Ever wish to ride on a train like this? With IKEA’s sofa everywhere? With the colours that makes you attracted to it? Well, I can’t deny that I just love IKEA furniture. Especially the one that specialised for kids corner. Oh dear… it is so awesome! Cute! The combination of the colours are so much vibrant and attractive too. Some are just dead gorgeous even IKEA’s chose to set it dull. Simple @ its own professional way. Cool uuhh?

Actually this image above was taken from Team Junk wordpress blog.

Read to what the Team Junk says:
This is out of this world! Swedish furniture giant IKEA pimped up the Kobe Portliner Monorail into a moving showroom in honour of a new store opening at Port Island.

Until May 6, passengers in Kobe can enjoy an eclectic mix of colourful upholstery and blinds whilst riding the train. The outside of the trains have received the same psychedelic colour treatment.

Although perhaps not to everyone’s taste, I’m loving the idea of pimping trains! I think this would sure make the morning commute here in London just that little bit more bearable.

Poisoneyes says: Urm, that’s true to what she had says all above. IKEA is just too cute and too unique. I love the design! Used to remember when I join Design and Technology during my secondary life. Was very excited to check out the latest design from IKEA. Well, it help me in gaining knowledge for some of my artefacts. I do really fall in love with the colours combination to all its design. Attract the people’s eyes and yes it does really caught my attention. So, let me cut it short. Not wanting to miss out using all its different design. Guess what did I do exactly?

Call up my friend and ask her about The Sims 2. To my astonishment, she told me that The Sims 2 is having an IKEA home stuff now!! My eyes like popping out when she was telling me that. Am gonna buy it soon. Hehe. Is not because I like to waste my time playing The Sims 2. But I like the concept of the house. The Sims taught me how to arrange my own house and room into a perfect cozy place. Perhaps to people who has their own land, they could use this game as a basic knowledge for them to build their houses. Just make yourself comfortable with this game here. Act like an architecture and you will get the real concept of the house you’ve been dreaming all this while. All are @ your fingertips. Yes, The Sims 2 is all yours!! Come, let’s play together…

Psst (“,)… I heard that with the camera in The Sims 2, you could make your own most interesting stories. Hey, share it with us! We’ll like to know about your world of Sims too!! ;) This is really fun!! :D

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The company hopes to change home theater setups with its new product, the HT-IS100 Bravia Theater Micro System. Despite having five golf ball-sized speakers, the setup is offers an excellent surround sound experience.

With three 1080p HDMI inputs and eight uncompressed audio channels, the micro system is bound to revamp your home theater setup. It also has an option that enables you to add wireless rear surround speakers that don’t take any effort to configure. Such compatibility can create endless choices for when it comes to organizing your system around a room. Since they’re small, the golf ball speakers can be hidden pretty much anywhere which can make action and horror movies that much more intense.

Source: Ecoustics

Other neat features include:

- A 5.1 channel system with 450 watts of power.

- Sony’s S-AIR technology.

- Sony’s Digital Media Port that offers control, networking and connectivity for music playback.

- Sony’s Digital Cinema Auto Calibration.

Even though the idea for the speakers design is fairly simple, it’s a nice touch to home theater setups. It adds more style and simplicity which is perfect for people who are new to configuring a dynamic home entertainment system. No fuss, no worries, just tiny speakers that can make movies more enjoyable.

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We’ve all seen those flimsy bike trailers, with toddlers swaying precariously back and forth on open trails or busy street sidewalks. While some parents hold their breath and hope the safety ratings are accurate, others are investing in a Zigo with its four different traveling modes.

Active Exercise With Your Favorite Riding CompanionActive Exercise With Your Favorite Riding Companion

Taking its cue from the traditional bike trailer, Zigo allows you to attach your child’s riding compartment onto the front of your bike, allowing you the chance to see how safe your child is riding. You can also use the compartment (known as a “child pod) on its own as either a standard or jogging stroller. Lastly, a 4th mode allows you to use the bike independently, for when you just need a little time for yourself away from the kids.

Modern Travel With Little OnesModern Travel With Little Ones

Available on both their official website and through various cycling shops through the U.S., Zigo continues to impress parents all over the nation.

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We’ve all done it. We walk around looking down at our phones while texting someone from our cell phone. Always in a hurry, many of us don’t stop to text and instead end up multi-tasking, which can be a big mistake. Many people that are out walking and texting often don’t look up in time to see danger approaching. Some people end up bumping into bicyclists, skaters and even moving vehicles.

Dr. Linda Lawrence, president of the American College of Emergency Physicians, says, “It just breaks your heart. These are innocent lives lost for a totally unnecessary reason. The reason why you can walk and chew gum at the same time is that you can still see where you’re going. But when you’re texting, you’re looking down at your phone. It’s like walking blind.”

ER doctors are eager to get the word out now before school starts and many children are on their phones texting. These doctors see many face and eye injuries and want these cases to be known.

Dr. Matthew Levin, an ER doctor at the University of California San Francisco Hospital witnessed an accident while driving home one night. A young woman was crossing the street while texting on her cell phone. As soon as she stepped off the median, she was struck by a pickup truck. She stayed alive in the ambulance, but ended up dying at the hospital. “It makes me sad to think that was the last moment of her life,” Levin said. “Whatever she was text messaged could not have been as important as looking over her shoulder to see what the oncoming traffic was.”

The American College of Emergency Physicians has issued texting safety guidelines:

- Don’t text or use a cell phone while you’re doing something that requires sustained attention: bicycling, boating, in-line skating and walking.

- Never text or use a handheld cell phone while driving. Even with a headset, you need to be extra careful.

- Keep your cell phone or Blackberry in an easy-to-reach place so you don’t have to rummage through your purse, backpack or pockets to find it.

- If a call or text message will interfere with your concentration, ignore it. Better yet, turn your phone off before you start an activity that demands your attention.

- Remember that your reflexes are delayed when you’re texting. Don’t do it while you’re waiting for a bus, sitting alone at night, walking through a crowd or anywhere else you could easily become the victim of a crime.

I have to say, I’m definitely guilty of this. However, this information reminds me that it’s better to reply to a text message or phone call later instead of losing my life. It’s just not worth it.
Source: ACEP

Steps

Define love The sincerity of the phrase is
strengthened by knowing what love is, and what loving someone means to you. Determine the difference between love, infatuation and lust, and make sure it’s genuine love that you feel for this person. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

Make it special. For many people, dropping the “I” allows the sentiment to be expressed casually, such as before separating (e.g. “Time to go. Bye! Love you!”). Using the full phrase, however, can be reserved for more intimate moments, especially during a special event, such as when a child is just born, or even to reassure someone when bad news has been received or during moments of cherished silence, like after a kiss.

Make eye contact. If you love this person, hopefully you feel comfortable enough to gaze into their eyes when you express your feelings. Making eye contact shows sincerity and communicates trust.

Say it at an appropriate tone. If you’re at home and there’s not much background noise, keep your volume low; don’t whisper unless you bring your lips to their ear, which can also be a very intimate way to express your love. If you want to tell them how you feel in public, it’s up to you whether you want to pull the person aside, or say it in front of friends or even strangers. It depends on your loved one’s personality, and your own personality. Some will find it terribly romantic to be told they’re loved across a room full of people; others may find it mortifying.

Smile. It can be nerve-wracking to tell someone that you love him or her, only to wait anxiously for their response–especially if it’s the first time either of you have verbally expressed love. The best way to overcome this fear is to not expect the phrase in return. Your intention can be to tell the person how you feel, with the hope of making them happy and showing them that they are valued. Remember that unconditional love means not demanding anything in return. So smile, and perhaps give your loved one a hug. If they love you, too, they’ll say it in their own way and in their own time.

Be creative. Say it in different languages. Write it into a poem or even a haiku. If you want to be romantic, spell it out with rose petals on his or her bedroom floor. Write it in code, like 1337 or using a Vigènere cipher. Say it in little ways, like post-it notes in unexpected places, and express it in every way you can.

Love. Don’t just say it, do it. Love is not just a feeling; it’s an action. Saying it without showing it is, in a way, a lie. Express your love in action as well as in words. Children can show love for their parents by cleaning up their room without being asked. A person can send flowers to their partner in the middle of the week for no particular reason other than to show love. Acts of kindness for the one you love, without being asked, speak louder than words. Do things for your loved ones that they are not willing, likely or able to do for themselves.

Tips

Holding someone’s hand as you tell them you love them can also communicate sincerity and trust, but it can also convey a sense of subterfuge, which at a glance may suffice but will quickly be sniffed out by someone with a careful eye for lies; ergo, do not hold hands if you don’t mean it.

Love does not keep score. When you love someone, do not expect anything in return. There’s a difference between love and bartering… “I will do this for you if you will do that for me.” But always remember if you are asking something of your partner be willing to do it yourself. Don’t always expect that he/she understands what you need, be open and willing to express yourself.

Love is expressed differently by everyone. Be understanding and look for your partner’s ways of expressing it to you; they may not be the same as you do or what you want them to do, but in turn you may not be doing the things they want and they should look for your way.

The way men express their love for their girlfriends/wives is often overlooked. But this can include: opening jars, helping their wife remodel a room, making them furniture, doing outside chores (men generally hate inside chores if it doesn’t include power tools), lifting heavy things, going to a sappy movie with them, going to the woman’s favorite restaurant, showing affection in public, installing picture frames, killing spiders/mice/snakes, etc. Men love to kill.

Warnings

If love is unrequited, you need to be understanding and be caring towards the feelings of the object of your desire. At least they now know how you feel. It is not good to bottle up your feelings.
Saying “I love you” in the heat of passion for the first time might not be a good idea, as the person may question the sincerity of your pledge. Follow them up with actions of kindness.

The words “I love you” can lose their meaning in a relationship if used excessively and loosely, and if not paired with action.
If you truly love that person then don’t hurt her or him in any way whatsoever as it gives a negative impression that you are forcing them to love you.

It is important to pay attention to the things on this list that enhance the phrase. Our language today is peppered with “love,” “hate,” etc, when describing things that aren’t really deserving. This leads to the word “love” itself meaning less than it should. Remember, you are using simple, over-used words to communicate a very powerful emotion. It is important that other techniques are used to enhance this phrase, or else it merely comes across as trite.

More info @ wikiHow

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For historians the fact that it was common practice in past times to write love letters to objects of affection is well appreciated today. Much of what we have learned about day to day life of times gone by has come from this, especially as love notes are often cherished possessions that are kept for years, and perhaps even after the love has died the letters can remain.

Keep this in mind when you begin to write love letters. Use good quality paper and envelopes, and a pen that will not fade or smudge, and your letters should stand up to being folded and unfolded and reread throughout the years.

Unlike those love notes that are written on high quality paper, those that are scribbled on a napkin or written in lipstick on a mirror will not last forever. However, these spontaneous expressions of love will show your loved one that you are still thinking of them. They are spur of the moment decisions, and you may not always have the most ideal material on hand to convey your emotions.

When you write love letters, take your time and don’t rush. The time you spend means as much as the letter itself or the sentiments inside. Be specific. Mention things your partner may not know you care about, such as the way he holds his cup, or the way she touches her hair. Think each sentence over carefully before you write it down.

It is always good idea to keep the love letters safely if you are one of those lucky ones to receive them. Even if the love doesn’t last, it is wise to keep them somewhere until your heart is healed. Twenty years from now, they will help you to remember those old sweet days.

A well written love letter will be kept for years, decades or more, passed on as family heirlooms. More importantly, they will bring joy to your love right now, and in todays ever faster moving world, a love letter is an unexpected gift.

Writing love letters is almost a lost art due to technology. Throughout history people have written letters and others have treasured those letters. To write love letters you should take the time to think about what you want to say and use quality materials that will last. That’s not to say that spontaneity doesn’t have its place. To write romantic love letters all you may need is lipstick on a mirror or the back of a napkin. And it is possible to write romantic emails if one chooses to do so. Despite how you may choose to write them, love letters are always to be cherished.

Ron Thomson

Dr. Harold Katz, a dentist, is the founder of California Breath Clinics, and the international guru of good breath. He came to The Early Show to tell people how they can keep their mouths smelling good.

Katz said that bad breath isn’t really caused by what people eat, but by sulfur compounds.

“Chronic bad breath has to due with bacteria that live in the back of your throat with sulfur, different chemicals. Can you imagine what they smell like? And they’re produced by bacteria,” Katz told The Early Show co-anchor Julie Chen. “The problem is people used to think if I use a strong-tasting mouthwash I can cover it up.”

Katz used a hali-meter to test the compounds in the mouth. Anything above 120 means the person has bad breath. He blew into it and had had a 73, which means he has fresh breath. The hali-meter goes all the way up to 2,000.

The problem is that many people do not know they have a breath problem and few have hali-meters to show them. Katz said a good way to tell is to lick the back of you hand and let it dry for a couple seconds and smell it.

Katz said that alcohol, detergent and toothpaste dry out the mouth which adds to bad breath. Even sugar in breath mints feed bacteria to make bad breath worse. The best way to fight bad breath, Katz said, is to oxygenate the mouth.

“These are available in drugstores, discounted stores, supermarkets and online stores,” he said gesturing to some products he brought on to the show. “Oxygenating compounds. It’s the oxygen that stops the bad breath. Very important, you need to drink plenty of water to make sure you have plenty of saliva, nature’s way of keeping your breath fresh. You need to eat juicy fruits such as apples, celery. Dairy could lead to bad breath, sodas and sugar. And there’s probiotic treatments that help with bad breath.”

More info all @ CBS NEWS

Poisoneyes says: I remembered during my secondary memories with a friend of mine. This girl used to have a bad breath and a lot of my friends felt disgusting about it. Some of them even dare to approach me and said that her mouth smells very bad. Well, why don’t they just say it straight to her face rather than telling me. Actually I don’t even know about this until they told me. So, one particular day I tried sitting beside her and have a long conversation with her. We talk and talk… Not trying to insult or being naughty. But I want to make sure of what they’ve said is true. And yup! It is very true indeed. But I felt sympathy when I saw a guy saying bad things about her. Shouting @ her face not to talk with him because she had a very smelly breath. They will all laugh out loudly until this friend of mine was very hurt. Glad she didn’t cry. Hehe. I feel bad about people talking bad about her breath. I approach her and have a long slow talk. I did help her by sending her to one of the consultants nearby our house. The dentists give a very good impact on her by giving good advice. To drink a lot of water and avoid drinking coffee and junk foods. There’s a lot more that she needs to follow during the consultations. And after a few months, not only her breath was freshing. But she even own a very white teeth. She told me that she will make an appoinment once in each month with the dentists just to do a check up. Hey, I was very glad indeed!!

Well, not all tasty food are good for our body. AND all undelicious and unyummy looking foods may taste badly for our tongue… BUT… You should look @ the quality of the food. And does it gives you a good impact to your body? Or does it make your looks and your body turns out worst? You have the choices to make it right for your health! Look in the mirror and say you can! (:

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Do we even care about our own safety precautions at work? Especially for YOU who works in the office every 5 days during office hours. No matter what, your health come first! So, get the best tips @ Safe Office Practice website.

An acquaintance of mine, whose health isn’t very good, recently told me that she hasn’t spoken to her son in almost three years. “Why not?” I asked. She said that she and her son had had a disagreement about his wife and that she wouldn’t speak to him again unless he called first. When I suggested that she be the one to reach out, she resisted initially and said, “I can’t do that. He’s the one who should apologize.” She was literally willing to die before reaching out to her only son. After a little gentle encouragement , however, she did decide to be the first one to reach out. To her amazement, her son was grateful for her willingness to call and offered an apology of his own. As is usually the case when someone takes the chance and reaches out, everyone wins.

Whenever we hold on to our anger, we turn “small stuff” into really “big stuff” in our minds. We start to believe that our positions are more important than our happiness. They are not. If you want to be a more peaceful person you must understand that being right is almost never more important than allowing yourself to be happy. The way to be happy is to let go, and reach out. Let other people be right. This doesn’t mean that you’re wrong. Everything will be fine. You’ll experience the peace of letting go, as well as the joy of letting others be right. You’ll also notice that, as you reach out and let others be “right”, they will become less defensive and more loving toward you. They might even reach back. But, if for some reason they don’t, that’s okay too. You’ll have the inner satisfaction of knowing that you have done your part to create a more loving world, and certainly you’ll be more peaceful yourself.

Let Others Be “Right” Most of the Time

One of the most important questions you can ever ask yourself is, “Do I want to be ‘right’ – or do I want to be happy?” Many times, the two are murtually exclusive!

Being right, defending our positions, takes an enormous amount of mental energy and often alienates us from the people in our lives. Needing to be right – or needing someone else to be wrong – encourages others to become defensive, and puts pressure on us to keep defending. Yet, many of us (me too, at times) spend a great deal of time and energy attempting to prove (or point out) that we are right – and/or others are wrong. Many people consciously or unconsciously, believe that it’s somehow their job to show others how their positions, statements, and points of view are incorrect, and that in doing so, the person they are correcting is going to somehow appreciate it, or at least learn something. Wrong!

Think about it. Have you ever been corrected by someone and said to the person who was trying to be right, “Thank you so much for showing me that I’m wrong and you’re right. Now I see it. Boy, you’re great!” Or, has anyone you know ever thanked you (or even agreed with you) when you corrected them, or made yourself “right” at their expense? Of course noy. The truth is, all of us hate to be corrected. We all want our positions to be respected and understood by others. Being listened to and heard is one of the greatest desires of the  human heart. And those who learn to listen are the most loved and respected. Those who learn to listen are the most loved and respected. Those who are in the habit of correcting others are often resented and avoided.

It’s not that it’s never appropriate to be right – sometimes you genuinely need to be or want to be. Perhaps there are certain philosophical positions that you don’t want to budge on such as when you hear a racist comment. Here, it’s important to speak your mind. Usually, however, it’s just your ego creeping in and ruining an otherwise peaceful encounter – a habit of wanting or needing to be right.

A wonderful, heartful strategy for becoming more peaceful and loving is to practice allowing others the joy of being right – give them the glory. Stop correcting. As hard as it may be to change this habit, it’s worth any effort and practice it takes. When someone says, “I really feel it’s important to…” rather than jumping in and saying, “No, it’s more important to…” or any of the hundreds of other forms of conversational editing, simply let it go and allow their statement to stand. The people in your life will become less defensive and more loving. They will appreciate you more than you could ever have dreamed possible, even it they don’t exactly know why. You’ll discover the joy of participating in and witnessing other people’s happiness, which is far more rewarding than a battle of egos. You don’t have to sacrifice your deepest philosophical truths or most heartfelt opinions, but, starting today, let others be “right”, most of the time!

Richard Carlson PHD

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And you’d be wrong. While your odds of having a heart attack are much higher than finding yourself in most of these scenarios, strange things happen every day. For example, almost 2.5 million people called poison centers for help in 2006. In 2004, 112,000 people died of injuries from falls, drownings, and other accidents. In 2006, search-and-rescue rangers in our national parks responded to nearly 4,000 calls, more than a third of them for people who were also sick or injured. Every year, around 3,000 succumb to choking.

Another 400 are struck by lightning, and 67 of those die from it. How do you keep yourself out of the statistics?

Besides calling 911, here’s what to do in 12 life-threatening emergencies when no one’s around to help.

LOST IN THE WILDERNESS
To avoid becoming the lead story on the evening news, be prepared. Before you head out on a hike, check the weather (you can find forecasts for many wilderness areas at wunderground.com), take plenty of water, and make sure someone knows where you’ll be and when you’ll be back. Bring clothes to keep you warm when wet, like a water-repellent jacket, says Laurence Gonzales, author of Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why. Avoid cotton, which traps moisture. “The search-and-rescue people call it death cloth,” he says.

“Expect to get lost, and check often to make sure you’re still on the trail,” says John Dill, a search-and-rescue ranger at Yosemite National Park in California. “The minute you think you might not be on the trail, stop.” “First, you’ve got to acknowledge you’re in trouble,” adds Gonzales. If you’re not alone, focusing on the needs of others can help hold your own fears at bay. Other keys to survival: staying observant and remembering to rest. Keeping a sense of humor helps too—it reduces stress and promotes creative thinking.

The surest way to get out alive is to take basic precautions, such as stowing a survival kit in your car. Gonzales’s includes waterproof matches and chunks from fake fireplace logs for starting a fire, a folding saw for cutting branches, and a plastic tarp and cord for making shelter. Don’t forget an emergency blanket, a good knife, a first-aid kit, a flashlight, batteries, snacks, and water.

In general, people who try to find their own way out fare worse than those who stay put, says Richard N. Bradley, MD, of the American Red Cross. Find shelter before dark, and try to keep dry. Stay visible so anyone searching can see you. In a wide-open area, make a signal with colorful gear, make a big X out of rocks, or dig a shallow trench, says Dill. “The top layer of soil is a different color. Scrape it away and make straight lines, which are easy to spot from above.”

You can go several days without eating, so in most cases, you’re better off not foraging for food, since there are lots of poisonous plants in the wild, says Dr. Bradley. You need to stay hydrated, so if you run out of water, it’s usually better to drink from a stream with suspect water than to go without. If you’re stranded in your car, stay there: You’re more visible to rescuers, and the car provides shelter.

CHOKING
Richard Stennes, MD, was home alone in La Jolla Shores, California, eating a steak, when the phone rang. The 64-year-old gulped down the bite still in his mouth and answered the call. But the hunk of steak was stuck, and he couldn’t talk or breathe. He put his finger down his throat to grab the meat, but he couldn’t reach it. Gagging didn’t help either. So he walked over to the couch and forcefully thrust his abdomen on the hard arm of the couch, sending the meat flying and allowing him to breathe again.

An emergency physician, Dr. Stennes knew that if done right, this would have the same effect as the Heimlich maneuver. If you’re ever in the same situation, quickly find a chair or other piece of furniture or a kitchen counter, says Maurizio Miglietta, MD, chief of trauma at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center. Aim to hit the top of the chair or edge of the counter against your upper abdomen, in the soft part below the bony upside-down V of the ribs. Thrust up and inward. If you still can’t breathe after six tries, call 911 from a landline, even if you can’t talk. They’ll find you. Write the word choking somewhere nearby, and leave the line open until help arrives.

HEART ATTACK
If you’re experiencing crushing chest pain with or without pain in your left arm, are short of breath, or have a sense of impending doom, you may be having a heart attack. (Women are more likely to have atypical symptoms like severe fatigue, nausea, heartburn, and profuse sweating.) Call 911 and chew one 325 mg uncoated aspirin, to get it into your bloodstream fast. This will thin your blood, often stopping a heart attack in its tracks. While waiting, lie down so your heart doesn’t have to work as hard, says Sandra Schneider, MD, a spokeswoman for the American College of Emergency Physicians. If you think you might pass out, try forcing yourself to cough deeply. It changes the pressure in your chest and can have the same effect as the thump given in CPR, says Dr. Schneider. “Sometimes it can jolt the heart into a normal rhythm.”

If someone else goes into cardiac arrest, note that the American Heart Association now recommends CPR without the mouth-to-mouth: Call 911, then push hard and fast on the person’s chest until help comes.

IMPALEMENT
This doesn’t happen only in horror movies. Tornadoes and hurricanes can fling debris for miles, and even recreational hobbies like fishing or archery can be hazardous. Just ask James Bertakis. The 81-year-old Florida man fared better than Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin, who was killed in 2006 when a stingray struck him in the heart. Bertakis was impaled when a stingray jumped into his boat and hit him directly in the chest. He didn’t remove the barb but piloted the boat to land and got help.

If you have something stuck in any body part, including your eye, don’t remove the object, says Richard O’Brien, MD, a spokesman for the American College of Emergency Physicians. “The object may be compressing an artery that would otherwise start bleeding like crazy.”

If you’ve been struck by a branch or some other hefty object, try to trim it, breaking off the part that’s protruding from your body, but don’t pull it out.

SWIMMING EMERGENCIES
Riptide: Dr. Stennes is either extremely lucky or has a knack for putting his life in danger. In addition to surviving choking, he also saved his own life in a riptide in Acapulco, Mexico.

“I was swimming in the ocean, and all of a sudden a strong current took me away,” he says. “There were no lifeguards, so I was waving to people on the shore, who just waved back at me. I began to think, I’m in a bad situation here. I’m not a great swimmer, and I can’t go against that riptide, so what am I going to do?” He floated for a while, then did exactly what the experts recommend: He swam slowly, parallel to the beach, until he was out of the current.

You know you’re in a riptide when you feel yourself being pulled away from the shoreline, says Dr. Bradley of the Red Cross. “Your natural reaction is to head toward the shore, but it’s very difficult to swim against a riptide.” Luckily, these currents are fairly narrow, so you just have to swim along the shore, in either direction.

Cramps: If you’re in deep water, take a breath, lie on your back, and float. If you’ve got a muscle cramp (they often hit the calves), float facedown, grab your toes, and pull them toward you, stretching your calf until the pain goes away. If it’s a stomach cramp, lie on your back, spread your arms and legs, and float until you can swim back to shore.

BEAR ATTACK
If you surprise a bear, don’t run away. That invites an attack. Instead, stand up and back away slowly, without looking the bear in the eyes. Speak softly to the animal (no loud shouting). If it does charge at you, try to make yourself look as large as possible: Stick out your chest, raise your arms, and spread your legs. Now you can yell at the bear, to frighten it.

If it’s going to attack, lie facedown, with your hands clasped behind your neck. Play dead and don’t get up until you’re sure the bear is gone. Leave the area immediately in case it returns.

If you’re in bear country, carry a bear-deterrent pepper spray (find one at epa.gov). Make sure the wind isn’t blowing toward you, and spray for one to two seconds when the bear is 30 to 40 feet away.

POISONING
The most common reasons for calls to poison centers? Unintentional or intentional drug overdoses (painkillers, sedatives, and antidepressants are high on the list) and exposure to cleaning products. No matter how little you’ve ingested, call a poison center before you do anything. The national number is 1-800-222-1222.

Don’t make yourself throw up or give yourself ipecac, the vomit-inducing antidote that used to be a staple in first-aid kits, says Alvin C. Bronstein, MD, medical director of the Rocky Mountain Poison & Drug Center in Denver. “Ipecac has never been proven beneficial,” he says. “We rarely use it today. It’s gone the way of the horse and buggy.”

Ipecac can leave you throwing up for hours. Plus, if you ingested something that burned going down and you force yourself to vomit, it will burn on the way back up too. And say you accidentally took a few extra sedatives. If you take ipecac when you’re overly sleepy and your gag reflex isn’t working well, you can turn a manageable overdose into something much worse.

Colorless, odorless carbon monoxide is a deadly poison that kills nearly 500 unsuspecting people a year. Make sure you have a working detector in your home.

If you’ve inhaled something (bleach or ammonia are common culprits), get away from the toxic area. If it’s something that got on your skin, like a cleaning product, wash it off, then call a poison center and follow the specialist’s advice.

SEVERE BLEEDING
You’re gushing blood—and getting scared. Forget about tourniquets, says Dr. Schneider of the American College of Emergency Physicians. Use your hand or a clean cloth, paper towels, a scarf, or any fabric you can grab, and push down on the wound until the bleeding stops. Tourniquets, which every Boy Scout learned how to make back in the day, are now a first-aid no-no. “If you have a cut on your upper leg and you put pressure on it, you’re just closing that vessel. But if you put a tourniquet on, you’re going to close the vessels to the entire leg,” says Dr. Schneider. “You could lose your foot.”

The only time to use a tourniquet, says Charles Pattavina, MD, chief of emergency medicine at St. Joseph Hospital in Bangor, Maine, is when you know that everything below the wound is beyond repair (say, the accident has amputated your finger, arm, or leg).

RISING WATER
Rule No. 1: Never drive through standing water. As thousands of stranded motorists can attest, what looks like a small puddle can be much deeper. “It takes just 12 inches of water to carry a car away,” says Robert Sinclair, Jr., of AAA New York. If you do get stuck, step out of the car, which will likely stall when the water reaches the vehicle’s electronic controls. If the water is higher than the bottom of your knees or is moving too quickly for you to wade through, climb on top of your car and wait for help. Otherwise, get to higher ground.

If you suddenly become immersed (say, you drive off a bridge or into a lake or river), roll down the windows as soon as you can. Yes, it allows water to rush in, but that’s a good thing, says Sinclair. It equalizes the pressure, so you can open the door or swim out the window. Do it quickly, though, as the electrical systems on automatic windows can get damaged and stop working when wet. A LifeHammer can shatter automotive glass and cut through seat belts; Sinclair keeps one between the driver’s seat and the center console in case of such emergencies. Break the side windows (windshields are usually thicker and harder to crack), and swim toward high, dry land.

In a hurricane or storm with heavy winds, hide in a closet or pantry. Don’t try to wade through floodwater outside—it can knock you over. If water is rising in your house, climb to the roof (as long as it’s safe to do so) after the heavy rain and wind stop, says Lt. Ana Wisneski of the U.S. Coast Guard. Bring plenty of water to drink, sun protection, a flashlight, vital medications, and white sheets or colorful towels to signal rescuers. Then wait for help.

ALLERGIC REACTION
Bee stings, food allergies, and medications can be deadly, even if you think you don’t have allergies. Symptoms include itching in one spot or all over your body, sometimes accompanied by a rash, swelling, and, in the extreme, swelling of the airways, which hampers your ability to breathe. If you know you have a life-threatening allergy, form an action plan with your doctor, who will probably prescribe an EpiPen, which comes in child and adult doses. It delivers the drug epinephrine, which keeps the heart pumping, improves breathing, and gives you about 20 minutes to get to a hospital. Even if you don’t have severe allergies, you can still be prepared for a spontaneous reaction. Slip a few maximum-strength antihistamines, like Benadryl Allergy capsules, into your wallet. The fast-acting tablets will begin to fight an allergic reaction while you wait for help to arrive. But since antihistamines can make you drowsy, don’t drive yourself to the ER.

TRAPPED IN A BURNING BUILDING
If you’re in an office building and can’t get out, don’t panic. “In any emergency situation, the difference between survivors and nonsurvivors is that survivors remain calm and fight through their fear to find out, What can I do?” says Dr. Schneider. So think back to those fire-safety lessons you learned in grade school. Call 911. Close yourself in a smoke-free room and place a wet towel underneath the door to prevent any smoke from entering, says Dan McBride, a firefighter in New York City. Then get low to the ground, where you can breathe and see better, until help arrives. If you’re in a house, get as low as you can and crawl outside as fast as possible. Don’t stop until you’re well away from the fire. Then call for help.

By Pamela F. Gallin, MD

P/s: Example of the pictures are all @ Reader’s Digest