From: S
To: K

Muslim martyrs will not go to heaven and marry 72 black eyed virgins. This idea stems from a mistranslation: the Quran says martyrs going to heaven will get “hur,” and the word was taken by early commentators to mean “virgins.” But in Aramaic, hur meant “white” and was commonly used to mean “white grapes,” which the Quran compares to crystal and pearls, and contemporary accounts have paradise abounding with fruit, especially white grapes.

Dude. There are some suicide bombers up in heaven who are pissed.

#5. John McCain is a Washington outsider.

I think this is a double-edged sword. How can you be an effective politician if you don't know how the inside works? The same can be said about Palin, who's truly an outsider but has no concept of the inside. In essence, the only way McCain can be an outsider again is by having someone like Palin advise him on her perspective of Washington affairs. Makes sense now doesn't it? Also makes sense why Palin's had such limited press coverage. Considering that ALL major broadcast news is slanted to certain degrees, would it not be obvious that they would try to mold Palin's thinking? Knowing she's a blank slate? But I digress, McCain's making an effort to show that he's on the outside. He's acknowledging that after all these years in Washington, "this pen is old" and a new pen needs to be introduced.

#4. McCain was a "top gun" pilot.

Yes, the word "Maverick" has been used relentlessly but Dickenson uses it again to describe that McCain isn't the "Top Gun" maverick that he enjoys being called. He starts referring to his academic standing at Annapolis (Naval Academy), graduating 5th from the bottom of a class of 900 students (for the record, Jimmy Carter is the only Naval Acedmy graduate who became president - his rank was 59 out of 820, draw your own conclusions), his antics as a naval pilot (drinking, playing poker, craps, dog track, etc.) and crashing planes deeming him more of a fly boy than a top gun. I laughed when I heard him say all of this with a straight face. Rolling Stone Magazine is telling me that McCain is against the grain, rebellious, outspoken, and marches to the beat of his own drum? OMG, tell me this is not happening! Kinda reminds me of a great Hollywood flick with John Candy.

#3. McCain was the central hero of P.O.W. camps.

Who said he was the central hero? My history books spoke of many tortured P.O.W.'s. I have a brain and know this. Who are you talking to that's gullible enough to believe this? Of course, by summarizing the facts as it is clearly being done by Dickenson only reaffirms McCain's allegiance to country first. Where most soldiers went home to live quiet lives after the war, McCain decided to make an impact in politics. This myth is a little far fetched to me.

#2. John McCain is a straight-talking reformer.

I thought Dickenson would spend some time talking about this more than any other of the points. Of course, I had to dig this information because the mainstream media hasn't elaborated on this point. Is there a reason why? Click here and here to read about The Reformers Institute. What I personally make of this is McCain once again tries to innovate and infuse reform but ends up abandoning the RI because there are too many other influences that would allow this to run squeaky clean. Guilty by association. Sounds like another Keating 5 to me.

#1. John McCain always puts "country first".

Sounds like most of the failures that have occurred in John McCain's life has been when he puts his personal interests first. His first marriage, drug abuse past, his attempt to suspend his campaign and work on bailout bill for Wall Street. His attempts to put "country first" fail due to lack of cooperation from team players or just not enough background checks by himself or his supporters. Will he able able to wield enough influence to cause the reform he's promising? Will his supporters jump ship on him again when he desperately needs them in the critical hour? He can't even count on the current party's administration to back him up because everyone's trying to distance themselves from Bush. On the other hand, is Obama's playing on the fears of this country to his advantage by selling the same old politics, different day talk? This country is guilty and gunshy of allowing politicians take advatange of our fears.

Someone tell me otherwise. It's easy to get caught up in defending a candidate but it's downright annoying to watch journalists take sides and not just endorse candidates but start discrediting the opponent. Again, we know that all these candidates have had a checkered past. That's been more than obvious. Discuss who's more qualified, who can follow through, and who can be held accountable. It used to be a parent's desire to see their child grow up and be President of the US but nowadays, it's better to be an athlete or entertainer - no accountability to anyone but yourself!

Tim Dickinson does some fact finding in the latest addition of Rolling Stone magazine and debunks what he calls the top five myths about John McCain:

1. John McCain always puts "Country First."

2. John McCain is a straight-talking reformer.

3. John McCain was the central hero of his P.O.W. camps.

4. John McCain was a "Top Gun" pilot.

5. John McCain is a Washington outsider.

This is a very interesting article about startup companies .

http://www.start-up.co.nz/top-ten-myths-of-entrepreneurship/

Must read.

I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge,
That myth is more potent than history,
That dreams are more powerful than facts,
That hope always triumphs over experience,
That laughter is the only cure for grief,
And I believe that love is stronger than death.

I had to go to this fancy dress party, and I was talking to him about what I should wear.

He suggested I dress up as a sexy nurse (or something equally porny and unoriginal, I can't remember exactly). Not only would I look hot, but it would probably turn me on too.

And I snickered a bit when he said that. I told him that dressing up as a wank fantasy wasn't really what I had in mind, and more significantly - no, it certainly wouldn't turn me on.

And he was a little mystified at this.

"But you're a woman " he said.

Uh huh. A woman. Which must mean that nothing could turn me on more than making myself into a porn cliche. Being a walking, talking titillation machine, that's what gets me going. Supposedly.

And as much as I'd like to brush aside the comment as just a symptom of him being an idiot - I can't. Because this idea is so insidious and prevalent in society it's simply taken for granted as a truth:

Women are turned on by being looked at, not by looking. Women are turned on by their ability to arouse desire in others, not by being aroused by others. Women are turned on by titillating, and not by being titillated ... and, you get the idea.

And look, men like perving at women, and like certain stripperific behaviour in women.

Which is fine.

But somehow amidst all the excitement of hard ons and sticky tissues, men, and by extension society (which they run btw) has gotten all confused. It's looked at the stuff that turns men on, and has simply assumed that it must turn women on to supply it.

Men have a sexuality, and women have some kind of weird pseudo-sexuality that is wholly fulfilled by providing the stuff that men want.

What I want to do with this blog is to break through this myth, this bunch of assumptions that takes something as complex as human sexuality and makes it all about the man and his cock, this phallacy.

I want to look at these questions like, why is the female gaze denied? Why do men expect women to be sexy for them, but feel no obligation to return the favour? Why is women's sexuality ignored, and what might it look like if it wasn't?

And far be it from me to pretend that I know what women's sexuality Is. It's been suppressed and ignored and manipulated by society for so long that probably no one knows what it is.

But I have an inkling or two. A few leads. A starting point for what it might include.

And I'm going to run with that.

Even though it will (obviously) be marked by my own persuasions and preferences. And also, as a straight chick, I'm only going to be talking about straight sexuality (ugh. Sometimes my heteronormativity makes me sick. But there you go).

The interesting part is that I have no idea if this blog will attract any kind of audience. Because while there are a lot of sex blogs, and a lot of sex blogs by women, and a lot them that touch on these issues (and do it well, I might add), there's none that I've come across that make this topic their primary focus (but if you know of one please let me know). And if there's a market for something, well, usually you can find at least one example of it already on the internet. So, who knows. Maybe I'll be blogging into the wind.

We create and publish high-quality picture books in hardcover, paperback and board book editions. Our books are intended primarily for children, but many are also collected by adults, who appreciate both their content and their artwork. We complement this offer with spoken word and music CDs, educational gifts and games, and online activities and ideas. Our program falls into three main categories:

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Visit and shop today.......kick off your shoes and go barefoot!

Meka Johnson
Kick off your shoes...go barefoot!
Independent Barefoot Books Stallholder US-1020215
email meka@barefootbooks.info
Shop http://www.barefootbooks.info

Learning to read is the cornerstone of every child’s education. By reading aloud and teaching your child in a way that is a pleasure for both of you, you will be sharing one of life’s most valuable gifts and open all kinds of doors for the future. Here are some tips on making the most of reading with your child:

1. Choose a time and a place where you can be quiet and give your child lots of attention. Make the occasion a special one.

1. Turn off any distractions such as televisions, music CDs, radios.

1. When you are reading aloud, show that you are enjoying yourself.

1. Involve your child. Let yourself be interrupted with questions; talk about what you think of the story and the pictures.

1. When your child has started learning to read, follow the text and help your child point to the words as you go along.

1. Establish a routine. Try to devote some time every day to reading.

1. Take your child to your local library and involve him or her in choosing books.

1. Notice what kinds of stories your child enjoys and look out for ones with similar themes.

1. When you are reading aloud, praise your child for listening well and sitting still.

When your child is learning to read for you, give praise and encouragement too, but be sure gently to correct your child when he or she makes mistakes.

1. Help build your child’s vocabulary and memory skills by supplementing reading sessions with audio books on car journeys and after meals or at bedtime. Audio books are especially helpful in building memory skills and supporting the learning of dyslexic and autistic children.

Sharing your child’s journey into reading can be one of the most rewarding experiences of parenthood. You owe it to your child, and to yourself, to make it a priority in your daily life.

Meka Johnson
Kick off your shoes...go barefoot!
Independent Barefoot Books Stallholder US-1020215
email meka@barefootbooks.info
Shop http://www.barefootbooks.info

Lobotomies were not a "treatment", they were purposeful brain damage.  Behavior modification had not been invented before psychotropic drugs, caging children and shackling folks is abuse and violation of basic human rights, not "behavioral modification" unless the Post wants to start calling whipping of slaves before slavery ended "behavioral modification."  There were deaths there: yes, patients were killed by STAFF and by neglect and by poor treatment and infectious disease.  Ghosts and people with mental illness?  If there are ghosts, they are ghosts of those who abused innocents because they had power over them and no one cared and because they could and they are paying for it.  Not that I believe in ghosts, but if I did, the people who suffered and died in that horrible institution are in heaven now at peace at last and it is their torturers who are left to wander the asylum for their crimes. 

The writer wondered if it was ethical to take the tour but didn't wonder if it was ethical to write an article for a paper of record sensationalizing and degrading people with mental illness and their suffering at the hands of ignorance and prejudice?  Yeah, I guess I won't be subscribing to the Post to read  when I go back on dialysis as I thought I might.  Will have to ante up for the New York Times.  Sheesh, this isn't about political correctness this is about old fashioned decency.

Shakespeare's Storybook
Barefoot Book of Monsters!
Jack and the Beanstalk
Three Billy Goats Gruff
The Hare and the Tortoise
Mother Goose Remembers
Tales from Old Ireland
Knights, Barefoot Book of
The Story Tree
The Real Princess
Tales of Wisdom & Wonder
Stories from the Opera

Meka Johnson
Kick off your shoes...go barefoot!
Independent Barefoot Books Stallholder US-1020215
call 936-870-8554
email meka@barefootbooks.info
Shop http://www.barefootbooks.info

The Boston Globe, August 2008
A new chapter for Barefoot Books

"Today 1,500 salespeople — most of them mothers — account for 20 percent of the company's revenue and represent the fastest-growing sales channel. 'There's no stronger recommendation than one you get from a friend,' Traversy says."

Click here to read the full article....

Meka Johnson
Kick off your shoes...go barefoot!
Independent Barefoot Books Stallholder US-1020215
call 936-870-8554
email meka@barefootbooks.info
Shop http://www.barefootbooks.info

Andreas Roseneder  das blaue krokodil, aquabrique on canvas 80 x 100 cm  2008

this image does not exist anymore in the state you see it above. it´s just the first sketch of an agressive crocodile snaping the air - or to the beholder. photography gives us the possibility to preserve this provisional result in painting.  does this preservation help in going further? - or is it just a barrier to let in new ideas?

& - what´s the meaning of the statement: "after all a painter is painting nothing but the same image his whole life through"? - does a crocodile snap on the same subject his whole life through?

The first myth was taken care of in the first blog, so go ahead and go back to look at that.  So here's the next myth: people think God only speaks in nice ways.  He only whispers little love sonnets and how you're amazing and how He loves you just as you are and you're going to do great things for Him.  Because anything else from the Creator of the universe is just... not right.  He's loving and gentle and kind and that's ALL He is.

WRONG.

Yes, He's loving and gentle and kind.  Yes, He loves you just the way you are.  Yes, He will always be like this.  HOWEVER, if you only look at God through this light and don't allow Him to be who He is, you're putting God in a box.  This is not good.  LET HIM OUT.  Please?

So, back to what the question was.  People who actually believe God speaks to them often only believe that God speaks in nice, warm fuzzy ways.  So, if God sends a cold prickly?  GASP.  THAT'S SATAN, we need to rebuke that.  Automatically, out the window it goes.  So, we just missed something huge that God is trying to speak to us because it went through the filter of words that are "acceptable."  Ouch.  Offended yet?  Because if we make the judgement of how God speaks and reject words He give us because they hurt, guess what?  We are taking authority over God.  This is extremely dangerous and, if you think about it, egotistical.  "...can the axe boast greater power than the person who uses it?  Is the saw greater than the person who saws?..."  So, we need to not only believe that God speaks to us, but also open our minds to Him speaking in ways that you don't normally hear Him talking.

Want an example?  Last week and into this week, I've been having these wierd moments.  Daily.  I just had these moments of insanity where I questioned God.  If He was truly the only way to Heaven, if He talks to us, if He cares, even if He existed (KEEP READING).  Bear with me, I haven't lost my faith.  These moments were crazy because I KNOW without a shadow of a doubt He's there, He speaks, He cares, He exists, He's the only way.  I know that I know that I know that I know.  So I would beat myself up, start wondering if my faith is as strong as I thought it was.  So last night, we had just gotten through an amazing night of worship in my church, and I was listening to the speaker when I had another of these moments.  The only thing was, RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE of this moment God speaks.  I didn't catch what He said, but you know how horses will immediately completely still and cock their head toward a sound?  Yeah, that was me.  I got this feeling I should ask Him why I was having this feeling, so I did.  And felt stupid as I was asking, because it was all me, right?  Haha...  Turns out He was giving me a taste of what someone in the church was going through so I could know how to intercede for them.  That whole, comfort those as you have been comforted thing.

The only thing is, people think God doesn't speak like this.  People would have attributed this to satan and ignored it, and ignored God when He tried to get me to ask why.  OPEN YOUR MIND, people.  He speaks in a lot more ways that we think.

Nem.

PS:  That verse?  Isaiah 10:15, NLT.  And, yes, I had to look it up.

Despite the many similarities of male and female strength training, there are subtle differences to consider. First of all, females mature earlier than males. Therefore, in general, females can begin strength training earlier than males. Also, since females have less muscle mass, on average, than males, they are also more susceptible to deconditioning. That is why a female strength-training program should have the athlete continue to train during the competitive season. This is because the drop-off in strength is more dramatic for females when strength training is stopped.

Overall, strength training offers female athletes the same benefits that it offers male athletes! Regardless of their sport or gender, any athlete can benefit from increased sprinting speed, strength, balance, decreased body fat levels and a reduced incidence of injuries – all of which a properly designed strength-training program can provide. Also, studies have proven that strength training can have a positive effect on bone density, which will decrease your risk of osteoporosis later in life.

Even with all of the positive research out there with regards to strength training and female athletes, I still get asked the same question all of the time, “Will I end up looking like a man if I lift weights?” The answer is, “Absolutely not!” Much of the difference in muscle mass between males and females is attributed to hormones, specifically, testosterone.

On average, men produce ten times more testosterone than females. Unless you’re a female who is taking anabolic steroids or other male hormones, lifting weights will NOT make you look like a man! Also, there is a difference in muscle mass distribution between men and women, especially in the upper body. So it is important to remember that male hormones and muscle mass distribution are the two main reasons that men usually carry more muscle than woman. These are 2 of the main factors why men who strength-train look more “bulky” than females who strength-train.

Joe DeFranco is a Performance Enhancement Specialist and the owner of DeFranco’s Training Systems. Visit his site for more great information and free articles regarding training for athletes.

I played the demo and actually enjoyed it, but I did not rush out and buy the game.  Recently I had the chance to borrow it from a friend of mine and I have been playing it on and off for a few days now.  After playing for about 12 hours I feel that I have put in enough time to make a final judgement about the game.  While playing the game I would have fun bashing my way through hordes of cyborg elves and undead mutants, to be reminded that there was actually a story going on and that I had forgotten what was going on as a result of the excessive combat portions of the game.

Now don't get me wrong the action in Too Human is pretty fun, but it gets repetitive after a certain point, however for the most part collecting massive amounts of new loot and other various items is where I got hooked.  I have been a very big fan of loot ever since my friend got me hooked on Diablo II a couple of years ago and I must say that Too Human fufills my urge for killing a ton of enemies only to find a sword that I can't use for another 25 levels.

The story of Too Human is quite interesting, as it tells the story of Norse mythology with a new spin on things.  Too Human casts away the stories of old and replaces them with a science-fiction themed take on the adventures of the Aesir as they protect humanity.  I enjoyed this new telling of Baldur's tales and the cinematics for the most part are done pretty well.  My only complaint is that the story is too spread out because of the lengthy combat sequences that sometimes make you forget why you are even fighting all of these enemies in the first place.

I went into Too Human with little expectations as a result of the negative comments I had heard, but I walked away with a very enjoyable experience (aside from the god damn death animations!).  The co-op adds a new element of enjoyment that allows you to go loot hunting with a friend and offers the ability to trade with your partner.  For the most part I would recommend that anyone reading this at least gives Too Human a rental to build your own judgement on the game.

-Frank

Today we're going to debunk another popular myth.  This is another favourite in the Great White North, for obvious reasons, and one that always causes a chuckle around the TFTO water-cooler even though we know the truth.  The first time I heard this was back in my college days when a friend, another Canadian but from an Island, forwarded an email containing a story almost identical to the one that follows.  As a Canadian living in New England I really wanted this to be true, mostly because I was repeatedly bugged for being from a country with such a lack-lustre military in recent decades (especially our navy).

The Myth

This is based on an actual radio conversation between a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier (U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln) and Canadian authorities off the coast of Newfoundland in October, 1995. (The radio conversation was released by the Chief of Naval Operations on 10/10/95 authorized by the Freedom of Information Act.)

Canadians:  Please divert your course 15 degrees to the South to avoid collision.

Americans:  Recommend you divert your course 15 degrees to the North to avoid a collision.

Canadians:  Negative.  You will have to divert your course 15 degrees to the South to avoid a collision.

Americans:  This is the Captain of a US Navy ship.  I say again, divert YOUR course.

Canadians:  No, I say again, you divert YOUR course.

Americans:  THIS IS THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER USS LINCOLN, THE SECOND LARGEST SHIP IN THE UNITED STATES' ATLANTIC FLEET.  WE ARE ACCOMPANIED BY THREE  DESTROYERS, THREE CRUISERS AND NUMEROUS SUPPORT  VESSELS.  I DEMAND THAT YOU CHANGE YOUR COURSE 15  DEGREES NORTH--I SAY AGAIN, THAT'S ONE FIVE DEGREES NORTH--OR COUNTER-MEASURES WILL BE UNDERTAKEN TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THIS SHIP.

Canadians:  This is a lighthouse.  Your call.

The Facts

There are several difficulties with this story but the most glaring is the inconsistency in the details in different version that appear.  The biggest hurdle is when exactly did this story take place?  The story claims to take place in 1995 but a version of it also appears in a 1992 collection of jokes and tall tales, as well as in Stephen Covey's book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People from 1989, a 1987 Naval publication called Proceedings, and finally, in a book from 1939.

The second problem is the US ship involved as it is rarely the same one.  Names of the ship in question include, but are not limited to, USS Abraham Lincoln, USS Coral Sea, USS Missouri, USS Nimitz, and USS Enterprise.  Some of these ships have been decommissioned for quite some time and others were simply not in the area at the supposed time this incident happened.

This leads to the next problem.  The media reported this incident as taking place anywhere from off the coast of Canada to somewhere off the Carolinas.  So which was it?  Top notch reporting guys.

Finally, there is a small issue with the communication between the ship and the lighthouse.  Lighthouses along the US coast, and most on the Canadian coast, are automated and, therefore, unmanned.  So unless a janitor was there cleaning up at the time the captain of the US ship would have been talking to a computer.

The US Navy has denied that this event ever took place and we here at TFTO can't see any reason not to believe them.  It's still one helluva joke, though.  We're still chuckling a little.

~RFK

Source of this list: http://www.justiceforimmigrants.org/myths.html

Immigrants don’t want to learn English - FALSE

The development of English proficiency among non-English speaking immigrants today mirrors that of Nineteenth and early Twentieth century immigration, when masses of Italian, German, and Eastern European immigrants came to America. While first generation, non-English speaking immigrants predictably have lower rates of English proficiency than native speakers, 91% of second generation immigrants are fluent or near fluent English speakers. By the third generation, 97% speak English fluently or near fluently.

(Source: Shirin Hakimzadeh and D’Vera Cohn, “English Usage Among Hispanics in the United States,” Pew Hispanic Forum, Dec. 6, 2007. http://pewhispanic.org/reports/report.php?ReportID=82; Janet Murguia and Cecilia Muñoz, “From Immigrant to Citizen,” The American Prospect (Oct. 23, 2005), http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?articleId=10487)

Immigrants Don’t Pay Taxes - FALSE

Undocumented immigrants pay taxes. Between one half and three quarters of undocumented immigrants pay state and federal taxes. They also contribute to Medicare and provide as much as 7 billion dollars a year to the Social Security Fund. Further still, undocumented workers pay sales taxes where applicable and property taxes—directly if they own and indirectly if they rent.

(Source: Immigration Policy Center, “Undocumented Immigrants as Taxpayers,” (November 2007), http://www.ailf.org/ipc/factchecks/UndocumentedasTaxpayer.pdf; Eduardo Porter “ Illegal Immigrants are Bolstering Social Security with Billions,” New York Times, (April 5, 2005), http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/05/business/05immigration.html?ex=1270353600&en=78c87ac4641dc383&ei=5090&partner=kmarx)

Immigrants Increase the Crime rate - FALSE

Recent research has shown that immigrant communities do not increase the crime rate and that immigrants commit fewer crimes than native born Americans. While the undocumented immigrant population doubled from 1994 to 2005, violent crime dropped by 34% and property crimes decreased by 32%. Furthermore, Harvard sociologist Robert Sampson has found that first generation immigrants are 45% less likely to commit violent crimes than Americanized, third generation immigrants.

(Source: Immigration Policy Center, “Ímmigrants and Crime: Are They Connected,” December, 2007, http://www.ailf.org/ipc/factchecks/CrimeFactCheck10-16-07.pdf; Robert Sampson, “Open Doors Don’t Invite Criminals,” The New York Times, March 11, 2006, A15; Executive Office of the President: Council of Economic Advisors, “Immigration’s Economic Impact,” June 20, 2007, http://www.whitehouse.gov/cea/cea_immigration_062007.html)

Immigrants Take Jobs Away from Americans - FALSE

A recent study produced by the Pew Hispanic Center reveals that “Rapid increases in the foreign-born population at the state level are not associated with negative effects on the employment of native-born workers.” In fact, given that the number of native born low wage earners is falling nationally, immigrants are playing an important role in offsetting that decline. The Urban Institute reports that between 2000 and 2005 the total number of low wage workers declined by approximately 1.8 million while the number of unskilled immigrant workers increased by 620,000, thus offsetting the total decline by about a third.

(Source: The Urban Institute, “Trends in the Low-Wage Immigrant Labor Force, 2000-2005,” March, 2007, http://www.urban.org/publications/411426.html; Rakesh Kochhar, “Growth in the Foreign Born Workforce and Employment of the Native Born,” Pew Hispanic Center, August 10, 2006, http://pewhispanic.org/reports/report.phpReportID=69)

Immigrants are a drain on the United States Economy - FALSE

The immigrant community is not a drain on the U.S. economy but, in fact, proves to be a net benefit. Research reported by both the CATO Institute and the President’s Council of Economic Advisors reveals that the average immigrant pays a net 80,000 dollars more in taxes than they collect in government services. For immigrants with college degrees the net fiscal return is $198,000. Furthermore, The American Farm Bureau asserts that without guest workers the U.S. economy would lose as much as $9 billion a year in agricultural production and 20 percent of current production would go overseas.

(Source: CATO Institute, CATO Handbook for Congress: Policy Recommendations for the 108th Congress, http://www.cato.org/pubs/handbook/hb108/hb108-63.pdf; Executive Office of the President: Council of Economic Advisors, “Immigration’s Economic Impact,” June 20, 2007, http://www.whitehouse.gov/cea/cea_immigration_062007.html; Derrick Z. Jackson, “Undocumented Workers Contribute Plenty, The Boston Globe, April 12, 2006, http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2006/04/12/undocumented_workers_contribute_plenty/)

Undocumented immigrants are a Burden on the Healthcare System - FALSE

Federal, state and local governments spend approximately 1.1 billion dollars annually on healthcare costs for undocumented immigrants, aged 18-64, or approximately $11 in taxes for each U.S. household. This compares to 88 billion dollars spent on all health care for non-elderly adults in the U.S. in 2000. Foreign born individuals tend to use fewer health care services because they are relatively healthier than their native born counterparts. For example, in Los Angeles County, “total medical spending on undocumented immigrants was $887 million in 2000 – 6 percent of total costs, although undocumented immigrants comprise 12 percent of the region's residents.”

(Source: The Rand Corporation, “RAND Study Shows Relatively Little Public Money Spent Providing Healthcare to Undocumented Immigrants,” November 14, 2006, http://www.rand.org/news/press.06/11.14.html; Dana P. Goldman, James P. Smith and Neeraj Sood, “Immigrants and the Cost of Medical Care,” Health Affairs 25, no. 6 (2006): 1700-1711)

The black-and-white image of a Spanish Civil War soldier falling backwards after being shot is Capa's most famous photograph, which some people believe was staged.

Read more at: British Journal of Photography - Capa mystery is revealed.

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Meka Johnson
Kick off your shoes...go barefoot!
Independent Barefoot Stallholder US-1020215
call 936-870-8554
email meka@barefootbooks.info
Shop http://www.barefootbooks.info

No truth to this.  While wearing hats can cause breakage and sometimes pull out a hair or two, and may even lead to split ends, it won't cause hair loss or even thinning.

Myth 2: Split ends are repairable.

This thing we can see and hear in shampoo and conditioner commercials.  In real life, split ends aren't going to magically heal themselves.  Hair's already dead tissue hence can't heal itself even if you bombard it with large amounts of shampoo and conditioner. With the proper care though, you can keep the split ends from recurring.

Myth 3: Losing 100 days a day is normal!

Yes it is. Sorry. Whether they break or fall out by the roots, the average person is going to have to deal with losing 100 or more hairs every single day. Like your cat or dog, you're going to shed a little. That's just the way hair is. But don't worry; you probably have at least that many new hairs growing in.

Myth 4: Brushing your hair a lot is good for it.

Brushing your hair is sometimes necessary to help distribute the natural oils and get rid of the tangles.  However, too much brushing can cause breakage and those dreaded split ends.

Myth 5: Dandruff is contagious!

While many scalp-borne infections and parasites are indeed contagious (ringworm and lice are particularly egregious examples) the critters that cause dandruff are already residing on your head.

Everyone has them -- they're the type of yeast called Malassezia that commonly lives on human skin. In susceptible people, their metabolic by-products cause skin cells in the scalp to clump into larger, oilier flakes than they do in most people. That is dandruff.

Myth 6: With too much stress, person's hair can turn white overnight.

No matter how stressed out one is. hair is not going to grow white or gray overnight.  The only effective way to turn your hair white overnight is to bleach it.

Myth 7: Washing the hair every day will dry it out.

Washing your hair every day will just cleanse it.  Excessive dryness may occur if you don't use the formulation for your hair type, that is, using a shampoo formulated for oily hair when you have dry hair.

What really dries out your hair is excessive blow-drying.

Myth 8: You can get scalp fungus if you go to bed with wet hair.

Just by going to bed with wet hair can't cause any diseases, fungal or otherwise.  Nor will it make you any likelier to get a cold; either you've caught the cold virus or you haven't. While you might end up with a severe case of bedhead, the idea that critters will take root in a wet scalp is just another one of many hair myths.

Myth: Mental illness is rare and unusual.

Fact: Neither schizophrenia nor the affective disorders (such as bipolar) are new or uncommon. Schizophrenia occurs in about 1% of the world's population. It doesn't matter how people were raised, their religion, their socioeconomic status, race, political views, or etc. Bipolar occurs in about 3-4 % of the worlds population, approximately 222 million people. In the US over 2.5 % of the population suffer from schizophrenia or bipolar. (Scary huh?)

Myth: Some therapists can cure major mental illness.

Fact: There is currently no known cure for schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. The severity of the symptoms can be reduced and improve the quality of life but there is not a cure.

Myth: The mentally ill are violent.

Fact: People with mental illness are generally not violent, nor are they psychotic killers as the media frequently portrays them. There is not a higher rate incident of violence among people with mental illness than amonth the general population. This is another example of what the stigma of mental illness produces, fear mongers...

Myth: Mental illness is contagious.

Fact: Mental illness is not contagious. You can't catch a mental illness from drinking from the same glass or from being around someone.

Myth: The mentally ill are bad or evil.

Fact: The mentally ill have a mental illness. People who have a mental illness are not evil. The fact that people are afflicted with a mental disorder does not mean they or their families did something wrong or are bad people. Having an illness is nothing to be ashamed of, people with diabetes, cancer, or heart disease don't have to be ashamed of having an illness, nor should people who have a mental illness be ashamed.

Myth: The mentall ill are morally weak.

Fact: Having a mental illness is not a sign of weakness. People with mental illness cannot stop their symptoms by trying harder any more than someone who has impaired hearing can hear better by trying harder to listen.

(Information came from "When Someone You Love Has a Mental Illness" by Rebecca Woolis)