Shine on, super-stars!

A recent study by Harvard Medical School and UCSD shows that HAPPINESS IS CONTAGIOUS. (Social networks affect mood.) Which means, happiness is a good virus, and your happiness affects the mood of someone you've never met. Now, go read the story, and let your beautiful smile, happiness and spirit SHINE ON! http://www.webmd.com/balance/news/20081204/happiness-is-contagious

Feel like spreading a cheerful spirit through color? Pantone, which provides color standards to design industries, picked "mimosa," a vibrant shade of yellow illustrated by the flowers of some mimosa trees (as well as the brunch-favorite cocktail), as its top shade of the new year. It believes the public will embrace optimistic colors of yellow in 2009. Read all about it in Yahoo News.

Color yellow is a great way to add a dose of sunny optimism to our nation and to let our spirits shine. Wear yellow to show your support in standing up in the fight against cancer and making cancer a national priority. This holiday season, Give 100%. http://www.livestrong.com/give100/

You can also sign up for our San Diego LIVESTRONG Army. Our Registration Drive has been extended to December 17th. Register at: http://my.livestrong.org/joinlocalarmy (Note: Select the "SAN DIEGO" Army in the drop-down list.) Read more in my November 30th blog post.

Curing All Blood Disorders - World Aids Day

Today is World Aids Day. It has me mindful about our need to cure all blood-related disorders, like leukemia and HIV/AIDS. It's always been on my mind that perhaps a cure for one, would open up research to find the cure for the other. I stumbled across this article in the Wall Street Journal from earlier this month, regarding a doctor, a mutation...and a potential cure for Aids: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122602394113507555.html In short, a bone marrow transplant that was meant to treat a patient's leukemia, also gave him virus-resistant cells. The patient is still recovering from his leukemia therapy, but he appears to have won his battle with AIDS. And sure, while this could just be one of those once-in-a-million cures that isn't viable beyond theory, as the WSJ reported, it "is stirring new hope that gene-therapy strategies on the far edges of AIDS research might someday cure the disease."

Like I always say, folks -- CURES ROCK!