Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

This article  may help you discover the greatest hope for people suffering from PTSD that you have ever read.  Today there are literally hundreds of thousands of returning veterans suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from their combat experiences. There are also hundreds of thousands of average Americans suffering from some traumatic experience in their lives resulting in PTSD.

Today people suffering from this terrific illness have new hope with the “drug free” therapy of NEUROFEEDBACK.  Unfortunately, only a very few Veterans’ hospitals utilize this treatment for returning veterans.  The main therapy used today in the military is cognitive therapy (talk therapy) and drugs.  THIS NEEDS TO CHANGE! Further down in this article you will see 37 YEARS TO RECOVERY FOR A VIETNAM VETERAN! that will really open your eyes to the new hope these revolutionary treatments offer.

In my opinion if a pharmaceutical drug had proven the same benefits that neurofeedback has demonstrated it would be a front-page story all over the world. Why neurofeedback is not accepted now as standard treatment for a slew of illnesses still amazes me and shows the power of the drug companies.  Once the health insurance companies realize the benefits and start paying for these life-changing treatments PTSD sufferers will experience a rapid change in their lives.  Neurofeedback is definitely NOT a quick fix, but offers some of the greatest hope to our returning heroes who have put their lives on the line to protect our freedom.

Many of our returning veterans also suffer from TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) and in some cases severe depression.  If any of you have read my previous articles you will realize that neurofeedback in many instances CAN help reverse those maladies as well.

http://tucsoncitizen.com/tc-off-topic/2011/02/01/miraculous-recovery-from-traumatic-brain-injury-with-neurofeedback-therapy/

http://tucsoncitizen.com/art/2010/09/22/neurofeedback-a-revolutionary-new-drug-free-treatment-for-ptsd-add-adhd-traumatic-brain-injury-depression-and-other-maladies/

After researching this subject for several months I am totally convinced that neurofeedback WILL give many people suffering from PTSD their lives back.  PTSD not only affects the returning veteran but also has a dramatic effect on the lives of those that love them such as their wives, children and parents. Often our veterans turn to alcohol to help them cope. With proper neurofeedback treatments, alcoholism  too can be healed.

There are several neurofeedback companies and practitioners that have a proven tract record in PTSD treatment.  Please view their websites to inform yourself of just how effective these treatments have resolved PTSD problems. Read the rest of this entry »

[Ed. Note: Yes, this is a shameless attempt at page views, but what the hell, it's what everyone's talking about anyway.]

Two and a Half Men cast

The producers, studio and network responsible for “Two and a Half Men” are contemplating what to do with the show now that show star Charlie Sheen has devolved into a cocaine-mad, sex-crazed hedonist and been fired for it.

I think they should have Sheen’s alcohol-mad, sex-crazed hedonist character “Charlie Harper” die from asphyxiating on his own vomit after a night of debauchery and Berta the house cleaner and her trailer-trash family move in to the beach house after Charlie leaves the house to her in his will as long as she lets his brother, Alan, played by Jon Cryer and his son Jake, played by Angus T. Jones, stay there.

Let the high jinks ensue. Sheen will hardly be missed.

What do you think?

The revolutionary new non-drug treatment for Traumatic Brain Injury, neurofeedback, has once again proven highly effective. Local Tucson resident, Ken Willingham, is a new testimonial of the benefits of neurofeedback therapy.

Picture of human brain

On December 29, 2003, while on vacation, Ken rode his Ducati motorcycle into a K-Mart parking lot when suddenly a speeding automobile crashed into his motorcycle, crushing his helmet and knocking him unconscious before speeding off. The hit and run driver has never been found.  The accident happened about 12:30 p.m. that day.

Fortunately someone saw Mr. Willingham and the wreckage of his motorcycle and called an emergency ambulance rushing him to the University Medical Center to save his life. His wife did not find out about the accident until after 6:30 p.m. that evening. He was unconscious for a long period and when able to gain consciousness he could not remember anything about the accident. He was diagnosed with moderate to severe Traumatic Brain Injury. The top-of-the-line helmet he was wearing at the time of the accident was badly damaged.

At the hospital he had zero memory for several weeks and was eventually moved to Health South for rehabilitation. He was there for three weeks and eventually after 40 days gained some memory back.  His wife Barbara Stahura has written a journal on the entire experience as it happened. Besides the TBI he was diagnosed with a stable occipital condyle of the spine and was fitted with a neck brace.  He had to wear the brace for 5 ½ months. Mr. Willingham was retired from I. B.M. as a computer programmer and had taken a job at Raytheon as a programmer at the time of the accident.  He eventually was able to go back to work for about 2 hours a day and in time worked up to 4 hours. Unfortunately even though he could work a few hours a day he suffered working memory problems. Returning to his old occupation was extremely difficult.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tucson is under scrutiny by the national media, again. Or should I say, still?

Hours after the horrific shootings on Saturday, the media swooped down on Tucson. Our local media, on numerous occasions since then, has credited national newspapers for new information about the Tucson tragedy. The Tragedy in Tucson, so named by the media, has dominated national headlines for the last few days.

Endless speculation by the media has also dominated headlines regarding motives of the alleged shooter. Our so-called political climate has been scrutinized. Today, the headlines are asking if the “pep rally” atmosphere at the memorial service was “appropriate”. .

The Associated Press has chimed in with their perspective: “Some question pep rally atmosphere at Obama speech.”

May I point out the name of the event, according to this AP headline? “Obama speech”

CBS News headline: “Obama’s Tucson Speech: Pep Rally or Memorial Service”.

The media started calling it that, some variation of “Obama’s Speech”, soon after President Obama accepted the invitation to attend what was once billed as a memorial.

As a result, the event somehow morphed into something else. A theme for the event emerged, called: “Together We Thrive:Tucson and America.” The theme doesn’t include anything about it that evokes a memorial. There’s nothing about remembrance, either.

The theme sounds like, well, like a political rally.

The Washington Post released an article prior to the event, describing the atmosphere outside the McKale stadium, like people “camped out” prior to a rock concert. “Camped out” became a common phrase used by many members of the national media to describe those who arrived early to “hear Obama speak”.

Please read a snippet from that article from The Washington Post. (They refer to the Pima County Assessor’s Office as “Pima County tax accessor’s office” by the way.)

“At an entrance to the stadium, people waited in a packed crowd in the warm afternoon sun. Many had been camped out there since mid morning and said the mood was exciting and generous. Sandra Kimmelman, 53, said she took the day off from her job at the Pima County tax accessor’s office to come hear Obama. She said people in line had given her candy, water and shared their pizza with her.

“There’s a sense of community,” she said. “I came because I want to hear Obama say we as a nation are all mourning and that we need to fight violence with love and peace. We need to be unified. 9-11 was the most horrific thing that happened to our nation. This comes close.”

Nicole Siegel, a freshman at the University of Arizona who is from Columbia, Md., said she was excited to hear Obama speak.

“I am happy to see he’s taking this seriously and isn’t just staying in the White House,” she said, wearing a light blue T-shirt with a picture of Obama on it.”

Full article here

They came to hear Obama. Would a T-shirt with Obama on it be appropriate for a memorial service? Is that why The Washington Post pointed out what she was wearing? Is that why they pointed out the pizza and candy?

The “event” was advertised as “first-come, first-served”, by the way. Like a rock concert. The “event” that drew media coverage to be broadcast around the world, was covered extensively for “Obama’s speech”.

So, now the media speculates over “appropriateness”.

Had Obama not been in attendance, would it have been covered to such an extent, or just broadcast locally with some members of the press present?

I’m grateful that Obama did attend. I watched the coverage from home. The President’s speech is what we needed to hear.

As far as criticism from the media, I’d like to remind you that you have created a media circus atmosphere in Tucson since you arrived Saturday.

Who is being disrespectful? Tucsonans or members of the national media?

I’ll have to go with the national media.

When the news of the mass shooting in Tucson began to circulate on Saturday, a memory from two years ago emerged in my mind. Gabrielle Giffords was in attendance at the Western-themed Empire Ranch Round-Up in Sonoita, Arizona.

Giffords kept a smile on her face the entire time at that outdoor event. Her eyes scanned the crowd constantly to find  people to engage with in conversation. There was no security entourage that could be seen surrounding her. A steady stream of people approached her to say hello.

Wild horses cannot keep Gabby from an event, from engaging with the public. That’s what we expect. It is just Gabby being Gabby. She is accessible to people, just like she was on Saturday.

Saturday.

Gabrielle Giffords, a supporter of gun rights, was among the casualties shot at Safeway. Safeway, a busy neighborhood grocery store where one normally feels…safe. A stark contradiction of how things were expected to go on that day.

As I watched news coverage on Saturday morning, trying to make sense of what had happened, memories of September 11th emerged in my mind. That day started normally, too, except that many people were late to work, exercising their right to vote. They died in Shanksville, the Pentagon, and inside the World Trade Center.

Those of us far away from New York, Washington and Pennsylvania could only watch the coverage on television, while trying to make sense in our minds of what was happening.

The words ‘Al Qaeda’ weren’t known to us yet. We could only speculate at that point about who would do something like that. Who would kill innocent people who didn’t do anything wrong?

My thoughts turned back to the news of what was happening in Tucson on Saturday. The national media reported Gabrielle Giffords dead, contrary to what local Tucson media reported. What were we supposed to believe? National media eventually retracted their version of events and apologized that they did not have their facts correct.

Within minutes, Twitter and Facebook immediately began buzzing with speculation about who could have shot Gabrielle Giffords and her constituents. It had to be a ‘right-winger’, a ‘Tea Partier’, the messages said. Contradictory news emerged from the friends and acquaintances of the shooter, Jared Loughner. They said that Loughner was ‘a leftist’. Those on the left cried, “he’s not one of us”, “he doesn’t share our values”. It was Sarah Palin, it was Glenn Beck, it was the Tea Party, they said. Somehow, they are responsible. All of the speculation based on short, nonsensical videos on Loughner’s YouTube page, and from who they expect to be blamed.

Then, due to Sheriff Clarence Dupnik’s speculation that the ‘rhetoric of violence’ was responsible for the massacre, those words continue to circulate. Still, based on a lack of evidence. Speculation from a Sheriff, no less. At time when we are supposed to come together in a tragedy, not be ripped apart as a result of one. A glaring contradiction from the facts that a Sheriff is supposed to provide to the public in an emergency. All law enforcement has to go on is physical evidence at this point. Yet, our own Sheriff spews speculation, adding fuel to a fire that should have never started.

Loughner is not cooperating, not talking.

Now, a campaign has started against talk show host Jon Justice for speaking out against Sheriff Dupnik’s words. Isn’t it free speech that the left is now trying to silence?

All of this while the voices of the dead will never again be heard. Gabby Giffords clings to life at the center of the tragedy, unable to speak.

If Gabby could speak, what would she say? It’s not our place to speculate. Instead, we’ll have to wait – and hope that she can someday voice her own thoughts to us.

What are the facts? We now know that his massacre was planned, based on physical evidence found at the Loughner home. It was planned for a long time. Loughner is ‘mentally unstable’ and there’s no proof that Palin, Beck or others influenced his killing spree. There’s only speculation. That is a fact.

Evidence has emerged that Pima Community College thought Loughner to be potentially mentally unstable several months ago.

Loughner’s profile on YouTube is presented with words used in the past tense. We can take from that evidence that he thought he was going to die on Saturday, shot by law enforcement or die by his own hand. Loughner didn’t expect to be subdued by bystanders. Loughner didn’t expect Giffords to survive his attack. A contradiction to well-laid plans.

Among the dead that Loughner did not plan to kill, except for the fact that they just happened to be there, was Judge John Roll. Judge Roll made an unplanned stop at the Safeway. For a while, it was unknown if Roll was the intended target. We now know that he was not. Christina Taylor Green was there, and we now know that she planned to meet Gabrielle Giffords.

We also now know that Christina Taylor Green, 9, was born on September 11, 2001, only to die in another massacre. She was featured in the book, “Faces of Hope”, showcasing babies born on 9/11. This child’s death should serve as a reminder that speculation only stirs up hatred and does not reflect the facts.

As evidenced so far, the lesson has not been learned.

Members of the Santa Rita Community Eagles show off their gardening bounty

Shayana was bound and determined she was not going to have any fun, besides how much fun could gardening be anyway? It’s boring, nothing grows very fast and there is always lots of raking. But that all changed for the Santa Rita High School freshman the moment she pulled the bright red radishes from the garden she helped plant a few months ago. Her smile and laughter along with other members of the Eagles’ class told the story – gardening is fun! 

St. Augustine Catholic High School is partnering with the Santa Rita High School’s Community Outreach Program by hosting the Going Green & Beautification Project. Five students are learning vital independent living skills every Thursday at St. Augustine through the implementation of a vegetable garden. In addition, they perform other tasks such as taking public transportation to St. Augustine, constructing garden beds and harvesting their vegetables. The Project began in September and will end in April 2011. 

The five students, known as the Santa Rita Community Eagles, enjoyed the first harvest of their collective efforts on Thursday with a bountiful supply of radishes and lettuce. The children were excited to make salads with their families, another skill they have learned while in the program. The Going Green & Beautification Project was conceived and developed by Emily Montgomery, one of three teachers at Santa Rita focusing on Community Based Instruction. Along with Robin Patze, she works with the 14 – 19 year olds each week on the SACHS campus on specific gardening projects. From maintaining a compost pile, to cultivating and harvesting various vegetables, Ms. Montgomery intends to provide the children with important skills as they transition to independent living. “It’s important they not only have those skills, but the confidence to do things for themselves that we are teaching in this program,” Ms. Montgomery said. 

Cal Montgomery, Facilities Director at St. Augustine Catholic H.S. gives an 'assist' to the student gardeners

Cal Montgomery, the Facilities Director at St. Augustine probably has as much fun as the kids during the sessions as evidenced by his ear-to-ear grin. Along with giving the children rides in the tractor, he enjoys sharing his gardening knowledge with the children while helping them gain vital skills. And even though he may be a St. Augustine Wolf, Mr. Montgomery could think of nothing better than helping these Eagles spread their wings and soar.

When Tucson-born actor Daniel Kennedy prepared to leave Tucson in 2003, bound for New York, the Arizona Daily Star newspaper reported that he was is like a “first-round draft pick in the NBA”. Kennedy was selected to study at New York’s prestigious Juilliard School. Kennedy survived an intense 13-hour round of auditions before he became 1 of only 20 students selected to study at the drama division of the school.

Daniel Kennedy with celebrated soprano Renée Fleming / Photo courtesy of Daniel Kennedy

It wasn’t his first audition, though, and he wasn’t picked the first time. The previous year, Kennedy was wait listed at number 21 at Juilliard. He was determined to try again the next year and he worked hard. The hard work paid off, but the hard work didn’t end with his acceptance at the school. He became the first student to major in both drama and vocal arts. His talent for stage acting and opera were further developed at the school.

Kennedy’s first audition after attending Juilliard wasn’t a role in the theatre or in an opera, but it was a shot at the role of Petey Cortlandt on the ABC soap opera All My Children (AMC). The daytime drama played an unusual role in the meeting and courtship of his parents. His mother watched the soap opera between classes with friends at the University of Arizona’s Media Center, where his father worked to support himself through pharmacy school. AMC played a role in the future Daniel Kennedy being born.

The character of Petey Cortlandt on AMC had been portrayed by two younger actors in the years prior. For the new storyline, the former child character was slated to return home as an adult. While his training at Juilliard helped him to land the plum role, he arrived very prepared for the audition. Kennedy presented his own interpretation of the character. He made an impression at the audition. He made a great impression on AMC fans with his debut as Petey in July 2008.

The role was a departure from the amateur dramatic roles and stage work Kennedy had previously undertaken. However, it allowed him showcase his natural flair for comedic acting, a talent that took him in a different direction for a while.

The daytime soap eventually went in a different direction, on many levels, he shared. The show moved to Los Angeles from New York, which provided cheaper production costs for the show in a bad economy. Despite his immense popularity with fans, Kennedy was not invited to move with the show. His character, as well as the active storyline was left hanging with no resolution.

This was not true for Daniel Kennedy, who did not allow himself to be left hanging, he set his sights on working in a different direction, his original direction – but better defined with additional goals. Additionally, he said that he had already fallen in love with the culturally-rich New York City. He began to create opportunities for himself there.

While simultaneously auditioning for roles, he also returned to academic studies. He is enrolled in the City University of New York’s Baccalaureate for Unique and Interdisciplinary Studies, with a full academic scholarship. Kennedy’s interview with the Tucson Citizen was slightly delayed, due to his preparation for the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and other commitments. He shared that his focus paid off. He aced the examination. He is also winding up a 7-month leadership program with Landmark Education, a training and development organization.

He also focuses his attention toward his current internship as an assistant to the Commissioner of the Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA). DCLA the largest funder of culture in the country. His internship allows him to contribute to, and play a part in behind the scenes work for the amazing cultural institutions of New York that he dearly loves.

The internship is also preparing him for his goal to participate in the New York Marathon, believe it or not. Kennedy explains that he incorporated training into his morning commute: “I run for an hour every morning from my apartment in Queens, into Brooklyn, across the Brooklyn Bridge, to City Hall, to the DCLA office.”

Daniel Kennedy (L) with Bolshoi Ballet's Ivan Vasiliev (R) / Photo courtesy of Daniel Kennedy

He also looks forward to an upcoming internship in Buenos Aires at the National Opera House before he graduates. He won an international grant to study cultural policy there. There is no doubt that Kennedy will have additional acting or singing opportunities while he is away – perhaps a role in a television novella will present itself to the handsome Kennedy. Or, he can put his singing or dance talents to use. Yes, he is also very talented in dance.

After his internship is complete, he plans to return to his apartment in New York and visit his home state of Arizona as much as he possibly can.

Kennedy’s family, his Mexican-American heritage, and his hometown of Tucson are important to him. He was extremely disappointed with Arizona’s recent legislation, SB 1070, which he vocally opposed. About this, Kennedy said, “I was relieved with the intervention of the Department of Justice and Judge Bolton’s subsequent ruling.”

He works hard support the causes that are near and dear to his heart and that allow him to make a difference. He recently became the spokesperson for La Raza’s Youth Leadership, filming a commercial spot recently for the cause. Kennedy is destined for great things. Each conscious step he takes toward his goals are driven by determination, planning, and hard work.

He is grateful for the role of Petey, as well as the opportunity he had to work with, and learn from, his fellow actors on AMC. He truly appreciates the dedication of his fans, who actually started a protest that sparked a “Bring Petey Back to AMC” campaign on Facebook. The grumblings from fans about his character’s absence continues to this very day on soap opera discussion boards. Yet, Kennedy’s fans will support him in bigger roles, which is where Kennedy has intentionally placed his focus.

It doesn’t mean that he would turn down an invitation to continue the much-loved role of Petey – if the direction for himself and the character felt right, and if the timing was right.

The timing of his unanticipated exit from AMC was perfect for Kennedy, who realizes his ability to make a bigger contribution to the world. Speaking about his education, awards and affiliation with La Raza, he emphasized, “Being laid off from AMC was the perfect opportunity to reevaluate my purpose on this earth. All these things that have happened in the past year I credit to my participation at Landmark Education, a training and development organization. In two weeks, I am completing a 7 month-long leadership course that I credit for giving me the tools to create as many possibilities as I want.”

Due to his extraordinary talents and his proven determination, the next major opportunity will present itself to this determined young man from Tucson, at the right place and at the right time – and likely soon.

Learn more about Daniel Kennedy at http://www.officialdanielkennedy.com

——

Cherlyn Gardner Strong is a freelance writer, who pens a popular blog about the paranormal on the Tucson Citizen. She also contributes off-topic articles, off and on the Tucson Citizen website, on topics ranging from border issues to social networking.

The phrase “do the math” keeps coming up when referring to complex border issues. As a border resident, I notice things that people north of the border might not.

For example, my buddy the Three Sonorans made the argument on his blog that there are 8 Border Patrol agents per mile on the border. He did the math, I guess. He took the number of agents, divided it by the number of miles of the border. Hence, he came up with 8 agents per mile. He’s working on his PhD in math, so he ought to know.

However, he is wrong.

The “per mile” statements lead people to believe that there are actually 8 agents working in a given mile along the border. As a border resident under the jurisdiction of the Tucson sector, I drive sometimes to Tucson. I see agents here and there all the way to the checkpoint, which in my neck of the woods is about 25 miles north of the border. Then, we have the agents who work in and around Tucson, which is around 60 miles north of the border. We have agents who work in and around Casa Grande, about 150 miles north of Nogales. In fact, here’s a map to demonstrate my point.

Border Patrol Southwest Map

Look at Arizona on the map. There, you will see the Border Patrol stations in southern Arizona. They are indicated with those cute little red dots. I have two stations in the vicinity that jointly patrol parts of the area where I live (a fact that I think leads to some miscommunication).

From those stations, the Border Patrol agents work about one-third of the state (the cream colored area). They are NOT lined up at the border. They are doing things in that entire area. So, the math formula has to change distribute the agents in the square miles that are patrolled in southern Arizona.

What do they do so far from the border?

Well, groups of them rotate in shifts at the checkpoints north of the border. They patrol in the areas between the checkpoints to make sure no illegals or drugs have bypassed the checkpoints. (The illegals sure do bypass them!)  Some agents are busy with drug seizures. Other agents assist in the apprehension of people who are found to be here illegally.

Our newest blogger Karl Hoffman presented a story of a father who is scheduled to be deported. The father came here 20 years ago, before he was a father, with his wife. The couple settled down and had two children, now teenagers. Since the children were born here, they are U.S. citizens. Since they are underage, the mother gets to stay. The father, however, will be deported.

The parents knew that they were here illegally, but they had children knowing that they might get caught someday. They also knew what the consequences would be. In their case, it was 20 years before they were caught..20 years. Our agents are busy assisting in the apprehension of people that have been here for 20 years – and in some cases longer.

This is just wrong.

This is in the job description of a Border Patrol agent, if you don’t believe my assessment of what I see them doing every day:

The primary focus of Border Patrol Agents is to work in tandem with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) partners to prevent terrorists and terrorist weapons from entering the United States. Border Patrol Agents also detect and prevent the smuggling and unlawful entry of undocumented aliens into the United States and apprehend people found to be in violation of U.S. immigration laws. Additionally, due to the increase in drug smuggling operations, they are the primary drug-interdicting agents along the land borders.

One of the most important duties performed by Border Patrol Agents is known as line-watch, involving the detection and apprehension of undocumented aliens and their smugglers by maintaining surveillance from a covert position, pursuing leads, responding to electronic sensor alarms, utilizing infrared scopes during night operations, using low-light level television systems, sighting aircraft, and interpreting and following tracks, marks, and other physical evidence. Border Patrol Agents also perform traffic checks, traffic observation, city patrol transportation checks, and other administrative, intelligence, and anti-smuggling activities.

Wow! Detect and prevent terrorists, undocumented aliens, drugs, and also apprehend those found to be here illegally. That is a hell of a lot to do. Add to that the administrative end of their jobs. Remember, this is government, so there are a lot of administrative tasks that go with the job. The temporarily placed National Guard troops granted by Obama will help with these said administrative tasks. The agents are still going to be doing all of the other things I mentioned, which is a hell of a lot in a given shift.

Additionally, an agent does not work around the clock in 24-hour shifts. We’d like them to, but they have to sleep. These aren’t robots, you know. So, in a given 24-hour period there are shifts in which these agents have to rotate (to patrol that particular “mile”, as they say) along the border. Many are stationed far north of the border. They also have days off and some of them do take vacations. Some might call in sick on a given day. Considering all of this, the formula then becomes very complex.

Now, do the math.

Last night, a friend of mine shared a link on Facebook called Fat Men Are Better in Bed on his Facebook wall. It was an interesting headline, so I clicked through to the post.

The post from Gawker stated that “researchers have found that men with higher body mass indices last seven minutes longer than their slender counterparts.” Therefore, the author decided that fat men were better in bed. The author did not state who performed the study. Instead, the post referenced another post from Salon, called: “Sex researchers: size does matter“, which also made an indication that fat men were better in bed.

I was curious about these assertions, so I investigated the sources for the Salon article. It listed two sources, neither of which made that assertion that fat men were better in bed.

One source that the Salon article referred to was a Courier Mail article, which  presented information on the yearlong study performed by Researchers at Erciyes University in Kayseri. This blurb was included in the Courier Mail article:

The survey’s results found fat men could last an average of 7.3 minutes during love making, while others only lasted 1.8 minutes.

So, when I clicked through to the second source used by Salon, it was an abstract of the study everyone was referring to, called: “Insight on pathogenesis of lifelong premature ejaculation: inverse relationship between lifelong premature ejaculation and obesity”.

Ah, so now we are getting somewhere, the study that Gawker refers to actually focused on 100 men who are no strangers to premature ejaculation. Reading the post, you might think that the study was indicative of ALL men in the general population.

So, fat men who ejaculate prematurely are indicated to last an average of  5 minutes longer than lean men who also ejaculate prematurely. I didn’t see that anywhere in the Gawker post

Additionally, I noted that Gawker gave seven additional minutes of sex to fat men. That’s not what the study said. The study said that fat men (who ejaculate prematurely) last an average 7.3 minutes versus the lean men (who also ejaculate prematurely) who last only 1.8 minutes on average. Gawker gave an extra two minutes to fat men, unless you take the post literally at seven minutes of more sex for fat men . Then, this would result in an entire nine minutes more of sex than lean men.

That’s very generous of the author of the Gawker post to give fat men so much more time in bed.

So, when I made these discoveries, I posted comments as I thought about them on my friend’s Facebook page. After all, he was sharing false information and it was my duty to debunk the misinformation. I went on with a one-sided rant and made four comments over the course of about an hour, while no one else weighed in on my comments.

Instead, my friend’s friends continued to “Like” the article and probably shared it with their friends, as well.

So, I left a comment on Gawker with my concerns, but instead received a reply from a fellow reader. He told me to disregard the information, consider the source, and “enjoy the ride” as far as Gawker posts are concerned.

What I soon realized is that no one cared about whether the post in question was factual or not as they continue to share it on Facebook. It asserted that fat men were better in bed and presented false information on top of it. Now, we’ve got fat men with inflated confidence, probably aiming to use the Gawker article as a pick up line at bars.

So, perhaps I can do some good and prepare some women out there, in the event that this does happen. I’m sure that they must care. Someone must care.

If you do care, try a little experiment for me. The next time you find an interesting article – sex study related or not, do some research. Click through to the article that the article was based on, and keep doing that on each article that comes up until you find the original source. Even then, if the article is based on scientific research, you may want to even try to access that source to get accurate information.

You will be very surprised how article information tends to become garbled during regurgitation of the same information as it is passed along from one author to another.

Consider the source.

Santa Cruz County, Arizona is a hot spot for birdwatchers to catch a glimpse of some of the most beautiful birds in the world. As a result, I couldn’t help but develop an interest in hummingbird watching.

My photography skills are also being developed at the same time while trying to capture images these lightning fast little guys. Some of these hummingbird photos are featured in a slideshow below. All photos were taken in the Patagonia Mountains.

I thought it would be nice to offer these photos to fellow hummingbird lovers to enjoy!

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