Clearing The Air On Passover

This is an actual press release I received by e-mail:

[italics added]

Dear Adam,
Those big family Seders and stacks of matzo we enjoy at Passover have an unspoken dark side—one that’s among society’s last taboos: the flatulence that results from gastrointestinal distress.
Instead of reflecting on the Jewish people’s exodus from Egypt, we end up struggling to contain the exodus of gas.
Flatulence, irritable bowels, heartburn, indigestion, and growling guts are common Passover conditions that can be treated without polluting our bodies with antacids and other over-the-counter drugs that, for many people, don’t even work.
Interview Bill Downs, one of the world’s foremost experts on diet and digestion, and find out how Jewish families can avoid Passover eating hazards—especially certain holiday foods and treats that have seriously adverse effects on dieters and diabetics.
Bill can provide a wealth of suggestions that will help families keep their taste buds and their digestive systems happy and healthy during (and after!) their big Passover Seder. Downs has over 20 years of expertise in diet, digestion, nutrition science, and biological chemistry.
He’s also published several peer-reviewed studies, and is the author of the Trafon blog (Trafon.org), the first blog to tackle the last taboo: serious, open discussion about why we ‘fart’, and the root causes of digestive disorders, gastrointestinal diseases, and what people can do about it.
Downs can also discuss:
* The common ingredient in sugar-free chocolates, candies, drinks, and foods that plagues diabetics and dieters with severe gas, cramping, and diarrhea
* What Passover foods are most likely to cause indigestion, and why
* Why people tend to get gassy around major holidays
* What’s the best way to tell someone they have offensive gas
* How to survive holiday feasts without over-stressing your digestive system
* The biochemical processes that cause indigestion
* How to control indigestion over the long-term
* What causes flatulence (farting)
* Why farts are funny to everyone except the person suffering with them
* Why some foods cause GI distress in some people, but not all people
To arrange an interview with Bill, call Jackie Zima at 610-642-8253 x138, or write to Jackie@GregoryFCA.com.
Thank you for your consideration!

Moving Violation Fine: $90. Insurance Surcharge: 25 Percent. Beating The Ticket In Court: Priceless

Had the rare and unique experience today of successfully beating a traffic ticket. It was on the merits, and my faith in the justice system (at this lowest rung in the ladder) is renewed. Initially it was less than satisfying because the officer in question, a tunnel cop, happened to have been pretty nice about the whole thing, not one of those bad attitude cops we so often hear about or have the misfortune of encountering.
Accordingly, I immediately began my defense by saying I had no quarrel with the officer, who was doing his duty, but rather with inappropriate and misleading signage at the scene. My hope was that once I demonstrated that I was not challenging the cop's credibility, which I had neither motive nor basis to do, he would back off and not contest my account of the signage.
But apparently court is by its very nature confrontational, no matter how small the stakes.
When I presented photo evidence that the sign in question was not a "no left turn sign" as he declated but in fact an ambiguous combination symbol suggesting both no left turns and no u-turns, this cop had to admit that there is no other signage specifically barring no left turn. This was a temporary sign erected by the DOT because of construction, he said. This actually bolstered my case: Clearly this sign was erected in haste and without proper forethought.
Then when I demonstrated an even more ridiculous sign that actually points arrows in the direction of the illegal turn, the cop insisted this sign was for traffic from the other direction and not visible from the point at which I turned. The photo convincingly argued otherwise.
I never held it against this cop that he wrote the ticket. That's his job. And traffic stops may easily lead authorities to criminals with outstanding warrants, contraband in their vehicle or foul play at hand. More power to him for pulling me over. I don't claim to be singled out or picked on. My beef was purely with the signage, and the judge wisely concurred that the beef was genuine.
Still, I don't know why this cop was so busy defending the ticket: what difference does it possibly make to him? It's not like an armed felon getting off the hook to menace the public. I suppose any cop in a courtroom sees his authority challenged, even when the defendant isn't disputing any of his actions. It takes some effort and magnanimity to say he was only doing his sworn duty.
Therefore I must admit a certain sense of satisfaction when he brooded out of the courtroom, defeated. Score one for justice, and against dogmatic prosecution.