Tuesday, September 30, 2014

76 Of 79 Deceased NFL Players Had Brain Disease, Frontline Reports

A shocking report from PBS Frontline says 76 of 79 deceased NFL players suffered from the degenerative brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).



CTE is caused by repeated head trauma, where the functioning of the brain is interrupted and nerve cells begin to die, according to Frontline. It is associated with memory loss, confusion, impaired judgment, impulse control problems, aggression, depression, and, eventually, progressive dementia.



A recent study of the brain tissue of 128 former football players -- professionals, semi-professionals, college players and high school players -- conducted by one of the nation’s largest brain banks, found 101 players tested positive for CTE. That means 78.9 percent of all the football players and 96.2 percent of the former NFL players in the study suffered from the disease.



The Department of Veterans Affairs’ brain repository in Bedford, Mass., which conducted the study, said that amounts to a twofold increase in the number of CTE cases it has previously reported.



The study's brain specimens were donated by players and families who suspected the presence of the disease, presenting a skewed population. But Dr. Ann McKee, the director of the brain bank, pointed to a link between the intensity and length of playing football and traumatic brain injury.



"Playing football, and the higher the level you play football and the longer you play football, the higher your risk," McKee said.



The report comes as an Oct. 14 deadline nears for retired NFL players and their beneficiaries to decide whether to opt out of a proposed settlement in the class-action lawsuit against the NFL that accuses the league of concealing a link between football and brain disease.



The lawsuit, brought by more than 4,500 former players, is likely to be bolstered by the new report as it suggests a high prevalence of the disease among players, Frontline notes.



The NFL has been under scrutiny over the risks players face in sustaining such heavy hits during practice and games, and how it may affect their brains. Other autopsies of former NFL players has shown that they were suffering from CTE, which may have influenced their behavior.



Frontline's report comes a day after an autopsy revealed that former Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher, who killed his girlfriend and then himself in December 2013, likely suffered from CTE. Mike Webster, a former Pittsburgh Steelers player whose autopsy in 2002 sparked the probe into degenerative brain diseases in football players, died homeless and living in a truck. In 2003, NFL Pro Bowler Junior Seau fatally shot himself in the chest and was later diagnosed with CTE. Former Chicago Bears player Dave Duerson died in 2011, also of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest, and left notes for his family to donate his brain to science.



Earlier in September, the NFL released data that led it to conclude nearly a third of all retired players will develop a long-term cognitive problem, such as Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.



When asked for a comment on the findings, the NFL did not reply to Frontline.



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Dance Moms recap Episode 30: Takin’ It To The Streets

The season is winding down, Dance Moms nation! It’s time for nationals and things are about to get seriously crazy. But before we get into that, let’s take a moment to reflect on the hot messery which has been Season 4… Our faithful Abby brought in a “Select Team” of dancers whom she talented poached from around the country to challenge the Pitt Crew. For the first half of the season, we waited for them, we argued about them and mostly we hated them. When they beat the girls in competition we were worried they might be here to stay. … Continue reading


The post Dance Moms recap Episode 30: Takin’ It To The Streets appeared first on Channel Guide Magazine.






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Hold Out Your Hand

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Let's forget the world for a while

fall back and back

into the hush and holy

of now



are you listening? This breath

invites you

to write the first word

of your new story



your new story begins with this:

You matter



you are needed -- empty

and naked

willing to say yes

and yes and yes.



Do you see

the sun shines, day after day

whether you have faith

or not

the sparrows continue

to sing their song

even when you forget to sing

yours



stop asking: Am I good enough?

Ask only

Am I showing up

with love?



Life is not a straight line

it's a downpour of gifts, please --

hold out your hand





*Artwork by Julia Fehrenbacher - available HERE



from Healthy Living - The Huffington Post http://www.huffingtonpost.com/julia-fehrenbacher/hold-out-your-hand_2_b_5902064.html?utm_hp_ref=healthy-living&ir=Healthy+Living

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5 Habits of Genuinely Happy People

Ever wonder what people do to stay happy? We all want to be happy, it is one of the greatest feelings you can achieve, but maintaining that happiness can be a difficult pursuit. Life is filled with daily stresses and anxieties that can quickly wipe away a smile.



Click Here to see the Complete List of Habits of Genuinely Happy People



But, we've all encountered those that seem to have it figured out. They always have a smile on their face, and walk through the world with a consistent positive outlook. But what exactly makes that person different?



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Well, like any aspect of life, there are certain habits that affect the way we act and feel. Some habits seem obvious, others are proven by science. The studies linked to the science of happiness are always interesting. Most universities offer a course in 'The Science of Happiness' in their Psychology departments, and they continue to be highly attended. If you are interested in learning more about a course in 'The Science of Happiness' UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center offers a free, eight-week online course. While genetics account for about 50% of happiness, research has proven that up to 40% of happiness depends on our habits and activities.



Related: Do You Live in a Happy State? Here's the Latest Data



To discuss what exactly those habits and activities are, I chatted with Dr. Chris Aiken, an Instructor in Clinical Psychiatry at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and Director of Mood Treatment Center. He discussed that there are psychological strengths which lead to happiness on a genetic basis, such as, optimism, humor, gratitude, spirituality, flexible thinking, etc.



But, there are also habits that are proven to be more prevalent in happier people. "Extremely happy people engage in regular activity which connects them to other people to a cause outside themselves," explains Dr. Aiken. "It doesn't have to be a grand cause-the brain is just as happy to improve a local playground as it is to find a cure for cancer. What matters is that the cause is meaningful to you and helps you get you out of your own head."



Genuinely happy people find meaning. It does not necessarily have to be in a spiritual sense (though that does help), but it is a way to get out of your own head and see beyond the daily stresses and anxieties that often bring you down.



"Happy people also take time to savor life's pleasures," insists Dr. Aiken, "as well as time for sleep, exercise and healthy eating."



Click Here to see the Original Story on The Active Times



-Catarina Cowden, The Active Times



More Content from The Active Times:

10 Winning Beliefs You Should Embrace

Hiking Health Benefit: Happiness and Decreased Depression

The Secret To Creating an Exercise Routine You'll Actually Stick With

10 Tips for Successful Goal-Setting

5 Reasons to Exercise Outside



from Healthy Living - The Huffington Post http://www.huffingtonpost.com/the-active-times/5-habits-of-genuinely-hap_b_5901450.html?utm_hp_ref=healthy-living&ir=Healthy+Living

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Gay Men Try To Explain Tampons, Have 'Literally No Idea' What's Happening

There's nothing like watching a few good-natured gay men discuss some unfamiliar territory -- in this case, feminine hygiene products.



BuzzFeed asked a few of its gay male employees to explain tampons, sanitary napkins and diva cups, items that are "a little out of their wheelhouse." To help the men demonstrate, BuzzFeed also provided a plastic model of a woman's vagina.



"Literally, no idea," says one man, holding up a tampon.



Another holds up the plastic model and a sanitary napkin, saying, "I'm assuming the Georgie O'Keeffe painting right there is where you target it."



These guys are good sports, but just because you don't have a vagina and maybe don't interact with vaginas doesn't mean you shouldn't know how they work. Someone get these guys a copy of Our Bodies, Ourselves !









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Meditating With the iPhone Zero

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I like spiffy new gadgets as much as the next guy. True, I didn't stand in the long line in front of my local Apple Store on Day 1 of the iPhone 6 release, but only because I was sitting at home, cleverly reserving mine online so I could come back on Day 2 and be whisked to the front of the line.



But of course, the problem with these ultra-sleek gizmos (as I'm about the 700 millionth person to point out) is that they're windows to endless distraction. For years I've enjoyed walking late at night, looking up at the stars and hearing the crickets, or just feeling the world exhale and get quiet. The few people I see are usually walking dogs. These days, most of them walk with their heads bent at that telltale 45-degree angle, their faces bathed in the soft blue-gray glow of their little screens, oblivious to the night air and the silence. (The dogs, who happily lack the opposable thumbs necessary to operate electronic devices, enjoy the excursion as they always have... unhypnotized.)



When I'm at a restaurant and there's a couple sitting nearby, if one of them gets up to go to the bathroom I can count the seconds till the other whips out a phone to check messages. Or they don't even wait until the other leaves. By now, we've all seen, and maybe sat at, tables full of people eating "together," each one in a separate phone world. But my intention here is not to go off on a young-folks-today rant: "Why, when I was your age, I trudged two miles through the snow to talk to Cousin Milly with a Dixie cup and a piece of string," blah blah blah. Boring.



I teach natural meditation, which has two important aspects. One is that, rather than try to force the mind to focus or concentrate, we allow it to settle on its own, like water flowing downhill. The other is that we deal with our actual lives as we actually live them. Our foibles and our stumbling blocks, rather than obstacles to meditative practice, are used as opportunities for practice. For example, in my work with prisoners, a student will sometimes stop showing up for our sessions for a few weeks or months because he's in "administrative segregation": solitary confinement. When he reappears, he usually says something like, "Ad-seg was a challenge at first, but then I realized I could go crazy or turn it into a meditation retreat, courtesy of the state. It was good to have that choice."



So, in the case of our more or less obsessive-compulsive relationship with the handy, pocket-sized Apple (or Android) Distract-O-Matic: How can we flip this addiction around and turn it into a meditative practice?



Actually, it's simple:



The next time you're in one of those involuntary nothing-happening moments -- your date goes off to the bathroom, you're stuck at a red light, you're waiting for an elevator -- and you find yourself automatically reaching for your phone... just don't do it. Yes, yes, I understand how unhelpful that sounds, but hang on: Here comes the subtle, skillful part. When you refrain from grabbing your phone, you're going to feel a wave of squirmy anxiety. If there were an app that translated vague feelings into words (and there probably will be soon), it would read out as something like:



But, but... I might be missing something. Maybe something important, or interesting, or fun, or... something! Feed me some news, stimulate me with input, give me anything, as long as I don't have to sit here and deal with nothing, because that's unbearable.



Feeling that wave of anxiety is fine. In fact, it's what's going to make this meditation work.



The key is to let the wave happen. Don't try to ignore the feeling. Don't try to suppress it. Don't try to turn it into something else. Instead, experience what that feeling actually is. We call them "feelings" because they feel a certain way: They're subtle, internal physical sensations, maybe in the chest or abdomen or head. Allow yourself to feel that wave of feeling, and watch it pass through you in its own time, like a wave passing through the ocean. Just don't ride the wave. Don't be caught up in it, driven by it, compelled to do something... like whip out your phone.



Then a small miracle happens. The wave does indeed pass, and you're still there. You didn't follow the compulsion, and guess what: your head didn't explode after all. This is called freedom, and this little taste of freedom has exactly the same flavor as the big freedom that goes by fancy names like nirvana, satori, or samadhi. It's the nothing we've been trying to avoid, but it turns out to be a delicious nothing. It can't really be described, but let's just say this: it's kind of like taking off a pair of pants that's too tight. Ahhhhhhh!



You can use the same approach with other kinds of compulsions. When you find yourself getting caught up in the urge to light a cigarette or make a cutting remark that's going to hurt someone you care about, just don't do it. Then allow yourself time to feel that wave of fidgety anxiety, notice what it feels like in the body, let it be there for as long as it needs to, and then let it pass. Don't try to push it away, but don't buy into it. Maybe five minutes later you'll light the cigarette anyway, but even if you buy yourself five minutes of freedom you've accomplished something.



If you keep practicing like this, with the cigarettes or the phone or whatever else has been pushing you around, the little patches of freedom start to connect up. More and more, you find yourself living in liberative, wide-open space. You start to see that delicious nothingness underlies all moments, even when you're busy with everything. It's all ahhhhhhh.



We could call this meditating with the iPhone 0. Unlike the iPhone 6 (which I'm enjoying just fine, thank you very much), it doesn't eventually grow stale as we seek our next source of distraction. Liberation never goes out of style. Right now the good folks in Cupertino are presumably test-driving the iPhone 7, designed to take the new-car smell off the 6, and one day the iPhone 17 will make the 7 seem as primitive as a lump of coal in your pocket. But the iPhone 0 is timeless: It will be just as fresh when space colonists use it on the planets of distant galaxies as it was when the ancient yogis used it in the jungles of India.



Enjoy your freedom.



from Healthy Living - The Huffington Post http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dean-sluyter/meditating-with-the-iphon_b_5900972.html?utm_hp_ref=healthy-living&ir=Healthy+Living

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Socrates Over Milk and Cookies: Asking the Best Questions

As September winds down, my firsthand experiences this past month made me, once again, acutely aware of one of the briefest yet most familiar conversations echoing between kitchens and foyers:



How was your day, honey?

Fine.



Its "cookie-cutter" content easily applies to a broad range of situations but rings especially true at the end of those precious first days of school (or a new job) when we wait "anxiously" for an answer as if a single word (e.g. alright, good) could convey the complete truth and legitimize the silence that follows.



Regardless of the context, when we ask or answer the "How was your day?" question, the words, as scripted above, roll off tongues almost effortlessly, yet robotically. This level of inquiry, in essence, requires little -- in its design, its articulation or its response.



How would Socrates -- the "Father" of questions -- grade our efforts?



The season of traditional learning may begin each Fall with a new wave of students going "Greek" in the form of studying the great philosophers of life or, in some cases, "rushing" toward a new philosophy on living. Yet, I suspect that Socrates would not be happy.



We learn very little because, more often than not, we ask very little.



Questions -- Socrates believed -- were the foundation of learning. When you effectively ask, you create conditions for:



• Clarifying your own or someone else's thinking

• Testing your own or someone else's assumptions

• Leveraging your own or someone else's alternative ideas



Yet, the content of your questions is not the only challenge. The voice behind them matters as well. Bold inquiry and, as such, deep learning requires you, in the roles of "master" (teacher, parent or boss), student, or "self," to be:



• Curious

• Open

• Patient

• Invested



Socrates' suggested script only turns tragic when we stand in the way of learning -- someone else's or our own. Failing to ask provocative questions means failing others in their growth or failing to grow ourselves.



"How was your day?"is not a "fine" question and we should not assume "self" or "other" satisfaction with the predictable answer. Whether looking into the eyes of a fourth grader, your spouse as newly minted manager, or into the mirror, the response, "okay," is not okay. Questions that loom large and their answers that loom long set the course for our real education.



Indeed, October will likely begin as September ended. We will greet our children or partners at the door with smiles and treats in the form of Oreos or dry Chardonnay respectively, asking about their days. We may similarly take stock of our own days and conclude simply and with ease that all is well. Both the inter-and intra-personal sugar and spice and everything nice exchange is never as compelling as the conversation that invites someone past the metaphoric doormat conversation into the more "hearty" dinner table one.



So, in the school spirit of deeper inquiry, ask yourself if the questions that you ask -- of others or yourself -- would disappoint Socrates. If your answer is "yes," ask yourself why and then how you can change the conversation.



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Forgiving My Alcoholic Father: Better Late Than Never

My father was an alcoholic.



Just about all of my childhood memories of him revolve around his drinking. I remember countless car rides where I was scared to death, wondering if I'd make it home alive because my dad was driving drunk. I remember never being able to have friends sleep over at my house as a kid because of the potential embarrassment and humiliation I would feel if my dad came home drunk, then passed out in the living room (like he usually did).



I remember the time friends dropped me off at home late one night and we found my dad sitting in his car in the driveway. The driver's door was open, the car was running, and my dad had one leg out of the car. But he was passed out. I remember telling my friends that my dad must have been really tired from a long day at work. (Children of alcoholics are quick thinkers!)



I think you get an idea of what it was like for me growing up.



In my mind, my father robbed me of my childhood, and even some of my early adulthood. We never really had a relationship. And over the years, what relationship we did have became more and more strained. For a long time, I hated my father. Hate is a strong word, but that is truly how I felt. I resented growing up without a father, even though I technically had one. I wouldn't want to talk to him or see him. The phone would ring, the Caller ID would show my dad's number, and I wouldn't answer. Or call him back. If I called my parents' house and my dad answered, I would often times hang up. That's how bad things were between us.



I discussed my issues surrounding my father many times with my therapist, my wife, other family members, and even a few friends. Several of them told me that I should reach out to my father and try to repair our relationship; that if I didn't I would regret it someday. But I just couldn't accept the suggestion that I should be the one to make the first move. After all, I did nothing wrong.



Then came June of 2012. My dad went to the local Veterans' Hospital for a routine check-up. They found some irregularities in his heartbeat and blood pressure and decided to keep him overnight for observation. To make a long story short, he ended up being in the hospital for a couple of weeks. Unfortunately, while he was hospitalized my dad started suffering from dementia. This was an unexpected development, and all I could think about was that I had probably missed my chance at any type of reconciliation. I was okay with that -- I really didn't have much choice -- but it still made me sad.



From the hospital, my dad went to an extended care facility for rehab and physical therapy. It was hard for me, but I went to visit him several times. He was "different" during these visits. I recognized this almost immediately, as did my mom, my siblings, and my wife. He was a kinder, gentler person, and a soft side of his personality that we hadn't seen before -- at least not in a very long time -- came out. Even so, he would be having a normal conversation with us and then suddenly switch over to telling us some nonsensical story that he thought was real. My heart would break when this would happen. But we all just went along with it and accepted that things were different now.



My dad spent four weeks at the extended care facility, and when it was time for him to be released, in early August, my mom asked me if I would help her get him home. I would do anything for my mom, so I agreed to help her.



We got my dad home without incident and he settled into his spot on the living room couch. Before I left, I found the strength to actually sit down next to my dad. I told him I was glad he was feeling better and that he looked much better to me. This is where things got a little bizarre.



My father looked me in the eye and thanked me for helping him get home. "I can always count on you," he told me. "You're always around when I need you. I appreciate that." After hearing that, I stood up, gave my dad a big hug, kissed him on the cheek, and said, "I love you." And as I let go of him and moved away from him, I felt something very strange happen. It's impossible to describe exactly how it felt, but in that moment I could feel an incredible weight being lifted off of my shoulders. I felt all the resentment, hatred, and negative feelings I had about my dad disappear.



Suddenly, I was at peace.



Forty-plus years of resentment and hatred toward my father, and it all disappeared in what my wife described as "a God moment." (By the way, is it just a coincidence that my dad's initials were "GOD"?) I never thought it would happen. Never. Ever. I always thought my dad would die and I would feel the resentment and hatred until the day I died. But that all changed in a few seconds when I told my dad I loved him -- and actually meant it.



Better late than never.



Postscript: My dad died on February 6, 2013, approximately six months after I had reconciled with him. He passed away peacefully, surrounded by my mom, my two sisters, my brother, my wife, and me. And although the mending of our relationship happened a mere six months before his death, the important thing is that it happened at all.



There is no joy without hardship. If not for death, would we appreciate life? If not for hate, would we know the ultimate goal is love?... At these moments you can either hold on to negativity and look for blame, or you can choose to heal and keep on loving. -- Elisabeth KÃŒbler-Ross





Have a story about depression that you'd like to share? Email strongertogether@huffingtonpost.com , or give us a call at (860) 348-3376, and you can record your story in your own words. Please be sure to include your name and phone number.



Need help with substance abuse or mental health issues? In the U.S., call 800-662-HELP (4357) for the SAMHSA National Helpline.




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How A Phone App Is Changing Childbirth In Africa

Imagine you are in rural Ethiopia. You are a health worker, stationed alone in a remote health clinic. A young man comes in carrying his wife who is in heavy labor. It's their third child and she gives birth quickly upon arrival. But as soon as the baby and the placenta are delivered, she starts bleeding dramatically. You want to do everything in your power to save the woman's life, but with limited theoretical training and little practical experience, you feel powerless.



"All of my life, I have watched friends and family die in childbirth. And I have felt entirely powerless to help them," says Zenebu, a volunteer community worker from Ethiopia.



Every day, more than 800 women die during pregnancy and labor. Almost all of them come from developing countries. However, 90 percent of these deaths are preventable with the attention and care of a skilled birth attendant.



Zenebu now trains women about the dangers and complications in pregnancy -- and about the importance of seeking care in time. "I am very happy and proud to give women the power to help themselves," she says.



But ensuring a safe delivery is not only a question about seeking care; it is also a question of delivering the right quality of care. All over sub-Saharan Africa, health workers with low levels of education are often appointed alone to health posts in hard-to-reach areas. The consequences for the women giving birth and for their newborns are often fatal.



The absolute key in fighting maternal mortality is training -- and thus, empowerment -- of birth attendants. The current tele-revolution holds a giant potential for using mobile phones to improve health and save lives among pregnant and birthing women.



Today, there are more than 600 million mobile phone users in Africa and the number of users continues to grow explosively. Many remote health clinics have no electricity or running water, but still a lot of the health workers have a mobile phone. There is huge potential to improve maternal health by tapping into this ongoing mobile phone trend.



Maternity Foundation, Copenhagen University and University of Southern Denmark are thus currently investigating how the mobile phone can be used to overcome one of the biggest barriers to preventing maternal mortality: lack of skilled birth attendance. To this end, we have developed a new mobile health tool called The Safe Delivery App.



The Safe Delivery App is designed to teach and instruct birth attendants how to manage normal and complicated deliveries. It does so through animated clinical instruction films. When the app has been fully developed and tested in 2015, it will be available as an open-source tool to all key actors in sub-Saharan Africa.



Many of the health care workers using the app have become more confident about handling complicated childbirths. They are pleased with the graphic, explanatory nature of the videos, which are useful despite language barriers and reading difficulties.



In a few years, there will be more phones than people in the world. mobile health interventions are rapidly becoming an important tool with which to impact the health of Africans -- whether it entails tracking the spread of diseases, texting patients with reminders to take their medicine or helping community workers to collect patient data digitally. Hopefully, NGOs and policy makers across sub-Saharan Africa will increasingly consider mobile health solutions as a tool of empowerment that can save and improve lives.



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Jillian Michaels Reveals She Didn't Quit 'The Biggest Loser,' Was Willing To Stay

"Biggest Loser" trainer Jillian Michaels left the fitness reality series earlier this year, but the reasons behind her departure have been murky.



Earlier this year, following the controversy with "Loser" winner Rachel Frederickson, Michaels expressed her desire to distance herself from the series over her concern with its overall direction. Michaels told HuffPostLive that she thought Frederickson, who had lost 155 pounds, had "lost too much weight." After it was announced that Michaels wouldn't be returning for Season 16 of "Loser," she told People that her departure was due to the show's negative depiction of her and how she was portrayed as tougher than before. "You saw none of the relationships, none of the bonds that I build with my clients," she said. At the end of it all though, it seemed like Michaels had chosen to leave the show on her own, as she previously had in 2006 and 2011. Now, however, the former trainer has revealed that that wasn't exactly the case.



In a recent interview with Daily Mail Online, Michaels clarified that she was willing to stay if the show agreed to make some changes. "In my opinion I believe it was their choice," the trainer said of her latest departure. "I went to them and said I'd like to see these changes and they said no. So, I did not quit; they basically said, 'No we're not interested in changing x, y and z, so we will part ways,'" Michaels said. "In all fairness, it was their show, so I said if we can't do this, this and this, I'd like to be released, and they said you're released."



The trainer didn't elaborate on the specific changes she requested, but it seems likely that some of them were related to how the series depicted her treatment of contestants on the show.



Via Daily Mail





from Healthy Living - The Huffington Post http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/30/jillian-michaels-biggest-loser_n_5906666.html?utm_hp_ref=healthy-living&ir=Healthy+Living

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CU Boulder Posts Huge Drop In Pot Punishments

The University of Colorado at Boulder does not believe the drop in disciplinary cases relating to marijuana had anything to do with the new law legalizing recreational pot for citizens 21 years or older.



The number of students disciplined for drug violations dropped from 1,145 to 588 between 2012 and 2013, according to the Daily Camera. Voters in Colorado approved Amendment 64 in November 2012, creating a new state law to legalize recreational use of marijuana. It did not go into effect until Jan. 1, 2014.



In that interim period of 2013, according to the CU Boulder annual Clery crime report released this month, the number of students receiving disciplinary referrals for drug violations crashed to 588, from reaching 1,319 in 2011. But university officials do not believe students were necessarily avoiding sanctions because they were patiently awaiting legal weed at the beginning of 2014.



"First of all, most of our on-campus contacts involve our on-campus residents living in the residence halls," CU Boulder spokesperson Ryan Huff told The Huffington Post. "Nearly all of them are freshmen under the age of 21. Amendment 64 didn't change any criminal laws as it pertains to those under the age of 21. Furthermore, marijuana is illegal on campus, per campus policy. So nothing has changed with our policies or criminal enforcement for those under the age of 21."



Huff said the drop in student discipline cases due to a "new approach" disciplinary matters.



"We have found it to be more effective to provide education to students on first-time offenses rather than punitive discipline from the start," Huff said. "We are also doing a better job in freshmen Orientation of educating students about marijuana and drug laws and policies. We think this is especially helpful for our out-of-state students who may not be clear on Colorado’s marijuana laws."



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I Thought I'd Be Happy (The Biggest Myth of Weight Loss)

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I used to weigh 235 pounds. I wasn't in the depths of depression or anything, but I certainly wasn't happy. I decided to lose the extra weight, because I just knew my life would be completely different once I did. With focus and determination, I eventually found myself 100 pounds less than when I started. I was sitting at my desk one day, feeling down, and that's when I had a realization. I looked at my husband, confused, and said, "I thought I'd be happier."



So many things I had put off until I lost weight -- until I arrived "there." You know, that place of "Once I lose weight, I'll..." because, of course, everything in my life would be 180 degrees different than it was before I lost weight, right? All my hopes, dreams, and happiness had been contingent on getting "there." That's when I realized -- there is no pot of gold (or happiness) at the end of the weight loss journey. Everything I had been waiting and hoping for didn't miraculously appear the day I reached my goal.



Don't get me wrong, I was thrilled I had lost 100 pounds. But I didn't suddenly know my purpose or feel my life had meaning or view my circumstances with a new lens or think I was now beautiful. Every doubt, worry, or longing I had before I lost weight was still there. I wish I had known that's how things would end up being.



Because if I had known, this is what I would have done differently:



-- I wouldn't have based my happiness on losing weight.



-- I would have gone after my dreams while I still weighed 235 pounds.



-- I would have recognized my beauty no matter my size.



-- I would have known my worth was not based on physical attributes.



With my newfound realization that weight loss was not a cure-all, at first I was discouraged. It was a huge letdown. Then it hit me -- it was actually freeing -- I no longer had to wait to arrive anywhere in my life before I could start pursuing my dreams and go after everything that would give my life meaning and make me happy. I could choose to change at any minute, or right now, in fact. So, yeah, losing 100 pounds had its benefits, but the biggest benefit came in reteaching me how to view life.



from Healthy Living - The Huffington Post http://www.huffingtonpost.com/allison-barberi/i-thought-id-be-happy-the_b_5903438.html?utm_hp_ref=healthy-living&ir=Healthy+Living

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I Am Not Anonymous

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Photo Credit: Kate Meyer, I Am Not Anonymous





I am most definitely not anonymous when it comes to my recovery. I remember talking to my mom on the phone when I was in rehab and she mentioned that family and friends were starting to ask where I was and wanted to know what I wanted her to tell them. My response: "Tell them I'm in rehab for alcohol abuse."



I was so tired of lying to everyone about everything. It was exhausting. I didn't care what people thought. In fact, I knew the rumors flying around would probably be a lot worse than the reality of my situation, so I was open with it from the start.



Not too long after I got out of rehab, I posted about my recovery on Facebook. I was right at 90 days sober and it was September, which is National Recovery Awareness month. So, I thought it was an appropriate time to make a statement and step into the light and join others in being a voice of recovery.



I certainly never hide my days of active addiction. There was nothing anonymous about any of that. I flaunted it all for the world to see. I was "that girl," which still shocks some of my friends who only know "Recovery Allison." But you see, that's because alcohol was only a symptom of my disease. My recovery is so much more than just not drinking. It's a way of life that is based on a foundation of being spiritually fit. I accepted a solution of recovery that demands rigorous honesty. And well, I didn't want to put boundaries on who shared that part of my life with me. I thought being open with anyone and everyone seemed like the easiest way to start out this new life of honesty on which I'd just embarked.



I recently had the opportunity to meet Kate Meyer and Tom Goris, the masterminds behind the I Am Not Anonymous project where I shared my story "From Pain to Purpose."



I Am Not Anonymous gives people in recovery on opportunity to stand up and speak out against the shame and the public intolerance that society has towards people who suffer from this disease. Tom and Kate started the site to show that not only is recovery possible... but that with recovery anything is possible. "We want to show the world that there is a light at the end of the tunnel filled with over 23 million people who live their lives in a productive and positive way. There is hope in the message and it is time to get the message out there," Tom and Kate say.



Addiction is a disease. The stigma associated with addiction has to change. It is literally a life or death matter. So if you are a parent or spouse or a friend of someone and you are ashamed or embarrassed because they are an addict or an alcoholic, then shame on you. Please tell me who that helps? I can promise you they put more shame on themselves than you ever could. Instead, educate yourself on the disease of addiction. Focus on the solution instead of the problem. I can tell you that my family has never shamed me or looked at me as an embarrassment from the moment I admitted I had a problem and needed help and that has been so beneficial in my recovery.



I was such a hypocrite when my brother passed away from a drug overdose. I would tell people that I wished he would have felt comfortable enough to open up to us... to not have been ashamed of his addiction... to know that we wouldn't think less of him or judge him for reaching out and asking for help. But, you see, I was walking around in silent desperation just like he did because I was ashamed of who I was and choices I had made. I was trying so desperately to hide who I was and didn't want to be exposed because I was ashamed of that person and what people would think of me. I was so caught up in the denial of both of our addictions and shame was what kept me in that denial for a really long time.



I sometimes feel like I let my brother down because I didn't want to face my own demons and once I did, it was too late. He was gone. I will never get my brother back -- at least not on this side of life, but what I can do is try and help others who are struggling with this disease and the best way I know how to do that is to be authentic with who I am and be open and honest with my disease and my recovery.



My recovery is something I am proud of, so I speak out about it any chance I get to educate and bring awareness about the disease of addiction. I talk about what it was like, what happened, and what my life is like today. Some of the details are dark, but if my darkness can make someone feel like they aren't alone in their own struggles -- to see the same light that I saw at the end of the tunnel, then it's worth it. I have no shame in my past because it doesn't define me and it isn't the person I am today.



Addiction is wretched, but recovery is righteous. Recovery is possible. Recovery is living up to the spirit that is me. I can't imagine why I would I ever choose to keep that anonymous. It's who I am, and so for that... I am not anonymous.



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Ruth Bader Ginsburg Works Out Like A Canadian Air Force Pilot

"I do a variety of weight-lifting, elliptical glider, stretching exercises, push-ups. And I do the Canadian Air Force exercises almost every day."



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Four Ways Other Countries Are Successfully Tackling Obesity. Take Note, America

Grieving 10 Years Later

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My father's sudden death in 2004 nearly broke my spirit. We thought he had a bad flu. Two weeks later, he was gone at 54. The entire family was devastated. My oldest niece was 8 years old. When a friend told her not to cry because he was in a better place, she replied: "I don't want him in heaven, I want him here." Her statement summed up my feeling. I am typically the "strong" one. I cried a river the day he passed, but I did not shed a tear at the funeral or afterwards. I immersed myself in work. After a few months, a friend pulled me aside. "Ronda, you are not grieving. That is not good. How about I rent some movies and we can say that is the reason for your tears?"



I was headed towards a mental breakdown. I spent the first year of Dad's death in denial. I never spoke of him in the past tense. He was my anchor, protector, and motivator. He encouraged me to discover the world and chase my dreams. "You can always come home. You don't want to get to the end of your life and wonder what would have happened if only you tried. Go try. We'll always be here." For the first time in my life, I felt alone -- like someone ripped the rug from underneath me. Who could I run to for strength and encouragement now? I felt orphaned.



As a young girl, I spent my summers working as Dad's carpenter assistant. I had my own tool belt. When I bought my house, Dad would come over and fix stuff. I cooked and we watched boxing. We always bonded over home repair and boxing. A year before Dad died, I started going to local boxing fights with a neighbor. Dad came to some fights with us. A year after my father passed, I enrolled in boxing lessons. I found a boxing gym at the Chicago Park District. My trainer, Tito, came from generations of fighters -- Golden Gloves, junior Olympians, amateurs, and professionas. The gym had traditional hardwood floors and a ring with a spit bucket in the corner. You could hear the rhythm of the 1-2-3 punch -- jab, right, hook. I knew this was the place for me. This is where Dad would be. My trainer worked with his father, who was training his brother to go professional. Watching the father-son bond was a constant reminder of my dad.



In addition to losing weight and getting in shape, boxing was my grief counseling. I worked out my anger over his death on the punching bag. It was exactly what I needed at that time. I still missed Dad on holidays or special occasions, but it was less sorrowful. On those days, I would put in a family DVD. Since Dad was the videographer, you did not see him. You just heard him narrating. Listening to Dad was something that the nieces and nephews did when they missed him. When I moved to NYC, Father's Day and holidays I would watch a DVD to hear Dad's voice. I needed a reminder that it was okay to leave Chicago to chase my dream.



I had not experienced anxiety since the first year of his death, when I thought I was going to lose myself. My youngest niece was born on Dad's birthday in September. Typically, we focus on her to keep it happy. This year marked 10 years since he passed. His birthday was last week. For some strange reason, the week leading up to my dad's birthday I was anxious and would randomly burst into tears. Tears flowed like I was grieving for the first time. I kept saying, "I miss my dad." After 10-15 minutes, the tears stopped and I would collect myself. This was unlike me. Why was I feeling like this 10 years after his death? His birthday was coming up, but I never did this before. The Mayo Clinic refers to this as an "anniversary reaction."



For a week, I was an emotional wreck. Normally, reminders of my dad make me smile. This time I had a totally different reaction. Today, I saw baby pumpkins. Another niece was born on Thanksgiving. Every year, my dad would give her a baby pumpkin and call her our Thanksgiving baby. She named her pumpkin Junior and took him everywhere. She even slept with Junior on her pillow. The baby pumpkins gave me happy thoughts.



We all grieve differently. My mom grieved as a wife losing her childhood sweetheart. My older sister grieved while trying to comfort her children over the loss of Grandpa. My nieces and nephews wanted to talk about Dad, while us adults were trying to keep it together and avoided talking about him. The kids took our silence as callousness. They wanted and needed to talk about Grandpa. They would say, "What would Grandpa say if he were here?" Until I started boxing, I buried my grief deep inside. That affected my health in ways that I could not imagine. Boxing was my grief recovery. However, my outburst last week was a reminder that grief never truly goes away. Hopefully, someone can benefit my experience. The goal of Ronda-isms is that you learn from my good, bad, and ugly on this journey called life.



Generally, over time sorrow turns into joyful memories. Feeling pain and loss is normal. When grief becomes debilitating, you should reach out to a therapist, counselor, or pastor, who can help guide you through the grieving process.



"Happiness lies for those who cry, those who hurt, those who have searched and those who have tried. For only they can appreciate the importance of people who have touched their lives." -- Victor Hugo



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Nothing Is Easy

wallpapering



by guest blogger Renee James, humorist and blogger



Isaac Newton's law of universal gravitation was right. At least, it feels like it was right. Because 17 years ago we took it into our heads to wallpaper our foyer, living room, and dining room, then continue up the stairs into the second-floor hallway and then up more stairs to our bedroom door at the top of the house. It went up. It looked lovely. Then.



But starting last weekend, that very same wallpaper paper that went up must now come down. It's still mostly intact--a testament to our workmanship but more likely to the small fortune we invested in wallpaper paste at the time. (Yes, you read that right: in a moment of unchecked papering enthusiasm, we bought unpasted paper, which meant we had to brush paste onto each sheet beforehand. Even today, I can't think about it without feeling a little sticky.)



Unlike everyone on HGTV, I redecorate my house every 17 years, whether it needs it or not. So there I was, peeling off paper and uncovering hundreds of square feet of paste and "backing," brooding about the hours and hours of scrubbing and good old hard work that lay ahead. Mid-grumble, I noticed three scrawled signatures in pencil where each of my sons had "signed" a spot on the dining room wall before we papered over their names.



In 1997, my boys were 6, 6, and 7 and, apparently, in the midst of a Looney Toons phase because they included pictures of the "Bugs Bunny Fan Club," whatever that was, and the Tasmanian Devil. I truly don't remember them signing this wall. I do remember banishing them to the basement with rolls of contact paper, instructing them to "paper" those walls, so we could work without them underfoot.



In the midst of this endless task of peeling and scraping, and because I paused to stare at their names, my mind leapt to something two of my sons said a few weeks ago. After much contemplation and discussion, they declared the words of "House James" (a la Game of Thrones) to be, "Nothing Is Easy."



Hmmm. I spent quite a bit of time brooding about that. Not exactly uplifting, is it? Why couldn't our "house words" be something triumphant like "Claim your Destiny" or "Success Is Yours"? Or something positive and full of promise like "Love Above All!" or "The Future is Bright"? Or how about the words of Jimmy Carter, as he greeted each Monday morning while at the Naval Academy: "Another week in which to excel"?



Nope. Instead, we have "Nothing Is Easy." How bleak! How depressing! My immediate reaction was to reword their phrase and reframe their meaning as follows: "Everything Is Difficult." Or this, which illustrates the path of minimal resistance: "[Doing] nothing is easy." When I confessed I was less than thrilled with the way they characterized their entire existence under our roof (and my "success" as their mother), they were not deterred. "It's a good thing!" they protested. "It's realistic! It means that working for something makes it more worthwhile!" They reminded me of the motto of the Navy Seals: "The only easy day is yesterday."



Maybe. As I continued to tear away at the wallpaper, I started to get the feeling they were onto something.



My mistake was hearing words they didn't say. "Nothing is easy" does not mean, "Everything is difficult." It doesn't mean you should choose to be idle because it's really, really easy to do nothing. It does mean that life doesn't come with an "effortless" guarantee. And if you approach it believing that everything--or almost everything--will require something of you, you'll never be disappointed. In fact, you may get even more satisfaction than you would if something came too easily.



Back to my walls. I have five walls done: peeled, scraped, and scrubbed free of glue. Just 11 (!) more to go, and the paper will be gone; the walls will be clean and ready for the paint. I guarantee you I'll spend hours staring at colors, coordinating them with carpets, and testing out samples on walls, and I will no doubt regret at least one shade the first time I see it in broad daylight.



So what have we learned? A couple of things: Wallpaper, while being attractive and enticing, will all but break your spirit when it's time has come. Please, please consider this carefully as you page through those books of coordinating patterns. Paint, a reasonable choice, will always, always look darker on the wall at noontime every day and like a completely different color than the sample almost all the time. Why I fail to remember that from paint job to paint job and gallon to gallon I can't explain.



And finally: Nothing--from your highest high to your lowest low--is easy. Still not entirely sure I'm on board with this statement as our family's "credo," but I'm warming up to it.



Renee-JamesRenee A. James works at Rodale Inc. and also wrote an award-winning op-ed column for The Morning Call, the Allentown, PA, newspaper, for almost 10 years. Her essays were included in the humor anthology, 101 Damnations: A Humorists' Tour of Personal Hells (Thomas Dunne Books, 2002), and are also found online at Jewish World Review and The Daily Caller. She invites you to Like her Facebook page , where she celebrates--and broods about--life on a regular basis, mostly as a voice in the crowd that shouts, "Really? You're kidding me, right?" (or wants to, anyway), and she welcomes your suggestions, comments, and feedback to the mix.



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Firefighters Save Baby Hamsters With Teeny 'Oxygen Masks'

The recent rescue of a hamster family by firefighters in Lacey, Washington, just goes to show that good things sometimes come in tiny packages.



Called to a local mobile home on Sept. 26 to put out a fire, which apparently began in the laundry room, the Lacey crew first beat back the flames and then set about saving the hamster family they found in the living room.



(Story continues below.)

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Lacey firefighter Eric Bamer cradles one of the hamsters in his palm as he holds a breathing tube steady.





Once safely outside, the firefighters administered oxygen to the family via breathing tubes, which pressed up against the hamsters' noses like teeny, tiny oxygen masks. All but one of the five hamsters survived.



The hamsters were then returned to their human family.



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Firefighters snake hoses outside the still-smoking home.





"As a matter of fact, the owner carried one of them inside her shirt pocket while we were finishing overhaul of the fire and caring for the babies. ... The two adults and two remaining babies looked pretty good, considering what they had been through," Lacey Batallion Chief Tim Hulse told The Huffington Post.



The crew's prior training with a local veterinarian crew helped them execute the successful hamster rescue, as did their copy of the Pet Emergency Pocket Guide. The department's firefighters are also outfitted with a first aid kit and specialized equipment geared toward pet rescue.



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The Guide on display in front of the Lacey insignia.





"We see people most often when they are having a terrible day. We go out of our way to try and turn that around. It might be a cardiac arrest save, or when their house catches fire, [or] taking care of the family pets. Sometimes it's as simple as taking someone's groceries to their home after they are in a bad car accident," Hulse said.



H/T Elite Daily



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The Art of Doing Nothing

Doing nothing calms the soul. Doing nothing creates peace. Doing nothing helps create meaningful action. Doing nothing lets you start your something.



Doing nothing isn't easy. We all want to be productive and get stuff done, so we consume ourselves with being busy. Meetings, emails, phone calls, text messages, instant messaging, commuting, and multitasking have all become a part of our busy lives. Doing these things make us feel busy, but are we actually getting anything meaningful done?



We live in a world that views doing nothing as laziness. But doing nothing isn't about being lazy or passive. Doing nothing is about being still. The amount of time doesn't matter whether it's ten seconds or ten minutes. What matters is that you're still. You need to slow down, stop, and center yourself.



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When you start doing nothing, you start working towards meaning. Our natural state is not to be idle, but to be in constant motion. But in order to make sure our motion is going in the right direction, we first need to be still. We need to remove the noise of our busy lives, stop our movement, and let gravity pull us down.



"If we remove false needs, goals, expectations, and purposes, we strip away the need to do much of what we do. We can then be left with an emptiness that can be filled only with what's necessary, with what's natural, with what's beautiful."

~Leo Babauta, The Effortless Life



In order to start doing nothing, you need to be able to stop doing things, especially in the mornings, that deter you from doing that. So make sure you:




  1. Don't check your emails.

  2. Don't read the news or any social media.

  3. Don't watch TV.






Early mornings are the easiest times to do nothing. The world is quiet, most people are still asleep, and your mind is generally free of all the busy stuff that comes with a normal day. Treat your mornings as sacred times to do nothing each day. This process of doing nothing and being still involves three steps.




  1. Sit down

  2. Breathe

  3. Repeat #2






Ten seconds of breathing at the start of your day can make all the difference. When you inhale, feel the air going through your nostrils and filling your lungs. When you exhale, feel the air leave your body through your mouth. Control your breath. Focus on your breath. And do this as long as you need to eliminate all the noise and thoughts in your head.



Once your mind is empty, you'll be able to be fill it up with everything that is meaningful. You'll be able to prioritize what you need to accomplish for the day. You'll lift the burden of trying to always be busy. You'll start aligning yourself with your most authentic values and principles, so that you can start living the life you were meant to live. You'll be inspired for real action to make your dreams come true.



Doing nothing by sitting still and breathing can transform your life. You'll be more centered and confident. You'll be more compassionate and mindful of others. You'll be grateful for every moment of your life. And you'll be happier because you are more grateful and content.



When you wake up each day, start your day off right by doing the most important thing first. Do nothing. Sit still. Breathe. Meditate. Pray. Then open your eyes. You're now ready to take on the world.



Originally appeared on LiveFamilyTravel.com. Images courtesy of author.



Cliff Hsia is a father who is determined to live a better than normal life by traveling the world, slowly and purposefully, with his wife and two young daughters. He writes about travel, family, love, happiness, faith, and everything else that life throws at him.



Read Cliff's articles at Live Family Travel and connect with him on Facebook and Twitter.




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Could Artificial Intelligence End the Electronic Medical Record Nightmare?

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Medicine is an oral science. People talk to doctors about their problems. Doctors listen and ask questions. Doctors tell the patient's story to other doctors to share information and gain new ideas. Doctors and nurses talk about a patient's progress. They talk to social workers and physical therapists and all sorts of experts who can help solve the patient's problems and improve their health care.



The electronic medical record has killed the oral science. Doctors now hunt and peck for the information to share. Nurses stare at screens, taking half an hour to enter data, something that used to take three minutes. As far as I can see, everyone in health care hates the new quantified medical record except the insurance companies. There are hundreds of editorials by doctors documenting the fact that Electronic Medical Records are a source of huge frustration because of the excessive amount of physician time involved in data entry, time that could be spent with patients. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]



Apple's Siri, IBM's Watson and their relatives could solve this. Here is an example. (Let's call the software Siri, just to keep things simple.)



"Siri, I would like to admit Ms. Jones to the hospital for her knee replacement."

"Sure, Dr. Stone. Shall I use your pre-op order set?"

"Yes."

"Tell me the medications she is on." After I speak the medications' names, this version of Siri might ask, "Okay, let's be sure to let her cardiologist know to adjust her blood thinners a few days before surgery. And by the way, the medication she is on has been recalled and this alternative is recommended."



You can see how this could go. Artificial Intelligence has long since solved these highly formulaic situations and could prompt doctors to be better at their jobs. [7, 8, 9] Medical staff would never have to waste precious time looking through a dozen menus and screens of unrelated information.



The nurses could dictate their findings on their rounds and, through Siri, a message could notify the doctor if a wound is not looking right. The patients could tell Siri their medical history before coming to the office and then the doctor could review it with them and fill in the color the patient didn't think of.



The point is, we can all talk. We just can't type and hunt and peck efficiently. And "Siri" could both listen and add the information we may never have even learned in medical school, making both the patient and the doctor smarter.



And even the big insurance companies might love it, as the medical record could actually be accurate instead of a cut and paste job from pre-done records. Not to mention that Siri could prompt the doctor to consider a less expensive alternative to a drug, a dressing or a therapy. With just conversation, all doctors could have the knowledge base of supercomputers to make their differential diagnoses. So, shall we all talk to each other again?



References



1. Factors Affecting Physician Professional Satisfaction and Their Implications for Patient Care, Health Systems, and Health Policy by Mark W. Friedberg, Peggy G. Chen, Kristin R. Van Busum, Frances Aunon, Chau Pham,John Caloyeras, Soeren Mattke, Emma Pitchforth, Denise D. Quigley, Robert H. Brook, F. Jay Crosson, Michael Tutty



2. Why Doctors Hate EHR Software Information Week



3. Why Doctors Don't Like Electronic Health Records By RICHARD REECE, MD



4. Primary care physician time utilization before and after implementation of an electronic health record: A time-motion study Lisa Pizziferria, Anne F. Kittlera, Lynn A. Volka, Melissa M. Honourb, Sameer Guptaa, Samuel Wanga, Tiffany Wanga, Margaret Lippincotta, Qi Lia, David W. Batesa, b, c, d,



5. Impact of Electronic Health Records on Time Efficiency of Physicians and Nurses: A Systematic Review Lise Poissant, PhD, ,Jennifer Pereira, MSc, Robyn Tamblyn, PhD, Yuko Kawasumi, MSc



6. It ain't necessarily so: the electronic health record and the unlikely prospect of reducing health care costs J Sidorov - Health Affairs, 2006



7. Artificial intelligence framework for simulating clinical decision-making: A Markov decision process approach CC Bennett, K Hauser



8. Using design science and artificial intelligence to improve health communication: ChronologyMD case example Neuhauser L1, Kreps GL, Morrison K, Athanasoulis M, Kirienko N, Van Brunt D.



9. Understanding the nature of information seeking behavior in critical care: Implications for the design of health information technology Thomas G. Kannampallil, Amy Franklin, Rashmi Mishra, Khalid F. Almoosa, Trevor Cohen, Vimla L. Patel




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Does Rep. Poe Want to Undermine the Financial Stability of School Meal Programs?

Sometimes a politician introduces a bill so monumentally wrongheaded that you have to wonder what he or she is thinking. Such is the case with Rep. Ted Poe (R-Texas) who recently introduced the "Bringing Awareness and Knowledge to Exempt Schools Against Legislative Encroachment Act" (BAKE SALE Act), that would prohibit any funds from being used to implement the USDA's new rules for school fundraisers like bake sales.



Poe is inexplicably railing against the USDA's newly-implemented Smart Snack nutrition rules for the nation's schools. The healthy guidelines require that snack items must be a maximum of 200 calories. There are also limits on fat, sodium and sugar, and the rules apply to all snacks sold via school vending machines, school stores, a la carte cafeteria lines and food fundraisers.



The Smart Snack guidelines also require each state to set limits of their choosing on school food fundraisers, like bake sales, that don't meet the healthy guidelines.



However, Poe is not a fan. From his press release on the BAKE SALE Act:



"Turn off the ovens, the school bake sales are over," Poe declared on the House floor Tuesday. Poe said bake sales had been used by parents, teachers and students to help fund a range of activities.





Unfortunately, Poe is a little confused. Bake sales are not over. As mentioned above, each state gets to decide how many school food fundraisers not meeting the healthy snack guidelines can be held each school year. From a USDA blog post by Kevin Concannon, undersecretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services:



USDA has given states complete authority to set policies on fundraisers and bake sales that work for them. States are free to allow fundraisers and bake sales featuring foods and beverages that don't meet the new standards during the school day if they choose. They, not USDA, are responsible for determining the number and the frequency of these events each year.





Further evidence that Undersecretary Concannon is being forthright can be found at this database sponsored by the National Association of State Boards of Education. A review of state fundraising exemptions shows a wide variety of policy decisions -- for example, while Arizona has chosen to allow no exemptions (e.g., no food fundraisers that don't meet Smart Snack standards), bake sales and the like are permitted in Colorado (up to three per school building per school year), Idaho (up to 10 per year per school site), and in Minnesota (local education agencies may request approval for a case-by-case exemption from Smart Snack fundraising standard). I'm surprised that Poe is not satisfied with USDA's deference to each state's wishes.



But the real question is this: Does Rep. Poe understand that his BAKE SALE Act, which aims to restore unlimited junk food fundraisers in schools, would help undermine the financial stability of each district's federally-reimbursed meal program?



When a steady stream of junk food is sold on a school campus all day, too many students purchase the treats rather than a school lunch, leading to a drop in school meal participation and revenue and reimbursement loss. In our local high school, prior to the Smart Snack rules, students would have a wealth of junk food choices daily thanks to continuous fundraising efforts. A typical day might see a school club's donut sale in the morning, a charity pizza or bake sale outside the cafeteria at lunch and an athletic team's sale of candy bars in the hallway throughout the school day.



Back in May, Poe expressed concern about the financial health of school district meal programs as one of 43 House members who signed a letter asking Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to roll back healthy school nutrition standards. The letter requested waivers for schools struggling financially with healthy nutrition standard implementation. The backlash to this request was immediate as public health advocates, parents, the nation's military leaders (see their report on school meals, Retreat is Not an Option) and Michelle Obama vowed to fight the waiver request for the sake of our children's health.



Yet in spite of that backlash, Poe now proposes rolling back yet another school nutrition provision in order to allow junk food fundraising on school campuses on a regular basis. You can't have it both ways, Rep. Poe -- demanding waivers for school meal programs that are struggling financially, while causing more of these programs to struggle by forcing them to compete with daily junk food fundraisers.



If the congressman remains unconvinced that unlimited junk food fundraising harms the financial health of a school's reimbursable meal program, I suggest he speak with some school food directors in his home state of Texas. The many directors I've spoken with over the years consistently railed against the constant availability of junk food treats on school campuses that compete with the healthier school food programs and siphon off precious revenue and reimbursements.



Trying to fund school activities or charities at the expense of children's health is unconscionable. I can only hope that Congress realizes that the BAKE SALE Act will not only damage the health of our children but the financial health of the very school lunch programs we've worked hard to improve.



This article first appeared in The Hill .



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The Alphabet of Happiness: 'Q'

Have you ever longed for more happiness? One thing that just makes sense is that the more ways you know to access happiness, the more of it you will experience. We're not just talking about the laugh-till-you-cry extreme; we're including the subtle ways to bring more joy into your life, no matter the external circumstances. Small shifts can lead to big changes. Today, let's jump into the letter "Q" and explore how questioning, quiet and quality relationships can ignite, deepen and enhance your adventure, starting right now...



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Question

"The common question that gets asked in business is, 'Why?' That's a good question, but an equally valid question is, 'Why not?'"

-- Jeff Bezoz




What is the best question that someone ever asked you? What is the best question that you have ever asked yourself? Joseph Campbell has a good one: "The big question is whether you are going to be able to say yes to your adventure."



The good thing about questioning is that it allows us to emerge from running on autopilot, and step into a more conscious life. By asking questions such as, "Does my past define my future?" we can look at the beliefs that have shaped us and discern if they serve us now. By questioning "How self-compassionate can I be to myself?" we can cultivate a new level of kindness, which then shapes our interactions with others.



By asking the question "Who am I at my core essential self?" we can notice if our circumstances support that expression, and if they do not, we can ask, "What can I change within myself to ease the journey?" By questioning, "What do I want in this life, what am I willing to commit myself to, and who can I help along the way?" there's no limit to the awesomeness that we open up to. And by asking "How can this be even better?" we allow space for synchronicity to surface, for magic to manifest and for grace to dance through our lives. What question are you ready to ask?



Quiet

"The best cure for the body is a quiet mind." -- Napoleon Bonaparte


In the hectic pace of day-to-day life, are you overwhelmed by a never-ending to-do list that doesn't let you finish what you have in front of you, not to mention carve out any time for yourself? Who isn't constantly being bombarded by external demands, the latest shocking news story or checking devices till all hours? Then, there are all the internal stories and the mind chatter that run rampant inside of our heads. Is there any wonder why so many feel so scattered? It's increasingly so important to "collect" ourselves; and experiencing quiet is one of the fastest ways to get there.



Whether it is through being in nature, doing some mindfulness meditation or just shutting off the phone, we all need the opportunity to tune out the stimuli and stress, and tune into the deeper, calm and peaceful aspects of our nature. If you want to catch the whispers of inspiration, your mind has to be quiet enough to hear them. If you want to get some answers from your inner guidance system, you need to access that part of you. To refresh your body, quiet the chatter in your mind. Try to shut off all buzzing sounds and blinking lights -- you will sleep better too.



By entering the stillness inside, you will cut through the static, mental movies or whatever else is playing inside your head. In the stillness, all the answers reside.



So take a few deep breaths, listening for the silence between the inhale and the exhale. Make an appointment with yourself for quiet time -- it will enliven all the other hours of the day.



Quality Relationships

"You cannot hang out with negative people and expect to live a positive life."

-- Joel Osteen




It is said that you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. Make sure to surround yourself with people who celebrate your successes rather than those who would keep you small. There is a story that talks about two buckets: One is full of crabs, the other full of frogs -- and both want to get free. While the frogs work together, even piling themselves up to help one another find a way out of the bucket, the crabs are different. As even one crab starts to climb out, the others will grab its leg and pull it down. So instead of hanging out with "crabs," spend time with those who inspire you to leap forward and help others do the same. Positivity is contagious and so much more fun.



Choose friends you trust to support your dreams. Doing that for one another defines a "quality relationship." Enjoy the joy that positive relationships create. You deserve nothing less.



What Qs add to your happiness? How do you find quiet amidst the noise?



More on the Alphabet of Happiness



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Taking Care of Our Mind: Interview With Dan Harris

An original skeptic, Dan Harris has learned how to "tame the voice in his head and reduce stress without losing his edge" by meditating. After suffering a panic attack on air, the ABC news reporter began his journey into the self-help arena and found something that has made him 10% Happier, the title of his best-selling memoir. He graciously agreed to share some thoughts here.



As a journalist having witnessed the horrors of war, what were some of your PTSD symptoms, and how have you turned them into post-traumatic growth?



I don't think I had PTSD. This isn't talked about much. But what messed me up in going to war zones was the adrenaline; I became addicted to the rush of it. That's not to say that I didn't witness things that people could describe as traumatic -- I lost friends, I saw people in great distress, and I was shot at -- but I just don't think that created my problem. I think it really was the adrenaline. In my book I describe it as journalistic heroin -- the rush of being somewhere you're not supposed to be and not only getting away with it but getting on television. It's a high. When I came home the world seemed gray and uninteresting. I got depressed, and I did a really dumb thing -- I self-medicated, and that led me to having a panic attack. How did that lead to post-traumatic growth? It was a winding road. It wasn't a direct line from panic attack to finding meditation. It was one event in the chain of events that got me to this place where I found something that I always thought was ridiculous, but it turns out to be very useful.



How have you taken control of your life beyond the standard treatment of therapy and medication?



Meditation, which is something I always reflexively rejected and thought was only for weirdos and gurus, turns out to have an enormous amount of science that strongly suggest it has a wide range of health benefits, everything from lower release of stress hormones to lower blood pressure to higher functioning of the immune system to literally rewiring key parts of the brain. When I learned about the science and when I learned that meditation did not involve wearing robes and lighting incense or chanting or joining any group or believing in anything, but that it's actually a very simple brain exercise, I decided to give it a shot. And I started five minutes a day, and that's what I recommend others do. I think it can have a significant impact. You can ignore all the self-help gurus who promise that you can solve all your problems through one simple technique. That is not what meditation will do for you. But it will give you a different relationship to those problems and that's transformational.



In terms of being a happy person, I think you use every arrow in the quiver, and that includes getting enough sleep, exercise, eating right and having good relationships in your life. All the studies show that relationships are often the most important variable. I happened to have married very well and we have really good friends; and I love my colleagues. There's another thing -- gratitude is also very important. I think we have to pull every lever we can to make sure we're as happy as possible. For too long meditation has been left out of the equation because thought it either ridiculous or impossible. My argument is that we spend a lot of time and money taking care of our bodies, our cars and homes and pets, but we don't spend a lot of time taking care of the one filter through which we experience literally everything in our life, and that's our mind. And that's what meditation can help with.



As a type A person, what has meditation been able to do for you?



I'm definitely type A, and I'm still type A and high-stressed even after starting meditation. I don't think meditation is designed to make you a lifeless blob. It does a couple of key things: It teaches you how to respond wisely instead of blindly reacting to the things in your life. So if somebody cuts you off on the road, rather than just automatically flying into a rage, you might be able to notice, "Oh I'm getting angry," and you can let it pass. That doesn't mean squashing it; it just means recognizing what's happening and making a decision: "Am I going to let my emotions yank me around or not?" This doesn't work 100 percent of the time. There's a reason why I called the book 10% Happier; some percentage of time this tool will work. The other thing is, I still believe that strain, stress, striving, plotting, planning is all required if you're striving for excellence in any endeavor, be it professional, grandparenting, volunteering, stay-at-home "momming" (even though that's not a verb), all of those things require a lot of angst. What meditation can help you do is figure out when you cross the line between what I call constructive anguish and useless rumination. And so on the 17th time that I'm worrying about all the awful consequences of whether I'm going to make a flight, I've learned to ask myself: "Is it useful?" And often I'm able to cut myself off before I go down the rat hole of rumination and resentment. That means I spend less time miserable and also that I'm not taking out my stress as much on my wife.



What advice would you give others to bring in more happiness and well-being into their lives?



One of my regrets about the book is that I fear inadvertently I sent a message that meditation is for people who've got some sort of major problem, like I had a panic attack and therefore I meditate. In fact, meditation is for everybody. Specifically, it's good for well people -- for high-achieving people who would never otherwise consider it. My argument is, you should give meditation a shot, and all it takes is five minutes a day. It doesn't need to be another thing you add to your list of things to do that are stressing you out. Everybody has five minutes, even if you have 47 children and 17 part-time jobs. You've got five minutes, right when you wake up, right before you go to bed, when you pull car into the driveway, before you go into the house; you can set your alarm on your phone and do five minutes. You can get instructions on the Web. Just Google mindful mediation; you'll find instructions that are incredibly simple. It also helps to go to a class and read books, but if you don't want to do that, you can learn the basics and go for it.



There are enough gurus for relationships and exercise and all that. I'm pro all of that, but I'm largely focused on meditation.



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There's a Strong Link Between Solving the Global Climate Crisis and Improving Our Health

Consider the following (seemingly unrelated) realities: 1) An estimated 7 million deaths are attributed to air pollution every year; 2) over half of the U.S. population does not attain recommended minimum levels of daily exercise, contributing to rising rates of obesity and related diabetes, cancer and heart disease; and 3) greenhouse gas emissions -- responsible for the global climate crisis -- rose the fastest (roughly 2 percent per year) in the past decade, approximately twice the rate from the period between 1970 and 2000.






What do these three threats to our health and our planet have in common? Fossil fuels. Fossil fuel combustion accounted for approximately 78 percent of the total increase in carbon dioxide between 1970 and 2010. Of course burning oil, gas and coal also release pollutants such as fine particulates, e.g. PM2.5, known to be harmful to human health. Therefore, cleaner energy can help both reduce the heating of the planet, while saving lives from air pollution. Greenhouse gas mitigation strategies could avoid about 1 to 4 million deaths annually by 2050. As for the costs of cleaner energy sources, monetized human health benefits associated with improved air quality can offset between 26 to 1,050 percent of the cost of U.S. low-carbon policies; in other words, the value of health dividends could swamp the costs of striving for an energy efficient, low-carbon economy.






These numbers are not at all surprising, given US EPA estimates of a return of $30 for every dollar invested in reducing air pollution through the Clean Air Act. Of course health benefits will be even greater in highly polluted cities, for example, in East and South Asia.






Addition health and economic benefits can further augment those that stem from improved air quality. For example, studies of the cost of heat induced reductions in labor productivity from global warming approximate $2 trillion per year by 2030. Moreover, as the world emulates Western lifestyles with automobile-dependent transportation and meat-based diets, upward trends in chronic diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease, are now occurring throughout the world.






Herein lies even more golden opportunities for public health through: first, adopting more alternative modes of transportation, especially those that promote "active transport" by foot or by bicycle, alongside of effective public transportation; and second, by reducing meat in the diet.






In the U.S. upper Midwest region alone, if half of short car trips (under 5 miles round-trip) were achieve by bicycle during the summer, approximately 500 deaths could be avoided annually due to benefits from physical fitness. Active transport in Shanghai, China, could reduce colon cancer risk by 48 percent in men and 44 percent in women, and bike commuting in London could lower ischemic heart disease by 10 to 19 percent.






In the U.S., comparing cities with highest versus lowest levels of active transport, obesity rates are 20 percent lower and diabetes rates are 23 percent less. Bicycling commuters in Copenhagen have a 39 percent reduction in mortality rate compared to non-cycling commuters.






Knowing the co-benefits to both health and the environment, "Meatless Mondays" might expand across more days of the week. In the UK, if 50 percent of meat and dairy in the diet were replaced by fruit, vegetables and cereals, greenhouse gas emissions might drop by 19 percent, while at the same time potentially 30,192 to 43,592 deaths could be averted per year by the reduction of saturated fat in the diet. One caveat, however, is that meat in the developing world provides essential protein and micronutrients -- so this recommendation is geared primarily to the "supersized" world.






In conclusion, current rates of chronic disease alongside continued rising trends in fossil fuel-based energy consumption that causes climate change (more accurately called the global climate crisis) present daunting risks to civilization. Yet, the interdependence of these challenges affords a golden opportunity to solve both simultaneously. Last week's UN Climate Summit offers hope that political will and leadership have finally arrived; may we look forward to a healthier, low-carbon economy in the very near future.






This post is part of a month-long series produced by The Huffington Post in conjunction with a variety of events being held in September recognizing the threats posed by climate change. Those events include the UN's Climate Summit 2014 (that was held Sept. 23, 2014, at UN headquarters in New York) and Climate Week NYC (Sept. 22-28, 2014, throughout New York City). To see all the posts in the series, read here.



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Conquer Fear, Dream a Little, and Go on That Sabbatical

Going on a sabbatical is equivalent to conducting a life experiment. Breaking away from your regular routine will let you test whether your life can be significantly better if you live differently. Maybe that means living in a different country, learning a new skill, changing jobs or completing your bucket list. But even as exciting as it sounds and the happiness it promises, the decision doesn't come easy.



When considering going on a sabbatical your thought pattern might look like this: I desperately want time away. Want a new perspective. But if I do it will the world stop? What will I do if I am unemployed upon my return? Should I wait until retirement? Can I really afford it? Will my family be ok with it? Am I going crazy? Fear has a great paralyzing effect, thus most people abandon the idea quickly. Sadly only a few get to find out that once you do it, the world keeps on going and everything is fine. Making this decision is actually about conquering fear.



I found the best way to overcome the fear and ease into the decision of going on a sabbatical is to actually begin to plan it, even if you feel you are not ready. Instead of having this debate in your head, where fear always wins, sit down and begin to plan how your life experiment would look like. The reason why this strategy works is simple: it appeals to both your mind and your heart. When you begin to plan your time away you will a) Determine if you can really do it or not -- the rational part and b) If your heart really wants it, the courage to make the decision will come naturally.



Here are the planning steps to follow that will greatly ease your fear:



1. Set an intention. Having a clear intention or theme for your life experiment will give you strong rationale why to do it. It will also help you design the kind of sabbatical that is right for you. Here are some examples of intentions: travel around the world, self-discovery, religious pilgrimage, learn a language, write, time with the family, a bucket list journey, volunteering. Or simply just to get away, which is a totally valid reason. Which one is the right for you?



2. Articulate your biggest fear. What is the worst that can happen if you go on a sabbatical? Write it down. Is what you fear the most completely true? Would you go on a sabbatical right away if that fear turns out not to be true? You will find that what is holding you back is just thoughts. More often than not, the new life possibilities will surpass your worst fears. My biggest fear was impacting my career negatively. Worst case, I needed to find a new job upon my return. I was ok with that. I articulated that fear, I conquered it, and guess what? I got promoted upon my return.



3. Research your support options. If you are employed, understand what benefits are available to you. Most companies these days offer a time-away-from-office option. If you are self- employed, understand how your responsibilities can be delegated and continued while away. Consider involving your family, support network and friends to either help out while you are gone or visit them during your trip. Making them part of your experience will be enriching for them as well.



4. Set your budget and length of time. Money and time are the two variables that you need to plan around. There is a sabbatical for every budget and length of time. You can make a long sabbatical cheap or a short one very expensive and vice versa. Money shouldn't be an excuse not to go on a sabbatical. There are plenty of options to travel and live cheaply, especially outside the US. Just keep in mind that you also need to plan for any cost or commitments that you leave behind like rent, utilities, etc.



5. Go after Experiences. Most sabbaticals will allow you to experience life differently. That is where the growth comes from. Being present and in touch with life. Maybe you want to play Globe trekker or immerse yourself in a new language?. Build a rough sketch of the main places you are drawn to, while looking at a map, as it is helpful to keep the distances in mind. Or maybe you want to focus on one activity and volunteering? Research options and contact people at the location you are interested to understand what your day to day might be like. Get excited. Of course don't over-plan; just prioritize activities and experiences that will allow you live life differently.





6. Get familiar with technology and travel insurance. Currency and language translators, digital itineraries like Tripit, Government travel advisories and Trip advisor reviews -- are all available tools that make you a savvy traveler. Having very good travel insurance will also ease your fear. All these tools will make you feel equipped on your journey and also provide a safety net in case of trouble. There are multiple providers and options to choose from.



7. Daydream. Finally, the last step to ease your fear is to daydream! Let your daydreams take over, say yes more often than no. The rest will follow. I leave you with three great sample itineraries from sabbatical experiences from friends and from my own.





Theme based Experiment: Different country/experience every week. (Seven weeks, Budget: $10,000 )

Week 1: Two countries in Central and South America

Week 2: Teaching/ volunteering

Week 3: Family and friends time

Week 4: Thailand- Beach, Detox and yoga

Week 5 and 6: Cambodia, Hong Kong, other Asian destinations

Week 7 : Spiritual Retreat at the Omega Institute with Eckhart Tolle




Around the world Experiment: Eight months with one around the world ticket (Budget: $20,000)



60 Days in Africa (Adventure and Volunteering): From Cape Tow to North Africa

Turkey: 15 days around the country highlights

India: Cross country train trip (six weeks)

Mongolia: Living in the desert experience (one week)

Southeast Asia: Visiting Top cities (one month)




Around the US visiting National parks: Family with three kids (two months, Budget: $5,000)



From Mid-west to West Coast on an RV

Benefits they reported back: Experience of bonding together and with nature, reset

expectations on what is really important. Best gift they could have given their family.




Follow these steps to let fear go and finally go on that well deserved sabbatical. It can change your life. And you will see that your world does not stop, does not fall apart, when you invest in yourself. Even if you decide not to go on a sabbatical now, I hope you still do it in this lifetime. Remember, the trip really begins when you start to plan it. Whether it is on paper or real, enjoy it!



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