Acrylic Fingernails and Hairdressers - A Bad Combination

I've never been a big fan of artificial fingernails. Acrylic nails (in my opinion) cause too much damage to the real fingernail to be worth any visual improvement they might provide.

For some people the damage caused by acrylic nails can be more severe than for others. A good example is hairdressers, who can have nearly constant problems caused by the use of false nails. As part of their job, hair stylists hands get wet frequently. Once the fake nails get to be a week or so old the adhesive bonds can weaken, allowing water to get between the acrylic fingernails and the real nails. Once water is getting trapped in regularly the nails weaken even more, which can cause them to separate from the finger or develop a fungus.

So think twice before getting those artificial fingernails done again - You may think they look nice, but is it really worth the damage to your real nails?

Broken Fingernails and Bleeding Cuticles

I've been more than a tad reclusive again lately, having very little contact with anyone except family, clients and students. Lots happening, but mostly just keeping to myself and not writing much at all. I seem to do this from time to time when something big is coming up that will require a lot of my energy, effort, and clear thinking. (That plus getting worn down by all the construction/restoration work that's still going on outside right where my patio and tranquil garden used to be. Today they're removing our windows again to finish the installation.)

One thing I noticed was that just before becoming reclusive again, ALL my fingernails broke and the cuticles on most of them began bleeding. In hand analysis that's a strong indication of exhaustion, hypercritical thinking, and the need to take a break and "recharge the batteries". It also shows that effort is being wasted trying to hide the exhaustion from others - They see it easily anyway.

My fingernails kept breaking short until last week, and the bleeding cuticles are finally looking better. Sure enough, now I'm getting back to writing and socializing again.

Suggested Christmas Gifts Based on the Hands

I've been asked to do a few reporter and radio interviews lately on the topic of looking at someone's hands to suggest the best Christmas gifts for them - A fun little subject. The basic technique that anyone can do is to view the hand size (small or large) and firmness (hard or soft hands).

Large hard hands are quite competitive, driven, and detail-oriented, so they enjoy receiving new equipment for their favorite sport or hobby. Something to really improve their game or score, and give them a real edge over the competition.

Large soft hands are far less competitive, but still detail-oriented. They prefer getting the latest high-tech devices, so look towards electronic gadgets, computers, hardware or software.

Small hard hands need something practical and useful. Get them power tools, gardening tools, clothes, or car accessories.

Small soft hands like receiving things that help their social life or save them time. Things like home small appliances or cel phones go over well.

If the hands are medium length, then compare the finger length to palm length. If the fingers are longer than the palm, then go with the large hands gifts. If the fingers are smaller then the palm, then go with small hands suggestions. If the fingers and palm are about the same length, then consider the hand to be true medium size. Medium hands, hard or soft, like to socialize and just "do their own thing". These are the ones who prefer gift certificates from places they like to shop or eat at anyway.

Slow Replies to Email Questions

It has been an extremely busy few weeks (or months?) and despite extra effort, my email correspondence has quickly fallen way behind. After responding to many more today, I now have a backlog of 'only' 391 messages and questions left to answer.

How Many Fingers and Knuckles on the Human Hand?

A couple of common questions I get are "Do we have ten fingers or eight fingers and two thumbs?" and "Does a hand have 4 knuckles or 14 knuckles?"

In each case, both answers are considered correct.

Technically it is a bit more accurate to say that there are 8 fingers and 2 thumbs.

The word "knuckle" uses the same distinction in its definition, so each hand has EITHER:
4 fingers and 4 knuckles, OR
5 fingers and 14 knuckles.

Fewer Posts

I've decided to make posts on this blog less frequently. You already can get a good idea of my day-to-day life from the previous posts, so future topics will be more directly related to palmistry and the HumanHand.com website.

Fingerprints of Foster Parents

Last night I was reading palms at another event for foster parents, and once again noticed the same high occurrence of the double-loop thumb prints (also called double whorl ). About 25% of the hands I saw had at least one double-loop fingerprint on each hand, and a few people had it on 6 or more of the 10 fingers.

(Double Loop - Fingerprint image from Creative Chemistry - Fingerprinting)

It's really quite interesting to see how similar fingerprint patterns can be found on groups of people with shared interests or similar careers.

Where Does the Time Go?

Seems like the last blog post was just written yesterday. So much going on these days it's hard to keep up with it all. Then to top it all off the construction here has been terrible the past 3 days - We've had to keep going out to get away from the noise and vibration. This building renovation project is expected to continue through the Winter, but hopefully we'll have quieter days again.

Palmistry and Psychology

Palmistry and hand analysis can be closely tied to psychology in many ways. The Forer Effect and subjective validation are just 2 examples.

I have studied a "bit" of psychology previously, but now it's time to take it further and get some diplomas in the field. I'm enrolling first in a program on child psychology, then after that going on to adult psychology and councelling. The first course will be starting for me next month.

I don't expect my work with the hands will be well received there - In North America and much of Europe, psychologists and medical doctors tend to be among the most anti-palmistry of all occupations. Should prove interesting...

A Phone in the Palm of Your Hand

Check out this awesome new telephone design by Sunman Kwon. A wrist strap turns your hand and fingers into the input buttons.


More...

Hand Gestures Recognition Technology

New hand gesture recognition technology from Victor Company of Japan Ltd. now makes it possible to control the television without a remote.

Tech-On!: Victor Company of Japan Ltd. (JVC) demonstrated a "handclap & gesture recognition TV" at CEATEC Japan 2007, which opened Oct. 2, 2007.

In the demonstration, the company operated the TV using its capability to sense the sound of handclaps and the gesture of a hand and fingers. The TV collects the sound of handclaps using the microphone on its top and distinguishes commands based on the timing and number of handclaps.

The TV detects hand gestures in the video being monitored with its camera and lets the user specify an icon by locating the hand on it and click an icon by bending and extending a finger.

As the TV recognizes a hand based on its shape, other things like sticks are not detected. If multiple hands are detected, the TV will give priority to the one at upper right.

Good thing this technology is not commercially available - Just imagine 2 or 3 kids each wanting to watch a different show...

Laws Regarding Palmistry

Palmistry is one of those grey areas when it comes to its governing laws and regulations in most countries. Normally it's the municipal laws and by-laws that you really have to look at. To read palms in one city may require nothing - Not even a business license. In another area you might need a business license and then have to make applications for additional permits as well, all prior to doing any paid palmistry work.

For example, in Santa Barbara California you have to look at Chapter 5.40 of their municipal code. There you'll find that palmistry is specifically listed as one of the "fortunetelling" practices that requires an "appropriate business tax".

The Santa Barbara Independent: We’ve all seen the signs for Madam Rosinka’s fortunetelling businesses, but other than that, we’re no Salem. Or so it seemed before reading Chapter 5.40 of the Santa Barbara Municipal Code.

Not that such practices are discouraged — rather, they’re perfectly permissible, so long as the magician pays the appropriate business tax. Among the professions for which a permit is required are astrology, palmistry, phrenology, life reading, fortunetelling, cartomancy, crystal gazing, and clairvoyance. You think that’s a comprehensive list? No. There’s also clairaudience, magic, necromancy, psychism, psychometry, mind reading, mental telepathy, automatic writing, spirit writing, trance mediumship, and sandgazing. If you’re reading this and asking, how could they have forgotten potion making in this list, rest assured — they didn’t. They also included materialization, ballot reading, conducting trumpet séances, prophecy, augury, divination, and the making of “magic articles.”

For anyone considering palmistry as a profession, it's just one more example of why you need to carefully check out the laws and licensing requirements in your exact area ahead of time.

Caught a Virus

Somehow wound up with a worm virus in my computer. Don't know yet how it got there in the first place, or how much damage it did before it was caught and repaired. So far everything is back and seems to be working fine (knock on wood)...

Fingernail Moons and Driving Habits

Your bad driving habits may be hurting you more than you realize - Perhaps doing as much harm as smoking 2 packs of cigarettes per day.

Take a look at your fingernails. In palmistry the "moons" at the base of each nail show how well blood and oxygen are circulating through your body. Too large of moons reveals excessive action of the heart (such as high blood pressure), while fingernail moons that are too small show weaker heart action and potential circulatory problems.

More and more I have been encountering very small fingernail moons on physically fit, active, and relatively healthy individuals. Sometimes these small moons can be attributed to carbon monoxide exposure from regular jogging along busy streets, or from smoking cigarettes. Yet in so many cases there seemed to be nothing in the lifestyle that would cause circulatory problems.

Well, today I drove on the freeway in rush hour traffic - Something I almost never do anymore. It quickly became pretty obvious where many people are getting their excessive carbon monoxide exposure. Just take a look at how close some drivers stay behind the car in front of them. If you don't leave enough space between you and the car ahead of you (especially in slow or stopped traffic), you may as well just put your mouth around a tailpipe and suck the exhaust straight in that way.

So there's one more reason to develop good driving habits - Follow too close and it's as if everyone in your car (children included) is chain-smoking cigarettes the whole time you're behind the wheel.

Simian Line Forum Changes

There have been some changes to the Simian Line Forum.

Registration is no longer automated - Due to repeated abuse of the forum I'm now handling all new registrations personally. (It takes me far less time to individually register each new member than it does to remove the inappropriate members twice a day...) To register just send an email to ken [at] humanhand.com along with the member name and email address you wish to use.

New comments from holistic medical doctor Huy Hoang have also been posted.

Palmistry on BlogShares

BlogShares is a fantasy stock market for blogs. I've been playing the game for 1 month now, and my overall ranking is up to #132.

Although BlogShares is just a game, a nice thing about it is that their search results have far less spam and obsolete blogs than just about any other large index. For example, searching for Palmistry on BlogShares now shows only 2 results - This Palmistry and Hand Analysis blog and one other about PDA's.

Another Day of Work Disruptions

Construction noise here almost non-stop today as the remaining outer walls were removed. This is the view out our patio window onto what used to be a tranquil nature scene:

At least I was gone out for most of the morning teaching tai chi...

Featured Hand Analyst for Autumn 2007

For several years I've been selecting featured palm readers and posting their names on the International Directory of Professional Hand Analysts (The Palmistry Directory). Featured for Autumn 2007 is Edward Campbell, for his continuing work on hand analysis and biometrics. His IBMBS 2007 Conference took place on August 19-21 in Budapest, Hungary.

More Palmistry Questions - Back to Work

Next time I take time off from computer work, I'll have to take some actual time off as well. Quite a few palmistry and other hand related questions kept me busy, not to mention regular work also. Here's a few of the interesting questions:

Q: When I close my hand and try to re-open the large finger on each hand remains locked at the knuckle. I can open up by using extra pressure. Is there a cure for this?

A: That sounds like a condition called "Dupuytren’s contracture". You can find some expert information on this at these 2 links:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/dupuytrens-contracture/DS00732
http://www.eatonhand.com/hw/hw009.htm

Q: There is fungus under my thumbnail and although it's receding, the bottom of my nail on one side is loose. I suppose I will lose the nail but want to know how to remove it properly.

A: A doctor is best equipped for doing nail removals, especially since you are also dealing with a fungus. If you absolutely must treat it yourself, the best option is usually keeping the thumbnail cut short and let the loose part grow out on its own. It may take several months for the nail to come off on its own, but then there is usually another nail already growing in its place.

Q: I recently went to get my palm read, is it okay to share the details with family and friends?

A: In most cases it is perfectly fine to share with others the info you receive from a palm reading. If anything seems too personal to you, just keep that part to yourself.

If you were specifically told by a palm reader to not share with others anything they told you, I would be very suspicious of their motives and abilities. Some palmists give everyone almost exactly the same reading...

Taking Some Time Off

I'll be taking some well-earned time off for the next couple of weeks. Answers to email questions and other correspondence will get done after I'm back to work.

Simian Line Forum Cleanup

I went through the Simian Line Forum today and cleared out all the inactive members - More than 130 members were removed, along with 1 inappropriate post.

If you haven't been to the forum lately, you will want to take another look.

Palmistry on Technorati

Technorati is one of the larger blog directories, and is used by some as a reference on blog popularity. Unfortunately, when comes to searching for palmistry blogs and posts, they are woefully lacking.

Technorati shows 30 blogs and 1588 posts about palmistry. Problem is that most of them are straight blog spam - The exact same 1 page content on each blog and nothing more. Then these spam blogs link to each other, which according to Technorati gives them "authority".

Hopefully Technorati will follow some of Google's example, and take strong steps to eliminate the rampant blog spam found there now.

Blog Stock Market

I found something great called "The Fantasy Blog Stock Market". Basically it's just what it sounds like - Blogs are treated like corporations, with their "shares" being bought and sold.

I stumbled onto this website by chance yesterday, and signed up as a free member right away. New members are given $500 of BlogShares cash, which can be used to buy shares and start building their empire. I must admit that I've probably spent too much time playing on this site already, but my $500 from yesterday is now sitting at a net worth of about $8.5 billion!

If you write your own blog, then you've definitely got to sign up. Your blog gets assigned a cash value and your shares start at $0.20 each. (All in BlogShares money of course.) Right now this blog is valued at $0, because it is still waiting to be indexed. Can hardly wait to see how high I can drive the price up, or maybe make it crash...

One warning - BlogShares can be addictive. There's a huge learning curve at the start, but it's fun enough to be well worth it. Click this link and start your own BlogShares empire!

The Biggest Palmistry Blog

Today is post number 100, making this by far the biggest palmistry and hand analysis related blog in all the blogosphere. (Well, at least in English - There may be larger palmistry blogs in a different language that I haven't found yet.)

So what's next? I expect there'll be a palmistry tutorial coming soon enough, perhaps using someone's hand images and analyzing them step-by-step. (Any volunteers that want to have their hands analyzed here?)

Before I can started on the tutorial, though, there are still many website updates to be done. So until then you'll have to settle for the beginners palmistry guide that's already on the website here.

A Good Handshake Opens Doors

Here's a great conceptual design by Naomi Thellier de Poncheville called the "Hand-le" - It's a doorknob shaped like a human hand. I'll install them here myself if they ever hit the mass market. Seems like it would be a problem for anyone who was left-handed, but other than that it looks great. Click here to see it for yourself.

Painted Hands

You may have recently seen pictures of hands painted to look like various animals. Most blogs posts and websites I've seen that reprinted these painted hands give no credit or mention the artist. I finally found out that the original artist was Guido Daniele.

You've got to see his painted hands to believe it:
Leopard - Cat - Dog - Cat #2 - Elephant

Working From Home

Days like today sure make me appreciate being able to work from home. It's been one of the first quiet days here in awhile, with the construction noise mostly just on the far side of the building. A perfect day to catch up on a slew of emails, relax, and spend time with family.

If things stay this quiet, I'll be able to start doing daytime hand analysis readings at home again!

How Much Do Hands Move?

Almost a month ago I received an email asking "What percentage of the day do humans use their hands?" The question stumped me at the time, and has had me pondering it ever since.

I suppose the best answer is that humans use their hands all the time - 100% of the day. Even when the hands are not in motion, they can still be seen holding a position that reflects what is happening in the person's mind. When the thoughts and emotions (and the nervous system) change, so does the natural hand position. Every finger twitch tells a tale, and even in sleep the hands can move.

The Handman Podcast Ending

Think I'll have to officially end The Handman Podcast or put it on hold for awhile. It's no problem recording them, but the rest of it takes me way too long. I already have a few episodes that were completely recorded but still have to be edited and uploaded - My time can be much better spent on other tasks.

Tai Chi Classes in September

Looks like I'll be teaching a couple more tai chi classes in Surrey starting in September - One at Fraser Heights and the other at Guildford. Each class is limited to 20 people, so it should be quite enjoyable for everyone.

Out of all the different tai chi forms and styles, my favorite is still by far "Single Moon Ascending to Heaven Tai Chi Chuan". It moves so much more internal energy through the palms than other styles do.

Free Palmistry Readings Offer Now On Hold

Some deals are too good to last, and Steven Galarnyk's generous offer for free palmistry readings has just been put on hold indefinitely. In an email to me today he wrote:

"I'm going to have to stop giving out free readings. I simply cannot provide decent readings with so many different requests coming in. I'll eventually start giving out readings again but for the time being I must put the offer on hold indefinitely. Those who have already submitted their prints to me will eventually get a reading in their email but only if they have already met the requirements. I'm currently busy trying to catch up on all the different readings but with more and more requests coming in I simply do not have the time to address all the emails."

So for now Steven's offer is on hold. I'll be sure to post when/if his offer starts again, and any other new ones I can find.

Splitting Fingernails

I get a lot of questions about fingernail conditions. Here's an example from yesterday:

"I have never had strong nails, they are thin and split easily. But the past 5 years my thumb nails are forming a ridge down the center and then they break open and split apart. Then they grow out and the process starts all over again. They seem to be worse in the summer. I am 56 and healthy, I get a check up every year and have bone density test when my doctor recommends it. This condition is not only ugly but very painful when the nail splits open down the center. I have to keep the nail trimmed very short. Can you give me any reason for this, and what can I do or what can I take to prevent it or lesson it."

Vertically splitting fingernails almost always indicate a lack of calcium, whether through inadequate diet or poor absorption. Maintaining sufficient calcium levels within the body eliminates the vertical splits.

The thumb nail takes about 9 months to grow out from the base to tip. If the split goes all the way to the cuticle, then it would take 9 months of continued calcium supplements to correct.

Alcohol and caffeine deplete calcium from the body, so intake should be reduced or eliminated.

Calcium needs to be taken twice per day to maintain sufficient levels. You can do things like have a piece of cheese in the morning, and a calcium supplement at night. (Or just make sure that both your breakfast and dinner contain foods high in calcium.)

Calcium also needs an acidic stomach to be properly digested and absorbed. Antacids should be avoided, even if they contain added calcium.

Vitamin D is also necessary to absorb calcium, either through sunlight or when added to foods (like milk).

The best calcium supplement I have found so far is "Mega Cal high absorption calcium", 650mg soft-chews by Jamieson.

Malformed Thumbs

The fire department was out here on Saturday night to assist our neighbor who lives 2 doors down. He is severely disabled mentally, and due to a problem with his front door an assisted living support worker could not get in to help him.

I've noticed his thumbs on a few occasions - They are very poorly formed and low-set on his hands, which is common for someone with such a severe disability. In fact, his malformed thumbs were probably one of the earliest signs of his condition when he was first born.

Intuitive Life Coach

It was suggested to me yesterday that I should not call myself a hand analyst or palm reader because that doesn't completely describe what I do, nor is it accurate enough. I was told that a much better description might be "Life Coach", or "Intuitive Life Coach".

When I do a private session with a client, or even the short readings at corporate events, my focus is not the typical palmistry hand readings. I examine both hands carefully to assess the person's natural talents and traits, and to see what areas are currently identified as difficulties, problems or limitations. (The "negative" or "bad" markings.) These problem areas can show as almost anything - Cuts and scrapes, faded fingerprints, fingernail problems, palm lines, etc. It's different for every set of hands, and the problems indicated change over time.

Next comes evaluating and comparing all the different problem areas to narrow it down to 1 or 2 "root causes". Most of the other issues and difficulties can be seen stemming from this root cause. It's like a knocking over a row of dominoes - You can either push them over one at a time (treating symptoms instead of the cause), or you can tip over just the first and let them all go down one after the other (dealing with the cause and let the symptoms disappear on their own).

Finally, I make suggestions or recommendations on how to directly deal with the root cause in the most efficient way possible - Their maximum gain from minimum effort. Sometimes it's a major issue that needs to be tackled head-on, other times it can be something as simple as reducing the intensity of exercise or doing a bit of basic meditation.

This can all be done in just a few minutes per person, which is how most corporate events go. A private session last much longer, of course, and usually includes palmar massage with directed energy work to make handling the root cause(s) much quicker and easier.

It goes way beyond just hand analysis as well. With each reading I also draw on my experience in meditation, martial arts, shamanism, hand gestures, and other metaphysical fields.

So it's probably correct that a better description of what I do is "Intuitive Life Coach". Time to think about getting some new business cards...

Sciences of Palmistry Are Garbage?

Have you heard yet about the tragic (and ongoing) story of palm reader and author Andrew Fitzherbert, who was convicted of murder based solely on questionable DNA evidence? The prosecutor even mentioned "the garbage bin of the sciences of palmistry".

Online Opinion: In August 1999, palm reader Andrew Fitzherbert was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Brisbane veterinarian Kathleen Marshall, 52.

Fitzherbert, then aged 49, had no criminal record and those who knew him described him as a pacifist. An acclaimed palm reader, with three books on palmistry published, he did readings from his home.

The hearing began in July 1999 in the Brisbane Supreme Court. The cornerstone of the defence was DNA evidence given by Ken Cox, a forensic biologist from a laboratory with a history of errors.

Fitzherbert had a rock solid alibi. If the evidence of the alibi witnesses was to be accepted, there was simply no opportunity for the accused to commit the murder, and what was conspicuously absent was a motive.

Prosecutor Paul Rutledge described the DNA evidence as going “cleanly, directly to the heart of the matter”, and said Fitzherbert was a liar, reminding the jury they’d been given the “expert evidence” of a scientist compared to the “garbage bin of the sciences of palmistry”.

However, Bond University’s Chair of Criminology Professor Paul Wilson points out that DNA evidence is not infallible, as most people think. “Forensic Science is part art, part science. It’s very, very dangerous to convict purely on forensic science evidence and even with DNA evidence there can be problems. How DNA is collected, transported, stored, analysed, interpreted can lead to errors and miscarriages of justice.”

Fitzherbert’s lawyer, Laura-Leigh Cameron-Dow says. “Ken Cox included test results in his analysis that shouldn’t have been recognised in court as reliable. The defence didn’t query Cox as to whether the results received from samples were strong enough to be recorded as positives under scientific guidelines established for use of DNA evidence in the courtroom.”

Fitzherbert appealed his conviction in March 2000 and acted for himself. He was unsuccessful.

Fitzherbert had the right to retest the blood samples at the government’s expense at the time of his trial and at his appeal, but was not made aware of that right. Since 2003, Cameron-Dow has made several requests to the Queensland Attorney-General to release crime scene samples for testing.

Attorney-General Kerry Shine said he wouldn’t allow further testing as all items had been tested, and there was nothing wrong with the DNA testing method. Cameron-Dow claims not all items were tested and Cox admitted this.

Read the full article by Mary Garden

Sounds to me like it was more of a persecution than a prosecution. So why wasn't more done then, and what can be done now?

Free Palmistry Reading Update

Steven Galarnyk is still offering free palmistry readings, but there are now a few requirements if you'd like him to to read your hands.

Steven says: "If you are going to ask me for a palm reading please tell me a bit about yourself and your experience with palmistry (none is fantastic!). In addition if you would like to know about what your future MAY hold I require your age and your permission to tell you if you want to know what your future MAY hold. Please be patient about your readings as they are free. I'm working hard and for free. I also require that you give me YOUR WORD that you will tell me percisely how accurate I was in the reading. I REQUIRE this because I wish to grow in the skill."

Send your hand images and info to JohnnyFett@hotmail.com

Price Increase

I will soon be increasing my rates for private hand readings and corporate events, and also eliminating the 2 hour minimum for outcall. This means that individuals can finally get a full session from me at their own homes and hotel rooms, without needing to have another person booked as well.

Website Work Day

A full day of work on website updates and content revisions, and still another couple of day's worth to go. At least there's no renovation noise here today!

Free Palmistry Reading From a Real Person

Steven Galarnyk is one of the youngest people to complete a Palmistry International course. He is now offering free palmistry readings to everyone who asks.

An offer like this is unlikely to last for long, so request your free reading now or you'll probably miss out. Send your palm image(s) to him at JohnnyFett@hotmail.com.

Click here for a list of other sites that also offer free palmistry readings.

Update on Meditation Hand Positions eBook

Some new additions have been put into the eBook Power Meditations: Using Meditation to Increase Mental Power. The webpage writeup has also been improved to better describe the book, and to explain why specific hand positions are so important in meditation.

Update on Work Disruptions

Plenty of noise and disruptions today - Hammering and vibrations as workmen replace more rotten wood. These pictures may give you an idea of what it's like here right now.

Our patio and back door from the outside - That trench is 4 feet deep.

Looking out at what used to be my tranquil nature scene.

USA and the Middle Finger

This one is a couple of years old, but perhaps even more true today. It's Indra Nooyi's remarks that caused a bit of a stir in 2005.

BusinessWeek:
"As I grew up and started to study geography, I remember being told that the five fingers can be thought of as the five major continents: Europe, Asia, Africa, and North and South America.

• Think of the little finger as Africa. Africa is the little finger not because of Africa's size, but because of its place on the world's stage. From an economic standpoint, Africa has yet to catch up with her sister continents. And yet, when our little finger hurts, it affects the whole hand.
• Our thumb is Asia: strong, powerful, and ready to assert herself as a major player on the world's economic stage.
• Our index, or pointer finger, is Europe. Europe is the cradle of democracy and pointed the way for western civilization and the laws we use in conducting global business.
• The ring finger is South America, including Latin America. The ring finger symbolizes love and commitment to another person.
• The long middle finger for North America and the United States. As the longest of the fingers, it really stands out. The middle finger anchors every function that the hand performs and is the key to all of the fingers working together efficiently and effectively.

However, if used inappropriately -- just like the U.S. itself -- the middle finger can convey a negative message and get us in trouble. You know what I'm talking about.

Unfortunately, I think this is how the rest of the world looks at the U.S. right now. Not as part of the hand -- giving strength and purpose to the rest of the fingers -- but, instead, scratching our nose and sending a far different signal."

Not really correct as far as hand analysis interpretations, but I think I'd agree with the bit about the middle finger's signal right now...

New Addition for Blog

I found something new for blogs (well, new for me anyway) called payperpost - It's allows a blogger to write about specific topics at an advertiser's request. Some bloggers are using it to earn a bit of extra money in their spare time. I thought I'd give it a try also - For me it gives new topics or subject ideas to write about.

When I look at payperpost it seems like a good way to optimize this blog and write about a wider variety of topics that relate to the hands. It took a bit of time to go through the setup and learn the requirements, but then is easy enough to use.

Advertisers are able to set minimum requirements for a blogger who posts on their requested topics - They can insist on a minimum page rang and alexa rank, as well as relying on feedback from other advertisers. All in all it seems like a great option to get highly targeted traffic - A bit expensive perhaps, but looks well worth it. Even if I don't keep using payperpost for blog topics, I'll probably start with it as an advertiser.

Any time the posts on this blog are with payperpost, you'll see a "Sponsored by PayPerPost" button at the bottom. That way you'll know which posts were paid topics.

Fortune Telling May Become Legal in Casper

While some cities are beginning to crack down on fortune telling, the 1929 law banning it in Casper, Wyoming may be getting repealed.

ABC Local News 8: The Casper ordinance banning fortunetelling for profit dates to 1929. Shop owner Nella Forest says so far, no one has arrested her -- or anyone else she knows -- for fortunetelling.

She says if a law's not being enforced, it needs to be taken off the books.

Forest also is a Wiccan, and says the law demeans her beliefs and feels like "discrimination."

The City Council has agreed to look into repealing the ordinance.

Animal Hands - Ostrich Feet

It can be fascinating to observe animals' hands and paws, and then apply palmistry and hand analysis interpretations to the characteristics. The shape, size and structure of the hands/paws/feet may give some insight into how each animal lives and thinks.

When my daughter and I went to the zoo on Wednesday I was looking at animal paws, and couldn't help but notice that the ostriches had only 2 toes. Apparently they are the only bird with just 2 toes (and also the fastest land animal on 2 feet). An ostrich's feet look as if the inner toe was cut off - For a bird, where the thumb would be. No thumbs would indicate a serious lack of intellect, and according to the zoo ostriches are perhaps the dumbest bird of all. (Their brain is even smaller than one of their eyes.)

Environmental Disaster Close to Home

A river of crude oil came from a ruptured pipeline here in Burnaby just a few hours ago, and the oil is flowing into the Burrard Inlet. (I live in Burnaby a few miles away from where it occurred.)

CanWest News Service
Published: Tuesday, July 24, 2007

BURNABY, B.C. — A ruptured pipeline under a Burnaby highway sent thousands of litres of oil into Vancouver’s Burrard Inlet Tuesday afternoon.

Several eyewitnesses reported seeing the oil spray some 20 metres into the air, then flow as a "river" of oil pouring down into the ocean inlet that separates Vancouver and its suburbs from North Vancouver.

At least one home appeared to be covered in crude oil.

The oil was gushing for nearly half an hour before crews were able to stop the flow.

Already there are predictions of a significant environmental disaster.

I'll have to see if they're going to need cleanup volunteers.

Palmistry Books - Don't Believe Everything You Read

One of the biggest problems in getting palmistry more recognized and established as a science rather than a pseudoscience is due to book publishers, the content they select for publication, and their methods of promotion. A lot of questionable content is readily available on the market, and being promoted quite effectively.

Book publishers are concerned with what they can sell, not with ensuring accuracy of all printed material. This means that as long as they can move enough copies it really doesn't matter to them whether or not the content is truly accurate, or just more examples of the Forer Effect and subjective validation passed off as fact.

For example, I received an email from a book publisher promoting a newly revised palmistry book. (Times have sure changed - Publishers used to send me free copies...) Their email and press release state that it's a "book regarded as the standard in the art of palmistry" and "widely regarded as the definitive guide to palmistry". Well, I suppose those quotes are true inside their own publishing house at least!

Submitting Blog to Directories

I got so caught up with writing this blog that I forgot the part about getting it listed in directories. A lot of work finding them and then submitting, but at least I found Robin Good's list of blog directories. Should take me a couple of weeks to get through that list.

Fingerprint Loops May Not Relate to Alzheimer's

From time to time I get questions from people who are very concerned that they have 10 ulnar loops on their fingerprints, and they have heard that 8 or more loops shows a risk for Alzheimer's. This bit of misinformation originates from the Arch Neurol, Vol. 42, No. 1. (January 1985), pp. 50-54.

"Fingerprint dermatoglyphic patterns in 50 patients with presumed senile dementia of the Alzheimer type (SDAT) were compared with a control group of 50 patients with other neurologic diseases and with population norms. Patients with SDAT showed a significantly increased frequency of ulnar loops on their fingertips and a concomitantly decreased frequency of whorls and arches. A pattern of eight or more ulnar loops was found significantly more often in patients with SDAT (72%) than in the control group (26%). Fourteen patients with SDAT had ulnar loops on all ten fingers; this occurred in four patients in the control group. Radial loops on the fourth and fifth digits were more prevalent in patients with SDAT."

I have several problems with this study.

1. The study used only 100 people total - 50 in the Alzheimer's group and 50 in the control group with other neurological diseases and with population norms. The results cannot be considered statistically accurate with such a small group until the same results are duplicated with further test groups.


2. According to the Avdeychik/Lagerstrom fingerprint coding system (which compares fingerprint combinations of more than 50,000 individuals) a radial loop on only the 4th and 5th digits is coded as R:4/X or R:X/4 (X can be any number). This shows a definite congenital health anomaly, regardless of what the other fingerprint patterns are - The ulnar loops are irrelevant.


3. Fingerprint whorls show an elevated risk for heart attack (myocardial infarction) but loops do not. Heart attacks are a risk at a much younger age than Alzheimer's, so some of the people with whorled prints die before they can develop senile dementia. This means that there would naturally be a higher occurrence of ulnar loops among the elderly.


4. With the human body, it's a matter of "use it or lose it". Just as with the muscles, the brain will lose efficiency if it's not used enough. People with whorled prints are more focussed and driven in their own specific areas of interest, so they tend to keep challenging their mind well into old age much more than people with ulnar loops.

For the reasons stated above, simply having 10 ulnar looped fingerprints DOES NOT appear to indicate much of a heightened risk for Alzheimer's, and even that risk is minimized by continuing to challenge the brain.

Work Disruptions Continue

It's amazing how quickly noise sensitivity developed from the renovations happening to our home. The outer stucco and walls had to be completely removed, and about the only way to do that is with a circular saw, hammer and crowbar. The noise and vibration inside have been rather intense this week - Even when it's quiet while the workers take a break, it's like waiting for the other shoe to drop.

I'm so glad for the meditation training I've done - Can't even imagine how I could have continued working during this noise otherwise. (Surprisingly, my hands are still very steady while the construction goes on, with no tremors or finger twitches.) It will certainly be nice when the renovation work is all finished.

Hand Transplants - Bionic Hand Improvements

David Gow set another milestone in hand transplants with his latest refinements to his bionic hand design - Now the fingers bend just like on a real hand. (David Gow is the same person mentioned in my "Hand Transplant Options" article of November 2000.)

BBC News: Milestone for unique bionic hand

The thumb and fingers can move and grip just like a human hand and are controlled by the patient's mind and muscles.

It was invented by David Gow and was designed and built by Touch Bionics, which is based in Livingston.

The technology has been tested by a number of people, including US soldiers who lost limbs in the Iraq war.

Mr Gow, who is the director of rehabilitation engineering services at NHS Lothian, told the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme: "It's the first hand to come to the market that's actually had bending fingers just like your own hand."

It is hoped that this bionic hand design will be available on the health service within 2-5 years.

Nominated for Bloggers Choice Awards

Palmistry and Hand Analysis is nominated for the Bloggers Choice Awards in 4 categories:



Show your support and cast your vote - Remember to vote for this blog in all 4 categories!

Blog Directory

Hand Positions to Amplify Meditation Effectiveness

One of the most overlooked parts of meditation is how to use specific hand positions to amplify the potency and effectiveness. You can't be curled up in fetal position hyperventilating and meditate well - Your body posture and breathing must be correct. In just the same way, you can't get the full benefit of a meditation unless you use a complementary hand position.

Hand positions are especially effective with meditations specific for increasing psychic powers or mental control - http://www.humanhand.com/ebooks/powermeditations.html

palmistrymeditationpsychichands

Website Outage Today

The HumanHand.com website and simian line forum are currently unavailable due to a server issue. At this time it is still unknown how long the outage will last.

Whatever Happened to Merlinscope?

One of the first palmistry software programs I ever saw was called "Merlinscope" - It was a large photocopy machine connected to basic hand analysis software, and located in several shopping malls. It came out in 1987, and was run by Merlin Systems Ltd. You made a copy of the left palm for men, or the right palm for women, and for about $25 you got back a printed 5 paragraph analysis. I still have the analysis done for myself and my wife from back before we were married.

Even today when I read over my Merlinscope analysis, it still seems uncannily accurate. Better, in fact, than any other palmistry software I've seen since. Some of the details could perhaps be attributed to the Forer Effect. Most people received very similar content to each other in their reports, but not me. Here are a few pieces from my analysis:

"...able to work out simple solutions to very complicated problems."

"...enables you to make new discoveries"

"...rather impatient and rebellious"

"...the opposite sex fails to understand you"

"...willing to sacrifice your personal wealth and career for the sake of love"

"...you have your own way of thinking and this baffles others"

"...others may consider your behaviour rather odd"

"...your talent is yet to be discovered"

Pretty much sums me up. I haven't seen a Merlinscope booth for years - Too bad. Anyone know if the're still around somewhere?

Itching Palms and Money

There's an old superstition that when your palms itch it means money. An itching left palm means money to be paid out, while an itching right palm is money coming in. To stop the left palm from itching, the superstition says to rub the palm on a piece of wood.

There may be something to this old tale, since itching palms often show new internal energy moving through the hands. The left hand is the passive or receptive, and the right is the active. When the left palm itches, look for new energy or services coming into your life - Of course this will probably cost you some money. The right palm itching means energy or services going out - Work you might get paid for.

Touching or rubbing wood is a very old method for transferring or releasing unwanted energy buildup (thus expressions like "touch wood"), so if your left palm itches, try rubbing it on the corner of a table - If you don't get a splinter, perhaps you'll save some money!

eBooks Section Added to Website

Finished the new eBooks section on the website. Now you can download eBooks and check for updates all on 1 page. http://www.humanhand.com/ebooks

Still have to link it in on the website, but at least the new section is done.

Work Disruptions

Our building restoration work is continuing, and starting today the noise level became disruptive. Some heavy equipment and scaffolding being set up outside. Unfortunately the noise is far too loud to be able to do any private hand analysis here, and the project will continue for the rest of the year.

I've had to cancel all my private readings scheduled for weekdays and Saturdays, and rebook them to just Sundays. Quite the hassle...

Website Work

More website work today. I'm putting together a new page for all the different eBooks, with download instructions and when they were last updated - Everything all in one place. Lots of work, but hopefully it can be finished in the next day or 2.

My Dad's Hands

Dad's 70 birthday was yesterday - We had tons of fun celebrating this milestone.

Take a close look at the picture and you'll see how my fascination with the hands all started.

Palmistry on MySpace

I finally got onto MySpace awhile ago in order to comment on a couple of blog posts there. Unlike FaceBook, palmistry is a common enough topic on MySpace where a search shows more than 2,300 results. Unfortunately, most of those pages have almost no good information whatsoever. There's a lot of blog spam and cheap promoting, and plenty of plagiarism. And page after page has ideas and teachings that are just plain wacko.

After getting onto MySpace, I quickly received 2 messages from people I don't know - Both were spam.

I certainly would not recommend MySpace as a way of finding any reliable information on palmistry, or for connecting with people interested in the art. See you on FaceBook instead!

Dad's 70th Birthday

My dad was the one who sparked my lifetime fascination with the hands. He'll be 70 years old tomorrow. It will also be my 16th wedding anniversary.

Happy Birthday Dad!
Happy Anniversary Frances!

Busier and Busier

I take great satisfaction in doing all my website and email work myself. Lately, however, the workload has been getting way too big to manage. Even with long work days I still currently have a backlog of roughly 60 emails in my inbox that need to be answered (with more coming in each day), not to mention the website updates that have to be taken care of, course students, private readings and corporate events.

Looks like pretty soon I'll have to give in and hire an assistant.

Power Meditations eBook

Finished up another new eBook - This one's called "Power Meditations: Using Meditation to Increase Mental Power". It covers different meditation techniques and the hand positions used to get maximum benefit. It can be downloaded from http://www.humanhand.com/ebooks/MentalPower.exe

This one is NOT a free eBook, but I am giving away copies to the first 5 people who add a comment to this blog post. Just post your comment then email me at ken@humanhand.com and I'll send you the codes you'll need to open this eBook.

Simian Line Comments From Richard Unger

Richard Unger of HandAnalysis.net sent me some notes and opinions about the simian line. You can read his comments or join in the discussion on the forum: http://forum.humanhand.com/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=17

Handy Information

Found a neat little collection of "handy" info today. I haven't checked it all for accuracy, but it's still a good read. It's posted in Avoid Smoking, Death only comes sooner. Here's an excerpt:

"Each hand contains (plus or minus... everyone is different, and everyone counts these things differently...)
29 major and minor bones (many people have a few more).
29 major joints.
At least 123 named ligaments.

White children are four times more likely than black children to be born with webbed fingers.

Almost 90 per cent of women and 80 per cent of men in the age group 75-79 years have x-ray evidence of osteoarthritis in their hands"

I was taught that there were 27 bones in the hand, but it's still a fascinating page to read through.

More Palmistry Plagiarism

The palmistry scams page has another new member - www.astropalmistry.com.pk

Much of his website content is plagiarized from various sources, with entire pages copied directly from www.cheirology.net

The most amusing part about this plagiarist is that in the fine print at the bottom of his front page you see his copyright statement:

"It is difficult to tell where one person's observations, theories and rules leave off and another's starts, so I don't lay claim to any of this palmistry material as fully my own, because I think it is universal truth and I am just reporting it as I learned it from others and my research results."

Ummm, when you copy a full web page and reprint it on your own site without permission, it's pretty easy to tell "where one person's observations leave off". As for "reporting universal truth" without citing sources - That's got to be the worst excuse for blatant plagiarism I've ever heard.

Palmistry "Travel Lines"

Today I was asked the question: "Does the absence of a travel line necesarily indicate that the subject will not make any long travels in his life time?" My answer may not sit well with many people.

The horizontal lines on the percussion side of the hand (mounts of Luna and Mars negative) are called "travel lines" in some traditional palmistry systems. In my experience these lines have very little to do with travel, and relate more to allergies, addictions, and other health issues. Lines branching from the life line are a more reliable indication of travel.

Note also that when the life line ends at the mount of luna (shaped like an "S" rather than an arc), then the entire life is made up of nearly constant change and travel. In these cases no individual trips and voyages are shown.

Palm Reading by Telephone?

How do you get a palm reading over the telephone?

The Daily Record: Bosses at Orkney Islands Council discovered workers had been ringing adult and other premium rate lines.

One even called a palmistry line while others rang competition prize lines.

Now measures are being put in place to bar any calls to inappropriate numbers by the council's 2000 workers.

Councillor Alistair Gordon added: "I am not 100 per cent sure about how you can get your palm read over the telephone but it must have been a pretty low Monday for that person."

How Do You Test a Psychic in The Witch City?

Salem Massachusetts has more than 20 fortune tellers, and many of them are in prominent downtown locations. City councilors are trying to figure out how to regulate their business before things get even further out of hand.

The News and Tribune: Should Salem's fortunetellers have to pass a test of their own to prove they're psychic?

City councilors, hoping to crack down on fraudulent fortunetellers, are trying to define exactly how a psychic can become licensed to set up shop in the Witch City. They want candidates to undergo a criminal background check and to either live or run a business in Salem for at least a year.

But many psychics want the city to go a step further | make sure they're actually qualified to predict the future.

"It's become a free-for-all," said Laurie Cabot, the official witch of Salem. "Anyone who says they're psychic can come into the city. We don't even know where they come from. We don't know their qualifications."

No Place for Palmistry at the Library

A library system in South Carolina had to cancel their summer program for youths after being accused of promoting witchcraft and drug use, and receiving threats by telephone and email. Their planned program included palmistry and tarot, which didn't sit well with members of a local Baptist church.

School Library Journal: The Pickens County Library System’s half-hour summer programs for middle and high school students were supposed to take a light-hearted look at the topics "Secrets and Spies: How to Keep a Secret by Writing in Code or Making Invisible Ink" and "What’s Your Sign?" Another program was to examine astrology, palmistry, and numerology; and others were to feature tarot cards, tie-dying t-shirts, how to make a Zen garden, and yoga.

Now the programs are cancelled in the wake of phone and e-mail threats from the community, believed to emanate from a single local Baptist church. The astrology program was labeled as "witchcraft" by callers, while the Zen garden and yoga programs were objected to as "promoting other religions." The t-shirts workshop? "Promotes the hippie culture and drug use," callers said.

"If you have an anonymous call of a bomb, what do you do?" asks Library Director Marguerite Keenan, explaining her decision to cancel the YA programs. "You clear the building, you close the building for the protection of the children. And that’s hugely sad."

Keenan says that the stream of threatening 20 or 30 anonymous phone calls, plus e-mails, began two weeks ago. Callers spoke of "picketing" the county’s four libraries and made statements such as "We’re going to get you" and "How dare you?"

Palmistry on Facebook

OK, so I'm way behind the times. Yesterday I found out about facebook.com after receiving an invitation to join. Turns out they already have over 24 million members, and almost 300,000 in just the Greater Vancouver area.

It looks like I'm not the only hand analyst late getting onto facebook. If you search for "palmistry" the total is only 11 people and 5 groups listed. Compare that to the people interested in "meditation" where there are hundreds of listings, more than 500 groups, and 96 events.

So why are there so few interested in palmistry on facebook? Maybe palmists tend to look back towards old research, while those on facebook are looking ahead. Or perhaps the stigma associated with palmistry is still too much for social networking.

Splitting Fingernails & Osteoporosis

One early warning sign for osteoporosis is vertical splitting of the fingernails. This usually indicates a long-term calcium deficiency. My mother has osteoporosis so it runs in the family, and I have also had these fingernail splits a few times over the past decade. Each time I (eventually) added calcium supplements to my diet and the splitting disappeared in a few months.

These images were taken today, and show my own middle fingernail on the left hand. It was difficult to get a good photo of the fingernail split, so I played with the image color a bit so you can see it better.



Starting today I'm again taking calcuim supplements. The one that works best for me is "Mega Cal" soft chews by Jamieson. 650 mg twice per day.

I'll add new photos every once in a while so you can see the changes to the fingernail over time.

Post #50

Hard to believe it, but here's already the 50th post to this blog. Quite something, considering the first one was just April 29.

Big work day today, mostly on lots of small changes to the websites.

Horizontal Fingernail Trenches and Spinal Problems

Horizontal trenches across the fingernails are usually interpreted as revealing injuries or problems with the spine. The thumbnail shows the top 2 vertebrae, the index fingernail is C3-C7, middle fingernail is T1-12, ring fingernail is L1-4, and baby fingernail is the sacrum and coccyx.

Horizontal trenches are not always due to whiplash or other spinal injuries, however. They can also be caused by simply digging away at the cuticle with a metal object (such as nail clippers). This changes the meaning completely, and is then interpreted very much like bitten nails and cuticles (but more obsessive/compulsive).

You can still apply the related area of the spine to the interpretation. If the thumb shows the deep horizontal trench, for example, expect to also find pain caused by excessive muscle tension located near the base of the skull.

Fathers Day

My fascination with the hands comes from my Dad, so Fathers Day is always a meaningful day for me. (My dad has no hands, having lost them in an accident when he was 17.)

Fathers Day reminds me of how I got started studying the hands, and the fun it's been along the way. It also reminds me that times when I'm not staying motivated about work or study, then I'm probably not following my real interests and need to shift my attention to another hand-related subject for awhile.

Now with a 4 year old daughter of my own, Fathers Day has even more meaning!

Working at Larger Events

Tonight's corporate event is the AFABC's "Jazz at the Station". A six hour function with about 800 guests.

Larger events have their own unique challenges. With so many people, each hand analysis gets kept to about 3-4 minutes. At a glance you've got to be able to zero in on the most significant issues or problems shown on each set of hands, and keep the analysis as direct and specific as possible. Further, each reading needs to be unique - Not just telling each person nearly the same thing.

The clientelle at larger events is usually different as well, with higher expectations. For example, the hosts for tonight are Senator Larry Campbell, Catherine Pope from Global TV, and Fred Lee from CBC.

Wii Power Glove and Hand Gestures

Another attempt to use hand gesture recognition technology is with the Wii Power Glove (click to view video) This one seems inferior to what is being developed by Oblong Industries.

If you apply chirokinesics interpretations (hand movements and gestures), then the mind is kept rigid when using the glove and allows for only the most primitive thoughts and emotions. Note how firm the hand has to be held, and the awkward movement of the fingers and thumb to click.

Seems like your arm would also get pretty sore if you used this glove too much.

Email Issues

Due to a technical issue with the server, my incoming email was unavailable last night for nearly 9 hours. The problem has now been corrected, and I am once again receiving messages.

Switching RSS Feeds

I'll be switching the rss feed for HumanHand.com from the Handman Podcast to this blog. Seems to make sense, since this one is updated daily, and the podcast is less than monthly.

The change will take several days to complete, and until then you may notice web pages with different feeds.

Holistic Cheirology™ Goes to Malaysia

Holistic Cheirology™ is a unique method of hand analysis that incorporates palmar massage and internal energy to correct imbalances as they are identified. The method is now being evaluated by Caason Tan for use in Malaysia as an alternative medicine technique.

Caason Tan heads the complimentary therapy division at SivaSanta clinic in Malaysia. The clinic provides free traditional and alternative medicine services to the poor on Penang Island.

Website Updates Underway

Finally had some time to start on a few website updates - Began with the Palmistry Profiles already, but much more to do. The most work will probably be on the palmistry ecourse page, and then hopefully still time enough to add more to the fingerprint compatibility pages.

One of My Favorite Events

Some corporate events are more fun to read hands at than others. One of my favorites is coming up again next Saturday - The AFABC's annual jazz music evening. This year it's Jazz at the Station.

AFABC: The very cool evening of dancing and partying with Vancouver's top jazz musicians is back! Join us this year at the funky Rocky Mountaineer Train Station for an even bigger and better "Red Hot Jazz" night. The evening will be hosted by Catherine Pope, Global TV, Fred Lee, CBC's Man About Town, and Senator Larry Campbell.

If you're near Vancouver and enjoy great jazz music, this is one party you don't want to miss. See you there!

Holistic Cheirology™ Now an Official Trade-Mark

Holistic Cheirology™ is now the official name for the system of hand analysis and therapy that I created, use and teach. It's a method that combines and incorporates palmistry, finger movements, palmar massage techniques, and internal energy.

The Holistic Cheirology™ system and certification course are already approved by both the International PalmTherapy Association and the 18 Daoist Palms Kung Fu System - two world leaders on the subject of how vital energy moves through the hands.

Simian Line Theories

I've just added a new section to the forum for simian line theories and discussions. Shaleyu recently joined the forum and posted some interesting suggestions of her own. You can read her comments here.

Do you have your own theories about the simian line? Share them here.

Work Interruptions

Well it's official - We're in for 8 months of restoration work on our home starting mid-June. It's a massive project that includes new patio doors, windows, and work on the building envelope. Looks like my meditation times won't be as quiet for awhile...

Fingernail Injuries and Black Fingernails

When you injure your fingertip and the nail starts turning black, it can be tempting to think "It's just a fingernail so it will be fine in a few days". Unfortunately that's not always the case, and sometimes medical treatment is required to keep it from getting worse. An injured nail that turns black is called "Subungual Hematoma", which just means blood under the fingernail.

WebMD: If the pain is mild and the hematoma (blood collection) is less than 25% of the area under the nail, then home care is recommended.

If the hematoma is 25% or more of the underlying nail area, then medical attention is required.

If the injury that causes the subungual hematoma is severe enough to cause intense pain and tenderness or if the blood collection beneath the nailbed occupies 25% or more of the nail area, you should seek medical attention. The mechanism of injury for this condition can cause a fracture to the bone at the end of the finger or toe or a laceration to the nailbed under the nail that may require further medical attention.

Location, Location, Location

When planning a corporate event, location can be everything. Today for example, I'll be reading hands at an event being held at another golf and country club. Sounds like a great idea to give VIPs a free day of golf followed by a dinner party, especially with the beautiful weather we've been having here the last weeks. Unfortunately Mother Nature seems to have decided that we need a day of rain, and today's the day. The sun is just starting to disappear behind the incoming clouds, and the weatherman is calling for wet weather the rest of the day (and clearing up again tomorrow, of course).

Times like this I'm sure glad I'm not the one organizing these events. At least I'll be indoors where weather is not such a factor.

Catch-up Time

My wife starts 3 weeks of vacation today, which means that I'll finally have some time to catch up on work and correspondence while she looks after our daughter. Hopefully I'll even have enough time to take care of some much-needed website updates as well.

How Sensitive are the Fingertips?

Most people take for granted the amazing design of the human hand, and how sensitive the fingertips can be.

ChatNChill - The human hand has a particularly refined sense of touch. According to Smithsonian magazine, researchers found that our hand can detect a dot just three microns high. (A human hair has a diameter of 50 to 100 microns.) However, by "using a texture rather than a dot, the researchers found the hand can detect roughness just 75 nanometers high"—a nanometer being one thousandth of a micron! Such remarkable sensitivity is attributed to about 2,000 touch receptors in each fingertip.

Certain functions once lumped together under touch are now regarded as senses in their own right. For instance, pain receptors respond to and distinguish between mechanical, thermal, and chemical forces or agents. Other sensors signal an itch. Evidence suggests that we have at least two kinds of pressure sensors—one for light surface pressure, another for deep stimulation.

Schwarzenegger's Thumbs

California governor Schwarzenegger is here in Vancouver today. When you see his hands, one of the first things you notice is the very flexible thumbs. In hand analysis and palmistry, the flexibility of the thumbs shows how fixed or flexible the personality is, including the morals and ethics. Extremely flexible thumbs show a changeable and chameleon-like personality - Someone who adapts easily to any new group or set of circumstances. Moral and ethical views can be just a changeable.

So what do Schwarzenegger's thumbs say about his real motives and interests? - Just look at who his current associates and friends are. When he's spending his time with philanthropists and thinkers, there's almost no limit to the improvements he can make in countless lives. When he's spending most of his time with people of questionable character, the opposite is true.

Today he's once again spending time with politicians and the media...

More Info on Osteoporosis

Another common hand analysis question I receive is what to do when the fingernails show vertical splitting that could indicate calcium deficiency or possible osteoporosis. As with any health condition, consult a professional for a proper diagnosis. Two of the best sources I've ever found for osteoporosis information are EndocrineWeb.com and MayoClinic.com

A Day Off

Wow, I actually took a day off yesterday! (Well, sort of - I still took care of answering email questions and a bit of other work, but that's as close to a full day off as I can remember!)

It was surprisingly difficult to keep from working - Just another indication that I've been spending WAY too much time on business, and not nearly enough with family and recreation.

Another Free Palmistry eBook

Check it out - I've finally put the Laymans Guide to Cheirology in a much easier to read eBook format. Download your free copy at http://www.humanhand.com/ebooks/laymans.exe

Science Confirms Another Palmistry Interpretation

Cheirognomy is the interpretation of the shape and structure of the hands. For example, most palmistry and hand analysis systems interpret a longer ring finger than index finger as showing (among other things) a "technical-minded" individual.

This week, the British Journal of Psychology partly confirmed this cheirognomy interpretation with a report on how the shape of childrens hands is connected with how well they do in mathematics.

Times Online: Scientists from the University of Bath found that seven-year-olds whose ring fingers were longer than their index fingers tended to get higher marks at maths. Though the results were due to the children’s brains, the shape of their hands appeared to matter.

The probable reason why owes nothing to palmistry. It is well established that the length of the ring finger, relative to the index finger, is affected by exposure to the male hormone testosterone in the womb. Men tend to have longer ring fingers, while in women the index finger is usually longer or both are about the same size.

There is some evidence that high testosterone exposure can improve spatial reasoning, and this skill is as useful in maths as in map-reading. The contours of the hand may thus be a signpost that is suggestive of mathematical ability.

But before you start looking at your children's fingers to see where they might excel, remember not to make too much out of this single hand characteristic.

This is valuable research that casts new light on how human physiology is influenced by hormones in the womb. But the information it reveals must be handled with great care, because the associations between fingers and physical or mental traits are only associations. They reflect averages that may apply at the level of the general population, but which mean little or nothing for individuals.

Thus, while it is tempting and well-intentioned to use traits like this predictively, perhaps to tailor educational strategies to children so they benefit most, that would be utter folly. Many children with the “wrong” finger profile are going to be perfectly good at maths, or even excel.

So once again, it takes more than just one characteristic or marking to make an accurate hand analysis interpretation.

Right Hand Rule

When you want to learn everything you can on all subjects related to the human hands, the number of topics to be studied is virtually endless. Take for example something called the "Right Hand Rule".

Even the definition of "right hand rule" takes a minute to understand.

Wikipedia: In mathematics and physics, the right-hand rule is a convention for determining relative directions of certain vectors.

Mathworld: The rule which determines the orientation of the cross product uxv. The right-hand rule states that the orientation of the vectors' cross product is determined by placing u and v tail-to-tail, flattening the right hand, extending it in the direction of u, and then curling the fingers in the direction that the angle v makes with u. The thumb then points in the direction of uxv.

And then it really gets technical: All You'll Ever Need to know about The Right Hand Rule

Hands in Motion

Here's a neat little video titled "Human Hands are Amazing". I love to watch the creative process in action!

Palmistry eBook - Free Preview

You can now download a free preview version of the Holistic Cheirology course ebook. You don't have to be an enrolled student to read this one, either. Check it out - http://www.humanhand.com/ebooks/cheirology.exe

"Palmistry Bible" Available at Hundreds of Christian Bookstores

"Oops" is a good way to describe this one. Hundreds of online Christian bookstores are discovering that their book supplier also distributes some very un-Christian material. (The "Palmistry Bible" is just one of more than 4,000,000 different books that the company sells.) Other titles include adult-oriented and even worse material.

Worldnetdaily.com - A company called BookManager serves a St. Catharines, Ont., Christian bookstore whose owner recently discovered books on occultism, pornography and the like could be located through its website.

Now Bud Press, who runs Christian Research Service, has told WND that the company actually serves hundreds of Christian bookstores, whose owners now are facing the problem of what to do.

"One manager planned to contact BookManager and request the removal of the non-Christian and pornography materials," Press said. "But the chances of that happening are slim to none."

Carley Bortolin manages the database for BookManager, and told WND that there was no glitch in the programming that produced Playboy pictorials on a Christian bookstore website.

In a search for "Bible," among the products offered included the "Wicca Bible" and the "Palmistry Bible"." Other searches produced more objectionable results.

Bud Press put it best when he said "While secular companies like BookManager have the freedom to advertise, promote, and sell whatever they wish, Christians who own, manage, and work at Christian bookstores are accountable to God and the Biblical guidelines He has established,"

Doesn't Anyone Check Time Zones Anymore?

Another statutory holiday here today, and (as usual) the first telephone call came in around 07:00. Didn't the etiquette used to be 10:00 on holidays, or even 08:00? Sure it was 10:00 or so on the east coast, but don't they check time zones before phoning? Luckily I'm not a late sleeper, but that's my prime meditation time. I really must remember to keep the ringer shut off for holiday mornings. OK, grumbling finished - Back to enjoyment!

Six Times a Week is Enough

I've gotta start taking a real day off once in awhile. The kind with no business or computer work. Seems like I've forgotten how. Often I'm having such fun that it hardly seems like work at all - Guess I'm just a "workafrolic" like so many others.

Think I'll start with changing this blog to posting 6 times a week, rather than every day. Add some more recreation and family time. Hopefully even take a family vacation sometime next month. It's all about keeping things in balance, after all...

Common Questions (unfortunately)

I've answered literally thousands of email questions about the hands. Topics on everything from palmistry and metaphysics, to hand anatomy and surgery. I receive more email questions than I can possibly answer, so priority goes to academical and health-related subjects.

Some questions are tougher than others, and some are just plain bizarre - Here's a sample of some of my more common ones that are impossible to answer. (Remember that these are sent to me with no additional information, no way of seeing their hand image, and I make it clear that I do not make predictions for future events.)

- In which year will I get married?
- Will I have a happy married life?
- Will I fall pregnant?
- Will I get remarried?
- Will I live a long time?
- How many children will I have?
- Will my new grandchild be born perfect?

And then some of them are even more strange or unusual (also sent in with no additional information):

- Will I ever be with the person I am dreaming about?
- Can I win money in a Casino or any other gaming areas?
- I would like to know if I am going to do my PHD successfully.
- Is this weird?
- Identify two atmospheric layers that contain air as warm as 25 degrees Celsius.

No wonder it takes me so long to get through my email.

Does Anyone Know For Certain Who the Real Author Is?

Dr. Ghanshyam Singh Birla of palmistry.com and Dr. Thanu Pillay of palmistry.org are considered by many to be experts in their field. Problem is, both take credit for authoring some of the same material. Take a look at www.palmistry.com/about/faq.html and www.palmistry.org/what_is_palmistry.htm - You'll see this same content, word-for-word.

What is palmistry?

Palmistry is a method of counselling that originated in India over 3,000 years ago. It is a part of a vast field of study, referred to as Samudrik Shastra, which literally means the ocean of knowledge. Palmistry is a sub-section of Samudrik Shastra and deals specifically with the study of the hand.

Is palmistry fortune-telling?

In a word: no. The original intent of palmistry was for personality assessment and counselling. One's emotional tendencies, social attitudes, conscious awareness and subconscious fears, blockages and strengths can be understood in great detail through this in-depth system.

Can you make predictions through palmistry?

You cannot make predictions with palmistry. However, since there is a definite mind-body connection, we know that negative or positive thinking affects our well-being. As well, due to our habitual way of thinking, we often repeat the same behaviour in the future as we exhibit in the present. If we can understand the pattern of our habits and thinking, then we can begin to isolate the negative cycles of behaviour and can replace them with positive new ones. Palmistry can help you see these patterns. With this information, you can shape own destiny.

How does palmistry work?

Palmistry is best seen as a dynamic process. The lines of the hand are not carved in stone. Since the lines of the hand reflect our thinking, as our attitudes and behaviour patterns change, the lines reflect these changes. The lines physically change as our thinking changes. In fact, you can see distinct changes in as little as three months.

Which hand do you read?

It is important to look at both hands during a reading. Depending on which hand is active (usually seen as the hand you write with), in combination with the inactive hand, shows where you have been (passive), and where you are likely headed (active) in this life.

I believe that Dr. Birla is the likely original author, and that is how I've currently listed it on the palmistry scams page.

On April 21 I emailed both of them about this apparent plagiarism, but so far have received no answer from either one. (At lease Dr. Birla's secretary emailed me back saying she'd forward my message to him.)

If anyone knows for sure who the original author of this material is, please let me know.

Palmistry Magic - Missing the Point?

People think of palmistry and hand analysis in different ways. Some look more for dermatoglyphic and fingerprint analysis, others attempt to predict the future by reading the lines. Many people put it in the same category as tarot and psychic readings.

Here's something different from a blog about "an open journal covering research / efforts in combining palmistry and magic"

Mark with a fine point brush using a ink (the color of the energies being worked with) on the palm of your hand a symbol. It should symbolize what you desire. Brush the mark on the palm in the area corresponding with the desire. While making the mark say to yourself the intent. Once marked, raise your hand facing away from you in the direction corresponding to your desire. Now, our dominate hand influences the world outside of yourself in casting a palmistry spell. Your non-dominate hand deals with making changes to yourself and/or receive energy with.

The blog only has 1 post total, so I suppose "palmistry magic" isn't very good for productivity and personal commitment...

Holistic Cheirology Course 3rd Edition is Done!!!

Hooray! The 3rd edition of Holistic Cheirology is finally done! New layout, new format, and new information. The file size is also down to less than 3Mb total and can be downloaded directly from the website at http://www.humanhand.com/ebooks/hccourse.exe

Only enrolled students can read this eBook, but the format is the same one being used for the hand analysis eBook coming out in June.