SC - Chopping onions

[Robin Carroll-Mann]

I have to preface this with the statement that I am only a beginning cook, 
but I read somewhere (sorry, I don't remember where, it was years ago) that 
if you put a piece of raw potato or bread (preferably potato) in your mouth 
when chopping onions then you wont cry.

I have tried this with both bread and potato and it does seem to help. It 
doesn't completely stop the reaction, but it seems to help. It also seems to 
work better with the potato than the bread. 

On a similar note, when I have cooked dinner and have chopped onions and 
garlic, my fingers smell bad for days.....is there some trick to get rid of 
this odor? 

Ilia