Scooting around!

As many of you know, I purchased a scooter a few weeks ago and have been driving it to the office. Last week I got my motorcycle license.




Today, I filled the scooter up for the first time in a couple of weeks. It cost me $5.45 for premium gas. If that was my SUV, it would have been over $100 for driving the same amount of mileage.




I commute with the scooter on nice days, and with my SUV on rainy days. It's amazing how easy it was to implement it into my daily routine.




Hope you all get to ride a scooter someday! It's a lot of fun! I got mine from Vespa Hartford (http://www.vespahartford.com/) and they sell other brands besides Vespas.




I think I have already converted Dr. Simms. He's going for his motorcycle license too!

Cayman Islands 2008

My wife & I recently spent a few days in the Cayman Islands. Enjoy these photos of our trip!

Starting Small

Starting Small
By: Brian Tracy

How and why you can start your own business with little or no money by using sweat equity.

Everyone Starts Off Broke
I used to feel sorry for myself because I came from a limited background and I had no money. Then I found that nobody has any money. Everyone starts off broke. In fact, most successful people go broke or nearly broke several times during their lives. Don't let this hold you back.

Practice, Practice, Practice
Transformational leaders empower others by keeping them "in the know," by keeping them fully informed on everything that effects their jobs. People want and need to feel that they are "insiders," that they are aware of everything that is going on. There is nothing so demoralizing to a staff member than to be kept in the dark about their work and what is going on in the company.

But if you are willing to put in the time to learn, remember about 95 percent of the working population in America have the ability to start and build their own businesses if they would only do it. Multi-level marketing is an excellent second income opportunity where you can learn vital business skills at low cost. Especially selling, organizing, making presentations, accounting, team building, negotiating, persuading, and communicating. 85 percent of what you need to learn to be successful in business you can learn from running a successful multi-level marketing business.

Roll Up Your Sleeves
Remember this, though. Leaders are always willing to do what is called dog work. They're willing to render humble service. They're willing to roll up their sleeves and plunge in. They never think of themselves as being too good for a job. There are an enormous number of people who are presented with second income opportunities who turn them down because they think that they're too good to do something like that. But the people who are thinking that they are too good are the people who retire poor. You'll find that leaders of all organizations are always willing to roll up their sleeves and to get in there.

Action Exercises
Now, here are two things you can do to put these ideas into action immediately:

First, remember that buying and selling things is the essence of all business. Look for opportunities to buy and sell things on your own account. Visit garage sales or hold a garage sale of your own. Visit swap meets and negotiate with people with things for sale. Make it a game to learn these skills.

Second, start in a small business of some kind. Look for a second income or multi level marketing opportunity where you can buy and sell on a small scale. Many people become wealthy starting off with virtually nothing in this way.

George Carlin dies at age 71

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (June 23) - George Carlin, the dean of counterculture comedians whose biting insights on life and language were immortalized in his "Seven Words You Can Never Say On TV" routine, died of heart failure Sunday. He was 71.




Here are some highlights of Carlin's career:




1. The Seven Words You Can't Say On Television





2. Baseball and Football





3. Cats and Dogs





4. On Voting





5. The Ten Commandments





6. Saving The Planet





7. Airport Security

Blame It On TheRain! Papelbon & Delcarmen of The Boston Red Sox Spoof Video

Milli Vanilli Redux Featuring Jonathan Papelbon and Manny Delcarmen of the Boston Red Sox!

Ciao car, hello Vespa! Boston Sunday Globe June 22, 20208

Ciao car, hello Vespa!




Easy on the pocketbook, Italian-made scooter makes riding smooth around the city

By Tania deLuzuriaga, Globe Staff June 22, 2008

It was an all-too-familiar situation: Ahead, a red light glared, and bumper-to-bumper traffic stretched as far as the eye could see. Taxis honked. Drivers sighed. Nobody was happy - except the reporter on the white Vespa who slipped into the space between the lanes and nimbly passed among the cars. Pedestrians stopped to watch, and drivers' eyes gleamed with irritation and envy as the reporter made her way to the front of the line, turned right, and zipped off on her way.

She would giddily repeat the move all day. And people would notice, often wistfully.

"That's what I need, a Vespa," said one of them, Garry Rizzuto, as he watched from a sidewalk in the North End.

Indeed it's a sentiment being felt by many these days. With gas prices at record highs and the weather transformed to glorious summer, many are parking their guzzlers in favor of transportation less petrol-hungry. Subway ridership is up. Bicycles are out in greater numbers. This reporter's choice was a Vespa, the sleek Italian-made scooter that seems to exemplify the phrase "Ciao bella!"

Of course, in a city where driving is considered a blood sport, tooling around on a 216-pound, 50 cc scooter might seem like a death wish. But desperate times call for desperate measures, and this fearless reporter wondered if saving a few bucks on gas is worth risking life and limb.

She set off last week with a full tank and a mission: to cruise the sometimes unfriendly streets of Boston, confronting obstacles, traffic, and the elements.

Would one of Boston's notoriously aggressive drivers push her off the road? Would people honk when she topped out at 35 miles per hour? Would she be eaten by a monster-sized pothole? Or would the ability to cut through traffic, park virtually anywhere, and look good doing it win out?

In South Boston, a bastion of just about everything old-school, heads turned as she flew past. Children pointed and shouted, and men in pickup trucks eyed the scooter's curves the way they might a beautiful woman. Or was that disdain in their eyes?

"One of the Rough Riders, huh?" asked an elderly man out for a morning walk.

Going through the waterfront district and into the financial district, a kind of Zen overtook her. She realized that she wasn't in a rush to go anywhere, as happens so often in her car. With the sun on her back and a helmet on her head, 30 miles per hour seemed fast and commuting was suddenly fun.

While drivers furiously tapped at their Blackberries and yakked on their cellphones, she was living in the moment, appreciating the sight of Fort Point Channel as she drove down Summer Street, the song of the sparrows as she whizzed down Newbury Street.

The Vespa's wasp-like 50-ccs were powerful enough to get her moving with traffic, but not strong enough to require a motorcycle license, insurance, or a registration. Best of all, she could park almost anywhere.

As vehicles circled Newbury Street searching for a spot during the lunch hour, the reporter glided up onto the sidewalk and left the Vespa in the shade of a tree.

In the North End, she bypassed the valets and parked in front of a gelato shop. At Government Center, she didn't think twice about the parking enforcers doling out tickets.

Of course the day wasn't without its hairy moments. Driving down Huntington Avenue, the reporter found herself ducking as schoolchildren tossed their trash out the windows of a Boston Public Schools bus.

Cigarette butts were equally lethal, and potholes suddenly seemed like death traps.

Mastering the technique of rolling the scooter back and kicking down the stand simultaneously requires some practice, and there was a moment of embarrassment when an older woman offered help as the reporter tried unsuccessfully to park in Mission Hill.

But more often, there were moments of wonder not often experienced on the streets of Boston.

Cars actually let the reporter cut in front of them. Pedestrians stopped midstep and waved the scooter by.

In Charlestown, a man in a white sedan stopped at a light and chatted about the Vespa he had owned 40 years ago, his face aglow as if he were remembering a lost lover.

It seemed like perhaps all of Boston would be a happier, kinder place if more people drove this way.

Tania deLuzuriaga can be reached at deluzuriaga@globe.com.

Congratulations to the 2008 World Champion Boston Celtics!

2008 NBA Championship Trophy Presentation




Cool Reebok commercial with statue of Red Auerbach




Celtics opening for Game 6...if you can't get pumped for this you may be dead!

The Facts About Mercury From Amalgam Fillings

FDA issues precautionary note on silver fillings The Associated Press - Jun 12, 2008 WASHINGTON (AP) — Silver dental fillings contain mercury, and the government for the first time is warning that they may pose a safety concern for pregnant ...

Comment by David Kennedy, DDS Past President, International Acad. of Oral Medicine & Toxicology The facts about mercury from amalgam fillings - 20 hours ago One of the primary reasons why the mercury from amalgam controversy has lasted so long is the volumes of misinformation that are pumped from both dental academia and the American Dental Association that gets quoted in the press as fact. The motto of the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology is; "show me the evidence". They don't have any evidence of safety so they obfuscate what we do know and pontificate about relative risks. The IAOMT has enumerated numerous clear and cogent reasons to avoid using mercury fillings. For a brief video of mercury being released from set mercury/silver fillings and a summary of the research funded by the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology over the last 20 years watch the YouTube video "Smoking Teeth".  Earlier criticism by advocates for continued mercury use in dentistry have been addressed in a follow-up video from the documentary film "The Beautiful Truth".  There is a great deal of misinformation in the press that I will attempt to address with science. For example in the recent AP story: Science operates on "a precautionary principle," said Dr. Karl Kieburtz, a University of Rochester neurologist who co-chaired the 2006 FDA advisory committee and praised the new warning. "For 99 percent-plus of people, there probably isn't harm. But if there is a group of people who might be at risk, they should at least have the knowledge that may be so," he said. First be aware that the "precautionary principle" was triggered in 1985 when Dr. Murray Vimy, founder of the IAOMT, published a detailed series of experiments in the peer reviewed scientific literature firmly establishing that massive amounts of mercury intermittently vaporize from set dental amalgam in the mouths of humans especially after chewing. The Precautionary Principle requires: "Preventative anticipation - taking action if necessary before scientific proof is available on the grounds that a delay in the action will cause damage to nature and society." There is no safe level of exposure to mercury therefore use should stop and that is exactly what the IAOMT called for in 1985. Our call for caution unfortunately was not heeded and as a result 50 tons a year more mercury has been implanted in American's teeth. His second remark about 99% of the people not being harmed is straight from the ADA's play book and a quote from the 1984 joint ADA/National Institute of Dental Research review of the biocompatibility of metals in dentistry. At that meeting the NIDR and ADA both acknowledged that mercury was released from set mercury/silver amalgam fillings but characterized the amount as small and said that it would only be a problem for the 1% of the population who are allergic to mercury. The first point is that the amount has never been found to be small. The second point is that allergy is only one of a myriad of problem related to mercury intake. Mercury can damage virtually every system in the human body but the heart, kidneys, brain and immune systems are particularly vulnerable. The third point is that no research has ever found that only 1% of the population is allergic to mercury. The frequency of allergy apparently depends on the number and duration of mercury fillings present in the individual's mouth. Djerassi and Berova published in 1969, "The percentage of positive results to the (mercury) patch test is 5.80% in people with up to 5-years-old restorations; while the percentage in persons whose restorations are older amounts to 22.52%." They reported that among controls with no amalgam fillings 0% of those tested positive. Implanting mercury/silver fillings exposes everyone present; the patient, staff and the dentist to mercury and will result in an inappropriate immune response in many.  Dental workers make amalgam fillings by mixing liquid mercury with powdered ingredients, requiring special safety steps and filters to limit waste seeping back into the environment. I would be most interested to learn what safety steps are required because the IAOMT can find no published protective requirements for employees exposed to mercury during their regular duties except for general exposure standards that are widely ignored and not monitored. We recently petitioned the California Occupational Safety Standards Board to enact a vertical standard that would require that staff members be adequately protected. They are presently evaluating our request. There are numerous studies that have found mercury causes harm to dentists and dental personnel. As for seeping into the environment that too is incorrect. Only where a few municipalities or other protectors of the environment mandate mercury separators for dental offices is the mercury discharge dramatically limited. During the Burton/Watson congressional hearing at USC the San Francisco Regional Water Quality Control expert testified that only after they forced 100% of the mercury using or removing dentists to install mercury separators on their dental offices were they able to obtain a significant reduction in in sewer water mercury. 30 days after these inexpensive devices were installed they discovered a 90% reduction in mercury. He further testified that 100% of the mercury problem in San Francisco sewage was due to dental mercury. When Dan Burton questioned the discrepancy between his early statement about the 90% reduction and his assertion that 100% was due to mercury leaking from amalgam he explained that the additional 10% was from mercury released from amalgam that passed through the gut of amalgam bearers. Although the members of the IAOMT do not use mercury they do remove mercury consequently the IAOMT has strongly urged its members to voluntarily protect the environment by installing mercury separators.  "We don't want these choices taken away based on junk science. We don't want them taken away based on misguided fears," said Dr. Edmond Hewlett, a dental professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, and an American Dental Association adviser. Dr. Edmond Hewlett the ADA spokesperson calls the scientific evidence that mercury is leaking from so called "Silver" fillings "Junk Science". This is the first step of a PR approach to the issue and is called denigrate the opposition and is not a reasonable approach to a major public health concern. It is not clear what he calls "misguided fears" but it would be reasonable to be concerned that a time-release mercury implant is in many people's teeth. Since the predominant source of human exposure to mercury is from mercury-leaking fillings this information should be given to the patient and not covered up with disinformation. They're cheaper than alternatives ‹ roughly $100 for an amalgam filling versus $150 or more for a composite, Hewlett estimates ‹ and they're known as particularly durable. Hewlett said two conditions that demand amalgams: Spots on back teeth that dentists can't keep dry long enough for a composite filling to bond, and in people who forcefully grind their teeth. There is so much in this paragraph that is incorrect it is hard to know where to start. First, everyone is in agreement that composite does not require that a major portion of tooth be removed in order to be placed. Thus, using composite as a first choice leaves more tooth intact. This translates to a lifetime of better dental health and cost savings. A conservative composite will last longer and is easier to replace or repair than the old mercury/silver fillings. In the long run this will save both teeth and dollars. This looks to me like it is Dr. Hewlett who is fear mongering. I practiced for 30 years in general dentistry and during that time I never once found an area that I could not keep dry long enough to place a composite filling so I am not sure what areas Dr. Hewlett is referring to that can't be adequately restored using modern non-toxic fillings. His final comment about using mercury/silver implants in people who grind their teeth is absolutely wrong. In 1987 Dr. Vimy installed slightly radioactive mercury/silver fillings in sheep in order to trace where the mercury released by chewing went. The results were shocking. In just 30 days mercury had distributed throughout the animal's entire body. It was even found in the hoof! At that time the ADA spokespersons criticized the experiment saying that "Sheep chew too much". A person who habitually clenches or grinds their teeth would chew even more than sheep. Sheep chew about 8 hours a day and about the same as a teenager with gum. In a situation like Hewlett describes the recipient of the mercury filling would be exposed to enormous amounts of elemental mercury vapor. Clearly mercury/silver fillings are not suitable for people who chew with their teeth. The sheep experiments were duplicated with monkeys and exactly the same distribution pattern was observed.  The agency still is studying whether the small amount of mercury vapor released by chewing and brushing is enough to cause neurologic disorders or other problems in youngsters. There have been only a handful of rigorous studies comparing children given either amalgam fillings or tooth-colored resin composite fillings that are mercury-free ‹ and those studies haven't detected any brain problems. The studies referred to in the AP story are apparently the horribly unethical Children's Amalgam Trials that did not even tell the orphan's guardian that they were going to be implanted with mercury fillings. What kind government agency pays investigators to implant time-release mercury in small children in order to measure the impact of mercury on their brains? Would any parent sign their child up for a similar experiment using for example lead? They claimed to have not found brain problems but now acknowledge in the latest publication that they did find kidney problems and disproportionate harm to boys. Before they even began the experiment the investigators skewed the population under investigation by eliminating all the children who already had mercury related neurological damage such as Autistic and ADD. What the investigators did find was disproportionate harm to young boys. Much has been made of the danger of mercury exposure to fetuses and during pregnancy but very little is being said about how much more toxic mercury is to some genetically susceptible individuals and especially to boys. Testosterone the male hormone and mercury form an extremely toxic complex that is much more toxic than mercury alone. Estrogen the female hormone apparently provides some protection from mercury. The unethical Children's Amalgam Experiment found disproportionate harm to the young boy's kidneys. This is a complex sequence of events that can better be understood by a graph than by word descriptions. Figure 3 of the attached article shows the urine mercury first going up in all subjects who were implanted with mercury/silver fillings. But after 2 years the amount excreted through the urine began to decline in both boys and girls but the decline was greater in the boys. So dramatic in fact that by the end of the experiment the boys excreted no more mercury in their urine than the lucky children who had received the non-mercury releasing composite fillings. Over time the boys will accumulate ever more mercury. The gene CPOX makes humans more vulnerable to neurological harm from mercury. Children who were CPOX positive were identified during these experiments but as yet over 2 years after the often repeated grandiose claims of amalgam safety were made the COPX data is not available of independent study. It is likely that when the various vulnerable subsets are analyzed individually that these experiments will show exceptional harm to these children. Prospective experiments on children with known neurotoxins are blatantly unethical. Another genotype APOe is also associated with mercury accumulation in brain and linked to autism and Alzheimer's. When you consider the susceptibility of boys, APOe and CPOX you have more than 50% of the population and not 1% as claimed by the ADA and quoted by Kieburtz. Proof of Harm: The original report on the [unethical] Children's Amalgam Trials CAT stated that the children who were implanted with the time-release mercury/silver fillings received on average 2 fillings on day zero and about 1 filling annually thereafter. The graph from figure 3 from The Contribution of Dental Amalgam to Urinary Mercury Excretion in Children James S. Woods, et al Environmental Health Perspectives € VOLUME 115 | NUMBER 10 | October 2007 clearly shows urinary mercury going down in the third year of the trial after rising dramatically for the first two years. When the boys are analyzed separately from the girls the effect is even more obvious and in fact Dr. Woods has commented on the disproportionate harm to boys from their fillings. It is extremely difficult to understand how Woods can even write the first sentence since this research after 7 years firmly established the opposite. There was no significant difference in the boy's urinary mercury than non-exposed controls. "In conclusion, in the present study we describe a strong, positive correlation between mercury exposure from dental amalgam fillings and urinary mercury excretion over a 7-year longitudinal course of amalgam treatment in children. However, significant differences in urinary mercury concentrations between boys and girls with comparable levels of amalgam treatment and times since placement suggest sex-related differences in mercury handling and, possibly, susceptibility to mercury toxicity. These findings are relevant within the context of children¹s health risk assessment and suggest directions for future research to determine whether differential sensitivities to mercury between boys and girls do exist." From: The Contribution of Dental Amalgam to Urinary Mercury Excretion in Children James S. Woods, et al Environmental Health Perspectives € VOLUME 115 | NUMBER 10 | October 2007 http://www.ehponline.org/docs/2007/10249/abstract.html

FDA revises its position on dental amalgams

FDA revises its position on dental amalgams

6/5/2008
By: Kathy Kincade

The FDA this week settled a lawsuit that sought to have mercury fillings banned from the U.S. market. While not agreeing to a ban, the agency has agreed to add warnings regarding the use of amalgams in some patient groups, and to complete a review that could lead to more stringent regulation of the substance.

"Dental amalgams contain mercury, which may have neurotoxic effects on the nervous systems of developing children and fetuses," the agency now states on its Web site. "Pregnant women and persons who may have a health condition that makes them more sensitive to mercury exposure, including individuals with existing high levels of mercury bioburden, should not avoid seeking dental care, but should discuss options with their health practitioner."

As part of the settlement with Moms Against Mercury, Consumers for Dental Choice, and the other plaintiffs who filed the lawsuit against the FDA last December, the agency is now required to formally classify dental amalgam by July 2009, according to Peper Long, FDA spokesperson. In its 2002 proposed rule on dental amalgam, the agency proposed to classify it as a Category II device.

"Now that we are going to put this into a class, we will be able to put regulations in place that are more specific to dental amalgam," she said.

The agency has struggled for years to reach a definitive conclusion about amalgam fillings. In 2004 an FDA panel determined that there was no evidence of risk from dental amalgam -- even to pregnant women. But a 2006 committee disagreed. Even so, prior to the settlement of this lawsuit, the language on the FDA Web site regarding the safety of dental amalgams was less direct, noting only that "the possibility that dental amalgam could pose health risks that are not yet scientifically known." In addition, regarding potential health risks of mercury for pregnant women, the Web site previously stated: "The recent advisory panel believed that there was not enough information to answer this question."

In a letter posted June 3 on the Consumers for Dental Choice Web site, Charles G. Brown, an attorney for the consumer group, declared, "We have won our ten-year battle to get the Food and Drug Administration to comply with the law and set a date to classify mercury amalgam. The impact of the re-writing of its position on amalgam can hardly be understated."

The ADA said in a formal statement issued June 4 that the FDA settlement with Moms Against Mercury "in no way changes the federal agency's approach to or position on dental amalgam. The 'settlement' only affirms that the FDA will do what it has intended doing all along. In the settlement, the FDA agrees to complete the classification process of dental amalgam by July 28, 2009. The ADA has supported the proposed reclassification since the agency first proposed it in 2002 and continues to support it."

Currently, the FDA has different classifications for encapsulated amalgam and its component parts, dental mercury and amalgam alloy. "The ADA agrees with the pending proposal from the FDA to place encapsulated amalgam and its components under one classification. Based on extensive studies and scientific reviews of dental amalgam by government and independent organizations worldwide, the ADA believes that it remains a valuable, viable, and safe choice for dental patients," the organization said in its statement.

In addition to Mothers Against Mercury, plaintiffs in the lawsuit included four nonprofit groups, two public officials, three dental professionals, and two consumer advocates that Brown refers to as "victims."

Copyright © 2008 DrBicuspid.com

What Your Handshake Says About You

Rules for Meeting and Greeting

By AMY S. CHOI

Nobody likes a limp handshake, but you probably don't realize just how much you communicate through your hands, says Jacqueline Whitmore, author of 'Business Class: Etiquette Essentials for Success at Work.' Here's one handshake to use, one to be careful of, and three to avoid.

1. The Fail-Safe

Connect the web between your index finger and thumb firmly with the other person's and pump two or three times. This is confident and always appropriate.

2. The Rubber Glove

While shaking hands, cover the other person's hand with your left hand. A favorite of politicians and clergy, this should be used only with someone you know well.

3. The Queen's Handshake

Offering just your fingertips, rather than your palm, indicates a sense of superiority.

4. The Dead Fish

A limp handshake conveys weakness and a lack of self-confidence.

5. The Terminator

Turning the grip so your hand is on top is a sign of aggression.

Things You Should Do

Be Friendly You should always be ready to initiate a handshake, demonstrating your eagerness to meet the person. Although etiquette rules once dictated that a man should wait for a woman to offer her hand, that's no longer the case.

Show Respect Make sure you're standing when you shake hello or goodbye. It shows respect for yourself and the other person.

Be Direct Look the other person in the eye. Don't allow the handshake to linger too long, but you can show an extra bit of sincerity by holding their hand a second longer after the last pump.