Dealing with high blood pressure

Posted on January 31st, 2008 in Health by Rodica

I had a routine check yesterday evening and to my big surprise I found out that my blood pressure was 144/101.
My whole life I have had low blood pressure, on the range of 80/60 and I am puzzled about the huge jump.
I did gain some weight compared to 10 years ago, but not that much, probably around 5 kg. Could it be too much for my petite frame?

According to the literature, high blood pressure is a blood pressure reading of 140/90 mmHg or higher and once high blood pressure develops, it usually lasts a lifetime. High blood pressure is called the silent killer because it usually has no symptoms. Some people may not find out they have it until they have trouble with their heart, brain, or kidneys. Apparently it can be treated and controlled.

Things that can raise blood pressure include:
· Eating too much salt- I do eat salty but not that much
· Drinking too much alcohol- It’s not the case
· Not getting enough potassium in your diet- That may be true, although I started eating bananas
· Not doing enough physical activity- That is definitely a problem
· Taking certain medicines- Which ones?
· Having long-lasting stress- That is the most probable reason
· Smoking (smoking can cause a temporary rise in blood pressure)- I don’t smoke

It boils down to dealing with stress in a better way and starting working out again.
Stress- I guess I have to restart meditation and yoga
Exercise- I need more discipline, that’s for sure

I am not taking any birth control pills, any hormone replacement therapy and I am not postmenopausal.
I can conclude that it’s the stress factor.
Before panicking I will go tomorrow to have another quick blood pressure check. Maybe it was just a fluke.
Regardless the result, I am going to treat it like a wake-up call and start doing something before it’s too late.

Between Silentbanker and bank robberies what option do we have?

Posted on January 31st, 2008 in Finance/Investing by Rodica

I have asked a financial adviser a few days ago what is his opinion on the latest Trojan dubbed Silentbanker.
He asked ‘Silent what?’
He has not heard anything about it. Weird! I would have thought that financial advisors would be better informed.
I guess by now people are more alert regarding Silentbanker.
In case you are like our adviser, here it’s what Symantec advised regarding the trojan:

The Trojan targets many different banks using various methods in order to perform the following:

Gain access to accounts
Divert transactions to attacker controlled accounts

The Trojan performs the following actions:

Redirects legitimate requests to attacker controlled computers
Alters the HTML of pages shown to the user
Alters requests sent by the user to the bank
Captures screen shots of Web sites where the user must click instead of type the password
Sends full pages received by the victim to the attacker
Downloads new versions of itself
Downloads new configuration files
Records user names and passwords
Records the content of the clipboard
Steals cookies, digital certificates, and Adobe .sol files
Sends a list of all software installed on the compromised computer to the attackers

The threat hooks APIs in the following browsers:

Internet Explorer
Firefox
It may also hook APIs to the following file:
explorer.exe

We were told to avoid Internet transactions, including transfers and payments, and instead to go to the bank and make our payments over there.
Not a problem, it’s another pain in the butt, but it’s doable.
But we are running into another scare: bank robberies.
Updated statistics put Vancouver on the fast track of becoming Canada’s capital of heists.
Only in January we had 33 heists, an increase of 136 per cent compared to January 2007.
In 2006 we had 130 bank robberies, in 2007 the number jumped to 185, probably we will break the record this year.

This is the dilemma: we are between two scares: Silentbanker and a bank robbery. Which one is less dangerous?


Thinking about a new heating system?

Posted on January 30th, 2008 in Shopping by Rodica

Boy we had a pretty bad weather here in British Columbia.
Yesterday it was snowing and the temperature dropped to –9°C.
Needless to say that our big 4000 sq ft house it’s even harder to warm up then normally is.
We had a combination of heating sources in the house: gas fireplace, wood burning stove, headboard elements and various types of heaters.
Wood burning stove is messy although the heat generated is nice and not very dry and it looks cozy if nothing else.
Because we are thinking about remodeling the house, it’s time to shop around for something that will look nice and be energy efficient as well.
With the natural gas increasing costs maybe we should investigate propane cost and efficiency as an alternative. From aesthetic point of view I would like to choose a fireplace.
As I have mentioned already, we are doing home renovations, and that includes a bigger garage and gas garage heaters will come handy because most of the time the garage is cold and it feels humid somehow.

If you plan to give somebody a gift of love, think about heaters. I will warm up their body and soul.

Update on Qtrax

Posted on January 29th, 2008 in Media/Internet News by Rodica

It looks like the fun is over before it even started.
The major labels, namely Sony BMG, Warner Music Group, Universal Music and EMI Group, previously listed as being on the same boat with Qtrax denied signing any deal.
EMI, Sony BMG and Warner had previous agreements with Qtrax while the company was testing a paid music download system. But the agreement expired last year and it has not been renewed to cover the free, ad-supported model boasted by Qtrax.

Reading the info on the new free download service I was quite surprised honestly speaking. I understood that Qtrax was supposed to address the cost issue via advertising done for the major labels.
I am thinking: people going on a site to copy music are free loaders and what is the chance for somebody like that to jump and buy whatever may have been advertised?

Apparently the concept of ad-supported music download it is not a new one. SpiralFrog is another ad-supported service, launched last September. The downloads can’t be burned on CDs or played on Apple machine either.


A lip-gloss that could help you lose weight

Posted on January 28th, 2008 in Shopping, Diet and Nutrition by Rodica

Recently I came across a piece of news: a California based make-up company dubbed Too Faced created a lip gloss that allegedly helps you shed the extra pounds.
The wonder product named FUZE Slenderize Guilt Free Gloss is infused with healthy and delicious fruit flavors and most important, with appetite suppressant ingredients.
It is sold under the slogan “Always on the lips. Never on the hips” and it comes in three flavors and colors: Blueberry Raspberry- sheer purple, Strawberry Melon- sheer pink, and Dragon Fruit Lime- sheer peach.

What are the active ingredients that could help you lose weigh?
According to the company’s information, here they are:
-Chromium: A mineral said to improve the amount of energy you get from food and to boost metabolism.
-L-Carnitine: An amino acid that boosts energy.
-Super Citrimax: It’s a plant extract said to help to maintain a normal appetite and increase energy in healthy individuals and to support a healthy metabolism.

The same ingredients are found in Fuze energy drinks, which energize and slenderize.
It is said that Katie Holmes is one celebrity using Fuze energy drinks.

A spokesman for Too Faced said: “Application of this long-lasting, high-shine formula will actually help suppress one’s appetite for food without sacrificing delicious glamour.
“With a single swipe of the tube, Fuze Slenderize provides a pretty, plump pout with an added bonus of healthy, energy-boosting, appetite curbing ingredients.

Diet experts caution that there is no quick-fix when it comes to losing weight and there is only one way to lose weight in the long-term and that is a combination of sensible eating including avoiding bad fat, sugar and salt, exercise and a good night sleep.

Qtrax replacing Napster?

Posted on January 28th, 2008 in Media/Internet News by Rodica

Long time ago it was Audiogalaxy. Splendid peer-to-peer file-sharing application.
Thanks to Audiogalaxy I got lots of hard-to-find songs. Unfortunately I lost them all during a computer upgrade.
Then it was Napster. Not as good as Audiogalaxy- in my opinion of course- but still good enough to find songs.
It was good until all that legal trouble with Metallica that felt robbed and sued Napster for loss of money.
The revamp Napster was a pay for song application and honestly speaking I don’t know if it’s got the same popularity as before the scandal.

Now it’s a new kid on the block, named Qtrax which boasts a selection of up to 30 million tracks.

Actually Qtrax has been launched sometimes in 2002 but shut down after a few months to avoid legal trouble.
Now the company is working with major record labels: Warner Music Group, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group and EMI Group and the downloading is free.
To take advantage of the legally free service, the user need to download the Qtrax software which displays advertising while the user is searching and downloading songs.
The site will feature music videos, interviews and even tracks from live concerts recorded the night before.

What’s the catch? Here it is: downloads come with copy-protection technology, namely digital-rights management (DRM). Meaning that you can’t burn copies to CD, but you can store it indefinitely on PCs and transfer onto portable music players.
So far it’s not available for iPods and Macintosh computers. Allegedly it would be as early as March.
It remains to be seen if Apple would take some steps to block Qtrax files from working on iPods. Apple has its own version of DRM dubbed FairPlay.

Who is going to win the McCanns’ interview?

Posted on January 27th, 2008 in Entertainment, Media/Internet News by Rodica

My heart went out to the parents of Madeleine McCann after she disappeared from the resort of Portugal.
I had mixed feelings at that time because being a mother of a four year old I could not understand how a parent may even consider leaving a kid unattended in a hotel room.
For my husband and me, it has been a puzzle ever since. We do follow an unwritten rule: the kid must be in our visual proximity all the time… ok, not when he is in daycare and we are at work. But to go on any vacation spot and leave the kid alone while we go having fun with friends, that’s just unacceptable.
I don’t want to sound judgmental, but McCanns are doctors, both of them and one might think that money should have not been an issue on finding a baby sitter. I mean, if they had money to spend with a nice dinner with friends, they should have allocated part of it to get a baby sitter.
A few days ago I read that Kate and Gerry McCann are at the center of a bidding war.
Between two personalities I dislike equally: Oprah Winfrey and Barbara Walters.
The amount seemed to be almost $2 million.
The reason for even considering the option of giving a highly paid interview is that the fund established for finding Madeleine will dry out by June 2008.

Financial help to consolidate debt

Posted on January 25th, 2008 in Finance/Investing by Rodica

Post holiday depression it’s like a postpartum one: lingering there all the time.
We are in January, meaning that we have received the bills showing the spending spree we went into during Christmas, right?
Now is time to do damage control.
I know, is as pleasant as having your tooth pulled out; it’s going to be painful but you are going to feel so much better after that.
Let’s say you don’t have any family around and no friends to ask for help but still want to keep your financial situation under control.
What can you do?

You could and should consolidate debt. But until you have an action plan you may be short on cash until your next paycheck. What to do then?

Get help with some payday loans.
You may think that a payday loan is just another loan, and this would only add more stress on you, but actually you should treat it like a lifeline.
On top of that, as soon as you get in touch with specialized help, you may bring up the issue of consolidating debt.
You are going to be put in contact with loan companies.
They will check your credit history, evaluate your needs and come up with suggestions.

Another solution: Start being very disciplined and make a rigorous list establishing what you should do from now on. But in the mean time you have to cover your emergencies, meaning that a payday loan may give you some relief until you can put all your ducks in a row.

Either way, you need to know that there is something you can do and you don’t have to feel helpless and overwhelmed.


What makes celebrities so unhappy?

Posted on January 23rd, 2008 in Rambling thoughts by Rodica

Yesterday I read about Heath Ledger dying from an apparent overdose. He was 28.
Again, I was asking myself: what makes celebrities so unhappy to look for peace in drugs?
Take a look at the majority of young actors and actresses: by the time they reach 21, they have already been through a few detox programs.
Why the need?
What about Lindsey Lohan or Britney Spears? One hops from one penis to another, the other one lost the custody of her kids.
Both of them seem to have lost their mind. How can they be so shallow?
Some people feel sympathetic to their problems, but what problems? they created their own problem.
I have read that Britney Spears did not really have a good childhood and that her image has been oversexed. True, but I remember her years ago, she was sweet. Now she is repugnant. All that skimpy cloths and nails with partial polish make her look like white trash. Is she?
Years ago I have read a book written by John Douglas, ex FBI profiler. I could understand the need to wash away haunting memories. I can understand the trauma experienced by officers working for special victims unit, especially dealing with child related crimes. But celebrities? what trauma do they have? too much money to spend?

If this is the price to pay for being a celebrity, than I would happily keep being an obscure person.

Academy Awards Nominations- 2008

Posted on January 22nd, 2008 in Entertainment by Rodica

It remains to be seen if we are going to be lucky enough to watch the normal, not the reader’s digest version of the lush ceremony, now that the writers’ strike is still on.

In the mean time, these are the nominations:

Best Picture: “Atonement,” “Juno,” “Michael Clayton,” “No Country for Old Men,” “There Will Be Blood.”

Best Actor: George Clooney, “Michael Clayton”; Daniel Day-Lewis, “There Will Be Blood”; Johnny Depp, “Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street”; Tommy Lee Jones, “In the Valley of Elah”; Viggo Mortensen, “Eastern Promises.”

Best Actress: Cate Blanchett, “Elizabeth: The Golden Age”; Julie Christie, “Away From Her”; Marion Cotillard, “La Vie en Rose”; Laura Linney, “The Savages”; Ellen Page, “Juno.”

Supporting Actor: Casey Affleck, “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford”; Javier Bardem, “No Country for Old Men”; Hal Holbrook, “Into the Wild”; Philip Seymour Hoffman, “Charlie Wilson’s War”; Tom Wilkinson, “Michael Clayton.”

Supporting Actress: Cate Blanchett, “I’m Not There”; Ruby Dee, “American Gangster”; Saoirse Ronan, “Atonement”; Amy Ryan, “Gone Baby Gone”; Tilda Swinton, “Michael Clayton.”

Director: Julian Schnabel, “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly”; Jason Reitman, “Juno”; Tony Gilroy, “Michael Clayton”; Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, “No Country for Old Men”; Paul Thomas Anderson, “There Will Be Blood.”

Foreign Film: “Beaufort,” Israel; “The Counterfeiters,” Austria; “Katyn,” Poland; “Mongol,” Kazakhstan; “12,” Russia.

Adapted Screenplay: Christopher Hampton, “Atonement”; Sarah Polley, “Away from Her”; Ronald Harwood, “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly”; Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, “No Country for Old Men”; Paul Thomas Anderson, “There Will Be Blood.”

Original Screenplay: Diablo Cody, “Juno”; Nancy Oliver, “Lars and the Real Girl”; Tony Gilroy, “Michael Clayton”; Brad Bird, Jan Pinkava and Jim Capobianco, “Ratatouille”; Tamara Jenkins, “The Savages.”

Animated Feature Film: “Persepolis”; “Ratatouille”; “Surf’s Up.”

Art Direction: “American Gangster,” “Atonement,” “The Golden Compass,” “Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” “There Will Be Blood.”

Cinematography: “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford,” “Atonement,” “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly,” “No Country for Old Men,” “There Will Be Blood.”

Sound Mixing: “The Bourne Ultimatum,” “No Country for Old Men,” “Ratatouille,” “3:10 to Yuma,” “Transformers.”

Sound Editing: “The Bourne Ultimatum,” “No Country for Old Men,” “Ratatouille,” “There Will Be Blood,” “Transformers.”

Original Score: “Atonement,” Dario Marianelli; “The Kite Runner,” Alberto Iglesias; “Michael Clayton,” James Newton Howard; “Ratatouille,” Michael Giacchino; “3:10 to Yuma,” Marco Beltrami.

Original Song: “Falling Slowly” from “Once,” Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova; “Happy Working Song” from “Enchanted,” Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz; “Raise It Up” from “August Rush,” Nominees to be determined; “So Close” from “Enchanted,” Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz; “That’s How You Know” from “Enchanted,” Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz.

Costume: “Across the Universe,” “Atonement,” “Elizabeth: The Golden Age,” “La Vie en Rose,” “Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street.”

Documentary Feature: “No End in Sight,” “Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience,” “Sicko,” “Taxi to the Dark Side,” “War/Dance.”

Documentary (short subject): “Freeheld,” “La Corona (The Crown),” “Salim Baba,” “Sari’s Mother.”

Film Editing: “The Bourne Ultimatum,” “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly,” “Into the Wild,” “No Country for Old Men,” “There Will Be Blood.”

Makeup: “La Vie en Rose,” “Norbit,” “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End.”

Animated Short Film: “I Met the Walrus,” “Madame Tutli-Putli,” “Meme Les Pigeons Vont au Paradis (Even Pigeons Go to Heaven),” “My Love (Moya Lyubov),” “Peter & the Wolf.”

Live Action Short Film: “At Night,” “Il Supplente (The Substitute),” “Le Mozart des Pickpockets (The Mozart of Pickpockets),” “Tanghi Argentini,” “The Tonto Woman.”

Visual Effects: “The Golden Compass,” “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End,” “Transformers.”

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