Because it proved to me that somebody has some brains within the Labour Party!
Additionally both the main parties were reported to be ending their traditional billboard blitzes in the run up to the general election after they were dismissed as a waste of money by a Government-ordered inquiry.
It would appear that both main parties now recognise the fact that all advertising is a complete and utter waste of money. Would somebody please share this knowledge with Moray MacLennan, IPA President who, judging by his inaugural speech, still believes that advertising works…More on that later as it is a subject worthy of an article on its own!
Back to the political scene, I still find it amazing that the Political Parties together with their Advertising Agencies ever were allowed to insult the intelligence of their electorate by claiming that their advertising actually made people vote for them!
If, and it's a big if, if it did anything at all, it worked to solidify existing attitudes among their supporters, so basically that was money well wasted, it worked equally effectively to turn away, and even alienated a lot of "don't knows".
Hasn't anybody read "The wisdom of the crowd"?
Because somebody should write the headline "Advertising isn't working".
It is worth mentioning here that the political parties' notions of their voters are not based on real people but on cardboard cut outs of voters.
Consequently all the messages are one-dimensional, not having any relevance to the populace,
Interestingly enough, the Labour Party is now going to attempt "Permission-based email and Direct Mail Campaigns".
I laugh at the sheer naivety of that little statement. Some second hand agency has now got them to start thinking new media, I bet that they were throwing words like "Digital" and "Clicks" and all the other new fangled garbage they use to day to justify their existence.
I mean to say how do you give voters the opportunity to volunteer to be marketed to? Perhaps you will say that permission marketing gives voters some say, however the process is still managed by the Parties and their Direct Marketing advisors.
So in essence what New Labour are proposing is not a new form of exchange it is still, basically, the very old form of command and control!
However the underlying problems are the negative effects, such as the widespread loss of trust in all our Political Parties. These come about for a variety of reasons, one being the complete inability to understand the true meaning of the word "communication".
And listening is a vital part of communication, but how can you listen if there is no true interaction-taking place?
Political Parties should make informed decisions about the attitudes and demands of their voters, and so act equitably –they must make a real attempt to listen to the needs and wants of the different voting groups, and how can you do all this without true interaction taking place? It cannot be assumed that all members of a common group want the same thing.
Listening carefully to voters is essential for all Political Parties to maintain their reputation.
And that can only be done through the process of Interactive Market Communication using existing media and it is available now!
Paul Ashby pioneered interactive communication to the advertising and marketing communities some twenty-five years ago. The communication issues he addresses have been neglected during the explosive grown of advertising in the 60s, 70s and 80s, these are: Cognitive Dissonance, Selective Retention and Selective Exposure.
Would you like to discover the incredible results to be attained by using interactive communication? Well these are revealed for FREE at http://effectiveaccountablecommunication.blogspot.com or contact Paul directly on paul.ashby@yahoo.com
A Primer of Spinal Orthopedic Procedures
Both orthopedic surgeons and neurosurgeons are trained to do spinal surgery, and many doctors from both disciplines specialize in spinal surgery. The only difference between what they can do is that only neurosurgeons are trained to do procedures that involve the spinal cord, and only orthopedic surgeons are trained to do procedures to correct deformities like scoliosis.
Spinal orthopedic procedures may involve the cervical spine (neck), thoracic spine (mid and upper back) or lumbar spine (low back). Different techniques are needed in each area, but the spinal orthopedic procedures themselves are very similar.
Some spinal orthopedic procedures involve open surgery, where the surgeon cuts through the muscles along the spinal cord and does surgery on the spine. The surgeon is usually able to approach the spine through your back (posterior spinal orthopedic procedures), but sometimes he must go through your body from the front (anterior spinal orthopedic procedures) to get at the injured area.
Some spinal orthopedic procedures can be done with minimally invasive endoscopic surgery. Endoscopic surgery causes less trauma to surrounding tissues and gives the surgeon better visualization of the damage.
To understand the different types of spinal orthopedic procedures, we need to understand a little terminology. The corpus or body of a vertebra is large, round bony part that gives the spine its stability. Between each pair of vertebrae is a disc, a gel-filled cushion that keeps the discs apart so that the spine can move freely and to provide space for the nerve roots to leave the spinal cord. The facets are the joints between vertebrae. The laminae are part of the bone that surrounds the spinal canal and protects the spinal cord.
· Corpectomy usually involves the cervical spine. The surgeon goes through the neck from the front and removes the body of one or more vertebra to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or nerve roots.
· Laminectomy involves removing part of the lamina to relieve pressure on a nerve root. The vertebrae may or may not be fused.
· Discectomy is the removal of an intervertebral disc that is bulging out and putting pressure on a nerve root. The spine may be fused to keep the vertebrae apart, or an artificial disc can be inserted.
· Vertebroplasty means that the surgeon repairs the vertebra. This is often done as a minimally invasive surgery.
· Facetectomy is the removal of the facet joint to relieve pressure on a nerve root. Artificial facet joints may be available in the near future, similar to artificial knee or hip joints.
Your surgeon will tell you which spinal orthopedic procedure you need and explain exactly what he will do. This primer only explains the basics; your surgeon will give you information that is specific to you and the spinal orthopedic procedure you need.
David Betz is a consultant doing work for Laser Spine Surgery http://www.laserspineinstitute.com and
Houston Web Site Design http://www.novatexsolutions.com
Symptoms and Treatment of Lumbar Stenosis
Spinal stenosis is caused by narrowing in the openings of the vertebrae that nerves pass through. When the narrowed area is in the lower back, it is called lumbar stenosis. The symptoms of lumbar stenosis are related to the compression of nerves that go to the hips, legs and feet.
Symptoms
The most common symptom of lumbar stenosis is pain in the legs. Sometimes people will have what’s called “neurogenic claudication” pain, which is heaviness, aching or cramping in your legs when you walk. Claudication pain gets worse if you walk and is relieved by sitting or lying down. It can be caused by impaired circulation to the legs (vascular claudication) or by lumbar stenosis. The claudication pain of lumbar stenosis is usually also relieved by bending over or stooping down.
People with lumbar stenosis can also have “radicular pain,” or pain that radiates down one or both legs, also called sciatica. Other sensory abnormalities caused by lumbar stenosis are tingling, heaviness or numbness in your toes, feet and legs. Motor abnormalities include weakness in one or both legs and difficulty walking.
Rarely, severe lumbar stenosis can cause “caudae equinae syndrome.” The spinal cord itself ends in the lower back and splits into several nerves. Those nerves continue down the spinal canal and exit in pairs between the vertebrae. Lumbar stenosis that compresses the caudae equinae can cause “saddle anesthesia,” or loss of feeling where you would sit on a saddle, bladder or fecal incontinence and sexual dysfunction. It is considered a medical emergency because only a very large disc herniation or other serious problem can cause caudae equinae syndrome.
Treatment
Treatment modalities for lumbar stenosis can be divided into three categories: conservative, alternative and surgical.
Conservative treatment includes anti-inflammatory medications, muscle relaxers and pain medications. Physical therapy is often helpful in improving pain and mobility. If the pain continues, you could receive cortisone or anesthetic injections. Anesthetic injections, or nerve blocks, usually give you some relief from the pain. Cortisone injections seem to be less effective.
Chiropractic, massage and acupuncture are alternative treatments. They provide excellent pain relief for some people.
Surgery is usually a laminectomy, or removal of some of the bone around the spinal canal, to make a larger opening for the nerves. Sometimes a spinal fusion is done, too, to stabilize the vertebrae and keep them from slipping and compressing the nerves.
Many people, especially those who are older or who have other health risks, benefit from minimally invasive surgery for lumbar stenosis. The surgeon views the lumbar spine with a microscopic endoscope and uses microsurgical techniques to make specific repairs. Endoscopic surgery is less invasive and better tolerated than traditional surgery.
David Betz is a consultant doing work for Laser Spine Surgery http://www.laserspineinstitute.com and
Houston Web Site Design http://www.novatexsolutions.com
