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The New York Times is running a series on the dangers of using cellphones while driving. This article tells the heart wrenching story of a young man who caused a deadly auto accident because he never saw the red light while engaged in a cell phone conversation.According to the NY Times research, studies show cell phone drivers have an equal crash risks as a drunk driver. The article cites a 2003 Harvard study asserting that "cellphone distractions caused 2,600 traffic deaths every year, and 330,000 accidents that results in moderate or severe injuries." "Five states and the District of Columbia require drivers who talk on cellphones to use hands-free devices, but research shows that using headsets can be as dangerous as holding a phone because the conversation…

MJ's death has affected me on a deep level. This grief caught me by surprise. In reflection, I've remembered that MJ was my first pre-teen heart-throb, and I didn't realize that I had kept a place for him tucked away in my heart all these years. Throughout his magnificent 40 year career I have maintained tremendous respect & admiration of him as one of the great entertainers of out time. More than his music, I think my continued connection to him was in his dancing and his showmanship.Last nite I went back on YouTube and watched a number of live performances not included in the weekend video marathon on all of the music channels (there were times this weekend when 5 channels were simultaneously running a marathon…

I am researching lymphoma, a type of cancer. One of the books I am reading discusses the importance of getting enough rest. This issue cannot be overstated, not only for cancer treatment, but for any type of disease or injury prevention.Getting adequate rest includes resting during an illness, rather than trying to work through it. Overwork impairs detoxification, so that the chemical toxins we are exposed to in our environment accumulate in the body. The build up of toxins can lead not only to cancer formation, but atopic (allergic) and autoimmune conditions.Sleep is essential for detoxification and for the release of growth hormone needed to repair & rebuild damaged tissues.Poor or lack of sleep leads to yin deficiency. Yin deficiency is a TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) concept.…

I noticed this piece, What You Don't Know Makes You Nervous, on the cause of anxiety in the Op/Ed of the NY Times this morning. In it, Daniel Gilbert shows that people are happier with certainty, and that uncertainty is the cause unhappiness. To make his point, Gilbert cites studies showing that faced with the certainty verses the uncertainty of an unfortunate circumstance, such as a chronic disease condition, those with certainty of the unfortunate event were less nervous than those for whom the predictability of the event is uncertain. In other words, it is the the 'not knowing' that causes mental unrest, not the actual event.Gilbert relates this information to the uncertain economic times we live in. People have a lot of fear about their economic…