Sleep and Pillows

Medical scientists are finally stating what we already knew, that good sleep is most important for our ability to function and heal. Diseases like chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia have sleep disorders as main components. We abuse our bodies all day, putting ourselves into repetitively poor postural positions that eventually give us pain. Sleep is the only chance our bodies have to recover. But if we sleep with poor posture, we never give our bodies a break and we begin to spiral into disease. It shouldn’t be amazing how good we feel after a good night’s sleep. That’s the way it’s supposed to be.  I speak to so many clients about the importance of good sleep, their sleep positions and their mattress choices. I’ve always said you just want enough of a pillow to support your head and keep your neck aligned. 

This is going to sound like a commercial, but I don’t stay up late and I swear I don’t watch infomercials. I hardly watch television. Last month I was driving up to Old Saybrook and listening to a medical talk show on satellite radio. I know what you’re thinking... “Hundreds of music stations on satellite radio and this nerd is listening to medical talk?” Yes, it’s true... Anyway, I hear Michael Lindell talking about a pillow he invented and manufactures. He spoke about how he used to toss & turn all night, waking up with a sore neck, arm and numb fingers. As he began to research sleep disorders he saw the importance of having his neck fully supported so the cervical nerves aren’t impinged. Flipping from side to side robs you of the most beneficial REM sleep. Most pillows flatten while you sleep. You lose the support you need. They’re also made of materials that absorb body heat and get warm, making you less comfortable. Many people toss and turn looking for a cool spot on their pillow. As Mike spoke, I could hear myself saying the exact same things to many of you about proper sleep. Everything he said made complete sense. Mike went and designed a pillow that doesn’t crush down, doesn’t get hot, is dust mite resistant, non-allergenic and can be washed and dried. He calls it My Pillow. He gives it a 10 year warranty and they’re custom made in the U.S.A.  Customers have told him that his pillows have decreased their neck pains, stopped migraines, helped fibromyalgia, sleep apnea and stopped snoring. They’ve also seen improvements with allergies & asthma, restless leg syndrome and TMJ. I can see how keeping the neck supported might help many of those issues.  I really liked our old pillows and thought I got some decent sleep. But my wife claimed that I snored (it was the dogs) and I did toss & turn frequently. I figured the pillow might stop her from snoring (she also claims it’s the dogs).  I decided to give Mike’s pillows a try. They come in five different lofts and multiple sizes. You need to consider your sleep style, body size and bed.

I ordered some pillows for both my Riverside and Old Saybrook homes. We’ve been sleeping on them for almost 3 solid weeks. We even took them to the Berkshires with us this weekend.  To say I’ve been impressed is an understatement.  Amazed is more like it. My wife says I don’t snore anymore. Well I can say the same thing about her. I’m no longer tossing & turning. I don’t wake up with numb fingertips. As many of you know I’ve had acid reflux for most of my life.  I now have less intestinal gas in the morning, which is a big relief. The only thing that currently interrupts my sleep is the doggie duet snoring away. This is a product I really recommend.

I decided to contact Mike this week and thank him for making such a great product. I told him how the changes My Pillow was making to my sleep. I kiddingly asked if he made pillows for dogs. He said “yes, but they’re backordered for 3 weeks”. I told Mike that I wanted to write about My Pillow this month and asked if he could give my readers a discount if they decided to order.  Mike said YES.

I want to make this clear: I am not being paid or otherwise compensated for this endorsement. My only interest is helping you feel better. If you’re interested, go to www.mypillow.com and get additional information. If you decide to make a purchase, Mike gave me his inventor’s code 1028 which will give you a full 25% discount. I’ll be using that code myself when I order pillows for the dogs...

Define Your Life Purpose

A few years ago, my wife and I attended a seminar with Barbara Sher. We’d seen Barbara during a PBS fundraiser and were very taken by her style. At that time, she called herself “the non-motivational speaker” since she wasn’t trying to motivate you to do anything. Her thing was helping people to find their true calling by finding what it is you love to do. Since so many people have lost jobs or are at cross-roads in their lives, I thought it would be nice to pass along some of the tidbits we learned at that seminar.

All of us have something that comes extremely easy to us, like it is meant to be. It’s usually something that we’re gifted at doing. You don’t just go through life and pick up things you like doing by chance. Instead, you discover what you’re good at because you were meant to discover it. Your unique gifts are hard-wired into your DNA. Once you discover your gifts and talents, then you can determine your ultimate purpose. It’s the thing that you truly love and will make you most happy.

So many people feel stuck in jobs that may pay well but simply don’t make them happy. They may be staying just for the benefits. These people aren’t headed in the right direction. They’re just wandering around aimlessly. You can earn money doing anything. I’m living proof of that. I’ve done just about every job out there. Some were absolutely miserable, like cleaning grease traps in restaurants, but they helped me pay the bills. I wouldn’t want to do them day in and day out because those jobs were depressing. Once you’ve determined your purpose, you don’t even have to think about earning money. It’s as if the universe turns in your favor and you feel guided by an unseen hand. The day I took my student application to enroll in massage school was one of those days. As I drove my car up I-95, it felt like I had a tail-wind, pushing me to get to the school as soon as possible.  I’d just given up a very successful business yet somehow I knew I was making the right decision.

Right now you’re probably thinking “oh yeah, it was easy for you, you’re hands are your gift”. You’d be wrong. Though my hands are a bonus, they’re not my real gift. My true gift is something much more substantial. I’ll still have it no matter what happens to my hands or my back.

I guess a brief look at my life is necessary. To keep this within reason, I’ll stick to my primary careers. My first major job was as a chemist, working in the IR Spectroscopy and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance labs. My job was dealing with “unknown compounds” and problems like aircraft adhesives that had failed. I loved that job but personal circumstances pushed me to leave. Soon after I became a dispatcher and emergency medical technician for the Greenwich Police. I was also a Captain with the volunteer fire dept. I loved it but eventually burned out. Lots of death and ugly events.  I’d been a passionate scuba diver forever (I’d had a salvage business since I was in high school), so during a recession I got into that industry full time and opened up a scuba shop. For many years I ran a successful 5-Star PADI facility, teaching thousands of students, traveling around the world and developing police & fire dept rescue teams. But another recession finally did me in. At that time I considered a career in massage therapy or physical therapy, but felt massage therapists didn’t make any money and PT would take too many years to develop a practice, so I got into real estate. Once again I was very successful working with builders and developing properties in Greenwich. It was the first thing I was good at but didn’t love.  Most of you know that my life changed on Sept. 11, 2001. Massage therapy was next (and hopefully the last of my careers). To say I’ve been successful is an understatement. Though I’ve done such a diverse variety of things, they’ve all had something in common... my true gift. It’s the reason I’ve been successful at so many varied careers. I never realized my true gift until I was sitting in Barbara Sher’s seminar.

As a child, the one thing I really loved doing was solving puzzles. I did word puzzles, math puzzles, mechanical puzzles, solved codes, etc. Give me any kind of puzzle and I’d figure it out. I’d take things apart and put them back together again just to discover how they worked. My gift has always been problem solving. As a chemist I was given a chunk of glop and had to determine what it was. With the police I had to calm down panicked residents and stabilize accident victims. In the dive industry I taught classes where my students ranged in age from 11-70 yrs old and I had to keep them all interested. I also repaired life support equipment. If I made a mistake, someone could die. In real estate I had to write ads to attract a buyer to my listings and listen to the objections of my buyers so I could help fulfill their dreams. And now I assess muscle groups to see what behaviors or postures may be causing pain. Every career has had problem solving at its core. The great thing Barbara Sher teaches is to ask for help from strangers. When you’re passionate about something it puts out positive energy. People will want to help you succeed. So find your own gift. What are you passionate about and love to do?

A recent article in the New York Times about Lyme Disease stated that the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) and the Infectious Disease Society of America have the positions that “chronic Lyme Disease does not exist and that those victims either have other illnesses or are hypochondriacs.” Well then I’ve been completely fooled by the huge number of hypochondriacs I have in my practice. They come to me with musculoskeletal pain, headaches, sleep and/or gastrointestinal issues. I can usually tell if someone is faking it. Luckily a few days later I received the current issue of “Holistic Primary Care”, a journal meant for primary care physicians. I know, I read everything. In the Infectious Disease column is an article titled “Shape Shifters, Hidden Accomplices & Nature’s Dirty Needles: Confronting the Challenges of Lyme Disease”. After reading it, I felt better about my clients and frustrated that so many of them aren’t being taken seriously. I’ve attached a link to the journal www.holisticprimarycare.net The article has a suggested diagnostic and treatment protocol that you may want to discuss with your personal physician. It’s very technical.

To give you the highlights, Dr. Joseph Burrascano, a MD in East Hampton, NY with a clinical practice, has been treating patients for 25 yrs. Dr. Burrascano described Borrelia burgdorferi as a complex bug that is impervious to antibiotics for much of its life cycle. It typically keeps company with other nasty tick-borne pathogens so that complex co-infections are the rule for chronic Lyme Disease. No single diagnostic test is totally reliable and no single antibiotic is effective. Borrelia is highly adaptive and is a shape-shifter, morphing between spiral, L-shaped and cystic forms during its life cycle. This makes it tough to kill.

Dr. Burrascano has developed diagnostic & treatment protocols that are much too complex to discuss here. If you suffer from chronic Lyme, I highly suggest downloading the article and speaking with your doctor. But I do warn you of his final statement. “The goal should probably not be eradication of Borrelia, which is almost impossible. The goal should really be to facilitate healthy adaptation and tolerance so that ultimately the organisms are rendered harmless commenciles. Borrelia adapts to us; we have to adapt to it in ways that don’t lead to massive dysregulation.”

Long time readers know I don’t do this very often. But once in a blue moon I meet someone you might also want to know. With children back in school, you might need the services of a Learning Specialist.

Carolyn Polchinski is a Clinical Professor of Reading and Literacy Education with 10 yrs of classroom teaching experience on the elementary and post-graduate levels. Her expertise is in supporting young children with reading & language-based learning disabilities, ADHD and executive functioning deficits. She firmly believes every child can learn if given accurate instruction & support to meet their individual learning needs. One parent said Carolyn “helped my daughter regain her confidence and become a passionate and proficient reader...The transformation from barely recognizing letter combinations to a child who reads anything that comes across her path is nothing short of amazing.” Carolyn comes to clients in Westchester County, Greenwich & Stamford. You can reach her at (914) 325-0297.

June is my traditional update on Skin Cancer, something very close to me... Since I don’t want to bore my long time readers by rehashing old info, I’ll just suggest a video you should share with your kids and mention some new studies that have occurred since last June.  Rather than add a link, which gets blocked by some email systems, I highly suggest you visit YouTube.com and search for “Dear 16 Year Old Me”, a Public Service Announcement (PSA) produced by DCMF in Canada. This is the video with over 1.8 million hits, not the stupid parodies. If you watch it, I won’t have to show you my scars. Every year more than 3.5 million cases of skin cancer are diagnosed in the U.S., with over 90% caused by the sun. The others are due to a genetic component, like some of those that I’ve had. Some of my melanomas were red, not black in color.

As for new information, hereditary melanoma is defined as having at least 2 relatives with cutaneous malignant melanoma, or an individual with 3 primary melanomas, regardless of family history (me), or melanoma or pancreatic cancer in 3 or more individuals in the same family. My skin is most like my dad’s, but he died long before he could ever have his skin checked. Other family members also died young. In 20-40% of hereditary cases, it’s a mutation of the CDKN2A gene known as p16 which is located on chromosome 9. There are 2 additional genes, BRAF and SETDB1 that promote and accelerate the onset of melanoma. In March in Harvard Science it was reported that stem cell researchers working with lionfish (they have black and white stripes) have had success with a combination of drugs in inhibiting these genes in both lionfish and rat stem cells. Tests on melanoma cells injected into mice and on human test cells were also positive. While one of the drugs is already approved for other uses in humans, the other is currently working its way through the approvals process. So it will be awhile before tests can be done on actual humans.

The last few years I’ve written more about sun screens than the things to look for on your skin. As a massage therapist, I’m in a unique position because I get to see parts of your body that you can’t easily see for yourself (like the middle of your back and thighs).  When I see something that looks suspicious, you can be assured that I’ll mention it to you. Almost everyone has a mole or two, and new ones can develop at any time.  While skin cancer is most directly tied to exposure to the sun, you can also get cancers in areas that aren’t exposed, like under your bathing suit or in your eyes (Yes, my annual eye exam now includes a check for cancer with a photographic record of the inside of my eye). That’s because solar radiation can burn you through thin clothing. Sunscreens and sun protective clothing are extremely important for all of us, but most especially for young children. A person’s risk for melanoma doubles if they have had more than 5 sunburns at any age.

Here are some warning signs to look for:

§ Red or brown scaly sores that appear in areas subject to the sun. These sores form a crust but do not heal normally. The crust falls off and forms again.

§ Small, hard, pearl-colored lump with rounded edges and a soft sunken middle, typically on the face. They often get crusts that reform too, never healing.

§ Similar to above, but flat sores, usually on the back. Hard, firm lumps that look like a wart, with non-distinct borders. Again these never quite heal. They tend to appear on sun exposed skin, often around the hands, mouth, ears & lips.

§ Malignant melanomas are pigment cells that have been over stimulated and replicate out of control. They can and do metastasize. They often start as a pre-existing mole that later begins to change, becoming lighter, darker, thicker or more elevated. They can also begin as freckles that begin to change and they don’t have to be in areas that are exposed to the sun.

§ Here are a few key rules, known as A,B,C,D,E:  They’re Asymmetrical (not circular or oval, have irregular Borders, the Color is mixed or changes, the Diameter is bigger than 6 mm, and they should not be Evolving or changing in any way.  You don’t have to have all A,B,C,D & E at the same time either. 

Last February, along with my regular skin screening, I had my first Melanoscan, a device that takes a full body photo. It looks like a tanning booth but you stand up inside it. The walls are covered with special fluorescent tubes and banks of cameras. The fluorescent tubes produce a light spectrum that makes it easier for the cameras to detect dangerous melanomas.  They put marker dots on both your chest and back for a frame of reference. The first session was so my doctor will have a baseline for future comparisons. December 2008 was my last melanoma and I get a visual checkup every 4 months. So now I’ll have a Melanoscan every 6 months to go along with visual skin check-ups. I go for my next visual scan next week. 

I have something special to offer you, at least the ladies amongst you. It’s always awkward for me to begin this topic in a one-on-one session, but strangely easy to speak to thousands of you at once. Quite simply, many of you are wearing the wrong size bra. I see it when I’m working on your back and trying to erase the strap lines that have cut into your skin. Those lines should go away and they don’t. You’re wearing the wrong size! But don’t feel bad. Most women have never been professionally fitted and many don’t know how to put a bra on properly. The majority wear a band that is too big with a cup that is too small. A poorly fitting bra makes you look heavier, hurts your posture, causes shoulder tension and back pain and can cause abrasions. If you’ve had a weight loss or a weight gain and haven’t changed your bra, you’re making a mistake. The right bra size can make you look thinner and stand taller. How do you know if you’re wearing the wrong size? 1. Do your shoulder straps cut? 2. Have you had implants and didn’t wait for them to settle? 3. Are you nursing a baby? 4. Is your underwire poking you? Is it breaking through the bra? 5. Do you fight “back fat”? 6. Do you hate wearing strapless because they never stay where they should? 7. Do you suffer with shoulder tension, back pain or breast pain?  If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may be wearing the wrong bra. It’s like wearing the same size shoes all you life based on the size you wore when you were fourteen years old.

How did I become such an expert? I spent some time with Tracy Furgason, a Certified Bra Fitter. Tracy is the only bra fitter in Westchester and Fairfield Counties who doesn’t work specifically for a manufacturer, like at Neiman’s or Nordstrom’s. Just like clothes, manufacturers use different model measurements. Tracy doesn’t sell any products, just her knowledge. She educates and fits women with the proper size bra. Tracy was working with pregnant moms at Greenwich Hospital just recently, but with our current State Legislature increasing taxes, the hospital decided to drop a number of their programs. Having the proper bra is so important for a new mom who is nursing. And her size will change again in 12-14 weeks. If you’ve had children, do you really believe you’re the same size you were at 14? Well their loss is your gain. Tracy is available to come to the privacy of your own home, to fit and educate you and to look through your current wardrobe. Her session takes an hour. Tracy is also willing to go shopping with you (min. 1 hr.) and doesn’t care if you prefer Kohl’s or Neiman’s. That way you’ll know you’re not only getting the right size bra, but it will help you look even better. Tracy can be reached directly at (203) 979-3137 or by email: Furgie1218@gmail.com Please let her know you heard about her here.

Back in March I took some continuing education classes in Myofascial Release (MFR) to enhance my skills. This was both a refresher and new information to me. I put the information to work the very next day and the results have been truly remarkable, especially with back pain. I just wish there was somebody close by to work on me...

I’ve written many times about how one area of the body is connected to another. Our bodies are like a fine hand-knit wool sweater. The fabric moves well until it catches on something and a pull forms. If you continue to pull on that thread, the sweater gradually becomes misshapen due to the complex interconnections. Fascia is the tissue that holds the body together. It’s an elastocollagenous 3 dimensional complex comprised of collagen for strength, elastin for flexibility and a gel-like ground substance for fluidity. In the normal healthy state, the fascia is relaxed and wavy in configuration. It has the ability to stretch and move without restriction. Every muscle fibril, fiber, fascicle & group is surrounded by a smooth fascial sheath. Fascia surrounds every organ, bone, nerve & blood vessel. It also creates the separations between each of these structures and the spaces through which tiny nerves, capillaries & fluids pass.  When one experiences physical trauma, emotional trauma, inflammation, surgery, or scarring however, the fascia loses its pliability. Repetitive stress injuries and habitual poor posture have cumulative effects on the body. The fascia becomes tight, restricted, dehydrated and tends to reorganize along these lines of tension, adding support to misalignment and contracting to protect you from further trauma (real or imagined). This can potentially alter organ & tissue physiology and over time produce “unrelated” issues in adjacent areas of the body. Fascial restrictions can exert excessive pressure on pain sensitive nerve structures and cause all kinds of symptoms from localized pain & headaches to restricted motion (like frozen shoulder). Fascial restrictions affect our flexibility and stability, and are a determining factor in our ability to withstand stress and perform daily activities. These areas don’t show up on standard tests, like x-rays, MRI’s, CAT scans and electromyography.

MFR is a technique to release the restrictions and spasms in the muscle (myo) and connective tissues (fascia). The goal is to return equilibrium to the whole person. MFR is great in managing acute & chronic pain, neurologic & movement dysfunction, birth traumas, head injuries, pelvic problems, TMJ, headaches, sports injuries, restricted motion, recurring injuries, restless leg syndrome, fibromyalgia and frozen shoulder. John Barnes (the developer of this method) believes old age is simply untreated myofascial restrictions. Unlike other techniques I use, MFR is very slow and deliberate. I’d call it a gentle traction at depth, rather than a stretch. The length of time is so important because it allows for fluid to flow into the tissue, re-hydrating it. This helps the hardened tissue return to being soft & pliable. So drinking extra water after a session is very important. MFR requires dry hands & body, so I usually start with the holds and then add in some regular massage. 

Traditional medicine focuses on symptoms. Symptoms are the body’s response to stress, imbalance, injury or infection. But symptoms are signs of the problem, not the cause. Treating symptoms does not necessarily affect the problem. Please don’t misunderstand. I’m not telling you to stop seeing your doctor. Treating symptoms compliments a more whole-body approach and promotes lasting healing. Just yesterday I told a client to ask his doctor for a muscle relaxant. The area I needed to treat was so tight and painfully sensitive that I could hardly do my work. When he returns I’ll be more able to loosen his fascia and hopefully help to correct his imbalance. MFR elicits heat, a vasomotor response that increases blood flow to the affected area, enhances lymphatic drainage, realigns fascial planes and resets the soft tissue proprioceptive sensory mechanism. This reprograms the central nervous system, enabling a normal range of motion without the old pain response. Quite often as releases occur, clients will mention memories or emotions tied to past injuries or traumas. Sometimes a body part will “unwind” and move on its own. After these types of releases, the tissues seem to return to a more fluid state.

The mind-body connection isn’t some New Age hocus-pocus. It’s real. I’ll try to make this simple. Experts in the field of psychoneuroimmunology have found connections between the immune system and the brain. Neuropeptides provide for communication between the mind & body through emotions. The body transmits bioelectrical currents through the fascial system; much like copper wire conducts electricity. When copper wire is overly twisted or crushed, it loses some ability to transmit electricity properly. In the body, melanin is found in the fascia, neural structures and brain in the glial cells. Melanin is also a super conductor of bioelectricity. Myofascial Release and Unwinding restores twisted & solidified fascia and enhances bioelectrical current transmission. So the release of memories and emotions is a welcome sign of a return to a more healthy condition.

I grew up watching Alan Shepard get launched into space. I closely followed the Mercury, Gemini & Apollo programs, the triumphs and tragedies. I remember the early Soviet cosmonauts with their records for time spent in space. I watched as they were taken to hospitals via stretchers when they returned from space, too weak to walk. The Space Shuttle program brought the possibility of space flight closer to us all. When I visited the Space Center in Houston, I saw the huge water tanks where astronauts train for weightlessness. As a professional scuba diver, I hoped to one day put on a space suit and get into those huge tanks. Being weightless in inner space was a way of life for me, so I figured I’d have a huge edge if I could one day get launched into outer space. Ahhh, the dreams of the young.

When I became a massage therapist, I proposed a research project to NASA, studying the effects of massage on astronauts at the International Space Station. Astronauts have their health monitored via telemetry equipment on earth at all times, checking physiological data like heartbeat, blood pressure & body temp and watching for signs of undue stress. My project was to see if massage therapy would enhance the health of astronauts, making longer-termed flights (like to Mars) more feasible. I’d have to develop a system to work around the telemeter electrodes & sensors and deal with the issues of floating table linens, but I felt I’d be up for the challenge with my unique background. Luckily, I have a friend who is married to an astronaut. Cady (who’s currently up at the Space Station) pointed me towards the people I needed to speak with; Vincent Michaud, Director – Medicine of Extreme Environments and Rich Williams- Chief Health & Medical Officer. I also applied for a grant from the Massage Therapy Foundation to help fund this project. THEN CAME THE ANNOUNCEMENT THAT NASA WAS SHUTTING DOWN THE SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM. It was like somebody had ripped my heart out. My big dreams of being the first clinical massage therapist in space were crushed.

But I’ve started to believe in Karma. When one door closes, another door opens. While the US is looking at sending robots to Mars, the Russians are very interested in sending humans. It just happens like one of my clients has contacts with the Russian Federal Space Agency (RKA) in that his father is Anatoly Perminov, the head of the agency. Their Institute for Biomedical Problems is very interested in my project. Like the US, the Russians have budget issues and charge a lot of money to send people to the Space Station. The Soyuz-TMA spacecraft carries just 3 people. Luckily, due to their interest, they’re willing to cut the fee a bit. Since I have NASA’s blessing, the Massage Therapy Foundation is coming through with a grant for me. I’ve put up my entire personal fortune and I’ll have to resort to fundraising for the rest of the money. We don’t have a mission status yet, but they’re looking for a spot to fit me into the space station. I’ve got enough money now so they are willing to begin my training. First I’ll be heading to the Johnson Space Center next month for my initial series. When I’ve raised the additional funds, I’ll be off to the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia.

Once the mission is set, I’ll be scheduled to fly from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. I’ve been told that my title will be “Kocmoc Kypcaht”. I believe it means “Mission Specialist, but I haven’t had a chance to speak to Oleg yet...

So that gets back to you. I haven’t forgotten you. I’ll be away for a few weeks at a time during this initial phase of training. I keep hearing that I should clone myself, but that’s not practical. My friend Ben Barker is coming over from London to fill in for me during my training and while I'm at the space station. Ben, who prefers to be called Sweeney, was formerly a barber who became a massage therapist. He runs a salon on Fleet St where they offer both massage and haircuts. He was having a bit of trouble getting a work visa but I called another friend at the State Dept and they pushed his visa through. He’s leaving our friend, Mrs. Lovett, in charge of his salon while he’s in the U.S. Sweeney has a technique all his own.

My first training session is scheduled for May 13-22. They’ll be measuring me for my flight suit, which is the real reason I’ve been working on losing weight. The Russians have a max limit of 102 kilos per person, so I had to get less than 225 lbs, which I’ve already accomplished. I should be less than 100 kilos in another week or so.

But I still have to raise the additional funds for my final training in Russia. I’m planning on holding a few bake sales (my chocolate cherry oatmeal cookies are to die for) before long. I just need to find some time in the kitchen. I have to raise the last $250,000. If you can possibly help out at all, even with just $1, you can make a donation to my efforts by clicking HERE. You’ll be helping space research and you can say that you helped “launch” me into space. I’ve got to raise the funds before my back gives out. I’ve already put all of my personal wealth on the line for this opportunity. I want to thank everyone for helping me with this project.

Here's the Quote of the Day:  "April 1 is the day upon which we are reminded what we are on the other 364." - Mark Twain.  If you're a long time client of mine, you should know better by now.  If you've joined my practice in the past year, welcome to my annual April newsletter.  I send out my newsletter on the First of each month, so I have to say...

The reference to Ben Barker and Mrs. Lovett is from "Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street". While most of the information I gave is actually true, I will not be taking off for the International Space Station, at least not any time soon... But thank you for wanting to help. You should know that I'd never ask for money for a personal endeavor.