Post #2 February 5-scroll down for #1

The Internet is about to undergo a growth spurt.

Hundreds of new Net domains will go live this year, driving an almost 50-fold increase over the long-standing 22 domains such as ".com" and ".net."

Some of the Net address endings, or new generic top-level domains (gTLDs) as they are known, have already gone live in recent days including ".guru" and ".singles." And several non-English domains including the Chinese characters for "network" just became operational, followed by another wave of generic domains — among them ".camera" and ".gallery" — up for grabs starting Wednesday.

This unprecedented increase in Net domains promises a wave of opportunities for online identity building. "For the first time in a long, long time, you are going to have relevant short identities for your online presence," says Mason Cole, spokesman at Donuts, a Bellevue, Wash.-based Net registry that plans to launch more than 100 new domains this year.

"Rather than the vague '.com' or '.org' … now a business, an individual, family or organization can attach an Internet presence to a term that is very specific," Cole says. "If you are into biking, you now have '.bike.' If you are a plumber, you now have '.plumbing.' If you are a pizza restaurant, pretty soon you are going to have '.pizza.'"

Before the year 2000, there were only eight domains used – ".arpa," ".com," ".edu," ".gov," ".mil," ".net," ".int" and ".org." (There were also country codes such as ".us" and ".uk.") Two subsequent expansions yielded domains such as ".biz" and ".xxx" to bring the total of non-country domains to 22.

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the non-profit group that manages such Net tasks, has approved more than 1,300 new domains, but will keep the additions to 1,000 or less this year. More than 120 new domains have been added to the Internet and will become available in the coming weeks.

"ICANN's function is to increase competition and creativity and the entrepreneurial spirit," says Brad White, the group's director of global media affairs. "What we did was lift that artificial limit (of 22 domains) and give the innovators a blank canvas: You guys paint the future of the Internet."

Those interested in owning a second-level domain — such as "mikes.bike — can go to an online registrar such as Name.com, GoDaddy.com and Network Solutions and attempt to purchase it. (Those companies then check with registries such as Donuts.co to see if it's taken.)

Before domains are released, trademark holders have a chance to scoop up relevant addresses. "If you are Nike, you are going to get the first shot at 'nike.shoes' and the same with 'dominos.pizza,'" says Donuts' Cole.

Corporations have been faced with a decision whether to aggressively stake out new territory during the virtual land rush. "Big brand companies are dividing almost equally on whether to participate in this system or not to play," says Peter Brody, an intellectual property attorney with the Washington firm Ropes & Gray who focuses on advertising and marketing disputes. "It really is unclear whether this is going to be a waste of money or is really going to catch on."

For instance, Apple applied for, and was approved to administer, the ".apple" domain; while Microsoft and Sony got ".xbox" and ".playstation."

Companies such as Facebook, Twitter, Coke and Pepsi have not applied for a domain, each of which requires an $185,000 fee.

"Many brand owners are basically putting their heads in the sand and hoping that nothing bad will happen to them, and then we have others who are diving in with both feet," Brody says. "And the new domain names may not simply be new Internet addresses for old content. It is entirely possible a whole new set of technologies and environments could develop ... that will offer some really different user experiences."

February 5, 2014

Good morning world!
The weather has improved considerably since yesterday. Now, everyone has to play catch up on a Wednesday. I don't know about you, but any break in the week gives me an extra Monday! I enjoyed the day and spent it with our wonderful OIB clients. It is so flattering when people call and request our group meetings! I am glad everyone enjoys our little soirée.

Don't forget we have a full schedule on Saturday. The center was closed yesterday due to the weather so be sure you have called Krystal. Please speak with her directly. If you leave a message, the receptionist doesn't know me or how to contact me. Just ask for Krystal and help keep our system working. Otherwise, the news will never trickle down to Mr. Earl.

Have a great day and check on your friends  and neighbors!
Until tomorrow,
Dr. Janet

Post #2. How to be a healthy geezer

"The Healthy Geezer" answers questions about health and aging in his weekly column. Question : Do older people have more body odor? Answer : It does seem that seniors do stink more than younger people. Aren't we lucky? It's true that one recently found substance in human body odor , called 2-Nonenal, tends to increase with aging, according to a study from researchers in Japan published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology. The body odor of people between the ages of 26 and 75 was analyzed. The researchers found that 2-Nonenal, which has an unpleasant greasy and grassy odor, was detected only in the participants ages 40 or older. So, what causes body odor (aka B.O.)? Most often, it's the bacterial breakdown of sweat that causes an odor . Perspiration, itself, is practically odorless. Sweating helps maintain your body temperature, hydrates your skin and balances your body fluids. There are two types of sweat glands: eccrine glands and apocrine glands. Eccrine glands are located over most of your body. Apocrine glands develop in hairy sections of your body. Eccrine glands secrete perspiration that is composed primarily of water and salt. Apocrine glands secrete a fatty sweat. The bacterial breakdown of apocrine sweat is what usually causes an odor. Over-the-counter (OTC) antiperspirants and deodorants are effective cures for most body odor. There are prescription antiperspirants if the OTC products don't work. Antiperspirants contain aluminium-based compounds that temporarily block sweat pores. Deodorants eliminate odor but not perspiration; they're usually alcohol-based and turn your skin acidic, making it less attractive to bacteria . Deodorants often contain fragrances, too, to mask odor. You can reduce body odor in the following ways: Shower or bathe every day. This reduces the bacteria on your skin. Dry your feet thoroughly after showering. Microorganisms love moisture between your toes. Wear clothing--especially socks--made of cotton and wool; avoid synthetics. Moisture-wicking athletic clothing is good when you are exercising and sweating a lot. Change socks at least once a day. Wear shoes made of leather. Natural materials allow your feet to breathe and stay dry. Also, rotate your shoes, so they have enough time to dry. Go barefoot when you can, or remove your shoes occasionally. Apply antiperspirants nightly. Consider relaxation techniques such as yoga, meditation or biofeedback. These can help you control the stress that triggers perspiration. Change your diet. If foods or beverages cause your perspiration to smell, consider eliminating them. Avoid foods with strong odors, such as garlic and onions. If you would like to read more columns, you can order a copy of "How To Be A Healthy Geezer" athttp://www.healthygeezer.com/ . 

Tuesday, February 4

Good morning everyone,
Snow day! The local weather forecast is for nasty weather later this morning. Being proactive, the local schools have closed. As you know, ice is much worse than snow. The grocery stores have been wiped out as usual. The good news, the icing won't last long.

Saturday schedule:
We will meet at the center at 9 for the iPad 2 group. We will then travel to local library followed by lunch! Be sure you contact Krystal if you are participating.

Have a great day! I intend to savor my coffee and catch up on paperwork!
Until tomorrow,
Dr. Janet

Monday, February 3, 2014

Good morning everyone,
I am having techno difficulties today. My wonderful iPad can't connect to the internet at my house. I will be off to the apple store after school! I can't stand to be disconnected from my family and friends. Would you say I am an Apple addict?

Johnye found a couple of great articles but due to my technical difficulties this morning you will have to wait until the technicians reset my unit.

Have a great day. Do a good deed and we will try this again tomorrow!
Dr. Janet

Sunday, February 2

Good evening everyone,
I am home safe and sound with lots of adorable twin pictures! One is such a cute age and my twins are just the best ever!

From my reports, it sounds like our friends in the Northern part of the state are going to enjoy a few more snow days. There was a lot if tree icing on my trip home in east arkansas! especially  around Memphis. However, here in central Arkansas all seem well at this time. Darn....I was really hoping for a snow day! Thee is nothing better than a Monday snow day, ask any teacher!

We have a busy month with lots of trainings. Be sure you sign up with Krystal just so we know who to expect and how to schedule Mr. Earl.
Until tomorrow,
Dr. Janet

Nashville update

The weather is great and the babies are even sweeter than ever! Have a great day!

Think you've got normal blood pressure because the readings are always good at the doc's? Think again. As many as one in seven of us have what is called " masked hypertension " -- meaning we have healthy blood pressure readings in the comfort of our doctors' offices, but elevated blood pressure at work or home. New research of more than 5,000 people spanning four countries finds that not only do people with this kind of hidden hypertension have a greater risk of heart attacks and strokes, but that home blood pressure monitoring often helps identify this phenomenon . The reasons for this kind of hypertension have yet to be pinned down with great confidence, but daily life stressors and certain behaviors like alcohol and contraceptive use are thought to be culprits. And while home blood pressure monitoring has already been touted as a great way to help people manage high blood pressure , the new findings make the case that more widespread home monitoring could actually help diagnose it as well. Dr. Jan Staessen , a cardiovascular diseases researcher at the University of Leuven in Belguim and senior author of the studies published in the journals PLOS Medicine and Hypertension , found in an analysis that of the people he studied with masked hypertension, 5 percent had "optimal" readings (120-80) at the clinic, 18.4 percent had "normal" clinic readings (120-129/80-84), and 30.4 percent had "high-normal" (130-139/85-59). (Mild hypertension was considered to be 140-159/90-99, while severe hypertension was 160+/100+.) "We know that a lot of cardiovascular complications occur in people who are normotensive if you measure the blood pressure in the regular way in the office," Staessen told Reuters Health. So in his other study, Staessen wanted to learn precisely how home monitoring affects the heart disease risks of patients with either masked or "white coat" hypertension -- which is the opposite problem, where readings are high at the doc's office but low at home. (The white coats and clinics presumably elevate blood pressure in these patients.) To do this, he looked at the readings of 6,458 people, 5,007 of whom were not being treated for any blood pressure problems. Of that group, 404 had masked hypertension while 695 had white-coat hypertension. Staessen found that masked hypertension raised one's risk for heart attack and stroke by 55 percent when compared to people with normal blood pressure, while white-coat hypertension raised the risk by 42 percent. Even when compared to patients being treated for high blood pressure, masked hypertension that was diagnosed via home monitoring raised the risk by 76 percent -- likely because this type of hypertension involves, by its very definition, undertreatment. Straessen adds that even regardless of diagnosis, those with risk factors for masked hypertension -- smokers, the obese, the elderly -- should regularly monitor their blood pressure at home to get a more accurate blood pressure picture. Meanwhile, Dr. Mark Caulfield of Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry writes in a PLOS Medicine editorial that, with both the growing "burden" of high blood pressure and the availability of affordable home monitoring devices, home blood pressure monitoring should take on an expanded role: "Home blood pressure monitoring could be used to diagnose high blood pressure and help decide whom to treat. It empowers patients to take on a role in assessment of their blood pressure. With cardiovascular diseases being the leading cause of death worldwide , according to the World Health Organization, finding, treating, and of course preventing one of its leading risk factors, hypertension, could add up to a lot of saved lives and health care dollars.