The mayoral election is approaching fast. There are 7 candidates running. Regardless of who becomes the next mayor, what are some things you would like our next mayor to accomplish? What are the top three issues that are important to you, and you would like the city to focus on?

Free Seasonal Flu Mask - By HWA

While many people are concerned about the Swine Flu/Seasonal Flu around the world and are wearing flu masks, it sounds like the wrong people are wearing the mask.

“If you’re wearing a mask to prevent yourself from catching it, they’re not so effective,” said Dr. M. Lindsay Grayson, professor of medicine at the University of Melbourne and one of the study’s co-authors. “But if you’re sick with the flu and coughing and sputtering, those masks do prevent you from spraying those bugs everywhere.”

Having said that, HWA - Hoboken Women's Association is giving away 10 Flu Masks free. If you are interested in getting the mask, please state "I do" below this message this all the members can see that first 10 has been claimed. Then the first 10 people should email me with their address (HobokenWomensAssociation@gmail.com). You should get it within four days.
As one of the members stated before "Wishing you all a Healthy Winter...".

HWA

In case you missed the Mayoral Debate, POG - People for Open Government, has the video posted on their website.

http://videos01.hobokenpog.org/4.aspx

Interracial couple denied marriage license in La.

HWA - Editor's Note: 42 Years after the Supreme Court made race based marriage restrictions unconstitutional, racism is still alive in Louisiana.

A Louisiana judge says he will not issue marriage certificates for inter-racial marriages because he supposedly wants to protect the kids.  The one line I found funny in it was the judge says he is not a racist because he lets black people use his bathroom.  It is people like this that give the south a bad reputation.

NEW ORLEANS – A white Louisiana justice of the peace said he refused to issue a marriage license to an interracial couple out of concern for any children the couple might have.

Keith Bardwell, justice of the peace in Tangipahoa Parish, says it is his experience that most interracial marriages do not last long.

"I'm not a racist. I just don't believe in mixing the races that way," Bardwell told the Associated Press on Thursday. "I have piles and piles of black friends. They come to my home, I marry them, they use my bathroom. I treat them just like everyone else."

Bardwell said he asks everyone who calls about marriage if they are a mixed race couple. If they are, he does not marry them, he said.

Bardwell said he has discussed the topic with blacks and whites, along with witnessing some interracial marriages. He came to the conclusion that most of black society does not readily accept offspring of such relationships, and neither does white society, he said.

"There is a problem with both groups accepting a child from such a marriage," Bardwell said. "I think those children suffer and I won't help put them through it."

If he did an interracial marriage for one couple, he must do the same for all, he said.

"I try to treat everyone equally," he said.

Bardwell estimates that he has refused to marry about four couples during his career, all in the past 2 1/2 years.

Beth Humphrey, 30, and 32-year-old Terence McKay, both of Hammond, say they will consult the U.S. Justice Department about filing a discrimination complaint.
Humphrey, an account manager for a marketing firm, said she and McKay, a welder, just returned to Louisiana. She is white and he is black. She plans to enroll in the University of New Orleans to pursue a masters degree in minority politics.

"That was one thing that made this so unbelievable," she said. "It's not something you expect in this day and age."

Humphrey said she called Bardwell on Oct. 6 to inquire about getting a marriage license signed. She says Bardwell's wife told her that Bardwell will not sign marriage licenses for interracial couples. Bardwell suggested the couple go to another justice of the peace in the parish who agreed to marry them.

"We are looking forward to having children," Humphrey said. "And all our friends and co-workers have been very supportive. Except for this, we're typical happy newlyweds."
"It is really astonishing and disappointing to see this come up in 2009," said American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana attorney Katie Schwartzmann. She said the Supreme Court ruled in 1967 "that the government cannot tell people who they can and cannot marry."

The ACLU sent a letter to the Louisiana Judiciary Committee, which oversees the state justices of the peace, asking them to investigate Bardwell and recommending "the most severe sanctions available, because such blatant bigotry poses a substantial threat of serious harm to the administration of justice."
"He knew he was breaking the law, but continued to do it," Schwartzmann said.
According to the clerk of court's office, application for a marriage license must be made three days before the ceremony because there is a 72-hour waiting period. The applicants are asked if they have previously been married. If so, they must show how the marriage ended, such as divorce.
Other than that, all they need is a birth certificate and Social Security card.

The license fee is $35, and the license must be signed by a Louisiana minister, justice of the peace or judge. The original is returned to the clerk's office.

"I've been a justice of the peace for 34 years and I don't think I've mistreated anybody," Bardwell said.

"I've made some mistakes, but you have too. I didn't tell this couple they couldn't get married. I just told them I wouldn't do it."
By: AP

Obama's Nobel Surprise - What are your thoughts?

If President Obama really had to get a gift postmarked Scandinavia this month, he would probably, on the whole, have preferred the Olympics. At least at the Olympics the judges wait till after the race to give you the gold medal. They don’t force it on you while you’re still waiting for the bus to take you to the stadium. They don’t give it to you in anticipation of possible future feats of glory, like a signing bonus or an athletic scholarship. They don’t award it as a form of gentle encouragement, like a parent calling “Good job!” to a toddler who’s made it to the top rung of the monkey bars. It’s not a plastic, made-in-China “participation” trophy handed out to everyone in the class as part of a program to boost self-esteem. It’s not a door prize or a goody bag or a bowl of V.I.P. fruit courtesy of the hotel management. It’s not a gold star. It’s a gold medal.

We can take it as a sign of what a lucky fellow our President is that winning the Nobel Peace Prize has been widely counted a bad break for him. Barack Obama has come very far very fast. Five years ago, not long after finishing a distant second for a Chicago congressional nomination, he was still one of the hundred and seventy-seven members of the Illinois state legislature. Four years ago, he took his seat in the United States Senate, ushered there not only by his own undoubted talents but also by the serial self-destruction of his opponents. One year ago, he won the Presidency with a margin of victory—nine and a half million votes—that was the largest since 1984; absent the tailwind provided by his predecessor’s abysmal record, however, that margin would have been far smaller, possibly even nonexistent. He is certainly one of fortune’s favorites. He came into office on a tide of euphoria. Lately, though, his supporters have been experiencing a vague sense of disappointment. He may have saved the world from a second Great Depression and all that, but the jobless rate keeps on climbing, the planet keeps on heating up, Guantánamo keeps on not getting closed, and roadside bombs keep on exploding. He’s had eight whole months, and he still hasn’t signed a comprehensive health-care bill. Given that his perceived political problem is exaggerated expectations, does he really need a Nobel Peace Prize before he has actually made any peace?

The award to Obama illustrates, among other things, the difference between the “hard” and the “soft” Nobels. The prizes for physics, chemistry, and medicine are never given for trying, only for succeeding. Also, there is no apparent attempt to achieve regional, national, or ethnic balance. The same cannot be said of the literature prize, which frequently goes to authors who write in languages that few if any of the judges—eighteen grandees of the Swedish Academy—can read. Anyhow, literature is a matter of taste, which is why, among American writers, Pearl S. Buck was deemed worthy of the honor while Henry James was not. (The roster of literary losers, A to Z, also includes Auden, Borges, Conrad, Joyce, Kafka, Nabokov, Proust, Tolstoy, Twain, and Zola.) As for the relatively new economics prize (full name: the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel), it is neither hard nor soft, just kind of mushy—a Golden Globe, not an Oscar.

The peace prize, first given in 1901, has always been the trickiest of the lot. For the first fifty years or so the judges, a five-member committee appointed by the Norwegian parliament, almost always honored a person or an organization devoted to working, in the words of Alfred Nobel’s will, “for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses”—a formula that excluded, for example, Mohandas Gandhi. After the Second World War, the judges’ definition of peace grew more capacious, producing laureates like Martin Luther King, Jr., Aung San Suu Kyi, and the Dalai Lama. But the choice has always been, as a former chairman of the judging committee wrote in 2001, “to put it bluntly, a political act.”
The chairman of the Republican National Committee would agree. He quickly fired off a fund-raising e-mail headed “Nobel Peace Prize for Awesomeness,” calling the choice proof that “the Democrats and their international leftist allies want America made subservient to the agenda of global redistribution and control.” A trifle overwrought? Perhaps. Still, to be fair to the chairman, there’s little doubt that for eight years the most prominent figure hovering over the Nobel committee’s deliberations was not any of the nominees under consideration; it was George W. Bush. Jimmy Carter richly deserved his belated prize—he is as responsible as were Anwar Sadat and Menachem Begin for the thirty years’ peace between Israel and Egypt—and Al Gore, who sounded the tocsin on climate change, deserved his. But in neither case did the judges try very hard to hide their satisfaction in delivering a rebuke to Bush. This time their message was one of relief—and of hope and confidence, not just in Obama himself but in a United States that has reëmbraced, as the prize announcement put it, “that international policy and those attitudes for which Obama is now the world’s leading spokesman.”
A few hours after the news from Oslo, Obama, looking a little abashed, even a little uncomfortable, stepped up to a portable podium in the Rose Garden and spoke of the honor that had come to him so soon—too soon, even many of his admirers admit—and so unexpectedly. “Let me be clear,” he said, and went on, first acknowledging the obvious:

To be honest, I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many of the transformative figures who’ve been honored by this prize—men and women who’ve inspired me and inspired the entire world through their courageous pursuit of peace. But I also know that this prize reflects the kind of world that those men and women and all Americans want to build, a world that gives life to the promise of our founding documents. And I know that throughout history the Nobel Peace Prize has not just been used to honor specific achievement; it’s also been used as a means to give momentum to a set of causes. And that is why I will accept this award as a call to action, a call for all nations to confront the common challenges of the twenty-first century.

After a few more sombre words, he turned and walked back into the West Wing, there to attend another in a series of meetings on the strategy that he soon must set for the war in Afghanistan. The prize is won, but the peace, as always, is elusive.
By: The New Yorker

How to Help Stop the Spread of Germs?

Photo By: James Gathany
This 2009 photograph captured a sneeze in progress, revealing the plume of salivary droplets as they are expelled in a large cone-shaped array from this man’s open mouth, thereby, dramatically illustrating the reason one needs to cover his/her mouth when coughing, or sneezing, in order to protect others from germ exposure.

How Germs Spread?
Illnesses like the flu (influenza) and colds are caused by viruses that infect the nose, throat, and lungs. The flu and colds usually spread from person to person when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

How to Help Stop the Spread of Germs?
Take care to:
- Cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough
- Clean your hands often
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth
- Stay home when you are sick and check with a health care provider when needed
- Practice other good health habits.
CDC/ Brian Judd

As Flu Vaccine Arrives for the Season, Some Questions and Answers - NY Times

The first doses of vaccine for the H1N1 2009 influenza, commonly called swine flu, began arriving at hospitals and doctors’ offices this week. But fear and confusion about the vaccine are spreading almost as quickly as the virus itself.

The earliest vaccine shipments came in the form of a nasal spray, which is now a priority for health care workers and children. The number of children who have died of the new virus climbed rapidly to 76 this week, already nearing the 88 child deaths for the entire 2007-8 flu season. A flu shot form of the vaccine is expected next week.

Web sites and talk shows are abuzz with worries that the government rushed the vaccine. The comedian Bill Maher recently told his 60,000 Twitter followers that people who took flu shots were “idiots.” Consumer Reports recently released a poll showing that only 35 percent of parents surveyed would definitely have their children vaccinated. Undecided parents said they worried that the vaccine was new and untested.

So what are the facts? Here are answers to some commonly asked questions about the new flu virus, regular seasonal flu and the two flu vaccines intended to prevent them both. Join the discussion at nytimes.com/well.


Q:
What’s the difference between the seasonal flu that occurs every winter and this new H1N1 flu virus?

A:
Seasonal flu comes back in slightly different forms each year. But the H1N1 2009 is an entirely new combination of four genetic elements: a bird flu, some human flu genes and two types of swine flu. The H1N1 2009 virus, which has spread worldwide, was surprisingly robust during the spring and summer months. Right now, about 90 percent of the circulating flu is H1N1, although seasonal flu, which typically peaks in winter, has also been detected.

Q:
What is the difference between the two flu vaccines?

A:
The H1N1 2009 vaccine contains only the novel H1N1 virus. This year’s seasonal vaccine contains three influenza viruses — one A (H3N2) virus, one regular seasonal A (H1N1) virus unrelated to the swine flu strain and one B virus.

Q:
I’ve heard that the new flu strain circulating this fall is mild. Why should I have my child vaccinated?

A:
When it became clear last spring that the pandemic H1N1 strain would not be as deadly as once feared, health officials reassured a nervous public that most H1N1 infections had been “relatively mild.” It created the false perception that H1N1 is not a life-threatening illness. While most people who get H1N1 are sick for three or four days and then recover, a recent New England Journal of Medicine study showed that among Americans hospitalized with swine flu last spring, one in four ended up in intensive care and 7 percent of them died. In the Southern Hemisphere, 14 percent of flu patients in intensive care died.

Since Aug. 30, at least 936 Americans have died of flu symptoms or flu-associated pneumonia, and it appears H1N1 2009 flu will be at least as deadly as seasonal flu, which kills about 36,000 people annually.

Q:
How is this flu season different from every other flu season?

A:
The new flu strain is preying on children and young adults and appears to have a disproportionately high fatality rate in pregnant women. Older people, typically most vulnerable to flu, appear to have some immunity. Since April, 76 children have died of H1N1, including 19 last week, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. During the first four months of the outbreak, 100 pregnant women were hospitalized with the virus, and 28 died. The C.D.C. reports that 37 states now have widespread influenza activity, highly unusual this early in the season. Hospitalization rates for influenza also are higher than expected for this time of year.

Q:
Since the vaccine for H1N1 is new, how do I know it is safe?

A:
Every year, the seasonal flu vaccine is tailored to match the viruses circulating at the time, and the H1N1 vaccine was made exactly the same way.

Q:
Was the H1N1 vaccine subjected to the same testing and clinical trials as seasonal flu vaccine?

A:
The F.D.A. does not require a new round of human clinical trials to study minor changes in the flu vaccine each year. However, clinical trials were conducted on the H1N1 2009 vaccine to determine the adequate dose. In addition, because H1N1 is a pandemic, we now have more information from other countries. Of the first 39,000 Chinese to get shots, only four had side effects, including muscle cramps and headaches. “You could argue that this is better tested than seasonal flu vaccine,” said Dr. Paul A. Offit, chief of infectious diseases for Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Q:
Were manufacturing shortcuts taken to rush this vaccine to market?

A:
Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius has lauded the government’s quick response to the pandemic threat and the fast turnaround of the new vaccine. That has created perceptions that the vaccine was rushed. The reality is that in 2005, worries of a bird flu epidemic prompted the Bush administration to increase flu vaccine production capacity. It typically takes five to six months to make flu vaccine, and that is about how long it took to produce the H1N1 2009 vaccine. The H1N1 virus itself grows more efficiently than some past flu strains. “We have cut no corners,” Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, the C.D.C. director, said at a news conference. “This flu vaccine is made as flu vaccine is made each year, by the same companies, in the same production facilities with the same procedures, with the same safety safeguards.”

Q:
How is flu vaccine made?

A:
The C.D.C. identifies and tests a viral strain, then distributes a version of it to vaccine manufacturers, who inject it into millions of eggs, where it multiplies. Then the virus is harvested, purified and developed into a vaccine.

Q:
What is the difference between the nasal spray and the flu shot?

A:
The injectable vaccine or flu shot is made from a killed influenza virus that is highly purified and broken into tiny pieces. It cannot recombine in the body to produce flu, but it can still stimulate the immune system to evoke a protective response.

The nasal vaccine, called FluMist, is made of an attenuated live virus. This is a weakened version of the virus that has been tamed in the laboratory so it cannot cause illness. (The measles and chicken pox vaccines also are made from a live attenuated virus.) The attenuated virus can multiply only in the cooler temperatures of the nasal passages, and cannot survive in the higher temperatures of the respiratory tract, said Dr. William Schaffner, chairman of the department of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. When the vaccine is sprayed into the nose, it multiplies on the mucous membranes in the nose and throat, triggering the body’s immune response without causing any illness. Some studies suggest the nasal mist is more effective than the traditional flu shot.

FluMist is not approved for people with asthma, pregnant women or people with underlying medical problems like heart disease and diabetes.

Q:
How long after vaccination does the body develop immunity to the H1N1 2009 virus?

A:
In general, immunity to H1N1 2009 kicks in about seven to eight days after the vaccine, slightly faster than the 10 to 14 days typical of seasonal flu vaccine. However, a child below the age of 10 will need two doses of the H1N1 vaccine, spaced about a month apart, and full immunity will not occur until about a week after the final dose. “Kids get two doses because they don’t develop as high of a protective antibody response from the first dose,”

said Dr. Gregory A. Poland, an infectious disease specialist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

Q:
Can seasonal flu vaccine and H1N1 2009 vaccine be taken at the same time?

A:
It depends on the formulation. A patient can receive two flu shots or a combination of nasal spray and flu shot. But patients who want both vaccines in nasal spray form must wait at least two weeks between vaccinations so the attenuated viruses do not compete against each other.

Q:
If I’ve already had the flu this year, do I need either flu shot?

A:
Unless your case was officially confirmed by a laboratory test as H1N1 2009, there is no way to be sure you are protected. If you did have confirmed H1N1, you are still vulnerable to seasonal flu.

Q:
Can you get vaccinated against flu if you have a fever or a cold?

A:
The flu vaccine is typically not recommended for patients with any signs of illness, so that symptoms are not wrongly misdiagnosed as side effects of a flu shot.

Q:
Can people who are allergic to eggs get the flu vaccine?

A:
The vaccine typically is not given to people with egg allergy. People at high risk for flu complications may be able to work with an allergist to be desensitized so they tolerate the vaccine.

Q:
Why are pregnant women at higher risk of complications from H1N1 flu?

A:
A woman’s immune system is compromised during pregnancy. Late in the pregnancy, the fetus pushes up against the thoracic cage and decreases a woman’s lung capacity, putting her at risk for respiratory complications if she contracts flu. A New England Journal study found that pregnant women with swine flu were nine times more likely to be in intensive care.

Q:
Is flu vaccination an option for people with suppressed immune systems?

A:
A flu vaccine works by stimulating the body’s immune system to produce antibodies against the virus. A person with a suppressed immune system cannot generate an immune response and does not benefit from vaccination. This includes many cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, asthma patients who require large doses of steroids and those taking immune-suppressing drugs after an organ transplant. Patients who are immune-compromised should talk to their doctor about whether they should get a flu shot.

Q:
Do adjuvants added to flu vaccine increase risk of an autoimmune reaction?

A:
This is a myth perpetuated on some health Web sites. Although substances called adjuvants are sometimes added to vaccines to make them more effective, no flu vaccine sold in the United States, including the H1N1 2009 vaccine, contains any adjuvants.

Q:
Does the new vaccine contain the mercury compound thimerosal?

A:
Flu vaccine packaged in a multidose vial contains thimerosal, a preservative that prevents contamination of the vial during repeated use. One dose from a multiuse vial contains about 25 micrograms of mercury. By comparison, a tuna fish sandwich contains about 28 micrograms of mercury. Repeated studies have shown thimerosal to be safe. However, people who want to minimize mercury exposure can ask for a vaccine in a single-dose package, which has only trace amounts. Thimerosal is not used in the production of FluMist.

Q:
What about the severe complications associated with the 1976 swine flu vaccine?

A:
A 1976 swine flu vaccine was associated with Guillain-Barré syndrome (pronounced ghee-YAN bah-RAY), in which the body damages its own nerve cells, causing weakness and sometimes paralysis. The data on flu vaccine and Guillain-Barré syndrome are not conclusive. One study suggested the 1976 vaccine posed a 1 in 100,000 risk. Another study found flu vaccine in general carries a 1 in one million risk for Guillain-Barré syndrome. By comparison, 1 in 8,300 Americans dies of flu each year.

Q:
If I think I have H1N1 2009, should I see a doctor?

A:
Most people will recover without needing a doctor. High-risk patients should see a doctor at the onset of flu symptoms and may be treated with the antiviral drug Tamiflu.

Top 20 worst & best lovers - source Telegraph.co.uk

German men are 'world's worst lovers' with English men in second place.

German men have been voted the world's worst lovers, narrowly beating English men to the unwanted title.

A poll of 15,000 women found that Germans are considered "too smelly".

English lovers came second because they are so lazy, while men from Sweden were branded "too quick to finish" and came third.

Spanish men topped the table as the best lovers, followed by Brazilians and Italians.

The poll, carried out by global research site www.OnePoll.com, asked women from 20 countries to rate nations on their ability in bed and give reasons for their answers.

Germans were deemed to have bad body odour, Englishmen were accused of letting women do all the work, whilst Swedes were a bit too quick to finish.

Men from Holland were "too rough" between the bed covers and Americans were accused of being "too dominating" in the bedroom.

Greek men were said to be a bit too soppy.

Other countries who didn't fare well in the poll were Scotland (too loud), Turkey (too sweaty) and Wales (too selfish).

Russian men crept in at tenth place amid accusations they are too hairy for the average woman.

A spokesperson for www.OnePoll.com added: ''These results are an eye-opener for thousands of men around the world and female travellers might judge potential new lovers by looking at these results.''

WORLD'S WORST LOVERS:

1. Germany (too smelly)
2. England (too lazy)
3. Sweden (too quick)
4. Holland (too dominating)
5. America (too rough)
6. Greece (too lovey-dovey)
7. Wales (too selfish)
8. Scotland (too loud)
9. Turkey (too sweaty)
10. Russia (too hairy)

WORLD'S BEST LOVERS

1. Spain
2. Brazil
3. Italy
4. France
5. Ireland
6. South Africa
7. Australia
8. New Zealand
9. Denmark
10. Canada

HOW TO SLEEP WELL - Stanford Education

Can't Sleep?

Nothing is more frustrating than not being able to sleep. Tossing and turning. Your mind is racing, going over everything that happened today. Night noises keep you awake. What can you do? There ARE things you can do! Read on and learn some new tricks to sleep well. These tips are also known as "Sleep Hygiene."

Sleep only when sleepy
This reduces the time you are awake in bed.

If you can't fall asleep within 20 minutes, get up and do something boring until you feel sleepy
Sit quietly in the dark or read the warranty on your refrigerator. Don't expose yourself to bright light while you are up. The light gives cues to your brain that it is time to wake up.

Don't take naps
This will ensure you are tired at bedtime. If you just can't make it through the day without a nap, sleep less than one hour, before 3 pm.

Get up and go to bed the same time every day
Even on weekends! When your sleep cycle has a regular rhythm, you will feel better.

Refrain from exercise at least 4 hours before bedtime
Regular exercise is recommended to help you sleep well, but the timing of the workout is important. Exercising in the morning or early afternoon will not interfere with sleep.

Develop sleep rituals
It is important to give your body cues that it is time to slow down and sleep. Listen to relaxing music, read something soothing for 15 minutes, have a cup of caffeine free tea, do relaxation exercises.

Only use your bed for sleeping
Refrain from using your bed to watch TV, pay bills, do work or reading. So when you go to bed your body knows it is time to sleep. Sex is the only exception.

Stay away from caffeine, nicotine and alcohol at least 4-6 hours before bed
Caffeine and nicotine are stimulants that interfere with your ability to fall asleep. Coffee, tea, cola, cocoa, chocolate and some prescription and non-prescription drugs contain caffeine. Cigarettes and some drugs contain nicotine. Alcohol may seem to help you sleep in the beginning as it slows brain activity, but you will end up having fragmented sleep.

Have a light snack before bed
If your stomach is too empty, that can interfere with sleep. However, if you eat a heavy meal before bedtime, that can interfere as well. Dairy products and turkey contain tryptophan, which acts as a natural sleep inducer. Tryptophan is probably why a warm glass of milk is sometimes recommended.

Take a hot bath 90 minutes before bedtime
A hot bath will raise your body temperature, but it is the drop in body temperature that may leave you feeling sleepy. Read about the study done on body temperature below.
Trouble Sleeping? Chill Out! - A press release from the journal Sleep about the significance in body temperature before sleep (http://www.stanford.edu/~dement/temp.html)

Make sure your bed and bedroom are quiet and comfortable
A hot room can be uncomfortable. A cooler room along with enough blankets to stay warm is recommended. If light in the early morning bothers you, get a blackout shade or wear a slumber mask. If noise bothers you, wear earplugs or get a "white noise" machine.

Use sunlight to set your biological clock
As soon as you get up in the morning, go outside and turn your face to the sun for 15 minutes.

Do Olympic Host Cities Ever Win? - NY Times October 2, 2009 By the Editors

The International Olympic Committee on Friday awarded the 2016 Summer Games to Rio de Janeiro. The Brazilian city beat Madrid, Tokyo and Chicago, despite personal appeals by President Barack Obama and the first lady, Michelle Obama, in support of their hometown.

Why are cities so eager to host the Olympics? Are there short-and long-term economic benefits to hosting the event?

Bill giving NJ Transit unlimited development rights halted - By Claire Moses/The Jersey Journal October 2, 2009

Legislation that would have allowed New Jersey Transit to have full control over how it develops its property was halted, due in part to objections from Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer.

NJ Transit wants to build 45-story residential towers and a 70-story commercial buildings over the rail yard around the Hoboken train station. Zimmer, who has fought against NJ Transit's plan since it was first announced over a year ago, managed to stop the bill this week, according to a news release from her office.

According to the release, Sen. Paul Sarlo, the bill's sponsor, agreed not to go forward "until Hoboken is satisfied with its content." oing to change the character of our town," Zimmer added.