Can patients shower immediately after surgery

Here’s what a recent paper published ahead of print in Annals of Surgery says:

Between May 2013 and March 2014, 222 patients were randomized to the group allowed remove their dressings and shower at 48 hours and 222 to the group permitted to shower only after the original dressing and the sutures were removed in clinic. There were 4 (1.8%) superficial surgical site infections in the early shower group and 6 (2.7%) in the late shower group, an insignificant difference with p = 0.751.

The authors concluded that clean and clean-contaminated wounds can be safely showered 48 hours after surgery, and early postoperative showering may increase patient satisfaction.

I have always been an advocate of early showering after surgery. Wounds properly closed will be bridged by epithelium within 48 hours. Tap water is relatively sterile or we couldnt drink it. Many studies have shown that even irrigating open wounds with tap water instead of sterile saline does not lead to more infections. [Links here and here.]

Much as I would like to believe the Annals study, I can’t because it is probably underpowered to show a difference between the two groups.

Here is a nice definition of statistical power from a website called effectsizeFAQ.com:

“In plain English, statistical power is the likelihood that a study will detect an effect when there is an effect there to be detected. If statistical power is high, the probability of making a Type II error, or concluding there is no effect when, in fact, there is one, goes down.”

To their credit, the authors did try to estimate the sample sizes they would need by doing a power calculation. They knew that the wound infection rate for the cases they intended to enroll was about 1%. The problem is they estimated that showering at 48 hours would result in a wound infection rate of 5%. That seems very high to me for the types of cases included in their investigation—thyroid, lung, inguinal hernia and skin tumors.

If they had hypothesized that early showering would merely triple the rate of wound infections from 1% to 3%, they would have needed at least 1536 patients in each arm of the study. Then if there was no difference, one could conclude that early showering truly does not cause more wound infections.

Even if the known incidence of wound infection was much larger, say 5%, and the rate of infection with showering was presumed to be doubled (10%), to have enough power a study would need 434 patients in each arm.

Many websites provide calculators for determining the appropriate sample sizes to detect with a reasonable degree of certainty whether one intervention is better than another. Anyone thinking about doing a prospective randomized trial should realistically estimate the expected difference and calculate the power.

Whenever you read a negative study, the first question to ask is, “Was the study adequately powered to avoid a type II error?”

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Make Money With ShareCash Uploading Files 20 A Day !

Make Money With ShareCash Uploading Files $20 A Day !

Let me introduce you to my new toy that i love as much as adfly... SHARECASH!!!!
If you havent signup YET , please do so HERE now!!!

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Signup HERE if you havent yet!!

Share Cash is the best program to make money online. If you are struggling to make money, you should try ShareCash because the program is very simple. Does not require investment at all. But you can earn hundreds of USD per day Sharecash is a pay per download site. You upload your own file on ShareCash and when people download your file, you will be paid. You will earn $0.30-$0.80 per download.

While the others Pay Per Download site, they just pay $10.00 for 1000 download but with ShareCash you will earn $300.00 up to $800.00 for 1000 download. The reason that you get paid is because people have to complete a survey first before they can download it.

Their surveys support almost all country and you will earn more money if the surveys came from US, UK, Canada and Australia.

Now I will reveal to you how I make 150.00 to $300.00 per day with ShareCash without investment, site or my own file. Yes! I make $150.00 to $300.00 Per day with ShareCash for free. I’m not joking!

TRY IT OUT NOW!! SIGNUP HERE NOW!!!

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Bay Lounge Screenciti presents the UEFA Champions League Live on big screen today

Join us at Bay Lounge today Wednesday 9th March 2016 by 8:000pm for an exciting football evening, as you watch the UEFA Champions league for free . Join Chelsea as they go head on against PSG live from Bay Lounge, the outdoor restaurant and bar with the soothing sound of the waterfront, the spectacular view of the ocean set against the backdrop of Lagos city lights.

Fabulous giveaways for you as you predict and win exciting prizes such as a meal voucher, complimentary glasses of Heineken and so much more.

Bay Lounge is located at Plot 10A, Block12A, Admiralty way Lekki Phase One For more information call 08099999825 or 07066523522 You can also follow us on Instagram @bayloungeltd

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Make Money and Lower Risk Im Serious

An Incredible “Gift” for Making Money in Financial Markets Enables You to Lower Risk and Leverage Trades

7:34 AM

Dear Entrepreneur:

“Is this a legitimate tool for making money in the market or another Wall Street deception?”

                                                                             T.M. Sante Fe NM

I received the above post on my blog recently.

My answer is yes.

Today I’ll show you an incredible “gift” investors, speculators and traders are using to make money.

The “gift” is exchange-traded funds or ETF for short.

Hang on……I know you’re probably familiar with ETFs.

But I’ll show you how my clients and I are making money with them. You won’t learn these tactics on financial websites or from the clowns on CNBC.

An exchange-traded fund (or ETF) is an investment vehicle traded on stock exchanges, like stocks.

I’ll give you a powerful overview in a second.

The profit making potential of ETFs is mind-boggling…and here’s why…

The risk of trading ETFs is super-manageable, and especially for beginning traders and speculators.

I like the ETFs for three reasons:

1.     Risk is limited to the initial investment (LOW)

2.     The ETF market is easy to enter and exit (LIQUID)

3.     ETFs offer nice leverage (LEVERAGE)

You won’t have the same leveraging or pyramiding ability of a futures contract or Forex.

But there’s a new type of ETF which enables traders and investors to leverage opportunities in a big way.

Marc’s ETF “Cheat” Sheet

An ETF holds assets such as stocks, bonds, currencies, or commodities and trades at approximately the same price as the net asset value of its underlying assets.

The most popular ETFs track an index, like the Dow Jones Industrial Average or S&P 500.

ETFs can be an attractive tool for making money because of the relatively low risk, tax efficiency, and stock-like features.

An ETF combines the feature of a mutual fund meaning it can be purchased or redeemed at the end of the trading day for its net asset value (or NAV).

ETFs traditionally have been index funds, but in 2008 the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission authorized the creation of actively-managed ETFs.

What is an Actively-Managed ETF?

An actively managed ETF will have a benchmark index (like the S&P 500), but managers can change sector allocations, market-time trades and/or deviate from the index as they see fit.

This produces investment returns which will not mirror the underlying index perfectly.

Passive ETFs typically follow indexes pretty closely, which allows investors to track the fund fairy easily.

Oil Exchange-Traded Funds

The price of oil has climbed to historic highs.

However, not everyone believes oil will remain at historically high levels for eternity, including me.

In fact, the last four months is a good indication of what can happen in the oil market….it can skyrocket when bullets start flying.

But…..and listen closely……oil can plummet in price too! Almost NO ONE believes this….but this is where the real money is made.

For example, look what happened to oil during the recent disaster is Japan….the price of oil went down!

You can make a fortune with ETFs when you understand how to trade markets when before they skyrocket or plummet… especially if you go against the crowd at the right time. 

On top of that, with EFTs you can wait indefinitely!

Gold Exchange-Traded Funds

Gold is trading at near three-decade highs.

But you can make a fortune when and if gold plummets in price too!

I know….this is a hard thing to grasp. It’s also one of the hardest lessons for novice traders to learn.

Look around…..everyone from Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity to Warren Buffet and George Soros is touting gold as the greatest investment since the dawn of civilization. There are hundreds of “buy gold” commercials running at any given time.

But very few people believe the price of gold or precious metals will decline over the next 12 to18 months.

The so-called financial experts try to convince people gold will surge in price for eternity.

But like stocks, real estate, bonds, baseball cards and diamonds this is not always the case.

Sure… in times of sudden panic, stock market crashes, currency wars, etc. the price of gold “tends” to rise quickly.

But the price of gold can plummet during crises, too – as witnessed in the gold market recently.

For example, the price of gold surged from $400 an ounce in 2004 to more than $1400 an ounce in 2010.

However, at the beginning of the real estate and mortgage crisis in 2008 gold actually FELL in price.

So whatever your view happens to be there’s likely a Gold ETF you can trade.

Cool Insight on “Ultra” Exchange-Traded Funds

If, as an investor or trader, you believe the price of something will go up, you are considered bullish, or a “bull.” If you believe the price of something will go down you would be considered bearish, or a “bear.”

As an investor or a trader you might even be “ultra” bullish or bearish, meaning you think the price of something is going to go up or down in a big way.

That is the beauty of a new breed of ETFs called “ultras.”

Ultra Exchange-Traded Funds enable an investor or trader to leverage an investment in a much bigger way than just an ordinary ETF.

Here are a few “ultra” ETFs you can track on any financial website. I’ve noted the underlying stock, bond, currency, or commodity:

ProShares SIJ UltraShort (Industrials)
ProShares EFU UltraShort (MSCI EAFE)
ProShares EEV UltraShort MSCI (Emerging Markets)
ProShares EWV UltraShort MSCI (Japan)
ProShares MZZ UltraShort (MidCap400)
ProShares SCC UltraShort (Consumer Services)
ProShares DXD UltraShort (Dow30)
ProShares FXP UltraShort (FTSE/Xinhua China 25)
Proshares SKF UltraShort (Financials)
ProShares RXD UltraShort (Health Care)
ProShares DUG UltraShort (Oil & Gas)
ProShares QID UltraShort  (QQQ) Twice inverse of NASDAQ-100
ProShares SRS UltraShort (Real Estate)
ProShares SDK UltraShort (Russell MidCap Growth)

ProShares SMN UltraShort (Basic Materials)
ProShares SZK UltraShort (Consumer Goods)

How to Make Money with ETFs

Every investor has an opinion of the world financial markets, politics, and economy.

This is why the markets move so dramatically – up, down, and sideways.

In order to make money with ETFs your world view of the future needs to be accurate.

What’s more, you need to be fairly accurate in terms of timing too.

For example, in 2000 I was confident the Dot-com hysteria was a joke. I was advising several companies being run by 20-year olds valued at more than $100 million each…with NO sales.

It seemed like everyone was swept up in the fantasy.

And novice traders were making cash hand over fist on stocks of these Dot-com companies – on paper.

But no one I knew or read about removed profits from the Dot-com fiasco by the time everything collapsed.

In this case my world view of the market was correct. I made a bundle shorting tech and Internet company stocks. But my exposure to downside risk was way too high.

On top of that my timing was off by 10 months or so. I knew the market would plunge but timing is crucial.

Our view needs to be accurate in terms of “timing.”

And so…..

In order to make money with ETFs we need to examine the market we’re investing and calculate a “reasonable” time frame.

Now….one of the great aspects of ETFs is timing is not overly important.

You can hold an ETF for weeks, months and even years without any downside risk, margin calls or frustration.

For example, everyone knows the housing and real estate market has been in serious trouble for more than 3 years.

Some investors believe the housing market will bounce back in 2011. While other investors believe the worst is yet to come this year.

The reality is probably somewhere in the middle.

If you believe the housing market will stay the same or get slightly worse there are two ETFs you could purchase to take advantage of that trend:

Ultra Short Financials Proshares (AMEX: SKF)

This ETF benefits when and if financial services suffer. This would include real estate lenders, international banks; property and casualty insurance companies; companies invested directly or indirectly in real estate; diversified financial companies, such as Federal National Mortgage Association, credit card issuers and investment advisers; securities brokers and dealers, and investment banks,

ProFunds Short Real Estate Inv (MUTF:SRPIX)This ETF invests in derivatives that ProFund Advisors believes should have similar daily return characteristics as the inverse (opposite) of the daily return of the index. Assets of the fund not invested in derivatives will typically be held in money market instruments. It is non-diversified

The beauty of ETFs and specifically “ultra” and “double short” ETFs is they enable a trader to leverage markets (up or down) in a big way, but offer lower downside risk of futures and Forex markets.

There you have it!

Everything you wanted to know about ETFs but were afraid to ask!

Your humble host…

Marc Charles

(Ed Note:  Marc Charles is referred to as "The King of Business Opportunities" ....and for good reason. He should be known as "The King of Legitimate Business Opportunities"...because hes launched, bought, sold reviewed and advised on hundreds of businesses and money making opportunities. He understands legitimate opportunities. Marc has agreed supply League of Power members with crucial updates regarding legitimate business and money making opportunities.)

******* Action Strategy *********

Start researching the “ultra” ETF market today.

When you start trading ETFs you’ll need an online brokerage account.

But that’s easy…..you can open an account with as little as $500.

The right ETF enables you to profit if a market skyrockets, plummets or trades sideways.

On top of that, you can make a boatload of money with double long or double short (ultra) ETFs.

You can subscribe to ETF publications and advisories to gain some street smart insight. I’ve included a couple of recommendations in today’s issue.

Paper Trade ETFs!

You can trade ETFs on paper and never risk a dime!

Simply select the ETFs you want to buy (or sell, or purchase options on), write down the current market price, and watch them in the paper or financial websites go up or down in value.

Develop an exit strategy.

Buy and hold for eternity will not work in the coming months and years. Nothing lasts forever – so develop a specific exit plan and remove profits regularly.

******* Valuable Resources ********

Exchange-Traded Funds Explained– Investopedia

Exchange-Traded Funds Center – Yahoo! Finance

ETF Investment Guide - seekingalpha.com ETFs

CEF Connect – ETFconnect.com

ETF Investor Newsletter

ETF Trends

Morningstar ETF Investor

New Book Recommendations

The ETF Handbook by David Abner

Super Sectors: How to Outsmart the Market Using Sector Rotation and ETFs by John Nyaradi

The ETF Book: All You Need to Know About Exchange-Traded Funds by Richard Ferri

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My First Comic Book by Marc Charles

10_33 AM


Hi Gang:

I published my first comic book boys and girls.

Save the reviews......its my first attempt.

Ill send you a copy free of charge (PDF) if you ask.

Its on Amazon and soon BN and elsewhere.

Pen name of course:  Charles Schulte. Get it? 

http://tinyurl.com/mk7toj7

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Whats with pre med students shadowing a doctor

Many medical schools are either requiring or highly recommending that applicants show evidence of “shadowing” [following a doctor around] for varying periods of time. This supposedly gives a pre-med student an idea of what doctors do. I guess the schools assume that if someone has shadowed a doctor and still wants to become one, that individual is a better candidate for medical school than someone who hasnt done any shadowing.

A recent incident at a hospital in Syracuse, New York raised some serious concerns about shadowing. An anesthesiologist allowed a college student to endotracheally intubate a patient in the operating room. This was a problem on many levels. Students who are shadowing are not supposed to touch or examine patients. The patient who was intubated likely did not know that an unlicensed college student would be doing a procedure on him. And of course, theres HIPAA.

According to the article, the director of Consumers Unions Safe Patient Project, called the incident an "egregious violation of patient-doctor trust."

Ive had a problem with shadowing for many years, and Im not the first to say so. Dr. Elizabeth Kitsis, director of bioethics education at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, has blogged about the topic.

She told of a male pre-med student who was introduced to patients as a "student doctor" and watched a gynecologist perform pelvic exams. The student himself said he felt a little awkward. One wonders how the unsuspecting patients would have felt had it been known he was a college student thinking about becoming a doctor.

There were many comments pro and con on both Dr. Kitsiss blog and a follow-up piece that appeared on another Einstein blog.

Dr. Kitsis co-authored a paper which found that few studies have looked at shadowing by pre-med students. She called for guidelines and a code of conduct for this activity.

Several questions come to mind.

With all the information available on the Internet, is shadowing really an effective way for college students to decide whether to become physicians or not?

Is there any research comparing career outcomes of pre-med students who shadowed doctors to those who did not?

What about the patients? Do they have any say in this? Are students who shadow introduced as who they really are?

How does a student choose a doctor to shadow? As far as I can tell, there is no quality control for this aspect of shadowing.

Is shadowing mandatory in other fields? Must one shadow before becoming an engineer [civil, railroad, or sanitation], an accountant, a fighter pilot, a shepherd, or an exotic dancer?

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Photo See this unusual obituary of a young man

The obituary named the deceased alleged murderers. Photo credit: @K3hinde

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Passa Passa at Nitro Nite Club

Big Thingz Agwuan as Wednesdays belong to us! Nitro presents another Passa Passa evening on Dutty Wednesdays. As always we deliver the best of Reggae/Dancehall Music while sipping on our genuine Caribbean cocktails. Come Ease & Swirl The Evening Away!

Doors open by 8PM so it’s an early start to cater to those that wanna have fun and end the Night early. We always got your WEDNESDAYS covered!!

POWERED BY: Magic Hound

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Photos IDPs cultivate a patch of Land at an ‪‎IDP‬ Camp in Adamawa

Internally Displaced Persons at the Malkohi IDP Camp in Yola, Adamawa State decided to establish a camp garden where they can grow vegetables to feed themselves. Continue to see more photos..

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Health workers stop planned strike over Ocholi’s death

Members of the Joint Health Workers Union (JOHESU), have shelved their planned strike, initially scheduled to commence on Thursday March 10th, as a mark of respect for the late Minister of State for Labor, James Ocholi, who died in a fatal accident alongside his wife and son on Sunday March 6th.?? President of the Union, Biobelemoye Josiah, made this known to newsmen today March 9th

According to him, the suspension of the proposed strike action is to enable the workers mourn late James Ocholi who was until his death the Chairman of a Negotiation Committee set up by the Ministry of Labor to address the issues raised by the health workers union in their notice of the proposed strike sent to the ministry.

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Dasukigate Doyin Okupe denies being investigated by the EFCC

The Special Assistant to former President Obasanjo (Media & Publicity) and Senior Special Assistant to fmr President Jonathan (public affairs) took to his Facebook page to deny reports hes being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) into his alleged involvement in the payment of N2.1 billion from the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki, to the former Chairman of DAAR Communications, Chief Raymond Dokpesi. He wrote:

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Why Are Artists Starving by Marc Charles

8:22 PM

Hi Gang:

Ive launched, bought, sold, and managed many businesses in 30 years. Ive slowed down on the buying and selling businesses in recent years, Im 55 years old.

But still love launching and advising startups, and writing about them.

Ive helped a good friend launch an art gallery. I advised against it, with facts, proof, insight, wisdom and actual numbers. But it was Mr Artists dream.

He had two things going for him -- he owned the building outright and volunteers (like me which he knows is a big deal).

But still....the first six months have been weak. In fact, Im the top sales person ...mainly from direct mail, Internet, parties and contacts.

The bottom line is this: artists create from their love, pain, passion or whatever.

Artists typically don;t care what the market wants. And this is why theyre starving.

But if artists want to increase sales they need to feed into the current, not future, market demand.

So.....thats my take on galleries and selling art.

Marc

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Having The Courage To Cosplay Whoever You Want

Photo by Green House Photography

As a Puerto Rican girl from Philadelphia I have been told numerous times on what I "cant" do. It started early on in my childhood because I was told Hispanics could not accomplish anything. I was expected to drop out of school, join a gang, get pregnant at 16 and other stereotypes. I was even told I was brown eyed (even though my eyes are clearly green). Gender also played a part. I wasnt suppose to read comic books because I was a girl. I shouldnt be collecting action figures or wearing comic themed t-shirts. I was weak because males are the stronger sex. These criticisms often came from strangers, kids on the playground or classmates. Teachers have told me because I had "the face of an angel" I wasnt very smart. When I began costuming in 2006 I was told repeatedly by followers of cosplay (never from a cosplayer) that this was a hobby I should give up because there arent many Latinos in geekdom. I couldnt do it. Supergirl isnt Puerto Rican. There are no Hispanic Final Fantasy characters. There is no Latina Disney Princess. Once again, I decided not to listen and had the courage to cosplay whoever I wanted. Along the way, I have encountered other individuals who do not let gender, race or weight stop them from portraying their favorite characters.

Gender Swap Walking Dead Group at
Dragoncon 2014. Photo by
Project Radio. 

Recently a group of friends visited me from out of town. We had a blast hanging out and doing impromptu photo shoots with many different costumes. One of my favorite shots from the day is of me and Shemika Berry as Harley and Ivy. When I saw the photo, I thought it was a powerful statement on cosplay freedom and how it sends the message on not being afraid of costuming whoever you want. The photo features a Latina as Harley Quinn and an African-American woman as Ivy. And we look fabulous. Cosplay is about creative freedom. If you want to be a gender bender Steampunk Maleficent, go for it! Ethnic Zombie Disney Princess? Yes, please. Dont match the skin tone of the character you want to portray? So what! Plus size superhero? Done! Dont let anything stop you. At the 2014 Dragoncon convention I participated in my first gender swap group. The theme was The Walking Dead and I was Carl Grimes. I cant tell you how much fun and exciting it was to do something different and express our fandom at the same time. If I had listened to the haters, I would not have wonderful experiences such as that.


Let me tell you what this Latina did in the midst of the masses who said I couldnt do anything in life. I graduated High School. I took some collage courses. I have been paid to model. I have been published nationwide for modeling in publications such as Latina Magazine. I wrote an article for a national magazine on Bratz doll collecting. I have worked in Early Child Hood Education for many years. I have been a guest at shows. I write product reviews for my Blog. I started my own birthday entertainment business and I do princess parties. I started the Pennsylvania branch of the Heroes Alliance and manage a team of volunteers and together we do numerous charity events. I moved to the suburbs and am in a stable relationship and we have our own home (and two beautiful cats). I cosplay whoever I want.

Not bad for a Puerto Rican girl who was told she wouldnt amount to anything. My point, friends? Dont listen to the haters and have the courage to cosplay whoever you want and also, have the courage to do whatever you want in your life. It is yours after all :)  #cosplayequality

Visit me on my Official Facebook Page

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Kids Love Comics at the 2014 Baltimore Comic Con!

Baltimore Comic-Con Offers Interactive Kids Comics Area with cartoonists, comic creation, capes, and light saber training!

 BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - August 6, 2014 - Kids 10 and under get in free at the Baltimore Comic-Con September 5-7, 2014 at the Baltimore Convention Center -- and show organizers are once again presenting a kid-friendly comics area, full of all-ages comics, as well as the artists and writers who make them. Creators from such companies as Archie, Scholastic, Disney, Simon & Schuster, First Second, Marvel, and DC will be on hand to sketch, say hi, and help to teach young ones about the magic of comics through mini-How-Tos through the weekend, right at the Kids Comics Pavilion! Plus, kids can take part in comic crafts, game shows, and more!



 Activities in this super cool section of the show include:
 * Interactive Comics Talks from some of Kids Comics top creators, such as Ben Hatke (Zita the Spacegirl), Andy Runton (Owly), Mike Maihack (Cleopatra in Space), and more!
* Design your own super hero cape and mask
* Doodle Scribble Draw! Kids Drawing Gameshow!
* Creator sketches and autographs
* Kid-Safe Star Wars Light Saber Training
* Puppet making with Chris O>Matic! 

"The Baltimore Comic-Con has always been a welcoming, family-friendly show, and every year, we aim to make the Kids Love Comics Pavilion inspiring to young comic fans. Not only do we want kids to read comics, we show them how they can create their own! I wish there was an event like this when I was a kid," said Mark Mariano, creator of the Happyloo graphic novel series, and co-organizer (with John Gallagher) of the kids section. "Its so cool that I bring my own family here every year," added Gallagher.

 Heres a rundown of the Kids Love Comics Pavilion Creators:

 Harold Buchholz - Archie Comics archiecomics.com

 Frank Cammuso - Salem Hyde, Ottos Backwards Day, Knights of the Lunch Table cammuso.com

 Jamie Cosley (Saturday only) - Cody the Cavalier, Zucchini
Tyler Cosley (Saturday only) - AlakaZach, Ninja Squirrel jamiecosley.com

 Franco (Appearing Saturday and Sunday) - Aw Yeah Comics!, Tiny Titans, Itty Bitty Hellboy awyeahcomics.com

 Jay Fosgitt - Bodie Troll jayfosgitt.com

 John Gallagher - Zoey and Ketchup, Buzzboy, Roboy Red
Katie Gallagher -Zoey and Ketchup skydogcomics.com

 SL Gallant - GI JOE slgallant.com

 Chris Giarrusso - G-Man, Mini-Marvels chrisgcomics.com

 Jimmy Gownley - The Dumbest Idea Ever!, Amelia Rules! jimmygownley.com

 Ben Hatke - Zita the Spacegirl, Julias House for Lost Creatures benhatke.com

 Jason Horn - Ninjasaur ninjasaur.com

 Jamal Igle - Molly Danger, Supergirl, Firestorm jamaligle.com 

 Lora Innes - The Dreamer thedreamercomic.com

 Mike Maihack - Cleopatra in Space cowshell.com 

 Mark Mariano - The Other Side of Hugless Hill, Happyloo, Flabbergast mypalmark.com

 Mark McKenna - Banana Tail, Star Wars, Marvel, DC markmckennaart.com Jamar Nicholas - Leon: Protector of the Playground jamarnicholas.com

 Chris O>Matic - The Chris O>Matic Show! omatics.net 

 Chris Otto and Ben Taylor - A Dogs Life adogslifecomic.com 

 Dan Parent - Archie, Kevin Keller danparent.com 

 Andy Runton - Owly owly.com

 Gregg Schigiel - Spongebob Squarepants Comics, Pix hatterentertainment.com 

 Jeff Schultz - Archie Comics archiecomics.com 


 Kids Love Comics joins our previously announced guests, including: Eddy Barrows (Earth 2); Marty Baumann (Pixar artist); Jeremy Bastian (Cursed Pirate Girl); Marguerite Bennett (Batgirl); Christina Blanch (The Damnation of Charlie Wormwood); Mark Buckingham (Fables); Dave Bullock (Batman Black and White); Jim Calafiore (Leaving Megalapolis); Darrenn Canton (Tunnels & Trolls); Greg Capullo (Batman); Richard Case (Sandman); John Cassaday (Doc Savage); Bernard Chang (Green Lantern Corps); Jo Chen (Buffy the Vampire Slayer); Sean Chen (Amazing Spider-Man); Jimmy Cheung (Infinity); Cliff Chiang (Wonder Woman); Frank Cho (X-Men: Battle of the Atom); Amy Chu (Girls Night Out); Richard Clark (House of Gold & Bones); Steve Conley (Bloop); Mike Curtis (Dick Tracy); Jeremy Dale (Skyward); Alan Davis (Wolverine); Rachel Deering (In the Dark); Todd Dezago (Tellos); Tommy Lee Edwards (Star Wars); Garth Ennis (Preacher, The Boys); Ray Fawkes (Constantine); Tom Feister (G.I. Joe); David Finch (Forever Evil); Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez (All-Star Western); Gerhard (Cerebus the Aardvark); Dave Gibbons (Watchmen); Keith Giffen (The New 52: Futures End); Bryan JL Glass (Mice Templar); Michael Golden (The Ravagers); Allan Gross (Road Song); Cully Hamner (Animal Man); Dean Haspiel (The Fox); Fred Hembeck (Garfield); Marc Hempel (Sandman: The Kindly Ones); Adam Hughes (Before Watchmen: Dr. Manhattan); Justin Jordan (Luther Strode, Green Lantern: New Guardians); Dan Jurgens (The New 52: Futures End); Chris Kemple (Red Vengeance); Denis Kitchen (Al Capp: A Life to the Contrary); Barry Kitson (Empire); Aaron Kuder (Action Comics); Norman Lee (Iron Man Special); David Mack (Shadowman); Kevin Maguire (Guardians of the Galaxy); Pop Mhan (All New X-Factor); Alex Maleev (Moon Knight); Billy Martin (Vitriol, The Hunter); Ron Marz (Witchblade); Mike McKone (Ultimate FF); Bob McLeod (X-Men: Gold); Tradd Moore (Deadpool Annual); Mark Morales (New Avengers); Dan Parent (Archie, Veronica, Kevin Keller); David Peterson (Mouse Guard); Joe Prado (Justice League); Brian Pulido (Lady Death); Ron Randall (Trekker in Dark Horse Presents); Tom Raney (Incredible Hulk); Ivan Reis (Aquaman and The Others); Budd Root (Cavewoman); Don Rosa (Donald Duck); Craig Rousseau (Perhapanauts); Joe Rubinstein (The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe); Andy Runton (Owly); Alex Saviuk (Web of Spider-Man); Louise Simonson (Power Pack); Walter Simonson (Thor); Andy Smith (Superman #23.1: Bizarro); Allison Sohn (sketch card artist); Charles Soule (Thunderbolts); Jim Starlin (Thanos: The Infinity Revelation); Joe Staton (Dick Tracy); Paul D. Storrie (Sheena, Queen of the Jungle); Ben Templesmith (The Memory Collectors); Robert Tinnell (The Wicked West); Peter Tomasi (Batman and Two-Face); John Totleben (Swamp Thing); Herb Trimpe (GI Joe: A Real American Hero); Billy Tucci (Shi); Rick Veitch (Saga of the Swamp Thing); Mike Vosburg (Lori Lovecraft); Mark Waid (Daredevil); Lee Weeks (Daredevil); Mark Wheatley (Frankenstein Mobster); Bill Willingham (Fables); Renee Witterstaetter (Joe Jusko: Maelstrom); Rich Woodall (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles); Kelly Yates (Amber Atoms); Thom Zahler (My Little Pony); and Mike Zeck (Secret Wars).

 Tickets General Admission and VIP Package tickets for Weekend, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday are now on sale! Visit www.baltimorecomiccon.com/tickets/ for more information and to purchase your advanced tickets now! In the coming weeks, look for more announcements from the Baltimore Comic-Con. We are looking forward to highlighting our guests, the Harvey Awards, industry exclusives, and programming. The latest developments can always be found on our website, Twitter, and Facebook pages.

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Dr Chris Okafor warns that a former minister a governor may be next to die if

Dr. Chris Okafor warns that the remaining half of Prophecy number 8 on his 16-point 2016 prophecy will happen sooner than later, if prayers are not offered. He also warned that prophecy number 11 on his list was nearing fulfillment if the individual concerned does not seek the face of God immediately (reference to the current Kogi State Governor)

 

PROPHESIES FOR 2016 by Dr. Chris Okafor (Dec. 31, 2015)

See some of the prophecies that already came to pass (in brackets)

1. A more deadly sexually transmitted disease worse than HIV AIDS has been released from the kingdom of darkness. We need to be very prayerful and careful. (Zika Virus now a sexually transmitted disease and spreading fast)

2. I see more Disasters taking place this year. But God will preserve His children.

3. America and Europe must pray fervently in this year.

I see the rise of religious fundamentalism in Europe, and serious crisis with the US elections. If care is not taken, there may not be an election in America. I see Obama suddenly changing his mind to run for 3rd term, sparking off serious crisis. They must pray to avert all these.

4. Nigeria must pray for a former military head of state. Seems like the end of the road.

5. I see a calendar representing the entertainment industry- some prominent people have been marked with the circles on the calendar for death. We seriously need to pray for the entertainment industry.

6. I see Nigerian Football returning to Glory days.

7. I see Explosions in places that no one is expecting to see them, in Nigeria. We need to pray for the Southern part of Nigeria.

8. I see a former minister passing on this year and also a present minister going home. (March 6, 2016- Nigeria’s Minister of State for Labour, James Ocholi, wife, son, die in road crash)

9. We need to pray for Rivers and Akwa-Ibom States- that God should avert any crisis arising from election Re-runs that may eventually happen in those states. I see terrible bloodshed. But if we pray, the opposite will be the case.

10. Anyone who wants to retain political power this year must seek the face of God.

11. We need to pray for Kogi State. I see someone sworn in and later eliminated prematurely. Serious intervention needed.

12. Lots of families will experience generational blessings for the first time this year.

13. I see a country in Europe having to deal with a major crisis resulting from a fatal train crash with heavy casualties. (Feb. 9, 2016- At least 10 people were killed and scores more injured, police say, after two passenger trains collided in the German state of Bavaria.)

14. Lots and lots of barren women will rejoice this year; because God has released unto them fruitfulness beyond measure.

15. Our men in uniform, especially the Police Force and the Nigerian Military must embark on serious prayers… there will be some serious shaking this year, in those two divisions.

16. Terror attack will increase in Nigeria but solution will arise between the 7th and 8th month of this year- 2016.

“For the Lord God does nothing without revealing the secrets to His servants, the prophets" - Amos 3 vs 7

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My top seven posts of 2014

Im now in my fifth year of blogging. Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read what I have written—especially those who have commented. Ive learned a lot from you.

My seven most read posts of 2014 are listed below. Click on the title to read the post.

"That electric hand dryer study was bogus" was an analysis of a study that made outrageous claims about electric hand dryers and dispersal of bacteria.

"What are the residency prospects for graduates of offshore medical schools?" took a look at the realities associated with graduating from medical schools outside the 50 states and Puerto Rico.

"Preventing infection: The "bare below the elbows" rule for doctors doesnt go far enough" discussed the role of clothing in the transmission of disease and the ultimate solution to the problem.

"A medical student says to abandon the match" was my take on a proposal to do away with the residency matching program in the US. Spoiler alert: I didnt think it was a good idea.

"How to select surgical residents: The evidence" was a review of the limited evidence concerning how surgical program directors select candidates to interview and rank.

"A paper of mine was published. Did anyone read it?" spoke to the proliferation of medical journals, the likelihood that a single paper will be read, and what the future may hold.

"Health Care and the $20,000 Bruise: A different take" raised a lot of questions about a Wall Street Journal article written by a doctor who took his son to an emergency room for an 11-day-old bruise on his head.

And the all-time winner so far is this post, "Appendicitis: Diagnosis, CT Scans and Reality," which was the tenth post I ever wrote and is approaching 22,000 page views.







Best wishes to all.

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Man dresses up as a bear to chase his colleagues in hilarious prank

A construction worker pranked his colleagues after he dressed up as a bear and chased his colleagues round the construction site. The video which has been watched almost 500,000 times since it was released earlier this month on You tube by Tommy Czubson has gotten a lot of controversial comments with some refusing to see the funny side. With one comment saying what if he was shot at? See the video after the cut....

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Misconceptions about oxygen by alternative medicine practitioners

An article called “Simple ‘4-7-8? breathing trick can induce sleep in 60 seconds” claims that this trick can get you to go to sleep within 60 seconds. All you have to do is the following:

? Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound.
? Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose to a mental count of four.
? Hold your breath for a count of seven.
? Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound to a count of eight.
? This is one breath. Now inhale again and repeat the cycle three more times for a total of four breaths

An integrative medicine expert, Dr. Andrew Weil, said it works because it allows the lungs to become fully charged with air, allowing more oxygen into the body, which promotes a state of calm.

“Promotes a state of calm” is nonsense. Let’s concentrate on the science. Does it allow more oxygen into the body? Ich dont think so.

The air we breathe contains about 21% oxygen. Nearly all oxygen in the blood is carried by hemoglobin. No matter how many deep breaths you take, you cannot get the oxygen saturation of hemoglobin (normally > 92%, closer to 98% in healthy people) above 100%. This is explained in more detail in a previous post of mine about why athletes don’t benefit from breathing pure oxygen after exertion.

This simple trick would be hard to remember but might work through the power of suggestion. It doesn’t cost anything, and unless you hyperventilate and pass out (but youll be in bed anyway), it is harmless.

The next misconception about oxygen is neither inexpensive nor harmless.

Two naturopathic “doctors” have been accused of injecting a woman with oxygen or perhaps purified water that had been taken from an Octozone machine. The oxygen was supposed to destroy any pathogens in the woman’s blood. In the process of trying to kill the pathogens, the injection killed the patient who paid $500 for the treatment.

The naturopathic duo left town and were at large for several months before eventually being caught and charged with homicide.

An autopsy found her death was due to an air embolism.

According to a recent review of the subject, “Traditionally, it has been estimated that more than 5 mL/kg of air displaced into the intravenous space is required for significant injury (shock or cardiac arrest) to occur. However, complications have been reported with as little as 20 mL of air (the length of an unprimed IV infusion tubing) that was injected intravenously.”

Pure water should never be injected IV either because it causes blood cells to die from hemolysis.

How about we just take our oxygen the old-fashioned way—normal breaths and never intravenously?

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Why Wonder Woman Matters

Since her debut in All Star Comics #8 released in 1941, Wonder Woman has become the most famous and recognizable female superhero in the world. This feminist icon is a warrior princess and a United Nations Ambassador. She displays extreme intellect and compassion. Princess Diana of Themyscira has also become a part of pop culture. She has been featured on countless merchandise, toys, comics, animated movies and television shows. For some reason (and Im still scratching my head on this one), it took DC Comics 75 years to bring her to the big screen. Wonder Woman starring Gal Gadot is currently filming and slated for a 2017 release. We will get our first look at Gal as Diana in Batman VS Superman: Dawn of Justice, March 25, 2016.







Wonder Woman has had a huge impact on men, women and children for 75 years. But why? What is it about her that we connect to? Why do we love her so much? This article of the Confessions of a Cosplay Girl Blog explores those questions and answers. Before I get to my thoughts and personal experiences, I want to share the thoughts of a fellow Wonder Woman fan. Cosplayer Candy Keane is also the owner of the Three Muses Clothing Boutique in Jacksonville, FL.


"I want to share My first memory of dressing up like Wonder Woman was around 4 years old, in my Underoos. Even then I dressed up my outfit with a lasso and paper tiara and cuffs. That could possibly count as my first “homemade” cosplay. The Wonder Woman TV show was my introduction to strong super hero women and I’m thankful for that role model. My love of Wonder Woman has stayed with me through the years and grown to include all of WW’s various incarnations, but my true love of all things wonder will always start and end with Lynda Carter."   ~Candy Keane (Visit her Official Facebook Page)

I want to say my first exposure to Wonder Woman was the Lynda Carter series but as of late, I find my memory to be a bit jumbled. Im not quite sure if it was the Wonder Woman live action series or the cartoon show Superfriends. In any case, I always found the character to be fascinating. She was beautiful, independent and strong. She was graceful  yet a fierce warrior. She was the most brave and powerful woman I had ever seen. She could hold her own, defend herself and fight along the side of heroes such as Superman. And she had black hair like me! LOL When I was a child I had a collection of Wonder Woman items such as action figures and pajamas. She was important to me because she was teaching me that a girl could be strong and change the world. Women were just as capable as men  and can make a difference.  Wonder Woman didnt just do good in costume. Diana Prince had a job, supported herself and took time out to help others.

Ive been a Wonder Woman fan literally my whole life. Whats great is that both of my parents and my youngest niece are fans too. Its awesome that we can share our love for the Amazon Princess. Witnessing Wonder Woman evolve over the years in media and pop culture has been amazing. I look forward to what the future brings.

Visit me on my Official Facebook Page

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Cosplay Spotlight Jet Cosplay

Photos by Hero Hotties

Hes the Man of Steel everyone is talking about! Jason aka Jet Cosplay has the world of costuming buzzing about his screen accurate Man of Steel Superman, which he debuted this year. I briefly met Jason at the Baltimore Comic-Con and was immediately impressed. Since the initial meeting, we have done a photo shoot and charity event (for St. Judes Children Hospital on behalf of the Heroes Alliance) and I have seen first hand the excitement and joy he brings to the crowds (along with an excessive amount of swooning). So lets get to know the "it" boy in cosplay. Jason talks to the Confessions of a Cosplay Girl Blog about constructing his costume, attending his first convention as Superman, his thoughts on the Man of Steel film and how hes handling all of the attention.

Victoria: You are fairly new to the hobby of costuming. When exactly did you start?

Jason:  For the past few years, I’ve gone out with the same group of friends for Halloween. Every year, we pick a theme, and everyone would either buy their costume or make one, but it’s a friendly competition to “fit in” with the group. During Halloween 2013, one of our friends brought up the idea of going to a convention all dressed up to see what it was about. It sounded like a fun time, so we started planning out our costumes and set our sights on the Wizard World Philadelphia comic convention this past June. Everything else just fell into place after that.

Victoria:  Your Man of Steel suit is very impressive. How long did it take you to construct?

Jason: It took me 4.5 months, and it cost about $1700. The reason it took so long was because I was very new to building a costume like this, and I only worked on it in the evenings in my spare time. And the reason it cost so much was because of the mistakes I made along the way. If I had to build a new one from scratch, I’d say it would take at least three weeks, and would cost about $1200.

Victoria: Can you tell me what your first convention experience as Superman was like?

Photo by Green House Photography

Jason: My first convention experience was interesting. Most of the costumes I made in the past involved armor or regular clothes in some form. The Man of Steel suit is a 100% full body spandex suit. I’m in fairly good shape, but it’s a daunting thing to be out in public wearing nothing but spandex. It took a little while to work up the nerve to leave the hotel room, but after that - things got very interesting. We were walking around the outside of the convention center, trying to figure out where the entrance was. We accidentally walked in one of the exits, and that’s when people spotted me for the first time. It was pure chaos. Kids and adults alike surrounded me, and formed a wall that other people couldn’t get through. I can’t say for sure how many people were waiting for pictures, but it was somewhere in the 100 to 200 range. After an hour or so of pictures, the event organizers pointed us in the direction of the entrance. From there, things got even more intense. After we registered, we made our way up the escalator, and entered the double doors to the main convention. I wasn’t able to leave that spot for a few hours due to all of the pictures. It was flattering, but overwhelming at the same time. My friends got tired of waiting for me with all of the pictures, so they took off and checked out the rest of the convention. I wasn’t so lucky. I’ve never had my picture taken so many times, and the whole idea of posing like a superhero was a foreign concept to me. All in all though, I met a lot of people at my first con, and participated in the costume contest with my friend dressed as Wonder Woman. We ended up getting second place (honorable mention) in the superhero category, but overall it was an awesome experience.

Victoria: You are a hot topic right now in the world of costuming. Costumers and fans of cosplay are buzzing about you. Ive seen for myself the amazing reaction from people when they see you. How are you handling all of the attention and praise?

Jason:  It’s a bit of a change for me, but I don’t mind it at all. I enjoy interacting with everyone, and I try my best to answer any questions people have about the suit or how they can make one of their own. I put a lot of time, energy, and money into my suit, so it definitely feels good when I get to see people’s reactions and know that my efforts are appreciated. I don’t know if it’s my demeanor, or the way I look, but people typically don’t approach me when I’m not in the suit. The Superman character sort of breaks down that barrier, so it’s a win-win for everyone involved.

Victoria: Id like to get your opinion on the Man of Steel film. People are very split on their feelings towards the movie. What were your thoughts?

Jason: I have mixed feelings about it. I think Henry Cavill was the perfect choice for Superman, and I definitely like the concept of modernizing the character and making it as realistic as possible. With that said, I think they overdid it with the action/destruction that was prevalent throughout the second half of the movie. You can only see so many explosions before you become numb to it, and I definitely felt numb by the end of the movie. There was very little emotion in the movie, and the connection between Lois and Clark felt forced. I didn’t get the impression that Superman cares at all about the Earth or its inhabitants, but instead he just tolerates us. I also think they rushed the film, and tried to put too much into one movie. They could have spent the entire first movie doing a more realistic version of the backstory and explaining why he’s the man of steel… Similar to what Christopher Nolan did with Batman Begins. Instead, there was a lot of jumping around, then suddenly he’s Superman, and now he has to fight Zod. It was difficult to process. Regarding the major controversy in the film, I think Superman HAD to kill Zod. There was no other way for it to end. I just hope they use that scene in some way to help shape Superman into the character that everyone knows. All in all, I’d give it a 6 out of 10.

Victoria:  What would you say is your favorite thing about your new found attention thus far? What are you enjoying most? Exposing your work to a new audience? Photo shoots? Friendships? Charity events? Conventions? etc.

Jason: I like it all. I enjoy meeting new people that share similar interests, doing photo shoots with friends, going to charity events, attending conventions, and getting feedback from the audience. My favorite part of it is definitely the kids. It makes me feel good when they feel good. I enjoy seeing their expressions, when they give me high fives, and when they stare at me as I walk by. I was a huge Superman fan when I was growing up, so I’m honored to be able to bring that character to life for them. They’re the most innocent and honest people on Earth, and I think kids are the only people that experience pure emotions. If you can make a kid smile… it’s because they’re genuinely happy. They don’t have ulterior motives, and they don’t want anything from you. They live in the moment, and I’m happy just to be a part of that moment. I’ve given up entire days at conventions so that I’m able to meet and greet every little kid that comes my way. I’ll never pass up an opportunity to create some smiles.

Victoria: What is next on the horizon for you in regards to costuming? Any characters in the works?

Jason:  I really don’t see myself as one of those cosplayers that create a bunch of different costumes. I have nothing against them, but it’s just not for me. I’d rather pick two or three costumes and really nail the character. I’ve gotten quite a few suggestions from friends on Facebook that range from Commander Shepard to The Punisher, but I don’t have any immediate plans to make a new costume yet. Superman was such a central part of my childhood that it became my passion to create the suit. I’m going to wait until I identify with another character like that before I make a new one. In the meantime, my son Gabe wants me to make him a Master Chief costume, and my son Alex has requested Ironman, so I’ll be putting my attention in that direction. People seem to enjoy my Superman costume, and I’m happy to keep portraying it for now. I’ll also be portraying the Man of Steel in the upcoming fan film Justice League: Mortal that’s going to be filming next summer. I don’t have any acting experience, but the role seems pretty easy, and I’m going to put forth my best effort.

Victoria: Any plans to attend any major cons in 2015?

Jason: I’d really like to attend DragonCon and the New York Comic Con. I’ve heard that DragonCon is an awesome time, and I’m looking forward to meeting all of the cosplayers in person that I’m friends with on Facebook. And NYCC was such a blast this year that I have to go back and do it again.


Victoria: Where can people contact you and view a portfolio of your work?

Jason: The best place to contact me is on my JET Cosplay Facebook page. I update it pretty regularly, and I respond to all of the messages and comments I receive.

CLICK HERE for the Hero Hotties Man of Steel Album

and HERE for the Hero Hotties Trinity Album 

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