GorillaOffTopic, Everything But Gorilla Trades

The Gorilla has talked about this topic before; obesity. But you may not be aware of how severely the problem is affecting our kids. Believe it or not, an alarming 1 out of every 5 kids is now overweight. Sure there are many factors which may contribute to this epidemic; genetics, activity level, and of course emotional issues, but parenting style comes into play as probably the biggest factor. Well, this fact certainly does not surprise the Gorilla. After all, this is the age of “permissive parenting.” Haven’t heard of it? Perhaps you are one yourself and don’t even know it.

Plain and simple a “permissive” parent is one that although loving and kind, does not place quite enough demands on their children. By “demands,” psychologists mean expectations for your kids about how to behave, be polite, and have limits such as learning how not to throw a tantrum when they don’t get what they want. And, by showing your kids “tough love” when they act inappropriately. If you think you are a “permissive” parent, beware! You may be warm and loving, but you are not teaching your child to manage their behavior.

This kind of parenting is directly linked to childhood obesity. Why? Well, simply because the child wants, and you give. After all, you don’t want conflict, do you?  Kids who eat healthy and have boundaries often have “authoritative” parents, who teach them to set limits for themselves. Now this style of parenting should not be confused with “authoritarian,” which means high demands with little or no love being shown. And then there are the “neglectful” parents. Well, the Gorilla certainly shouldn’t have to explain that one! Both of these parenting styles are also conducive to childhood obesity.

So, what is the most healthy way to parent? Well, studies have shown that, by far, the “authoritative” parents are the ones who have the healthiest kids- mind, body and spirit. They are taught not only to behave with respect, care, and concern for others, but also have a high sense of self-worth. They are kids who excel at school, relationships and life in general. They are also the physically healthiest kids, who know how to set boundaries with the food they eat. So, by teaching your kids to have clear limits, they benefit by being taught how to manage their desires throughout life.

So, how does a parent implement change? Start by telling your kids that they are valued and loved, but that they need to set limits for themselves when eating. You set the boundaries by serving healthy foods and limiting portion sizes and by simply saying “no” to certain junk foods and too many snacks. It may be hard at first, but they will follow suit on their own. In essence you are then giving them an “inner voice,”  which they can draw upon when they are eating too much or eating unhealthy foods. If you set limits for them, they will begin to set limits for themselves out of habit, and with your reinforcement of their good choices. They will ultimately lose weight and you will have taught them a life-long lesson; self control. They are your kids and they are our kids, and hey…aren’t they worth it?

Americans are always looking for their new health fix and hey, you really can’t blame us, after all, we are one of the unhealthiest countries in the world! It is recommended that we eat at least 5-7 servings daily of fruit and vegetables. If you are one of the majority who does not, raise your hand! The Gorilla admits that he certainly does not get his daily intake of fruit or veggies (and HE is a gorilla!). The simple reason for this recommendation is that fruits and vegetables are high in disease preventing antioxidants. People use antioxidants to help treat or prevent some medical conditions, such as coronary artery disease, some cancers, macular degeneration,  Alzheimer’s disease, and some arthritis-related conditions. So, what has the health community buzzing these days? Well, it’s a tiny little berry found deep in the heart of the Amazonian jungles of Brazil called the Acai berry. This powerful little berry packs a punch and is just loaded with antioxidants. The berry grows at the tops of palm trees in Amazonian Brazil. The purple berry, with a significant pit, has been made into pulp and eaten by the natives for a millennia. But it is only beginning to become known to the American consumer, desperate for ways to stave off aging and early death.

But what about the recent studies on blueberries and pomegranates? You may have heard that these foods are extremely rich in antioxidants as well, and this is still true. In fact to date, the pomegranate was thought to have the highest levels, but since the introduction of the acai berry, that is no longer true. You see, the U.S. Department of Agriculture measures those levels with something called an ORAC score (or Oxygen Radical Absorbence Capacity). The acai berry has nearly an eight times higher ORAC scores than the glorified pomegranate, which until now, has been at the top of the published charts. 

Dr. Nicholas Perricone even appeared on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” in 2005 to list the acai as one of his top 10 superfoods. Alexander G. Schauss, PhD, who has been studying the berries for more than a decade, recently presented findings at an international symposium on the health benefits of fruits and vegetables from a series of human trials that used a retail acai juice called Mona-Vie. He said that more than 80% of people were able to get antioxidants into their cells, and that more than 90% showed evidence that they were reducing the effects of cholesterol.

So how can we get some of this sweet nectar of the Gods? Well, it is not exactly as if you can go to the store and find them on the shelves at your local grocer. The reason? Once the acai berry falls from the tree, it starts to decay, losing most of it’s beneficial properties.  here are however, many ways to get acai out of the jungle, but Schauss said consumers should look for products that use berries that were freeze-dried in the Amazon, since it preserves all of its beneficial attributes. The Gorilla did his research and found that several companies actually perform this exact process and sell it in the form of a tasty bottled drink. So is it worth trying? With results like this, the Gorilla feels it certainly can’t hurt. After all, we all want to live longer, don’t we?

What would you do if you knew that you only had a few days or weeks to live? Chances are, you might do some reflecting, or perhaps you might make amends with people you’ve wronged. If it were the Gorilla, he would want to do all of these things too. Many people say that they would do all of the crazy things that they had always wanted to do (like skydiving), but were simply too afraid too try. It’s funny (not really) how the eminence of death can make us change the way we look at life, and that is precisely what a new trend in South Korea aims to do. It’s called “well-dying” and students, as well as businesses, are using the practice to give people a “new lease” on life. The company, Korea Life Consulting Co., holds “mock funerals” in which participants can pay up to $325 to be placed in a coffin, sealed in with nails, and lie there for 15 minutes, while their eulogy’s and family dedications (written by themselves) are read. The idea is that spending 15 minutes lying there sealed in the darkness, makes the participants reflect on their lives thus far, and teaches them to value what life they have left to live.  ”I felt really, really scared inside the coffin and also thought a lot about my mom,” said Lee Hye-jung, a 23-year-old woman studying engineering. “I’ll live differently from now on so as not to have any regrets about my life.”

Some businesses are getting on board as well. Companies such as Samsung Electronics sent over 900 of its employees last year, citing that it helps with job performance. ”The experience makes workers more efficient”, said Kim Hee-jin, a personnel manager at the Gumi plant, which makes mobile phones, computer printers, and fax machines.

So, is it just a “fad?” For those of you who think it is, consider this:  Ko Min-su, who hosted the ceremony and heads Korea Life Consulting, said about 50,000 people have taken part in his fake funerals since they began in 2004. Most are in their 30s and 40s. There have been a lot of skeptics- and that is certainly understandable. It seems morbid and ridiculous in a way, that people would actually spend money to be nailed into a coffin doesn’t it? But Ko, truly believes in his business. He lost 2 brothers in separate accidents and believes strongly in the fragility of life- and respects it tremendously. ”Anyone can die unexpectedly,” he said. The Gorilla agrees, but isn’t it is a shame that it takes the thought of dying for some to truly appreciate life?

Have you ever watched a live air traffic report in real-time on TV or your computer? If you are like the Gorilla, you have probably seen the map of the U.S. in real-time, with all of those flights in air at the same time and said to yourself “wow, it’s unbelievable there aren’t more accidents!” It’s almost impossible to imagine the workload of the already taxed and exhausted air traffic controllers in America, and according to the union representing the nation’s 14,800 controllers, there is a “staffing emergency” with a major shortage of controllers.

So, how does this affect air travelers? Well it doesn’t take a genius to figure it out. Safety is potentially jeopardized when these controllers are exhausted and overworked, putting you, the traveler, at risk. ”The whole system is going to hell in a handbag, and it doesn’t seem that anybody cares,” said Patrick Forrey, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association.  He also went on to say what the Gorilla already eluded to earlier; that a “major catastrophe” is just waiting to happen if things don’t change immediately.  But FAA spokesperson, Laura Brown, disputes these claims, stating that they are “misleading.” She says that the FAA had anticipated the recent wave of retirements so they hired 1,815 new air traffic controllers last year, exceeding its projections. She says that the FAA exceeded its 2007 goal of having 14,874 new controllers, and is on target to have 14,961 by the end of this fiscal year.

However, Forrey, of the NATCA, says that because the FAA has been so slow to train and certify the new replacement workers, experienced controllers have been demoralized and fatigued and are leaving the work force in record numbers. To further complicate the problem, and as a result of the shortage, many new trainees are working in major metropolitan airports instead of smaller airports, as they normally would (scary!). Coincidentally, the NATCA’s contracts have been expired since 2005 and negotiations were stopped in 2006, so it begs the question: Are these claims by the NATCA simply a big “scare tactic” to get negotiations going again on their contracts?  Forrey acknowledged that he wants the FAA back at the bargaining table, saying it would help stem the flow of experienced controllers, and would attract recently departed controllers back to work. Hmm. Interesting point! So is it hype or a real concern? Well, that is certainly for you to decide.

When you have teenagers who drive, what rules do you make? That is a hard one for those parents who are more concerned about being their kids’ friends, rather than their parents these days. Time and time again, we  hear stories about kids who misbehave, often with no consequences. The Gorilla personally knows kids such as these. Sometimes it is hard to distinguish who the child is, and who the parent is, because quite simply, parents just aren’t disciplining the way they used to 20 years ago. They seem almost afraid of their kids today!  But one mom in Des Moines, Iowa sure wasn’t afraid, and she let everyone know it! Jane Hambleton doesn’t seem like the “meanest mom on the planet,” and when the Gorilla saw the headline to this story, he almost didn’t read it. The headline read “Meanest Mom Sells Car After Finding Liquor.” It did seem mean if you just read that headline. But then upon thinking about it, and reading on, the Gorilla realized that, in the long run, what this lady did was very bold. Yes, it is true that she did find alcohol in her son’s car, and yes, she sold the car upon finding the booze. That does seem harsh at first thought, but then again the lady made a rule. The rule was broken and this mom didn’t balk at the thought of following through on her side of the deal. Now that’s a brave parent!

Human nature will always dictate that too much of anything is, well, not a good thing, right? Well, in the case of the Gorilla’s beloved Starbuck’s, that certainly seems to be ringing true. The Gorilla won’t get into numbers or sales figures, but suffice it to say, that even this “super power” company may be succumbing to the power of over saturation. And now the company seems to be drowning in its own coffee!

The Gorilla won’t contest the fact that the product is simply delightful, and has been the absolute darling of the public, and yes, the establishments are quite cozy and inviting. So, what seems to be the problem? Well, quite simply, there are several things: First off, have you been to a McDonald’s lately? Now you don’t need the Gorilla to tell you about McDonald’s coffee and the Gorilla certainly didn’t need the media to inform him about the quality of it either! Not only is McDonald’s coffee delicious- it’s much less expensive too! Could this be a big selling point with consumers? Well, heck yeah it could be- and most likely it is to those who aren’t so motivated in this tough economy to dish out $4 for a cup of java- no matter how good it is! 

That is yet another factor which could be hurting the coffee giant so the question is….could a recession push the coffee king over the cliff? In addition, with it’s now 15,000 locations, Starbucks, which has, by far, been the leading global purveyor of coffee, may very well have watered down (pun intended) the market. With McDonald’s planning to open coffee bars in each of it’s fast food chains, your guess is as good as the Gorilla’s as to how well Starbuck’s will fare in the competition! One thing is for sure though, Howard Shultz (the original CEO, current Chairman, and newly named …as of Monday…CEO again) sure has his work cut out for him.  Good luck!

Imagine being paralyzed or suffering from a debilitating disease such as Parkinson’s. Imagine that you have lost your eyesight or have been injured in a car accident, which has left you with a major spinal cord injury. Imagine being told that you will never walk again, or that you will shake violently with tremors for the rest of your life or that you will never see again. What would you do to have a chance to be cured? Most people say they would do just about anything for even the slightest improvement and for a chance, no matter how small, to be cured. Now imagine if you will, being told that there are now medicines and treatments, which although they have not met FDA approval in the U.S., you can receive as long as you can make the trip and pay the money. That is exactly the case for hundreds of people who are doing just that.More and more people with severe injuries and diseases are heading to China to receive unproved medical treatments, which may or may not offer patients improvements in their health. People are mortgaging their homes and holding fund raisers in hopes of getting a miracle cure. Many of these people have actually reported some results with their treatments. But is China doing a great injustice to some patients by exploiting their vulnerability, or are they really making a difference in their health?

This is exactly what western doctors, who claim that documentation is mostly lacking, want to know. These doctors warn that patients are serving as guinea pigs in a country that isn’t doing the rigorous lab and human tests that are needed to prove a treatment is safe and effective. Western doctors also warn that the stem cell treatments these patient are receiving could be injections of just about anything, and claim that much of what a patient is feeling could be a placebo effect. The doctors also mention that part of the Chinese therapy involves a rigorous physical therapy treatment given over 30 days. They say that this, combined with the “hope” factor and the injections, could very well cause this placebo effect. However, many patients who received the treatments at a hospital in China, claimed excellent results.

Jim Savage, a Houston man with paralysis from a spinal cord injury, says he can move his right arm. Penny Thomas of Hawaii says her Parkinson’s tremors are mostly gone. The parents of 6-year-old, Rylea Barlett of Missouri, born with an optical defect, say she can see. China is only one of several countries where such techniques are being offered, but just how many people are being treated in these countries is not known. The use of stem cells for treatments isn’t new. For decades, doctors around the world have been using adult stem cells from blood and bone marrow — and more recently from umbilical cord blood — to treat cancers of the blood, like leukemia and lymphoma, and blood diseases such as sickle cell anemia. Doctors say that there are still so many stem cell strategies that have yet to be explored. Many of them are being tested on lab animals, and others have either not yet been used in humans, or have had very limited testing on humans. This is the major concern for western doctors, but ask any of these hopeful patients if they care about that and they will tell you “no”.

One such patient is Chris Hrabik, who was severely injured in a near fatal auto crash that left him with limited use of his hands and legs. He said he was able to move his left fingers within days of the first injection of umbilical cord stem cells into his spinal cord. There’s been little progress since he left China, but he called the incremental changes significant. “I just wanted something back, no matter what it was,” said Hrabik, who attributes some of the changes to the physical therapy that he had in China. The Gorilla wants to know….could China become the new leader in stem cell research? It’s certainly something to consider now-isn’t it?

Once upon a time, there were a bunch of housewives who got together once a year for their annual “night out.” This exciting night consisted of a group of sweet ladies, who would gather together for a Tupperware party and a glass of wine. Innocent enough right? My have times changed! The Gorilla recently heard about the “new wave” of  parties, and he could not believe what he heard! Taser parties are the wave of the future and women are turning out in droves to come to them. You heard the Gorilla right- he did say “Taser” parties; as in taser guns. Yes, folks, this ain’t your grandmother’s Tupperware or Avon party-that’s for sure!

It’s a sure sign of the times when women (and some men) come to hear about, and purchase, the latest self-defense device sold by distributors from their homes. This cute little device is Taser’s C2 “personal protector” and it doesn’t exactly look like the ones we see law enforcement using on the bad guys on the evening news. These devices are smaller more colorful versions of the original, but don’t be fooled by their new cuter appearance- they are still just as powerful as the originals and pack a punch that will stop a would-be assailant in his tracks!

So, what about all the recent bad press this powerful little weapon has been receiving? Well yes, it’s true. Officials with the human rights organization say the weapons are frequently used in excess by trained police, and they’re likely to be abused by the public as well. Amnesty International, which has criticized Taser’s assertion that its weapons are non-lethal, frowns on the C2 and any attempt to spread the use of stun guns. Dana Shafman of Scottsdale Arizona, who is a 34 year-old, single woman has been a distributor of the C2 for 2 years and say that if she had a choice of getting shocked or being attacked with a knife, a gun, or something else she says, ”I’d much rather be assaulted by a Taser and unlike other weapons, Taser forces its customers to submit to a criminal background check before giving them a code to turn on their weapons.” 

With crimes committed against women currently at an all-time high, the Gorilla feels that it’s simply just the newest self-protection device out there to have. There was a time when women carried mace in their purses, but those days are over and now the new mace is a taser! No, the Gorilla does not exactly advocate carrying weapons and yes, he acknowledges that any weapon can dangerous if misused, but if this little taser sends a message to ward off attackers and saves someone from getting hurt or killed, the Gorilla say’s ” ladies, (and gentlemen) go for it! Now isn’t that a “shocker?”

Imagine that you are driving home from work, dreaming of your delicious dinner which awaits you at your humble abode. All you have in mind is getting back there after an arduous and exhausting day at the office. But, unfortunately, the guy ahead of you has other plans. He is busy yapping away on his cell phone, holding up the traffic line when the light is green.

You know how it goes; You’re watching the traffic light turn from green, to yellow, to red, and this guy is in no hurry to move. While he’s busy talking, you are enraged at the fact that the light has turned green two different times already, and you are still sitting in the same spot, waiting to go! The Gorilla doesn’t know about you, but when this happens to him, he is annoyed and left wondering, “what the heck is so important that you must hold up traffic?” What has become of good old-fashioned driving etiquette anyway? Does it still even exist?

Well as a matter of fact, it is not only rude, but now new studies actually reveal that talking on a cell phone, while driving, actually slows drivers down by an average of 2 miles an hour. Now that may not sound very significant, but if you are one of the many who commute an hour a day, that number adds almost 20 hours per year to your commute. That’s a lot of extra driving time that we could all do without! University of Utah Professor of Psychology and study author, David Strayer, says that these people are just not going with the flow of traffic because they are distracted, and distracted drivers tend to drive slower and have delayed reaction times. ”It’s simply a matter of brain overload.Your frontal cortex can handle only so many tasks at one time, so you slow down,” Strayer said. The study also concluded that, overall, cell phone drivers took about 3 percent longer to drive the same highly traffic-clogged route (and about 2 percent longer to drive a medium congested route) than people who were not on the phone. So, with one in every ten people in traffic talking on their cell phones, what’s a Gorilla to do?

There you have it folks! That was just what you needed to hear to validate how frustrated you already are about this problem! Now if only we could get people to stop slowing down every time they see a Gorilla driving by them! Be safe, and hey, drive courteously folks! The phone call really can wait until you are out of traffic now can’t it?

You’ve heard of non-invasive surgery, but wow, has technology been catapulted to a whole new level! The Gorilla, having once been a medical student himself, always gets excited whenever he hears about new cutting-edge medical breakthroughs, and this time is no exception! Experts at Imperial College London are developing a new flexible surgical “robot” known as the i-Snake which will revolutionize non-invasive key-hole surgery as we know it.

It is an incredible new product, which will be able to perform non-invasive surgery on patients with various problems. The amazing capabilities of this incredible robot include the ability perform more complex procedures previously possible only through more invasive techniques. So what is it, you ask? Well, it very much looks like it’s name; it’s a long tube housing special motors, sensors, and imaging tools - primarily for heart bypass surgery- but can also be used to diagnose problems with the gut and bowel. By acting like the surgeon’s hands and eyes, the i-Snake will be able to diagnose problems in hard to reach places, which would otherwise require invasive techniques.

The Gorilla believes that the future of surgeries could very well be in non-invasive procedures. This means less scarring, less pain, and quicker recovery times- thus resulting in shorter hospital stays and lower costs to patients! Health minister and surgeon Lord Darzi, who is deeply involved in the development of the i-Snake said: “The unrivalled imaging and sensing capabilities, coupled with the accessibility and sensitivity of i-Snake, will enable more complex diagnostic and therapeutic procedures than are currently possible.” Let’s hope he’s right folks because anything that makes those dreaded medical procedure a little more tolerable is all right by the Gorilla!