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| Sunday, December 20, 09:46:25pm | [ VoyUser Login optional ] [ Contact Forum Admin ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, 2, 3, [4] ] |
| Subject: American's Decapitation Shown on Internet | |
Author: Phoenix [Edit] |
Date Posted: Saturday, July 17, 06:12:08pm Jul 17, 8:07 PM (ET) CAIRO, Egypt (AP) - Images of an American hostage being decapitated surfaced Saturday on an Internet site known for carrying the statements of Islamic militants. The gruesome videotape appeared three days after U.S. authorities announced the search for the body of Paul M. Johnson Jr. had been called off. Still photographs of Johnson's beheading had been posted June 19 on some of the same militant Islamic forums that on Saturday provided links to the newly released video footage. Johnson, a 49-year-old engineer for U.S. defense contractor Lockheed Martin, was kidnapped June 12. The video, which ran almost two minutes and included images of tanks and destroyed homes apparently in Iraq, carried the title "The Voice of Jihad: Get the infidels out of the Arabian Peninsula." Voice of Jihad is the name of a periodical issued on the Internet twice monthly by the al-Qaida cell in Saudi Arabia, which claimed Johnson's killing. A man, his head wrapped in a red and white checkered headscarf and his face not visible, is seen using a knife to decapitate Johnson, who was lying face down on a mattress. The man held up Johnson's head for the camera then placed it on the body. One of the killers wiped blood off the knife on the orange jumpsuit Johnson was wearing. Hours after the still photographs were released last month, Saudi security forces shot dead Abdul Aziz al-Moqrin, the leader of the al-Qaida cell in the kingdom. On Wednesday, U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia, James C. Oberwetter, released a statement saying the FBI's search for Johnson's remains was near completion without the body being recovered. FBI experts sent to the kingdom to help with the search began leaving and, a day later, the U.S. State Department confirmed the search had ended. Johnson's son in Florida, Paul Johnson III, 28, was pressing U.S. officials to do more to find his father's body. Since May last year, Saudi Arabia has suffered a series of terrorist attacks, including suicide bombings, gunbattles and kidnappings. Many attacks have targeted foreign workers in an attempt to undermine the economy, which depends heavily on expatriate labor. Al-Qaida, led by Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden, aspires to topple the Saudi royal family and replace it with an Islamic government. |
| Subject: Insulin Resistance Syndrome | |
Author: Phoenix [Edit] |
Date Posted: Tuesday, July 13, 03:59:26pm A glitch in the way cells absorb blood sugar is silently raising the risk of cancer, heart attacks, infertility--and more--for 47 million Americans by Sarí Harrar "Just 2 months!" recalls Jeannine Scott with a laugh as she nurses her 4-month-old daughter, Ava. "My husband and I spent a year trying to conceive...I joined a study and was pregnant in 2 months. I feel so blessed." Scott, 26, of Harrisburg, PA, is the first success story to emerge from a nationwide research study of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), one of the fastest-growing infertility problems in the United States. The goal: babies--and new insights into links between PCOS and Insulin Resistance Syndrome (IRS), a silent killer that researchers now realize is behind an astonishing array of health problems: infertility; heart attack; stroke; cancers of the breast, uterus, prostate, and colon; high blood pressure; type 2 diabetes; and perhaps even Alzheimer's disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that at least 47 million of us--one in four Americans--have this body chemistry glitch that doubles or even triples levels of the powerful hormone insulin in someone's bloodstream. But the number could be as high as 140 million adults and another 10 million kids--virtually every overweight grown-up and child--because IRS is tied directly to excess body fat and inactivity. (Stress and lack of sleep make it worse.) "IRS underlies some of the deadliest, most costly diseases we face," says Daniel Einhorn, MD, medical director of the Scripps Whittier Institute for Diabetes in LaJolla, CA. "Genetics plays a role, but mostly it is the result of too many pounds and not enough exercise." At one time, IRS developed in old age and led to health crises for people in their 70s and 80s. Today, it's the toxic result of our grab-a-snack, chained-to-the-computer-and-the-TV lifestyles. "IRS is now starting at age 15 or 20 or sometimes even earlier," says IRS researcher C. Ronald Kahn, MD, president of the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston. "We're setting ourselves up for some very dramatic, widespread health impacts for people in the prime of life." Clever Genes or Killer? Back in the Ice Age, insulin resistance helped some lucky prehistoric humans survive famine. A genetic trick, it encouraged the storage of extra body fat during times of plenty. Some experts even think it kept extra blood sugar in circulation and available for use by the brain, by a developing fetus, or to enrich breast milk. But in the sit-and-snack 21st century, most insulin resistance is not triggered by clever genes; it's the result of overweight and inactivity. The result: a killer, not a survival tool. Normally, your body only needs tiny amounts of insulin to alert muscle and liver cells that it's time to absorb glucose (blood sugar) after a meal. Obeying insulin's signal, the cells allow blood sugar to enter. But if you're overweight, as two out of three Americans now are, body fat--especially belly fat--interferes. Your immune system treats excess body fat as an interloper, surrounding it with a phalanx of disease-fighting cells that send chemical messengers into your bloodstream. Those messengers block insulin's ability to issue the "dinner's ready" message to your muscle and liver cells. The result: Your cells can't absorb blood sugar. Sugar levels in your bloodstream rise a little. Your pancreas takes notice and churns out more insulin--the biochemical equivalent of force-feeding sugar into resistant cells. "It works," Einhorn says. "High insulin enables cells to take up the sugar from the bloodstream. It works so well that your sugar levels can stay normal, or only slightly elevated, for decades." After many years, insulin-producing islet cells in your pancreas may burn out. The result: Insulin falls, blood sugar rises--and you've got a classic case of type 2 diabetes. Doctors know that diabetes is linked to a huge variety of health complications, including heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure; screening for these conditions and treating them aggressively after a diabetes diagnosis is now standard. What they're just beginning to see: The force behind these complications isn't high blood sugar. It's decades of high insulin levels--something that, so far, can't be measured with a simple lab test. Even more frightening: Just one in four people with IRS will develop type 2 diabetes. The rest may never get a warning about the killer in their blood. Sit Down, Stress Out Body fat's not the only problem. Inactivity makes things worse. "Muscle contractions from physical activity can make cells absorb blood sugar regardless of insulin levels or insulin resistance," says Sonia Caprio, MD, associate professor of endocrinology and pediatrics at Yale University School of Medicine. "If you don't get exercise, you're relying even more on insulin and insulin receptors to get sugar into cells." Research from Duke University and Harvard suggests that lack of sleep and high anxiety exacerbate IRS, perhaps by upping levels of stress hormones. You and your doctor can spot IRS only by adding up risk factors such as overweight, over age 40, a big belly, low HDL cholesterol, high triglycerides, and elevated blood pressure. "The more risk factors you have, the more certain it is that you have IRS," Einhorn says. Why Haven't I Heard of It? There's a dangerous silence around Insulin Resistance Syndrome (IRS): You can't see or feel it, and most doctors aren't mentioning it yet. Here's why. No test There's no simple blood test for IRS. (Expect one in 5 to 7 years.) No drug Pharmaceutical researchers are looking hard at several meds with "magic bullet" potential. The hope: One drug will someday head off many IRS-related diseases at once. But for now, there is no FDA-approved IRS med. No health awareness campaign "Why aren't we hearing more about IRS? Without a drug to treat it, no drug company will sponsor a big awareness campaign," says one expert. Too many names Some docs also call the condition Syndrome X, Metabolic Syndrome, even Dysmetabolic Syndrome. Talk about confusion! Are You at Risk? The more of these risk factors you have, the greater the chance you have Insulin Resistance Syndrome: Overweight: a body mass index (BMI) higher than 25, or a waistline that measures more than 40 inches for men, 35 inches for women A sedentary lifestyle Over age 40 Non-Caucasian ethnicity (Latino/Hispanic American, African American, Native American, Asian American, Pacific Islander) A family or personal history of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, or cardiovascular disease A history of higher-than-normal blood sugar; top clues are a score of 100 to 125 on a fasting blood-sugar test and, for women, a history of gestational diabetes during pregnancy High blood pressure (130/80 or higher), high triglycerides (over 150), or low HDL cholesterol (under 50 for women, under 40 for men) Acanthosis nigricans: patches of thick, brownish, velvety skin at the neck, underarms, or groin (in women, also found just below the breasts) Polycystic ovary syndrome: a condition that reduces a woman's fertility Sarí Harrar is Prevention's health news editor. |
| Subject: Herbal infusions for women | |
Author: FosterMom [Edit] |
Date Posted: Saturday, July 10, 10:54:46am  The Wise Woman Way Menopause is a time of enormous change. Wise women of all times have found simple life-style changes can make their Change much easier. For optimum health during and after menopause, do these two things: exercise a different way every day and drink nourishing herbal infusions. Exercise a different way every day Take walks, lift weights, dance, garden, do yoga, try tai chi. We all know how important exercise is for strong bones, healthy hearts, resistance to diabetes, and weight maintenance. But did you know it prevents depression too? By yourself, or with a friend, exercise is one of the golden keys to a long, healthy life. Drink Nourishing Herbal Infusions Nourishing herbal infusions are the second key to vibrant elder years and an easier menopause. They provide protein, minerals, phytoestrogens, and special fats needed by menopausal women. Many common menopausal problems can be connected to a lack of one or more of these nutrients. Low protein leaves hair and skin dull, lifeless, and thin. Nourishing herbal infusions, plain yogurt, lentils, and organic meats are excellent sources. Low levels of minerals leave the bones and heart deprived of calcium, the immune system low in zinc, and the muscles prone to pain and spasms. Nourishing herbal infusions, plain yogurt, seaweed, and organic chocolate are magnificent sources. Insufficient phytoestrogens in the diet increase breast cancer risk and menopausal distress. Nourishing herbal infusions, lentils, roots and seeds are the best sources. Lack of high-quality fats, can lead to thyroid problems, immune system stress, lack of energy, and blood vessel disease. Nourishing herbal infusions, full-fat yogurt, organic chocolate, olive oil, organic butter, nuts and seeds are superb sources. To make a nourishing herbal infusion: Buy (or gather and dry) at least one ounce of nettle leaf or oatstraw or red clover blossoms or comfrey leaf. Place the ounce of dried herb in a quart jar. (One ounce equals one full cup of dried herb.) Fill jar to the top with boiling water. Cap tightly and allow to brew for at least four hours. Overnight is fine. Strain and drink 2-4 cups a day. Most menopausal women prefer their infusion iced, but you can drink it hot or at room temperature. A little mint or sage may be added to change the flavor. Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) builds energy, strengthens the adrenals, and is said to restore youthful flexibility to blood vessels. A cup of nettle infusion contains 500 milligrams of calcium plus generous amounts of bone-building magnesium, potassium, silicon, boron, and zinc. It is also an excellent source of vitamins A, D, E, and K. For flexible bones, a healthy heart, thick hair, beautiful skin, and lots of energy, make friends with sister stinging nettle. It may make you feel so good you'll jump up and exercise. Oatstraw (Avena sativa) reduces high cholesterol, increases libido, and strengthens the nerves. A cup of oatstraw infusion contains more than 300 milligrams of calcium plus generous amounts of many other minerals. Its steroidal saponins nourish the pancreas and liver, improving digestion and stabilizing moods. Oatstraw is best known however for its ability to enhance libido and mellow the mood. Do be careful whom you share it with, or you may find yourself sowing some wild oats. In Auryuvedic medicine, oatstraw is considered the finest of all longevity tonics. Red clover (Trifolium pratense) is better in every way than its cousin soy. It contains four phytoestrogens; soy has only one (isoflavone). Red clover infusion has ten times more phytoestrogens than soy "milk," fewer calories, more calcium, and no added sugars. Red clover is the world's leading anti-cancer herb; soy isoflavone encourages the growth of breast cancer cells in the lab. Red clover improves the memory; Japanese men who ate tofu twice a week doubled their risk of Alzheimer's disease. Soy beverage can contain up to 1000 times more aluminum than milk, according to Sally Fallon, lipid researcher and fat specialist. She believes that "the highly processed soy foods of today are perpetuating . . . nutrient deficiencies. . . ." Comfrey (Symphytum) leaf is free of the compounds (PAs) found in the root that can damage the liver. I have used comfrey leaf infusion regularly for decades with no liver problems, ditto for the group of people at the Henry Doubleday Research Foundation who have eaten cooked comfrey leaves as a vegetable for four generations. Comfrey is also known as "knitbone," and no better ally for the woman with thin bones can be found. And, don't forget, comfrey contains special proteins used in the formation of short-term memory cells. Its soothing mucilage adds flexibility to joints, eyes, vagina, and lungs. Menopause can change your life. Our Wise Woman grandmothers used nourishing herbal infusions, fermented dairy products, healthy exercise, and simple whole foods to weather their change naturally and live productively another 50 years. You can too. For further information on these herbs, and lots more, see New Menopausal Years the Wise Woman Way, available from www.ashtreepublishing.com |
| Subject: Cybill Liberties | |
Author: Phoenix [Edit] |
Date Posted: Thursday, July 08, 06:42:11pm  By Nancy Griffin, July & August 2004 She refuses to starve herself. She doesn’t throw chairs anymore. She goes out and dances with strangers. And when the kids go off to college next year, Cybill Shepherd’s really gonna cut loose. |
| Subject: He knew | |
Author: Phoenix [Edit] |
Date Posted: Thursday, July 01, 05:05:14pm Oh yeah....he knew.  |
| Subject: Natives | |
Author: Phoenix [Edit] |
Date Posted: Monday, June 28, 02:16:05pm  I just like this pic. |
| Subject: Thanks Mosaic | |
Author: Phoenix [Edit] |
Date Posted: Monday, June 28, 02:09:24pm  Thanks Mosaic! |
| Subject: Joss Whedon's "Serenity" finally has an official website! | |
Author: Mosaic [Edit] |
Date Posted: Thursday, June 24, 10:01:21am For those that don't already know, Serenity is the big screen continuation of Joss Whedon's short lived but fantastic TV show Firefly. If you're already a fan or have any interest in his work check it out. Serenity: The Official Movie Website |
| Subject: Natural Alternatives to HRT | |
Author: Phoenix [Edit] |
Date Posted: Tuesday, April 27, 03:26:15pm By "Molly" Amelia Greacen, Registered Acupuncturist, Dipl. Ac. (NCCA) "In Celtic cultures, the young maiden was seen as the flower; the mother, the fruit; the older woman, the seed. The role of the post-menopausal woman is to go forth and reseed the community with her concentrated kernel of truth and wisdom." (1) Traditional Chinese Medicine describes menopause as a part of the natural aging process and a sign of depletion of Jing or Essence. Cessation of monthly bleeding is our body's mechanism for redirecting this essence when the body can no longer afford to use it for reproduction. According to Western physiology, perimenopause is the transition period leading up to menopause and can last for 1 to 5 years. Menopause, the cessation of menstrual bleeding, occurs when there is significant decrease in the ovarian production. Simultaneously, there is an increase in FSH and LH Levels, which is the attempt by the hypothalamus to stimulate the ovaries to produce more estrogen. This causes hot flashes, night sweats and palpitations. During the perimenopausal phase, a woman's levels of progesterone and estrogen are dropping, (although estrogen levels begin to fluctuate the closer she gets to menopause). Often there are missed cycles and irregular cycles. Some symptoms that may appear during these years include irregular menses, memory loss, insomnia, hot flashes, night sweats, emotional fragility, palpitations, vaginal dryness, dry skin, back pain, headaches, PMS and excessive bleeding. At menopause some of these symptoms can be intensified. Most symptoms will diminish after menopause, as the body re-establishes a new order of things. After menopause, bone loss accelerates for 3 - 5 years, at a rate of from 1.5% to 5% per year, after which it continues at a lower level of around 1% to 1.5% loss per year, on the average. (2) Many American women continue to have problems with vaginal thinning and begin to develop osteoporosis. Our bodies have a back-up system. Estrogen and progesterone continue to be produced by the adrenals and fat cells (and to a much lesser degree by the ovaries) following menopause. When this back-up system is working properly, women have few or no side effects. Why are we seeing so many problems for American women? I see several important factors: 1. Often there is chronic depletion of energy during the perimenopausal years, due to poor nutrition, stress (women are expected to juggle families and careers) and sedentary lifestyles. Chinese medicine believes that persistent overstimulation of the body leads to burn-out and damages kidney essence. (This is also known as "adrenal exhaustion"). 2. Our collective culture belief is that aging brings illness and infirmity, along with a loss of status for women. We need more vibrant models of older women, as well as spiritual renewal. 3. In the US we have the "medicalization of menopause." Most doctors believe that all women should go on Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) in order to avoid osteoporosis and heart disease, and now women are afraid to age without it. (3) 4. We get excessive amounts of hormones from animal foods in our diets (such hormone additives are common in the US, but are banned in some parts of Europe). We also have many chemical pollutants in our foods (in much higher concentrations in animal products), water, and air, as well as depletion of the trace minerals in our soil. 5. Other factors include anovulatory cycles due to over-exercising and the loss of body fat; anorexia and bulimia (an epidemic in our culture, causing trauma to the body and spirit, malnutrition and loss of periods, which can lead to early menopause and osteoporosis); hysterectomy (the #1 surgical procedure in the US); tubal ligation; abortions; and drug therapies that can interfere with hormone levels. Let's look at how women from other cultures fare. Women in non-Western cultures manage to escape our high rate of menopausal symptoms, cancer and hip fractures, even though they have much lower calcium intake. They eat less animal protein, (which causes our bodies to excrete calcium, as well as suppress sex hormone production). They also eat more potassium rich foods, (fresh fruit, vegetables, grains and legumes), and have more physically active lives. Japanese women have much fewer menopausal complaints and have 1/5 our breast cancer rate. This is attributed to their high intake of soy products (which are naturally high in estrogen) and low use of animal fats. Here in the US, Seventh Day Adventists, who eat no meat, lose bone at 1/2 the rate of regular meat eaters. (4) According to Dr. John Lee, vegetarians need 1/2 as much supplementation of calcium in their diet as regular meat eaters. (more at link above) |
| Subject: Nettle for stronger adrenals | |
Author: Phoenix [Edit] |
Date Posted: Tuesday, April 27, 03:11:22pm Susun S. Weed If having enough energy to earn your daily bread and to get all your chores done is a struggle for you. If you go to bed tired, but wake up even more tired. If you can't get up and go without coffee, or can't slow down and relax without alcohol. If your fatigue is ruining your mood and your friendships. Then it's time to build energy and stamina the Wise Woman Way. The Wise Woman Tradition nourishes optimum energy, and optimum health, by using safe simple nourishing herbal infusions, eating whole grains, and avoiding stimulants. Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) is my favorite energizing infusion. It gives me the energy to work 14-15 hours a day on my dairy goat farm, train my apprentices, write books, run a publishing company and a workshop center, and fly all over the world to teach. I don't know how I could do so much otherwise. I buy dried stinging nettle and prepare it like this: Put one ounce by weight in a quart canning jar. Fill the jar with boiling water, cap well, and allow to steep for four hours or overnight. Strain and enjoy. Refrigerate the remainder. Drink within 36 hours. Because stinging nettle strengthens the kidneys and adrenals, it builds powerful energy from the inside out, and gives one amazing stamina. If you drink 4-5 quarts of nettle infusion weekly, you can expect to see results within 3-6 weeks. There are no contraindications to the use of stinging nettle infusion. Side effects may include: thicker hair, softer skin, stronger veins, and greater delight in life. Nourishing herbal infusions can be made with other herbs too. I like red clover blossoms, lots of anticancer protection there, as well as lots of phytoestrogens. And oatstraw, such a mellow brew, and it's so great for easing and nourishing the nerves. I also use chickweed, comfrey leaf, linden blossoms, and mullein as infusion herbs, depending on my need. All nourishing herbal infusions are made as instructed above. Whole grains are the backbone of a whole food diet. Because they break down much more slowly than refined (white) flour products, whole grains provide a "time release" capsule that allows you to work and work and work (or play and play and play, as you will). For more energy, eat more whole grains. Notice which white flour products you currently use, and replace them with whole grain versions as you run out. Soon you'll be eating: whole wheat pasta, whole wheat bagels, whole wheat English muffins, whole wheat crackers (read boxes carefully), whole wheat pretzels, whole wheat cookies, whole wheat bread, brown rice, kasha, millet and more. The tastes and textures will bring new delights to your dining pleasure and well as lots of energy for you to do with as you will. Avoid stimulants. For powerful stamina and lots of energy, we are well advised to avoid stimulants. Not just drug stimulants like cocaine or "speed," but herb and food stimulants too. It is tempting to try to get more energy by using stimulants. But stimulants actually decrease overall energy. They provide fast fuel, but no steady flow of energy. Stimulants push us beyond our innate capacity. In effect, they make us work harder than we truly have the energy for, and thus deplete us at deep levels. The energy-depleting effects of coffee, soft drinks, and white sugar products are cumulative. The more you try to get energy from these sources, the more tired you make yourself. The long-term consequences often include a profound fatigue. Black pepper and spices such as cinnamon and cloves are acknowledged stimulants too, and, if overused (as in drinking chai daily) can also weaken the internal fires that give us energy. Herbal stimulants such as ephedra (ma hang or Mormon tea), cayenne, ginseng, and guarana are also unlikely to help build real energy and stamina unless used sparingly and wisely. Herbal stimulants may even be quite dangerous, especially when powdered and taken in gelatin caps. Water-based preparations of stimulating herbs (teas and soups) are usually the safest, and tinctures are next safest, unless standardized. Small amounts of these herbs taken occasionally are harmless enough. It is long-term use of stimulants that erodes healthy energy. White sugar is one of the most common stimulants in the fast-food culture. We consume it in dozens of forms: corn syrup, cane sugar, "raw" sugar, fructose. I find that when the diet is rich in minerals, especially those in nourishing herbal infusions, whole grains, and yogurt, the desire for sweets is lessened and more easily satisfied with far less. For energy and stamina everyday, plus the extra you need to deal with everyday emergencies, follow the Wise Woman Way: drink nourishing herbal infusions, such as stinging nettle, red clover, oatstraw, and chickweed. For energy and stamina at home and on the road, plus the extra you need to deal with the constant stress, follow the Wise Woman Way: eat only whole grains: brown rice, wild rice, spelt, cornmeal, amaranth, quinoa, and edible wild seeds including lamb's quarter, nettle, and yellow dock. For energy and stamina, the Wise Woman Way, rely on your own power, trust in your own bodies wisdom if it needs to say "no," and don't force the issue with stimulants (except on those very rare occasions when nothing else will do). Energy and stamina the Wise Woman Way is simple, safe, successful, and fun. Congratulations for taking your health into your own hands. |
| Subject: Botanicals may ease menopause symptoms | |
Author: Phoenix [Edit] |
Date Posted: Monday, April 26, 07:52:45am  WEDNESDAY, March 31 (HealthDayNews) -- Volunteers are needed for a one-year study to test the effectiveness of two herbal products -- black cohosh and red clover -- in relieving menopausal symptoms. The study will also examine the safety of these products when used for an extended period of time. The study will be conducted by researchers at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, in collaboration with researchers at the UIC/NIH Center for Botanical Dietary Supplement Research in Women's Health, and Northwestern University. The study is being sponsored by the U.S. National Institutes of Health and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. "Our goal is to determine the role of botanicals in the management of menopause. Furthermore, we will test their ability to relieve additional menopausal symptoms, such as insomnia, mood disturbances and sexual problems," Dr. Lee Shulman, chief of the division of reproductive genetics at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, says in a prepared statement. Black cohosh and red clover are plant-based dietary supplements that act much like female hormones in the body. "Many women already use these products for the relief of menopausal symptoms; however, studies have not yet been conducted to show these botanicals should replace hormone replacement therapy (HRT) as the first line of treatment for the short-term relief of hot flashes," Cate Stika, chief of the division of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, says in a prepared statement. "This study is particularly important in light of the confusion surrounding the use of HRT. Many women are asking about alternatives and we need to be able to provide a solid, evidence-based response," Stika says. To be eligible for the study, participants must meet the following requirements: Healthy menopausal woman. No menstruation for at least six months. No prior hysterectomy. Experiencing a significant number of hot flashes. Nonsmoker. Women interested in taking part in the study should phone Northwestern Memorial Hospital at 312-926-8400. More information The U.S. National Institute on Aging has more about menopause (www.niapublications.org ). --Robert Preidt SOURCE: Northwestern Memorial Hospital, news release, March 2004 |
| Subject: Bio-identical hormones | |
Author: Gina [Edit] |
Date Posted: Friday, April 23, 08:05:18am  [I am very interested in this subject. I am reading Suzanne Somers' book and watched her video. My main concern is finding an endocrinologist who specializes in bio-identical HRT (which she suggests) in my area. Also, insurance coverage would be a blessing. Should I just talk to my own doctor about all this?] Cathleen, that is what I plan to do. I also happen to be a Type 2 diabetic, so getting a referral to an Endocrinologist shouldn't be a problem for me. I'm going to ask my Family Practice doctor if there is an Endo in my area who also specializes in bio-identical HRT. In the meantime, I'm taking herbs and NOT taking Premarin. Good luck to you, Cathleen. |
| Subject: Re: Bioidentical hormones | |
Author: cathleen [Edit] |
Date Posted: Thursday, April 22, 06:15:07am I am very interested in this subject. I am reading Suzanne Somers' book and watched her video. My main concern is finding an endocrinologist who specializes in bio-identical HRT (which she suggests) in my area. Also, insurance coverage would be a blessing. Should I just talk to my own doctor about all this? If anyone has found a doctor in the Southern California area who specializes in this area, please email me. Thanx, CMW |
| Subject: Happy Birthday Mom | |
Author: Keely [Edit] |
Date Posted: Friday, April 16, 10:39:30am  |
| Subject: Mercenary deaths not reported | |
Author: Phoenix [Edit] |
Date Posted: Tuesday, April 13, 05:15:44pm NEWS YOU WON'T FIND ON CNN Deaths of scores of mercenaries not reported By Robert Fisk and Patrick Cockburn April 13 2004: "The Star" Baghdad - At least 80 foreign mercenaries - security guards recruited from the United States, Europe and South Africa and working for American companies - have been killed in the past eight days in Iraq. Lieutenant-General Mark Kimmitt admitted on Tuesday that "about 70" American and other Western troops had died during the Iraqi insurgency since April 1 but he made no mention of the mercenaries, apparently fearful that the full total of Western dead would have serious political fallout. He did not give a figure for Iraqi dead, which, across the country may be as high as 900. At least 18 000 mercenaries, many of them tasked to protect US troops and personnel, are now believed to be in Iraq, some of them earning $1 000 (about R6 300) a day. But their companies rarely acknowledge their losses unless - like the four American murdered and mutilated in Fallujah three weeks ago - their deaths are already public knowledge. The presence of such large numbers of mercenaries, first publicised in The Independent two weeks ago, was bound to lead to further casualties. But although many of the heavily armed Western security men are working for the US Department of Defence - and most of them are former Special Forces soldiers - they are not listed as serving military personnel. Their losses can therefore be hidden from public view. The US authorities in Iraq, however, are aware that more Western mercenaries lost their lives in the past week than occupation soldiers over the past 14 days. The coalition has sought to rely on foreign contract workers to reduce the number of soldiers it uses as drivers, guards and in other jobs normally carried out by uniformed soldiers. Often the foreign contract workers are highly paid former soldiers who are armed with automatic weapons, leading to Iraqis viewing all foreign workers as possible mercenaries or spies. Copyright: The Star. NZ |
| Subject: No Easy Solution for Drug Prices | |
Author: Phoenix [Edit] |
Date Posted: Sunday, April 11, 04:57:33pm No Easy Solution for Drug Prices Sunday, April 11, 2004 By Peter Brownfeld WASHINGTON — Ray and Gaylee Andrews, both 74, hold part-time jobs to pay $800 a month for medicine. But those jobs no longer cover the costs and in order to make ends meet, they must sell their Elk Grove, Ill., home, in which they have lived for 34 years. But they think they may have another solution to their predicament. With the backing of Illinois Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich, the Andrews have filed a class-action lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Washington D.C., contending that the 2003 Medicare legislation is unconstitutional because it prevents them from buying cheaper drugs in Canada. The Andrews, who are being represented pro bono by prominent Chicago trial lawyer Robert Clifford, are not seeking monetary damages. They want to get the provisions of the law that bar drug importation to be judged unconstitutional. That way, they could just order their drugs from Canada, which is now illegal to do. The Andrews do not want to break the law, said George Bellas, another lawyer on the case. "They wanted to establish a precedent. They wanted to see a change in the existing policies," Bellas told Foxnews.com. The Andrews' fight represents not only a personal financial problem, but a nationwide issue for seniors who say the cost of prescription drugs is too high. And it's not just a problem for private citizens. Health policy experts say that the high cost of drugs is creating an additional burden on the already deeply-tapped Medicare system, which just added a prescription drug benefit, and the government needs to start looking at long-term options for reducing costs. "The trustees conclude that we need timely and effective action" to reduce Medicare's bloating budget, said Richard Foster, chief actuary for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (search). Not surprisingly, Foster said Medicare's latest annual fiscal report, released at the end of March, shows that the cost of drugs are the fastest growing expenditure in the program. "These problems ought to be addressed sooner rather than later on the grounds that early solutions can be implemented more gradually," he said. The experts say Medicare drug costs could be reduced if lawmakers allow drug reimportation, large-scale negotiated drug prices and continuing cost-benefit analyses to determine which drugs ought to be covered by the program. But drug companies say they are wary of all the proposals on the table to lower the price of drugs, and argue that when drugs are used as preventive medicine, the system saves since less money is spent on other forms of health care. "Someone having a heart attack, having to go into a hospital, stay in the hospital, the total cost of that compared to preventing a disease in the first place, the economic effects are enormous. The cost of a prescription drug to lower cholesterol pales in comparison to the effects of having a heart attack," said Court Rosen, spokesman for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association (search). The argument doesn't wash with everyone. "You have to provide the screening test and the drug to everyone who's at risk. Some small fraction would be beneficiaries. Most of the time the cost that has been incurred far outweighs the cost that’s saved from preventing people from having an acute episode," said Helen Halpin, director of the Center for Health And Public Policy Studies at the University of California, Berkeley (search). Halpin and other experts say re-importation of drugs — the Andrews' solution — may provide short-term relief, but a better way to lower drug prices over time is to negotiate with the drug companies as other countries do. "There's no reason given the size of the [Medicare] program why the federal government should not be able to negotiate as good if not better a price than other countries get. It's ridiculous," Halpin said. "One would expect that if we began to legalize re-importation what is going to happen is drug companies are going to raise the prices that they charge to other countries and lower the prices that they charge to everyone here," said Robert Reischauer, president of the Urban Institute (search), who qualified the outcome by suggesting that the savings would be relatively small. Halpin said Congress erred when it wrote into the new Medicare law that the federal government cannot negotiate lower prices with the drug companies. She called this provision an "extraordinary gift" to the pharmaceutical companies. She said that Medicare could have followed the model of private health insurance and negotiated discounts of 30 to 40 percent. Instead, Medicare has chosen to buy the drugs at the prices set by the company. But Joe Antos, a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute (search), said any efforts by Washington to negotiate lower prices en masse would be the same as setting price controls since, with the new law, the government controls at least 40 percent of the market share on prescription drugs. The effect on the drug industry — and consequently consumers — would be a big negative. "If you had price controls, the huge pool of resources that the big pharmaceuticals accumulate would begin to shrink, and therefore less money would go into research," Antos said. There would be "a change in the mix of products that came newly on the market away from blockbuster drugs. That would be a tremendous loss." Halpin and Reischauer say most health insurance companies pay for drugs as soon as the Food and Drug Administration (search) approves them, but that is not the most cost-effective way to operate. Unfortunately, they say, nobody is pushing for a cost-benefit analyses. "The FDA never compares one drug against another drug in the same class and therefore have the opportunity to look at the relative cost-effectiveness. The drug companies don’t want that information. It's almost collusion around not making this kind of comparison. We can't make these decisions about how to spend public dollars without knowing things like that," Halpin said. Reischauer proposed the development of a new, multi-billion dollar "quasi-government entity that had this responsibility, and one which didn’t only test the pharmaceuticals, but also tested devices and procedures." Not all experts agree that this model of research would be appropriate. While more information would be valuable, Antos worried that setting up an agency or having the FDA conduct further trials before approving Medicare to pay for the drugs might be a mistake. "The verifiable science may not catch up with the innovation or experimentation that takes place in the real world. I'm a little worried about cutting off patients from potentially lifesaving treatments because we didn’t happen to fund that study this year," Antos said. "Saying if we don’t go through that process, we're not going to cover it, that may be considered cruel and unusual punishment." |
| Subject: Eat less, live longer | |
Author: Phoenix [Edit] |
Date Posted: Tuesday, March 23, 08:06:50am Even older mice on restricted diets fare better in research Tuesday, March 23, 2004 Posted: 8:50 AM EST (1350 GMT) WASHINGTON (AP) -- A study in mice suggests that a low-calorie diet could help extend life even if the dietary change doesn't start until old age. The study, appearing this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, showed that mice at the relatively advanced age of 19 months that were placed on a restricted calorie diet lived 42 percent longer than litter mates who continued to eat a standard diet. Other studies have shown that young mice put on a low-calorie diet live much longer than mice fed the standard fare. But the new research suggests that it is never too late to enjoy a life-extension benefit by reducing calories. Stephen R. Spindler of the University of California, Riverside, leader of a team conducting the research, said there is little evidence yet that dietary restrictions will extend human life, but in mice, at least, sensible eating even at older ages clearly has a longevity benefit. He said a 19-month-old mouse is the age equivalent of 60 to 65 years in humans. Spindler said old mice placed on a restricted calorie diet responded quickly with better health and that eventually the animals lived up to six months longer than litter mates fed the standard diet. If such findings translate to humans, he said, "this could mean a lot more years and a lot of good years. The mice on caloric restriction lived longer and they are healthier." Early vs late start Spindler said that while older mice that go on a diet do live longer than those that don't, they still don't live as long as mice that have been on restricted diets for a lifetime. He said mice put on low-calorie diets just after birth have been known to live up to four years, almost twice as long as normal mice and months longer than the aged mice in the new study. The message, he said, is that sensible eating for a lifetime is best, but there are life span benefits even if the diet is not started until old age. "This is a very important finding," said Dr. George S. Roth of the National Institute on Aging, one of the National Institutes of Health. "The dogma has always been that the earlier in life you start a restricted diet, the better it works for extending life," said Roth, a researcher studying the aging process who was not involved in Spindler's research. "This finding suggests that you may get some of the same benefits starting late in life." Cancer connection Spindler said the study also found that the restricted-calorie diets also slowed the development and advancement of cancer. Death from tumors is very common among aged mice, he said, but the researchers found that tumor growth either started later or was slowed among mice fed limited calories. The researchers also analyzed how the action of genes changed in mice placed on restricted calorie diets. Spindler said there were changes and that these might be biomarkers of how the restricted diet works to extend life. "People have been searching for 30 years for biomarkers of the changes that take place during the aging process," said Spindler. He said the new study in mice suggests that by measuring the amount and type of proteins made by the genes scientists could pinpoint the biomarkers of aging. Once those are known, he said, it would be possible to find drugs that have the same effect on life extension as calorie-restricted diets. Does this mean that eventually aging could be slowed by taking a pill? "I am confident that that day will come," said Spindler. |
| Subject: Something purty | |
Author: Phoenix [Edit] |
Date Posted: Tuesday, March 23, 07:55:27am  Something pretty and peaceful after all the bad news. |
| Subject: Fresno kids | |
Author: Phoenix [Edit] |
Date Posted: Tuesday, March 23, 07:39:43am Children Killed in Fresno Slaying Were Each Shot in Face, Coroner Says The Associated Press FRESNO, Calif. March 23 — The seven children killed in a mass shooting here were each shot in the face and died almost immediately, according to a corner's report. Nine people were shot during what began as a custody dispute March 12. Among the victims were seven children of Marcus Wesson, who has been charged with nine counts of murder and could face the death penalty. The certificates of seven of the nine deaths were released Monday. The remaining two death certificates have yet to be filed. The deaths were all ruled homicides. All seven victims died from gunshot wounds to the face, and each died within minutes after being shot, the certificates said. The victims include children ages 1 to 17, as well as Wesson's 25-year-old daughter, who also was the mother of one of the slain children, authorities said. Chief Deputy Coroner Robert Hensel could not pinpoint the exact time of death. Police are looking into whether the victims were shot while officers waited outside his house during the custody dispute. Wesson's arraignment was scheduled for Thursday after two postponements last week as he tries to hire an attorney. |
| Subject: Bountiful Whole Grain | |
Author: Phoenix [Edit] |
Date Posted: Sunday, March 21, 05:21:22pm  By Karen Collins, MS, RD, CDN The importance of eating at least three servings of whole grains is becoming clearer and more widely publicized. Research shows that whole grains do much more than help clean the digestive tract. Yet surveys suggest that Americans still eat no more than a single serving a day. Consumers seem unaware of the range of benefits whole grains offer and may have difficulty identifying them in stores. Price, familiarity and perceived palatability may also deter shoppers. A recently discovered benefit should help win wide acceptance. Research now points to whole grains as a part of sensible weight control. Women who ate more whole-grain foods weighed less and gained less weight over the course of a recent 12-year study than those who consumed less whole grains. Another study found that the average annual increase in waist measurements of "white bread" eaters was more than three times higher than that of "healthy" eaters, who ate more whole grains and other healthful foods. Whole grains may aid weight control by causing less elevation in the hormone insulin, which promotes fat storage. Furthermore, whole grains satisfy hunger for longer periods than refined grains do. The benefits extend far beyond weight control. Whole grains may improve your overall health. During a recent 11-year study, greater whole-grain consumption was linked with lower death and heart disease rates. In Norway, whole-grain consumption led to a 25 to 35 percent lower mortality rate, even after adjusting for the better eating and lifestyle habits of whole-grain eaters. In the U.S., men who ate one or more servings of whole-grain breakfast cereal had 17 percent fewer deaths than those who rarely or never ate them. The influence of weight, tobacco avoidance, exercise and other healthy habits was taken into consideration. Eating refined-grain cereals did not reduce risk. The death rate reduction associated with greater consumption of whole grains apparently comes from decreases in both heart disease and cancer rates. The protection against heart disease may stem from whole grains’ antioxidant vitamins and phytochemicals, fiber, trace minerals or other kinds of phytochemicals. The cancer protection may derive from the fermentation of fiber and certain starches inside whole grains in the colon. The fermented substances may block the cancer-promoting effects of bile acids. Other substances in whole grains may affect hormone levels and the risk of hormonally-related cancers. While there is no strong impact on breast cancer risk, whole grains are linked to 10 to 60 percent drops in endometrial (uterine) cancer and 37 to 40 percent drops in ovarian cancer. Unfortunately, many consumers don’t seem aware of the significant differences between whole grains and refined grains. People looking for a whole-grain eating adventure can add bulgur, quinoa, kasha and other uncommon whole grains to their diet. But switching to higher-fiber whole grain cereals for breakfast or snacks is an easy, great idea. Whole grain pasta and quick-cooking brown rice are other good choices, readily available. Picking up whole-grain bread should be an automatic choice. Just remember to check the label, not the color of the bread. Source: AICR |
| Subject: From MSNBC Newsweek | |
Author: Phoenix [Edit] |
Date Posted: Sunday, March 21, 03:29:01pm The run-up to the Iraq war was more hype than lie. Medicare is a clearer example of dishonesty and corruption at high levels By Jonathan Alter NewsweekMarch 29 issue - The Democrats are over the top. Last week the Democratic National Committee was once again trying to close the propaganda gap with the GOP, which has a much surer instinct for the jugular. The DNC risked a lawsuit from Burger King with what the party calls its daily "Home of the Whopper" blast e-mail. This time the supposed Republican "lie" was that certain items for sale on the Bush for President Web site were partly manufactured in Burma, despite an import ban against that despotic country. Now, it's fine to point this out, but the Democrats are in danger of losing perspective on mendacity in the Bush administration, crying wolf so often that voters stop noticing the real abuses. That's what was wrong with John Kerry's off-mike comments about the Republicans' being a bunch of liars and crooks. To be believable, he has to go to real cases with real culprits, like the Big Medicare Con now coming to light. The whole world knows we "got taken for a ride," as the president of Poland says, on Iraq. But because Bush & Co. were as shocked as anyone at the absence of WMD, that's more in the category of grotesque hype than outright lie. The Medicare story is a clearer example of dishonesty and, yes, corruption at high levels. As former Treasury secretary Paul O'Neill's statements make clear, the lying about budget numbers began early in the administration, when the White House falsely claimed that the government could not use the surplus to further draw down the debt. It continued after 9/11, when an assistant Treasury secretary complained that the administration was squandering the national consensus by insisting on tax-cut projections that weren't real. But the most shocking deception took place in the run-up to the signing of the Medicare prescription-drug benefit on Christmas Eve. Recall how that bill squeaked through Congress only after some heads were cracked. A retiring Republican from Michigan, Rep. Nick Smith, even charges that supporters of the bill offered him a bribe in the form of financial support for the political campaign of his son. The bill was priced at the time at $400 billion over 10 years. After the deed was done (the specifics of which amounted to a huge giveaway to the pharmaceutical and health-care industries), it came out that the real cost will be at least $551.5 billion—a difference of $150-plus billion that will translate into trillions over time. Now we learn that the Bush administration knew the truth beforehand and squelched it. Rick Foster, the chief actuary for Medicare, says he was told he would be fired if he passed along the higher estimates to Congress. "I'll fire him so fast his head will spin," Thomas Scully, then head of Medicare, said last June, according to an aide who has now gone public. I knew Tom Scully a bit when he worked for Bush's father during the early 1990s. He is a whip-smart health-policy expert and Bush-family loyalist. He denies making the firing comment or saying that Foster was guilty of "insubordination" for wanting to tell Congress the truth. But Scully, who (natch) now works as a highly paid lobbyist on health issues, is stuck with the fact that Foster made clear efforts to be honest about the cost of this monstrosity. As for Bush himself, there are only two possibilities, both bad. The first is that he never learned the true cost of one of the major policy initiatives of his presidency. If so, he was incompetent. The second, more plausible, alternative is that he simply chose the lower, more convenient number and didn't have any problem with the honest figures produced by the bureaucracy's getting "deep-sixed," as they used to say during Watergate. You might think this is standard operating procedure in Washington. It is not. Every White House sends the press secretary out to spin the numbers that emerge on a weekly or monthly basis from the Department of Health and Human Services, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and other agencies. But applying political pressure to cook the numbers themselves is a true scandal. The Bush administration now has an old-fashioned credibility gap. If numbers are released saying that the economy is perking up, why should anyone believe them? After all, it counts hamburger flippers as manufacturing jobs. The context of the election only magnifies the issue. New Bush ads charge that Kerry wants to raise taxes by $900 billion. This is a made-up number; Kerry has no such proposal. But even if he did, voters would not be able to take the Bush campaign's word on it, because its word is no longer good. The challenge for the Democrats is to resist the temptation to make their own phony claims, or to hype the usual petty distortions of politics into "lies." The truth is damaging enough. © 2004 Newsweek |
| Subject: From Time Magazine | |
Author: Phoenix [Edit] |
Date Posted: Sunday, March 21, 03:07:12pm  U.S. special forces in Afghanistan are going native in their hunt for al-Qaeda's No. 1. A TIME exclusive Posted Sunday, March 21, 2004 The men of Camp Blessing know they are bait. They dangle far from the formidable, heavily fortified perimeters of other U.S. bases in Afghanistan. Instead of the hundreds or thousands of troops that are in the large encampments, there are only a dozen Green Berets from what is known as Operational Detachment Alpha (ODA) 936 and a smattering of Marines. But they are dangling far from safety to attract a big catch. "This is Osama bin Laden's backyard," says the team sergeant. "And part of the solution to tracking him is having guys like us out here in isolated areas." Several approaches are being tried to bring bin Laden and his lieutenants to ground. Pounding suspected sites is one, dramatized by the Pakistanis last week. Another is covert manhunts conducted by units like Task Force 121, the group of U.S. commandos that aided the capture of Saddam Hussein last year and that has recently been deployed to Afghanistan. And, increasingly, the job of persuading locals to provide intelligence on the whereabouts of al-Qaeda and Taliban leaders is being carried out in remote outposts like Camp Blessing along the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, where small groups of U.S. special forces live side by side with local tribesmen. By extending U.S. influence and trading favors with tribal leaders, the military hopes to shake out the kinds of tips that will finally squeeze bin Laden into the open. U.S. special-forces commanders recently gave TIME access to Camp Blessing, located in Nangalam in eastern Afghanistan. The camp is so secret that it doesn't even appear on U.S. military and embassy maps of bases in Afghanistan. Bin Laden reportedly was spotted within six miles of Nangalam a little more than a month ago. Villagers claim that a member of bin Laden's family wed a local girl farther up the Pesch River. Camp Blessing, named for Jay Blessing, a U.S. Ranger sergeant killed in November, is a test of the "ink-spot theory of counterinsurgency," says Lieut. Colonel Custer (no first names allowed), the special-forces commander for eastern and southeastern Afghanistan. The idea is that as the U.S. brings stability to places like Nangalam, cooperation from locals will rapidly spread like ink through blotting paper. Since arriving three months ago, the men of ODA 936 have launched numerous reconstruction projects, ranging from new footbridges to schools and clinics. Villages that are neutral or friendly benefit from aid. Those that haven't given up weapons or that abet the insurgents receive none. "We're generating the goodwill that engenders willingness to offer up information," says Custer, "and if bin Laden shows up, then we're ready to react." But the Green Berets know they still have plenty of persuading to do. One night, the residents of Nangalam turned off the lights in their homes just before a rocket attack on the U.S. camp. "Someone knew those rockets were coming," says a commando, who cannot be named, like almost all the special-forces members who spoke to TIME for this story. For a base of its size, Camp Blessing is still tenaciously guarded. Observation posts lurk high on the ridges and are manned by Marines on 10-day tours. The Green Berets make sure their weapons-training sessions are loud and clear. "When the whole valley hears us firing 140 rockets in a day, they know we're not short of ammunition," says the team sergeant. "While we're a relatively small force here, if you want to come and mess with us, you're going to get hurt." With its mix of inducements and force, ODA 936 is employing the same tactics long used by local chieftains. It's one thing to find the myriad "angry guys with beards" and kill them, says Custer, "but it's much better to co-opt them." By establishing alliances with Nangalam's villagers, the Green Berets hope that intel will follow. Similar tactics worked for them in the 1960s in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. Last month 27 weapons caches were turned in to ODA 936 in Nangalam, more than anywhere else in Afghanistan. Once the troops' presence is established in the Afghan hinterlands, U.S. officers believe, the villagers will start to deny the terrorists sanctuary. Although one Green Beret says, "It's going to take dumb luck to stumble across Osama," the special forces are confident that someone will eventually give him up. "It may be the opium farmer whose daughter we airlifted to a hospital who thinks he owes us," says an officer who serves as the unit's intelligence chief, "and who comes in with something that we put with 18 other pieces of the puzzle, and we finally get a clear picture." They're still waiting for the prey to come into focus. |
| Subject: Mexicans trek to pyramids | |
Author: Phoenix [Edit] |
Date Posted: Sunday, March 21, 02:20:38pm  By Tim Gaynor TEOTIHUACAN, Mexico (Reuters) - Decked out in eagle feathers, amulets and lucky charms, hundreds of thousands of Mexicans converged on the ancient pyramids of Teotihuacan, near Mexico City, on Sunday to tap into what they believe is the site's energy on the spring equinox. Arriving before dawn, visitors queued in snaking lines to climb the steeply raked steps of the Pyramids of the Sun and Moon, in an annual rite marking the first day of spring which is thought to date back to pre-Hispanic times. Teotihuacan, which lies in a highland valley 30 miles northeast of the capital, was built some 2,000 years ago by a nameless civilization that worshiped a pantheon of deities including a snake god and a thunder god. Abandoned in the sixth century, the site has become one of Mexico's top tourist attractions and a magnet for indigenous priests and new-age enthusiasts alike, eager to soak up mystic energies they believe are released by the equinox. Thousands of Mexicans and tourists also flock to the country's principal archeological sites such as Chichen Itza, in the jungles of the Yucatan peninsula, and El Tajin in southeastern Veracruz state on March 21. The fall equinox is not celebrated. As dawn broke over the top of the 212-foot Pyramid of the Sun, Nahuatl Indian Ricardo Cervantes, 44, burned incense and maize husks, and offered up murmured prayers to the supreme god Ometeotl. "Today marks the start of a new agricultural cycle and a movement of the cosmos in the old calendar," said Cervantes, who wore obsidian beads. "It's an important day for us." A FAST GROWING FESTIVAL Archeologists from Mexico's National History and Anthropology Institute say "massive attendance" at the spring equinox festival -- which marks the sun's return to the northern hemisphere -- began in the late 1980s. This year, 2,000 police and security guards were on hand at Teotihuacan and along traffic-choked approach roads, as organizers braced to receive between 800,000 and one million visitors. The festival at the site -- which sprawls over eight square miles of dusty scrub land -- attracts many ordinary Mexicans, who put strong Catholic beliefs to one side for the day. "We have come here to soak up the energy and reject the bad vibes," said Fernando Yebra, a grandfather dressed in a white tunic and red bandana. "The colors help to maximize the positive energy and ward off the bad." Standing next to him on the steps leading up to the Pyramid of the Sun, his wife closed her eyes and raised the palms of her hands to face the sun: "We're Catholics, and we're just here for the experience," she says. Hawkers lining the Avenue of the Dead -- Teotihuacan's broad central thoroughfare -- offering everything from T-shirts and cleansing herbs, to hot tacos and beer, said trade was brisk. "I've been coming here for 20 years, and the equinox is very good for business, despite the competition," trader Enrique Rosales told Reuters. "By noon there won't even be standing room here." |
| Subject: UK Muslim clerics tied to attack in Spain | |
Author: Phoenix [Edit] |
Date Posted: Sunday, March 21, 02:01:42pm GLOBAL JIHAD Probe sees 'definite link' to Palestinian regarded as important al-Qaida figure © 2004 WorldNetDaily.com Counter-terrorist police probing the massive attack in Madrid one week ago see a "definite link" to Muslim extremists in Britain, according to a senior British law enforcement official. Detained Palestinian cleric Abu Qatada, regarded by British and Spanish authorities as a key al-Qaida figure in Europe, likely will be questioned, reported the Independent newspaper of London. "We believe there is a London link with what happened in Madrid," said metropolitan police commissioner Sir John Stevens. "There is a definite link in what has happened." The March 11 blasts in Madrid killed 202 and injured more than 1,500 just days before last Sunday's Spanish elections and tomorrow's first anniversary of the U.S. led war in Iraq. The Independent quoted a "senior anti-terrorist source" who said the man suspected of organizing the attack, Jamal Zougam, 30, is believed to have traveled to the UK to acquire funding and logistical help. Authorities believe Zougam had connections to Qatada, known also as Omar Mahmoud Abu Omar, who received asylum in Britain in 1994. The Palestinian cleric, born in Jordan, was given a life sentence after being convicted in absentia in his home country for 1988 terrorist attacks. British police arrested him along with eight other people in 2001 on suspicion of terrorist activities, but all were released. The British government froze his assets after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the U.S. Qatada has denied any connection to al-Qaida but has expressed sympathy for leader Osama bin Laden. |
| Subject: Just pretty | |
Author: Foster Mom [Edit] |
Date Posted: Friday, March 19, 07:40:17pm  |
| Subject: Dr. Perricone's recommended diet | |
Author: Phoenix [Edit] |
Date Posted: Friday, March 19, 03:40:26pm  Dr. Perricone FAQs: Recommended Diet? What kind of diet do you recommend? I am a firm believer in an anti-inflammatory diet as I believe that inflammation equals aging. This diet is a low-fat, low-carbohydrate, moderate protein diet. I also insist that my patients drink a minimum of 8 glasses of water (not diet soda, coffee, or juice) a day to help maintain proper hydration -- this can have amazing results on the skin. Those who follow this diet not only find improvements in their skin appearance, but they lose weight, have more energy, sleep better, and have amazing individual results. Dr Nicholas Perricone Diet Unlike most 'diets', Perricone's diet program is not about weight loss. In fact his latest book - Dr Nicholas Perricone's Program doesn't even include the words "weight loss", "lose weight" or "calories" in it's index. Perricone Diet Benefits So what's the Perricone Diet about? Well, in a nutshell it's about boosting diet-nutrition in order to reduce damage to the outer layers of cells, caused by free radicals. The benefits of the Perricone Diet are better skin, fewer ageing effects and better protection against a host of diseases and conditions. Perricone Diet Plan Rather than focus on Perricone's precise food menus, let's look at the main dietary elements of Perricone's diet plan, as follows: Choose the Right Carbs Choose wholegrains and legumes/beans and non-instant oatmeal. Choose foods rated 50 or less on the Glycemic Index. Avoid all refined carbs and foods rated > 50 on the Glycemic Index. Choose the Best Fruits and Vegetables (Fresh or Frozen) Best include: avocado, bell peppers, berries, cantaloupe/honeydew melons, dark leafy green vegetables (spinach, kale), orange colored squash, tomatoes. Avoid dried fruits. Eat Good Quality Dietary Protein From fish (especially wild salmon, or canned Alaskan red/pink salmon), egg whites, skinless chicken and turkey breast. Salmon is strongly recommended due to it's rich content of the powerful antioxidant DMAE (Dimethylaminoethanol). Choose Nutritious Dietary Fats Reduce saturated fats, avoid trans-fats (aka hydrogenated fats), avoid polyunsaturated fats from vegetable oils. Instead, use extra virgin Olive oil, (rich in oleic acid which helps omega-3 fats to protect cells) and eat plenty of fish rich in EPA and DHA omega-3 essential fatty acids. Choose Nutritious Dairy Foods (Ideally Organic) Plain yogurt is best, Feta cheese or possibly Swiss or Cheddar cheese. Limit milk intake. Drink Water Perricone strongly recommends water - the elixir of life (and great skin.) Perricone Diet Summary Similar in it's anti-inflammatory dietary approach to our own Arthritis Diet, Perricone's diet program is a healthy eating plan which cannot fail to boost general health, never mind the anti-ageing benefits. As a Fellow of the New York Academy of Sciences and American College of Nutrition, and a world-renowned dermatologist, Perricone obviously knows his anti-wrinkle stuff. Even so, except for his commendation of salmon, his emphasis on fish, low-GI carbs, olive oil, fruits and vegetables is not particularly new. Several GI Diets, Omega-3 Diets and Anne Collins Diet say very similar things. Perricone Diet Drawbacks Wild salmon isn't cheap, so if your budget is limited, or if you're vegetarian or can't stand fish, you're in trouble! That's all the obvious drawbacks we can see. Perricone Diet: Verdict We don't know enough about dermatology to judge the potential skin benefits of this diet, but from a nutritional viewpoint it's a no-brainer. We recommend it as a healthy approach to eating. |
| Subject: Diabetes Lifesaver | |
Author: Phoenix [Edit] |
Date Posted: Friday, March 19, 02:49:12pm From Prevention online Diabetes Lifesaver Get big-time risk reduction with a little walk by Selene Yeager If you have diabetes, walking just over 8 blocks a day can slash your risk of dying by more than one-third. Go a little farther, and you'll cut your risk by up to 50%, according to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. After comparing activity levels and death rates of almost 2,900 adults who were diagnosed with diabetes 11 years ago, researchers found that walkers lived longer than those who preferred the sofa. Those who walked at least 2 hours a week at a moderate 3-MPH pace--that's just 6 miles a week, or 8 blocks a day--were 39% less likely to die from all causes and 34% less likely to die from heart disease, the number one health threat to people with diabetes. Walkers who logged 3 to 4 hours a week (30 to 45 minutes a day) sliced their risk in half. Walking improves insulin sensitivity for better blood sugar control, raises good HDL cholesterol levels, lowers blood pressure, and reduces stress, says study investigator K. M. Venkat Narayan, MD. For the greatest health benefits, start slowly, and build up to a walking pace that raises your heart rate and makes you breathe a little hard, Narayan says. Selene Yeager is a contributing editor to Prevention magazine. She is also the author of Selene Yeager's Perfectly Fit and other health titles. |
| Subject: Best Supplements for Diabetes | |
Author: Phoenix [Edit] |
Date Posted: Friday, March 19, 02:29:27pm Article from Prevention online Most of it sounds good but I've heard that diabetics should not take a supplement of vitamin E, as it can raise blood sugar. Bottom line...check with endocrinologist or a diabetic dietitian. Four supplements are worth a look Check out these supplements that may help prevent and control diabetes. Controls Blood Sugar Chromium For the body to function, each cell must "open its door" and allow sugar to enter. Chromium has been called the key that unlocks that door. Without it, sugar builds up in the blood, and eventually diabetes develops. It would seem to make perfect sense, then, to take chromium supplements to ward off diabetes. And some studies have suggested that supplementing with chromium helps keep blood sugar under control. But according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), only very low chromium levels cause problems. For most people, the ADA says, chromium supplements offer no known benefit. A recent animal study also found that one form of chromium, chromium picolinate, can trigger potentially cancer-causing cell mutations. But not everyone is so quick to dismiss chromium's tremendous potential for people with diabetes. "There are several lines of evidence suggesting that higher doses of chromium supplements may be beneficial," says William Cefalu, MD, associate professor of medicine and director of the clinical trials unit at the University of Vermont College of Medicine in Burlington. Diabetes experts say 600 micrograms (mcg) a day have proven effective. (The animal studies suggesting a cancer link used much larger amounts than you would get from a supplement.) Chromium is available in a variety of forms: as a single supplement, as an ingredient in multivitamins, or combined with any number of vitamins and/or minerals. Chromium picolinate and chromium histidine are believed to be better absorbed than other forms of the mineral. Foods that contain chromium include: black pepper, broccoli, dried beans, and whole grains. Magnesium Diabetes is the most common disorder associated with low magnesium. As many as one out of every three people with diabetes is low on this mineral. Even more convincing: Studies show that as magnesium intake goes up, the risk of developing type 2 diabetes goes down. Although a few studies have shown that supplements of about 350 mg a day improve insulin resistance and blood sugar control, there's little agreement among experts as to whether low magnesium levels are the cause or the result of diabetes. Still, experts say it's a good practice to make sure you're getting enough magnesium. (Most people, especially seniors, don't.) Supplements come in a variety of forms, including magnesium acetate, aspartate, carbonate, chloride, citrate, glycinate, hydroxide, lactate, oxide, or pidolate. And they come in a variety of combinations, from multis to special-formula supplements for diabetes, heart disease, and osteoporosis. One study found magnesium citrate to be well absorbed. Green leafy vegetables, legumes, nuts, wheat germ, and whole grains provide magnesium. Extra Help Taming Diabetes Quells Complications Vitamin E Known for its antioxidant powers, vitamin E appears to reduce the free radical damage that causes the complications of diabetes, such as heart disease and nerve damage, which can lead to blindness and amputation. Research shows that daily supplements of vitamin E can significantly reduce the damage in diabetics that ultimately leads to cardiovascular disease. Seventy percent of deaths from diabetes are related to damaged and clogged arteries. Recent studies have not found vitamin E effective in preventing cardiovascular disease in the general population, but most experts still believe it is, and there is evidence suggesting a specific benefit in diabetes. Ishwarlal Jialal, MD, PhD, professor of internal medicine and pathology at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Dallas found that giving 1,200 IU of E a day to people with diabetes greatly reduced the tendency of LDL cholesterol to begin creating a buildup of fat and other debris on artery walls. Since it's impossible to get such large amounts of E from your diet, "it's not unreasonable to take an E supplement," he says. Diabetes experts recommend 600 IU of E a day. There are two types of vitamin E, natural (d-alpha tocopherol) and synthetic (dl-alpha tocopherol). Milligram for milligram, natural is more potent, so it takes less to get the same benefit. Vitamin E can be found in single ingredient supplements, multivitamins, and herbal preparations. But large doses are generally found as single-ingredient supplements. Good sources of Vitamin E include: avocados, nuts, and vegetable oils. Alpha-Lipoic Acid Researchers have discovered that this potent antioxidant (experts say it's more potent than vitamins E or C) may be an effective treatment for a common complication of diabetes, known as diabetic neuropathy, which develops when high blood sugar levels damage delicate nerve endings. The result is a stabbing, tingling, and burning pain in the legs, feet, and hands, especially at night. In Germany, alpha-lipoic acid is a prescription drug used to treat diabetic neuropathy. "I recommend alpha-lipoic to my patients with diabetic neuropathy who haven't been helped by conventional treatments," says Aaron Vinik, MD, PhD, director of the Strelitz Diabetes Research Institute at the Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk. "Clinical trials are underway in the U.S.," he says, "but the results won't be in for a few years." It may also help control blood sugar in diabetics, possibly by lowering insulin levels and increasing the transport of sugar into cells. Alpha-lipoic acid is found in small amounts in some foods--spinach and meat, for example--but not enough to make a real difference. For that, studies show you need 600 to 1,200 mg a day, amounts that can come only from supplements. |
| Subject: bin Laden Orchestrated Madrid attacks in person | |
Author: Phoenix [Edit] |
Date Posted: Friday, March 19, 01:51:34pm  Bin Laden Orchestrated Madrid attacks in Person DEBKAfile Exclusive Report According to DEBKAfile's exclusive counter-terror sources, the Madrid train bombings in which 201 Spanish commuters were murdered and 1,400 injured, were not the work of an al Qaeda offshoot or affiliate. Like the attacks in the United States, they were conceived, planned, orchestrated and directed by Osama bin Laden and his top lieutenant, Ayman Zuwahiri, in person, and aimed at a Western Achilles heel. The terrorist chiefs were convinced that a change of government in Madrid would engender the pullout of the Spanish 1,300-man troop contingent from Iraq, thereby weakening the solidarity of the US-led coalition and hurting President George W. Bush's campaign for re-election. Bin Laden's "success" owes less to his superior craft than to the laxness of US and European counter-terror authorities. The names and descriptions of all the members of the Moroccan network which perpetrated the worst terrorist outrage since 9/11 were in their possession, handed over by Ramzi bin al Shaiba after he reached US custody in September 2002. All that time, none of the Moroccan terrorists named were detained, although their network is directly controlled by bin Laden himself and despite the fact that they lived mostly in Madrid or Tangiers. This intelligence failure is further magnified by the ease with which the terrorists were able to carry out their attack. They had no need of aircraft, suicide bombers, wads of cash or even box-cutters only very simply to buy Spanish-manufactured explosives, stuff them into ten ordinary bags and leave them on the targeted trains. |
| Subject: No TV for a week? | |
Author: Phoenix [Edit] |
Date Posted: Friday, March 19, 01:35:43pm Pulling The Plug On The Boob Tube NEW YORK, March 19, 2004 In your role as a devoted TV viewer, are you a little like a fish: submerged, but unaware you're wet? If so, how would it feel to spend a week on dry land? That's the idea behind TV-Turnoff Week, which for the 10th year is inviting viewers to "Turn off TV, turn on life." This year the week is April 19-25, which gives you a full month to put together your own group "turnoff" with neighbors, co-workers or fellow students. Last year, some 7 million people in thousands of such groups pulled the plug, according to the nonprofit, Washington, D.C.-based TV-Turnoff Network, whose Web site can show you how to coordinate a similar effort. Or you could simply resolve not to watch television - all by yourself. That would mean you've got a month to prepare for seven days' withdrawal from "American Idol," "SpongeBob SquarePants," "The Sopranos" and cable-news pundits handicapping the presidential race. Think you can make it? Why not? This year, a tidal wave of anger toward television may make the idea seem downright appealing. You might treat TV-Turnoff Week as a rebuke to media bosses foisting Janet Jackson and "Fear Factor" on you and your family. Does the pool you're swimming in seem more tainted than ever? Congress sure seems to think so. Just last week, House lawmakers voted to raise the maximum fine for broadcasters and personalities who air indecent material to $500,000 per incident - up from $27,500 for license holders and $11,000 for personalities. The bill now goes to the Senate. "One reason viewers come to TV-Turnoff Week is because they're troubled by the messages they see on TV, and that's a perfectly good reason," says Frank Vespe, TV-Turnoff Network executive director. On the other hand, his organization takes a dim view of television regardless of its "good" or "bad" programming. Of greater concern is the sheer quantity of time Americans spend watching whatever they watch - an average of more than four hours per day that could be better spent on other things. Or so Vespe's group contends. "Do you focus on TV's inappropriate messages," he poses, "or on remaking your relationship with the TV to break its hold on you?" In the past year, the cumulative health consequences of excessive TV-watching, particularly among the nation's youth, have seized national attention, with the federal government declaring last week that overeating could soon replace smoking as the No. 1 preventable cause of death. A pair of recent studies say thousands of commercials for candy and sugary foods have contributed to the epidemic of childhood obesity in America. The number of commercials children see annually has doubled to 40,000 since the 1970s, the Kaiser Family Foundation reported last month, "and the majority of ads targeted to kids are for candy, cereal and fast food." The study said that 15.3 percent of children aged 6 to 11 were listed as overweight in 1999-2000, compared to 4.2 percent in 1963-1970. In a separate study, the American Psychological Association called for the government to restrict advertising aimed at children under 8, arguing these youngsters are uniquely vulnerable to ad come-ons. It proposed "specific restrictions on advertising junk food," among other actions. Of the nearly 17 weekly hours of TV binged on by youngsters 2 to 11, slightly more than nine hours is kids programming, according to Nielsen Media Research. "It's pretty clear that excessive TV time has been implicated in the childhood obesity crisis," says Vespe, "so TV-Turnoff Week is a good way to call attention to that connection: Turning off the TV is, or should be, part of a healthy lifestyle." The goal, then, is to discover some of the things you can do apart from television, the Internet and video games. "One of the great lessons in participating in TV-Turnoff Week is the realization that 'Every time I turn on the TV, I'm deciding not to do something else,"' Vespe says. He points to U.S. Census data that suggest his organization is making an impact: More than 72 percent of children under 12 have a limit on television time - up from about 63 percent in 1994. There you have it: A sign of recognition that life exists beyond submersion in the TV pool. TV-Turnoff Week is as good a time as any to poke your head out and learn that lesson for yourself. |
| Subject: Big Mac is okay with French | |
Author: Phoenix [Edit] |
Date Posted: Friday, March 19, 01:29:40pm  French nutritionists like burger's protein-to-fat ratio PARIS - Want to stay fit and healthy? Two top French nutritionists are telling people to go for a Big Mac and keep their fingers off the traditional French quiche. In an unexpected message to a country priding itself on the superiority of its food, a new food guide praises the McDonald’s burger for having a higher and healthier protein-to-fat ratio than France’s Quiche Lorraine. “Strangely enough, the products which are the most demonised are not necessarily the worst,” Jean-Michel Cohen and Patrick Serog write in their book “Savoir Manger,” in which they analyse 5,000 dishes available in shops and restaurants. The verdict published this month comes as McDonald’s (MCD.N) launches a new campaign to add healthier food choices to its menus. It has also said it is eliminating Supersize fries and soft drinks. |
| Subject: Great........what next? | |
Author: Phoenix [Edit] |
Date Posted: Friday, March 19, 01:22:47pm  Concerns about mercury lead to new government guidelines WASHINGTON - Worried that mercury in fish poses a hazard to youngsters — while still trying to stress the health benefits of seafood — the government issued new guidelines Friday for eating fish. Women who are pregnant, nursing or may become pregnant, and young children should not eat certain kinds of fish that tend to be high in mercury, said Lester Crawford, acting commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration. While mercury can affect almost any organ in the body, “the most sensitive organ is the brain,” said Crawford. “The concern is there could be a mental effect on a young child.” At the same time, the new guidelines emphasize that fish is a good source of protein and other nutrients and “can be important parts of a healthy and balanced diet.” Variety recommended In recent years fish has become increasingly popular because of the omega-3 compounds it contains that can benefit the heart. The American Heart Association recommends that people eat a variety of fish at least twice a week, even more for those diagnosed with heart disease. The fish most likely to contain mercury are shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish. Albacore tuna has more than light tuna. The problem is that mercury pollution from industry and other sources contaminates water where it is taken up by small fish, which are then eaten by larger fish, concentrating the mercury which then may affect people who eat the fish. So, how to protect the heart and brain. Consumer’s Union and other groups have been pressing the government to come up with a consumer-friendly list of low-mercury fish, since not all fish are polluted equally. The new guidelines, issued jointly with the Environmental Protection Agency, do that. They say the fish most likely to contain mercury are shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish. These fish should be avoided by women in the groups that may be most affected, and also by small children, the guidelines say. On the other hand, the guidelines suggest eating up to two meals a week, totaling 12 ounces, of fish known to be low in mercury such as shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, pollock and catfish. Albacore tuna has more mercury than light tuna, the agencies report, so it should be limited to one meal a week. The trade association the National Fisheries Institute issued a statement stressing the health benefits of fish and expressing concern that the guidelines might alarm consumers and cause them to avoid fish. But Crawford said that “by following these guidelines, we’re confident that women and young children can safely include fish as an important part of a healthy diet." |
| Subject: Another POV on Statins | |
Author: Phoenix [Edit] |
Date Posted: Friday, March 19, 01:06:57pm Friday, March 19, 2004 By Steven Milloy Pfizer’s Lipitor edged out Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Pravachol in a head-to-head competition between the two cholesterol-lowering drugs, a new study reported last week. It appeared to be a disappointing result for study-funder Bristol-Myers. Not to worry, though. There seems to be a move afoot to make sure there are plenty of profits for all. The study compared the health outcomes among heart-attack patients treated with either Lipitor (search) or Pravachol (search), members of a class of drugs called statins (search). Twenty-two percent of Lipitor patients died or experienced further adverse coronary events during the clinical trial compared to 26 percent of Pravachol patients. Although I’m not sure that such a small difference in a single clinical trial really proves that Lipitor is a better treatment than Pravachol, what struck me is how the study was being used as a platform for the unnecessary pushing of expensive drugs on the general public. It is estimated on the basis of the criteria in the national guidelines that 36 million people in the United States should be taking a statin, but only 11 million are currently being treated. Worldwide the discrepancy is even more staggering; more than 200 million people meet the criteria for treatment, but fewer than 25 million take statins, wrote Dr. Eric J. Topol (search) in an editorial accompanying the study in the New England Journal of Medicine. Americans already pay about $12.5 billion for statins every year. So Dr. Topol urged this tab be pushed to almost $40 billion. Given ever-increasing prescription drug costs and other health care costs being foisted on the public, we ought to stop, take a deep breath, and ask if its really necessary to turn America into a nation on statins. As discussed in more detail in Dr. Uffe Ravnskov’s (search) book, The Cholesterol Myths, just because you have an elevated cholesterol level (i.e., greater than 200), doesn’t mean you are at increased risk of heart disease. Atherosclerosis, the build-up of plaque in arteries, also occurs in individuals with low cholesterol levels. High cholesterol may indicate that you have some underlying health issue, but a high cholesterol level by itself isn’t necessarily a problem. Cholesterol (search) is vital to the cells of all mammals. Our bodies produce much more cholesterol than we eat ¯ that’s why diet alone doesn’t always reduce cholesterol levels and why statins are used. Statins do reduce cholesterol levels and deaths from heart disease, according to Dr. Ravnskov, but here’s the rub ¯ there’s no evidence the two are related. Statins seem to protect against heart disease regardless of whether cholesterol levels are high or low. Statins apparently do much more than lower cholesterol levels but no one knows what, says Dr. Ravnskov. Isn’t it wonderful that the statins work? Shouldn’t we all take statins?, asks Dr. Ravnskov. You be the judge. In the WOSCOP clinical trial where healthy people with high cholesterol were treated with statins, the five-year death rate for treated subjects was reduced by a mere 0.6 percent, according to Dr. Ravnskov. To achieve that slight reduction, about 165 healthy people had to be treated for five years to extend one life by five years. As statin treatment is expensive ¯ as much as $1,400 per year ¯ that efficacy amounts to a drug cost of nearly $1.2 million to extend one life by five years. It certainly would be nice if we could afford to spend so much money treating so many healthy people for such a slight result, but it’s not clear that we can. While Dr. Topol did note in his editorial the high costs of universal statin therapy, he apparently never even considered that some sort of cost-benefit analysis might be in order. Another notable aspect of Dr. Topol’s widely reported recommendation that the statin-taking population should be tripled is that the New England Journal of Medicine opted not to disclose that Dr. Topol’s employer, the Cleveland Clinic (search), receives financial support from both Pfizer and Bristol-Myers. Dr. Topol’s expertise and reputation, combined with the fact that Pfizer’s and Bristol-Myers’ support for the Cleveland Clinic doesn’t involve statins, was the rationale for not disclosing the potential conflict of interest, a Journal spokesman told me. Regardless of whether the Cleveland Clinic is funded by Pfizer and Bristol-Myers on statin research, they still are supported financially by those companies and a prominent Cleveland Clinic employee recommended that Americans triple their use of Pfizer’s and Bristol-Myers’ products. If that doesn’t at least appear to be a conflict, I’m not sure what is. Statins do produce some benefits in some situations. But until we know better what those benefits and situations are, it is irresponsible to recommend a mass prescription for the public. America-on-statins may be the pharmaceutical industry’s fantasy, but we simply can’t afford it. Steven Milloy is the publisher of JunkScience.com, an adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute and the author of Junk Science Judo: Self-Defense Against Health Scares and Scams (Cato Institute, 2001). |
| Subject: Martha asks for support | |
Author: Keely [Edit] |
Date Posted: Thursday, March 18, 07:40:03am  Mar 18, 8:16 AM (ET) NEW YORK (AP) - Martha Stewart reportedly asked supporters to write letters to the federal judge who will sentence her for allegedly lying about a stock sale. In a letter posted on the gossip Web site Gawker.com and reported in New York newspapers on Thursday, Stewart wrote that her lawyers advised her that it would be appropriate for friends to write to Judge Miriam Goldman Cedarbaum. "If you would be so kind to write such a letter, please include your opinion of my character, my work ethic, my integrity and my probity," Stewart wrote. She added that writers could include "any memorable experiences you have had with me" to explain the basis of their opinions. "I deeply appreciate all of your good wishes and support," she wrote in the letter, which was dated March 12. "Of course, your support means a great deal to me and my family." Stewart reportedly sent the letter to about 100 of her friends and acquaintances. "It is standard practice ... to explain to people who've expressed interest in writing letters of support how to go about doing it," George Sard, a spokesman for Stewart, told the New York Post, Daily News and Newsday. Stewart, who resigned from the board of Martha Stewart Media and stepped down as the company's chief creative officer on Monday, is set to be sentenced June 17. Most legal experts expect her to receive a sentence of 10 to 16 months in prison, although a judge could allow her to spend some of that time at a halfway house or in home confinement. Stewart and her stockbroker, Peter Bacanovic, were convicted of lying to investigators, obstructing justice and other charges related to Stewart's sale of ImClone Systems stock on Dec. 27, 2001. The government claimed Stewart and Bacanovic lied when they said they had a pre-set deal to sell the stock when it fell to $60. Stewart's lawyer conceded she sold because she was tipped that ImClone CEO Sam Waksal was unloading his shares - although he insisted Stewart was accurate when she said in 2002 she did not recall the tip. |
| Subject: I'm giving up meat... | |
Author: Phoenix [Edit] |
Date Posted: Tuesday, March 16, 04:55:42pm  A fashion photographer sectioned under the Mental Health Act was actually suffering from the human form of mad cow disease, an inquest heard. Richard Poole, 30, of Wilmslow, Cheshire, had been diagnosed with depression but died a week after doctors realised he had vCJD in 2003. An inquest heard he probably got the disease from eating infected meat. Cheshire Coroner Nicholas Rheinberg recorded a verdict of death by misadventure. Mr Poole, who worked as a photographer in Ardwick, Manchester, died in September 2003 at East Cheshire Hospice, Macclesfield. My brother has died from a disease that many people think has gone away, but it has not Richard Poole's sister, Nicola Hughes He was diagnosed with depression after telling doctors he slept too much, had no energy, and could not concentrate. His family said his personality began to change at Christmas 2002. His father, John Poole, a retired printer, said: "We only became aware of his problems then, he was very low and would not talk to us." He was given various anti-depressants before eventually being sectioned in June 2003. His condition deteriorated and eventually he lost the ability to walk, speak and eat. '40-year incubation period' The coroner said: "I am satisfied that this death was as a result of the unintentional consequences of two actions. "That of the original creation of this disease by feeding cattle products containing their own meat and that of Richard Poole's unintentional eating of the infected meat." Mr Poole's sister, Nicola Hughes, said: "My brother has died from a disease that many people think has gone away, but it has not. "We thought my brother was depressed, that is what the doctors told us, we had no reason to think otherwise. "I only hope that now other people will not have to go through the same thing." The Poole family's solicitor, David Body, who has represented more than 100 vCJD victims, said it was believed the disease had an incubation period of up to 40 years. Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/england/manchester/3516326.stm Published: 2004/03/16 13:42:08 GMT © BBC MMIV |
| Subject: The Mediterranean Diet | |
Author: Phoenix [Edit] |
Date Posted: Tuesday, March 16, 07:29:25am The Mediterranean Diet So you like your fat - do you? You know you are suppose to decrease your dietary fat - and the USDA food guide pyramid clearly advocates the use of oil in your diet only 'sparingly'. Still, the thought of dipping your garlic-sprinkled breadstick in a dish of olive oil over a plate of pasta is appealing. Defining and understanding the "Mediterranean diet" is not easy because there are several countries (each with different variations of the diet) that border the Mediterranean Sea. Still, the traditional diets from the people living in the 1960's in countries like Greece and Southern Italy have been studied extensively over that past several years. This is due to the notably low incidence of chronic diseases and high life-expectancy rates attributed to these populations who ate traditional 'Mediterranean diet' foods. More at link... |
| Subject: Bioidentical hormones | |
Author: Gina [Edit] |
Date Posted: Sunday, March 14, 07:51:21pm  I was watching Larry King tonight and his guest was Suzanne Somers. She was talking about her new book "The Sexy Years" and discussing "bioidentical hormone replacement." Sounds interesting......I did a little online research and I'm gonna talk to my doctor about it. You've used natural hormones all of your life, why switch now?" Natural Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement The term hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is the name given to the estrogen and progesterone-like products that are prescribed for menopausal symptoms. This also includes the use of testosterone hormone replacement for men and women. Bioidentical versus Patentable Hormones Natural hormones are the hormones the human body normally produces. They include estrone, estradiol, and estriol, progesterone, testosterone, and dehydroepiandosterone(DHEA). Natural hormones are derived from wild yams and soy plants. The plant hormones are converted by biochemists to hormones, which are identical (bioidentical) to those made by the human body. Naturally occurring substances are not patentable. Hence, we have patented hormones. Patentable hormones like those found in Premarin, PremPro, Provera (medroxyprogesterone acetate), and methyltestosterone are artificial hormones that have been altered from the original hormone and do not act or look like natural hormones. Some patentable estrogens are derived from the urine of pregnant horses. Thus, the commercially available Premarin not only contains estrone in unnaturally high doses, but also contains many other hormones found only in horses. This is not natural to the human body. Other products such as Cenestin and Estratab are also derived from wild yam and soy plants. However, is some such cases, the plant hormones are converted by biochemists to equilin hormones similar to those in Premarin. Potential benefits of bio-identical hormone replacement therapy May help protect against endometrial and breast cancers Protect against heart disease Guard against artherosclerosis Protect against osteoporosis and promote bone building Improve concentration and memory Reduce symptoms of depression Promote fat burning for energy Increased energy Prevent vaginal thinning and dryness Lower incidence of urinary tract infections Eliminate or reduce hot flashes Reduce sleep difficulties and night sweats Enhanced sex drive and libido Improve blood flow Improve skin elasticity and prevent thinning of the skin Protect against fibrocystic breasts How Are Bio-identical Hormones Available? Bio-Identical hormones can be prepared in a dosage form convenient to each individual patient. Women are no longer limited to the "one size fits all" medications that pharmaceutical manufacturers are promoting. Natural hormones (estrogens, progesterone and testosterone) can be made as capsules, topical creams or gels, vaginal creams and suppositories, and injectables. Why Would I Need Testosterone Replacement? Low doses of natural testosterone may help with the loss of sex drive and energy that usually accompanies menopause. Not all women require testosterone to alleviate these symptoms. Therefore, the need for testosterone replacement should be discussed with your physician. How Can I Obtain Natural Hormones? A compounding pharmacist can work with you and your physician to make the optimal combination of natural hormones specific to you and your symptoms. Please contact your physician or a compounding pharmacist at Clinical Apothecaries for more information on natural/bioidentical hormone replacement therapy. What Do Other Women Using Bio-Identical Hormones Have To Say? "I was starting to wonder what was wrong with me. I was so irritable and impatient. I couldn't understand how my family could live with me. But now I feel great...like my younger self. And my family is happy again. K.M., age 54 "I love the natural hormones! With history of cancer in my family, I feel safer taking these than the synthetic hormones I used to take. My headaches are gone, I don't have crying spells anymore, my libido has improved, and I am finally losing those extra pounds I put on after my hysterectomy!" Y.H., age 46 "For me, natural hormone replacement is a safer choice than synthetic hormones. For years on the synthetic hormones, I suffered from excessive vaginal dryness and frequent yeast infections. The natural hormones are natural to my body and have help relieve those symptoms and more! I feel great! S.C., age 55 "I didn't have any menopausal symptoms, but osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease run in my family. I wanted to protect myself from these diseases naturally. Thanks to natural hormones, exercise and other natural supplements, I can rest assured that I am doing everything I can to protect myself. I.P., age 56 What about soy supplements and yam creams? Our bodies do not have the enzymes necessary to convert plant hormones into human hormones. This process must take place at a biochemist’s lab. Therefore, creams containing just wild yam will provide no amount of the human hormone progesterone. Likewise, while soy MAY have some benefits, the soy hormones cannot be converted into human hormones. Thus, the long-term protective benefits seen with the use of bio-identical estrogens and progesterone may not be seen with soy supplements. Please Note: Premarin in a registered trademark of Wyeth-Ayerst. PremPro is a registered trademark of the company. Provera is a registered trademark of Upjohn. Cenestin is a registered trademark of its respective manufacturer. Estratab is a registered trademark of its respective manufacturer. Authors: John Lee Jonathan Wright Marcus Laux |
| Subject: Cybill Shepherd on the big "M" | |
Author: Phoenix [Edit] |
Date Posted: Saturday, March 13, 08:40:28am  "I was the first baby boomer to have a prime-time hotflash," says Memphis-born supermodel and movie star Cybill Shepherd. Cybill continues to inspire women to embrace mid-life as an exciting time in their lives. I remember watching Cybill on Oprah talking about mid-life, menopause, and the stress that pre-menopause and menopause add to relationships. Women in the audience spoke of memory loss, decreased libido, and mood swings that left them feeling like Ivan the Terrible one moment and the Madonna the next. But one of the most impressive things about Cybill's appearance on Oprah (besides her great closing rendition of the "Menopause Blues") was her ability to make people all laugh-this woman is heading into midlife and intends to have some fun on the way. Now turning fifty, Shepherd says she initially thought of her hot flashes as "sort of fun." She called them "power-surges" (from a term originally coined by Power-Surge.com website founder Alice Stamm). But, soon, the hot flashes became "really intense and not so much fun." Shepherd says she is "not going to romanticize premenopause and menopause. It is not easy, but it is also another exciting stage. It can be explored. You can learn from it." Menopause, Naturally Cybill urges women to become critical consumers. In fact, after the famous Cybill menopause episode aired, she received many different menopause formulas in the mail. One was a package of standardized red clover extract. Today, Cybill has found that this phytoestrogen-rich plant extract has made all the difference in the world. In fact, medical studies have shown red clover is an excellent remedy for hot flashes. Its phytoestrogen content may even help to support healthy bone density and circulation. Many women today never fill their prescriptions for estrogen and instead are forging their own pathways through menopause, substituting doctors' usual drugs for a more natural approach-and there are a lot of different approaches. Black cohosh, soy isoflavones, ipriflavone, fennel, natural progesterone, vitamin E-nature's pharmacy probably offers women more choices than their doctor ever could. But it takes reading and education-and a whole lot of trial and error-and probably some humor, too. Forever Youthful Generation "Menopause used to shout 'middle age,'" writes Gail Sheehy in Silent Passage. "But boomers simply aren't having middle age. Youth is intrinsic to their identity. And, in fact, boomers are the beneficiaries of a revolution in their life cycle . . . in the space of one short generation the whole shape of the adult life cycle has been fundamentally altered. The territory of the fifties, sixties, and beyond is changing so radically, it now opens up whole new passages leading to stages of life that are nothing like what our parents or grandparents experienced." But women must be knowledgeable about their options. "When I work with women patients or lecture to women at my workshops and seminars, I strongly emphasize the importance of women assessing their menopausal symptoms as well as their risk factors for conditions which become more prevalent after midlife, such as osteoporosis, heart disease, and breast cancer," says Susan Lark, M.D., a member of the clinical faculty of Stanford University Medical School, where she continues to lecture when she isn't seeing patients in her private practice in Los Altos, California. "I feel strongly that each woman should be knowledgeable about [her] treatment options and initiate her own self-care program for best results." Reflections and Laughter "This is what 50 looks like, so far not surgically corrected (but never say never)," says Cybill in her new book, Cybill Disobedience (HarperCollins 2000). "Ancient artifact that I am, my pictures are still on the makeup counter at the drugstore, so I know the response to my lamentations may be: Shut up, Cybill Shepherd. But I still have to confront the bathroom mirror-no retouching, no flattering lighting. As an aging beauty in America, I have an interesting perspective. I'm ready for my Shelley Winters parts now, and I have less vanity than you can imagine. My kids beg, 'Before you pick us up, could you please comb the back of your hair?'" In the end, however, for Cybill it is a sense of humor and laughter that gets her through the tough times. "I am comforted to imagine that someone in the 21st century will remember a big, brassy blonde who tried to use humor as the Krazy Glue for life's necessary reparations," she says, "a stranger who will stand with a smile at my final resting place, reading a tombstone that says, 'We'll make this a comedy yet.'" D.S. |
| Subject: SAVE MARTHA!! | |
Author: Phoenix [Edit] |
Date Posted: Saturday, March 13, 08:06:22am  Martha's fans strike back... Join National Save Martha Day! Forget the sit-in, we're staging a knit-in! |
| Subject: Possible al Qaida link found in Attack | |
Author: Phoenix [Edit] |
Date Posted: Saturday, March 13, 07:44:27am Possible al-Qaida Link Found in Attack 1 hour ago MOLDE, Norway - Norwegian researchers have found documents that could link the al-Qaida network to terror bombings that killed 200 people in Madrid, Spain. Experts from the government's Norwegian Defense Research Establishment said the documents found on an Arabic-language Web site last year suggest Spain as a possible terror target because the country had been part of the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq. "We must make maximum use of the proximity to the elections in Spain in March next year. Spain can stand a maximum of two or three attacks before they will withdraw from Iraq," the documents said, according to daily newspaper VG. A series of bombs hidden in backpacks exploded in quick succession Thursday, blowing apart four commuter trains and killing at least 200 people and wounding more than 1,400 in the Spanish capital. The attacks occurred ahead of Sunday's national elections. Researcher Thomas Hegghammer told the paper the researchers first thought the 42-page document referred to attacks against coalition forces in Iraq. "But the fact that they specifically mention the election in Spain, makes us have to see this in the light of the action in Madrid, three days before the election," Hegghammer said. Norwegian Defense Research Establishment spokeswoman Anne-Lisa Hammer told The Associated Press the researchers would not speak to journalists Saturday, but added that the Norwegian reports were accurate. State broadcaster NRK said the documents do not refer to Thursday's attacks in Madrid but outline a strategy to pressure Spain, described as the weakest link in the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq, to stop cooperating with the United States. "The author, who is anonymous, is very well-oriented in Spanish politics. We cannot say for sure that this document stems from al-Qaida. We don't have any reason, either, to believe that it isn't real," researcher Brynjar Lia told VG. The document suggests attacks on Spain would lead to the collapse of the fragile Iraq coalition set up by the United States if they forced Spain to withdraw. Spanish officials blame the attacks on Basque separatists from the group ETA, which denied responsibility. An Islamic group linked with suspected al-Qaida links has claimed blame in a statement telefaxed to an Arabic newspaper in London. |
| Subject: Speaking of HRT alternatives | |
Author: Gina [Edit] |
Date Posted: Friday, March 12, 07:11:58pm  I did some research for my friend who is facing menopause and trying to decide whether to get HRT or look for natural alternatives. I'm gonna have to think about it soon myself.....blech. It looks like most of the OTC hormones have wild yam, black cohosh, licorice root. Anyway....what I wanted to point out is that if you are diabetic like I am, you need to talk to your doctor before you take anything with licorice root or vitamin E, as both of those can raise your blood sugar. Depressing, ain't it? |
| Subject: Beyond Hormones | |
Author: Foster Mom [Edit] |
Date Posted: Friday, March 12, 02:50:58pm Keely, I saw the post you made about Suzanne Somers book on The Sexy Years, IOW....menopause. Here's another good article on it. I've been looking at alternatives to HRT which scares me. Check it out... Beyond Hormones Women Are Looking to Change Their ‘Change of Life’ Treatment Options By Melinda T. Willis June 20 — If you're afflicted with mood swings and hot flashes, it may be time to get back to your roots — your licorice roots, that is. Women are on the hunt for a proven, natural alternative to treat the uncomfortable and disruptive symptoms that accompany menopause, brought about by decreases in levels of the female hormones estrogen and progesterone. Each day in the United States, about 4,000 women enter menopause. And it's not just hot flashes, vaginal dryness and mood swings. Osteoporosis is a complication that is also associated with this drop in hormones. While hormone replacement therapy, or HRT, is currently the "gold standard" of treatment, its potential side effects make some women ineligible and others unwilling to receive it. That's led to an increased interest in alternative, non-synthetic treatments such as herbs. "I think we're seeing a greater awareness for women and their practitioners to look at options, to look at alternatives," Dr. JoAnn Pinkerton, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville and director of the Women's Place Midlife Health Center, told ABCNEWS' John McKenzie. There are many herbal treatments for menopause that are available in health food stores, including black cohosh, red clover, dong quai and licorice root. And experts say that women are taking them in large numbers. "Anywhere from 40 to 60 percent of women in midlife are using them alone or in combination [with other therapies]," says Stacie Geller, director for the Center of Excellence in Women's Health in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Yet while such natural remedies are commonly used and readily available, little is known about these treatments — how they work, how they should be taken and for which symptoms and perhaps most importantly, if they will interact dangerously with other medications. HRT to Herbs At the same time, the risks of commonly prescribed HRT can be serious. Long-term use is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. Blood clots and related vascular problems may also occur. "It is still good for [preventing] bone loss, but many women are afraid of the risk of breast cancer," says Fredi Kronenberg, director of the Rosenthal Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine at Columbia University in New York. And hopes that HRT may confer heart-protective benefits have also been dashed by recent research. "Everyone [once] hailed it as a wonderful [all-purpose] treatment, but the science has not backed that up," says Geller. The hope is that herbal alternatives will improve symptoms without carrying these risks. However, that remains to be determined through close scientific scrutiny. "The problem with alternative supplements is that they have not gone through the same rigors of scientific testing as HRT has," says Arlette Perry, a researcher with the School of Education at the University of Miami. Several researchers are trying to change that. Medical centers from Chicago to New York to Miami are conducting the kinds of rigorous scientific trials that will pit these herbs against placebos and HRT to find out exactly how safe and effective these treatments really are. And many are hopeful that some herbs, black cohosh in particular, will prove promising. A plant grown in the Eastern United States, it's sold here as a dietary supplement. But in many parts of Europe, it's a popular prescription drug for menopausal hot flashes. The U.S. government is now funding a 12-month study of black cohosh, following up on years of German research. "The weight of that data suggests it is beneficial," says Kronenberg. "We wouldn't be spending time and money and hours doing a clinical trial if we thought this wouldn't work." Treating the Symptoms Women are also turning to non-herbal alternative approaches such as biofeedback and acupuncture to manage their menopausal symptoms. Also important are diet and exercise, which can help preserve bone and improve mood for some women. Vitamin E and soy may provide relief for hot flashes, according to some research. Despite all the alternatives, for about a quarter of women going through menopause, the hot flashes are so severe and so frequent — occurring more than a dozen times a day — the only effective treatment is hormone replacement. Regardless of the approach, experts say women need to understand what their motivation is in seeking treatment and how lifestyle changes can play a key role in alleviating symptoms. "It is important to look at what is bothering you — what your symptoms are and what you want," says Geller. "There is a huge interaction effect between menopausal symptoms and what is happening in your life." While future research may give women more options for coping with the inevitable symptoms of this late-life change, experts also point to the need for change in the way that women are coming to view menopause as a whole. "Women are seeing menopause as a more natural event — they don't want to turn it into a disease state," says Geller. "They see it as a natural life transition and don't want to medicate themselves their whole lives." |
| Subject: Martha's Furniture selling like hotcakes | |
Author: Phoenix [Edit] |
Date Posted: Friday, March 12, 02:13:37pm  New York Daily News In a comfort zone By NANCY DILLON DAILY NEWS BUSINESS WRITER Wednesday, March 10th, 2004 As Martha Stewart's TV show and flagship magazine continue to melt away, her new high-end furniture line is selling like hotcakes. "I've touched base with various retailers, and we had excellent sales this past weekend," said Bernhardt Furniture CEO Alex Bernhardt, the partner producing Stewart's upscale armchairs and armoires in Lenoir, N.C. "We had 12 different customers place orders between Saturday and Sunday, a nice amount for us," said Richard Broderson, president of Foremost Furniture on W. 30th Street. Foremost, the only store in Manhattan to carry Stewart's fancy furniture, averages about five to 20 Signature orders per weekend, Broderson said. He said the most popular piece is a cherry wood queen-size bed that sells for $990. He sold three over the weekend. "Sure people make their wisecracks, but there's still nothing like [Signature] on the market. It's been one of our best-selling lines since we got it," he said. Bernhardt said Stewart's company and his team are working "aggressively" to expand the Signature line. They plan to introduce additions to the Signature Lily Pond collection along with new upholstery fabrics at a furniture show in April. "As far as we're concerned, nothing has changed," Bernhardt said of Stewart's felony conviction. "Most consumers are saying they feel sorry for Martha." Analysts said this show of support could be the underpinning for a recovery at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. "I think we can pretty much forget the TV show. And it's debatable whether Living magazine can make a comeback," said Dennis McAlpine, media analyst at McAlpine Associates. "The products business seems to be the best of it all right now. It's good design at a good price. And consumers don't care whose name is on the package." Merchandising is the second largest unit at Omnimedia after publishing - accounting for 22% of business. It was the only unit to grow sales last quarter, though one analyst attributed the strength to guaranteed payments from Kmart. Shoppers at the W. 34th Street Kmart said they'll continue to buy Stewart's mass-market line of housewares and linens, called Martha Stewart Everyday. "The Martha Stewart products are the best in this store. Even if they take her name off, I'll keep buying them," said 42-year-old Louis Barnaby of Long Island. Martha's Everyday line accounts for 5% of Kmart sales. The partnership runs until January 31, 2008. Shares in Omnimedia fell 35 cents to $9.55 yesterday. |
| Subject: Marhta near deal to keep role at company | |
Author: Keely [Edit] |
Date Posted: Friday, March 12, 11:41:12am  Source: Martha Stewart Near Deal to Keep Role at Company Friday, March 12, 2004 NEW YORK — Martha Stewart (search) is close to an agreement with Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc. (MSO) that would allow her to continue to play a role at the company she founded despite her criminal conviction last week, according to people familiar with the talks. Stewart, who built a media and consumer products empire on lifestyle tips for gracious living, could face prison time after she was found guilty of lying to investigators in connection with a suspicious stock sale. While the outcome of talks between lawyers for Stewart and the company of which she is the controlling shareholder is uncertain, Stewart appears likely to maintain a diminished though still important role, the sources said. "She will end up continuing to play a creative role at the company," said a person familiar with the talks. "She will not be an officer or a director, but she will be very involved in the company." The talks between Stewart and Omnimedia come amid doubts about the direction and future of the company. Stewart, 62, was convicted last Friday of conspiring with her former Merrill Lynch stockbroker to hide the reason behind her sale of shares in the biotech company ImClone Systems Inc. (IMCL) on Dec. 27, 2001. She was found guilty of one count of conspiracy, two counts of making false statements and one count of obstruction of agency proceedings. Since her conviction, it has been unclear whether Stewart would remain at Omnimedia despite holding 61 percent of its voting stock. The company is expected to make an announcement about her role in coming days, the people said. Talks, while well advanced, could still collapse, they said. "It's not a done deal," one person close to the talks said. Despite the pall of the conviction, investors say Omnimedia is in good financial shape, with about $169 million in cash and virtually no debt. Whether customers will stand behind the company's name-brand products remains to be seen. Its most prominent client is discount retailer Kmart Holdings Corp. (KMRT). "I think if they manage this transition with a fair amount of dignity, they will be fine," said William Brandt, of the Chicago-based restructuring firm Development Specialist Inc. "Insolvency is not in the cards." Shares of Martha Stewart Living rose 43 cents to $10.25 on the New York Stock Exchange (search) on Thursday. They have dropped 27 percent since March 4, the day before the verdict. |
| Subject: My favorite murder mystery | |
Author: Phoenix [Edit] |
Date Posted: Thursday, March 11, 04:47:46pm  By John Springer Court TV In a case with quirky testimony about aliens, UFOs and a smashed vial of blood, a New Mexico fashion designer faced a death sentence for the murder of a woman whose whose body has never been found. Friends of the defendant, Linda Henning, insist she brain-washed, drugged — or both — by the victim's husband, Henning's alleged lover. The 48-year-old fashion designer found herself facing a capital murder trial — and the possibility of being the first woman sent to New Mexico's death row since the state reenacted the death penalty in 1985. Jury selection began before Judge John Brennan in Bernalillo County Judicial District Court on Sept. 23, and testimony kicked off Oct. 2. more at link.... |
| Subject: Abu Hafs Brigades | |
Author: Phoenix [Edit] |
Date Posted: Thursday, March 11, 04:28:31pm Abu Hafs Brigades I just heard on Fox News that the Al Qaeda group Abu Hafs Brigades has not only taken credit for the terrorism in Madrid this morning but also for the blackouts last summer in New York and in London. My little voice told me that terrorism may have been behind the blackouts..... Al Qaida claims responsibility for blackout SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM Monday, August 18, 2003 Al Qaida's Abu Hafs Brigades has claimed responsibility for the blackout last week in the Northeast and Midwest United States. A communiqué by the Abu Hafs Brigades made reference to Operation Quick Lightning in the Land of the Tyrant of this Generation." |
| Subject: Al Qaeda Claims Credit for Madrid Blasts | |
Author: Phoenix [Edit] |
Date Posted: Thursday, March 11, 03:00:18pm  Thursday, March 11, 2004 MADRID, Spain — Al Qaeda has reportedly claimed responsibility for a series of bombings in Madrid Thursday that left at least 190 people dead and 1,240 wounded, just three days before Spain's general elections. The Arabic newspaper Al-Quds al-Arabi said Thursday it had received a claim of responsibility for the Madrid train bombings issued in the name of Al Qaeda (search), the terror organization responsible for the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States. Earlier Thursday Spanish officials accused the Basque separatist terror group ETA of the bombings and have yet to comment on the Al Qaeda claim. The five-page e-mail claim, signed by the shadowy Brigade of Abu Hafs al-Masri (search), was received at the paper's London offices. It said the brigade's "death squad" had penetrated "one of the pillars of the crusade alliance, Spain." "This is part of settling old accounts with Spain, the crusader, and America's ally in its war against Islam," the claim said. Referring to Spain's Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar (search), the statement asked: "Aznar, where is America? Who will protect you, Britain, Japan, Italy and others from us?" The newspaper faxed the claim to The Associated Press office in Cairo. The paper's editor, Bari Atwan, told Fox News the alleged letter from Al Qaeda "looks authentic" and consistent with letters the paper has received from the terrorist organization in the past. Asked about the claim of responsibility, White House spokesman Sean McCormack said, "we've seen the news reports and we're going to determine what the facts are." A van containing several detonators and an Arabic-language tape of Koranic verses was found near Madrid, Interior Minister Angel Acebes said later Thursday, announcing that new lines of investigation into the bombings were being opened. Until that point, suspicion had focused on Spain's primary domestic terrorists, ETA (search). "In this moment of pain, all Spaniards are called more than ever to end terrorism and violence," Spanish King Juan Carlos (search) said during a televised address to the nation. "Let there be no doubt: Terrorism will never prevail." After an emergency Cabinet meeting, a somber Aznar called the attacks "mass murder" and vowed to hunt down the attackers. He reaffirmed his policy of not negotiating with ETA. "No negotiation is possible or desirable with these assassins who so many times have sown death all around Spain," Aznar said. Police were looking for at least two people seen jumping on and off one of the trains at a station in Madrid. for more follow link... |
| Subject: God, this is sooo sick | |
Author: Sabra [Edit] |
Date Posted: Thursday, March 11, 02:36:13pm AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Two Dutch political parties called Wednesday for laws prohibiting sex with animals after a man suspected of having sex with a pony was set free. Wearing nothing but a T-shirt, the man was arrested by police in Utrecht Monday after the pony's owner caught him by surprise in his stable. "He was caught in the stable, busy with the pony, and was arrested for animal mistreatment," Mary Hallebeek, a prosecution spokeswoman said. The prosecutor set him free because there was no evidence of a crime. Dutch law does not prohibit bestiality. "There were no wounds or traces of violence. The man may have had sex with the animal, but there is no article in law which says this is liable to punishment," Hallebeek said. Both List Pim Fortuyn and the Socialist Party called for an amendment to the penal code to make bestiality punishable. "Sex with an animal is a far-reaching infringement of its physical integrity and the animal can never consent to it. It is pure maltreatment and should therefore be punishable," LPF member Joost Eerdmans said in parliament. © Reuters 2004. All Rights Reserved. |
| Subject: The Sexy Years | |
Author: Keely [Edit] |
Date Posted: Wednesday, March 10, 06:19:25pm  New book by the former ‘Three's Company' star offers advice on how to banish the 'Seven Dwarfs of Menopause' — itchy, bitchy, sweaty, sleepy, bloated, forgetful, and all-dried-up. Read an excerpt. Getting older can be brutal — women gain weight, lose their sex drive, experience hot flashes, suffer memory loss, become short-tempered, find it difficult to sleep, and on and on. It’s not so easy for men, either — they start to lose energy and stamina as they age, too (and they have to live with women going through menopause). After years of being thin and fit and full of energy, actress and entertainer Suzanne Somers encountered the “Seven Dwarfs of Menopause” — Itchy, Bitchy, Sweaty, Sleepy, Bloated, Forgetful, and All-Dried-Up. Instead of living out the rest of her life cranky, sleep-deprived, and libido-less, Suzanne set out to discover how she could get her mind, body, and life back and banish those pesky dwarfs for good. The result is “The Sexy Years: Discover the Hormone Connection—The Secret to Fabulous Sex, Great Health, and Vitality, for Women and Men.” Here's an excerpt: CANCER The last words I ever thought I'd hear about myself were "You have breast cancer." It was as though someone had dropped a load of lead on my head. I felt stunned. This is something that happens to other people, I thought. Not me. I figured, I am healthy, I eat right, I have exercised all my life. My sister being diagnosed with breast cancer four years earlier was just a fluke. I mean, other than her, there is no history of breast cancer in my family, I reasoned. How could this be happening? • Suzanne Somers on growing old March 8: Suzanne Somers talks with "Today's" Ann Curry about her new book, "The Sexy Years." Today show Every year since I turned forty I have been going to the USC/ Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center and Hospital in Los Angeles. I always looked forward to seeing my doctor, Mel Silverstein, who created the concept of the breast centers in this country. He is a nice guy and has committed his life to the care of women's breasts. My husband always jokingly tells him he is the luckiest guy around because he spends his days feeling women's bosoms. It was time for my yearly mammogram, and I had been religious about having annual checkups since I turned forty. Because I had been so diligent, I cockily assumed that I was immune to the disease. After all, keeping such a vigilant check on my breasts would ensure that even if there was a problem, we would find it before it ever had a chance to take hold. The nurse pulled and squeezed, flattened, and pressed my poor aching breasts into positions no breast was meant to endure. But it was for a good cause, and all women know that the discomfort and humiliation are worth it in the long run, because this examination is about life, health, and prevention. "Well, I don't see anything to worry about," Dr. Silverstein announced cheerily after looking at my mammogram. I felt relieved, even though I hadn't even considered the possibility. Now I could go on with my life for another year knowing I had beaten the statistics once again. I went into the changing room and hurriedly put my clothes back on. I had a busy day ahead of me--meetings with the various vendors for my jewelry business, the skin care line, updates on the fitness business, costume fittings, and a band rehearsal to get ready for an upcoming date in Las Vegas the following week. I was filled with energy and vitality. "Suzanne?" I heard Dr. Silverstein call through the changing room door. "Yes," I answered. "You know, you've got such cystic breasts--lumps and bumps everywhere. How about having an ultrasound for good measure?" I opened the door, wondering why this would be necessary. "Wasn't everything okay with my mammography?" I asked. "Sure," Dr. Silverstein said good-naturedly. "It's just that we have this new state-of-the-art ultrasound machine. I just paid half a million dollars for it; and what the heck, let's take a look for good measure." Why not, I reasoned. I was there, and it would only take another half hour. Surely I could fit this into my busy schedule. My health was more important than anything. I lay down on a stationary bed in the ultrasound room, feeling no alarm, since this was just for "good measure." The technician rubbed on some cold, gooey liquid (a conductive fluid) and then began a gentle movement on my breasts with a wand about the size of a curling iron. She kept rubbing back and forth for some time in one particular area on my upper right breast. Then she excused herself and said she would be back in a couple of moments. I still felt no alarm. I had been through these exams before. Often we found cysts that were filled with fluid, which were then drained with a needle. Not the most pleasant experience, but part of the routine. I wasn't worried. Even when the technician returned with the radiologist to further probe my now rather sore and overworked breast, I heard myself telling them, "Not to worry. I always have these cysts; they're just filled with fluid." The tone in the room turned noticeably serious, and I was at a loss as to why everyone seemed so intense. "We see something here we don't like, so we're going to stick a needle into it to see what we come up with." Frankly, I felt relieved. It's the same old thing, I thought. "I've had needles before," I told her cheerfully. "Well, this is going to be a bit more uncomfortable than what you are used to. We are using a bigger needle, and I will try my best not to hurt you." The doctor inserted the needle, and this was indeed different. It felt like a carving knife being plunged into my flesh. "Yeow!" I said, trying to stifle the fact that this hurt like hell. "You're going to feel a little pop, like a cap gun going off inside of you," she told me. "This way we can gather a piece of tissue for biopsy. Okay, ready?" she asked. Pop! Wow! It hurt . . . a lot! It felt more like a real gun going off in my breast. Then I felt the needle ripping through my breast while the doctor pulled with all her strength to get the needle out. "Oh, my God!" I blurted out. "That is painful." "I know; I'm sorry," she said. "Unfortunately, we are going to have to do this several more times." Several insertions later we were finished. The pain was unbelievable. My breasts felt like punching bags. Okay, at least now we've done it, and I can get on with my day, I thought. As I dressed, I decided to tell Dr. Silverstein that he should have prepared me for the pain a little better. In fact, after all the pulling and probing, I wasn't feeling very cheery; and in thinking about it, I felt a little angry that Dr. Silverstein had downplayed the hurt quotient. Carefully I pulled on my jacket, which was no easy feat because of the pain in my breast, and then opened the door of the changing room. Standing in the hallway just outside were Dr. Silverstein, the radiologist, and the nurse, all with serious looks on their faces. Dr. Silverstein took my hand sensitively and said, "We hope you will be okay." "What?" I asked, bewildered. "It doesn't look good," Dr. Silverstein said. "What do you mean?" I asked. I could feel my heart pounding. "Of course, we're waiting for the pathology report to come back in a few hours," Dr. Silverstein explained, "but from what I can see, I think we should make plans for surgery." I experienced the next hours as though I were under water. I heard and saw everything, but it was filtered, distant. I was in shock. So many decisions had to be made. They had found a malignant tumor, 2.4 centimeters in size. It was lodged deep in my chest and had not been detected. The doctors thought it had been growing for approximately ten years. How could the mammogram have missed something so large? I kept asking myself. Cancer is lonely. The decisions to be made are too serious and too monumental to be passed on to anyone. These were decisions I had to make. It was unfair of me even to ask Alan, my husband, what he thought I should do. Luckily, we had caught it soon enough so it didn't look as though they would have to perform a mastectomy. They would remove the tumor and some lymph nodes from under my arm. If the margins were clean, they would not have to remove the breast. I never thought that I would have my own cancer doctor; but now I had an oncologist, Dr. Waisman. I liked him. He was wise, sensitive, and smart. I was still in a daze. Only this morning I had been getting ready to go to Las Vegas in a week with my show, and now it all seemed insignificant and unimportant. Alan and I sat in the waiting room, not knowing how to feel. I kept thinking, One day life is perfect; the next day it's as if all the balls have been thrown into the air, and you have no idea where they will land. I'd never given dying any thought. It's what happens somewhere down the line a long time from now. For the first time in my life, I was faced with the possibility of my own mortality. We drove home in a stunned silence. Alan and I walked on the beach for a long time. Our arms were wrapped around each other, giving support. We were in this together. I couldn't think. I was being asked by so many what I wanted to do, but I couldn't give them any answers. I didn't know. The following morning I awakened from what seemed to be a nightmare, and suddenly I knew I had to take charge. It was my body, and I wanted to be in charge. I called my endocrinologist and dear friend, Dr. Diana Schwarzbein, to fill her in on my condition. This was war. I began a visualization of my tumor. Inside the tumor I saw this cowardly, creepy person hiding. Every time I saw him even try to step out of the encapsulated tumor, I would yell in my mind with all the venom I could muster, Don't even try to leave this tumor, or I'll fucking kill you. Then I visualized the cowardly little cancer cells shrink with fear and step back inside the tumor. I know it sounds weird, but at that moment I didn't know how to keep the cancer at bay, and this was the only way I could feel that I had any control over it. Next, I started making phone calls. My agent, Al Lowman, said, "You should talk to Selma Schimmel." "Who's that?" I asked. "She's one of my authors who has written a lot about breast cancer." Selma told me about Dr. Avrum Bluming, who was doing research with women and breast cancer and hormone replacement therapy (HRT), albeit with synthetic hormones. I did not want to give up my hormones. As you will find out in the next few chapters I have expended a great deal of effort getting my chemicals balanced and learning about natural hormones; now, upon diagnosis, I was being told that hormones had to be stopped because of my breast cancer. I knew what that meant relative to the quality of my life, and I was not about to go back to feeling the way I had before I got my hormones balanced. I started to gather doctors. Dr. Waisman came highly recommended, but I wanted other opinions. I told Dr. Waisman about Dr. Bluming, and he said that not only did he know him, but he was working with him on a study of the connection between women with breast cancer and hormone replacement therapy. Okay, this is good, I thought. I was on the phone constantly. Cancer is like a job. The treatments are inexact. There is the "common course" of treatment, but so far everything I was being told about the common course was not appealing to me. I knew of too many people who were on the chemotherapy merry-go-round. Chemo seems to make people in treatment more ill; and frankly, it scared me to death. I was afraid of what it would do to the good cells; and I can't say that I wasn't more than a little afraid of the harshness of the treatment. First there's the hair loss and then the sickly color the complexion takes on; then there's the damage done to the parts of the body that until this time were functioning properly. The idea of ingesting potent chemicals was abhorrent and frightening to me. I am against putting chemicals into the body unless absolutely necessary, and I wanted to be sure that this was the only option before I took on something so radical. Then it was suggested that after surgery I would take the drug tamoxifen for the next five years as a preventative. The only problem I found in doing my research was that this drug would probably make me depressed for much of the duration, plus there was a 40 percent increased risk of heart attack, stroke, and pulmonary embolism. All this for only a 10 percent greater chance that the cancer would not recur? Didn't sound like very good odds to me. I felt weary. So much information to gather, so much authority to weigh. It would be easier to just sit back and let all of "them" handle it for me. That is what I would have done in my younger years. I would have assumed that they knew better. I would have followed the common course. But things were different now. I was a grown-up, and the privilege that comes with having lived this long is the realization that no one knows better than I what I want to do with my body. I have worked too hard all my life to undo the damage of my childhood, to get out from under the grip of having been raised by an abusive alcoholic, to make something of my life, to raise a child on my own, to endure the pain of blending families, to see my career knocked out from under me in a war of egos, only to come out the loser in the whole deal. I could not have known that those earlier ordeals would give me the strength to fight this giant war now raging inside my body. The big revelation that comes with maturity is that life is a series of highs and lows, and it's during the low points of life that you have breakthroughs. Through the negatives we are given the opportunities to have that "aha" moment where we figure out what we don't want in our lives. I didn't want to live my life as a victim; I didn't want to use the excuse that I coulda or shoulda or woulda had a great life, but I had some bad luck. It has always been the "bad luck" or the negatives in my life that have taught me and shaped me, and I wasn't going to lose this time around. Cancer was going to be my blessing. I was going to learn and grow and survive my way. |
| Subject: Robotic Legs Could Produce Super Troops | |
Author: Keely [Edit] |
Date Posted: Wednesday, March 10, 05:29:55pm  By MICHELLE LOCKE (AP) A model is seen wearing the BLEEX, (Berkeley Lower Extremity Exoskeleton) in this undated submitted... Full Image BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) - Move over Bionic Man and make room for BLEEX - the Berkeley Lower Extremities Exoskeleton, with strap-on robotic legs designed to turn an ordinary human into a super strider. Ultimately intended to help people like soldiers or firefighters carry heavy loads for long distances, these boots are made for marching. "The design of this exoskeleton really benefits from human intellect and the strength of the machine," says Homayoon Kazerooni, who directs the Robotics and Human Engineering Laboratory at the University of California-Berkeley. The exoskeleton consists of a pair of mechanical metal leg braces that include a power unit and a backpack-like frame. The braces are attached to a modified pair of Army boots and are also connected, although less rigidly, to the user's legs. More than 40 sensors and hydraulic mechanisms function like a human nervous system, constantly calculating how to distribute the weight being borne and create a minimal load for the wearer. "There is no joystick, no keyboard, no push button to drive the device," says Kazerooni, a professor of mechanical engineering. "The pilot becomes an integral part of the exoskeleton." In lab experiments, says Kazerooni, testers have walked around in the 100-pound exoskeleton plus a 70-pound backpack and felt as if they were carrying just five pounds. Eventually, the device could help rescuers haul heavy equipment up high-rise buildings or turn tired troops into striding super soldiers. What it won't do is turn you into a Borg, the gadget-happy gladiators of "Star Trek" fame. "The exoskeleton is not going to magically transform people into killing machines," says Kazerooni, known to his students as Professor Kaz. "They're really good, it turns out, at enabling firefighters, soldiers, post-disaster rescue crews to carry heavy loads over great distances for hours." So, no cyborg cops. But at least you get Terminator togs. Video of the BLEEX in action, which can be viewed at , shows a steel-spiked symbiosis of man and machine, marching about to the techno-industrial drone of grinding motors. The next step for the BLEEX team is making the power source quieter and stronger and miniaturizing components.http://www.me.berkeley.edu/hel/bleex.htm BLEEX is funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the Pentagon research and development arm, and was among the projects being showcased at a DARPA tech symposium this week in Anaheim. The project is one of scores in the field of robotics, which ranges from industrial machines that assemble cars to orthotics, surgical devices that activate or supplement weakened limbs or functions. Excitement about robotics was fanned by this week's DARPA-sponsored Mojave Desert race for fully autonomous vehicles, and the field is making strides worldwide. In Japan, a leader in robot research, Sony Corp. (SNE) has developed a child-shaped walking robot, known as Qrio, and Honda Motor Co. has also developed a walking, talking humanoid robot. This spring, some Japanese companies plan to start marketing a "robot suit," a motorized, battery-operated device intended to help old and infirm people move around. The current favorite in the DARPA race came out of Carnegie Mellon University, where professor Matthew Mason is working on intelligent robots including the Mobipulator, which uses its wheels to move things as well as for locomotion. "There's just too much to do," says Mason. "Every time that there is an advance in computing, there are just so many more things that it becomes possible to do. Robotics is really about interfacing computers to the physical world so that their sensors give them a better concept of what's going on around them - they can make interesting things happen instead of just sitting there in their little beige boxes." Kazerooni isn't offering test drives of the exoskeleton. But if he were, Mason would be interested. "It looks really exciting," says Mason. "I'd like to try it on myself." |
| Subject: Police Secretly Watching Hip-Hop Celebs | |
Author: Keely [Edit] |
Date Posted: Wednesday, March 10, 04:48:31pm  MIAMI (AP) - Police say they are secretly monitoring hip-hop stars P. Diddy, DMX and others in South Florida to protect them, but celebrities and critics see the surveillance as unnecessary and racist. Officers in Miami and Miami Beach have photographed rappers and their entourages at Miami International Airport and staked out hotels, video shoots and nightclubs while consulting 6-inch-thick dossiers of rappers and associates with arrest records in New York state, The Miami Herald reported. "We have to keep an eye on these rivalries," said Assistant Miami Beach Police Chief Charles Press. "The last thing we need in this city is violence." Some experts believe the sweeping surveillance of a genre of musicians is unprecedented. "There's been no shortage of rock stars and other musicians" scrutinized by police, said Anthony DeCurtis, contributing editor at Rolling Stone magazine. "But there has never been anything like this." Miami Beach and Miami police did not immediately respond to calls Wednesday for additional comment. Police began gathering intelligence on rap artists after the Memorial Day 2001 weekend, when 250,000 hip-hop fans flocked to South Beach for four days of parties hosted by their favorite rappers. More than 210 people were arrested, double usual number, most for disorderly conduct and intoxication. Although no major rap artists were arrested, police decided to learn the nuances of hip-hop culture, Press said. "Nobody on the beach had a handle on who the players were," Press said. "We didn't know anything. We didn't know who were the big record labels, who were the kingpins. We didn't know why there were rivalries with Ja Rule and Eminem." Officers were sent to New York for a three-day training session in May, along with police from Los Angeles, Atlanta and other cities. That's where they received the dossiers, said Miami police Sgt. Rafael Tapanes. "This kind of conduct shows insensitivity to constitutional limitations," said Nova Southeastern University law professor and constitutional law expert Bruce Rogow. He represented 2 Live Crew when the rap group was prosecuted for obscenity in the early '90s. "It also implicates racial stereotyping." Only one of 97 officers in supervisory positions at the Miami Beach police department is black. Miami has 226 ranking officers and 26 are black. "The cities should take taxpayer dollars and put them toward something else," said Luther Campbell, the former 2 Live Crew rapper. |
| Subject: The Problem Within Islam | |
Author: Foster Mom [Edit] |
Date Posted: Tuesday, March 02, 07:39:12am The Problem Within Islam March 1, 2004  The possibility that another Shiite state may emerge next to Shiite fundamentalist Iran has exposed some raw nerves in the region, awakening ancient religious prejudices and creating modern political fears. (Weekly Standard) This column from The Weekly Standard was written by Soner Cagaptay. American efforts towards a democratic Iraq seem to have created some strange bedfellows in the Middle East. The Sunnis of the region -- from Baathist loyalists in Iraq and hardcore Wahhabi zealots in Saudi Arabia to secular-minded elites in Amman, Cairo, and elsewhere -- are now united around a common anxiety: Since the Shiite Muslims constitute more than 60 percent of Iraq's population, a democratic Iraq will likely be a Shiite-dominated Iraq. This is anathema for most Sunnis in the region, many of whom regard Shiite Islam as a perversion. (The feeling being mutual, the Shiites don't think very highly of the Sunnis either.) Thus, the possibility that another Shiite state may emerge next to Shiite fundamentalist Iran has exposed some raw nerves in the region, awakening ancient religious prejudices and creating modern political fears. Those anxieties, together with festering anti-Americanism, explain the reluctance of the region's Sunni regimes to extend America a sincere hand in transforming Iraq. To be sure, sectarian divisions are not unique to Islam. Other world religions have their own share of internal prejudices: witness the persecution of the French Huguenots, the Thirty Years War, or the flight of the Puritans from England. Yet, while Christianity has mostly moved beyond intra-religious hatred in the modern times, Islam has not quite done so. There is no Muslim equivalent of the Second Vatican Council, the World Council of Churches or the tradition of intra-religious dialogue that so characterizes the Christian faith today. Islam remains rooted in its history of deep mistrust between the Shiite and Sunni sects, which, since the 8th century, have been violently feuding over the issue of succession to the Prophet Muhammad. The past 1,300 years of Islamic history have been almost uniformly marked by episodes of strife between these two sects, and political domination by one group has almost always meant persecution of the other. For example, when the Shiite Safavids came to power in Iran in the 16th century, they brutalized the country's Sunnis. The mullahs who took charge in Iran with the 1979 Islamic revolution gladly continue this tradition today. In Saudi Arabia, the opposite is true: The Sunni fundamentalist Wahhabis have turned the country into a prison camp for its Shiite minority since they ascended to power in the 19th century. In Saddam Hussein's Iraq, the secularist Baath Party, ruled by the Sunni minority, oppressed the country's Shiite majority for three decades. The legacy of this history of persecution is that Sunni and Shiite Muslims in the Middle East view each other with distrust. In most cases, mutual hatred is almost as deeply rooted as any aversion they may have towards non-Muslims. What does this mean for Operation Iraqi Freedom? With the exception of Iran and Syria (which is ruled by an Alawite minority -- an offshoot of Islam distinct from both Sunni and Shiite orthodoxies, if somewhat closer to Shiism) all Muslim states in the Middle East are run by Sunnis, who view a Shiite-ruled Iraq as a potential threat. (The only exception to such authoritarian regimes, Turkey -- which is democratic -- is also a Sunni majority country.) The Sunni states of the Middle East are unwilling to whole-heartedly support Operation Iraqi Freedom because of what it may produce in the end. This predicament can also be helpful, however, by showing a way out of sectarian hatred within Islam. It is time now for Muslims -- clerics and secular pundits alike -- to begin a frank debate towards healing sectarian divides through ecumenical dialogue. Such a process should interest not only the Muslim world, but also the West. There has been much talk since the September 11 attacks about the need for a constructive dialogue between Islam and the West. Before Muslims can extend the courtesy of respect to non-Muslims, however, they will first have to treat each other with compassion. In other words, the path to inter-regional equilibrium between Islam and other faiths is through intra-religious peace within Islam. It is time for Muslims to address the decades-old problem of hatred within Islam, for their sake and for the world's. Soner Cagaptay is the head of the Turkish Research Program at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. |
| Subject: U.S. denies Iranian report of bin Laden's capture | |
Author: Keely [Edit] |
Date Posted: Saturday, February 28, 06:30:06pm  By KATHERINE PFLEGER SHRADER, AP WASHINGTON (Feb. 28) - The United States is rounding up and questioning the relatives of fugitive al-Qaida leaders to generate information on the possible whereabouts of Osama bin Laden and his top deputies. This tactic helped lead to Saddam Hussein's capture. On Saturday, Pentagon and Pakistani officials denied an Iranian state radio report that bin Laden had been captured "a long time ago" in Pakistan's border region with Afghanistan. But some U.S. officials do say they have been able to extract useful information from Afghan and Pakistani relatives and friends of al-Qaida fugitives, providing hints on the possible whereabouts of the organization's leaders. So far, the information the U.S. has received is unconfirmed and does not mean the terrorist leader's location has been pinned down or his capture is imminent. U.S. officials caution that rumors of significant progress are overstated. With the weather improving in Afghanistan, the U.S. military has sent troops and technology to the country to aid the search and to give forces on the ground more opportunity to track down bin Laden. He is the United States' most wanted terrorist for his leadership in planning the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Rounding up relatives for questioning helped bring about the Dec. 13 capture of Saddam, the former Iraqi leader. U.S. officials hope the tactic could lead to information on the whereabouts of bin Laden and his top deputies, especially when combined with information from spy satellites, communication intercepts and prisoner interrogations. U.S. military officials have said they are planning a spring offensive in Afghanistan in the hopes of capturing bin Laden, former Taliban leader Mullah Omar and their associates. Meanwhile, American commanders in Afghanistan have expressed new optimism about finding bin Laden. Late last month, U.S. military spokesman Lt. Col. Bryan Hilferty said the military believes it could seize bin Laden this year, perhaps within months. Other U.S. officials try to temper such optimism. In a sign of an increased focus on the Afghan-Pakistani border, Pakistani rapid reaction forces have been deployed to selected areas in the region, a mountainous landscape that runs 2,000 miles from the Himalayas in Pakistan's northern territories to the desert of southwestern Baluchistan. Pakistani officials told The Associated Press on Friday that satellite telephone intercepts from last year indicated al-Qaida members were hiding near the border. Two intelligence officials said participants discussed a man called "Shaikh" - a code name for bin Laden. "Some people who were speaking in Arabic have been heard saying Shaikh is in good health," one of the intelligence officials said. A U.S. defense official, also speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that Pakistani forces have killed or captured more al-Qaida members than any other U.S. ally. "We continue to aggressively pursue the remnants of al-Qaida and the Taliban," the official said. 02-28-04 1351EST |
| Subject: Just for grins... | |
Author: Keely [Edit] |
Date Posted: Saturday, February 28, 07:27:07am  The Capture of Jesus choreographed in Kurosawa-esque movements. The ancient Hebrew, Aramaic, and Latin linguistics. A must for every Christian and Jew; every rebel, independent, iconoclast who has felt the blunt steel of rejection, isolation, humiliation, or castigation. As for portraying Jews in a negative light - a resounding NO! That is, for rational educated people. There is always the fear that bigots will use this film as they might use any pretext to advance their hateful agenda. The wild card question is: How will radical Muslims use this film? Will they seek to turn Christians against Jews? During the trial of Jesus, two ancient Hebrew Judges who loudly claim the hearing biased are boldly thrown from the court. The biased judges do not want to hear the opinion that Jesus is innocent of the charges against him. Good Jews. Fair Jews. Bad Jews. Biased Jews. Good Romans. Bad Romans. Like today, in historical context. A passion play about faith and fear, the blessed and the cursed. The loyal and traitorous. For everyone who has craved a portrait of living biblical history, there has never been a more accurate portrayal. The Judas-tree scene alone is worth the price of admission. Both for its dramatic content as for its moral imperative. For every parent wanting to instill moral values in a child, The Passion can be a good teacher. But we mustn't run from the most pregnant question. Some Jewish organizations have legitimate fears that this remarkable work of art might instigate hatred against the Jewish people. We cannot predict what demented bigots might do nor should we permit them to dictate the terms of our civilization and its artistic creations. How is it that the most vile films imaginable are being made with little or no protest from the very same organizations attacking Gibson's artistic creation. Murder, Rape, Drug Usage - all standard fare in a theater near you. No protest about these vile works from these organizations who object to what appears to be 100% biblically correct. Following the screening of his controversial film, Mr. Gibson asked me what I thought of it. I said, "Of course there are going to be those who are going to look to blame the Jewish people, but it is the Romans who flay Jesus nearly to death and who actually crucify him." I added, "Mel, what are people going to do, stop eating pasta!" There was then much laughter all around the boardroom. But I repeat, are people to stop eating Italian food because of Pontius Pilate and the Roman sadists? It would be foolish to think so. |
| Subject: $2 Million Dollar Shoes | |
Author: Phoenix [Edit] |
Date Posted: Friday, February 27, 03:58:20pm  NEW YORK - Stuart Weitzman is Alison Krauss' fairy godfather. The bluegrass singer will wear Weitzman's $2 million "Cinderella" slippers when she performs two Oscar-nominated songs from "Cold Mountain" during Sunday's Academy Awards ceremony. "Alison is the only star that can truly wear the Cinderella slipper to the Oscars, she is already country music royalty," Weitzman said in a statement. The 4 1/2-inch stiletto sandals are adorned with 565 Kwiat diamonds. This is the third year Weitzman has created such opulent shoes for the Oscars. In 2002, when actress Laura Elena Harring wore $1 million sandals _ note the inflation in just two years _ Weitzman said, "A great picture at a great event can make a great career or break a career. This is serious business. It is not frivolous." Krauss, 32, won three Grammy Awards earlier this month, including best bluegrass album for "Live" with Union Station. |
| Subject: Gibson laments judgement of 'Passion' | |
Author: Phoenix [Edit] |
Date Posted: Friday, February 27, 11:19:33am  Feb 27, 8:32 AM (ET) By TIM MOLLOY (AP) Actor-filmmaker Mel Gibson chats with host Jay Leno about his film "The Passion of the Christ,"... LOS ANGELES (AP) - Mel Gibson said Thursday that his film "The Passion of the Christ" was unfairly prejudged for a year before its release - but he forgives his critics. Gibson told Jay Leno on NBC's "The Tonight Show" that he would try to adopt a loving attitude "even for those who persecute you." "For a year, it's been nothing but nasty editorials and name-calling," he said. The movie, which grossed $23.6 million on its opening day Wednesday, is based on Gospel accounts of the last hours of the life of Jesus. Some have praised Gibson's commitment to his subject while others have called the movie excessively bloody, obsessed with cruelty and unfair in its portrayal of Jews. Gibson acknowledged the movie is violent and said it was R-rated for a reason. "The Bible is R-rated. I mean, look at that book. ... That's a hot book," he joked. But he noted that many other films were violent, mentioning "Kill Bill: Vol 1," the Quentin Tarantino martial arts bloodbath. "Why am I being picked on for this? There's far more violent movies," he said. Gibson alleged that a copy of the script was obtained "nefariously" before the film was completed, leading to "all these accusations of anti-Semitism," which he denied. "That's not what the film's about," he said. "It's about tolerance." Gibson said he never considered changing the script because of protests. "I don't know any director, any artist who would bow to this kind of pressure. It's un-American," he said. In his opening monologue, Leno joked that the movie, which cost Gibson $30 million to make, was doing so well that "there's now talk of turning it into a book." |
| Subject: Fraud charge thrown out | |
Author: Phoenix [Edit] |
Date Posted: Friday, February 27, 08:52:29am  Feb 27, 11:34 AM (ET) By ERIN McCLAM (AP) NEW YORK (AP) - A federal judge on Friday threw out the most serious charge against Martha Stewart, securities fraud, just before her trial goes to a jury. The charge accused Stewart of deceiving investors in her company, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, by lying about her sale of ImClone Systems stock. "Here, the evidence and inferences the government presents are simply too weak to support a finding beyond a reasonable doubt of criminal intent," the judge wrote. U.S. District Judge Miriam Goldman Cedarbaum left intact four other charges against the celebrity homemaker - conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and two counts of lying to investigators. The securities fraud count carried a maximum prison term of 10 years. Each of the remaining four counts against Stewart carries a maximum prison sentence of five years. The judge declined to throw out any of the five charges against Stewart's former stockbroker, Peter Bacanovic. Cedarbaum issued her decision in a 23-page ruling just as lawyers began meeting with her to hammer out instructions she will give the jury when it begins deliberations next week. Closing arguments in the trial are scheduled to begin Monday, with deliberations expected to begin Wednesday. Stewart and Bacanovic are accused of lying to investigators about why Stewart sold 3,928 shares of ImClone stock on Dec. 27, 2001, just before it dropped on a negative government review of the ImClone cancer drug Erbitux. The securities fraud count accused Stewart of trying to prop up the stock price of her company six months later by issuing false public statements about why she sold ImClone stock. Stewart at the time stood to lose $30 million for every dollar the stock dropped. |
| Subject: Bill Richardson for vice-president | |
Author: Sabra [Edit] |
Date Posted: Tuesday, February 24, 08:05:57pm  Insight on the News - Politics Issue: 03/02/04 Analysis: Is Bill Richardson a Good Fit for John Kerry? By John Hendel Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts has a lot of momentum, perhaps enough to carry him to the 2004 Democratic Party nomination, and may be looking at potential vice-presidential candidates. Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico has the résumé -- former Cabinet secretary, former U.N. ambassador, former member of Congress -- and as a Hispanic executive from the Southwest, might be a strong counterbalance to a ticket topped by a senator from New England. "He is, depending on how you look at it, a three-fer, or a four-fer or a five-fer," said University of Virginia professor Larry Sabato. "He's Hispanic, enabling the Democrats to target that key group of 2004. He's a governor from outside of Washington, so he's not responsible for the mess in Washington. He has national security-experience, having been U.N. ambassador. He's from the Southwest, which could be the critical substitute region for the South on the Democratic side. And finally, experience. He's not only a governor, but he has federal executive experience and legislative experience." In short, apparently a very good fit for Kerry. Richardson consistently has said that he doesn't want to be vice president, that he plans to complete his first term as governor and run for re-election in 2006. He also points out that, as chairman of the Democratic National Convention, he cannot play favorites among the candidates for president. But he wouldn't be the first politician to answer a party's call -- should it come -- after voicing a desire not to seek a particular position "I think that most New Mexicans take the governor at his word and think he'll serve out, certainly, the first term," said Gilbert St. Clair, a professor of political science at the University of New Mexico. "Certainly he's the most ambitious governor we've had in recent times, if not ever, both in terms of his own political ambitions" and his programs for New Mexico. Democratic consultant Donna Brazile, who directed the Gore-Lieberman presidential campaign, said she has known Richardson for a long time and "the nominee would be foolish not to give Gov. Richardson as much attention and scrutiny" as other vice-presidential possibilities. She said Richardson had qualities "rarely seen in a governor [such as] extensive foreign-policy experience. He's on a first-name basis with many foreign dignitaries. He'd bring strength to any ticket. This is a guy who is value-added, bringing a lot of assets to the table. Not just as an Hispanic American but as a Democrat with both domestic and international experience." Richardson, 56, served 15 years in the U.S. House of Representatives before being selected to represent the United States in the United Nations in 1997. The following year he was confirmed as the secretary of the Department of Energy. He ran for governor in 2002 and took 55 percent of the vote. "He is eminently qualified, irrespective of his being Hispanic," said Gabriela Lemus, director of policy and legislation for the League of United Latin American Citizens. Richardson is Hispanic -- even though Lemus said many people don't know it -- and Hispanics as voters are a big question mark in the upcoming election. All the candidates are courting the Hispanic vote, often speaking in Spanish, sometimes with embarrassing results. That is something that wouldn't happen to Richardson. Hispanics now are the largest minority in the United States, but it's not a group easy to pigeonhole as far as a voting bloc. Even potential turnout among Hispanics is a great unknown. But the stress the Democratic candidates put on Southwest states for the Feb. 3 primaries and caucuses show their respect for that batch of voters. According to Lemus, "I think the Latino community would feel this is an opportunity. They would feel very confident seeing a person like Gov. Richardson running and that he would be able to speak to the issues of the community." St. Clair said, "Certainly he would have an appeal, but whether that would increase Hispanic turnout is hard to speculate. The Hispanic vote across the country is very diverse. In California or Texas the issues are different than [in New Mexico] or Florida or North Carolina." Sabato is more positive about the effect of Richardson's appearance on a ballot -- but perhaps not because of his birthright as much as his address. "Richardson can carry his state and maybe his region," Sabato said. The Southwest was Bush country in 2000. Although Al Gore won New Mexico, the states of Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Utah, Nevada and Arizona -- a total of 65 electoral votes -- all went to George W. Bush. As far as negatives, Sabato points out that Richardson had two of the toughest political offices behind him -- U.N. ambassador and secretary of the Energy Department. "The Energy Department has controversy that no secretary can avoid -- like the Nevada [Yucca Mountain] situation," he said. "That's a tough department to head if you have political ambitions. And also as a U.N. ambassador. God only knows what [U.N.] resolutions he's voted for." The positives probably outweigh those points, however. "I think he would spotlight the Democratic Party and [show] how deep the bench is," Brazile said. "He'd just be a tremendous asset to the ticket. I'd put him on any short list." John Hendel is the Americas editor for UPI, a sister wire service of Insight magazine. |
| Subject: Peterson case | |
Author: Phoenix [Edit] |
Date Posted: Tuesday, February 24, 12:43:41pm  By KIM CURTIS, Associated Press Writer REDWOOD CITY, Calif. - In the first detailed description of their case, prosecutors charge in court filings that Scott Peterson's affair with a massage therapist drove him to murder his pregnant wife. Defense attorneys said Tuesday the document contained "out-and-out falsehoods." Prosecutors wrote that Peterson's affair and his conflicting statements about it to police and the media were sufficient to show a motive. However, the prosecution documents filed Monday do not provide full details to support the prosecution theory, and even with jury selection scheduled to start next Monday, prosecutors have revealed little about their case, parts of which they described in the filing as "circumstantial." Prosecutors sketched the broad outlines of what they believe led Scott Peterson to kill his pregnant wife, Laci, after Peterson's lawyer asked a judge to disregard statements Peterson made to the media following his wife's disappearance. The document cites Peterson's "romancing" of masseuse Amber Frey in the period before Laci Peterson disappeared on Dec. 24, 2002. The bodies of Laci Peterson and her unborn son later washed up on a San Francisco Bay shore. During a heated exchange in court Tuesday morning, defense attorney Mark Geragos called the filing "scurrilous" and "replete with what I consider to be out-and-out falsehoods" designed to grab headlines. "There's something completely wrong with what they did," he told Judge Alfred A. Delucchi. "It looked like it was right out of the National Enquirer." Prosecutors detailed a series of allegedly conflicting statements Scott Peterson made in television interviews. The document said he tried to cast suspicion away from himself but ended up coming across "quite strongly, as someone who is lying about his involvement in Laci's disappearance." |
| Subject: Passion is bloody empty | |
Author: Phoenix [Edit] |
Date Posted: Tuesday, February 24, 10:27:58am  Most movies based on the New Testament convey something of Jesus’ teachings. The parables and sermons loom large in “The Gospel According to St. Matthew” and “Godspell,” as well as “The Greatest Story Ever Told” and “Jesus of Nazareth.” Roman cruelty may drive the plot of “Ben-Hur,” but the movie is ultimately about the emptiness of revenge and the Christian promise of redemption. Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ,” which is appropriately R-rated for its chamber-of-horrors gore, is unique in the history of Bible movies. It tells us next to nothing about Jesus, aside from the fact that he said a few things about loving one’s neighbors and then died horribly: flogged, jeered at, tormented with a crown of thorns, brutally crucified, with a Roman lance puncturing his side. The movies listed above didn’t miss this detail, but they didn’t present Jesus only as a victim. Nor did any of them provide a Resurrection as perfunctory and pointless as the one Gibson conjures up. Compared to the genuinely inspiring Resurrection sequence in Franco Zeffirelli’s “Jesus of Nazareth,” in which Jesus quietly appears among his disciples, Gibson’s finale seems especially empty. Covering the last 12 hours of Jesus’ earthly existence, Gibson’s movie begins in the garden of Gethsemane, with the disciples sleeping as Jesus prays for guidance and stomps on a snake that tempts him to avoid his destiny. There are other horrors: a screeching creature that resembles a berserk monkey, demonic children who might have wandered in from “The Exorcist,” a bird that plucks out the eyes of crucified men, the gargoyle-like members of King Herod’s court, and a Jewish high priest who seems to have a personal vendetta against Jesus. Gibson’s portrayal of Jesus’ Jewish persecutors has drawn much advance criticism, although he follows the scenario of most New Testament movies: the Jewish religious authorities bring Jesus before Herod and Pontius Pilate, who reluctantly signs off on his execution. (Historians, who describe Pilate as a mass murderer, insist that he needed no help in making this decision.) Gibson’s problem is a matter of degree. Whereas Zeffirelli and others have emphasized that Jesus had allies among the Jewish priests, Gibson repeatedly suggests that, without their insistence, Pilate would never have agreed to the Crucifixion. As Caiaphas, the head priest, Mattia Sbragia gives a rabid performance that makes more of an impression than Jim Caviezel’s Jesus or Monica Bellucci’s Mary Magdalene. (The English subtitles, translated from the Aramaic and Latin spoken by the actors, are sometimes jarringly contemporary.) On the basis of his spiritual performance in “The Thin Red Line” six years ago, Caviezel would seem to be perfectly cast as Jesus. But with one eye swollen shut through most of the movie, and his body covered with scars and bleeding wounds, he’s so caked in horrific makeup that he’s barely visible. During what must be the longest flogging scene in movie history, he is transformed into something that resembles a butcher-shop slab of beef. “The Passion of the Christ” has been carefully photographed by the gifted Caleb Deschanel, who makes Gibson’s relatively low-budget production look much bigger than it is. Still, if you flogged yourself for two hours and six minutes, the result might be about as enlightening as this film. |
| Subject: "Passion" is Brutal | |
Author: Phoenix [Edit] |
Date Posted: Tuesday, February 24, 10:13:41am  Feb 24, 12:31 PM (ET) By CHRISTY LEMIRE The frightened speculation from religious leaders and frantic banter from 24-hour cable news pundits can end now: "The Passion of the Christ" is arriving in theaters - about 2,800 of them - in a shrewd marketing move by Mel Gibson to let everyone see and judge the film for themselves. And the film is frightening - not for its dogma, but for the relentlessness of its brutality. Gibson, as director, producer and co-writer, is fetishistic in his depiction of the pain Jesus suffered during the last 12 hours of his life. The beating and whipping and ripping of skin become so repetitive, they'll leave the audience emotionally drained and stunned. Yes, yes. That's the point, Gibson has said - he wants his film to be shockingly graphic to show the humanity of Christ's sacrifice. But the idea that children should see "The Passion" as a learning device - that churches are organizing screenings and theater trips for their parishioners and catechism classes - is truly shocking. Grown-ups - even true believers - will have difficulty sitting through the film. Just think of the trauma it will inflict on kids. As for the widely reported criticisms that "The Passion" might foster anti-Semitism, let's just say nearly everyone ends up looking responsible for the death of Jesus (a lean and intense Jim Caviezel). Roman soldiers, speaking Latin, strip him down to practically nothing, chain him to a rock and scourge him until he collapses in a bloody heap of shredded flesh; when Pontius Pilate asks the surging crowd, "Isn't this enough?" Jewish elders, speaking Aramaic, call for Jesus' Crucifixion, which the Romans gleefully carry out. The few sympathetic figures are Jewish: Jesus' mother, Mary (Maia Morgenstern, a Jewish actress whom Gibson frequently consulted on the set); his disciples; and Mary Magdalene (Monica Bellucci). Despite its gruesome content, "The Passion" is beautifully photographed - and it's a huge, meticulously detailed film, as you would expect anything from Gibson to be. Early scenes in the Garden of Olives, where Jesus is being tempted by Satan (the androgynous Rosalinda Celantano), are bathed in mist and moonlight, similar to the opening battle sequence in "Braveheart," which earned Gibson Oscars for best picture and best director. Gibson asked cinematographer Caleb Deschanel to make the film look like a painting by the Baroque artist Caravaggio, and Deschanel has accomplished that. The lighting of the Italian locations is intimate and dramatic, often ominous in its contrast with the consuming darkness. But any of the film's subtle beauty, or the possibility for religious inspiration, will be drowned out by John Debney's score - which is unnecessarily insistent considering the intensity of the action on screen - and washed away amid the bloodshed. "The Passion of the Christ," a Newmarket Films release, is rated R for sequences of graphic violence. In Latin and Aramaic with English subtitles. Running time: 127 minutes. Two stars out of four. --- Motion Picture Association of America rating definitions: G - General audiences. All ages admitted. PG - Parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children. PG-13 - Special parental guidance strongly suggested for children under 13. Some material may be inappropriate for young children. R - Restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian. NC-17 - No one under 17 admitted. |
| Subject: New Al' Qaeda tapes | |
Author: Phoenix [Edit] |
Date Posted: Tuesday, February 24, 08:14:54am  DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (CNN) -- Tapes attributed to Osama bin Laden's top deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, have warned that more terror attacks are coming and criticized France's push to ban Islamic head scarves in schools. |
| Subject: Dr. Atkins | |
Author: Phoenix [Edit] |
Date Posted: Tuesday, February 24, 07:37:35am  (CNN) -- The widow of Dr. Robert Atkins and the chairman of the Atkins Physicians Council criticized a newspaper report Tuesday that said the low-carb diet guru was obese at the time of his death. |
| Subject: Re: Bill Richardson | |
Author: sabra [Edit] |
Date Posted: Sunday, February 22, 07:51:14pm  |
| Subject: Want a Hillary T-Shirt? | |
Author: Foster Mom [Edit] |
Date Posted: Friday, February 20, 05:38:25pm  Marc Jacobs - top international clothing designer and proud New Yorker - has designed a special edition "Hillary Graphic Tee" exclusively for the Senator and her friends! Robert Duffy, President of Marc Jacobs International, LLC explained the motivation for the project this way: "Senator Clinton is smart, compassionate, fair, and knows how to work with everyone in the interest of getting things done. She is the type of person I would like to have leading New York into the future!" International, Robert Duffy, at a Marc Jacobs store in New York A Marc Jacobs designer tee shirt normally sells for hundreds of dollars but you can get yours here at Friends of Hillary for only a $55 contribution. The tee shirts come in a variety of fashionable colors and are made of 100% cotton. And, each shirt comes with a specially-produced Marc Jacobs "I Hillary" tag sewn inside. |
| Subject: When Ike Met the Aliens | |
Author: Gina [Edit] |
Date Posted: Friday, February 20, 10:24:59am  The whole tooth about the president's extraterrestrial encounter By Peter Carlson Updated: 3:26 a.m. ET Feb. 19, 2004 Fifty years ago tomorrow -- on Feb. 20, 1954 -- President Dwight Eisenhower interrupted his vacation in Palm Springs, Calif., to make a secret nocturnal trip to a nearby Air Force base to meet two extraterrestrial aliens. Or maybe not. Maybe Ike just went to the dentist. There's some dispute about this. The Ike-met-with-ETs theory is advanced by Michael Salla, a former American University professor who now runs the Peace Ambassador Program at AU's Center for Global Peace. The Ike-went-to-the-dentist theory is advanced by the folks at the Dwight D. Eisenhower Library in Abilene, Kan. And by James M. Mixson, a dentist, professor of dentistry and historian of presidential dental work. Just to make things more intriguing: On the night in question, the Associated Press reported this: "Pres. Eisenhower died tonight of a heart attack in Palm Springs." Two minutes later, the AP retracted that bulletin and reported that Ike was still alive. Nuclear offer Indeed, Ike was alive. And he continued living until 1969. But in the decades since his death, his activities on the night of Feb. 20, 1954, have become fodder for strange theories about alien beings. Some facts are beyond dispute: Eisenhower was on a golf vacation in Palm Springs on Feb. 20, 1954. After dinner that night, he made an unscheduled departure from the Smoking Tree Ranch, where he was staying. The next morning, he attended a church service in Los Angeles. Also that morning, his spokesman announced to the press that Ike had visited a dentist the previous night because he'd chipped a tooth while eating a chicken wing at dinner. Salla, who has a PhD in government from the University of Queensland in his native Australia, doesn't believe it. He figures the dentist trip is just a cover story. He believes Ike went to Edwards Air Force Base, where he met with two ETs with white hair, pale blue eyes and colorless lips. These aliens -- nicknamed "Nordics" in UFO circles because they resemble Scandinavian humans -- traveled to Edwards from another solar system in a flying saucer and, Salla says, they spoke to Eisenhower. "There was telepathic communication," says Salla, 45, as he sits in his suburban Falls Church living room. "It's as though you're hearing a person but they're not speaking." The "Nordics" offered to share their superior technology and their spiritual wisdom with Ike if he would agree to eliminate America's nuclear weapons. "They were afraid we might blow up some of our nuclear technology," Salla says, "and apparently that does something to time and space and it impacts on extraterrestrial races on other planets." Ike declined the ETs' offer, Salla says, because he did not want to give up the nukes. Abduction deal Sometime later in 1954, Ike reached a deal with another race of extraterrestrials, known as the "Greys" -- allowing them to capture earthling cattle and humans for medical experiments, provided that they returned the humans safely home. Since then, Salla says, the "Greys" have kidnapped "millions" of humans. Salla, author of "The Hero's Journey Toward a Second American Century," published his ET theories in his new book, "Exopolitics: Political Implications of the Extraterrestrial Presence" and in an article on his "Exopolitics" Web site (www.exopolitics.org). For much of the '90s, Salla studied conflict resolution and tried unsuccessfully to apply that knowledge to prevent war in East Timor and the Balkans, he says. Frustrated, he began looking for an extraterrestrial connection to human misery and, he says, he found evidence of ET visitations -- including the Ike encounter -- on the Internet. "There's a lot of stuff on the Internet," he says, "and I just went around and pieced it together." Meanwhile, he taught at the School of International Service at American University. In 2003 he founded the university's Peace Ambassador Program, described on the AU Web site as a "summer program that combines study, meditative practices, and prayer ceremonies at selected Washington DC sites aimed at promoting individual self-empowerment and Divine Governance in Washington DC." Salla stresses that his ET research is not connected with his work at AU's Center for Global Peace. The folks at the Center for Global Peace are also quite eager to stress that fact. "The research that Michael Salla is doing is not research that he is conducting on behalf of the center or in collaboration with the center," says Betty Sitka, associate director of the Center for Global Peace. "This is his own personal research." Alien specialist Meanwhile, the question remains: Did Ike really meet with ETs 50 years ago? "Not to our knowledge," says Jim Leyerzapf, an archivist at the Eisenhower Library. "There's nothing in the archives that indicates that." Then Leyerzapf bursts out laughing. He has heard this theory before. "We've had so many requests on that subject that we have a person who specializes in this." That person is archivist Herb Pankratz. "He specialized in transportation," Leyerzapf says, "and we decided to add UFOs to that. He does trains, planes, automobiles -- and flying saucers." The library fielded dozens of questions about the alleged Ike-ET meeting in the late '80s and early '90s, when several UFO books advanced the theory, Pankratz says. "It's interesting how these stories have changed," Pankratz noted in an e-mail. "Initially, the accounts claimed the President made a secret trip to Edwards Air Force Base to view the remains of aliens who had crashed at Roswell, N.M., in 1947. Later stories then claimed he had actually visited with live aliens." Crowning proof Pankratz doesn't buy either theory. He believes the dentist story, and he cites James Mixson, the dental historian and professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry. Mixson's article "A History of Dwight D. Eisenhower's Oral Health" -- published in the November 1995 issue of the Bulletin of the History of Dentistry -- is the definitive work on Ike's teeth. Citing the U.S. surgeon general's records on Ike's medical and dental history, opened to researchers in 1991, Mixson reported that on the fateful night of Feb. 20, 1954, Ike chipped the porcelain cap of his "upper left central incisor" and it was repaired by Dr. Francis A. Purcell. Alas, Purcell is unavailable for comment. He died in 1974, according to Pankratz. "The lack of a dental record from Purcell's office," Mixson wrote, "has helped fuel belief in this UFO encounter." But, Mixson quickly added, "the President had well-documented difficulties with this crown." Indeed, the crown, which was installed in July 1952, was chipped and repaired in December 1952, the February in question, and again in July 1954, when the president's dentist, Col. James M. Fairchild, replaced it with a "thin cast gold/platinum thimble crown." That may be more than you wanted to know about Ike's dental work. If not, Mixson goes on at some length, quoting a long, lyrical passage written by Fairchild on this troublesome presidential incisor. Meanwhile, there's another perplexing question: Why did the AP report that Ike died that night? "Somebody was fooling around and it went out," Pankratz says. "It wasn't supposed to go out but it did." Ike never made any public statement about meeting ETs, Pankratz says. But did he perhaps spill the beans to his family? Ike's son, John S.D. Eisenhower, is a retired Army brigadier general and author of several books on history, including "General Ike: A Personal Reminiscence." Asked via e-mail if his father had ever mentioned meeting with aliens, Eisenhower responded with a short but emphatic reply: "No." He declined to comment further. © 2004 The Washington Post Company |
| Subject: Shut Up Dad... | |
Author: Foster Mom [Edit] |
Date Posted: Thursday, February 19, 02:24:48pm  February 19, 2004 Hutton Gibson's comments, made in a telephone interview with New York radio talk show host Steve Feuerstein, come at an awkward time for the actor-director who has been trying to deflect criticism from Jewish groups that his film might inflame anti-Semitic sentiment. In his interview on WSNR radio's Speak Your Piece, to be broadcast on Monday, Hutton Gibson, argued that many European Jews counted as death camp victims of the Nazi regime had in fact fled to countries like Australia and the United States. "It's all -- maybe not all fiction -- but most of it is," he said, adding that the gas chambers and crematoria at camps like Auschwitz would not have been capable of exterminating so many people. "Do you know what it takes to get rid of a dead body? To cremate it?" he said. "It takes a litre of petrol and 20 minutes. Now, six million of them? They (the Germans) did not have the gas to do it. That's why they lost the war." Gibson's father caused a furore last year when he made similar remarks in a New York Times article. In a television interview with Diane Sawyer this week, Mel Gibson accused the Times of taking advantage of his father, and he warned Sawyer against broaching the subject again. "He's my father. Gotta leave it alone Diane. Gotta leave it alone," Gibson said, while offering his own perspective on the Holocaust. "Do I believe that there were concentration camps where defenceless and innocent Jews died cruelly under the Nazi regime? Of course I do; absolutely," he said. "It was an atrocity of monumental proportion." During his lengthy radio interview, Hutton Gibson, 85, said Jews were out to create "one world religion and one world government" and outlined a conspiracy theory involving Jewish bankers, the US Federal Reserve and the Vatican, among others. The Passion, which gets its US release on February 25, purports to be a faithful and graphic account of Christ's last 12 hours on earth. Jewish leaders who have attended advance screenings have voiced concerns that its portrayal of the Jews' role in Christ's execution could stir up anti-Semitic feeling. |
| Subject: Hussein Home Movies | |
Author: Keely [Edit] |
Date Posted: Thursday, February 19, 10:04:31am  Now that Saddam's two sons, Uday and Qusay, are dead, more Iraqis are coming forward to speak about the decades of terror under the Hussein family’s regime. (Photo: CBS)  "I’m still seeing Uday in my dreams. And I see, in fact, nightmares. I’m still afraid of him. But but I am quite sure he is dead. Nevertheless, he come to me in my dreams."Abbas al Janabi Hussein Home Movies |
| Subject: Mel Gibson The Passion of Christ | |
Author: Gina [Edit] |
Date Posted: Tuesday, February 17, 11:54:57am  I plan to take a box of Kleenex with me. =0) |
| Subject: Mel Gibson The Passion of Christ | |
Author: Foster Mom [Edit] |
Date Posted: Monday, February 16, 05:49:58pm  Pain and Passion Blaming the Messenger? Gibson insisted on Primetime he is no anti-Semite, and that anti-Semitism is "un-Christian" and a sin that "goes against the tenets of my faith." When asked who killed Jesus, Gibson said, "The big answer is, we all did. I'll be the first in the culpability stakes here." Gibson told Sawyer he simply tried his best to interpret the Gospels in The Passion of the Christ. "Critics who have a problem with me don't really have a problem with me in this film," Gibson said. "They have a problem with the four Gospels. That's where their problem is." |
| Subject: Westerfield | |
Author: Gina [Edit] |
Date Posted: Sunday, February 15, 06:02:35pm  I think it's pretty strange that the parents and their swinger, druggie friends were cleared in less than 48 hours. Nobody seemed to find it questionable that the timeline Damon van Dam gave and his open door story was totally bizarre and made no sense at all. |
| Subject: David Westerfield | |
Author: Gina [Edit] |
Date Posted: Sunday, February 15, 05:41:04pm  Is David Westerfield really guilty, or was there a true "rush to judgement?" After almost 2 years of reading, watching the trial, studying testimony and reading unsealed documents, I think Westerfield was railroaded. |
Subject:  Get Well Soon... | |
Author: Phoenix [Edit] |
Date Posted: Monday, August 11, 01:44:50pm  |
| Subject: For DM | |
Author: Phoenix [Edit] |
Date Posted: Thursday, March 27, 07:19:33pm  Here's one for you, DM. |
| Subject: Thanks DM... | |
Author: Phoenix [Edit] |
Date Posted: Thursday, March 27, 02:02:34pm  Meeeeeoow |
| Subject: Testing for you | |
Author: DehesaMom [Edit] |
Date Posted: Thursday, March 27, 11:48:45am ok - just checking to see if this works! |
| Subject: Go 509th Airborne!!! | |
Author: Gina [Edit] |
Date Posted: Wednesday, March 26, 05:01:34pm   |
| Subject: Buy American | |
Author: Keely [Edit] |
Date Posted: Wednesday, March 26, 03:24:13pm How to Buy American  |
| Subject: Yoda... | |
Author: Gina [Edit] |
Date Posted: Monday, March 24, 08:04:04pm  |
| Subject: God Bless our Troops | |
Author: Bob [Edit] |
Date Posted: Sunday, March 23, 06:24:14pm  |
| Subject: Answer to test | |
Author: Brooks [Edit] |
Date Posted: Monday, January 13, 05:10:27pm Well, I'm pretty sure that we will go to war this year...not a happy thought. If we do, I hope the problem will be solved for good (fat chance). |
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| Subject: New unsealed documents | |
Author: Keely [Edit] |
Date Posted: Tuesday, January 14, 08:15:45pm http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/danielle/transcripts_sealed.html Here is the link to new unsealed document on UT. |
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| Subject: Marines ready to Deply | |
Author: Gina [Edit] |
Date Posted: Tuesday, January 14, 12:33:55pm  Local Marines ready a mass deployment CAMP PENDLETON – Thousands of Marines are about to be deployed for possible action against Iraq in what will be the largest exodus of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force since the 1991 Persian Gulf War. Exact numbers weren't disclosed and Marine officials wouldn't say yesterday when the troops will leave. The 45,000-person force is stationed at Pendleton, Miramar Marine Corps Air Station and the Marine Corps Air Station Yuma in Arizona. |
| Subject: testing | |
Author: Keely [Edit] |
Date Posted: Monday, January 13, 10:31:33pm  <:/a>Have you checked out the latest released files from DW? |
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Subject:  Still Playing... | |
Author: Gina [Edit] |
Date Posted: Monday, January 13, 05:42:10pm Check this out... B-)  |
| Subject: Just Playing | |
Author: Gina [Edit] |
Date Posted: Monday, January 13, 05:26:11pm More testing here....  -- gina, 18:37:53 01/13/03 Mon |
| Subject: Testing | |
Author: Gina [Edit] |
Date Posted: Monday, January 13, 04:26:39pm Just checking things out...  Although U.N. weapons inspections in Iraq could take a year, the White House says President Bush has "no timetable" for how long U.S. troops will stay in the region awaiting orders to act. Pentagon sources say 200,000 to 250,000 troops could be in place by mid-February. |
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