HEALTHY UPDATE: HOW TO BECOME A MORNING PERSON

From the I-Just-Thought-This-Was-Interesting Dept.  And because I know many of my Moebius friends--like all of us, really!--sometimes have a hard time waking up in the morning.  But you can do it!  The key, says this writer, is to "trick" yourself.  Here's how:

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Let's start with the bad news: Only about 1 in 10 people is a true morning person, according to The Body Clock Guide to Better Health.

The good news is only two in 10 fall into the category of night owls, while the rest fall somewhere in between. Better still: Even if you operate best in the wee hours, you can still train yourself to be an early riser.

Here's how:

Plan ahead

Waking well-rested starts with getting enough sleep.

"Hitting the snooze button a couple times before getting up is a clear sign of sleep deprivation," says Dr. Nathaniel Watson, president-elect of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. "If you are getting enough sleep, you should be able to wake up on time without a morning alarm."

Sounds easier said than done? First, follow these tips for catching the zzz's you need to wake refreshed.

1. Practice good sleep hygiene. "Keeping a consistent sleep schedule is one of the best ways to ensure you're getting quality, restful sleep," says Watson. If you need to shift your schedule earlier, start moving your bedtime forward by just 15 minutes at a time. Adjustments more drastic than that will keep you rebounding between early and late bedtimes rather than creating lasting change.

2. Take your time. Balancing your own well-being against other personal and professional responsibilities is tough. Often, finding the right work-life equilibrium starts with saying, "No," — and so does getting enough sleep. Pare down your evening commitments so that you've got an hour completely blocked off to wind down before bed.

DailyBurn: 10 snacks for better sleep

3. Implement a routine. Establishing a schedule can help clue our bodies in to what's to come. Maintaining a regular evening routine will help chill you out and let your mind know that it's nearly time to fall asleep. For example, that could mean drinking a cup of (decaffeinated) tea and reading for 20 minutes each evening before bed.

4. Nap cautiously. If you have a sleep debt to repay, it's better to nap during the day than to mess up your nightly sleep schedule. That said, you don't want a daytime snooze to keep you up at night. (For more napping tips head here!)

5. Eat (and drink) smart. Some experts caution against going to bed too full or too hungry, as the discomfort may keep you awake. The same goes for drinking: Sipping too much before bed can cause mid-slumber trips to the bathroom, and caffeine and alcohol in particular have been shown to disrupt sleep.

6. Power down. Any kind of light can shift circadian rhythms, making it harder to sleep at night. And if you're constantly plugged in, you're even less likely to hit the hay right away. Research has shown that the blue light emitted by electronics like laptops and cell phones disturbs sleep even more than natural light. Turn off those electronic screens at least an hour before bed to make dozing easier.

7. Prep before bed. Wondering what to do with that electronic-free hour? Use the time to get together anything you'll need in the a.m. — like a healthy lunch, make-ahead breakfast, or a gym bag. Shortening your morning to-do list just might make it easier to roll out of bed.

8. Get cozy. Temperature, noise, light and comfort can all impact your ability to sleep well. A cool, quiet room (around 65 degrees) has been shown to be an effective sleep environment. And if your mattress leaves you achy, you've got a good excuse to upgrade -- your health may depend on it! The National Sleep Foundation offers even more recommendations for tweaking all of these for better sleep.

Wake up with ease

You've set yourself up for success and slept like a boss. But the battle isn't won just yet. Here's how to skip the snooze button and hop out of bed when that alarm starts buzzing.

9. Set your motive. As with any change, it's important to have a tangible reason for waking up early. Come up with a meaningful goal you'll be able to achieve by starting the day earlier, whether that's being able to fit in a morning sweat session or having some extra time to cook a healthy breakfast.

10. Play a mind game. The alarm goes off, and the immediate temptation is to hit snooze. Go ahead, do it -- but then stay out of bed for those next nine minutes. The idea of the so-called "inverted snooze" is to ease the pain of waking up by telling yourself you only have to stick it out for nine minutes. Move around, stretch, start brewing coffee -- anything to keep yourself awake. By the time the alarm goes off again you should be awake and alert enough to start your day rather than still grumpy in bed and (likely) hitting snooze again.

11. Bite the bullet. If you naturally wake within minutes of your alarm, it can be tempting to close your eyes and relish in a few more minutes of rest. But you're better off just getting out of bed. When you wake spontaneously, you're likely in a light sleep stage, explains Dr. Watson. Going back to sleep could send you into a deeper sleep stage, making it harder to wake up and start your day.

12. Make moves. Finding the right alarm and where to put it can have a big impact on whether you wake in the morning. Try experimenting with the sound, timing and location of your alarm clock to help yourself get up when you need to. For example, some alarms wake you gradually with pleasant sounds to make the transition into daytime less jarring and more relaxed.

13. Seize the day. Waking up with a groan and thinking about all the things you don't want to do is a terrible way to motivate yourself to get out of bed. Instead, think ahead to the best things you'll do all day to fuel your desire to get up and at 'em.

14. Try an app. There are several apps that promise to get you out of bed in the a.m. For example, Wake n Shake makes you shake your phone in order to turn off the app, while Better Me shares your failure to your Facebook every time you hit snooze. There are also apps, like Sleep Cycle, that use motion sensors to monitor your movement and determine the best time to wake you within a preset window.

15. Brighten up. If you need to draw shades at night to make your room dark or -- shudder -- you need to wake before it's light out, you can't always rely on the sun to wake you. Fortunately, there are gradual light-up alarm clocks that promise to lull you out of sleep less painfully than your standard alarm.

Power through the morning

You've made it! You're out of bed. Now, here's how to get out the door without starting the day in grouch mode.

16. Pare down to-dos. You've already pre-packed your lunch or gym bag, giving you one less thing to worry about before coffee. Look for other ways to streamline your pre-work routine (including taking advantage of your coffee maker's automatic timer!) so you can spend less time rushing through those early hours, and start enjoying them instead.

17. Amp up your productivity. If you're a regular snoozer, cutting out that extra nine minutes (or nine minutes times four or five) earns you bonus time each morning.

Many creatives swear that early morning is the best time to write or think deeply and creatively about projects. Try taking a page from their book and dedicate even just a few minutes first thing in the a.m. to a project of your choice. You may be surprised at how rewarding it feels to start the day with a few tasks already checked off.

18. Eat a healthy breakfast. To be your best self, it's helpful to eat a good breakfast (trust us, morning meetings are better when you're not hangry). Whole grain carbs plus protein give you a quick hit of energy and keep you going all morning. For an all-in-one solution that you can prep ahead, try these homemade protein bars or overnight oats.

19. Exercise in the morning. Early in the a.m., your willpower stores are at their highest. By the evening, we get too busy and find too many excuses not to exercise. Plus, morning workouts will give you an extra shot of energy to carry you through the day ahead.

FOR MOEBIUS MOMS AND DADS: SO WHAT DO YOU DO ALL DAY NOW THAT THE KIDS ARE IN SCHOOL???

Do you feel pressured to have some kind of amazing answer to this question?  Do you feel like you have to go like crazy, even when you're home alone, in order to somehow justify yourself?  Don't feel like that, urges this writer--instead, she writes, the answer to "what do you do all day" should be simply:  enough.  Read on:

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On the first day of school, I drove my three boys to their Montessori school and stepped out into the foggy morning air. They lined up along the fence while we took the obligatory first day photos. I walked them to their classrooms, kissed them goodbye, and returned to the car. There were no tears, only a feeling of bewilderment and I’ll admit, some excitement. After seven years of having a child or two or three in tow, I was alone. All day.
The first two days were a blur. I rushed through housework, doing dishes and laundry and sweeping up like a madwoman. I grocery shopped alone but still with a sense of urgency; the time felt borrowed and the desperation I felt to accomplish everything was palpable. I packed in exercise and appointments and picked up the boys at the end of the school day exhausted, but with a sense that I had done enough, that the time had been worthwhile and productive.
The second week in, the questions started pouring in from family, friends, neighbors, coffee shop employees, and acquaintances who noticed my lack of tiny companions. “Where are the boys?” was inevitably followed by “What are you doing with yourself all day?” At first I was vague, “What am I not doing?” I said  with a chuckle. Then I found myself needing an answer. I talked about writing, cooking, cleaning, gardening, laundry and chores, visiting with friends and going to trapeze class. I listed more and more, found myself needing an answer, a better answer.
And then a good friend, who happened to overhear my 700th answer to the same question, approached me. She looked me in the eyes, smiled, and said, I know everyone is asking you what you are doing all day. And you feel like you have to say something profound. But I think they’re just asking because you are the light at the end of the tunnel. You are entering the place we [with young children] are only dreaming about. I think people want to know what it’s like because you give them hope.”
I felt myself fully exhale for the first time in two weeks. I had been so busy trying to live up to my own expectations of accomplishing enough during the childless hours that I was totally unaware of the pressure I was putting on myself: the pressure I put on myself with the clear knowledge that staying at home is a luxury to many, and something I feel humbled and grateful for on a daily basis. It is a beautiful gift.
The conversation felt like someone had let me off the hook; I didn’t need to be so hard on myself. It was at that moment that I realized there would be days that I did nothing but drive the boys to school, return home, and lie on my back staring at the ceiling to work through some idea or another, do some dishes, and drive back out to pick up my boys. Then there would be days where I spent hours cleaning and organizing our home, prepping for elaborate meals for my family, baking three loaves of pumpkin bread, weeding the garden, running errands, picking 30 pounds of apples from our tree, making applesauce, taking the dog to a vet appointment and then getting the oil changed in our van just in time to pick up the boys.
Which day is more worthy? Which day would I talk about when people asked?
What kind of value do we place on a day with nothing planned? On a day not filled with lists of accomplishments, but with peace and quiet: a long walk to a coffee shop to enjoy a book, a phone conversation with a family member with whom we’ve lost touch. Will we tell those stories, or leave them out?  There is value in both the busy days and the slow, reflective ones. There is value in finding time for oneself.
When the next person asks me what I do all day, maybe I will simply say, “Enough.”
Lauren Knight blogs at Crumb Bums.

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FRIDAY FOOTBALL PICKS!

Last week:  I was 10-6.  Record for the year so far:  28-22.

Here we go!

NFL PICKS:

Green Bay at Chicago.  My pick:  BEARS  24-20.  The line has Green Bay favored by 2; but Rodgers and that offense are not in sync yet, and the Bears keep finding ways to win.

Buffalo at Houston.  My pick:  TEXANS  20-16.  Houston and that defense continue their trend of stronger play at home.

Tennessee at Indianapolis.  My pick:  COLTS   34-16.  Indy, despite its 1-2 record, remains the class of this division.

Carolina at Baltimore.  My pick:  RAVENS  26-23.  Not quite sure where exactly to slot either of these teams...not sure exactly how good either of them are...but look for Joe Cool Flacco to pull another one out.

Detroit at NY Jets.  My pick:  JETS   27-24.  It's a game the Lions should win, really, but...I worry that the Lions remain the Lions.

Tampa Bay at Pittsburgh.  My pick:  STEELERS   30-13.  How bad did the Bucs look last week?  Really bad.

Miami vs Oakland (in London).  My pick:  DOLPHINS   17-13.  Neither team impresses...but someone has to win, and the line has Miami favored by roughly that much.  Sounds about right.

Jacksonville at San Diego.  My pick:  CHARGERS 27-17.  I wouldn't be surprised if the Bolts have a letdown in this game and let Jacksonville hang around for a bit; but the Chargers will win.

Atlanta at Minnesota.  My pick:  FALCONS  33-17.  It's the first start for Teddy Bridgewater for the Vikes...but guess what:  right now, Matt Ryan is better and has more weapons.

Philadelphia at San Francisco. My pick:  49ERS 31-27.  The Eagles have just barely been escaping; meanwhile I can't believe the Niners will keep shooting themselves in the foot...they have too much talent and too good of a head coach.

New Orleans at Dallas.  My pick:  SAINTS  34-31.  Too much Drew Brees vs a Dallas defense that still has many holes.

New England at Kansas City.  My pick:  UPSET ALERT---   CHIEFS   24-19.  The Patriots have struggled more often than not this season, including offensively...and I have a sense the Chiefs have maybe begun to right the ship and will play well on a bigger Monday night stage.

INSPIRATIONAL STORY OF THE DAY: WINDOW WASHERS TRANSFORMED...

...transformed, that is, into super-heroes for ill children.  Read how and why they do it--and be sure to click on the link for the story, as there are some great pics of these men in action:

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Roger Corcoran has been a window washer for 35 years. But on Wednesday, he was Batman.

The 61-year-old grandfather of two rappelled down the side of Mayo Clinic Children’s Center alongside Spiderman and Superman.

“When a kid wanted to know why I was so old, I told him I played the original batman,” Corcoran said with a chuckle.

John Carroll, 48, dressed up as Spiderman.

“It’s one thing I look forward to doing all year,” said Carroll, who has worked as a window washer for 15 years.

After rappelling down the side of the building, Carroll and Corcoran went inside to meet the kids, who were appropriately shocked to come face-to-face with their high-flying heroes.

“The first time it happened, I was kinda crying because it means a lot to those kids,” Carroll said.

Carroll and Corcoran work at ISS Facility Services, which washes windows for Mayo Clinic. Charlie Kleber worked with Mayo Clinic to set up the special event, and said he picked some of his best guys to swing down and make the kids smile.

He said he’s watched even the sickest kids come alive when they’re face-to-face with the superheroes.

He called Wednesday’s superhero experience “life-changing,” and said they were all struck by a special patient: 13-year-old Claire Strawman, who in April became the youngest heart-lung patient Mayo Clinic had ever transplanted.

She told them about how she went into lung failure and underwent a transplant in April. She was hospitalized for about seven months before being released a few weeks ago. But she got sick on Monday and needed to come back.

“I got goose bumps right now telling you that story,” Kleber said.

Claire is on immunosuppressant drugs to prevent her from rejecting the new organs, but the drugs also make her more prone to infections. When she got sick, her parents worried and brought her back to the hospital, according to her mom, Ellen Strawman. She was in the pediatric ICU when the superheroes visited.

“Just seeing them put a big smile on her face,” Strawman said, adding that Claire left the hospital today for her home in Bloomington, Minnesota.

“She told us what happened to her and everything. We were all standing around her tearing up,” Carroll said. “That story made you feel so proud to do it for the kids because it means so much to them. It was great.” 

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Here's a great photo of these guys in action:

BRAIN TALK DEPT: THE BRAINS OF MULTI-TASKERS

Multi-taskers may have brains that look a little different than those of the rest of us.  Read more about it:

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Some people don't just work — they text, Snapchat, check Facebook and Tinder, listen to music and work. And a new study reveals those multitaskers have brains that look different than those of people who stick to one task.

Researchers at the University of Sussex scanned 75 adults using an fMRI to examine their gray matter. Those who admitted to multitasking with a variety of electronic devices at once had less dense gray matter in their anterior cingulate cortexes (ACC). This region controls executive function, such as working memory, reasoning, planning and execution.

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There is no way of knowing if people with smaller anterior cingulate cortexes are more likely to multitask or if multitaskers are shrinking their gray matter. It could even show that our brains become more efficient from multitasking, said Dr. Gary Small, director of UCLA’s Memory and Aging Research Center at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, who was not involved in the study.

“When you exercise the brain … it becomes effective at performing a mental task,” he said. While previous research has shown that multitasking leads to more mistakes, Small said research remains important to our understanding of something we’re all guilty of doing.

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And do go to the link above--there are links to other interesting articles at the site.

DO YOU BRAG ABOUT YOUR CHILD? IF NOT, WHY NOT?

Because every child achieves things and has accomplishments--even if perhaps what they accomplish is a little different.  Read on:

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There were a few regularly-used Yiddish words in my house when I was growing up. Like the word “kvetch” to refer to my great-aunt, later dubbed “Aunt Kvetchie,” who was a known complainer.
Or “you are such a klutz” – as in uncoordinated. I heard this one often. An accurate description of my always bumping into things, not the least bit athletic self. And “what a schmuck he is” – my dad describing someone who was a real jerk.
One Yiddish word I didn’t learn until I became a Mom is “kvelling” – when a person is bursting with pride and pleasure. As in – “His mother was kvelling over his early admission to Harvard.” Kvelling is done by all mothers, Jewish or not, when discussing their children.
In my lawyering years, I ate lunch several days a week around a conference room table with younger female colleagues. There was a lot of kvelling among us. My friend, Lisa, would tell us about her daughter’s star soccer skills. And Michelle would let us know that her son got an A on a tough social studies test. Denise was naturally thrilled when her daughter was elected class president in 6th grade. I shared my kids’ accomplishments as well. And when your kids are young, you have lots of achievements to kvell about. It isn’t boasting or bragging; you are just proud of your child. And okay, I’ll admit, maybe a little back-patting.
When Lisa, Michelle and Denise’s kids were in elementary school, mine were of high school and college age. Kvelling gets a bit trickier as your kids get older. Especially if your kid happens not to be on the do-not-pass-go direct path from high school to early admission into Harvard, then on to elite grad school or Wall Street or a fancy internship.
What happens to kvelling if your kid is on his or her own very different path?
By the time one of my kids was in high school, we were on a first-name basis with mental health struggles. In college, the same mental health challenges grew worse. An elite grad school, Wall Street or a fancy internship did not seem likely. (although hope does spring eternal).
Since I’m not one to sit back and watch life happen, I sought out other parents whose young adult kids were also on different paths to adulthood. I didn’t find one, so I created a support and resources-sharing group in 2008 at my synagogue. Called – wait for it, very clever name coming –”Parents of Young Adults who Struggle,” we have met monthly for the past nearly 6 years to share our stories, to talk about the roller-coaster rides that our kids put us on, to strategize on how to cope as parents and to laugh. Lots of laughing. We even have our own Facebook page.
In our support group we kvell often.
One of us will say how thrilled she was that her son managed to get up on time and get to his doctor’s appointment. Yay, we respond. Or that another remembered to take his meds. Terrific, we cheer. Or that one’s daughter is taking a class at community college and hasn’t dropped out yet. Great news!
And while this different kind of kvelling was going on, I was still having lunch on weekdays with friends whose kids’ accomplishments were of the more typical variety. While my work friends were true pals, I wasn’t always comfortable talking about my kid’s struggles. I was dealing in two parallel universes here – I was certainly happy for my friends and their kids, even if I couldn’t always keep up in the kvelling department.
But when minor (to me) problems were shared – a son got a B- on a test or a daughter didn’t make the soccer travel team – I had some trouble summoning up the required murmurs of sympathy. “You just have no idea what real problems are until you’ve met some of the people in my support group,” I would think.
So the next time you are having lunch with friends and the talk turns, as it often does, to what your kids are doing and the kvelling begins — one of the moms is happy that her daughter aced the SATs, the other’s son just got into law school, a third mom glows about her daughter’s engagement — and you see that one of your friends around the table is sitting silently, fiddling with her drink, just waiting for that part of the conversation to pass? Consider that quiet mom. She loves her son or daughter just as much as you do. Smile at her, and ask how her child is doing. She may need to do a different kind of kvelling.
Nancy L. Wolf, the mother of two young adults, erroneously thought that the difficult years of parenting were behind her. She is a recovering lawyer, who lives in Washington and blogs at Witty Worried and Wolf.

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7 WAYS TO BOOST YOUR HAPPINESS

This once again is brought to us from the I-Just-Thought-This-Was-Interesting Dept:

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Americans will spend about $550 million on self-help books this year and more than $1 billion on motivational speakers. Obviously, many of us are on a quest for happiness.

I get it. We all want, and deserve, that sense of well-being. But save your money. Achieving happiness is easier than you may think.

We all experience emotional highs throughout our lives -- with a job promotion, on our wedding day, with the birth of a child. But these moments only yield temporary feelings of elation, and experts say that they alone are not enough to achieve true happiness.

Happiness isn't just an emotional state. Decades of research proves it goes much deeper. In fact, science shows people who are happy live longer and healthier lives. The good news is that generating better bliss is something we can all do regardless of our environment or genetics.

Here are seven ways to boost your life satisfaction:

Does laughing make you healthier?

Start by changing your attitude.

That's right -- I'm talking to you, pessimists.

A Harvard University study found that optimists are not only happier but are 50% less likely to have heart disease, a heart attack or a stroke. It turns out that keeping a positive outlook actually offers protection against cardiovascular disease.

The science doesn't fare as well for pessimists. They have lower levels of happiness compared with optimists and are three times as likely to develop health problems as they age, researchers say.

Learn from people who are already happy.

Denmark has earned the top spot on the European Commission's "Eurobarameter" for well-being and happiness every year since 1973. And when the United Nations went on the hunt for the happiest nation in the world, it ranked Denmark No. 1.

So what makes Danes more satisfied with their lives? Sure, things like life expectancy, gross domestic product and a low-corruption rate help. But the overall level of happiness in Denmark has more to do with the generosity that's common among citizens, their freedom to make life choices and a strong social support system, according to the U.N. World Happiness Report.

Work less.

The Danes seem to strike a great work-life balance, which ups their happiness level. Simply put: They don't overwork. In fact, the average workweek in Denmark is 33 hours -- only 2% of Danes work more than 40 hours a week.

Almost 80% of mothers in Denmark return to work after having a child, but they balance their free time between families, weekly happy hour with their girlfriends and participating in community club programs.

Focus on experiences.

Danes also pay less attention to gadgets and things and more attention to building memories. Studies show that people who focus on experiences over "things" have higher levels of satisfaction, long after the moment of the experience has passed.

Too much stuff tends often leads to debt, not to mention the time and stress associated with keeping up all those gadgets, cars, properties, clothes, etc.

Researchers say when people focus on experiences, they feel a greater sense of vitality or "being alive" during the experience and afterward. It also brings you mentally closer to the people around you, which may contribute to your happiness boost.

Build up your social network.

By simply being social, you could slow down your biological age. Research shows that a strong social support system can shorten our telomeres.

Telomeres are the tiny caps on our DNA chromosomes that indicate our cellular age. According to experts, no friends can equal shorter telomeres and, in turn, a shorter life.

Other studies have showed that loneliness leads to higher rates of depression, health problems and stress. Solution: Have at least one close friend to boost your happiness level and health.

Volunteer.

People who volunteer are happier with their lives than those who don't, according to dozens of studies. The United Nations even credits volunteerism as one of the reasons Denmark is the happiest nation in the world -- 43% of Danes regularly give back to their community, compared with 25% of Americans.

The joy of helping others starts early. A 2012 study found children prefer to give than to receive. Researchers gave two groups of toddlers snacks and then asked one group to give their treats away. The children who gave away their treats showed greater happiness about sharing their possessions, suggesting that the act of personal sacrifice was emotionally rewarding, researchers say.

The sacrifice doesn't have to be big -- previous research has found that donating or spending as little as $5 on others has emotional benefits.

Experts say we are all inherently compassionate. Performing acts of kindness, volunteering time and donating money increases happiness by improving your sense of community, purpose and self-image.

Just start laughing.

Research shows that laughing doesn't just signal happiness, it produces it. When we laugh, our stress hormones decrease and our endorphins rise. Endorphins are the same brain chemicals associated with the "runner's high" you get from exercise.

Live to 100: Laugh more

Laughing is also good for your heart. A study found that only 8% of heart patients who were made to laugh daily had a second heart attack within a year, compared with 42% of the non-laughers.

Studies show our bodies can't differentiate between fake and real laughter; you'll get the health boost either way. So you can even fake it until you make it. Laugh in your car, in the shower -- force yourself to start laughing a few minutes every day.

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ONCE AGAIN: FRIDAY FOOTBALL PICKS!!

Again, I will wait until some bigger college football games come down the pike before I pick more of them.  Again this week I will focus on NFL picks.  So far on the season I am just 18-16.  Sheesh!

NFL PICKS

San Diego at Buffalo.  My pick:  CHARGERS    20-17.  Buffalo is about a 2 pt favorite.  And I am impressed with a lot of what they are doing.  But San Diego REALLY impressed last week, with what they did against the Seahawks defense.  I look for Philip Rivers' experience to carry them again, in a another tight win.

Dallas at St. Louis.  My pick:  UPSET---  RAMS  17-13.  The problem for the Cowboys, for so long, has been inconsistency.  Look for that to rear it's head this week.  The Rams have a good defense.  They'll load up on the run.  And Tony Romo, who probably is not yet completely healthy, will make mistakes.

Washington at Philadelphia.  My pick:  EAGLES   34-24.  Once again the Eagles may mess around for a half or so, thus making this a closer game than it need be.  But once that Philly offense gets racing--look out.

Houston at NY Giants.  My pick:  GIANTS   17-16.  The Giants just make too many mistakes. They are not yet in sync.  BUT--the Texans are going on the road for a second straight week, and that can be tough.  And Eli Manning is too good to continue to make such mistakes.

Minnesota at New Orleans.  My pick:  SAINTS   34-10.  The Saints finally get off the ground--at home, where they're usually very good.  No Adrian Peterson for the Vikes means big trouble.

Tennessee at Cincinnati.  My pick:  BENGALS     27-13.  The Bengals are tough at home; and the Cincy defense is better than people think.  And watch Andy Dalton's throws at QB--he is sharper and more precise now than ever.

Baltimore at Cleveland.  My pick:  UPSET alert-----BROWNS 30-27.  Because I'm just not certain about the Ravens yet; and now they're on the road.  And--can you believe it?  I'm becoming a believer in Brian Hoyer.

Green Bay at Detroit.  My pick:  PACKERS    28-24.  How often lately have the Lions beaten a Green Bay team when Aaron Rodgers was healthy???  No--I can't remember that game either.

Indianapolis at Jacksonville.  My pick:   COLTS    31-17.  The Colts still have plenty of talent; this week they start the long road back from 0-2 vs the woeful Jaguars.

Oakland at New England.  My pick:  PATRIOTS    38-17.  Oakland appears to have major, major problems; meanwhile the Pats have more chances to get in shape.

San Francisco at Arizona.  My pick:  UPSET alert----CARDINALS   16-13.  I don't think the Niners are yet in good form.  Last week vs the Bears that became obvious.  Meanwhile--that Cardinals defense is tough.

Denver at Seattle.  My pick:  SEAHAWKS  28-17.  Because I don't think the Broncos will have that defense figured out yet; not to mention the advantage Seattle has at home.

Kansas City at Miami.  My pick:  DOLPHINS   23-17.  I think the Chiefs, with all their injuries and problems, are taking a step back.  Miami will benefit.

Pittsburgh at Carolina.  My pick:  PANTHERS  24-10.  That Carolina defense is really good; and look for Cam Newton to show more improvement.

Chicago at NY Jets.  My pick:  JETS   30-27.  You know, I know they lost last week, but I saw real improvement in that Jets offense with Geno Smith.  Look for the Bears to have trouble being on the road for a second straight week.

HEALTH UPDATE: THE BENEFITS OF GETTING UP

Studies seem to show:  the less sedentary we are, the longer we will live.  Here's more:

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If people need motivation to get up from their office chairs or couches and become less sedentary, two useful new studies could provide the impetus. One found that sitting less can slow the aging process within cells, and the other helpfully underscores that standing up — even if you are standing still — can be good for you as well.

For most of us nowadays, sitting is our most common waking activity, with many of us sitting for eight hours or more every day. Even people who exercise for an hour or so tend to spend most of the remaining hours of the day in a chair.

The health consequences of this sedentariness are well-documented. Past studies have found that the more hours that people spend sitting, the more likely they are to develop diabetes, heart disease and other conditions, and potentially to die prematurely — even if they exercise regularly.

But most of these studies were associational, meaning that they found a link between sitting and illness, but could not prove whether or how sitting actually causes ill health.

So for the most groundbreaking of the new studies, which was published this month in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, scientists in Sweden decided to mount an actual experiment, in which they would alter the amount of time that people spent exercising and sitting, and track certain physiological results. In particular, with this experiment, the scientists were interested in whether changes in sedentary time would affect people’s telomeres.

If you are unfamiliar with the componentry of your genes, telomeres are the tiny caps on the ends of DNA strands. They shorten and fray as a cell ages, although the process is not strictly chronological. Obesity, illness and other conditions can accelerate the shortening, causing cells to age prematurely, while some evidence suggests that healthy lifestyles may preserve telomere length, delaying cell aging.

For the new experiment, the Swedish scientists recruited a group of sedentary, overweight men and women, all aged 68, and drew blood, in order to measure the length of telomeres in the volunteers’ white blood cells. Then half of the volunteers began an individualized, moderate exercise program, designed to improve their general health. They also were advised to sit less.

The other volunteers were told to continue with their normal lives, although the scientists urged them to try to lose weight and be healthy, without offering any specific methods.

After six months, the volunteers all returned for a second blood draw and to complete questionnaires about their daily activities. These showed that those in the exercise group were, not surprisingly, exercising more than they had been previously. But they were also, for the most part, sitting substantially less than before.

And when the scientists compared telomeres, they found that the telomeres in the volunteers who were sitting the least had lengthened. Their cells seemed to be growing physiologically younger.

Meanwhile, in the control group telomeres generally were shorter than they had been six months before.

But perhaps most interesting, there was little correlation between exercise and telomere length. In fact, the volunteers in the exercise group who had worked out the most during the past six months tended now to have slightly less lengthening and even some shortening, compared to those who had exercised less but stood up more.

Reducing sedentary time had lengthened telomeres, the scientists concluded, while exercising had played little role.

Exactly what the volunteers did in lieu of sitting is impossible to say with precision, said Per Sjögren, a professor of public health at Uppsala University in Sweden, who led the study, because the researchers did not track their volunteers’ movement patterns with monitors. But “it’s most likely,” he said, that “sitting time was predominantly replaced with low-intensity activities,” and in particular with time spent standing up.

Which makes the second new study of sedentary behavior particularly relevant. Standing is not, after all, physically demanding for most people, and some scientists have questioned whether merely standing up — without also moving about and walking — is sufficiently healthy or if standing merely replaces one type of sedentariness with another.

If so, standing could be expected to increase health problems and premature death, as sitting has been shown to do.

To find out whether that situation held true, Peter Katzmarzyk, a professor of public health at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, La., and an expert on sedentary behavior, turned to a large database of self-reported information about physical activity among Canadian adults. He noted the amount of time that the men and women had reported standing on most days over the course of a decade or more and crosschecked that data with death records, to see whether people who stood more died younger.

The results, published in May in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, are soothing if predictable. Dr. Katzmarzyk found no link between standing and premature death. Rather, as he writes in the study, “mortality rates declined at higher levels of standing,” suggesting that standing is not sedentary or hazardous, a conclusion with which our telomeres would likely concur. 

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FIVE WAYS TO THINK YOURSELF WELL

How can you use your brain and the power of positive thinking to help you feel better???  Here are some ways:

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There wasn't anything that could bring singer Pharrell Williams down in his hit song "Happy." Turns out he was on to something.

Being happy and optimistic can prolong your life, help you manage stress, lower your risk of death from cardiovascular disease and even help protect you from the common cold, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Not bad at all, especially as thinking positively doesn't cost you a thing.

There's no better time to try it out than on Positive Thinking Day, which is celebrated each September 13. Here are five expert tips to help you think yourself well:

Be aware of your automatic reactions

Take a look at the following word: opportunitynowhere.

What do you see? Opportunity now here or opportunity nowhere?

"You want to understand what is your go-to, natural way of operating in the world," said Dr. Joffrey Suprina, national dean for Argosy University's College of Behavioral Sciences.

Are you the kind of person who spills your morning coffee or trips on the way to work, and suddenly the whole day is ruined? Or do you focus more on the positive aspects and the lessons that can be learned? Maybe you needed a break from caffeine or a reminder to not stare at your smartphone while walking.

Once you become aware of your tendencies, you can start changing your behavior, according to Suprina.

Catch and reframe your thoughts

Once you catch yourself defaulting to a negative reaction, try to change your perspective and reframe your thoughts into something more positive, Suprina suggests.

A simple question to ask yourself is, "What might be some positives?"

Although it may seem clunky at first, hang in there. Suprina says that it takes about 90 days to change a habit and that celebrating baby steps and small wins is a great way to reinforce your new behavior.

It's just as important to not beat yourself up for having negative thoughts, he explains.

"Positive thinkers don't only see the positive. They realize that the negative exists but that we can choose where to focus."

Don't believe everything your mind tells you

"It's a little-known fact that we don't always have to believe what our minds are telling us," explained Bobbi Emel, a California-based psychotherapist and coach. "We become fused with our own inner workings to the extent that they inform how we feel and act."

By observing your negative thoughts instead of judging, believing or acting on them, she says, it becomes easier to let them go.

Say to yourself, "I notice that I'm having this thought or feeling," and allow yourself to put distance between you and your reactions.

Let go of fear

"The bottom of all negativity is fear," explained Terri Cole, a licensed therapist and transformation coach in New York. "Most of the time, it is based in the future. What if this does or doesn't happen?"

The solution, she says, is to be in the present moment and identify a fearful thought as soon as you have it.

"Close your eyes; figure out where you feel that fear. Focus on that spot with your mind and breathe, and visualize the stress going away. Replace a fearful thought with a better thought," Cole suggested.

A basic meditation practice that's as short as 10 minutes a day can make a difference.

"What that will buy you is two seconds of response time," she said. "Instead of believing what your fear is telling you, you don't react."

Find your mood changers

Sometimes life can be a little challenging; difficult news or a loss can make it hard to stay positive. In these times, Cole recommends using what she calls mood changers.

A mood changer can be as simple as having a photo of a loved one, happy experience or beautiful place on your phone so that when you see it, you'll experience a more positive emotion.

She also suggests starting each day listing three things you are grateful for and ending the day by sharing or thinking about your favorite moment from that day. Even just taking a few minutes to breathe deeply and say "I am so grateful that I'm here now" can help you improve your positivity.

"Every single person reading this article has the power to change their life -- has the power to be happy, be in love, make money. You really have to take responsibility."

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FRIDAY FOOTBALL PICKS!!!

Here they come again!!  I was only 9-7 last week.  Time to improve.

NFL PICKS

Miami at Buffalo.  My pick:  DOLPHINS.  Both teams won in week 1.  I was impressed with Miami's defense; look for them to control Buffalo's ground game.  MIAMI 17  BUFFALO 10.

Jacksonville at Washington.  My pick:  REDSKINS.  Both teams winless; the Redskins looked particularly bad last week in Houston, hardly daring even to have RGIII throw the ball downfield.  But I think Washington has too much talent, and RGIII has too much talent, not to improve some this week.  WASHINGTON 27  JACKSONVILLE 21.

Dallas at Tennessee.  My pick:  TITANS.  I pick it that way not because I expect Tony Romo to struggle again as he did against the 49ers.  I don't.  Romo has a history of bouncing back after tough games, and I expect that to happen again.  But--I was impressed with Tennessee's defense last week.  It's that defense that will give Romo a tough time, and look for the Titans' receivers to exploit the Cowboys' secondary.  TENNESSEE 24   DALLAS 20.

Arizona at the NY Giants.  My pick:  CARDINALS.  Traditionally it's been tough for the Cardinals to travel to the east coast, and play well.  But that Giants' offensive line is not good.  And the Cardinals have more talent.  ARIZONA 16  NY GIANTS 13.

New England at Minnesota.  My pick:  PATRIOTS.  Obviously the Patriots struggled last week more than most of us thought.  But given their history, their coach, and their QB, I have a hard time believing they won't improve in week 2.  The Vikings benefited last week from playing a St. Louis team that lost their starting QB, and then the backup.  They won't get that kind of break this week.  NEW ENGLAND 26   MINNESOTA 20.

New Orleans at Cleveland.  My pick:  SAINTS.  New Orleans took a tough loss last week.  Their defense obviously has work to do.  But Drew Brees and that offense was in good form; and I don't think the Browns will be able to keep up with that Saints offense.  NEW ORLEANS 34   CLEVELAND 24.

Atlanta at Cincinnati.  My pick:  BENGALS.  These are two improved teams.  But this is a tough test for Atlanta; they won a big divisional game last week at home, but now they have to go on the road against another tough opponent.  That's often tough to do in the NFL.  And I was impressed with Andy Dalton and the Bengals last week; they showed real toughness.  CINCINNATI  24   ATLANTA 17.

Detroit at Carolina.  My pick:  LIONS.  Maybe I'm getting way carried away.  But if Matthew Stafford continues to play well, it's hard to stop that Lions' offense.  And I think their defense can at least slow down the somewhat beat-up Cam Newton.  DETROIT  28   CAROLINA  24.

St. Louis at Tampa Bay.  My pick:  BUCCANEERS.  Mainly because the St. Louis QB situation is in such tough shape; plus, TB is at home.

Seattle at San Diego.  My pick:  SEAHAWKS.  Wow--what an interesting matchup and potentially outstanding game.  I think San Diego has a chance to be good.  But how can you pick against Seattle, given how good they looked in week 1?  They still look like the best team.  SEATTLE  24   SAN DIEGO 20.

Houston at Oakland.  My pick:  RAIDERS.  Just a hunch.  I am still not sold on the Texans' QB situation.  And the Raiders can be tough at home.  OAKLAND  17  HOUSTON 13.

NY Jets at Green Bay.  My pick:  PACKERS.  Most still think Green Bay is the team to beat in the NFC North, and I'd have to agree.  Aaron Rodgers will get it going at home, where the Packers usually play well.  GREEN BAY 31   NY JETS  20.

Kansas City at Denver.  My pick:  BRONCOS.  I look for Denver to win big here.  KC I think will take a step back; their offense isn't in sync and their defense has injuries.  Meanwhile, Peyton Manning keeps that Denver offense humming.  DENVER 38  KANSAS CITY 17.

Chicago at San Francisco.  My pick:  49ers.  The SF defense played well last week, but Colin Kaepernick made things happen too.  Look for the Bears to have a hard time controlling the Niner QB.  SAN FRANCISCO 30  CHICAGO 17.

Philadelphia at Indianapolis.  My pick:  COLTS.  Both these teams had a hard time getting off the ground last week.  Look for both offenses to execute better; and Indy at home will make just one more play late and eke this one out.  INDIANAPOLIS 34  PHILADELPHIA 31.

AUTISM UPDATE: CAN EARLY INTERVENTION BE EFFECTIVE?

Interested parents, read on and see what you think:

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Kristin Hinson noticed something wasn't quite right with her baby Noah when he was 6 months old.
He was her fourth child, and he seemed behind developmentally.
"He started showing signs, questionable things. Nothing terrible, but not following me around the room with his eyes," Hinson said. With two older children who have autism, she worried little Noah was headed in that same direction. "No one was super concerned, but at 9 months he was showing significant delays."
A child isn't typically diagnosed with autism until age 3 or later. While the signs for autism spectrum disorder, or ASD, may be hard to detect in infants, researchers suggest there may be some early indications if you know what to watch for.
Children with autism often don't produce many sounds or use their voices to communicate. They may engage in frequent repetitive behavior. They stare at their hands or at objects for long periods of time.
Sally Rogers, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral studies at UC Davis MIND Institute, wondered what would happen if a parent could intervene before a child is officially diagnosed with autism. Other research on early intervention has shown some promise.
Rogers asked Hinson if she would be interested in becoming part of a study. Since the study involved behavioral modification therapy, if Noah wasn't diagnosed with autism there would be no harm. Hinson said yes, as did six other parents with children between the ages of 7 months and 15 months who showed some signs of autism.
"As a parent, I'll take anything that can help my child," Hinson said.
 Study: Pollution associated with autism Review: Childhood vaccines are safe Dad's pictures connect with autistic son
Autism rates now 1 in 68 U.S. children
For the study, she and the other parents visited Rogers' clinic once a week for 12 weeks. There the researchers taught the parents behavioral modification techniques they could use on their children.
The techniques were simple exercises: Hinson would play "piggies" with Noah, reciting the classic poem about pigs going to market and touching Noah's feet. Often children with autism become distressed when they are touched. Other times she would play "airplane" with Noah's food as she fed him. Or they'd focus on songs and rhymes.
"Basic things you do as a mom, but really are cuing into the responses he is making and really reinforcing the responses to get him to engage with me," Hinson said. "The wonderful thing about it was that most of what they taught me, they taught me how to use in my general day-to-day routines with Noah."
Scientists thought parents would be more apt to do exercises that could be woven into daily life.
At about 15 months in, there were still concerns, but Hinson had noticed improvement in Noah's interactions with her. At 18 months, he seemed to be back on track developmentally.
"It was like this beautiful thing happened."
Autism is growing up
Noah didn't just catch up to the developmental goals of other children his age, he surpassed them. He remained talkative and engaged.
"This completely helped him," she said. "I don't know what would have happened (otherwise)."
She was not alone. At 36 months, the group that had used the behavioral intervention techniques with their children had much lower rates for autism spectrum disorder. Five children no longer showed symptoms of autism, one had mild autism but no developmental delays, and one had severe autism.
Today Noah is a 4-year-old boy with extensive language skills.
The scientists behind the study caution that this is only a pilot study; the findings cannot be applied to a larger population yet.
"With seven (children) you can't draw a conclusion," Rogers said.
But other researchers in the field see real promise in the results.
"It is exciting to think about an intervention that could change the developmental outcome for babies at risk of autism spectrum disorder," said Dr. Jeremy Veenstra-VanderWeele, an associate professor of psychiatry at Columbia University. "This pilot study ... suggests that parents can be trained to interact with their at-risk infants using many of the same principles that are used for toddlers and preschoolers with ASD."
"It begins to set the scene for future randomized, controlled studies to evaluate whether this type of intervention could actually prevent babies from developing full symptoms of autism spectrum disorder," Veenstra-VanderWeele said. If it proves to work on a larger group, this "would be a truly transformative finding."

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TWO STORIES

Today on the blog, two stories that have to do with general disability issues:  1] First, beware if you use Amtrak--there have been problems with accessibility.  2] Children with autism are helped greatly by using tablets, such as Ipads, etc.  Read on:

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The nation’s passenger rail system remains plagued by accessibility problems with poor planning hampering efforts to improve accommodations for people with disabilities, an audit finds.
In the last two years, Amtrak has made “limited progress” in improving compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, according to an internal inspector general’s report.
The failure to make substantial improvements stems largely from ineffective management and the lack of a written strategic plan, the report indicates.
As of 2011, only 48 of the 482 stations Amtrak serves were ADA compliant. Accordingly, Amtrak committed roughly $100 million to address the problems during 2012 and 2013.
In that time, several property surveys and facility assessments were completed and three stations were made more accessible. However, the inspector general found that nearly half of the funds allocated went toward management activities.
What’s more, $6.5 million was spent on designs for projects with no construction plans in place and an unknown amount went toward repairs considered “good” that that did not meet ADA standards.
In response to the report, Joseph Boardman, president and CEO of Amtrak, committed to management changes for the ADA program and said a strategic plan will be established. Boardman also said that Amtrak representatives will meet quarterly with national disability groups to address accessibility issues.

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Even with intervention, many children with autism continue to struggle with communication, but new research suggests that using iPads and other tablets can help maximize language skills.
In a study of 61 kids with autism ages 5 to 8, researchers found that those given access to a tablet with a speech-generating app during therapy were able to make “significant and rapid gains” in their use of language, far exceeding the progress of children who participated in treatment sessions alone.
All of the children in the study were minimally verbal and participated in two to three hours of therapy each week for six months that focused on improving language, play skills and social gesturing like pointing.
In addition to the therapy, half of the kids were given a tablet with a speech-generating app to use during the sessions. The app was programmed with pictures of objects being used in the therapy which allowed the child to touch an image and hear audio of an object’s name.
Ultimately, children who used the tablets were more likely to begin using language on their own, according to findings published recently in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
“It was remarkable how well the tablet worked in providing access to communication for these children,” said Connie Kasari of the University of California, Los Angeles who worked on the study. “Children who received the behavioral intervention along with the tablet to support their communication attempts made much faster progress in learning to communicate, and especially in using spoken language.”
Children appeared to retain their new skills when they came for a follow-up three months after the study period ended, researchers said.
Incorporating the tablets was most effective when used from the start of the treatment, the study found.

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BRAIN TALK: LACK OF SLEEP?

What's the latest on brain research?  Because we with Moebius Syndrome--which has a lot to do with your braion--always want to know what's going on with it.

The latest:  lack of sleep can shrink your brain.  Read more about it:

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Can a lack of sleep affect the size of your brain? It's possible, a recent study published in an online issue of Neurology suggests.

European researchers looked at 147 adults between the ages of 20 and 84. With two MRI scans, they examined the link between sleep problems like insomnia and the study participants' brain volume. The first scan was taken before patients completed a questionnaire pertaining to their sleep habits. The second scan was done approximately 3½ years later.

The questionnaire showed that 35% of those in the study met the criteria for poor sleep health. Investigators found that those with sleep problems had a more rapid decline in brain volume or size over the course of the study than those who slept well.

The results were even more significant in participants over the age of 60.

Numerous studies have showed the importance of sleep and the effect sleep deprivation can have on our brains. It is well-known that poor sleep patterns can contribute to such brain disorders as Alzheimer's and dementia.

So it stands to reason that, if a lack of sleep can lead to memory loss, the size of the brain would also be affected.

"We know that a lack of sleep can lead to all kinds of problems," explained Dr. Neal Maru, a neurologist and sleep specialist with Integrated Sleep Services in Alexandria, Virginia, who is not associated with the study. "Poor sleep can affect our immune systems, our cardiovascular health, weight and, of course, memories. But we still don't know why.

"Studies have shown poor sleep can cause protein buildup in the brain that attacks brain cells. So we're still trying to put the puzzle together."

The study authors agree.

"It is not yet known whether poor sleep quality is a cause or consequence of changes in brain structure," said author Claire Sexton of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.

"There are effective treatments for sleep problems, so future research needs to test whether improving people's quality of sleep could slow the rate of brain volume loss. If that is the case, improving people's sleep habits could be an important way to improve brain health."

"The problem is, we really don't know what comes first," Maru agreed. "Is it a sleep problem that causes the atrophy (wasting away of a body part), or is it the atrophy that causes the sleep problems? That's a question we need to sort out."

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IT'S BACK--FRIDAY FOOTBALL PICKS!!

FRIDAY FOOTBALL PICKS

Okay, here we go!  I'll pick both some college and all the pro games for this weekend.  And I do this because 1] it's fun and I'm a big football fan; and 2] I know lots of my Moebius friends love football just as much as I do.  So let's see what we've got:

COLLEGE PICKS

Michigan State at Oregon.  My pick:  DUCKS  28-24.  I look for this to be a highly competitive game.  Oregon is an elite team.  But so I think now is Michigan State.  The Ducks being at home and having that high-powered offense will be the key.

USC at Stanford.  My pick:  CARDINAL  17-13.  Stanford is an elite program, with good athletes; and people forget how strong their defense has been.  That will be the difference here.

Michigan at Notre Dame.  My pick:  IRISH  34-31.  With Everett Golson back at QB, look for ND to be a dynamic offense with a signal-caller who can move and make plays out of difficult situations.  That always causes trouble for Michigan, and I suspect it will be their defense that lets them down here.


NFL PICKS:

New Orleans at Atlanta. My pick:  SAINTS 38-31.  Look for this to be a high-scoring affair.  With so many players back from injury, I look for Atlanta to have a significantly better year than last year.   But--I just don't know if anyone can slow down that Drew Brees-led Saints offense.

Minnesota at St. Louis.  My pick:  VIKINGS  16-10.  Mainly because 1] the Vikings have Adrian Peterson; and 2] the Rams lost Sam Bradford at QB and have to rely on journeyman Shaun Hill.

Cleveland at Pittsburgh.  My pick:  STEELERS 24-10.  The Steelers have Big Ben.  And when was the last time Cleveland won a game in Pittsburgh???  I can't remember.

Jacksonville at Philadelphia.  My pick:  EAGLES 31-14.  During the pre-season, I thought the Eagles' offense looked about as polished and functioning as any I saw.  I don't see too many teams able to slow them down.

Oakland at NY Jets.  My pick:  JETS  20-13.  All signs seem to point to the Jets being a bit improved on offense with Geno Smith; meanwhile, the Raiders will start a rookie QB, Derek Carr, on the road.  I suspect Carr could soon develop into a decent player, but...it will take time.

Cincinnati at Baltimore.  My pick:  BENGALS  26-24.  This is a tough one.  I think these are two pretty good teams; and the Ravens are at home, where they are usually tough to beat.  But...I just have a feeling that the Bengals are about to take a step up.

Buffalo at Chicago.  My pick:  BEARS   21-10.  The Bears have Matt Forte, Jay Cutler, and some good receivers; meanwhile I am not yet a believer in E.J. Manuel as a Buffalo QB, plus it's a tough road opener.

Washington at Houston.  My pick:  REDSKINS  19-14.  This was a tough one too; not because these are two good teams...but rather because I'm not a big believer in EITHER of these two.  Yet I am surprised that Houston is the favorite here.  Bottom line:  I have bigger doubts concerning Ryan Fitzpatrick as QB of the Texans...than I do about RGIII as QB of the 'Skins.

Tennessee at Kansas City.  My pick:  CHIEFS 21-17.  Speaking of not believing, I'm also not yet a believer in Jake Locker as Titans QB.  But maybe he'll prove me wrong.  Until then, though, I've gotta believe Alex Smith and the Chiefs will find a way to get it done at least in this first week, much as they did last year.

New England at Miami.  My pick:  PATRIOTS  31-21.  Listen, in a game like this, even on the road, you've gotta go with the track record...and that means going with Hall of Famers like Tom Brady and
Bill Belichick, until they prove you should not.

Carolina at Tampa Bay.  My pick:  BUCS  14-9.  A few things push me in this direction:  1] the Bucs have a history of starting out strong at home;  2] Cam Newton for the Panthers is banged up; and 3] look for Lovie Smith to make a difference as coach of the Bucs.

San Francisco at Dallas.  My pick:  49ERS  33-30.  I notice that a number of forecasters are making this their trendy upset pick.  And indeed there are concerns for the 49ers--mainly injuries and personnel losses and defense, and the difficulty of controlling Tony Romo and that Cowboys offense.  But--the Cowboy defense by all indications is and will be horrible.  How will the 'Boys control Colin Kaepernick and Frank Gore?  San Fran will score late and pull this one out.

Indianapolis at Denver.  My pick:  BRONCOS  37-28.  Peyton Manning gets his revenge; despite their losses at wide receiver, look for the Broncos to move the ball and score.

NY Giants at Detroit.  My pick:  LIONS 23-17.  I'm not sure how good either of these teams will be.  But the Lions are at home, and they have some talent...and meanwhile the Giants by all accounts are having trouble figuring out their new offensive system.  Look for them to improve as the season goes on.  But early in the season figures to be tough for them.

San Diego at Arizona.  My pick:  CHARGERS  20-17.  Again, these appear to me to be two pretty good teams.  But I like what Philip Rivers is doing with San Diego's offense; look for him to find a way to pull this one out late.

EMPLOYMENT UPDATE: HOW TO USE SOCIAL MEDIA TO GET YOUR NEXT JOB

This is a regular feature we have here on this blog; because let's face it, sometimes finding a job can be one of the toughest things we as persons with Moebius face.  In such a hunt, we have to deal with the fact that we look different, and speak differently; and so in searching for employment, we have to deal with those who are not used to our differences.  We worry about how such persons are going to see us; will they even give us a fair chance?

But we can overcome these obstacles.  To do so, though, we have to use every weapon that we have.  Such as social media.  What can we do with it in the job hunt?  Read on:

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Whether you’re a recent graduate or a seasoned professional, social media has become a vital tool in the job search.
Every job seeker needs to have an online presence, but experts caution to always maintain your personal and professional brand through your online image.
“Since it’s an extension of your physical presence, it can shape perceptions of you that are real or otherwise,” says Linda Descano, president and CEO of Citi’s Women & Co. Just like you engage with others in the physical world, you should put your best foot forward in the virtual world as well.
“It’s a two-way conversation when it comes to finding the right talent,” says Scott Dobroski, community expert at Glassdoor. “Every job seeker needs to understand that the same way you are researching a company, they are researching you.”
Online profiles give employers a sense of how well a candidate might fit in and whether their displayed background information aligns with their professional qualifications, according to Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources for CareerBuilder.com.
She says one-third of hiring managers report they’ve found content on social media that made them more likely to hire a candidate, and 23% found something that directly led to a job offer.
Here’s how experts suggest using social media to increase your chances of getting hired:
Interact With the Company
“Stay active on your social pages to increase your visibility and the likelihood that recruiters can find you,” says Owen Sweeney, director of Recruitment Intelligence and Innovation at L'Oréal USA.
Engage with companies by following their pages and feeds, liking and commenting on posts, reading blogs and following people who work in the departments that you’d like to work in. “By following these people, you may be able to let them know you want to be on their team,” says Dobroski. “It shows that your interest, which could give you an advantage.”
Employee conversations posted on a company’s pages can help you tailor your approach to that company. “Social media can help you identify people in your network to facilitate a warm introduction,” says Descano. “It can help you make a good first impression and connect you with opportunities that may not be public.”
Show You’re Engaged in Your Career
Experts suggest using social media to share projects you’ve worked on and to connect with other professionals to discuss issues related to your industry.
“This can be very appealing, and [a company] may want to pick up the phone and call you as opposed to another candidate,” adds Dobroski. “If a hiring manager is looking at a candidate and sees someone who’s engaged in the industry, that’s more impressive than someone who’s tweeting their favorite cartoons over and over again.”
Be Yourself
“Social media gives recruiters insight into candidates’ lives in and outside of the office,” says Sweeney. “It works in a candidate’s favor to have a well-constructed social media presence.”
But be careful not to overshare. “Is what you’re saying and liking really consistent with the brand that you’re putting forward?” asks Descano. Consider whether you’re telling a cohesive story and writing as if the audience were hiring manager. Use social media to bring your resume to life in a more compelling way.
Expand Your Network
“Social media platforms like LinkedIn give you an opportunity to participate in groups,” says Descano. “It’s a way to expand your network and to reconnect with former colleagues and business partners who may be helpful in connecting you with a new opportunity.”
But this process takes more than just accepting and sending invitations to connect. “Figure out how you can connect with people so they will be willing and interested in connecting with you,” says Stephen Paskoff, president and CEO of legal and ethical workplace training firm ELI. Before making a connection, try to find common interests or experiences that you can reference.
Choose the Right Social Media Sites
Most people look primarily at Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, when it comes to social networking, but depending on your role and industry, being active on sites like Pinterest and Instagram could help a job seeker.
For those in a creative field, experts advise showcasing work on sites like Pinterest and Instagram. LinkedIn can be a great tool for marketing professionals and for those who create content, for example, Twitter can demonstrate their ability to get someone’s attention in 140 characters.
Hide Certain Items, or Don’t Post Them At All
“The rule of thumb is anything can be found online; if you’re actively searching for a job, don’t put anything online that you wouldn’t want your mother to see,” says Dobroski.
Photos or posts about drinking or using drugs are the most common cited turn-offs for employers, says Haefner, as well as job seekers who bad mouth previous employers or coworkers.
To keep some social media platforms for personal use, experts suggest using restrictive privacy settings and being judicious when connecting with people. “Don’t add anyone [to Facebook] who isn’t part of your personal network, and keep it to your closest friends, family and classmates,” says Danielle Weinblatt, CEO and co-founder of Take the Interview.
Experts also caution against advocating very strongly on topics that could be divisive, like politics or religion, as these could have implications with an employer or client down the road.
Social media can work in your favor if it shows that you’ve good communication skills, creativity, and a professional image. How you present yourself will help an employer determine whether you’ll be a risk or a benefit to the workplace.
“Your posts can be really positive in terms of your professionalism, your accomplishments, the better part of your hobbies — just assume that everyone can see what you put on social media and you’re posting for people who are looking to weed out and select candidates,” says Paskoff.

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AUTISM UPDATE

Hmmm...somehow this does not surprise me.  I mean, didn't phrenology get discredited long, long ago???  Read on:

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There’s long been talk of a connection between autism risk and infant head size, but a large new study suggests that no such link exists.

In looking at data on nearly 700 children collected at a dozen sites across the United States and Canada, researchers said they found no evidence that large head size serves as a predictor of autism.

For the study, data was collected on 442 children considered to be high risk because they had an older sibling with autism as well as 253 kids with no family history of the developmental disorder. Researchers tracked the children’s growth between the ages of 6 months and 3 years, at which point the kids in the high-risk group were evaluated for an autism diagnosis.

Ultimately, 77 children in the high-risk group were diagnosed with autism and 32 had developmental delay. However, no differences were seen in head growth or height between children who developed autism and those who did not, according to findings published online this month in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

“There are no significant differences in the overall model comparing head growth between (high-risk) infants (regardless of outcome) and (low-risk) controls in the first three years of life,” the researchers wrote in their findings, adding that “head growth was largely uninformative as an ASD risk marker.”

Though head growth was not associated with autism in the study, the researchers said the current findings do not include sufficient data to consider the role that accelerated brain growth may play as a predictor of autism.

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