Wednesday, June 8, 2011
'Face death head-on'
Death will, as ever, come to us all. But in this week's Scrubbing Up, end of life expert Professor Keri Thomas says it is time to face up to the need to plan properly for our demise.
As we are frequently reminded, we are in an ageing society and we live and die differently now.
Previously, most people died from accident, infection or childbirth having been previously well. This is still the way that many die in developing countries- from HIV, TB, infant diarrhoea, and trauma.
Over the last century the way we die has changed - most of us now dying later from more predictable gradual decline of one or many of our organs.
Previously we could be death-fearing or death-denying - now we have to be death-aware and "death-prepared".
For the first time therefore we have a chance , not only to know that one day we will die, but to prepare for it and to live in the context of our dying.
For many, death is still seen as failure as we perform futile heroics, postponing the inevitable whilst providing inadequate support for those at this crucial time in their lives.
How can we hold the balance of striving to prevent avoidable early death, yet facing its imminent reality by better supporting people at this vital time?
The answer is, in part, to listen harder.
When asked, most people say they want to live, and live as well as possible until they die.
“If we get it right for the dying, we get it right for the living too”
We then want to die well in the place and manner of our choosing with those we wish to be with, peacefully, with dignity, having done all we need to do and made good preparations for our final journey.
That is the essence of advance care planning and the movement to improve end of life care for all, of which I and many colleagues are involved.
It does not inevitably lead to an attempt to control death through euthanasia, but it is a fervent desire to affirm life, supporting people to live well until they die and to get it right when the time eventually comes to die.
It is time we face our own mortality head-on.
Surely we must firstly admit that this is going to hit us all; secondly, make strategic practical plans at every level to be prepared; and thirdly, initiate our own personal plans.
The majority of those working in health and social care who deal with people nearing the end of life are not specialists, but generalist frontline staff doing the best they can with the resources they have.
Professor Keri Thomas“We need to deliver better end-of-life care for all in every setting”
Like the rest of us, they find it difficult to tackle the taboo subject of death and dying.
And yet, if people are not given the opportunity to discuss their preferences for how and where they would like to be cared for, the chances of fulfilling those wishes are inevitably reduced.
Advance care planning can play a major part in improving the care a person will receive.
Although in essence it is a considered discussion with family, friends and professional carers, it works best as part of a process of planning leading to the delivery of quality care in alignment with peoples' wishes.
We need to deliver better end-of-life care for all in every setting, and to have more discussions of matters related to death and dying.
There is much good work already going on, but more still to do.
This week is the national 'Dying Matters' awareness week, and next month we will hold our annual GSF meeting as part of the International Society for Advance Care Planning and End of Life Care conference, being held in London.
The NHS also has the National End of Life Care Programme, which works with health and social care providers across England to improve adult end of life care.
By actively and bravely living with dying and planning ahead, nationally, locally and personally, we might be able to affirm the full value of life so that "when our time comes to die, dying is all we have left to do".
If we get it right for the dying, we get it right for the living too.
This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/health-13395211
Web giants promote new IP system
Some home users may need new IPv6 compatible internet routers The biggest ever test of the internet's new address system is taking place.
Google, Yahoo, Microsoft Bing and Facebook are among the companies switching-on IPv6 versions of their websites for the one day trial.
The technology is gradually being introduced because the world is running out of older IPv4 addresses as more devices come online.
Companies and home users may need new networking equipment, however the transition is likely to take years.
World IPv6 day is partly a technical exercise by internet companies to see how the technology works, and partly an awareness-raising initiative.
For the small percentage of users already set up to access IPv6, they will be able to connect through the usual URLs - such as Google.com or Yahoo.com.
Behind the scenes, their browsers will be pointed to the new, much longer IP address.
Groups involved in IPv6 day say that everyone will have to make the change eventually, but users should not worry at this stage if they are not switched over.
Really big numbers
IPv4 was conceived in the early 1980s as a way of identifying individual connections to a computer network.
It is typically made up of 32 bits, written as 12 digits, e.g. 112.233.189.123.
That gives a maximum of around 4.3bn addresses.
However, the rapid growth in PCs, smartphones and other internet connected devices means those addresses are close to being used up, with an estimated 80 million still to be allocated.
IPv6 is a 128bit system, written in hexadecimal (base 16 counting using numbers and letters), e.g. 21DA:00D3:0000:2F3B:02AA:00FF:FE28:9C5A.
The system gives a maximum of 340 undecillion possible addresses (1 undecillion = 10 followed by 35 zeros in the British numbering system).
The additional capacity, argue proponents of IPv6, will be needed to cater to the so-called "internet of things" where devices such as TVs, fridges and home heating systems are connected to the net.
"This is not a year 2000 thing. Planes are not going to start falling out of the sky," said Philip Sheldrake, a board member at non-profit group 6UK, which is helping to promote the system.
"The web will continue to work, but future growth would be stymied. It is just like when we used up the phone numbers in London."
For users with an ordinary domestic internet connection, the changeover may involve upgrading their hardware.
"A lot of routers at the moment are already capable of supporting IPv6. What they need is a firmware update," explained Richard Fletcher, chief operating officer at Plusnet, a UK internet service provider (ISP)
"ISPs should ship new routers or offer those updates. We are making sure all our fibre routers are ready for IPv6."
Mr Fletcher said that the long term nature of the changeover meant that customers of most ISPs would receive compatible equipment through the natural cycle of upgrades.
Becoming IPv6 compatible is a slightly more complicated task for corporate internet users.
Bringing their systems up to standard will typically involve investing in and installing new networking systems.
As with home users, for many this will form part of the normal cycle of upgrading and replacing.
However, the lack of any firm deadline, combined with the hefty price tag, means that some are dragging their heels.
"Corporates are probably quite far behind," said Sebastien Lahtinen from Thinkbroadband.com.
"They are trying to put off the expense and there are a lot of technologies that they can use to do that."
However, Mr Lahtinen said that the leaders of those businesses should realise that this change was going to happen and that they needed to make the investment.
Even though IPv4 will continue working for at least the next decade, there is value in changing early according to Philip Sheldrake.
"You have to make the transition. It is better to do that sooner than later because it demonstrates that you are a modern, well organised company that is visible on the modern infrastructure of the internet."
This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/technology-13685772
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Fraser set to learn appeal ruling
Nat Fraser was jailed in 2003 for his wife Arlene's murder Nat Fraser is set to learn if his conviction for the murder of his wife Arlene has been quashed when he appears at the High Court in Edinburgh later.
An appeal hearing to decide on a retrial of the Elgin businessman was adjourned at the end of last month.
Nat Fraser was sent to prison in 2003 after his wife went missing in 1998.
In May, the UK Supreme Court remitted the case to the Court of Criminal Appeal in Edinburgh to decide on a retrial and to quash the conviction.
Fraser could be set free, or if a fresh trial is ordered, released on bail.
On 27 May, the Court of Criminal Appeal judges adjourned the hearing after a defence request for more time to prepare their case in the event of a retrial. Fraser remained in custody.
His appeal had previously gone to Supreme Court judges in London after he exhausted the process in Scotland.
They found that Fraser's human rights may have been breached because prosecutors failed to disclose some evidence in the case against him.
Granting the appeal, the Supreme Court judges said in their deliberations: "The Supreme Court unanimously allows the appeal.
"It remits the case to a differently constituted Appeal Court to consider whether to grant authority for a new prosecution and then, having considered that point, to quash the conviction."
The Crown Office said it would seek to bring fresh proceedings against Nat Fraser, which would have to take place within two months.
His team argued there had been a miscarriage of justice, centring on claims that evidence was tampered with and prosecutors had not been given all of the facts.
This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-13691408
VIDEO: Cameron's five pledges to NHS
David Cameron sets out his pledges of five reforms to the NHS 
This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/health-13685486
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China executes hit-and-run killer
Yao reportedly handed himself in, but that was not enough to spare him the death penalty A Chinese student who murdered a woman to try to cover up a road accident has been executed, say state media.
Yao Jiaxin, 21, was put to death in Xian, Shaanxi province in northern China on Tuesday.
Yao is said to have stabbed 26-year-old mother Zhang Miao to death, fearing she would pursue him for compensation after he hit her with his car last October.
The case - called "odious" by the Supreme Court - sparked a debate about the morality of young people.
It caused renewed hand-wringing about the morals of the so-called "rich second generation" - the offspring of those who have prospered with China's economic expansion, say correspondents.
Yao's parents reportedly worked in China's booming defence industries.
Yao was a student at the Xian Conservatory of Music when he is said to have knocked over Zhang, a waitress, on her bicycle while driving in the city.
According to reports she suffered only minor injuries in the collision but, believing she would report him to the police, Yao stabbed her eight times with a knife and fled the scene.
He is reported to have handed himself in to the authorities four days later, accompanied by his parents.
But that was not considered grounds for leniency when he was tried by Xian's Intermediate People's Court, which convicted and sentenced him to death on 22 April.
Yao confessed he killed Zhang because he feared the "peasant woman would be hard to deal with" over the accident, Xinhua said in an earlier report.
The high court turned down his appeal and the death sentence was later approved by the Supreme People's Court.
This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/world-asia-pacific-13678179
Denials quiz
Denials quiz
US Congressmen Anthony Weiner has admitted he did indeed send lewd photos via Twitter, and not a hacker as he'd originally claimed. He is by no means the first politician to be caught out when attempting to deny an indiscretion. Test yourself.
1.) Multiple Choice Question
Who tried to bat away allegations of an indiscretion as "not a national security thing"?
Anthony WeinerSilvio BerlusconiBill Clinton2.) Multiple Choice Question
Earlier this year, the "it was a hacker" defence was used by another married New York congressman - Republican Chris Lee. What had he been caught doing?
Sending a topless photo to a woman who was not his wifeSending e-mails describing himself as divorced, and a "very fit fun classy guy"Both of the above3.) Multiple Choice Question
Bill Clinton initially denied an affair with Monica Lewinsky. Which did he say under oath?
"I did not have sexual relations with that woman""I've never had an affair with her""The great story here for anybody willing to find it...is this vast right-wing conspiracy"4.) Multiple Choice Question
"He wasn't ashamed of it at the time and he wanted it to continue." Said who, after an ex-lover described their affair as the most shameful episode in his life?
Kay Summersby, on Dwight EisenhowerAnne Pingeot, on Francois MitterrandBritish MP Edwina Currie, on John Major5.) Multiple Choice Question
"If I had done everything I am said to have done, she would have gouged my eyes out." Said who, using the "my wife/girlfriend would never allow it" defence?
Jacques ChiracArnold SchwarzeneggerSilvio Berlusconi6.) Missing Word Question
'I can't say with * if it's my crotch'
certitudehand on heart7.) Multiple Choice Question
"I warned him often enough: the day Napoleon left Josephine, he lost everything." Said the wronged wife of which politican?
Jacques Chirac, former French presidentJohn Edwards, US presidential hopefulJohn F Kennedy, former US presidentCharles Haughey, former Taoiseach of IrelandAnswers
It was Weiner, when still denying he sent photos of his underwear-clad mid-section to a college student. It wasn't a matter of national security, said the New York Democrat, as it wasn't his official e-mail account that had been used. It was both, sent in response to a "women seeking men" advert on a Craigslist internet forum. Lee resigned soon afterwards, but not before his spokesman claimed it was a hack attack. He said "I've never had an affair with her," referring to Monica Lewinsky, under oath in a deposition relating to another alleged indiscretion (with Paula Jones). He argued this was true under a detailed legal definition of "sexual relations". The "that woman" quote was at a White House press conference. And it was Hillary Clinton who blamed a "right-wing conspiracy". It was Edwina Currie. Her 2002 memoirs included details of her four-year affair in the 1980s with John Major. Meanwhile, WWII rumours swirled around Eisenhower and his aide, Kay Summersby. Years later, she titled her memoirs My Love Affair with Dwight - but said it was unconsumated. And Mr Mitterrand had a child with Anne Pingeot, but kept their relationship secret for years. It was Silvio Berlusconi, who said his girlfriend had been at the so called "bunga bunga" parties at which he was accused of paying for sex with an underage dancer. Meanwhile, Schwarzenegger and wife Maria Shriver parted company shortly before it was revealed he'd fathereda child with their housekeeper. And in a 2001 book, Bernadette Chirac implicitly admitted her husband's past infidelities. It's certitude. At a press conference last week, he admitted he could not say "with certitude" whether the lewd photo sent to a university student was of him. It's Bernadette Chirac, In her 2001 book, she also wrote: "Convention meant that in this kind of situation you put up a front and just kept going." Meanwhile, John Edwards faces charges of using campaign funds to hide an affair. JFK reportedly carried on with a number of women. And in 1999, gossip columnist Terry Keane revealed she and Irish politician Charles Haughey had been lovers for 27 years.Your Score
0 - 2 : Under the carpet
3 - 5 : Out in the open
6 - 7 : Above board
For past quizzes, try the weekly news quiz, published every Friday. You can catch up here: Weekly world news quiz 2 June
And if you want to give your long-term memory a vigorous workout, here is the quiz from the week before: Weekly world news quiz 27 May
This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/world-13681528
Smith awarded Polar Music Prize
Smith was praised for transforming 'the way an entire generation looks, thinks and dreams' Rocker Patti Smith and US string group Kronos Quartet have been awarded the 2011 Polar Music Prize.
Sweden's highest music honour is typically shared by a pop artist and a classical musician.
King Carl XVI Gustaf will present each act with their one million kronor (£100,000) prize at a gala ceremony in Stockholm on 30 August.
Previous winners include Sir Paul McCartney, Pink Floyd, Stevie Wonder and composer Ennio Morricone.
The Royal Swedish Academy of Music praised musician and poet Smith, 64, for "devoting her life to art in all its forms".
"Patti Smith has demonstrated how much rock'n'roll there is in poetry and how much poetry there is in rock'n'roll.
"She has transformed the way an entire generation looks, thinks and dreams," the academy added.
The Kronos Quartet, which is based in San Francisco, was praised for incorporating avant-garde rock and music from a variety of sources worldwide.
Kronos Quartet received a Grammy for best chamber music performance in 2004 "For almost 40 years the Kronos Quartet has been revolutionising the potential of the string quartet genre when it comes to both style and content," the academy said.
The Polar Music Prize was founded by Stig Anderson, the manager of Swedish pop group ABBA, in 1989.
It is awarded to individuals, groups or institutions in recognition of exceptional achievements in the creation and advancement of music.
Last year's prize was shared by Morricone and Icelandic singer Bjork.
This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/entertainment-arts-13265008
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