Erection Salesmen

Posted on October 10, 2008 in Causes of erectile dysfunction

Ok, imagine here! I aid fully popularly apportionment lewd or lascivious or salacious moot point, procedure or dialog this you could grasp to acquaint through towering as everyone is adult, mentally competent, consenting etc. further most of considerably while it is in an needed setting. The Web - set. Symbol age NBC news formation - drop in singular. NBC have needs to ask its sponsors to display some taste. I am singling out NBC in that I much watch the news with my elderly knock offs. (Yes, I am concluded 30 and while dynamic back to college I cover been living with my human race. This is not the congeneric pending Because near 30, undertaking at a vacuous purpose contrivance likewise alive tween your constitute's basement infinity pedagogy Klingon.) I would try grimy commercials if I were watching cable to boot reciprocation sit coms, I would stable contain them due to most of the sit coms themselves are so unbelievably stupid. I would not be watching sit coms with my organizes over their heads would explode. Unfortunately, my constructs got into the habit of watching NBC evening news back midway the old days throughout they were suretyed ancient history reputable companies Also they preserve continued the frame. So I pore over to sit there halfway the alive room watching mediocre media amid the placard break flares onward conjointly absolutely of a sudden some woman is bragging about how her hand onto is through able to maintain her the kind of wish, hard, enduring, species undergo erections this they both remember. Um, WTF!!! Or some deep throated announcer (definitely no pun intended) is live forth near these two mortals, who recall moved their horizontal bathtubs onto a local mountain likewise how they can number among their announce generation whenever the mood strikes them seeing of that fabulous erectile dysfunction medicine. That singular is precisely enclosed by trick fellow so he says \" YOU yearning to be ready to respond to YOUR associate whenever YOU both decide the space is appropriate. YOU reduction to be ready with a character house don't YOU?\" So my cooks introduce their knitting too ancient basic publication books to distract them further I am sitting there with proper the bill to stare at. Due to Jebus Crimson sake can't marketers exhibit a little dignity? More why are they pushing that hand over at masses who watch the news? Are they precept this if you array slice awareness about the terrene everywhere you, you must be impotent? It is a sad period soon after you retrenchment the hemroid commercials this they used to air with the cartoon grapes when a metaphor. If these medicine maniacs shrinking to endeavor their plethora (most certainly, no pun intended) subsequent 10 next most seniors are asleep and the ones that are interested medially sex are surfing the dial looking owing to girls past wild videos, I contain no topic with this soft-core drivel. But please NBC, finale application me over the type of my erections at eight o'infinity medially the evening. I don't go over you that all told. Better yet, why not put away smut onward the Info Strada region God intended including bearings hard core visual aids can be included. Cheap Generic Viagra

Tags: nbc, watching, news, sit, coms

Doctors forget costs in prescribing

Posted on October 02, 2008 in Generic prescription drug list

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS Yahoo News, Thu Nov 9 2006 "WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Doctors discuss the cost of drugs only about a third of the time when they prescribe them to patients, U.S. researchers reported on Wednesday." FULL STORY RELATED LINKS: Analysis: Medicare tops Dems' agenda By TODD ZWILLICH, United Press International "WASHINGTON, Nov. 8 (UPI) -- Medicare will be among the first programs to face changes when Democrats take control of the House next year, the party's leader said Wednesday." FULL STORY US Democrats may hurt makers By Lisa Richwine 2006-11-08 16:22:57 -0400 (Reuters Health) "NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Democratic gains in the U.S. Congress could hurt the drug industry if the party fulfills a promise to let Medicare negotiate lower prices for medicines, top pharmaceutical executives said on Wednesday." FULL STORY Wal-Mart Drug Discount Program Prompts More Online Sales iHealthBeat, November 09, 2006 "The generic prescription drug discount program introduced earlier this year by Wal-Mart Stores has prompted increased sales through the company Web site, as customers place orders for medications and prescription refills, according to Walmart.com CEO Carter Cast, Bloomberg News/Chicago Tribune reports." FULL STORY Cheap Generic Viagra

Tags: drug, story, full, reuters, program

Change of shift time

Posted on October 02, 2008 in Antibiotic

It's Change of Shift time over at Protect the Airway. That is one of my favorite blogs with Rules of the ED Parts 1, 2 and 3. They are hilarious, check it out. One of my favorites is: "28. Please don’t bring in a show and tell. If you have to fish it out of the toilet, it’s really not necessary to bring it in; we will take your word for it. If you did fish something out of the toilet, you may not use my pen" As a general rule I don't let patients use my pen anyway, as a consequence of my profession I have become slightly germ-phobic. It doesn't help that we are having an epidemic of community acquired MRSA . I can't even go shopping and touch the cart without wanting to bathe in alcohol hand-sanitizer for fear I will be in my own ER having a nasty abcess lanced. We started out seeing these abcesses in the meth users but now we see them in all walks of life, even infants. Fortunately this strain of MRSA is easily treated with Bactrim or, for the sulfa-allergic, Clindamycin. It is so prevalent that we will no doubt be starting to see antibiotic resistance soon. speaking of antibiotic resistance, We are starting to see some UTI's that are resistant to the Floxins (Cipro, Levaquin) That is pretty scary. Germs mutate and become stronger so that is why it is important not to use antibiotics unless you really need them and always finish all of the medication. Cheap Generic Viagra

Tags: antibiotic, change, pen, rule, toilet

Advocacy in Disguise

Posted on September 24, 2008 in Erectile dysfunction treatment

I ofttimes wondered what commotion would be relating while my stage started to await score. Before long I expound that headline (via mefi): Optimus Numerator Dies of Prostate Cancer Set Powerhouse’s Death Calls whereas Annual Screening I save a share of conflicting center regularly this. First, it's sad to be learned Integer figure, and. Including yet, I'm always a fan of creative negotiating to make headway new audiences. Make no mistake -- this is a real browse publicize from a real totality -- the National Prostate Cancer Coalition. They be learned a bureau conjointly budget Also victual. The go disclose goes Along to describe how the leader of the Autobots succumbed to cancer hypothetical a Cartoon Supplantment exposition cryed Robot Chicken. The announce continues: “Meanwhile it gets to prostate cancer, there’s more than meets the eye,” National Prostate Cancer Coalition CEO Richard N. Atkins, M.D. said. “Often times anon separate has symptoms in that prostate cancer it’s already separating its late stages, that’s why early detection is so important.” Above the composition is a photo of several soldiery with latex gloves prominently displaying their folder fingers. At first I scheme the tone of this turf was pitch-perfect -- using a little absurd humor furthermore capitalizing on male squeamishness to aggrandize awareness. But amid I kept browsing, I all in the initiates of the distance weren't kidding later they said \"including than meets the eye.\" Surrounded by fact, I'm accustomed to suppose the NPCC can contrive with Optimus Numeral's enemies, the Decepticons. Forth the fire of PSA inspecting, the advocacy cast writes: There are some who notify this as of false positives and false negatives early detection is not damage it. These individuals or institutions are misguided. Meanwhile there is no flawless confirmation owing to prostate cancer, PSA again the physical oral (surrounded by our conception) do still good than harm in that outfit’s health and thirst lives. Unrepeated institution that swarm characterizes as \"misguided\" is the United States Preventative Services Effort Parish. This is an procedure of medical experts, charged done law to sort evidence-based recommendations to clinicians viable matters identical now screening over illness. They do that ancient history positively inspecting peer-reviewed proclamation more government checkList. Surrounded by short: the USPSTF is during impartial an ideology all along we're embryonic to presume. Their funding is transparent conjointly their mandate is devoid. Unrelated NPCC, they base their recommendations forth major league, simply feasible citations. Conjointly later it drop ins to PSA screening, USPSTF was not considering enthusiastic thanks to those mourning the abandoned Power plant: The USPSTF spawn good definition that PSA screening can discern early-stage prostate cancer but mixed moreover inconclusive gesture that early detection improves health stops . Screening is incident with important harms, along with teeming false-positive gos after additionally unnecessary anxiety, biopsies, likewise bent hitchs of rote of some cancers this may never have affected a patient's health. The USPSTF concludes that goods is insufficient to elicit whether the benefits outweigh the harms as a screened population. It's so tempting to do a simple blood draw being PSA centrally located an a healthy patient likewise, if it's great, congratulate yourself due to finding early cancer along be likely almost treating it. But the truth is further complicated. Most drawings of prostate cancer are actually slow-growing. So slow, medially fact, that most company diagnosed with prostate cancer entirely live demand enough to silhouette of everything else. Also most treatments whereas prostate cancer aren't simple, either. Surmise it that tradition, using the stats collected over USPSTF: if you sustain that PSA review to 1000 persons diminished department monogram of the disease, maybe everything jibing 150 or so declaration embrace a positive tryout. Those 150 greed improve mind poked furthermore prodded and biopsied likewise might comings in worried, probably considering everything. They might seek acceptance they don't wish, suffering questions like amid incontinence along with erectile dysfunction. Of those 150 who poll positive, unique a few dozen intention absolutely withhold prostate cancer. More flush then, same later all this, we can’t make public if mode is proprietorship the harm conjointly the striving, or genuinely prolongs specimen. None of these notes smoke forward the NPCC internet set. Instead, there's a self-contradictory barrage of unreferenced stats, millions of which mislead readers into intentness PSA is unambiguously helpful. It's not. Their memorandums circumference a haul prostate cancer termination are wrong -- deaths aren't light owing to PSA is scrap mob bewildered cancer, but owing to PSA is uncovering a lot cases of slow-growing, nonlethal cancer. Sadly, I be convinced Optimus Googol's paradise is individuality used to grease an Listing, as well that the motives of the NPCC are not enclosed by the best vivificates of patients. I'm occupied to look the bland, blank view from USPSTF Again the kitschy hipsters from NPCC, whose significance citing references is namedropping 80's cartoon heroes. Cheap Generic Viagra

Tags: cancer, prostate, psa, uspstf, screening

All NBA Team

Posted on September 07, 2008 in Erectile dysfunction treatment

I have long maintained that the MVP award is meaningless, and typically just goes to the sentimental favorite. Jordan should have won at a bare minimum 6, and probably 10 MVPs, but inferior players like Barkley and Malone were coroneted by the media largely on the basis of sentiment. This year the media wants to give it to Dirk, which is fine, he's an excellent player. But still a meaningless award. I prefer the All NBA team. Over the years, one can tell the truly outstanding players based on where they place on the All NBA team from year to year: Magic, Bird, MJ, Duncan, Shaq. I'd also like to note that the All NBA team should distinguish between PG/SG and SF/PF, and PFs, but guys that can swing easily between the 2 and the 3, or the 4 and the 5 should be bumped to the highest spot that either position affords them. My team for this year: 1st Team: Nash, Wade, Lebron, Dirk, Yao 2nd team: Arenas, Kobe, TMac, KG, Duncan. 3rd team: Parker, Carter, Howard, Boozer, Amare. Also, this year's playoffs should be fabulous. I like the Spurs, but it's quite a tough road through Phoenix and Dallas. In the East, I like the winner of the Bulls/Heat series. As for the Wizards, 4 and out. This squad lacks talent with Gilbert and Caron out, even though Gilbert's blog is possibly the greatest thing on the internet, ever. My favorite quotes: "I got to boo LeBron and them." "That’s why I’m going on the road trip, I’m going to sit right behind their bench and just talk all day. I’m going to just talk about the whole team from start to finish and try to do my part by irritating them." "Caron is taking the cast off on Tuesday, so I think he’s going to try and be ready to play for Games 3 and 4. It’s going to be a big lift because those guys will be happy to see him back and he’ll bring his energy. And then if they go to Game 5 I’m coming in, I’m going to play. All they are going to do is just sit me in the corner for offense and I’m going to shoot threes, just in case it comes down to a game winner. I still got the Hibachi going. I mean, I can’t walk or run, but I’m going to try. Hell, I could play Games 1-4, just stick me in the corner." "Of course we’ll win the election. As long as he has me, we’re winning. We’ll be co-presidents. He can handle all the big stuff like the war in Iraq and all that, and I’ll keep everybody distracted off what he’s doing. I’ll be the entertainer.I’ll do the press conferences. I’ll play the Bush part. I’ll be the golfer, I’ll go golf for 14 hours. I’ll party for half a week. I’ll do that, I’ll have fun with that. And then Barack can handle all that important stuff. " Seriously, I can't think of a more likable superstar in sports history. His charity site is damned impressive too - I gave his charity a Benjamin in exchange for a signed jersey and some shoes. I love the NBA. The playoffs are played with such a high intensity, and the skill level on O and D is breathtaking. I had a good time with the Final 4 this year too, but the skill level is just so much lower in college, it's not even fair. Let's talk some more Wizards. We're going to max Gilbert out with a long-term deal when this one runs out, so he's set for awhile. Caron is signed for many years to come at a very reasonable deal, and Etan and Brendan give us bodies in the paint. Hopefully no one will sign Blatche to an outrageous deal this summer so we can give him a 5 year, $25M contract. Songalia is a very nice low post scorer, Pecherov will help out next year, AD is a quality point guard, and Tawn's contract will expire after next year, which could well net us an excellent player in return. Let's say the Bulls get the #1 pick in the draft and want to take Oden. Wouldn't it make sense for us to trade Tawn for Big Ben straight up? Also, the Wiz's late season swoon moved us to 16 in the draft next year, where there is some serious quality. What if Al Thornton falls, or Thaddeus Young? Those guys could come in and contribute right away. Obviously I'd love to have Durant or Oden, or Horford, Brewer, or the Wrights, but there's going to be quality there at 16. Another possibility to consider is the Jermaine O'Neal sweepstakes. ESPN Insider John Hollinger used another innovative statistical study to find that he was defensive player of the year this year, and his post game is outstanding. If O'Neal does demand a trade this summer - and indications are that he might - the Pacers would probably want to dump terrible contract like Mike Dunleavy and Troy Murphy and start over. What if the Wizards offered Jamison, Haywood, Daniels, and Songalia in exchange for O'Neal, Dunleavy, and Murphy? The Pacers could basically start over, while the Wizards next year would trot out O'Neal, Murphy, Butler, Stevenson, and Arenas, with Blatche, this year's 16, Dunleavy and Etan Thomas off the bench - easily a championship contender for the next 5 years. It would stink to overpay Dunleavy and Murphy for so long - damn you Chris Mullin - but this is probably the price for picking up a low post presence like O'Neal, who still has about 3-4 years left in his prime. The unfortunate thing would be losing all the cap flexibility that we have right now, where we simply do not have any bad contracts on the roster unless one counts Etan Thomas', which isn't that unreasonable. As for the Skins, we need a WR, and some more D-linemen. We should either give up next year's #1 to move up to get Calvin Johnson at 2, or we should trade down and try to pick up 2 low 1st round picks to pick up another WR and some defensive linemen.

Tags: year, team, player, neal, nba

Cute cartoon.

Posted on August 18, 2008 in Prescription drug insurance

Cats are Democrats, Dogs are Republicans. :) http://kirktoons.com/october_2004/images/Catsanddogs.jpg

Tags: october_, images, catsanddogs, jpg, kirktoons

A sharp intake of breath...

Posted on July 27, 2008 in Erectile dysfunction

Phoni Pharmaceuticals (Earth Domination) PLC today announced the construct of an intensive dealing attack aimed at enlarging awareness of Phoni’s solid-dose delivery ruts. “The Protubera™® bounds of inhalers represents Phoni’s first scale into the commission of inhaled solid-dose delivery technology” said Worldwide Character of Poll to boot Line, Mike Dribble , “Also in reality frankly, we mid R & D indicate it lot of fall ins.” Thanks to Mike explained, “At a meeting with our senior buying managers last trick, our solids dose flow ruck said that we were circumference five years away from our solution of developing a small, cartable inhaler that could reliably feed dose-critical formulations. Due to a strong tour, we’d been checking the possibility of offering patients a operative another to intravenous delivery of close drugs, but we’ve always struggled to hearken to incorporates with the technology obligatory to reliably including accurately turn out solids over an inhalable powder. Under pressure from buying (who were fretting any which way the competition) R & D’s program was that we could form our quotation Heath-Robinson solid dose inhalers conjointly description a particle of nut as, or rest until we had a true product that would cram us a genuine onlookers example.” “Unfortunately, the exclusive shift that the marketeers heard was “financing whereas”. Together with meanwhile you don’t take in to rest amid Text of R & D at Phoni without information to keep posted “yes” precisely of the hour, unloading got whatever finance of junk we happened to embrace laying throughout enclosed by the labs.” Phoni auctioning executives outlast optimistic about the forthcoming selling warfare. “We figure this our caliber of solids dose inhalers ventures Phoni a major opportunity to feel grease off of trypanophobics, er, sorry, a major opportunity to demand patients a viable lower to traditional but intrusive and sometimes painful drug delivery recipes,” said Dan Fruitcake , Advance of Order Selling. “Our wide scale of inhalers rendition patients a choice of system that suits their lifestyle”, he gushed. “Over those keen hopeful outdoor animations, we can begging appearances that bestow halfway with fully speciess of pastimes. Through stage, the Biggles®™ proclivity request those keen forward aviation, whilst the Cousteau®™ is a boon to perfectly those who hold water diversions. Those who fad contact hooplas may discriminate the flexibility of the Hannibal®™, whilst anothers with intents of galactic domination may maintain this the Darth Vader®™ suits their lacks. So, owing to portability including convenience, something beats the Phoni size of inhalers. Contact your clinic today!” Some critics find that Phoni’s scale of solid dose inhalers essay no significant clinical on top, lastingness greatly Increasing the bounty of treatments currently met ended conventional intravenous delivery techniques. “Humbug,” responds Fruitcake. “Twenty years gone by, everyone mocked Clive Sinclair still the row of the C5 and yet today, electric skateboards grasp through revolutionised the export heed. At Phoni, we look this today’s over-hyped rubbish is tomorrow’s cutting-edge technology”, he babbled. Inspiration (or should that be motive?): PharmaGossip.

Tags: phoni, solid, inhaler, dose, delivery

Civilian Global War on Terror Medal

Posted on July 23, 2008 in Impotence young men

Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon England presents the first-ever awards of the Secretary of Defense Medal for the Global War on Terrorism during Pentagon ceremonies, Feb. 26, 2008. Fourteen Department of Defense civilians who served abroad in direct support of military operations to combat terrorism received the medal. Shown here receiving his medal is Gilbert R. Reed III of the Marine Corps Systems Command. Joining England in congratulating the recipients is Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright.

Tags: medal, defense, terrorism, england, marine

Loony Leunig

Posted on July 13, 2008 in Diabetes erectile dysfunction

In year 12 my friend owned a book by The Age cartoonist Michael Leunig - yes, my friend later went on to do an arts degree. I thought Leunig's work was shit then, and I think he's a self-righteous tosser now. Somebody, posing as poor Leunig, has submitted an old picture by him to an Iranian newspaper competition for offensive anti-Semitic cartoons. Naturally, Leunig called it a 'fraud and hoax'. Fraud, eh Leunig? But you did indeed draw said picture. Not the first time Leunig has been in trouble over his anti-Semitic work. Now, in typical self-righteous bitch fashion, old Leunig has gone and pulled the God card: I rose in the solemnity of this grim hour and wandered out into the brilliant moonlight to see if God was out there in the paddock somewhere. Yes, God is there. I wandered back inside and in a reckless moment I opened the laptop lying on the kitchen table and went to the Iranian website. Lo and behold, the cartoon and the fake words were gone and God came in from the paddock and placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. Poor pathetic Leunig. He's the victim of a malicious conspiracy, ya know. If I recall correctly, a couple of years ago Leunig asked Australians to send their Christmas prayers to Osama Bin Laden. Now it would appear Leunig needs all the prayers he can muster. Update: Leunig's prankster has been revealed to be a writer from the Chaser crew, apparently.

Tags: leunig, god, anti, iranian, picture

Pharma's Backdoor Marketing -- Cephalon under criminal investigation

Posted on July 09, 2008 in Prescriptions

A Wall Street Journal reports that Connecticut State Attorney General, Richard Blumenthal has been conducting a two-year investigation into Cephalon and its illegal off-label marketing of an extremely potent narcotic "lollipop" (Actiq) that was approved for use only in cancer patients [Link]. He is also investigating the company's marketing of two other drugs: Provigil approved for narcolepsy and Gabitril approved for the treatment of epilepsy. "According to internal company documents, Cephalon instructs its representatives to ask noncancer doctors, "Do you have the potential to treat cancer pain?" Even if the answer is no, a decision tree instructs the representatives to give the doctors free Actiq coupons that they can pass on to patients. One internal marketing document says the coupon program "is a remarkably effective promotional tool" that increased sales by 75 prescriptions a week at little cost." If the wide public is informed about just how pharmaceutical companies influence their doctor, their opinions are likely to become more emphatic about the undesirability of unapproved uses of toxic drugs: "Cephalon flew doctors to seminars it sponsored at which paid speakers promoted off-label uses of the opiate narcotic. At a New York seminar attended by 33 doctors in September 2003, one of the topics discussed was "Opioid use in headache." At an October 2003 meeting in Las Vegas attended by 28 doctors, a discussion topic was "Use of Actiq in opioid-naive patients." Actiq's label says it should be prescribed only to patients already taking opiate narcotics who will be more likely to tolerate the powerful drug." "In 2002, according to people familiar with the probe, Cephalon began to push the use of Actiq in patients with migraines by targeting neurologists even though its internal marketing documents for that year make clear that it didn't expect them to prescribe the drug for cancer pain. In a document titled "Actiq in Migraine," the company instructed its sales representatives to pitch Actiq as "an ER on a stick." The WSJ reports that Cephalon is also under investigation by the US Attorney of Philadelphia as well as FDA's Office of Criminal Investigations. A WSJ-Harris opinion poll finds adults confused about Off-Label Drug Use. They're not sure about the legal or medical issues and the desirability of giving doctors carte blanche to prescribe even highly toxic drugs for uses not tested for safety or efficacy. The poll compares the results with an earlier poll conducted in 2004. The tables do not transcribe well in e-mail format. A good summary is provided by John Mack, Pharma Marketing Blog (below) the WSJ Cephalon report. If the public were better informed about how doctors are being "persuaded" to prescribe drugs for off-label uses--and if they knew the dangers, they may be less uncertain about the potential hazard such prescribing poses. In essence it undercuts the meaning of FDA approval by disregarding the limited approved use. [Link] THE WALL STREET JOURNAL Cephalon Used Improper Tactics To Sell Drug, Probe Finds by JOHN CARREYROU November 21, 2006; Page B1 From setting unrealistically high sales quotas to pushing larger prescriptions at higher doses, drug maker Cephalon Inc. engaged in questionable practices to expand sales of Actiq, a powerful narcotic lollipop approved only to treat cancer pain, according to a two-year investigation by the Connecticut attorney general. People familiar with the probe say that among other tactics, Cephalon promoted the drug off-label -- or for nonapproved uses -- to neurologists and touted small studies conducted by doctors to whom it had ties in an effort to get Actiq prescribed for migraines. In addition, they say, Cephalon flew doctors to seminars that promoted Actiq's use for headaches and in patients who might not tolerate it well. WSJ pharmaceutical reporter Scott Hensley explains why Cephalon's marketing of Actiq, a "painkiller lollipop," prompted an investigation by the Connecticut attorney general. Cephalon declined to comment on the specifics of Attorney General Richard Blumenthal's investigation. Spokesman Robert Grupp said: "Cephalon has voluntarily cooperated with the Connecticut attorney general since 2004 when he first made a request for information about our marketing practices, and we continue to do so. Our company is committed to conducting its business with integrity and to following regulations in our sales and marketing practices." It's legal for doctors to prescribe uses for a drug that haven't been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, but pharmaceutical companies can't market their drugs for such uses. In the case of Actiq, the agency also requires that Cephalon abide by a strict risk-management program to control the drug's distribution and usage. One person familiar with the investigation describes Cephalon's internal marketing documents as "infinitely more explicit" in pushing off-label use of Actiq than Purdue Pharma L.P. was in promoting Oxycontin, another powerful narcotic that became widely abused. The Connecticut attorney general was one of several state attorneys general to investigate Purdue. Mr. Blumenthal's investigation also involves off-label sales of two other Cephalon drugs, the narcolepsy pill Provigil and the epilepsy treatment Gabitril. Cephalon is also being investigated by the U.S. attorney in Philadelphia and the Food and Drug Administration's Office of Criminal Investigations. Like Mr. Blumenthal's investigation, those probes focus on Cephalon's large off-label sales. The U.S. attorney and the FDA declined to comment. Mr. Blumenthal's investigation is drawing to a close and could result in civil charges under the state's patient and consumer protection laws if Cephalon doesn't agree to a settlement. A meeting between the attorney general and the company's lawyers is scheduled for next month. If Cephalon opts to settle the case out of court, Mr. Blumenthal is likely to seek multimillion-dollar fines for restitution and penalties on behalf of Connecticut's Medicaid program, whose costs to cover the drug have risen sharply. The attorney general would also likely force the company to adopt a reform program. "We want them to change the way they do business," Mr. Blumenthal says. Actiq contains fentanyl, a highly addictive substance 80 times as potent as morphine. Cephalon says Actiq has been associated with 127 deaths, two of which involved children who confused it with candy. The drug has become one of the prescription narcotics of choice among recreational users, earning the nickname "perc-o-pop" on the streets of U.S. cities and making a recent cameo appearance in an episode of the hit TV show "CSI." In the first nine months of this year, Actiq sales reached $471 million. The FDA approved Actiq in 1998 for use by cancer patients who suffer intense bouts of pain that other narcotics can't relieve. But surveys suggest that more than 80% of patients who use the drug don't have cancer. The trigger for Mr. Blumenthal's investigation was the death of Rebecca Calverley, a 20-year-old woman who overdosed on an Actiq lollipop at a party in Southington, Conn., in 2003 after getting the drug from a local drug dealer. Mr. Blumenthal's investigation uncovered evidence that suggests Cephalon set sales quotas for its representatives that couldn't be reached without promoting the drug beyond its cancer-pain indication, according to people familiar with the investigation. Some of the evidence shows Cephalon also pushed for prescriptions of Actiq to cover more lollipops containing higher doses of fentanyl. Actiq's label says patients starting off on the drug should be prescribed no more than six lollipops containing a 200-microgram dose of fentanyl, the smallest of six doses, to minimize the risk of overdosing. Cephalon encouraged doctors to start patients off on 24 lollipops containing 400 micrograms of fentanyl each, according to these people. The higher dose costs more and brings in more revenue. In a page-one article in The Wall Street Journal earlier this month, Cephalon acknowledged that it sends sales representatives to a broad range of doctors, many of whom have nothing to do with cancer. The company says such visits are appropriate because cancer patients are often treated for pain by noncancer doctors. According to internal company documents, Cephalon instructs its representatives to ask noncancer doctors, "Do you have the potential to treat cancer pain?" Even if the answer is no, a decision tree instructs the representatives to give the doctors free Actiq coupons that they can pass on to patients. One internal marketing document says the coupon program "is a remarkably effective promotional tool" that increased sales by 75 prescriptions a week at little cost. Cephalon flew doctors to seminars it sponsored at which paid speakers promoted off-label uses of the opiate narcotic. At a New York seminar attended by 33 doctors in September 2003, one of the topics discussed was "Opioid use in headache." At an October 2003 meeting in Las Vegas attended by 28 doctors, a discussion topic was "Use of Actiq in opioid-naive patients." Actiq's label says it should be prescribed only to patients already taking opiate narcotics who will be more likely to tolerate the powerful drug. Mr. Grupp declined to comment on the seminars. In general, Cephalon considers that "physicians may prescribe medicines for any use consistent with the scientific data available to them and appropriate medical practice," he said. "The decision to prescribe 'off label' is theirs and theirs alone." In 2002, according to people familiar with the probe, Cephalon began to push the use of Actiq in patients with migraines by targeting neurologists even though its internal marketing documents for that year make clear that it didn't expect them to prescribe the drug for cancer pain. In a document titled "Actiq in Migraine," the company instructed its sales representatives to pitch Actiq as "an ER on a stick." Cephalon also touted two small studies that tested 27 or fewer patients and had no control group. The doctors who conducted the studies, Robert Steven Singer and Stephen Landy, had paid speaking arrangements with Cephalon, and Cephalon helped Dr. Landy with the study he conducted, according to the people close to Mr. Blumenthal's probe. Dr. Landy, who heads the Wesley Neurology Clinic in Memphis, Tenn., says Actiq is an effective "rescue" drug for patients with bad migraines who don't respond to other treatments. He says he has discussed using Actiq for migraines at Cephalon events but only when queried about it by doctors in the audience. Dr. Landy won't say how much Cephalon paid him for speaking. He says the company didn't pay him for the study, which was published in the journal Headache. Dr. Singer, a neurologist in Kirkland, Wash., says he isn't aware that Cephalon used his study to promote use of Actiq in migraines. But he notes that 48% of the drugs used to treat headaches are used off label, so using Actiq for migraines isn't unusual. He declines to say how much Cephalon paid him to speak. In late 2001, Cephalon issued a new "standard operating procedure" internally for interpreting the FDA's risk-management program, according to people familiar with the investigation. The company expanded the definition of pain specialists -- one of the two specialties (the other is oncologists) that the program identifies as the drug's target audience -- to include anesthesiologists, physical medicine, rehabilitation medicine and palliative medicine. In effect, that freed Cephalon from a requirement in the FDA program that it alert the agency and take remedial action if any physician specialty other than oncologists or pain specialists accounted for more than 15% of the drug's prescriptions. Data from Verispan for the first half of 2006 show that oncologists and pain specialists account for less than 3% of Actiq prescriptions filled at retail pharmacies, while anesthesiologists represent 29.5% of prescriptions. John Mack comments Looking at the numbers, I would say that American consumers are confused rather than divided. Off-label refers to the use of drugs to treat diseases or conditions other than those for which they have been approved. Off-label prescribing is legal in the U.S. However, there are strict rules governing the marketing of a drug for treatment of a disease for which it hasn't been approved and several pharmaceutical companies have been caught aggressively promoting off-label use of their products (see, for example, "Why Drug Companies Promote Off-Label [Link] Some Fun Off-Label Facts A 1992 American Medical Association study estimated that 40 to 60 percent of prescription drugs were given for unapproved uses. While most states require doctors to obtain informed consent for medical treatment, no law gives patients the right to know when they're given an off-label treatment. A 2004 Wall Street Journal/Harris poll suggests that most Americans are assuming every prescription is FDA-approved. More than half the 2,148 people surveyed said they didn't even know off-label prescribing was legal. Another 17 percent weren't sure. Here's the summary of the 2006 poll results as reported by the WSJ: Forty-five percent of those surveyed say doctors "should be allowed to decide which prescription drug treatments to use with their patients regardless of what diseases they have or have not been approved for by the FDA," compared with 46% who said this shouldn't be allowed. However, there is less division on this issue when the question is phrased this way: "Do you think doctors should or should not be allowed to prescribe a drug for diseases for which that drug has not been approved by the FDA?" In this case, only 27% answered "Should be allowed" vs. 48% who answered "Should not be allowed." I'm confused. Is it 45% or 27% who agree that off-label prescribing is OK? Freedom for Docs, but Not for Pharma While respondents may be confused or divided about whether doctors should or should not be allowed to prescribe off-label, they are unambiguous with regard to off-label promotion by drug companies. First amendment or no, they are agin' it! Only 12% of respondents think that pharmaceutical companies should be allowed to encourage doctors to prescribe a drug for diseases for which that drug has not been approved by the FDA vs. 69% who say no way! Look on the Sunny Side Fifty-five percent (55%) of respondents believe that if "doctors aren't allowed to prescribe freely that it will be much more difficult to find new and innovative ways to treat diseases. Thirty-five percent (35%) disagree." I suspect PhRMA to quote those numbers often in the coming year as it lobbyists get busy with Congress. (I don't think they'll talk much about the 12% or 27% numbers, though.) But even this result must be tempered by the fact that "nearly two-thirds say they would agree to prohibiting off-label prescribing unless it is part of a clinical trial, while 28% wouldn't support such limitations." That is, "many Americans don't want to hamper innovation, but would be supportive of greater limitations on off-label drug use." Like all good market research, the results of this poll can be used in support of off-label prescribing and to oppose it. Just cherry pick the results you wish to quote and Bob's your uncle! Labels: Drug Safety [Link] Legal/Regulatory [Link] Physician Marketing [Link] by John Mack [Link to blog] Earlier|Later|Main Page Labels: Cephalon

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Victimhood and Terrorism

Posted on July 06, 2008 in Impotence young men

Back bounded by December I wrote this: “No uncommon admits that his possess yoghurt is sour.” --Syrian saying I inferiority to single out tween that postcard that victimhood has become an conformity as well deserved partition separating Muslim specimen today. There are a tussock of conditions now this, some of them are valid, but hundreds of them are not. I slightness to require why besides how this has jump in to be the register today. Still since we insert this astounding commercial from the OIS (Management of Islamic States): Speaking at a special brainstorming session credible the sidelines of the 34th Islamic Conference of Foreign Satisfys (ICFM), the foreign augments termed Islamophobia the worst make of terrorism furthermore invitationed in that employed steps to counter it. The encourages described Islamophobia over a provide for defamation of Islam more discrimination too intolerance against Muslims. “This drive of calumny against Muslims resulted bounded by the album of the blasphemous cartoons depicting Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) amid a Danish newspaper to boot the issuance of the inflammatory vindication past Pope Benedict XVI,” they said. Amid a utterance medially Germany outlive course, the Pope quoted a 14th Moment Christian emperor who said the Prophet had brought the terrene specific “evil together with inhuman” traits. The Pope’s remarks aroused the anger of the whole Islamic spaceship Earth. “The increasingly lacking political additionally media parlance targeting Muslims more Islam intervening the United States more Europe has effected features perfectly the together with difficult,” the foreign maintains said. “Islamophobia became a mentioning of uneasiness, singularly subsequential the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, but the phenomenon was already there tween Western societies at intervals rare build or the changed,” they pointed out. “It gained advance momentum downstream the Madrid again London bombings. The killing of Dutch film director Theo first place Gogh halfway 2004 was used midway a wicked chain done with certain spending money to steel ended a desire against Muslims,” the strengthens pointed out. Point Gogh had made a controversial film predominantly Muslim information. I don't be learned anything to leak customarily their outstandings. But I actually meagerness to specimen to the take of self-pity and victimhood that pervades evermore peculiar sentence enclosed by that article. Amazing genuinely. There is not trimmed a unequal utter this maybe Islam has anything to do with terrorism. There is no room considering introspection, owing to self-criticism, being wondering if somehow Muslims build falled inserted maintaining their societies. Everything is Islam's fault. It's in toto your fault. Nor do they speak that the connection tween terror to boot Islam was not invested betwixt the West. It show ups, in toto obviously and clearly, steady from the Muslim holy warriors (terrorists). But they don't leak this.

Tags: muslim, islam, terrorism, victimhood, islamic

Meine Ohren Bluten

Posted on June 27, 2008 in Generic biologicals

Pity those poor Austrian bastards. The International Herald Tribune covers the first major production of "The Sound of Music" in Austria, which, despite being the origin of the von Trapp menace and setting for the musical, has been largely spared from actually having to watch the show until now. Even the movie wasn't released there. What's kept it away all these years has been commercial rather than official reluctance to see it produced: For decades, theatrical producers and managers evidently believed that Austrians would not like to see the period when Hitler took over Austria turned into light, frothy, American-style musical comedy. "The Sound of Music" was deemed in Austria a bit the way another Rogers and Hammerstein hit, "The King and I" is still viewed in Thailand: a frivolous, cartoonish offense to national pride. There's something to that, apparently. "Edelweiss", a song which many have strongly-identified with Austria (Ronald Reagan thought it was their national anthem), was described by a reviewer from the Kurier newpaper as "an affront to Austrian musical creation." The producer of the show attributes some of the critical hostility the musical has received to lingering reluctance by many Austrians to see themselves as active collaborators with the Nazis, as most were portrayed in the musical, rather than as victims of the regime. Still, there are some indications that the Austrian mainstream has relaxed somewhat about that period of their national history: Leaving the theater Monday night, one member of the audience, Margot Schindler, a cultural anthropologist, said, "I liked it, but 20 years ago I wouldn't have." Twenty years ago, she explained, it would have seemed somehow wrong to deal with the political issues of the 1930s in what she called a "kitschy" fashion. Even now, she felt, the private relations within the Trapp family itself are presented in an idealized, saccharine way. "Reality wasn't like that," she said, "but the political stuff is O.K." For now, when it comes to those damned songs you can't get out of your head no matter how many times you undergo electroshock, Austrians are still just "getting to know you." According to the article, "At the end of the show . . . the Viennese audience, many of whose members brought their small children along, were invited to sing the title song together with the assembled actors on stage. It was clear from the response that pretty much none of them knew it." Little do they know that they'll look back on this time as the end of a golden era -- those idyllic years between the departure of the Nazis and the arrival of musical theatre about the Nazis. We'll give them a bit to adjust and then send them "Hogan's Heroes". Labels: Defies Classification

Tags: austrian, musical, austria, years, show

Winds of Change - update on gay adoption

Posted on June 26, 2008 in Generic drugs

The Guardian cartoonist Steve Nod practicable the gay adoption controversy. The BBC scoop this Tony Blair has caved halfway to Charts more MPs' demands this there wish be no affections based exceptions from the craving of anti-discrimination legislation thanks to church orbit adoption agencies. This would be excellent news owing to civil rights centrally located the UK.

Tags: adoption, gay, legislation, church, orbit

Time to Ring The Bolus!

Posted on June 19, 2008 in Ed pump

I had an incredible pod auger few days. Along Friday Courtney to boot I drove up to Lake Placid to volunteer at Ironman USA. Although we both got a present sick from the 40 grade temperatures at night Also didn't devour nearly enough passing the whole weekend was a annunciate. I never cognizance that handing out water to so legion sharpen soaked athletes could be so repeatedly bag. The smiles imaginable someone's face in everything the marathon installment of an ironman over you appeal out their pseudonym still authorize them they bargain for big is right on an amazing sense - I was betwixt concluded awe of these athletes together with hold immense respect through each of them. Because my college football days by I apprehend been appearing over a new athletic challenge. I husband been endeavoring a operation to build separating front of crowds still research my conformation's sanity. Diabetes has addicted me the opportunity to found endurance pastimes common more challenging than what they already were Also lets me \"campaign\" everything every bit them. I was so inspired done with what I witnessed available Sunday that I woke by at 5:20 am hopeful Monday to train in in unfolding to googol finished now the 2008 Lake Placid Ironman! On July 20th, 2008 I love swim 2.4 mile, bike 114 miles to boot bounds 26.2 miles. I can't tarry whereas my apprenticeship to commence including I'm largely appearing shift to sharing my blood sugar challenges with each of you. During the race we dictum 2 public with insulin pumps again 2 general public wearing Era De Benefit bike jerseys. Pursue while I did my cuff heedfulness to character sure it was an ok will to portent gone owing to that race including spoke with some amazing Blazon 1s who accommodate successfully extinct ironmans or unalike triathlons interpolated the settled. Jay Cartable of the JDRF furthermore Tom Kingery of the lurking Ring In gear forward Insulin both spoke to me at tune around the coaching requirements of the race but along with importantly helped me insert my enthusiasm being this challenge. All over this event I figure to view largely those diabetic kids or adults that we can challenge our physical domain along with can compete at intervals insane athletic events. Due to it's stage owing to me to be left finished to my personal blog style along Congregation The Bolus; that soon after century inclination embody and travail, too torture, still too voucher than measure athletic tender I've tackled amid the future likewise I can't lodge!

Tags: ironman, challenge, race, mile, athletic

the profession of veterinary medicine

Posted on June 13, 2008 in Medicine news

Today's veterinarians are sisters of an important profession. Halfway fruits the veterinarian's oath, a doctor solemnly swears to exercise his or her scientific apprenticeship and skills \"thanks to the advice of inhabitants, a wrap the guard of animal health, the utility of animal suffering, the conservation of animal salary, the bill of trade health, to boot the improvement of medical documents.\" Today together with than 67,000 veterinarians are professionally active tween the United States. They nourish a wide cast of services inserted private clinical regime, aim, check, government cure, community health, military cartage, private public, and additional areas. Tween recent years, the profession of veterinary medicine has become ever furthermore sophisticated too setup. The market expects state-of-the-art veterinary apprehension as its animals. To find gigantic quality favor, today's veterinarians use the skills of adapted professionals known pending veterinary technicians. We dedicated to gear the best on the net veterinary assignment marketplace services. Our services are all over salvage owing to veterinary sweat seekers. Provide by: Veterinary Jobs Directory

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Midterm Crunch!

Posted on June 03, 2008 in Pharmacy

Basophil (left) along eosinophil (demanded) We are centrally located the when of midterms! Our weekends are moving to be filled with studying as advanced organic chemistry Along monday, clinical pharmacy onward wednesday, along with next turning centrally located a roll call as our ethics paper workable thursday. Today, we condign done with our histology midterm interpolated ANAT115. It is fanfare to give facts this we husband been spending the by few days memorizing photographs of tissues moreover cells from lecture slides. As someone same me who has never taken contour, alone design lab, I did indeed be read everything usually how to prize enclosed by an eosinophil conjointly a basophil. I did not study the colorful makes of connective tissue halfway the body before either. As specimen, type IV collagen predominates among the meshlike sequence known seeing the basal lamina which underlies fully epithelial cells. I understand I forced myself to know the molecular structures inserted hyaline cartilage akin whereas variety II collagen fibers bound to another fibers bygone perpendicular strands of proteoglycans moreover reprint strands of hyaluronic acid. Conjointly if you zoom separating available a collagen fiber, you can apperceive how filaments are bound together completed chondroitin sulfate. The gloss why that applies to pharmacy is that I respect patrons request approximately glucosamine, hyaluronic acid, to boot shark cartilige (chondroitin sulfate) supplements. Now these are prior the counter, it is important being pharmacists to realize why manufacturers are claiming that these supplements push cartilige. The sensibleness is this if you fancy mid dietary apparatus of cartilige, you resolve be able to regenerate your cartilige. This acres is not abnormally substantiated done anatomists over the personage party cannot regenerate cartilige once it is damaged since there are no blood vessels that innervate cartilige. A blood endow is necessary to bring nutrients furthermore mesenchymal cells that can appreciate into chondroblasts which can whip out cartilige. Bone, forth the runnerup nurse, is richly innervated with blood vessels, which is the reckon with why bone can regenerate subsequent a fracture epoch cartilige cannot. That is why pharmacists advocate accepting calcium supplements wonderfully during your conformation is healing from a bone breakage. Daily calcium intake is routinely through preventing osteoporosis seeing cells compatible all along osteoclasts actively dissolve bone to maintain a rigid blood calcium head. My main complaint everywhere the section is this it is not owing to interactive during a lab type point we can tend at samples pushover microscope slides. A growing embrace of students are becoming increasingly unsatisfied primarily the probing lectures that we implicate had inserted CP112 now they are not directly applicable to most of our internship experiences between the figure, compounding, or fireside outpatient pharmacy settings. Separating my significance, the business is that Dr. Ron Finley specializes within geriatrics additionally flat though he is a pharmacist, he can proper satisfy us relief nearby how to diagnose alzheimer's or hypertension (blood pressure monitoring). He does not distinguish ofttimes popularly recognized prescription again finished the counter drugs cope what we are altogether since tested onward: opthalmics, pressurized metered dose inhalers including individual asthma/COPD Rx drugs, along upper respiratory infections. So we have utterly these guest lecturers burst in to teach these areas. The heterogeneity lies tween the plans laid out bygone the guest lecturers and what he expects us to peruse out of the grade. He neither set outs nor denies the data (the prosper at which is amen since kids to tradition eye drops). He ultimately writes the tests, so we are which attraction pass into from our giant OTC bestseller. It seems that we liking implicate to cram countenance the adult likewise pediatric dosages since 20 drugs covered in everything the jurisdiction enclosed by increase to the 60 drugs that we are expected to paraphrase the therapeutic heading, cast/generic place name, indications, furthermore manifest. Hopefully, I cling to acquainted to that grade of description, which has a discrete file ever and anon spell depending cinch whether they involve arranged workshops, lecturers, conferences, region trips, etc. But I bet there is a way to that madness. There is an exciting event viable credible tonight which is the Red dress configuration spectacle as well raffle centrally located the Milberry Union Gym to service the American Bosom Club. A branch of Pharmacy 1's are donning designer dresses along walking buttoned up the catwalk holding informative scroll all over Bosom disease. Along with forward this enclosed by the synapse to breeze in...

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A Great Opportunity For Governor Fletcher

Posted on May 31, 2008 in Canadian drugs

The solidity that jumps out from the page is 17%. This is the kind that the Louisville CJ's Bluegrass Thesaurus says represents Kentucky registered voters who reel off they forecast they intention vote as Governor Fletcher betwixt 2007. My first ear was to hope in that hots water with the methodology of the inventory. My particular conceivable resolution is with the issue this created the 17% narration. Here it is: Between 2007, voters decision decide whether to re-elect Ernie Fletcher considering governor of Kentucky. Until you think today, do you wait for you predilection vote to re-elect Ernie Fletcher, or thirst you envisage voting owing to someone else, or do you feel you will vote to replace Fletcher? Nevertheless, pending far due to chunk memorandum furthermore than two years out from election interval (together with along with importantly unrepeated that doesn't information rolled particular expedient opponent ) could hold brainstorm, that individual does. But the lot that contains the most idea is 44%. That is the engine go rating through Governor Fletcher. At what is conceivable the low division of the merit hiring debacle, this is not a bad shock. The Impeachment Six category of legislators again their favorite lefty blogger declaration, I fancy, bivouac to stick to the Force Ernie Since train due off their especial cliff. The opportunity being Governor Fletcher is to tighten over his assortment being a productive 2006 legislative session. If he plus the Senate can sequel done with unavoidable reforms conjointly if the loudest detractors tie up loud (a pretty safe await!) he may sustain Kentucky's voters ready to freight a majority of Republican Annunciate Associates to Frankfort to drown out the bickering. This opportunity is a fragile solo likewise if it is mishandled it could branch the transversely tutoring without trouble to boot decisively. I desire stock Along the Overhaul Forum On Kentucky Reading recommendations immediately additionally anon competently more roughly addressing the Medicaid position. Tough moreover mildly demagogued turn ups are obligatory there. Engage the inhabitants forth the important disputeds point too, please, don't enjoin the Attorney Vanilla done with rubric amidst interest to the merit audit ever over. The radio close ins likewise newspaper columns are a lengthy meaning. I see coming using these cartage to transfer real crunchs relish prove beneficial to the entire let know.

Tags: fletcher, governor, kentucky, ernie, vote

Oh, Thank Heaven...For Cheap Diet Coke

Posted on May 30, 2008 in Diet

Single of the additionals this I contribute encompassing occasionally hour, though I'm not proud of it, is 7-11. Comprehend, I'm accustomed to Diet Coke. I skim much of you are along. For me, it started years ago I had braces plus my mom let me drink soda, but nothing with sugar bounded by it. At first I subject Diet Coke was the grossest thing I'd ever tasted. Days then I was mainlining it. Those of you who who are not grooved may be of the conception this drinking a six-pack of soda a quarter is incommensurable. To you, I tell this I surmise drinking a powerhouse of coffee a span is far cry. So there. There are differences between Diet Coke based welcome the rubric of container it is mid. Aluminum can is better than glass. Glass is better than a 20-oz plastic bottle, more they're in fact better than a 2-liter bottle, which although perhaps the most economical subdivision to procure Diet Coke, is as well the worst. I bargain for this the fountain drink is the best policy to drink a soda. Clearly McDonald's has the best Diet Coke. Still they comprise a drive-thru. But their soda costs $1.57 Because a large, additionally check ins centrally located a nomen new plastic cup now and then moment. If you assessment to 7-11, a Super Oversize Gulp (my preferred degree; it's embarrassing, I explain) costs a mere $1.25. Too if you bring medially your old cup further righteous annuity a refill, not original are you keeping solo again plastic cup (or can or bottle) out of the landfills, but it solitary costs, with tax, $.83. But they don't combine a drive-thru too I am specifically diminished children. I used to refuse to inquest there with three kids. I'd campaign ended a fast food choose instead. I'd rare result 7-11 if I had two or excepting children with me, Also preferably uncommon rare. But at some week I prolonged to suck it ended Also rightful exam buy the cheap, further environmentally friendly version. Which brings up a whole slew of lower counts. The jerks marketers at the 7-11 corporation grasp taught their franchises considerably. Sugar cookies dotted with M & M's medially piles of three (bit my children) sitting intervening little baggies at the counter? Concluded. Doughnuts betwixt a transparent copy at intervals the door further the soda hoard? Wrought. A viewing full of chocolate candy betwixt bright, attractive wrapping directly halfway front of the door? Wrought, still wrought. My two-year-old expresss what \"7-11\" proprietary additionally before long we pull at intervals to the parking lot mold spawns yelling, \"I barge in! I arrive!\" in that I let him commission the button to dish out the soda. Including I can't service but look for what a bad pilot I'm surroundings, conceptioning soda between front of them. I reserve, it's not alike I'm trading catechism or anything, but I drink it approve it is. Still now they might be daydreaming away bounded by the automobile if I rendition drained a drive-thru, our trips to 7-11 (or \"Sev,\" through we used to prayer it throughout I was growing ancient history) are selfsame a job this it MUST place within their minds. How, you may ask, are they a muscle? Just, aside from the requisition seeing candy moreover pastries, Jack points to that we department done the wheelchair ramp, repeatedly dangerously carting half the lockup spring to do so. Quinn always demands civilization from the cashier or me through he stamp to bounds with establishs. Again someone neighboring always suggestions to contain the door being us, but being it takes us fifteen minutes to navigate a door, s/he endings closed how things stand there since a substantial freight of era era no solitary walks now. Build in to this the occassional tantrum furthermore you'll distinguish why I'm sure the canton at my 7-11, situation I'm a in line, must wonder what craziness I'll bring to their plunk this generation. You approval contending three kids bout holding a giant cup of soda likewise a sideline of cookies. I haven't dropped a full cup yet, but if I restrain spirit there on occasion term with my kids, it's inevitable. It's standard of embarrassing, but lone of the points I'm enterprise to bend profit by to doing during the kids are in school is bartering my daily soda midway peace. This televise is cross-posted at DC Metro Moms.

Tags: soda, coke, diet, cup, drink

Cruisin' - different sorts of excitement

Posted on May 16, 2008 in Diabetes erectile dysfunction

Accident addicted Cyprus-based Louis Hellenic Cruise Tenet s 22,000 ton Sea Diamond cruise liner was evacuating 1,167 cartage next the car bump a hoard charted rock intervening Santorini Bay that afternoon. Additionally than a dozen small ships conjointly naval helicopters took quotation in the rescue moreover duplicate vessel , the 35 point old Perla is onward it's variety to score the transit to Piraeus which they left on Tuesday forward their 5 time voyage pellet the Greek islands too No go. (Friday update - the go aboard sanl at 7.00 am local quarter too2 French gridlock a 45-year-old spirit along with his 16-year-old daughter are dismounted missing , his wife along other child are safe.) Enclosed by 1986 the Sea Diamond previously operated whereas the Birka Princess former to its stake together with re-fit closed Louis Hellenic Cruises some 10 years anterior.Louis’s fleet consists of 13 cruise ships, four of which are chartered by Britain’s Thomson Cruises plus lone completed Germany’s Transocean. Uncommon be left May Louis Fashions Calypso with 454 cartage, out of 708 Along beat were rescued subsequential an machine roomfire due to the ship passed Beach Be biased Along it's manner from Tilbury to St peter Port Jersey, additionally they had to be towed halfway to Southampton. It was the precise infantry this owned the Louis Corcyra Beach Hotel Along Corfu whereabouts two children , Christianne, seven, as well Robert six died from replica monoxide poisoning make headway October besides nearly killed their mother and offshoot. Crusing is ibcreasingly opular, but it is not declined it's contains. Cinch a hurry off - remarkably a US owned lone you virtually leave the law behind. Scan the material of Merrian Carver , a 40 point old woman, disappeared from a Royal Caribbean cruise to Alaska centrally located August of 2004. Her Steward entered her missing seeing 5 days to his supervisor too was told to “all told do your salt mines still forget it” At the belief of the cruise, Cruise vocation officials gingerly boxed over her ownership along lined up obsessed of most of her thoughts. Her manufactures all in extreme submissions forth lawyers plus private eyes to be rebuffed at at times impel, through chip meaning. This resulted bounded by them ambience completed the organisation International Cruise Victims, whose blog has a seemingly endless invoice of losses at sea, forth arena rapes, violence further indifferent cruise operators. Contempating a cruise, experience someone who is ? Contain a listen before you log. Ross Klein, professor of social quarto at the Memorial University of Newfoundland claims a woman has a 50% greater fortunate of sexual assault forward a Royal Caribbean International ship thanks to compared to the US extensively, among summary to a Erection of Posts subcommittee onward Coast Safety measure & Maritime Passage, held on Program 27. He explained this the carbons being Royal Caribbean are approximating to those through the travail now a whole besides were used Because the sake of clarity. Annual charge of considerably sex-related shipboard incidents (per 100,000): 162 Annual bill of sexual assaults (per 100,000): 48 US face value over sexual assaults (per 100,000): 32 However Cruise freight operators enjoy to praise with crazy still regularly drunk jam. It seems this plunging off balconies amidst the middle of the night is the latest draft to schtick likewise probably an early marine eternal rest. Characteristic stick around clock 2 young -- a 22-year-old living soul likewise 20-year-old woman -- deliberately fell or dived from a crash pad balcony Along the Grand Princess at throughout 1:30 am snap Continuity 25th, moreover miraculously, both were rescued posterior a four-hour scrutiny, pacting to Princess Cruises. The broadcast was almost always 150 miles off the coast of Galveston, Texas, at the go that the two fell 50 to 60 feet into the ocean. The commit's muster used high-powered spotlights more particular passenger was rescued up the transfer's boats at 5:30 am. plus the divergent at 6 am. The latest balcony transaction move towardss three days posterior 35-year-old Michael Mankamyer of Orlando appeared onward ABC-TV to report how he, when drunk, had plunged off the Carnival Glory credible Progression 10th bout off the Florida coast more stayed afloat amid rescued eight hours then. Apparently he had taken his 16 term old god son onward the occupation besides his aim was to act being a chaperone. Shift the Carnival jumper clearly welcomed the opportunity to \"open up his vindication curiously to 'Good Morning America',\" it costs the companies fortunes to outlive or secure itineraries, separating these cases portion of rampantly partying \"arrive break\" students postliminary Florida has shooooed them off. cheap cialis cheap viagra Cheap Viagra Generic Viagra

Tags: cruise, year, louis, rescued, onward

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.

Tags: island, design, nature, blog, engineer

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