Mel and Alf

Morgellons Disease continues to be a challenge for the medical and scientific research community in the US and across the world. Most researchers have confirmed that Morgellons Disease doesn’t seem to follow any of the biological rules associated with the development of an illness, infection or disease.

Morgellons Disease research has seen some initiative from the government also. In California, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has sponsored the research on Morgellons being conducted by Kaiser Permanente. This includes testing and interviewing patients who have been diagnosed with symptoms that are typically of Morgellons’.

Morgellons Disease continues to be a matter of debate and discussion. Many people believe that morgellons symptoms are a physiological disorder or a form of skin disease such as scabies.

The HIPAA Privacy Act has now specific HIPAA training requirements. In fact, the Department of Health and Human Services makes no specific endorsement on education or training materials. The HIPAA law specifically says that healthcare workers must have a regular evolution of the privacy rules. For this matter, anyone with access to protected health information or working with electronic medical records is required to be evaluated. The start to privacy education is for the employer to provide training materials and workshops to the workers. The use of HIPAA training videos and PowerPoint presentations help to cover the rules. A smaller organization such as a doctor’s office should consider the online hipaa training mode. The online courses are inexpensive and can be completed in 30 minutes. This is followed by an examination and those successfully passing the quiz are awarded a HIPAA certificate which may be printed right in the office.

Our Favorite Games of 2011

2011 was a great year in video gaming if you like game announcements. Besides the release of yet another Madden game and a bunch of sequels, most people were disappointed by the actual titles available in 2011. But not us.

Here’s a list of our favorite games of 2011. You may have missed some of these gems, so pay attention.

5. NintenDogs & Cats (3DS)

I bought this game on a whim during  a recent trip to GameStop and haven’t been able to stop playing it since. This is one of those video games that you play over and over again even though its basically an extremely lame looking game. Addictive? Not exactly. Just extremely cute and infinitely replayable. I’ve spent more time training and playing with my virtual puppies than my actual dog, who’s content to sit and bark at the screen. That’s how realistic these puppies are. You’ll love it.

4. Homefront (XBOX 360, PS3, PC)

Another GameStop impulse purchase, I bought this because of the unique plot. I’m not normally a fan of war games, but the notion of an North Korean invasion of the United States in the near-future was too good to pass up. The graphics are astounding, and you’ll feel genuinely creeped out as a war rages on in your own backyard.

3. Driver: San Francisco (360, PS3, PC, Mac, Wii)

This mutliplayer and single player driving and racing game is unique for one reason only–the “shift” feature that allows you to sort of possess any character in the richly detailed San Francisco map the game takes place on. You’ll be hooked because of the hyper-realistic San Francisco setting and because the soundtrack rocks.

2. Sorcery (PS3)

Motion capture technology is all the rage right now, and the PS3 got into the action this year with Sorcery. In Sorcery, you use real motion to cast spells, mix potions, and attack enemies using your various sorcery powers. This game was one of the most anticipated PlayStation Move titles, though it has faded into obscurity. We’re sure you’ll love it.

1. Catherine (PS3)

If there’s one game you should use your GameStop coupons on from 2011, its this title for the PS3. Never heard of it? We’re not surprised. It’s the first fully HD video game in America and is more like a piece of art than a traditional game. A bizarre and sexy action adventure reality game, Catherine will knocks your socks clean off.

IDP Rookies and Sleepers

I love playing in fantasy football leagues which use single NFL players on defense instead of the more common Team Defense. This list of top fantasy football players for 2011 and 2012 is going to focus on the individual defensive players, usually referred to by the redundant term “IDP players“.

I want to focus on players who are good in 2011, but who might be even better in 2012. These are sleepers–not people you should be drafting until the late rounds of deep drafts. They’re especially good for someone in keeper and dynasty leagues.

Colin McCarthy, LB, Tennessee Titans – Colin McCarthy is likely to be sitting behind Barrett Ruud on the depth chart all season, unless an injury happens. But in 2012, look out. Ruud only has 1 year left on the contract and he’s not likely to be back next year. The Titans middle linebacker position has been huge for Keith Bullock and Stephen Tulloch in the last few years, so Colin McCarthy could be a stud for years to come. Ruud’s a nice late-round pickup in redraft leagues this year, while Akeem Ayers (rookie OLB) is a sleeper to look at in league’s where tackles aren’t all-important (MLBs tend to rule the tackle stats).

Mason Foster, LB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Mason Foster is taking over for Barrett Ruud in the middle of the Bucs Defense. Ruud has been a solid fantasy performer these past 3-4 years, so adding a younger linebacker known for his athleticism could be huge.

Bruce Carter, LB, Dallas Cowboys – Bruce Carter was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the 2nd round this year based on the idea he would have been a 10-15 pick had he not had a knee injury last year. Carter’s 2011 season is going to be a waste, but he’s a sleeper candidate you could pick up late this season and have as a keeper in 2012. The future of the Cowboys’ inside linebacker positions are Sean Lee and Bruce Carter–not Bradie James and Keith Brooking.

Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, New York Giants – The writing is on the wall in New York. Osi Umenyiora is unhappy and the Giants allowed Umenyiora’s agent shop him earlier in training camp–for a 1st round pick. When that proved unlikely, the Giants rescinded their offer. Still, Osi Umenyiora is on his way out of town, so expect Jason Pierre-Paul to eventually move opposite Justin Tuck as the Giants’ sack specialists. Pierre-Paul was a mid-1st round selection last year and showed some promise. The scouting report is he’s a physical freak who needs to work on technique. He should be useful this season, while 2012 should be his breakout year.

Honorable Mentions: Derrick Morgan (Titans), Marcell Dareus (Bills), Kelvin Sheppard (Bills ’12), Martez Wilson (Saints), Sam Acho (Cardinals).

I would list off defensive backs on this list of the top fantasy football players 2011-2012 (but mainly for 2012), but I find them to be the most unpredictable and inconsistent IDP position you can imagine. You’ll always be able to find someone in free agency to take these spots, so don’t worry about IDP safeties and corners. If you take nothing away from these fantasy football tips, take that away.

Are You Sad?

When was the last time you felt sad, lonely, depressed – just totally out-of-this-world blue? If you can still remember, can you think about what you wanted to eat then? During those times, did you like savory foods or sweet foods?

Why all these questions?

Well, do you know that one of the probable cause why people crave for something sweet whenever they are sad, depressed, or “blue” is because the brain triggered it?

According to Lukas van Oudenhove, the scientist who led the research done in theUniversityofLeuveninBelgium, eating fat seems to make people less vulnerable to sad emotions, even if they don’t know they were eating fat.

This was the initial result of a study conducted by scientists at the University of Leuvenin Belgium. The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, investigated the effects of fatty acids on emotion when directly injected into the stomach. This was done with the use of MRI scans.

The study went like this: the subjects, composed of a group of 12 participants, were first made to listen to sad music and were shown sad pictures or photographs. Then, after listening to the music and viewing the images, half of the participants were given fatty acids (through a feeding tube) and the other half were given saline solution. Then, after directly injecting the fatty acids and saline solution into the participant’s stomach (the participants were not told what it was they were given), all 12 of them were asked to rate their mood on a scale of 1 to 9 before and during the MRI scan.

The results revealed that those who were given fatty acids were only half as sad after listening to the music and watching the pictures and images as the participants who were given the saline solution.

So the next time you feel sad or lonely or depressed, try to see if the result of the study is true to you.

Sad and lonely?

Do you prefer sweet food over savory when you’re feeling unhappy? Do you crave for something sweet when you’re feeling blue?

It’ll be interesting to find out if this is really true!

Guest Post By:

Rich Collins is a guest writer and blogger for eDrugstore.MD, a safeU.S. medication facilitator since 2001 where customers can buy Viagra online & safely order Cialis in the convenience of their own home.