Why April 12th Is Important To Remember

by Mark W. Kness

Another April 12th has come and gone, and for most Americans the date holds no special significance-- if nothing else, it might remind some that the dreaded April 15th tax deadline is not far away; for others, they might be reminded that Spring is well underway, and if we haven't observed Easter yet, it won't be long before we do.

But for those who remember the history of this nation, especially of the last one hundred and fifty years, April 12th is significant, and arguably, quite important. Three prominent events happened on April 12th that affected American history, and perhaps heralded-in new eras.

On April 12, 1945, the United States and the Free World lost Franklin Delano Roosevelt to a cerebral hemorrhage in the closing months of the Second World War. The responsibilities of presidential leadership fell on the shoulders of Harry Truman.

The world entered the age of manned space flight on April 12, 1961, as the now-former Soviet Union launched Vostok I with Yuri Gagarin aboard. Gagarin would complete one orbit on his mission, making exploration history. Alan Shepard would become America's first man into space three weeks later.

Perhaps the most famous (or infamous) April 12th occurred in 1861,( marking the beginning of the American Civil War) with rebel Confederate artillery forces shelling Fort Sumter, a federal island fortress in the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina. The artillery barrage began at 4:30 a.m., and continued for thirty-four hours, until the Union forces under the command of Robert Anderson surrendered.

Neither the Union nor the Confederacy suffered casualties that day, but the Civil War had indeed begun, and before it concluded, over half a million men would die. What began as a war for states' rights would become a war to define what "freedom" actually meant.

The Budget Friendly Manicure

The Budget Friendly Manicure - With these supplies and this effortless procedure many amazing and affordable manicures are guaranteed.

By Ashley Pinkham

            All around the country, many women today spend up to $30 a week for a salon manicure. The question is why would you fall for this trap when with twenty dollars and these simple “do-it-yourself” steps you could create professional quality results and keep cash in your pocket?  A one-time investment in the proper supplies, a little know how and some practice will last you an entire season of luxury manicures, in the comfort of your own home. 

To get started, you will need the following supplies:

{  2 - 4 hand towels

{  Soaking bowl (This can be a simple plastic kitchen bowl or an official manicure bowl.)

{  Hand soap

{  Non-acetone polish remover

{  Cotton balls

{  Nail clippers

{  Nail file

{  Buffing block

{  Cuticle remover

{  Orangewood stick or cuticle pusher

{  Cuticle nippers* (These are optional and only recommended for those who know how to use them as they can be dangerous and cause harm to a first time user)

{  Sugar scrub

{  Lotion

{  Base coat polish

{  Nail color polish

{  Top coat polish

            Usually a hard, flat surface like a kitchen table or desk will assure the best results, but anywhere you are comfortable and can keep a steady hand will work.  Before beginning remove and safely store any hand jewelry you may be wearing.  Fill the soaking bowl with warm water and your choice of hand soap.  Depending on the season, pomegranate or sea breeze work great for warm months, while pumpkin or wintergreen can set the tone when it is cold outside.  Place your soaking bowl and other manicure supplies on one of the towels.  Now to set the spa mood, light some delicious candles, bump your favorite tunes, take a seat, and relax.

            The key to a great manicure is in the prep work.  First, using your non-acetone polish remover and a cotton ball, wipe off any old polish from each nail bed.  Next, to clean and soften the skin, place both hands in the bowl of warm, sudsy water while relaxing to the next tune on your iPod (about 3-5 minutes).  Afterwards dry both hands thoroughly with your second towel. Deciding on a comfortable and functional nail length is your next step.  Generally, at least 1/8 inch is recommended. If your nails are too long use the clippers to clip your nails to the desired length, being careful not to catch the skin. Use discretion when deciding how short to clip your nails. If the nails are already too short, you may not need this particular step.  Further refine the shape of each nail and remove any frayed edges with your nail file. When filing, use an outside to center technique. By working from the outside towards the center, the possibility of splitting the nail is rough of a surface. This is also the time to use a buffing block to remove any ridges in the nail bed.  For each nail repeat the clipping, filing and buffing steps.

Once the cleaning and shaping are complete on both hands the pampering can begin.  First, apply cuticle remover to the base of each nail and place both hands back into the soaking bowl for roughly 2 minutes. When you remove your hands this time, dry only slightly, enough to avoid dripping. Next, place a small piece of cotton around the tip of an orangewood stick or use your cuticle pusher and gently push back the cuticles on each nail. This should be done with a light touch so as not to cause damage or stunt cuticle growth. After, buff the nail again lightly to remove any loose cuticle remaining on the nail. At this point, if you choose to do so, you can carefully nip any excess cuticle that you did not remove with the last two steps.  Now, it’s time for the fun part!  Grab your scrumptious sugar scrub and apply it directly to your hands being sure to massage all the sore spots.  After the kinks are worked out, rinse your hands back in the soaking bowl to remove all the excess sugar.  (If available this can also be done by washing off in a kitchen or bathroom sink).  After you have removed the sugar scrub and dried your hands, grab the most nourishing, succulent lotion you have around your home and massage your arms and hands up to the elbow. If you are looking for an additionally satisfying massage, enlist the help of your roommate, boyfriend, or husband to do the honors instead.

After you enjoy your massage, it is the time to be creative.  Take another cotton ball saturated with nail polish remover and rub over each nail bed.  This step is crucial to assuring the polish adheres to the nail surface, reducing the possibility of the polish chipping. If you have access to a nail dehydrator, you can lightly go over each nail to help that much more with the nail polish adhering to the nail for a longer period of time.  It is now finally time to begin painting! Before moving to your ruby red or neon pink, be sure to be paint a thin layer of base coat on each nail.  While it is tempting to skip over applying the base coat and move ahead, base coat is necessary to avoid discoloration of the nail.  Allow the base coat and each subsequent coat of polish to dry for about 3 minutes (again about the length of the next song on your play list) before moving to the next.  Proper polishing technique is to use a three stoke pattern to cover the nail bed. A generous middle stroke, followed by a quick touch up stroke to each side of the nail is the proper way to use this pattern.  Using too many strokes will cause bubbles and dents in the polish.  Also keep in mind if your nail polish is too thick it will be nearly impossible to make the polish look even and pretty. (Thicker polish can be thinned with polish thinner, available at a beauty supply store.) Apply a second layer of color and finally, your top coat of choice, each time allowing sufficient drying time and using the three stroke technique described above.  To ensure your polish is completely dry, relax an additional 10-15 minutes before resuming normal activities.  Not allowing sufficient drying time can cause dents and scuffs in the nail color, ruining your professional look and requiring repair, so be patient to secure long lasting results. (Tip: There are nail polish accelerators available at a beauty supply store that will ensure a quicker drying time.)

By following these easy steps, you will obtain professional looking manicure results while saving money.  Your beautiful hands are sure to be the envy of your next garden or book club meeting.  Don’t spend that weekly bundle of cash at a fancy nail salon when you can imitate the feel and results in the comfort of your home for a fraction of the cost. You can even wear your PJ’s if you’d like. Soak, clip, file, cuticles, scrub, lotion, polish; it’s that easy. Spend your Friday night in this week, using this home remedy to increase your self-esteem.  I promise, you'll find the soaking and massage are also great stress relievers. It’s so much for so little.

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Step by Step - Manicure

Step by step - Manicure - How to give yourself a professional quality manicure in the privacy of your own home.
By Ashley Pinkham

            All around the country, many women today spend up to $30 a week for a salon manicure. The question is why would you fall for this trap when with twenty dollars and these simple “do-it-yourself” steps you could create professional quality results and keep cash in your pocket?  A one-time investment in the proper supplies, a little know how and some practice will last you an entire season of luxury manicures, in the comfort of your own home. 

"Create professional quality results and keep cash in your pocket"

Tools: 2 – 4 hand towels, soaking bowl, hand soap, nail polish remover, cotton balls or rounds, nail clippers, nail file, buffing block, cuticle remover, orangewood stick or cuticle pusher, cuticle nippers (Only recommended for those who know how to use them as they can be dangerous and harmful to a first time user), sugar scrub, lotion, nail dehydrator, base coat polish, nail color polish, top coat polish, polish drying accelerator.

Procedure:

·         Find a comfortable location to do your manicure

·         Set the mood! – Light some delicious candles, bump your favorite tunes, and begin to feel the relaxation

·         Remove and store any jewelry you are wearing

·         Fill soaking bowl with warm water and add a pump or two of the hand soap of your choice

·         Place the soaking bowl and your supplies on one of the towels

·         They key to a great manicure is the prep work, so begin by removing any old polish with your nail polish remover from each nail bed

·         Clip and file nails to functional and desired nail length. – Generally 1/8 inch is recommended and make to work from the outside to center technique while filing. By doing this the possibility of splitting the nail is decreased

·         Apply cuticle remover to the base of the nail bed and soak hands (with remover still on) in the warm, sudsy water for about 2 – 3 minutes or the length of a song

·         Remove your hands and dry slightly with a free towel only enough  to avoid dripping

·         Use your orangewood stick or cuticle pusher and gently push back the cuticles. Do this carefully so you do not cause damage or stunt cuticle growth

·         Buff the nail with your buffing block to remove any loose cuticle

·         Repeat for each nail on each hand

·         At this point, those are properly trained with the cuticle nipper; you can nip away any excess cuticle before moving to the next step

·         Use your choice of sugar scrub and apply it directly to your hands gently massaging for about 30 seconds – 1 minute on each hand

·         Rinse and remove all the sugar scrub off your hands either in your soaking bowl or at a sink

·         Dry hands thoroughly

·         Grab any bottle of lotion around your home and massage your hands and arms up to the elbow. (If you’re looking for an additionally satisfying massage enlist the help of a roommate, boyfriend, or husband to do the honors instead.)

·         Take a cotton ball or round and saturate it with nail polish remover and rub it over each nail bed and apply nail dehydrator on each as well – this is crucial to assure the polish adheres to the nail surface

·         Apply base coat – Don’t forget this step! I know its tempting ladies but the base coat is necessary to avoid discoloration of the nail. You know those older gals who have yellow finger nails? Yeah, the yellow nail is in large part due to skipping this step!

·         Use your ruby red, shocking pink, or whatever nail color you chose and use the 3-stroke technique to cover the nail surface on each finger

·         Apply a second coat of color polish

·         Wait 30 – 45 seconds

·         Apply a generous amount of top coat (Orly’s Sec n’ Dry is my favorite)

·         Nail polish dry time accelerator - This is a product that is available at beauty supply stores that will help to quicken the drying time

·         Wait 10 – 20 minutes before resuming normal activities. The longer you can wait the safer you will be from causing scuffs and dents in the polish

By following these easy steps, you will obtain professional looking manicure results while saving money. Your beautiful hands are sure to be the envy of your next night out on the town. Don’t spend that weekly bundle of cash at a fancy nail salon when you can imitate the feel and results in the comfort of your home for a fraction of the cost. You can even wear your PJ’s if you want. Soak, clip, file, cuticles, scrub, lotion, polish; it’s that easy. Spend your Friday night in this week and try this at home remedy to increase your self-esteem and in the meantime save yourself some money.  I promise, you'll find the soaking and massage are also great stress relievers. It’s so much for so little.

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Your Computer Is Watching You!

Are you watching back? Have you noticed anything odd lately?

By: Nate Hemmert

Does it ever feel like the computer you’re staring at may just be watching you back? Well that’s because it is! No, it doesn’t have eyes; it’s not a Transformer, but it can still see you. It knows where you’ve been, how long you’ve been there, and in all honesty, it might even know your interests better than you do yourself. Do you ever wonder how the ads being shown to you are so spot-on? Why does a t-shirt for your favorite band always seem to popping up? It’s called behavioral advertising and it’s the newest form of deadly-accurate advertising. Behavioral advertising, to some extent, is everywhere on the internet. Every page you visit, every click you make, it’s there – although you may not notice it or maybe you’re so used to it that you just don’t see it anymore.

Almost all of us have at least one email account from a large provider, if not quite a few. If you sign on to your hotmail account (or equivalent) the ads are tailored to recent searches you've made. Maybe you've been considering a Vegas trip? Looked up a flight or two? Well now there is going to be a multitude of travel ads all over the place. The scary part is, these ads just so happen to be advertising flight deals from where you live to whatever city you’ve just searched for! You're being tracked every single time you use your internet connection!

A better example than basic email accounts might be the social networking sites. Almost all of us have a Facebook account these days – one out of every dozen people on the planet actually. Facebook, more than any other, is the so-called king of behavioral advertising – “It knows exactly who you are and what you're interested in, because you told it. So if Nike wants its ads shown only to people ages 19 to 26 who live in Arizona and like Nickelback, Facebook can make that happen. In the world of targeted advertising, Facebook has a high-powered sniper rifle.” And in no way is that an exaggeration; Facebook has still not become a public company – there are still no big shot shareholders. Mark Zukerburg, Facebook’s creator and CEO, says it’s not about the money, but more so that he’d rather run things himself than let a bunch of shareholders make the decisions, and he definitely seems to mean it. Although Facebook is a privately held company and doesn’t release financial statements, analysts and journalists estimate Facebook's 2010 revenue stream to be anywhere from $1.1 billion to $2 billion! Yet somehow Zuckerberg is still seen driving a humble and modest black Acura TSX.

If a company or business wants to advertise on Facebook, basically what’s going to happen is: that specific company or business is going to get a monthly demographic report from Facebook. The company is then are able to find out how many people visited their page, what their ages were, their genders, the locations of these visitors, and many other things. With this information, a company can then modify the demographic focus of their advertising. Facebook will then give different payment options based on the selections made. There are options like "Pay Per Click" (CPC) – which means that you only pay Facebook a fee each time a user clicks on the ad that takes them to your page. Then there is also the option to pay whenever someone sees your ad (CPM), whether they actually looked at it or not. It would seem that the “Pay Per Click” or CPC option is better than paying for each ad, regardless of whether 100 people click on it or only 2. Facebook doesn't sell your personal data to advertisers; it uses the aggregated statistics of its millions of users to more effectively target the ads it serves, but still this is a long way from selling personal information – which you’ve given to them willingly by the way.

In the end, each individual user is helping Facebook every step of the way as far as its targeted advertising goes. Every time you change or update something, the advertising on your Facebook homepages and all the other pages you visit will change to suit. These ads change depending on all of your different interests. If you join a certain group or happen to “Like” something such as a new product, a band, a TV show or maybe even a new movie, the ads will again, be tailored to more closely fit your personal interests. Facebook shows each user individually, the ads that best suit them –ultimately increasing the possibility that they will end up clicking on the ad and the company paying for it can, in turn, make a sale. This is an ongoing, ever-changing process too, so rarely will the ads ever be the same.

Since behavioral advertising has a way of being so accurate, a growing concern in the minds of many is just how far this new form of advertising will end up reaching. A teacher once showed me a truly amazing online radio show called “OnTheMedia” from NPR. This broadcast regularly addresses many current issues regarding media in today’s world – although, with the recent funding cuts passed by congress, this show may not be around for too much longer. In a recent episode that was aired, titled Off Target, the topic of discussion was behavioral advertising and some of the ethical boundaries within. The host Bob Garfield discusses the topic with Joseph Turow, professor at UPenn and lead author of a new study on behavioral advertising. Although, I won’t spoil the entire show (it is still available online), Turow puts forth the idea of an episode of "60 Minutes" that is so tailored to the individual that it is has become a different show for each person that views it to exemplify just how far this may go. Although behavioral advertising is still a long way from this, the point hits home and is made more than clear. So what exactly are we supposed to do, right?

You can, realistically, control how much of this tracking is going on to a point. You could turn off "cookies" and restrict privacy settings through your computer. But once you do this your internet experience isn't all that enjoyable anymore. Things like saving your history, temporary internet files, cookies, and all the things like that, all make your internet experience much smoother and that much more enjoyable.

The question here is: where is the line of personal privacy being drawn? In the end, each and every one of us are giving up our privacy and personal information willingly, albeit not always intentionally, so it is an unclear issue at best. Some people enjoy the custom-tailored ads; it helps them see ideas and products they might otherwise have missed. Others don’t even notice the near-creepy accuracy of these ads. With a fully connected global society will this so-called “privacy” even exist anymore?

The G7 Army

The G7 Army – A new army of devoted fans for the one and only, Alex G.
By Ashley Pinkham

YouTube by far is the most commonly known and popular destination for video viewing on the internet. With millions upon millions of views every month YouTube has helped spark imaginations and inspire people all over the world. Whether their inspiration is to simply post hilarious videos for others viewing pleasure or to become the next Taylor Swift, YouTube has become a gateway for inspiring artists everywhere. Many of the most frequent YouTube viewers will attest to having heard of the YouTube sensation and Denver grown musician Tyler Ward and his loyal fan base who call themselves, “Wardinators”. Tyler has dedicated his YouTube popularity to helping promote other promising young musicians, which as of recent, includes a local female singer, Alex G. Tyler and Alex’s extraordinary duet cover of Lady Gaga’s Born This Way which premiered on February 12, 2011 has not only taken “Wardinators” by storm but very well may have begun a new phenomenon of loyal fans who will soon be known as “The G7 Army.” Alex Gronlund also known as AlexGMusic7 from her YouTube channel is a fresh new face to the Denver music scene.

Denver is lucky enough to consistently produce some astonishing homegrown talent and those who have dedicated their lives to their musical aspirations are still reaching for the sky. And although life's obstacles can always get in the way, these gifted artists, like Alex, are still finding ways to make their mark in the local music scene and remain hopeful to one day see their dreams come true. Alex has been singing forever, but it wasn’t until last year that she began to do so in front of an audience. Being involved in her high school’s musicals, she always worked as part of a team. Even now, oftentimes she collaborates with such artists as Jeff Hendrick and Adam Stanton. Still, although she makes a valuable contribution to the musical stylings of others, Alex has shown that she is a shining star in her own right. While exploring her YouTube channel, I noticed that in a couple of her videos, Alex herself picks up the guitar and does a solo act. Believe it or not, when I asked Alex how long she has been playing the guitar, she informed me that she’s only been playing for about 8 months! That’s impressive. After a long day of classes, Alex G. found time to sit down and discuss not only her passion for the industry but overall who AlexGMusic7 really is.

"The first time I heard myself recorded I cried."

Fecund: Describe the feeling you had the first time you heard yourself replayed after being recorded? How about the first time you saw one of your songs on iTunes?

Alex G: The first time I heard myself recorded I cried. I couldn't believe I actually sounded good. The professional quality put me in awe and it was the coolest feeling! When my songs get on iTunes it's really cool because that's how you make the money. Because of the fans and supporters we are able to do music for a living!

Fecund: When do you find time to do music within your busy schedule?

AG: I wish I could spend all of my free time doing music! Really the only thing keeping me from doing it 24/7 is the fact that I'm at school. On weekends, I'll be recording with Tyler Ward or collaborating with other YouTube artists.

Fecund: Do you enjoy collaborating with other artists like Tyler Ward, Eppic, Jeff Hendrick, etc?

AG: I LOVE collaborating with other artists who have a production studio and have the same kind of passion for music that I do. It's awesome when I connect with the artists and it just works. I love it.

Fecund: I know your neighbors with Tyler Ward, How is that?

AG: It's awesome being neighbors with Tyler. Once you get to know him he's just a regular guy with regular habits and tendencies. It's super nice to know you can just go over there and either record an awesome song or just hang out and jam a little bit. He's a very down to earth guy and easy to get along with!

Fecund: Would you say the songs you choose to cover are songs that speak resemblance into your personal life?

AG: For some of the songs I have covered they do relate to my life. Other songs, like most artists, are covered because they are popular. From a business aspect that is necessary to gain viewers.

Fecund: Do you write any of your own songs?

AG: I am starting to write songs and learning how to. I just write down lyrics when they come to me out of certain situations or just randomly in the middle of the day. Eventually when you put them together they create something pretty cool.

Fecund:  How did you get started making videos and putting songs onto YouTube and iTunes?

AG: Well I decided that the best way to overcome my fear of singing in front of people would to be to sing to a camera and post it on YouTube. Eventually after the contest I entered Tyler has helped me put videos out with him. He is the reason I was able to put some songs on iTunes. I get massive exposure with his help.

Fecund: What musicians influence you?

AG: P!nk influences me with the passion she puts into her singing. I want to be able to sing through my gut like her. Also, Taylor Swift influences me with her amazing song writing skills and down to earth attitude. And Stevie Nicks!

Fecund: What’s on your iPod?

AG: My iPod has a lot of Tyler Ward on it actually and a lot of mainstream. I don't listen to my iPod as much as I listen to songs on YouTube.

"I spend most of my free time playing guitar."

Fecund: Tell us about yourself. When were you born, where you are from, do you have any siblings, what interests you besides music, are you in college, what’s your major? Who is your favorite celebrity and a hobby of yours?

AG: I was born April 12, 1992. I've lived in Colorado my entire life and have grown up with a younger sister. I am in LOVE with Carol Burnett and Lucille Ball. They are my favorite people in the whole world. I'm definitely an old soul who appreciates the comedic talents of those back in the day. I believe I was born in the wrong decade. I used to dance for about ten years and I played competitive softball for about 6 years. I'm attending Colorado State University and majoring in Communications. I spend most of my free time playing guitar.

Fecund:  What do you see in your future? Do you ultimately want to be like Justin Beiber and Taylor Swift; being discovered on YouTube and making it big? Or do you have different dreams?

AG: I would LOVE to be discovered by a major record label someday and make it "big". No matter what I want to do music for the rest of my life as a career. It would be like a dream to have happen to me what happened to Taylor and Justin.

Fecund: Are there any future plans for a concert? Either a personal concert or one with someone you have collaborated with?

AG: Well I'm actually doing a few songs in the upcoming Denver show that the Tyler Ward Crew is doing May 29th. It's my first concert EVER and hopefully if I do well I will be able to do more in the future. Maybe a tour?

Fecund: What advice would you give to aspiring artists?

AG: I would say to do whatever you can to expose yourself and show your talents to the world. The best decision I've made is to sing on YouTube and enter a singing contest. Take every opportunity and put your passion into it.

On Alex’s YouTube channel, subscribers have been noted using words like 'amazing,' 'beautiful,' and 'gorgeous' to describe Alex and her music. Among so many rising artists on YouTube channels, AlexGMusic7 has captured the hearts of thousands of viewers. Although the number rises on a daily basis, 24,135 viewers, to be exact, are currently swooning over Alex G.’s breathtaking voice. Her amazing vocals, beautiful demeanor, and gorgeous features will remain in this ever-changing industry for years to come. Log onto YouTube.com and subscribe to AlexGMusic7 and become a part of “The G7 Army” today!

 

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Saying Goodbye: The Curse of Alzheimer's Disease

by Mark W. Kness

We humans don’t like saying goodbye to anything– not to people we love and care about, not to pets we love and care about, not to clothes that look like a disaster, but feel good when we wear them, not to the buildings we have lived in and called home, not to the heaps we have driven and called automobiles, not to the times and eras we have lived in and relished. Saying goodbye is painful...it hurts, sometimes badly. Saying goodbye means we are admitting to ourselves that something is over with and done. “It is no more,” as it was said in an old Monty Python television sketch.


My girlfriend and I traveled to my hometown in Iowa recently to visit my elderly parents and two adult sisters. Since I live in Colorado, I’m unable to get home to visit family as often as I’d like (and our family is a close-knit bunch) so my visits home I cherish and value greatly. On this last visit, I wanted to spend time with all of the family, but I placed a premium on spending time with my dad, because my dad has been diagnosed with dementia, and that dementia is more than likely Alzheimer’s Disease. My dad was not diagnosed with Alzheimer's with one hundred percent certainty, but then, Alzheimer's can’t be diagnosed with one hundred percent certainty. In all likelihood, he has it, and I am so sad. What makes me the most sad about the situation is that all of us who love and care about my dad are saying goodbye to him, or at least, goodbye to memories of him when he was vibrant and active and alive.

For those who are unfamiliar with Alzheimer’s Disease, (it’s difficult to imagine in the year 2011 that Alzheimer’s would be unfamiliar to anyone) it is a progressive and irreversible brain disease which robs a person of their cognitive functions– thinking, remembering and reasoning– to the point where that person's everyday life and behavior changes. There are no certain estimates of how many people in the United States have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease, but experts have suggested that as many as 5.1 million Americans may be suffering from it. There is no known cure, and no known single cause of Alzheimer's, (although scientists generally believe that a combination of genetics, lifestyle and a person's environment could be contributing factors) but doctors do know what a brain of a person suffering from Alzheimer's looks like, with numerous clumps of plaque, and tangled bundles of fibers present in the Alzheimer's-affected areas. There is also a loss of connection between the nerve cells of the brain. The affected areas of the brain then begin to shrink and die.

Alzheimer's symptoms usually show up after the age of sixty, but by that time when the symptoms first show up, the disease may have been present in the brain for ten to twenty years. The first sign of Alzheimer's is usually problems with memory. Some of you reading this might be thinking "There are times I forget things-- do I have Alzheimer's?" or from a different angle,"Everybody has things that they don't remember, that doesn't mean that they have Alzheimer's!" Many people have memory problems, and a portion of those who have those memory problems have a condition called Mild Cognitive Impairment or MCI-- those who have MCI have above normal problems with memory, and yet their condition is not as severe as someone who has Alzheimer's. More people with MCI than without it go on to develop Alzheimer's. An Alzheimer's patient has more severe and frequent memory problems that show up in examples like getting lost, unable to handle money or pay bills, repeating questions, poor judgement, taking longer to complete daily tasks, and mood and personality changes.

In the case of my dad, his condition was diagnosed early, after he displayed memory loss, confusion, and had begun repeating questions, all symptoms that were atypical of his personality. After an examination, he was prescribed with Aricept, a brand name for Donepezil, which helps with his memory and thinking, and it causes him to be less anxious. He knows the name of family members and friends, and enjoys his days watching the world. Honestly, I would rather have his attitude about life than the one I've had the past decade.

Dad will have Alzheimer's Disease the rest of his days, but he is at least comfortable, and that is all a family can ask. It is still hard, though, for my family to accept this reality-- we remember the dad who was the mail carrier, the dad who could fix anything (we actually had a book in the house by that title), the Sunday school teacher and church elder, the scoutmaster, the carpenter who made beautiful furniture, and the woodcarver. I remember when he took me fishing, cheered for me when I played Little League baseball, calmed me down when I saw and heard for the first time an honor guard fire their rifles on Memorial Day, and rubbed Butch Wax into my hair every Sunday morning when I was a boy. He still has the best sense of humor of anyone I know, and can find the humor that life presents us.

Having a loved one with Alzheimer's Disease doesn't have to be defeating for that person. A nutritious diet, physical activity, social engagement, and mentally stimulating pursuits for the person you care about might help reduce the effects of Alzheimer's or any other form of dementia. My dad's situation was diagnosed early, he is on the appropriate medication, and his condition is monitored, so he and my family have been fortunate. Through research studies, and the work of organizations such as the National Institute on Aging, we know much more about Alzheimer's Disease than we did thirty years ago. Information related to Alzheimer's Disease is available for families, caregivers, and professionals on diagnosis, treatment, patient care, caregiver needs, long-term care, education and training and research, and can make the Alzheimer's patient's transition easier.

Saying goodbye to those memories of how your loved one used to be doesn't have to be under the control of some disease.

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