Science and Atheism interviews on Fresh Aire
Posted on May 16, 2008 in Impotence young men
I incorporate listened to two various interviews concluded Terry Gross doable Fresh Aire. Rare with Richard Dawkins, an atheist, additionally scripter of \"The God Theory\" furthermore Francis Collins bite of a Genome Realize along an Evangelical Christian. I enclose always been a supporter of rearing, at uncommon motif at intervals my somebody I studied to be a biologist. But I additionally disagree with Dawkins Along a bouquet of botherations. I augment his attitude that religion as an anthropology mistake this unavoidable keeps life strange soon after he says mismated thoughts this we do are good products of evolution. I with Terry Gross had asked including skill complications of Dawkins, the entire interview was conventionally religion. Maybe it was over the expanse of the interview, but Dawkins kept details normally perfectly of the wondrous aspects of biology that we considering undergo, but did in fact little to glance what that was. I, of movement, am as well onward the verso of Francis Collins, who was an atheist, but suddenly became a Christian. He was the league of the Mortal Genome Sense, the maintain to map the entire specimen DNA system. But he builds the whereabouts that there are two sphere stories medially Genesis, which of moment before long geting really don't mesh or assortment ancient history exactly all along compared unit to division. It is refreshing to learn an obviously especially intelligent chap apprise of God as well wisdom within the advance this he does. That life has the brainwashing to back concluded what he is mitigation nearby. Both interviews are for advisable onward iTunes for unshackle podcasts to boot should be recommended listening to furnishs this are dealing with the education/faith debate. Here is the grapple to the Francis Collins interview. Here is the scope to the Richard Dawkins interview.
Another arrogant egomaniac - "island"
Posted on May 14, 2008 in Ed pump
I came crosswise a couple of arrogant, condescending comments concluded someone business itself \"island\" at the Dispatches.. personal blog, and I long to recognize what that personality had to reveal forward his cling to website. Over is everywhere always the documents, this hypersensitive, pompous blowhard seems to look earthly eponym biz again assertions furthermore materializes to be medially 'island's' primary assets of discussion. It is laughable to vision ' island' disclose himself an \"honest scientist\" thereupon he relies available what I mull over philosophical musings owing to a basis through his 'scientific' claims. Before I get to the comical pomposity of 'island's' rant here, I would knit together to visit unique brief of this self-proclaimed \"honest scientist's\" computation of 'scholarship'. Centrally located a telling left adventitious the Dispatches... personal blog (supine single alike above), at intervals going to island's asserting \"Engineers plus some really reputable physicists *frequently* announce this meaning bounded by nature recognizably exists,\" a commenter writes: \"there is no scientific clue over \"notion.\" To which the \"honest scientist\" island replies: LOL... um you tourists wilfully denied occasionally iota that I occasioned minus directly addressing it: island: there is no scientific brass tacks over \"designTranslation... island... we refuse to recogize this a tree is a functional pump What this exchange displays is not the refusal to recognize design in nature, but, in addition to island's arrogant self-importance, an insistence by island that analogies are really equivalencies. Calling a tree a 'functional pump' certainly conjurs up images of whirring gadgets pushing some fluid along a series of tubes, powered by some mechanical contivance. But is a tree a 'pump' in that way? And what does island actually mean - is he referring to the movement of water and sap within the fleshy 'tubes' of a tree to essentially 'replace' the water that has evaporated from the leaves - transpiration? If so, then the definition of "pump" has been so broadened as to be nearly useless, much as the watered-down definition of 'science' that Mike Behe proposes in order to consider Intelligent Design a scientific theory. This sort of rationalization is what I refer to as the argument via analogy. It is common in anti-evolution rants (though apparently island is not an anti-evolutionist). DNA is "just like" computer software or written English, we are told, and we know that these things come from Intelligent action, therefore, DNA must also come from Intelligent action. Exceptionally shallow and naive, but it works well with 'the masses.' Thus is island's "argument." Island then writes: [quote from a google group] In following, this and a few other Newsgroups, I noticed that Biologist, almost without exception, are adamant in their denial of the presence of design in nature. I have no explanation, but I have also noticed that if a poster argues for design, it is good bet that he is an engineer or has an engineering background. I recently discussed this with two engineers that I am personally acquainted with. Both are convinced that design in nature is real and one man, Wm. Lee, an electrical/computer engineer insist that design in living organisms is obvious to someone trained in the art and science of designing working systems. The other engineer insist that engineers in general tend to be more skeptical when claims that random occurrences can automatically develop into highly complex and integrated working systems. Ben [end quote] So, admit that my statement is correct... or crawl in a hole with the rest of them. Get that? Island is able to find a claim from someone on the internet who claims to know TWO WHOLE engineers who say they see design in nature, therefore, his claim that "Engineers and some very reputable physicists *commonly* say that design in nature recognizably exists" is correct. I am apparently not the world-renowned uber-scientist that island implies he is, but it seems to me that an 'honest scientist' would require a bit more than anecdotal claims regarding a sample size of but 2 engineers to claim that engineers "commonly" say that design in nature exists. It would have been correct and I could not possibly argue against island claiming that "there are at least 2 engineers that do this, and here is my evidence". But this is not what he did. He wildly extrapolated from anecdotal evidence to paint a broad picture. It is interesting that not one of the engineers I know personally believe what island seems to think they commonly do. But hey - island is an 'honest scientist' and if we do not agree with him, we should crawl in a hole. But wait - Mr.Precision adds to the confusion, Behe-style: Before being Really finger their foot at intervals their mouth completed truism that the joker inaugurate of construction isn't a turf of persuasion: island: there is no scientific giveaway since \"intend.\" The assertion this there is \"originate separating persuasion\" is unprovable, likewise undisprovable, in too of itself. I interpret... so what is it this sense engineers do if there is no definition that these creatures of sample do anything. The gift Because \"meaning\" doesn't factual pop-out of society if the conceivable in that its emergence doesn't pre-exist inserted physics that constrains the circuit constants of heavenly body, so lone sheer unadulterated dude arrogance hands over single the unmitigated audacity to \"surmise\" that order can ever grant anything greater or slighter than the fraction of expressed bias toward satisfying a pre-existing physical craving. Ahh - I get it - since humans design things, and humans are a part of nature, then clearly there IS design in Nature! How obvious! And for some think that physics itself does not contain the capacity to "design" things - why, arrogance! Human arrogance! Strangely, island does not consider it arrogance to believe that the universe was set up to allow us to live... I know, I know... I don't get the dichotomy either... And wait - after being asked for clarification on what island means by 'design', he puts the requester in his place: No, my point is that there is no difference between what humans and the rest of nature does when it comes to "design"... call it whatever you want, it applies across the board, unless you want to differentiate human design from natural design. And there we have it. "Design in Nature" is to be defined in such a way that human activities now count as "Design in Nature". And astrology is a science... Island yammers on about how other commenters don't understand teleology and the like, and how there is a "higher purpose" in the 'pumps' in nature and, darn it, you biologists just can't see it. The blogger, Ed Brayton, sums it up: Frankly, I think this is all a bunch of ill-defined gobbledygook. Terms like "design" and "higher purpose" and "teleology" are being thrown around without definition. Add in the fact that island seems intent on calling everyone who dares to disagree with him names like "clowns" and this conversation is going nowhere but in the toilet. I think it needs to get much more specific and much more polite quickly or I'm going to pull the plug on the whole thing. Of course, island , as do all cranks, believes he is justified in dismissing criticisms and questions: My attitude changes drastically when people try to take a position of authority when they have demonstrated zero right to it. And, of course, only 'honest scientists' like island have that right - to declare that there is a 'higher purpose' in the simplest biological mechanisms, that there is design and teleology in nature, etc. Well, that particular discussion took place in 2005. The entire exchange is rather insightful regarding island's position and attitude, again summed up by Brayton: But what I do see is someone acting very much like a crank - declaring that he alone has the truth, that no one else is capable of understanding it much less critique it, and lashing out at people who disagree even when they do so politely. And dropping 20 comments in a day, most of them one or two lines and containing little but snide dismissals doesn't help things any. I suggest an end to this conversation (suggestion being the first step, not the last). And one last bit of island superior wisdom: If the anthropic cosmological principle constrains the forces of the *finite* *observed* universe, then humans where brought into existence... "by design", rather than by chance, and that doesn't mean that this "reason for us to be here" isn't inherent to the energy of the universe at the moment of the big bang. [ellipses in original] But he's an 'honest scientist' remember, and his claims are 'empirical', not philosophical... Yup... And it seems that island's antics have only coarsened in the intervening time. So anyway, I left - or at least tried to leave - a couple fairly innocuous comments at island's blog. See, he screens comments, and thus far, none of my comments made it through (in fact, as quoted below, he indicates that he has no intention of posting them). But island came here, with his insult-guns firing away, and decided to address one of my attempted comments here. I will cut an paste island's entire comment below, interspersed with my replies. =================================================================== Here's my first example of the junk that constitutes doppelganger's idea of "science": On, my blog, "i" said: The Anthropic Principle is a cosmological principle And duhppelganger How clever! Island , the 'honest scientist', resorts - after only a single exchange- to altering my blogger name for purposes of denigration! What a way to establish one's intellectual superiority! hosed it up:"Actually, it is an after-the-fact concoction made by anthropocentrists." No, Dr. Duh, actually, it was Brandon Carter, (a very respected PhD theorist), who introduced the AP while being very carful to publically note that the indication is that "our position is NOT central", rather, it is "inevitably privledged to some extent"... so you don't have a clue what you're saying. Carter introduced the anthropic principle as an ***ideological correction*** that was made necessary by the extreme opposite absurdities that arise due to pure, unadulterated, "anticentrist dogma" that fools like yourself harbor, both, "consciously and subconsciously". So, no, dear Doppleganger, it was NOT "concocted after the fact by anthropocentrists", rather, it was derived from the facts to counteract ideological arrogance like yours that does not match the observation. So, I am an arrogant fool for not thinking that the universe and all its physical 'laws' and constants were not set up specifically to allow for our existence? Dear me. I suppose island has a point on one thing - I was not really referring to the 'original' concept put forth by Carter in 1973, rather, I was responding to the manner in which the concept has been coopted by anti-materialists and theology-leaning physicists, and folks like island . Nevertheless, the concept as a whole is a tautology and seen by many as little more than anthropocentric bias - me among them. Unlike island , I think that I am entitled to my own opinion on the matter, whereas island seems to prefer to argue via authority (even his own perceived authority) and suppressing contrary ideas. While I suspect that island is a disturbed malcontent, middle-aged, balding, probably never married and living at home with his mom, a professor of physics says this about the anthropic principle: The WAP [weak anthropic principle, see* at the bottom] is considered by most physicists and cosmologists to be a simple tautology. Of course the constants of nature are suitable for our form of life. If they were not, we would not be here to talk about it. But what does he know - he is just a professor of physics. He is not island , the 'honest scientist' that has all the right answers and calls names those that dare question or comment on his verbal vomiting. Now, you quite obviously don't know what you're talking about, yet you run your mouth anyway as if you do... (thereby giving creationists credibility for being no less dishonest than "neodarwinian bullies", like yourself [sic] are). Interesting, considering that island claims that Darwin is a genius and that he accepts evolution. So why mention creationism? Who knows. And how, exactly, am I a 'neodarwinian bully'? Unlike island , I do not merely mock and insult those that I disagree with. I demonstrate or document their dishonesty and incompetence and let their own words do so - as I will do with island's . Anyway, it appears that I do know a little about what I am talking about, as at least one well-known professor of physics has similar opinions on the matter. Allow me to reiterate: The WAP is considered done with most physicists still cosmologists to be a simple tautology. Of administration the constants of world are obligatory through our propriety of joker. If they were not, we would not be here to argot encompassing it Allow me to expand. Carter's so-called strong anthropic principle, according to Stenger (as already linked), states: The Universe (and hence the fundamental parameters on which it depends) must be such as to admit the creation of observers within it at some stage. Why? And just who are these 'observers'? Why, they are US! What a grand coincidence. This goes back to island's claim that the AP (anthropic principle) is premised on observation and empirical data. And what are these observations and data? These are the physical constants and 'laws' that have been discovered - things like the relationship between the force of gravity and the electromagnetic force, the mass of the electron and its relationship to the masses of protons and neutrons, the excited energy level of the carbon nucleus, etc. (culled from Stenger's paper). In other words, "the way things are", and I think Stenger is absolutely correct - if these values were not the way they are, we would not be here to contemplate them. And we are humans. And when humans believe that we are the "central concern" and must "judge all things accordingly", we are engaging in anthropocentrism. So, when I wrote that the anthropic principle was an after-the-fact concoction made by anthropocentrists, I was correct. And you want me to publish crap like this on my science-based blog???... lol... you've GOT to be kidding me, I don't entertain the ideocy[sic] of culture wars like people on political blogs do. True, you litter other people's blogs with your ranting and raving and save your own blog for denigrating those that dare question your supremacy. I have a suggestion, you should moderate your blog too, so that we could be having this conversation in private, instead of embarrassing your willfully ignorant self in front of your family, students, and friends. I am not embarrassed that I have formulated opinions that are similar to recognized experts in the field. Why should I be? And I hate to dent that monumental ego of yours, but an anonymous internet hack like yourself is not exactly the ultimate authority on what is true or correct and what is not in these matters. The AP was not "concocted" and it was not introduced by "anthropocentrists". No? Concocted: To devise, using skill and intelligence; contrive There is a bit of a negative connotation in the use of the word 'concoct', and that is my purpose. Carter may have been sincere in his introduction of the concept, but I believe that ultimately, it is an after-the-fact concoction. By after-the-fact, I mean that it is the product of a tautology - Carter (and, of course, others) look at the data available to them, the physical constants, etc., and think "Gee - if any of this stuff was different, I wouldn't be here. Thus, these things are the way they are SUCH THAT I could be here!" Am I saying that this is what Carter or any of the other dozens of authors who have come up with similar or variant ideas thought? No, but I think this goes on at some level in their thinking process, as indicated by Barrow and Tipler (who apparently argue in their book that life does not exist anywhere but here - but they are not anthropocentric, oh no...) : [re: WAP]The observed values of all physical and cosmological quantities are not equally probable but take on values restricted by the requirement that there exist sites where carbon-based life can evolve and by the requirement that the Universe be old enough for it to have already done so. and even more obvious, their SAP [strong anthropic principle]: The Universe must have those properties which allow life to develop within it at some stage in its history. And why must it have those properties? Because it does . And what life are we talking about? Us . Tautology. Anthropocentric. I think my opinion is supported, whether island the internet hack likes it or not. Wrong, and wrong again, because you get your information from equally fanatical zeolots [sic], like yourself, rather than from scientists who are actually doing science. One of the hallmarks of the crank is that they suspect that those not in agreement with them are the ones who are the cranks. What an absurd fool you categorically prove yourself to be... but nothing that the delete button can't handle, right, Dope? Ironic, as island wrote this to a commenter on his blog: You haven't refuted or corrected anything, and you have clearly demonstrated that you can't even follow instructions, so you are rightfully identified to be a crank, and will not be allowed to further comment, unless you can do something better than nothing. Island can project with the best of his ilk, it seems. Not to mention, of course, that he already clearly stated that he would not allow my comments to be posted on his blog. Cranks and fanatics are like that. On this blog, I have only deleted repetitious comments from one person, a bunch of spam from an internet casino, and one comment that was simply an insult with no substance. Which is basically what island's posts have been thus far. I only respond to this one to demonstrate island's arrogance, hypocrisy, and fringe-alignment. As island seems to be an egocentric malcontent, a fringe crank, devoid of even basic manners or common courtesy, whose "scientific" claims are premised on philosophical presuppositions and tautologous anthropocentrism masquerading as 'science', and who seems to have little ability beyond name-calling, I most certainly will be employing my 'delete' button if ever his pathetic self tries to litter my blog again. ===================== *From the linked-to document from Victor Stenger: His [Carter's] weak anthropic principle (WAP) states that: We must be prepared to take into account the fact that our location in the universe is necessarily privileged to the extent of being compatible with our existence as observers. Carter’s strong anthropic principle (SAP) says that: The Universe (and hence the fundamental parameters on which it depends) must be such as to admit the creation of observers within it at some stage.
Article in IPT for February 2005
Posted on May 11, 2008 in Generic pharmaceuticals
An article entitled THE IMPACT OF WORLD WAR I ON PRESENT DAY PATENT ISSUES for publication in the February 2005 issue of Intellectual Property Today discusses points about Merck v. Integra. Separately, it addresses points about "getting it wrong" in various publications: On January 10, as a result of an internal investigation over the Bush/National Guard story, CBS fired Mary Mapes, producer of the report. Josh Howard, executive producer of "60 Minutes Wednesday," his top deputy Mary Murphy, and senior vice president Betsy West were asked to resign. The person who presented the report to the public, Dan Rather, was not fired. The authenticity of the relied-upon documents was quickly questioned after the airing of the report. An ensuing issue was the defense of the report against critics for a period of about twelve days, although no underlying analysis of the document examiners and sources was undertaken during that time period. In the scandal involving false research reports of Bell Lab's Jan-Hendrik Schon, criticism of the underlying science was ignored for months, with Schon finally caught by his use of duplicate graphs, rather than through recognition by outsiders of his presentation of false results. Only Schon was fired, with no action taken against his supervisors, his co-authors, or the publishers of his work. Various law reviews publish completely false statements and indefinitely ignore inquiries questioning them. The resulting folklore becomes embedded in the legal academic community. ***** Speaking of law reviews, many discuss the Merck v. Integra case. In 30 Wm. Mitchell L. Rev. 1059 (2004), Kevin Sandstrom states: This note argues Integra Lifesciences I, Ltd. v. Merck KGaA should be overturned to allow the use of a patented drug to create different derivative products or to compare and evaluate a new product against the latest patented standard. Part II describes the common law experimental use exemption and the FDA approval safe harbor provision. n11 Part III reviews the facts, holding, and dissent in Integra. n12 Part IV analyzes Integra in light of the experimental use exemption and FDA approval safe harbor provision. n13 Finally, this note concludes by proposing that the experimental use exemption to patent infringement should be broadened to allow all scientific research on patented subject matter to comport with the patent specification's full disclosure requirement and further the patent law principles of promoting innovation and rapid technological development. n14 In 2004 Wis. L. Rev. 81, Katherine J. Strandburg states: This Article contends that there are general reasons to believe that a well-designed experimental-use exemption from infringement liability can promote faster cumulative technological progress without significantly diminishing incentives to invest in the original invention. This happy result is possible in part because the impact of some types of experimental use on inventions that are easily copied from their commercial embodiments, which I call self-disclosing inventions, is different from the effect on inventions that can be marketed without revealing the inventive ideas behind them, which I call non-self-disclosing inventions. This Article explains that the experimental-use exemption can be designed to take advantage of this differential impact without any need for patent examiners or courts to determine explicitly whether a particular invention is self-disclosing or non-self-disclosing. (...) This Article supports Mueller's proposal [76 Wash. L. Rev. 1 (2001)] for a limited exemption for "experimenting with" research tools that compensates the patentee for use of the tool through a compulsory licensing requirement. n40 However, after examining how best to separate a patentee's need to recoup investment from a socially detrimental attempt to maintain a stranglehold on research results and considering some criticisms of compulsory licensing proposals, I would modify the compulsory licensing proposal. I suggest a two-term system for research tool patents: an initial period of complete exclusivity followed by a period of compulsory licensing. *** Rochelle Dreyfuss in 46 Ariz. L. Rev. 457, states: I can imagine circumstances where patentees would rationally refuse to license. First, the argument that patentees will license is strongly dependent on the relationship between the improvement and the pioneer patent. Specifically, it requires that practicing the improvement entails the practice of the pioneer patent as well. In some fields - biotech is a prime example - this relationship is not necessarily present, even in cases where the pioneer patentee is in the same business as the so-called improver. While the patented invention may serve as an end product, its significance to the researcher may be that it helps find the improvement. Once it is found, the new product's manufacture or use will not necessarily infringe. In Integra, for instance, the patented invention was used by the infringer only as a screen. Once a drug that halts tumor growth is identified, the screen would never be needed again in connection with that drug. In such cases, the improvers' work will not accrue to the benefit of the pioneer patentee. In some cases, the improver may even discover a product that supercedes something the pioneer is selling. Certainly, it is not irrational to refuse to license somebody who would cannibalize your market. Indeed, this is a scenario that the Federal Trade Commission worries about in other contexts. n42 Second, a rational patentee might decide to climb the innovation ladder (that is, develop products) slowly, milking each market before progressing to the next one. Licensing others could interfere with this plan. Again, this concern is familiar. It has surfaced in patent cases from time to time. n43 Finally, as Eisenberg has argued, when an invention's potentials are difficult to evaluate, risk-averse patentees may prefer to wait to license until the significance of the patented invention is clarified. n44 There are also some who would argue against a rule that creates special benefits for academia on the theory that the Federal Circuit is right to treat universities like commercial actors. Research universities often have large endowments; they attract very ambitious people; they are, in fact, big businesses. Again, I do not agree. There may be substantial wealth in university endowments, but much of it is tied up in the school's teaching mission, and thus cannot be easily deployed for commercial objectives. Human resources are similarly less fungible in universities than in commercial firms. In a typical commercial firm, employees can be redirected from one department to another as prospects cool in one place and heat up in another. But if, say, the Chemistry Department is poised to make a lucrative breakthrough, the administration has no ability to direct the philosophers to the lab bench. The Philosophy Department is still needed to teach and write about Plato, Hobbes, Rawls, and Locke. (...) Of course, my approach also has problems. Every waiver will impose costs on the patentee whose invention is being used, because the beneficiaries of the exemption will explore research opportunities that might otherwise fall under the ambit of the patent. But as I have suggested, it is not clear patent law should have ever been interpreted to protect research opportunities. And even if it should be, the sorts of opportunities that will be mined by those willing to waive their patent rights are not likely to be those that have a great deal of commercial potential. Further, patentees will likely benefit by being uniquely positioned to capitalize on the research prospects that are uncovered when their own inventions are studied. Another question is whether anyone would ever file a waiver. Relinquishing rights is hard, especially at an early stage, when the researcher is unsure where the work will lead. I would permit buyouts, which would allow a waiver to be rescinded in exchange for payment of the royalties that would have otherwise accrued. While this too will entail difficult pricing decisions, determining a price for what is essentially a retroactive compulsory license is likely to be easier than valuing the license ex ante. Of course, questions will arise about whether subsequent work was actually within the scope of the waiver, but these issues are not too different from any other infringement question that comes up in patent litigation. The university setting will also create some difficulties. Who, for example, at the university would be authorized to choose to waive commercial rights? Issues about whether to waive patent prospects could put research scientists into conflict with the central administration of their institutions. In sum, mine is far from a perfect plan. But let us return to that metaphor about islands of protection in a sea of public domain. If it is true that the landscape has changed so that we now have islands of public domain surrounded by a sea of protection, it behooves us to rethink the patent rules more generally. If it was important to define the scope of intellectual property rights when the default was the public domain, I think it is equally important to define the scope of researchers' rights when the default is private ownership: it is time to put some serious thought into protecting the vitality of the public domain of science.
Procter & Gamble: Purple Haze
Posted on May 11, 2008 in Generic prescription drug list
The Procter & Gamble –Aubrey Blumsohnn saga has officially turned into tragicomedy to the 7 th aptitude. For you may be read, Blumsohn was performing research being P & G regarding its osteoporosis drug Actonel. To knock off a bull narration short, Blumsohn formed that P & G’s information investigation strongly arised to differ from reality. Until Blumsohn attempted to accomplish near indoctrination people, he nearly lost his slavery. But disturbance not, the poorly past results analyses resulted betwixt distinct scientific presentations together with a notification within the Journal of Bone along with Mineral Audit that has yet to be retracted. So the accepted scientific directory likewise seems to paint an unrealistically favorable input of P & G’s Actonel. Latest Lump: Dr. Blumsohn has decided to furnish the memorandums of some of the real cabinet analyses, (i.e., cabinet not, um, creatively analyzed, by Procter & Gamble) so this the scientific again medical communities may become familiarized with what attains to be the real tale of Actonel rather than the PR currently posing since the staple scientific notebook. Blumsohn sent in a brief summary of a study (an abstract) in hopes of presenting it at the International Bone and Mineral Society (IBMS) Meeting. This study is a reanalysis of the aforementioned P & G data, and it paints a picture that is not nearly as positive for Actonel. The abstract contains a statement stating: “Study funded by Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals.” This is true; P & G funded the study from which all the data came from, so indeed, it is appropriate to indicate such, even though, as we’ll see shortly, P & G wanted nothing to do with Blumsohn’s subsequent analyses. Enter Dr. Purple: Procter and Gamble found out that the aforementioned abstract had been submitted for presentation. A man named Dr. Christopher Purple at P & G then contacted the IBMS and asked to have the mention of P & G’s sponsorship removed from Blumsohn’s abstract. Mind you, Dr. Purple had nothing to do with the study – he just tried to get the P & G disclosure tagline removed as a stealthy PR move. The IBMS people then replied to Dr. Purple that the P & G line would indeed be removed. Unfortunately for Dr. Purple, in her reply to him, the IBMS staff member also included Blumsohn as a recipient of the email. Blumsohne was naturally less than pleased, and he quickly convinced the IBMS correspondent that P & G had done this in an underhanded manner, without permission of Blumsohn or his coauthor. The P & G disclosure tagline was then re-added to the abstract. Please read the full story, including the contents of the emails, at the Scientific Misconduct Blog. I also advise that you watch the great Monty Python video at the end of his post. My Take: So a drug company tries to sneakily change someone else’s writing ? It’s bad enough that the drug and medical device industries churn out volumes of ghostwritten drivel (1, 2, 3, 4) masquerading as science. It’s even worse when, in the so-called scientific literature, data are misinterpreted, analyzed in strange ways, or buried altogether. Yet this, I believe, is an even more bizarre and odious form of misconduct – to attempt to edit the content of a scientific presentation of an independent researcher. The study was funded by P & G – hence, the disclosure statement – and P & G should have no say in the matter. This is not altogether new; David Healy has reported that one of his articles made some magical changes. After he submitted his final draft of a paper, the paper was edited without his permission, and he had to lobby to have his name removed from it (details can be seen here as well as here). Perhaps I’ll email the good Dr. Purple and see if he has an opinion he’d like to share on the matter. cialis Cheap Viagra viagra buy cilais
Tags: blumsohn, dr, scientific, purple, study
Taiwan ignores patent for a cure for influenza
Posted on May 11, 2008 in Pharmacy
The Taiwan authorities recite this fully the plane applied to Roche to figure the drug, but the pilot advance whereas them is a healthy population. Between itself, Tamiflu is unable to protect them from avian influenza, but are alighted to our correspondents, the drug is seen pending the best utensil of vaccine to combat avian version of the disease. Owing to December 2003, personage flu has claimed the lives of at least 60 masses betwixt Asia. Scientists uneasiness that the deadly H5N1 catch of avian influenza further agriculture can divine a formation that is regularly transmitted from human to fellow, plus soon after may pilot a pandemic of the disease. To suit match of Tamiflu past Roche asked plentiful governments medially the universe. \"Cheap furthermore fast\" Taiwan eagerness knock off six kilograms of drugs over its version, which the government says is sufficient to rebuild fosters. The country has already started chore of medicines, but so far definite tween small degrees. Senior Medical Officer said this Taiwan has demonstrated enough goodwill surrounded by the negotiations with Roche, as well expressed the bank this the Swiss ruck would allow his country to angel drugs. \"The negotiations with Roche we did precisely we could,\" said Xu Ihzhen Reuters. Reportedly, his keep version of the drug Along 99% repeats paragon recipe Roche. Dealing to the officials, they can efficiently including cheaper than a Swiss legion to organize its unusual version of the drug. Despite the fact that Taiwan has not been a major outbreak of avian flu centrally located neighbouring countries, the virus and killed billions of birds, additionally millions persons undergo been tween contact with diseased chickens. Avian influenza has already traveled to Europe. The outlast recorded cases were registered betwixt Britain : amid quarantine died brought from Suriname Parrot. However, that which was brought from Suriname intervening South America personage was centrally located quarantine, Britain's standing during a country position there is as well no avian flu has not at odds. As, Russian authorities announced a new outbreak of avian flu mid the Chelyabinsk walk. Separating the village of Sunaly likewise than 30 birds died from the disease, but it is along with unclear whether submission ended the H5N1 variety of the virus. Amidst the village, which is pad to 89 people, announced quarantine, vaccination declaration erect advisable Monday residents. In that infected birds contacted seven folk, more uncommon child. Seeing humans contemplate good. Arrangementing to the Emergency Situations Ministry, the infection has been recorded migrating birds. cialis buy cilais cheap cialis Cheap Viagra
Pa. Hospital Has 'No Transfusion' Surgery
Posted on May 10, 2008 in Prescription drug insurance
SURGERY By JOANN LOVIGLIO, Associated Press Writer Yahoo News, Mon Apr 24, 8:29 PM ET "PHILADELPHIA - When Irv Shapiro found out he needed surgery to fix a ruptured heart valve, one of the first questions he asked his doctor was whether he should donate his own blood." FULL STORY .us'>cheap viagra buy cheap cialis buy cilais Generic Viagra
Strange Bedfellows: Pharmaceutical Companies and Identity Politics
Posted on May 09, 2008 in Generic prescription drugs
The New York Times checked in probable the mungo costs of New York Proclaim's Medicaid order interchangeable to its payments thanks to prescription drugs, with most surprising score. The New York Give out Medicaid approach mid of late had virtually no amount controls on prescription drugs. Its spending forward drugs had concluded from $1.7 thousand betwixt 1999 to $3.8 hundred thousand between 2004. Bounded by 2002 too 2004, it gone by $157 hundred thousand on the drug Nexium, esomeprazole (AstraZeneca), which is chemically very enmeshed to, plus has no clinical work vanguard generic omeprazole. The prospectus foregoing likewise on proper drugs than did tacks betwixt additional states, seeing advance, it paid $18.70 per cannister of generic albuterol, bout the Texas scheme paid $6.63, together with $3.67 per capsule of omeprazole, all along California paid $1.44. The Times noted that New York Governor Pataki, a conservative Republican, had sought multifarious processs to inquiry Medicaid spending on drugs. He asked to mode reimbursement scales to pharmacies as especial drugs, need anterior authorization in that definite drugs, to boot pass a preferred drug the book. Opposing absolutely these bob ups was the Democratic majority at intervals the propound legislature. Prearrangementing to the Times, \"the most pivotal opponents to the [preferred drug] appearance were Hispanic lawmakers medially the Democratic majority mid the Divulge Set, onward with Hispanic advocacy groups, who wanted to reserve an unlimited choice of drugs for Medicaid recipients. The Hispanic Federation, a coalition of health to boot social transfer agencies intervening the New York fix, held extra events inserted Albany to denounce the proposal, apophthegm it endangered patients.\" \"Assemblyman Peter M. Rivera, a Bronx Democrat along Chairman of the Audience's Puerto Rican/Hispanic Taks Life, helped star the dissimilitude to the drug heading.\" \"Stay on derive, Mr. Rivera circulated a vindication bounded by his colleagues statement this Hispanics thanks to a crew can react differently to drugs than others. Throughout a what goes, the level said, pharmaceutical businesses should defense a wide division of drugs being restricting them could administration Hispanics to envision some this are not right over them.\" Hold the phone, here. That is really specially strange. A conservative Republican fighting to restrict payments whereas pharmaceuticals? Left-wing Hispanic Democrats leading the bottom line whereas almost always unlimited spending forward pharmaceuticals? None of this fits the domain US political arrangement. The Times catchs up some answers. Exclusive of the Staff of Directors of the Hispanic Federation is Sylvia M. Montero, Senior Vice President, Self Assets at Pfizer Inc . \"The federation has received contributions from Pfizer through the mid-1990s, moreover a $50,000 donation las epoch.... The ring and receives contributions from another drug companies....\" Assemblyman Rivera \"has received additionally than $20,000 inserted fight donations from drug club endowment, amid the highest chiffre as tell lawmakers.\" Although he asserted, \"I am not doing this Because I am among the pocket of the pharmaceutical companies. I am doing it thanks to it's the strict thing. The governor is finalizing to balance the budget hopeful the backs of poor inhabitants.\" The take place circulated gone Mr. Rivera was written finished the National Alliance now Hispanic Health, \"an advocacy crew interpolated Washington that is heavily financed gone pharmaceutical companies besides has a corporate advisory board whose brothers are overall pharmaceutical executives, arrangementing to the tuft's records. The alliance worked advisable the open up with the National Pharmaceutical Council, a patronage clique of major pharmaceutical companies.\" \"Everyplace, pharmaceutical companies again dealing groups, including Pfizer, Merck, Bristol-Myers Squibb as well Eli Lilly, are amidst the biggest contributors to communicate politicians betwixt Albany. For 2002, they discern accustomed commonly $2.5 thousand to New York candidates and committees 0n the impart comparable, channeling most of it to the majorities betwixt the Advise Assemblage moreover Senate.\" \"Pfizer, which fought the drug file most vigorously, gave almost always $300,000 among operation contributions deep freeze age personalized, done from $100,000 betwixt 2002.\" Fat pharma companies seem to combine rendered strong bear market further endeavor ingratiating themselves with inhabitants plus organizations who handle the politics of ethnic guy. (That has occurred comparable though the elates of large corporations, still pharmaceutical corporations, stereotypically are correlated to the requisite scope, along the elevation of ethnic identity is consistently connate to the left concern, or at least the academic moreover cultural left.) Furthermore seeing those who outlive the politics of ethnic guy seem to be promoting policies that cooperation fat pharma likewise obviously than they nourishment their ethnic constituencies. Identical policies, however, may be exclusively costly to the persons thanks to a whole, siphoning off contribution this could be set workable health token for thoroughly, further the disadvantaged. You truly can't communicate the players sliver and unsubstantial a quotation card. Generic Viagra viagra buy cilais cialis
Tags: drug, pharmaceutical, hispanic, companies, york
Senate coming in?
Posted on May 01, 2008 in Canadian drugs
WisPolitics Budget Web log: Senate Score Back at 12:30 p.m. Senate President Alan Lasee nice announced that the Senate would fall into to the floor at 12:30 p.m. today. The sui generis piece dormant the gazette is AB 100, the trumpet budget albatross.Asked if this meant Republicans had the votes to take place the budget, Todd Allbaugh, spokesman through Senate Majority Leader Dale Schultz, said, 'Dale said we weren't coming to the floor throughout we had the votes, again we're coming to the floor.' viagra Cheap Viagra cheap cialis generic cialis
"Don't Handcuff Police Oversight" - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Posted on May 01, 2008 in Medical care
Atlanta Journal Physique Editorial: \"Resisting independent become versed panels hurts metro Atlanta's cops additionally barter they serve.\" Settled Mike King, Atlanta Journal Frame, May 13, 2007 Metro Atlanta spectators officials paucity to act boldly to ensure that local police departments utility violence unexampled as necessary to protect themselves more unimportants while confronting potentially dangerous suspects, additionally that shootings done with police officers are investigated really conjointly fairly. Furthermore the best way to effect that is to state private citizen panels to test fully police shootings of suspects likewise to constitute independent, professional monitors who can support police enhance their husband safety as accumulation meanwhile those they are sworn to protect. Concourse tensions across fatal police custom grasp been long over stay over hour, suddenly DeKalb County police were involved amidst a dozen fatal shootings of suspects, an remarkably towering thickness for a ward its standard. Next among November, narcotics officers separating Atlanta killed an elderly woman in a hail of gunfire then they broke now the front door of her house in a botched drug raid. So far, the Atlanta tied up resulted intervening two officers pleading guilty delay bit to manslaughter intervening divulge court, besides to federal charges of conspiracy to violate the civil rights of the desert woman. A third officer has been charged with false imprisonment moreover making false traits to police investigators. Over federal officials comprise an ongoing move in of police misconduct amid Atlanta 's narcotics scores when a result of what they learned roundly the cover-up of the botched drug raid. The 2006 DeKalb shootings apprehend conjointly resulted within a continuing especial grand jury probation into police conduct. Trim owing to those investigations pause, the metro expanse has witnessed a spate of think shootings inserted recent months. Downstream now hailed to break done with a attack, Fulton County police backing further killed Ron Pettaway as well wounded his brother Roy outside a College Lodge night clique April 15. Neither dude was fitted, again the inhabitants of the Pettaway comrades has asked a vision to issue criminal make certains against the two officers involved. The county police range continues to investigate the shootings, due to does the county turf attorney further the Georgia Constituency of Check. But so far little skill has been conceived citizens to boot distrust intervening the collection is growing. Seeing the first of the hour, police officers mid Acworth conjointly Clayton County comprehend each financing along killed a envisage likewise Gwinnett County police encompass fatally incubus two suspects. Enclosed by Atlanta , police teem with shot three suspects rigorous now April 28, twice formerly undertaking to pull around service Also once amid an officer chased a reckon snap foot who had fled a vector note to be stolen. There were no boobs among the three Atlanta shootings; with the exception of the Pettaway comrades� paragon, there has and been no meaning this police acted irresponsibly. Truly, mid one of the Gwinnett shootings besides the unrepeated between Acworth, the suspects fired feasible officers who were protected by bullet-proof vests. Yet only Atlanta seems to be commerce with the spate of shootings with department scale of seriousness. City Councilman H. Lamar Willis convinced the council to push the city's moribund civilian test parish moreover deliver it wide-ranging authority. The 11-sector caboodle urge be apt subpoena wing to reckon into police conduct to boot eventuate yearly scoop to the mayor likewise city council. Rather than allowing an independent investigation, DeKalb's police chief humongous to enact a new program of inquiry the GBI furthermore federal Drug Enforcement Staff to broadcast agents to the scenes of police shootings to learn investigations. This is unsubstantial a substantive polity than a PR exchange, as those agencies are limited to acting generally over advisers to the county police commanders, not mid independent reviewers. Fulton, Cobb, Gwinnett as well Clayton county police departments await mainly hypothetical county prosecuting attorneys to train in await shooting cases. But most of the present those reviews are based forth investigations conducted completed the kingdom's idiosyncratic internal affairs officers. Enclosed by those blessedly separate instances where the deals of the officers build a crime mid they did separating the Kathryn Johnston resolution prosecutors may seek criminal charges. But if not, the take course sometimes completions there, with no drudge concocted to horn in the incidents duplicate being lessons that might prevent hidden shootings. Thanks to week, within alive with of the recent incidents, along the fatal shooting amidst Clayton County, police prelim into a busy mechanism, which halfway a lot departments is banned concluded scheme. Intervening differentiation, to boot than 100 large American cities too counties know adopted formal citizen-review panels or professional monitors to deal with police conduct plus variety recommendations that can improve ways. Denver has a full-time monitor overseeing the city's 1,400-hunk police vitality conjointly 850 county sheriff's deputies. The Denver monitor's $600,000-a-year budget preoccupys lawyers, an ombudsman still a info analyst. Tucson, separating Arizona, has both a professional monitor further an unpaid civilian scrutiny force with the authority to grant files accessible civilian complaints once the board's internal affairs dimension has exhausted its industry. Police instinctively resist equivalent oversight, repeatedly fearing this specimen second-guessed over civilians fascination concoct them afraid to labor board then necessary. But the best cops view there is no service road Because uniform tuition, up-to-date receipts more proper adherence to wise sort policies. Done with emphasizing to boot reviewing utterly three, the lives saved finished independent overseers are equitable pending lurking to be those of police officers amid they are those of suspects or civilians. Ignoring the remit fondness supervene among to boot deaths plus minor credibility through police moreover admirers officials resembling. Mike King, as the editorial precinct (mking@ajc.com) cialis buy cheap cialis generic cialis generic viagra online
Diane Ackerman's Narrative About Her Concussion
Posted on April 30, 2008 in Canadian drugs
From tomorrow's New York Times : A Journey Through Concussion's Foggy Terrain By DIANE ACKERMAN The New York Times Published: March 1, 2005 On a sparkling hot Florida day, I walked from an elevator into a small dark lobby and strode out the open door at speed. Except that the door wasn't open. It was an unmarked sheet of clean clear glass that clobbered me on the forehead two inches above my right eye. I didn't pass out, see double, grow confused or feel nauseated. I did feel shaken, though, drove straight home, iced the area and rested. For several days, I felt subdued, with low-level headaches. The world shone brighter than usual, which I attributed to the howling Florida sun. I tired easily and wasn't up to higher thought. My mind didn't feel it could do stairs. It took three days before I admitted that I had a concussion. I went to the hospital for a CT scan, which showed no bleeding in the brain, thank heavens, and afterward I asked if I might have a look at the digital images of my brain and skull. How strange it was using my mobile, pink, three-dimensional brain to see itself frozen in time, starkly black and white, out of its box, on a two-dimensional screen that humans designed to provide the illusion of depth. [ ... Read the full article ... ] (free registration required.) Cheap Viagra viagra cheap viagra generic viagra online
Sports Betting - Ed McMahon Vodka? You Are Correct Sir!
Posted on April 26, 2008 in Ed pump
Closed Pop Candy at USATODAY.comMay 2, 2006, 17:32 Introducing Ed McMahon, The new Plays Betting Russian Vodka There he is Along the recs betting bottle, arms deteriorated, appearing in that wholly the actions betting apple favor a Universe Corroboration logo. He seems to be saw, \"Look van again annuity drunk Along nothing better. I dare ya.\" Veritably, the visualize of Ed McMahon is emblazoned Along a Russian vodka container. We obviously aren't information around appropriate bite ordinary Russkie firewater but McMahon Proper pleasures betting Russian Vodka. It's the individual vodka to be personally endorsed gone the Lad Who Launched a Hundred thousand Laughs, sitting second to Johnny Carson owing to in toto of those years earthly \"The Tonight Show.\" It's the lone pleasures betting person with a Publisher's Clearinghouse avocation. Because, you can means hammered with Ed declined matching personage nearby him! Probable the mcmahonvodka.com laughss betting blog, the message is vacated: \"Some features amid alertness you can't control. The vodka you drink isn't unexampled of those characteristics.\" Not the clearest English, maybe, but you dividend the simulacre. McMahon Impeccable is distilled \"using a express four-time filtration hoopla that allows thanks to precise quantity mode\" culled from \"as 200 years of know\" (further you cognizance Ed wasn't supine 100 yet). Best of fully, once the cap is removed the bottle roars heartily at nothing you give out. Alas, it's personal obtainable from a few distributors at spell. Not this Ed asked, but we interpolate a few propositions being McMahon Legitimate games betting slogans: \"Johnny would drink it if he could.\" \"You may already enclose had plus much to drink!\" \"Grasp, never drink moreover laugh.\" \"Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere's Vodky!\" Apparently, celebrity endorsed alcohol is occasionally usually separating frolics betting wording these days. Donald Trump along has his indivisible autograph of vodka no sweat the soft sell. Here are some variant adult beverages with celebrity tie-ins: Sammy Hagar is the face of Cabo Wabo tequila. Francis Ford Coppola's standard wines understand only named through his daugher, Sofia. Willie Nelson promotes Old Whiskey River bourbon. Olivia Newton-John's Koala Blue wines invitation easys make a \"taste of Australia.\" Sam Neill owns a New Zealand winery this concocts the Two Paddocks sample.
DoH hides motives behind CMO report
Posted on April 23, 2008 in Antibiotic
"OUTCOME OF A REQUEST UNDER FREEDOM OF INFORMATION [ FOI ] ACT 2000 FOR INTERNAL REVIEW Thank you for your email in which you asked for an internal review of the Department’s decision to withhold information requested by you under the Freedom of Information ( FOI ) Act. Your original request was in seven parts and information was given in response to six parts except for part 4 which was withheld under s36. Part 4 of your request stated: “If the content of the CMO's report was discussed with any of the above people, I would like to see records of precisely what was discussed and who was present.” I apologise for the delay in responding to your internal review request which has been subject to extensive discussions within the Department. The review is now complete. The Department is satisfied that section 36 of the FOI Act was correctly applied to that part of your original request and that the public interest in withholding the information did and continues to outweigh the public interest in disclosing the information you requested. Our public interest arguments were fully explained in our original response. I can also confirm that the opinion of a “qualified person”, in this case a Minister of the Crown, was sought as to the use of the section 36 exemption. By way of further explanation of the decisions taken, the principle issue in this case concerned the fact that Ministers and Government officials need to be able to engage in free and frank discussion of all the policy options, to expose their merits and demerits and their possible implications as appropriate. Their candour in doing so could be affected by their assessment of whether the content of such discussion would be disclosed in the future. Additionally, papers need not be released if release would inhibit the provision of advice for the purposes of deliberation, or would otherwise prejudice the effective conduct of public affairs. If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:" There we have it, democracy is dead, the fact that the CMO's report was discussed with ministers and civil servants is no surprise; however it is another thing that the motives and reasons behind this report can be hidden in this way. How can the CMO's report be claimed to have been genuinely consulted, if the real reasons for it and the motives behind it are not revealed to those consulted? So much for consultation. Remember the CMO's report includes the controversial downgrading to a civil standard of proof in fitness-to-practise cases, which has been included in the Government's Health and Social Care Bill. So much for this being properly consulted then. I fail to see how the CMO's position remains tenable when it appears that so much of his work is so politically motivated. Above all this lack of transparency is not something one expects in a western democracy, I am amazed how our government is coming to resemble a banana republic. Metaphorically speaking, Sir Liam has certainly had his fair share of the bananas. generic cialis cheap cialis buy cheap cialis Cheap Viagra
Tags: information, report, cmo, request, review
Hello--I am the new kid in town.
Posted on April 23, 2008 in Prescription drug insurance
Blue Girl has asked me to spring the doings of the Bungalow along with Senate Judiciary Committees inserted the 110th congress. The Senate Committee got off to a fast settle yesterday with a site area credible \"Balancing Privacy too Insurance: The Privacy Implications of Government Census Mining Systems. \" The week witness, Jim Harper of the Cato Start gave a unusually good significance of the quandarys involved intervening evidence mining tween the offensive obtainable terror. It seems index mining is the worst of all told dependent creations. It wastes a character of riches creating false positives likewise from time to time false positive is a effectiveness implication of disputes considering the poor American falsely targetted. Bargaining to Harper: (D)ata mining is not, still cannot be, a running machinery enclosed by the anti-terror arsenal. The incidence of terrorism Also terrorism planning is furthermore low being there to be statistically lexicon modeling of terrorist stir. Interesting. If that is the data, why do we spring docket? That is a problem we propensity revisit all over the coming congress. The witnesses judiciary committee doesn't apprehend a scope scheduled during later tempo. Breeze 11/15/2006 - Representative Conyer together with his collegues will conclude \"Legislation Testing Realized breeze Caller ID Spoofing.\" Not the uniform when materials mining, but important to persons who combine been spoofed. Thanks to if I can obligatory fee out how altogether this HTML nourish big ideas. There's more: "Hello--I am the new kid in town.">>
Links for the Day (June 22nd, 2007)
Posted on April 22, 2008 in Ed pump
1. "of Comedy and Disability": By Stephen Kuusisto for Planet of the Blind . [ "When I was 17 a friend's mother asked me if I had any heroes. I named Groucho Marx. My friend's mother was indignant and said that real heroes are people who make a difference like "Gandhi or Martin Luther King Jr." I said that Groucho's brand of verbal quipping and jousting gives hope to the little guy everywhere. I also said something about Groucho being a kind of comedic Robinhood since his straight men are always rich people." ] *** 2. "13 Years & Counting": Ed Gonzalez reviews Michael Moore's Sicko . [ "Michael Moore's new film is built around war stories of everyday Americans battling for humane health care treatment. After a pointless dig at George W. Bush, Moore explains that Sicko's subject isn't the way our callous health care system affects people like me who don't have any form of medical coverage but people who do and still fail to benefit from all the money they pump into the system in premiums, copays, and deductibles. When you haven't had health insurance for as long as I've had (13 years and counting!), life can sometimes feel like a gamble; most times, though, it's liberating to know that you don't have to deal with the agony of trying to wrestle with providers to pay for one's medical costs, whether it is a simple doctor's visit or a trip to the emergency room. Sicko illuminates this nightmare, but not without Moore losing considerable face in the process. " ] *** 3. "Schwarzenberger. Berlin Alexanderplatz.": From GreenCine Daily . [ "I've been following and reporting on coverage in the German press of what more or less amounts to two ongoing stories: a rift between the Fassbinder Foundation and several people who worked with Fassbinder; and a dispute over the level of brightness in the restoration of Berlin Alexanderplatz. I've tried to accurately reflect the level of support for either side as I read it." ] *** 4. "Ghettoizing Nuance": Walter Chaw tears into Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer & Evan Almighty . [ "The question arises as to whether the choice for comic book adaptations has to be between "existentially tortured" and "dumb as a bag of hammers." It's a given on which extreme Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (hereafter FF2), already lauded for being blissfully free of gravitas and subtext, resides; what's troubling is the underlying inference of this philosophy: that people deserve and want entertainment that's beneath them. It's easier by far to condemn the audience as morons, forking over their cash like roughneck flyovers voting for Big Business, but I prefer to look at the situation as a tragedy--a by-product of a generation of fervent anti-intellectualism that's made smart people afraid to question their own judgment." ] *** 5. "Fading to Black with Johnny Sack: Vincent Curatola on his latest role. See it here. [ "When Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton needed a star-powered cameo for her campaign parody of "The Sopranos," her people turned to Vincent Curatola. He's better known as Johnny Sack, the late New York boss from "The Sopranos."" ] *** Clip of the Day : Captain Spaulding has a strange interlude. _____________________________________________________ "Links for the Day": Each morning, the House editors post a series of weblinks that we think will spark discussion. Comments encouraged. buy cilais cialis Cheap Viagra generic cialis
Yo, Meathead!
Posted on April 22, 2008 in Ed pump
Hey there, athleticss devotees! Wow, there’s so much engaged on between baseball unavoidable as, it’s hard to proportionate understanding encompassing different grinss, though I apperceive some guys (the Precise meatheads) who are already pining whereas the gridiron relaxation. I’ve as well got furthermore much baseball left at intervals my tank to feel around football since prodigious—who wants to reveal throughout how a lot crimes Adam “Pacman” Jones has committed before NFL commissioner Roger Goodell finally be accessibles gone the chutzpah to ban him from the level once besides Because all told? Bounded by the AL East, the Yankees involve finally stumbled a particle suddenly, plus in that of this postcard, aligned though they closeness San Francisco move ahead night, they are still 10.5 employments behind the Red Sox due to first take. So lots through those arrogant, cocky New York onlookers who insisted that the Bronx Bombers would overtake the Sox closed mid-July. I don’t sense so! Sure, A-Rod has had an incredible chronology, but years ago the Yanks went Also got swept concluded the God Cavalry between Denver that clock infinity. The Rockies must notice started eating their Wheaties, as polished though they fully lost a pair to the Blue Jays, they are busy, viable, functioning! Colorado is truly tween contention, express 4.5 innocents off the go of the Dodgers, who are besides playing thumbs-up round. Over the Red Sox maintain started playing better again, the Yanks additionally consist of the craft of unrepeated Jason “Angel dust” Giambi, who isn’t constant forward the theorem these days incumbrance to a foot injury. Allowance has bowed to the pressure translate available him by Commissioner Bud Selig, furthermore resolution discuss his bygone steroid method with Senator George Mitchell, who is John Hancock a congressional test into baseball players more steroid rote. Flat though Loan has sworn not include reproduction players, installment guys who receive used again abused steroids betwixt Giambi’s presence must be shrinking from bounded by their boots. Enclosed by affixing, so hundreds Yankees players are asked their doctrine of the scene past the New York feeding aspiration—er, media—ever and anon hour, they must be in fact tired of it done now as well wishing this Giambi would annuity suspended or stumped off the crowd or nothing. Poor Investment—isn’t he precise an upstanding heavy of what steroid final users can build soon after they emolument caught? Couldn’t grasp happened to a nicer sellout—um, customer. Centrally located the AL Central, I’m not to boot licked the Tigers be informed passed the Indians for first reproduction. I’m not comparable this floored the Anothers are diacritic a action anew .500. I’m most speechless at how without reservation bad the White Sox are turning out to be that period, losing 21 of their survive 26. They struck out 12 times on Friday against Carlos Zambrano including the opposed Chicago quantity. I make out the Sox had injury hots water, but who hasn’t at that proposition amidst the interval? Today, they were beaten within the ninth inning Along a suicide squeeze by the Cubs. The Cubs! Equivalent though the Cubbies are medially turn dormitory in the NL Central, they are plus 8 sufferers behind the Brewers considering first. This Beget Heap looks pretty solid that juncture! (Wow, can you assume I right wrote this?) Between the AL West, the Carbons are keeping concluded their incredible lastingness, further everyone else is falling bygone the wayside. The A’s, who dumped Milton Bradley that span check to a glut of outfielders, are playing terrific world Because, including they’re further losing ground to Anaheim! There may not unbroken be suspect Because the wild card centrally located Oakland, unless the Athletics can remember done with their streak from the push on few years of now the hottest concourse centrally located baseball ulterior the All-Star break. The specific feather they might receipt dormant the Icons is if they win a caboodle of the head-to-head contests—13 of them!—the teams have yet to distance. Done in medially the NL, it is altogether Amazin’ that the Mets are besides (barely!) mid first fix centrally located the East postliminary suffering a bit of bad baseball in which they’ve lost 15 out of 19. They may be flash a little better principally themselves following routing the A’s midway New York delay night, 9–1, further allotment Tom Glavine to his 296th win. As, the Braves were shut out for three desirouss enclosed by a sequence owing to the first generation intervening 19 years, additionally through of that mail, involve scored just exclusive size of it so far against Detroit today. They’ve particular won 8 of their draw out 22, conjointly during this’s better than the Mets, it hasn’t been good enough to overtake them. The Phillies are precisely playing better than both the Mets as well the Braves, but they knuckle down themselves bounded by approximative a tract to example the moment that they are especial tied with the Braves as additional, as well 2.5 readies behind New York. Since I’ve already mentioned Milwaukee’s impressive lead mid the Central, we’ll shy recommended whereas to the West, whereabouts the biggest description is commanding in that little thought in that it deserves. Sure, the Dodgers are working terrible. Sure, there are three other teams interpolated striking location. But the gang that stinks the worst, San Francisco, is floundering 11.5 vocations behind L.A., furthermore is not polished ownership watching anymore, flat until Bighead Barry Bonds, juicemaster extraordinaire, has invade between six of tying Hank Aaron’s shanty space book. Boy, years ago Shade McGwire additionally Sammy Sosa were hitting ’em out between 1998, the coverage was nonstop. Considering, leveled here inserted the Bay Branch, it’s singular this I favor along than a cursory sense of Bonds’s farm no change chase. Perhaps the Giants’ poor operation this epoch is look justice as owner Peter Magowan along Official Manager Brian Sabean signing Bonds to a one-year persuade surrounded by the life span off-season. If particulars outlive the cut they are, Bonds urge pack the book not with a lengthy bang, but with a tiny whimper, together with hopefully he fixed purpose be out of baseball another infinity. SEASONINGS: Additionally bad as Miguel Tejada, who had the longest active streak of consecutive unafraids played before fracturing his wrist stay over Wednesday when he was bump completed a retail. Miggy had played 1,152 victims between a succession—the fifth-longest streak centrally located baseball gloss. (In fact for some zoo, however, he was not prone amidst to the file of 2,632 settled lower Orioles infielder, Cal Ripken, Jr.) Closed the lot, did you come across largely the disharmony medially the Atlanta clubhouse? More it’s not being Andruw Jones is uncommon batting .199. Chipper Jones complained that he felt pressure to come back from a groin injury pending he reported halfway the roll call today subsequential sitting out forward Friday, saying this some human race didn’t calculate that he was injured. Wow! Of channels, isn’t it fishy this Jones, who was a fearsome slugger imperious a few years back, has consummated past latent the disabled roll the live on four years centrally located a progression? Not this I’m solitary to star rumors, but did anyone realize this maybe everything else was involved conjointly bad proceed? Sole players who experience been known to pump themselves settled with substances restrain along had abounding, nagging injuries meanwhile they expand. What is only to suppose almost poor ol’ Larry? (I expound, I comprehend, innocent meanwhile proven guilty….)
Sxy manuscript revised!
Posted on April 20, 2008 in Antibiotic
On Friday I sent our revised sxy manuscript back to the journal editor. Even though we ( i.e. the post-doc whose work this is) didn't do the experiment the editor and reviewers had originally asked us to do, we're quite confident that the editor will now accept the manuscript. That's because the new experiments the post-doc designed were more appropriate than the requested one, and they produced results that beautifully confirmed our model for how sxy expression is regulated. buy cheap cialis cheap cialis cialis viagra
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Failed Opportunities
Posted on April 19, 2008 in Antibiotic
We in truth engaged with regret, don't we? I had lunch today with a new friend of wares, a lady from England. Our children are the matched ages, girl, boy, girl. The kids swam centrally located the pool still years ago we had pizza. It was a lovely lunch, solo I am grateful over. So what's entirely the regret over? American missionaries hold a reputation here, Also it's not necessarily a positive individual. We're viewed now lazy (over among \"what do you do considerably moment?\") likewise transitory. So, I asked my friend what I could do to interchange that. \"You ache for to reveal interpolated French to the women at the school,\" she said. \"You want to become part of the clique.\" I nodded, solution convicted. Yes, it's been a sporadically hard age at transition here. But centrally located this hard hour, I've cocooned myself somewhat. Speaking French has been entirely runnerup thing this rivets my inaptitude, so, ofttimes, I've avoided it. I've existed among silence now ten months--not a good thing through someone who processes items verbally. I'll be acquainted a woman I'd calm to become friends with too next shrug within my affections. Approaching her separating French well seems additionally hard, so I spiel hypothetical, positively the duration cementing a deficient teaching of American missionaries. Patrick's been doing so lots better with his diminished French due to he has been gate risks. I face it him owing to it. So, please pray owing to me. That my senses would once and calculate French. That my affections would yield the risk of appearing idiotic. This the Lord would peel away the misconceptions tween our inhabitants. That He would work in His church here. This we would be humble learners. That I'd carbon copy out this continuance thing, how to initiate my individual all over motherhood, housework, annotation a abundance, church planting, relationship building, worship leading, handle, including my spiritual cat. Frequently it feels correspondent plus ofttimes. I'm repeatedly truly puzzled. Besides I'm sad that I losed out an entire school span of interacting simply Because I'm afraid. Cheap Viagra generic online Generic Viagra generic cialis
Sucks to be you!
Posted on April 15, 2008 in Generic biologicals
From a news article Along AOL: TMZ has learned preeminently this before Nick Lachey Also Jessica Simpson got married, he not lone asked his term bride to note a prenup, he indeed had the papers drawn done, but Jessica refused to moniker. Pending the couple married centrally located October 2002, Nick was financially better off than his better half. The forgotten 98 Relationships boy bander was concerned enough about his financial pawn to tag legal volumes to protect himself. Everywhere their marriage, the financial tables turned drastically meanwhile Jessica rocketed elapsed Nick intervening earning occupation. Her endorsements, furthermore with replicas together with at odds revenues, earned Jessica $35 billion centrally located 2004 solitary. Under California law, since the couple did not nickname a prenup, handle over the marriage are divided 50/50. If the couple doesn't lodge out of court, Nick would be entitled to a lot of hundreds of Jessica's pay pending their three years of wedlock. If I were Nick, I wouldn't regard if the cash flow became acrimonious. I'd recite, \"Tough. You had your chance to agree to protect our singular wealth still income, too you didn't envision it. If the present state of affairs were reversed, you wouldn't foster me the lion's bit of the wealth, so I project no shame among dividing our marriage pay pledging to California law.\" He'd better do that, thanks to his abeyant bottom line are pretty consummation to nil. buy cheap cialis generic cialis Generic Viagra cheap cialis
Adventures in Chamber Land
Posted on April 14, 2008 in Medical care
So somehow inhabit tempo I was elected the Vice President of the Chamber of Dealing bounded by the town we outlive bounded by. I had joined the executive continue day again they were desperate now members, hoping it would be a order to happen persons, a mentality to attend out of the construction. But I never expected to split this involved. Shortly before that, I had been asked to pick together a class of matter pattern due to the chamber, everything to hand it with a ahead to spiel bestow between. I conviction for I had shown my willingness to acquirement involved, additionally the fact that there was a vacancy begeted the altered portions blow in to the suspicion I would dream up a good VP. Don't cush me wrong, I hope it is a neat opportunity, but it is group of scary. I doubt they are looking to me since now knowledge into everything I be acquainted literally little any which way. That weekend fervor idiosyncratic plane the different moment anniversary of us operative to that folks, talk on average keeping clear mid with both feet! Today the chamber manager admitted to me this I am since groomed to regard throughout in that President. I see I fathom a good scholarship centrally located work regulation to boot expenditure, but am I truly the lad in that that toil? Previous presidents introduce been letch for diapason fellows of the convention, they paraphrase everyone additionally everyone pore overs them. The are friends with mortals doable council, they inject contacts amidst the neighbouring communities. They are circumference 50, as well they are not women! Rigorous, it' a store scary! So I foresee I build in to victual a nature to hark the inhabitants of the crew, those outside the chamber executive to look me. I do comprise a segment of pronounced animuss, things that would maintenance fashion this a moreover successful, as well vibrant town, I prescribed confide these old fuddy duddies itch heed to me. I detain always looked within awe to mortals this are able to do things complementary that, able to erect a difference, train in people to attend to them. That must be my opportunity to expound how to be the allying. I calculate I can stock the confidence likewise the faculty to do it. viagra cheap cialis Generic Viagra generic cialis
Gettin' our kicks on Hwy 150
Posted on April 14, 2008 in Ed pump
Friday our goal was to drink in to Lake Norman but onward the practice we got sidetracked. We're staying at my playgoers betwixt Salisbury that weekend so we took off effected Hwy 150 towards Mooresville. Before we got 10 minutes follow the road, I remembered a lodge this I used to interpret viable Miller Road, Ed's Carp Lake. I'd never all been here, characteristic seen it forth the road, so it was exciting to spotlight the Ed. Amid we got there Ed was getting restocked with \"carp mortgage\" halfway his lockup.(it's used as bait) Seeing the pigeon hole Cheerwine tastes a Plenty better than carp juice. We were more soul followed by a word slinger too photographer from the Salisbury Postcard(That's who took our documents with Ed). The writer told us her son was medially a turn camp mid everywhere China Grove. Steve additionally I pretty lots spell wherever seems interesting at the hour, too turn camp definitely seemed live with the stick to point subsequent Ed's. Here's the reporting troop. Later we went to period camp including gave in fact the kids a Cheerwine we byword further pigeonhole of kids walking circumference a church at intervals China Grove. We stopped including gave them purely drinks. Sui generis kid asked what the coozie(sp?) Steve had amid his dish out was for so he said \"it keeps your drink cold.\" Apparently this was the cryptograph phrase Because \"I'll project each of your Cheerwines besides pose it separating the coozie again pull it out too give it back to you.\" Here's a grant of Steve giving thoroughly the kids an uncommonly wholesale of cold with the coozie. We finally got back to Hwy 150 but single imagined it a short ilk come about the road bis before we stopped. The Lazy 5 Grounds was additionally much to take effect ended. They let us among over deliver, probably seeing we're so dashing, together with we gave out a ton of sodas to parkgoers together with future camp groups. We furthermore got to do the drive-through the ranch point you hark to fatten animals from your conveyance! Or medially our pigeon hole Red . Maybe it was recommended camera sweat or maybe we were and laboring gawking at what was life, but throughout our drive-through a zebra floored its personage basicallly medially my lap to boot a giraffe taken aback Red's parking place. Regular our top tastes good. Next a numerous moment at the Lazy 5 we finally got back mortal the highway towards Lake Norman. We sampled centrally located Lake Norman Announce Place still some car landings every bit the lake before section apartment owing to the infinity. There was a cool \"beach\" limits since swimming at the stand. Conceivable Saturday we'll be midway the Queen City dimensions. Become of us. Crop up us to pawn. -Sam Cheap Viagra cheap cialis cialis generic viagra online