WEIRD IS WONDERFUL Many strange things confront us every day and challenge our beliefs. Take for instance, the idea that a full moon is connected with lunacy is as old as language. Actually, there's little or no evidence that the moon affects human activities. Myth: The moon's gravitation pull affects fluids in human cells, thus causing hormonal and other shifts. Fact: Astronomers and physicists see no merit to this. Myth: A full moon sends pregnant women into labor. Fact: No connection can be found between the lunar calendar and the time of the month that women give birth. Myth: The moon influences the weather, which may in turn influence human emotions. Fact: Even if the moon does influence the weather, there's no sorting out how weather may affect human emotions. Therefore, this idea is too broad for any realistic scientific evaluation. Myth: The full moon provokes bizarre behavior. Fact: Though many studies attempted to establish this link, most of them were not only small but full of research errors. Bizarre behavior does not depend on the moon. Myth: Homocides, suicides, and other types of violence occur during the full moon. Fact: A 1989 study found no relationship between the phases of the moon and admissions to an emergency room for assault, stab wounds, gunshot wounds, and other outcomes of violent crime. In Pittsburgh, and Youngstown, Ohio, and Washington, D.C. this past year, murders were committed on every day of the month, further discounting any connection between the moon's activities and human behavior. ABATE wants Pennsylvania to eliminate helmet laws in the Commonwealth. Okay, so making a motorcyclist wear a helmet may be a violation of the biker's right to choose. In 1992, California forced cyclists to wear helmets, and produced dramatic results. Helmet use rose from 48% to 98% during the first six months. The number of motorcycle injuries dropped 29%, and fatalities dropped 34% in the first year. Those are the facts. You've all heard that shellfish are high in cholesterol, and especially crab, scallops, mussels, clams, and lobster. The fact is that they are slightly lower in cholesterol than chicken or beef. Who would believe it? Weird things also fascinate us. Perhaps that's why so many people read the National Observer every week. You know, "Inquiring minds want to know." How about these for believe it or nots. Actually, I watched them one night on Jay Leno's show during one week's programming. These strange acts were not faked. I saw them myself if you want to believe that. Shawn Stevens, a North Hollywood GMC auto mechanic, swallowed a GMC truck oil dip stick that Jay Leno took from the mechanic's truck. Shawn wiped it off, stuck it all the way down his throat, and smiled as he pulled it all the way back out again. He did it for nothing, too. Eric Adams balanced his little poodle on his face. The dog stood on one foot on Adam's forehead and everyone in the audience went wild. I'm not sure who's talent was being showcased, but I'd like to have seen Adams balance on one hand on the dog's forehead. Now that would've been a trick. Amazing how many people convicted of crimes today are blaming what they have done on someone or something other than their own poor decision making. Fr. James Lutty of Johnstown, recently charged with sexually molesting children, said that drinking alcohol increased his desire to have sex with boys. Lutty said he did not have relationships with the young man who charged that he had abused him as a child. He did, now get this, admit that he did have relationships with the young man's brother. What's the difference, Father? If the sun is supposed to be bad for human skin, then how could anyone ever consider using a tanning booth or a sunlamp to induce a tan? A friend of mine wears a perpetual tan. She looks very attractive, even in January. The nice color in her face resulted in her developing some skin cancer that caused her to miss some work while she received treatments for her condition. Weird ideas are not new to this generation or this civilization. Knowledge does reduce myths to fact. Remember when studying history in school that people once believed the earth was flat. Guess what, an international organization still exists that believes just that. I believe it's called the "Flat Earth Society." Folks, it's 1994, and Columbus's been dead for almost 500 years. Maybe they don't read the National Enquirer or watch T.V. Oranges are the best source of vitamin C. Gong. Ounce for ounce, these foods contain more Vitamin C: peppers (especially red ones), kale, kiwi fruit, broccoli, arugula, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, papaya, strawberries, and red cabbage. Actually, the highest source of Vitamin C comes first from cantaloupe and secondly, from watermelon. Nothing creates more myths than dieting. Now, there is a growing uneasiness between weight-loss diets among dieters and obesity experts. This disillusionment peaked recently when the National Institute of Health issued the following conclusions: 1. About 90% of all dieters regain all or most of their lost weight within five years. Most regain all or most of their weight within three years. 2. Americans spend more than $30 billion a year on weight- control programs and products. Yet the percentage of overweight Americans has been growing during the past 20 years. 3. More than a third of American women and nearly a quarter of men are trying to lose weight at any given time. These people spent, on average, half of the last year involved in some weight-loss regimen. 4. Many "normal weight" or even underweight people, especially young women, are trying to lose weight. Remember Twiggi? 5. Repeated bouts of dieting and then regaining weight, called yo-yo dieting, increase the risk of heart disease and other health problems. These fluctuations may cause weight to be regained more quickly each time the regimen is implemented. 6. Liquid diets and other "very low calorie" commercial programs (less than 1,200 calories a day) pose potential health risks. They should be reserved only for the very obese and monitored by a physician. Well, there you have it. I'm sure more weird things will continue to assault us in the years to come. Separating myths from facts is one of the conditions of modern living. And we've not even discussed Clinton's Health Care Plan, Whitewater, or any of the myths that Washington produces day in and day out. Who ever said Hollywood had the monopoly on creativity? Did you hear that Olly North is running for Senator in Virginia...?