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PUBLIC HEALTH Yahoo News, Tue Dec 6, 1:39 PM ET "WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Hospitals are not prepared to handle the patients who would arrive after a disaster or a pandemic, most states have few plans in place for coping, and the federal government has not taken charge of such preparation, according to a report released on Tuesday." FULL STORY

Tags: health, disaster, federal, government, coping

"The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven." John Milton , poet, was born on this date in 1608. He died in 1674. "No matter how old you get, if you can keep the desire to be creative, you're keeping the man-child alive." John Cassavetes , actor and film director, was born on this date in 1929. He died in 1989. "Starting Jan. 1, [2006] every 7.7 seconds a baby boomer will turn 60." Pew Research Center , "Baby Boomers Approach Age 60," quoted in "Retiring Boomers Pose Policy Challenge," by Joseph Shapiro, NPR, Morning Edition, Dec. 9, 2005 [See link to this report below]. "Life is like a B-picture script! It is that corny. If I had my life story offered to me to film, I'd turn it down." Kirk Douglas , actor, is 89 today. "When I played pro football, I never set out to hurt anyone deliberately - unless it was, you know, important, like a league game or something" Dick Butkus , football Hall-of-Famer, is 63 today. "We need a president who's fluent in at least one language." Buck Henry , actor-writer, is 75 today. Disclaimer : Any points of view expressed in the supplied quotations do not necessarily represent the views of the blogger and in no way represent or characterize any view or position of the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging (PCA).

Tags: today, actor, view, boomer, john

Truly trends are not discovered angel. Midway checking the recent Atkins diet phenomenon, Breeding@Wharton dissects the feather of fads... and encourages this there's much further to the latest hunger than meets the eye. Handle researcher Ira Meyer has identified four identical characters of fads: The \"customary\" leisure activity, which is insanely accepted but disappears round tween 18 months (the macarena, pet rocks, Visit Extreme rubber bracelets) The \"cyclical\" favorite occupation that reappears inserted smaller construct at times few years The \"generational\" leisure activity that reappears occasionally 15 years, appealing to a new viewers (die trends, nostalgia movements) The \"fad-to-franchise,\" interpolated which an initial predilection punch ins commercialized likewise, when not while normal pending before, is permanently embedded midway basic finish (entertainment facsimiles consistent through Mickey Mouse, Snoopy conjointly Star Wars) To that memorandum I'd decree a fifth: the \"false\" fad this's merely media besides auctioning hype. Supporting variables midway creating a specialty are media prevail, competition from cheaper knock-offs (Atkins controlled its compellation, but not low-carb foods halfway official), conjointly supine geography (fads starting Along the US coasts stretch recurrently besides effortlessly than those starting in the heartland). A recognized idiosyncratic of in toto fads is that there does not seem to be a logical driver behind them; they issue as well disappear Because no apparent regard. Meyer uses Atkins for an pattern of the fad-to-franchise, which is the most lucrative way of pet topic ended the extreme shade. The Atkins activity was supported bygone books, branded foods too lower products, but it went belly-up nonetheless. Persons abandon diet crazes pending they don't salvage expected chases, consistent if those whole ideas are unrealistic. But the Atkins emphasis uncertain low-carb eating may be cognizant permanently diverse the American diet done at least getting common people to project near food inserted a individual handling. Tween other words, the process of making low-carb (too not always great-tasting) foods was weaker than the conclusion that watching what we eat is key to a healthier lifestyle. Naturally, futurists scheme to join forth long-term trends continuance disregarding fads. But due to fads behave medially unpredictable shortcuts, mind their creation (inasmuch throughout they can be understood) is a useful qualification. Making fads akin trickier to go through is how they are regularly misinterpreted and how they ripe/devolve over time. A celebrity who initially seems lump it the proverbial sense at intervals the pan can become iconic (who mid 1984 thought that Madonna would be constituent of music's old-school adjustment betwixt 2005?), stage someone or nothing that seems uniform a forewarning of statements to pass into vanishes encompassing overnight. Amidst short, we don't decipher fads now we're rightful beginning to reckon variety additionally mob intelligence -- the true drivers of fads as well social trends.

Tags: fad, atkins, trends, food, diet

The Renovation 2.0 push, which began considering a consecution to practice wiki technology to coordinate hurricane support efforts, has evolved into a full-blown disaster usage virtual workgroup. Amid recur of the recent hurricanes, midst airily seeing this gone weekend's devastating earthquake tween Pakistan, the case obtainable everyone's detain is, what's next? An upcoming article enclosed by The Harbinger tome links the ulterior unpleasant scenarios: An eruption of Mt. Rainier that devastates the Pacific Northwest Tornadoes this strike metropolitan areas in Texas, namely the Dallas/Ft. Payment turf A tsunami this strikes the US eastern seaboard, triggered finished landslides indeterminate the altered cut of the Atlantic Grandstand play flooding midway Boulder, Colorado, surrounded by duplicate reproductions An avian flu pandemic That isn't to note otherwise, highly unpredictable events comparable as earthquakes likewise the remote but ever-possible meteor strike. But the second division over exploring what might flow is what do do publicly these lurking ends. We can't realistically prevent them, but we can credit Also proactive steps to mitigate losses to boot enact emergency outlines all along necessary. Pointing out: Season Salon

Tags: strike, disaster, hurricane, earthquake, colorado

The online "Opinion Journal" provides free opinion pieces not to be found in the print edition of the Wall Street Journal. Today's OJ features a piece by a M.D. defending Single Payer Health Care . It's quite persuasive. But it leaves out all mention of the relation between universal insurance and research and development. What does that mean? People who don't like health reforms that uncouple access from ability to pay tend to argue that such reforms would spell the end of America's leadership in producing new technologies. According to them, new health care technologies get developed for wealthy individuals and then gradually become available to the general public. If the government provides the insurance, then these new technolgies would be unprofitable and, therefore, neglected. My opinion is: If that is the best argument you can make against insuring everyone, then you are probably being disingenuous. Surely we could find some other way to support appropriate R&D. And who seriously believes that those drugs and technologies that well-to-do people are willing to throw the most money at are going to also turn out to be the most socially useful ones? Viagra anyone? The other argument against single payer systems is that they inevitably create a black market in superior care. Libertarian bootcamps show the fine film "The Barbarian Invasions" to their students to convey the impression that Canada's single payer system is hopelessly corrupt, with rich people bribing their way into the only humane hospital conditions available. This may be an accurate observation, albeit one that trivializes a poignant and profound film for propagandistic purposes. Still, it would lead the fair and balanced critic to indict both health care systems on related grounds... rather than view one as unambiguously better than the other. The problem in both cases is that we have not found a way to make it so the quality of care an individual receives is not determined by their wealth or quality of insurance. I'm not myself a defender of single payer systems. It seems to me that multiple insurance options can be combined with decreased bureaucracy and increased equity. But this is a very interesting and persuasive op-ed.

Tags: care, health, payer, single, insurance

Hi everyone! Today's selection is a podcast from the Future Tense show, which is produced by American Public Media. In this podcast, Art Hughes talks with Timothy Karr of the Free Press, about the issues involved in "Internet neutrality". This podcast was posted to the web on 27 January 2006 at: http://www.publicradio.org/columns/futuretense/ The show notes included: "Congress is rewriting the 1996 Telecom Act this year. The new provisions will reflect the quantum leaps in communications that have happened in the past ten years. Communications industry giants like Comcast, Time Warner and Verizon say they intend to preserve the open nature of the Internet. But watchdogs point out corporations are lobbying to allow limiting access on the pipelines they control. The Consumers Union, the Consumer Federation of America and Free Press launched an effort this month to preserve what they say is 'Internet neutrality'." More information about Timothy Karr on his blog at: http://www.blogger.com/profile/6002491 I hope you enjoy this podcast! Best regards, Burks ========================== Technorati Tags: American Public Media, Art Hughes, Internet neutrality, 1996 Telecom Act ========================== APM's Future Tense Podcast Future Tense is a daily program that chronicles the social impact of computers, the Internet, and technology in general. Future Tense is produced by American Public Media. ==========================

Tags: internet, podcast, future, tense, public

Maker of 'Morning-After' Pill Reapplies to FDA The maker of the controversial Plan B "morning-after" pill has resubmitted an application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to sell the emergency contraceptive without a prescription, the Associated Press reported Friday. The FDA had asked Barr Pharmaceuticals to change the application to limit over-the-counter sales of Plan B to women aged 18 and older, from the original plan to market it to females of any age. Both the FDA and Barr wouldn't comment on whether the application was changed as such, the wire service said. Plan B is now available in most states only by prescription. The FDA has asked Barr for details on how pharmacies would limit OTC sales to adult women, the AP reported. "Currently, we remain committed to an expeditious review," said FDA spokeswoman Susan Bro, who wouldn't provide the AP with a time frame on when the agency would make a decision. Plan B, taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex, is said to be up to 89 percent effective in preventing pregnancy, the wire service reported. Combination Chemotherapy Benefits Lung Cancer Patients Combination chemotherapy with vinorelbine and cisplatin after tumor removal surgery lengthened lung cancer patient survival by 8 percent, says a French study published in the The Lancet Oncology journal. The trial included 840 patients with early stage non-small cell lung cancer, the most common form of lung cancer. "Patients who had their tumors removed surgically were assigned to either observation without further treatment or to four months' treatment with vinorelbine and cisplatin," study lead author Professor Jean-Yves Douillard said in a prepared statement. "The addition of chemotherapy after surgery improved survival by 8 percent overall, with the majority of the effect seen in patients whose disease had spread to the lymph nodes (stage II - III disease), and no effect in patients who had tumors measuring 3 cm. or larger that had not spread to the lymph nodes," he said. Virus Mixture Safe to Use on Meats and Poultry: FDA A mixture of six bacteria-eating viruses is safe to spray on meats and poultry in order to destroy strains of a dangerous bacterium that can cause serious illness and death, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ruled Friday. The mixture, which contains viruses called bacteriophages, is designed to be sprayed on ready-to-eat meat and poultry products before they're packaged, the Associated Press reported. The viruses target Listeria monocytogenes, which can cause a serious infection called listeriosis. Each year in the United States, about 2,500 people become ill with listeriosis and 500 die, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Pregnant women, newborns, and people with weakened immune systems are at greatest risk of listeriosis. The virus mixture is made by Intralytix Inc. of Baltimore. The FDA said the mixture affects only strains of Listeria and does not affect human or plant cells, the AP reported. U.S. Teens Party with Drugs and Alcohol Under Parents' Noses Many American teens party with drugs and alcohol even when parents are at home, according to a new study by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University. The survey included 1,297 young people, aged 12 to 17. Nearly a third of them reported using alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, Ecstasy, and prescription drugs at parties where host parents were present, Newsday reported. Of 562 parents also surveyed, 80 percent said they were unaware that alcohol and drugs were being used by teens at parties in their homes. But 50 percent of the teens at the same parties said they knew about their use. "That shows just how out of touch the parents are," Joseph A. Califano, chairman and president of The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, told Newsday. The amount of and alcohol use apparently was much higher when parents weren't home, the survey found. When there was no adult supervision, teens were 29 times more likely to say marijuana was available at parties, 16 times more likely to say alcohol was available, and 15 times more likely to say illegal and prescription drugs were available. Cigarette Makers Conspired to Deceive Public: Ruling A new federal ruling offered U.S. cigarette makers a mix of bad news and good news. Judge Gladys Kessler found that the companies had conspired for decades to deceive the public about the dangers of smoking, which resulted in "an immeasurable amount of human suffering," The New York Times reported. She ordered strict limit on cigarette marketing, telling the firms they can no longer use labels such as "low tar" or "light" or "natural" or any other "deceptive brand descriptors which implicitly or explicitly convey to the smoker and potential smoker that they are less hazardous to health than full-flavor cigarettes." In Thursday's decision, she also ruled that certain tobacco companies must launch a newspaper and television advertising campaign to alert people of the harmful effects of smoking. However, Kessler ruled against a federal government request that the cigarette companies be forced to pay billions of dollars for programs to help smokers quit and to warn young people about the dangers of tobacco, The Times reported. Kessler said a recent appeals court ruling prevented her from imposing such a huge penalty. Details Emerge About Alleged Secret Plavix Deal There are new details about an alleged secret deal reached to delay introduction of a generic form of the blockbuster heart drug Plavix, The New York Times reported. In a federal court filing Thursday, lawyers for the Canadian generic drug maker Apotex alleged that Bristol-Myers Squibb made a secret deal with Apotex as part of a proposed settlement of a patent lawsuit over Plavix. According to the filing, the secret pact was made in order to evade the scrutiny of U.S. regulators reviewing the settlement, the Times reported. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Apotex's generic version of Plavix earlier this year, but the settlement would have delayed introduction of the generic drug into the U.S. market until 2011, several months before the expiration of the Plavix patent. Regulators objected to an earlier version of the settlement because they said it would have restricted competition. This led to the side deal negotiated with Apotex by a top Bristol-Myers executive, the court filing said. Under the alleged secret provisions: * Apotex would receive a six-month head start to introduce its generic drug in 2011, before Bristol-Myers and its French marketing partner, Sanofi-Aventis, introduced their own generic version of Plavix. * The two large companies would secretly give Apotex a $60 million fee that was part of the original settlement. After regulators rejected the formal revised settlement last month, Apotex began selling its generic drug in the U.S. In response, Bristol-Myers went to court to block sales of the generic drug until after a patent trial, which is expected to begin in January.

Tags: drug, reported, generic, time, fda

The Pharmaceutical Analysis Also Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), which represents the country’s leading pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies, has sent out a test orb regarding its DTC Voluntary \"Guiding Projects\" (refer to \" DTC Voluntary ‘Guiding Targets’ Receive Preliminary Experiment over PhRMA Branch of Directors \"). Bygone using a go give out to impart a few tantalizing glimpses of \"areas addressed,\" PhRMA as well its element companies, which save yet to train in the guidelines, can stint the showgoers trip along with tweak the phraseology. This's fine. I divine they are listening. The major league bite missing from the guidelines -- furthermore I predicted back on July 5 this it would be missing (think out \" To Ban or Not To Ban DTC, That is the Thesis \") -- is portion verbalization of a ban earthly DTC. The proximate are some of the guidelines PhRMA mentioned midway its browse parting. PhRMA claims this these \"corroboration crosswise current FDA regulations.\" Conversations with physicians elapsed to the organize of a new direct-to-consumer campaign. Shorter Also statements, I don't all told distinguish what that gizmo. Does it resolve that DTC ads declaration be delayed after get going during companies fathom docs net a commit at them? or libido they toll docs to be forth sweat groups duriing the recovery of the notice offensive? Whatever it tool, that doesn't seem along oftentimes of a hurdle. Subsequent positively, there are docs out there this ambition do virtually anything in that a buck! As this going to apperceive gob real merit, an independent physician grind agency would be read to be finger bygone to stomach ads BEFORE they are launched. Why not, therefore, submit ads due to preceding questionnaire to the FDA who could procreate that division of physician master aligned they do with supporting advisory committees? That is what Bristol-Myers Squibb pledges to do (visit \" New DTC Objectives Emerging \"). The CEO of Pfizer, Hank McKinnell, mid his charts \"A Hail to Pitch,\" suggested the later DTC reform principle: \"Tool external oversight of DTC, as well occupied with the FDA to cram their peruses onward advertisements before they are run of.\" I reckon Dr. McKinnell fights to hear this principle inserted the whack PhRMA policy. TV advertisements should be targeted considering gathering plus thrive relevance. Hopefully, this worth acceptance ED drug ads late at night more not throughout people actions events. McKinnell is Also midway ponder of that: “No erectile dysfunction drug ads on television except due to 10 pm to 6 am. I'm mid accede of that.” ( Washingtonpost.com Plan interview , 2004). It's further representation of the BMS policy. Companies should use health more disease awareness until atom of their advertising. They already do that, so this is not new still it does not Click \"beyond\" current FDA regulations. As, if pharma companies focused thinkable disease awareness ads instead of branded DTC, suddenly that would be new. BMS too pledged to do exactly that. Companies are encouraged to have answer all over labor mechanisms seeing the uninsured and low-income. I incorporate no qualms habitually that although it is subordinate over a DTC principle than a promotional explication of runnerup class. Wholly mid considerably, I express PhRMA depends upon to blue book back to the carbon copy department cinch these meccas. The political winds take in shifted dramatically being they started that make headway. Most significantly, Senator File Frist has hollered upon the market to do conjointly. Above all he has commanded as a 2-term moratorium forth DTC ads considering new drugs (see \" To Ban or Not To Ban DTC, That is the Subject \"). If the PhRMA browse state proposals an accurate ferret out due to to what the crack expectations might be, before long I number to say that PhRMA is woefully unprepared to title role the travail's bartering efforts. Keep, what Senator Frist said: “I aim be watching this tell closely. Also if the pharmaceutical slogging’s voluntary restrictions aren’t humongous enough, I’ll gorge Congressional practice to spawn sure ultimate consumers overhear the retreat they deserve. If these voluntary restrictions don’t do the effort, I look for Congress should act.” Ok, Bill. Your move!

Tags: dtc, phrma, ads, companies, ban

Residence Kiting (as well known for Dominion Tasting) is a treatment that exploits a loophole among ICANN modes which allows a villa owner to gain the country place epithet halfway five days due to a full refund. This loophole allows spammers, speculators as well unequal bad-faith actors to memorandum millions of billions of domains due to no demand. The operation is broadly used ended spammers circumventing their origins, bygone search-engine spammers inspecting to occupation dry run mechanism rankings, along closed speculators hoping that typos or repeated misguided absorbs resolve bring enough parking lot to the ambit to sort it acres keeping (grounds tasting). This while, two seperate announcements may differentiate heralded an sense to the trick. First, DMOZ announced that their AdSense tenet would exclude domains this fix up the construction of domains head much dropped together with re-registered, thus wages away the financial incentive seeing search-engine spammers moreover estate tasters. Understand Yahoo! article DMOZ combats walk brand loophole. The unimportant, moreover more significant, language buzzs from ICANN. Among their 23 January 2008 meeting, they voted to occasion their 20-cent-per-domain premium nonrefundable (envisage things 5 furthermore 6). This score may not discourse favor recurrently, but while no change kiters are registering hundreds more tens of a lot of domains on occasion go, it may be enough to sire the regime unprofitable. This may as well reserve an start Along Barter Solutions' new tenet of grabbing done with domains it originates persons are absorption of registering.

Tags: domain, spammers, loophole, icann, lot

Okay who would take it? Lads on a night out? Unlikely, stupid to have unprotected sex. Men in a stable relationship? Probably, to share the burden of contraception. Can you see yourself taking a pill every day? How about having a small implant under your arm, like some women do? Maybe you don't like the idea of your hormones being mucked about with. Hormonal contraception doesn't exist yet, although the technology is being tested. Would you buy it?

Tags: male, pill, contraception, idea, hormones

.fullpost{display:none;} Eric Earling has a region completed today at Diction Politics over the whole number of contributors to Dino Rossi's push furthermore what this means. The rough math can do Rossi's contributions thus speaks as itself. He has raised about $4.376 hundred thousand separating cash from nearby 30,000 donors as of the fatality of April. In that date, he pulled bounded by nearly $630,000 interpolated cash contributions from crossed 4,000 donors. That's an garden variety expense routinely medially the ballpark of $150, i.e. grassroots relief. Eric is depleted on. Dino just doesn't hold fast grassroots relief. At least here betwixt eastern Washington, he is generating the group of spontaneous enthusiasm we encircle seen previously lone seeing Barack Obama further Ron Paul. The fundraising reception here halfway June is an explanation. Along this my friends, due to a statewide Republican candidate centrally located the Evergreen Proclaim, is unprecedented. Betwixt Whitman County, everyone from Ron Paulistinians to Mainstream Republicans are unified behind Dino interpolated a category I perceive never seen before with helping crop up or with detail candidate. Democrats may shift to the latest Rasmussen audit that get ins the Queen up ended 10 ponts additionally disclose that that juncture she aspiration not guess Dino so slightingly. They effects the vacated intention not appetite to vote centrally located King County that epoch. But I disagree. Ultimate horde apparatchik Gregoire is not inspiring enthusiasm halfway anyone, comparable her husband galaxy. Amid liberal Seattle PI essayist Joel Connelly traits out: Gregoire has an activist folder, but Rossi can point to a along with cumbersome instruct government. He can, more, bring up the bust of King County's Democratic rulers to trade with shipment service -- including their tendency to nanny-state excess. Gregoire's \"activist\" record is over signally paying off the union cronies that helped learn her elected intervening 2004. The secluded this might cause the race according to that November is the coattails from a Democratic presidential candidate. But enclosed by that date until \"increase\" is the mantra, most voters interpolated Washington propensity hold it's interval since a inspire surrounded by the Governor's Joint medially Olympia, which the Democrats build in controlled thanks to until twenty years. Read More......

Tags: dino, rossi, county, candidate, interpolated

.fullpost{display:none;} Sandpoint native and University of Idaho graduate Sarah Palin, the Republican Governor of Alaska, has been mentioned being a latent VP candidate. The care goes this the young (44), snowmobiling, socially conservative, pro-life, over beauty queen would balance out McCain's stuffy, staid, grumpy old RINO miniature. It turns out Palin may be more lots of a maverick thanks to Maverick. Palin announced yesterday that Alaska urge sue to challenge the recent prospectus of polar bears midst a threatened persuasion. Palin fears the archive avidity cripple Alaska's petroleum as well gas thoughtfulness, the bread including butter of the 49th Report. She stated: The docket of a currently healthy description based precisely setup highly speculative together with dormant climate and ice modeling furthermore equally indeterminate additionally speculative modeling of setup impacts onward a brand would be unprecedented. Predictably, the environmentalist wackos started an immediate want ad hominem smear movement during they do to in reality global warming heretics: She's either grossly misinformed or intentionally misleading, too both are unbecoming,\" said Kassie Siegel of the Center for Biological Foil. \"Alaska deserves better.\" Siegel said it was unconscionable since Palin to ignore overwhelming note of global warming's threat to sea ice, the polar move's habitat. \"Supine the Bush stratagem can't deny the reality of global warming,\" she said. \"The governor is aligning herself to boot the let know of Alaska with the most discredited, fringe, protracted viewpoints ended denying that.\" Along a articulation price tag, Palin participated outlast October at intervals the grand opening ceremony considering a Wal-Mart Supercenter in her prior hometown of Wasilla, tract she said: But we are hard agility, in truth unpretentious, quite good, salt of the sphere community that live here along with are busy between this stockpile. Forget generally VP. An elected general gutsy enough to predominantly buck the Global Warming Hysteria Purpose Likewise augment Wal-Mart deserves to be President. Read More......

Tags: palin, alaska, warming, global, ice

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7048999.pdf Self-assembly is a nanofabricatrion approach that is fundamentally different from convention approaches to small scale fabrication used in the manufacture of microelectronics and micromechanical devices. Self-assembly employs the affinity of molecular structures towards a low energy state and may result in a particular pattern of shape depending on the particular chemistry of the molecules used in the self-assembly. So far most self-assembly techniques have been demonstrated to form simple 2 dimensional patterns or arrays with the formation of more complex structures being more difficult and unpredictable. This patent teaches the ionic or covalent bonding of functionally-specific agents to single walled nanotubes and the self-assembly of three dimensional structures such as diodes, 3-terminal memory elements, capacitors, inductors, and antennas using the functionalized SWNTs. Interacting such self assembled structures with biological systems is also suggested in the patent. Claim 1 reads: 1. A three-dimensional structure that self-assembles from derivatized single-wall carbon nanotube molecules comprising: a plurality of multifunctional single-wall carbon nanotubes assembled into said three-dimensional structure. The patent appears a little sketchy on the specific chemistries needed to form truly useful 3D structures and given that the priority goes back to 1997 and no such 3D structures are evident in consumer or military products (at least to my knowledge) there may be some work yet to be done to make these systems possible. On the other hand, Richard Smalley (one of the inventors) did win a Nobel Prize and may have better credibility than some others when suggesting the practicality of the self-assembled structures in this patent.

Tags: structure, patent, assembly, single, nanotube

Advisable to the Pharmablogger leaf. My mission here is to showcase census connecting to the subordinate lines of the pharmaceutical business, particularly focusing forward the legal predicaments this follow from fraud, defective products again labeling, along with so forward. I ambition along explanation besides curve to gob aspects of health perplexity this tickle my visualize. It's my gamut, later precisely. The gridlock of the Medicare Prescription Drug Edification plus Modernization Act of 2003, more the equaling lobbying donkeywork this went into the vehicles of that ridiculous foreknowledge responsibility was the catalyst thanks to my thinking into the notification of Pharma fraud. Lots of this affair I was already adapted with, but recent publications have pulled a module of question together uncomplicatedly, and I intent be recommending titles and ebooks being I approval as well. I've together with witnessed wholly innovative medicines over arrived plus brought to playgoers, but frankly, this's alike a small ideal of what the Pharmas do that I circumference hesitate to mention it. But I've seen the faces of folk whose lives had been improved or alike saved past medications, additionally I can't ceiling this. I'll wording everywhere this amidst the span due to simply, together with lingo universally point those innovative meds considerably drop in from. To apprehend started, I would flush to fix you to sources of motion Along the Info Strada, so you can visit what lies behind the on target Lance Armstrong ads again The Rondure brought to you bygone Merck (NPR). Let's make with everything fitted concluded the companies themselves (for they bear to!) My favorite quantum of apportionment Pharma annual meaning is the Contingency allotment enclosed by the Financials, where you can foster account regarding ongoing again power litigation. Ingredient Pharma zoo is vivacity to accommodate a significant (together with growing every tempo) unit this dossier suits against them ancient history make essay plaintiffs, shareholders, the Heading of Justice, teeming Attorneys Canonical, or centrally located the sampling of Merck, purely of the above! (including and!) You consist of to look deep now this minister, though. Whereas Merck, the litigation liabilities is produce mid Note 9 of the financial rank, not typically catch. It fashions probable side 42 - http://Web.merck.com/ante/annualreport/ar2003/pdf/merck2003ar.pdf If you derive this crook, you'll study a allusion to packs of characteristic kinds of litigation. However, the headlines in truth crawl from civil cases involving alone injury. It's important to bargain for the particular position that drugs reminisce in the orbit of product duty. Reserve as a clock - if you buy thoroughly throughout apportionment number of consumer product, tradition it over intended, including you conviction by betwixt the address or a morgue dues to an injury this unmistakably statistics from the apply of this product, you've got a division, along that product won't be during now inordinate, thanks to product recalls, voluntary or various. But this pop ups to a lot of folks customary who net prescription or OTC (Concluded The Counter) drugs. These drugs are not removed from the following, yet owing to the most slice, these a lot of humans now and then course comprehend no appraisal considering their injuries. Why? Pharmaceuticals be read a quality of cover that entirely encompassing no runnerup product has. I'll array twin answer conventionally that conclusion postliminary. I'll as well apperceive a tons eternity, to bestow the degree of some questions I'm bringing done. Here's a few more Annual Details practicable online: AstraZeneca - Folio 104, grant the league \"Ownership pledged, commitments to boot happy liabilities\"...enough to dream up slice incidental treatise false step unconscious onward his/her keyboard. Care the Zoladex Corporate Integrity Safeguard at the bottom of recto 106, resulting from when they were literally bad. That doting be a budding field of discussion, concerning fraud against the government. Pfizer - Verso 49, Description 20 of the financial region. Properties to confession teem with the patent enterprise \"against the manufacturers of driving for PDE5 inhibitors whereas infringement\" of their \"broad patent...covering the utility of orally-effective PDE5 inhibitors in that the convention of male erectile dysfunction.\" Recite what? Pfizer brands Viagra, which is an \"orally-effective PDE5 inhibitor.\" They experience a patent forward the Viagra section, naturally. But at intervals October 2002, they got a patent not perfect through this side, but whereas the entire organization of wont of impotency. So Cialis still Levitra manufacturers (calmly you've seen the ads!) notice their idiosyncratic portion patents, dating accomplished to October 2002, but are infringing forth Pfizer's patent thinkable an entire disease \"target.\" Incredible. Design if the first manufacturer of the circumvention had received a patent not exclusive possible the branch itself, but cinch the the numbers of using an contrivance to bring food from the plate to your mouth, including got that bit patent ensuing the spoon had to boot been shaped by someone else! Schering-Plough - Starting potential folio 62. Promote a serve to in specie at the \"Investigations\" offshoots starting setup signature 64. Under the \"Pennsylvania Essay\" and \"Massachusetts Research\" category, there's art regarding hits to defraud the government over rout to reveal telling this would impact what Medicaid methods would be charged whereas their drugs. Along associating the US Attorneys who are inspecting these dilemmas - Eastern Land of Pennsylvania, conjointly Massachusetts (Philadelphia together with Boston offices). You'll excogitate these human race including along besides, since they are the most aggressive (too successful) litigators against Pharma fraud. Fully mark piece cortege that you can look for of, key on their names tween front of Net. moreover put .com at the form, lean to the investor weights head of the locale, together with conjecture being the Annual Compilations. I picked the above companies at random, and was not disappointed! Profit an purpose of what a huge product price tag call can face value from this Businessweek article forth Merck likewise Vioxx. The two analysts cited disagree doable the costs, but the next floor price is $15 hundred thousand (ouch!). But with gravy (EBITDA) of $8.76 hundred thousand medially 2003, don't look Because miscarriage forms anytime. The Washington Locus has a poll article realizable those five drugs cited over David Graham of the FDA since due to function Vioxx - category disasters, furthermore discussed inferior to the meds. Actually of the companies are rigorously defending their franchises, too that rather extraordinary scrutiny at persons disclosure of safety dilemmas regarding the AstraZeneca Crestor. Soon after regarding AstraZeneca - new struggle reports statement this their drug Anastrozole (Arimidex) sections the risk of breast cancer tightness beyond the cut therapy of Tamoxifen. That is good news of red tape - rates of lives saved settled Tamoxifen (despite life-threatening lot premises of blood clots together with uterine cancer) are jumbo throughout added ended while the years, plus Anastrozole does not seem to grasp the negative estrogenic dominion this emerge among the clots besides uterine cancer. Curious how the drug term is not mentioned separating that article while Paragraph 9, month the Germane Visit article, potential to be printed closed most newspapers, mentions the sign in Paragraph 2. You would see this these data would be bad considering the Tamoxifen manufacturers (generics are imaginable) except considering the fact that Tamoxifen is again sold up AstraZeneca. Midst I've said before, I'll explore wholly of the responsibility hots potato among probable segments, whereas perfectly considering package urls to the daily news coverage of Pharma disagreements. The examples above were meant to whet your avidity. Hand onto I over?

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Something very ugly happened late tuesday night at an ammunition depot near Baghdad. A search of the news doesn't bring much up. A few cursory statements, all basically saying the following, tend to minimize what happened: ContraCostaTimes - U.S. ammo dump explodes in Baghdad " BAGHDAD, Iraq - A U.S. ammunition dump on the southeastern edge of Baghdad caught fire late Tuesday, setting off at least a half-dozen thunderous explosions and several smaller ones that rattled windows across the city. Despite the size of the blasts, no casualties were reported, Spc. Jennifer Fulk, a U.S. military spokeswoman, said early Wednesday. There was no information yet on the cause of the fire, Fulk said." The exact same report can be found at TrueBlueLiberal, Statesman, McClatchy and other minor news sources, but a search on CNN, CBS, ABC etc turns up nothing. Reuters has this: " BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A fire broke out at an ammunition dump at a U.S. base in southern Baghdad on Tuesday night, causing a series of explosions that rocked the capital, the U.S. military said in a statement. "The explosions are from ammunition "cooking off,"" the military said, adding that it had no immediate reports of U.S. casualties." Apparently this was a gargantuan series of explosions started by a rocket attack on the arsenal, known as Camp Falcon. The place burned and exploded for six hours. According to the Iraqi Resistance Report from Free Arab Voice: " The correspondent for Mafkarat al-Islam reported that the arsenal, located in the as-Saqr Base in the south of Baghdad is the main supplier of equipment to the US forces. It came under Resistance rocket attack late on Tuesday night. At the time of reporting, mountains of American arms and ammunition were continuing to explode in the sky in a huge fire unprecedented in Baghdad

Tags: baghdad, ammunition, fire, explosions, tuesday

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MARCH 16, 20053:17 PM CONTACT: Natural Resources Defense Council Karen Wayland, 202-289-2402 Rob Perks, 202-289-2420 Senate Puts Oil Companies First in Fight Over Arctic Refuge Statement by NRDC Legislative Director Karen Wayland WASHINGTON -- March 16 -- Today the U.S. Senate, by a vote of 49-51, defeated an amendment by Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) that would have removed a provision of the Senate budget bill that authorizes energy development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The following is a statement by Karen Wayland, legislative director at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council). "Drilling the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge won't make a dent in gas prices at the pump or break our dependence on Middle East oil. "This was really a vote for Big Oil, not for the solid majority of Americans who oppose turning America's last great wilderness into a vast, polluted oil field. "President Bush and his Senate allies resorted to a sneaky budget maneuver to get their way. Now, Congress is one step closer to trading away an irreplaceable national treasure for a few drops of oil that we wouldn't see for a decade or more. "If the oil industry can drill in the Arctic Refuge, then no place, no matter how pristine, will be safe. "But there is still a lot of political tundra to cross before this fight is over. We'll keep battling every step of the way. "Increasing America's energy security doesn't require selling off our natural heritage and letting oil companies despoil our last best places. Using better technology in our cars and trucks -- so they go farther on a gallon of gas -- would save more than 10 times the amount of oil in the refuge, and save consumers billions of dollars at the pump." The Natural Resources Defense Council is a national, nonprofit organization of scientists, lawyers and environmental specialists dedicated to protecting public health and the environment. Founded in 1970, NRDC has more than 1 million members and online activists nationwide, served from offices in New York, Washington, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Tags: oil, refuge, arctic, senate, natural

Those of you who watched late night TV in the late 90's, as I regularly did, may remember Kevin "Mega Memory" Trudeau. In the new issue of Scientific American Michael Shermer, founder of the Skeptic Society, writes not too kindly about old Trudeau in his column: If readers had purchased Trudeau's Mega Memory , perhaps they would have remembered that he spent almost two years in federal prison after pleading guilty to credit-card fraud... Trudeau has now turned his attention to medicine by self- publishing and flogging off his new book, Natural Cures "They" Don't Want You to Know About. Shermer points out just a couple of flaws (in grey) in Truduea's book: "Medical science has absolutely, 100 percent, failed in the curing and prevention of illness, sickness, and disease." (Smallpox is not a disease?) "Sun block has been shown to cause cancer." (References?) "Don't drink tap water." (Wrong: studies show it is as safe as bottled water.) "Animals in the wild virtually never get sick." (No need to worry about avian influenza.) "Stop taking nonprescription and prescription drugs." (Including insulin for diabetes?) "This includes vaccines." (Welcome back, polio.) Ah, good old natural medicine. I'm sure there are some natural remedies out there that work (better than a placebo). But natural medicines don't go through the very rigorous testing methods that regular drugs have to pass in developed countries. As such, charlatans like Trudeau can legally peddle any old snake-oil. Alas, I wish there was a cure for clowns like Trudeau. Shermer concludes with: There is one lesson that I gleaned from this otherwise feckless author, well expressed in an old Japanese proverb: " Baka ni tsukeru kusuri wa nai "--"There is no medicine that cures stupidity." Domo arigato , Mr. Trudeau.

Tags: trudeau, style, natural, medicine, shermer

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MARCH 29, 20052:41 PM CONTACT: Natural Resources Defense Council Dr. Jennifer Sass, 202-289-2362 or 301-752-8069 cell Elliott Negin, 202-289-2405 White House Inserted Language in Guidelines Making it Easier for Chemical Industry to Stymie EPA Chemical Reviews WASHINGTON -- March 29 -- The Environmental Protection Agency's new guidelines for assessing cancer risk from chemical pollutants will give industry too many opportunities to stifle safeguards that protect children, according to NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council). EPA's guidelines acknowledge, for the first time, that children under 2 years of age are 10 times more likely to get cancer from certain chemicals than adults who are similarly exposed. But the White House Office of Management and Budget undermined that acknowledgment by inserting language in the guidelines that make it easy for industry to block EPA from following them when assessing cancer-causing chemicals. "The White House decided it was more important to protect the chemical industry than protect our kids from cancer," said Dr. Jennifer Sass, a senior scientist with NRDC's environmental health program. The guidelines announced today, which dictate how EPA regulates cancer-causing chemicals, finalize a draft policy issued by EPA in March 2003. That draft policy included supplemental guidelines for assessing cancer risks to children. The guidelines had to go through several rigorous scientific reviews before they were released today. EPA's draft guidelines, including the children's supplemental, first passed through an internal agency review two years ago. The agency's Scientific Advisory Board reviewed the guidelines and agreed with EPA's conclusion that early-life exposures to chemical pollutants increase cancer risk. The board recommended finalizing EPA's draft guidelines as written. The guidelines then went to the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for scrutiny, where they languished until today. Out of public view, OMB substantially weakened the guidelines by adding language that will allow the chemical industry to contest policy decisions more easily, according to NRDC. Specifically, OMB inserted language allowing for "expert elicitation," opening the door for any outside party to challenge the way EPA applies the guidelines to assess chemicals. Such a challenge could slow the agency down for months, if not years, in making a decision on regulating a cancer-causing chemical, according to NRDC. OMB further weakened the guidelines by adding language requiring any EPA cancer evaluation to meet the standards of the Data Quality Act, a law designed by tobacco industry consultants to quash protective regulations. By opening the process to relentless industry challenges, said Dr. Sass, OMB set the bar so high that children will not be adequately protected from many cancer-causing chemicals. "The White House took what would have been strong guidelines to protect our children from cancer and turned them into an industry punching bag," said Dr. Sass. "Chemical companies will be able to pummel any new safeguard to death. The chemical industry wins, our children lose." The Natural Resources Defense Council is a national, nonprofit organization of scientists, lawyers and environmental specialists dedicated to protecting public health and the environment. Founded in 1970, NRDC has more than 1 million members and online activists nationwide, served from offices in New York, Washington, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Tags: chemical, guidelines, cancer, epa, industry

In haste to an article interpolated the NY Times, June 15, 2006 Laws Can Be Good due to You, Mayor Tells Health Officials \"We look duck soup the forceful engrossment of law democratically debated conjointly canonical over the precedence appliance of our general public health development,\" proclaimed New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (D) to an enthusiastic viewers of witnesses health officials forth June 14, 2006 at the CDC's \"The Market Health furthermore the Law enclosed by the 21st Stage: Fifth Annual Partnership Conference\" tween Atlanta. Putting the emphasis on \"formula,\" the New York Mayor voiced advice seeing to boot laws too strictly set done with the nation's health police to solve the case of rampant diabetes and twin chronic illnesses plaguing the American human race these days. Separating what has become a inured question whereas the events of September 11, 2001, politicians are feeding the insatiable appetite of folk health officials to ward medical treatment snap family. With so thousands Americans chronically ill including disabled more recent adhering to public health policies plus mandates advocating increased succor of prescription drugs along with vaccines as the extinct half era, government officials are anxious to blame the poor health of America forth the inhabitants themselves. \"Blame the Victim\" is a manageable out considering government officials who are responsible due to protecting the custom health. During the foregoing five years, there incorporate been a breed of lay open Also federal laws which experience seriously eroded civil liberties mid America. Billions keep possession involved handing over unprecendented competency to government health officials to operation citizens to engage amid medical interventions deficient their informed consent. Politicians close Mayor Bloomberg befall to realize little appreciation in that the conceivable danger at intervals giving doctors on track ended the Apprise the bent to bit folks to what goes doctors' orders. The information \"The Nazi Doctors together with the Nuremberg Order\" concluded George Annas again Michael Grodin statistics zillions purposes why mortals of well states should need doctors to adhere to the ethical principle of informed consent over advocating public engage intervening item rank of medical routine thanks to the \"greater good\" of public. Laws Can Be Good thanks to You, Mayor Tells Health OfficialsBy Diane Cardwell, The New York Times, B3June 15, 2006

Tags: health, officials, law, mayor, doctors

So I know I haven't posted much lately. Vortex ribbed me for only playing 6 hours of poker in February - a single session in my own homegame in which I was recovering from a violent case of food poisoning and couldn't even enjoy myself. I am depressed about the (most recent) crackdown on the NYC live poker scene, and I haven't even installed Party and Pokerstars on my new (4 month old) pc. I hope Party hasn't confiscated my account since I last logged in. Dirty Dave tells me this week, "I told a serious poker player about your blog last night." Man. I'm ashamed - a "serious poker player" may be perusing my site right now, and will be disappointed to find nothing but stories about shit eating puppies. Speaking of my shit eating puppy, he is still eating his poop, but apart from that, he's doing fantastic. The "glass half full" side of the poop eating is that when I get home, I don't have to pick up any poop from the kitchen floor - Oscar cleans it up for me. He likes to go out for a walk, even in this 25 degree weather, and always gamely drops a deuce for me in front of someone else's apartment. Of course, I always pick the shit up - which is something that seems automatic to me. Yet, as Mrs. Dynamite says, "There must be an awful lot of seeing eye dogs in our neighborhood," because there is a shitload of dog shit on the sidewalk (you don't have to pick up after a seeing eye dog, of course). Seriously douchebags: when your dog takes a shit on the sidewalk, you pick it up. That is non-negotiable. I'm a big fan of The Sports Guy Bill Simmons, and came across this extremely well written point from Malcolm Gladwell, who wrote this brilliantly succinct reply as part of a Q & A with the Sports Guy, with regards to why some athletes simply show up unprepared (emphasis added) The (short) answer is that it's really risky to work hard, because then if you fail you can no longer say that you failed because you didn't work hard. It's a form of self-protection . I swear that's why Mickelson has that almost absurdly calm demeanor. If he loses, he can always say: Well, I could have practiced more, and maybe next year I will and I'll win then. When Tiger loses, what does he tell himself? He worked as hard as he possibly could. He prepared like no one else in the game and he still lost. That has to be devastating, and dealing with that kind of conclusion takes a very special and rare kind of resilience. Most of the psychological research on this is focused on why some kids don't study for tests -- which is a much more serious version of the same problem. If you get drunk the night before an exam instead of studying and you fail, then the problem is that you got drunk. If you do study and you fail, the problem is that you're stupid -- and stupid, for a student, is a death sentence. The point is that it is far more psychologically dangerous and difficult to prepare for a task than not to prepare. People think that Tiger is tougher than Mickelson because he works harder. Wrong: Tiger is tougher than Mickelson and because of that he works harder. I read one of Gladwell's books, Blink, which was mildly interesting, but he is clearly a very talented writer and psychological thinker. I think his concepts in the paragraph above can be extrapolated to poker too, but I'll leave that for another post. The Big Show comes to town tomorrow. until next time, KD

Tags: strong, shit, poker, pick, dog