Of leopards and apples

It has been a busy weekend and now…. I’m making my plans to head back to my ‘day job’ tomorrow. The best part of tomorrow is that the videographer has completed the DVD and I could pick it up but… she has suggested I wait as she has ordered a label program (lost her drivers when she upgraded from Leopard to Apple – like speaking another language eh?) So I can have the DVD in a jewel case now or wait for a short while and have the extra. Since I need to sell myself in a competitive market, it’s worth the wait. I got an extra boost to my enthusiasm today when the Discovery Channel aired two programs on cruise ships – one was a Royal Caribbean sister ship to the one we traveled on last year. Let me get that PowerPoint list finished!

I’ve spent the past two days teaching Marine Advanced First Aid to a group of 14 in Port LaTour. The land and sea employees at the plant were the majority, and the home crowd is always the toughest, but there were an additional six local fishermen. My only regret was that I forgot to take my camera to record the festivities. I almost lost my breath in hysterics when I glanced over at one of the chubby, florid faced participants with a tiger striped triangular bandage on his head simulating a dressing on a head wound which the prodigal son described as a ‘do rag’. Mind you, he and his father made quite a team themselves, as they’re personally familiar with most of the injuries in real life between them. Made all the preparations worthwhile. Had fewer participants than I’d thought but this is the rule rather than the exception when booking classes, you usually have to overbook to just fill the seats. It was a good practice run with all the glitches uncovered – ordering books, gathering equipment, TV/VCR not available etc. for the other two I’ve got set up.

Thinking of traveling to the district facility isn’t as bad as it sounds, at least I don’t have to face the music on my own turf. Friday was a really rough day due to an urgent recall notice, which was the final straw. This will all be waiting for me of course by Tuesday.

With all the stress it’s good to know that my cardiovascular health is being protected as a feline owner:

Owning a Cat Good for the Heart?
Study Shows Cat Owners Less Likely to Die From Heart Attacks By Charlene Laino WebMD Medical News Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Feb. 21, 2008 (New Orleans) -- Your cat may bring you a lot more than unconditional love after a tough day.

A new study shows that cat owners are less likely to die of a heart attack and other cardiovascular diseases than people who have never had a pet cat.

The findings emerged from an analysis of data on nearly 4,500 men and women, ages 30 to 75, who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Study. All were free of cardiovascular disease when they entered the study in the 1970s. Over half, 55%, reported having a pet cat at some point in their lives.

Compared with cat owners, people who never had a pet cat were 40% more likely to die of a heart attack over the 20-year study period. They were also 30% more likely to die of any cardiovascular disease, including stroke, heart failure, and chronic heart disease.

The results held true even after the researchers took into account other risk factors for heart disease and stroke, including age, gender, race, blood pressure, and smoking. The researchers found no such link for people who had a pet dog.

The findings were presented here at the American Stroke Association's (ASA) International Stroke Conference.

Cat Lovers Have Less Stress

Researcher Farhan Siddiq, MD, of the University of Minnesota, says he thinks that pet lovers share personality characteristics such as low stress and anxiety levels that protect them against heart disease and stroke.

"Dog owners probably have the same characteristics, even though the data don't support it," he adds.

ASA spokesman Daniel Lackland, MD, a stroke expert at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, agrees that both cats and dogs "are good, they make you feel better. And studies have shown that a general feeling of well-being is linked to better overall health."
But, Lackland stresses, the findings should not detract from the critical value of controlling blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes.

So should you go out and buy a cat in hopes of cutting your risk of dying of a heart attack? "For other medical interventions, we would need more evidence. But this has minimal risk -- unless you're allergic," Siddiq tells WebMD.

I’m wondering if having three in-house means you’re triple safe? I’m not sure I’m buying that less stress title there either.

And to conclude, you can’t say he didn’t deserve it:

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Justin John Boudin may have done his anger management homework, but he apparently didn't learn his lesson.

The 27-year-old Minnesota man pleaded guilty to fifth-degree assault charges for losing his temper on the way to class. According to the criminal complaint, Boudin was waiting at a bus stop in August when he harassed a 59-year-old woman. Witnesses say he yelled "Why don't you show me some respect?" at the woman.

The complaint says when she took out her cell to call police, he punched her in the face. When a 63-year-old man tried to stop him, Boudin hit him with a blue folder. Then he ran, dropping the folder. Police were able to track him down using the papers inside, which included his name and his anger management homework.

Prosecutors expect at a hearing in May he'll be sentenced to time served, which will be at least 120 days, and probation.