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Stop Work: Self-Portrait Day

No matter what you are busy doing, make time today on 11-1-11 for a self-portrait so that you can participate in Self-Portrait Day. Even if you feel you do not have the skills to actually draw or paint, you may still take part in this day with a self-photo. But make it happen. It is November 1, 2011 and every year on this day, artists – or wannabe artists – take out the time to do a self-portrait. From Australia to Athens, Zimbabwe to Zambia, due to the Internet, all these efforts can be shared. It is a great way for artists from around the globe to make a connection.

Even if you just want to be a voyager, the first ones you will see will come from Australia and, as the day comes to a close, Honolulu will make their artworks seen. It is a wonderful, honest and real way of artist exposure. The event has now been taking place for six years, during which time there has been tremendous change in style and interest. Indeed, even every artist has made subtle changes to their works.

Godly Weight Loss?

Can God Stop You Eating Cookies?

According to a study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, undertaken by scientists at Canada’s University of Waterloo, if you really believe in God, He – or She – can help you lose weight in the form of temptation resistance. The research – undertaken using word-game experiments amongst 353 students – found that simply by mentioning the word God or God-related words, dieters were able to benefit from the deity and His minions! The study also found however that those students who felt in their hearts that they could count on God to help them get to their goal weight actually ended up not doing so well with this kind of vocabulary.

The Experiment

The study began with a word task ‘warm up’ in which participants were asked to form sentences from some God-related and other non-God related words. In the next task they were given letters and had to form as many words as possible in five minutes; this was used to ‘measure’ their motivation. Students were asked if they thought God would help them with their goals and those who thought He would perform worse if they had seen God-related words before the test.

Temptation Resistance

On the next set of experiments, participants had to see if they could resist temptation more once they had been reminded about God. Those who said healthy eating was important to them consumed less cookies after reading a passage about God than those who read a passage that did not relate to God.

Diabetes Cases Rise as the UK Piles on the Pounds

The heavier people get, the more likely they are to become yet another statistic in the rising numbers of people afflicted with diabetes. The UK is showing that very clearly right now, with its latest figures revealing how there has been a 50 percent increase in diabetic sufferers since 2006. Indeed, just in the last year figures have risen by close to 120,000 according to Britain’s not-for-profit organization, Diabetes UK.

Big Bodies, Big Bucks

Apart from the danger element, this is costing the country a fortune. Indeed, the country’s National Health System, the NHS, (a government-based health organization that has to provide free health care for all), is now spending a staggering £9billion (nearly $14.5billion) per annum on treating its diabetic patients. This amounts for nearly a tenth of its entire budget which is really way too much. Of course, when it is a case of a genetic disorder (Type 1), then it is not under the person’s control or diet-related. But in the UK it seems that these patients draining the NHS finances are suffering from Type 1. Indeed, a staggering 90 percent of UK diabetic sufferers have Type 2. What is equally worrying is the increasing amount of children – now up to 1,400 – being diagnosed with Type 2. In the past, this was more-or-less only seen in adults.

It really seems to be an issue of carrying around excess weight that is resulting in this huge increase in the disease which leads to a greater risk of heart problems, strokes, eye issues and more. It’s unfortunate since so much progress is being made on the treatment of life-threatening diseases that are less within our control (such as cancer) at a time that more of us are doing this to ourselves, somewhat unnecessarily. Clearly education is needed on how to combat this issue so people do not suffer or prematurely die, unnecessarily.

Passing of Steve Jobs

Do What You Love

At the tender of age of 56, Steve P. Jobs, co-founder and chairman of Apple Inc., “died peacefully [yesterday] surrounded by his family.” He had been battling pancreatic cancer for a while but was also in remission for some years after having gotten a liver transplant. Then he got sick again and last night finally passed away.

Jobs fought the illness and continued in his position, but six weeks ago, he resigned as Apple’s CEO and suggested that Tim Cook – his long-time deputy – should take over from him. Cook was then named Chairman of the company.

It was over 35 years ago that Steve Jobs founded his company along with Steve Wozniak in 1976. At the time, Jobs was 21 and Wozniak, 26. They began work in Jobs’ family garage and sold their first computer for $666.66. He always told people to “do what you love” as a way of being successful. It certainly worked for him.

Today his company is best known for consistent quality, the iPod, iPad and iPhone. He leaves a widow, Laurene Powell Jobs, and three children: Reed, Erin and Eve. May he rest in peace.

Pop a Pill to Ease Traumatic Memories

Researchers from Leicester University in the UK, may have developed a pill that could help those suffering from traumatic memories to blot them out, as well as provide a basis for new forms of treatment for depression. This came after the discovery of how the brain copes with stress. There is a long way until the pill comes on the market though; it will probably take a further ten years.

Pill Development

The pill researchers first conducted tests on mice. It was found that mice that cannot make lipocalin-2 (a type of protein) had a stronger reaction to stress than those animals which were able to create the protein. According to a report from the journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (MUST CREDIT), it was then found that the mice had less junctions used in brain cell communication which also help with memories. While this helps develop memory, as Dr. Robert Pawlak, a researcher on the project pointed out, “[this] is not always good.” He added that, “some very stressful events would better be forgotten quickly or they may result in anxiety disorders. There is a constant battle of forces in our brain to help maintain the right balance of thin and mushroom spines – or how much to remember and what better to forget. We have identified a protein that the brain produces in response to stress in order to reduce the number of mushroom spines and therefore reduce future anxiety associated with stressful events.”

VizAblate Zapper: Personal Fibroid Detector

The VizAblate non-invasive zapper could be the solution to the problem of fibroids. In addition, the amount of hysterectomies being needed would be significantly reduced. If the trials go well in two hospitals in the UK, this treatment could be available by the end of 2012.

A staggering 25 percent of women (approximately) will get these benign lumps, some time in their lives. Usually they do not cause too many problems (and are thus not even detected, but sometimes they can lead to fertility issues, miscarriage, heavy periods, anemia, as well as gastro-related issues.

Until now they have been treated either with drugs (to create a temporary menopause), surgical removal, or hysterectomy (a removal of the entire womb) when the case is extreme and the patient is really suffering. This procedure is also only usually carried out when the woman has either completed her family or does not want kids. Still, it is a surgery and all surgical procedures come with possible complications and risks.

Non-Invasive Treatment

With the new VizAblate gadget though, pre-treatment is not required, it is non-invasive and the whole procedure can be completed within around 30 minutes. The device is in the shape of a wand which has the ability to melt the fibroids with its radio-frequency electrical current. According to device tester from Birmingham Women’s Hospital Professor Janesh Gupta, “you insert the probe into the middle of the fibroid, do the treatment and get out, so you don’t have any potential risk of bleeding.”