wake up in the morning, though that's not a bad idea if you have a covered mug. These are some of the ways that coffee can help you with your toiletries.

1. Dissolve slivers of soap (especially glycerin soap) in a small amount of water. Add half a cup or so of fresh or used coffee grounds to make coffee scrub. Keep the scrub in a covered jar on the sink to wash your hands after handling smelly things like fish or onions.

2. Buy coffee soap – or make your own with a glycerin base and coffee grounds – to take advantage of caffeine's firming properties. While there's little scientific evidence to back it up, there's plenty of anecdotal evidence that coffee soap with caffeine encourages your skin to slough off old layers and accelerates the growth of new skin cells. The result is tighter, younger looking skin. Yes, apparently coffee is good for your skin.

3. Keep the depth and gleam of brunette hair by rinsing it with strong coffee. Brew up a cup of strong espresso and let it cool. After you wash your hair, work the cooled espresso through it and let it sit for two to three minutes before rinsing. Repeat a couple times a week to keep dark hair looking shiny and smooth.

 

Coffee Around the House:

Coffee's deodorizing power is legendary and quite useful around your house. Surprisingly, despite coffee's strong aroma, it doesn't just cover up the stink. Instead, it absorbs other odors. Here are a few ways that you can use coffee to keep your home smelling sweeter.

1. Musty basement odors? Open a can of coffee and pour it out into a couple of bowls. Put the bowls in different corners of the room and leave out for a day or two to absorb the mustiness.

2. Sprinkle dry, unused coffee grounds over a carpet and then vacuum up to get rid of pet smells and musty smells.

3. Stinky closet or locker? Fill a loose cloth bag – cheesecloth is ideal – with dry coffee grounds and tuck it into the closet or on a locker shelf to keep the odors at bay.

What is swine flu?

What is swine flu?

Swine Influenza (swine flu) is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza viruses that causes regular outbreaks in pigs. People
do not normally get swine flu, but human infections can and do happen.

Is this swine flu virus contagious?
Swine influenza A (H1N1) virus is contagious and is spreading from human to human. However, at this time, it not known how easily the virus spreads between people. It happened first in Mexico but now has spread to USA, Canada, New Zealand, etc.

What are the signs and symptoms of swine flu in people?
The symptoms of swine flu in people are similar to the symptoms of regular human flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting associated with swine flu. In the past, severe illness (pneumonia and respiratory failure) and deaths have been reported with swine flu infection in people.

How does swine flu spread?
Spread of this swine influenza A (H1N1) virus is thought to be happening in the same way that seasonal flu spreads. Flu viruses are spread mainly from person to person through coughing or sneezing of people with influenza. Sometimes people may become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose.

Swine influenza viruses are not spread by food. You cannot get swine influenza from eating pork or pork products. Eating properly handled and cooked pork more than 70°c is safe.

How can someone with the flu infect someone else?
Infected people may be able to infect others beginning 1 day before symptoms develop and up to 7 or more days after becoming sick.

What should I do to keep from getting the flu?
First and most important: wash your hands. Try to stay in good general health. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food. Try not touch surfaces that may be contaminated with the flu virus. Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

Are there medicines to treat swine flu?
Yes. Oseltamivir or zanamivir can be used for the treatment and/or prevention of infection with these swine influenza viruses. Antiviral drugs are prescription medicines (pills, liquid or an inhaler) that fight against the flu by keeping flu viruses from reproducing in your body. If you get sick, antiviral drugs can make your illness milder and make you feel better faster. They may also prevent serious flu complications. For treatment, antiviral drugs work best if started soon after getting sick (within 2 days of symptoms).

How long can an infected person spread swine flu to others?
People with swine influenza virus infection should be considered potentially contagious as long as they are symptomatic and possible for up to 7 days following illness onset. Children, especially younger children, might potentially be contagious for longer periods.

What surfaces are most likely to be sources of contamination?
Germs can be spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth. Droplets from a cough or sneeze of an infected person move through the air. Germs can be spread when a person touches respiratory droplets from another person on a surface like a desk and then touches their own eyes, mouth or nose before washing their hands.

How long can viruses live outside the body?
We know that some viruses and bacteria can live 2 hours or longer on surfaces like cafeteria tables, doorknobs, and desks. Frequent hand washing will help you reduce the chance of getting contamination from these common surfaces.

What can I do to protect myself from getting sick?
There is no vaccine available right now to protect against swine flu.

There are everyday actions that can help prevent the spread of germs that cause respiratory illnesses like influenza. Take these everyday steps to protect your health:

Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.

Try to avoid close contact with sick people.

If you get sick with influenza, it is recommended that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

Avoid crowded places and contact with infected people to avoid global pandemic spread.

Wear mask while travelling through endemic areas.

What is the best way to keep from spreading the virus through coughing or sneezing?
If you are sick, limit your contact with other people as much as possible. Do not go to work or school if ill. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when  coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick. Put your used tissue in the waste basket. Cover your cough or sneeze if you do not have a tissue. Then, clean your hands, and do so every time you cough or sneeze.