Good Samaritans under fire

Throughout the United States “Good Samaritan” laws are in place to provide legal protection for everyday citizens that choose to help someone that has fallen ill or is injured in an accident, whether roadside or at the office or any other place you could imagine someone needing immediate care.  Under these laws you can’t be sued or arrested for “assisting,” as long as you’re acting within reason.

For almost a decade now, I’ve been CPR certified.   During my last CPR certification renewal, I also completed a First Aid course that is good for 3 years.   As someone who teaches in a gym, I’d like to be ready, just in case.  I’m happy to report that it’s training I’ve never had to use.

But a California Supreme Court decision makes me reconsider my Girl Scout-esque preparedness.

A woman pulled her co-worker from a vehicle after a car accident on Halloween 2004.  As a result of her injuries, the co-worker was left paraplegic.   The woman is being sued for damages for her contribution to the injuries inflicted.

The woman and her lawyer fought the lawsuit arguing her Good Samaritan status.

The Supreme Court has sided for the injured party in a decision that could discourage people from helping those in crisis situations.  Essentially, only the medical actions taken are protected under California law. So while you’re OK if you perform CPR or the Heimlich maneuver* or apply a tourniquet to  gushing wound (knowing help is hours away), if you pull a person  out of the middle of the road to administer that care, you can get sued for any damages caused by that act.

From a dissenting judge:

“One who dives into swirling waters to retrieve a drowning swimmer can be sued for incidental injury he or she causes while bringing the victim to shore, but is immune for harm he or she produces while thereafter trying to revive the victim,” [Judge Marvin R.] Baxter wrote. “Here, the result is that defendant Torti has no immunity for her bravery in pulling her injured friend from a crashed vehicle, even if she reasonably believed it might be about to explode.”

Instructors in the courses I’ve taken  have always reminded students to follow several rules

• You never move the body when a neck injury is suspected; always suspect a neck injury.
• If the options are a) possibility of a dead body or b) move the injured body to prevent it from being a dead body, you’re better off alive than dead

Because of this legal finding, it appears I’m actually unable to help anyone unless they’ve fallen or landed out of danger and in a bodily position that doesn’t require much shifting before applying my first aid training.  Moving a body won’t necessarily be protected as medical care, so I’d be risking civil liability.

Hopefully, the California State Legislature will redefine Good Samaritanism to include all non-medical action required to save a life.  Otherwise, it seems that the only crisis safe to handle is applying adhesive bandages to paper cuts.

* The American Red Cross no longer refers to choking victim rescue as the Heimlich maneuver, but as “abdominal thrusts.” I’m told the Heimlich family wanted royalties for use of the name.  Seriously.

photo by akeg

Sex & Relationships: December news round up

photo by blmurch

Romantic comedies are not your best date night movie option!

Romantic comedies set up unrealistic expectations in relationships.  Researchers at Hariot Watt University found their study subjects, after watching such films,  to be more apt to believe in soul mates, magical consistent sex with one’s partner and that in a good relationship one’s partner should be able to predict your needs, even if you don’t explicitly state them.

Kimberly Johnson, who also worked on the study, said: ‘Films do capture the excitement of new relationships but they also wrongly suggest that trust and committed love exist from the moment people meet, whereas these are qualities that normally take years to develop.’

You can help out with their next study on relationships, personality and media consumption, you can take part in a survey here.

A while back I read about a study that found couples were more likely to hook up after watching a horror film than other genres included in the study.  (A study I, of course, can’t locate right now).  Horror films get the adrenalin pumping and the blood flowing with the disadvantage of making your call into questions various aspects of your current relationship.

Looking good, feeling better.

Market researchers for Astral moisturizer in the UK surveyed more than 1000 women between the ages of 45-60 about their sex appeal and satisfaction.

The age at which a women feels most sexy is 34, according to a new study, that also found those in their twenties and thirties have the most sex – 10.4 times a month on average

This figure is double the amount middle-aged women have, which works out at just 4.5 times a month, but the research suggests the older women take more pleasure from it.

More than half – 56 per cent – said they enjoyed sex more than they did when they were younger.

Seems reasonable.  Women feel sexiest when they’re getting the most nookie.  Their partner(s) make them feel more desirable, yielding more sexual encounters.   Like everything else in life, practice makes closer to  perfect.  Older women have spent years figuring out what feels good to their bodies, so one would hope a good partner who understands one’s need would make for better sex.

Birth control pill available without a prescription in London

Here’s a solution to the Bush administration’s planned HHS regulations allowing medical professionals and staff to deny procedures and sales of medications that violate their own moral code.

A very progressive Department of Health in the UK is running a trial, which includes selling the birth control pill without a prescription to women 16 or older at 2 London pharmacies. The study aims to see if greater and easier accessibility to the birth control pill could lower teen pregnancy rates in the country.

The UK is actually serious about cutting back on unwanted pregnancy, unlike the US.  Here, pro-birth advocates are hard at work to cut government funding to Planned Parenthood chapters nationwide.   Why? Abortions make up 3% of the service offered at Planned Parenthood. Nevermind that abortion is legal and 38% their patients are there for contraceptives to prevent an unwanted pregancy (page 6 of Planned Parenthood Annual Report)

Abortion doesn’t cause depression

A John Hopkins University review of more than 21 studies looking at post-abortion mental health found no linkage between abortion and depression, but instead found “post abortion syndrome” to be a convenient political gimmick for the pro-birth movement.

‘Based on the best available evidence, emotional harm should not be a factor in abortion policy. If the goal is to help women, program and policy decisions should not distort science to advance political agendas,’ added Vignetta Charles, a researcher and doctoral student at Johns Hopkins who worked on the study.

Blogworthy! The Archipelago Botanicals Warehouse Sale 2008

Every year I encourage my peeps to attend the Archipelago Botanicals warehouse sale south of Downtown Los Angeles — the deals are AMAZING.

The products they sell are typically  discontinued OR overstock OR retailer returns OR discolored OR damaged OR test pours.  Those boxes take up valuable space that they’d like prefer filled with full-price salable product.    Selling these products at rock bottom prices mean they get a return on product that might otherwise be thrown out.  Everybody wins!

For $35, I picked up 25 candles and 2 huge bottles of shower gel today.

The breakdown:

• 2 32-oz bottles of pomegranate shower gel (retail $28 each)
• 1 Fiji Glass Jar Candle, 120 hours burn time, sans lid (retail $30)
• 1 Fiji 6.5″ pillar candle (retail $21)
• 1 Corsica 6.5″ pillar candles (retail $21)
• 1 Corsica 3.25″ pillar candle (retail $16.25)
• 2 Paper White soy candles sans labels (retail $29.50 each)
• 1 Espresso soy candle sans label (retail 29.50)
• 1  Sugar Cane & Coconut store demo candles (about 2/3 the size of the one sold at retail for $18)
• 1 White Sugar & Mango store demo candles (about 2/3 the size of the one sold at retail for $18)
• 2 Wasabi-Mint Soy Candles, no box (retail $24 each)
• 1 Papaya Vanilla Soy Candle, no box (retail $24)
• 1 Jasmine Hibiscus Soy Candle, no box or label, (retail $24)
• 4 Malaga candles (retail $15 each)
• 2 Pomegranate soy candles, sans box (retail $25 each)
• 1 Milk Candle in Tin (retail $11)
• 4 Tommy Bahama Plantation Sugar 3″ pillar candles (retail $12.50 each)

$523.75 worth of (mostly) candles for $35 today.

A friend picked up 4 candles from the Royals Collection for $20 total.  Turns out they’re $45 each in the retail world.

It was a zoo and the lines were long, but given the haul by each member of my shopping party, it was worth 3 hours on a Saturday.  I’m going to be knee deep in candles until next fall, right before Warehouse clearance 2009.

The sad news: Sunday (tomorrow) is the final day of the sale.

The good news: they’re considering a mid-year candle clearance in 2009 as well.

Update, even better news: the sale is back by popular demand on Sat 12/20 from 8:30am-4pm

Tips for the best quality candles at the sale:

• Bring a baggy of coffee beans.   After an hour in that ware house you can’t smell much of anything.  Take a hit of coffee beans between candles.   The coffee bean smell is strong enough to clear your nose and kept it functioning in peak condition.

• Don’t use the reusable shopping bags they supply; instead place your candles in the empty boxes you can grab from diff’t corners of the warehouse.  Pillar candles rub up against glass jars and get scraped up. Stacked in a box, you’ve got a better chance to keep the candles in the most pristine condition.

• Some parts of the candle sale feature a random selection.  Single candles of different fragrances. Unlabeled candles.  There are number of tables full of them.  There’s never room to display everything, so you’ll find stacks of boxes under the tables.  Don’t just eyeball what’s on top; dig through these boxes underneath.  Today, I found some of my best buys hidden away out of sight.

• Is a great gift candle all scuffed up? Buy it anyway.  Use a hair dryer to melt the top layer of wax. After the wax starts to melt and pool (about a minute), set it aside to it to dry evenly.

Tips for the best savings at the sale:

• Pack the loose candles into one of the many boxes you see hanging about. Layer up!  Large quantities are overwhelming to the people tallying your purchases, and they tend to err in your favor when ballparkinghow many candles are in the box.

• Buy white and yellow candles.  Yellowed candles are the most discounted — typically 2 for $1.  They’re not going to unpack your box(es) of candles to verify that the white candles are totally white, so your pricing is sometimes better than with the colored candles.

• Don’t come first thing in the morning. Come towards the last 2 hours.  Even if the sale ends at 3pm, the staff is there until the last person has forked over the green and left.  They want to go home and won’t over think the prices, so they can keep the line moving.

• Boxed candles cost more than the same candle sans box, so a lot of people remove the box and leave it behind. If the candle is for personal use and not a gift, it’s the difference between paying $3 and $5.

Be thoughtful: send holiday cards

photo by mdu2boy

I hesitate to write this post at the peak of greeting card season, but it’ll be less relevant come January 1st.

I’m as tech obsessed as the next member of Gen Y, but I’m disappointed in the sharp decline of holiday appropriate stationery greetings.

I sent out about 45 Holiday cards this year.  If I get 5 back from non-family members, I’ll be surprised.   What I do expect is a massive influx of text messages on Christmas day sending out well wishes to all with a cell phone number, and likely a barrage of festive greetings as FaceBook status messages.

It’s just not the same.

There’s something inherently thoughtful about written holiday greetings.   Someone has to take the time to pick out cards that fit his or her own personality before writing out cards and labeling envelopes.  It’s personal.

A text message is a perfunctory last minute missive.    I hate to get all Martha Stewart on the world, but a text message is not  a greeting card.

If the $25-$30 a holiday mailing costs is too much, you’ve got a few options.

A) Plan ahead.  The day after Christmas the price of all holiday cards are slashed in half, by mid-January they’re 75% off to get them off the shelves.  You can be ready for Christmas 2009 for under $10.

B) Try an e-greeting card.  There are lots of free options out there ( I tend to use Hallmark for greetings to people that don’t have a mailing address for.) Though not as personal as an actual paper greeting, it does offer the option of picking a card that reflects your interests.  The more ambitious can personalize the card for each recipient, the less so can send a generic greeting out to everyone they know.

Given we spend so much time sending impersonal emails and text messages, leaving voicemails and generally minimizing personal interaction to streamline our work, the holidays are a perfect time to reconnect.

Send a few cards this month. . . and for birthdays; thoughtfulness at birthdays would be nice too.

VOD: How hotdogs are made

I knew I should trust my gut that hot dogs are gross.  If you’re a hot dog connoisseur, sometimes you’re better just not knowing.  Nothing to see here.

Thanks Buzzfeed!

Making the most of holiday gifting

photo by weddingcakes

It’s obvious retailers are struggling this year, and the steep discounts offered on Black Friday are merely the tip of the iceberg this holiday season.  Come December 26th, retailers are practically going to give away their product in an effort to clear the shelves for spring goods.

So if you’re sticking with consumerism this holiday season, I say enjoy the religious traditions on schedule and then swap gifts come New Year’s Day.

A friend of mine from grad school introduced me this gift giving cost saver.  She swaps gifts with her friends and family AFTER the holidays are over. And her logic makes sense.

Whatever your gift giving budget, you get more for your money on December 26th.   You can opt to spend less for the same quality items you would have bought at full price.  Or you can opt to spend the same on much higher quality items.

For instance, in past years my favorite department store Lord & Taylor cut prices on their cashmere sweaters in half the day after Christmas.  With the additional savings you get with their coupons, you typically wind up paying about $60 for a $140 sweater.

With the retail sector in an especially difficult situation this holiday season, a $148 cashmere sweater is already marked down to $65.99.  You’ll probably be getting 2 sweaters for that price on December 26th.

That $65.99 will either cover both Grandma AND Aunt Betsy or you’ll be throwing in a scarf and gloves with Grandma’s New Year’s Day gift.

If you are partaking in gift giving traditions this season, make sure you make the most of the dollars you choose to spend.

What are your frugal gift giving tips? Share them here, or blog about them and enter to win a variety of prizes over at Broke Grad Student.

12/13-12/14 2008: Annual Archipelago Botanicals Warehouse Sale

THE ANNUAL ARCHIPELAGO WAREHOUSE SALE

DECEMBER 13TH AND 14TH

8:30AM-3PM. CASH ONLY.

1844 E. 22nd St, Los Angeles, Ca 90058

I typically buy candles for the year for under $50.

Last year I saved 90% off retail prices shopping this sale.

This sale will be back on Saturday 12/20

from 8:30am-4pm, same location

Project Angel Food’s Divine Design 2008

One of the best designer sales (for charitable purposes) takes place next month in Los Angeles. Divine Design is worth adding to your calendar.

Two years ago I picked up a $375 skirt for $75; it’s swooshiness never fails to make me smile, so I know I’ll be getting years and years of use out of it.  I also grabbed several $90 tank tops for just $10 apiece.

What:

Divine Design is an annual pre-holiday shopping event featuring designer clothes, shoes, cosmetics, and furniture. 100% of proceeds benefit Project Angel Food.

The designer items are the latest from trendy lines like Trina Turk,  Theory, Dolce & Gabbana,  Jimmy Choo, and Smashbox Cosmetics.

Where

9900 Wilshire Blvd (old Robinson’s May location), Beverly Hills 90210

When

VIP Early Shopping December 4th, 6pm -8pm, with $100 ticket purchase

Friday, December 5, 11am – 8pm
Saturday, December 6, 11am-8pm
Sunday, December 7, 11am – 8pm
Monday, December 8, 11am-8pm

The discount is usually progressive, meaning on Friday items should be 50% off, Saturday 60%, Sunday 70% and Monday 80%.

Tickets:

Tickets are available online for $15 or at the door for $25 ($10 off admission coupon)

Bonus:

Just 500 Raffle tickets are available to those of you who’d like to drive home in a Prius. For a $100 ticket, you’re odds of winning a 2-year lease on a 2009 Prius are way better than that of winning the state lottery.

Beneficiary:

Project Angel Food is unique: we are the only, free meal-delivery program that serves men, women and children debilitated by HIV/AIDS, cancer, and other life-threatening illnesses throughout Los Angeles County. Thanks to a devoted corps of volunteers, every day Project Angel Food cooks and delivers more than 1,400 to people in need throughout our community. We act out of a sense of urgency because hunger and illness do not wait. The people we serve range in age from 12 to 97 years.

Zak’s Favorite Things for 2008

Welcome to the 2nd annual publication of Zak’s Favorite Things.

There aren’t strict qualifications to make the list.  Some of these items are on my wish list, and some I already own and love. Others I stumbled across on the web and couldn’t help but investigate further.

ActiveHold Technology

As a gym rat, my hair is either in a ponytail or braids during my workout.  As any woman with long hair can attest, fashionable hair elastics typically don’t have staying power: they fall off, and they stretch out.  While I’ve yet to find a product that perpetually springs back to its original size,  I|M offers elasticized bands that you won’t lose half way through your workout or on your way home.  Their “ActiveHold Technology” runs a rubber tread through their I|M Active products.  You avoid the painful dislodgement of a typical rubber band, but the tread grips enough to keep your hair accessories in place.  ($4.99 for 4 thick bands, 8 thin or medium bands)

Gummy Bears, err Fruit Slices, are good for you!

Hero Nutritionals created Slice of Life, a line of gummy vitamins for adults.  Surely I’m not alone in envying all the tasty chewable and gummy vitamins available to children.  Gummy vitamins feed your inner child.  While not the most comprehensive multi-vitamin on the market, looking forward to gummy slices means I’m more apt to remember to take calcium and wheat grass supplements as well.  (Suggested retail $19.99 for a 30-day supply, but I found them for $11.95)

Lip Service

In 2005, custom cosmetic site reflect.com shut down. I stocked up on my favorite lipstick as they shipped their final orders.  I recently accepted I needed to find a new lipstick brand or brands because I have reached the dregs of my final tube from reflect.com. The berry tones I love are really hard to find; apparently, they don’t flatter most complexions.  My search brought me to two brands I recommend.

Bare Escentuals offers a 100% natural lipstick line. No chemical additives or preservatives.  The lipstick applies a bit dryer than other lipsticks I tried, but a layer of lip gloss solves the problem.  It’s supposed to “hug” your lips for 6 hours (if you’re a talker, divide by 2).   Red Zin is my hue of choice, held in a curvy, but a tad oversized cylinder. ($15 per tube)

Launched in 1991, Fresh is just reaching the West Coast markets.  Stand alone stores have popped up in Los Angeles in the past couple of years.   Though a bit more expensive than I’d prefer ($22/tube), their lipsticks slide on like butter; no gloss needed.  You can’t put a price tag on sexy, silky lips.  Cranberry Lemonade is my color of choice.

PS. My favorite lip gloss? Try Kiehl’s for slight sparkle and subtle mango flavor.

Hanes Tees

Threadless offers great graphic tees, but Hanes is the ticket if you need basic solid tees.  I’ve never understood how some people pay $100 for a t-shirt, when you can get quality at a much more affordable price. I’m particularly fond of their 3/4 sleeve boatneck t-shirt ($16); so much so, that I have it in 3 colors. Hanes keeps you covered in fitted and relaxed t-shirts, tanks and camisoles, as well as comfy loungewear for rainy weekends in.

Douglass Fudge

photo from www.douglasscandies.com

Family vacations as a child meant a road trip to the Jersey shore.  My family stayed in the same motel every year for more than a decade.  The best part of the trip was the last day’s stop at Douglass Fudge, famous for its saltwater taffy and, obviously, fudge. All week long we’d snag samples as we passed the store each night, and on the final day, before the drive home, my mom would buy a variety of Douglass products by request for various members of the family.  If you’re a fudge person, I recommend their coconut cream and chocolate marshmallow flavors; for saltwater taffy, take the sampler.

Still, my favorite sweet is their molasses paddle — a dark chocolate-covered molasses caramel on a stick.  You can pick up a box of 6 for $16.50 + shipping.  I like to cut them up in 8 pieces and freeze them, so I can enjoy a square a day.

Warning: These are super chewy and sticky, so be careful if you have a lot of fillings.

PS to Mom: Hint Hint, X-mas is coming!

Wacky Walk’r

The Urban Wacky Walk’r is a stretch rubber leash that doubles in length from 3 to 6 feet as you dog applies forward pressure.  The give of the rubber is much easier on your joints when your dog tries to make a dash for it, but its stretch limitations means it keeps your dog in line and at your side.

Fear not that the rubber could snap, all leashers are reinforced with an inner safety line just in case.  They come in a variety of funky colors, so you can keep your dog both safe and styling. This awesome line of leashes runs between $21-$31 depending upon the size of the dog.  (Amazon offers a 15% discount off typical retail prices)

Pomegranate

Pomegranates are my favorite fruit, making the POM Wonderful brand icon one I look forward to each winter when pomegranates come into season.

Since quality pomegranate seeds aren’t available year round,  Archipelago Botanicals’ Pomegranate Body Collection  provides an olfactory fix.  I’m particularly enamored with their sugar body scrub. With a liberal inclusion of fragrant oils, you and your apartment will smell fabulous for hours after you shower, and you’ll have softer skin to show for it.   ($25-$35 depending on retailer)

Antica Farmacista

I didn’t wear perfume for a very long time because I broke out into burning red rashes shortly after application. Then I discovered Antica Farmacista, which is heavy on essential oils and natural ingredients.  A little goes a long way, lasting up to 8 hours.  I’m a fan of the Vanilla, Boubon, & Mandarin scent, but there are 12 to choose from.  I lucked out and picked my first bottle up on clearance from a retailer that was no longer carrying the line, but it’s well worth the sticker price of $58 for a bottle.

YogaMatic custom mats

Regulars in mind-body fitness classes of all sorts tend to own their own mats.  After considering the germs and bacteria hanging out on gym-owned mats, they invest in their own.  And yoga mats can tell you a lot about a person.  Do they like solids or prints, thick or thin mats, textured or smooth, muted or bold colors?  You can make a statement with a custom printed mat from yogamatic. Upload a jpg, and for $85+ shipping you can have the most unique mat in class.

Customize a muppet

photo by carlosfpardo

This Christmas FAO Schwarz is offering the Muppet What Not Workshop. (What Nots are background players in muppet shows.)  Start with an orange, blue or green muppet.  Customize the eyes and a nose, as well as hair.  And then pick out attire, like a hoodie sweatshirt.  Instead of just singing along to the Avenue Q soundtrack, you can act it out! ($90 + shipping)

Bacon-of-the Month Club

photo by shawnzam

Several articles this summer pointed to Bacon as the hot new food trend. Bacon: it’s so bad for you, it’s good.  Thus, I present The Grateful Palate’s Bacon-of-the month club.  For $275 (inclusive of shipping), you’ll receive a monthly delivery of artisan bacon along with a variety of schwag, including site discounts, a monthly comic strip,  a rubber pig and snout, tee and pen. Oink!

For a more affordable bacon fix, try Mo’s Bacon Bar by Vosges Chocolate, which combines salty bacon pieces with milk chocolate. ($7.50 on the Vosges website)

Le Fin

What new products or old favorites made your list this year?

Here’s a shortcut to my 2007 list.

Membership incentives for NYC chapter of Step Up Women’s Network

I’ve blogged on several occasions about my fondness for Step Up Women’s Network. (Here Here and Here)

If you live in NYC, it’s time to benefit first hand from the networking, community service opportunities, and professional mentorship program offered through SUWN. . .

Join, renew, or upgrade your membership in NYC by October 31st and be entered in a 10th anniversary sweepstakes featuring a variety of prizes. Same deal if you (as a member) refer a friend who joins; make sure she puts your name in the referred by box, and you’re entered too.

They’re offering 7 randomly prizes and will randomly select winners for each.

• The Grand Prize: 2 round trip Southwest Airlines tickets to anywhere in the U.S. ($800 value). **The Grand Prize will be awarded to the Member with the most friend referrals!
• 2-night stay at Gansevoort South in Miami. Double room with oceanview. ($1,050 value)
• Saltaire black lightweight nylon taffeta pea coat – size small ($348 value)
• Kerastase Express Treatment plus Color and Cut at Chris Chase Salon, the exclusive stylists of Prada and Calvin Klein models ($400 value)
• Harlem Vintage private wine tasting with light catering for 15 people ($450 value)
• Gucci Sunglasses in chocolate brown ($300 value)
• A limited edition “You Are My Inspiration” Necklace, with gold pendant and chain ($50 value)

Note: 90% of dues are tax deductible!

Sweepstakes Rules: Each woman is only eligible to win one prize. Contest runs between July 28, 2008 – October 31, 2008. Winners will be notified on November 14, 2008. No purchase necessary to win. Women will be automatically entered to win after each online transaction. Others may mail a business card with the word “sweepstakes” on the back to the Step Up national headquarters.

A Los Angeles sweepstakes run through October 15th!