Stuck

Depression is one of the symptoms of celiac disease. That's possibly because the disease causes impaired absorption of the amino acid tryptophan, which the body converts into serotonin. But psychological distress among celiac-disease patients only stands to reason, given that some of the other symptoms and effects of this incurable condition include diarrhea, abdominal pain, bloating, gas, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, failure to thrive in infancy, vomiting, short stature, iron deficiency with or without anemia, poor performance in school, delayed puberty, infertility, recurrent miscarriage, osteoporosis, vitamin deficiencies, fatigue, tooth discoloration and dental enamel defects, skin disorders, elevated liver enzymes, Down syndrome, Sjogren's syndrome, canker sores, arthritis, depression, nerve and balance problems, irritability, seizures, and migraines. Oh, and it's been linked with ADHD, too. Read More

Recently, I wrote a post here about Gary McKinnon, the Scotsman with Asperger's Syndrome who admittedly hacked into 97 US government computers containing sensitive military information. Facing charges that could lead to sixty years in prison if he was convicted in a US court, McKinnon fought against his extradition - claiming that, specifically because of his Asperger's, the trauma of going to trial might make him suicidal. Now his story takes a new twist.

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Instead of the usual wedding fair, a church in Berkeley, California is having a funeral fair this year. Scheduled for a few days after Halloween, it is preceded by the two-month "Fond Farewell Speaker Series," weekly lectures on various aspects of death whose presenters include an estate planner, a shroudmaker, an archeologist, and a professor who studies roadside shrines. The fair is intended to be a fun family event, with such activities as coffin decorating, paper-flower making, and a booth where participants can write their own obituaries. Read More

The act of chanting -- repeating words or phrases over and over, usually to a melody -- has been a mode of worship and a feature of spiritual practice in many faiths around the world for thousands of years. The ancient Greeks chanted deities' names at festivals, rituals and parades. Buddhist sutras, childhood rhyming games, and football cheers are all chants of a sort. They're so universal and so popular because their power to soothe, bond, entrain and transport goes very deep.  Read More