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Thursday, May 6, 2010

"Voters Voted for Change" - Letter to Editor

It appears many Republicans do not want duly-elected President Obama to be successful in righting the disastrous course set by his Supreme Court
appointed predecessor.  Many Republicans also seem to disavow the legitimacy of Obama's campaign platform.

President Obama received a clear mandate from the electorate to effect change in the way Washington does business, which he clearly has honored.
His multi-project undertakings around the economy, health care reform and international relations are often met with heavy criticism and character attacks from the Right.

When the recent 'tea parties' were reported as symptomatic of a huge groundswell of dissent from the electorate, it was ultimately revealed these meetings were orchestrated
by the Republican Party and its propaganda arm of dissent.

Groups who accompany their complaints with illogical rhetoric are not helping the country regain its equilibrium, especially when they don't offer coherent and workable alternatives.

Nate Bender - Petal

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Lethal Beliefs - Wetherill

Reality makes clear how people’s beliefs are causing their deaths. Consider the deceased motorists who believed they could “beat the light.” What follows will present data to contrast the deadliness of beliefs with the safety of conforming to nature’s law of absolute right.
Most people freely express their beliefs, no matter how unproven and incorrect those beliefs might be. In this country, beliefs are made legal by the Constitution, so as long as such concepts are stated as beliefs, they are authorized by human laws. But what of the laws of nature? Whoever or whatever is the creator has endowed natural laws with their own authority. People do not believe they can leap up and hover un­assisted five feet above the earth. They know the law of gravitation unbidden will quickly return them to the earth—no belief to the contrary prevents that result. However, the belief area that begs for people’s attention is the conflicting beliefs regarding people’s codes of conduct. The most crucial is the belief that they have freedom of choice. As a result, some persons are helping the needy with food and clean water, providing proper housing, and improving education—generous acts to address society’s proliferating problems. At the opposite end of the spectrum are persons who behave however they believe will be to their advantage. So, they kill, lie, and steal. In between are those who engage in other lesser wrong behaviors. But, people’s noble and ignoble behavior ends when they die, and death occurs so consistently that death is believed to be inevitable. What follows explains why death need not be inevitable.
During the centuries, learning about the laws of physics has allowed society’s thinking to change from false beliefs about natural phenomena to recognition of nature’s reality. In his youth Richard W. Wetherill noted a previously unidentified natural law operating in human affairs. After decades of his talks and papers on the topic, the law was ignored by scientific, educational, and religious groups. Wetherill called it the law of absolute right, and he taught it as a natural law of behavior for all mankind. It states: right action gets right results and specifies right action to be rational and honest. Thus it imparts to all people the same correct code of behavior. When action conforms to natural laws, the action suc­ceeds. People know they cannot ignore nature’s laws of physics, but when they hear of nature’s law of absolute right, they ask, “Who defines what is right?” Natural law defines what is right. When problems and troubles happen, they are not seen as contradicting a natural law but are blamed on other causes—rarely on self. But since people still die, death is believed to be unavoidable for Homo sapiens. Let’s dispel that belief and the future reality unfold! Join those who are applying the law of absolute right as best they can—the same as they apply other natural laws as best they can. When people stumble, gravity lets them recover without harm if they regain their balance. Behavioral mistakes are also correct­able. People correct those mistakes by being rational and honest in what they think, say, and do. That is creation’s way to change what is wrong un­til everything is made right: perfectly behaving people on the one planet in this universe that supports life as we know it!

Saturday, May 1, 2010

Scientific Contributions - Wetherill

Scientists have made significant contributions to the safety and well-being of the human race. They have identified laws of nature that explain the functioning of the universe, Earth's flora and fauna, and especially of the physical activities of Homo sapiens. But “why” planet Earth and its occupants exist is still an admitted mystery to them. What follows explains an important part of that mystery.
For millennia great developmental progress has taken mankind from a simple desire to survive to our present complex systems of social laws and inherited customs. Most readers would agree that despite those man-made systems, human affairs are still in a state of confusion with problems and trouble growing daily.

We have races pitted against one another, political groups pitted against one another, as well as individuals who pit themselves against one another in their careers, marriages, and sports to name a few obvious areas.

An appropriate question is, Why? Our answer follows: From the beginning people have been living by their own laws of behavior and inherited customs, but those man-made systems contradict a natural law, causing people to get wrong, troublesome results.
That natural law was identified by Richard W. Wetherill almost a century ago and was presented in his book, Tower of Babel, published January 2, 1952. It is a law of behavior that Wetherill called the law of absolute right, indicating that rightness in all human activities is required for successful outcomes.

As a result of Wetherill’s identification of the law, he developed a program called humanetics to explain the wrongness of people’s attitudes and behavior and how to correct them. Wrongness has not only been destroying people’s lives but also increasingly is damaging the environment that supports the life of the planet.

When scientists identify natural laws, they apply their principles to better human existence and well-being—that is, usually, until the nuclear age developed. Scientists could now investigate nature’s behavioral law and help to inform people of its principles. Wetherill used words to describe right behavior such as rational, honest, logical, and moral but cautioned that words are just symbols. 

The law is the final arbiter: Right begets right results; wrong begets wrong results.
What are society’s results? Are people rational and honest? Or do they act on their own motives to do, be, have, get, and become whatever they desire?

People know they must obey nature’s laws of gravity, friction, and all the other laws of physics, but for nearly a century scientists, religionists, educators, and the public have resisted acknowledging creation’s law of rightness. Is that sane?

Albert Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. For millennia people have reasoned from man-made laws and inherited customs over and over again, expecting a different result. Instead, over and over again, humanity has been getting incalculable wrong results. Is that sane?

This essay provides a brief description of the behavior that natural law requires of us. Are we going to comply and get out of the muddled mess of human affairs being caused by acting on man-made laws?
Apply this information and join those who are already benefiting from adhering to the behavioral law with rational and honest thoughts, words, and action.

That is creation’s way to change what is wrong until everything is made right: perfectly behaving people on the one planet in this universe that supports life as we know it!

Communication - Wetherill

We read of scientific research indicating that the earth’s crust is billions of years old and that fossils of mankind are being unearthed from thirty thousand years ago. Consider that whoever or whatever created the earth and its people communicates with them by means of natural laws. During the past century, that communication revealed to the late Richard W. Wetherill the existence of a natural law not previously identified, although it relates to a principle of all natural laws: Conform to the action the law prescribes; failure to conform imposes penalties. This particular law states: Right behavior is logical and moral, and it succeeds; contradictory behavior is illogical or immoral, and it fails. When Wetherill identified the law, he called it the law of absolute right and spent decades teaching people that conformity to that law enabled them to start a new life and to recover from previous failures. Natural laws exist in reality. The principle stated above tells people that conformity to the law of absolute right is mandatory and that nonconformity accounts for society’s chaotic, deadly affairs. Wetherill considered it the super-natural law, as all natural laws require strict conformity to their function or penalties are imposed. The ultimate penalty for not conforming to nature’s behavioral law, sooner or later, results in death of the body, which explains why death is universally thought to be inevitable. While people tend to dispute that concept, is there any evidence that their management of human affairs has established peace, stopped criminal activity, preserved life, or eliminated any other unwanted results?
Despite all human efforts to produce a peaceful and productive society, society remains an adversarial and afflicted entity composed of a wide spectrum of do-gooders at one end and terrorists at the other; everybody reacting to the realities of life with irrational judgments that contradict natural law. Theorize that whoever or whatever is the creator awaits human adjustment to the law of absolute right, knowing that people’s well-being depends on taking right action in every moment of every situation. Lacking understanding, even infants form irrational thoughts. Later, those who become heads of nations, influential savants, or persons of no status are influenced by those same infant thoughts in their adult decisions, adding irrational elements that critics hold against them. In addition, people form personal plans made up of likes and dislikes, wants and don’t wants that con-tradict natural law and cause seemingly endless trouble. Could that be what the creator intends? We think not–based on the communication received from natural laws, providing for everybody’s total well-being. Today those who take pride in their plans say this information is demeaning when, in fact, it is the most liberating ever provided humanity. But descriptive words are powerless. The power to change behavior is found in perceiving and acting on the reality of all natural laws, not in the words used to define them.
For example, acting in accord with the reality of natural laws assures conformity to the plan of whoever or whatever is the creator. And as people reason exclusively from those laws, they become aware of a higher purpose in life. A purpose being communicated from the law of absolute right, informing them that natural laws express the creator’s plan ultimately to create a peacefully vibrant, productive society!

Brain Fitness - Wetherill

According to scientific research, people can listen to a brain-fitness computer program to help rebuild brain matter that has turned flabby with age. Their findings indicate that the brain can reshape itself based upon the data it receives from a person’s thoughts. Taking action that lets the brain grow has appeared in our advertising for more than a decade, informing readers of the wrong data that “flabs” the brain, and leaves people out of touch with reality. The method for releasing the brain’s wrong data was explained by the late Richard W. Wetherill in his book, Tower of Babel, published in January 1952. He called the wrong data distortions of logic. He explained why and how distortions of logic are formed, how they affect the brain and subsequent behaveior, how they are released, and the resulting transformation of a person’s relationships, intellect, and health. It is commonly thought that the brain is the body’s computer, receiving data and acting on it accordingly. Wetherill defined the process as right thinking causes right results, whereas wrong thinking causes wrong results. People’s brains function that way because whoever or whatever is the creator provided natural laws to enable human beings eventually to evolve into the kind of beings intended by that creator. Today, natural laws are known as laws of physics, but there is also a behavioral law identified by Wetherill. He called it the law of absolute right. It states: Right action gets right results; wrong action gets wrong results, and it defines right action as rational and honest responses to whatever happens. As with all natural laws, our results tell us if we are conforming to the behavioral law or contradicting it.
Originally that was the most unpopular information ever presented to a society that, from the beginning, established the practice of blaming wrong results on other people, bad luck, and later on, life styles, faulty diets and inherited genes—almost never on self. It is widely known that laws of physics make mandatory people’s physical activities. Thus they learn not to touch live wires, not to speed across an oil slick, and that gravity keeps pedestrians tethered to the earth. But, lacking the knowledge of nature’s law of right behavior, society still believes that suffering and even death are the inevitable plight of mankind. There are well-meaning efforts being made to cope with those typical wrong results: charitable giving to help the needy, finding cures for diseases, and addressing famine and genocide overseas. As far back as the 1960s, behavioral experts declared this information too simplistic and unworkable while, at the same time, surreptitiously inserting parts of it into their own programs.
Do not be deterred by differing expert opinions. Learn about the behavioral law. Conform to it, not to benefit you (although it will) but to do what is right because that is what nature’s behavioral law calls for. If that is your approach, you will be astonished by the results. If you are not astonished, be sure you are conforming to creation’s law of absolute right with the same eagerness as you conform to creation’s law of gravity

Surrender Your Will - Wetherill

If you were asked to surrender your will, would you? Probably not. But have you considered the countless times people do surrender their will each and every day? “No,” you say, “I don’t, and I never would!
Well, think about how you surrender your will to the laws of nature. Do you argue with gravity, ignore friction, grab a live wire, lean to the left turning right?

 People have learned to surrender to creation’s natural laws, but there is a law of nature that virtually everybody has been ignoring.

 While people eagerly surrender to familiar laws such as gravity and friction, sometimes a mistake is made. For example, if they lose their balance by slipping on a wet surface, everybody instinctively struggles to conform to the appropriate natural law(s).

Early in the past century, a natural law of behavior was identified by the late Richard W. Wetherill. In 1952 he presented it in the book, Tower of Babel.

 He called it the law of absolute right, and it specifies behavior that is rational and honest to replace behavioral choices based on a person’s likes and dislikes, wants and don’t wants, judgments and beliefs, thereby, over time, putting together his/her own plan of life.

 Nature’s law of absolute right states that right action always gets right results; if wrong results occur, the law was somehow disregarded.

 What kinds of results are presently occurring? The news media daily report on the tragedies of international warfare, political corruption, criminal activity, economic disasters, foreclosures, and afflictions labeled “cause unknown.”
You might be wondering, who thinks that conforming to a natural law could stop those wrong results? 
The answer comes from persons who have surrendered their will to creation’s law of absolute right. They enthusiastically report right results occurring, as they drop old behavior patterns and respond rationally and honestly to whatever happens.

 The nonprofit group financing this public-service advertisement is telling people that their safety and security exist in trusting the laws of creation rather than trusting the laws and beliefs of human origin. Every natural law requires the action it calls for so that the law is able to complete its rightful purpose.
 That is easily observed when using gravity as an example. When people stumble and fall, they do not form criticisms of gravity. They are more likely to look around for someone or something to blame—sometimes their own carelessness.

 But to achieve success and avoid failure at whatever activity or task they are engaged in, people instinctively know they must obey nature’s laws of physics.
 Prior to the identification of those laws, the ancients worshipped natural phenomena and/or idols. It required aeons until people realized that natural laws provided the forces that guided their activities and further that those laws were immutable and inviolable—not to be worshipped but to be obeyed.
Thus it is with creation’s behavioral law of absolute right. To complement the perfect universe, the human race is now being similarly educated to express perfect behavior. It is behavior that is described by yet another natural law, calling for rational and honest responses to everything that happens. That behavioral change will eliminate all human wrong action and its results, allowing the emergence of a perfect society in a perfect environment created by the perfect laws of whoever or whatever the creator is.

The Unexamined Life - Wetherill

Richard W. Wetherill - Nature’s behavior­al law of absolute right

Socrates is purported to have said that the unexamined life is not worth living, but he failed to explain how that examination is conducted. The following text explains. Socrates also said, “Think not those faithful who praise thy words and actions, but those who kindly reprove thy faults.” Therefore, we shall kindly reprove our leaders for not acting on the information presented by the late Richard W. Wetherill when he published his book Tower of Babel on January 1952. It explains that virtu­ally all trouble is caused by our disregard for a little-known law of nature Wetherill had coined the word humanetics for his study, and the law is presented here as nature’s behavior­al law of absolute right. It calls for thoughts and actions that are inclusively logical, appropriate, and moral. People behave as if they had multiple choices, but natural law states just two: what is right or what is wrong. Right works; wrong causes trouble. Wetherill taught that among the principles people reason from many are counterfeits. Some people object to the term counterfeit principles, but consider counter­feit money. It is not real, but it attains a kind of reality when accepted. In that sense, there are counterfeit prin­ciples people form and act on, causing wrong results. Those counterfeit principles are described next. Re­leasing their influence enables people to gain many wanted changes. 1. What are counterfeit principles? They are commands to self that people form such as “My mind is made up and I won’t change it” or “I’m always shy around strangers.”
2. How are they formed? When upset, people do unreal­istic thinking that gets lodged in memory as premises to be acted on such as “When I feel attacked I fight back” or “After what’s happened I’ll never be the same.” 3. What do counterfeit principles cause? They cause attitudes and actions contrary to natural law such as “Nobody’s going to tell me what to do” or “I want things to go my way.” 4. How are counterfeit principles released? When the concepts are recognized as untrue, they drop from memory and no longer influence behavior but only if a person intends to live a rational, honest life. 5. What results? Relationships improve, problems are resolved, and well-being is restored. Observing people’s behavior confirms the validity of nature’s behavioral law. Counterfeit principles per­meate conversations such as “If I don’t like it I won’t do it” or “I don’t like to make changes” or “Nobody understands me.” It is widely known now that lifestyles impact people’s health, but despite those warnings, many often continue irrational lifestyles. This writing states the formula that eliminates irrationality: Think, say, and do what is rational and honest, according to natural law.To paraphrase Socrates: “Think not those faith­ful who praise thy words and actions, but those who kindly reprove thee of thy counterfeit principles.” People who conform to the behavioral law join those who are already benefiting from adhering to it by continuing to release their counterfeit principles. That is how life becomes well worth living.

Ellsworth Community College Hall of Fame Induction - 2001

Blogger Buzz: Blogger integrates with Amazon Associates

Blogger Buzz: Blogger integrates with Amazon Associates

Aunt Ruth's HX

Ruth Langrehr Runge Yarbrough
6/20/1923—8/21/1980

Besides my own knowledge, my best resource for this history was from notes I had made
while on a visit with Luther and Carmen in 1989 and from several phone calls since then.
I also have some old letters that I gleaned little “bits and pieces”.
Aunt Ruth was born on the family farm near Parker, SD and graduated from Parker High
and later from Concordia Teachers College in River Forest, Illinois. She was a smart
lady with a sweet disposition. Her compassionate diplomacy attributed to her success in
her teaching career and she gained the reputation as being the family sweetheart. Her
first teaching position took her to Santa Monica, California. After that, still being
adventurous and always searching for betterment, she then took a teaching position in
New York City while also attending Hunter’s Teacher College, a municipal college in
NYC.
She met and eventually married Francis Runge, a Lutheran minister on July 8, 1950 in
New York City. He was a brilliant man, a progressive thinker, interested in the theater,
and at some point had directed a Shakespearian play in NYC. Sometime after they were
married Uncle Francis accepted a call to a church in Willimantic, Ct. and it was there
where Luther and Phillip were born.
In 1956 or before, in searching for a warmer climate to ease Aunt Ruth’s tendency for
problematic bronchitis, the family settled in Hollywood, Florida. Uncle Francis did not
have a full time parish here but filled in at churches here and there where ever needed.
He also did salesman type jobs such as selling awnings. Aunt Ruth made jewelry; both
trying to make enough to live on.
In the spring of 1958 they moved to Covington, Louisiana where Uncle Francis was
offered a role in the movie, The King of Kings directed by Otto Preminger. The movie
production was delayed however. Meanwhile, Uncle Francis got established in a church
and when the movie project was again resumed he declined the role. It was an honor to
be sought after for this role but he felt obligated to the church and to his family. He loved
his boys and did fun things with them. In the summer of 1960, in the prime of his life,
tragedy struck when he drowned accidentally while swimming with his youngest son,
Phillip. Uncle Francis was only 42.
Aunt Ruth had gone back to teaching again in the fall of 1958 and after Uncle Francis’
death in 1960 she and the boys remained in Covington until 1970. Luther graduated from
Covington High in 1970 with high honors (#7 out of a class of several hundred).
On April 24, 1970 Aunt Ruth married a widower, James Yarbrough whom she met
through her pastor at church. By now she was 46, and Jim was 35, 11 years younger. He
had two girls, Beth born 2/15/62 and Melissa born 8/9/65. (Jim’s first wife had
committed suicide when Beth was in the second grade.) They soon moved to Santa Fe,
New Mexico where Aunt Ruth took a position teaching 5th grade starting the fall of 1970.
She loved teaching and by all indications she was very good at it. She didn’t just “make
it”. She excelled. Meanwhile Luther attended Louisiana State in New Orleans
completing 2 ½ years there. Jim was a geologist in oil drilling. He was involved with the
trade association and did some traveling associated with his profession. Aunt Ruth loved
and nurtured the girls as her own. Her life again seemed full and gratifying and she wrote
letters again more freely.
In 1972 Phil graduated salutatorian from the High School in Santa Fe. Four years later he
graduated from the Westminster College in Salt Lake City, Utah with a BS in Business
Communications (marketing). In 2008 he lived in Salt Lake City.
In October 1976 Aunt Ruth was forced to retire from teaching due to her health. The
doctors found an aneurysm in her brain. They did a relatively minor procedure that
alleviated symptoms but by March 31, 1978 she had brain surgery to treat it more
aggressively. This bought her more time for a relatively decent quality of life but on
August 21, 1980 she died suddenly when the aneurysm broke. Luther relates how they
had a wonderful day the day before she died and as she was talking she mentioned that
she saw angels in the room. The angels were there ready to take her to heaven. She was
only 57.
Years later Jim Yarbrough did marry again. He died in October 2002 from malaria that
he contracted in Zambia in Africa. He was a good man. Luther still stays in contact with
Beth and Melissa (especially with Melissa.) Luther still lives in Santa Fe, NM and has
been an insurance salesman since 1979.
Written by Mary Ann Andrews
7 Brierwood Court
Burnt Hills NY 12027
January 16, 2009

If you see any discrepancies or errors or can add anything, please let me know. Aunt
Ruth is one that I would have liked to have known better.

Luther Runge: Luther married Carmen Gonzales on 7/2/77. Carmen lost both
parents when she was quite young leaving her to care for her younger brother (Ralph) and
a sister. Her father was an alcoholic and her mother left him in the end. Luther and
Carmen had no children of their own but Carmen’s siblings are their family. Luther has
been an insurance salesman since 1979. We visited them in their home in 1989 and they
took us out to a very nice restaurant for dinner.
Their address:
Mr. & Mrs. Luther Runge Phone # 505-471-5451. e-mail lrunge@talbotcorp.com
2431 Vereda de Encanto
Santa Fe, NM 87505

Phillip Runge never married. He’s had a variety of short term jobs. He was most
proud of being a fire fighter with a helicopter crew. At one time he did free lance writing
and in ’93 was a Public Relations Advertising Consultant in Salt Lake City. He has been
unemployed now for a long time and lives frugally in an apartment. He used to love to
ski but that has become too cost prohibited for him. He does enjoy hiking. Wayne and I
flew to Salt Lake City in June 2007 for the Rotary Convention. While Wayne was at a
Rotary gathering Phil and I met at the Family History Library. He was eager to help me
navigate the system there to research our grandfather Langrehr’s parents but we found no
new information. The following evening Wayne and I met him at a restaurant for dinner.
He carried a back pack with his computer hard drive that he uses at the library. After
dinner he took us on a tour of Salt Lake City walking and by using the “trax” (train). He
was very happy to show us around and we were happy to have our own personal tour
guide. He’s very comfortable using mass transit as his sole means of getting around.
His address:
Phillip Runge Phone # 801-831-9745
239 W. 600 North Apt 309
Salt Lake City, Utah 84103—1359
I have not had good luck with him responding to my mail. I had better luck calling him.

Love, Mary Ann

FIBROMYALGIA SYNDROME

WHAT IS FIBROMYALGIA SYNDROME? FMS (fibromyalgia syndrome) is a widespread musculoskeletal pain and fatigue disorder for which the cause is still unknown. Fibromyalgia means pain in the muscles, ligaments and tendons--the fibrous tissues in the body. FMS used to be called fibrositis, implying that there was inflammation in the muscles, but research later proved that inflammation did not exist.
Most patients with fibromyalgia say that they ache all over. Their muscles may feel like they have been pulled or overworked. Sometimes the muscles twitch and at other times they burn. More women than men are afflicted with fibromyalgia, but it shows up in people of all ages.
To help your family and friends relate to your condition, have them think back to the last time they had a bad flu. Every muscle in their body shouted out in pain. In addition, they felt devoid of energy as though someone had unplugged their power supply. While the severity of symptoms fluctuate from person to person, FMS may resemble a post-viral state and this is why several experts in the field of FMS and CFS believe that these two syndromes are one and the same.

SYMPTOMS AND ASSOCIATED SYNDROMES : Pain - The pain of fibromyalgia has no boundaries. People describe the pain as deep muscular aching, burning, throbbing, shooting and stabbing. Quite often, the pain and stiffness are worse in the morning and you may hurt more in muscle groups that are used repetitively.
Fatigue - This symptom can be mild in some patients and yet incapacitating in others. The fatigue has been described as "brain fatigue" in which patients feel totally drained of energy. Many patients depict this situation by saying that they feel as though their arms and legs are tied to concrete blocks, and they have difficulty concentrating.
Sleep disorder - Most fibromyalgia patients have an associated sleep disorder called the alpha-EEG anomaly. This condition was uncovered in a sleep lab with the aid of a machine which recorded the brain waves of patients during sleep. Researchers found that fibromyalgia syndrome patients could fall asleep without much trouble, but their deep level (or stage 4) sleep was constantly interrupted by bursts of awake-like brain activity. Patients appeared to spend the night with one foot in sleep and the other one out of it. In most cases, a physician doesn't have to order expensive sleep lab tests to determine if you have disturbed sleep. If you wake up feeling as though you have just been run over by a Mack truck--what doctors refer to as unrefreshed sleep--it is reasonable for your physician to assume that you have a sleep disorder. It should be noted that most patients diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome have the same alpha-EEG sleep pattern and some fibromyalgia-diagnosed patients have been found to have other sleep disorders, such as sleep myoclonus or PLMS (nighttime jerking of the arms and legs), restless leg syndrome and bruxism (teeth grinding). The sleep pattern for clinically depressed patients is distinctly different from that found in FMS or CFS.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome - Constipation, diarrhea, frequent abdominal pain, abdominal gas and nausea represent symptoms frequently found in roughly 40% to 70% of fibromyalgia patients.
Chronic headaches - Recurrent migraine or tension-type headaches are seen in about 50% of fibromyalgia patients and can pose as a major problem in coping for this patient group.
Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction Syndrome - This syndrome, sometimes referred to as TMJD, causes tremendous face and head pain in one quarter of FMS patients. However, a 1997 report indicates that as many as 90% of fibromyalgia patients may have jaw and facial tenderness that could produce, at least intermittently, symptoms of TMJD. Most of the problems associated with this condition are thought to be related to the muscles and ligaments surrounding the joint and not necessarily the joint itself.
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Syndrome - Sensitivities to odors, noise, bright lights, medications and various foods is common in roughly 50% of FMS or CFS patients.
Other common symptoms - Painful menstrual periods (dysmenorrhea), chest pain, morning stiffness, cognitive or memory impairment, numbness and tingling sensations, muscle twitching, irritable bladder, the feeling of swollen extremities, skin sensitivities, dry eyes and mouth, frequent changes in eye prescription, dizziness, and impaired coordination can occur. Aggravating factors - Changes in weather, cold or drafty environments, hormonal fluctuations (premenstrual and menopausal states), stress, depression, anxiety and over-exertion can all contribute to symptom flare-ups.

POSSIBLE CAUSES : The cause of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome remains elusive, but there are many triggering events thought to precipitate its onset. A few examples would be an infection (viral or bacterial), an automobile accident or the development of another disorder, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, or hypothyroidism. These triggering events probably don't cause FMS, but rather, they may awaken an underlying physiological abnormality that's already present in the form of genetic predisposition.
What could this abnormality be? Theories pertaining to alterations in neurotransmitter regulation (particularly serotonin and norepinephrine, and substance P), immune system function, sleep physiology, and hormonal control are under investigation. Substance P is a pain neurotransmitter that has been found by repeat studies to be elevated threefold in the spinal fluid of fibromyalgia patients. Two hormones that have been shown to be abnormal are cortisol and growth hormone. In addition, modern brain imaging techniques are being used to explore various aspects of brain function--while the structure may be intact, there is likely a dysregulation in the way the brain operates. The body's response to exercise, stress and simple alterations in position (vertical versus horizontal) are also being evaluated to determine if the autonomic nervous system is not working properly. Your body uses many neurotransmitters, such as norepinephrine and epinephrine, to regulate your heart, lungs and other vital organs that you don't have to consciously think about. Ironically, many of the drugs prescribed for FMS/CFS may have a favorable impact on these transmitters as well.

COMMON TREATMENTS : Traditional treatments are geared toward improving the quality of sleep, as well as reducing pain. Because deep level (stage 4) sleep is so crucial for many body functions, such as tissue repair, antibody production, and perhaps even the regulation of various neurotransmitters, hormones and immune system chemicals, the sleep disorders that frequently occur in fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue patients are thought to be a major contributing factor to the symptoms of this condition. Medicines that boost your body's level of serotonin and norepinephrine--neurotransmitters that modulate sleep, pain and immune system function--are commonly prescribed. Examples of drugs in this category would include Elavil, Flexeril, Sinequan, Paxil, Serzone, Xanax and Klonopin. A low dose of one of these medications may be of help. In addition, nonsteroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen may also be beneficial. Most patients will probably need to use other treatment methods as well, such as trigger point injections with lidocaine, physical therapy, acupuncture, acupressure, relaxation techniques, osteopathic manipulation, chiropractic care, therapeutic massage, or a gentle exercise program.

WHAT IS THE PROGNOSIS? Long term follow-up studies on fibromyalgia syndrome have shown that it is chronic, but the symptoms may wax and wane. The impact that FMS can have on daily-living activities, including the ability to work a full-time job, differs among patients. Overall, studies have shown that fibromyalgia can be equally as disabling as rheumatoid arthritis. On the other hand, follow-up of people meeting the chronic fatigue sydnrome criteria indicates that as many as 40% may significantly improve but few are thought to completely recover from this syndrome. Longer term follow-up studies are not available to indicate whether these "improved" CFS patients later relapse with an increase in symptoms. A preliminary follow-up study by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) reveals that for those individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome who do not recover or significantly improve after five years duration, their most prominent symptom changes from fatigue to muscle pain with concentration problems (sounds a lot like the permanent syndrome of fibromyalgia but the CDC is not checking patients for tender points).

THE SCIENTIFIC CASE FOR MARRIAGE AND COUPLES EDUCATION IN HEALTH CARE

William J. Doherty, Ph.D.
Family Social Science Department
University of Minnesota

* Poor social relationships are as damaging to physical health as cigarette
smoking . The mortality rates of individuals with poor social relationships
are higher than those who smoke cigarettes for many years (House et al.,
1988).

* For adults, a stable, happy marriage is the best protector against illness
and premature death, and for children, such a marriage is the best source of
emotional stability and good physical health . Decades of research have
clearly established these links (Burman & Margolin, 1992; Dawson, 1991;
Verbrugge, 1979).

* Marital distress is an important health hazard for adults and children.
Marital distress leads to depression and reduces immune system functioning
in adults. In addition, chronic marital conflict harms the emotional and
physical well-being of children (Emery, 1982; Gottman & Katz, 1989;
Kiecolt-Glaser et al., 1993).

* Divorce is a major health risk for American adults and children. In
addition to well-established links between divorce and mental health
problems, adults who experience divorce more than double their risk of
earlier mortality. And children who experience a parental divorce have their
life expectancy shortened by an average of four years, according to a
fifty-year longitudinal study (Dawson, 1991; Cherlin et al., 1991; Doherty &
Needle, 1991; Tucker et al., 1996; Schwartz et al., 1995). These effects are
comparable to those of cigarette smoking.

* Marriage education is effective in promoting marital quality and
stability. Well-researched marriage education programs have demonstrated
that brief, skills-based educational programs for couples increase couple
satisfaction, improve communication skills, reduce negative conflict
behaviors including violence, and may prevent separation and divorce
(Markman et al., 1993; Wampler, 1990).

REFERENCES

Burman, B., & Margolin, G. (1992). Analysis of the association between
marital relationships and health problems: An interactional perspective.
Psychological Bulletin, 112 , 39-63.

Cherlin, A.J., Furstenberg, F.F. et al. (1991). Longitudinal studies of
effects of divorce on children in Great Britain and the United States.
Science, 252 , 1386-1389.

Dawson, D.A. (1991). Family structure and children's health and well-being:
Data from the 1988 National Health Interview Survey on Child Health. Journal
of Marriage and the Family, 53 , 573-584.

Doherty, W.J., & Needle, R.H. (1991). Psychological adjustment and substance
use among adolescents before and after a parental divorce. Child
Development, 62 , 328-337.

Emery, R.E. (1988). Marriage, divorce, and children's adjustment. Newbury
Park, CA: Sage Publications.

Gottman, J.M., & Katz, L.F. (1989). Effects of marital discord on young
children's peer interruption and health. Developmental Psychology, 25 ,
373-381.

House, J.S., Landis, K.R., & Umberson, D. (1988). Social relationships and
health. Science, 241 , 540-544.

Kiecolt-Glaser, J.F., Malarkey, W.B., et al. (1993). Negative behavior
during marital conflict is associated with immunological down-regulation.
Psychosomatic Medicine, 55 , 395-409.

Markman, H.J., Renick, M.J. et al. (1993). Preventing marital distress
through communication and conflict management training: A 4-and 5-year
follow-up. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 61 , 70-77.

Schwartz, J.E., Friedman, H.S., et al. (1995). Sociodemographic and
psychosocial factors in childhood as predictors of adult mortality. American
Journal of Public Health, 85 , 1237-1245.

Tucker, J.S., Friedman, H.S., et al. (1996). Marital history at midlife as a
predictor of longevity: Alternative explanations to the protective effect of
marriage. Health Psychology, 15 , 94-101.

Verbrugge, L.M. (1979). Marital status and health. Journal of Marriage and
the Family, 41 , 267-285.

Wampler, K.S. (1990). An update of research on the Couple Communication
Program. Family Science Review, 3 , 21-40.

PTSD

Diagnostic Criteria:
A. The person has been exposed to a traumatic event in which both of the following were present: 1. the person experienced, witnessed, or was confronted with an event or events that involved actual or threatened death or serious injury, or a threat to the physical integrity of self or others 2. the person's response involved intense fear, helplessness, or horror. Note: In children, this may be expressed instead by disorganized or agitated behavior

B. The traumatic event is persistently reexperienced in one (or more) of the following ways:
1. recurrent and intrusive distressing recollections of the event, including images, thoughts, or perceptions. Note: In young children, repetitive play may occur in which themes or aspects of the trauma are expressed. 2. recurrent distressing dreams of the event. Note: In children, there may be frightening dreams without recognizable content. 3. acting or feeling as if the traumatic event were recurring (includes a sense of reliving the experience, illusions, hallucinations, and dissociative flashback episodes, including those that occur on awakening or when intoxicated). Note: In young children, trauma-specific reenactment may occur. 4. intense psychological distress at exposure to internal or external cues that symbolize or resemble an aspect of the traumatic event. 5. physiological reactivity on exposure to internal or external cues that symbolize or resemble an aspect of the traumatic event

C. Persistent avoidance of stimuli associated with the trauma and numbing of general responsiveness (not present before the trauma), as indicated by three (or more) of the following:
1. efforts to avoid thoughts, feelings, or conversations associated with the trauma; 2. efforts to avoid activities, places, or people that arouse recollections of the trauma; 3. inability to recall an important aspect of the trauma;. 4. markedly diminished interest or participation in significant activities; 5. feeling of detachment or estrangement from others; 6. restricted range of affect (e.g., unable to have loving feelings); 7. sense of a foreshortened future (e.g., does not expect to have a career, marriage, children, or a normal life span).

D. Persistent symptoms of increased arousal (not present before the trauma), as indicated by two (or more) of the following: 1. difficulty falling or staying asleep; 2. irritability or outbursts of anger; 3. difficulty concentrating; 4. Hypervigilance; 5. exaggerated startle response.

E. Duration of the disturbance (symptoms in Criteria B, C, and D) is more than 1 month.
F. The disturbance causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupa-tional, or other important areas of functioning.

(1) Acute: if duration of symptoms is less than 3 months (2) Chronic: if duration of symptoms is 3 months or more (3) With Delayed Onset: if onset of symptoms is at least 6 months after the stressor

Associated Features: Depressed Mood, Somatic/Sexual Dysfunction, Guilt/Obsession, Addiction

The American Counseling Association offers the following information, which is equally helpful for individuals facing other emotional crises in their lives.

10 Ways to Recognize Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

After a loss, it is normal to go through a natural grieving process. Sometimes, however, after a tragedy, such as a sudden traumatic event, feelings of loss surface several weeks or months after the tragedy occurred. This is called post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Recognizing these symptoms in yourself or others is the first step toward recovery and finding appropriate treatment.

1) Re-experiencing the event through vivid memories or flash backs

2) Feeling “emotionally numb”

3) Feeling overwhelmed by what would normally be considered everyday situations and diminished interest in performing normal tasks or pursuing usual interests

4) Crying uncontrollably

5) Isolating oneself from family and friends and avoiding social situations

6) Relying increasingly on alcohol or drugs to get through the day

7) Feeling extremely moody, irritable, angry, suspicious or frightened

8) Having difficulty falling or staying asleep, sleeping too much and experiencing nightmares

9) Feeling guilty about surviving the event or being unable to solve the problem, change the event or prevent the disaster

10) Feeling fears and sense of doom about the future

The Heart & Soul Of Humor

“There ain’t much fun in medicine, but there’s a heck of a lot of medicine in fun” - Josh Billings
“We do not take humor seriously enough” - Konrad Lorenz
“The First Time You Laugh At Yourself You Grow Up” - Ethel Barrymore

Laughter comes from the Greek word “Gelos” to laugh. Through the study of gelotology we are learning that laughter is good medicine. Good humor is the ability to feel inner joy, peace and harmony within yourself and your surroundings. To discover that we are all part of a divine comedy and that when we become too serious we help the components fro stress, rigid think-ing, helplessness, cynicism and hardening of the attitude. When we see humor in ourselves we are better able to expand our options and choices, gain new perspective, tickle our hearts and soothe our souls.

Going from Oh No to Ah Ha:

1. Become more mindful of negative self talk, what it is you are saying to yourself. The compassionate witness has more chances to see humor.

2. Do not own, awfulize and fight the happenings in your mind, but rather celebrate and share what you are thinking. This becomes easier with practice!

3. Engage in self-parody. Humor, according to Freud, is the only mental mechanism which requires no other persons. Hence the wry smile and the inner dialogue of the humorist.

Humor Survival Kit:

1. Buy something silly you can put on (i.e., a pair of Groucho Marx glasses!). Put them on in situations where you tend to awfulize.
2. Have a staff/family/group laugh once a week, by discussing funny events around your own behavior.
3. Create a Joy List: Your blessings, including people, places & events. Do daily, then read it at the end of the week.
4. Create a Humor Corner/Room @ home or at work. Have funny videos/movies. Have a basket full of silly hats, masks, noses and wands. Once in a while wear one or more while doing chores/work.
5. Do something nice when someone least expects it.
6. Use your imagination more often to create behavior that brings ot the ‘inner child’.
7. Write down a list of all your favorite profanities, then give them a number. If someone is getting on your nerves, just say a number - they’ll never know!
8. Try to be encapsulated in the moment. Don’t put off your happiness or your life for a better time. Remember this is not a dress rehearsal!
9. Adopt an attitude of playfulness. You don’t have to do outrageous things, but keep your mind open to silly, irrelevant, iconoclastic thoughts.
10. Don’t get caught up in being funny. A sense of humor sees the fun in everyday experiences. It is more important to have fun than to be funny.

Klein, Allen, Humor and Healing: Jeremy Tarcher; CA 1989.
Seligman, Martin E.P., Ph.D., Learned Optimism: Alfred A. Knoft; NY 1992.
True, Herb & Anna Mang, Humor Power: How to Get It, Give It and Gain It; Doubleday & Company, Inc.; NY 1980.
Cousins, Norman, Head First, The Biology Of Hope: Harper & Row; New York, 1989.

Holiday Letter 2001

I will borrow a phrase from Dorothy, Nate’s sister-inlaw. “Won’t you come in and have a cup of tea with me?” I’d like to spend a little time with each of you. This year has been one of reawakening how important you are to me. As I take what seems a huge risk to be executive director of a new non-profit organization, The Marriage Coalition, thoughts about people I love give me courage. I feel so much love and gratitude for Nate, our wonderful family, friends, and colleagues.
Because Cleveland is in an economic depression, it is difficult to raise money for The Marriage Coalition. However, in spite of the difficulty, we have attracted supporters, have grown, and have produced some excellent programs. The support of a talented, creative, dedicated and loving interfaith Board of Trustees makes it worth the anxiety over whether we will receive grant support or whether our classes will fill.
Nate says, “2001 has been a ‘pivotal year’ for me. Once I accepted the severe hit to our retirement portfolios, necessitating delaying our retirement date another three years, I could focus on the business at hand. My clinical practice matured and stabilized nicely, with less energy invested in survival and more access to flowing with the process of maintaining a sustainable case load and dealing with the ineffic-iencies of managed care companies. In keeping with the stereotype of old folks who talk a lot about physical matters, this year marked my first surgery experience -‘scoped’ my left knee for torn cartilage. This aging thing is not what I hoped it would be, what with the decline in vision, hearing and joint movement! 2001 held some significant events: (1) my 40th high school reunion, including a stop to see my Principal, Mr. Jack Kappmeyer and his wife of many, many years. Where have all the years gone!? It felt poignant to realize that we’ve made it this far, despite our vulnerabilities. (2) induction into the Ellsworth Community College Hall of Fame (Iowa Falls, Iowa). (3) the Thanksgiving gathering of all three of our blended-family children and their spouses and children, thanks to Jonathan’s suggestion. We felt like a real family – I feel so proud of each and every one of them. Even the killer scrabble games were memorable.”
Dylan and Heidi, located in St. Louis, have come through a challenging time and seem to be thriving now. Heidi has been ill with chronic pain and fibromyalgia, making normal activities difficult. They moved from a large new home to a smaller, older home because Heidi was unable to work. The move turned out to be blessing because the house brings the family together, and the neighborhood is near interesting activities and Dylan’s work. Recently Heidi returned to work. Samantha, age 4 and Max, age 3, are in preschool and flourishing. They can have detailed phone conversations with me, which warms my heart.
Ariana and Sunil enjoy Alexandria, Va., and are looking for a house to buy there. Ariana enjoys her job at the Asia Society because she meets so many interesting people from different countries. Sunil has a great job as an engineer manager at Dulles International Airport. We will be spending Christmas with them. It’s a first for us to spend a holiday with our children.
We saw Jonathan for the first time in over two years. Jon lives in Idaho and works for a university fish research laboratory. He supplies himself with deer, duck, geese, and fish from hunting and fishing near his home. He brought with him meat from deer, antelope, sturgeon, and trout, which added to our Thanksgiving menu. He seems to appreciate us more and want more family connection. Ahhh, I didn’t think I’d live so long. And what a joy it was, to really connect, all of us talking openly about our hopes, dreams, schemes, and lives.

May you have a healthy and blessed year ahead.

Much love, Sandra and Nate