MORE
...from Jodee Blanco, who wrote a brilliant book on grade school/high school bullying, discussed yesterday.  In that book, she also wrote:

"No matter what you're going through right now, you can survive and things will get better.  You must stay strong and have faith in the extraordinary person inside you waiting for the opportunity to show the world what you're made of.  I believe in you and know that you have what it takes to not only get through whatever is causing your pain right now, but to use it to help others transcend their own pain.  You are my hero, and my fervent desire is that after you've read this book, it will have made you want to become someone else's hero too.  It doesn't require much:  a phone call, a word of encouragement, an invitation extended in friendship."

"The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a
happy family all wrapped up in each other." -Burton Hillis

ENJOYING THE HOLIDAYS?
I have been doing exactly that; and I hope you have, too.  That's why this blog has taken a bit of a break...though we don't intend to leave you completely high and dry.  One thing I do every holiday vacation is read a lot.  I love to read.  One book I've just finished reading...and I read it partly because it was of interest to me, and I thought it would be of interest to many of you with Moebius or with a facial difference...is a book by Jodee Blanco, called PLEASE STOP LAUGHING AT ME:  ONE WOMAN'S INSPIRATIONAL STORY.

It's a story about a woman who was considered different in high school; who didn't always run with the "in" crowd or do exactly what they expected her to do.  As a result, she was horribly taunted, viciously teased, and endlessly bullied.  Some of us know exactly what she went through.  All of us know something about what she went through.  As Ms. Blanco explains:

"From fifth grade through high school, I was kid that nobody wanted to be caught dead hanging out with and the one who rescued crickets while my classmates held competitions about who could squish the most bugs the fastest.  I would rather write poetry than play dodge ball or gossip in the neighborhood tree house and I always defended the underdog even when it meant facing the wrath of the cool crowd.  I had more in common with adults than anyone my own age and would have given almost anything for friendship, except my soul, which is what seemed to be the asking price.  I endured every form of humiliation during my school years, from teasing and taunting, being the target of cruel and twisted pranks, to actual physical abuse.  Years later when people would ask me what hurt most, I would explain that it wasn't the acceptance and love I was being denied that made it hard, it was all the love and friendship I had to give that no one wanted."

I suspect that last part has been true for those with Moebius Syndrome too.  So much love and friendship to give; but because we look and sound different, some don't want it.  Luckily there are many, however, who do, as well.

READ THIS
...a good, funny, ironic Christmas story from today's NY Times opinion section.

GIVING BACK
And here, at this festive season, is a good note about giving back...to those who really need it: 
 "Men and women of courage stand watch for us today in dangerous places across the globe. The world is blessed that, in each generation, Americans of conviction and duty rise to defend our country and liberty's cause.  It is right that we should honor their sacrifice in personal and practical ways, especially at this time of the year. A way to do so is by supporting one of the many wonderful organizations that help wounded warriors and their families.

One such group, Ride 2 Recovery, provides specially constructed bicycles to men and women who have suffered traumatic head wounds or lost limbs—and sometimes hope—in terrible explosions in Iraq and Afghanistan. The brainchild of Californian John Wordin, Ride 2 Recovery draws from the powerful insight that challenging soldiers physically and mentally aids tremendously in their healing. By creating a team atmosphere for rehab, cycling builds confidence, helps restore body and mind, and speeds up recovery."

THE HISTORY OF ASPIRIN
I just found this interestng; we all use it at some time or other, and apparently it's use is universal...and has been for quite some time:
"If you take aspirin, you've got a pain reliever, heart attack preventer and possible cancer preventer rolled into one tablet. You might think that whoever invented aspirin is a genius, but the truth is humans have been using its natural equivalent for thousands of years.  "Aspirin is one of those things that, long before there were ever clinical trials or any kind of scientific knowledge, people figured out, 'Hey, I feel better when I take this substance,' " said Dr. Karol Watson, assistant professor of cardiology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles.  The drug has been making headlines because a study in the Lancet recently found that a daily aspirin appeared to lower the risk of cancer by at least 20% during a 20-year period. That's based on data from more than 25,000 patients and builds on earlier findings that aspirin may lower the risk of colon and rectal cancer. The research has limitations and is not definitive proof, but it does add another benefit to an ancient remedy that has been called a miracle drug.  "There are no countries in which it is unknown, unappreciated, or unavailable," the late medical writer Berton Roueché wrote in 1955, in an article later published in the anthology "The Medical Detectives.  "The word "aspirin" wasn't a coincidence. It comes from Spiraea, a biological genus of shrubs that includes natural sources of the drug's key ingredient: salicylic acid. This acid, resembling what's in modern-day aspirin, can be found in jasmine, beans, peas, clover and certain grasses and trees.  The ancient Egyptians used willow bark as a remedy for aches and pains, said Diarmuid Jeffreys, author of "Aspirin: The Remarkable Story of a Wonder Drug." They didn't know that what was reducing body temperature and inflammation was the salicylic acid.  Hippocrates, the Greek physician who lived from about 460 to 377  B.C., wrote that willow leaves and bark relieved pain and fevers."


GET THOSE CHECKUPS
I probably don't have to remind people reading this blog about this kind of thing, but in any case you might find this interesting:
"Sadly, the nationwide survey (conducted Sept. 8 through 12 by Harris Interactive) showed that only a small minority of those most at risk get the yearly eye exams that could detect a vision problem and prevent, delay or even reverse its progression. Fully 86 percent of those who already have an eye disease do not get routine exams, the telephone survey of 1,004 adults revealed."

WHERE DID "MODERN" CHRISTMAS COME FROM?
The answer may surprise you.  I just thought it interesting:

A Christmas Carol” (1843) may be one of the most famous holiday tales extant, but it was his “A Christmas Dinner” (1835) that helped define the concept of “Christmas spirit” and set the stage for many of the traditions and foods that we enjoy to this day.  “He made it comfortable,” writes Dickens historian Peter Ackroyd in the foreword to the latest reissue of the book by Red Rock Press. “He made it cozy; he made it immune to the threatening world outside. It became the celebration of a small and close-knit community within a lighted room.” Dickens didn’t invent Christmas, but he couched it in a philosophy and centered it on an image that compelled people to see it and feel it as he did.  “There seems a magic in the very name of Christmas,” writes Dickens, when “petty jealousies and discords are forgotten” and father and son, brother and sister, “bury their past animosities in their present happiness.” In addition to placing holiday festivities squarely within the family circle, Dickens and his wife are also largely responsible for establishing the modern Christmas dinner menu.

Read the whole thing, it's interesting.  And as Christmas approaches, may you all have the most wonderful of holiday seasons...

"We can let circumstances rule us, or we can take charge and rule our
lives from within." -Earl Nightingale

BEATING HOLIDAY STRESS
I can vouch for this one:
"Dive into a good book. "Reading can have a tranquilizing effect," says Timothy Shanahan, PhD, a professor of urban education and reading at the University of Illinois at Chicago. "I usually read before going to bed—it stops my mind from racing and allows me to get away from myself for a few moments, which helps me relax and sleep well."

GOT SINUS PAIN?
Well, get ready to think of your favorite song.  Why?  Read on:
"Sinus infections make millions of people miserable each year, especially during cold and flu season. People with asthma and allergies may be especially prone to chronic sinusitis. Now some researchers have proposed a surprising remedy for avoiding sinus pain, headaches and congestion, writes Anahad O’Connor in this week’s “Really?” column:

"Keeping the sinuses healthy and infection-free requires ventilation — keeping air flowing smoothly between the sinus and nasal cavities. And what better way to keep air moving through the sinuses and naval cavity than by humming a tune? Studies show that humming helps increase airflow between the sinus and nasal cavities, which could potentially help protect against sinus infections."

Who would have thought it...

WHAT NOT TO SAY IN AN INTERVIEW
I know many of us in this community either are now, or will at some point in the next year, think of seeking a new job, a promotion, etc.  So the interview becomes crucial.  Here are two things from an article I found today that are really important concerning what to say in interviews:
"YES. YES. YES. NO.  Unless the interviewer asks you if you're so-and-so here for the nine-o'clock interview, you shouldn't be using one-word answers. An interview is your time to convince the employer that you have the qualifications for the job.  Even if the questions don't seem open-ended, answer them as if they are. You don't need to drone on and on, but use every chance you get to prove why you're the right person for the job.  "You want to use as much color and detail as possible when describing your background, experience and your professional journey, but without being long winded because, in reality, it's about your skill set and your valuable experience and expertise. Be specific: use names, dates and places," Murphy says."

And also:
"An interview is not the place to embellish your work or personal experience. If an interviewer asks you about something you don't have experience with, fess up and tell them how willing and able you are to learn new things.  If you claim to be something you're not, chances are you'll be found out sooner or later ... maybe not during the interview process, but when you find yourself lost in the middle of China a few months after landing the job, your gig will be up.  "Don't make up anything about what you've done that isn't true. It's too easy these days to get busted for anything like that. And they are looking at anything and everything," Murphy says."

And I say:  go ahead and tell your interviewer about your Moebius Syndrome.  Don't make a big deal about it.  Don't go on and on and dwell on it.  But you know others, who don't know you, who haven't met you, wonder about it.  So clear it up.  Be honest.  Show that you're not afraid and that you can handle anything they throw at you; and you can demonstrate it by "handling" the question of your Moebius in a quick, professional, effective way.  Point out to your interviewer, by the way, that if they hire someone with Moebius they will be adding to the, ahem, "DIVERSITY" of their company.  And isn't that something everyone wants?

"Circumstances-what are circumstances? I make circumstances." -Napoleon
Bonaparte

ANOTHER MOEBIUS HEROINE
This time from New Zealand:
"Mark and Liezel Cronje are stuck between a rock and a hard place.  Their daughter Mia has the rare neurological disorder Moebius - a condition that prevents her from showing expressions of emotion. Surgery could help Mia to smile, but is very risky.  Mark told TV ONE's Close Up there is no guarantee of success.
"There's a question whether it will leave her face lopsided, different to what it is now," he said.....Since her diagnosis, Mia has endured surgery after surgery to fix her club feet which are associated with the condition.
Like most four-year-olds, Mia loves dancing and singing. But speaking and eating are still difficult....For now Mia's on a waiting list, while her parents ponder their decision and look forward to Christmas with their "joyous" little girl.  "Mia's journey for us is really positive. It's not without hurdles, it is harder than with any other child, but what you learn from it, what you get from it, how you grow in yourself is a journey well worth living," said Liezel."

I especially liked that last line.  Welcome, Mia.

NFL PICKS
Let's see if I can improve on last week.

Cincinnati 1 over Cleveland.  My pick:  BROWNS.  The Bengals are like an old tiger trapped in a cage...

Dallas 6 over Washington.  My pick:  REDSKINS.  The 'Skins just always seem to play Dallas tough, especially on defense.

Tennessee 2 over Houston.  My pick:  TITANS.  That Houston defense just doesn't get the job done.

Indianapolis 5 over Jacksonville.  My pick:  JAGUARS.  The Jags have really come on, and are playing the best, most consistent football in the division.

Kansas City 1 over St. Louis.  My pick:  CHIEFS.  The Chiefs will rebound from last week, and their speed and defense will win them a big game.

Miami 6 over Buffalo.  My pick:  DOLPHINS.  The Dolphins will build off of last week, and finally play well at home (they're certain due).

NY Giants 3 over Philadelphia.  My pick:  GIANTS.  Both teams played well last week; go with the Giants because the game will be played in the cold, windy Meadowlands.

Tampa Bay 6 over Detroit.  My pick:  BUCCANEERS.  Remember how long it's been since the Lions won a road game; and remember also that Lions backup QB Drew Stanton hasn't played well on the road.

Carolina 3 over Arizona.  My pick:  CARDINALS.  Look for the Cards to build off of last week's win.

Baltimore 1 over New Orleans.  My pick:  SAINTS.  I know this is a tough road game for the Saints, but I see the New Orleans offense coming on; while the Ravens' run game and defense seem to have declined.

Atlanta 7 over Seattle.  My pick:  FALCONS.  Atlanta showed last week that they know how to take care of business, on the road, against an inferior opponent.

Oakland 7 over Denver.  My pick:  RAIDERS.  Denver's probably close to packing it in for the season; while Oakland has been a good home team.

Pittsburgh 6 over NY Jets.  My pick:  STEELERS.  The Jets' decline continues.

Green Bay even at New England.  My pick:  PATRIOTS.  My guess is that many of the injured Pats will play, and will keep dominating.

Chicago even at Minnesota.  My pick:  BEARS.  Chicago has a lot to play for; Minnesota is very, very banged up at QB.

CREATIVITY AND YOUR BRAIN
Simple--be in a good mood:
"Just want to have fun? Two pieces of recent research suggest that getting in a good mood helps you perform better at certain tasks and be more creative.  A new study in Psychological Science exposed participants to music clips and YouTube videos that were supposed to put people in specific mood states.  For instance, a video for a laughing baby was "positive," "Antiques Roadshow" TV show was "neutral," and a news report of a Chinese earthquake was "negative." After volunteers listened to music and watched clips characteristic of one of these three moods, they had to do a task that involved learning a rule to categorize a particular pattern.
Researchers at the University of Western Ontario found that the "happy" participants performed better than "sad" or "neutral" volunteers at this task.  So, the authors say, maybe watching an occasional funny video on YouTube at work may actually help your creativity by putting you in a good mood.  Along those lines, researchers at Northwestern University have found that humor was key to people's ability to solve puzzles. One of the study authors, neuroscientist Mark Beeman, told the New York Times he thinks "that the humor, this positive mood, is lowering the brain’s threshold for detecting weaker or more remote connections” to solve puzzles."

AND SPEAKING OF YOUR BRAIN
Why do adolescent young people do what they do?  Brain research is helping solve that puzzle, too:
"They say you never escape high school. And for better or worse, science is lending some credibility to that old saw. Thanks to sophisticated imaging technology and a raft of longitudinal studies, we’re learning that the teen years are a period of crucial brain development subject to a host of environmental and genetic factors. This emerging research sheds light not only on why teenagers act they way they do, but how the experiences of adolescence—from rejection to binge drinking—can affect who we become as adults, how we handle stress, and the way we bond with others.  One of the most important discoveries in this area of study, says Dr. Frances Jensen, a neuroscientist at Harvard, is that our brains are not finished maturing by adolescence, as was previously thought. Adolescent brains “are only about 80 percent of the way to maturity,” she said at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in November. It takes until the mid-20s, and possibly later, for a brain to become fully developed.  An excess of gray matter (the stuff that does the processing) at the beginning of adolescence makes us particularly brilliant at learning—the reason we’re so good at picking up new languages starting in early childhood—but also particularly sensitive to the influences of our environment, both emotional and physical. Our brains’ processing centers haven’t been fully linked yet, particularly the parts responsible for helping to check our impulses and considering the long-term repercussions of our actions. “It’s like a brain that’s all revved up not knowing where it needs to go,” says Jensen."

That's been one of the interesting things about doing this blog; I knew of course that Moebius Syndrome had something to do with your brain...and I knew it was hardly the only condition that had to do with your brain...but I did not realize how much research, and how much more knowledge we gain daily, concerning our brain and how it works.  Kind of amazing...

"Personality has the power to open many doors, but character must
keep them open." -Unknown

NEWS FOR PTSD SUFFERERS
Could a pill help with PTSD, some time in the future?  Perhaps yes:
"Along with first aid supplies, paramedics may one day carry a stash of pills designed to protect patients from post-traumatic stress disorder — at least that’s what researchers from Northwestern University are hoping.  Scientists there have found a medication that can prevent an exaggerated fear response in mice very similar to PTSD in people, according to a study just published in the journal Biological Psychiatry.  “Someday emergency personnel could be prepared to deliver this kind of help, just as they do bandages,” said the study’s senior author, Dr. Jelena Radulovic, an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and Dunbar Scholar at Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine."


HOW TO DEAL WITH THOSE HOLIDAY POUNDS
A new study has a simple answer:
Run or bicycle before breakfast. Exercising in the morning, before eating, the study results show, seems to significantly lessen the ill effects of holiday Bacchanalias."


Read the whole thing.  I was especially glad to read this, for this is usually what I do--do a bunch of sit-ups before breakfast.  It helps wake me up, if nothing else.


Never ruin an apology with an excuse." -Kimberly Johnson

HOLIDAY HAPPINESS
How to be happier during the holidays?  Feel like you're missing out?  A good piece here---for example:
"The scenario: “My neighbor throws a great New Year’s bash every year, and it’s a great time to catch up with old friends I might not have seen for months. But this year I’m feeling unsure about my life and job, so I don’t really want to share what’s new with me. And when I hear about good things happening to others (so-and-so got engaged or a big raise at work), I beat myself up.  How do I stop feeling this way?”

The solution: It's natural to reflect on your own accomplishments when you hear about others' success. But these news flashes can also spur you to reassess the choices you have in your life. Dr. Birndorf offers this example: “Recently, one of my patients found out about a friend's promotion, then came to me wondering how she could get ahead at work; she then asked her boss for more responsibility.” In other words, the best way to not focus on other people's achievements is to concentrate on things that make you happy.

You don't have to tackle everything at once. Start with whatever feels most unsatisfying: If you worry you're trapped in a dead-end job, ask yourself what you're getting out of the position that keeps you stuck. Once you figure out what fulfills you, you'll be less apt to criticize yourself when friends make strides—because you'll be making your own."

And beyond that, we need to realize...we always think others have perfect lives, or relationships, or holidays...but they don't.  Nobody is perfect; nobody's life is perfect.  Too often we walk along in life and we assume that everybody else is cool, and with it, and knows exactly what they're doing and what's going on...except us.  But then we talk to others and we realize--that ain't so. 

We can always improve, and we should strive to improve.  But you're not terrible, and everybody else isn't perfect.  Once we realize that....well, hmmm.  The perspective changes.  Try it!

"Take the first step in faith.  You don't have to see the whole
staircase, just take the first step." -Martin Luther King, Jr.

 

NEWS FROM THE BREAKFAST NOOK
Your kids might not be as addicted to chocolate frosted sugar bombs as you think:
"Move over tigers and leprechauns, breakfast cereal doesn't necessarily have to be sweet for kids to eat it. A study conducted by Yale University researchers found that many children, when given low sugar cereals, enjoyed them and ate a better breakfast when they didn't eat the sugary alternatives."

So buy that granola with a clear conscience!

IN OTHER FOOD NEWS
You parents might not have the effect on your children's eating habits that you think:
"A new study released last week found that parents' influence over kids' eating habits isn't all that strong after all. Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health examined the findings from 24 studies exploring the link between parental eating behaviors and those of their children; the results were quite mixed, and ultimately they showed a weak association at best. Moreover, the resemblance between parents' eating habits and their kids' has weakened over time. (The studies covered the years from 1980 to 2009.)
The authors posit that other influences -- everything from media and peers to schools and government dietary guidelines -- have assumed increased influence over young people's eating habits."

There's still nothing wrong, of course, with eating right, getting exercise, thus modeling good behavior as much as you can, and thus...as the author notes...hoping some of it sticks.

I KNOW SOMETHING YOU DON'T KNOW...
That is, people with lower incomes are far more perceptive than the rich and well-off when it comes to what others are thinking and feeling:
"Wondering why your fat cat boss seems so clueless about why you don’t want to work extra shifts during the holidays? It could be because he can’t understand the dour looks you keep throwing his way.
Upper-class people are less adept at reading other people's emotions than their lower-class counterparts, according to a new study published in the journal Psychological Science.  “We found that people from a lower-class background – in terms of occupation, status, education and income level – performed better in terms of emotional intelligence, the ability to read the emotions that others are feeling,” says Michael Kraus, co-author of the study and a postdoctoral student in psychology at the University of California, San Francisco."

I found that very interesting because I believe strongly that when it comes to people with Moebius Syndrome--persons who can't, through facial expression, after all, show THEIR feelings very easily--still they are very good at figuring out what others are thinking.  I believe this is because we know our limitations, and work to overcome them; hence we sharpen our skills of observation when it comes to others.

But then this article also made me think this:  how many persons with facial difference or with Moebius Syndrome do you know who are RICH????

I can't think of anyone. So maybe that's powered up our observations skills, too!

"Whatever you do or dream you can do - begin it.  Boldness has genius
and power and magic in it." -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

SOME RELATIONSHIP ADVICE
From an article today on CNN.com:
"We understand you may not be 100 percent confident, that you, like us, have faults, that you're as unsure as to how to do this as we are, but do not put your insecurities on parade. It doesn't matter how manly you act. A gross lack of self-confidence telegraphs weakness -- and no girl wants a 99-pound mental weakling."


Read the whole thing.  Persons with Moebius or with other physical differences always have to be remember...you can do it.  Be confident!  Or at least pretend. :+)


FOOTBALL PICKS
I was only 7-7-1 last week.  Only .500!!  Gotta improve...


NFL


Buffalo 1 over Cleveland.  My pick:  BILLS.  They're improving...


Green Bay 7 over Detroit.  My pick:  PACKERS.  Aaron Rodgers always has a field day against Detroit.


NY Giants 3 over Minnesota.  My pick:  VIKINGS.  They're at home and still seem to have fight in them.


Pittsburgh 9 over Cincinnati.  My pick:  STEELERS.  I think the Bengals will fold.


Tampa Bay 3 over Washington.  My pick:  REDSKINS.  The 'Skins are at home and the Bucs are coming off a tough loss.


Atlanta 8 over Carolina.  My pick:  FALCONS.  They'll roll against a rookie QB.


Jacksonville 4 over Oakland.  My pick:  JAGUARS.  They're rolling and at home.


New Orleans 9 over St. Louis.  My pick:  SAINTS.  Sam Bradford struggles on the road against good teams.


San Francisco 6 over Seattle.  My pick:  49ers.  Seattle struggles on the road.


New England 3 over Chicago.  My pick:  BEARS.  I think the cold weather, and New England having a short week and a big, emotional win to boot, will help the Bears.


NY Jets 6 over Miami.  My pick:  DOLPHINS.  They're a good road team, remember.


Denver 5 over Arizona.  My pick:  BRONCOS.  The Cardinals have flown south for the winter.


San Diego 7 over Kansas City.  My pick:  CHIEFS.  The torch will be passed; the Chiefs are better than people think.


Philadelphia 4 over Dallas.  My pick:  COWBOYS.  Dallas is much improved and at home.


Baltimore 3 over Houston.  My pick:  RAVENS.  That defense is too good.

A MUSING
I was thinking about Facebook today.  To me, it's cool how so many of my Moebius friends and contacts are on there.  It's fun keeping up with them.  A real support network has grown there, and in addition it helps feed and encourage other online activities...like this and other blogs, for example, along with various websites, causes, etc.  We're able to keep up with what's going on.  When someone hurts, we can offer condolences.  When something great happens, we can all cheer.

I know the dangers of Facebook and other online media.  It can be addicting and suck up too much of your time.  You can sometimes sort of be acquainted with people, and "friend" them...and yet not really know them.  Some of your "friends" maybe are not really friends.  Such online relationships can lack depth and meaning.

And yet...and yet.  On the other hand, on Facebook, I've seen real relationships form.  I can tell that some people talk about real, serious stuff.  A couple of Moebius friends of mine have seen a real friendship blossom because of their talks on Facebook; and I think there's a real chance they'll go visit each other, hang out, and have fun.  And that wouldn't have happened without FB.  And then there's just this simple fact:  keeping up with people this way reminds us of something.  It reminds us in this case that persons with Moebius Syndrome...as we keep up with them in their daily lives...well, they have real lives.  They have jobs, they have families, they have successes, they have struggles...but they're people.  They're like everyone else.  And that's one of the big things we want people to know.  We're people--like everyone else.

Oh, we sometimes have a few more obstacles than does the average person.  And parents of Moebius children will tell you that sometimes the trips to the doctor and to the specialist etc are a lot more than what other parents have to go through.  But still--we're people, good people, and I really hope that the non-Moebius, non-facial-difference persons that see this every day or happen to read this will remember that.  And spread the word.

"The bravest thing you can do when you are not brave is to profess
courage and act accordingly." -Corra Harris

AVOID THAT HOLIDAY STRESS
Here's another way to do it:
"Get a helper's high. A recent study shows that people who were asked to perform a different kind act every day—small courtesies such as helping a neighbor shovel her walk—reported a marked increase in happiness after 10 days. Whether you do it with money or time, giving is good for you. "Helping others increases your own level of gratefulness and positive emotions," says Sheela Raja, PhD, a psychologist and stress researcher at the University of Illinois."

TODAY'S HERO
The reason why is pretty obvious:
"As Doug Powell plodded, exhausted, through the final miles of Ironman Wisconsin in September, other racers kept shouting out to him. Not the usual "You can do it" or "Keep going," but "Thanks" and "You're such an inspiration."  Powell is almost completely blind. The 60-year-old Falls Church resident did the 140.6-mile swim-bike-run in 16 hours, six minutes, tethered to a sighted racer.
"At first I was embarrassed," Powell told me the other day. But later he realized that "I've touched something in other people that they resonate with."  Think about how exhausting and mentally taxing it would be for any of us to train for such an event, and then add the obstacles Powell had to overcome. Anytime he wanted to train on the road, on a bike or in open water, he needed a sighted partner, someone willing and able to go hours at his pace. This was not infrequent; Powell logged two one-hour training sessions a day for the better part of a year, plus a long run or bike ride every Saturday.  When last winter's snowstorms hit, Powell logged an unbelievable four-hour session on his treadmill and 71/2 hours on a bicycle trainer. The commitment needed to train for the race was so great that he missed a memorial service when his wife's father passed away.  I ventured that it is impossible to come through such an experience without some sort of epiphany, and Powell, an athlete all his life, said the year "reinforced that I will do what it takes. I don't think I could have said that about myself for all of my life.  "I don't think I've changed," he added, "other than I've done something that no one can take away from me."

ARE WE A CRYBABY NATION?
On Facebook, for instance?  I don't think I agree with this article--there's nothing wrong with sharing, etc--but it is provocative and with so many of us on various online social networks, I thought you'd find it interesting:
"

Erika Oliver is just looking for a little sympathy — and she's not afraid to ask for it.

“My favorite things to complain about are low level things, like if I didn’t sleep or I have a pinched sciatic nerve so my upper back is bothering me,” says the 45-year-old from Portage, Mich. "I know what my reason is. I want a pity party. I want people to go, ‘Oh, that’s terrible.’” From raging sinus headaches to relentless insomnia to those weird toe cramps we get when we wear the wrong shoes, Americans are no longer suffering in silence about their aches and pains.   Instead, we've gone from point A to point B-I-T-C-H and become a crybaby nation, complete with Facebook updates about pulled hamstrings, minute-by-minute tweets on sore throats and runny noses and blogs devoted to everything from back pain to bad cramps.   “I never saw my dad stay home from work or my mother miss work for an illness,” says Barbara Crowley, a 57-year-old social networking guru from Dallas. “But now kids get to take personal days. What the hell is a personal day? Boomers complain more than our parents did and we’ve raised children who complain more than we do. It’s like we started the wave, like in a stadium. The boomers stood up and started the complaint wave.”

Read the whole thing.  You certainly shouldn't miss work over minor aches and pains.  And I suppose endless pity parties...not good.  But hey, sharing what's going on in our days...not a bad thing, either, even if it is a minor ache/pain.

FIND YOUR VOICE

You know, at a Moebius Syndrome conference I attended several years ago, I heard a very wise thing.  A father of a Moebius teenager wondered how he could best help his son.  And one of my fellow Moebius adults said, among other things, to help him in his teen years "find his voice."  Now that sounds very wise.  And it is.  But it's hard to define.  Later, I watched a cable show that tracked high school students from their freshman years to their senior year...to see just what teen-aged kids today think about, go through, experience.  And there was one shy girl highlighted in the show...who, by the time she was about to graduate, had really found herself.

How?  Simple.  She found what really interested her---which, in her case, was reading, writing poetry, becoming involved in plays and the arts.  That was her way to express herself and find her passion in life.  And I think that's a lot of what "finding your voice" is all about.  You just need to explore, to find what really interests you, what you really want to do.  And that's very important for young people with Moebius; but then, it's very important for everyone.  So if you're a parent of a Moebius child, if you're someone with Moebius Syndrome, remember that this is something that you really want to try to do.  And it's never too late to do it.  Explore.  Look around.  Find what really interests you.  Find what's your passion.  I was fortunate.  I discovered mine, and that turned out to be teaching history.  You'll find yours, too.  It doesn't necessarily happen immediately.  It can take time.  Don't worry if it doesn't happen right away.

Journeys sometimes take time.  But it's still worth it, to take it.  Good luck!

MOEBIUS SYNDROME IN THE NEWS
Extra, extra, read all about it...all about Moebius hero Kaity Gonzalez, that is:

"Shortly before Thanksgiving, Kaity Gonzalez was beaming about her passing her driving test.

Like any 17-year-old, the Lehman Township resident is proud of her independence and of having perhaps the loudest voice on the junior varsity cheerleading team at East Stroudsburg High School-North. And she looks forward to next fall when she begins her studies at the University of New Haven as a double-major in law and in forensic science. She's taking an introduction to forensic science class at her high school this spring.

Like many teens, Kaity is in perpetual motion and seems to constantly come across somebody who knows her. The reason is clear: She does a lot of things.  Kaity is president of the National Honor Society as the No. 15-ranked student in her class of 290 and the society will be handing out presents at the Salvation Army to children in the middle of the month. Around that time, she'll also be singing on the school choir in a holiday recital.  She says she volunteers on 26 activities, including Students Against Drunk Driving, the Yearbook Club, the Faith Club and the Key/Leo Club which has been making bracelets for children hospitalized with cancer. She speaks proudly of making All-American Cheerleader selection at Bryn Mawr Camp in Honesdale in August.  Kaity will be at Bushkill Firehouse on Saturday afternoon to help with a benefit pasta dinner for firefighter T.J Prince, who is fighting ovarian cancer.  "Some days I'll go to one meeting after school for a half hour and then go to another," Kaity said. "Sometimes I don't get home until 10 o'clock at night."

But Kaity is not complaining. She never does, which makes it all the more amazing because her lifestyle revolves around a wheelchair.  She was born with moebius syndrome, an obscure and extremely rare neurological affliction which weakens the muscles and some nerves, leaving victims partially paralyzed. It usually affects the upper body the most, although sufferers often get club feet."

Three cheers for Kaity!!

"I always raised her to be strong," said her mom. "When I see her
doing something and wanting to do something, I see it in her eyes. She
never takes no for an answer."........"That's my message to the kids out there: Don't take no for an answer.
Always believe in what you can do and don't let anything stop you,"
Kaity said.

FRIDAY FOOTBALL PICKS
Last week I went 11-7 or thereabout...let's try to do better!

NFL PICKS

New Orleans 7 over Cincinnati.  My pick:  SAINTS.  Two teams going in opposite directions...

Chicago 4 over Detroit.  My pick:  BEARS.  The Lions are at home, but...due to injury, they have to start their 3rd string QB, Drew Stanton.  Not a good thing when playing the Bears.

Green Bay 10 over San Francisco.  My pick:  49ers.  Not to win; the Pack will win this game.  But the Niners are playing a bit better, and I see 10 points as just too much for this still-banged-up Packer team to cover.

Tennessee 4 over Jacksonville.  My pick:  JAGUARS.  Jacksonville has been playing some decent football behind David Garrard.  With the Titans' unsettled QB situation, the Jags sure seem in good position to steal this one.

Kansas City 9 over Denver.  My pick:  CHIEFS.  KC put up 42 points the other week; they could do something similar here at home against Denver's porous defense.

Miami 5 over Cleveland.  My pick:  DOLPHINS.  Look for Chad Henne, at home, to build on his solid performance from last week.

Minnesota 6 over Buffalo.  My pick:  VIKINGS.  It appears, based on last week, that the Vikes and Brett Favre still have some fight left in them.

NY Giants 7 over Washington.  My pick:  GIANTS.  I suspect the G-men have righted the ship.

San Diego 13 over Oakland.  My pick:  RAIDERS.  I think the Bolts will win this one, but 13 points seems too many given the Chargers' still-inconsistent level of play over this entire year.

Indianapolis 6 over Dallas.  My pick:  COLTS.  Yes, Indy looked horrible last week.  But I think they have too much character and too many winning players to pull another stinker at home.

St. Louis 4 over Arizona.  My pick:  RAMS.  Again, two teams really going in opposite directions--the Rams improving, the Cards it appears imploding.

Seattle 6 over Carolina.  My pick:  SEAHAWKS.  They play better at home.

Atlanta 3 over Tampa Bay.  My pick:  FALCONS.  This will be a tough battle; Tampa Bay has proven it's much improved this season.  But I think Atlanta has just a bit more oomph--the win last week over Green Bay was a big one for them.

Baltimore 3 over Pittsburgh.  My pick:  RAVENS.  Two very good, tough teams--I think the Ravens' home field advantage will give them the edge here.

New England 4 over NY Jets.  My pick:  JETS.  The Patriots have some holes, especially on defense...and I think the Jets will come in with a lot to prove, and will be able to run the ball.

In other news...

HOW TO BEAT HOLIDAY STRESS
Believe it or not, eating certain things can help:
"Enjoy a candy cane. Studies show that just the menthol smell alone will pep you up to enjoy the holiday festivities. It's also yummy for your tummy, helping to calm an upset stomach."

WINTER COMFORT FOODS FOR YOUR HEALTH
Some aren't quite what you'd think--while others are quite familiar and comforting:
"Oh, the weather outside is frightful—but what you put in your mouth shouldn't be. Especially since research shows that what you eat during the winter months can help you survive some of Mother Nature's cruelest whims. It turns out that the real comfort food when the thermometer dips isn't hot toddies, Mallomars, or mac and cheese, but nutritious options—like soup, salmon, and lots and lots of water—that trick your body into thinking it's July. Whether you're dealing with dry skin or bad moods, we've got five successful winter-eating strategies to leave you feeling your best and stay healthy—even when the weather is at its worst....

OATMEAL:  When the days get shorter, so does your brain's supply of the feel-good chemical serotonin, says Judith Wurtman, Ph.D., visiting scientist at MIT and author of The Serotonin Power Diet (Rodale, January 2007). "That blah feeling we get in the winter is related to a lack of serotonin, which is linked to lack of sunlight," she says.   Since serotonin can be found in food, you might think you can just eat your way to happiness by munching on chow high in the stuff. Unfortunately, it's not that easy; your brain needs to manufacture its own serotonin for you to get that euphoric effect. Eating the right foods in the right amounts will cause that chemical chain reaction in your body. "As winter progresses and your moods get frailer, if you eat carbs in a calorie-controlled way, your brain can restore its serotonin to what it was in the summer," Wurtman says.   She recommends eating a carb-based, 150- to 200 calorie, low-fat snack in the late afternoon (when moods tend to be at their lowest). Make it something with substance—try a satisfying instant oatmeal like Quaker Oats Oatmeal Crunch. A small sweet potato, whole-grain toast, an English muffin with a bit of jam, or a snack-size bag of pretzels are other healthy carbohydrate sources. Large amounts of protein can interfere with serotonin production, so avoid eating protein-heavy foods for a couple of hours before your carb-rich snack."

Read the whole thing...

AHH, THAT SMELL

Meanwhile, this next story doesn't necessarily have any health or Moebius Syndrome-related significance; I just thought it was cute and brought back fond memories of my younger days.  What does it have to do with smell?  Read on:

"Before many of you were born, or moved east, the Eastern Seaboard would disappear at this time of year.

It was probably unhealthful. It was smoke from burning leaves. The motorized leaf-catcher was unknown. Raking leaves was a family affair, enjoyed by some, despised by many, but a necessity. If, after all, a summer of green canopies was to be enjoyed, there was a price.  From the air, the eastern limits of the United States began somewhere along the borders of the Midwestern States. Eastward was a light haze....One nearly longs for those days when the eastern seaboard disappeared in a smoky haze. The sign was unmistakable: it was Fall."

Nor was this only the case on the eastern seaboard.  You'd always catch the smell of burning leaves back when I was in elementary school, growing up in western Michigan.  Indeed, I suppose all that smoke wasn't good for you.  But...I kind of liked the smell.  And it was indeed part of the rite of passage, that autumn was here, with falling leaves, crisp temperatures, and football.  It was kind of neat...

"Success in life depends upon staying power. The reason for failure
in most cases is lack of perseverance. Men get tired and give up."
-J.R. Miller

BERRY GOOD FOR YOU
New research suggests that eating berries can have good health benefits:
"Some of that is just hype, of course. Juice from the acai berry, for example, might be high in antioxidants, but there's little evidence it has the special weight-loss or other powers that are often touted in Internet ads.
Still, growing research does suggest that in addition to providing vitamins and minerals, berries contain a variety of other phytonutrients, or plant-based chemicals, that might keep us healthy in a number of ways.....
Memory. Blueberries and strawberries contain polyphenols, substances that might reduce inflammation in blood vessels in the brain. And a recent study found that a glass of blueberry juice with each meal every day for three months improved the memory of nine people who were experiencing mild memory loss. An unpublished study of 3,774 people in Chicago linked the regular consumption of strawberries to a slightly slower rate of cognitive decline in women as they got older."

Read the whole thing for a lot more info on how berries help you, plus how to choose and store them.

HEY, GOOD LOOKIN'???
Here are results from an interesting study, reported on in today's NY Times--do good looks give you a big leg up in the job interview process?  Not necessarily:
"How much do looks matter during a job search? A new study suggests that while handsome men do better while looking for work, good looks can end up hurting a woman’s chances of scoring a job interview.
The study, conducted by economists at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel, sent 5,312 résumés to more than 2,600 employers who had advertised job openings. Two applications were sent to employers, each with virtually identical résumés. The only real difference was that one of the résumés included a photograph of the applicant. Sometimes the applicant was an attractive man or woman, and sometimes the photo showed a more plain-looking man or woman...Over all, employers sought interviews with 14.5 percent of the job candidates. Notably, 19.9 percent of the male candidates who sent attractive pictures were called in for interviews, compared to 13.7 percent of the men with “plain” photos. Only 9.2 percent of the men who didn’t send a picture were called to interview....But the apparent bias in favor of job candidates with photos didn’t hold true for women. Women who didn’t send photos had a 16.6 percent callback rate, the highest response rate from prospective employers. Résumés accompanied by a photo of a “plain” woman received callback responses 13.6 percent of the time, compared with 12.8 for those accompanied by photos of attractive women."

Now there are lots of things going on in these studies, and many different things persons with Moebius Syndrome or other facial differences can learn.  And not all of them are positive things.  But from this story, one thing I take away is this:  "looks" are most certainly not always decisive in who gets hired for jobs.  Far from it.  And we should all remember that.

"Nothing diminishes anxiety faster than action." -Walter Anderson

THE RELATIONSHIP FRONT
Have you ever been stood up?  Lord knows there are those of us with facial differences/Moebius Syndrome who have some kind of experience similar to that.  An article I found today has some good advice, should it happen to you:
"Nobody likes to get stood up! But it does happen. And if you date long enough, it's bound to happen. It's so embarrassing.   You get left at a restaurant, the dude never shows, the man of your dreams just doesn't call. No matter what the situation is, here are the five stages of dealing with a dating no-show. 
1. Acceptance. He's not in the hospital. His mother did not suddenly fall gravely ill. He did not lose his crackberry and has no way of contacting you. He. Stood. You. Up. ....Do not call the local hospitals. Do not call him. Do not call your mother. You have been stood up. Accept it. Then you can move on."

The piece goes on to say:

"It's tempting to want to figure out why this happened. Are you a dog? Is he a dog? Are all people dogs? Is he emotionally stunted? Did you say something wrong?   Who cares? It doesn't matter why it happened, and there's only one lesson to be learned: Standing someone up is a lame move. Be glad he spared you the rest."

Precisely.  And remember, this piece wasn't directed at persons with Moebius.  It was directed at a general audience.  This happens to everybody.  Don't let temporary setbacks get you down.  Read the whole piece, it's interesting...

"It does not pay to scold. I believe you can get people to do anything
(if you can get them to do it at all) by loving them into doing it."-George Albert Smith

MOEBIUS BENEFITS
Natalie Abbott makes an interesting point today in her blog:
"...one of what I think is one of the benefits of being born with a medical condition is that kind of by default I know a lot of stuff that not many other people have cared about or needed to know.  I know a heck of a lot about cranial nerves and what they do (and since most people look at you like you're from outer space when you mention cranial nerves, that's a big one!), a bit about genetics, lots about speech and occupational therapy, and miscellaneous things about other conditions and medical issues that I don't myself face but that I know from my involvement with the Moebius community.  And I like having this information.  I think it makes me more self-aware and a better advocate for my own medical needs."

Sure--as Natalie wrote, knowledge is power.  And it does make us more aware.  We know that there are obstacles in life--but that you can overcome them.  We know that there is racial prejudice and ethnic prejudices out there, against which we must struggle.  But we also are aware of the fact that there are other prejudices, too--prejudices against those with facial and physical differences.  And we know we can overcome those, too.

JANET JACKSON WITH WORDS OF WISDOM
She has an autobiography coming out, and so is doing some promotional interviews and such...but she says she wants to send a message to young women, and it's a message that we in the Moebius/facial difference community can agree with as well, I think:
"It starts with knowing who you are and loving yourself, not looking at this person and that person and saying, "They look perfect, and they're a lot thinner than me." Every body type is different -- that's what makes you unique. What makes you special is you, and you are different from the next person.  And that really begins at home. Peer pressure is very tough. I have a niece who comes home from elementary school, and she's like, "I've got to go work out!" And I'm thinking, Are you serious? She's doing push-ups and sit-ups, and it's crazy. So be a kid as long as you can."

Amen.  

"Enthusiasm is the genius of sincerity, and truth accomplishes no
victories without it.". -Edward Bulwer-Lytton

Let's first of all go right to some football picks.
I was 11-7 last week--not bad!
COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Auburn at Alabama.  My pick:  CRIMSON TIDE.  They're at home; and 'Bama, despite a couple of close losses, has both a solid defense and offense, and I think that offense will drive the ball against a suspect Auburn defense and keep Cam Newton off the field.

LSU at Arkansas.  My pick:  RAZORBACKS.  LSU's defense has given up a lot of points.  Arkansas can score a lot of points, with Ryan Mallett at QB.  This time it'll cost the Bengal Tigers.

Michigan State at Penn State.  My pick:  SPARTANS.  I'm going out on a limb here; but I think that comeback win last week over Purdue may have just given Sparty the momentum needed to get a big win on the road.

NFL PICKS

New England 7 over Detroit.  My pick:  PATRIOTS.  Because Tom Brady is way better than Shaun Hill.

New Orleans 4 over Dallas.  My pick:  SAINTS.  Because Drew Brees is way better than Jon Kitna, along with that suspect Dallas secondary.

NY Jets 9 over Cincinnati.  My pick:  JETS.  Because the Jets have a lot to play for, while one suspects the Bengals will start to mail it in--witness the collapse last week vs Buffalo.

Atlanta 2 over Green Bay.  My pick:  FALCONS.  Atlanta, its run game, and Matt Ryan continue to improve and mature.

Pittsburgh 7 over Buffalo.  My pick:  STEELERS.  Buffalo and Ryan Fitzpatrick are improving...but the Steelers will undoubtedly teach the young QB a few lessons here.

Carolina at Cleveland--even.  My pick:  BROWNS.  They've proven to me over the past several weeks that they're a better team.

NY Giants 8 over Jacksonville.  My pick:  JAGUARS.  The Giants will win.  But they tend to play down to the level of their competition, and the Jags can score.

Washington 2 over Minnesota.  My pick:  REDSKINS.  Probably the Vikings have more talent; but they're a fractured, dispirited team, on the road, and the "Skins have a lot to play for and still have some fight left in them.

Tennessee at Houston--even.  My pick:  TEXANS.  Because Matt Schaub is a much better QB than whoever it is Jeff Fisher is apparently playing this week.

Miami at Oakland--even.  My pick:  DOLPHINS.  Just a hunch--I think they'll make one fewer mistake.

Kansas City 1 over Seattle.  My pick:  CHIEFS.  I just think the Chiefs have progressed a lot this year, and have very good team speed.

Philadelphia 4 over Chicago.  My pick:  EAGLES.  Too much team speed and Michael Vick.

Denver 4 over St. Louis.  My pick:  BRONCOS.  The Rams aren't the same team on the road.

Baltimore 8 over Tampa Bay.  My pick:  RAVENS.  Ray Lewis and the rest of the Ravens' D will teach Josh Freeman some lessons.

Indianapolis 3 over San Diego.  My pick:  COLTS.  Something magically good happens to the Colts when they play at home.

San Francisco 1 over Arizona.  My pick:  49ERS.  Somehow, this time, their defense will create a turnover and generate a win.

In other news...

WHY THANKSGIVING IS SO COOL
Whatever your political persuasion, I think all can agree this guy has a good point:
"When I was a child, Christmas was by far my favorite holiday, for all kinds of reasons — the presents, the tree, almost every house in the neighborhood suddenly strung with lights. Now, seeing the holiday season from the other side of the parenting coin, Thanksgiving seems like Christmas stripped down to the latter’s most essential and enjoyable parts — good food, a quick prayer, and family too long unseen around a table — and missing the parts of our overly commercialized Christmas that I can easily do without: the challenge of finding the right gift, the crush of shoppers, strings of lights emerging from the closet in a Gordian knot, and one too many choruses of “Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer"....the four-day weekend and its traditions are a soothing reminder that....some parts of American life are gloriously impervious to change. The best parts of life are timeless, and beyond the reach even of the rapacious hand of the most ambitious politician."

EXERCISE NEWS
I have no doubt this is true:
"Walkers who squeeze a bit of light weight training into their workout get more bang for their buck in terms of being fit and trim without increasing their total workout time, according to a new study of sedentary people with type 2 diabetes.  What's more, those who mixed up their workouts showed the greatest improvement in blood sugar control after nine months, says Timothy S. Church, MD, Ph.D., of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, who led the study"

I seem to be seeing lots of walkers out there with weights these days...

JOBS: PERSISTENCE AND FLEXIBILITY
Many of us with Moebius Syndrome and facial differences know how tough it can be out there in the working world.  You want a job; you want a promotion; you want a new position.  But given how we look and who we are, it can be tough to get by the at-times innate (or unconscious) prejudices out there held by employers and others.  But you can triumph in the end--it just takes persistence--and a willingness to be flexible, as this story today emphasizes:
"While we can all recite quotes about how persistence is the key to success --"If at first you don't succeed ... ", "Nothing good comes easy" -- they're easier said than acted upon when we feel instead like we're "banging our head against a wall" or "beating a dead horse."  The fact is many workers and job seekers struggle with persistence nowadays. It can be hard to keep going when your job search proves fruitless after months of hard work, you still haven't gotten that promotion you were hoping for or it seems like your "big break" is always just out of arms' reach. With so much time and energy put it our efforts to persist, doing so to no avail can cause us to wonder if our persistence will ever pay off....According to Caroline Ceniza-Levine, co-founder of SixFigureStart, persistence does pay off, so long as we remember one thing about our path to achieving our goals: There is a difference between smart persistence and blind persistence.
"Persistence to a goal pays off as long as you can be flexible on how you get there," Ceniza-Levine says. "If your job search isn't yielding offers, then whatever you are doing is not working. You may have the right role and companies in mind but your marketing, your interview technique, your networking approach, or something else about how you are presenting yourself to these prospects is off. Or the prospects themselves may be wrong for you."

Read the whole thing...

"He always looked like a man determined to put his head through a brick wall...and was about to do it."--an observer on General Ulysses S. Grant.

DON'T JUST SIT THERE
Especially if you're at work:
"Are you sitting at your desk right now? If you are, get up!  Too much sitting during your workday can hamper your productivity, and it can also send you to an early grave.  The American Cancer Society this year reported that men and women who sat six hours or more a day were likely to die younger, and that was the case even if they were physically active. The risk for women was even higher.  “There are clear-cut health benefits of not sitting all day,” said Alpa Patel, the main researcher on the study. It may also help concentration and productivity, she added."...An obvious solution to the problem, and one advocated by Patel, is providing workers with  adjustable desks and allowing them to stand or sit throughout the day. That solution, however, is a hard sell in a tough economy when companies aren’t spending as much and employees feel lucky to have desks at all.  “Anything that’s height-adjustable is usually more expensive,” said Jonathan Webb, a vice president with KI, a furniture company that makes adjustable desks costing upwards of $1,000 each. He said the company has seen a 10 to 15 percent dropoff in sales of adjustable desks during the economic downturn.  “We have to educate our clients on what the payback is on purchasing a height-adjustable vs. a stagnant table,” he said. “They can translate into higher employee retention and increased productivity, and in this economy employers are looking to do more with less.”

Many of us with Moebius Syndrome can have leg pains, back pain, general pain, etc.  Sitting for a long time can aggravate that kind of thing...and not be so good for you.  So don't hesitate to seek chances to stand up and move around at work.  I'm lucky, in a way--I teach, so every class gives me a chance to stand up and move.

"The growth of the human mind is still high adventure, in many ways,
the highest adventure on earth." -Norman Cousins

A TRIP DOWN BLOG LANE
Though really this is a trip you need not make.  A writer called "The General Blogger" mentioned Moebius Syndrome on his blog the other day, putting it in a list of "strange" diseases and really "weird" phenomena.  His take on it:
"Simply put, Moebius Syndrome[1] is a condition that causes facial paralysis. It forms at birth and is also thought to be some sort of genetic disorder. Existent in only 2 to 30 people out of every 1 million, Moebius Syndrome affects the person’s ability to follow objects with his or her eyes, and show facial expressions. People with this disorder are also unable to close their eyes and are normally cross eyed.
People with this disease can live a normal life with no major medical issues caused by this disease. However, they will most likely have social issues since they can’t show emotion through their facial expression. It cold also be said that they’re limited in the occupations that they choose as customer service opportunities wouldn’t be a good fit as the public could mistake their intentions and feel that they are disinterested."

Hmmm.  Well, he's right that Moebius is rare.  Otherwise, he's right about little else.  It's simply not true that our lack of being able to show emotion must lead to "social issues."  Nor is it true that we're limited in our choice of jobs, or that customer service jobs are off-limits.  I held a customer-service job for over 2 years back in my college days.  Others with Moebius Syndrome are librarians, teachers, photographers, and nurses.  The General Blogger might want to do some more research next time...

Okay, on to...
FOOTBALL FRIDAY PICKS!
I was only 6-9 last week.  Time to really pick it up...

COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Nebraska at Texas A&M.  My pick:  AGGIES.  Ryan Tannahill as Aggie QB makes all the difference.

Ohio State at Iowa.  My pick:  HAWKEYES.  Iowa will come out strong at home, looking to shake off the frustration of last week's upset loss (note that the Hawkeyes did just this kind of thing at home against Michigan State).

Utah at San Diego State.  My pick:  AZTECS.  San Diego State is a good football team--see the tough game they gave TCU.

NFL PICKS:

Cincinnati 6 over Buffalo.  My pick:  BILLS.  Buffalo is on its way up; Cincy lacks focus.

Dallas 7 over Detroit.  My pick:  COWBOYS.  The 'Boys seem to have new life, the Lions are a terrible road team.

Tennessee 7 over Washington.  My pick: TITANS.  Washington's defense is playing horribly; the Titans will run the ball effectively at home.

Kansas City 8 over Arizona.  My pick:  CHIEFS.  They're at home, Arizona is not a good road team, and there remains trouble at QB for AZ.

Green Bay 3 over Minnesota.  My pick:  PACKERS.  The Vikings are aging and fractured in the locker room; Green Bay knows this is a knockout game, and they won't miss the chance.

NY Jets 7 over Houston.  My pick: TEXANS.  The Jets will win this game, but it will (again) be close; the Jets are good, but they don't dominate and this Texans' offense can still score.

Pittsburgh 7 over Oakland.  My pick: STEELERS.  I just don't see the Raiders going all this way east and doing well against an angry Steelers team.

Baltimore 10 over Carolina.  My pick:  RAVENS.  Carolina will have to have their 3rd different starting QB of the year this week; not a good combination when the Ravens come to town.

Jacksonville 2 over Cleveland.  My pick:  BROWNS.  Cleveland, in their performances against the Patriots and Jets and others, have shown us--they're a tough football team.

Atlanta 3 over St. Louis.  My pick:  FALCONS.  Too much talent, defense, and consistency, though the Rams are improving.

New Orleans 12 over Seattle.  My pick:  SEAHAWKS.  Not to win; but to keep it close--Matt Hasselbeck will start at QB and I suspect the Saints may lack a little focus.

San Francisco 3 over Tampa Bay.  My pick:  BUCCANEERS.  Josh Freeman has sold me--this Buc team can get it done, and he knows how to get it done.

New England 4 over Indianapolis.  My pick:  PATRIOTS.  This game is in New England, the Colts just have too many guys hurt.

Philadelphia 4 over NY Giants.  My pick:  GIANTS.  I predict the Giants will come back strong after their poor performance of last week; they've done it before (remember their sack-fest against the Bears).

San Diego 10 over Denver.  My pick:  BRONCOS.  Not to win; but to keep it close...look for Kyle Orton and the Broncos offense to accomplish this by building off their offensive explosion last week.  But the 'Bolts will wind up winning the game late.

FACEBOOK: A SLICE OF HEAVEN?
Some think so, though they don't mean it literally:
"Facebook's enormous membership makes it a more likely spot than any other place on the English-language Web to connect with a multitude of family members, friends, former co-workers, old classmates and anyone else you haven't seen in the flesh for decades.  It wasn't until the May series finale "Lost," however, that I made another connection -- that this idea of people coming into your life and never going away is a lot like what many people believe the afterlife is like....Could it be that Facebook, the digital Tower of Babel built by a cocky Harvard student, is -- to paraphrase singer Belinda Carlisle -- sort of like what would happen if heaven were a place on earth?  The thought led me to a theological search for the spirituality of Facebook connections. Amid the recent flood of political rants, children's Halloween photos and YouTube videos, many of us have seen status updates from friends offering Bible passages, spiritual quotes or information on upcoming religious services.....I found a lot of theologians struggling to figure out whether mobile phones, social networks and text-messaging harm their religions or help reinvent them in positive ways.
There's even debate on whether being so constantly connected to so many people is good or bad, spiritually speaking.  Bruce Epperly, a theology professor, author and co-pastor in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, wrote a thoughtful piece about so-called "Facebook theology," likening the "intricate web of relationships" in our lives to our online social network. He acknowledged that even the lowly, short-form status update can carry a profound holiness.  "It might surprise my high school friends to discover that I often pray for them as I read their posts," Epperly writes. "I believe that Facebook can be an altar on the Internet and a place of spiritual awakening."

So many of us are on Facebook.  We should think more about what it all means.  I certainly hope that the connections so many people make there are meaningful...

MEDITATING ON MEDITATION
Actually, no need to meditate on it for too long--it appears to be pretty well proven that it's good for you:
"Meditation is a known painkiller, easing people's pain perception even after brief sessions. Now a study reveals why: Meditation changes the way the brain processes pain signals.  In a study presented Nov. 16 in San Diego at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, researchers reported that practicing a mindful awareness of the body and consciousness for just four days affects pain responses in the brain.

Brain activity decreases in areas devoted to the painful body part and in areas responsible for relaying sensory information. Meanwhile, regions that modulate pain get busy, and volunteers report that pain is less intense and less unpleasant.  Earlier studies suggested meditation reduces anxiety, promotes relaxation and helps people regulate their emotions, said study author Fadel Zeidan, a post-doctoral researcher at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Also, meditation may reduce pain by essentially making the physical sensations less distressing. "It's really all about the context of the situation, of the environment," Zeidan told LiveScience. "Meditation seems to have an overarching sense of attenuating that type of response."

And we with Moebius can use all the help for our brain that we can get...

"Success is achieved and maintained by those who try, and keep trying,
for there is nothing to lose by trying and a great deal to gain if
successful. By all means TRY! Do it NOW!!!"  -W. Clement Stone

AND YET ANOTHER REASON TO EXERCISE
It makes you a better leader:
"Want a business reason to turn off the computer, leave the office and hit the gym? How about news that regular exercise could make you a better leader?  A study from the Center for Creative Leadership found that executives who exercise are significantly more effective leaders than those who don't.  Using data from CEOs and other top executives collected over a span of 10 years, we compared two groups: those who were regular exercisers and those who were non-exercisers or sporadic exercisers. We cross-referenced the exercise status with "360-degree" assessment tools in which the individual executive is rated by colleagues on various leadership attributes.  We found that the exercisers rated significantly higher than their non-exercising peers on overall leadership effectiveness. They also scored higher on specific traits including: inspiring commitment, credibility, leading others, leading by example, energy, resilience and calmness"

And make no mistake, those of us with Moebius Syndrome CAN be leaders.  Yes, we look different.  Yes, it can be hard to overcome the shyness that naturally comes from that.  But the truth is that once people get used to you, they forget that you look different.  They will accept you as you.  And they can and will respond to your talents and thoughts.  I've seen it.  Believe it...

"Confidence imparts a wonderful inspiration to its possessor."
-John Milton

MOEBIUS SYNDROME IN HISTORY
Did you know that the first use of a voice synthesizer for phone calls involved someone with Moebius Syndrome?  It's true:
"The Artificial Language Laboratory is celebrating the 35th anniversary of the first use of a speech prosthesis in history: the use by a man with a communication disorder to order a pizza over the telephone using a voice synthesizer. This high-tech sociolinguistic experiment was conducted at the Lab on the evening of December 4, 1974. Donald Sherman, who has Moebius Syndrome and had never ordered a pizza over the phone before, used a system designed by John Eulenberg and JJ Jackson incorporating a Votrax voice synthesizer, a product of the Federal Screw Works Co. of Troy, Michigan. The event was covered at the time by the local East Lansing cable news reporter and by a reporter from the State News."

WHAT DOES YOUR E-MAIL ADDY SAY?
About you, that is.  I use gmail---let's see:
"What doesn't Google do?  The search giant/e-mail provider/phone system and map maker vies with Facebook for "king of the internet" honors. And its e-mail system, with 193 million users, is one of the reasons.  Gmail, its supporters point out, is free, boasts tons of storage, has a strong chat feature and acts as a portal to many of Google's other services.  The Oatmeal says a Gmail user "most likely knows their way around a computer" and "when the internet stops working, actually tries rebooting the router before calling a family member for help."  Only one problem, really.  "Too bad it will probably gain free will some day and kill us all," Ehrlich said."

And what if we all wind up switching to Facebook????

OH, THOSE TODDLERS
They know more than you think:
"Understanding another’s intent is an important skill for lawyers, and perhaps politicians and businessmen as well, but according to a new study, it is an ability that even toddlers have.   Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany report that children as young as 3 are less likely to help a person after they have seen them harm someone else — in this case adult actors tearing up or breaking another adult’s drawing or clay bird.   More intriguing is that the toddlers judged a person’s intention. When one person tried to harm someone else but did not succeed, the youngsters were less likely to help that person at a later time.   But when they observed a person accidentally cause harm to another, they were more willing to help that person.   “It had been thought for a long time that it was at a later age, only around age 5 or 6, that children become conscious of other people’s intentions,” said Amrisha Vaish, one of the study’s authors and a developmental psychologist at the Max Planck Institute. “To help those who help others is actually a very sophisticated ability.”

Sort of reminds one of Moebius Syndrome, doesn't it?  Many may assume toddlers can't judge others.  Just as they assume that those with Moebius, because of our lack of facial expression, have a hard time with social interaction and with understanding others.  But it's dangerous to assume...

BEWARE OF BEING SAD
Feeling a bit down lately?  Might have to do with the time of year:
"The weather is getting gray and cold, and that summer sense of excitement has melted away. It's dim dark in the morning when you get up and dark in the evening when you come home. And it's all making you feel downright blah, maybe even teetering on depressed.   Sounds like the wintertime blues.

"It doesn't necessarily mean you're sad or down, you're just lacking in the push that all people need to get through the day," said Norman Rosenthal, a Maryland psychiatrist who studies seasonal conditions such as the winter blues. In the mid-1980s, Rosenthal and his colleagues at the National Institute of Mental Health coined the term "seasonal affective disorder," or SAD, for an extreme form of the wintertime blues.

About 20 percent of Americans start to feel down as the days get noticeably shorter, Rosenthal said. Some people start feeling their mood change as early as July, when daylight begins to grow shorter after the summer solstice on June 21. Most, however, first notice the change after they move their clocks back into standard time, which this year occurred on Nov. 7 . It's a little lighter in the early morning for a few weeks until the days shorten even more, but it's nearly nighttime for the post-work commute home.   Psychiatrists and chronobiologists - scientists who study organisms' internal rhythms - say exposure to light, morning light in particular, is what makes the difference to mood.....Regardless of location and for reasons that are unclear, women are three times as likely as men to develop the seasonal symptoms, says Rosenthal."

So know you're not alone.  Now, what can one do about this?
"With several months ahead of short days and long nights, what can you do about the winter blues?
Experts say the best place to start is by exercising and limiting your carbohydrate and sugar intake. Although people may crave serotonin-boosting carbohydrates, bingeing on high-caloric foods will lead to the winter weight gain common to blues and SAD sufferers. The added pounds often take a toll on people's self-image and self-esteem.   Brighten your environment: Add extra lights to rooms, and open your blinds. Take a walk in the sun at lunchtime. If you have the resources, take a winter vacation somewhere tropical."

There's other things you can do, too.  Take the initiative.  Feel better!  Don't be, er, SAD...