1. Get good antivirus that also has antispyware. You get what you pay for – and yes, some of the free versions have let nasties in!

2. Be careful about clicking pop up messages that appear suddenly, especially if other things are not working properly. It may be a false warning and on clicking that warning you may end up inadvertently installing malware on your ‘puter.

3. Be careful of something called ‘antivirus live’ It looks like an antivirus program, and may tell you all kinds of things are wrong and then prompts you to buy it. DON”T buy it or click any messages. Instead, go to a site such as http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/virus-removal/remove-antivirus-live to see how to remove this nasty spyware.

4. Be careful about downloads, opening attachments etc etc.

5. If all else fails, then get good IT help to remove the problem.

*Note: The opinions are personal, and do not in anyway reflect those of any company and are not intended to be professional reccomendations. All actions taken as a result of reading this are at YOUR OWN RISK.

Absolutely. Let’s put an end to this tax grabbing rubbish.

Cap ‘n’ Trade = Tax ‘n’ Raid

To be a sub group fitness instructor you will need the following traits:

1. Skin a mile thick and made out of sheet metal that is totally impervious to snide comments/looks/body language from participants who resent you being there ( yes, they will resent you and they will be ultra picky about your style.)

2. Ability to bury or not feel rejection when only 2 participants show up when usually 10 or so attend after the main instructor has told them you are subbing. And to really rub it in, they all know you as you are a regular to the classes the usual instructor covers.

3. Be able to smile and be nice to the egotistical  jerk who, upon your asking ‘Did you have a nice weekend?’ in an attempt to be pleasant, replies ‘Yes’ in a tone that suggests you not ask again.

4. A range of music wider than any record store will have (so you can try different music formats on the ultra picky participants – be warned, it will not be good enough)

5. The ability to smile and say a warm ‘thank you’ to those participants who are leaving your class half-way through with their noses up in the air.

6. The ability to not look at the clock wishing it were over  wondering why the hell you ever got out of bed to do this for a bunch of arrogant, childlike rude participants ( and to keep smiling)

You will also need to have oodles of self confidence and a good healthy backup reserve because you will need it. You will get precious little support, or feedback, and just be left blaming yourself as  people walk out or don’t show up.

Still think you wanna do it? Good luck…..

One, the spending that will result WITHOUT reform will be alot more than WITH reform. Two, places with Universal Healthcare often have a private alternative for those who prefer or can afford it. THis is commonplace in England where alot of people get insurance as a benefit at work and choose to utilise that for certain procedures ( to obtain faster treatment, usually.)

It is idiocy to suggest people would ‘lose out’ with universal health care. Sure, we may have to pay a bit more in taxation to pay for it. But it means you have access to healthcare that will not bankrupt you if you lose your job. And, it also means you can have procedures done that maybe your private insurer won’t cover without being out of pocket.

Wake up, America!

So, I must be some superfit goddess, right? Like a size triple zero or whatever emaciated size is now considered normal? WRONG!! WRONG WRONG!!!I have, OHMIGOSH HIPS and THIGHS and oh… a BUTT TOO!!! yes, I have CURVES and I LOVE EM!! I am 5′ 2″ and a ( US)  size 6 – UK size 10/12  – that is plenty good enough for me!

I am SO SICK of the fashion and fitness industries pushing ridiculous ‘norms’ on women that mean you have to have no body fat and look like a half-starved druggie or some androgenous being of indeterminate sex. It gets me so angry to see decent looking, in-shape women in the classes I enjoy doing far more exercise a week than is really healthy for their joints and talking about losing weight. From where? Some of these women don’t have any fat (maybe a bit of a tummy from having kids – hey, that is NORMAL) and I am at a loss as to where they will lose it from! Their boobs? Jeeze! Ladies, do you really want to lose whatever is left of your feminine appeal?

Is this what women’s lib has got us? Where women are supposed to now look like men or young boys?I know that some men out there like that look but it is my opinion that they are either closet gays, or have issues with real looking women  or are so incompetent in their lives that they need some druggie to ‘look after’ and make themselves feel better.

Thankfully, certain fitness organistations, like ACE ( American Council on Exercise) make a big point that people have different body types and some are meant to be curvier/heavier than others, and that being fit is about working with what you have, not AGAINST it.

So people, if your gym pushes the skinny = fit myth, or has barbie dolls ( and guys) teaching classes that do not represent normal shapes and sizes and ages,  ditch it and go find a gym that employs REAL instructors who reflect the norms out there and are more likely to give you a realistic, good workout without making you feel bad about yourself everytime you work out. or push you beyond realistic limits.

My Post:

‘Hi [Radio Host]

As an English person living in the US, I am taking great interest in health care reform. Whilst there are advantages and disadvantages to all healthcare proposals, it is my opinion that the debate should center on whether or not Americans consider access to healthcare a right, or a luxury. If it is to be a right, then the decision has to center on whether to go fully or partially socialized so that the poor and disadvantaged who cannot get access to quality insurance can get help as the current way of doing things marginalizes those who are unemployed, poor, or over 55 due to the prohibitive cost.

Maybe you should ask listeners this question as a poll – do you consider healthcare a right, or a luxury? If people say a right, then the hard choices come up – how to include everyone without losing the right to choose as you rightly address as a concern with fully socialized medicine?’

Response to my post:
I think that establishing “rights” to access to resources is nuts

You have the right to speak, to own property, to engage in legal activities

If you want to establish rights to access resources…i certainly need
Water most…so I should have the right to have someone else pay my water ibll\
Heat is essential for life in most of north America…so we need a right to heat (or energy)
Food comes next…so I should have a right to have food at no cost to me
Housing is more essential than health care…but less than food and water
Finally…way down the list…after water, heat, food and housing…comes health care
Should all of those things be rights

My response – I only got a ‘thanks’ in reply to this…

‘Hi [Radio Host]

Thank you for responding! I do enjoy a good debate on issues like these because I like to see what all the arguments for and against are.

You raise a good point about rights – what should be deemed a ‘right’ for people? That was the point I was raising – should healthcare be a ‘right’ or not? Should it be, like water, or shelter, or food, considered a necessity? Many people think it should not be a right, that we chould be free to choose as you point out. However, what if you have a chronic condition that requires constant medication such as a heart condtion? Then healthcare becomes not a choice, but a necessity to stay alive. What about the person who breaks a leg or ankle or gets injured in an accident? Again, healthcare becomes a necessity, not a choice.

What happens then if you cannot afford insurance, lost your benefits, and cannot get/qualify for medicare/medicaid/other assistance? You have to pay, even if you cannot afford it, and there is no choice.

We all need access to healthcare at some point in our lives – accidents, illness, child birth, child care, etc etc all happen. The fact that a high percentage of bankruptcies in the US are due to medical costs plus the high cost overall due to the many emergency room visits the unisured are forced to make should make this point and highlight the prohibitive cost to those who find themselves unable to afford the care they need ( accident for example) because they cannot get access to adequate insurance coverage.
Many people have no choice when it comes to healthcare – they have to have it ( chronic conditions, accidents etc).

So what is the best approach for healthcare in the US? Is it to be considered a ‘right’ and therefore we all pay into some kind of universal plan, like social security, so that if such an emergency arises, or benefits are lost, healthcare is there and one does not have to lose one’s home in the process? This does of course raise issues such as taxes and paying into something that someone with insurance may not use. But that person may need it in the future if they lose their job or cannot afford the premiums, so they are then ‘taking’ after ‘giving’, so to speak.’