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		<title><![CDATA[Aspies For Freedom - All Forums]]></title>
		<link>http://www.aspiesforfreedom.com/</link>
		<description>Aspies For Freedom - http://www.aspiesforfreedom.com</description>
		<pubDate>Sun, 05 Feb 2012 11:49:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<generator>MyBB</generator>
		<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Lovely Self-Diagnosis]]></title>
			<link>http://www.aspiesforfreedom.com/showthread.php?tid=23890</link>
			<pubDate>Sun, 05 Feb 2012 06:50:41 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.aspiesforfreedom.com/showthread.php?tid=23890</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[So I've avoided researching for awhile now, but finally sat down and faced the facts: I'm pretty sure it's what I am. My AQ came out to 40 and on the Aspie Quiz I received:

Your Aspie score: 147 of 200
Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 45 of 200
You are very likely an Aspie

I am TERRIBLE at looking people in the eye, and I hate having conversations with people. I've been trying hard to approve on this. (After 6 years, I managed to blurt out that I was in love with the man of my dreams.) He has been very patient with me, though we both get frustrated when I can't respond to seemingly simple questions and tell him to stop looking at me so much.

More often than not, the issue isn't that I don't have empathy, it's that I am really bad at expressing it. This last summer, he called to tell me that he was in the hospital for 3 weeks. I didn't say much other than "Well...that's...not good, not good at all" but broke down crying as soon as I got off the phone.

I didn't interact much socially with others growing up, and still prefer communicating through writing rather than aloud.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[So I've avoided researching for awhile now, but finally sat down and faced the facts: I'm pretty sure it's what I am. My AQ came out to 40 and on the Aspie Quiz I received:

Your Aspie score: 147 of 200
Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 45 of 200
You are very likely an Aspie

I am TERRIBLE at looking people in the eye, and I hate having conversations with people. I've been trying hard to approve on this. (After 6 years, I managed to blurt out that I was in love with the man of my dreams.) He has been very patient with me, though we both get frustrated when I can't respond to seemingly simple questions and tell him to stop looking at me so much.

More often than not, the issue isn't that I don't have empathy, it's that I am really bad at expressing it. This last summer, he called to tell me that he was in the hospital for 3 weeks. I didn't say much other than "Well...that's...not good, not good at all" but broke down crying as soon as I got off the phone.

I didn't interact much socially with others growing up, and still prefer communicating through writing rather than aloud.]]></content:encoded>
		</item>
		<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Looking for a friend]]></title>
			<link>http://www.aspiesforfreedom.com/showthread.php?tid=23888</link>
			<pubDate>Sat, 04 Feb 2012 20:13:24 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.aspiesforfreedom.com/showthread.php?tid=23888</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[I am Edward Powell as some people might already know. I currently live in Wolverhampton. I am a 16 year old and I find it difficult to interact with non-autistic people.

Does anyone live in our close to Wolverhampton. Possible Areas could include: Wolverhampton, Dudley etc.

I like: Tennis, Computers, Badminton, Orienteering and Science Fiction.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[I am Edward Powell as some people might already know. I currently live in Wolverhampton. I am a 16 year old and I find it difficult to interact with non-autistic people.

Does anyone live in our close to Wolverhampton. Possible Areas could include: Wolverhampton, Dudley etc.

I like: Tennis, Computers, Badminton, Orienteering and Science Fiction.]]></content:encoded>
		</item>
		<item>
			<title><![CDATA[New Autism Website (West Midlands)]]></title>
			<link>http://www.aspiesforfreedom.com/showthread.php?tid=23886</link>
			<pubDate>Sat, 04 Feb 2012 19:51:00 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.aspiesforfreedom.com/showthread.php?tid=23886</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[There is a new website ran by the SM Community of Wolverhampton. It uses moodle, people can use the website and sign up to talk to other people with autism and special needs.

It is currently designed for people in the West Midlands. There is however a chance of expansionm in a few months to include the rest of the UK.

Check it out if you like at: http://smcommunity.com/learning/

Please bear in mind that the forum is strictly moderated and monitored. Any misuse of the software will result in the site being taken offline or disiplinary action being taken.

Thank you.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[There is a new website ran by the SM Community of Wolverhampton. It uses moodle, people can use the website and sign up to talk to other people with autism and special needs.

It is currently designed for people in the West Midlands. There is however a chance of expansionm in a few months to include the rest of the UK.

Check it out if you like at: http://smcommunity.com/learning/

Please bear in mind that the forum is strictly moderated and monitored. Any misuse of the software will result in the site being taken offline or disiplinary action being taken.

Thank you.]]></content:encoded>
		</item>
		<item>
			<title><![CDATA[SM Community (Wolves)]]></title>
			<link>http://www.aspiesforfreedom.com/showthread.php?tid=23884</link>
			<pubDate>Sat, 04 Feb 2012 18:56:36 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.aspiesforfreedom.com/showthread.php?tid=23884</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[For people not satisfied in joining a special needs club that was mentioned earlier. There is a organisation in Wolverhampton which is related to the Special Needs Group.

It is called the 'SM Community'. SM stands for St Martin's by the way. They currently operate special events including fun days and a holiday club.

It would be good to have a group or organisation that runs a community function for young people with special needs in the Wolverhampton and Surrounding Areas.

Please could you post comments if possible as it is good to have feedback. You can also contact me on: edwardtspowell@googlemail.com

Everyone is welcome with special needs. You can also view our website on http://www.smcommunity.com which contains other resources aswell such as bloggging, e-learning, guestbooks, projects and other information.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[For people not satisfied in joining a special needs club that was mentioned earlier. There is a organisation in Wolverhampton which is related to the Special Needs Group.

It is called the 'SM Community'. SM stands for St Martin's by the way. They currently operate special events including fun days and a holiday club.

It would be good to have a group or organisation that runs a community function for young people with special needs in the Wolverhampton and Surrounding Areas.

Please could you post comments if possible as it is good to have feedback. You can also contact me on: edwardtspowell@googlemail.com

Everyone is welcome with special needs. You can also view our website on http://www.smcommunity.com which contains other resources aswell such as bloggging, e-learning, guestbooks, projects and other information.]]></content:encoded>
		</item>
		<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Anybody live in Wolverhampton?]]></title>
			<link>http://www.aspiesforfreedom.com/showthread.php?tid=23883</link>
			<pubDate>Sat, 04 Feb 2012 18:09:19 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.aspiesforfreedom.com/showthread.php?tid=23883</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[Our community hall in wolverhampton run by our church is thinking of setting a special needs club including people with autism.

Please feel free to post comments or let me know if you would like any more information.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Our community hall in wolverhampton run by our church is thinking of setting a special needs club including people with autism.

Please feel free to post comments or let me know if you would like any more information.]]></content:encoded>
		</item>
		<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Autistic Students’ Crayons Dipped in Hot Sauce]]></title>
			<link>http://www.aspiesforfreedom.com/showthread.php?tid=23882</link>
			<pubDate>Sat, 04 Feb 2012 12:13:58 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.aspiesforfreedom.com/showthread.php?tid=23882</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[From the Care 2 site:

Autistic Students’ Crayons Dipped in Hot Sauce
By Kristina Chew

A Florida special education teacher, Lillian Gomez, could lose her job after allegedly putting hot sauce on crayons to stop her autistic students from putting them in their mouths.
 
Families of the children are calling for Gomez to be fired. Karina Holguin’s two five-year-old nephews are both students of Gomez at Sunrise Elementary School in Kissimmee; she told WFTV:
 
“I was really upset. I couldn’t believe it. Honestly, I was like how can a teacher of so many years do something like that. They got to be traumatized, especially for a kid who can’t express himself like any other children that can tell you this hurts or doesn’t hurt.”
 
Gomez allegedly put the hot sauce on the crayons last fall to stop her autistic students from chewing on them. She was removed from her classroom after the incident surfaced; the Osceola County superintendent has called for her to be fired and a termination hearing is scheduled for later this month.
 
If you’re wondering how Gomez could have thought to do something so cruel to her students with disabilities, some programs and schools for autistic and developmentally disabled individuals have used hot sauce and other aversive techniques to “alter or suppress self-abusive behaviors or any other behaviors that staff members deem as uncooperative or unfavorable.” One such school, the Judge Rotenberg Education Center (JRC) in Canton, Massachusetts, has used the following:
 
…spanking, pinching, forcing to eat taste aversives (vinegar mix, jalapeno peppers, or hot sauce), withholding food, forcing to smell ammonia, spraying water to the face, forcing to listen to static noises through specially designed helmets, and their trade mark method, the use of the Graduated Electronic Decelerator (GED), which simply put is a shocking device that delivers a jolt to the student/patient of up to 65 volts of electricity through remote control.
 
Yes, that’s right. Some schools have given autistic and other individuals with disabilities an electric shock as a means of stopping self-injurious and other behaviors.
 
In 2007, the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care found that the JRC had treated two residents abusively, after they were shocked using the GED when a former student, pretending to be a staff member, made the request over the phone. The JRC’s operations were under review by the state of Massachusetts until December 2008. In 2011, Massachusett’s Department of Developmental Services banned the JRC and other facilities for the developmentally disabled from using harmful aversive techniques including electric shock, long-term restraint, or aversives that pose the risk of psychological harm on new admissions.
 
My teenage son Charlie has a history of some really difficult behaviors but never once have we thought of using such cruel methods. It is not easy, and every individual is different, but we have been able to help him through such behaviors and to lessen them, largely by taking into account (1) Charlie’s immense struggles to communicate (he can talk, but only in 1 – 5 word utterances) and (2) his extreme sensitivity to sensory stimuli.
 
Given all this, I was even more shocked to read about Gomez allegedly putting the hot sauce on the crayons. There are plenty of other, humane ways to teach children not to chew on crayons or non-food items. It is heartbreaking that the children in Gomez’s classroom have had to endure such trauma and cruel treatment about which they are very likely unable even to talk about, to explain their pain.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[From the Care 2 site:

Autistic Students’ Crayons Dipped in Hot Sauce
By Kristina Chew

A Florida special education teacher, Lillian Gomez, could lose her job after allegedly putting hot sauce on crayons to stop her autistic students from putting them in their mouths.
 
Families of the children are calling for Gomez to be fired. Karina Holguin’s two five-year-old nephews are both students of Gomez at Sunrise Elementary School in Kissimmee; she told WFTV:
 
“I was really upset. I couldn’t believe it. Honestly, I was like how can a teacher of so many years do something like that. They got to be traumatized, especially for a kid who can’t express himself like any other children that can tell you this hurts or doesn’t hurt.”
 
Gomez allegedly put the hot sauce on the crayons last fall to stop her autistic students from chewing on them. She was removed from her classroom after the incident surfaced; the Osceola County superintendent has called for her to be fired and a termination hearing is scheduled for later this month.
 
If you’re wondering how Gomez could have thought to do something so cruel to her students with disabilities, some programs and schools for autistic and developmentally disabled individuals have used hot sauce and other aversive techniques to “alter or suppress self-abusive behaviors or any other behaviors that staff members deem as uncooperative or unfavorable.” One such school, the Judge Rotenberg Education Center (JRC) in Canton, Massachusetts, has used the following:
 
…spanking, pinching, forcing to eat taste aversives (vinegar mix, jalapeno peppers, or hot sauce), withholding food, forcing to smell ammonia, spraying water to the face, forcing to listen to static noises through specially designed helmets, and their trade mark method, the use of the Graduated Electronic Decelerator (GED), which simply put is a shocking device that delivers a jolt to the student/patient of up to 65 volts of electricity through remote control.
 
Yes, that’s right. Some schools have given autistic and other individuals with disabilities an electric shock as a means of stopping self-injurious and other behaviors.
 
In 2007, the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care found that the JRC had treated two residents abusively, after they were shocked using the GED when a former student, pretending to be a staff member, made the request over the phone. The JRC’s operations were under review by the state of Massachusetts until December 2008. In 2011, Massachusett’s Department of Developmental Services banned the JRC and other facilities for the developmentally disabled from using harmful aversive techniques including electric shock, long-term restraint, or aversives that pose the risk of psychological harm on new admissions.
 
My teenage son Charlie has a history of some really difficult behaviors but never once have we thought of using such cruel methods. It is not easy, and every individual is different, but we have been able to help him through such behaviors and to lessen them, largely by taking into account (1) Charlie’s immense struggles to communicate (he can talk, but only in 1 – 5 word utterances) and (2) his extreme sensitivity to sensory stimuli.
 
Given all this, I was even more shocked to read about Gomez allegedly putting the hot sauce on the crayons. There are plenty of other, humane ways to teach children not to chew on crayons or non-food items. It is heartbreaking that the children in Gomez’s classroom have had to endure such trauma and cruel treatment about which they are very likely unable even to talk about, to explain their pain.]]></content:encoded>
		</item>
		<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Homeschooling Poll]]></title>
			<link>http://www.aspiesforfreedom.com/showthread.php?tid=23880</link>
			<pubDate>Sat, 04 Feb 2012 01:27:57 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.aspiesforfreedom.com/showthread.php?tid=23880</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[One more weird poll, since I started one on "atheists who do not believe in evolution."&nbsp;&nbsp;

What do you all think of homeschooling.&nbsp;&nbsp;With right-wing parents desiring an education without sex, drugs, and rockn' roll they turned to homeschooling.&nbsp;&nbsp;Left-wing parents turned to homeschooling when the military and corporations began moving in to public education.&nbsp;&nbsp;What do you all think?&nbsp;&nbsp;Would Aspie kids be best off homeschooled?]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[One more weird poll, since I started one on "atheists who do not believe in evolution."&nbsp;&nbsp;

What do you all think of homeschooling.&nbsp;&nbsp;With right-wing parents desiring an education without sex, drugs, and rockn' roll they turned to homeschooling.&nbsp;&nbsp;Left-wing parents turned to homeschooling when the military and corporations began moving in to public education.&nbsp;&nbsp;What do you all think?&nbsp;&nbsp;Would Aspie kids be best off homeschooled?]]></content:encoded>
		</item>
		<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Are there Atheists who do not believe in evolution?]]></title>
			<link>http://www.aspiesforfreedom.com/showthread.php?tid=23879</link>
			<pubDate>Fri, 03 Feb 2012 23:08:51 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.aspiesforfreedom.com/showthread.php?tid=23879</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[Nothing bores me more than the whole debate between religious conservatives and Darwinians.&nbsp;&nbsp;Both narratives have been used to oppress workers, women and different racial groups.&nbsp;&nbsp;(Along with Autistics)&nbsp;&nbsp;Religion and science have both functioned as handmaidens of the State.&nbsp;&nbsp;As for who is right, I am more interested in living out the moral creed of either religious or humanistic ethics where they both agree.&nbsp;&nbsp;Treat humans the way you want to be treated, and I count you as a person who is my ally in making a better world.&nbsp;&nbsp;

I have my own religious views.&nbsp;&nbsp;But, most religions, and most advanced secular philosophies, agree on the ideas of kindness, forgiveness and love.&nbsp;&nbsp;Most of the followers of said philosophies do not practice those things.&nbsp;&nbsp;And, most who continually argue over these things take time away from "occupying" the planet so I don't waste my time with them.

I am curious, however, about one thing.&nbsp;&nbsp;*Are there people who do not believe in God and yet who also do not believe in evolution?*&nbsp;&nbsp;My interest in this question is purely academic.&nbsp;&nbsp;Do not assume what my views are, or that I take this position.&nbsp;&nbsp;I am interested in it as a question.&nbsp;&nbsp;

So, let me take a poll and find out.&nbsp;&nbsp;Again, this is for curiosity's sake and please do not assume that I am an atheist who does not believe in evolution because I am here for the joy of it and not for religion.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Nothing bores me more than the whole debate between religious conservatives and Darwinians.&nbsp;&nbsp;Both narratives have been used to oppress workers, women and different racial groups.&nbsp;&nbsp;(Along with Autistics)&nbsp;&nbsp;Religion and science have both functioned as handmaidens of the State.&nbsp;&nbsp;As for who is right, I am more interested in living out the moral creed of either religious or humanistic ethics where they both agree.&nbsp;&nbsp;Treat humans the way you want to be treated, and I count you as a person who is my ally in making a better world.&nbsp;&nbsp;

I have my own religious views.&nbsp;&nbsp;But, most religions, and most advanced secular philosophies, agree on the ideas of kindness, forgiveness and love.&nbsp;&nbsp;Most of the followers of said philosophies do not practice those things.&nbsp;&nbsp;And, most who continually argue over these things take time away from "occupying" the planet so I don't waste my time with them.

I am curious, however, about one thing.&nbsp;&nbsp;*Are there people who do not believe in God and yet who also do not believe in evolution?*&nbsp;&nbsp;My interest in this question is purely academic.&nbsp;&nbsp;Do not assume what my views are, or that I take this position.&nbsp;&nbsp;I am interested in it as a question.&nbsp;&nbsp;

So, let me take a poll and find out.&nbsp;&nbsp;Again, this is for curiosity's sake and please do not assume that I am an atheist who does not believe in evolution because I am here for the joy of it and not for religion.]]></content:encoded>
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		<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Hello!]]></title>
			<link>http://www.aspiesforfreedom.com/showthread.php?tid=23877</link>
			<pubDate>Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:53:59 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.aspiesforfreedom.com/showthread.php?tid=23877</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[Hi! My names Jacob, or Jake, which ever you prefer to call me. I'm new here. It will take me some time to get use to the site. :3]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Hi! My names Jacob, or Jake, which ever you prefer to call me. I'm new here. It will take me some time to get use to the site. :3]]></content:encoded>
		</item>
		<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Should Sugar be regulated?]]></title>
			<link>http://www.aspiesforfreedom.com/showthread.php?tid=23874</link>
			<pubDate>Thu, 02 Feb 2012 23:40:19 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.aspiesforfreedom.com/showthread.php?tid=23874</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[Scientists at the University of California, San Francisco, argue that sugar is toxic and needs to be taxed and controlled. Why it's so hard to break our addiction
Sugar poses enough health risks that it should be considered a controlled substance just like alcohol and tobacco, contend a team of researchers from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).

In an opinion piece called “The Toxic Truth About Sugar” that was published Feb. 1 in the journal Nature, Robert Lustig, Laura Schmidt and Claire Brindis argue that it’s a misnomer to consider sugar just “empty calories.” They write: “There is nothing empty about these calories. A growing body of scientific evidence is showing that fructose can trigger processes that lead to liver toxicity and a host of other chronic diseases. A little is not a problem, but a lot kills — slowly.”

Almost everyone’s heard of — or personally experienced — the proverbial sugar high, so perhaps the comparison between sugar and alcohol or tobacco shouldn’t come as a surprise. But it’s doubtful that Americans will look favorably upon regulating their favorite vice. We’re a nation that’s sweet on sugar: the average U.S. adult downs 22 teaspoons of sugar a day, according to the American Heart Association, and surveys have found that teens swallow 34 teaspoons.

To counter our consumption, the authors advocate taxing sugary foods and controlling sales to kids under 17. Already, 17% of U.S. children and teens are obese, and across the world the sugar intake has tripled in the past 50 years. The increase has helped create a global obesity pandemic that contributes to 35 million annual deaths worldwide from noninfectious diseases including diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

“There are good calories and bad calories, just as there are good fats and bad fats, good amino acids and bad amino acids, good carbohydrates and bad carbohydrates,” Lustig, a professor of pediatrics and director of the Weight Assessment for Teen and Child Health (WATCH) program at UCSF, said in a statement. “But sugar is toxic beyond its calories.”

The food industry tries to imply that “a calorie is a calorie,” says Kelly Brownell, director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University. “But this and other research suggests there is something different about sugar,” says Brownell.

The UCSF report emphasizes the metabolic effects of sugar. Excess sugar can alter metabolism, raise blood pressure, skew the signaling of hormones and damage the liver — outcomes that sound suspiciously similar to what can happen after a person drinks too much alcohol. Schmidt, co-chair of UCSF’s Community Engagement and Health Policy program, noted on CNN: “When you think about it, this actually makes a lot of sense. Alcohol, after all, is simply the distillation of sugar. Where does vodka come from? Sugar.”

But there are also other areas of impact that researchers have investigated: the effect of sugar on the brain and how liquid calories are interpreted differently by the body than solids. Research has suggested that sugar activates the same reward pathways in the brain as traditional drugs of abuse like morphine or heroin. No one is claiming the effect of sugar is quite that potent, but, says Brownell, “it helps confirm what people tell you anecdotally, that they crave sugar and have withdrawal symptoms when they stop eating it.”

There’s also something particularly insidious about sugary beverages. “When calories come in liquids, the body doesn’t feel as full,” says Brownell. “People are getting more of their calories than ever before from sugared beverages.”

Other countries, including France, Greece and Denmark, levy soda taxes, and the concept is being considered in at least 20 U.S. cities and states. Last summer, Philadelphia came close to passing a 2-cents-per-ounce soda tax. The Rudd Center has been a vocal proponent of a more modest 1-cent-per-ounce tax. But at least one study, from 2010, has raised doubts that soda taxes would result in significant weight loss: apparently people who are determined to eat — and drink — unhealthily will find ways to do it.

Ultimately, regulating sugar will prove particularly tricky because it transcends health concerns; sugar, for so many people, is love. A plate of cut-up celery just doesn’t pack the same emotional punch as a tin of homemade chocolate chip cookies, which is why I took my daughter for a cake pop and not an apple as an after-school treat today. We don’t do that regularly — it’s the first time this school year, actually — and that’s what made it special. As a society, could we ever reach the point where we’d think apples — not cake on a stick — are something to get excited over? Says Brindis, one of the report’s authors and director of UCSF’s Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies: “We recognize that there are cultural and celebratory aspects of sugar. Changing these patterns is very complicated.”

For inroads to be made, say the authors in their statement, people have to be better educated about the hazards of sugar and agree that something’s got to change:

Many of the interventions that have reduced alcohol and tobacco consumption can be models for addressing the sugar problem, such as levying special sales taxes, controlling access, and tightening licensing requirements on vending machines and snack bars that sell high sugar products in schools and workplaces.
“We’re not talking prohibition,” Schmidt said. “We’re not advocating a major imposition of the government into people’s lives. We’re talking about gentle ways to make sugar consumption slightly less convenient, thereby moving people away from the concentrated dose. What we want is to actually increase people’s choices by making foods that aren’t loaded with sugar comparatively easier and cheaper to get.”

http://healthland.time.com/2012/02/02/sh...d-tobacco/]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Scientists at the University of California, San Francisco, argue that sugar is toxic and needs to be taxed and controlled. Why it's so hard to break our addiction
Sugar poses enough health risks that it should be considered a controlled substance just like alcohol and tobacco, contend a team of researchers from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).

In an opinion piece called “The Toxic Truth About Sugar” that was published Feb. 1 in the journal Nature, Robert Lustig, Laura Schmidt and Claire Brindis argue that it’s a misnomer to consider sugar just “empty calories.” They write: “There is nothing empty about these calories. A growing body of scientific evidence is showing that fructose can trigger processes that lead to liver toxicity and a host of other chronic diseases. A little is not a problem, but a lot kills — slowly.”

Almost everyone’s heard of — or personally experienced — the proverbial sugar high, so perhaps the comparison between sugar and alcohol or tobacco shouldn’t come as a surprise. But it’s doubtful that Americans will look favorably upon regulating their favorite vice. We’re a nation that’s sweet on sugar: the average U.S. adult downs 22 teaspoons of sugar a day, according to the American Heart Association, and surveys have found that teens swallow 34 teaspoons.

To counter our consumption, the authors advocate taxing sugary foods and controlling sales to kids under 17. Already, 17% of U.S. children and teens are obese, and across the world the sugar intake has tripled in the past 50 years. The increase has helped create a global obesity pandemic that contributes to 35 million annual deaths worldwide from noninfectious diseases including diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

“There are good calories and bad calories, just as there are good fats and bad fats, good amino acids and bad amino acids, good carbohydrates and bad carbohydrates,” Lustig, a professor of pediatrics and director of the Weight Assessment for Teen and Child Health (WATCH) program at UCSF, said in a statement. “But sugar is toxic beyond its calories.”

The food industry tries to imply that “a calorie is a calorie,” says Kelly Brownell, director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University. “But this and other research suggests there is something different about sugar,” says Brownell.

The UCSF report emphasizes the metabolic effects of sugar. Excess sugar can alter metabolism, raise blood pressure, skew the signaling of hormones and damage the liver — outcomes that sound suspiciously similar to what can happen after a person drinks too much alcohol. Schmidt, co-chair of UCSF’s Community Engagement and Health Policy program, noted on CNN: “When you think about it, this actually makes a lot of sense. Alcohol, after all, is simply the distillation of sugar. Where does vodka come from? Sugar.”

But there are also other areas of impact that researchers have investigated: the effect of sugar on the brain and how liquid calories are interpreted differently by the body than solids. Research has suggested that sugar activates the same reward pathways in the brain as traditional drugs of abuse like morphine or heroin. No one is claiming the effect of sugar is quite that potent, but, says Brownell, “it helps confirm what people tell you anecdotally, that they crave sugar and have withdrawal symptoms when they stop eating it.”

There’s also something particularly insidious about sugary beverages. “When calories come in liquids, the body doesn’t feel as full,” says Brownell. “People are getting more of their calories than ever before from sugared beverages.”

Other countries, including France, Greece and Denmark, levy soda taxes, and the concept is being considered in at least 20 U.S. cities and states. Last summer, Philadelphia came close to passing a 2-cents-per-ounce soda tax. The Rudd Center has been a vocal proponent of a more modest 1-cent-per-ounce tax. But at least one study, from 2010, has raised doubts that soda taxes would result in significant weight loss: apparently people who are determined to eat — and drink — unhealthily will find ways to do it.

Ultimately, regulating sugar will prove particularly tricky because it transcends health concerns; sugar, for so many people, is love. A plate of cut-up celery just doesn’t pack the same emotional punch as a tin of homemade chocolate chip cookies, which is why I took my daughter for a cake pop and not an apple as an after-school treat today. We don’t do that regularly — it’s the first time this school year, actually — and that’s what made it special. As a society, could we ever reach the point where we’d think apples — not cake on a stick — are something to get excited over? Says Brindis, one of the report’s authors and director of UCSF’s Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies: “We recognize that there are cultural and celebratory aspects of sugar. Changing these patterns is very complicated.”

For inroads to be made, say the authors in their statement, people have to be better educated about the hazards of sugar and agree that something’s got to change:

Many of the interventions that have reduced alcohol and tobacco consumption can be models for addressing the sugar problem, such as levying special sales taxes, controlling access, and tightening licensing requirements on vending machines and snack bars that sell high sugar products in schools and workplaces.
“We’re not talking prohibition,” Schmidt said. “We’re not advocating a major imposition of the government into people’s lives. We’re talking about gentle ways to make sugar consumption slightly less convenient, thereby moving people away from the concentrated dose. What we want is to actually increase people’s choices by making foods that aren’t loaded with sugar comparatively easier and cheaper to get.”

http://healthland.time.com/2012/02/02/sh...d-tobacco/]]></content:encoded>
		</item>
		<item>
			<title><![CDATA[New Travel Website]]></title>
			<link>http://www.aspiesforfreedom.com/showthread.php?tid=23872</link>
			<pubDate>Thu, 02 Feb 2012 07:45:36 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.aspiesforfreedom.com/showthread.php?tid=23872</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[Hello everyone,

Just thought I would stop by and share my new travel website I've been working on.  As some of you may remember, I've been working in online chat for awhile now and the new program I am working on is at the website called Priceline.com    I have found that I need hotel parking rate information to be more accessible to me than it easily is, in order to help the customers faster, so I'm in process of putting together this new site.  It does not have quite as much info on it yet as I dream of, but I'm working steadily in that direction.

Anyway, if you or someone you know is traveling to some of the larger and more famous cities, you may find this helpful for some general information.  I'll keep on adding more places, as time goes on.

http://www.hotelparking.com/

Enjoy!

hope everyone is doing well!

Karbyn]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Hello everyone,

Just thought I would stop by and share my new travel website I've been working on.  As some of you may remember, I've been working in online chat for awhile now and the new program I am working on is at the website called Priceline.com    I have found that I need hotel parking rate information to be more accessible to me than it easily is, in order to help the customers faster, so I'm in process of putting together this new site.  It does not have quite as much info on it yet as I dream of, but I'm working steadily in that direction.

Anyway, if you or someone you know is traveling to some of the larger and more famous cities, you may find this helpful for some general information.  I'll keep on adding more places, as time goes on.

http://www.hotelparking.com/

Enjoy!

hope everyone is doing well!

Karbyn]]></content:encoded>
		</item>
		<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Dracula from Brooklyn in Bunny Slippers.]]></title>
			<link>http://www.aspiesforfreedom.com/showthread.php?tid=23870</link>
			<pubDate>Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:45:38 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.aspiesforfreedom.com/showthread.php?tid=23870</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[This is a one-act play that I wrote in High School for the Thespian Festival.... Didn't win anything. ^^; ...But then years later I found it again, dusted it off, cleaned up the dialogue, and added some new jokes. And I don't think it's half bad.

So, without further explanation, here is Dracula from Brooklyn in Bunny Slippers.

And no, I'm not explaining what it's about. The title says enough.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[This is a one-act play that I wrote in High School for the Thespian Festival.... Didn't win anything. ^^; ...But then years later I found it again, dusted it off, cleaned up the dialogue, and added some new jokes. And I don't think it's half bad.

So, without further explanation, here is Dracula from Brooklyn in Bunny Slippers.

And no, I'm not explaining what it's about. The title says enough.]]></content:encoded>
		</item>
		<item>
			<title><![CDATA[My Art on DeviantArt]]></title>
			<link>http://www.aspiesforfreedom.com/showthread.php?tid=23869</link>
			<pubDate>Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:25:20 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.aspiesforfreedom.com/showthread.php?tid=23869</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[Weeeell, I'm kinda new to this whole site. So I thought I'd break the ice by posting up a link to my DeviantArt account. That counts as sharing artwork, right? oAo;

Artwork is here.

And to showcase the ones I'm most proud of. I think my best picture to date is the one I have featured. This picture of Diane, the main character of my in-the-making novel. I'm also very proud of this picture, featureing an evil-looking but misunderstood deep-sea merman. If you're a fan of Pokemon then you should see this, a vulpix and growlithe in human-ish form. And if you're a fan of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, you'll want to see this which was a free-comission I did as a cover for their FanFiction.

So yeah. Other than that, just wanted to say Hi guys. :D]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Weeeell, I'm kinda new to this whole site. So I thought I'd break the ice by posting up a link to my DeviantArt account. That counts as sharing artwork, right? oAo;

Artwork is here.

And to showcase the ones I'm most proud of. I think my best picture to date is the one I have featured. This picture of Diane, the main character of my in-the-making novel. I'm also very proud of this picture, featureing an evil-looking but misunderstood deep-sea merman. If you're a fan of Pokemon then you should see this, a vulpix and growlithe in human-ish form. And if you're a fan of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, you'll want to see this which was a free-comission I did as a cover for their FanFiction.

So yeah. Other than that, just wanted to say Hi guys. :D]]></content:encoded>
		</item>
		<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Please allow me to introduce myself]]></title>
			<link>http://www.aspiesforfreedom.com/showthread.php?tid=23867</link>
			<pubDate>Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:59:33 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.aspiesforfreedom.com/showthread.php?tid=23867</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[Allow me to introduce myself.&nbsp;&nbsp;I am new to the forum.&nbsp;&nbsp;I probably will spend most of my time in this forum since it fits most with my interest categories.&nbsp;&nbsp;I do not have much else to say, except that I admire the work of this site and I am glad to be a part of it.

As for whether I am part of the 2012 alien advanced LULZ conspiracy, well, take your best guess based on the evidence.&nbsp;&nbsp;Deductive thinkers will probably dismiss it out of hand, while inductive thinkers might consider it with enough evidence.&nbsp;&nbsp;Serious thinkers will probably ignore it.&nbsp;&nbsp;LULZ thinkers will enjoy it.&nbsp;&nbsp;That's the way invasions of this reality roll.

Excellent to be here!]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Allow me to introduce myself.&nbsp;&nbsp;I am new to the forum.&nbsp;&nbsp;I probably will spend most of my time in this forum since it fits most with my interest categories.&nbsp;&nbsp;I do not have much else to say, except that I admire the work of this site and I am glad to be a part of it.

As for whether I am part of the 2012 alien advanced LULZ conspiracy, well, take your best guess based on the evidence.&nbsp;&nbsp;Deductive thinkers will probably dismiss it out of hand, while inductive thinkers might consider it with enough evidence.&nbsp;&nbsp;Serious thinkers will probably ignore it.&nbsp;&nbsp;LULZ thinkers will enjoy it.&nbsp;&nbsp;That's the way invasions of this reality roll.

Excellent to be here!]]></content:encoded>
		</item>
		<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Good news - the penny has finally dropped!]]></title>
			<link>http://www.aspiesforfreedom.com/showthread.php?tid=23866</link>
			<pubDate>Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:22:10 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.aspiesforfreedom.com/showthread.php?tid=23866</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[My son scored straight As on all his latest tests. He still doesn't believe it and I'm walking around with a permanent grin on my face. 

I had so many fights with the school, who wanted him to go to a special needs school because of his terrible results. Now they turn around and say he doesn't need help anymore, as he has suddenly become the best student of the class. Of course he does still need help, but with other things: planning, socializing (which he loves to do). But I now have people around who help me (among others a good psych), so I feel much stronger now. I feel great!:D]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[My son scored straight As on all his latest tests. He still doesn't believe it and I'm walking around with a permanent grin on my face. 

I had so many fights with the school, who wanted him to go to a special needs school because of his terrible results. Now they turn around and say he doesn't need help anymore, as he has suddenly become the best student of the class. Of course he does still need help, but with other things: planning, socializing (which he loves to do). But I now have people around who help me (among others a good psych), so I feel much stronger now. I feel great!:D]]></content:encoded>
		</item>
		<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Worshipping Steve Jobs]]></title>
			<link>http://www.aspiesforfreedom.com/showthread.php?tid=23865</link>
			<pubDate>Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:42:40 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.aspiesforfreedom.com/showthread.php?tid=23865</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[http://www.theatlantic.com/business/arch...hy/249136/
WARNING: Excessive use of the word "a**h**e"

Having read more than a little of Steve Jobs' management style, Apple under him strikes me as an unbelievably bad place for aspies to work due to our trouble with letting insults roll off us. And yet, the media has straight up deified him for the past decade plus. To be fair, there was more to Steve than just being a total jerk continuously (He was able to convince Apple's talent to not torch the place after all). As the article brings up however, there are no doubt legions of managers who now think they can turn their companies into tiny North Koreas with Steve's blessing (think different my foot!). I'm fairly worried about this, since the job market, and especially the tech sector has gotten shamelessly hostile to us in the past couple years alone. This is just one more hurdle, though fortunately not one that NTs will be thrilled with.

I've worked for plenty of bad guys, though none as bad as some of the stuff Jobs supposedly did. I'm wondering if anyone else has noticed the kind of behavior supposedly inspired by Apple.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[http://www.theatlantic.com/business/arch...hy/249136/
WARNING: Excessive use of the word "a**h**e"

Having read more than a little of Steve Jobs' management style, Apple under him strikes me as an unbelievably bad place for aspies to work due to our trouble with letting insults roll off us. And yet, the media has straight up deified him for the past decade plus. To be fair, there was more to Steve than just being a total jerk continuously (He was able to convince Apple's talent to not torch the place after all). As the article brings up however, there are no doubt legions of managers who now think they can turn their companies into tiny North Koreas with Steve's blessing (think different my foot!). I'm fairly worried about this, since the job market, and especially the tech sector has gotten shamelessly hostile to us in the past couple years alone. This is just one more hurdle, though fortunately not one that NTs will be thrilled with.

I've worked for plenty of bad guys, though none as bad as some of the stuff Jobs supposedly did. I'm wondering if anyone else has noticed the kind of behavior supposedly inspired by Apple.]]></content:encoded>
		</item>
		<item>
			<title><![CDATA[No more bashing NTs]]></title>
			<link>http://www.aspiesforfreedom.com/showthread.php?tid=23863</link>
			<pubDate>Wed, 01 Feb 2012 02:44:47 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.aspiesforfreedom.com/showthread.php?tid=23863</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[As Niall pointed out recently, there are some negative things said about NTs on this forum. In many cases, I'm sure the people who do it don't realize they're doing it, so I'm not trying to condemn anyone. But, making these statements doesn't make us any better than the people we're complaining about.

Please, when you have anything to say about NTs, pay attention to what you're saying. Think about what we would think if someone were to say that about autistics. If you want to rant about specific occurrences, that's fine, but try not to generalize.

If you see a post in which someone is spreading negative generalizations about NTs, speak up, but do so politely, without condemning the person who said it. I hope that by doing this, we can put an end to these kinds of negative generalizations.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[As Niall pointed out recently, there are some negative things said about NTs on this forum. In many cases, I'm sure the people who do it don't realize they're doing it, so I'm not trying to condemn anyone. But, making these statements doesn't make us any better than the people we're complaining about.

Please, when you have anything to say about NTs, pay attention to what you're saying. Think about what we would think if someone were to say that about autistics. If you want to rant about specific occurrences, that's fine, but try not to generalize.

If you see a post in which someone is spreading negative generalizations about NTs, speak up, but do so politely, without condemning the person who said it. I hope that by doing this, we can put an end to these kinds of negative generalizations.]]></content:encoded>
		</item>
		<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Could this guy be an aspie? cussing in video.]]></title>
			<link>http://www.aspiesforfreedom.com/showthread.php?tid=23861</link>
			<pubDate>Tue, 31 Jan 2012 18:54:11 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.aspiesforfreedom.com/showthread.php?tid=23861</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RslPzmRgy...AAAAAAAYAA]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RslPzmRgy...AAAAAAAYAA]]></content:encoded>
		</item>
		<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Joint ASAN-Autism Society Statement on DSM-5]]></title>
			<link>http://www.aspiesforfreedom.com/showthread.php?tid=23860</link>
			<pubDate>Tue, 31 Jan 2012 18:48:11 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.aspiesforfreedom.com/showthread.php?tid=23860</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[


Dear Friends,

As two national organizations committed to working to empower the autism and Autistic communities today and into the future, the Autism Society of America and the Autistic Self Advocacy Network issue the following joint statement regarding the definition of Autism Spectrum Disorder within the DSM-5:

The autism spectrum is broad and diverse, including individuals with a wide range of functional needs, strengths and challenges. The DSM-5's criteria for the new, unified autism spectrum disorder diagnosis must be able to reflect that diversity and range of experience.  

Over the course of the last 60 years, the definition of autism has evolved and expanded to reflect growing scientific and societal understanding of the condition. That expansion has resulted in improved societal understanding of the experiences of individuals on the autism spectrum and their family members. It has also led to the development of innovative service-provision, treatment and support strategies whose continued existence is imperative to improving the life experiences of individuals and families. As the DSM-5's final release approaches and the autism and Autistic communities prepare for a unified diagnosis of ASD encompassing the broad range of different autism experiences, it is important for us to keep a few basic priorities in mind.

One of the key principles of the medical profession has always been, "First, do no harm." As such, it is essential that the DSM-5's criteria are structured in such a way as to ensure that those who have or would have qualified for a diagnosis under the DSM-IV maintain access to an ASD diagnosis. Contrary to assertions that ASD is over diagnosed, evidence suggests that the opposite is the case - namely, that racial and ethnic minorities, women and girls, adults and individuals from rural and low-income communities face challenges in accessing diagnosis, even where they clearly fit criteria under the DSM-IV. Furthermore, additional effort is needed to ensure that the criteria for ASD in the DSM-5 are culturally competent and accessible to under-represented groups. Addressing the needs of marginalized communities has been a consistent problem with the  DSM-IV. 

Individuals receive a diagnosis for a wide variety of reasons. Evidence from research and practice supports the idea that enhancing access to diagnosis can result in substantial improvements in quality of life and more competent forms of service-provision and mental health treatment. This is particularly true for individuals receiving diagnosis later in life, who may have managed to discover coping strategies and other adaptive mechanisms which serve to mask traits of ASD prior to a diagnosis. Frequently, individuals who are diagnosed in adolescence or adulthood report that receiving a diagnosis results in improvements in the provision of existing services and mental health treatment, a conceptual framework that helps explain past experiences, greater self-understanding and informal support as well as an awareness of additional, previously unknown service options.

Some have criticized the idea of maintaining the existing, broad autism spectrum, stating that doing so takes limited resources away from those most in need. We contend that this is a misleading argument - no publicly funded resource is accessible to autistic adults and children solely on the basis of a diagnosis. Furthermore, while the fact that an individual has a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder does not in and of itself provide access to any type of service-provision or funding, a diagnosis can be a useful contributing factor in assisting those who meet other functional eligibility criteria in accessing necessary supports, reasonable accommodations and legal protections. As such, we encourage the DSM-5 Neurodevelopmental Disorders Working Group to interpret the definition of autism spectrum disorder broadly, so as to ensure that all of those who can benefit from an ASD diagnosis have the ability to do so.

The Autism Society and Autistic Self Advocacy Network encourage other organizations and groups to join with us in forming a national coalition aimed at working on issues related to definition of the autism spectrum within the DSM-5. Community engagement and representation within the DSM-5 process itself is a critical component of ensuring accurate, scientific and research-validated diagnostic criteria. Furthermore, our community must work both before and after the finalization of the DSM-5 to conduct effective outreach and training on how to appropriately identify and diagnose all those on the autism spectrum, regardless of age, background or status in other under-represented groups.

Sincerely, 
Ari Ne'eman
President of
Autistic Self Advocacy Network
	
Scott Badesch
President of
Autism Society

]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[


Dear Friends,

As two national organizations committed to working to empower the autism and Autistic communities today and into the future, the Autism Society of America and the Autistic Self Advocacy Network issue the following joint statement regarding the definition of Autism Spectrum Disorder within the DSM-5:

The autism spectrum is broad and diverse, including individuals with a wide range of functional needs, strengths and challenges. The DSM-5's criteria for the new, unified autism spectrum disorder diagnosis must be able to reflect that diversity and range of experience.  

Over the course of the last 60 years, the definition of autism has evolved and expanded to reflect growing scientific and societal understanding of the condition. That expansion has resulted in improved societal understanding of the experiences of individuals on the autism spectrum and their family members. It has also led to the development of innovative service-provision, treatment and support strategies whose continued existence is imperative to improving the life experiences of individuals and families. As the DSM-5's final release approaches and the autism and Autistic communities prepare for a unified diagnosis of ASD encompassing the broad range of different autism experiences, it is important for us to keep a few basic priorities in mind.

One of the key principles of the medical profession has always been, "First, do no harm." As such, it is essential that the DSM-5's criteria are structured in such a way as to ensure that those who have or would have qualified for a diagnosis under the DSM-IV maintain access to an ASD diagnosis. Contrary to assertions that ASD is over diagnosed, evidence suggests that the opposite is the case - namely, that racial and ethnic minorities, women and girls, adults and individuals from rural and low-income communities face challenges in accessing diagnosis, even where they clearly fit criteria under the DSM-IV. Furthermore, additional effort is needed to ensure that the criteria for ASD in the DSM-5 are culturally competent and accessible to under-represented groups. Addressing the needs of marginalized communities has been a consistent problem with the  DSM-IV. 

Individuals receive a diagnosis for a wide variety of reasons. Evidence from research and practice supports the idea that enhancing access to diagnosis can result in substantial improvements in quality of life and more competent forms of service-provision and mental health treatment. This is particularly true for individuals receiving diagnosis later in life, who may have managed to discover coping strategies and other adaptive mechanisms which serve to mask traits of ASD prior to a diagnosis. Frequently, individuals who are diagnosed in adolescence or adulthood report that receiving a diagnosis results in improvements in the provision of existing services and mental health treatment, a conceptual framework that helps explain past experiences, greater self-understanding and informal support as well as an awareness of additional, previously unknown service options.

Some have criticized the idea of maintaining the existing, broad autism spectrum, stating that doing so takes limited resources away from those most in need. We contend that this is a misleading argument - no publicly funded resource is accessible to autistic adults and children solely on the basis of a diagnosis. Furthermore, while the fact that an individual has a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder does not in and of itself provide access to any type of service-provision or funding, a diagnosis can be a useful contributing factor in assisting those who meet other functional eligibility criteria in accessing necessary supports, reasonable accommodations and legal protections. As such, we encourage the DSM-5 Neurodevelopmental Disorders Working Group to interpret the definition of autism spectrum disorder broadly, so as to ensure that all of those who can benefit from an ASD diagnosis have the ability to do so.

The Autism Society and Autistic Self Advocacy Network encourage other organizations and groups to join with us in forming a national coalition aimed at working on issues related to definition of the autism spectrum within the DSM-5. Community engagement and representation within the DSM-5 process itself is a critical component of ensuring accurate, scientific and research-validated diagnostic criteria. Furthermore, our community must work both before and after the finalization of the DSM-5 to conduct effective outreach and training on how to appropriately identify and diagnose all those on the autism spectrum, regardless of age, background or status in other under-represented groups.

Sincerely, 
Ari Ne'eman
President of
Autistic Self Advocacy Network
	
Scott Badesch
President of
Autism Society

]]></content:encoded>
		</item>
		<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Does this seem logical to anyone?]]></title>
			<link>http://www.aspiesforfreedom.com/showthread.php?tid=23857</link>
			<pubDate>Tue, 31 Jan 2012 03:25:10 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.aspiesforfreedom.com/showthread.php?tid=23857</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[So, I got to work this morning, and learned that three of my co-workers had been laid off. The rationale given by the company was that things are slow because of the economy, and there isn't enough work to go around for everyone. Then, we were all told that we're going to have to step up to make up for what they're not there to do. How are those two statements compatible with each other?]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[So, I got to work this morning, and learned that three of my co-workers had been laid off. The rationale given by the company was that things are slow because of the economy, and there isn't enough work to go around for everyone. Then, we were all told that we're going to have to step up to make up for what they're not there to do. How are those two statements compatible with each other?]]></content:encoded>
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	</channel>
</rss>
