JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL/MIDDLE SCHOOL-BE ORDINARY IS THE REAL COOL

I still am not sure what ever happened to Junior High School being replaced by the terminology of Middle School. I suppose that it is part of the idiotic marketing  concept of creating a false illusion that something has actually been changed for the better, but in reality nothing has been changed.

Most kids want to be popular more than anything else, as life at that age is generally about wanting to have a lot of friends, to "fit in", be "cool", and to be liked by your peers. 

Peer pressure is the guiding force and the master of determining who is to be judged as "in" and those others who are exiled to be called the nerds, losers because they do not fit the mostly cosmetic requirements of being in the popular category.

When you were in Junior High School (AKA Middle School), what did you want to be? 

Psychologist Joseph Allen, who teaches at the University of Virginia, decided to track a large class of middle school kids into adulthood.

Being king or queen of the school hallways might seem cool in your teens, but it doesn't bode well for your social status later in life, a new study suggests. 

Teens who try to act older than their age might gain popularity early on but are more likely to have problems with drugs and alcohol and engage in serious criminal behavior by their early 20s, according to the study (CLICK HERE FOR STUDY) published in the journal "Child Development". 


"It appears that while so-called cool teens' behavior might have been linked to early popularity, over time, these teens needed more and more extreme behaviors to try to appear cool," Joseph P. Allen, lead author and professor of psychology at the University of Virginia, said in statement.


The finding comes from a 10 year study in which researchers followed 184 students as they progressed from age 13 to 23.


At 13, those who exhibited  "pseudomature behaviors", a catchall term for behaviors that seem to boost perceived popularity were rated as more popular by their peers. 

The cooler kids impressed their peers through displays of romantic behavior (like kissing or touching), deviant acts (like damaging their parents' property or sneaking into a movie theater without a ticket), or by associating themselves with more physically attractive friends. 

As the years went on, however, these antics did not correlate to an increase in popularity. In fact, just the opposite happened. 

The pseudomature behaviors evolved into larger problems and the status of once cool individuals dropped: 

"The adolescent who comes to depend upon pseudomature behavior to gain peer status may gradually need to shift, for example, from minor forms of delinquency, such as vandalism and shoplifting, to more serious acts of criminal behavior such as everything from drunken driving arrests to losing jobs, to being arrested or fighting in public, to impress even a subset of older peers," the authors wrote.  


The chart below shows that students who engaged in pseudomature behavior at 13 were perceived as more popular by their peers than those who did not engage in pseudomature behavior, but that correlation faded over time. 

If the trend lines continued past age 15, you'd expect so-called cool-kid behavior to be less associated with popularity as people get older  and that's exactly what happened.


By 22, the cool kids struggled to make friends. "These previously cool teens appeared less competent socially than their less cool peers by the time they reached young adulthood," Allen said.  


Teens who become popular simply by hanging out with pretty people probably don't work as hard to develop meaningful relationships, according to the study. That behavior is carried into adulthood, to their detriment. 

The study didn't look into why these kids feel such a deep need to be popular, whether it's inborn or because of what may be going on at home. 

But Dr. Allen says his research should reassure the parents of the not so popular kids.

"If their kids are in middle school and they're seen as being left out or left behind, maybe they're actually doing just fine," says Allen. 

I would like to believe that all of this means "being ordinary"  as an adolescent often translates into becoming extraordinary, productive, and happy as an adult, instead of being determined by how many friends you have as a teenager.

Now if we can only convince kids that this is true, it may just be the most important piece of knowledge they will learn in Junior High school.

FLATULATION IS GOOD FOR YOU, ACCORDING TO NEW SCIENTIFIC STUDY

Everyday we read or hear about new scientific studies that advise us about their findings. It's gotten to the point where there are so many different studies of many different topics, often with contradictory findings, that we become more confused than enlightened as to what is actually healthy for us.

Today I came across a newly "released" scientific study of major importance that seems to pass the universal "smell" test as to it's veracity as "being good for your health". 

It' simple to do, costs nothing to buy, is domestically produced, everyone can do it, including those with special diets, plus we have an endless, unlimited supply, and it's homeopathic, rich in natural ingredients.

The Oxford dictionary describes the word flatulence as " a condition in which excessive gas builds up in the intestines and is then released, also known as farting, tooting, break wind, passing gas, cut cheese, the dog did it, and ripping.

Flatulence or Farting may stink to high heaven, but a new study suggests that the gas responsible for that foul odor may actually extend a person’s time on earth.

Scientists in the UK claim that hydrogen sulfide, the stinky compound that smells like rotten eggs which contributes to the flatulence stench, could have amazing health benefits.

Hydrogen sulfide can be toxic, but tiny amounts have been shown to help protect the mitochondria, which are known as the “powerhouses” of cells.

Study author Dr. Matt Whiteman of the University of Exeter explained that diseased cells draw in enzymes to create small quantities of the compound, which helps keep the mitochondria going and the cell alive.

“If this doesn't happen, the cells die and lose the ability to regulate survival and control inflammation,” he said in a release.

The scientists said they have created a new compound known as AP36 that harnesses the power of hydrogen sulfide and can deliver it to the mitochondria.

Protecting or reversing damage to this part of the cell is a crucial part of treating many conditions, including stroke, diabetes, heart failure and dementia.

Hydrogen sulfide “could in fact be a health care hero with significant implications for future therapies for a variety of diseases,” study author Dr. Mark Wood said.

The team is working on advancing research to the stage where the compound can be tested in humans.

THE STUDY- CLICK HERE-was published in the journal Medicinal Chemistry Communications.

Why do we fart? Why do farts smell? Passing gas may be embarrassing for most of us, but it might make you feel better to know that it's one of the most common bodily functions of all time. In fact, the word "fart" is one of the oldest words in the English language!

This led me on a quest to ascertain additional research about the topic that I can share with you below:

1) What Is A Fart, Exactly?

Farts are caused by trapped air, which can come from many sources. Some of it is air that we have swallowed while chewing or drinking. Some air is caused by gas seeping into our intestines from our blood, and some gas is produced by chemical reactions in our intestines or bacteria living in our guts. A typical fart is composed of about 59 percent nitrogen, 21 percent hydrogen, 9 percent carbon dioxide, 7 percent methane and 4 percent oxygen. Only about one percent of a fart contains hydrogen sulfide gas and mercaptans, which contain sulfur, and the sulfur is what makes farts stink. Farts make a sound when they escape due to the vibrations of the rectum. The loudness may vary depending on how much pressure is behind the gas, as well as the tightness of the sphincter muscles.(Source)

2) Why Do Farts Smell Bad?

The more sulfur-rich your diet is, the more terrible your farts will smell. Some foods contain more sulfur than others, which is why eating things like beans, lentils, cabbage, cheese, soda, and eggs can cause gas that will peel the paint off the walls!

3) People pass gas about 14-20 times per day

The average person produces about half a liter of farts every single day, and even though many women won't admit it, women do fart just as often as men. In fact, a study has proven that when men and women eat the exact same food, woman tend to have even more concentrated gas than men. If a person were to fart continuously for 6 years and 9 months, they would produce gas with the equivalent energy of an atomic bomb. (Source)

4) Farts Have Been Clocked At A Speed Of 10 Feet Per Second.

Though farts come out with varying velocities, we don't typically smell them for about 10-15 seconds after letting them rip. This is because it takes that long for the odor to reach your nostrils.(Source)

5) Holding Farts In Could Be Bad For Your Health

Doctors disagree on whether or not holding in a fart is bad for your health. Some experts think that farts are a natural part of your digestive system, so holding them in won't harm you. Others think that at best, holding them in can cause gas, bloating, and other uncomfortable symptoms, and at worst, repressing gas can cause hemorrhoids or a distended bowel.(Source)

6) For Some Cultures, Farting Is No Big Deal

While most cultures feel that farts should be suppressed in polite company, there are some cultures that not only don't mind letting them fly in public, but they actually enjoy it. An Indian tribe in South America called the Yanomami fart as a greeting, and in China you can actually get a job as a professional fart smeller! In ancient Rome, Emperor Claudius, fearing that holding farts in was bad for the health, passed a law stating that it was acceptable to break wind at banquets. (Source 1 | Source 2)

7) Farts Are Flammable

As stated above, the methane and hydrogen in bacteria-produced farts make your gas highly flammable. This is why some people think it's a fun party trick to hold a lighter up to their bums and let one fly; doing so produces a big burst of flame, but is obviously very dangerous. In rare cases, a build-up of flammable gasses in the intestines have caused explosions during intestinal surgeries! (Source 1 | Source 2 | Source 3 )

8) Termites Produce The Most Farts Of Any Other Animal

It's hard to believe that the tiny termite is responsible for a great deal of our global warming problem on the planet. Termites fart more than any other animal, which produces methane gas. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, "Global emissions of methane due to termites are estimated to be between 2 and 22 Tg per year, making them the second largest natural source of methane emissions. Methane is produced in termites as part of their normal digestive process, and the amount generated varies among different species." 

9) If You Hold Them In, They'll Just Come Out When You Sleep.

Even if you clenched your butt and held them in all day, the gas will escape once you relax. What's more relaxing than sleep?(Source)

Before you think that my blog post of today stinks, perhaps consider to go ahead and enjoy those lentils. Chow down on the cabbage. Then if you stink a little, think of it as a thank you gesture gift from yourself.

HONOR WITH INDIFFERENCE-JIM NAPOLEAN GARCIA-71 YR.OLD VET DIES IN HOSPITAL CAFETERIA, 500 YARDS FROM ER, DELAYED BY VA POLICY TO CALL 911

Could the bureaucracy at Veterans Affairs hospitals get any worse even as we celebrate the Declaration of Independence today July 4, 2014 and remember the soldiers who took up arms for our freedom? 

On Thursday, July 3rd, Jim Napoleon Garcia, a

71 year old Vietnam War veteran died at the Albuquerque, New Mexico Veteran Affairs hospital. 

The man collapsed in the cafeteria, which is only 500 yards away from the emergency room. 

Rather than the hospital staff running and grabbing a gurney to rush the man to the ER, they instead called an ambulance, as was mandated by protocol, and attempted CPR while they waited. 

Although the ambulance was called immediately after the man collapsed and the ER was less than a five-minute walk from where he was, it took 30 minutes for the ambulance to arrive. By that time, the human victim of this moronic stupidity was dead. 

VA spokeswoman Sonja Brown, who performed CPR to no avail until the ambulance finally arrived said, “Our policy is under expedited review.” Wow, that's swell of them to expedite it.

Meanwhile, a family will be without their loved one on Independence Day because of the deliberate stupidity of VA "protocol" at the VA that potentially cost a man his life.

This is one of the most ignorant reasons for someone dying. 

Wasn't there someone around who was passionate enough about saving a life that they would throw policy out the window and do the right thing, get a gurney, and push him to the next building to save his life. 

How do people get to be so complacent? Every day I hear or read something that makes me think I've heard or seen the worst thing that could ever happen, but the next day there is another one. What has happened to the humanity of the human race?

While Patriotism is the most significant, common-core value that Americans share between themselves, our soldiers have been one of the most abused class of people in this entire country.

Hypocritically, both Republicans and Democrats tout the honor and commitment that these men and women give, and die doing every day, and while both parties frame as many political issues within the contextual theater of troops, the defense of our country, and War, the second they get off that podium. the very second!, they act in ways that are 180 degrees opposed to what they just said one second earlier. How do these people live with themselves, I ask myself.

Problems at the VA predated President Obama’s Democrat administration, but as part of his 2008 election campaign, Obama vowed to fix the VA. Nothing much has changed for the better from previous President's administrations.

Our heroes have been suffering for DECADES at the hands of the unconcerned, incompetent,don't give a damn bureaucracy. I have written about this previously
(CLICK HERE) as a systemic, chronic crisis of long standing.

Conceivably, the VA should be the very best medical system in the country with the research that it can conduct, the research it should be able to conduct, with its membership rolls, and its ability to influence pricing nationwide, so that we do not see the current medical cost doubling every ten years,  phenomena rooted in greed, criminality, and the glaring absence of any one competent in charge. 

The death comes at the Department of Veterans Affairs remains under scrutiny for widespread reports of long delays for treatment, medical appointments and of veterans dying while on waiting lists.

To make matters worse, VA executives handed out fat performance bonuses to each other while these bureaucratic shenanigans were going on. 

On the subject of those bonuses, according to CNN, “78% of VA senior managers qualified for extra pay or other compensation in fiscal year 2013 by receiving ratings of ‘outstanding’ or ‘exceeds fully successful’…”

Also, a review last week cited 'significant and chronic system failures' in the nation's health system for veterans. 

Records of dead veterans were changed or physically altered, some even in recent weeks, to hide how many people died while waiting for care at the Phoenix VA hospital, a whistle-blower told CNN in stunning revelations that point to a new cover up in the ongoing VA scandal.

"Deceased" notes on files were removed to make statistics look better, so veterans would not be counted as having died while waiting for care, Pauline DeWenter said. ( CLICK HERE).

DeWenter should know. DeWenter is the actual scheduling clerk at the Phoenix VA who said for the better part of a year she was ordered by supervisors to manage and handle the so-called "secret waiting list," where veterans' names of those seeking medical care were often placed, sometimes left for months with no care at all.

The review also portrayed the struggling agency as one battling a corrosive culture of distrust, lacking in resources and ill-prepared to deal with an influx of new and older veterans with a range of medical and mental health care needs.

The scathing report by deputy White House chief of staff Rob Nabors said the Veterans Health Administration, the VA sub agency that provides health care to about 8.8 million veterans a year, has systematically ignored warnings about its deficiencies and must be fundamentally restructured.

Not only are Veterans forced to wait for ambulances, tens of thousands more veterans than previously reported are forced to wait at least a month for medical appointments at Veterans Affairs hospitals and clinics, according to an updated audit of 731 VA medical facilities released in June.

The unnecessary death adds more weight to the preponderance of seeming widespread obscene incompetence plaguing the nation’s largest health care system.

While not addressing it in today's blog, this is certainly also happening in the dysfunctional overall private medical system of voodoo health care that exists for the rest of the American population.

The VA system, and the overall private medical system in America is not just a tragic scene, it is a crime scene.