The RAnts of RA

The MAPS Treatment programme for autism (Monitored Multi-cortical Activities for Additional Pathways and Synapses) is a stress-free programme, designed for parents who have not given up hope.

The Brain Repair Institute of Canada will be conducting a workshop on brain plasticity and the potential for treatment of mental disorders such as autism, ADD, and OCD for parents and teachers on Friday, August 10th, 2007 at 6:30 p.m. Anaheim, California.

At the Brain Repair Institute, part of our mission is to teach and train parents of children with special needs. Our expertise has been recognized by the Government of Canada and with their funding we have developed a number of different workshops.

All parents and teachers are welcome to attend the presentation.

• Title: With MAPS, you are allowed to dream of a happy, normal future for your child with autism.
• Duration: 2 hours
• Ticket: Due to recent funding and success we are able to offer a limited number of free tickets.
• Venue: Hilton Suites Anaheim/Orange, 400 N. State College Blvd., Orange, California, 92868

Parents who attend this seminar will learn the following:

• How Serotonin and dopamine levels are crucial for healthy brain development;
• How and why mental processes can go wrong physiologically;
• How to recognize and eliminate sources of stress, which prevent healthy brain function;
• How the brain receives and translates messages from the environment;
• How the brain qualifies the processed information as pleasurable and worth seeking;
• What can be introduced into the child’s environment in order to re-balance chemical levels without medication.

The MAPS Treatment Program for brain disorders is based on a revolutionary approach that accelerates the brain’s natural self-repair process. It affects all brain functions, including:

• Communication
• Sensory Integration
• Movement
• Behavior
• Learning
• Memory
• Seizures
• Feeding

Claudie Gordon-Pomares, a neuroscientist from France, has developed a method of enriching the learning environment of children, based on 50 years of fundamental research on brain plasticity and her own research on brain development. Claudie is officially the published expert (August 2002, journal of behavioral and developmental pediatrics) on the sense of smell of non-verbal children, thanks to her extensive work on the subject.

This condensed 2-hour workshop will train parents to optimize the environment surrounding their child with special needs in order to at least maximize their existing potential to grow naturally.

Claudie also offers a breakthrough treatment for autism that we have been using to remove most symptoms related to autism. To find out more about this or any other program we offer, call toll free: (877) 532-7246)

Psychiatry: An Industry of Death Museum

If you have ever questioned what underlies the social ills that plague our society – from rising violence, drug abuse, crime and school shootings to illiteracy and child suicide – this powerful new exhibit provides you with the answers and the facts.

Visit this new Touring Exhibit and find out why some things never change.

Citizens Commission on Human Rights
New Touring Exhibit in San Jose

The Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) will be presenting their exhibit and accompanying video documentaries called Psychiatry: In Industry of Death to various local groups, politicians, and the public.

This exhibit contains 185 feet of display panels and 14 video documentaries of
historical footage, current exposes and interviews that expose the
causes of society’s ills right up into our present international situations.
This exhibit is aimed at promoting awareness of questionable practices within the psychiatric industry that most deem to be controversial and unnecessary.

CCHR will host a ribbon cutting ceremony for the event on August 14 at 7:00 pm in the hallway at the Ballroom ABC door. The President of the Silicon Valley NAACP will speak briefly at this ceremony. In addition there may be some media involvement at this event.

San Jose McEnery Convention Center
Meeting Room B
408 Almaden Blvd, San Jose

Wednesday, Aug 16 ~ 9:00 am to 11:00 pm
Thursday, Aug 17 ~ 9:00am to 11:00pm
Friday, Aug 18 ~ 9am to 5:00pm

(Note: not for children or the faint hearted)

Please RSVP Call: (408) 828-2991

Family Heritage

My maiden name is Patrick and I’m hard pressed to let a single St. Patrick’s Day go by without making a big deal of it, it is still to this day one of my favorite holidays.

For many years I claimed Irish as my own heritage. Surely, with a last name like Patrick I must be Irish. You can imagine my dismay when I discovered that I’m actually Scottish. I’ve traced our families heritage back to the Lamont clan in the 1400’s, in Edinburgh, Scotland.

As a child I was convinced that somewhere along the line we were related to royalty. As luck would have it, I haven’t found a royal bone in my body, turns out instead of being heir to a throne, I’ve decended from horse thieves and criminals.

My husband on the other hand is the great-great-great-great-great grandson of Lyman Hall a previous Governor of Georgia and signer of the Declaration of Independence, not to mention being related to William Shakespeare.

Celebrations

Fortunately, you don’t have to be Irish to enjoy the festivities on St. Paddy’s Day. Just don your green beanie or your “Kiss Me if your Irish” button and make your way to one of the many St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. Who knows maybe the Luck O’ The Irish will rub off on you or you’ll find that pot o’ gold at the end of the rainbow.

St. Paddy’s Day is celebrated the world over, with parades and events taking place in Irish communities in cities around the world. Though many communities have jumped the gun and held their festivities a little early, perhaps to prolong the holiday, we’ve managed to locate 2009 St. Patrick’s Day Parades all over the U.S. and even a few across the globe.

Irish Stew – Pugg Mahones

St. Patrick’s Day Parades & Events

• St. Patrick’s Day Parades
• Atlanta, Georgia
• Boston, Massachusetts
• Dublin, Ireland
• Montreal, Quebec
• Raleigh, North Carolina
• Tokyo, Japan

The first formal celebration of St. Patrick’s Day took place not in Ireland, but in Boston in 1737. It consisted of a dinner attended by wealthy Protestant gentlemen and merchants who had recently come over from Ulster to settle in the colonies. By 1775, the Boston celebration included a march with 70 soldiers from the British Army who were at the time occupying Boston (an interesting note is that exactly 1 year later, in 1776, the British Army was marching again – but in double time – as they were retreating from the city. So in Boston, March 17 holds two causes to celebrate – St Patrick’s Day and Evacuation day.)

The very first St. Patrick’s Day Parade  in the United States was held in New York City in 1766 by a band of homesick Irish ex-patriots. This was during a time when the “Wearin’ O’ The Green” was still a sign of Irish pride that was banned in Ireland.

A parade celebrating the freedom to speak the Irish language, sing Irish songs and play the bagpipes to Irish tunes was very meaningful to the immigrants who had fled their homes at such great cost leaving so much behind. Today modern celebrations in Ireland tend to avoid the green which has come to symbolize the flag that flew during the years that Ireland suffered under British rule!

American’s have a lot in common with the Irish people, which might be perhaps one of the many reasons so many in this country celebrate this joyous holiday.

Related articles

• St. Patrick’s Day: No Better Day to Live Green
• Photo Blog of St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Boston, USA
• Victoria’s Views: Are Irish Americans actually Irish?
• Celebrating St. Patrick: A Cook’s Guide
• Dreaming of Ireland