MOEBIUS MEMORY
So I remember that, in junior high school, there was this one guy who used to pick on me.  He made fun of me in general (especially of my speech), pushed me, shoved me...anything to get my goat.  And I guess what I regret is that I never really stood up to him in the way I could have; maybe, for example, I needed to challenge him to a fight, and, had he wanted to fight...actually done it.

I suppose I might have gotten in trouble for fighting, blah blah blah.  But sometimes, don't you have to stand up for yourself?  Might it not have gained me some respect, from others, at least...and maybe even from him?  I dunno for sure.  But I don't think bullies...and that's what the middle-schoolish vicious teasers, pushers, and shovers are, bullies--are used to, or like, having others stand up to them. 

At the same time,  every situation and every person is different, so risking a big confrontation isn't for everyone, nor is it suited to every situation.  But I do believe we have to be willing to stand up for ourselves.  Just some memories and thoughts that have floated through my mind occasionally...

"From interactions with children I began to understand that my appearance can stir four levels of fear in people who first encounter me...One is at the level of protocol, of social niceties.  How should I behave with this person who looks so different?  Am I going to do something wrong or offensive?...Second is the fear of contagion, that there is a disease to be transmitted....Third, there is a fear of violence, a fear engendered by all of the movies and fairy tales portraying the facially disfigured carrying chainsaws as casually as normal people have cell phones.  This is the source of children fearing us as monsters....The fourth fear, the root fear, is the fear inside, that they are disfigured in some way externally or internally, in some way unacceptable and unloveable to family, village, species, perhaps even to God....I trigger that fear, and at a spiritual level it's also a fear of an uncaring God who is capable of creating people who are so deeply flawed that they are not in God's image and hence irredeemable.  And that's what I symbolize...And that is what pity covers up."---David Roche, THE CHURCH OF 80% SINCERITY.

KEEP EXERCISING
It will help you sleep better, even if we're not sure why:
"Sleepless and sedentary? Instead of counting sheep in a field, try running through a meadow.
Experts agree that an aerobic exercise routine

during the day can keep you from tossing and turning at night, even if they're not sure why.  "The bottom line is we really don't know why people tell us that exercise helps them sleep," said Dr. David Davila of the National Sleep Foundation.  "But if people are normally active, reaching their aerobic goals, chances are they will sleep the right amount for what they need."  Davila, who practices sleep medicine in Little Rock, Arkansas, said the low-grade sleep deprivation suffered by many time-pressed, under-rested Americans has a cumulative effect.  "People have more car accidents and what they call 'presentee-ism', or poor performance, at work," he said. "There are fallouts for the average person."
But evidence is emerging that aerobic exercise can offer relief from insomnia.  A recent study at Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois tracked 23 previously sedentary adults, primarily women 55 and older, who had difficulty falling or staying asleep.  After 16 weeks on an aerobics training program that included exercising on a treadmill or stationery bicycle, average sleep quality improved."

MOEBIUS NEWS
Another child with Moebius in South Africa has received the smile surgery:
"For the South African team of doctors it was a breakthrough. For nine-year-old Severiano du Preez, it means he will have a smile. Severiano is at least the third South African child to undergo the operation that allows children with moebius syndrome, which causes facial paralysis, to smile; this is a first as the team is all South African.  Wits University professor of plastic surgery George Psaras, who performed the 12 hour surgery, was assisted by the dedicated team consisting of Dr Joost Blok, Dr Craig Schaw and Dr Gabriel Doucas, claims that Severiano would have to wait about two more months before he would be able to put his new smile to use."

For today's quote, here's a paraphrase of something I came across the other day:  You don't need others to fail...in order for you to succeed and find happiness.

GOT STRESS?
Many of us with Moebius Syndrome, or parents who have children with it or other facial differences, face stress; not only do we have physical differences to deal with, but we have all the stress that comes with just doing and dealing with the normal things that life brings.  And some of us have faced major stress in our lives.  If so, there are ways to deal with it.  For example:
"Build mental armor with meditation Mindfulness meditation works wonders to boost stress resilience, say experts from the University of Pennsylvania who are using the practice with military personnel. "We teach them to focus on the present moment instead of catastrophizing about the future," says Jha. After 8 weeks of meditation training, Marines became less reactive to stressors — plus they were more alert and exhibited better memory.

For the rest of us:   Take short mindfulness breaks
"Even I get too busy to meditate," says Jha. "Then I remember the Marines in the study calling my colleague while they were deployed to ask for mindfulness pointers, and I think, If they can do it in a war zone, I can do it in my office!"   Try this technique Marines use anywhere: Sit upright, focus on your breath and pay attention to a physical sensation, such as the feel of air in your nostrils. When your mind wanders, notice the disruption, then return your attention to that simple sensation. Jha herself now meditates 5 to 10 minutes at a time, several times a day."

I especially liked this one:

"Break from the gym and try something outdoorsy, like hiking or a simple walk. Even 5 minutes outside — especially if spent near water, like a fountain or stream — is enough for a mental boost, found a 2010 study from the University of Essex in England."

And if you're anxious to try a DIFFERENT kind of exercise, the NY Times reports today that there's no reason NOT to try...tai chi:

"The graceful, dancelike progression of meditative poses called tai chi originated in ancient China as a martial art, but the exercise is best known in modern times as a route to reduced stress and enhanced health. After reviewing existing scientific evidence for its potential health benefits, I’ve concluded that the proper question to ask yourself may not be why you should practice tai chi, but why not.   It is a low-impact activity suitable for people of all ages and most states of health, even those who “hate” exercise or have long been sedentary. It is a gentle, calming exercise — some call it meditation in motion — that involves deep breathing but no sweat or breathlessness.   It places minimal stress on joints and muscles and thus is far less likely than other forms of exercise to cause muscle soreness or injury. It requires no special equipment or clothing and can be practiced almost anywhere at any time, alone or with others.   Once the proper technique is learned from a qualified instructor, continuing to practice it need not cost another cent."

"Vitality shows not only in the ability to persist, but in the ability
to start over." -F. Scott Fitzgerald

"Always laugh when you can. It is cheap medicine." -Lord Byron

COLD REMEDIES
My wife Lisa uses this--and guess what, studies show it really does help ease the symptoms of a cold:
"Nothing but time can cure the common cold, but a simple cup of saltwater might ease the misery this winter.
A sore, itchy throat and respiratory congestion are some of the more common symptoms of a cold, and gargling with saltwater seems to help for several reasons. A saline solution can draw excess fluid from inflamed tissues in the throat, making them hurt less, said Dr. Philip T. Hagen, editor in chief of the “Mayo Clinic Book of Home Remedies,” which is due out in October. Dr. Hagen pointed out that gargling also loosens thick mucus, which can remove irritants like allergens, bacteria and fungi from the throat"

Read the whole thing.  Remember that remedies look this ease cold symptoms--but of course nothing can "cure" the common cold.  It goes away in its own sweet time.  But it's nice to ease the effects a cold has on you, and we're entering cold and flu season again...

MOEBIUS SYNDROME IN THE NEWS
A big story on Moebius and on other facial-difference issues in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette over the weekend, and the stories include our friends Kathleetn Bogart and Tim McCaughan, among others--great stuff:
"

Kathleen Bogart has a musical voice, with warm inflections and a ready laugh.
It's not just a reflection of her personality. It's a tool she uses to convey the emotions that her face cannot.
Like others with the rare condition known as Moebius syndrome, her face is almost completely paralyzed. She must use her tone of voice, her gestures and other adaptations to let people know what she is feeling.
Ms. Bogart is unusual because she not only has Moebius syndrome, but she does research on it as a doctoral student in psychology at Tufts University outside Boston.  In one study, she and her mentor, David Matsumoto of San Francisco State University, found that people with Moebius have a normal ability to detect emotions in others.  That might seem only logical, but some had speculated that people with facial paralysis might struggle with sensing emotions because of a concept called the "facial feedback hypothesis."
Championed by psychology pioneer William James in the late 1800s, the facial feedback hypothesis says that our emotions are actually shaped by our facial expressions.  That ought to mean that people with Moebius should have a blunted ability to feel or identify emotions, but Ms. Bogart and Dr. Matsumoto found just the opposite.  If anything, she said in a recent interview, "I think an interesting benefit of Moebius is that it may make you more attuned to other people's emotional cues so you can translate them into other ways to express those emotions back to people."

Right on.  Read the whole thing...

And note that actually the Post-Gazette did a whole series on facial expression and facial difference---including this piece.  I like what Tim McCaughan had to say at the end of it:

"[McCaughan]  sometimes wonders if Moebius syndrome has held him back in his profession or other parts of his life. But he also sees the silver lining.   "I can't change what I was born with," Mr. McCaughan said, "and in fact I think I'm a stronger person because I have this. It's made me much more sensitive to other people's emotions and how they're feeling in situations, because I'm more aware of my own emotions."

Amen...

 

MOEBIUS IS SPOOFED AGAIN

This time on the Huffington Post.  Man--first last week spooftimes.com, now this.  Can't you guys come up with something more original???  This time Moebius gets mentioned in a spoof of the comic strip "Cathy":

"SHOCKING REVELATIONS FOR LAST WEEK OF 'CATHY' COMIC STRIPS:  

- Cathy admits brief affair she had with Uncle Duke in 1970s while substituting as his interpreter in China
- Best friend Andrea leaves husband, joins biker gang, becomes property of Peppermint Patty
- Due to a printing error, newspapers ran the same exact strip from 1985 through 1999; no one noticed
- Cathy visits Rex Morgan, M.D., is diagnosed with Moebius syndrome"

Wow.  Hilarious.

TV TIP
Watch for this next spring--cuz hey, can't we all use a little love and life-coaching, be we young or old???:

"PBS is collaborating on an adult "Sesame Street" -- and it has nothing to do with the Katy Perry boob brouhaha.

Called "Next Avenue," the series -- and corresponding Web site

-- aims to help teach baby boomers how to handle their lives now that they've reached middle age, much the way the preschool TV show teaches kids their A-B-Cs.

Twin Cities Public Television, in conjunction with American Public Television and PBS, has already put together $5 million in grant money for the series, which is due to launch in the spring.  "We are designing 'Next Avenue' to be a virtual life coach for baby boomers," Twin Cities Public Television president Jim Pagliarini told Broadcasting & Cable. "It will also challenge them to see the opportunities life holds after 45."

At the very least, we'll learn not to be grouches, right???

FRIDAY FOOTBALL PICKS

For all my fellow fans out there...

I need to do better than last week.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

#1 Alabama at Arkansas.  My pick:  'BAMA.  Arkansas is the sexy pick to pull an upset here.  Not so fast--yes, the Hogs have a great QB in Ryan Mallett and are at home.  But the Crimson Tide know something about playing in and winning big games, and they have an effective offense that doesn't make mistakes.  

West Virginia vs LSU.  My pick:  MOUNTAINEERS.  LSU has problems at QB and thus with their offense.  And ever since their big comeback win over Marshall, WVU has begun to roll.  

TCU at Southern Methodist.  My pick:  HORNED FROGS.  Again, some see SMU, definitely an improved team and playing at home, as the trendy upset pick here.  Not me--TCU is powerful on both sides of the ball, and I think they'll pile up lots of points in this game.

NFL PICKS

San Francisco is a 2 point favorite playing at Kansas City.  My pick:  CHIEFS.  They're at home, and improved; and San Fran is coming off a tough loss in a Monday night game, thus giving them a short week of prep.

New England at home 13 over Buffalo.  My pick:  PATRIOTS.  Because they're bound to play better after their bad meltdown in New York, and Buffalo just isn't good at all.

Pittsburgh 4 over Tampa Bay.  My pick:  STEELERS.  This one makes you think, because Tampa has improved, is a surprising 2-0, and is at home.  But that Steelers' defense is playing tremendous football.  I'd be surprised if they don't hold the Bucs to 7 points or less in this game.

Houston at home 5 over Dallas.  My pick:  COWBOYS.  Not to win.  But to lose by a field goal or less.  The Cowboys have too much talent and are too desperate not to be highly competitive in this game.  But the Texans have talent of their own and are much improved; and I think they'll find a way to pull this game out late.

Philadelphia 5 over Jacksonville.  My pick:  EAGLES.  This game is at Jacksonville.  But the Jaguars' defense leaves much to be desired.  Meanwhile, Eagles' QB Michael Vick is hot.  Ride him.

Indianapolis 1 over Denver.  My pick:  COLTS.  Indy had a tough week 1 in Houston.  But last week's big win over the Giants suggested to me that they've made big strides.  They've got big momentum, and I see them scoring a lot of points in Denver.

Green Bay 1.5 over Chicago.  My pick:  PACKERS.  The game is in Chicago.  But Aaron Rodgers and the Pack have played well there before, and I expect Rodgers to lead the Packer offense to a good night.

"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before
starting to improve the world." -Anne Frank

STARING DOWN THE STARING ISSUE
Dear Abby's column today has words that will interest those with Moebius Syndrome or those with other kinds of physical and facial issues--words, that is, from readers, which originally arose from someone writing in complaining that her special-needs child received unwanted stares in public.  Read on:
"My daughter, "Kate," is also stared at in public. I, too, used to bristle at the unwanted attention, until I began to open up and talk with people. I found most of them to be compassionate and merely curious. Sometimes seeing Kate triggered their memory of a loved one who was affected by a similar challenge.  As often as I can, I take the time to do mini "public service announcements" and chat with folks who linger, look or approach. It's a great way to build a bridge between disabled individuals, who have much to teach, and the non-disabled, who have much to learn.  Kate is 16 now, beautiful inside and out. Please tell "Boiling Mad" that time heals some of the rawness of a fresh diagnosis, and if she'll try to find the best in others, she'll usually be right."....[and another reader said this:]"I'm one of those folks who "stare" at others. By no means is there ever a bad intent. I'm a people-watcher. I love watching people communicate in different ways, like signing. Whether someone is in a wheelchair or has a visible disability, I value each and every person. Maybe "Boiling Mad" doesn't understand that many of us are willing to reach out, lend a hand or just be friendly."

So those are some different perspectives, along with some wise words to keep in mind.  Though I must say that, at the same time, some staring can be...and is...hostile.  Certainly not all staring is meant to be so.  But sometimes it is, and usually those of us with Moebius or other differences are pretty good at sensing it.  Don't automatically assume everyone's out to get you.  But if you get a strong negative feel from someone else's staring or other actions, don't automatically doubt yourself, either.  Go with your gut.

IT SHOWS ON YOUR FACE--REALLY, IT DOES
As of course everyone with Moebius Syndrome knows, some things don't "show" very well on our faces--smiles, frowns, the like.  But there are some things that WILL show, even on us.  I remember when I was in college, for example, and I had tough semesters with really hard final exams.  During finals week, it seemed like I'd more often than not get a bit of an acne breakout on my face.  I thought it was just due to lack of sleep.  Not so, as Judith Newman of msnbc.com notes today:
"I’ve been engaged several times, and each time my skin realized the marriage was a bad idea before I did. I know this because, when it came time to plan the wedding, I would break out in hives. Red splotches the size of half-dollars all over my arms, chest, and stomach. Attractive! The man I eventually married is impossible; still, I knew he was The One when contemplating a life with him did not necessitate massive doses of Benadryl.  I am hardly alone in having skin that reacts, sometimes dramatically, to significant life events. It happens to most of us: At certain points in our lives, stress, hormones, lifestyle, or all three can play a role in how the skin looks and behaves. “No question: Many life changes are manifested through the skin,” says Ranella Hirsch, assistant clinical professor of dermatology at the Boston University School of Medicine.

Sometimes the big life event — a new job, marriage, graduation, pregnancy, and so forth — exacerbates a preexisting genetic condition: You can’t get psoriasis from throwing a gargantuan wedding, but if you’re prone to it, this is when it may flare up. Other times, says Hirsch, the milestone causes new problems to arise. What you can do is be prepared to deal with whatever your skin — and life — throws your way."

"A little knowledge that acts is worth infinitely more than much
knowledge that is idle." -Kahlil Gibran

 

THE EXERCISE BEAT
Exercise is a good thing, but sometimes trying to get too cute with it can get you into trouble.  For example, some have claimed that office workers who sit on exercise balls, rather than chairs, can burn more calories.  But:
"Exercise balls are becoming a popular alternative to plain old office chairs, a way — some say — to burn more calories and improve posture.  The increase in the calorie burn is real but small. According to a 2008 study, performing clerical work at a desk while sitting on an exercise ball burns about four more calories an hour than the same activity in a chair, or roughly 30 extra calories in a typical workday.  And that figure does not factor in the additional burn that would come from routines like bouncing or leg lifts, which many users say the balls inspire them to do.  But as far as posture is concerned, there is not exactly a compelling body of evidence. Although proponents say the balls force users to sit up straight to stabilize themselves, a 2009 British study found that prolonged sitting on a therapy ball led to just as much slumping and “poor sitting position” as a desk chair."

To me, it's simple.  Exercise is a good thing, but the best way to get it is probably to build in some walking, jumping jacks, sit-ups, or time at your favorite workout place...however you do it...as often as you can.  Exercise balls at work or whatever are probably not an answer...

MOEBIUS SYNDROME IN THE NEWS AND ONLINE
Meanwhile, Moebius folks, check this out:  today, we've been part of a spoof--though I don't know whether we should be happy about it or not.  Here's the deal--there's a site called spooftimes.com.  I suspect it's something like "The Onion"--something that looks like a newspaper, but which really contains fake "news" and spoofs meant to be funny.  Here's what's up there today (the headline to it reads: "Miley Cyrus: 'My Doctor Says I have Moebius Syndrome'):
"During a routine annual physical exam, Miley Cyrus found out that she had inherited Moebius Syndrome --  a rare neurological syndrome affecting the facial nerves leaving people unable to move their faces to smile, suck, frown, grimace or blink. "One day I was smiling like crazy; the next I couldn't even grin!"  Since her diagnosis, Miley's legions of fans have been abandoning the young movie star and pop singer

in droves.  "My mailbox was completely empty this morning.  Yesterday I got two letters, but both turned out to be hate mail.  One person even suggested that I wear a burka!"  Lawyers for Miley Cyrus say that they are working to cancel all concerts

and guest appearances for the formerly pretty celebrity

."

Hmmm....
So here's the thing:  On the one hand, I'm glad about this.  Why?  Because I think it's great that Moebius Syndrome is becoming known enough...that there's enough awareness of it out there...to have it included in a spoof.  Kind of amazing, isn't it?  For nearly have my life...perhaps even more than half of it...I myself didn't even know what Moebius Syndrome was.  Now even persons at spooftimes.com know of it.


Now, having said all that, before anyone gets mad at me, I can also see the implied and not-so-implied insults in there directed at those with Moebius.  It suggests that Miley Cyrus, if she had Moebius, would be a "formerly pretty" star.  Huh.  Fact is, I know plenty of very good-looking persons who have Moebius; with the great thing being, they're pretty both inside AND out (unlike, perhaps, this spooftimes.com writer).


But am I right to see a sliver of good news in a post like this?  Or should I be more angry?  What do you all think? 

WEIGHTY ISSUES
This Washington Post health blogger read a book about eating, weight loss, and calorie-counting around the world...and it got her thinking:
"The 80 entries in "What I Eat" are organized according to how many calories each person's daily menu contains. The range is astounding -- from 800 to 12,300 a day -- but most people's tallies hover around 2,000 calories. The book got me wondering how many calories I consume in a day. I don't count them. In fact, I deliberately shunned calorie-counting during my recent weight loss effort.  Focusing on calories, much like keeping a detailed food diary or counting "points," skews my judgment, somehow. I find I spend too much time obsessing over those details, whereas if I simply put in place some simple rules for eating that automatically keep my food intake where it should be, I can relax and think about other things. Those rules include serving myself smaller portion sizes, never taking second helpings and never picking at food while I'm preparing a meal or cleaning up afterward. I don't eat anything after dinner (except a cocktail), and I don't eat sweets. I've lost the weight I aimed to lose and then some (I'll be reporting in full on the Me Minus 10 campaign in an upcoming column)."

This makes a lot of sense to me.  And I know many folks worry about their weight.  Don't obsess over the small stuff, would seem to be the lesson here.  Keep the big picture in mind.  Good advice...

LANGUAGE ARTS
Meanwhile, many of us in the Moebius and facial-difference crowd are online, using the new online lingo that's popular these days.  But is it harming our language?  I hardly think it's the end of the world in any case, no matter where we come down...but I found this piece on the issue today amusing.  See what you think:
"The last time I paid attention to the American vernacular, "awesome" (from "awe": reverential fear or wonder) was a rather cute grownup word tossed around on the playground to describe fast rope-skipping and such. Now I see it is common currency among real estate agents, the military, doctors, NASCAR commentators, and even the ethereal voices of NPR. I heard one smug woman the other day interviewing a minor author. "You new novel is awesome," she purred. He purred back. I thought, "Whatever."  "Awesome" has the British laughing at us again. One Londoner wrote on the web recently that it is "a word Americans use to describe everything." What we have here is a trend I'll call double reverse migration, or the snatching of a children's word by adults after it had first been snatched by the kids.  Some adults are still stymied by these two syllables, though. A junior executive friend of mine recently received a herogram from her boss -- a woman comfortably salaried in the middle six figures -- that consisted of one word: "AWSUM!"  Part of American lingo creep is normal in a healthy language, and some of it can be fun. I won't deal here with Sarah Palin's formulations, the Twitter or texting crowd, fashion patios, tech talk or satellite radio. Eventually someone will do the book.  The list of neologisms and vulgarisms will be long. What is a visitor to make of words like "diss" meaning to trash, "sick" meaning excellent, "rad" meaning even better and "wicked" (at least in New England) meaning best? They don't teach this stuff in ESL classes.  People who work with words are alarmed by slippage into vocabulary that was once over the line in mixed company....
Some proper households are on edge. My daughter gasped when her 12-year-old interjected a "WTF?" into dinnertable conversation. "Chill, mom," he said. "It means 'Why the face?'"....Whatever."

"Practice as if you are the worst, perform as if you are the best."
-Unknown
"I know the price of success: dedication, hard work and an unremitting
devotion to the things you want to see happen." -Frank Lloyd Wright

WHAT CAUSES MOEBIUS SYNDROME?
The site livestrong.com recently had an interesting summary of the latest findings and research:

"According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Moebius syndrome is a rare birth defect that affects the sixth cranial nerve, which moves muscles of the face, and the seventh cranial nerve, which moves eyes side-to-side. In some cases, additional cranial nerves are also affected. People with Moebius syndrome are unable to make facial expressions, have trouble blinking and swallowing and may have crossed eyes. It is rare and is estimated to affect 1 in every 50,000 to 500,000 people. The cause of Moebius syndrome is unknown....In "Clinical Genetics," researcher W. Briegel states that the most accepted cause of Moebius syndrome is vascular disruption. Vascular disruption causes a temporary loss of blood flow to the brain. Researchers believe this occurs early in development, at some time during the first trimester. This loss of blood flow, and the oxygen it carries, causes errors in the development of the cranial nerves, leading to the facial paralysis of Moebius syndrome."

Read the whole thing--the piece goes on to discuss things that can cause vascular disruptions.

And is this little article correct?  Is it missing anything?  If so, we should contact the author and the site...

SOCIAL NETWORKS...

...meanwhile, can affect your health.  The NY Times today explains how:

"IS your social network making you fat? Are your friends and family influencing you to smoke and drink more, or to sleep less?  And if our relationships contribute to behaviors that erode our health, can social networks be harnessed to improve it?  These are seminal questions in “network science” — an emerging field that examines how behavioral changes spread through social networks. By social networks, I don’t mean virtual, will-you-“friend”-me? simulations, but old-fashioned, flesh-and-blood relationships. You know, people you actually see in person regularly — friends, relatives, co-workers, neighbors.
“It’s a very old thing that we do, like ants, arranging ourselves to live in social structures,” says Dr. Nicholas A. Christakis, a Harvard professor who studies health and social networks. “Really, humans have arranged themselves into networks for hundreds and thousands of years.”  Dr. Christakis and his research partner, James H. Fowler, an associate professor at the School of Medicine at the University of California, San Diego, created an international uproar in 2007 when they published a study on obesity. In it, they reported that fat could be catching — spreading through social ties. One of the study’s findings was that a person’s chance of becoming obese increased 57 percent if the person had a friend who became obese. Another surprising finding of the study, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, was that one’s chance of becoming obese was influenced not only by the weight gain of friends but also by friends of friends who gained weight."

One can certainly see how this could happen.  If you hang out with people who eat too much, and they constantly encourage you to eat and eat as well, it can be a bad influence.  That's why if your life, in whatever area, isn't going the way you wish it to go, it's so important for us to take responsibility and to figure out what's taking us down the wrong path.  It may be the people with whom we choose to hang out.  On the other hand, this is where supportive social networks through Facebook or e-mail or blogs can really be helpful...

"Nothing is a greater impediment to being on good terms with others
than being ill at ease with yourself." -Honore de Balzac
 

A WORTHY CAUSE
A woman who received the nation's first face transplant advocates for organ donation: 
"There is an initial shock upon first glance at Connie Culp, the woman who received the nation's first face transplant nearly two years ago. She taps her way through the hospital waiting room, feeling along the floor with a cane and smiling hesitantly at a visitor, even though she can only make out shadows and shapes.  Her face is wide and square-jawed. It is altogether too large for her diminutive frame, and therein lies the jolt of surprise: Up close, it's clear that this face does not belong to that body...."It don't matter what you look like, somebody's gonna find fault with you," she says, waving a hand dismissively. "Either the way you talk or something, you know? Nobody's perfect."  Life is on the upswing for Culp, 47, who underwent her final surgery in July. In an interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday at the Cleveland Clinic, Culp discussed her plans to become an advocate for organ donation. It was the choice of one anonymous donor that spared her from a life of eating and breathing through a tube, she says."

ON THE OTHER HAND...
Does this surprise you much?
"Americans continue to fail at fitness -- but at least we're acing it in the kitchen. And some of us seem to be cooking up quite a sweat during meal prep or while we add a lime to our Corona, according to the results of a new survey on physical activity.  A report published in the October issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine recaps the daily nonwork, nonsleep activities of 80,000 American adults, and splits them up based on relative intensities (sedentary, light, moderate and vigorous). Only 5 percent of people evaluated got any vigorous activity -- think running, biking or strength training -- in a given day. Could it have been because they were too busy in the kitchen? After all, food and drink preparation was the most frequent moderately vigorous behavior reported by study participants. And when we weren't preparing all-out repasts, we were probably whipping up a quick snack. Along with phone calls, television and reading, snack prep ranked high on the list of preferred daily activities."

We certainly need to do better.  Daily exercise really helps me--makes me feel better.  At the same time, I'm a moderate on things like this.  I don't believe in health nazism or that it's always wrong to eat some mac and cheese or have a piece of chocolate cake.  We need to enjoy life, too; and that can mean eating some good (though calorie-filled) food once in a while.  Moderation...in all things, moderation.

FRIDAY FOOTBALL PICKS
Last week I didn't do too badly.  Taking my college and pro picks together, I won 6, lost 3, had one "push" (tie).  Let's see how I do this week:

COLLEGE:

Texas at Texas Tech--my pick:  TECH to win in an upset.  The Red Raiders are at home.  Texas is trying to install a power running game, but I have the suspicion it continues to sputter.  Meanwhile the Tech defense is improved.  Look for the upset here.

NFL:

Atlanta 5.5 over Arizona.  My pick:  FALCONS.  Traditionally the Cardinals don't do well when they have to travel cross country and play on the road.  Meanwhile the Falcons really need this one, and figure to play better.

Kansas City 4 over Cleveland.  My pick:  CHIEFS.  The Browns are at home.  But they might not have starting QB Jake Delhomme, and that was a horrible loss for them, blowing a big lead late last week at Tampa.  Meanwhile I see the Chiefs as much improved.

Philadelphia 5.5 over Detroit.  My pick:  EAGLES.  The Lions are at home.  But they've lost starting QB Matthew Stafford for a few weeks, and so must rely on retread, ho-hum backup QB Shaun Hill.  In the past, the Lions have floundered badly in situations like this.  Meanwhile the Eagles lost their quarterback, Kevin Kolb, but...as a backup, they have the he-appears-to-have-his-dynamism-back Michael Vick.  Go with the Birds.

Tennessee 5 over Pittsburgh.  My pick:  TITANS.  The Steelers were fortunate last week; their backup QB, Dennis Dixon, made mistakes...but the Falcons played poorly and conservatively enough that the Steel crew got away with it.  Don't bet on that this week at Tennessee against a tough bunch of Titans.

New England 4.5 over the NY Jets.  My pick:  JETS.  They're at home.  And New York will not play as poorly in week 2 as they did on Monday night.  Rex Ryan knows how to defend Tom Brady.

Houston 2.5 over Washington.  My pick:  TEXANS.  Yes, this game is at Washington.  Yes, the Redskins have a good defense.  But in my view the Texans are for real, and their offense right now is at a stage far advanced than that of the Cowboys, whom the Redskins made look average last week.  The Texans are hitting on far more cylinders.

TODAY'S MOEBIUS HERO
Today we hear from Soph, from Australia, who has Moebius Syndrome but has a good attitude:
"...even though my face is asymmetrical, my left eye's dodgy, I can't frown (I guess that means no frown lines...???), raise my eyebrows, roll my eyes, whistle, pucker my lips and my tongue is deformed, I wouldn't have it any other way. Sure, there have been times when I've wondered what it would be like to not have Moebius, why I ended up with this rare condition, but those times are scarce.  We have to accept the things we can't change and focus on the things we can.  I am proud to have Moebius Syndrome. I am proud to live with confidence and be comfortable with myself, cos hey, symmetry is really overrated, and who says a smile has to look 'perfect' or 'normal'. What's 'normal' anyway? If you can't smile with your mouth, smile with your eyes. Smile with your heart. And live each day to the full knowing that we're each dealt our own cards, some of us are just given a tougher hand."

And card players with tough hands still find ways to win.

"It is okay to take [a flood of love] in slowly.  That, I think, is part of the human condition.  We do the best we can according to our circumstances....Or maybe it's not a flood.  Maybe it's more like this:  It comes in bits and pieces, fragments and shards.  These become building blocks that we can use to form our own wholeness and character."--David Roche, THE CHURCH OF 80% SINCERITY. 

EXERCISE IS GOOD FOR YOUR BRAIN
A new study is out.  A group of young children near the Champaign-Urbana area, in Illinois, were recruited to first, work on a treadmill, then complete some cognitive challenges, and then have their brains scanned.  The results:
"Previous studies found that fitter kids generally scored better on such tests. And in this case, too, those children performed better on the tests. But the M.R.I.’s provided a clearer picture of how it might work. They showed that fit children had significantly larger basal ganglia, a key part of the brain that aids in maintaining attention and “executive control,” or the ability to coordinate actions and thoughts crisply. Since both groups of children had similar socioeconomic backgrounds, body mass index and other variables, the researchers concluded that being fit had enlarged that portion of their brains.  Meanwhile, in a separate, newly completed study by many of the same researchers at the University of Illinois, a second group of 9- and 10-year-old children were also categorized by fitness levels and had their brains scanned, but they completed different tests, this time focusing on complex memory. Such thinking is associated with activity in the hippocampus, a structure in the brain’s medial temporal lobes. Sure enough, the M.R.I. scans revealed that the fittest children had heftier hippocampi."

If you can, folks, exercise.  It's good for our brains and lord knows all of us--those with Moebius or other conditions, and even those who don't--can benefit from all the brain stimulation and development we can get.

"We build channels and dikes and levees to keep love from flooding us, because it is so unbelievable that we could be so loved.  But it is still unconditional love, it is still there--we have to open ourselves to make it real."

MOEBIUS MEMORY OF THE DAY:
This time it comes from my recollections of elementary school.  And you know what?  When it comes to teasing or negative experiences related to Moebius...I don't remember it being bad at all.  Maybe I just went to a particularly good school.  Perhaps I was just lucky and got to hang with nice kids.  But I don't think that explains it.  I just think children that age are a lot more simple and innocent.

After all, they haven't gone through puberty yet.  Their hormones haven't kicked in.  They haven't entered the difficult time of being a teenager, with all the (sometimes, at least) angst and worries and insecurities that brings.  Instead, in elementary school kids want to play and have fun.  They're more accepting.  That's certainly what I remember.  My classmates in elementary school accepted me for the most part, and we had fun.  And I think this is important to communicate to parents of children with Moebius Syndrome--don't worry too much about elementary school.  Your child will do fine...if my experience and those of others with Moebius I know of are at all representative, anyway.

Now middle school (or "junior high", as they called it where I came from) can be another story.  More on that down the road.

And of course, always remember:
"Associate with well-mannered persons and your manners will improve. Run around with decent folk and your own decent instincts will be strengthened."--Stanley Walker

A PAT ON THE BACK, AND DON'T FORGET THAT HEARTY HANDSHAKE:
Did you know?  Having a firm handshake is a sign you might live longer:
"A firm handshake could be a sign of a longer life expectancy, according to British researchers.  Scientists at the Medical Research Council found that elderly people who could still give a firm handshake and walk at a brisk pace were likely to outlive their slower peers.  They found simple measures of physical capability like shaking hands, walking, getting up from a chair and balancing on one leg were related to life span, even after accounting for age, sex and body size. The study is the first to provide a comprehensive view of the existing research by pooling data from 33 studies."

I found this interesting...because I, when I was younger, had a hard time with this kind of thing.  When I was i my teens especially, I knew my face was different.  I wasn't happy about it; I didn't enjoy the staring, and I always feared it was coming.  So when it was time to shake hands, I didn't like to look people directly in the face...and that probably affected my handshake, made it a bit weaker.  I wonder if other persons with Moebius have ever had the same experience.  When it's time to shake hands with someone, do you kind of look at the floor?  Is your grip a little weak?  It's a hard thing to overcome.  I've tried to do so; I don't know if I've been completely successful.  But we need to keep trying; we'll live longer!

"In every triumph there's a lot of try." -Frank Tyger

COFFEE'S ON--AND UP:
"You may soon find yourself paying more for your morning coffee - if you aren't already.  A trifecta of bad news has sent coffee futures soaring 44% since June, and companies such as Dunkin' Donuts, Green Mountain and Maxwell House are passing on those costs.  Bad weather in South America is threatening crops. Brazil and top exporter Vietnam are talking about hoarding their stocks. And U.S. stockpiles are reportedly at 10-year lows.  That means higher prices for U.S. coffee companies, which, in turn, may mean higher prices for consumers.  Bagged coffee from Folgers, Dunkin' Donuts and Millstone already costs 10% more. The three brands' parent company, J.M. Smucker (SJM), cited "sustained increases in green coffee costs" in announcing the price hike last month."

That's for all my Moebius coffee-drinking friends, and I know there are a number of them.  And for you guys' sakes, I hope the rising price of your morning joe doesn't last long...

MOEBIUS QUOTE OF THE DAY:
"Sometimes I wish I could smile, especially at people that I really like and care about. But I do smile just in a different way, I usually like to hug or touch my friends to show I care. I know I have to be careful about this, because some people think it's weird or inappropriate. So I only hug people I know well...Having a disability can be challenging at times, but it also can be a positive thing. I believe having a disability has made me a stronger person in different ways. It has helped me to be more compassionate and understanding of people. I feel that I’m a deeper person and see beneath the surface rather than superficially. I know I’m here for a reason and that I want to teach about love and compassion and appreciating differences....I believe compassion is a deep understanding. Many people have misconceptions of compassion. They think of giving money or trying to fix someone is the answer. Sometimes there are things in life that cannot be fixed. Compassion is spending time with someone and learning to look and to love beyond the difference to the heart and soul. Each disabled person is different, and you have to love the difference. Compassion is the fashion.  So what if I look a little different? So what if I don’t have feet? So what if I'm a little slow, a little more sensitive, and a little more affectionate than other people? That is who I am. All I want to be is loved and accepted for who I am, and that on the inside I have feelings just like anybody else. I don’t want people to be sad about the things I can’t do. I want them to be glad about the things I can do."--Theresa McMillan, from "The Many Faces of Moebius Syndrome" website.  So well-stated!

And finally on this football Friday, it's time for...
My football picks!  This week we'll do both some college and some pro games.  I didn't do so well last week, so it's time to get better.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL:

Penn State at Alabama:  gotta go with the CRIMSON TIDE here.  The Nittany Lions are playing a true freshman quarterback, on the road for the first time, at Alabama against that fearsome defense.  Not a good combination...

Miami at Ohio State:  I pick the BUCKEYES in this one.  They're at home, where they are always tough, and Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor is playing well.

Michigan at Notre Dame:  I absolutely have no clue here.  I grew up in Michigan and grew up loving the Wolverines.  I'd love to pick 'em; but their defense scares me (because it's so porous).  Meanwhile ND looked OK against Purdue last week, but hardly awesome.  I suspect Notre Dame has the edge tomorrow because they're at home.

Texas Tech vs New Mexico.  Not only should Tech and its high-flying offense win this game; but it could put up an awesome point total.  How do we know?  Well, last week New Mexico played Oregon...and gave up a whopping 72 points.

THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE:
Here I will pick games against the spread...which is tougher!

Miami is favored by 5 over Buffalo.  My pick:  DOLPHINS (meaning I'm predicting they'll win by MORE than 5).  This game is in Buffalo, but the Dolphins appear to have upgraded their talent, and the Bills have lots of problems.

New York Giants 3 over Carolina.  My pick:  GIANTS.  Carolina (in Matt Moore) just doesn't in my opinion have a quarterback who's good enough, nor does it have the receivers they need.  And I predict the Giants will bounce back from the horrible way they ended last season.

Atlanta 1.5 over Pittsburgh.  My pick:  FALCONS.  Yes, this game is in Pittsburgh.  But due to injuries and suspensions the Steelers will have to rely on 3rd-stringer Dennis Dixon as their quarterback, and while he shows flashes of promise, I predict his inexperience will lead to turnovers that will really help the solid Falcons bunch.

Green Bay 4.5 over Philadelphia.  My pick:  PACKERS.  Because I think Aaron Rodgers and that Green Bay offense appear to be so well in sync.

Dallas 2 over Washington.  My pick:  COWBOYS.  Not because of Tony Romo and the Dallas O.  I predict they'll struggle; they don't appear to all be on the same page yet.  But neither will be Donovan McNabb and Mike Shanahan and the Redskins' offense...and that Dallas defense will shut them down.  It will be the Cowboys' D that will win this game.

San Diego 7.5 over Kansas City.  My pick:  CHIEFS (upset special!).  I like the Chiefs in this game.  They're at home.  The Chargers have a history of slow starts.  The Chiefs seem to have progressed in their 2nd year under coach Todd Haley.  I think 7 points is way too much here; the Chiefs will keep this one close.

WASH--AND DRY--YOUR HANDS:
With cold and flu season approaching, we're told about the importance, in order to stay healthy, of washing our hands.  But a new study suggests the second part of that is also important--how you dry your hands:
"To stay healthy, be sure to wash your hands a lot.  But what we don't hear so often is the rest of that story: To best prevent the spread of germs, you also need to DRY your hands.  That point's driven home by an interesting pair of studies published Tuesday in the Journal of Applied Microbiology. The studies, quite transparently funded by Dyson Limited of the United Kingdom (maker of such technologically advanced gadgets as this summer's coolest fan and my favorite vacuum cleaner) set out to determine how the company's new Airblade hand-dryer stacked up against conventional hot-air dryers such as are found in public bathrooms.  Under some circumstances, the Dyson dryer (which uses ambient-temperature air to kind of shear water off hands held stationary in the device) did a better job than the hot-air dryers of keeping just-washed hands' bacterial loads low.  But when all the air dryers were pitted against plain paper towels, the conclusion was clear: Drying hands with paper towels did a better job than the machines of getting rid of lingering bacteria....Of course, the study notes that paper towels can make a big mess themselves because they're hard to dispose of in a sanitary, non-germ-spreading way. But still, the study couldn't escape the finding that even the latest high-tech hand-drying gizmo doesn't quite stand up to good ol' low-tech paper towels."

We all need to stay healthy this winter.  Wash...and dry!...those hands.

MOEBIUS MEMORIES:
I think I have mentioned here one of my earliest memories:  deciding, at the age of four, a number of days before Christmas, to go ahead and open up one of my Xmas presents way early.  (It turned out to be a stuffed animal, a zebra).  And what I remember is, trying to tell my parents about it...though they had a tough time understanding me.

But there's another piece to the story.  Another memory I have is when it was time for my sixth birthday.  That would have been February 1968.  And so a birthday party was held for me, on a Sunday afternoon.  A number of our relatives were over...my cousins Tim and Lynne, my Aunt Lois, my Uncle Jerry.  Soon the time came for my birthday cake, and what I remember is all of us sitting around the table in our dining room, and everyone singing first "Happy Birthday" to me and then, to the same tune, crooning "how old are you?" to me.  And by then, I could speak much better, and naturally I was enjoying all the excitement, so at the first chorus of "how old are you?", I piped up and said, "I'm six!"

And to me, what that makes me think of today is that I did that because, yes, I could talk better by then; I'm sure I'd progressed a lot.  And that's the thing to remember for those with Moebius Syndrome, and for those parents whose children have it:  it does seem to me that over and over, this is what happens:  once those who have Moebius begin to figure things out, watch out!  Their progress will be rapid, it will be swift, and it can be something to behold.  Take speaking.  It can take longer for those with Moebius Syndrome to speak well.  Our mouths, tongues, and lips are shaped differently and work differently from others.  It can take a little bit longer to figure out how to talk.  After all, we have to do it differently than do others.  But once we've figured it out, off we go. 

There can be challenges every day, but there will also be victories every day, some of them small, but some of them big indeed.  And that's what those quotes I've been featuring from David Roche have been driving at; if we come back every day and try, try again, there will be victories (there will be setbacks, too), and there will be those moments of grace.  Seize them when they come.

WANT TO BOOST YOUR BRAIN POWER?
Who doesn't?  And researchers find that there are foods that can help: 
"Just like the right diet can prevent heart disease, high blood pressure, or cancer, health experts are finding that certain foods may boost your mind.  Although there is no current treatment proven to cure Alzheimer's disease or dementia, there are foods that play a positive role in overall mind health.  The Alzheimer's Association refers to a "brain-healthy diet" as "one that reduces the risk of heart disease and diabetes, encourages good blood flow to the brain, and is low in fat and cholesterol."

The foods include:  blackberries; extra virgin olive oil; coffee; chocolate; cinnamon; spinach; salmon; apples; curry; and concord grape juice.  It's making me hungry...

DO YOU DREAM?
Many people do.  I know I do, and many of my Moebius friends do...sometimes the dreams are not so bad, sometimes they are ("night terrors" can be one facet of Moebius, especially for the young).  So what can dreams mean?  Research these days is shedding some light:
" In the world of sleep research, dreams are something of a black box. But one tidbit that scientists have discerned is the peculiar but predictable pattern in which dreams tend to occur.  Research suggests that much of what happens in a dream is unique to that dream. But some events from a person’s day can be incorporated into dreams in two stages.  First there is the “day residue” stage, in which emotional events may work their way into a person’s dreams that night. But that is followed by the more mysterious “dream lag” effect, in which those events disappear from the dream landscape — often to be reincorporated roughly a week later. This lag has been documented in studies dating to the 1980s.  A 2004 study in The Journal of Sleep Research began to shed some light on this cycle. Researchers reviewed the journals of 470 people who recorded their dreams over a week. The dream-lag effect was strongest among people who viewed their dreams as a chance for self-understanding; their dreams often involved the resolution of problems or emotions tied to relationships.  The researchers speculated that the delayed dreams were the mind’s way of working through interpersonal difficulties and even “reformulating” negative memories into more positive ones. Other studies have also shown a connection between dreams and this type of emotional memory processing."




So the process through which we work through our dreams?  It can be a longer one than we think.



"...my face is a gift, because my shadow side is on the outside where I have had to learn to deal with it.  I know that other people are inspired by the simple fact that I have learned to deal with it, and that I accept myself.  And as much as I have learned to see myself as I am, and to have faith in myself, I also see mirrored the beauty of others--especially those who share their stories with me--to accept them as flawed just as I accept flaws."--David Roche, THE CHURCH OF 80% SINCERITY.

CAN MONEY BUY HAPPINESS?
Well, only up to a point:
"They say money can't buy happiness. They're wrong.  At least up to a point.  People's emotional well-being -- happiness -- increases along with their income up to about $75,000, researchers report in Tuesday's edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.  For folks making less than that, said Angus Deaton, an economist at the Center for Health and Wellbeing at Princeton University, "Stuff is so in your face it's hard to be happy. It interferes with your enjoyment"...Happiness got better as income rose, but the effect leveled out at $75,000, Deaton said. On the other hand, their overall sense of success or well-being continued to rise as their earnings grew beyond that point.  "Giving people more income beyond 75K is not going to do much for their daily mood ... but it is going to make them feel they have a better life," Deaton said in an interview.  Not surprisingly, someone who moves from a $100,000-a-year job to one paying $200,000 realizes an improved sense of success. That doesn't necessarily mean they are happier day to day, Deaton said."

People with Moebius Syndrome and other facial differences know:  money won't buy you happiness, and neither will "beauty" as it is conventionally defined today...

GOOD NEWS FOR PARENTS
It should be a normal flu season:
"Remember the lines last winter for hard-to-find flu shots, the closed schools and the craziness about an H1N1 pandemic? Health officials say all those are things of the past: The pandemic is officially over, there's plenty of vaccine available already, and this year, one shot will deal with most of the different flus expected this winter."

"The story that you have to tell, the message you have to convey, may not seem unusual to you.  But the things I have to say are not that unusual either.  It's the same old thing:  love yourself, find your sources of faith and work them, nurture relationships, keep trying...We each have the responsibility to help each other tell these stories, to remind those in our purview of the things that we all already know--that people are basically good as well as flawed, that the barriers are in our own minds.  We have to keep reminding and reminding and reminding each other to keep telling our stories, to remind ourselves and each other that the fear of embarrassment turns out to be a predecessor to grace."--David Roche, THE CHURCH OF 80% SINCERITY.













 





Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/09/06/2448108/money-really-can-buy-happiness.html#ixzz0ys4coymt

SOME COLLEGE FOOTBALL PICKS:
I know many of my Moebius buddies and others out there like football, and so do I--and I love to try and pick games, especially upsets.  So let's see what's cooking this week:

# 24 Oregon State plays # 6 Texas Christian University.  My pick:  TCU.  I suppose it helps that I live a mile from its campus. :+)  But TCU has a lot of players back from last year's BCS team, they're very talented and have great speed.  Go with the Frogs.

#21 LSU plays #18 North Carolina.  Pick:  LSU.  North Carolina apparently has trouble and turmoil; corruption within its program, 12 players suspended for this game...ugh.  Not what you want against an always-talented SEC team like LSU.

#3 Boise State vs #10 Virginia Tech.  Pick:  VIRGINIA TECH.  This game for the Hokies is being played close to home.  Tech will have huge fan support there.  And they always have great defense.  Boise State is an excellent team and has an excellent program.  But this is an opening game and they won't be able to sneak up on anyone.  Look for Tech to pull the upset here.

Navy vs Maryland.  Pick:  NAVY.   Navy veteran QB Ricky Dobbs returns.  Maryland traditionally has a weak defense anyway.  Getting ready for Navy's option offense for a first game???  Real, real tough.  Look for Navy to score lots of points and find a way to win this game...

MOEBIUS SYNDROME IN THE NEWS:
And today it's mentioned in a publication called the Dental Tribune.  I have to admit...I didn't know such a thing was published.  But it's good that it is and that Moebius gets a mention.  The DT contains today a mention of a study many of us have already heard about:
"A recent study reported in The Cleft Palate–Craniofacial Journal, the publication of the American Cleft Palate–Craniofacial Association, quantitatively examined social competence, anxiety and depression associated with Moebius syndrome, a rare congenital condition causing facial paralysis. The condition can rob people of the ability to smile, frown or even raise an eyebrow.  However, contrary to previous studies, it does not appear to increase anxiety and depression or lower a person’s satisfaction with life....“Many people with the condition live professionally and personally successful lives,” the article states."

You betcha...

SUFFERING FROM HEADACHES?
I know some folks with Moebius who do; shucks, I know folks who don't have it who do too, of course.  It's an equal-opportunity pain in the neck, those headaches.  Know what?  News today indicates those flourescent lights might indeed have something to do with it:
"...a number of readers identified what they believe is another culprit [for headaches] — the fluorescent lights common in schools and other public buildings....But is it true? I asked Dr. Andrew Hershey, director of the headache center at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and one of the nation’s leading experts in pediatric migraine. He says there isn’t evidence to support the common belief that all fluorescent lights contribute to headaches. However, that doesn’t mean patients are imagining things either when they complain of headache pain after being exposed to light.  “Patients with migraine are photophobic (more sensitive to light), even when they don’t have a headache, compared to non-migraineurs,” wrote Dr. Hershey in an e-mail. “Thus being exposed to bright lights (fluorescent, beach, snow, etc.) when hypersensitized (sleep deprived, menstrual period, skipping meals, having greater than one headache per week) may push the patient over the edge.”  Dr. Hershey notes that one small study suggests that a particular wavelength of light called blue light may be a greater trigger for migraines. It’s true that older fluorescent lights emitted blue light, but newer lights that most people are exposed to today emit “more diffuse light and sort of look pink-orange,” he says. However, some cars now have blue headlights which help drivers to see better but are more blinding to oncoming traffic."

MOEBIUS MOMENTS:
In previous days' posts, I've had quotes from David Roche, in which he stresses that it's understandable that people with a facial difference are nervous and frightened about speaking in public...but he urges that we need not be.  My experience suggests he's right.  Once again, as a history teacher at the college level, I began the new fall semester this week.  And once again, in the first class of every course I'm teaching, I began by talking about my Moebius Syndrome.  I didn't always do this.  In the past, I avoided it.  I thought it would be uncomfortable talking about it.  Maybe I just didn't have the guts to do it.  And I didn't know how students would react.

But I've been doing it for years now, and the reactions I've always gotten from it have only been positive.  Students do wonder about it when they encounter someone who looks different.  Who wouldn't?  But they react well when one is honest and up front about it.  And it's a way to raise awareness, to educate more people about the fact that Moebius Syndrome and facial differences exist, but they're nothing to be frightened of.  Almost no student who has taken me, and heard my spiel on Moebius, has ever heard of it before.  But now they have.  And maybe when they encounter physical differences in the future, it won't be so shocking to them...or provoke any kind of a negative reaction.  We have a great story to tell.  People want to hear it.  David Roche is right--don't be afraid.

GET SOME SLEEP:
Luckily one thing I've never suffered from is insomnia:
"Insomnia kills. That’s the central finding of a large study looking at men who complained of chronic insomnia and slept fewer than six hours a night.  Men with insomnia were more than four times as likely to die as “good sleepers” during the 14-year study, published Wednesday in the journal Sleep.  Add hypertension or diabetes, and men with insomnia were seven times as likely to die as those not suffering from sleep problems, the study found.  “We were expecting to find something, but we were surprised by the magnitude of the findings,” said lead investigator Dr. Alexandros N. Vgontzas, a professor of psychiatry at Penn State College of Medicine and Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania.  Self-reported chronic insomnia plus lack of sleep among women did not result in more deaths among women."

So do your best to try and get a good sleep...

ANYONE INTO YOGA?
If you are, you won't believe one of the new trends out there among yoga enthusiasts, especially given the hot summer we've had around this country:
"The last thing many Americans crave in late summer is a heated room.  But in pursuit of a yoga trend that promises mental and physical benefits, many are packing into scorching, humid studios, where the temperature is elevated to 95 degrees or higher.  Some traditional yoga teachers believe heated rooms can hurt the practitioner more than help. But hot-yoga enthusiasts say they have never felt so good: their backs have stopped hurting, they lose weight, digestion improves, and they have energy and vigor they had lacked for years."

Yoga is yet another way that persons with Moebius Syndrome--or anyone--can get fit.  And of course we're all in favor of getting fit.  But be careful about overdoing it or, in this case, getting overheated.  Dehydration or passing out aren't good things...

"My fears about speaking were considerable.  I thought that my difference separated me from others,that my face was an impediment, that it would be a reason for people to scorn me.  Amazingly, that fear turned out not only to be unfounded, but also to be the opposite of the truth.  What I feared is not unique to me alone, but totally human.  We all fear that we will be embarrassed, that we are not acceptable to others, that we will be rejected."--David Roche, THE CHURCH OF 80% SINCERITY.