The flu has been an irritant for some time. However, at one time it actually caused worldwide devastation, killing millions of people. Although this type of effect has not been felt from the flu for many years, with the onset of bird flu this is becoming a very real possibility. With this being a concern, people should arm themselves to the full extent to avoid this from occurring.

There are several common-sense precautionary measures that can be taken to protect yourself and your family against being infected by this potentially deadly virus.

The first is to avoid places where the bird flu virus already runs rampant. As of now, the bird flu outbreak is primarily in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Although it is expected to spread worldwide, you should not save it the trouble by traveling where you can become infected more easily. If you must travel to these areas, avoid poultry farms or other high risk areas. On the same note, try to avoid contact with sick people. Simply distancing yourself and your family from the disease can be one of the most effective preventive measures taken.

If you come in contact with sick people, or even as a general rule of thumb, wash your hands often, with antibacterial soap, and practice good hygiene in general. The regular flu virus is spread by saliva and mucus being transmitted to others. If someone coughs in your face, this may not be able to be avoided; however, if you touch something that is contaminated, you will just as likely become ill - unless you wash the virus away before it makes its way into your body.

Another precaution you should take in preventing the infection of bird flu is to properly handle and cook all poultry. While the jury seems to be out on whether or not there are cases of the flu due to undercooked poultry, reliable sources are reporting there have been. Even a suspicion should be enough to encourage certain precautions, not to mention proper handling is just a good practice. Likewise, properly clean all surfaces that have come in contact with raw meat and wash hands after handling.

Should you or a family member become ill, you should seek medical advice. There are medications that can be administered that lessen the impact of many flu strains, but they are only effective if given early in the disease. For this reason, treatment must be sought immediately.

Sarah is an acclaimed writer on medical matters, and has written extensively on the subjects of Attention Deficit Disorder, Bird Flu and Crohn’s Disease. For more of her articles, go to www.imedicalvillage.com now. www.imedicalvillage.com“> visit www.imedicalvillage

The end of the year is fast approaching. I remember that years back I would take a couple weeks in December and just solidify my relationships with my buyers and sellers. I know that we are a little early right now but it is a good time to plan as some of the work can mount up during December if you are lucky.

Today, go through your list of clients and maybe clients and decide two things:

1. What is the value of this relationship today and tomorrow?

2. What is the best way to show that I care as a person and not as a salesperson?

Here is what I used to do. I would hand write Christmas cards to everyone on my maybe list of buyers and sellers with a little personal note, this could go out to 300 or 400 people or maybe only 50 you have to decide. You can write these Christmas or more probably holiday cards very quickly once you get a roll going. I just go to the local Wal Mart or somewhere where boxed cards are cheap and buy a bunch, fill them out with a short message personalized with their name on top and send them out. One bad mistake is to have the office pre print cards as it just screams of insincerity. On the same note be sure to stamp the envelope as your office may have a meter machine for postage and this will make your letter look more like a bill, no need to remind them of January early!

The next thing you can do is to find a supplier of low priced quality chocolates and get together with others in your office to order to drop the price point per box and then hand deliver these chocolates to each of your good clients. This will take more time as you want to do it close to Christmas and getting time in everyone’s schedule is difficult. When you do deliver these chocolates you will also drop of the holiday card as this will save you postage for a few people.

Calendars are the last thing on the list. Everyone gives out Calendars so you want to make sure that your calendar stands out. I have seen Realtors give out appointment books, as an alternative and I am not sure how well this can really work as no one else will see this. By all means give out calendars this year but if at all possible give out something that people will use at other times of the year. Go to a promotional supply store personally and see what you can find. Maybe you can get a fridge magnet with your picture and the schedule for one of the local sports teams that you can mail out in the spring or maybe you can get a magnetic month at a glance board that is just 8 and a half by 11 inches, I know my mom still has one of these on her fridge and it lasts forever. The best thing you can do with the idea of calendars is to be different because it is really hard to stand out when you are doing the same thing as every other Realtor in your area.

Bill Nadraszky offers great real estate articles and a directory system that allows you to see the top real estate sites anytime at realtor.calputer.com. Check it our today.