Think Travel, Think Cruise

The European cruises most people take are wonderful, colorful and escapist adventures in travel. You need to take one of these to experience the best life has to offer. A stop here and there in Europe can lead to new horizons, new ideas and new relationships. Think of Sartre meeting Simone de Beauvoir, think of Nietzsche meeting Lou Andreas-Salomé, think of Freud meeting young Jung. Think of anyone and anything you want, but think travel and think cruise.

Skin Secrets

Here's a site about how to get rid of acne, which actually contains some intriguing information about ingredients in various products. The cheapest way to fight acne is to wash with salicylic acid soap, available from Aveeno. It may help to avoid dairy products, which contain particles that can clog pores. Obtain exposure to sunlight on the skin, which can lead to improved appearance.

Picamilon | Nootropic and Help for Diabetes

While researching a new nootropic (smart drug) I came across the intriguing finding that the substance also offers promise in fighting diabetes. Of course the best treatment for type 2 diabetes is cutting out the carbs and doing exercise. But as the following abstract indicates, there is evidence that picamilon can fight diabetic neuropathy (nerve damage resulting from decreased blood flow to nerves), presumably through increased vasodilation. It may also prevent neuropathy from occurring or advancing. Picamilon is a relatively safe substance that has a whole host of ancillary benefits, including mood boosting through GABA-ergic action, reducing stress, reducing anxiety, and other positive effects. (Testimonials.) Additional information is available from the Life Extension site: How And Why Picamilon Works (July 1997)(Accessed Aug 29, 2008). Researchers concluded: "The findings confirm the important role of picamilon and aldose reductase inhibitors in the prevention and treatment of diabetic neuropathy." In my opinion, this is a strong and promising lead toward relatively side-effect-free treatment for this increasingly prevalent condition.

Reference

1. Vopr Med Khim. 1998 Nov-Dec; 44(6):559-64. Kuchmerovskaia TM, Parkhomets PK, Donchenko GV, Obrosova IG, Klimenko AP, Kuchmerovskiĭ NA, Pakirbaeva LV, Efimov AS. Institute of Biochemistry, Kiev.
   

Stem Cell Advances

The C'elle company offers a unique advantage for women who wish to preserve their stem cells. At this time it is important to realize we are on the verge of a great breakthrough in genetic engineering and genetic technology. We stand on the threshold of advances beyond our wildest dreams in this field. Since the double helix was discovered, scientists have made inroads into finding out how cells operate at a genetic level. The human genome has been mapped and diseases associated with various genes have been identified. What this means to you is that through the miracle of genetic technology you can take your cord blood stem cells and freeze them and then revive them when a treatment is needed for a disease of yourself or of someone related by blood to you, such as a family member, a son, daughter, parent, and so on. The Current Offers from the company tell how you can take advantage of their August savings and get in on the ground floor of this exciting breakthrough in genetics. In fact there are now more than seventy diseases that can be treated with stem cells, and that list is growing rapidly. In the next few years, futurist Ray Kurzweil predicts that we will see almost every disease eradicated through a combination of nanotechnology and genetic engineering. Before it's too late, have your cord blood stem cells preserved for your future use.

Warning: MSG is Hidden in Your Food

MSG is hidden in foods. It is hidden because manufacturers know that if you knew it was in the food you would be less likely to buy it because of all the dangers of MSG. Here is a complete list of codenames or hidden names for MSG. The list will alert you to the foods that have MSG. You want to avoid MSG if you have an allergy to it. But even if you don't have an allergy it's prudent to reduce intake since new research demonstrates that MSG boosts insulin, which causes diabetes.

Deficiency of Vitamin D Leads to Cancer

Vitamin D deficiency is related to lack of exposure to sunlight. It has been found that there is a correlation between lack of vitamin D and prostate cancer. A basic finding of the following study is that there is an inverse correlation between ultraviolet radiation and mortality from prostate cancer. What this means is that the less sunlight you receive the greater your chances of dying from prostate cancer. Abstracts are usually couched in arcane jargon. But this time researchers stated their findings in unusually clear language:

Prostate cancer is a major cause of cancer death among males, yet little is known about its etiology. We hypothesize that Vitamin (Hormone) D deficiency may underlie the major risks for prostate cancer, including age, Black race, and northern latitudes. These factors all are associated with decreased synthesis of Vitamin D. Mortality rates from prostate cancer in the U.S. are inversely correlated with ultraviolet radiation, the principal source of Vitamin D. This hypothesis is consistent with known antitumor properties of Vitamin D, and may suggest new avenues for research in prostate cancer.

The meaning of this finding is clear. In order to cut the risk of prostate cancer, it is imperative to obtain sufficient sunshine and/or vitamin D.

Reference

1. Schwartz, G. G., and B. S. Hulka. 1990. “Is vitamin D deficiency a risk factor for prostate cancer? (Hypothesis).” Anticancer-Res. Sep-Oct; 10(5A): 1307-11. (Accessed Aug. 26, 2008).

Daddy's Home

The video for The Sproutwells is sure to please your blog readers and I encourage you to put it on your page too. The freshfunds site can help you earn points every time you buy from Fresh Direct or the Chiquita brand. These sites help you eat healthy and also assist in bringing the best food to your door. What could be better than that? We order from Fresh Direct all the time and find it convenient. We order from them so much we know the delivery guys by name. They are all a friendly bunch. And so we would like to encourage people to visit their Web site and check out the freshfunds Web site too. If I bid on a prize at their site it would be the software package and games. The Sproutwells video is quite a hit at our house and our favorite character is the little dog because it is funny.

Danger: MSG Is Making You Fat

I was stunned to discover this afternoon a little-known fact about MSG (monosodium glutamate), the food additive that is added to everything these days from fast-food hamburgers and chicken to yogurt to soda to canned foods. MSG causes the body to increase its production of insulin! This makes us more hungry, leading to overeating and obesity. But a second, more pernicious, method of MSG causing obesity is as follows: the MSG causes a boost in insulin, and insulin shunts fat and glucose from the blood into the thighs and abdomen, causing obesity. Insulin also increases clogged arteries, leading to more heart attacks and strokes. One more good reason to avoid MSG. This includes any product with hydrolyzed protein (a codename for MSG) and "artificial flavor," another codename that often indicates MSG is present. In fact if a food is labeled "no MSG" it probably contains MSG in one of these codename forms.

Researchers said: "Ingestion of the MSG solution also elevated plasma insulin levels; maximal values were obtained within 20 min of ingesting the solution, remained elevated until 60 min, and then declined to placebo values by 135 min." (p. 186).

Reference

1. John D. Fernstrom, Judy L. Cameron, Madelyn H. Fernstrom, Claire Mcconaha, Theodore E. Weltzin, and Walter H. Kaye. 1996. Short-Term Neuroendocrine Effects of a Large Oral Dose of Monosodium Glutamate in Fasting Male Subjects. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. Vol. 81, No. 1. 184-191.
2. MSG and Obesity.
3. MSGTruth.org. (All about the harms of MSG.)
4. MSG - Slowly Poisoning America. ) "MSG triples the amount of insulin the pancreas creates.")
5. Statement by John Erb. (Contains the most authoritative research on the harm of MSG, including numerous studies showing that it increases insulin levels.)
6. The Slow Poisoning of Mankind: A Report on the Toxic Effects of the Food Additive
   Monosodium Glutamate Presented by John Erbof Canada to the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee On Food Additives. August 2006.

Affordable and Safe Sublingual B12

Vitamin B-12 is not absorbed orally very well, which is why you often hear that elderly people get a shot of B-12 from their doctor. As we age we lose what is called intrinsic factor, a stomach acid that helps B-12 become absorbed. Since the elderly have no intrinsic factor, they can't absorb B-12 even if they eat massive amounts. The only other alternative is for them to get shots of B-12 injected directly into the blood. But who wants to get a B-12 shot every week? Not me! Which is where the delivery system known as sublingual comes into play. Sublingual is an effective delivery system, as many of you know from reading my articles on pregnenolone. The tablets of B-12 are simply placed under the tongue. Within ten to thirty minutes they will dissolve, like a candy or a cough drop or a cold lozenge. In this way the B-12 doesn't go into the stomach (where it wouldn't be absorbed); instead, it goes directly into the blood system through the sublingual delivery system. For more on the wonders of sublingual drug delivery read the wikipedia article on the term "sublingual." Get your box of sublingual B12 and a free bonus today. Sublingual B-12 is a highly effective method of obtaining B-12. Trivita has a solid reputation and has sold more than 10 million boxes of sublingual B-12, so they must be doing something right.

Apoaequorin | Prevagen | Brain Health

A new molecule, apoaequorin (the protein component of aequorin), reportedly helps the brain use calcium, boosting cerebral efficiency. The molecule is available in an over-the-counter product, Prevagen. The site indicates benefits include improved mental clarity, clearer decision-making, better memory, and greater ability to focus. Dr. Frederic J. Vagnini said it helped him write an article and (in the same way Balzac was helped by coffee) enabled him to overcome writer's block and be efficient. The site, however, presents mainly links to Wikipedia and a university's homepage (the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, not any study done by it), and no studies showing effectiveness with human subjects. We welcome more information about this product and believe more research is warranted.

References

1. Frederic J. Vagnini radio broadcast in New York August 24, 2008.
2. Science page of Prevagen Web site.
3. UWM Psychology Researcher Supports a Graduate's Biotech Startup. (Accessed Aug. 24, 2008.)
4. Research Supports Drug Development From a Jellyfish Protein. (Accessed Aug. 24, 2008.)

Arm Length

Most people do not have arms of equal length. This was a fact I first discovered when I went to Brooks Brothers to buy a business suit. I had read John T. Molloy's book Dress for Success, and it suggested that I should tip the tailor. But I had to ask for the best tailor first. The man's name was Aldo, and he was a whiz of a tailor. This was in the Boston store, a very nice store indeed. Anyway, he measured me and told me that the sleeves of the jacket would be cut to match my arms, which were of unequal length,—the right being slightly longer. My shirts would not match because they were off the shelf, and as a result, he warned me, the left sleeve would stick out more. Indeed, just as he predicted, my left sleeve stuck out more and for years I would tug it back up to try to get them even.

Get Smart Bloopers

And now for something completely different. As an aside from all this talk about health, we're bringing you some bloopers from the Get Smart television show (starring Don Adams, Barbara Feldon, and Ed Platt). These mistakes actually show how professional the actors were! Though they break up for a second or two, they get right back to work. And work it was. They had lots of lines to remember. As Norman Cousins believed, laughter could overcome the biology of cancer. Perhaps there's some truth to that.

By the way, Dr. Ray Sahelian, M.D. suggests that artists, writers and actors might benefit from occasional use of pregnenolone. See Pregnenolone: Nature's Feel Good Hormone, p. 33.

Great Laptop Deals

A friend of mine, an ex sailor, is back in college and doing a great job intellectually, but he does not have a laptop. He's smart (I can tell from his comments in class) but he's operating at a disadvantage. Charter Laptop-a-Day Giveaway is what he needs. In thirty days there will be thirty winners. Here's how it works (complete rules at connect.charter.com/landing/disclaimers/laptop.html): you order any of the Charter Communications service online and you'll automatically be in line to win one of the prizes, that is, the thirty HP Compaq Presario C770US laptops. This sure would help my friend and his scholastic career. Each of these computers is worth over six hundred bucks. Could he ever use that! The first winner will be announced September 1. But there's more. He's a great driver but he never has enough money for gas. Anyone who orders online will also get a Shell gas card with a value of up to a hundred bucks. As far as what Charter is offering, it breaks down into three categories (each one a terrific deal no matter how you look at it): first, high-speed Internet at only $19.99 a month for 6 months; second, digital home (this means TV) and Internet for $69.98 a month for 6 months; and third, Charter Digital Home™, High-Speed Internet, and Charter Telephone® at $99.97 a month for 12 months.

The Doors of Perception

When Aldous Huxley wrote the classic The Doors of Perception few people had ever heard of mescaline. Timothy Leary followed with an amazing career that began at Harvard and continued in the entertainment and pop culture world, advocating the use of LSD. Then came Howard Lotsoff and the crunch to break addiction with ibogaine. All three are connected and all three are part of a larger picture. The connection between Huxley and Leary is clear because both advocated experimentation with hallucinogens. The ibogaine story is slightly different because on its face it argues against drug use;—but ibogaine itself is a hallucinogen, albeit one that breaks addiction to cocaine, opium, heroin, and alcohol in one dose. Someone needs to write a book about the connection here, and throw a little Carlos Castaneda into the mix.

The Best Online Coupons

As a health conscious consumer, one who reads health blogs about supplements and vitamins and new health discoveries and medical breakthroughs; and as a person who also cares about getting the best value for your health care dollar,—free shipping and $5 off promotional codes is your ticket to health savings and savings on other items not related to health, all of which adds up to one thing: more money in your pocket and less in the corporations and stores online from which you shop. If you could save five dollars or ten dollars every time you buy something online, before you know it you'd be talking about real money. That's not chump change, it's a real investment in your financial future. The online coupon discounts and promotional codes available from the BestOnlineCoupons.com Web site will help you save on purchases that you make online. They have hundreds of thousands of coupon codes and promo codes to help you get discounts and bargains. The best way to use this service is to go to their Web site when you're making a purchase and see if they have a coupon for the site you're buying from. Chances are they might. They even have Kmart coupons and Nutri System coupons as well as other outlets' coupons. You can select coupons from nineteen different categories, such as shopping, office supplies, pets, travel, electronics, and more. They have coupons at this time from about 700 companies and they're growing every day. The site is updated on a daily basis and will have new offerings all the time, which is why it's prudent to visit every time you buy something online. They also would like to point out that there is no charge for using their Web site, it's all absolutely free. You don't have to register. There is no contract to sign.

Candy

Candy may taste good, but it is poison. The reason is because candy is sugar and sugar triggers an insulin spike, which packs fat into the body,—but more importantly, insulin drives fat into the interior of artery walls. This recent finding is the most frightening news about insulin and, by inference, about sugar. What it means is that insulin is the chief cause of heart attack and stroke. Insulin (and by extrapolation, sugar) is the number one cause of death in the world.

References

1. 1999. Early impairment of large artery structure and function in Type I diabetes mellitus. Diabetologia. Volume 42, Number 8 / July. (Type I diabetes associated with greater incidence of clogged arteries.)
2. J. Qiao. Cartilaginous metaplasia in calcified diabetic peripheral vascular disease: Morphologic evidence of enchondral ossification. Human Pathology, Volume 34, Issue 4, Pages 402-407. (Type 2 diabetics suffer from increased "cartilaginous metaplasia and ectopic ossification with associated severe medial arterial calcification and atherosclerosis.")
3. G Marquie. 1978. Effect of insulin in the induction and regression of experimental cholesterol atherosclerosis in the rabbit. Postgraduate Medical Journal, Vol 54, 80-85. (Insulin causes fat to adhere to artery walls, leading to atherosclerosis.)

French Study Links Cell Phones with Brain Tumors

A frightening new French study links cell phone use with brain tumors. More brain tumors will occur over the next ten years because of cell phone use. This French study led reviewers to conclude "If the French results hold up, it would indicate that cell phone-induced brain tumors can develop more quickly than current hypotheses suggest." A large number of people were tested, meaning the results are quite significant. The more you use your phone the more likely you'll get a brain tumor. Researchers said: "[T]hose who had made the most phone calls (over 5,100) had about 50% more gliomas [brain tumors]." And, "Those who were on a cell phone for the longest total amount of time (260 hours or more) had 80% more gliomas." A glioma is a brain tumor.

Reference
Latest Cell Phone Brain Tumor Study. Mobilfunk-Newsletter - EMF-Omega-News. (Accessed Aug. 22 2008.)

Excellent Northern Exchange Traded Shares

When I was seventeen I read the book that changed my life. It was called The Art of Contrary Thinking. It was all about the stock market. What did I know about the stock market in those days? Nothing. All I knew was that this book, which had a white cover with the name of the book in black ink, was a primer on thinking against the pack. That is what a good investor does, he thinks like an individual not like a pack animal. NETS ETFs and Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) from Northern Exchange Traded Shares (NETS) let savvy investors think outside the box by trading fund groups in a flexible and creative manner. When you really understand how this works, it's perfectly simple. The basic idea (for those interested in advanced investing) is that your ETFs can be traded like stocks (as opposed to mutual funds, which are a more time consuming trade), so that you can buy them or sell them within a matter of minutes or hours rather than weeks or months, as with mutual funds. These are troubled times, but this company offers investment opportunities that can help you think different and make a mark in the investing world.

Shirley Manson | Only Happy When It Rains

One of my fav songs - and I just discoverd this live version tonight! Shirley Manson is a terrific singer. She grew up a middle child with an older and younger sister. Many girls from this birth order are terrific actors or artists and musicians. JLo has the same birth order.

Great Italian Vacation

I have often wanted to go to the Moon because to me the Moon represents space travel and the first big step off the planet earth. But the Moon currently is unavailable, so the next best thing, in my opinion, is a vacation from Vacation Rental Rome, which has the kind of off-world adventure I seek in a vacation (at least that I seek these days because I used to be quite reluctant to travel). I got my love of travel from reading Shelley and Byron and a few other poets like Coleridge and Wordsworth. Of them all, I preferred Shelley because he and I have the same temperament. I am sure that if space travel were available he would have wanted to go to the Moon. As it was he went to Italy. If he were here today he would probably try the vacation rental Rome Italy, and he would have fun with the syntax of that too, I'm sure. When Shelley traveled he liked to stay in out of the way places. In this, he would have enjoyed the services of a rental company because then he might be able to find vacation rentals in Rome, Italy, whether that is an apartment, a B & B, or a vacation villa. In the final analysis, vacationrentalrome.com would have made his life complete.

Hearth Health

The heart is always on the go, never resting, only slowing down at night and during times of great calmness, such as when meditating. The heart achieves this kind of continuous activity by being composed of cells that have a capacity to work all the time. If the rest of the body had this ability we would truly be supermen. The heart, though, does need nutrients. It is helpful to take certain supplements for heart health. Fish oil has been shown to reduce arrhythmia(1) and CoQ10 has been shown to help with congestive heart failure, among other problems.(2)

Researchers concluded: "Epidemiologic studies, animal studies, and more recently, clinical intervention trials all suggest a role for regular intake of dietary fish oil in reducing cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Prevention of cardiac arrhythmias and sudden death is demonstrable at fish or fish oil intakes that have little or no effect on blood pressure or plasma lipids. In animals, dietary intake of fish oil [containing both eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20∶5n−3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22∶6n−3)] selectively increases myocardial membrane phospholipid content of DHA, whereas low dose consumption of purified fatty acids shows antiarrhythmic effects of DHA but not EPA. Ventricular fibrillation induced under many conditions, including ischemia, reperfusion, and electrical stimulation, and even arrhythmias induced in vitro with no circulating fatty acids are prevented by prior dietary consumption of fish oil. The preferential accumulation of DHA in myocardial cell membranes, its association with arrhythmia prevention, and the selective ability of pure DHA to prevent ventricular fibrillation all point to DHA as the active component of fish oil. The antiarrhythmic effect of dietary fish oil appears to depend on the accumulation of DHA in myocardial cell membranes."(2)

References

1. Myocardial membrane fatty acids and the antiarrhythmic actions of dietary fish oil in animal models.
   
2. Coenzyme Q10 as an adjunctive in the treatment of chronic congestive heart failure.

Hand Help

A few years ago I went to a conference at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on the harm of electromagnetic radiation. At that time I had no idea there was even an issue with unseen radiation causing DNA damage, but I was even more surprised to learn that using a mouse and a keyboard could be damaging to the tendons and ligaments of the hands and wrists. This condition, known as carpel tunnel syndrome, can strike anyone, young or old. For you own safety and for carpal tunnel relief you can obtain surgery. But a better treatment is a noninvasive treatment, such as the IMAK SmartGlove product. I know any number of people, most of them students and writers, who could benefit from this glove. Their guarantee can provide you with a risk free opportunity to try the product and see if it doesn't help. It also helps to transfer the mouse to the left hand. So what if you're a right-handed person. You can develop new skills and that's exactly what I did. Yes, carpel tunnel relief is possible. But it all starts at home, where you should position yourself in a comfortable chair and use wrist supports and not type all day. Take a break now and then. Also remember to take fish oil for your joints. These health tips should go a long way toward providing relief.

Xylitol

One of the chief online doctors, and the one I turn to for info on all types of herbs and holistic approaches, is Dr. Joseph Mercola, M.D. I recently heard Dr. Alan Woods talk about how good xylitol is, and how it does not raise insulin levels like sugar. Dr. Mercola also thinks xylitol is good. It is an antibacterial; it has this effect because bacteria cannot use it for fuel. Sugar is a six-carbon molecule, and xylitol is a 5-carbon molecule that bacteria cannot metabolize, therefore they perish. (The thought!) Here's what Dr. Mercola had to say recently about the complete safety of xylitol.

Safety of Xylitol

In 1986, the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) was commissioned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to review all relevant data concerning xylitol and other polyols. The scientific conclusions of the FASEB report indicate that the use of xylitol in humans is safe. The report also affirms xylitol's acceptability as an approved food additive for use in foods for special dietary uses.

In 1996, the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), a prestigious scientific advisory body to the World Health Organization and the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, confirmed that adverse findings in animal studies conducted in the 1970s are "not relevant to the toxicological evaluation of these substances (e.g., xylitol) in humans."

JECFA has allocated an Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) of "not specified" for xylitol. ADI, expressed in terms of body weight, is the amount of food additive that can be taken daily in the diet over a lifetime without risk. An ADI of "not specified" is the safest category in which JECFA can place a food additive. The scientific Committee for Food of the European Union (EU) also determined xylitol "acceptable" for dietary uses.

* * *

On the basis of this good news, I'll be using xylitol more frequently. If you liked this info, sign up for Dr. Mercola's newsletter at mercola.com.

Reference
Mercola, Joseph. Safety of Xylitol. (Accessed Aug. 20, 2008.)

Best Vanities

Your home will be complete when a Double Vanity is in the guest bedroom, awaiting Mr. Lockwood or any other guest who happens to be staying with you. Of course, Mr. Lockwood, the guest at Wuthering Heights, would love the Bathroom Vanity as well because he was under a lot of stress, seeing all those strange creatures in the home he visited. The vanity pictured here would make any bathroom look cheery, and that's exactly the right frame of mind needed for a place like the setting of Emily Brontë's novel. But Bathroom Vanities may not be sufficient, especially if a guest is allowed to wander about a mansion at all hours of the day and night, as your guests certainly will be. In this case you'll need to look into Discount Bathroom Vanities and the way they can add to the splendor of your own mansion, no matter who your guests may happen to be. The only one who will be a winner here is you and your guests because everyone else will simply envy your elegance, your taste, and your fine sense of home furnishings. Why, neighbors and even strangers who hear about your home will be talking about you and wishing they could be your guests, if only to see the wonderful job you did in patching up the place and installing all the new fixtures.

Tropical Oils are Good Oils

Exciting news from one of the leading scientists in the field of lipid (fat) research, Mary Enig. She asserts that mainstream medicine is wrong about fat and dairy products. She says we have been told lies about the harm of tropical oils and saturated fats. They are actually good for us. This scientist's work is permission to eat milk, dairy products (cheese, yogurt), and tropical oils (extra virgin coconut oil, and extra virgin palm oil, for example). Very good news for those who like good health — and good food.

Book review by Jerry Cott, Ph.D. of Mary Enig, Ph.D.'s Know Your Fats: The Complete Primer for Understanding the Nutrition of Fats, Oils, and Cholesterol. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. February 1, 2001, 7(1): 97-100. doi:10.1089/107555301300004583. (Accessed August 20, 2008.)

Master Portrait Photographers

John Singer Sargent was the greatest American portrait painter of the 20th century, and his works grace the halls of the finest museums of the world. Memory Lane Portraits could be said to follow in this grad tradition of great portrait artists and their family portrait photography is classic in a timeless sense, just as Sargent's paintings are. The chief photographer behind this masterful organization is Stephen B. Dey, Master Photographer and Certified Professional Photographer. He was awarded the prestigious 2006 National Photographer of the Year by the Professional Photographers of America Association. The professional team at Memory Lane Portraits can handle any photo job from small to large, from preschool photos to film stills for a major Hollywood studio. Like any professional artists they are creative, flexible, and above all friendly and personable. They are easy to work with because they have years of experience and they know that people are their business. They love faces and making faces look good. They are experts at lighting. In the same way that a director of photography for a film, like Sven Nykvist, will take care to light his subjects, the pros at Memory Lane will make sure that the light is flattering and the composition perfect before they click the shutter and take that picture.

Anti-Cancer Effects of Green Tea

The following communication, published in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, confirms that green tea fights cancer. The researchers found that constituents in the tea bind to specific receptors found in cells, triggering anti-cancer genes. If this doesn't make you want to rush out and drink a cup of green tea, I don't know what will. Ray Kurzweil drinks 7-10 cups a day.

Nature Structural & Molecular Biology 11, 380 - 381 (2004)
Published online: 14 March 2004; | doi:10.1038/nsmb743

A receptor for green tea polyphenol EGCG

Hirofumi Tachibana, Kiyoshi Koga, Yoshinori Fujimura & Koji Yamada

Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, Hakozaki 6-10-1, Fukuoka, 812-8581, Japan.

The major polyphenol in green tea, (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), has been shown to prevent carcinogenesis. We have identified a receptor that mediates the anticancer activity of EGCG. Expression of the metastasis-associated 67-kDa laminin receptor confers EGCG responsiveness to cancer cells at physiologically relevant concentrations. Experiments using surface plasmon resonance demonstrate binding of EGCG to the 67-kDa laminin receptor with a nanomolar K _d value. [Emphasis supplied.]

Cell Phones and Bluetooth

Bluetooth technology is not without risk. In fact a recent French study pointed out that there is a growing rate of cancer in the heads of teens who used cell phones. These tumors appear in the ear area of the head of the user after a number of hours of use. The number of hours of use varies. The surgeons who operate on these tumors conclude that cell phone use is related to increased risk of tumor formation. This should be a wake up call to all who use cell phones.

Online Binding Equipment

There is no question that iShopBinding's binding machines and office binding equipment can enhance any business person's outflow of efficient product since it is the tops in the field. The world of commerce today has so evolved that many companies are looking to make money without remembering to do two important things that any Fortune 500 company does, namely educate its sales force, and educate its customers. The first task of any company, of course, is to turn a profit but if you try to make a profit without keeping in mind the necessity to have educated sales people you will be shooting yourself in the foot. The sales force of any company can benefit from materials that are bound in a reasonable and presentable way. And the binding equipment from this company can help. Their easy to use machines are perfect for maiing booklets and presentation packages that look store-bought and new. They can also help educate customers by making available to them various professionally bound materials that can be carried away the day they buy a product or inquire about a service. For the latest and greatest in binding machines, all at affordable prices, check them out on the Internet today.

Coffee

The coffee bean is a very popular fruit in the South American culture. It has become one of the staples of the American diet. In 2008, 44.5 tons of coffee were used in each of the states of the United States. These statistics point to a frightening possibility. By the year 2010 the coffee plant will be one of the most heavily consumed in the United States. This can lead to numerous conclusions, the most important of which is that coffee will have equaled the South American consumption rate.

Evidence of Palm Oil's Heart Benefits

Am J Clin Nutr. 1991 Apr;53(4 Suppl):989S-1009S.
Introduction: nutritional aspects of palm oil.
Cottrell RC.

Leatherhead Food Research Association, Surrey, UK.

The production, composition, and food uses of palm oil are outlined in this introduction to a detailed appraisal of the nutritional and health implications of the use of palm oil in the food supply. The putative role of dietary fats and oils in general, and of palm oil in particular, in the etiology of coronary heart disease and cancer is critically assessed. It is concluded that the evidence available is difficult to interpret unambiguously. Some evidence to suggest that the minor components of palm oil might have useful biological effects is also discussed.

Best Private School

Holden Caulfield, the hero of J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, went to a private school. Which just goes to show you that the best originate in the best schools. And in the private schools Spartanburg South Carolina area the best school is listed on that Web site. If the preceding didn't grate on your grammatical ear you didn't go to a private school. Those who do usually get a significant advantage. The writer of this post and all his siblings went to private schools and we know the difference between "effect" and "affect" and we know when to use a colon (:), a semicolon (;), and a comma ('), among other marks of punctuation. For more info about your options for private schools in this area, see the above links.

DMAE Boosts Brain Efficiency and Mood

Researchers found that DMAE boosts brain functioning, increased mood and had other positive effects on the brain.They stated that DMAE boosted mood, a rather strong finding. These researchers were clear in their conclusions:

Subjects taking the active drug [DMAE] for 3 months developed significant less theta and alpha1 power in sensomotoric areas of the cortex. . . . . Since decreases in theta and alpha1 electrical power have been associated with increased vigilance and attention, subjects taking the drug combination obviously were more active and felt better. . . . Both scores revealed a better mood for the active drug group . . . . Therefore . . . DMAE can be interpreted to induce a psychophysiological state of better feeling of wellbeing on both levels of analysis mood and electrical pattern of brain activity in subjects suffering from borderline emotional disturbance.

These strong statements are significant. They suggest that DMAE may have a role in the treatment of mood disorders. It may also be appropriate for those who are healthy and who wish to boost mental functioning on an occasional basis.

Reference

1. Eur J Med Res. 2003 May 30;8(5):183-91.
2. Efficacy of dimethylaminoethanol (DMAE) containing vitamin-mineral drug combination on EEG patterns in the presence of different emotional states. Dimpfel W, Wedekind W, Keplinger I.
   
   
   

Best Moving Companies Online

It's vital to know about local moving companies if you're going to move locally because they can save you money and time. Now a helpful Web site called Moving Companies Online has come to the rescue of movers everywhere with an easy-to-use interface and tons of great features for the first time mover or the veteran of many prior moves. The best feature of the site is the fact that it lets you find the best price for your move. They get quotes from good moving companies with outstanding track records of service and quality. They also help you plan your move more efficiently. Whether you're a novice or a seasoned mover, they will help you get the move done right and with as little hassle as possible. They have a staff of trained agents standing by to update the site daily with the latest local movers and the latest moving deals. Imagine being able to tell friends and family that you moved and it was a breeze. No one will believe you. Then tell them you made the move with Moving Companies Online. Explain that Moving Companies Online put you in touch with a terrific local mover and that you spent only half of what comparable movers were spending. Watch the jaws drop and the faces flush with envy as you reveal how Moving Companies Online helped you save time, money and moving aggravation.

The Brain Produces Neurotransmitters

It is now clear beyond the shadow of a doubt that the brain produces neurotransmitters. Some of them are used to foster increased intelligence, increases synaptic talking, and more coherent thought processes. Researchers stated:

Steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) is a . . . protein involved in the transport of cholesterol to the inner mitochondrial membrane and thus plays a key role in steroid biosynthesis. . . . StAR transcripts were abundant in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, dentate gyrus, olfactory bulb, cerebellar granular layer, and Purkinje cells. Furthermore, other steroidogenic enzymes, side-chain cleavage cytochrome P-450SCC . . . were found to be coexpressed in the hippocampus, dentate gyrus, cerebellar granular layer, and Purkinje cells. These findings strongly indicate that neurosteroids are synthesized in a region-specific manner in the brain.

In other words the brain makes chemicals that increase its effective ability to calculate. Like a robot fixing itself, the brain provides itself with neurotransmitters for a wide range of functions, all of which relate to congition and increased mental calculation power.

Reference

1. Steroidogenic Acute Regulatory Protein (StAR) Transcripts Constitutively Expressed in the Adult Rat Central Nervous System: Colocalization of StAR, Cytochrome P-450SCC (CYP XIA1), and 3[beta]-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase in the Rat Brain. Molecular Biology. Journal of Neurochemistry. 71(6):2231-2238, December 1998. Furukawa, Aizo; Miyatake, Akira ; Ohnishi, Taira; Ichikawa, Yoshiyuki
   

What Does "Snikta" Spell Backwards?

Here's a fun trivia health quiz: What does S-N-I-K-T-A spell backwards? Please post your reply in the comments section. The first twenty-five people to submit correct replies will be entitled to receive a free viewing of this blog for a full thirty days. Oh, by the way, when you decipher the word you will also have the secret to weight loss. It certainly isn't to be found in weight loss pills.

Civil Twilight

Here's one of my favorite recent songs, "Civil Twilight" by The Weakerthans. The song has nothing to do with health — except it's all about love and relationships and pining away for someone, and so on many levels it is about romantic health, that is, romantic normalcy; and in this sense it is a health video. I try to relate everything to health, and certainly if your mood is good you're going to have better physical health. This song can help you achieve a better mood. It works for me.

The Finest Snowboard Online

Burton snowboards can help you have fun this winter. In fact, www.buysnow.com has Liquid Force wakeboards. Not only that, they are a pro shop, meaning they cater to those in the know when it comes to snowboards and wakeboards. Some of the brands they carry include Ride Snowboards, Rome Snowboards, Venue Snowboards, and many more. They also (of course) carry all the accessories and equipment you'd need, including snowboarding outerwear, snowboarding helmets, goggles, and even videos so that you can learn the basics of snowboarding and pick up and perfect some advanced skills. More than this, they also have discount snowboards for winter fun.

Pregnenolone | Book by Ray Sahelian, M.D.

I just finished reading an amazing book entitled Pregnenolone by Ray Sahelian, M.D. Before Dr. Sahelian recommends any herb or hormone, he tries it himself. At a dosage of 10 mg he didn't notice anything. He increased the dosage to 20 mg and "could now barely tell something was going on"; but the "effect was subtle." Then he upped it to 30 mg and "went about my morning routine, forgetting that I had taken it. Based on the experience of the previous few days, I didn't expect to feel anything significant. I was considering putting an end to my pregnenolone experiment in order to go on to another hormone or nutrient. However, that evening, while taking a stroll with a friend on the beachfront walk in Venice, California, I could feel something clearly happening. A mellow, steady, persistent feeling of well-being—like a mild euphoria—had imperceptibly come on. Even though I normally feel good, this was different, and better. I became more conscious of my surroundings. Flowers growing in the front gardens of the ocean homes seemed brighter and prettier. . . . A mosaic on the door of a beach house caught my eye. Examining it closer, I noticed that it was a scene of tall redwood trees with a curving blue stream running through the middle. My friend graciously accommodated my request that we stare at this mosaic and observe all of its fine details. . . . As I continued walking with my friend, my attention focused on the architecture of the homes. I started noticing the patterns of the stones, the shapes of windows, doorways, and porticos, and other details. The palm trees lining the walk appeared Carribean island-like picturesque. Everything seemed more beautiful and intriguing."¹

I have quoted at length because Dr. Sahelian's description is poetic and reminiscent of the mescaline-induced heightened perception described by Aldoux Huxley in The Doors of Perception, where Huxley says that anything he looked at glowed with a greater brightness and significance: "The books, for example, with which my study walls were lined. Like the flowers, they glowed, when I looked at them, with brighter colors, a profounder significance. Red books, like rubies; emerald books; books bound in white jade; books of agate; of aquamarine, of yellow topaz; lapis lazuli books whose color was so intense, so intrinsically meaningful, that they seemed to be on the point of leaving the shelves to thrust themselves more insistently on my attention."²

The fact that pregnenolone production decreases with age and that is can be used as a supplement to boost memory, mood, energy, and visual and auditory perception is described in Dr. Sahelian's unique and groundbreaking book, a work that does its own job of opening the doors of perception.

References

1. Sahelian, Ray, M.D. 1997. Pregnenolone: Nature's Feel Good Hormone. Garden City Park, New York: Avery.
   
2. Huxley, Aldous. 2004. The Doors of Perception and Heaven and Hell. New York: Harper. Originally published 1954.
   

Affordable Car Hire

Ever since you rented your last car you have vowed not to do business with that company again. They were too brusque, too unorganized, and they charged too much. Nothing was convenient, the car wasn't ready on time, and the whole experience was annoying. It's time to rethink you approach to the process known to many as Car Hire. Because Rhino Car Hire is a better way to get the car you need, when you want it, in the condition that a car should be in for city and highway driving. They have a fleet of cars that will match your needs, no matter whether you're driving for a business trip or a vacation, across town or across the country. More than that, they maintain their cars the way Mario Andretti maintained his Ferrari. Let me give you one example of the top flight customer service you'll receive at the Rhino Car Hire establishment near you. A friend of ours went into the shop and was greeted by two courteous clerks, both of whom spoke in gentle, soothing tones. They ushered him out to the tarmac to inspect his vehicle. While this was going on, a uniformed mechanic came over and shook his hand and revealed that the car had passed inspection and was in mint condition, ready for anything. Our friend was duly impressed and naturally very satisfied with the car rental.

Obesity and Health Care Costs

A new study published this year reveals that health care costs for the obese are less than for the lean and thin. How is that possible? The reason is simple. The researchers tell us that "Obese people cost less because individuals die younger." In fact, if you examine obese and lean people at the same age, you will find that the obese people incur far greater health costs because they get sicker more often. "Examine an obese population and a lean population of the same age and sex distribution, and the former will incur far greater health-care costs throughout the life course. Much more diabetes, and more cardiovascular disease and cancer will occur amongst the obese—even amongst the older obese."¹ The results of this study are not surprising. But they are worth keeping in mind. It is imperative to lose weight. And eating less will not help you lose weight. It will only make you hungrier. Exercise will also not help you lose weight. It too will just make you hungrier.² The only thing that will help people lose weight is realizing that insulin is what packs on the fat, and insulin is triggered by eating carbohydrates.

References

1. McPherson K. 2008. Does Preventing Obesity Lead to Reduced Health-Care Costs?. PLoS Medicine, Vol. 5, No. 2, e37. (Feb. 5). doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.0050037
2. Taubes, Gary. 2007. Good Calories, Bad Calories. New York: Knopf. p. 299.
   

Best Credit Card Processing and Merchant Services

Of course you want to make money on the Internet and in your store, that's a given. So it stands to reason that you're going to have to accept credit cards. That's also a given. The only question is: "Which credit card processing company will I use?" Because if you don't have your own merchant account (which can cost $1,000 to set up and take weeks of haggling with a bank to get it right, and then on top of that you have to pay enormous fees), well if you don't have a merchant account you're going to want to start making money the fastest way possible, with a company that lets you accept credit cards. Have we ever got good news for you! There is a terrific credit card processing company that has been around for 25 years and that is better than the competition. Their rates are lower, their service is easier to use, and they want your business so they're making it simple to get started. First of all their rate is only 1.59%! In other words more than 98% of anything you sell goes into your pocket. Plus they have no setup fees! As they say on their site they don't need to waive fees because there simply aren't any fees to waive! Plus there's no contract to sign. Couldn't be easier to get started, right? You could start immediately and cancel anytime. Another good thing: you get the money the next day. They don't hold it in an interest-bearing account! Did we mention no fees? No setup fees. No account fees. No annual processing fees. No fees of any kind. Period. (It's worth repeating because so many of their competitors charge big upfront fees and then an additional fee along the way and an annual processing fee of $50 to $100 or more.) Another big plus: While other companies require you to do $1,000 of business a month or they slap you with a fee, Merchant Advisors has a minimum monthly requirement of only $25. Plus they are different from the competition in another important respect. While most other credit card processing companies charge a cancellation fee, Merchant Advisors does not. You can end your merchant services account at any time if you're not 100% happy with Merchant Advisors.

Warning | Mammograms Cause Breast Cancer

You want to be safe and you want to have some assurance that you don't have breast cancer. With all the scare about the incidence of breast cancer rising, you want something from the medical community. But, dear reader, you don't want a mammogram. Mammograms, a procedure that uses low-dose X-Rays to visualize the breast tissue, causes more harm than help. The radiation may be termed "low-dose," but no dose is low enough for human DNA and even so-called low-dose X-Rays are known to damage DNA. They are also known to cause breast cancer. So why are women having a test to detect breast cancer when the test itself causes breast cancer? Simple answer: they are ignorant of the facts. But now you know. And you are asking, "What can I do?" The answer will be discussed in another post. The best test for breast cancer is thermography, a harmless test that uses body heat to more accurately detect breast cancer than a mammography.

References

1. Do Mammograms Cause Cancer?? (Accessed August 17, 2008.)
2. Rcik Ensminger. Alert - Mammograms Cause Cancer. (Accessed August 17, 2008.)
3. From Dr. Mercola's Web site: Barry Lynes. Mammography Enters the Depths of Deceit. (Accessed August 17, 2008.)
4. Major Confusion on How to Do Breast Checks. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/08/07/major-confusion-on-how-to-do-breast-checks.aspx (Accessed Oct 16, 2008.) This is an excellent overview by Dr. Mercola.
   
   

Say Something Political

The Federalist Papers is perhaps the clearest and earliest American book of political thought. It set a standard for all political discourse to follow in advocating the ratification of the Constitution. Today the right to air your view is a principle of the American way of life, and it is embodied also in a political debate Web site, the Argue With Everyone Discussion Forums. These political message boards allow you to have your say in the same way that Hamilton, Madison, and Jay had theirs in the Federalist Papers. Don't let your hard-won right to free speech and debate slip away. Exercise your right to voice your view. Just like Hamilton, Madison, and Jay, you'll feel better once you get it off your chest.

Surfin' USA

This is a vintage video of the Beach Boys doing one of their most popular songs, Surfin' USA. I love this song and this group and here we can see some rare footage of Brian Wilson onstage with his two brothers Carl and Dennis (on drums) as well as Mike Love. The performance is terrific. Enjoy!

Used Cisco Components

When you want a network to work right you definitely want the best equipment, and this includes routers, switches, access servers, IT connections, and all the rest of the material that goes into making networks run smoothly. The incorporation of used cisco equipment is one way to get up to speed with the quality components that can make your operation run at optimal speed and efficiency. This is because Cisco is a leading supplier of networking equipment and network equipment and management for the Internet. But sometimes, although you can buy new from them direct, you wish to take advantage of the cost savings that can be realized through the use of used Cisco parts and components. Network Hardware Resale (NHR) sells more used Cisco equipment than anyone else and they know how important it is to make sure you get the parts you need on time and in a guaranteed good condition. This is why they have set up a Web site devoted to making the customer happy, and that means you and your company. When you buy Cisco used parts and components you know you're getting the best and you can count on that quality to last through the working life of the product.

Is Plain Carbonated Water Bad for Teeth?

The short answer: No, plain carbonated water is not harmful to teeth; however, soda, which contains sugar, is harmful because it contributes to tooth decay.

All the non sugar related acids in soda (including carbonic acid) are so soluble in water that they are washed off the teeth almost immediately before they can cause much decalcification of the tooth structure. On the other hand, the sugar in regular soda is very sticky and remains on the teeth for a long time.¹

In other words a carbonated drink without sugar is not harmful to teeth.² (The flavoring probably has MSG, which we'll rail against another day.)

According to a report published in the March / April edition of General Dentistry, phosphoric acid in soda causes tooth enamel erosion, even with minimal exposure.³

References

1. Tooth Decay. (Accessed 9/5/2008.)
   
2. Diet Sodas Aren't So Good for Teeth. (Accessed 9/5/2008.)
3. Phosphoric acid in sodas nearly as damaging to teeth as battery acid. (Accessed 9/5/2008.)

Vinpocetine for Brain Health

Vinpocetine is a terrific brain booster or "smart drug" which Ray Kurzweil and Terry Grossman, M.D. recommend in their magnum opus Fantastic Voyage: Live Long Enough to Live Forever. This is the first and only video I've seen which talks about the substance. But you don't need to buy the product to get the benefits of vinpocetine. You can buy vinpocetine direct from Swanson's Vitamins or other sources. Highly recommended.

Marlon Brando

I put Marlon Brando on this health blog because he is the best actor of all time. You will see him here with Larry King, with his shoes off, in a relaxed frame of mind, sparring with King and fulfilling an obligation to Random House for a book contract. It's always a pleasure to see Brando talk and this is a rare opportunity. He didn't give many interviews. I think seeing this can help anyone relax and enjoy life more. Brando is often philosophical and gives you something to think about.

Video Conferencing Equipment

Look at any Web site that offers Video Conferencing Equipment and you will find a few items, but LifeSize has it all. From HD video cameras to screens and audio capability. But what really sets this site apart is the stunning simplicity of the setup. When doing conferences you don't want to waste time with wires and plugs. This setup and equipment sets the new standard. You'll feel like you're in the 22nd century.

Resveratrol

There has been a lot of hoopla about resveratrol lately. There is talk that this substance from red wine can help explain the French Paradox (the fact that the French eat a horrible diet and lots of red wine but have little heart disease). There is talk that revseratrol can lengthen the life span of humans as it has lengthened the life span of flatworms. There is even talk that resveratrol can improve your sex life. But is it true? The greatest problem I see is that resveratrol is not well absorbed orally.

As one commentator writes: "Now for the ‘reality check’ - facts often omitted in the media taken from this same study. To get the equivalent beneficial doses of resveratrol used in this study Sinclair warned that 'you would have to drink over a thousand glasses of wine a day.' Also, no one has shown that these doses of resveratrol used in the study are either safe or effective, and supplements are not well absorbed. How about more news encouraging healthy lifestyles to get the same benefits without the risks, such as a diet full of fruits and vegetables, exercise, meditation, etc.?"

Hey, I want to live a long healthy life just as much as the next guy, and if the facts about resveratrol sounded true I'd be the first one to take it. But so far it sounds too much like flying saucers to me. But that being said, I'm still looking, hoping for the green and red flashing lights in the sky.

Reference
June Russell. 2006. Facts About the Recent Resveratrol Studies. Health Plus Letter. Vol. 4, No. 27 (Nov. 29). (Accessed August 13, 2008.)

Terrific Land Rover

Well, everything just got a whole lot easier. You were looking for a land rover and found your head spinning from the large (almost infinite, really) selection available to the modern shopper. But the good news is that Guy Salmon Land Rovers can help you sort through the confusion and come our a winner, without taking ten years to make that decision (by which time all the land rovers you're considering will be obselete!). The secret to finding the right LandRover at the right price is doing your homework as thoroughly but as efficiently as possible. Many car buyers know they have to do research but they think that research must be exhaustive. This is where they make their mistake. Learn the concept of triage from the medical field: when you have a citicial decision to make, work on just one item at a time, the most needy. In the same way (but in the field of land rovers, of course!) Guy Salmon Land Rover takes the hassle out of wading through the endless list of online sites and boils it all down to the best of the best. When you want the cream of the crop, stop by Guy Salmon Land Rover and save yourself a lot of time, and a lot of money. And quality is their middle name, so you can be sure the selection is tops.

Buy Your Car

Looking for a great car? What about a brand new car that will get you there in style? Check out a new Web site that can help you make your decision. Today's marketplace is flooded with so many makes and models it's almost impossible to keep track of them all. In fact, if you went online you'd find literally millions (that's right, millions) of car sites trying to steer you this way or that. Buy Your Car is different. Land Rover in your future? They have it. Frontier Infiniti? No problem. This site has the best and has done half the work for you by weeding through the losers and selecting what's tops. Buy Your Car. Visit today for a great selection and a great helpful hand in limiting the bewildering array of choices to only the best. Before you know it you'll be tooling down the highway in a brand new car, and an excellent one at that.

Carb Cravings

This video is about Dr. Atkins, how he started his diet, what his personality was like and how he and his patients lost weight. It ends abruptly with a woman saying she lost a lot of weight and then gained it again. Don't let that fool you. She wasn't on the diet at the end; she was eating lots of carbs again. And the people who question the safety of this diet in the video are clearly those who buy into the now defunct cholesterol heart disease hypothesis. That failed idea was put to rest rather soundly by Gary Taubes monumental Good Calories, Bad Calories. Atkins rules and his diet is not only sound it is safe and healthy.

Chicago Rooftop Tickets

When all's said and done do you really want to go to the ballgame and sit in the bleachers with a bunch of noisy beer-swilling brutes who are slobbering down hot dogs and popcorn and cracker jacks and making a mess and yelling and hollering so much you can't hear the announcer telling you who's up at bat? Do you need to rub shoulders with the rat pack and the riffraff that congregates in a typical baseball stadium? You know you deserve better and here's your chance to get a ringside seat in a nice environment where you can relax, kick back and enjoy the game without noisy neighbors who are so rude you want to slap them. Cubs rooftop tickets allows you to go with your friends or a business or social group to the prestigious Sheffield Baseball Club, a multi-level building that has a number of different ways for you to watch those Chicago Cubs games from directly across the street from Wrigley Field, including from the rooftop of Sheffield Baseball Club itself! What could be more fun! Imagine yourself and your friends and business or social associates sitting in a pleasant restaurant type of environment, chatting and munching on peanuts and pretzels, sipping cool drinks and being served the best sight in the world, a Cubs game from the rooftop!

Warning: LASIK Is No Good

LASIK (laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis), a popular operation for correcting vision, uses an excimer laser to irrevocably alter the shape of your cornea. Many people are flocking to this procedure, spurred on by the hype about not needing glasses and the misleading claims about safety. Unfortunately, LASIK is far from safe and will result in inevitable eye deterioration as a result of the procedure. As one watchdog group points out, "An estimated 3% of patients — 30,000 people and 60,000 eyes in 2001 — will have lasting complications such as double vision and halos, or starbursts, around lights at night. Some will have dry eyes or won't be able to read easily."¹ Says Dr. Mercola, “The bottom line is that laser eye surgery (LASIK) does absolutely nothing to treat the cause of your vision loss, and is 100-percent guaranteed to make your vision worse over time. Please trust me on this one, as I am convinced that it is true.”² [Emphasis supplied.]

More negative reactions: "while the procedure is quick in itself, it is likely to lead to at least six months of impaired vision and significant discomfort, at the end of which only one eye may have normal sight. (And if the first eye does not heal to expectation, the second operation on the other eye will never be done and the imbalance will be permanent.)

"Then there are the surgical disasters that can happen. You can visit Vision Surgery Rehab Network to review some of the horror stories. The site is devoted to focusing attention on the unique problems faced by those who have undergone unsuccessful LASIK (and other eye) surgeries."²

The moral of this is simple. Always think before you act on a major medical decision like surgery. Go to Google and simply enter a search such as "LASIK dangers" and evaluate the search results yourself for validity and veracity and whether you trust the source. Remember, people doing LASIK are motivated by significant financial interests and will spin information to point out only the advantages. (LASIK is the most popular elective surgery in the U.S. and a 2.5 billion-a-year industry!) Think for yourself. Be smart. Be healthy.

1. Susan Ferraro. Patients are Blindsided By Dangers of Lasik Surgery: Thousands Suffer Lasting Eye Damage after Procedure. (Accessed August 12, 2008.)
2. Joseph Mercola, M.D. 2008. The Dangers of LASIK Surgery: Why You Want to Avoid This Like the Plague. Accessed August 12, 2008.) Subscribe to Dr. Mercola’s Health Newsletter.
   

Heal Your Hands

A few years ago I went to a conference at M.I.T. about the dangers of electromagnetic radiation and part of the presentation was a discussion of the ancillary dangers of using a keyboard and mouse. These dangers include the fact that excessive typing on a computer keyboard (or any keyboard input device, including an old-fashioned typewriter) can lead to damage to the ligaments and nerves of the hands and wrists, a condition known as carpel tunnel syndrome. Many keyboards (possibly even the one you're using right now) have a message printed on the back by the manufacturer saying "Some people believe the use of any keyboard can pose a health risk." Which is why it's prudent to use an ergonomic keyboard wrist rest. A new Web site has a great selection, and iShopErgonomics offers ergonomic mice as well as keyboards and chairs (which are great for the back) as well as appropriate and tested lighting and other products for both home and office use. Let's face it, we're living in a computer age and there's no way you can avoid using a computer today. Why, even hermits who retreat from society have access to computers and they are in use in almost every household in the country. So the dangers we're talking about aren't imaginary (although they may seem so to you if you haven't yet felt the aches and pains of carpel tunnel syndrome). Trust us, we've done our research, and this is a real problem, with a real solution.

Meditation Techniques

There are numerous meditation techniques. Perhaps the most basic is to focus on the breath. Sit in a quiet place and focus on the in and our breaths. Think of nothing else but the breath. In this way your mind will become calmed and you will reach a place of enlightenment. Last week I tried this meditation technique and was enlightened for two minutes. The next stage of meditation lets you progress further but for now we'll leave it at this. This ancient practice is known a Prana Yoga and Vedanta, a type of Indian and Buddhist meditation.

Bathrooms Fit for a King

There are few really good online bathroom and kitchen shops. Especially for electric showers, a modern innovation that many people today seek in a home or resort setting. The Web site TrueRooms.com can help you find the most amazing and efficient electric showers. Not only that, they can also help you discover the joys of showers, bathroom furniture (you never knew there was bathroom furniture?), modern taps, shower valves, and so much more. By the time you finish shopping online you'll wish you had discovered them ages ago. Keep in mind that when it comes to brand names, this site has them all, including the luxury mira showers and deva showers and taps. I feel like remodeling my bathroom right now, and I'm going to start by browing through TrueRooms.com. The first thing I'll do is take down my shower taps and add new bathroom fixtures, and then I'm going to put in an alarm on my weather radio, plus I'll add some new brass shower curtain rods. I'm ready for anything, including visitors!

Ginkgo | Does It Boost Dopamine?

Ginkgo is one of the oldest herbs on earth. Dopamine is a brain neurotransmitter that improves mood and memory along with other parameters of optimal brain functioning. The question is, "Can ginkgo, a mild herb that is readily available as an inexpensive supplement, boost dopamine?" The author thinks there is some evidence for the proposition that it can, but not in a very substantial way. Ginkgo can prevent the dopamine loss associated with Parkinson's disease,¹ and it also "improves dopamine uptake under conditions of oxidative stress."²

Dopamine is increased by exercise ("Levodopa . . . is the only drug . . . to actually replenish . . . dopamine in the brain . . . . Exercise is the only activity that is believed to result in the production of dopamine within the brain."³); that's why after exercising you feel good for hours.. But after taking ginkgo you won't feel any different. It doesn't supply dopamine or replenish it; it merely prevents the loss of dopamine that is already there or perhaps facilitates the uptake of dopamine. An herb that may boost dopamine, however, is Eurycoma longifolia.

1. M.-S. Kim, J.-I. Lee, W.-Y. Lee, S.-E. Kim. 2004. Neuroprotective effect of Ginkgo biloba L. extract in a rat model of Parkinson's disease. Phytotherapy Research. Volume 18 Issue 8, Pages 663 - 666. Published Online: 8 Oct. (Accessed August 10, 2008.)
2. Karin Granstrom Jordan, M.D. 2002. Ginkgo Biloba: A Treasure from the Past. (Accessed August 10, 2008.)
3. Arthur, W. Curren. 2005. Dumb Bells & Dopamine: A Parkinson's Success Story. AuthorHouse. This book is by a man who conquered Parkinson's through exercise; the primary effect of that exercise was to boost dopamine levels in the brain.

The Gift of Time

Did you know that Edgar Allan Poe loved grandfather clock themes in his stories; as illustrated by "The Pit and the Pendulum"; a classic! I love reading Poe beside a nice clock. In fact, if a clock isn't ticking I get nervous. True, very nervous. But when I have the reassuring tick-tic-ticking of a nice grandfather clock in the background, I feel . . . well, that all's well with the world and that all's as it should be. The reassuring metronomic tick is like a heartbeat, pulsing away the seconds and minutes and hours of the day and night. Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock goes the clock. And I sit beside my fireplace with a cup of tea and enjoy a good book. The new (not antique) Hermle Contemporary Grandfather Clock is perfect for next to our fireplace in the den. And Howard Miller clocks are ideal too. There are so many fine clocks I hardly know what to do. I might just get two or three. If you're like me and love clocks, you might like the post Clocks are So Good for Telling Time! Watches too! Gift Givers Take Note because it helps you see that clocks make great gifts. Let's see, my favorite reason for giving a clock would be because it's someone's birthday. Birthdays and clocks seem to go together. Time is passing on a birthday, but the gift of time is a timeless gift.

Kava Kava

This herb might have a value for modern man. It increases sociability and makes your personality effervescent. But it comes with a price because a few hours later you'll be tired. Many people take it at night. Dr. Ray Shaleian says, "Research done in Hawaii indicates a toxic chemical (pipermethystine) may be present in the stem peelings and leaves of the kava plant but not the root. As the demand for kava increased a few years ago, companies started buying the stem peelings and leaves along with the root while traditional kava users on the islands only used the root. This chemical is apparently toxic to liver cells whereas kavalactones found in the root are not."¹ For now, my recommendation is to avoid anything made with the stem of the kava plant. Anyone having tried it or who has more info is encouraged to post a comment.

1. Kava Kava root. Ray Sahelian, M.D. raysahelian.com/kava.html. (Accessed August 10, 2008.)
   

Clear Baby-Fresh Skin

There are two causes of acne in adolescence. One is hormones and the fact that you're eating dairy products that clog pores. Stop eating dairy products like milk and cheese and your acne will clear up appreciably. Also get sunlight. Wash frequently and use benzoyl peroxide for cleaning. You may also wish to try a new acne treatment with no benzoyl peroxide. The truth is that acne is a curable condition, but during your teens and twenties when hormones at high, you may find it difficult to control. The good news is that acne is a sign of intelligence. The people with the most skin problems have the brightest brains. This is because they have a lot of hormones and that means their mind is lightning sharp. If you want to know more about this subject just read The Catches In the Rye by J.D. Salinger, which mentions it a lot and which does that in a humorous manner. Remember sunlight also helps.

New Smart Drug | Bacopa monnieri

I feel like another Coleridge. I just discovered a new smart drug, Bacopa monnieri. But have not tried it yet. Wanted to report on it here. It improves memory and its method of action is working on the synapses in the brain to ensure superior functioning. It also has a calming, slight sedative effect.

Abstract 1
A study is reported on the effects of Brahmi (Bacopa monniera) on human memory. Seventy-six adults aged between 40 and 65 years took part in a double-blind randomized, placebo control study in which various memory functions were tested and levels of anxiety measured. There were three testing sessions: one prior to the trial, one after three months on the trial, and one six weeks after the completion of the trial. The results show a significant effect of the Brahmi on a test for the retention of new information. Follow-up tests showed that the rate of learning was unaffected, suggesting that Brahmi decreases the rate of forgetting of newly acquired information. Tasks assessing attention, verbal and visual short-term memory and the retrieval of pre-experimental knowledge were unaffected. Questionnaire measures of everyday memory function and anxiety levels were also unaffected. [Emphasis supplied.]

Roodenrys S, Booth D, Bulzomi S, Phipps A, Micallef C, Smoker J. 2002. Chronic effects of Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri) on human memory. Neuropsychopharmacology. Aug; 27(2):279-81.

Abstract 2
The antistress effect of bacosides of Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri, BBM), dissolved in distilled water, was ­studied in adult male Sprague Dawley rats by administering oral doses of 20 and 40 mg/kg for 7 consecutive days. In half of the animals treated with 20 or 40 mg/kg of BBM, stress was given 2 h after the last dose. Stress was also administered to the animals treated with distilled water alone. BBM, at both doses, did not induce a significant change in the expression of Hsp70 in any brain region studied while stress alone produced a significant increase in the Hsp70 expression in all the brain regions. A significant decrease in the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) was evident in the hippocampus with the lower dose of BBM and in animals given stress alone, while an increase in the activity of SOD was observed in the brain regions with the higher dose of BBM. An increase in the activity of cytochrome P450 (P450) dependent 7-pentoxyresorufin-o-dealkylase (PROD) and 7-ethoxyresorufin-o-deethylase (EROD) was observed in all the brain regions after exposure to stress alone and with both doses of BBM although the magnitude of induction of P450 expression was less with a higher dose of BBM. Interestingly, stress when given to the animals pretreated with BBM for 7 days resulted in a decrease in Hsp70 expression in all the brain regions with a significant decrease occurring only in the hippocampus. Likewise the activity of SOD was found to be further reduced in all the brain regions in the animals treated with the lower dose of BBM followed by stress. However, when stress was given to the animals pretreated with the higher dose of BBM, a significant increase in the enzyme activity was observed in the cerebral cortex and in the rest of the brain while the activity of SOD was reduced to a much greater extent in the cerebellum and in the hippocampus. Likewise, the activity of P450 enzymes was found to be restored to almost control levels in the animals given stress and pretreated with the higher dose of BBM, while a lesser degree of induction, compared with animals treated with BBM or stress alone, was observed in the animals pretreated with the lower dose of BBM and given stress. The data indicate that BBM has potential to modulate the activities of Hsp70, P450 and SOD thereby possibly allowing the brain to be prepared to act under adverse conditions such as stress. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [Emphasis supplied.]

D. Kar Chowdhuri, D. Parmar, P. Kakkar, R. Shukla, P. K. Seth, R. C. Srimal. 2002. Antistress effects of bacosides of Bacopa monnieri: modulation of Hsp70 expression, superoxide dismutase and cytochrome P450 activity in rat brain. Phytotherapy Research. Volume 16, Issue 7, Pages 639 - 645. Published Online: 30 Oct. doi:10.1002/ptr.1023. (Accessed August 8, 2008.)

Best Vinyl Supplier

There's nothing better than nice shutters and nice vinyl. Larson Shutter Company supplies the nicest vinyl shutters. They also supply excellent customer service and online ordering and free shipping of premium quality wood, vinyl and composite exterior shutters and exterior shutter hardware. Plus, they have the most complete collection of vinyl shutter sizes, colors and styles. I know a lot of people in my neighborhood (all kinds of people) who could use the services and fine products of Larson Shutter Company. Some of them have houses with cracked shutters and warped vinyl, which makes their dwelling places look shabby and dilapidated. You wouldn't want to live there. So check this out today. You will be glad you did.

New Gary Taubes Talk

Here's a link to a terrific new talk by Gary Taubes at U.C. Berkeley. This is a must-see video for all concerned with health. He focuses on summarizing his book Good Calories, Bad Calories. It's great to hear it in his own voice. The program relies on slides for most of its visuals. You can fast forward to the Q & A at the end, if you wish. All in all, the author comes across as a very patient researchers who has made a real contribution to our understanding of obesity.

Travel Like a True Jet Setter

On some of their tours Led Zeppelin used a private jet, and they loved the experience. If you have the means, this is the way to travel. Legendary Jets can discuss the issue of airplane fractional ownership with you. The founder of the company will be the one to help you understand your aviation options and he can present you with an overview and a breakdown of the choices available to you for this exciting venture into the luxury and 21st century way to travel. By becoming a fractional owner of a private jet, you will have the convenience of the safest method of travel available. You will have the opportunity to travel as frequently as you wish and go where you wish in style and luxury. You don't have to be a rock star to travel like one today. In fact this option is still surprisingly affordable. Make the choice to find out more today, even if only to satisfy your curiosity. The Web site has all the information you'll need to see how fractional jet ownership might be the right choice for your transportation needs, and whims. Jimmy Page and Robert Plant would be proud of you. See the world from your very own jet and banish all limitations.

Danger | Cancer from Cell Phones

George Carlo wrote the definitive book about the dangers of cell phone (Cell Phones: Invisible Hazards in the Wireless Age: An Insider's Alarming Discoveries about Cancer and Genetic Damage), Now Dr. Mercola reports that Canadian authorities (who are usually more savvy than U.S. corporate-sponsored entities) have acknowledged that cell phone use damages your brain and causes brain cancer. According to Mercola, "The truth is, we are on the verge of a brain cancer epidemic. It could grow to 500,000 cases worldwide as soon as 2010, and there may be over a million cases in the U.S. alone by 2015."¹ The message is clear. Do not use a cell phone. If you must, use the speaker phone and keep the phone as far from you as practicable. Shut off the phone and remove the battery when not in use or when traveling or carrying it. As long as the battery is in it, a cell phone emits harmful microwave radiation even when it is turned off.²

Says one reputable source: "The U.S. Commerce Department's security office warns that 'a cellular telephone can be turned into a microphone and transmitter for the purpose of listening to conversations in the vicinity of the phone.' An article in the Financial Times last year said mobile providers can 'remotely install a piece of software on to any handset, without the owner's knowledge, which will activate the microphone even when its owner is not making a call.'"³ An excellent article on the subject, with technical info on how the FBI could switch on a cell phone to eavesdrop on your conversations, is referenced in footnote 4.

1. Mercola, Joseph, M.D. 2008. Why Children and Teens Should Stay Away From Cell Phones. (Accessed August 9, 2008.)
2. FBI is Inside Every Recent Cell Phone. (Accessed August 9, 2008.)
3. FBI Uses Cell Phone Mic as 'Roving Bug.' (Accessed August 9, 2008.)
4. Declan McCullagh. 2006. FBI taps cell phone mic as eavesdropping tool. ZDNet News: Dec 1. (Accessed August 9, 2008.)

Find Accounting Jobs

Accounting Jobs Today excels as a company that is destined for high marks in the business reports published by Forbes and the Wall Street Journal. The reason is that they allow you, the job seeker, to search accounting jobs online at the click of a mouse or keystroke, and, more than that, they have forums where you can share employment ideas and feedback with other professionals in accounting. This site isn't just for job seekers; this site is also perfect for employers seeking qualified accountants, C.P.A.'s, and accounting professionals with varying levels of experience. Fine-tune your job prospects list, seek exactly the kind of accountant you need; no more, no less. Why obtain a person who is overqualified or underqualified, when you can get exactly the right person at Accounting Jobs Today. This site lets you stay in the drivers seat, whether you're an employer seeking the perfect match for your company or a recent grad (or career pro) seeking the perfect match for your unique skills in accounting. Before you try any other job board or forum, you owe it to yourself to give the best a shot and visit Accounting Jobs Today. You'll be amazed at how organized their Web site is and at how much you can accomplish without going door to door with your resume (or job posting) in hand.

Diet Pills Cause Problems

Diet Pills are not the way to go. Diet pills cause more problems than they solve. The quick fix solution for most Americans who are obese is diet pills. But diet pills often have harmful ingredients and should be avoided at all costs. If you wish to lose weight, look into Atkins before you look into ephedra or fenfen or other drugs that can damage your liver, heart, and other internal organs.

Good Precision Electronics Systems

Precision Electronics Systems offers great deals on electronics. Their home theater store Dallas is an example of their Web site offerings. But nothing compares to the quality of their products and the value they offer on great electronics deals. Our friend Paul is going to be graduating from medical school in January, and his family is going to surprise him with a home theater. They are going to get him a flat screen and, on top of that, also a projection system with surround sound. In other words this guy will have two televisions (or theater screens) in his home theater. This is because he said he is such a multitasker that he likes watching two movies or documentaries at the same time. We once went to visit him and he drove us batty with all the things that were going on simultaneously. Like I said, however, that's his style; and if your style includes having more than one screen Precision Electronics Systems can help you select the best ones to make your dream home theater become a reality. Or, of you're like most of us and one TV is enough, they'll help you find the best screen at the best price.

Warning about Weight Loss Surgery

Many surgical procedures for weight loss are being sold to an unsuspecting public. These are quick fix solutions being offered for those who are obese or who have type 2 diabetes; both conditions that can be corrected non-surgically with far less risk. In fact, the statistics are alarming on lap band surgery and other surgical weight-loss procedures. Dr. Mercola reports that "the mortality rate for adult bariatric [obese] patients currently stands at 2 percent within the first month after surgery." (Source: One of the Most Ridiculous Studies on Weight Loss Ever Published. Accessed August 8, 2008). These quick-fix doctors often have Web sites and promoters who talk about how comfortable you'll be in their center and how nice their facilities are. Irrelevant and distracting from the real issue. The real issue is mortality statistics for those undergoing such surgical procedures. People don't die from Atkins. They do die from these needless and ridiculous weight-loss surgeries. The physicians who do them should be ashamed to call themselves doctors.