Part 1: Health advice can be harmful

Part 1: Health advice can be harmful

Chapter 1: This book could save your life

Health information can be misleading for many reasons. You cannot always rely on the popular sources of health advice, such as the media, family and friends. Even health professionals are not always well informed about the benefits and harms of tests and treatments. Sometimes new health interventions are introduced before their benefits and harms have been properly established. Conversely, years may pass before tests and treatments of proven benefit become widely used.

This book aims to help you become more informed about your health care and health decisions. It will equip you with some simple tools for distinguishing between reliable and unreliable health advice.

It is not intended to be used as a do-it-yourself guide to becoming your own doctor. We hope instead that it will encourage you to work in partnership with health professionals, whether you are seeing a doctor, psychologist or naturopath.

Chapter 2: Be Sceptical

What has not been examined impartially has not been well examined. Scepticism is therefore the first step towards truth.
(Denis Diderot, Pensee Philosophique)

Many people are more gullible than they realise. Becoming a critical thinker and more aware of your own biases and decision-making processes may help you to make better health decisions. This chapter reveals some of the tricks that marketers and advertisers use to promote products. Just because something works on rats or on cells in a laboratory test tube or for a celebrity does not mean it will improve your health. Nor should you believe everything that is reported in the media about health. What you need is reliable evidence proving that a product works in humans. The evidence should also be relevant to your needs and situation.

Chapter 3: Bad evidence

I'm always certain about things that are a matter of opinion.
(Charlie Brown, Modern Philosopher)

There are many factors to consider when assessing research findings. When a study shows that two health events or characteristics occur together, this does not necessarily mean that one causes the other. Nor can you assume that one person’s experience with a treatment or illness will have any relevance for other people. Even if someone makes a miraculous recovery after a certain treatment, you cannot assume that the treatment deserves the credit. Many problems get better on their own and it is impossible to know whether a treatment ‘worked’ unless you know what would have happenedwithout that treatment. The placebo effect is powerful, and people often report an improvement on almost any therapy, even a placebo (a biologically inactive intervention). Screening tests that detect diseases early are not always beneficial as they can lead to people living more years with disease rather than leading longer lives. Randomised controlled trials - where subjects are randomly allocated to various interventions or a placebo - help address many of these problematic issues.

Chapter 4: Do not always rely on the experts

Medicine is indeed in the middle of an intellectual revolution. Methods of reasoning and problem solving that might have worked well in the past are not sufficient to handle today’s problems. (David Eddy, Medicine, Money and Mathematics)

Many people make the mistake of assuming that experts always get it right. But health care is so complex, with an ever-expanding array of treatments and research findings, that it is impossible for any one expert to stay abreast of all the latest developments. Even those who specialise in a particular field can find this difficult. Traditionally, many experts have based their opinions on unreliable sources - such as advertisements and the opinions of other experts - rather than the results of good-quality studies. To obtain the best possible health care for your needs requires a mix of things, including your practitioner’s clinical skills, the best evidence from the research literature, and a sound understanding of your own preferences based on the chance of benefits and harms from any intervention.

Taken from http://antiquedress.blogspot.com/

Difference between scene kids and emo kids?

There is a recurring conversation at school, at home and here on the net over the differences between these various people. How can you tell the difference between the two? I have some friends that consider themselves scene kids. They are really nice people. The idea of being "scene" is usually knowing a lot about the local bands/music scene. "Emo" is as always "Emotional" were as scene kids, I believe is more of the style and looking like an emo without the personality of it all. People who only follow the fashion and style, while emo kids follow the fashion, the style and the lifestyle.

Taken from http://emohairstyle.blogspot.com/

Sexy clothes at work, pros and cons

Sexy clothes attract an attention. Aren't they made for this? If you walk in your workplace in miniskirt and bold décolleté blouse, you will definitely be in the center of attention. Most of people like to hear compliments and revealing cleavage can surely bring you praises but sometimes you can put yourself in ambiguous position by dressing up provocatively. However you should know your rights: no matter how you dress, it's not a reason for sexual harassment. It's important to take care of your appearance, especially if you need to communicate with customers a lot. While you are at work, you should represent the ideas of your working place, not your own standpoint.

However we are not machines and we want to be individual. No company forbids sexual clothes as long as your appearance doesn't disturb your co-workers and customers. You can express your sexuality without wearing provocative clothing. Subtle accessories and outfit that highlights advantages of your figure can gain you more compliments than unfastened shirt or spike heels. As long as you keep you style balanced between too much and too boring, you will be successful.

Of course you shouldn't be judged by you dress style, but it's not how it works in the real world. According to several surveys, if people don't dress properly for job, others assume that they don't take their responsibilities seriously. These results might be a little overstated, but there is other common opinion among office workers. If one dresses too provocatively, it can be a sign that he or she is looking for someone to date. And this behavior is often considered improper for business environment. Even though a girl or boy who dresses and acts sexy is often considered to be promoted easily, the real life shows that it's the other way around. If you don't look like you are professional, people won't take you as a professional. You might be the most beautiful person...

Taken from http://antiquedress.blogspot.com/

For All Those with Thick Hair

image credit massugu.be

Thinning shears(or thinning scissors as I like to call them) should be used to thin out your hair. I suggest Massugu thinning scissors as these scissors have been designed specifically with the beginning hairdresser in mind. These are simply gap-toothed scissors that cut only half the hair. These also come with various gap sizes, depending on what you need cut away.

I've seen how many people struggle with thick hair and I can just imagine the pain it is to manage it, hope this helps.

Taken from http://emohairstyle.blogspot.com/

Interview with Eloise Grey: The tweed queen on shops, literature and British design

Eloise Grey is the living and walking image of her brand: quintessentially elegant and very British. Though relatively new to the fashion scene, her timeless collection of expertly tailored tweed separates has garnered interest from high profile buyers. Before the opening of her new Farnham shop, in Surrey, on October 2nd, Eloise Grey answered Lucie Goulet’s questions.

You are opening a boutique in Farnham, why did you decide to do this?

It’s something I’ve always wanted to do in conjunction with online as it enables me to bring together work which carries a certain elegance and aesthetic as well as strong sustainable stories.

However, I never expected to do it quite so soon. I got to know Paula Beaumont, who owns Purity, an ethical shop selling everyday wear such as jeans, cotton jersey clothing, stocking labels such as People Tree and Komodo. She had the first floor of her shop sitting empty and wanted to do something more luxury upstairs, but when recession struck, these plans were put on hold. I was looking for studio space and so we have gone into partnership.

Farnham is my nearest town. It has a strong connection to the creative industry with important craft galleries and the University of the Creative Arts. The shops are all quite unique and independent so it’s a little more original than your average high street. The catchment’s area is good: from the South Coast to South London all within 45 minutes.

What steps have you taken to make this shop ethical?

I’ve chosen work that is made in the UK and the fabrics are mostly organic or ethical in some way. I want my work to have a low carbon footprint. I also know each of the designers personally – I think it is important, and rather wonderful, to have a direct connection with the producers. I feel more confident about the provenance and think my customers like this too.

When I’ve stopped carting kit around for the shop I plan to commute to the shop by bus. I live 5 miles away in a small village. I have always an ethical policy about my suppliers (such as electricity and stationery) and I’ve kept this up.

What is the main hurdle facing ethical designers these days?

The weight of main stream brands exert over the mainstream media, store buyers and customers is sometimes overwhelming as it seeps into their consciousness and so they become rather like sheep. Small unique labels such as mine find it hard to communicate the message and reach the customers. When we do reach them they love us because we seem so fresh.

Also, it’s hard to be different when buying habits dictate that you spend less on each item, even though you spend more in the end and you need more cupboard space. Twenty years ago my work would be much more normal a price to pay for a coat (as a proportion of income) as people would buy them to last longer and they were made with that in mind.

You studied Italian at Edinburgh University. Why did you decide to go from being a linguist to being a fashion designer?

I was quite academic so it was almost automatic that I should go down that route instead of studying fashion. I lived in Italy for five years after graduating and this has definitely influenced my work. When I lived there in the 1990s people always stressed the importance of quality, the provenance of materials and design in a way the English didn’t. There were small artisan fashion labels, which now have become ubiquitous brands and lost their soul. Although my work seems quintessentially British, I think the Italian aesthetic and standards of quality have subtly influenced my work.

However, I’d always made clothes for myself, from the age of 10 and so I went back to this at a certain point and re-trained to learn tailoring and design. I think it was good to do this with a good baggage of life experience, visual vocabulary and of course a love of literature.

What sort of women are your clothes aimed at?

The kind of woman (and man) who wants something unique and elegant, who likes to know the story of something and connect with objects in a deeper way. It’s a very different approach to a status-driven lifestyle. They have more important things to do than to spend all their free time shopping, but when they do, they want to really value and delight in the process; it’s quite personal. Sometimes they are very well informed about ethical fashion, and sometimes don’t really know about it, but they all experience beauty and craftsmanship.

You work predominantly with tweed, why is that? Are you looking to introduce any new fabrics to up-coming collections?

I’m looking at some lovely eco-linens for shirting, and hemp for summer jackets and dresses. The Isle of Mull weavers have Soil Association certification on using some dyes so I may introduce colour next A/W. I also have a special friendship with Les Indiennes who are based in the US and work with exquisite hand-blocked Indian cottons, so I am letting that idea percolate.

Do you have any further expansion plan after the opening of your Farnham boutique?

I am also launching a menswear collection so I shall be exploring this side of fashion. I will see how things go. I would love to have a space in London but I need to do things at the right pace.

Do you feel that the current economic climate has affected the way people shop?

Yes, some people are really understanding the value of buying only garments that will last, that are worth the money. Cheap clothing isn’t really good value after all.

Many coats for this season are named after famous women writers. How did they influence your inspiration and design process?

It started with a photograph by Richard Avedon of the playwright, Samuel Beckett. It’s a famous diptych that was all over London a few years ago to celebrate the Beckett centenary. I loved the folds of his ageing skin and the folds of his tweed jacket, obviously a jacket he’d had for decades. I designed a coat based on this inspiration and started to look at images of other writers of the era and it went from there. I like the quality of confidence in the women writers of that era. They were pioneers of a kind of proto-feminism and sense of being able to do what you want or to form your own set of values, or dress in the way you want.

There was quite a lot of tweed in that era too. It was a very functional fabric, and with good tailoring, elegant as well.

What else inspires you?

Tailoring, obviously, with all the slightly nerdy details like ticket pockets. I love those indomitable sensible English ladies who are quite frumpy and not at all glamourous. I like their spirit. I like to use some of their clothing looks, add a bit of humour and lithe sexiness and subvert it a little.

What other eco brands do you admire?

I’ve chosen Keep and Share, Makepiece and Elena Garcia for my boutique. I also love Estonian designer, Reet Aus, who I met at London Fashion Week in February. I love Terra Plana shoes and rather like Po-Zu’s boots. I admire what Gossypium have done and also love Sonya Kashmiri’s bags.

You have a scheme whereby people using public transports to come to your shop get a 10% discount. Is the brand involved in any other green initiatives? Why is it important for you to be an environment-aware company?

It’s fundamental. I don’t really think why anymore, it’s just the only approach I can take. I would much rather go back and be a salaried employee in the corporate world than do what I do in an unethical way. I think we will look back and say why did we let things get so bad.

I have been involved in the Transition Town movement and am part of the core group in my town Farnham. It is about acting on a local level to come together to live a low carbon life because we believe that as individuals we are too small a unit and governments are too big and slow and at a town level it feels like you can do something It’s exciting to see how many people want to do something, however small.

Taken from http://antiquedress.blogspot.com/

Fashion styles

Fashion styles

Although almost every single man or woman is trying to create his or her own original and unique style, we can notice that there are some people who look similar in a way. They prefer a certain style, with some particular rules. The choice of style depends on a person's ideology, friends, his/her way of living and many other things. The style itself represents you, even some attitudes of yours and some of your character features. Let's discuss some of the best known fashion styles.

One of the most fashionable styles at this moment is the EMO style. This trend now circulates between teenagers all over the world. The code EMO actually refers to "emotional", therefore, not only looks are important, but the personality as well. EMO's are usually wearing tight pants and a striped, bright colored shirt. They may also have piercing in such places as lips, septum, tongue or eyebrows. Don't be surprised if you'll notice a boy wearing makeup, it's a part of the style - both boys and girls are wearing lots of it.

Another style is bohemian. It's surely one of the most difficult styles to describe, yet almost everyone could point the person who looks bohemian. Girls are usually wearing long skirts and shaggy blouses. The only way to describe people who prefer bohemian style is to say that they are all original. Their clothes might seem old and worn off, they carry huge bags, but you won't see anybody wearing the same clothes.

Hip hop fashion is surely one of the most popular nowadays, especially among youngsters. Boys commonly wear baggy pants and jumpers. Most of them usually wear various hats and a lot of shinny accessories, colloquially called "bling". Girls, although some of them prefer baggy clothes as well, are more into the sexy style. Short skirts, a lot of nude body and golden accessories are common amongst hip hop girls.

It is important to point out that those styles are commonly noticed between young people. Mature, middle-aged people are as not much into such fashion as the younger generation. Some of them are fallowing up latest trends, others simply dress the way they like and feel comfortable. The only style from this list that can be distinguished among the older folks is probably bohemian. We mean, when have you last seen a 50-year old EMO?

Another style is more like a life style than a fashion style. It's punk style. People dress in jeans and leather jackets all full of metal accessory. They are against society, they rebel against most things society offer, they don't work, don't study. Punks do whatever they want to do. Teenagers like this style because of its idea, but most of them grow up and start living a normal life. Yet there are some who remain punk for the rest of their life.

There is one, easily noticeable but rather rare fashion. It's gothic. Goths cover themselves in black and whiten their faces. People who are into this style are commonly depressed (on the outside) and say that the only reason for living is sorrow. Just as with punks, goths usually lose their style when they mature.

Style may talk about your character, your way of living and your even...

Taken from http://antiquedress.blogspot.com/

Eddie Bauer Clothing Reviews

At the Eddie Bauer store in Bellevue Square, the new chief executive of this iconic -- yet floundering -- clothing retailer is a bit miffed with the outdoorsy pictures scattered around the showroom.

The problem?

There are no people in the photos. Check that. There are no "Eddie Bauer" people, especially men, in the photos.

"Pictures like that are too passive," CEO Neil Fiske said, pointing to a photo with trees, wavy grass and a brick walkway. "A store has to have energy, especially an Eddie Bauer store. While it's a nice shot, it doesn't have that person in action with an everyday love of the outdoors. It needs an Eddie Bauer guy."


Which is?

"An Eddie Bauer guy is a man of action. A doer. Ruggedly handsome. Our stores need to project him," said Fiske, who turned around Bath & Body Works and is a best-selling author.

Since taking the helm July 9, Fiske has placed all his chips on fixing Eddie Bauer on Eddie Bauer, the outdoorsman from Orcas Island who started the company in downtown Seattle in 1920.

Under Bauer, the company outfitted World War II pilots and made down jackets, sturdy clothing and outdoor gear while becoming a national brand.
While Fiske won't divulge specific details of the turnaround plan, he has told investors the company would emphasize its men's business and outerwear, improve marketing and reduce costs. Customers also will see better displays in the stores.

He added that the company has no place to go but up, and he has found a loyal group of employees who are ready to turn the company around.
Ten times he has read "The Legend of Eddie Bauer," a 96-page coffee table book that profiles the founder, and he marked up his copy with notes on the company. At the corporate headquarters in Bellevue, Fiske placed on the entryway to the executive offices a Bauer quote: "When I worked, I never walked, I ran."

"Eddie Bauer had one standard and that was to be the best, and whatever he did he did it with the best products," said Fiske, who has spent a few thousand dollars on company clothing that he wears nearly every day. "The internal culture and leadership of the brand has to match the brand. If we are going to be an active outdoor lifestyle brand, we better have someone who loves the outdoors and action."Camille McDonald, president of brand development for Bath & Body Works, said her former colleague brought a lot of energy to work and knew how to build up others.

"He gets an enormous amount accomplished. He is a fabulous leader not only because of how smart he is, but he is very intuitive about other people and he knows how to motivate them," McDonald said. "He knows their strengths and he is sensitive to what makes them feel comfortable. He's extremely respectful of other people."

But McDonald, who said she recently bought Eddie Bauer stock because of her belief in Fiske, also said her former colleague has an impish side.

Taken from http://fashion-life-styles.blogspot.com/

I am with myself on the inside..

photo source: sunset love

Everyone is right and at the same time wrong on being emo. It's just the way the world works. See, everyone has their own opinions and no one should shut them up no matter what others think, or if they don't agree. It's just how the world works. Isn't that the whole point of trying to "find" you? To never hold anything back and always look for a you that you feel comfortable in, and all the people who call the others posers, how are you to judge that?

Everyone is still human, still people trying to find themselves in this image crazed world. There's no right or wrong thing to think or say or be for that matter, "When your mother tells you to love and appreciate your body, it's not just to get you to shut up. They know that when you're old you are going to feel exactly the same way you do inside as you do now.

We try on different dresses, different selves, but our souls are always the same — ongoing and full of light." It's from the book, Psyche in a Dress by Francesca Lia Block (All time favorite book). It's true, no matter what shells you try on you're always going to be the same, no site on the internet can tell you who to be, but you make that choice to look at it and see if maybe you could try on that shell. That is you, the human that wants to appreciate and love their own body. You just gotta see the good and bad in it. Not just what you want to, but everything else that makes it.

Taken from http://emohairstyle.blogspot.com/

Our friend Maggi Emo girl

Name:Maggi
Age: 15
Style: emo
Orientation: straight
Location: Bulgaria
myspace: www.myspace.com/emotional_bunny_bg
icq: I'm srry,but I've no ICQ :(
msn: no,tnx!
Something you want to write: I like bands like: Good Charlotte,Simple Plan,etc...My fave colours are pink,red and black...My name's Magie and I live in a small country in Europe,called Bulgaria...Music is my everything...MUsic makes me fly even when I think I'm in the hell...I don't cut and I don't like people who pretend being emo because of cutting!Write me if u want to learn more about me or just to find a new friend...

Taken from http://hairstyles-latest.blogspot.com/

Another Emoboy with a Heart

Got this tru email. Another hot emoboy with a really nice emo hair. His name is Charles Brindle. Visit his myspace profile and be inspired.. He also cut his own hair and do the same for his friends.. talented..

I'm a fairly extroverted person who enjoys reading, hanging out, poetry, artwork, and computers. I spend a lot of time working on artwork and reading particularly. You'll find me in coffee shops most of the time, probably working on one of these things. I absolutely love coffee and without it I probably wouldn't get as much done as I do. Starbuck's frapicinos rule 2, along with BK Joes, and Sheri's coffee. Helps to curve my ADD anyway (at least that’s what I keep telling myself.)

Right now I'm running a small business and trying to make my way through college. Life for me is usually crazy but I've been living in a mad world so long I find it more enjoyable then a boring life. Better to live your life as an adventure then not live it at all. I also really like to help people out however I can. I personally think that the greatest way to spend your time is to be spending it helping others.

If you feel like you ever need someone to talk to, send me a message and I'll do my best to get back to you. The time I spend here is not to judge people, just here to help them out as best as I can.

I've got a lot of problems and I'm far from perfect. Actually I'd say I'm a pretty screwed up person and I'm trying to rebuild my life from the ashes of other people’s mistakes. But God is there to help me along the way, and I believe I wouldn't be anywhere near where I am today without Him. If you don't believe in God or share this view that’s okay. I think people should have the choice to believe in what they want (shouldn't everybody have the right to that?)

-Charles Brindle

Taken from http://emohairstyle.blogspot.com/

A comment from a reader..

If you truly are being who you really are, and truly are being an individual, then nobody can give you a 'how-to'. Develop your own personal style and be yourself, not just one of the mindless followers of thousands of teenagers who all look and dress exactly alike.

On that subject, it actualy truly saddens me when I read a few of these comments saying 'heavier set guy, not fat, just bulky, i know this is a bad thing' or 'little puggy (not fat) how to I trem it down to small again? (with out turning it into muscle?)'

The foolish people who write these articles are just contributing to the body image crisis that is sweeping this world, making these peoples self esteem PLUMMET. The people who leave these comments are probably at an incredibly healthy and attractive weight, but people writing these how to be emo articles are telling them LIES about who they 'should' be.

If you are truly overweight like 300kg then I'd say lose some weight but it's not a bad thing to have a few curves!!

WHY are you telling them what to do and how to live their life, how much to weigh, how to look etc., and WHY are you listening to these people telling you to do these things? You are perfect the way you are- your true self is who you were meant to be and not what some 'how-to' tells you to do on the internet.

Don't put on the mask of labelling yourself, become truly unique and appreciative of who you really are on the inside. Nobody can tell you how to dress or how to look, only YOU can tell yourself that.

It really is sad, that people think they need to conform to some emo standard of style to give themselves any worth.

You need not be anyone other than yourself. Don't let people tell you how to live your life, only YOU can tell yourself that. I eagerly await the day that people finally start to wake up to who they really are inside.

Taken from http://emohairstyle.blogspot.com/