What new thing have you learned recently?

There really aren't any fingers in Wendy's chili, and their stock is doing great.

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2005/09/09/D8CGV9L8A.html

"The North American 9-banded armadillo tends to jump straight in the air when surprised, and consequently often smacks itself into the undercarriage of cars passing over it."

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kickycan has vast untapped knowledge into the secrets of cumulonimbus cloud formations

i mean who knew

Yes, never listen to what you heart tells you. Stupid thing to learn but I think people will benifit from that.

Chiggers are the flesh swilling larva of adult mites who are vegetarian. And they DON'T burrow under one's skin, but use their saliva to disintegrate your flesh and cause an allergic reaction. The reaction causes your skin to harden and form a tube from which the chiggers sip flesh milkshakes.

Eeww! Yummy!

thanks to littlek, i learned what a chigger looks like

One in ten children in Great Britain aged 5-16 had a clinically recognisable mental disorder in 2004. This was the same as the proportion recorded in the 1999 survey.

In 2004, 4 per cent of children had an emotional disorder (anxiety or depression), 6 per cent had a conduct disorder, 2 per cent had a hyperkinetic disorder, and 1 per cent had a less common disorder (including autism, tics, eating disorders and selective mutism). Two per cent of children had more than one type of disorder.

Boys were more likely than girls to have a mental disorder. Among 5-10 year olds, 10 per cent of boys and 5 per cent of girls had a mental disorder. Among 11-16 year olds, the proportions were 13 per cent for boys and 10 per cent for girls.

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Anna Lindh, Swedish politician, is assassinated (2002)

Lindh was a Swedish Social Democrat and an important proponent of the European Union. She was Chairman of the Council of the European Union in 2001 and a prime candidate to become the next President of Sweden at the time of her murder. She was attacked just prior to a Swedish referendum on the euro, at the height of a public campaign she led for the approval of the currency. Her killer was found, but it is still unclear what motives were involved.



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A California-bound airline in 1849?

Rufus Porter, founder of Scientific American, planned to fly 49ers west on propeller-driven balloons powered by steam engines. He went to far as to advertise the expedition, and 200 brave souls signed up for the trip. But the "airline" never got off the ground.

Then there was the "wind wagon," sort of a cross between a sailboat and a wagon. It seemed like a good idea on paper; after all, it can be very windy in the West. A prototype was built and for a brief moment it barreled across the plains at the advertised 15 miles-per-hour. Then it went out of control and crashed. The inventor -- Wind-wagon Thomas -- kept trying for years, but never succeeded......

Complete story here. Picture included.[/color]

WARNING! Quoted post by Little 'k is DISGUSTING! You are strongly advised not to read it.




JESUS WEPT, Little 'k!!!!!


I am so telling the moderators on you!!!!


That post should come with a HUGE warning!!!!




That will haunt me for years!!!







YEEEEEECCCCCCCHHHHHHHHHHHH!

<snicker>

Um, sorry.

Too late.

I already read it.

Thanks a lot, littlek. Now I won't be able to sleep tonight.

SHEESH!!!!! TMI!!! TMI!!!

<giggle>

Y'all are so girlie!

Monopoly is related very closely to a game called The Landlord's Game which was created and patented in 1904 by Elizabeth (Lizzie) J. Magie, from Virginia. Magie developed the game, which, like Monopoly, had forty spaces, four railroads, two utilities, twenty-two rental properties, and spaces for Jail, Go to Jail, Luxury Tax, and Parking, as a way to teach the single-tax theory. Magie, a Quaker, was a firm believer in the single-tax theory's basic tenet, that a person's taxes should be based on the amount of land that he owned, a popular idea around the turn of the century.

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I did not know this. In these dangerous times, I am very grateful that we have many dedicated caring nurses out there.

National Nurse's Day
May 6, 2004
National Nurse's Week
May 6 - 12, 2004


The important role nurses play in the delivery of health care cannot be overestimated. Our facilities rely on their training, experience and caring nature every day. Nurses Week provides a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the spirit of nursing and acknowledge the tireless efforts of these vital health professionals. 

Nurses Week is one of the nation's largest health care events, recognizing nurses from coast to coast and educating the public about the significant work they perform. 

History of National Nurses Week

"Nurses: Lifting Spirits, Touching Lives" is this year's theme for National Nurses Week, celebrated May 6-12 each year. National Nurses Week begins May 6 and ends on May 12, Florence Nightingale's birthday. These permanent dates enhance planning and position National Nurses Week as an established recognition event. As of 1998, May 8 was designated as National Student Nurses Day, to be celebrated annually, as well. Starting in 2003, National School Nurse Day will be celebrated on the Wednesday within National Nurses Week (May 6-12) each year. Previously, the fourth Wednesday in January had been set aside for the recognition of school nurses by the National Association of School Nurses (NASN). 

The nursing profession has been supported and promoted by the American Nurses Association (ANA) since 1897. Each of ANA's state and territorial nurses associations promotes the nursing profession at the state and regional levels. Each conducts celebrations on these dates to recognize the contributions that nurses and nursing make to the community. 

The ANA supports and encourages National Nurses Week recognition programs through the state and district nurses associations, other specialty nursing organizations, educational facilities, and independent health care companies and institutions. 

A brief history of National Nurses Week

1953 Dorothy Sutherland of the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare sent a proposal to President Eisenhower to proclaim a "Nurse Day" in October of the following year. The proclamation was never made. 

1954 National Nurse Week was observed from October 11 - 16. The year of the observance marked the 100th anniversary of Florence Nightingale's mission to Crimea. Representative Frances P. Bolton sponsored the bill for a nurse week. Apparently, a bill for a National Nurse Week was introduced in the 1955 Congress, but no action was taken. Congress discontinued its practice of joint resolutions for national weeks of various kinds. 

1972 Again a resolution was presented by the House of Representatives for the President to proclaim "National Registered Nurse Day." It did not occur. 

1974 In January of that year, the International Council of Nurses (ICN) proclaimed that May 12 would be "International Nurse Day." (May 12 is the birthday of Florence Nightingale.) Since 1965, the ICN has celebrated "International Nurse Day." 

1974 In February of that year, a week was designated by the White House as National Nurse Week, and President Nixon issued a proclamation. 

1978 New Jersey Governor Brendon Byrne declared May 6 as "Nurses Day." Edward Scanlan, of Red Bank, N.J., took up the cause to perpetuate the recognition of nurses in his state. Mr. Scanlan had this date listed in Chase's Calendar of Annual Events. He promoted the celebration on his own. 

1981 ANA, along with various nursing organizations, rallied to support a resolution initiated by nurses in New Mexico, through their Congressman, Manuel Lujan, to have May 6, 1982, established as "National Recognition Day for Nurses." 

1982 In February, the ANA Board of Directors formally acknowledged May 6, 1982 as "National Nurses Day." The action affirmed a joint resolution of the United States Congress designating May 6 as "National Recognition Day for Nurses." 

1982 President Ronald Reagan signed a proclamation on March 25, proclaiming "National Recognition Day for Nurses" to be May 6, 1982. 

1990 The ANA Board of Directors expanded the recognition of nurses to a week-long celebration, declaring May 6 - 12, 1991, as National Nurses Week. 

1993 The ANA Board of Directors designated May 6 - 12 as permanent dates to observe National Nurses Week in 1994 and in all subsequent years. 

1996 The ANA initiated "National RN Recognition Day" on May 6, 1996, to honor the nation's indispensable registered nurses for their tireless commitment 365 days a year. The ANA encourages its state and territorial nurses associations and other organizations to acknowledge May 6, 1996 as "National RN Recognition Day." 

1997 The ANA Board of Directors, at the request of the National Student Nurses Association, designated May 8 as National Student Nurses Day.

Did you know...?

There are nearly 2.7 million registered nurses in the United States. And, 2.2 million of them are actively employed. 

National Nurses Week has a distinctive history. 

The American Nurses Association was founded in 1896 

Isabel Adams Hampton Robb was the first president of the American Nurses Association 

As of November 2001, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that more than one million new nurses will be needed by the year 2010. The report projects that total employment will increase by 22.2 million jobs during the 2000-2010 period, rising to 167.8 million. Health care practitioners and technical occupations are expected to account for 1.6 million new jobs during that period. Registered nurses, which represent the largest occupation in this group, should account for more than a third of those new jobs. 

The nation's registered nurse (RN) workforce is aging significantly and the number of full-time equivalent RNs per capita is forecast to peak around the year 2007 and decline steadily thereafter, according to Peter Buerhaus of Vanderbilt University's nursing school. Buerhaus also predicted that the number of RNs would fall 20 percent below the demand by 2010. (Journal of the American Medical Association, June 14, 2000) 

There are over 196,000 advanced practice nurses in the United States. Of these, approximately 88,100 are nurse practitioners, 54,300 are clinical nurse specialists, 14,600 are both nurse practitioners and clinical nurse specialists, 9,200 are nurse midwives, and 29,800 are nurse anesthetists. 

Research indicates that advanced practice nurses can provide 60 to 80 percent of primary care services as well as or better than physicians and at a lesser cost. 

49 states and the District of Columbia allow advanced practice nurses to prescribe medications. 

The January 5, 2000, edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) reported the results of a study which revealed patients fared just as well when treated by nurse practitioners as they did when treated by physicians. 

The nation's nurses rank second for their honesty and integrity, with 84 percent of Americans rating them "high" or "very high," according to a 2001 CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll. Firefighters, who were given high ratings by 90 percent of Americans, displaced nurses from the poll's top slot this year, following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Nurses had previously rated first for two years in a row after being added to the list in 1999. 

According to a 1989 study published by the New England Journal of Medicine(325 (25), 1720-1725), hospitals with more registered nurses on staff and higher ratios of nurses to patients had 6.3 fewer deaths per 1,000 patients than hospitals that did not have those characteristics. 

The American Nurses Association consists of 54 state and territorial associations, whose mission is to work for the improvement of health standards and availability of health care services for all people, foster high standards for nursing, stimulate and promote the professional development of registered nurses, and advance their economic and general welfare. 

The link between adequate and appropriate nurse staffing and positive patient outcomes has been shown in several ANA publications and studies, including ANA's Nurse Staffing and Patient Outcomes in Inpatient Hospital Settings. This report, published in May 2000, found that shorter lengths of stay are strongly related to higher RN staffing per acuity-adjusted day and that patient morbidity indicators for preventable conditions are inversely related to RN skill mix. 

A January 2001 ANA Staffing Survey revealed that America's RNs feel that deteriorating working conditions have led to a decline in the quality of nursing care. Specifically, 75 percent of nurses surveyed felt the quality of nursing care at the facility in which they work has declined over the past two years, while 56 percent of nurses surveyed believe that the time they have available for patient care has decreased. In addition, over 40 percent said they would not feel comfortable having a family member or someone close to them be cared for in the facility in which they work, and over 54 percent would not recommend the profession to their children or their friends. These statistics reveal a disturbing trend. 

America's registered nurses report that health and safety concerns play a major role in their decisions to remain in the profession, according to findings from a Health and Safety Survey released in September 2001. In the survey, over 70 percent (70.5 percent) of nurses cited the acute and chronic effects of stress and overwork as one of their top three health and safety concerns. Yet nurses continue to be pushed harder -- with more than two-thirds reporting that they work some type of unplanned overtime every month. 

The American Nurses Credentialing Center Magnet Nursing Services Recognition Program offers guidelines designed to shift hospital administrators' focus from expensive, short-sighted recruitment efforts to meaningful retention strategies. Hospitals that have been designated as "magnets" have been found in studies to attract and retain professional nurses who experienced a high degree of professional and personal satisfaction through their practice. Currently, 42 hospitals and long-term care facilities have been awarded "magnet" recognition, but the essential "magnet" criteria can be used by nurses and administrators to assess their own facilities for improvements. 

A study conducted by the Nursing Credentialing Research Coalition found that certification has a dramatic impact on the personal, professional and practice outcomes of certified nurses. Overall, nurses in the study stated that certification enabled them to experience fewer adverse events and errors in patient care than before they were certified. Additional results revealed that certified nurses: 
expressed more confidence in detecting early signs of complications; 

reported more personal growth and job satisfaction; 

believed they were viewed as credible providers; 

received high patient satisfaction ratings; 

reported more effective communication and collaboration with other health care providers; and 

experienced fewer disciplinary events and work-related injuries.

The Florence Nightingale Pledge

I solemnly pledge myself before God and in the presence of this assembly, to pass my life in purity and to practice my profession faithfully. I will abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous, and will not take or knowingly administer any harmful drug. I will do all in my power to maintain and elevate the standard of my profession, and will hold in confidence all personal matters committed to my keeping and all family affairs coming to my knowledge in the practice of my calling. With loyalty will I endeavor to aid the physician in his work, and devote myself to the welfare of those committed to my care.

This modified Hippocratic Oath was arranged by Mrs. Lystra E. Gretter and a Committee for the Farrand Training School for Nurses, Detroit. It was called the Florence Nightingale Pledge as a token of esteem for the founder of modern nursing.

Anticthone the missing planet that Pythagoris discovered 2500 years ago.

Interesting post, Angelique. Thanks!

My contribution for today is:

Falun Gong

Also known as Falun Dafa, Falun Gong means Law of the Wheel Breathing Exercise. Its aim is to purify the mind and body and improve moral character through exercises, meditation and study. Li Hongzhi, also known as "The Master" or "Master Li", introduced Falun Gong to Beijing in 1992. His teachings are contained in the books, Falun Gong and Zhuan Falun (Turning the Law Wheel), which are available in a variety of languages. The exercises of Falun Gong have been described as relaxing and energizing, and many practitioners of Falun Gong perform them as a group, outside. Falun Gong is practiced all over the world and Li Hongzhi has claimed to have a following of over 100 million people.

In 1999, the Chinese government initiated a campaign against spiritual and religious groups, including Falun Gong practitioners.......

Complete story here.[/color]

Of course I have heard about this practice before, but I knew hardly anything about it, other than the practice of this was outlawed by the Chinese government. I had no idea it was so wide spread.

I notice as I look at my calendar that tomorrow (Mon, Oct 24th) is listed as "United Nations Day". I knew nothing about this until I did a search about it.

It is celebrated very generally in all states and American possessions, and by all eighty-one countries, which are members of the United Nations for the purpose of informing the people of the world as to the aims, purposes, and achievements of the UN. The day is part of the United Nations Week, October 20-26.

Complete story about United Nations Day

Hey, how come this isn't a day off?