Monthly Archives: October 2008

Buddhist Hallowe’en — Hungry Ghost Festivals

Posted on October 31, 2008 by Bill

Hungry ghosts are pitiable creatures. They have huge, empty stomachs, but their mouths are too small and their necks too thin to take in food. Sometimes they breath fire; sometimes what food they do eat turns to ash in their … Continue reading →

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One Million Bottles of Beer in a Wall

Posted on October 30, 2008 by Bill

The monks used brown Chang Beer bottles and green Heineken bottles to create textures and patterns in the walls that “beautifully reflect the Thai sun.” Local people brought the building materials to the monks, presumably after thoughtfully emptying them of … Continue reading →

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Bill Wilson on the 11th Step

Posted on October 30, 2008 by Bill

Around me I see many people who make a far better job of relating themselves to God than I do. Certainly it mustn’t be said I haven’t made any progress at all over the years; I simply confess that I … Continue reading →

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University Uses ‘Social Norming’ To Curb Drinking

Posted on October 23, 2008 by Bill

At colleges across the United States, the number of alcohol-related deaths is on the rise. But at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, no student has died from intoxication or an accident linked to drinking since 1998. What’s UVA’s secret? … Continue reading →

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Drug Replacement Therapy

Posted on October 22, 2008 by Bill

Spiritual River asks:Is Drug Replacement Therapy a Good Option for Recovering Addicts? This is a good treatment of the possibilities inherent in replacement therapy, and of some of the options. See my comment after the article for the areas in … Continue reading →

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Maven No More

Posted on October 21, 2008 by Bill

Some of you may notice that the “Health Maven” badge is missing from beneath George’s bit of wisdom on the right.   I find that most of Wellsphere’s professionals are waaaay up in their heads, and seem to have mostly theoretical … Continue reading →

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Alcohol and health — a dangerous mix?

Posted on October 21, 2008 by Bill

Does Canada have a drinking problem? Some of the country’s medical specialists think so. …Researchers, physicians and social workers say alcohol is responsible for much more health and social damage than any other substance or drug in Canada. Alcohol and … Continue reading →

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Memories of Best Friends Past

Posted on October 18, 2008 by Bill

I was at one of those meetings tonight where things just seem to fall into place.  There was hardly anyone there because of a memorial service for Jere, about whom I wrote a few weeks ago.  (I chose not to … Continue reading →

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Alcohol Abuse Increases Breast Cancer Risk from 1 in 9 to ~1 in 4

Posted on October 18, 2008 by Bill

While there are many different risk factors for developing breast cancer, including family history and obesity, the association between alcohol and breast cancer is well established. There are more than 45,000 new cases of breast cancer in the UK every … Continue reading →

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Drinking Shrinks the Brain

Posted on October 14, 2008 by Bill

“The take-home message is that, if you drink a lot, you’re going to hurt your brain,” said Rajesh Miranda, an associate professor of neuroscience and experimental therapeutics at the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine. “This is something … Continue reading →

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Is It OK To Be Angry?

Posted on October 8, 2008 by Bill

A friend asks if it is OK to be angry about a relative having “chosen” behavior that has led to his imminent death and a lot of grief for those around him. You have an absolute right to feel angry; … Continue reading →

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Some Comments About Alcohol Use

Posted on October 4, 2008 by Bill

People use alcohol for only one reason, to alter their brain chemistry so that they feel “better” than they did previously. Therefore, without exception, a person who is “under the influence” is suffering from chemically induced abnormal brain function, and … Continue reading →

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