Hair Of The Dog London – Houndstanding!

Hair Of The Dog London – Houndstanding!

Hair Of The Dog is a new concept lifestyle

boutique for dogs and cats, in the heart of Highgate village, London."My aim at Hair Of The Dog London is to source a well-designed stylish
range for our four legged friends from around the globe" said Sophie "with
particular emphasis on handmade, natural, recycled and organic products.

"I opened the shop in December 2010 and now also have a successful
online business through which we are able to reach customers throughout the
UK and around the world!

"I recognised a gap in
the market for quality products, finding it very difficult to find gorgeous
things for Mr Echo my schnauzer that also complemented my home and personal
style. After a trip to Berlin, where I discovered an amazing dog boutique quite
different to anything I'd seen before, I
was convinced the idea would work here and six months later Hair Of The Dog
London was born.

"North London was the perfect location as the locals appreciate good
quality products and are a very dog-loving community!

"My background was in
styling and buying and I have always had a creative eye. Hair of the Dog merged all my loves together! I am continually
searching the globe for unique stock, which is what makes Hair Of The Dog London stand out from its competitors.

"We stock many brands
exclusively, including the gorgeous Vurv
Design Studio hand-crafted wooden double feeders from Canada made from
maple cherry and walnut.

"Renowned sculptor and designer Matthew Wurr (alias my dad!) has created
gorgeous toy tidy units, which are handmade to order from original wine
boxes. Each box is lovingly sanded and finished with satin lacquer for
durability and then fitted with hand knotted soft touch rope handles.

"Hair Of The Dog London was the first in the UK to import the Planet
Dog 100 % bamboo ball throwers, the best performing, best-constructed dog ball
toss we've ever tested and engineered with sustainable bamboo and reused cork
scraps.

"We also exclusively
stock Handmade for Hounds whose
coats are all lovingly hand crafted, each a unique one-off piece, allowing your
pet to stand out from the crowd."

Regular grooming of your pet is an important part of their
wellbeing whether they are long haired or short. Hair Of The Dog London even have this covered with groomers
situated at the rear of the store.

"It is the owner's responsibility to make sure their dog is regularly
and properly groomed to maintain the dog's coat condition. This will keep
your pet shiny, healthy and free from fleas and tangles" said Sophie. "Routine
grooming controls shedding and it is during a professional groom at Hair Of The Dog London that we also
check a dog's nails, ears and eyes.

"We do everything possible to ensure the grooming experience is a happy
and relaxing one. The spa itself is state of the art equipped and we make
sure we maintain a relaxed and calming environment so that our customers leave
with their tails wagging and want to come back!

"Our groomers are hugely experienced and able to offer a complete
range of services.

"Since opening the support and feedback from customers has been
outstanding, we are grateful for their ideas and offer regular impromptu
gatherings of dogs and their owners in the garden courtyard.

"One of our popular
events was a Lily's Organic Kitchen dog
food tasting where we set up a dog restaurant in our courtyard, on their
own little dog height table. We support
a local charity All Dogs Matter and are actively involved in helping them
all we can. We plan to host and take part in many more similar events, as
being an active part of our community is very important to us."

For more information
visit www.hairofthedoglondon.com

Poppy Watt Hair Of The Dog London would like to offer you the chance to win a 100% natural edible rawhide
Easter card for your pet.

To enter just answer the following
question:

What is the name of the breed of
the gorgeous dog in our Collars section?

For assistance visit www.hairofthedoglondon.com

Send your answer to competitions@womentalking.co.uk
ensuring you put the word Hair Of The
Dog in the subject header and also including your Women Talking username.

The competition is only open to
Women Talking subscribers and any
submission without a valid username will not be admissible for entry.

The competition closes on April 8th and the winner will be
contacted soon after.

Source: http://womentalking.co.uk/new//topics/lifestyle/hair-dog-london-%E2%80%93-houndstanding/

IT'S NOT BULLYING, IT'S ASSAULT

IT'S NOT BULLYING, IT'S ASSAULT By Tracey Spicer

March 27, 2012

she didn't even know the punch was coming.

All she heard was a crack. Her nose was broken. Tiny drops of blood decorated the pre-school floor. The nurse came, then the police.

But there was little they could do, the offender was three years old.

It wasn't the first time.

Cameron* had been kicking, slapping and bashing kids for the past year.

His parents are in denial. "All the other kids are to blame," they say. "They're egging him on." You don't need a crystal ball to see where this child will be in 20 years' time.

This true story is at the heart of the bullying debate.

Ten days ago, Australians marked the second National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence.

There were plenty of pats on the back for the campaign, which includes a wonderful website, Bullying. No way!

I'm not having a go at the government. It's doing its best. But its advice is being ignored by some schools desperate to protect their reputations.

Take the tragic case of 14-year-old Alex Wildman, who committed suicide after serial bullying.

The Coronial Inquest heard the principal and deputy at Kadina High School admitted Alex might still be alive had they handled the case differently.

Deputy Brad Farrell ordered the mobile phone footage of one assault to be deleted, to protect Alex from embarrassment. Alex's mother was told not to report the incident to police.

Source: http://thehoopla.com.au/bullying-assault//

Analysts Differ on Role of 'Individual Mandate' to Health-Reform Law (3/28/2012)

Analysts Differ on Role of 'Individual Mandate' to Health-Reform Law

Without directive to purchase insurance, costs to consumers, government would rise, all agree.

By Margaret SteeleHealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, March 28 (HealthDay News) -- Striking down the so-called "individual mandate," the most controversial provision of the Affordable Care Act, should the Supreme Court do so, wouldn't deliver a death blow to the health-reform package. But, it would alter projected costs and consumer participation, health policy experts said.

"If the individual responsibility provision is struck down, it is important that mechanisms are in place to ensure there's a balance in insurance pools to make sure younger, healthier people participate so premiums don't escalate," said Ron Pollack, executive director of Families USA, a national advocacy group for health-care consumers.

Pollack, who supports the Affordable Care Act, said other methods of attaining broad participation exist to hold down insurance costs, but it's premature to discuss them. The individual mandate -- which imposes penalties on those who don't buy insurance -- is the most effective formula, he said.

"Massachusetts has the individual insurance provision, and the experience in Massachusetts shows it does work," Pollack said.

It's estimated that at least 30 million uninsured Americans would gain health insurance under the law, 16 million as a result of the individual mandate.

Pollack said that even without the individual mandate, the health-care legislation includes other provisions for extending coverage to millions of people currently without insurance.

For instance, Medicaid eligibility will expand to include citizens and legal residents with annual incomes up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level -- about $14,850 for a single adult and $30,650 for a family of four in 2012. And federal tax subsidies will enable certain other people to buy coverage, Pollack said. It's estimated that Medicaid expansion would add 16 million people to the rolls of the insured.

John Goodman, president of the National Center for Policy Analysis, which opposes the health-reform law, said he anticipates affordability problems with or without the individual mandate.

"The mandate itself is pretty weak to begin with," he said. "I think people are overestimating its importance."

While the provision calls for most American adults to obtain health insurance, people who don't earn enough to file federal income tax returns and many others are exempt, Goodman pointed out. "That's millions of people," he said.

Goodman also said the penalties for not buying insurance are small compared to the price of insurance. That might tempt some people to "game the system" -- waiting until they're sick to buy insurance and canceling it when they're well -- "which will make it very expensive," he said.

Enforcement of the individual mandate will be left to the Internal Revenue Service, Goodman said, adding he doubts the agency will pursue violators aggressively. Fines will be phased in until 2016, when individuals refusing to obtain insurance would pay $695 and families $2,085 or 2.5 percent of total taxable income, according to figures from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.

For many people, that's a lot less than the cost of insurance, Goodman said. Although it varies by region and age, typical insurance premiums in 2016 are expected to average about $5,800 for an individual and $15,200 for a family of four, according to Goodman's analysis of figures from the Congressional Budget Office.

"This whole approach is flawed," Goodman said. He suggested that the architects of the Affordable Care Act should have taken cues from Medicare. "If you look at Medicare Part B premiums and Medicare Part D premiums, provisions and methods are in place to prevent people from gaming the system."

Pollack remains unfazed by that argument. If the penalties aren't strong enough, he said, "that can be corrected."

The RAND Corporation, a nonprofit research organization, predicts that the cost of buying policies through new insurance exchanges would increase only slightly if the individual mandate provision were removed. (The exchanges will be created to help small businesses and individuals purchase insurance through a more organized and competitive market.)

However, because fewer people would buy insurance if the mandate were eliminated, costs borne by the federal government would rise, the researchers said.

Eliminating the individual mandate would cut the predicted number of Americans buying new health coverage in 2016 from 27 million to 15 million and increase an individual's cost of buying insurance by 2.4 percent, according to the RAND analysis.

But Christine Eibner, an economist at RAND, said government spending for each person newly enrolled in a health insurance plan would more than double, reaching nearly $7,500 a person.

"Without the individual mandate, the government would have to spend more overall to insure a lot fewer people," Eibner said in a RAND news release.

Source: http://www.womenshealt.gov/new/news/headlines/663192.cfm/

'Freezing' Secondary Breast Cancer Tumors Shows Promise (3/26/2012)

'Freezing' Secondary Breast Cancer Tumors Shows Promise

Preliminary study suggests procedure may buy time for those with advanced disease.
MONDAY, March 26 (HealthDay News) -- In a small and preliminary study, researchers report that they successfully froze secondary tumors in patients with incurable breast cancer.

The findings raise the prospect of a potential new treatment for metastatic tumors in individual patients, although the research is in the very early stages.

"This therapy provides a minimal rate of cancer recurrence and no major complications," study co-author Dr. Peter Littrup, director of imaging core and radiology research at the Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit, said in a news release from the Society of Interventional Radiology.

The study is scheduled to be presented Wednesday at the society's annual meeting in San Francisco. Research presented at medical meetings should be viewed as preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.

"This is a preliminary study, and at this point we're hoping that the evidence could be a stepping stone for a bigger study to look at more patients," Littrup said. "If we can get more data that supports percutaneous cryoablation for metastatic breast cancer, it could be a huge finding."

In percutaneous cryoablation, tiny probes insert pressurized argon gas into tumors and kill them by turning them into balls of ice.

The eight patients in the study had stage 4 metastatic breast cancer, meaning their tumors had spread widely from the breast. The tumors frequently appear in organs such as the liver, lungs, bones and kidneys.

In stage 4, the disease is considered incurable.

"At this point, treatments are considered palliative -- with the intent to keep metastases at bay while hopefully providing individuals more time and improved quality of life, rather than a complete cure," Littrup said.

"Cryoablation as a targeted therapy is beneficial because it can significantly reduce discomfort and incidence of disease," Littrup said. "It's a much better option, we think, than surgery -- especially since many metastatic patients are not candidates for surgery -- and it may potentially lead to longer survival."

The eight patients in the study lived for an average of 46 months, and two survived for at least five years.

Dr. Hannah Linden, an oncology specialist and assistant professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle, said it's too early to know whether the treatment works since it hasn't been compared to other therapies.

"Many patients with metastatic breast cancer live a long time with gentle treatments, yet other patients who have relatively resistant tumors do poorly," she said. "While the idea of freezing a tumor to prevent it from growing is feasible and exciting, it is not proven that such an approach actually 'cures' patients or provides long-term benefit."

Although similar treatments target secondary tumors, she added, they "do not address the systemic problem of metastatic cancer. So, while it seems good to 'kill' the metastasis, the cancer is still lurking."

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women, killing nearly 370,000 people worldwide each year. Approximately 10,000 to 15,000 new cases of stage 4 breast cancer occur in the United States each year, Littrup noted.

Source: http://www.womenshealt.gov/new/news/headlines/663077.cfm/

Alternative Medicine May Help Ease Chronic Sinusitis (3/21/2012)

Alternative Medicine May Help Ease Chronic Sinusitis

Study found combining it with Western treatments brought more relief to patients.

By Alan MozesHealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, March 21 (HealthDay News) -- When used in tandem with standard Western treatments, alternative therapies such as acupuncture, acupressure and dietary changes may spell significant relief for patients battling chronic sinusitis, a new pilot study suggests.

The authors say that their study is the first to explore the potential of combining Western medicine with Eastern therapies among these patients, who experience swollen and inflamed sinuses, facial pain, headaches and impaired breathing.

"Our study was small, looking at a handful of patients who were not benefiting that well from standard treatment," acknowledged study author Dr. Jeffrey Suh, an assistant professor of rhinology and skull base surgery in the department of head and neck surgery at the University of California, Los Angeles.

"And my take on alternative treatments is that Western medicine is effective for the majority of patients," he added. "But for those who don't get complete relief, adding in a more holistic Eastern approach that includes exercise, improved sleep, a better diet, and acupuncture and self-administered acupressure seems to provide an alternative that can have great benefit."

Suh and his colleagues report their findings in the March issue of the Archives of Otolaryngology.

The authors point out that chronic rhinosinusitis is a very prevalent condition in the United States, with nearly 30 million American adults diagnosed with the disease in 2010 alone, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The acute version of the disease is typically due to infection, experts say. However, the chronic form (namely, cases enduring past 12 weeks) is thought to stem from a variety of environmental and anatomical causes (such as the presence of polyps or a deviated nasal septum), thereby complicating treatment efforts.

Such efforts usually include the use of nasal corticosteroid sprays and nasal irrigation, while in some instances surgical intervention is required. Despite such efforts, some patients remain debilitated.

Suh and his team focused on 11 such individuals (eight men and three women), between the ages of 32 and 70. Many had struggled with the condition for years. None had had any kind of surgery in the three months before the study started. Similarly, no one had undergone acupuncture or acupressure intervention in the two months beforehand.

During the study, all previous treatments were continued. However, patients were offered eight weekly 20-minute sessions of therapeutic acupuncture and acupressure massage, performed by licensed therapists. Counseling was also offered to teach patients how to self-administer acupressure at home.

A dietary analysis was also conducted, and patients were given nutritional guidance that tracked traditional Chinese approaches towards food consumption. Stress management was also discussed, as were the benefits of regular exercise.

The result: The team found that when applied alongside modern medicine, the use of such so-called "staples of Eastern medicine" appeared to be both safe and effective.

After two months, all the patients showed a statistically significant gain in terms of quality of life, with a drop in feelings of frustration and restlessness and a boost in their ability to concentrate.

What's more, patients were found to have less of a problem with runny noses, reduced sneezing and a subsequent reduced need to blow their noses. Facial pain and pressure also appeared to drop off somewhat.

"These were the worst of the worst patients," Suh stressed. "And during treatment they got better. Now were they completely better? No. Only some of their symptoms improved. And those who did not keep up the lifestyle modifications like self-administered acupressure returned to their previous state after the study. But those who kept it up continued to see a benefit. So this offers some hope, and leads us to consider the next question, which is what might be possible with Eastern therapy alone?"

That said, Dr. Jordan Josephson, a sinus and allergy specialist with Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, cautioned that chronic sinusitis is a "very complex problem" for which there is no simple solution.

"Augmenting traditional medicine with Eastern therapies is a very wise thing to do for sinus sufferers," he said. "In my practice, I certainly do this. Because it's not a question of antihistamines or acupuncture."

"And the reason for that is that we're not taking about a cure," Josephson said. "This is not a cold or a sniffle. If you have chronic sinusitis, it's chronic, like diabetes. So, the best thing to do is to treat patients with a combination of diet, antibiotics, antifungals, nasal sprays, allergy treatment, acupuncture, lifestyle changes, irrigation with saline and irrigation with medicines. You need a comprehensive plan for each individual patient that will give them the best chance at control."

Source: http://www.womenshealt.gov/new/news/headlines/662904.cfm/

WHAT WAS SHE THINKING?

WHAT WAS SHE THINKING?By The Hoopla

March 20, 2012

Has Germaine Greer delivered Prime Minister Julia Gillard an unkind boot in the backside?

"You've got a big arse, Julia, just get on with it," she said last night on ABC TV's Q&A to loud laughter from fellow panelists and the audience.

She also gave the PM some fashion advice about getting rid of those "bloody jackets".

“They don't fit and are poorly cut,” said Ms Greer.

Her comments have the Twittersphere chattering:

@Lisa_Wilkinson Gr8 discussion on Germaine Greer‘s comments re Julia’s derriere. If her young feminist self could see GG now – disappointed.

@stellajyoung Pretty confused about Germaine Greer commenting on Gillard’s clothing. Umm? #qanda

@whinwomen Interesting to see Germaine Greer comment on Julia Gillards clothes and “fat bum”. A new era of feminism, or Greer abandoning the cause?

@gem324 Germaine Greer what a disappointment, fueling the superficial and irrelevant debate about the PM’s wardrobe and appearance

@DrRickyLee I like to bash all politicians about anything, but even I would not do a Germaine Greer and discuss the PM’s backside on TV

@janecat60 disappointing Germaine Greer commenting on Julia Gillard’s clothing. That’s what blokes and silly girls in the media do

And then, there is the News Ltd commentator, Miranda Devine, who has this to say:

"For the birth-mother of 1960s feminism, Germaine Greer sure isn't much of a sister.

Last night on the ABC's Q&A panel show, she mocked the Prime Minister's figure, saying Julia Gillard should face the fact she has a "big bum".

Greer thinks the PM's jackets are all wrong because from behind they go "horizontal". According to her the jackets are cut too narrow at the hips.

Nice, really nice. No matter whether or not you support the PM's policies, this is the lowest criticism. Because of her status as a feminist icon, Greer has just legitimised every misogynist to attack Gillard's appearance. As if they need any encouragement.

It just shows her whole fem-philosophy was a pose, and because she was a good writer, pushy, reckless, witty and, yes, pretty, she built a career on trashing men and drawing attention to her love-starved self.

These days she makes a living out of trashing younger women.

The feminist goddess has feet of clay."

So, over to you, Hooplarians… Has Germaine Greer delivered the most unkind cut of all to our PM?

Has she betrayed the sisterhood?

Or is this the kind of straight talking we've come to expect from Germaine?

Source: http://thehoopla.com.au/germaine//

Alternative Medicine May Help Ease Chronic Sinusitis (3/21/2012)

Alternative Medicine May Help Ease Chronic Sinusitis

Study found combining it with Western treatments brought more relief to patients.

By Alan MozesHealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, March 21 (HealthDay News) -- When used in tandem with standard Western treatments, alternative therapies such as acupuncture, acupressure and dietary changes may spell significant relief for patients battling chronic sinusitis, a new pilot study suggests.

The authors say that their study is the first to explore the potential of combining Western medicine with Eastern therapies among these patients, who experience swollen and inflamed sinuses, facial pain, headaches and impaired breathing.

"Our study was small, looking at a handful of patients who were not benefiting that well from standard treatment," acknowledged study author Dr. Jeffrey Suh, an assistant professor of rhinology and skull base surgery in the department of head and neck surgery at the University of California, Los Angeles.

"And my take on alternative treatments is that Western medicine is effective for the majority of patients," he added. "But for those who don't get complete relief, adding in a more holistic Eastern approach that includes exercise, improved sleep, a better diet, and acupuncture and self-administered acupressure seems to provide an alternative that can have great benefit."

Suh and his colleagues report their findings in the March issue of the Archives of Otolaryngology.

The authors point out that chronic rhinosinusitis is a very prevalent condition in the United States, with nearly 30 million American adults diagnosed with the disease in 2010 alone, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The acute version of the disease is typically due to infection, experts say. However, the chronic form (namely, cases enduring past 12 weeks) is thought to stem from a variety of environmental and anatomical causes (such as the presence of polyps or a deviated nasal septum), thereby complicating treatment efforts.

Such efforts usually include the use of nasal corticosteroid sprays and nasal irrigation, while in some instances surgical intervention is required. Despite such efforts, some patients remain debilitated.

Suh and his team focused on 11 such individuals (eight men and three women), between the ages of 32 and 70. Many had struggled with the condition for years. None had had any kind of surgery in the three months before the study started. Similarly, no one had undergone acupuncture or acupressure intervention in the two months beforehand.

During the study, all previous treatments were continued. However, patients were offered eight weekly 20-minute sessions of therapeutic acupuncture and acupressure massage, performed by licensed therapists. Counseling was also offered to teach patients how to self-administer acupressure at home.

A dietary analysis was also conducted, and patients were given nutritional guidance that tracked traditional Chinese approaches towards food consumption. Stress management was also discussed, as were the benefits of regular exercise.

The result: The team found that when applied alongside modern medicine, the use of such so-called "staples of Eastern medicine" appeared to be both safe and effective.

After two months, all the patients showed a statistically significant gain in terms of quality of life, with a drop in feelings of frustration and restlessness and a boost in their ability to concentrate.

What's more, patients were found to have less of a problem with runny noses, reduced sneezing and a subsequent reduced need to blow their noses. Facial pain and pressure also appeared to drop off somewhat.

"These were the worst of the worst patients," Suh stressed. "And during treatment they got better. Now were they completely better? No. Only some of their symptoms improved. And those who did not keep up the lifestyle modifications like self-administered acupressure returned to their previous state after the study. But those who kept it up continued to see a benefit. So this offers some hope, and leads us to consider the next question, which is what might be possible with Eastern therapy alone?"

That said, Dr. Jordan Josephson, a sinus and allergy specialist with Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, cautioned that chronic sinusitis is a "very complex problem" for which there is no simple solution.

"Augmenting traditional medicine with Eastern therapies is a very wise thing to do for sinus sufferers," he said. "In my practice, I certainly do this. Because it's not a question of antihistamines or acupuncture."

"And the reason for that is that we're not taking about a cure," Josephson said. "This is not a cold or a sniffle. If you have chronic sinusitis, it's chronic, like diabetes. So, the best thing to do is to treat patients with a combination of diet, antibiotics, antifungals, nasal sprays, allergy treatment, acupuncture, lifestyle changes, irrigation with saline and irrigation with medicines. You need a comprehensive plan for each individual patient that will give them the best chance at control."

Source: http://www.womenshealt.gov/new/news/headlines/662904.cfm/