Pre-chewed Food Could Transmit HIV

RJ Note: When I first saw the title of the article, my first thought was "You've got to be kidding." Read on. They aren't kidding. Of course, my second thought was, "Eeeeewwwwww." So for all of you who expect pre chewed food, just stop it. The life you save may be your own.

/PRNewswire/ -- Researchers have uncovered the first cases in which HIV almost certainly was transmitted from mothers other caregivers to children through pre-chewed food. The source of HIV in the pre-chewed food was most likely the infected blood in the saliva of the people who pre-chewed the food before giving it to the children. The researchers said their findings suggest that HIV-infected mothers or other caregivers should be warned against giving infants pre-chewed food and directed toward safer feeding options.

The cases indicate that physicians and clinics should routinely include questions about pre-chewing food in their health screening of infant caregivers who have HIV or are suspected of the infection. Also, possible cases of HIV transmission through pre-chewed food should be reported to public health agencies to help increase understanding of the prevalence of such transmission.

Led by Aditya Gaur, M.D., of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, with colleagues from St. Jude (Marion Donohoe, CPNP), the University of Miami (Charles Mitchell, M.D., and Delia Rivera, M.D.) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Kenneth Dominguez, M.D., Marcia Kalish, Ph.D., and John Brooks, M.D.), the researchers published their findings in the August 2009 issue of the journal Pediatrics. Gaur is an assistant member of the St. Jude Infectious Diseases department.

Giving infants pre-chewed food has been reported to transmit infections such as streptococcus and the hepatitis B virus, Gaur said. However, until these cases there was no evidence that the blood-borne HIV could be similarly transmitted. The source of blood in the saliva of the person pre-chewing the food for the child may likely have been visible or microscopic bleeding from the gums or some other part of the mouth, he added.

In their paper, the researchers described three cases in which pre-chewed food was likely the source of HIV transmission to infants.

The case that led to this published report was a 9-month-old infant who was referred to St. Jude because she was HIV positive after earlier tests had been negative.

"Her HIV-positive mother had not breastfed her, and further investigation had ruled out transmission by blood transfusion, injury or sexual abuse," Gaur said. Also, genetic testing, led by Kalish at the CDC, showed that the daughter had been infected with the same HIV strain as the mother.

"Fortunately, the St. Jude nurse practitioner, Marion Donohoe, was very thorough in her questioning about feeding practices, and she asked about pre-mastication. It turned out this mother had fed her daughter pre-chewed food," Gaur said.

When Gaur contacted Dominguez at the CDC about the possible case of transmission via pre-chewed food, the center alerted him to two similar cases previously reported by senior author Mitchell and colleague Rivera from the University of Miami. Those cases were not reported to the public at the time because of the lack of sufficient evidence of transmission via pre-chewed food. One case involved pre-chewing by an HIV-infected mother, and the other an HIV-infected aunt who was the caregiver.

Gaur said that information in the three cases suggests that one factor aiding such transmission was mouth bleeding in the caregiver, as well as in the infant due to teething or infection. He also said caregivers' lack of adherence to their own drug-treatment regimens probably increased their blood HIV levels, increasing the likelihood of transmission.

"These three cases are persuasive enough that they justify cautioning HIV-positive caregivers against giving infants pre-chewed foods," Gaur said. "Also, we hope increased awareness of this possible mode of transmission will bring more cases to light and more thorough studies, which can either substantiate or refute this transmission route." Also important, Gaur said, will be the results of surveys now being conducted in collaboration with other research groups in the United States and abroad to determine the extent of infant feeding using pre-chewed food.

The findings do not warrant a blanket recommendation against pre-chewed food for infants, the researchers emphasized. The practice, which has been reported from many parts of the world including the United States may be integral to providing adequate infant nutrition and grounded in culture and tradition. On a global level, educating HIV-positive caregivers will require cognizance of culturally sensitive issues and potential nutritional consequences linked to pre-chewing, the investigators said. The findings also do not imply that HIV can be transmitted through saliva during oral contact such as kissing. In the cases the researchers studied, HIV transmission was likely enabled by bleeding gums or open mouth sores.

"Importantly, this report does not challenge the accepted belief that saliva does not carry HIV and that transmission does not occur in kissing," Gaur said. "The exception is that transmission can occur when the people involved have damaged mucosa in their mouths, and blood is mixed with the saliva."

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Beautiful...

I wanted to share a video with you, but they've disabled embedding. Here's a link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2NEU6Xf7lM&feature=related. I just love listening to this version to cleanse my musical palette so to speak. The guys voices work so well together (except on the very last note).

Why we long to look and look too long

A 19th-century etiquette guide had this to say to readers about staring: “It is a mark of ill-breeding, and rightly gives offense.” The history of staring is, in fact, filled with such admonitions and cautionary tales, from the myth of Medusa, who turned men to stone with her stare, to the yanking away of bug-eyed children by their mortified mothers.

“We stare at what interests us. We stare to make the unknown known, to make sense of the unexpected,” says Professor of Women’s Studies Rosemarie Garland-Thomson, a cultural critic and pioneering researcher in disability studies whose recently released book “Staring: How We Look” explores the myriad causes of gaping, gawking and prolonged gazing.

She analyzes the interaction of the starer and the “staree” – a term Garland-Thomson coined.

Beginning with why we stare (it’s a response to novelty, which captures our attention and arouses our interest, as well as prompting a dopamine rush) and the fact that staring is universal, crossing cultures, countries and centuries, Garland-Thomson moves into the experience of staring, the various types of staring and the ethics of staring.

“Because we both crave and dread unpredictable sights, staring encounters are fraught with anxious contradiction,” she writes.

Each of us has had the experience of being both a starer and a staree. Staring can be a show of dominance, a sign of flirtation, or an instinctual reaction to a sight that is shocking, frightening, confusing or unexpected.

For people who are visually different — such as Garland-Thomson herself, who was born with a congenitally amputated arm — the fact that they frequently will experience being a staree is a given: especially if their disability affects a body site that “inherently draws more attention” because it carries significant cultural meaning, such as faces, hands, breasts or being of greater or lesser size than average.

“Staring is a natural impulse but often a social blunder,” she says.

The staree, however, is not powerless in the staring interaction, posits Garland-Thomson. Many of the “starable” people she interviewed and included in the book have devised ways to command control of the staring encounter. For example, Kevin Connolly, who was born legless, became a traveling documentary photographer, taking photos of people’s reactions when they saw him.

The staring may even culminate in a conversation in which the staree tells the starer how they came to be different, turning the stare into an opportunity for education or for turning sympathy to empathy, especially activism.

Children whose arms had been amputated by machete in the Sierra Leone civil war, for instance, became potent living symbols of the war’s brutality, inspiring the various factions to work together and raising charitable funds around the world. Models who have undergone mastectomies due to breast cancer have posed topless on magazine covers, daring viewers not to look away from their scar.

And the last step, she says, depends on the starers’ receptiveness. “If their visual politics of deliberately structured self-disclosure succeeds, it can create a sense of obligation that primes people to act in new ways: to vote differently, to spend money differently, to build the world differently, to treat people differently and to look at people differently.”

From Emory Report

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In case you're wondering why you can't buy something on-line at the moment... Authorize.net down...

What a mess... I design websites, have a number of them with shopping carts. Every host I use has a big notice indicating that Authorize.net is down. Gather there was a fire, which, combined with holiday weekend, has had them down for 5 or more hours.

That means nobody who goes through Authorize.net is selling I'd "assume". I didn't realize how many companies depended on one cog in the buying wheel. I use multiple hosts, turns out all of them use Authorize.net.

Here's the message on one of my hosting sites:

According to dslreports.com "a 'perfect storm' was created by the combination of a data center fire and the July 4 weekend holiday, resulting the company going completely dark for more than five hours and counting. The company's phone lines and this Authorize.net website remains offline as of this writing."

Here's one from another:

"Authorize.net, our credit card processing provider for our e-commerce products, has reported an outage at their data center. At this point, we do not have an ETA for resolution, however, they are working diligently to get their systems online as quickly as possible. During this time, customers using PowerPay may not be able to authorize their purchases. We will provide updates as they become available."

Just what we need in this down economy... I doubt Authorize.net is worried about anything other than their reputation and ability to get back to working order though. Really feel for them as well as every company depending on them to sell.

State Preambles

Notice any similarities in the following? I added some links on a few, just wanted to verify that these were accurate before passing them along.

Alabama 1901, Preamble
We the people of the State of Alabama , invoking the favor and guidance of Almighty God, do ordain and establish the following Constitution.. (http://www.legislature.state.al.us/CodeOfAlabama/Constitution/1901/CA-245529.htm)

Alaska 1956, Preamble We, the people of Alaska , grateful to God and to those who founded our nation and pioneered this great land. (http://www.alaska.edu/creatingalaska/constitution/)

Arizona 1911, Preamble We, the people of the State of Arizona , grateful to Almighty God for our liberties, do ordain this Constitution...

Arkansas 1874, Preamble We, the people of the State of Arkansas , grateful to Almighty God for the privilege of choosing our own form of government...

California 1879, Preamble We, the People of the State of California , grateful to Almighty God for our freedom...

Colorado 1876, Preamble We, the people of Colorado , with profound reverence for the Supreme Ruler of Universe...

Connecticut 1818, Preamble. The People of Connecticut, acknowledging with gratitude the good Providence of God in permitting them to enjoy.

Delaware 1897, Preamble Through Divine Goodness all men have, by nature, the rights of worshipping and serving their Creator according to the dictates of their consciences...

Florida 1885, Preamble We, the people of the State of Florida , grateful to Almighty God for our constitutional liberty, establish this Constitution...

Georgia 1777, Preamble We, the people of Georgia , relying upon protection and guidance of Almighty God, do ordain and establish this Constitution...

Hawaii 1959, Preamble We , the people of Hawaii , Grateful for Divine Guidance ... Establish this Constitution. (http://hawaii.gov/lrb/con/conpream.html)

Idaho 1889, Preamble We, the people of the State of Idaho , grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, to secure its blessings.

Illinois 1870, Preamble We, the people of the State of Illinois, grateful to Almighty God for the civil , political and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy and looking to Him for a blessing on our endeavors. (http://www.ilga.gov/commission/lrb/conp.htm)

Indiana 1851, Preamble We, the People of the State of Indiana , grateful to Almighty God for the free exercise of the right to choose our form of government.

Iowa 1857, Preamble We, the People of the St ate of Iowa , grateful to the Supreme Being for the blessings hitherto enjoyed, and feeling our dependence on Him for a continuation of these blessings, establish this Constitution.

Kansas 1859, Preamble We, the people of Kansas , grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious privileges establish this Constitution.

Kentucky 1891, Preamble.. We, the people of the Commonwealth are grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberties..

Louisiana 1921, Preamble We, the people of the State of Louisiana , grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberties we enjoy.

Maine 1820, Preamble We the People of Maine acknowledging with grateful hearts the goodness of the Sovereign Ruler of the Universe in affording us an opportunity .. And imploring His aid and direction.

Maryland 1776, Preamble We, the people of the state of Maryland , grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious liberty...

Massachusetts 1780, Preamble We...the people of Massachusetts, acknowledging with grateful hearts, the goodness of the Great Legislator of the Universe In the course of His Providence, an opportunity and devoutly imploring His direction

Michigan 1908, Preamble. We, the people of the State of Michigan , grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of freedom, establish this Constitution.

Minnesota, 1857, Preamble We, the people of the State of Minnesota, grateful to God for our civil and religious liberty, and desiring to perpetuate its blessings: (http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/cco/rules/mncon/preamble.htm)

Mississippi 1890, Preamble We, the people of Mississippi in convention assembled, grateful to Almighty God, and invoking His blessing on our work.

Missouri 1845, Preamble We, the people of Missouri , with profound reverence for the Supreme Ruler of the Universe, and grateful for His goodness . Establish this Constitution...

Montana 1889, Preamble. We, the people of Montana , grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of liberty establish this Constitution ...

Nebraska 1875, Preamble We, the people, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom . Establish this Constitution.

Nevada 1864, Preamble We the people of the State of Nevada , grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, establish this Constitution...

New Hampshire 1792, Part I. Art. I. Sec. V Every individual has a natural and unalienable right to worship God according to the dictates of his own conscience.

New Jersey 1844, Preamble We, the people of the State of New Jersey, grateful to Almighty God for civil and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy, and looking to Him for a blessing on our endeavors.

New Mexico 1911, Preamble We, the People of New Mexico, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of liberty..

New York 1846, Preamble We, the people of the State of New York, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, in order to secure its blessings.

North Carolina 1868, Preamble We the people of the State of North Carolina, grateful to Almighty God, the Sovereign Ruler of Nations, for our civil, political, and religious liberties, and acknowledging our dependence upon Him for the continuance of those...

North Dakota 1889, Preamble We , the people of North Dakota, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of civil and religious liberty, do ordain...

Ohio 1852, Preamble We the people of the state of Ohio, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, to secure its blessings and to promote our common.

Oklahoma 1907, Preamble Invoking the guidance of Almighty God, in order to secure and perpetuate the blessings of liberty, establish this

Oregon 1857, Bill of Rights, Article I Section 2. All men shall be secure in the Natural right, to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their consciences

Pennsylvania 1776, Preamble We, the people of Pennsylvania, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of civil and religious liberty, and humbly invoking His guidance....

Rhode Island 1842, Preamble. We the People of the State of Rhode Island grateful to Almighty God for the civil and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy, and looking to Him for a blessing...

South Carolina, 1778, Preamble We, the people of he State of South Carolina grateful to God for our liberties, do ordain and establish this Constitution.

South Dakota 1889, Preamble We, the people of South Dakota, grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious liberties ...

Tennessee 1796, Art. XI..III. That all men have a natural and indefeasible right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their conscience...

Texas 1845, Preamble We the People of the Republic of Texas, acknowledging, with gratitude, the grace and beneficence of God.

Utah 1896, Preamble Grateful to Almighty God for life and liberty, we establish this Constitution.

Vermont 1777, Preamble Whereas all government ought to enable the individuals who compose it to enjoy their natural rights, and other blessings which the Author of Existence has bestowed on man ...

Virginia 1776, Bill of Rights, XVI Religion, or the Duty which we owe our Creator can be directed only by Reason and that it is the mutual duty of all to practice Christian Forbearance, Love and Charity towards each other

Washington 1889, Preamble We the People of the State of Washington, grateful to the Supreme Ruler of the Universe for our liberties, do ordain this Constitution

West Virginia 1872, Preamble Since through Divine Providence we enjoy the blessings of civil, political and religious liberty, we, the people of West Virginia reaffirm our faith in and constant reliance upon God ...

Wisconsin 1848, Preamble We, the people of Wisconsin, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, domestic tranquility...

Wyoming 1890, Preamble We, the people of the State of Wyoming, grateful to God for our civil, political, and religious liberties, establish this Constitution...

Mark Malkoff Completes 30-Day Landmark Journey of Living Onboard AirTran Airways' Aircraft

/PRNewswire/ -- Like a returning hero, Mark Malkoff arrived in Atlanta today to applause and adulation from hundreds of adoring fans. Malkoff set the Guinness World Record for most flight segments in a 30-day period while keeping in touch with friends, fans and family via Gogo Inflight Internet on the airline's aircraft.

During the 30-day tour, Malkoff visited 38 cities, posted more than 1,000 tweets on his Twitter account and updated his Facebook page more than 700 times, all while taking more than 130 flights covering more than 109,000 miles while living onboard AirTran's new Boeing 717 and 737 aircraft. Some of his most memorable stops include: racing remote control cars with Danica Patrick in Richmond, Va.; being hosed down in Flint, Mich. by the Bishop International Airport Fire-Rescue Department for his first shower in weeks; and challenging the famous Klement's racing sausages to a foot race around an AirTran Airways aircraft in Milwaukee.

"What a long, strange trip it has been," said Malkoff. "The other night on a red eye flight I was told that I was muttering 'How are you baby wipes?' in my sleep. I'm extremely excited to be able to take a long, hot shower and see my wife Christine but I will definitely miss the thousands of AirTran Crew Members that have made me feel so welcome and at home."

During the 30-day adventure, Malkoff accumulated more than 100 frequent flier credits as an A+ Rewards Elite Member. To commemorate his World-Record accomplishment, AirTran Airways is giving away 100 of these credits to one lucky winner at http://www.markonairtran.com/. On the site are also videos of Malkoff's adventures posted throughout his trip.

"Watching Mark fly day and night for the past 30 days has been amazing," said Tad Hutcheson, vice president of marketing and sales for AirTran Airways. "He was the fastest passenger ever to become an A+ Elite flyer and we're happy to be able to give these credits away to someone else so they can begin their own adventure."

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Americans acknowledge need for more energy, but underestimate role of oil, natural gas, survey shows

/PRNewswire/ -- A new survey finds that while Americans now recognize the United States will need more energy in the coming years, they continue to underestimate the amount of oil and natural gas that government experts predict will be needed to meet that demand. Conversely, respondents overestimate the role that renewable energy sources will play in meeting future demand, the amount of oil the U.S. imports from the Middle East, and oil and natural gas industry earnings.

The third annual "Energy IQ" survey, conducted for the American Petroleum Institute (API) by Harris Interactive(R), comes as a new administration and Congress are pursuing energy and climate policies that will determine America's economic competitiveness for years to come.

"Americans understand fundamentally that we need more energy to grow our economy but they continue to undervalue oil and natural gas in meeting expected demand," said Jack Gerard, API's president and CEO. "We stand ready to work with the White House and Congress on policies that encourage the development of America's vast resources, which would strengthen our nation's energy security, create new jobs and increase government revenues by trillions of dollars."

"The American public wants to believe there is a silver bullet answer to our energy challenges despite what government experts predict," said Jim Hoskins, senior vice president for Harris Interactive. "Americans have become more aware of how current policies limit increased domestic production but they also continue to subscribe to common, yet critical, misperceptions regarding how the industry operates and the energy we'll need to meet growing demand."

Comparing the results to last year's survey, respondents showed a continued misunderstanding on key issues such as the significance of North American oil and natural gas resources, the number of people employed by the oil and natural gas industry in the U.S., and the amount of taxes the industry pays every year.

API commissioned the online research by Harris Interactive of 1,298 U.S. adults between April 30 and May 8, 2009. Results were compared to the previous two years' responses. Among the survey's key findings:

-- More Americans understand that U.S. energy demand will increase during
the next 20 years, but they underestimate the vital role that fossil
fuels will play in meeting demand.
-- While the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) projects
that U.S. energy demand will increase 9 percent during the next 20
years, only 5 percent of respondents chose the correct answer. The
majority overestimated this number, believing that U.S. demand
would increase 16 to 21 percent.
-- When asked what percent of global energy demand will be met by
fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas and coal, according to
government projections, only 10 percent of respondents answered
correctly that fossil fuels will meet 85 percent of energy demand.
This is the second consecutive year this number has dropped even
though the EIA figure for future U.S. reliance on fossil fuels has
risen by five percent since 2008.
-- Similarly, while the EIA projects that more than 55 percent of
U.S. energy demand in 2030 will be met by oil and natural gas,
only 16 percent of respondents chose this answer.
-- Those surveyed overestimate the amount of oil and natural gas supplied
to the U.S. by the Persian Gulf countries and underestimate the amount
that is supplied from North America.
-- According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), 12 percent of
the oil consumed last year in the U.S. came from the Persian Gulf
countries. Only 7 percent of respondents chose correctly, while
more than 40 percent of respondents believed that over 30 percent
of our oil supply came from the Persian Gulf.
-- Fifty-three percent of respondents believed that Saudi Arabia was
the largest U.S. supplier of imported crude oil. In fact,
according to the DOE, Canada is the largest supplier of imported
crude oil.
-- Only 5 percent of respondents knew that more than 73 percent of
oil and natural gas consumed in the U.S. was produced in North
America. This is down 3 percent from last year's survey. A
surprising 42 percent were under the misconception that the answer
was less than 35 percent.
-- People underestimate the contributions the industry makes to the U.S.
economy through jobs and taxes, and overestimate the industry's
profits.
-- Only 15 percent of respondents knew that six million Americans are
employed directly or indirectly by the oil and natural gas
industry.
-- Only 9 percent of respondents knew that oil companies pay more
than 40 percent in income taxes as a share of their income. The
majority thought that it was less than 30 percent, with one-third
of all respondents under the misconception that companies pay less
than 15 percent in income taxes.
-- Similarly, when asked how much the oil and natural gas industry
paid in taxes over the past three years, a full one quarter of
respondents believed that the U.S. oil and natural gas industry
contributed less than $100 billion. Forty-three percent of
respondents chose "not sure" and only 10 percent answered
correctly -- $242 billion, according to the EIA.
-- More than 40 percent of respondents believed that the oil and
natural gas industry earned more than 20 cents per every dollar of
sales. In fact the industry earns just below 6 cents on every
dollar.

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A Change in Fayette: Farewell to Chuck and Cindy Morley

I've been in Fayette County long enough to remember when Chuck and Cindy Morley took over the Fayette Daily News around 14 years ago. For many in Fayette, they've never know a Fayette Daily News without the pair at the helm. At the end of the month, newbies coming into the county will read a Fayette Daily minus the hard-working dynamic duo.

I remember walking into Chuck's office many times way back when to sneak one of my press releases into his huge overflowing in-box stack. I'd position it near the top knowing he'd never get down to the one at the bottom. At times I'd slide the same one in the pile in a couple of spots. Sometimes I just leave it in his chair or someplace where I knew he couldn't miss it in hopes that my bright colors and fancy fonts, if not the subject matter, would catch his attention. Most of the time he'd be in his office and we'd chat. Almost as often, if I found Chuck, I'd find Cindy... always wearing something with a noticeable Georgia Bulldog logo it seemed!

Over the years our paths have crossed many times as I managed my public relations and marketing company, worked part-time for one of their competitors and then became a quasi-competitor of sorts when I started the Fayette Front Page. Inevitably if I went to a Tech or Georgia game I'd see the pair at some point with cameras, pad and pens, covering the action.

Change is a way of life these days so it's hard to complain about some of the changes, even some of the ones I don't like. People retire or move onto better things. Newspapers shrink, formats change and the focus shifts.

The Fayette Daily News will not be the same without Chuck and Cindy. It has become so closely identified with them that whoever attempts to take their place is going to have a difficult time of it I'd think. Despite the growth in Fayette, we're still a small town in many ways and relationships matter.

There are very few Fayette County secrets unknown to the Morleys. They know the history of the county, the good and the bad. They know the relationships, the ties and the heart of the community. They seem to pretty much get along with everyone and manage to find friends on both sides of issues.

It's going to be strange sitting at a Fayette County Commission meeting without Cindy to joke and talk to during the lulls. I'll miss hearing Chuck's dry witty comments at the next event I cover. It's rare to cover any event and not find one of the two.

I wish them well and hope their next ventures are wildly successful. We're going to miss them in Fayette County.

Test Demonstrates Texting While Behind The Wheel Can Be Even More Dangerous Than Impaired Driving

RJ Note: As I recall being a young driver, swerving cars usually meant drinking and driving. Now, it appears the honor for swerving cars now can indicate driving while talking or texting. How many times do you pass a swerving car and say to yourself "get off the phone and drive"?

I usually make sure I am at a complete stop before I try to talk on the phone. And I never text while driving. After all, it can take my complete dedication to listening to what is being said. Shoot, sometimes I can't even watch TV and talk at the same time.

/PRNewswire/ -- Text messaging is on the rise, and undoubtedly, some "texters" or "tweeters" are sending and receiving messages while driving. In December 2008, more than 110 billion messages were being sent each month, up from less than 10 billion just three years ago. To gauge the effect of these road messagers, Car and Driver magazine decided to conduct a road test to determine just how dangerous texting and driving can be. The results were eye-opening.

Previous academic studies have shown texting while driving using simulators impairs a driver's abilities. But as far as we know, no study has been conducted in a real vehicle that is being driven. In addition, Car and Driver also compared the results of texting to the effects of drunk driving, on the same day and under the exact same conditions.

The focus of the test was solely on the driver's reaction time. All of the driving was done in a straight line on an 11,800-foot runway. Given the prevalence of the BlackBerry, the iPhone, and other text-friendly mobile phones, the test subjects would have devices with full QWERTY keypads and would be familiar with text messaging. A web intern 22, armed with an iPhone, would represent the younger crowd. The older demographic would be covered by Editor-in-Chief, Eddie Alterman, 37.

After conducting the texting tests on both drivers at 35 mph and 70 mph, the test subjects then drank alcoholic cocktails until they reached the legal driving limit of 0.08 percent blood-alcohol content. They then went back behind the wheel and ran the identical test without any texting distractions.

The results showed even using a straight road without any traffic, road signals, or pedestrians, and looking just at reaction times, the texting results were even worse than the negative impaired driving results.

Both socially and legally, drunk driving is completely unacceptable. Texting, on the other hand, is still in its formative period with respect to laws and opinion. A few jurisdictions have passed ordinances against texting while driving. But even if sweeping legislation were passed today to outlaw any typing behind the wheel, it would still be very difficult to enforce the law.

As summarized by Alterman, "In our test, neither of us had any idea texting would slow down our reaction time so much. Like most folks, we believe we are good drivers, but the real key to driving safely is keeping your eyes and your mind on the road. Text messaging distracts any driver from those primary tasks."

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Next Week is 35th Anniversary of Retail Bar Code Scanning

RJ Note: Long gone are the days when you stood in the grocery line and watched the magical fingers of the check out clerk. Of course, you also watched carefully to ensure no errors were made as those fingers flew over the keys.

Now, the UPC is turning 35. I still remember the first time I saw it used in a store. The store was in Augusta, Georgia, on Washington Rd, but I can no longer recall the name of the store. However, I do recall I got my first hand held hair dryer at that store. Ahh, memories.

(BUSINESS WIRE)--“It’s the wave of the future, and I’m very upbeat on the system.” These were the words almost 35 years ago of Virginia Knauer, special assistant for consumer affairs to the President of the United States, when asked about the Universal Product Code (UPC) and the growing interest in retail bar code scanning.

Today, there is virtually no consumer product that cannot be scanned at the checkout in a retail store.

NCR Corporation first demonstrated its scanning system in 1974 to an overflow crowd that attended the Super Market Institute convention to view the then-revolutionary technology. Less than two months later, on June 26, 1974, history was made when a 10-pack of Wrigley’s chewing gum became the first product ever scanned in a retail store setting — with an NCR scanner in a checkout lane at a Marsh Supermarket in Troy, Ohio.

NCR and Marsh quickly made headlines in newspapers and trade publications in the United States, Canada and other countries.

“Throughout its history, Marsh has been a technology leader in the retail industry,” said Lee Nicholson, vice president of MIS for Indianapolis-based Marsh Supermarkets, Inc. “When that package of Wrigley’s gum moved across the scan window, and a laser beam ‘read’ the bar code imprinted on the package, it was the beginning of a new era for retailing.”

Indeed, the new system helped revolutionize the world of retailing. Bar code scanning at the point of service soon brought faster checkout for shoppers and gave retailers more information and control over inventory and other areas of store operations. But the revolution didn’t stop there.

“That first transaction on an NCR bar code scanner launched a transformation that is still being felt throughout the world of retailing,” said Mike Webster, NCR vice president and general manager, Retail and Hospitality. “It’s a world where NCR has helped make shopping easier and faster for consumers with a stream of innovative solutions that we intend to drive well into the future.”

Today, retailers use the detailed transaction data collected by NCR RealPOS™ bar code scanners in ways only dreamed of 35 years ago. For example, consumer loyalty programs — like NCR Advanced Marketing Solution software — are linked to data that is generated when items are scanned at the point of sale.

In the years since 1974, NCR has introduced a steady stream of technology and software innovations that set the standard for scanning systems in retail stores and made the company today’s market leader in high performance scanners.

Moreover, NCR continues to simplify retailing processes and revolutionize the two things most people like least about shopping — waiting in line and paying. For example:

* NCR SelfServ™ Checkout, from the global market leader in self-checkout, can reduce checkout wait times up to 40 percent, greatly enhancing the shopping experience.
* NCR SelfServ kiosks, available with an integrated bar code scanner, support numerous retail self-service functions, including order placement, bill payment, promotional information, gift registries and more.

In addition, the global standards community, led by GS1™, is working with NCR to introduce the first new bar code symbology introduced worldwide to retail since the introduction of the European Article Number (EAN) format in 1977. The GS1 DataBar™ can be used for identifying small items, such as produce, and can carry more information than the current EAN/UPC bar code.

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Georgia Preacher Rescued Apollo 11 Astronauts

/PRNewswire/ -- When Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Mike Collins splashed down into the Pacific Ocean on July 24, 1969 after their historic moonwalk, the first human they saw had flowers plastered all over his wetsuit. A picture of Wolfram standing on top of the capsule holding on to the recovery loop like a cowboy on a bucking bronco was plastered all over America's newspapers and periodicals, including the now-defunct Look magazine. You can't miss Wolfram. His flowers distinguish him from the others.

Wolfram remembers that remarkable day as if it were yesterday, "Who would have thought that a 20-year-old seaman like me would have ever gotten the chance to be part of history? Dreams do come true."

Rescuing astronauts was not the only adventure of Wolfram's short navy career. He was deployed twice to Vietnam where he received a purple heart from a leg wound received during a firefight with the Viet Cong. John lost eight close friends, "I was one of the fortunate ones. I was able to return to the U.S. and pick up where I left off."

John's amazing story is chronicled in a book he has published called Splashdown, The Rescue of a Navy Frogman -- just in time for the 40th anniversary of the first Moon landing. Wolfram not only describes in detail his journey to become a Navy UDT/SEAL, he also shares with readers his personal struggles, coping with drugs and the controversial war. While hallucinating on LSD in a Vietnam hotel room, he escaped the horrors of suicide after hearing a familiar voice -- the one that had spoken to him once before as a child.

With the help of faith that never left his side, Wolfram weaves into his narrative how while he was trained to rescue others, he found himself in need of rescue.

When asked the question, what do you want readers to get out of your book, among other things? His reply was "to realize someone is out there, urging us to try, to take the risk, to brave the danger, and standing ready to reveal Himself as our savior."

Wolfram's own conversion came at the end of his four-year Navy enlistment. His turnaround was so dramatic that many of his UDT-11 teammates were also converted. Four of them became preachers of the gospel.

Wolfram's Christian journey has led him back to Vietnam, among those whom he fought in order to lead them to Jesus. "Going back to Vietnam was a rush beyond words," says Wolfram. "I faced my demons and answered God's call all at the same time. I've been making trips every year since the early '90s."

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We May Be Smarter than Chimps, but We get more Cancer

RJ Note: Now isn't this a kicker? Here we are. So advanced and yet, chimps appear to fight cancer much better than we do. Very interesting study.

GT: Cancer: The Cost of Being Smarter Than Chimps?

Are the cognitively superior brains of humans, in part, responsible for our higher rates of cancer? That’s a question that has nagged at John McDonald, chair of Georgia Tech’s School of Biology and chief research scientist at the Ovarian Cancer Institute, for a while. Now, after an initial study, it seems that McDonald is on to something. The new study is available online in the journal Medical Hypothesis and will appear in the forthcoming issue of the journal.

“I was always intrigued by the fact that chimpanzees appear to have lower rates of cancer than humans,” said McDonald. “So we went back and reanalyzed some previously reported gene expression studies including data that were not used in the original analyses.”

McDonald and his graduate students, Gaurav Arora and Nalini Polivarapu, compared chimp-human gene expression patterns in five tissues: brain, testes, liver, kidneys and heart. They found distinct differences in the way apoptosis " or programmed cell death ” operates, suggesting that humans do not “self-destroy” cells as effectively as chimpanzees do. Apoptosis is one of the primary mechanisms by which our bodies destroy cancer cells.

“The results from our analysis suggest that humans aren’t as efficient as chimpanzees in carrying out programmed cell death. We believe this difference may have evolved as a way to increase brain size and associated cognitive ability in humans, but the cost could be an increased propensity for cancer,” said McDonald.

Like all evolutionary hypotheses, this can’t be proven absolutely, according to McDonald. However, his lab has recently obtained additional direct experimental evidence consistent with the hypothesis that apoptotic function is more efficient in chimps than in humans.

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