I have a sibling that cheated on her husband and I have always had a difficult time understanding how we came from the same father. There are some of us that take a long time to recover and move along after a failed marriage or breakup. And there are others that move along very quickly to the next relationship. I simply never understood her.

Here's an article on that subject. Women Reveal What Drove Them To Cheat On Their Husbands

 

The Huffington Post by Brittany Wong Writer Sara Cornell never intended to have an extramarital affair, but before she knew it, she was deep in the throes of one. "It wasn't a specific, conscious, considered act," she told The Huffington Post. "I didn’t wake up one day and think, 'Hey, I think I’d like to have an affair.' It just happened -- which is probably very hard to comprehend if you haven’t actually been in the situation." Below, Cornell and seven other women explain what led them to cheat on their spouses. The Huffington Post

New Cholesterol Lower Drugs - Alirocumab (Praluent) & Evolocumab (Repatha)

It was announced today that that two new cholesterol lowering drugs, Alirocumab and Evolocumab that could be more effective than statins has been approved by an FDA Advisory Panel. The drugs could be approved for patients later this summer.

Here are the key points:

1. The drugs represent the most important new class of cholesterol-lowering medications since the first statin was approved in 1987. Seven statins are available in the United States including Zocor, Lipitor and Crestor. 
2. The new drugs are said to be a powerful new way of lowering bad cholesterol and that has profound implications in dealing with the burden of vascular disease which can lead to heart attacks and strokes. 
3. These new drugs don't case muscle pain and weakness that is experienced by 10% to 25% of those that take statins. 
4. Alirocumab and Evolcumab may lower LDL between 30 mg and 40 mg. 
5. These drug block a protein in the body called PCSK9, and are called PCSK9 inhibitors. The result is that the LDL receptors are available on the surface of the cells in the liver to take up LDL, clearing this bad form of cholesterol from the body. 
6. These new drugs would cost $7,000 to $12,0000 per year. Statins cost $48 to $7,000 per year. The out-of-pocket costs would depend on your insurance plan. 
7. Alirocumab and Evolocumab may have to be injected, rather than available as a pill. 

I started out taking Lipitor over 10 years ago and I certainly noticed the muscle pain and weakness in my legs. Lipitor also caused some liver issues. I have been on Crestor ever since without any known side-effects. Crestor comes off patent in July 2016 so it's interesting to see the associated costs of the new drugs. Reference CNN - New cholesterol-lowering drug clears step (June 9, 2015)

Attachment Pareting - My Sister Might Be One of These Moms

Attachment Parenting - Even my Sister

With Attachment Parenting in the News, I saw this mom on the Today Show this morning. To be honest, it creeps me out. When my nephews were growing up, I was always offended when Julie, my custodial-embattled sister contemplating a divorce allowed her young son to sleep in her bed for a very long time. Later, after the divorce, the child slept with her until he was twelve or thirteen. I don't really know what that was all about but it sounds like a form of Attachment Parenting or co-sleeping.

When her other son was say seven, he use to cry when his mother left town. In fact he use to throw a temper tantrum that he wanted his mom. I never really understood that either.

It also appeared to me that Jamie Lynne Grumet, didn't have many boundaries with her child. On the other hand, on the Today Show Television Set, even Nadya Suleman (Octo-Mom) didn't appear to have too many boundaries with her children -- and either did or does my sister.

My own personal opinion is that the Time Magazine Photo is and always will be creepy as well as this concept of Attachment Parenting. Time Magazine could have elected to blur the photo of this child's face and the mom could have not used her child in this manner by going on the Today Show, but that didn't happen.

Here are some links about this story:

Jamie Lynn Grumet's Official Blog  

Dr. Bill Sears Website on Attachment Parenting

If you haven't seen the video clip:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Sources:

Time Magazine

The Today Show

Attachment Parenting: The Man Who Remade Motherhood

Dr. Bill Sears drives some parents to extremes. Even they might be surprised by the roots of attachment parenting

Joanne Beauregard is nothing so much as she is a mother. When she and her husband had trouble conceiving, Joanne quit her job as an accountant to focus full time on getting pregnant. When she did, she chose to give birth at home, without pain medication. Then, for months, Beauregard sat on the couch in her Denver-area living room, nursing her infant from sunup to sundown. …

Elk Grove woman accused of embezzling from mother’s trust funds

An Elk Grove woman accused of embezzling more than $129,000 from her 85-year-old mother’s trust funds has been arrested by Rocklin police. Christine Ann Cooper, 62, as account trustee, allegedly embezzled the funds over a nine-year period, according to a Police Department news release. She is accused of writing checks to herself from the accounts and falsifying account statements to conceal the theft. Police said Cooper was arrested without incident Tuesday morning at her place of business in Sacramento. She was taken to the Placer County Jail in Auburn, where she was booked on suspicion of elder abuse/theft from an elder, embezzlement of more than $400 and forgery.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/crime/article23065596.html#storylink=cpy

Others Articles:

Is A Family Member Ripping Off Your Aging Parent (Forbes 04/22/2013)

The Ultimate Betrayal (Consumer Reports, 01/2013)

After Lying and Embezzling from her Mother's Estate, Daughter is Jailed by Jennifer King (2-2-2012)

Woman charged with trust fund embezzlement held on $25,000 by Brigitte Ruthman (10-2-2010)

Here is a list from Forbes Magazine of Warning Signs.

1. A family member becomes secretive about the parent’s finances

In this case, a long standing pattern of making Mom’s books available to all 3 siblings was altered. Carrie knew what Mom’s regular expenses were and what she spent every month. Mom is 87. When Carrie got excluded from online access to Mom’s accounts, it raised a red flag.

2. A family member lives with the parent and depends on the parent for financial support.

Carrie’s brother Jack lives with Mom. He has a job, but Mom pays all his bills. This has gone on for some time. Now, he’s using Mom’s credit card and he apparently doesn’t want Carrie to see what he’s spending. Sometimes this situation is a recipe for abuse because it’s just too easy to rip off the aging parent, who is vulnerable to manipulation.

3. A family member begins to isolate the aging parent from others.

When there is anyone blocking visits, restricting access of other family members to the elder, it’s another red flag. The potential abuser doesn’t want anyone looking too closely at what is going on and the method to avoid scrutiny is to keep the elder away from the other family members.

4. An adult child insists on being present when anyone else is with the aging parent.

This can be a sign that an adult child is threatening the aging parent if he/she talks about the financial manipulation that the elder knows is going on. If the elder has concerns, the abuser doesn’t want the aging parent to reveal this to anyone and may have frightened the elder into silence.

5. A family member has a substance abuse problem and has influence over an aging parent with memory problems.

Drug and alcohol dependency can make a liar out of just about anyone who has this issue. Memory impaired aging parents are “easy pickings” for money to support the dependency habit. The adult child or other relative uses the relationship with the elder to manipulate “loans” out of the elder and the elder forgets what happened or can’t make sense of it but says yes.

6. Sudden change in estate planning documents, particularly Durable Power of Attorney, Trustee or signatory on a bank or brokerage account.

Cognitive impairment begins subtly at first, but the elder is vulnerable to manipulation even in the earliest stages of dementia. When names on legal documents suddenly get added or removed, it is a suspicious sign, particularly if there is no obvious need to make such changes.

7. Kidnapping and moving the elder to an adult child’s home without notice to anyone or discussion with anyone else.