Dutchman offers "cure" for nail biting

This is an interesting article on Yahoo!Health. I know that I have been biting my nails ever since I can remember. I also know many other people who do it - especially within my coworkers - all engineers. The high stress of our industry could be to blame to some extent, but I think most of it is genetic or was there at birth. This article does not go into detail about the causes of the Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) of nail biting. Instead, this Dutchman, who is a marketing person, not a doctor, has opened his business based on a gadget you put in your mouth which prevents you from biting your nails. The device can be removed for eating. What a novel concept! I should have thought of it. I always have thought that a glove would do the trick! Anyway, if you are interested in the article it can be accessed by clicking HERE.
Good luck!

Your Brain Mirrors - Empathy, Autism, Advertising, Politics

In Friday's (8/17/07) edition of the Wall Street Journal, Robert Lee Hotz tells us how modern research in the area of empathy is telling us how to feel someone's pain, love, hunger, artistic appeal, pornographic appeal, and even subliminal advertising messages. Empathy refers to the shared feelings with others. For example, if we both witness a car accident, we both feel bad for the drivers. We've all heard of this or have felt empathy before, but now these research scientists are finding what they believe explains this phenomenon. The answer, they believe, lies in brain circuits known as mirrors. "These unusual brain circuits are mirrors in the mind that reflect the actions and intentions of others as if they were our own". These neuro-networks are located in the brain's motor cortex and react when we perform an action and/or when we watch someone else perform the same actions. You know how you feel when you see someone throw up. Most people want to throw up as well. The stronger the mirror system, the more empathetic you are.

This has led to the belief that AUTISM is caused by a network of broken mirrors, or a misalignment of data to those mirrors in Autistic kids. This is an interesting area of research because not all Autistic kids are slow in development. Some are actually quite advanced compared to their non-autistic counterparts. How will they explain that?

There seems to also be a link between the mirrors and cultural experience and ethnic identity.

Research is also being done with respect to the effects of advertising and political campaigning on the mirror networks. Stay tuned for the results of this global research. It promises to be quite interesting. Imagine the possibilities for advertisers, marketers and politicians if they tap into these brain networks of potential clients/constituents! To read the full article, please click here.

Chinese Products Recalled - Toys, Bibs...

You've heard it in the news everywhere. Chinese toys are being recalled for lead contamination. Today, more were recalled. They all look like common toys, so how do we know if we've bought them? I just know that we don't have the "Sarge" toy truck and no dolls since we have 2 boys. Read more about it by clicking HERE.

Today they announced that some baby bibs are also being recalled. They were also made in China. Read about this HERE. We know that lead contamination can affect the brain of babies.


Stop the Insanity


It's our kids who are the innocent victims of grown men's greed. You know what I'm talking about - Globalization, Profit Maximization, Poor Quality Inspections, all so that the investors can get one more dollar on their stock. They should sell lead inspection kits, or better yet, the USA should establish inspection facilities/requirements for all imported products. How long and how many items have we been exposed to? According to the toys article referenced above, the Chinese have known about this contamination all along. But, in the name of Big Business, the shipments were still made. This needs to stop NOW!

Slavery Still Exists

Americans need to wake up and realize that Slavery still exists today - and we all are enjoying the consequences of it. It happens each time you order your hamburger, or taco or any other food. I know this for sure because I used to be a tomato picker in Immokalee, Florida myself. I saw first hand how some crewleaders (bosses) tried to take advantage of my people. I just happened to know a thing or two about civil rights and the constitution. I quickly made them change their mind - but what about the million other times when nobody spoke back? What would happen then? Well, let me tell you - slavery, inhumane treatment, torture, even murder is happening today, and most of the time it goes unnoticed. Why? Because this government cares more about building a wall at the Mexican border than helping out the Mexicans (and other Hispanic people) who are working hard to help this economy. Government tries to tell us that they are a menace to society, that they don't pay taxes, that they don't help our society. Yet, they go get their clothes dry cleaned, eat at fancy restaurants, get their grass mowed, and their cars washed....by MEXICANS. But, this is just the beginning. Take a look at what is happening in Immokalee, FL. There have been several arrests and convictions of slavery, felonies, and even murder by those in power. Next time you eat that tomato in your hamburger, think about what it took to get it there. Read the following articles to find out about modern-day slavery: Slavery Website. By the way, all Mexicans buy food/goods at stores (they pay taxes), they can't file for Income taxes even though 99% of them would be owed taxes by the IRS (USA pockets this money). Mexicans don't get Social security, medical, dental, 401K, pension...etc. (USA keeps this money) USA gets manpower for pennies on the dollar. Do you really think that USA will be better off by stopping Immigration???

Derechos de Indocumentados - Univision.com

I saw Univision's presentation entitled "Retratos de los Invisibles de Estados Unidos", which translates to "Pictures of the Invisible in the United States". It aired yesterday, Thursday 7/26/07. It is a documentary that depicts the CRUEL AND UNUSUAL PUNISHMENT that illegal immigrant families face when ICE officials deport part or all of the family. Is it not cruel to tear apart your father or mother or both in front of your eyes? Or is it not cruel to take away a single mother, leaving behind a 7 year old and a 6 month old??? Please tell me that Americans see something wrong with this! How can you leave an infant by himself? He can't walk, talk, feed himself, not even go pee or poop by himself. That is what I saw on the documentary. Luckily the mother re-entered to reunite with her kids - and hide once again as an "invisible". I'm not saying that it's OK to let illegal immigrants come here. I'm just saying, don't leave infants to fend for themselves. Let them go with their mothers or provide a safe place for them to stay at. One other thing, only a couple of the hundred people they interviewed had criminal records - prior illegal entry. 99.99% of those caught were just hard-working people who are responsible for the well-being of this country. Why don't they fine the corporations that knowingly hire them? If companies did not hire them to begin with, I guarantee they would not come. But we all want to get the hamburger for $0.99 with all the fixings - lettuce, pickle, ketchup...Would you rather pay $1.99 for it???

In univision.com, they quote the ACLU as saying that all people in this country have certain rights - including Constitutional rights. I am including these below, in Spanish:


Si es detenido, la ACLU recomienda:
Debe ser cortés y respetuoso.
Mantenga la calma y controle sus palabras, conducta física y sus emociones.
Nunca discuta con la policía o el agente que lo arresta.
Acuérdese que todo lo que diga o haga puede ser usado en su contra.
Mantenga las manos a la vista de la policía o del agente que lo detiene.
No trate de escapar.
No toque al agente que lo detenga.
No se resista al arresto.
No se queje.
No mienta.
No diga nada. Sólo que quiere llamar a un abogado.
No ceda sus derechos hasta que tenga un abogado que lo represente.

Insurance Companies Must Have one Dominant Law - Don't Pay Only Collect

Sure enough, the insurance company will not concede that a third-party professional appraiser is correct in their estimation of Diminished Value. They want to know how they arrived at 35% of the car's value to estimate the Diminished value. They want us to go to an AUDI dealership to confirm that it is no longer a AUDI certified used car. It was in an accident that required 5 hours of body repair. I wouldn't pay the money as a certified AUDI. If I buy a certified luxury used car I expect it to be in no accident - that is why I want a luxury car - for a wrecked car I can just buy a non-luxury car for pocket change. Buyers of luxury cars pay the extra money to get an "extra" clean car - no accidents!

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