Defining Love

I am taking the time to re-read one of my favorite books, All About Love: New Visions by bell hooks. Hooks is a cultural theorist and feminist that questions how love shapes how we treat ourselves and others, as well as how people in society treat others and especially those we claim to 'love'. She intertwines her look at love with not only how we treat ourselves and those we form relationships with (whatever the context) with larger issues of sexism, racism, and homophobia. I find this book truly enlightening and inspirational. I feel as it is a grounding agent, an anchor to remind me of what truly should be sought after and worked for in life. Every so often I feel the need to read this book when I feel like various parts of life are trying to pull me from my intended goals. It reminds me of the power we have not only over ourselves, but in transforming our relationships with others.

In the first chapter "Clarity: Give Love Words," hooks describes the trouble that she has had, as well as many in society, in trying to exactly say what love is. She finds this especially troubling since if most people can not define love, how are they able to clearly know when they are experiencing it, or more so when they are receiving love. She believes that while love is commonly used as a noun, it should be used as a verb. She agrees most with M. Scott Peck's definition from his book, "The Road Less Traveled," in which he describes love as,

...the will to extend one's self
for the purpose of nurturing one's own or another's spiritual
growth... Love is as love does. Love is an act of will - namely,
both an intention and an action. Will also implies choice. We do
not have to love. We choose to love.

I like this definition of love because it basis love not on only what most people perceive it, as receiving it from others in our lives, but as something we can do to ourselves. As many has heard me say before, I do not believe that one can truly love someone till we love ourselves, flaws and all. This definition of love also lends to the idea that love is an action. Something we ourselves can initiate and attain, not something we must obtain from others. This is powerful because in contrast to believing as many people do, that love includes negative and/or abusive thoughts, actions, and/ or words from others, we can find love that is truly "loving". Someone that encourages who you are, nurtures your soul, and makes you want to be a better person.
I could go on and on about what this means to me and its possibilities for the world, but this is only chapter one. Besides, I would rather leave this posting with an excerpt from Chapter One itself.

So many of us long for love but lack the courage to take risks. Even though we are obsessed with the idea of love, the truth is that most of us live relatively decent, somewhat satisfying lives even if we often feel that love is lacking. In these relationships we share genuine affection and/ or care. For most of us, that feels like enough because it is usually a lot more than we received in our families of origin. Undoubtedly, many of us are more comfortable with the notion that love can mean anything to anybody precisely because when we define it with precision and clarity it brings us face to face with our lacks - with terrible alienation. The truth is, far too many people in our culture do not know what love is. And this not knowing feels like a terrible secret, a lack that we have to cover up.
Had I been given a clear definition of love earlier in my life it would not have taken me so long to become a more loving person. Had I shared with others a common understanding of what it means to love it would have been easier to create love. It is particularly distressing that so many recent books on love continue to insist that definitions of love are unnecessary and meaningless. Or worse, the authors suggest love should mean something different to men that it does to women - that the sexes should respect and adapt to our inability to communicate since we do not share the same language. This type of literature is popular because it does not demand a change in fixed ways of thinking about gender roles, culture or, love.
Rather than sharing strategies that would help us become more loving it actually encourages everyone to adapt to circumstances where love is lacking.

More to come...

Funny But Oh So True!

Fag Hags/Gay Bars - Margaret Cho

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I Really Hope This Helps...ME.

Bedtime Snacks that Help You Sleep
Posted Thu, Feb 14, 2008, 12:37 pm PST

One of the best natural sedatives is tryptophan, an amino acid component of many plant and animal proteins.

Tryptophan is one of the ingredients necessary for the body to make serotonin, the neurotransmitter best known for creating feelings of calm, and for making you sleepy.

However, the trick is to combine foods that have some tryptophan with ample carbohydrate. That’s because in order for insomnia-busting tryptophan to work, it has to make its way to the brain.

Unfortunately, all amino acids compete for transport to the brain. When you add carbs, they cause the release of insulin, which takes the competing amino acids and incorporates them into muscle…but leaves tryptophan alone, so it can make its way to the brain, be converted to serotonin, and cause sleepiness.

Serotonin-producing bedtime snacks should be no more than 200 calories and should be eaten at least 30 minutes prior to bed.

Here are a few great ideas:

Bedtime Snacks for Adults

--6-8 oz container of non-fat, flavored yogurt topped with 2 tablespoons low-fat granola cereal
--Sliced apple with 1-2 teaspoons natural peanut butter
--3 cups low-fat popcorn – sprinkled with optional 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese

Bedtime Snacks for Teens
--One cup healthy cereal with skim milk
--Low-fat granola bar
--Scoop of vanilla or strawberry low-fat ice cream

Bedtime Snacks for Children

--1/2 cup low-fat vanilla pudding
--1/2 banana with 1-2 teaspoons peanut butter
--One cup skim milk with a bunch of grapes (or other fruit)



2007 Joy Bauer Nutrition . All Rights Reserved.

My Thoughts Exactly

Change

Life is beautiful. This world is filled with beautiful places, interesting people and unique experiences that one can experience. The problem is that many people don't view the world in this manner, nor do they take the time to slow down and see the endless possibilities in their life and themselves. We often find ourselves busy with work and things to keep us busy without enjoying the little things. We fall into routines and ways of thinking that can cause us to miss the small gesture a stranger performed for you or a wonderful new mom and pop eatery that opened down the street from your residence. Have you ever taken a drive and finally noticed something you've never noticed before even though you have been down that path countless times. Slowing down and just truly looking at something in a non judgmental way can greatly alter the impression that is imparted on you. Whether it is a building, a person, your morning breakfast, or most importantly yourself, you will find things you have never seen before. With this realization maybe you can see what a beautiful world we live.

I often meet many people while bar tending that can not or choose not to do this. They would rather stay within their safe confines of what they decide the world looks like. Many of these people are not happy and most likely not even to tell you why. They cover their feelings with busy routines going to work, chores, watching television, surfing the net, going to the gym, and/ drugs and alcohol. All the time not taking the time to slow down and see the world around them. At the same time they can't see the potential and beauty in themselves often basing their self persona on a slowly decaying view of sense and worth. This becomes apparent to others when people are considered "bitter" and/or take their feelings out on others. Yet these people still will not be able to tell you what is actually wrong. They have become so used to their way of thinking and their routines they can't see anything else, nor can they see the possibilities that surround them. Rather than try to change, which is scary and uncertain, they stay the same. Then before they realize, they are old and angry at the world. A world they made. One constructed by their own self perceived limitations and ideals. The world has moved on, but due to their inability to change, they didn't move on with it.


To exist is to change, to change is to mature, to mature is to go on creating oneself endlessly.
~Henri Bergson~

What is more enthralling to the human mind than this splendid, boundless, colored mutability! - Life in the making?
~David Grayson~

If you want to change your life, change your mind.
~T.~

Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.
~George Bernard Shaw~

Change is the watchword of progression. When we tire of well-worn ways, we seek for new. This restless craving in the souls of men spurs them to climb, and to seek the mountain view.
~Ella Wheeler Wilcox~

I've never met a person, I don't care what his condition, in whom I could not see possibilities. I don't care how much a man may consider himself a failure, I believe in him, for he can change the thing that is wrong in his life anytime he is prepared and ready to do it. Whenever he develops the desire, he can take away from his life the thing that is defeating it. The capacity for reformation and change lies within.
~Preston Bradley~

Readjusting is a painful process, but most of us need it at one time or another.
~Arthur Christopher Benson~

We accept the verdict of the past until the need for change cries out loudly enough to force upon us a choice between the comforts of inertia and the irksomeness of action.
~Learned Hand~

Loyalty to a petrified opinion never yet broke a chain or freed a human soul.
~Mark Twain~

Thank You Comedy Central

Playground

So I've been listening to the new Sia album lately and it is amazing. Her upcoming show will definitely be a highlight in March. This is one of my favorite songs from the new album "Some People Have Real Problems."




"Playground"
Come with me to a place of fantasy
I'll take you on a sea-saw
Come with me to a place that's by the sea
I'll take you on a board walk
Take my hand I'll take you to the sand
You and me will build a castle
Ready set go I'll race you to the wall
I will win I am the fastest

I don't wanna grow old
Bring me all the toys you can find
You don't wanna grow up
You can be my partner in crime

I'll be sure to write you from the war
Put your guns away it's tea time
Water bombs and tea towel tired mums
Looking for a little me time
Close your eyes and count to thirty five
You may never ever find me
Close my eyes and then I realise
You are never far behind me

I don't wanna grow old
Bring me all the toys you can find
You don't wanna grow up
You can be my partner in crime
I don't wanna grow old
Bring me all the toys you can find
You don't wanna grow up
You can be my partner in crime

Let's have fun, let's play out under the sun
Will you take me by the hand
Let's see how far we can run, yeah
Let's play chase let's put make up on our face
You can catch me if you can
We can make a secret place

Meet me at the playground, come with me, fool around

Year of the Rat

So recently my family friends and I celebrated the Chinese Lunar New Year with some festivities. While my mom held the traditional Lunar New Year dinner at her house for friend sand family, I also joined Grand House's typical dim-sum brunch with the added bonus of the Lion Dance. Here is some info on the year of the rat and some picks of the festivities as well.

2008 - THE YEAR OF THE RAT
The "Rat" is the first sign of the Chinese zodiac.

Legend has it that the Jade Emperor invited the animals for a party. The first 12 to arrive was the Rat, followed by the Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and lastly, the Pig. All the animals were named after the 12-year cycle that governs Chinese life thereafter.

Various versions of the Rat's story are particularly revealing about his character.

One version has it that, towards the end of the journey, the animals had to cross a celestial river, and the Rat asked the Ox to ferry him across. When they arrived on the other side, the Rat jumped down off the Ox's head and that's how gained first spot in the order of the Chinese zodiac.

Those born in the "Year of the Rat" are clever, ambitious, creative, hard-working, fastidious, charming and sociable, but can be a bit stingy when it comes to sharing their wealth or possessions.

Rats are compatible with Dragons, Monkeys and Oxen, but should avoid Horses at all costs.

In the "Year of the Rat", we can expect 12 months of plentiful opportunities and prospects not to mention being relatively free of turbulence, (which is great to know especially if you're planning on making some long-term investments, starting new projects, or keeping the home fires burning brightly).

It's also a rather fine time to socialize and grab a sumptuous meal or two with friends and family!

More info here...

I Am Actually Surprised By This One...

I am not sure I have much to say, or for that matter need to say anything about this story. I was not aware of this incident and I thank my friend for bringing this to my attention! When she first posted this story, I thought it must be a smear tactic or fake news story ala "The Onion." A little research showed otherwise. I had at one time thought that if a republican did win he would be the least objectionable, I stand corrected.


McCain Criticized for Slur
He says he'll keep using term for ex-captors in Vietnam

C.W. Nevius, Marc Sandalow, John Wildermuth, Chronicle Political Writers
Friday, February 18, 2000

(02-18) 04:00 PST Greenville, S.C. -- Editor's Note: This article was published on Feb. 18, 2000. In January 2008, at least two national web sites posted links to it. As a result, it appeared in the list of SFGate's Most Read articles.


Arizona Sen. John McCain refused to apologize yesterday for his use of a racial slur to condemn the North Vietnamese prison guards who tortured and held him captive during the war.

"I hate the gooks," McCain said yesterday in response to a question from reporters aboard his campaign bus. "I will hate them as long as I live."

McCain, a former Navy pilot who spent five years in a Vietnamese prisoner of war camp, was questioned about the language because of a story last month in the Nation magazine reporting his continued use of the slur.

Since then, reports of McCain's language have been circulating on Internet chat sites and e-mails among Asian Americans, many of whom find the the term offensive and inappropriate for an elected official.

McCain's appeal to voters has been as a wartime hero and a feisty politician who speaks his mind and damns the consequences. But his comments on the eve of the key South Carolina primary show the candidate's vaunted "straight talk" in another light.

"The use of a racist slur can't be acceptable for any national leader, regardless of his background," said Diane Chin, executive director of the San Francisco-based Chinese for Affirmative Action. "For someone running for president not to recognize the power of words is a problem."

While McCain's words may have little effect in conservative South Carolina, where few Asian Americans live, they could come back to haunt him in other states.

"Historically, straight talkers who say things off the top of their heads eventually hang themselves with those sorts of remarks," said Bruce Cain, a political scientist at the University of California at Berkeley.

"While it might not hurt him now, Democrats are not going to have any hesitation about using this stuff to string him up later."

Read the full story here.

Another Problem We Share as Humans

Margaret Cho posted this today on her blog and I thought I would share it with you. Gay men are constantly aware of how we treat and idolize others with what we perceive is a perfect body. I agree with Cho that you need to confront yourself with the things you are not happy. It may not be pretty or easy, but I always feel better afterward, like its not such a big deal anymore. I can begin to see how trivial some things really are and then I can continue to becoming a well-rounded "healthy" person in every sense of the word. Ok, here it is...


Monday, February 04, 2008

How to Look Good Naked

I am completely into the new reality show "How to Look Good Naked" hosted by Carson Kressley. It is kind of like a traditional makeover show with shopping and finding the right clothes for your body type, hair/makeup, etc… except it is more goal oriented because at the end, Carson makes the women feel so confident that they are able to pose naked and have their glorious image blown up and splashed on the side of a building. I think it is wonderful, and of course there are lots of good crying opportunities because you see the process actually makes these women feel great about themselves and also how distorted our body images can become. Plus, Carson is so adorable and funny and cute – he plays the perfect fairy godmother.

We women are constantly at war with our bodies, it is hard to find amnesty for ourselves. I did it by dancing naked for a couple of years with "The Sensuous Woman." I think the best way to get over your body issues is to just flaunt your body at every opportunity. It is hard because the urge to criticize ourselves is overwhelmingly strong. I don't know why that is. I think that all bodies are beautiful in millions of different ways – but I get down on myself too! Since I became a dancer, I have felt much better about myself. I even did a naked photo shoot myself not too long ago, with my favorite photographer Austin Young. My friend Suhaila was there for moral support and she has done a lot of modeling. She gave me some good advice. "When you are being shot, try to think of a secret. Something beautiful. Something only you know. A secret. Hold onto that. Let them see the secret in your eyes. Feel it." Austin shot amazing photos of me that day. Afterward, Suhaila asked me, "What was your secret?"

I said, "I farted."

I guess it really wasn't a secret because they already knew about it!!

The Lobby

So on Tuesday night, a new nightspot, The Lobby, held a reception for loyal customers of Sushi Neko to introduce their goods. I attended with Jason and enjoyed complimentary wine and samplings of their menu. Many, many samplings of their various smoked salmon with wasabi and ginger caviar, duck with homemade mustard sauce and various cheese and meat paninis. My glass was rarely empty as it was filled with Hayman and Hill Cabernet and Angeline Pinot Noir, both perfect pairings with the accompanying goodies. Also served were some of their white wines, but I never made it that far. Our glasses were constantly being refilled and our plates overcrowded with samples by a very helpful, smiling, and courteous staff. My friend Tyson, who manages at Musashi's and a waitress Lisa were very helpful in answering our questions about The Lobby and providing us with information about the items served.

The Lobby is a new addition to the Will Rogers Theater and is brought to you by those who own Sushi Neko and Musashi's. The lobby is located where Will's Coffee shop was located, but do not fear as they still serve all their coffee creations plus some new ones that include alcohol for bitterly cold Oklahoma days.
In addition, the menus selection has been expanded to include paninis, my favorite being the Shrimp and Manchego (6.95) along with various soups and salads. For the crowd who wants a little more, The Lobby has also expanded to serve liquor, beer and a nicely priced wine selection. To go along with your glass of wine The Lobby has also joined with Chef Kurt Fleischfresser of the Coach House to bring some fine delectables. An assortment of cheese can be had from their one, two or three cheese plates ( 3.50, 7.00, and 9.50) as well as an assortment of flavored caviars. My favorite being sampled was the Wasabi Whitefish caviar (2oz 22.00). Hhhhhhhmmm delicious! They also serve various pates such as the Duck Terrine (5.50) and seasonal salmon, the House Smoked (6.50) being my favorite. Don't worry red meat eaters, The Lobby also carries various smoked and cured meats platters served with their homemade mustard sauce.
If you are still craving more after all that The Lobby also serves various desserts from Apple Pie (3.50) to their Coconut Cream Pudding (3.95). Pair this along with an after dinner dessert wine or one of their special coffee liquor drinks and you should be good to go.
The Lobby should be open on February 4th to the public, but some said it might be open by this Friday, so you should check to make sure. During the week, hours will be from 8am until 11pm and 12am on Friday and Saturday nights, with Sundays being a day of rest. Formulations are still under way for an exact opening time for The Lobby versus the coffee shop, but lunch will be available. Definitely a place to visit again.

Pretty Awesome

I came across this article tonight and thought its subject matter pretty nifty. It would be nice if other cities would follow NYC's lead on their attack on Trans Fat. NYC recently passed a law that would require all fast food and chain restaurants to post calories and fat grams on their menus and billboards. I think this might help people make better decisions. Some would say with guilt, but that is usually how you stick to healthy eating. Others would say this is just another way the government is intruding into our personal lives. It is funny because most of these people do not actually take responsibility for their own lives. This issue also effects you even if you don't eat fast food or at chain restaurants. In a report released a couple weeks ago, the American government spends about $93 million dollars annually on health issues related to people being overweight and/or obese. Diabetes, heart disease, joint problems, sleep disorders, strokes, to name a few, are all related to the diets we eat. This fat epidemic has also been cited as one reason for soaring health care costs. When our tax dollars are being spent because others can't control what they eat, make healthy decisions, and/ or exercise, I believe the government has a right to intervene. Nuff said. Read the article.

Future chefs learn how to cut trans fat

By MICHELLE R. SMITH, Associated Press Writer Sat Jan 26, 4:47 PM ET

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The movement to ban artery-clogging trans fats from food has a new venue: cooking schools.


The places that train the people who will someday be feeding the rest of us are cutting back or eliminating artificial trans fats from their classrooms, saying they have a responsibility to teach students how to cook healthy foods.

"It's a very welcome change," said John O'Connell, 19, a sophomore culinary arts student at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, one of the nation's largest cooking schools.

The school has started phasing out trans fats in its restaurants, hotels and dining services on four campuses around the country, and plans to be trans fat-free by the fall semester.

"We have made sure that we do the right thing," said Karl J. Guggenmos, dean of culinary education.

Other cooking schools, such as Le Cordon Bleu Schools North America, with 13 locations, are looking at reducing or eliminating trans fats, said Kirk T. Bachmann of Le Cordon Bleu, which is based in Hoffman Estates, Ill. The prestigious Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., banned trans fats from nearly all its classes and restaurants in 2005.

Artificial trans fats are often found in oils used to deep-fry foods such as french fries and in baked goods. Bakers like to use shortenings with trans fats because cakes stay fresher longer, frosting is easier to use, and they cost less than butter.

Trans fats are created when hydrogen is added to liquid cooking oils to harden them. Along with saturated fats, they raise levels of so-called bad cholesterol, increasing the risk of heart disease.

New York City banned cooking oils with trans fat from all restaurants last year, and several states and cities have debated similar measures. A number of fast-food restaurants chains are making the switch to trans fat-free cooking oils.

At the Culinary Institute of America, trans fat is one of the "hot button" topics, said school spokesman Stephan Hengst.

"Once they get out in the industry, they've got to understand it," he said of students.

The school has about 3,000 students at its main campus and three branches, and boasts such famous alumni as restaurateur Charlie Palmer and best-selling author and chef Anthony Bourdain.

Trans fats are banned at the school, Hengst said, except in advanced cake decorating classes where students work with trans fat-based shortening. But no one eats the cakes once they're decorated; they're thrown away.

At Johnson & Wales, it took months of work to get trans fats out of the school's curriculum. Their textbook has hundreds of recipes and about 50 included trans fats, said Wanda Cropper, who oversees the school's baking and pastry institute.

Eliminating it from some recipes was relatively easy — butter and olive oil are often good substitutes. But baking was different. Getting the right texture, color, smell and taste was tricky, and took a lot of trial and error, Cropper said.

"Baking is a science. You can't just substitute," she said.

Until recently, there weren't many good options for trans fat-free baking products, Guggenmos said. The school worked closely with its supplier to find ingredients that worked and to reformulate its recipes as needed.

Guggenmos estimates it will cost about 5 percent more for the trans fat-free ingredients, although that could ease as the market grows for such products.

Robbi Mills, 21, a 2007 graduate of Johnson & Wales who's now a manager at the university-owned Johansson's Bakery in downtown Providence, said trans fats weren't an issue when she was in school. The bakery is switching non-trans fats in the coming months.

"I didn't really have any exposure to it when I was in the labs," she said. "I wish I had known more."

Mad World

I love this version of this song ever since I heard it on Donnie Darko. Just wanted to share the video with you kiddies.

Breathe Me

I just bought tickets for her Dallas show in March as part of a birthday present to myself. Can't freaking wait. Besides being a great song, a spiffy video as well.

Check out this video: Breathe Me



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To Those That Support Ron Paul...

So recently it has come out that Ron Paul had released newsletters with his name on the overhead supporting racist statements. While these newsletters may have come out years ago, they were still were published with the Ron Paul name. Ron Paul has tried to distance himself from these letters by saying he did not know that said articles in statement were published, nor was he aware who wrote them. He also goes further by saying that he has never "spoke" these sentiments aloud. Obviously I have a problem with this excuse. Ron Paul decides to never take responsibility for what was said in his name, nor does he say he never "thought" the thoughts written in the newsletters. In a way, it is a convenient way for one to say that one never had these thoughts that were published in one's name. Ron Paul falls into the "Libertarian" idea of thought.

Most libertarians would like the government to vanish from intruding in their lives and have people decide their own fate. Unluckily, most of the Libertarians I have met are more to the right side of politics and have the view that "those which are the fittest survive." It may also be no surprise that most of the Libertarians that I have met are White and well off.

While some of Ron Pauls's policies may seem promising and hopeful to a Nation in need of help, many of his ideas include that many people are actually left out of the picture. In a society that many Democrats want to create in which you would be covered by health insurance, many Libertarians believe that a community would support those that can't afford it. It you can't find a community to support your endeavor for full coverage then that is your fault, not the governments. With this thought, people will be left to their own devices.

Many Libertarians do not consider the ideas of race, religion, creed, sexual orientation, age nor sex in their ideas of politics, Yet, they still describe what would be best for this Nation. A Nation in which those that can afford help achieve it and those who can't rarely meet it.

While I agree that we need third party candidates, I also believe that we need candidates whom are fair and just. Believing that the government has too much control in your life has little standing when life is filled with racism, sexism, homophobia, ageism, and religious bigotry, When people are fully treated according to who they are rather than who they "could" be or "should" be, then the Libertarians can have their say.

For more on this subject visit this blog site.

Achtung!! The True Reason My Family Sucks At Driving

Since I am the only male with an all female immediate family, this is the true reason people are scared when we drive. Not because we are Asian, but because it's how are brains are wired. So don't blame us!

Study: Women, gay men share driving flaws

Fri Jan 4, 6:30 PM ET

SUMMARY: Women and gay men are slower to take in spatial information, suggesting it's tougher for them to drive in a strange environment, a UK study shows.


Both women and gay men tend to rely on local landmarks to navigate the road and are slower to take in spatial information, a new U.K. study has shown.

Psychologists at Queen Mary, University of London, say that the findings suggest that these drivers would have a more difficult experience than straight male motorists when driving in a strange environment, The Daily Telegraph of London reported Wednesday.

A group of 140 volunteers took computer-based tests, revealing that gay men, lesbians, and straight women share similar navigational skills. The test showed, however, that women are better able than men to remember the position of objects.

"Gay people appear to show a 'mosaic' of performance, parts of which are male-like and other parts of which are female-like," said Qazi Rahman, who led the research team, in the article. (The Advocate)
If you'd like to know more, you can find stories related to Study: Women, gay men share driving flaws .

Jib Jab Year In Review

Love these guys. Hours of entertainment and enlightenment.

In 2007 | Funny Jokes at JibJab

Some Political Thoughts You Might Have Missed

I thank Dan for bringing my attention to this greatly informative and moving short made by a concerned US citizen. While the fact that most Americans remain indifferent to the current situation here and abroad, it doesn't negate that enlightenment happens one person at a time. Unluckily, it just takes a long time.

Medical Myths

Hey kids, I know it's been a while, but I just now had my cable/ internet reconnected after two weeks. It's amazing the things you can do when you are not distracted with web surfing or t.v. watching. Just these past two weeks alone I've been to the gym more times than some of my friends go all year (sometimes twice a day when I was bored). Anyway, the mayhem of consumer holiday madness is upon us and thankfully I am done with family shopping. I figured this article would not only help get your mind away from holiday cheer and spending, but you can learn something as well. Talk to you soon kiddies.


7 Medical Myths Even Doctors Believe

By Robert Roy Britt, LiveScience Managing Editor
posted: 20 December 2007 07:00 pm ET

Popular culture is loaded with myths and half-truths. Most are harmless. But when doctors start believing medical myths, perhaps it's time to worry.

In the British Medical Journal this week, researchers looked into several common misconceptions, from the belief that a person should drink eight glasses of water per day to the notion that reading in low light ruins your eyesight.

"We got fired up about this because we knew that physicians accepted these beliefs and were passing this information along to their patients," said Dr. Aaron Carroll, assistant professor of pediatrics at the Indiana University School of Medicine. "And these beliefs are frequently cited in the popular media."

And so here they are, so that you can inform your doctor:

Myth: We use only 10 percent of our brains.

Fact: Physicians and comedians alike, including Jerry Seinfeld, love to cite this one. It's sometimes erroneously credited to Albert Einstein. But MRI scans, PET scans and other imaging studies show no dormant areas of the brain, and even viewing individual neurons or cells reveals no inactive areas, the new paper points out. Metabolic studies of how brain cells process chemicals show no nonfunctioning areas. The myth probably originated with self-improvement hucksters in the early 1900s who wanted to convince people that they had yet not reached their full potential, Carroll figures. It also doesn't jibe with the fact that our other organs run at full tilt.

Myth: You should drink at least eight glasses of water a day.

Fact: "There is no medical evidence to suggest that you need that much water," said Dr. Rachel Vreeman, a pediatrics research fellow at the university and co-author of the journal article. Vreeman thinks this myth can be traced back to a 1945 recommendation from the Nutrition Council that a person consume the equivalent of 8 glasses (64 ounces) of fluid a day. Over the years, "fluid" turned to water. But fruits and vegetables, plus coffee and other liquids, count.

Myth: Fingernails and hair grow after death.

Fact: Most physicians queried on this one initially thought it was true. Upon further reflection, they realized it's impossible. Here's what happens: "As the body’s skin is drying out, soft tissue, especially skin, is retracting," Vreeman said. "The nails appear much more prominent as the skin dries out. The same is true, but less obvious, with hair. As the skin is shrinking back, the hair looks more prominent or sticks up a bit."

Myth: Shaved hair grows back faster, coarser and darker.

Fact: A 1928 clinical trial compared hair growth in shaved patches to growth in non-shaved patches. The hair which replaced the shaved hair was no darker or thicker, and did not grow in faster. More recent studies have confirmed that one. Here's the deal: When hair first comes in after being shaved, it grows with a blunt edge on top, Carroll and Vreeman explain. Over time, the blunt edge gets worn so it may seem thicker than it actually is. Hair that's just emerging can be darker too, because it hasn't been bleached by the sun.

Myth: Reading in dim light ruins your eyesight.

Fact: The researchers found no evidence that reading in dim light causes permanent eye damage. It can cause eye strain and temporarily decreased acuity, which subsides after rest.

Myth: Eating turkey makes you drowsy.

Fact: Even Carroll and Vreeman believed this one until they researched it. The thing is, a chemical in turkey called tryptophan is known to cause drowsiness. But turkey doesn't contain any more of it than does chicken or beef. This myth is fueled by the fact that turkey is often eaten with a colossal holiday meal, often accompanied by alcohol — both things that will make you sleepy.

Myth: Mobile phones are dangerous in hospitals.

Fact: There are no known cases of death related to this one. Cases of less-serious interference with hospital devices seem to be largely anecdotal, the researchers found. In one real study, mobile phones were found to interfere with 4 percent of devices, but only when the phone was within 3 feet of the device. A more recent study, this year, found no interference in 300 tests in 75 treatment rooms. To the contrary, when doctors use mobile phones, the improved communication means they make fewer mistakes.

"Whenever we talk about this work, doctors at first express disbelief that these things are not true," said Vreeman said. "But after we carefully lay out medical evidence, they are very willing to accept that these beliefs are actually false."

Congratulations Little Sister

Oh my little sister has always been a handful and now she has even more reason to think she is the shit. Last weekend she won the local Miss Eastern Oklahoma Pageant and is now preparing for the Miss Oklahoma Teen Pageant in June of next year. I have my own beliefs about pageants and dressing up little girls and young women and hyper-sexualizing them, but she is happy. Hopefully she will not make a fool of herself as so many of these women do. When I made her watch Little Miss Sunshine, she kept telling herself she didn't look like one of those little girls. I told her she was right, instead she looked like one of those girls, but just older. My family is telling me that she is requiring that we call her "Queen" for the time being. Sorry, but I already have that title reserved. Cheers to you little one.


She is the one of the left. My left.