What is the cellphone popcorn trick?

I saw this video on YouTube where people use four cellphones (eight actually) to make the cell phones pop popcorn. The video was used in a headphone commercial for CardoSystems whose website only features a segment of the video.

From About.com: Alex Boese figures there must be a heating element hidden under the table. A physics professor consulted by Wired.com concurs, suggesting there may have been some sneaky editing involved as well.

Louis Bloomfield, a physics professor at the University of Virginia said "In a microwave oven, energy excites the water inside popcorn kernels until it turns into highly pressurized gas, causing the kernels to pop. If mobile phones emitted that much energy, the water in the fingers of people holding them would heat up. It would hurt like crazy," Bloomfield said.

So there's a trick.

The most absolutely absurd explanations (but pretty much ONLY explanations I found) were people who actually hooked up microwaves to their living room tables.

Seriously? Sounds like a good way to grow a third arm.

This is so dumb I can't even keep writing about it.

Does sleeping next to a cell phone cause cancer?

I always wondered this, because I've been using my cellphone as an alarm clock for at least three years if not longer. I heard that sleeping close to an alarm clock itself, or anything electrical is not healthy and should be avoided, so I'm assuming since there's already a scare on the cellphone vs. cancer debate, that there might be some info on how bad it might be sleeping next to one while it's on.

Turns out, there isn't a lot of info on the subject so I'm guessing there's not much to worry about. Even the whole "cellphones will give you cancer" theory is still needing much research and hasn't been proven. Of course I didn't think I'd use the article and now I can't find it, but it said that someone had sued the cellphone companies because his wife had gotten a tumor and he blames cellphones. The charge ended up being dismissed because there wasn't enough evidence. Oh but here's another story, even better...

In the tests, they tested people with cancer and without and noone seemed to get cancer or worsen their cancer by using a cellphone. The article also said that they've been testing rats for a while and the rats got cancer either way since rats are predisposed to getting cancer.

As for sleeping next to your phone...

Many articles have said not to sleep with an electronic device within 3-4 feet of your head. I guess the same goes for a cellphone. Many people in the Yahoo Answers forum say that they've been doing it for years and don't have any issues.

A little experiment at MIT did show however that sleeping next to your cellphone will disrupt your sleep.

Here's some info from a related article by AssociatedContent.com:

"Many phones have 884 MHz wireless signals, which have been linked to affecting one's sleep. In addition those who use their cell phones before sleep have more headaches and are much more tired.

The study further showed that cell phone radiation exposure during the night while reduce one's ability to recuperate from a stressful and difficult day. The study is disturbing that anyone who sleeps remotely close to a cell phone could have many problems during their routine day. The study did not provide the amount of distance the phone has to be by a person while sleeping to have an adverse affect."

So while I found practically nothing about cellphones causing cancer while you sleep (I'm guessing it'll be another 10 or 20 years before they can prove it), I found dozens of articles on cellphones disrupting your sleep. That's enough to atleast put the cellphone across the room at night. The more beauty sleep I get, the better.

why do people get b12 shots?

I'm one of those people who trusts doctors. aside from taking medications (which i rarely follow through on), i'll pretty much do what the doctor tells me to. i recently started getting B12 shots by my doctor monthly after some bloodwork came back saying i was deficient. maybe there's more to it than that, but i don't obsess outwardly about health issues as much as i do internally, so i never questioned why i needed them.

what is b12 good for?

b12 is found in meat, eggs and dairy products. According to this, Vitamin B12 is necessary for the synthesis of red blood cells, the maintenance of the nervous system, and growth and development in children. Deficiency can cause anaemia. Vitamin B12 neuropathy, involving the degeneration of nerve fibres and irreversible neurological damage, can also occur. B12 plays a vital role in the metabolism of fatty acids essential for the maintainence of myelin.

who gets the shot?

now, from what i found, most people don't need the shot. people who are b12 deficient (such as vegans and such) should be taking the oral form of b12. the only people who need the shot are people who can't absorb it.

now from what i've read, the only people who can't absorb it are generally people who don't have stomaches anymore (which i also read is not that uncommon since most nutrients are absorbed in the intestines).

what changes when you get the shot?

i personally get a boost of energy for a day or so when i get the shot. from what i've read, the sort of people who need it tend to have chronic fatigue syndome, muscle aches and things like that so it makes sense.

some people get the shot once a week, or twice a week. i get it once a month so it must not be too detrimental. i read that a lot of people take it for weight loss, so that's a big fat AWESOME on that one.

so in conclusion, i have no idea why i personally have to get the shot instead of taking pills.. as far as i know i still have a stomach, so maybe my stomach just doesn't like b12 very much. or maybe my vegetarian boyfriend and his picky eating preferences has affected my health. sweet... leverage.

What is Reflexology?

Whenever you get a massage, "reflexology" is an add-on. I never knew what it was, but I always wondered "why no foot rub?" when I got my massage.

Hey guess what? Reflexology is the foot rub (and hand rub). Wish I'd known this before now!

According to reflexology-research.com:

Reflexology is the physical act of applying pressure to the feet and hand with specific thumb, finger and hand techniques without the use of oil or lotion. it is based on a system of zones and reflex areas that reflect an image of the body on the feet and hands with a premise that such work effects a physical change to the body.


Yeah, you've seen that chart before. I actually got a foot massage once in San Francisco in chinatown after walking a few miles. I saw a similar chart up on the wall. The guy was all about pushing, squeezing and rubbing all the different "zones" (sounds dirty doesn't it?). The picture on the wall was too far for me to see what was what, but I know I walked out feeling like I was walking on clouds.

How long can food last in a refrigerator or freezer that without electricity?

Say the electricity goes out for a couple days. How long will your food last if you don't open the door and hope for the electricity to come back on ASAP?

According to a report on Food Poisoning by HealthDept.org:

• A refridgerator can stay safely cold for only 4-6 hours. To keep it colder longer, put some ice in the refrigerator.
• A fully stocked freezer can stay frozen for up to 2 days. A half stocked freezer can stay good for a day.

This WikiAnswers page confirms it.

NESPower.com says to "check the temperature inside your fridge once electricity is restored to determine if the food is safe to eat. It should be at or below 40 degrees with the freezer at or below zero degrees."

According to SPTimes.com:

The following foods spoil quickly: Meat, poultry, fish, eggs and egg substitutes (raw or cooked), milk, cream, yogurt and soft cheese; casseroles, stews or soups, lunch meats and hot dogs; creamy salad dressings; custard, chiffon or cheese pies; refrigerated cookie dough; and open mayonnaise, tartar sauce and horseradish will be spoiled after eight hours without refrigeration. Do not eat anything that smells bad or is an odd color.

The following foods keep at room temperature for a few days: butter or margarine; hard and processed cheese; fresh fruits and vegetables; fruit juices and dried fruit; opened jars of vinegar-based salad dressings; jelly, relish, taco sauce, barbecue sauce, mustard, ketchup, olives; fresh herbs and spices; fruit pies, breads and cakes, except cream cheese-frosted or cream-filled. Discard anything that turns moldy or has an unusual odor.

Well there goes my $200 grocery shopping spree :/

What are the side-effects of the seasickness patch (scopolamine patch)?

Now, I didn't think the scopolamine patch would give you weird side-effects like compulsive-gambling, anal leakage, or death but it definitely seems to have a few. I must say, I really shouldn't have looked this up before I leave tomorrow.

This site alone would stop someone from using the patch.

The most common side effects:

Dry mouth

Dizziness

Blurred Vision

Drowsiness

Restlessness

Dilated Pupils

Flushing

Dry of Itchy Eyes

More uncommon side effects:

Paranoia and Anxiety

Seeing "ghosts" or hallucinating

Withdrawal symptoms (nausea, dizziness, anxiety, poor coordination, headache)

Other things I learned:

• I learned from several sources that Scopolamine is considered "truth-serum", and was used back in the day to make convicts confess to crimes. It was also used on terrorists after the 9/11 attacks.
• I learned that the chemical formula for Scopolamine is C17H21NO4, which is the same as cocaine. 
• I learned that Scopolamine is now being referred to as a new version of the date-rape drug.
• Mixed with morphine, Scopolamine used to be used during childbirth so that women would "forget the pain", but would sometimes afterwards suffer post-traumatic stress.

Now, a lot of people have no side effects besides a little dry mouth and love the patch, but what is more interesting to me, because I'm a glutton for punishment, are are negative reactions:

Users from this cruise thread had these reactions:

• "really bad blurred vision, dry mouth, extreme dizziness, confusion"
• "on the second day, I 'saw' an elephant on deck! I removed the patch, and tried it again on the fourth day. The fifth day I 'saw' a Goodyear blim hovering over the ship, dropping watermelons onto the deck!"
• " I took mine off when I was sitting on the bed with my husband beside me watching tv and I yelled out "Bryan.. where are you??" And he was right there next to me. I could have sworn he got up and left the cabin and hadn't come back."

I might be over-thinking, but maybe it's better to just stick it out with Dramamine...

What are the Symptoms of Mono?

Mononeucleosis is referred to as the "kissing desease", because it's transmitted through saliva. It's a member of the Epstein-Barr virus, which is part of the herpes family, but I wouldn't go spreading that around if you have it ;)

The initial symptoms of Mono:

• Being tired all the time
• A really bad sore throat
• Loss of appetite
• Chills

Later symptoms of Mono:

• A fever of 102 to 104 degrees F
• Headache
• Muscle aches
• Enlarged/swollen glands or lymph nodes in the neck, armpit and groin
• 1/3 of infectees have a white covering over tonsils
• 50% get an enlarged spleen (think chest pain and loss of breath)
  
• 5% get a red rash that resembles measles

How do you get Mono?

• Sharing drinks, cigarettes, straws, eating utensils, etc.
• Kissing
• Being extraordinarily close to an infected person who coughs or sneezes
• Using the cellphone of someone who has Mono
  

When do you start showing signs of Mono?

• Some people never show signs and are merely an incubator, and can pass it on to others
• Symptoms can star showing up from 14 to 60 days from infection

How do you treat Mono:

• Sleep and wait it out
• Drugs don't work, and Amoxicillan gives 90% of patients a rash
• Since the spleen is bloated and close to rupture, you shouldn't play contact sports for 6-8 weeks

How long are you considered contagious?

• You are infectious for up to 18 months from initial infection
• Like herpes, the virus can be reactivated throughout your life, so there's no way to really know

When does Mono finally go away?

• Sore throat, headaches, and fever will go away within a couple weeks
• Fatigue can last from 6 weeks to 6 months
• If it makes you feel better, most people that get mono won't "get it" again, even though it might be in their system
  

Sources:
http://www.coolnurse.com/mono.htm
http://www.medicinenet.com/infectious_mononucleosis/page3.htm
http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/common/infections/common/viral/077.html
http://www.jhu.edu/~shcenter/mono.htm
http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/library/DS/00352.html

Are Raw Vegetables Healthier than Cooked?

Amander and I had a debate last night at Uno's as to whether or not her excuse for not eating the steamed broccoli in her Fetuccini Alfredo was valid or not. "Cooked vegetables have no nutritional value anyhow, most of the nutrients are cooked out of them". I disagreed, and thus a blog was born.

It turns out we were both a little right, and both a little wrong.

Raw food experts will tell you that raw food improves overall well-being, purification, longevity, gives you more energy, and is a cure for diseases like chronic fatigue syndrome, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, and even cancer. Scientific evidence has yet to back up these claims.

It is also thought that cooking (heating foods above 116 degrees Fahrenheit) destroys vitamins and minerals and that cooked foods take longer to digest and tend to allow partially digested fats, proteins and carbohydrates to clog up our digestive system and arteries.

Organica's manager Larry Weinstein, a longtime raw food enthusiast agrees that exposing these enzymes to heat and nearly all will be inactivated. The body, he says, then has to pick up the slack and make more of its own enzymes, using energy that it could've used for other things -- like chewing a raw carrot.

But raw isn't always best. Rutgers University and Taiwanese researchers at last spring's annual American Chemical Society meeting in San Francisco say that they found that the body more easily absorbs iron from 37 of 48 vegetables tested when they're boiled, stir-fried, steamed, or grilled. Of note, the absorbable iron in cabbage jumped from 6.7% to 27% with cooking. That of broccoli flowerets rose from 6% to 30%. [source]

An article from 2000 by Tula Karras of WebMD says that tomatoes may also be best not in the salad, but in the sauce. A study published in the December 6, 1995 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that eating cooked tomatoes could improve your chances of avoiding prostate cancer. Harvard researchers studied men who ate lots of tomato sauce, including that in foods like pizza and spaghetti. Those who ate at least 10 servings of tomato sauce every week were 45% less likely to develop prostate cancer than men who ate fewer servings.

According to the Dec. 26 issue of ACS Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, a new study says that researchers evaluated the effects of three commonly-used Italian cooking practices — boiling, steaming, and frying — on the nutritional content of carrots, zucchini and broccoli. Boiling and steaming maintained the antioxidant compounds of the vegetables, whereas frying caused a significantly higher loss of antioxidants in comparison to the water-based cooking methods, they say. For broccoli, steaming actually increased its content of glucosinolates, a group of plant compounds touted for their cancer-fighting abilities.

"The findings suggest that it may be possible to select a cooking method for each vegetable that can best preserve or improve its nutritional quality", the researchers say.

In conclusion.. it seems that Amander should have eaten her broccoli. I win.

Why is it So Hard to Quit Smoking Cigarettes?

Let's face it, noone WANTS to be a smoker. In fact, most smokers "plan to quit". Nobody starts smoking and pictures the future with them STILL smoking, nestled up next to their grandkids, chain-smoking Winston Lights, ashing it in their newborn grandsons' soft spot.

Sure, every smoker has exclaimed "I LOVE SMOKING" at one point or another, because, well, it's fun. And being a smoker attracts other smokers, and the one thing I missed when I quit smoking was the unspoken bond between us smokers. If you smoke, you know what I mean. "Got a lighter? You smoke menthols? I used to smoke Parliaments. I'm quitting. I quit for 5 years. These bitches are stale. I hate the firesafe cigarettes. Hurts so good." You've always got a friend in a smoker, it's like an unspoken support group.

Supposedly cigarettes are harder to quit than heroin, and we smokers can come up with EVERY excuse in the book not to quit, which I think makes us the best procrastinators. If your loved ones have ever used one of these on you, now you understand:

1. you can't quit if you're going on vacation (smoking is fun!)
   
2. you can't quit if there's an outdoor activity coming up (still fun!)
   
3. you can't quit if your friends at work smoke (bad influences!)
   
4. you can't quit unless someone is quitting with you (moral support!)
   
5. you can't quit in the middle of the day (or once you've already had one)
6. you cant quit if your house still has butts in the ashtray (too tempting)
   
7. you can't quit while you still have a full pack (can't waste it!)
   
8. you can't quit if all of your friends still smoke (who will you hang out with?)
   
9. you can't quit while your sweatshirt or jacket still smells like cigarettes (just gross)
   
10. you can't quit on a weekday (atleast not if you have a regular routine job during the week)
11. you can't quit if you have a stressful morning (self-explanatory)
    
12. you can't quit in a familiar smoking environment (aka, wait until you move)
13. you can't quit if you didn't know your last cigarette was your last cigarette, becauuuse...
14. you can't quit if you don't savor your last cigarette
15. you can't quit by any means other than cold turkey (nicorette gum sucks)
    

My own personal best excuse is:

> 16. you need a full nights sleep of detoxing before you quit (easier on the nerves)
combine that with
> you can't quit while you still have a pack of cigarettes

and here's why i say i'm going to quit every night, and end up smoking the next morning.

because even if it's 11pm at night when i run out of cigarettes (thus setting me up for a morning with no cigarettes), i'll still go out and buy a pack to last me the rest of the night, BECAUSE:

> you can't quit in the middle of the day (or at night in this case).

which brings be to the next morning, where:

> you can't quit while you still have a pack of cigarettes

Logical, huh? Setting yourself up for failure is probably not your best best when quitting smoking.

What is the Best Medicine for Sea / Motion Sickness?

So I'm getting on a big boat and cruising the Caribbean in a few weeks. I'm pretty sensitive to motion sickness, so my obvious fear is that I'll be clenching my stomach with my upper half over the railing for half of the trip. Since I overdosed on Dramamine a few weeks ago after a flight on a tiny plane from Nantucket, I'm assuming there's another way.

The Israeli Navy has done research that indicates the two best drugs for motion sickness are:

• Scopolamine (recently put back on the market by the fda, but it has lots of side effects)
  
• Cinnarizine (not available in the US)
  

Scopolamine has quite a few side effects, and it's also available in two forms: patch and pill. Both need a prescription.

• The Pill: The pill has the best results, based on studies by NASA. Quick absorbency and high relief rate, with the least amount of side effects (drowsiness, dry mouth, etc.) You need to take it more often (as you do with any pills), but it's cheaper than the patch.
  
  
• The Patch: This is the most popular remedy for sea-sickness and comes in the form of a band-aid type patch that you put behind your ear. Not the best results with only around 50-75% of users in a recent study got relief from the patch. Also, the patch takes up to 12 hours to take effect. Also, there is no dosing flexability, so a large person and a small person take the same amount, which can make it either too effective, or not effective enough. The patches last for up to three days.
  

Over-the-counter medications are also available, but on a long cruise, I don't really see these as the best option.

• Dramamine: In my opinion, this is the best medication for motion sickness. I have never gotten even slight motion sickness after taking Dramamine. It comes in the non-drowsy formula, but I've never used it. From what I've read, it is less effective and I don't like to play with that.
  
  
• Bonine: Bonine has been known to be better than Dramamine, but in my own experience, I think that's a crock. I used Bonine on a fast-speed ferry to Block Island once and I didn't end up "doing the deed", but it was certainly a miserable ride and I could not wait to get off the boat. Bonine is popular because it makes you much less drowsy than Dramamine.

Wristbands have become increasingly popular, just make sure you read the instructions:

• Electric: If you're looking to turn a few heads, there's the "Relief Band". According to Woodside BioMedical, the ReliefBand "uses electronic signals to stimulate nerves in the wrist. It is believed that those signals stimulate natural nerve impulses in the body, causing them to interfere with nausea messages en route to the stomach."
  
  
• Acupressure: There are many variations of these. According to About.com, "There is a point about an inch and a half above your wrist on the underside of the arm where the wrist band applies pressure. Many people swear by the wrist bands and they sell in large numbers." If you miss the spot though, you're pretty much screwed.

Au Natural might be your route if you're a hippie or scientologist (just kidding) [source]:

• Trip Ease should be taken 2 hours before boarding but also works if you're already feeling seasick (contains 6 natural active ingredients and has no drowsiness or other side effects)
  
  
• Sea Sik Oral Spray to be sprayed under your tongue 3 times a day or more if needed (contains 7 natural active ingredients and has no drowsiness or other side effects).
  
  
• On The Move capsules (contains ginger root, licorice root and cayenne) also help alleviate motion sickness and can also be used to combat headaches.
  
  
• Ginger: Everyone knows gingerale calms your stomach. But I'm a ginger ale addict, so I doubt that ginger is going to do a thing for me.
  

Food: For whatever reason, having food in your stomache actually helps with motion sickness. From what I've read, "oatmeal, bagels, crusty bread or any food that forms a bolus in the stomach can be helpful." [source]

Some super tips for avoiding sea sickness: [source]:

• Do not go below deck for extended time periods. Try to find a window or porthole and keep your eyes gazing (but not fixed) on the horizon.
• Do not look through binoculars for long periods of time.
• Do not stare at objects your brain will interpret as stable. Anything that involves staring at one point such as reading a book, doing detailed needlework, or even staring at a compass might bring on a bout of seasickness.
• Try to stay on deck in the fresh air and focus on anything other than the moving ship.
  
• Take deep breaths and drink plenty of water.
  
• Try to face forward (rather than to the side)
  
• Remember that you need to let your brain adjust to this new unstable environment by allowing the horizon to act as the true point of reference.

My conclusion is that I think I'm going to try the patch. Because if I try to do the Scopolamine pill, I know that I will get cocky and stop taking it once I don't feel sick. Then I will end up showing my half-digested lunch to some poor people just trying to take a nice vacation. And I won't feel good about that.

Why Do Beans Give Gas?

Beans, beans, they're good for your heart!

Beans contain sugars that we humans cannot digest. The most offensive sugars, known as "flatulence factors" to scientists who research farts, are raffinose, stachiose, and verbascose. When these sugars reach our intestines, the bacteria go wild, have a big feast, and make lots of gas! [source]

Well, when we eat beans, or cabbage, or any other gassy food, it all gets mushed up in our stomach and is passed into the small intestine. Now, the types of sugar found in beans are a bit big to be taken into the body through the walls of the small intestine and we have no enzyme to break them down into more manageable chunks. This means it all ends up in our large intestine where all the bacteria tuck in and start to reproduce to take best advantage of all the yummy food. [source]

Unfortunately for us, gas is produced by the bacteria during the breakdown of their dinner - carbon dioxide, hydrogen and some methane is released and escape the body via the only opening available to them. These gases don't smell much, but methane and hydrogen do burn pretty happily, which is why farts can be set alight. However, this is NOT recommended as the gas can ignite backwards up your bum, burning all the trapped gas in your rectum and scorching you in the most painful way imaginable. Imagine having to explain that to the A & E nurse. [source]

Want to better cope with your windiness? Try these three things [source]:

1. Soak your beans in water overnight before cooking them. Discard the soaking water, rinse your beans, and cook them in fresh water.
   
   
2. Take Beano.
   
   
3. Embrace your unique talent and go pro.

Aren't you glad I asked?

Why Do People Dream?

I've had a host of weird dreams lately, from trips to Australia, taking pictures of monkeys with kangaroo pouches, bringing up obscure people from my past, running from video game characters while shooting dogs in the woods. It's been a long couple of nights!

So I've been thinking.. I know that in the past I've had dreams that are subconsciously telling me something is going wrong with my body. I had a dream about my teeth falling out for three days before I started feeling a serious infection in an old root canal that needed to be re-sealed (I eat a lot of candy).

So basically, dreaming takes place when our body reaches a deep state of sleep, called the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) Cycle.

There are two theories, the psychological theory and the physiological theory.

Physiological: We dream because our brain needs to keep active so when our active brain shuts off, dreaming takes place.

• Proof #1: Supported by the fact that we learn the most in the first 7 years of life, and the first 7 years of life is also when we get the most REM sleep.
• Proof #2: Supported by the fact that our brain waves are the same while we are awake and active and when we are in the REM cycle. The state of half-sleep before and after the REM cycle is not the same, which shows how dreaming in the REM cycle picks it back up.

Psychological: The most popular theory is that dreaming takes place to sort of deal with the immediate concerns and emotions in our life at the moment, or weren't able to think about/express during the day. In theory, if we addressed these emotions during the day, we shouldn't be dreaming about them. Think of dreaming as "venting" I guess! Dreams should be able to tell us things about ourselves that we might only know in our subconscious. Depending on how clear you are with your emotions, you could have a dream about simply being swept away by a tidal wave, or you could dream about several scenarios mingling into one.

• Proof #1: There is no actual proof for this theory, only a strong a belief in it that goes back thousands of years.

So I guess you can think of this like an Agnostic. You either believe in the faith or the science.

Dis-proven theories:

Freud had a theory that dreams were basically only wish-fulfillment systems, and that when you go into REM, your expectation dopamine pathway opens. This did not explain why people dreamed about anxiety, being murdered, or raped. It also was dis-proven because when you activate the expectation pathway, you also are activating consciousness. Which is a real contradiction.

Professor Allan Hobson of Harvard University and his colleague Robert McCarley believed in the activation synthesis theory, but the theory has been dis-proven so many times, it's almost exhausting to explain. Basically, just before we go into REM, there are a few powerful electromagnetic spikes going on in the brain. The theory is that these spikes cause the brain to react, and to compensate, we dream. The problem with this is that they were saying that dreams had no meaning, they were totally random. Now with the newer tests we have we can prove what part of the brain the dreams come from, which happens to be the emotional part of the brain. Also dreams would have to be different every time, and we all know that people consistently roll into the same dream now and again. I know I have certain one with Ewan McGregor that I'm glad to repeat!

Francis Crick and Graeme Mitchison's theory suggested that we dream to forget. So basically our memory can only support so much and dreaming takes place to do some "spring cleaning" and knock out all of the unnecessary bits. The problem with this is that people on antidepressants that block REM sleep (monoamine oxidase inhibitors — MAOIs) should suffer memory loss. But they don't. The two have made a lot of revisions to their theory but it continues to be dis-proven.

Sources:

• http://www.why-we-dream.com/othertheories.htm
• http://www.coolquiz.com/trivia/explain/docs/dreams.asp
• http://www.uncommon-knowledge.co.uk/why_do_we_dream.html
• http://www.sciam.com/biology/article/id/why-do-we-dream
• http://www.dreamtree.com/Resources/Faqs/Faqs6-10.htm

What is post traumatic stress disorder? Have soldiers always gotten PTSD?

Bad things happen in the world. Really bad things—you know what they are. I don’t have to list them. For people who have to see and live through the world’s darkest moments, the pain doesn’t always end when the moment’s over. It might recur in their heads every day.

That’s called post traumatic stress disorder. It’s “an anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal in which grave physical harm occurred or was threatened. Traumatic events that may trigger PTSD include violent personal assaults, natural or human-caused disasters, accidents, or military combat” according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

This isn’t your Daddy’s drinking buddy from Nam who gets hammered and talks about “charlies in the trees” or asks you if you’ve ever killed a man. People with PTSD have persistent memories of terrible things they’ve seen. They can become emotionally detached, irritable or violent. Some people have flash backs, reliving the event that triggered the problem.

I’ve known at least two people with PTSD, and let me tell you, it sucks. Both of these guys are veterans of the U.S.’s ongoing war in Iraq. To me, they’re regular guys who at times have a “hard time relating to civilian life,” but to their families, they’re distant.

So, I started wondering: have soldier’s always gotten PTSD? Are they just another of the billions of casualties of war over history? Or is this a new phenomenon, brought on by modern warfare or society?

First of all, not all combat soldiers develop PTSD. About 1 in 8 of the soldiers returning from Iraq reported symptoms of PTSD in a 2004 study by the U.S. Army (keep in mind that’s an Army study on an Army problem).

Medical literature on the PTSD-like symptoms from soldiers dates back to the U.S. Civil War (1861-1865). “The term, post traumatic stress disorder, was coined in 1980 as research into the condition began in earnest following the Vietnam War,” according to NetWellness.

That leads me to believe that the history of PTSD in soldiers dates back to the history of war in society. The oldest known evidence of warfare (although it's disputed) is a 14,000-year-old cemetery near the northern border of modern-day Sudan. 14,000 years? Yeah, that means “forever.”

However, PTSD can be found in anyone who’s experienced a traumatic event, not just soldiers. So, the real history of PTSD likely has no date. In fact, the history of war has no date. Even apes go to war! And that means there are probably apes that witness traumatic ape-on-ape violence and get seriously down by it. Bananas just don’t taste the same. Coco isn’t sexy anymore.

So perhaps both PTSD and war predate humans?

The world may never know!

Are Fire-Safe Cigarettes Worse for you than Regular Cigarettes?

Yeah, yeah, I know the saying..

"Cigarette, n.: A fire at one end, a fool at the other and a bit of tobacco in between".

I'm all for fire safety, with the hundreds of americans that die every year in smoking-related fires. My question is just whether or not these FSC (slang for fire safe cigarettes in "the scene"), have any kinds of side-effects. I mean, the tobacco industry has been against fire-safe cigarettes because they thought users would taste the difference, it'd cost more, etc. etc. I'm probably delisional to think that maybe they're nervous that there's some sort of health safety hazard going on too? Probably not though, these are tobacco companies we're talking about.

But there's no doubt, there is a huge buzz about these cigarettes from smokers who feel that the new paper has done a serious toll on their health. I was actually very surprised at the overwhelming majority. I've read that they use Asbestos as an ingredient in the new formula, but I am sure that's just speculation. Right?

What is a fire-safe cigarette?

According to April 2006 The Boston Globe article, Building a 'fire-safe' cigarette, "the most common fire-safe technology used by cigarette manufacturers is to make the paper thicker in places to act as ''speed bumps" to slow down a burning cigarette. If a fire-safe cigarette is left unattended, the burning tobacco will reach an area where the paper is thicker and self-extinguish."

Apparently, yes, they are a little more toxic..

According to the May 2006 article Where there's smoke, there's not always fire from the Springfield, MA newspaper The Republican, "A Harvard School of Public Health study in 2005 found that cigarettes meeting the New York standard [fire-safe] did emit slightly higher levels of toxic compounds than regular cigarettes."

But, according to firesafecigarettes.org, a report by RJ Reynolds conducted in 1993 compared the tar per cigarette in prototype low-ignition propensity cigarettes. The report concludes: "Ames assay results were not higher for the prototype cigarettes than their respective controls, either on a revertant-per-mg-tar basis or a revertant-per-cigarette basis."

I guess the moral of the story is.. don't smoke? Or.. come visit me in Rhode Island, where cigarettes still burn houses, and drags still taste right.

When is the best time to have a baby?

Much like my post about diamonds, this is no indication of my future life as barefoot and pregnant.

But it's a good to know. As I'm about to turn 25, I know the years the flying by and I guess it's kind of good to know for all women, when it's healthy and unhealthy to have one.

But first, I figured I'd put the more literal question out there.. If I want to plan my kids date of birth, and I'm kind of a super fertile myrtle who know's its gonna be an easy wham-bam-thank-you-man... when should i be getting preggo?

January - Start "Knocking Boots" in April
February - Start "Getting Nookie" in May
March - Start "Doing the Wild Thing" in June
April - Start "Picking Cherries" in July
May - Start "Deep Sea Fishing" in August
June - Start "The Trouser Snake Boogie" in September
July - Start "Doing the Naughty"in October
August - Start "Planting Baby Seeds" in November
September - Start "Making The Beast With Two Backs" in December
October - Start "Hiding the Sausage" in January
November - Start "Making Whoopie" in February
December - Start "Filling the Spunk Bucket" in March

According to my research, 30 years old is the ultimate best time to have a child. It is before all of the real pregnancy complication issues arise, and it gives you the time to have a career, get married, maintain a stable home life, travel, and save up for your first born. However, if you plan to have two children, 27 is a better age because you will likely have your second around age 30.

The BENEFITS of having kids when you're YOUNGER:

• It's easier on your body (less complications)
• You have more energy for children
• Kids will be out of the house when you're old
• More friends, bigger baby shower
  

The DRAWBACKS of having kids when you're YOUNGER:

• Less money
• More of a chance for a "baby wedding" and higher divorce rates
• Bigger baby shower, friends with less cash to spend (haha)
  
• Strains on non-mommy friendships
• You have to make a lot of sacrifices
• Increased chance of credit card debt and bankruptcy
  

The BENEFITS of having kids when you're OLDER:

• It's easier to plan all those trips you told yourself you'd take
  
• It's easier to start a career early in life
• More money to spend on the child
• Likeliness of a stable home environment is increased substantially
• You have more time for the 3-year waiting period recommended between getting married and having children
  

The DRAWBACKS of having kids when you're OLDER:

• Increased risk of genetic defects, especially down-syndrome (after age 35)
• Increased risk of complications
• Increased likeliness to need fertility treatments (over age 45)
• Depending on how late you have your child, their grandparents could be long gone, there may be a large generation gap with cousins by the time they're older
• Not more weight gain, but harder to lose the baby weight
• Kids will still be in the house as you get older
• At age 35, there is a 40 percent chance of a c-section delivery compared to 14 percent of first-time mothers in their 20s

Sources: Parenting.com, Storknet.com, Time.com, Duke.edu, BabyCenter.com, and Parents.com

What are some Bally Total Fitness reviews?

Consensus: Bally Total Fitness is a BUST

I was afraid this entry might look like an ad for Bally, but I'm kind of appalled at how far from it, this turned out to be.

So I've been looking around at gyms, but the only ones close to me are Curves and Bally. My mom went to Curves for a few months and lost some weight, but it was after she left Curves and started taking classes as a gym near her house that she dropped like 100lbs.

So I'm thinking Bally, but I feel like I've heard some crap about them, so I decided to do my research.

You can get a free 7-day pass, and a $19 30-day trial to their "weight watchers online"-esque website.

This was one thing I felt I should put upfront because I read it in almost every review:
In order to cancel your membership, you must call the corporate office, you cannot do it on the spot. In addition, you must complete the following tasks BEFORE you can even "apply" to cancel: You must have taken a "complimentary" tour with a trainer, visited at least 12 times over the last 30 days, and pay the first month dues before you can cancel. I'm sorry but this seems a little ridiculous, no?

Here are some keynotes from users:

• (-) This depends on location, but many users felt that the equipment was old and dirty
  
• (-) Many users felt the staff was unfriendly and rude
  
• (-) Most users felt that they were lied to during their sign up
• (-) Most users had extreme difficulty in canceling their membership
• (-) There are a LOT of people who have actually sued Bally
• (-) Many users complain of excessive cancelled classes
• (+) Many users like their classes
• (-) All Bally employees I read in the reviews warn users not to join this gym

But of course, you never know if only angry people surf the web and leave reviews, so I looked up some expert reviews, but couldn't find much. In fact, I found so many negative reviews that I needed to switch from "bally total fitness reviews" to "GOOD bally total fitness reviews" with not much luck.

I'd like to say that I will do the 7-day trial just to check it out, but I read so many angry reviews that Bally denied them from cancelling their membership after the trial saying that the "reason for cancellation" wasn't valid. Oi.

How do you prevent cancer?

I recently read this fantastic article on ways to reduce your chances of getting cancer. Obviously people who have the cancer gene (approx. 10 million people diagnosed every year) have the risk, especially in this day and age. However, the way I see it, anything you can do to prevent it is a step in the right direction.

I read quite a few articles, but below is the most comprehensive list.

Here are 18 ways to prevent cancer from WikiHow, that I guarantee you'll learn a thing or two from:

1. Get sunlight. While it may seem like a crazy idea, pure sunlight can actually prevent cancer. It is full of vitamin D that is needed.
   
   
2. Reduce stress. Scientists observe stressed rats are at higher risk for cancer.
   
   
3. Eat a healthy diet. In addition, watch out for heavily processed or artificial foods.
   
   
4. Avoid sugars. Excess sugar and carbs have been linked to breast cancer and all cancer itself ungergoes a fermentation like process that requires excess glucose to thrive.
   
   
5. Drink plenty of water.
   
   
6. Eat lemon daily. Cancer cells are known to grow in an acidic enviroment, although lemons are acidic, lemon causes your body to produce positive ions which make your body enviroment alkaline. Cancer cells cannot grow in an alkaline enviroment.
   
   
7. Eat a diet high in anti-oxidants like beta-carotene, Vitamin C and Vitamin E.
   
   
8. Eliminate hydrogenated fats. Avoid altogether fat that has been chemically altered, giving so-called trans-fat. This type of fat is often found in margarine, cookies, snacks, fast food and other pre-made food.
   
   
9. Make green vegetables part of every meal. Snack on raw vegetables, especially the cruciferous ones (cabbage, broccoli, etc)
   
   
10. Especially include red fruits like strawberries,cherries and tomatoes in your diet, as they contain chemicals brimming with the anti-oxidant Lycopene.
    
    
11. Make sure you get enough calcium.
    
    
12. Start eating flax. Flax seeds contain two cancer-preventative compounds: omega-3 fatty acids, and lingams which may reduce your risk of breast cancer and colon cancer. Add flax seeds to your breakfast cereal. You can also use flaxseed meal, which you can buy or the store or make on your own with a coffee grinder. Flaxseed meal mixes well in smoothies or you can sprinkle it over yogurt and cereal.
    
    
13. Eat other anti-cancer nutrients: Vitamin D, Selenium, Acidophilus, Garlic and Green Tea.
    
    
14. Exercise for at least 30 minutes every day. Physical activity can reduce your chance of getting certain types of cancers by at least 50%. Choose a physical activity that you enjoy.
    
    
15. Maintain a healthy weight.
    
    
16. Cut down on alcohol consumption. Drinking alcohol can lead to changes in your body which can lead to cancer. Discuss how alcohol might affect you with a nurse or doctor.
    
    
17. Don't use any form of tobacco. If you do smoke, try to quit. Keep trying! It is possible. Over 1,000 Americans quit for good each day.
    
    
18. Protect yourself and your partner from STDs. Some sexually transmitted infections lead to changes in the body which can lead to cancer. Use latex condoms. Practice safe sex.

A few other good articles:

• 31 Simple Ways to Prevent Cancer
• Top 10 Ways To Prevent Cancer
• 7 Ways to prevent cancer

Are menthol cigarettes really worse than regular cigarettes?

Aha! I knew it! Nope, all cigarettes will leave you ridden with cancer, fiberglass, and impotence just the same.

According to Tom Gilbert of thedoctorwillseeyounow.com, it's not that menthol cigarettes are more dangerous, it's just that -- for some reason -- they appear to be harder to give up than regular cigarettes.

I don't really buy this.. because when I quit smoking for two years, it was the first time I tried to quit, and it was also the first period of time that I was smoking menthols.. so BOO to that.

And here's my favorite "stereotype of the day" from drbob.com:

In the U.S., black smokers are much more likely than whites to favor cigarettes with added menthol, a cool mint-flavored compound. Researchers have speculated that if menthol cigarettes are more harmful to the heart and lungs than regular cigarettes are, that might help explain the disproportionately high rates of smoking-related disease among African Americans.

Also according to Dr. Bob, menthol inhibits the clearance of nicotine, leading to higher nicotine levels in the body per cigarette smoked, the researchers note. So it's plausible that they could be more difficult to give up.

Basically, the only evidence I really found was that because of the "cool" that comes from smoking menthols, menthol smokers may inhale deeper, thus increasing negative side affects more quickly and rapidly than non-mentholated cigarettes.

However, according to this article, there is a report in the Archives of Internal Medicine from April 10, 1995 noting that the type of cigarette smoked made little difference in cancer rates for women in a 12,000 member population of a large California HMO. The men, however, appeared to be 45% more likely to develop lung cancer than men who smoke non-mentholated cigarettes. Hmm..

Do menthols deposit fiberglass into your lungs?

According to this article, this actually does happen, but not because of menthols. It happens because of the fiberglass used in the filters of most commercial cigarettes. The only brands I'm aware of that don't use fiberglass filters are Parliament and American Spirit, who instead use cotton filters. Snopes.com and many other sites have confirmed this.

Do menthol cigarettes make you impotent?

I hadn't even heard this one, but I guess it's a big one in the male community. According to the myth, saltpetre is used to keep the menthol cigarettes lit which will make a man impotent. Well according to snopes.com (amongst other sites) there's no basis to the rumor except that ALL cigarettes can make you impotent over time because it constricts blood vessels. According to a 1994 study by the American Journal of Epidemiology surveyed Vietnam veterans and found that while 2.2% of nonsmokers suffered impotence, 3.7% of current smokers did. Many researchers think it also lowers sperm count, but if you're young, that's probably a good thing.

Moral of the story: don't smoke!

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