Neato XV-21 Pet & Allergy Automatic Vacuum Cleaner

I have allergies. I also have pets. And right now, it's shedding season. All of that shedding leads to a lot more sneezing than usual, which leads to a lot more vacuuming. But even an obsessive neat freak like me doesn't vacuum often enough to avoid the occasional tumbleweed of pet hair that mysteriously blows through the room when I turn on the ceiling fan.

That's where the $429.99 (direct) Neato XV-21 Pet & Allergy Automatic Vacuum Cleaner comes in. The XV-21 is an update to the XV-11, with upgraded filters and the use of a bristled brush designed to better collect pet hair. And it works. The XV-21 picked up a surprising amount of hair and dust I didn't even notice was on the floor. And it can be programmed to automatically clean as often as you like, even when you're not around. But its allergy-fighting powers are questionable, and it doesn't work well on tight corners. The XV-21 will keep your home free of pet hair tumbleweeds, but you'll still need to keep a traditional vacuum on hand if you like things squeaky clean.

Design and Setup
The XV-21 looks a heck of a lot like the XV-11 we saw in 2009. Unfortunately, both bots share a similar design aesthetic with the Super Nintendo video game system released back in 1990. The device is the same exact shade of Nintendo gray, with purple, orange, and black accents. And despite that fact that the back end is curved, it has a very blocky look. I realize it's a vacuum, but for something you'll watch zipping around your home, a slightly more attractive design would've been appreciated. Or at least a different shade of gray.

The XV-21 measures 13 by 12.5 by 4 inches (HWD) and weighs 8.2 pounds, which is right on par with other cleaning robots, like the Scooba 390?($499.99, 3 stars). There are five buttons used to control the vacuum: a start switch, two menu navigation buttons, a select button, and a back button. There's an easy-to-read 2.5-inch black and white display on top that allows you to control various options for the XV-21. You can set it to spot clean one particular area, for instance, or schedule it to turn on automatically and clean as often as you'd like.

Before using the XV-21, you first must plug in the charging station, which shares a similar look and feel to the vacuum itself. The station uses inductive charging, so the front of the XV-21 just needs to be pressed up against the charging block for it to work. It takes just under three hours to get a full charge. The device finished vacuuming my 550-square foot apartment in about 45 minutes, and had nearly half its battery life left. If the battery dies before the job is finished, the XV-21 will make its way back to the charger, charge back up, then go back out and finish the job.

Performance and Conclusions
Once you're fully charged, simply press the Start button and watch the XV-21 get to work. You'll be sure to know it's working, because the XV-21 is loud. The sound it makes upon starting is not dissimilar to that of a plane taking off, albeit at a slightly lower volume. It isn't as loud as a traditional vacuum, but the XV-21 takes a lot longer to clean the same amount of space as a traditional vacuum, and you tend to notice the noise a lot more when you're not the one doing the work.

The robot uses a laser-based room positioning technology to create a 360-degree view of the room, which allows it analyze furniture, doorways, and other obstacles within 13 feet in order to create the most efficient cleaning path. This worked surprisingly well in practice, as the XV-21 managed to systematically hit every part of my living room (even under the couch), with nary an accidental bump.

From the living room, it navigated out into the bedroom, then back through the living room and into the bathroom, but for some reason it never made its way into my kitchen. I had to place it there myself, and while the XV-21 did a fine job, I can't figure out why it wouldn't go in.

The big purple lid on top of the vacuum is the dirt bin. It fits in securely, but was easy to pop up when the XV-21 was finished. Now, I'm a pretty tidy guy, and I keep what I consider to be a pretty clean apartment. So I was shocked when I opened the XV-21's dirt bin to find it filled with dust and pet hair. I dust and vacuum regularly, so I wasn't expecting the XV-21 to pick up much more than the occasional crumb or stray dog hair. I was at once disconcerted to see all that I had missed, but pleased that the XV-21 managed to pick it up.

Additionally, the XV-21 handled the different surfaces in my apartment?hardwood floors, throw rugs, and tiles?with aplomb. I was especially impressed with the job it did on the large throw rug in my living room, which looked noticeably perkier after a visit from the XV-21.

Mysterious kitchen snub aside, the only major issue I had with the XV-21 is that it can't quite suck all of the pet hair out of a tight corner, which, of course, is where pet hair tends to accumulate. To be fair, even the main attachment on my Dyson vacuum has a hard time getting all the way into a corner?that's where the vacuum tube comes in. But that means you'll still need to keep a traditional vacuum cleaner on hand to pick up where the XV-21 can't.

Additionally, I'm dubious to the claims that this is an "Allergy" vacuum. Sure, cleaning up dirt, dust, and pet hair is sure to help remove plenty of allergens, but it's not like the XV-21 is releasing an antihistamine mist into the air as it cleans. This is no more an allergy-combatant than the handheld mini vacuum I had in my old college dorm room was. But the XV-21 will definitely do a better job of cleaning your floors.

Clean up is simple, too. Just remove the dirt bin, open its door, and empty the contents into the garbage. Pop it back into the XV-21, and you're ready to vacuum again.

If you already own an XV-11, there's no need to buy the XV-21. You can upgrade your model with the new bristle brush and updated filter for $60, then upgrade your device to the latest firmware. While the Neato XV-21 Pet & Allergy Automatic Vacuum Cleaner doesn't spray and scrub your floor like the Scooba 390, it works on a wider variety of surfaces, is programmable, and lasts longer. The iRobot?Roomba 770?($499.99, 4 stars), meanwhile, has a sleeker design and uses dirt sensors that allows it to pay closer attention to a particularly dirty spot on your floor. But if what you want is an extra hand to remove all that pesky pet hair, the XV-21 is a good, albeit pricey, tool. Just don't get rid of rid of your old push vacuum just yet.

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Analysis: Indian rupee slump costly for $5.5 billion in convertible bonds

MUMBAI (Reuters) - When promising tech company Subex sold $180 million in five-year convertible bonds in March 2007 to fund the acquisition of a Canadian technology company, India was at the height of an unprecedented market boom.

The economy was growing at more than 9 percent a year, the Indian rupee was rallying towards a record high against the dollar and the Bombay Stock Exchange's main index had surged six-fold in the previous five years, even trumping the performance of China's much vaunted Shanghai stocks.

Today, India and Subex face a different reality altogether. The stock market has dropped by a fifth from the end of 2007 and the rupee in recent weeks has hit successive record lows - a costly combination for Indian companies which together face foreign currency convertible bond redemptions this year of nearly $5.5 billion.

"There will be some casualties," said Jacques Berghmans, a Brussels-based India convertibles manager with TreeTop Asset Management, which looks after about 1 billion euros in assets. "Some of the companies are already over-leveraged and they will find it tough raising fresh funding in this market," he said.

Investor fear about the fate of the euro zone is the latest factor to have hit confidence in India, undermining the currency.

But investors have raised a number of India-specific red flags to explain why the rupee is the biggest losing currency this year in Asia among those monitored daily by Reuters, including a swelling current account, heavy government spending particularly on subsidies such as oil, a rash of unpredictable regulations and tax and a coalition that is struggling to push through any reforms to bolster an economy now growing at just above 6 percent.

The slide in the stock market meant the conversion prices for many of the convertible bonds was much higher than the market price of the issuer.

The dollars to pay off investors are also much more expensive. The rupee has dropped some 30 percent from its record high to its record low.

Fitch Ratings predicted in a report in February that about half of the 55 companies with maturing foreign currency convertible bonds (FCCBs) in 2012 were at risk of some type of restructuring or default.

In addition, with the government stuck in policy paralysis ahead of national general elections that must be held by 2014, overseas lenders could become more wary in general of Indian companies, which raised $30 billion in external commercial borrowings in 2011.

IFR-India capital markets briefing

- http://r.reuters.com/myr48s

Regular rupee market reports

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^>

THE SUBEX EXPERIENCE

The combination of economic factors dragging on India, in particular a fiscal deficit estimated at almost 6 percent of GDP for the year to March 2012, has already prompted Standard & Poor's ratings agency to downgrade the outlook for India's credit rating, which stands just one notch above junk status.

A cut in the rating would raise borrowing costs across the board, adding to the premium lenders would demand from companies such as Subex in return for their capital.

It would also raise further doubts about India's position in the so-called BRICS of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, a grouping that represents the emerging markets challenging the world order so long dominated by North America and Europe. As India's credit rating is under pressure for a downgrade, rival Indonesia is on the up. Many see it as the new ?I' in BRICS.

Subex is a typical example of the problems many Indian companies face, said analysts, bondholders and executives of companies with overseas holdings.

Started as a provider of software products and services to global telecom companies, it faced a promising future in 2007. More recently, it has suffered from cutthroat competition and sluggish spending on technology in the wake of the global financial crisis.

After selling $180 million in five-year convertible bonds in 2007 it sold close to $100 million in three-year convertible notes in 2009, a year when the stock market rose a stunning 81 percent. Conversion, which seemed a reasonable prospect when the bonds were sold, is out of the question.

After some changes, the conversion price for the 2007 tranche was set at 136.04 rupees and for the 2009 tranche at 80 rupees. Subex stock closed on Friday at 24.60 rupees.

"FCCBs are usually a product of bull markets. People expected prices would go further up, and they set very high conversion prices," said Deep Mukherjee, a Fitch Ratings analyst in Mumbai.

In its February study, Fitch said Subex and six other companies were likely to restructure their convertible bonds with "significant distressed debt exchange" features.

Subex faces a deadline of July 9 to pay its debt, although it has reduced the outstanding amount to $94 million after redeeming some of the debt. The company is trying to convince investors to accept new 5-year notes in exchange for the existing ones. Subex did not respond to requests for comment.

Wind turbine maker Suzlon Ltd , with net debt of $2 billion that is three times its market value, is negotiating with bondholders to seek up to 45 more days to repay $360 million in FCCBs maturing in June, the company said this month.

The conversion price of 97.26 rupees a share is way above its stock price, which last traded at 20.45 rupees. Part of Suzlon's strategy is to raise up to $300 million in loans to pay the bondholders next month.

'SHEDDING TEARS'

Bigger and healthier firms such as Tata Motors and JSW Steel either have a combination of enough cash and assets on their balance sheets or access to domestic funding from bankers to avoid major problems.

Tata Steel has $473 million in FCCBs falling due this year, and JSW Steel $274 million.

For many executives the turn of fortune for India in the past few years has been a hard lesson. Smaller and medium-sized Indian firms now face a much tougher lending landscape.

"When we issued it, free money was available and I think no one expected that one will have to repay that amount," said Hiranya Ashar, chief financial officer of mid-sized IT services provider Rolta India .

"Everyone's expectation was growth is happening at 20 to 25 percent and if growth is happening then stock prices will also go up and eventually these FCCBs will get converted."

Rolta, which this month posted a drop in profit for the third quarter in a row, has raised $135 million from a clutch of Indian banks to redeem bonds maturing next month. It has to repay as the conversion price is five times the current market price.

"It was not easy to get the refinance done. All the lenders are very selectively giving refinance facilities ... our leverage levels are not very high as compared to maybe some other companies who are stretched," Ashar said.

Analysts say top quality Indian companies will still be able to raise funds from international investors. But smaller and medium sized companies that in previous years banked on a non-stop rising share prices, now face being shut out of markets, especially since many lenders are under pressure from regulators to boost capital ratios and lower their risks.

"Now, I don't want to touch 90 percent of Indian convertible bonds. It is very dangerous," said Berghmans, who holds bonds of Educomp Solutions and Rolta India among others.

However, bond investors can't cry foul, analysts say. Many were swept up into buying into India's seemingly unlimited potential without conducting the necessary financial due diligence.

"The risk is hitting them at a bad time, but should anybody shed any tears for these investors?" Fitch's Mukherjee said.

(Editing by Neil Fullick)

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Commentary: Shifting the balance | Internet Privacy And Security

Recently, due bills such as the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and a Protect IP Act (PIPA) have stalled, mostly since of negative backlash by Internet companies and, some-more importantly, a Obama administration.?The vigilant of those bills was to discharge robbery of copyrighted element online by permitting a supervision to retard Web sites. President Obama responded by observant that such bills could potentially suppress innovation and repairs a firmness of a Web.

But after fast dual online attacks to my companies? repute and databases, I?ve come to a end that a insurance businesses would get from a legislation is value sacrificing privacy.

About a year ago, my association WebiMax was pounded by a chairman who stole a logo, combined a ridicule Web site and wasted a tag?line ? Experience, Integrity, Results. He altered it to: ?No experience, miss of integrity, no results.? He posted explanation about WebiMax that was fake and embellished a disastrous picture of us.

We got a rough claim and a hosting association pulled it down. Three months after it popped behind adult on a hosting association in Ireland that works over a bounds of a law. We trust we would not be going by this if a SOPA magnitude were in effect.

A few years ago, someone hacked into a database during my initial venture, VendorSeek.com. They were means to entrance back-end data, including credit label information. Luckily, we held it before too most repairs was done, though authorities never found out who was responsible.

Now a new offer directed during providing businesses a required collection to strengthen online security, called a Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA), is confronting identical controversy.

Should CISPA be sealed into law, it would extend any group a energy to achieve user information from sites such as

Article source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/capitalbusiness/2012/05/25/gJQAw382uU_...


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Commonly used painkillers may protect against skin cancer

ScienceDaily (May 29, 2012) ? A new study suggests that aspirin and other similar painkillers may help protect against skin cancer. Published early online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the findings indicate that skin cancer prevention may be added to the benefits of these commonly used medications.

Previous studies suggest that taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, which include aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen, as well as a variety of other nonprescription and prescription drugs, can decrease an individual's risk of developing some types of cancer. Sigr?n Alba J?hannesd?ttir, BSc, of Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark, and her colleagues looked to see if the medications might decrease the risk of the three major types of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and malignant melanoma.

The researchers analyzed medical records from northern Denmark from 1991 through 2009 and identified 1,974 diagnoses of squamous cell carcinoma, 13,316 diagnoses of basal cell carcinoma, and 3,242 diagnoses of malignant melanoma. They compared information, including prescription data, from these patients with information from 178,655 individuals without skin cancer.

Individuals who filled more than two prescriptions for NSAIDs had a 15 percent decreased risk for developing squamous cell carcinoma and a 13 percent decreased risk for developing malignant melanoma than those who filled two or fewer prescriptions for the medications, especially when the drugs were taken for seven or more years or taken at high intensity. Individuals who took NSAIDs did not seem to benefit from a reduced risk of developing basal cell carcinoma in general, although they did have a 15 percent and 21 percent reduced risk of developing this type of cancer on less-exposed sites (body areas other than the head and neck) when they took them long term or at high intensity, respectively.

"We hope that the potential cancer-protective effect of NSAIDs will inspire more research on skin cancer prevention," said Ms. J?hannesd?ttir. "Also, this potential cancer-protective effect should be taken into account when discussing benefits and harms of NSAID use."

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Wiley-Blackwell.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.


Journal Reference:

  1. Sigrun Alba Johannesdottir, Ellen T. Chang, Frank Mehnert, Morten Schmidt, Anne Braae Olesen, Henrik Toft S?rensen. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and the risk of skin cancer A population-based case-control study. Cancer, May 29, 2012 DOI: 10.1002/cncr.27406

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

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Justin Bieber allegedly batters photographer

By Ree Hines

On Sunday, Justin Bieber's squeaky-clean reputation took a hit as the singer allegedly launched into a physical altercation with a paparazzo.

NBC News correspondent Kristen Dahlgren delivered the details on TODAY Monday morning.

Bieber and girlfriend Selena Gomez were said to be leaving a shopping center when the trouble began. Witnesses claim they saw the teen idol rush from a van for a face-to-face confrontation with a photographer who'd been seen taking photos of the young couple.

Deputies were called to the scene, but witnesses revealed that Bieber and Gomez left before they arrived.

According to a press release from the Malibu Sheriff's Office, the photographer reported that the singer "physically battered" him during the confrontation.

The man was treated and then released from an area hospital.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is investigating the incident and plans to speak to the signer.

While there's been no official word about the incident from Beiber's camp, he took to Twitter in the early hours of Monday and told his followers that he was "gonna focus on the important stuff. the music."

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Ex Republican congresswoman blasts current GOP and its women Reps

By David Ferguson
Saturday, May 26, 2012 13:20 EDT

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Former Representative Claudine Schneider (R-RI) believes that the Republican Party is heading in the wrong direction. According to Think Progress, the moderate Republican believes that today?s Republican Party has no place for centrists like herself, and that the current crop of Republican women in Congress are ?not voting in the interest of all women,? particularly with regards to the question of pay equity.

Schneider joins other disaffected Republicans like former George W. Bush adviser David Frum and The Myth of Heterosexual AIDS author Michael Fumento in decrying a Republican Party that they believe has moved too far to the right. She said that former President Ronald Reagan ?would be embarrassed? by today?s Republicans, who have driven out all but the most extreme candidates in primary elections all over the country.

She is particularly disappointed in women Republicans, who she says are so frightened of losing their primaries, that ?They have drunk the Kool-Aid that makes them think it is more important to win, than to do what is right by ending discrimination. The conservatives have co-opted the primaries and in order to win, they appear to do whatever it will take. Clearly, based on [the voting records of the 24 current Republican Congresswomen], they are NOT voting in the best interest of all women and men, because when women lose, families lose!?

Republican women legislators have formed a caucus called the Women?s Policy Committee, a tack that Schneider dismissed as window-dressing. ?This is merely posturing so that the Republican party might stop hemorrhaging the women?s vote,? she said.

Schneider was instrumental in passing laws protecting the environment, health legislation and gender equity laws like the Economic Equity and the Pension Equity Acts. She served five terms in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1981 to 1991.

(image via Wikimedia Commons)

David Ferguson

David Ferguson is an editor at Raw Story. He was previously writer and radio producer in Athens, Georgia, hosting two shows for Georgia Public Broadcasting and blogging at Firedoglake.com and elsewhere. He is currently working on a book.

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Environmental health science - HEALTH, BEAUTY & FITNESS

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recomanded foods for heartburn - Lying DC`s Health Blog

???? For acid reflux and overall health eat 6 small meals instead of 3 larger ones. Learn what healthy snacks agree with you. And make your snacks balanced some protein, some fat, and complex carbs.

???? Balanced meals or snacks will satisfy your prediabetes concerns. There are some supplements that can help gallbladder problems. Lecithin comes in the form of grains (like sand) that you can mix into food or liquids. There are also gel capsules you can take too. Lecithin emulsifies fat and may help to prevent stones. You might consider protein shakes. Whey protein is easily digested; you can buy a single serve packet to try it to see if it agrees with you. A basic mixer is fine or a plastic bottle to shake things up in to start. I think fat can be a problem for GB issues. Chicken breast is lean and should not be a problem. Don?t expect to tackle it all at once. Maybe focus on a diet for heartburn ? and research supplements for your GB problems.

?? I used to lift weights all the time but for some reason now when i try to do even light weight training I get bad indigestion and have to stop working out for 2-3 weeks for it to settle down. i dont have acid reflux, hiatel hernia or GERD and had a full GI work up ? endoscopy, pillcam and colonoscopy and everything is clean. but for some reason whenever i put strain on my torso or abdomen it triggers some kind of spasms or muscle contractions in my stomach which can then cause discomfort when eating and in between meals. any idea what this could be? i am loosing weight since i am not working out and its very frustrating. would appreciate any advice.for details click here

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Your Real Age ? 8 Tips to Help Caregivers Find Their Inner Child

I recently celebrated my birthday and it got me to thinking about our ?real age.?? Whenever I meet a friend for coffee the conversation now turns to our latest health issue (we are at that age) ? hurt knees from running, migraines from changing hormones, sun spots on our face, wrinkles on our foreheads, and intestinal rumblings from last night?s Mexican food.? And, when the bill comes, we all hold the check back about 12 inches so we can read it (always forgetting the reading glasses which are now common among my friends).? However, we marvel at how we don?t see ourselves as our real age ? and as friends we even comfort each other that we certainly don?t look our real age either.

As we grow older and start to care for aging parents, what is our risk as caregivers for being ?older? than our real age because we often neglect our own health and wellness needs?

Real Age Calculator

If you want to take the scary leap with me (make sure you put your knee brace on first) ? there is an online calculator developed by the now well-known authors of You ? The Owner?s Manual ?books, Dr. Mehmet Oz and Dr. Michael Roizen.? It is called the Real Age Test and it takes about 15 minutes to complete the online questionnaire.? Be prepared ? it will ask you about your cholesterol levels, blood pressure reading, eating habits, fitness routine, sleep patterns, etc.

What you get is an estimated ?age? based on your health and wellness answers as well as tips on how to improve your age score (meaning scoring younger than you really are) in the various areas.

Advice to Caregivers ? Don?t Act Your Age

What struck me as I took the test was that so much of what is truly good for our bodies, our minds and our souls are things most of us did when we were kids.? When I recently interviewed Joan Lunden, who cares for her 93-year-old mother, she told me that she tries to find her ?inner child? when I asked her how she finds her ?Me Time.?

While all childhoods are not alike, here are my 8 Tips to Caregivers on how to tap into the kid you once were and embrace that youthful, carefree time once again that will improve your health and wellness:

1. Naptime:? Health experts say we should get 7-8 hours per night. A study showed that sleeping too little or at odd hours can increase your risk for diabetes and obesity because lack of sleep messes up your insulin levels and slows your metabolism. ?In one study, getting only 5.5 hours of sleep a night translated into 12 extra pounds a year.? Remember taking naps as a kid and going to bed at 9pm?? Try to plan your naps and bedtime as if you were nine-years-old again.

2. Bath time:? Remember how we used to hate taking baths as a kid?? Well, as a stressed out adult caregiver, baths are a luxurious dream for which you typically don?t have time.? Baths ? especially those taken with Epsom salts and fragrant oil like lavender ? help reduce stress, improve circulation and aid relaxation.? A study done in Japan showed that the stress relief from baths helps you fight colds through vascular and lymph system stimulation which encourages bacteria-destroying properties in the immune system.?? Take 10 minutes for a bath at least three times a week and don?t forget the rubber ducky.

3.?Playtime:? It sounds silly but playtime can actually help caregivers avoid the burn-out they so often face.? While escaping to summer camp may not be feasible, riding your bike, finding a local summer fair to ride the carousel or roller coaster, or jumping into your backyard or local community pool (doing your best cannonball!) can give you the mental health break you need.? Find a few minutes every day or at least once a week to ?play.?

4. Outdoor Fun and Sun: ?10 minutes of sunshine a day is enough to boost your natural levels of Vitamin D (which promotes calcium absorption needed for strong bones) that have been proven to aid prevention of health risks such as diabetes, multiple sclerosis, cancer, allergies and osteoporosis.? In addition, sunshine boosts your mental health ? brain functionality and optimism all improve with increased levels of Vitamin D.? In fact, one study in the Journal of Finance found that stocks traded on sunny days were more profitable than those on cloudy days.

5. Seashells by the seashore:? One of my favorite childhood memories is collecting seashells along the beach with my mom and brother.? We would walk for what seemed like miles to find special colors and shapes.? Since heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, walking 30 minutes every day gives you the cardiovascular exercise you need to keep your heart healthy according to the American Heart Association.? If you don?t live near the beach, find a hiking trail or just take a brisk stroll through the neighborhood.

6. Daydream: ??Remember lying on your back and looking up into the clouds deciding which shapes you could find?? A lion, a car, or even hearts?? If you can find a patch of ground ? whether it is your backyard or your neighborhood park, take a few minutes each week to just lie on your back and watch the clouds scroll by (or forget the clouds and just lie on your back in your living room ? no TV, no music, no external disturbances allowed).? It is a variation of meditation that ensures you have the mental stamina to keep going as a caregiver.

7. Laugh:? Charlie Chaplin said, ?A day without laughter is a day wasted.?? Being a caregiver is nothing to laugh about ? it can take a toll on you that is physical, emotional and financial.? But finding the funny bone in caregiving can get you through the day.?? My mom told me that when she was caring for my grandma after a stroke, they both slipped as she was transferring her from wheelchair to bed.? Rather than be sad or upset, they both sat on the floor laughing at the absurdity of the situation. One study showed that laughing is a mini workout ? it burns calories, increases your heart rate and sends more oxygen to your tissues. Maybe laughter is the best medicine.

8. Hold hands:? Remember the first time you held hands with someone you liked?? Your heart beat faster, your oxytocin levels (?cuddling hormone?) surged and a warm feeling of happiness came over your whole body. ?The National Alliance for Caregiving found that most caregivers feel all alone and 10 percent of caregivers who reported a decline in their health had turned to alcohol or prescription drugs to cope with their stress. ?Hand-holding can be the prescription caregivers need.? A University of Virginia study showed that wives who held the hands of their spouse or a friend reduced their stress levels.? Reach out physically to a friend or family member or virtually such as through the help of the online site Lotsa Helping Hands that can connect your volunteer community to get you the break to do all the things above.

Becoming a caregiver is a huge responsibility but taking the time to embrace your inner child will help you find the balance you need between caring for yourself and caring for your loved one.

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Scots begin push to be a nation once again

EDINBURGH (Reuters) - With rousing speeches, patriotic music and support from actor Sean Connery, supporters of independence for Scotland launched a campaign on Friday which they hope will lead to the demise of a 305-year-old union with England and the breakup of Britain.

"This is the beginning of something really special - the beginning of the campaign to restore nationhood to Scotland," Alex Salmond, leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP), told hundreds of supporters in hall in the capital Edinburgh.

"We want a Scotland that is fairer and more prosperous."

The campaign hopes to tap into a blend of historical rivalry, different political tastes, and a perception that the British parliament in London does not safeguard Scotland's interests to win a referendum in 2014 which would pave the way for full independence two years later.

If successful, the drive could create serious problems for Britain, which comprises England, Scotland and Wales (Britain is in turn part of the United Kingdom which also includes Northern Ireland).

With its kilts and tartans, bagpipes and whisky, Scotland has a distinctive, if romanticised, culture. There has also been darker history of poverty, violence and ill health, notably in the largest city Glasgow, once an engine of the British Empire.

Scotland already has many of the trappings of an independent nation such as its own flag, sports teams, and a history of achievements in science and literature.

Britain's current government, a coalition between the Conservative party and the Liberal Democrat party, is opposed to Scottish independence as is the opposition Labour party. Britain is stronger as a union, they argue, and an independent Scotland might struggle on Europe's fringes.

The SNP's Salmond, speaking in front of a giant screen showing a cloud-flecked blue sky, had no such doubts.

He said his aim was to get one million Scots to sign the "Yes Declaration" before the referendum.

CONNERY SUPPORT

Under a devolved system of government, the Scottish parliament created in 1999 controls health, education and prisons while the British government in London controls everything else including foreign policy and defence.

"If the parliament can run education, why can't we run the economy? And if we can protect our old people why can't we protect ourselves without the obscenity of nuclear weapons?" Salmond told the audience.

The launch event drew on rousing patriotic music and a film showing the country's stunning Highland landscapes, fishermen, universities, and, inevitably, leaping kilt-clad dancers.

It also relied on celebrity endorsement. A message of support was read out from actor Sean Connery, an Edinburgh milkman before he found fame as secret agent James Bond.

Hollywood actor Brian Cox called Scotland's current predicament "centralised servitude" and related how like many Scots, he had become disenchanted by previous Labour governments led by former prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.

"The parliament at Westminster can see no further then the end of its own bridge," he said.

Scotland's national poet Liz Lochhead read out a poem focused on English-Scottish rivalry in the 16th Century.

Opinion polls show that around 40 percent of Scottish people are sympathetic to independence, with around 10 percent undecided and the remaining 50 percent opposed. South of the border in England, polls show people are largely apathetic.

Author Harry Reid said the referendum's success may hinge on whether the Labour party, traditionally popular in Scotland, can revive its fortunes.

Scotland is more inclined to vote for the left, whereas English voters have voted in much larger numbers for the right, underscoring a political fault line between north and south.

Although the Conservative party won more votes than any other party at the last British general election in 2010 it won only one parliamentary seat in Scotland.

One joke doing the rounds since two Chinese pandas took up residence in Edinburgh Zoo notes that there are now more pandas in Scotland than Conservative MPs.

DIMINISHED ROLE?

Scotland's preference for a more centre-left brand of politics which favours egalitarianism over the free market is reflected in education policy. In England, students have to pay large tuition fees to attend university, whereas in Scotland such education remains free for Scots.

Reid said disenchanted Labour voters who switched to the SNP in disgust at Labour's support for U.S. foreign policy in Iraq and Afghanistan may yet return to the fold. If they do, Scotland's dreams of independence could evaporate, he said.

"If we're going to get a decent Labour government back in 2015 people might wonder whether they really need independence."

Despite its relatively small population of just over five million, compared to England's population of just over 52 million, there are also fears that a 'yes' vote would diminish Britain's voice on the world stage.

"The rest of the world would be surprised and shocked that the UK was unable to hold together," Professor John Curtice of the University of Strathclyde told Reuters in a phone interview.

Britain would find it harder to maintain its voice at international bodies such as at the U.N. Security Council as well as in European Union decision-making.

There are also questions about whether Britain would be able to keep its nuclear submarine fleet in Scotland, where it now based. And revenues from Scottish North Sea oil remain important to its coffers.

But history runs deep and, symbolically, the independence referendum will be held on the 700th anniversary of the 1314 Battle of Bannockburn when an army commanded by England's King Edward II was defeated by a smaller force led by Robert the Bruce, a source of enduring pride for Scottish patriots.

Scotland and England have shared a monarch since 1603 and have been ruled by one single parliament in London since 1707. The SNP's Salmond has said an independent Scotland would retain Queen Elizabeth II as its monarch.

(Additional reporting by Ian MacKenzie; Editing by Angus MacSwan)

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