As I mentioned in my both of my previous posts about the hazards of laptops-on-laps, laptops have been reported to cause "toasted skin syndrome", also known as erythema ab igne or "redness by fire."

To counter this threat, I have found a few obvious solutions. First of all, ensure that the vents on your laptops are clean and able to receive and exhaust air. Therefore, do not block the vents by placing the laptop on pillows, or fuzzy blankets; instead work with the laptop on a desk, or other hard surface like a book. Though, it is probably best to invest in a cooling pad in the near future. Secondly, DO NOT use it as a laptop. I cannot stress that enough. Lastly, if you’re not using the laptop, turn it off. By doing this simple task, it will help preserve your battery and keep it from overheating. Also, a laptop can still overheat even in sleep mode.

All in all, laptops are not true to their name in being placed on the lap. Laptops can cause "toasted skin syndrome", also known as erythema ab igne or "redness by fire." It is generally harmless but can cause permanent skin darkening. In very rare occasions, it can cause damage leading to skin cancers. Also, men who used laptops on their laps had elevated scrotum temperatures. In fact, hot laptops have been found to increase the temperature of scrotums up to 35 degrees above the normal body temperature of 98.6 degrees. If prolonged, that kind of heat can decrease sperm production, which can potentially lead to male infertility.

In other words, let's keep our laptops off of our laptops from now on!

Skateboarders = Dangerous Athletes

Skateboarding is a passion of mine that has changed my lifestyle ever since I began three years ago. Many of my friends and family asked me why I wanted to skateboard, because they felt that the sport was considered a "manly sport"! I'm here to tell all of those people today, that there are just as many women out there who are willing to risk their safety, reputation, and even pride in order to prove the statistics wrong.

This sport isn't all fun and games all of the time. A lot of the practicing that takes place to master the craft of skateboarding becomes very dangerous as the skills continue to rise to the next level. Simple places like a neighborhood are an example of the fact that there is more that meets the eye. An average person would look at a steep-sloped street as just a road with cars driving on it in the neighborhood, but the skateboarders see it was a really nice ramp to skate down with the dangers of cars to evade as they make their way to the bottom. It doesn't always work as we skateboarders expect it to. There was once a similar accident that scared the "living daylights" out of a mom to the point that she wanted to stop her own son from skating.

Although more and more injuries are happening regarding skateboarding each year due to the lack of safety gear, it's still an enjoyable sport once people get the hang of it! Like I've said before, it takes much, much, much practice, but the reward of landing tricks will have a person smiling for days! It teaches discipline, commitment, and gives all kinds of people a way to get up and get out of the house. Another benefit is being able to enjoy a hobby that doesn't put a hurting on your pocket. Skateboarding comes off as a totally negative sport, when in reality, it has helped people through much in their lives and keeps a smile on their faces. Plus, it keeps people fit, because of the extreme physical toll it has on people.

Skateboarding is a sport that has lived and thrived through the test of time. It's definitely dangerous. Yet, it's definitely fun as well. I suggest everyone to try it. So, grab a board, and just...Kick...Push...Coast...

Laptops: Not Good For Laps?

As I mentioned in my previous post about this informative subject, laptops have been reported to cause "toasted skin syndrome", also known as erythema ab igne or "redness by fire."

This condition can also be caused by the overuse of heating pads and other heat sources that usually aren't hot enough to cause burns. It is generally harmless but can cause permanent skin darkening. Still, in very rare occasions, it can cause damage leading to skin cancers, as said by Swiss researchers from the University Hospital of Basel. Also, Dr. Anthony J. Mancini, dermatology chief at Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago, noted that chronic, prolonged skin inflammation can potentially increase chances for squamous cell skin cancer, which is more aggressive than the most common skin cancer.

In this post, I'd like to mention the effects of laptops on the male reproduction system. A medical report several years ago from researchers at the State University of New York at Stony Brook found that men who used laptops on their laps had elevated scrotum temperatures. In fact, hot laptops have been found to increase the temperature of scrotums up to 35 degrees above the normal body temperature of 98.6 degrees. If prolonged, that kind of heat can decrease sperm production, which can potentially lead to male infertility.

Also, I'd like to mention the fact that a warning is printed in the user manuals of the major laptop manufacturers. These manufacturers include Apple, Hewelett Packard (also known as hp), and Dell, and all of the companies supposedly have a warning that appears in their user manuals against the habit of placing laptops on their laps or exposed skin for extended periods of time because of the risk of burns.

The signs are obvious and, with the increase in the use of laptops recently, the potential for laptops to further increase our risk of cancer in the future is rather eminent. Also, the major manufacturers have made provisions to cover theirbacksides on this issue, therefore, I hope all of you will invest in "lap desk" for your laptop or just choose a regular desk to work on, but, if you don't, you might be paying for cancer treatment in the near future! Or, at least, you might have a permanent discoloration in your skin.

Laptops: Not Good For Laps?

Have you ever sat your laptop in your lap to work on a project for hours at a time, and you feel it heating up your legs? Well, I suggest you rethink that habit.


ABC News reported on Tuesday, October 5th, a young woman's encounter with "toasted skin syndrome", also known as erythema ab igne. The woman, 24-year-old, Kristin Manigault, said, "It started looking really funny. Then I kind of overlooked it. It started to spread and of course that made me really nervous."

A second case emerged on Yahoo News, where a 12-year-old boy developed a sponge-patterened discoloration on his left thigh after playing computer games a few hours every day for several months was reported in an article in the journal, Pediatrics, by Swiss researchers. UPI also reports that these researchers at the University Hospital Basel in Switzerland say that laptop-induced dermatosis, whcih was first described in 2004, can lead to permanent darkening of the skin and, sometimes, skin cancer.

Yet another case is reported in Yahoo News involved a Virginia law student who needed treatment for the mottled discoloration on her leg. The doctor who treated her, Dr. Kimberly Salkey, was perplexed until she discovered that the student spent about six hours a day working with her laptop on her lap. Its temperature underneath was 125 degrees. This cause was reported in 2007, and is one of the 10 laptop-related cases reported in medical journals in the past six years. As UPI includes, the 10 patients, as published in the journal Pediatrics, had lesions on one or both of their upper legs.

Therefore, unless you're unclear on this subject, please do not work with your laptop on your laps, students. At least, not for extended periods of times because it can cause damaging effects to your skin. So, now that fall is upon us, cover up and stay warm, but not with your laptops!

The Danger of Elderly Drivers

An Elderly Driver.

egmcartech.com

What's as dangerous, if not more, than a sixteen year old driver?

Answer: An elderly driver.

Although what age is considered elderly varies from person to person, elderly drivers pose a risk to the safety of all other drivers. According the the article, "When to Put the Brakes on Elderly Drivers," elderly drivers experience slowed responses due to a declination of vision, hearing loss, and muscle strength. They also may experience drowsiness due to medication, which is as dangerous as driving under the influence of alcohol, and both is punishable by a DUI.

In 2007, USA Today, a reputable and national American daily newspaper, posted an article about older, dangerous drivers called, "Older, Dangerous Drivers A Growing Problem." In the beginning of this article, Robert Davis and Anthony DeBarros recall the account of an elderly driver, Elizabeth Grimes, and the tragedy of this driver hitting a seventeen year old that was on her way to school. Davis and DeBarros explain that a neighbor saw the signs of Grimes's unsafe driving state, but did nothing about it. They further explain that most elderly drivers cling to the independence of driving, even though it conflicts with other drivers' safety.

In order to be fair and safe, elderly drivers should have to have an annual driver's exam to test their motorist skills. This would be beneficial for everyone because it keeps safe and competent elderly drivers on the road and it increases the safety for all drivers. In the following video, the Patriot Ledger, a local newspaper, interviews an elderly driver, Elsa Grimm. In this video, Grimm states that, "We live in our cars, but everything depends on safety." She claims to be a safe driver and doesn't believe all elderly are unsafe drivers.

A YouTube Video. Interview with Elsa Grimm.

In the next YouTube video, WPBF talks about how some elderly drivers "just lose control" or commonly mistake the gas pedal for the brake pedal. This video supports my view that annual driving tests for those over seventy can efficiently "weed out" the unsafe drivers while keeping capable drivers on the road.

Too Old to Driver?