FRIDAY FOOTBALL PICKS!
It's that time again.  Last week's record?  Horrible:  5 correct, 12 wrong.  So far this week I'm off to a slow start too; I had the Ravens, a 12 pt favorite, covering last night...and they didn't.  Well---I'll keep trying:

NFL PICKS

ARIZONA 5.5 over Miami.  My pick:  CARDINALS.  What have we learned so far this season?  Ride that AZ defense--it's big and fast.  They'll shut Miami down.

ATLANTA 7 over Carolina.  My pick:  FALCONS.  Again, what have we learned?  Atlanta appears to be very good; Carolina is still, to be kind, finding itself.

Cincinnat 2.5 over JACKSONVILLE.  My pick:  BENGALS.  I think so far we've learned:  the Bengals have developed some real speed and weapons on offense--more than the Jags, in my opinion.

DENVER 6.5 over Oakland.  My pick:  BRONCOS.  Peyton Manning hasn't yet quite clicked with his receivers, but...I can see it coming, and this week might be it.  Oakland's defense?  Not so great.

DETROIT 4.5 over Minnesota.  My pick:  LIONS.  The Lions have been a disappointment this year; the Vikings a pleasant surprise.  But Detroit remains loaded on offense, and I think they'll play better this week at home...while the Vikings tend to not look the same on the road.

GREEN BAY 7.5 over New Orleans.  My pick:  PACKERS.  The Packers are angry and should be focused.  The Saints defense?  Just can't stop folks.

HOUSTON 12 over Tennessee.  My pick:  TITANS.  I like Houston to win this game; I think they're really good.  But the Titans aren't as bad as they looked in their first couple games; 12 pts is too much.

KANSAS CITY 1 over San Diego.  My pick:  CHARGERS.  It's just kind of a feeling...but I think Philip Rivers will play much better this week, and find a way to win this one.

New England 4 over BUFFALO.  My pick:  PATRIOTS.  Again, a feeling, and a pretty strong one:  the Patriots still just have too much talent to let this one get away, despite the fact that the Bills are improving.

PHILADELPHIA 2 over NY Giants.  My pick:  EAGLES.  The Eagles and Michael Vick were horrible last week; but they still have a lot of offensive weapons, and so look for them to bounce back at home.  The Giants remain a banged-up team, don't forget.

San Francisco 4 over NY JETS.  My pick:  49ERS.  A tough one; the Niners did not play well at Minnesota, and now are on the road again.  But the Jets' offense continues to struggle, and now no more Revis Island to rely on.  Look for the San Fran defense to be the key here in shutting down the Jets.

Seattle 2.5 over ST. LOUIS.  My pick:  RAMS.  The Rams are improving; while the Seahawks, who truly have a great defense, still are coming off a short week, one full of distractions.

TAMPA BAY 2.5 over Washington.  My pick:  BUCCANEERS.  The Redskins' defense has so many problems; while the Bucs' D is solid.  Look for that to be the difference here.

DALLAS 3 over Chicago.  My pick:  BEARS.  Just a feeling...but if I'm a Cowboys fan, I just don't like that matchup of the Dallas O-line vs the Bears pass rush.  Look for Jay Cutler to do just enough to eke out a Bears' upset.

COLLEGE PICKS

MICHIGAN STATE 2 over Ohio State.  My pick:  SPARTANS.  Two struggling teams, really; but look for MSU's defense to again play well, and maybe for the Spartans' offense to get a bit untracked at home.

WEST VIRGINIA 11.5 over Baylor.  My pick:  BEARS.  No, Baylor won't win this game; WVU will outscore them.  But Baylor can score too and move the ball; so look for them to keep this game closer than people think.

"ClapclapclapclapclapCHEEER!"--what NFL refs will hear from NFL crowds this weekend, for probably the first time, as they return to work.

HOW TO LIVE A STRESS-FREE LIFE
Let's face it, everyone has stress.  People seen by society as totally "normal" have it.  And of course persons with Moebius Syndrome have it---simply because they too are part of this fast-paced society, but also of course because they have Moebius, which presents challenges of its own.  So the blog today is for everyone, whether you have Moebius, or not.  How can you reduce your stress?  Apparently what you can do, and what you need to do, are things that will help both your brain, and you.  Read on:

" Ever feel overwhelmed by worries? Do you find yourself dwelling on concerns big (is my job safe?) and small (that darn clogged sink!)?

It's official: You're human and living in the United States. Anxiety levels in this country are the highest they've been in seven decades, surveys show.

Not surprisingly, money and work woes top most people's freak-out lists (thank you, lingering recession). All that e-mailing, texting, and tweeting aren't helping; social technology has reduced actual face time (a known stress reliever) and made us compulsively available to everyone at all times.

Women suffer most -- we're twice as likely as men to be diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder, which involves excessive worry about a wide range of things (and requires medical attention).

"Women are more likely to feel responsible for taking care of others' well-being," says Robert Leahy, director of the American Institute for Cognitive Therapy and author of "The Worry Cure: Seven Steps to Stop Worry from Stopping You."

And in this you-can-do-it! era, some of us think we can power through anxiety, which only exacerbates the problem.

Chronic stress has been linked to weight gain, depression, and even cancer. But this doesn't have to be your fate.

You can actually train your brain to be less anxious. Recent studies have found that both cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) -- more about this in a minute -- and mindfulness techniques can make positive changes to your gray matter, ones actually visible in a brain scan.

What is CBT, anyway?

CBT centers on the idea that we can free ourselves from a lot of angst by becoming aware of our distorted view of situations, particularly stressful ones, and adjusting our behaviors accordingly.

A 2012 review concluded that CBT can enlarge the prefrontal cortex -- the part of the brain associated with weighing thoughts and making decisions -- and reduce the size of the amygdala, the region associated with stress and fear.

In another study of patients with social phobia that compared the effects of CBT and the antidepressant citalopram, both treatments triggered changes in the parts of the brain that help us process, and act upon, fears.

"Our brains are constantly being shaped, most often unwittingly," says Richard Davidson, director of the Lab for Affective Neuroscience at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. "But there are things we can do to purposefully shape them and reduce anxiety."

You can try CBT on your own with the exercises that follow, or, for a more in-depth experience, find a therapist who specializes in it.

The more you incorporate these very doable techniques into your life, the more second nature they'll become when anxious thoughts rear their ugly little heads. Try them all, then do the ones that work best daily; in about two weeks, you'll start to see a calmer, happier you.

Stay calm now, worry later

"Much of feeling anxious is that sense of urgency: 'I've got to know -- is this mole cancer?'" Leahy notes. "But research shows that 85% of things people worry about actually end up having a positive or neutral outcome."

Write down exactly what's worrying you, then don't look at your note again for three or five hours. Chances are, it will feel less worrisome, and you'll be better able to consider productive actions, like scheduling a skin check at the dermatologist.

Think small

Too often, anxieties swell to epic size: I'll never get out of debt!

"Things feel more manageable when you remove worry's distortions," notes Tamar Chansky, author of "Freeing Yourself from Anxiety."

Take it step by step instead: I can't pay off all the bills now, but I can chip away at them every month.

Give yourself a pep talk

Write down or say out loud the ways you are prepared to handle a situation: I generally get things done. I know how to ask for help. Remind yourself how capable you are.

Let George Clooney help

Imagine the issue from an outside perspective, Chansky suggests. What would your best friend -- or your favorite celebrity -- say? Conjure up that person's voice as they guide you to calm. George: Listen, woman, that CEO has a bark much bigger than his bite. You've totally got this. You: You are so right.

Use your senses

Mindfulness, an ancient practice that focuses your brain on the present, is as old as Buddha. But it's experiencing a surge of popularity; companies like Google and General Mills have mindfulness programs for employees.

Like CBT, it conditions your mind to be more stress-resistant. In a 2012 study, students trained in a mindfulness technique had a significant decrease in stress-related cortisol and an increase in signaling connections (called axons) in a part of the brain that controls emotions.

"When we feel anxiety, our thoughts are rarely in the present," says Jenny C. Yip, a cognitive behavioral therapist in Los Angeles. "We are either ruminating about past mistakes or worrying about future consequences."

Zooming in on what you can see, hear, taste, smell, or feel shifts your mind to the present. The more you practice this, the better equipped you'll be when anxiety strikes, and the quicker you'll calm down. Try this four-step exercise:

1. With eyes closed, imagine yourself and your surroundings from above.

2. How does the floor, mat, or chair feel? How's the temperature in the room?

3. What are the sounds? Maybe an electrical appliance is humming, or trees outside are rustling.

4. Now tune into all these things at once.

Hard, right? That's the point -- to fill your thoughts with the present. When your mind wanders (and it will), bring it back to your senses. It may just bring -- as famously said on "Seinfeld" -- serenity now."

“You are not Atlas carrying the world on your shoulder. It is good to remember that the planet is carrying you. ”---Vandana Shiva (born 1952)

GOT A PET?
Well, if someone in your family has autism, you might want one.  This news won't be a surprise to my many Moebius friends who love pets (and I love pets, too)--and this could very well be useful news for all the Moebius moms and dads out there, as sometimes autism is associated with Moebius Syndrome.  Read on:
"For individuals with autism, bringing a new dog or cat into the household can lead to significant social improvements, a first-of-its-kind study finds.

Researchers reported Wednesday in the journal PLoS One that those with autism displayed improvements in two areas — “offering to share” and “offering comfort” — within a few years of welcoming a new animal into their lives.
Similar progress was not observed among study participants on the spectrum who lived with a pet since birth or those who never had a pet at all.
“This study reveals that in individuals with autism, pet arrival in the family setting may bring about changes in specific aspects of their socio-emotional development,” wrote the study’s lead author, Marine Grandgeorge of the Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire de Brest in France, and her colleagues. “To our knowledge, this is the first study showing an association between pet arrival and changes in prosocial behaviors.”
For the study, researchers compared individuals with autism who had dogs, cats or small animals like a hamster or rabbit in their home since birth to a control group made up of people with similar characteristics but who never lived with a pet.
They also looked at those on the spectrum who got a pet after age 5 as compared to individuals with autism without pets.
The 40 study participants were assessed using a test known as the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised, or ADI-R, that was conducted when they were ages 4 to 5 and then once more when the children were older.
Researchers also interviewed the individuals’ parents about the presence of any pets in their homes and, where animals were present, asked about the relationship between the person with autism and the pet.
While no change was seen for individuals without pets or those who had pets since birth, acquiring a new animal appeared to increase the likelihood of sharing and comforting parents or peers, two so-called prosocial behaviors.
The reason for the improvements is not entirely clear and more research is needed, the study authors said.
Interestingly, however, they indicated that children who acquired a new pet were much more likely to spend time petting or playing with their furry friend than those who had a pet since birth.
In about half of cases where a new pet came into the home, parents reported that they acquired the animal specifically for their child with autism, but whether or not that was the reason did not appear to influence the level of social progress that the individual achieved, researchers said."

“Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle.”---Christian D. Larson

ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF FACIAL DIFFERENCE
You know, those of us with Moebius Syndrome aren't the only ones out there with a facial difference.  There are others.  What follows is an interesting example of this--and see especially how the young lady affected with it has dealt with her life, along with the bullying she received when she was younger:
"It’s been a long road for Amanda Lizon. The 20-year-old Mississauga, Ont. university student has had 15 surgeries – some major, some minor – to repair the cleft lip and palate with which she was born.
This facial difference is not as rare as you might think. In Canada, approximately 500 to 700 babies are born each year with cleft lip or cleft palate. And at 3.74 per 1,000 live births, the prevalence of oral facial clefts recorded in the First Nations people of British Columbia is among the highest in the world.
According to AboutFace, an organization offering supportive services for people with facial differences (aboutface.ca), more than 10,000 babies with a facial difference are born each year in Canada and another 50,000 people annually are affected as a result of trauma or a health issue.
The organization, for which Amanda Lizon volunteers, is focusing on cleft lip and cleft palate during September, Facial Differences Awareness Month. The two conditions are two genetically distinct variations of oral facial clefts caused by abnormal facial development during gestation.
Living with facial differences is incredibly challenging. Lizon says that she was bullied “a bit” growing up, but very early on she decided that she would explain herself while educating others.
“In Grade 7, I chose as a presentation topic cleft lip and palate. I told them my story because I wanted the other kids to be comfortable asking questions,” Lizon says.
She repeated it in high school and says none of the other students had a clue as to what the condition was about. “Even though it’s the most common birth defect, a lot of people still don’t know what it is,” she says. “I wanted people to know what it was about instead of assuming I was in an accident. It wasn’t an accident. I was born this way.
“AboutFace helps everyone with a facial difference to love and accept yourself no matter what you look like,” Lizon says.
Cleft lip and palate is as old as mankind. Egypt’s King Tut supposedly had a cleft lip, so did Cheech Marin of Cheech and Chong and actor Stacy Keach. A cleft lip may be just a small notch in the lip or a complete split in the lip that goes all the way to the nose. A cleft palate can be on one or both sides of the roof of the mouth.
In the decades since he began treating kids with cleft lips or palates, Winnipeg pediatric plastic surgeon Dr. Lonny Ross, director of the Manitoba Centre for Craniofacial Differences, says advances have been tremendous. Prognosis for people born with these facial differences is “excellent,” but parents need to realize that several surgeries may be necessary. Cleft conditions can impact everything from feeding to speech, from ear infections to poorly aligned teeth.
Today, the team approach to treatment ensures the key players (from plastic surgeon to pediatric dentist to speech pathologist) involved in a patient’s care come together to review what’s what.
“It allows an interaction between professionals who usually practice within their own silo and allows us to provide a care plan for each person that also reduces the number of surgeries someone might need,” he explains. “We now look at the patient as a whole and see what the patient needs and may want from the team.”
Preparing parents
Cleft conditions are not always evident on a fetal ultrasound, but if they are seen it allows the family to prepare themselves. “I often see parents before the baby is born,” says Dr. Lonny Ross. “We can show them treatment plans and the progress that can be made. If you can show good things happening it gives them hope and a renewed energy rather than a cloud of uncertainty going into the birth of their child.”
Making faces
To further raise awareness about cleft lip and palate, British Columbia’s Logan Bristow (with mom Sonja) documented her journey from birth to adolescence. The resulting picture book, entitled Making Faces and available from aboutface.ca, clearly explains the challenges a child and his or her family have in learning to cope with the condition and the many surgeries to come. The book offers help and guidance for parents, and support for kids who may be facing similar challenges.
Cleft what?
A cleft lip is a split in the upper lip between the mouth and nose. A cleft palate is when the roof of a baby’s mouth has not joined completely, leaving a gap.
Embrace what’s special
Children born with cleft lips or palates will always face emotional and psychosocial challenges, says Dr. Lonny Ross. “But AboutFace provides people with the tools to be able to face the world with the attitude that ‘This is who I am and I am going to be the best that I can be.’”

“May you always be blessed with walls for the wind. A roof for the rain. A warm cup of tea by the fire. Laughter to cheer you. Those you love near you. And all that your heart might desire. ”---Irish Proverb

HOW'S YOUR MOOD TODAY?
Do you feel like you have the blahs?  Afraid you have a case of "the Mondays"?  But what researchers have found about peoples' moods on Mondays may surprise you.  Read on:
"In the cult classic “Office Space,” Peter Gibbons works with an annoyingly cheerful woman who replies to his grumpy behavior with the quip, “Sounds like somebody’s got a case of the Mondays.” The line embodies what most of us believe about Mondays: that it is the worst day of the week. It turns out that while we feel happiest on Saturdays and Sundays, most of us don’t feel much bluer on Mondays than we do on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday.
“I have been interested in studying people’s mood in the moment as well as day-to-day as a technique for studying people,” explains Arthur Stone, a distinguished professor and vice chair in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at Stony Brook University and author of a study of days of the week and mood patterns in the Journal of Positive Psychology.

“We know that psychosocial influences, especially work, can have an influence on our daily moods … we were curious as to how the days of the week impact our moods.”

Stone asked 340,000 subjects from a Gallup poll to rank their moods for that day. While most people ranked their Monday mood as being a bit blue, their mood wasn’t much worse on Monday than it was on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. Even with Wednesday being “hump day,” there weren’t spikes in good feelings midweek. And people generally agree with Rebecca Black that Friday seemed like a great day (to get down and party), but didn’t thank God for Friday as much as they did for Saturday and Sunday.
“Friday is probably a day when you get a combination of work and positive stuff and it is not surprising that it came in somewhere between the levels of the weekend and Monday through Thursday,” he says.
When Stone asked people to recall their mood from the past, in hindsight they report Monday feeling bluer.
“They don’t experience Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday as different in real time and when you ask them in the past there is a discrepancy. It probably has to do with how people judge things in the past,” Stone explains.
Stone also analyzed whether factors such as age, marital status, or work status, impact how people felt on different days of the week.
Even though retired people could, in theory, get down every day, they also experienced mood boosts on Saturday and Sunday. Married people liked weekends a bit more than their divorced counterparts, but Stone attributes that to the fact that married couples are generally happier than divorced people. He also noticed that younger people feel a bigger boost in mood over the weekend than older people, but everyone still feels pretty good on Saturday and Sunday.
“I was surprised at how systematically the effect of the age [was]. I didn’t know that as you went from one decade 20 -29 to 30 -39 to 40-49 [the effect on mood would lessen so systematically], he says. “It went down regularly each decade.”

“Take as a gift whatever the day brings forth...”

Horace (65-8);

FRIDAY FOOTBALL PICKS!!
I'm exactly at .500 for the season.  Last week I went 7-9-2; I am 17-17-2 so far this year.  Time to get above the break-even mark!

COLLEGE PICK
I just have one:

OKLAHOMA 14 over Kansas State.  My pick:  KSU.  This team is a lot better than people think; yes, this game is at Oklahoma, but the Wildcats of Bill Snyder will at least keep it close.

NFL PICKS
You all may not believe this, because I forgot to post it yesterday, but on my sheet I did pick the Giants in last night's game against Carolina.  I thought Eli Manning would prevail in a high-scoring matchup.  It wound up being more of a blowout than I thought, but I thought the Giants would cover, given Carolina's defensive problems...and they did.  A win is a win!

The rest of the picks:

BALTIMORE 3 over New England.  My pick:  RAVENS.  Arizona exposed New England's problems on the O-line; the Ravens will exploit it.

Buffalo 3 over CLEVELAND.  My pick:  BILLS.  I think the Bills got their offense untracked last week; they have more weapons.

CHICAGO 7.5 over St. Louis.  My pick:  RAMS.  I think the Bears will win this game; but the Rams under Jeff Fisher I think are vastly improved.  They'll keep this game close.

DALLAS 7.5 over Tampa Bay.  My pick: COWBOYS.  I suspect the Bucs will try to emulate Seattle's physical play of last week; but my guess is the Cowboys will adjust, and the Bucs' defense anyway doesn't quite have the personnel to pull it off.

Detroit 3.5 over TENNESSEE.  My pick:  LIONS.  I just think the Lions' weapons (especially Calvin Johnson) in the end will prevail; though I don't expect a blowout.  Lions by 7, maybe...

Houston 2 over DENVER.  My pick:  BRONCOS.  Houston has looked very good; but they haven't played a team the caliber of Denver yet.  Peyton Manning struggled mightily on Monday night; and yet he still rallied his team to within a TD late in that game.  I don't think he'll struggle like that again on Sunday.  And the Broncos play well at home.

INDIANAPOLIS 3 over Jacksonville.  My pick:  COLTS.  The Colts showed marked improvement between week 1 and week 2; look for that to continue.

NEW ORLEANS 9 over Kansas City.  My pick:  SAINTS.  I keep going with them; and I know, their defense is horrid and 9 points is a lot for an 0-2 team.  But have you seen KC this season?  Look for the Saints to break through...at the least they can outscore the Chiefs.

NY Jets 2.5 over MIAMI.  My pick:  JETS.  The Dolphins broke through last week vs Oakland largely because they ran the ball very well; but look for the Jets to bottle that up this week, and for Mark Sanchez to do just enough.

Philadelphia 3.5 over ARIZONA.  My pick:  CARDINALS.  Hey, have you seen that Arizona defense play?  News flash:  they're good.   The Eagles are fortunate to be 2-0, given all their turnovers, etc.  I think their luck runs out here.

Pittsburgh 4 over OAKLAND.  My pick:  STEELERS.  It's tricky, because the Steelers have to travel a long way and that can affect a team.  But have the Raiders given us any reason to pick them, to think they've made any strides?  Nope.

SAN DIEGO 3 over Atlanta.  My pick:  CHARGERS.  I think these are two pretty good teams.  I'd do with San Diego largely because you have a Falcons' team coming off a Monday night game, and thus a short week; and then having to travel cross-country.  Advantage:  Chargers.

San Francisco 7 over MINNESOTA.  My pick:  49ERS.  That's a lot of points for a road team; but...how can you pick against this Niners defense, and their efficient offense?  I  can't.

WASHINGTON 3 over Cincinnati.  My pick:  REDSKINS.  I know, the 'Skins have injuries.  But--they should have won anyway last week.  And I think RGIII will make plenty of plays against the Bengals' at-times leaky defense.

Green Bay 3.5 over SEATTLE.  My pick:  PACKERS.  Make no mistake about it, I was impressed with Seattle's toughness last week.  But...this is Aaron Rodgers and the Pack we're talking about.  You have to think they'll be ready; and Rodgers will make enough plays for the Pack to cover.

"Get with it, you idiots!"--many NFL fans this year, screaming at the replacement refs as they watch the games.

HAVING A MID-WEEK MELTDOWN?
If it's Wednesday or Thursday, are you snapping at people?  Making bad decisions?  Being irritable?  Hey, it happens--to persons with Moebius, who lead stressful lives anyway sometimes, and to non-Moebius folks too.  What's going on?  What can you do?  Read on:
"If you're reading this on a Wednesday or Thursday, we're willing to bet you're guilty of at least one of the following: a) snapping at your spouse; b) skipping your regularly scheduled workout; or c) abandoning your healthy eating intentions. Why? Because you didn't get enough shut-eye last night, according to new data that suggests Wednesdays and Thursdays are the nights when people sleep the least.

BodyMedia, the makers of an armband that tracks calorie burn and sleep patterns, crunched numbers from roughly 100,000 of their anonymous users to find that the average amount of sleep on those midweek nights hovers just over six hours a night. By contrast, Sundays--the best sleep night of the week--average around 6.8 hours.

That may not seem like a drastic difference, but a lost half-hour here and there can add up over time, especially considering no night of the week registered an average sleep time above seven hours, according to the data. And eight hours of sleep a night is recommended for most adults.

While Thursdays fall short on total shut-eye time, there is a silver lining: Sleep efficiency--the amount of time you actually spend asleep compared to the total time lying down--was actually highest on Thursdays (exhaustion, maybe?). The worst sleep efficiency night is Monday, likely due to the fact that people are forced to try and wrestle their way back to a weekly sleep routine after a weekend off.

What's the crankiest day of the week for you? Join our conversation on Facebook!

We'll spare you the laundry list of the health problems associated with not getting enough shut-eye, and skip straight to the fix. A few little lifestyle changes can dramatically improve your sleep quality, even if all your other sleep-stealers--work deadlines, family commitments, and everything else on your endless to-do list--stay the same.

So check out our 20 ways to sleep better every night.

“Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but rather we have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.”---Aristotle (384-322)

A PIECE JUST TO MAKE YOU THINK
To make you think---about life, about time...is it really possible to "waste" time?  Are we too much of a culture that's always on the clock, worried about "time is money"?  Below is a very interesting piece; I'll just include part of it...if you're interested, check out the whole thing.  The author argues that different cultures see the concept of time and how it should be used differently; that different cultures move at different paces.  There are consequences--and tradeoffs:
"Our own research has compared the pace of life in different cities. In an early study we conducted field experiments in the largest or other major city in each of 31 countries. One experiment, for example, timed the average walking speed of randomly selected pedestrians over a distance of 60 feet. Another experiment sampled speed in the workplace -- specifically, how long it took postal clerks to fulfill a standard request for stamps. All measurements were taken during main business hours in main downtown areas under similar conditions. More recently, my colleague Stephen Reysen and I replicated these experiments in 24 cities across the United States.
We've found large differences in these studies. The fastest big cities in the international study, for example, tended to come from Western Europe and prosperous Asian countries, while those from traditional event-time countries (such as Mexico, Brazil, and Indonesia) tended to be slowest. The differences were often substantial. For example, on the walking-speed measure we found that pedestrians in Rio de Janeiro walked only two-thirds as fast as did pedestrians in Zurich, Switzerland. (For further details, see, for example, Levine, A Geography of Time [Basic Books]). We've found these differences are to at least some degree predictable by demographic, economic, and environmental characteristics of the places, and, more importantly, they have consequences for the well-being of individuals and their communities.
The consequences are mixed. On the positive side, people in faster places tend to say they are happier with their lives. We believe this reflects the economic rewards that result from making every minute "productive": Faster cities in our studies tended to have healthier economies, and we know from other studies that people who have difficulty meeting their minimal needs tend to be less happy. (A sidebar: Money does not, however, appear to affect happiness beyond poverty. There is little difference in happiness between moderately wealthy and very wealthy individuals.)
But a fast pace of life has its costs. In another series of experiments, conducted in many of the same cities, we compared the likelihood that a passerby would assist a stranger in need. In one experiment, for example, we observed the proportion of people who went out of their way to return an inadvertently dropped pen. In another, we observed the proportion who assisted a man with an injured leg trying to pick up a dropped magazine. Not surprisingly, there were strong differences between cities (see "The Kindness of Strangers"). Perhaps the most notable finding was a negative relationship between the pace of life and helping: People in faster places were less likely to take the time to assist a stranger in need.
The problem may not be speed per se so much as feeling rushed. In a now-classic experiment, John Darley and Daniel Batson gathered a group of Princeton University Seminary students for what they understood to be a study about religious education. The students were told they'd be giving a brief talk, either about the types of jobs seminary graduates are suited for or about the parable of the "good Samaritan." They were then directed to walk to a recording studio across campus. Along the way, they passed a man slumped in a doorway who was coughing and groaning loudly. The students were divided into two groups. Half of them were told there was no need to rush in getting to the recording studio. Almost two-thirds of this group stopped to help the suffering man. The other half of the students were told they were late and needed to hurry to the studio. Among this group, only 10 percent helped. Ninety percent were apparently too busy to stop. "Indeed, on several occasions, a seminary student going to give his talk on the parable of the Good Samaritan literally stepped over the victim as he hurried on his way," Darley and Batson recalled.
People may ignore strangers for a variety of reasons. They may be too busy to notice, or too busy to care. They may fear how the stranger will react. Or they might simply be uncaring jerks. To the stranger in need, however, reasons are beside the point. The only thing that matters is whether they get help.
When did it become acceptable in America to treat helping strangers as "wasted time"? Everyone in the world agrees -- they should, anyway -- that time is our most precious commodity. But peoples' definitions of "wasted" are another great cultural divider. To a time-is-money clock-timer it refers to anything that distracts from the task at hand. To an event-timer, however, there is nothing more wasteful than carving one's life into inflexible, inorganic units.
I'll never forget a conversation I once had with an exchange student from Burkina Faso in Eastern Africa. I was complaining that I'd just wasted my morning yakking in a café instead of doing my work. He looked confused. "How can you waste time? If you're not doing one thing, you're doing something else. Even if you're just talking to a friend or sitting around, that's what you're doing." He said he was taught that what's wasteful -- sinful, to some -- is to not make sufficient time available for the people in your life.
What does it say about a culture when schedules take precedent over the life in front of your eyes, when the ticking of a clock discourages compassionate behavior? There are plenty of experts in the United States you can pay to help plan your days more efficiently. Here's another suggestion. Try beginning your day with a question people often ask in Brunei: "What is not going to happen today?" While you're at it, don't forget to give time to time."

“There is no failure except in no longer trying. There is no defeat except from within, no really insurmountable barrier save our own inherent weakness of purpose.”

Elbert Hubbard (1856-1915)

SLEEP ISSUES, AGAIN
You know, the issue of sleep is one of those topics that comes up again and again when it comes to Moebius Syndrome.  And in fact it comes up again and again even with people who don't have Moebius--all the evidence indicates that people get less and less sleep these days, and worry about it.

But with Moebius Syndrome, it can be a special worry.  Some suffer from "night terrors"--that can be bad dreams, or even worse.  Others just have a hard time getting to sleep, perhaps influenced by past terrors, perhaps by other issues.  So how can we get better sleep?  Here's an interesting piece with some good ideas:
"Sleepless nights aren't a modern invention. But experts say modern life is making them increasingly common.

"More and more, we are seeing women who have trouble falling -- and staying -- asleep," says Rebecca Scott, a behavioral sleep medicine expert at the New York Sleep Institute.

Last year, in fact, women received 5.8 million more prescriptions for sleeping pills than they did just five years earlier.

Psychologists and sleep clinicians believe this sleep crisis is due to increasing stressors like juggling work and family, caring for aging parents, and the crummy economy.

"We now know that many health issues, including sleep disturbance, are related to anxiety," notes Robin Haight, a clinical psychologist in Tyson's Corner, Virginia.

Technology is another modern stimulant: Ever stayed up watching "Mad Men" or playing a game (or 10) of Bejeweled on your smartphone when you knew you should be getting shut-eye?

The toll could be considerable. Aside from leaving you sluggish and cranky, not getting enough sleep can lead to depression, high blood pressure, heart disease, weight gain and diabetes.

 

Sleep deprivation and your health

With our sleep problems worsening, experts say it's time we made serious changes to get better rest. Here are real solutions to today's top sleep obstacles.

Sleep problem #1: You can't fall asleep

Instead of winding down and relaxing before bed, we're doing chores, checking e-mail, and getting riled up by the TV news until we hit the sack. To create a more snooze-inducing routine:

During the day

Squeeze in exercise whenever you can. Chris Kline, who studies the effect of exercise on sleep at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, says that doing even half of the recommended weekly 150 minutes of moderate activity and two muscle-training sessions has been shown to significantly reduce sleep problems in women, in part by regulating body temperature and reducing anxiety and depression.

Surprisingly, being active in the early evening may help you fall asleep more easily, Kline says, but see what timing works best for you.

Two hours before bedtime

Lower the lights. Turning off lights and lamps signals to the body that sleep time is near-- the way twilight did before we had electric lighting.

The type of lightbulbs you use also matters. "The hue of light can be described as warm versus cold, or soft versus harsh," says Michael Terman, an expert on light and biological rhythms at Columbia University Medical Center and author of the upcoming book "Chronotherapy."

"Cold, harsh white light" -- like that found in fluorescent bulbs -- "contains a significant blue component, which is most likely to interfere with sleep onset," Terman says.

Blue light, more so than other colors in the light spectrum, suppresses the body's release of melatonin, the hormone that makes us sleepy. The cooler the prominent colors in a type of lighting (blue and green, say, as opposed to yellow and red), the higher its color temperature, measured in kelvins (K).

Check lightbulb packaging for the words "soft" or "warm" and for a color temperature of 3000 K or less, which is less likely to trigger insomnia, Terman says.

An hour before bedtime

Dim your screens. Watching TV or tooling around online may help you decompress, but most screens emit more blue light than lamps do, and that -- plus any exciting or disturbing stuff you see -- will keep your brain going.

So if you can't give up your late-night screen time, at least turn down the brightness on your TV, tablet, or computer. You can also install a free program called f.lux on your laptop to automatically reduce the blue light it emits at night.

Half an hour before bedtime

Power down. Now's the time to turn off the tube -- experts recommend reading by low lamplight. Pick an article or book that's not so suspenseful it keeps you up (think "Bossypants," not "Hunger Games"), and nothing work- or school-related -- too stressful!

Sleep problem #2: You can't stay asleep

It's natural to drift in and out of sleep, especially during the second half of the night. Since slumber grows lighter as we get older, the over-40 set is especially prone to late-night interruptions. What to do when they happen:

Step 1: Don't check the alarm clock to see what time it is, since knowing it's 3 a.m. will only stress you out. Keep the clock under your bed so you can't look.

Step 2: Have a strategy to keep middle-of-the-night anxiety at bay. When your mind starts going a mile a minute during nighttime wakeups, it's even more impossible to relax back into sleep.

If unfinished tasks keep you from sleeping soundly, jot down a to-do list for the next day before turning in. This can help keep you from coming to full consciousness when you wake up.

"It tells the brain that it no longer needs to stay on high alert and can focus on promoting sleep," Scott explains. If the thoughts start flooding in anyway, take a deep breath and remind yourself that you've written down everything you need to tackle in the morning, so it's safe to fall back asleep.

Step 3: Mind still racing? "Think of a positive experience you had that day or one thing that you're grateful for," Scott advises. Or visualize yourself in a comfortable place (think the beach, the woods, or a hammock) to create a relaxation response and ease into slumber, Haight says.

Step 4: Fight hot flashes. Lowered estrogen levels can cause this common menopause symptom. When they happen at night, the rise in your body temperature will likely wake you up.

If you're facing a regular case of the night sweats, keep your bedroom cool with an open window, fan, or air conditioner, and switch to lightweight cotton PJs and bedding. And talk to your doctor, who may suggest hormone therapy or other medications, such as antidepressants.

Sleep problem #3: Your sleep is interrupted

Enter a snoring husband, bed-hopping pets and kids, or blinking, pinging e-mail alerts on your BlackBerry. To defuse them:

Step 1: Ask your snoring spouse to talk to a doctor. He could have a treatable condition, like sleep apnea.

Step 2: Keep kids and pets out of your room if you aren't getting restful sleep. Easier said than done, yes. But be strong!

Step 3: Lights and noises disrupt your sleep more than you might realize. Silence your phone at night and keep it charging where you can't see it.

A pitch-black bedroom is ideal for good sleep, so skip the nightlights and use amber-colored ones in the hallway and in the bathroom -- they won't mess with your melatonin levels when you get up to go in the middle of the night. Consider installing blackout shades or curtains on your windows, too. Then simply close your eyes, enjoy the silence and prepare for a hard-earned night's rest."

“Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly.”--Proverb

FRIDAY FOOTBALL PICKS!!
Well, Houif you include my college football picks from last week, I went 10-8.  Not horrible for a first week.  I'm off, however, to a bad start in week 2; I picked Chicago over Green Bay last night...didn't happen.  Let's see if I can do better:

NFL PICKS

BUFFALO 3 over Kansas City.  My pick:  BILLS.  Hard to know what to make of either of these teams; both got torched defensively last week.  I'll give the nod to the Bills since they're at home.

CINCINNATI 7 over Cleveland.  My pick:  BROWNS.  Again, two teams off to a rough start.  I like Cincy to win; but the Browns' defense will keep this one close.

Dallas 3 over SEATTLE.  My pick:  COWBOYS.  I'm amazed that this is only a 3 point spread.  I look for the Cowboys' defense to shut down the Seahawks and their rookie QB Russell Wilson.  The 'Boys should dominate here.

Houston 7 over JACKSONVILLE.  My pick:  TEXANS.  Houston may be turning into a real powerhouse.

Minnesota 1.5 over INDIANAPOLIS.  My pick:  VIKINGS.  I like Andrew Luck, and I think he's going to be good.  But Indy's defense is bad.  Look for the Vikings' Percy Harvin to have a big day.

NEW ENGLAND 13.5 over Arizona.  My pick:  PATRIOTS.  The Pats' defense appears to be improved; Tom Brady and the offense still move the ball like usual; and the Cardinals historically play poorly on the east coast.  All adds up to a big Patriot day.

New Orleans 2.5 over CAROLINA.  My pick:  SAINTS.  A tough pick.  Again, two teams off to a rough start.  I was surprised at how badly the Panthers were physically whipped by Tampa Bay.  Meanwhile, obviously the Saints have issues on defense.  But I suspect Drew Brees will find a way to win this one.

NY GIANTS 7 over Tampa Bay.  My pick:  GIANTS.  The Bucs' conservative, ball-control scheme worked to perfection against Carolina.  But I look for Eli Manning to come back strong this week, and the Bucs will find that the Giants are a big step up from last week.

Oakland 2.5 over MIAMI.  My pick:  RAIDERS.  If the Raiders can just a snapper for their punt team, they'll be OK.  I fear Ryan Tannehill and the Dolphins' offense has a long way to go.

PHILADELPHIA 2.5 over Baltimore.  My pick: RAVENS.  Wow.  Did the oddsmakers not watch week 1?  Joe Flacco appears to be coming into his own.  Michael Vick keeps making the same old mistakes. I really like the Ravens here.

PITTSBURGH 5.5 over NY Jets.  My pick:  STEELERS.  The Steelers lost last week, but I still saw a QB in Roethlisberger who makes lots of plays.  Look for him to make more than enough to beat the Jets, despite NY's offensive improvement.

SAN DIEGO 6 over Tennessee.  My pick:  CHARGERS.  They're at home; and the Titans have a banged-up QB in Jake Locker (who didn't look so hot even before he was banged up).

SAN FRANCISCO 6.5 over Detroit.  My pick:  49ERS.  They looked last week like perhaps the best team in the NFC; hard to pick against them in their home opener.

Washington 3 over ST. LOUIS.  My pick:  REDSKINS.  St. Louis is improved under Jeff Fisher; but do they have RGIII?  No.  But the Redskins do.

ATLANTA 3 over Denver.  My pick:  FALCONS.  I think these are two good teams.  But I think Matt Ryan, at home, will find a way to win this one; though I expect Peyton Manning to play well again.

COLLEGE PICKS

MICHIGAN STATE 6 over Notre Dame.  My pick:  SPARTANS.  I really like Michigan State here; I think their physical defense and loud home crowd will rattle the Irish a bit, who haven't seen anything like this so far this year.

Southern Cal 9 over STANFORD.  My pick:  TROJANS.  I really like USC, with all their talent, to come back strong and dominate in this one.


“And as for the final sphere of love and friendship, I can only say it gets harder once the natural communities of college and hometown are gone... It takes work and commitment, demands toleration for human frailties, forgiveness for the inevitable disappointment and betrayals that come even with the best of relationships.”--Doris Kearns Goodwin (born 1943)

INSPIRATIONAL STORY OF THE DAY
A teen earns a green belt; but it's not just any teen, and it wasn't a typical "earning"--see why:
"ATLANTA –  One local teen is fighting a deadly disease, but she's still determined to accomplish her goals. Monica Sandoval, 17, isn't letting leukemia get in her way, MyFoxAtlanta reported.

"I felt like time stopped. You don't go to the doctor expecting that's what they're going to say to you," Monica said. "You think all other things, but you never think that you're going to get cancer."
The cancer diagnosis never dampened the 17-year-old's spirit. While at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston, she would do her best to cheer up the other patients, even throwing princess parties for the other girls.
Cancer also didn't keep her from doing what she loved the most. She kept up her Taekwondo training even during treatment. Thanks to bone marrow donated by her little brother, Cody, her cancer eventually went into remission. But in January of this year, it returned. Instead of seeing this a bad news, she says it made her even more determined, and she paid a visit to her Taekwondo instructor.
"I went to him the very next day and I said, 'Alright, we need to get this done, like right now,'" Monica said.
She wanted to earn her green belt, saying she knew how weak she was going to get and wanted to feel strong.
She eventually earned her green belt and is awaiting her second bone marrow transplant. But you still can't keep her still. She's constantly in the hospital halls chatting with the nurses, and visiting patients."

“Forgiveness is a virtue of the brave.”---Indira Gandhi (1917-1984)

SOME HEALTH NEWS UPDATES
First:  fish oil might not be the lifesaver some believed:
"Fish oil -- a supplement taken daily by millions of Americans -- may not help you live longer, a new study released today suggests.
The study is the latest piece of research feeding the debate over whether regularly taking omega-3 supplements -- most commonly in the form of fish oil -- helps the heart.
A number of clinical trials have found that fish oil seems to lower risk of heart attack, sudden death, and even stroke -- though exactly how this works remains unclear. Yet, other studies have found little evidence of connection between these often pricey supplements and health benefits.
In the new report, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, lead study author Dr. Evangelos Rizos and his colleagues completed an extensive review of existing data. They pooled results from 20 studies that included almost 70,000 adult patients.
Through rigorous statistical analyses, they said, they found no significant risk reduction in those getting increased omega-3 in their diet or through supplements.
Fish oil supplements are among the most popular dietary supplements among Americans. Though it is hard to pin down an exact figure for sales of such products, an article in Forbes magazine noted that, according to the Nutrition Business Journal, over-the-counter fish oil supplements accounted for $739 million in sales in 2009. Meanwhile, in 2010 Americans spent nearly $4 billion on products fortified with extra omega-3s, according to the market research firm Packaged Facts.While the news may be disappointing to many expecting to live longer and have healthier hearts by taking these supplements daily, it's not the first time such findings have been reported. In April, a South Korean study of 20,000 people found a similar lack of heart benefits, and in June a separate study suggested that brain benefits, too, may have been oversold.
The results have some top cardiologists convinced that consumers should pause before buying these supplements.
"There's never been any compelling evidence of a clinical benefit," said Dr. Steven Nissen, professor of medicine at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner School of Medicine.
Despite these mixed results, however, many physicians still recommend these supplements, which can cost $40 or more per bottle.
"Patients and doctors like the idea that it is natural and has no real side effects," said Dr. Howard Weintraub, clinical director of New York University Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease.
And some doctors say the findings of the new study are no reason to cut bait on fish oil.
"Meta-analysis, particularly when neutral, should not be used to draw a conclusion," said Melvyn Rubenfire of the University of Michigan.
Rubenfire said many of the studies included in this report did not have long enough follow-up, noting that heart and stroke prevention studies "are generally designed with five-year duration." Many patients studied here, he said, were followed for less than three years.
Rubenfire added that he believes this information "should dampen the enthusiasm for routine costly supplement in healthy persons" -- but that he and many experts agreed that omega-3 supplements are still a good strategy for patient with high triglycerides.
Some experts also note that the report is limited because the authors only included results from 20 of the thousands of studies on this topic, as many of these studies vary in terms of the types of patients and the doses of fish oil studied.
"This inherently makes it hard to group them together for one analysis," said Dr. Merle Myerson, director of cardiovascular disease prevention at Continuum Health Partners.
Myerson said she thinks that while government guideline committees will consider this study, they won't "change or challenge current recommendations."

But, second--some good news:  here are 10 apparently "lazy" moves that can actually aid your health.  What are they?  Read on:
"Staying healthy can feel like so much, well, work (think: logging hours at the gym and whipping up nutritious meals from scratch). However, there are plenty of small moves that you can make in your everyday life that will have big health benefits.
We've rounded up 10 practically zero-effort ways to fight disease, whittle your waist, lower stress, and more. Bonus: Many of these good-for-you moves feel good, too. So say sayonara to the old adage, "no pain, no gain" and try these tips today.

Protect Your Ticker By Snoozing

Need a good excuse to grab your comfiest set of pajamas and hit the sack? Skimping on shut-eye may do more than make you cranky or unproductive—it also boosts your risk of a heart attack.
According to one Norwegian study, people who reported that they did not wake up feeling refreshed in the morning had a 27 percent higher risk of a heart attack, those who had trouble staying asleep almost every night in the last month had a 30 percent higher risk, and those who had trouble falling asleep almost every night in the last month had odds that jumped to 45 percent.
Some researchers speculate that insomnia might trigger your body to release more of the stress hormone cortisol. High levels of cortisol have been linked with high blood pressure and diabetes, which are both risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
Plus, when you're exhausted you may be more likely to make unhealthy choices that up your heart disease risk, such as skipping your workout or reaching for fatty or sugary snacks for a quick energy fix.
 

Ward Off Weight Gain with Protein

You may not have to stress so much about cutting calories: Whether you're packing on the pounds or simply want to maintain your current weight, adding more protein to your dish could be your slim-down secret weapon. Past research has found that protein keeps you feeling full longer than either carbs or fat, so you can eat less and still be satiated.
A new study supports this idea: Researchers from the University of Sydney estimated that the extra calories eaten by participants in their study eating the lowest protein diets could add up to an extra 2.2 pounds of weight gain a month.
Protein is the building block of muscle, and more calories are required to maintain muscle than to preserve fat, which means muscle helps boost your metabolism. Bonus: Foods rich in protein are also filled with zinc and B vitamins, both of which strengthen your immune system to ward off colds and flu.
If you're eating about 1,800 calories a day and want to get 15 percent of your calories from protein, you should aim for about 68 grams of protein. Here are 3 easy protein switches that up your protein intake for the same number of calories or less. Remember, you want to eat more protein—not calories!—to keep your waistline slim.
Instead of…1/2 cup granola with 1 cup berries (7 grams protein, 250 calories) Try…1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese with 1 cup berries (15 grams protein, 131 calories) Instead of…1 ¼ cup mashed potatoes (5 grams protein, 296 calories) Try…1 ¼ cup vegetarian baked beans (15 grams protein, 295 calories) Instead of…6-inch pancake sans butter or syrup (5 grams protein, 175 calories) Try…1 cup low-fat plain yogurt with ½ cup apricots (13 grams protein, 186 calories)
 

Pop Vitamin D to Live Longer

Have you had your dose of vitamin D today? A growing body of research shows that not getting enough of this nutrient can trigger a slew of health problems—and experts believe that most of us have a vitamin D deficiency.
Though current guidelines call for 600 to 800 IU daily, many researchers now believe we may need up to 4,000 IU. The very latest research supports the case that the "sunshine vitamin" is a powerful health booster. In fact, people who get enough vitamin D have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to a study published in Diabetes Care.
Experts speculate that the nutrient's anti-inflammatory powers might be one way that it offers protection against the disease. Getting enough D may also improve asthma. Earlier research found that having low levels may make asthma symptoms worse, and a new study finds that lacking in D could make breathing harder by increasing airway smooth muscle mass in children with treatment-resistant asthma, according to the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
The "sunshine vitamin" may also help ward off cancer. A whopping 77 percent of cancer patients have low levels of vitamin D, and the lowest levels are linked to more advanced cancers, suggests a study presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology. More research is being done on how vitamin D might help prevent or even treat cancer.
 

Up Your Antioxidants with a New Super Fruit

The largest edible fruit native to North America, the pawpaw will grow pretty much anywhere, although it does best in the Northeast and the Midwest, says Ken Asmus, owner of Oikos Tree Crops, a Kalamazoo, Michigan–based nursery that sells pawpaw tree seedlings. Their fruit ripens around the end of August and lasts until mid-October.
Some nutritionists and foodies think pawpaws could be the next superfood. They have 20 to 70 times as much iron, 10 times as much calcium, and 4 to 20 times as much magnesium as bananas, apples, and oranges, Asmus has found. And research from Ohio State has found that they have antioxidant levels that rival cranberries and cherries.
An added health bonus: Being a native tree, pawpaws are resistant to most pests and diseases, making them very easy to grow organically, without the insecticides or fungicides used in most fruit orchards. Just don't look for them at the grocery store; you're more likely to find a pawpaw at your local farmer's market—if you aren't already growing them in your backyard.

Rock Out to Exercise Longer

Music fuels your workout—whether you're lifting weights, practicing yoga, or going for a power walk. And it's not just in your head. Researchers at Brunel University in London found that runners who listened to upbeat, energizing rock or pop music (like Queen, Madonna, or the Red Hot Chili Peppers) exercised up to 15 percent longer—and felt great while doing it.

Boost Brain Power with Chocolate

Are you a chocoholic? Turns out your little addiction may save your life. A recent study found that those consuming the highest levels of chocolate had a 37 percent reduction in cardiovascular disease and a 29 percent reduction in stroke compared to those with lower chocolate intakes.
Though experts are quick to clarify that we should stick to moderate consumption of high-calorie chocolates, it's hard to deny the cold, hard facts that chocolate can be a healthy addition to our diets. Another study finds that chocolate may also boost brainpower. Flavonols, compounds in chocolate with antioxidant-like properties, are thought to improve circulation, including blood flow to the brain. Study participants were asked to count backward in groups of three from a number between 800 and 999. After drinking hot cocoa filled with flavonols, the participants were able to do calculations more quickly and accurately and were less likely to feel tired or mentally drained.
 

Soothe Arthritis Pain Naturally

Pain, tenderness, and stiffness in your joints can keep you from doing the things you love. That may be the reality for people who suffer from osteoarthritis (OA).
OA is the most common type of arthritis, occurs in women more often than men, and happens when the cartilage in your joints wears down as you age. Some natural remedies have been shown to be effective anti-inflammatories.
Taking 500 mg twice daily of the combined herbal supplements curcumin and boswellia was better for relieving pain and lowering joint line tenderness scores than taking 100 mg twice daily of the prescription drug celecoxib, finds a clinical study presented at the Osteoarthritis Research Symposium Internationale (OARSI) in San Diego.
According to the study, 93 percent of the herbal group reported improvement in or elimination of pain compared with just 79 percent of the prescription drug group. You can get the herbal combination in a supplement called Healthy Knees and Joints from the Terry Naturally product line, or at your local health food store.

Fight a Cold with Red Wine

Need something to toast to? The resveratrol and polyphenols in red wine work the same way that beneficial bacteria in yogurt do: When cold and flu viruses enter you system, they start to multiply, and these compounds prevent that from happening.
To get the most bang for your buck, grab a bottle of California pinot noir. Tests have found it to have some of the highest levels of resveratrol. Don't drink? Eat some grape leaves or peanuts, the red inner husks of which are also high in resveratrol.

Break for Lunch to Avoid Food Poisoning

Noshing at your desk or in your cubicle may save you time and money during the workday, but it could also up your odds of getting food poisoning.
As many as 83 percent of Americans take part in desktop dining, according to a new survey by the American Dietetic Association and ConAgra Foods' Home Food Safety program. Another study found the average desktop has 100 times more bacteria than a kitchen table and 400 times more than the average toilet seat.
One possible reason may be because you clean your toilet and kitchen more than you clean your workspace: Only 36 percentof respondents clean their work areas—desktop, keyboard, mouse—weekly, according to a recent survey.
To protect yourself from dangerous bacteria lurking in your workspace that could trigger a food-borne illness, meet a friend outside of the office for lunch or follow the same food-safety guidelines at your desk as you would in your kitchen. Wash your hands with warm soapy water before you reach into your desk drawer for even a snack, and be sure to keep moistened antibacterial wipes on hand to cleanse your desktop as well as your hands when you can't make it to the restroom. CleanWell has a to-go line of portable disinfectants and wipes that uses botanicals to kill germs.

Fight Cancer with Spices

There may also be some potent ways to ward off illness inside your spice cabinet. Curcurmin is the antioxidant ingredient that gives turmeric (commonly used in Indian curries) its yellow color. The super ingredient has already been linked with preventing diabetes, protecting against Alzheimer's, and easing arthritis pain—and a recent study show it also helps ward off tumors.
Curcumin helped prevent the growth of tumors tied to colon cancer, according to a study in the journal Gastroenterology.
"Our research found that curcumin was able to ignite the body's own tumor suppression activity to keep a cancerous tumor from growing and spreading," says Dr. Ajay Goel, Ph.D., Director of Epigenetics and Cancer Prevention at the Gastrointestinal Research Center at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas. "Though we used colon cancer cells in this study, we suspect that this is one mechanism of action for cancer suppression in many other types of cancer as well."


“I've come to believe that each of us has a personal calling that's as unique as a fingerprint and that the best way to succeed is to discover what you love and then find a way to offer it to others in the form of service, working hard, and also allowing the energy of the universe lead you.”--Oprah Winfrey (born 1954)

GOT PAIN? DEPT
I know some of you out there suffer from chronic pain, perhaps partly due to your Moebius or other associated conditions.  Is acupuncture a possible remedy for you?  Well, maybe, maybe not...it's complicated.  Read all about it:
"Acupuncture may help relieve chronic back, joint and shoulder pain, according to a new review of the evidence - but some of its benefit is likely due to the "placebo effect," researchers concluded.

In an analysis of 29 studies, they found people who got acupuncture typically reported more pain relief than those who didn't.
But patients treated with fake or "sham" acupuncture - using retracting needles that don't stick in the skin, for example - estimated their pain at somewhere in between the other two groups, suggesting that they also got some benefit from the procedure.
"A doctor who has a patient in pain has a lot of options," such as medications and physical or talk therapy, said lead author Andrew Vickers, from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York.
"This provides evidence that they would be justified in considering… acupuncture," he told Reuters Health.
Acupuncture has been controversial among doctors as a possible treatment for a range of conditions including chronic pain and fibromyalgia.
Some think it has potential as an add-on or alternative to standard treatment, while others argue any acupuncture-related benefits are likely the result of hopeful patients getting treatment they strongly believe will help them.
That either means many of the three million Americans that get acupuncture every year are "wasting their time" - or others who forgo it are missing out on potential benefits, Vickers said.
To try to help sort out which is the case, he and his colleagues analyzed 29 studies they deemed to be high-quality comparisons of acupuncture, fake acupuncture and no treatment. Those trials included close to 18,000 patients in the United States and Europe with back and neck pain, shoulder pain, chronic headaches or joint pain due to osteoarthritis.
The researchers found that on average, people treated with acupuncture reported a "modest" improvement in symptoms compared to those who had sham treatment, and a larger effect compared to untreated patients.
They estimated in their Archives of Internal Medicine report that about 50 percent of patients had their symptoms cut in half with acupuncture, compared to almost 43 percent of those treated with sham acupuncture and 30 percent with no acupuncture-like therapy.
A typical acupuncture session runs for about $100 and is often not covered by health insurance.
Usually not the first step
"I have a long list of chronic pain patients coming to seek acupuncture," said Jongbae Park, head of Asian Medicine & Acupuncture Research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine.
It's usually "not their first approach to address the condition," he said - rather people seek acupuncture when traditional care fails to stop their pain.
Park, who was not involved in the new study, said acupuncture focuses on healing the underlying tissue injury that is causing pain, rather than treating the pain itself as medications would.
"I am a biased clinician," Park told Reuters Health. But, he added, "I would sincerely say more than 75 percent of my patients will see improvement."
Vickers said people who are considering acupuncture should first make sure their acupuncturist is appropriately qualified and licensed. In those cases, he said, acupuncture is very safe - and the main downsides are costs and the inconvenience of getting to a clinic."

“To put the world right in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order, we must first put the family in order; to put the family in order, we must first cultivate our personal life; we must first set our hearts right.”---Confucius (551-479)

SHORT AND SWEET
So let me today just write a very short blog post.  Short...but hopefully to the point.  Let me address it especially to you younger people with Moebius.

Because I know you worry.  You worry that you look different.  You worry that, because you look different, therefore you're not so popular with the "cool", hip, hot crowd.  You're concerned that because you look different, that maybe you'll never be able to have a serious, romantic relationship with a member of the opposite sex.  You perhaps feel anguish over the fact that because you look different, you don't have that many friends, and fear that you never will.

Well, so here maybe is the best, most thoughtful, smartest thing I've heard or read in response to concerns like this.  So it's not unique to me; I'm sure others have said it many times.  But it's true.  So you should read and consider it carefully; don't just blow it off and say, well, sure that's true, but...how come no one likes me???????  Try to take it to heart.

What's this great thought?  Simple.  So suppose there are people who will shun you because you look and/or sound different.  Suppose there are those who won't go out with you because you have Moebius.  Okay--so why do you want to hang out, _be_ with, such shallow, mindless, undiscerning people anyway???

Seriously.  If all someone can see, all someone can care about, is who looks "hot" and who doesn't, is that really the kind of person you really want, and need, in your life?  Instead, think about the friends you have in your life, who really _are_ your friends, and ponder what they're bringing to the table.  Maybe you need more people like those.

“The stories of past courage...can teach, they can offer hope, they can provide inspiration. But they cannot supply courage itself. For this each man must look into his own soul. ”--John F. Kennedy (1917-1963)

“The person who has lived the most is not the one with the most years, but the one with the richest experiences.”--Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778)

FRIDAY FOOTBALL PICKS!
Yes, folks, it's that time of year again; it's fall, and that means it's football season.  So, due to my love of football and trying to test my football knowledge against the world, one day each week I try to pick some football games, and see how I do.  So here we go...

NFL PICKS
Now here, just remember, what I'm trying to do is pick games _against the spread_.  So, what that means is:  if team A if favored by 6 points to beat team B...and I pick team A...I'm not just saying A will win; I'm saying A will win by _more than 6_.  If I pick B, team B could still lose...but if they lose by less than 6, then I win (I also win of course if B was to win the game).  Just thought I'd explain that for any of you who are not die-hard football nuts like me.  Okay, now on to the picks:  (the home team is in all caps)

Atlanta 3 over KANSAS CITY.  My pick:  FALCONS.  Atlanta was a playoff team last year, and in my pre-season study still looks strong, knows what it's about.  KC may be improved but is still developing.  Go with the playoff team.

Carolina 2.5 over TAMPA BAY.  My pick:  PANTHERS.  I like Cam Newton and that offense.  The Bucs took a step back last year and I'm not sure they've yet made it up.

CHICAGO 9.5 over Indianapolis.  My pick:  COLTS.  Not to win; I expect the Bears to pull it out.  But I like Andrew Luck--I think he's progressed faster than people think.  And Brian Urlacher is dinged up.  Look for a closer game here.

DENVER 1.5 over Pittsburgh.  My pick:  BRONCOS.  I think Peyton Manning looks good.  The Steelers are still adapting to a new offensive coordinator, and Ben Roethlisberger remains dinged up.

DETROIT 7.5 over St. Louis.  My pick:  LIONS.  Remember, the Rams have a new coach in Jeff Fisher and so he's still installing his system.  NFL teams such as the Rams, with a new coaching staff, often struggle early.  Meanwhile the Lions' tandem of Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson should continue to shine.

GREEN BAY 5 over San Francisco.  My pick:  PACKERS.  Just can't go against Aaron Rodgers and that Packers offense at home.

HOUSTON 12 over Miami.  My pick:  TEXANS.  That's a big spread.  But Miami is starting a rookie QB, tough to do in this lead; and the Texans look real strong to me.

MINNESOTA 4 over Jacksonville.  My pick:  VIKINGS.  These are 2 teams that may struggle some this year; but I think the Vikings have more weapons than the Jags at this point.

New England 5.5 over TENNESSEE.  My pick:  PATRIOTS.  The Patriots struggled a bit in the pre-season, but...in the QB battle here, you have Jake Locker vs Tom Brady.  No contest...

NEW ORLEANS 7 over Washington.  My pick:  SAINTS.  I think Robert Griffin will be a good QB for the 'Skins.  But for a rookie QB, starting on the road in the loud Superdome...against a high-powered Saints offense...is a mighty tough task.

NY JETS 2.5 over Buffalo.  My pick:  JETS.  Neither team looked that great to me in pre-season; the Jets' offensive struggles are well-documented.  But look for the Jets to prevail thanks to their still-stout defense.

Philadelphia 8.5 over CLEVELAND.  My pick:  EAGLES.  The Browns start Brandon Weeden, a rookie QB who may develop well, but...doesn't have enough weapons.  Meanwhile the Eagles have plenty of weapons.

Seattle 2.5 over ARIZONA.  My pick:  CARDINALS.  Both teams have issues.  But I think the Seahawks starting rookie QB Russell Wilson is a risky proposition, especially on the road.  Whoever plays QB for AZ at least has experience.

BALTIMORE 6 over Cincinnati.  My pick:  RAVENS.  Maybe Joe Flacco and that offense is coming into its own; and the Ravens are usually a good home team.

OAKLAND 1 over San Diego.  My pick:  CHARGERS.  It's kind of a pick 'em game, both teams have question marks...but my gut tells Philip Rivers will find a way to win this one.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL UPSET WATCH
Here I'll try to pick either upsets, or at least game which will be a lot closer than people think.  This week I have two:

NOTRE DAME 14.5 over Purdue.  My pick:  BOILERMAKERS.  Not necessarily to win; but to keep it close.  Purdue's defense is better.  Notre Dame remember traveled out of the country last week to play in Ireland; kind of a big deal, and a long trip like that is exhausting and can mess with a team's focus.  Look for a closer game.

Vanderbilt 3.5 over NORTHWESTERN.  My pick:  WILDCATS.  Did you see Northwestern put up 42 points last week?  And now they're at home, against a Vandy team perhaps ready for letdown after a tough, emotional loss at home to South Carolina.  Look for an NU surprise.

"Winning isn't everything; it's the only thing."--Vince Lombardi.

FACIAL DIFFERENCES:  DO THEY MATTER?
Not necessarily to the man discussed in this piece; now, he doesn't have Moebius Syndrome...but he does have a facial difference.  But it hasn't stopped him--see why:
"Living with a facial difference doesn’t mean you have to live any differently.
Just ask 37-year-old Oakville resident Darryl Finley — a mobile mortgage specialist with TD Canada Trust — who was born with bilateral cleft lip and palate.
When Finley was younger he spent a lot of time at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children, undergoing 10 operations in 18 years to close the top of his mouth.
“After your face stops growing, they can put it in perspective and that’s you for the rest of your life,” said Finley. “They broke my jaw and moved it back, shaved some off and put it all back together just so it’s all proportionate.”
According to SickKids, a cleft is a separation of the parts of the lip or palate (roof of the mouth), which usually fuses together during the first three months of development. If the parts, which make up the lip and palate, fail to meet and fuse, there will be a space between the parts, called a cleft.
Clefts of the lip and palate are one of the most common congenital anomalies in children. They occur in approximately one in 700 births. The cause is unknown. For Finley, having a strong support system at home while growing up has helped him cope, he says.
“If you’re interacting with family and friends, then you don’t see the difference and they don’t see the difference. They get used to the difference. That can help build you and mold you into who you are today,” said Finley.
He’s worked in a variety of face-forward roles for 15 years, the last three in mortgage sales, which was a big adjustment at first, he said. When he first started at TD, he was concerned his facial difference was going to be a distraction for coworkers and clients. But Finley says the company offers him a lot of acceptance and help in his position — without holding him back.
“(When) you’re going to people’s houses, you’re representing TD. Being on the mortgage side has been great because you’re going to meet a whole variety of people,” he said.
He’s open with people about his condition and will tell them if they want to know. If it’s an issue for them, he wants to get it out of the way upfront, Finley says.
“I think that helped me to be confident, knowing my boss and my manager are both behind me and believed me. The team (also) believed in me. We’ve helped each other.”
His biggest challenge is making a connection with people so they feel comfortable. It doesn’t take long for him to “warm up” to someone, but if they’re on edge, he’s on edge, he says.
“Some people will let it go, some people are checking you out a little more — that’s just the way it is. A lot of people, with facial differences or without, draw conclusions about a person within 10 seconds,” said Finley.
What people may not understand is the affect they’re having by staring or whispering in somebody’s ear after looking at them, he said.
“I think the ignorance (behind) staring at somebody that has any (physical) difference is what makes the whole situation uncomfortable,” said Finley.
To help others like him cope, he got involved with AboutFace — a Canadian charitable organization that provides emotional, peer and social support, as well as resources and educational programs to individuals with facial disfigurements and their families.
“When I was transitioning out of the (hospital) at 18 or 20, there were a lot of kids (I was) asked to talk to who were scared — about to get into their operations. I would go out and sit with the parents and kids and let them know everything was okay,” Finley said.
He joined the group three years ago because he wants to make a difference wherever he can — whether it’s talking to parents or children or going to different programs.
“I wish it were more prominent when I was young because I think it would have been something that I would have liked. I think it can be really beneficial to people. People just need to know it’s out there,” said Finley.
Finley said he is considering attending the organization’s annual Camp Trailblazers retreat for youth aged 10-18 in September.
“As you hit 18, that’s your maturity years. It’s important for a lot of girls and guys because now they’re starting to get into dating.”
Finley’s advice to those with facial differences when meeting new people is to get the other person to talk about themselves to establish rapport and commonality.
“They’re not focusing on something that may be a facial difference. If you’re relating something in your life to something in theirs, that’s kind of like an icebreaker,” said Finley. “People sense conversations and know where they’re going with it.”
“Be proud of who you are. Don’t let other people distract you from being happy. We’re all in this world to work, live and have a great life. You can’t let the downers bring you down.”

“It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.”--Harry S. Truman (1884-1972)