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Now, I’m not speaking for all fraternal twins here, but I have a couple problems with how the world perceives us and I want my opinion heard. All twins don’t look alike. ‘Identical’ means the same and ‘Fraternal’ means different. These two words describe sets of twins. Remember there can be sets of twins that look different and my sister and I fall into that category. We are not genetic clones of each other and have very different personalities.

First off, people are blown away by the fact that I refer to her as my sister rather than my twin. That is what she is to me – the way I feel towards my older sister and my twin both feel like sister feelings. I don’t know why there would be any difference of feeling for a twin sister. Also, don’t dress fraternal twins up to look identical when they obviously aren’t. If there is a significant weight and height difference, you’re not fooling anyone, Parent. You are only successfully making your children look like fools and most likely simultaneously giving one of the twins a complex. Let them discover their own identities. They will come out in time and you will realize how wonderfully different they really are!

I have just read another article on the dangers of texting while driving and all I have to say to all of the people who are texting while they are driving is; grow up! Supposedly there is this “urge” to deal with your phone calls and texts just as soon as they arrive. It’s like having an addiction and some people just don’t know how to deal with it! I only had to think about half a second to figure this one out; turn off your phone when you are driving your car. There is nothing that is so important that it can’t wait until you get to your destination.

If there is such a dire thing (Twitter and/or Facebook are never dire things) then let your spouse or assistant monitor your incoming email for you while you are driving. To put yourself and others in danger because you can’t find the off button on your phone should be a chargeable offense. It’s one thing to answer a call over your Bluetooth where you can keep your eyes on the road and another totally different thing to read while driving; it just can’t be done! As a teen there was a story about a man who got into a fatal crash because he was reading the newspaper while driving. It was hailed as a dumb thing to do. Now we’re supposed to forgive those who are writing while driving? I don’t think so.

I had lunch today with one of my favorite people. He is one of my favorites because he is a thinker and he is funny! Don calls it like he sees it and never throws punches below the belt and is a moderate in these crazy times. Since I had not talked to him in over a month or so I had to ask him about healthcare. He simply stated, “What a circus” and then went on to say this.

“Ask anyone on the street if they enjoy paying what they pay for their healthcare, having to get a high school grad at the insurance company to approve your doctor’s care that spent 9 years preparing to take care of you and thought the care they got was worth the money they paid? No one will say yes unless they make a lot of money or have government health insurance or both. Now ask yourself why the party (Republicans) who profess to follow Jesus Christ, who was dark skinned and who went around healing the sick and the poor are so against making sure the sick and the poor have adequate healthcare? Welcome to the nut farm called politics!”

Chagas disease infects an estimated 12 million people in Latin America, killing tens of thousands each year. With no vaccine or specific treatment available for large-scale public health interventions, the main control strategy relies on prevention of transmission. Trypanosoma cruzi, the protozoa that causes Chagas disease, is primarily transmitted via the bite of the triatomine insect, more commonly known as the kissing bug. However, the Trypanosoma cruzi infection by oral route constitutes the most important mode of transmission in some geographical regions, as illustrated by reports on microepidemics and outbreaks of acute Chagas’ disease acquired by ingestion of food contaminated with parasites from triatomine insects and studies that show that stomach acid does not suffice to kill the parasite directly.

In 2005, health officials in southern Brazil recorded 45 cases of patients that developed symptoms of Chagas disease after ingesting sugar cane juice from a roadside kiosk and five of the patients died. Blood tests from this outbreak confirmed the presence of Trypanosoma cruzi in 31 of the 45 suspected cases. It is important to study this newly discovered mode of transmission of this morbid disease to find the prevalence associated as well as to educate the public of the importance of cleaning food products and avoiding triatomine infestation not only in dwellings but as well with food products.

Does anyone else wish people would smile more? Dogs seem to be smiling all the time and doesn’t it just make you happy? I like feeling happy if even for a few seconds walking down the street and looking at that slobbery, smiley face. When we humans walk down the street, are we all thinking sad thoughts or stressful ones and that’s why we just can’t seem to smile? Or do we start to over-analyze the random smile; if I suddenly smile because I think of what was whispered in my ear the other night, will that stranger coming towards me think I’m interested in him or think I’m just some kind of nut? Why do I even care about how this random stranger perceives me in the first place? Stranger…. this person is a stranger and will most likely never be seen again.

Well I’m ready for a smile movement. When I catch myself on the commute home or sitting around people-watching…. that’s the time to be proactive about the ‘smile’. Now I don’t think I have a creepy one, but I like to think about things that make me laugh or bring a hint of a smile to my lips. People treat you a little better too, by the way. They smile back and generally treat you nicer.

I just returned home from a visit with my grandson who is almost 7. While staying with him I noticed a propensity to focus on what he wanted next and not on what he has. I just observed him for a couple of days so if I got the opportunity to talk to him about it I could do so on his level. It just seemed ashamed to be the ripe old age of 6 and be either “frustrated” or “bored” all the time.

At breakfast one morning I asked him what was wrong and he replied that he was frustrated. When I asked him why he was frustrated he said it was because his dad would not let him do what he wanted to do that day. Instead of getting on my son for not letting my grandson do something I asked my grandson this simple question; “What will dad let you do today?” At that, he thought a minute and listed a number of things that he knew his dad would let him do. I said, great; pick one of those and we’ll go do it together! He was excited about me doing it with him and we had a great day. Afterward, I asked him if he had learned anything and with a little help from Poppy, he learned to focus on what he can do instead of what he is not allowed to do and it will change the way you look at your day. Good advise for anyone at any age!