4:16 PM
ari sari
Did Marc Zabludoff's current 2007 title, Monkeys, take him back nostalgically to Kim Swent's monkey room in Downingtown...
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Winding Down Pink Projects for This Year
Today marks the end of the neverending spin and ultimate marketing/advertising campaign focused on breast cancer for another year. I don't believe women, once again, learned much more than what is spewed all over the media during October. I'm not sure where all of this fundraisng has moved things ahead. Over the past 40 years or so, as we surely don't have a 'cure', the race is still on and the money keeps rolling in. Jean Enerson's ad for KING 5 doesn't help either.Well ladies (men too), part of the problem is that the hype makes you want to believe you actually did something to help cure breast cancer. In fact you really may have made it worse.The REAL cure rate from the current strategy is about 1-2 per cent. Not very good odds.One of the highest causative factors - proven by science...
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Tuesday Megalinks: BoSox Edition
First, a hearty “gracias” to Boston right fielder Jacoby Ellsbury for stealing a base during the World Series. Thanks to his speed and the Rockies’ total ineffectiveness, we all get free tacos from The Bell today.Second, does Jonathan Papelbon remind anyone else of a lipless John Rocker? I can’t bring myself to root for this guy.Third, everyone should have a David Ortiz in their lives. Big Papi is a joy to watch.Fourth, everyone should also have a Manny Ramirez in their lives. Mostly for the nonsensical conversations and sheer unpredictability, but also ... well, as ESPN's Bill Simmons says, "I've watched Manny play left field at Fenway for the...
Posted in: LinksMonday, October 29, 2007
Paging Ming Tsai: Light Chinese Chicken and Broccoli
Until recently, most of my efforts to make Chinese food at home have been met with repulsion, lingering depression, and perhaps some vomit. Fried rice, especially, has been a total disaster. Eggs shouldn’t be that grey. Or grey at all, really. But, convinced of my blossoming mastery over all things kitchen-related, I boldly plunged forward, repeating mistakes and cultivating culinary ignorance on a level unmatched by other mortals. It took a couple hundred soy sauce-based catastrophes to finally dawn on me that I should be CONSULTING A RECIPE. D'oh!As it turns out, Chinese cooking (unlike scratching your nose or wanting to slap Paris Hilton)...
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Merck's Grand Plan for ALL Children
This week the FDA/CDC effort to encourage you to allow your young child, at two years of age, to be subjected to yet another season of flu-shot-mania. This year, however, you are presented with a slick package to help your precious young child from the ravages of a needle; you can opt for FluMist nasal spray instead.I've been listening to all the tv and radio ads as well as the media spin that doesn't - for a slight nanosecond - mention any health risk to this approach.A dozen or so years ago I wrote a column for my regular Health Matters(c) column about children's health. This was an article focused on back-to-school issues and one thing I clearly indicated: It is those children who are not vaccinated that are the healthy ones.About four years ago a small community school near where I was...
Friday, October 26, 2007
Freedom of Choice Means Inclusion Not Exclusion
I have actively been involved in freedom of choice in health care for many decades. A great amount of my work is education to help people understand the right they have in the health care maelstrom and how to navigate troubled waters for their best interest.Often there are meddlers, such as state bureaucracies and insurers, employers and legislators, well meaning "others" who may have a hidden agenda or other objectives to obstruct or ultimately prevent inclusion.By inclusion I refer to those modalities that are considered health promoting but are not accepted as such by those who wish to retain control over the status quo or want you to beleive that licensing serves to protect the public's best interest.Simply put licensing is a restrictive and limiting paradigm that serves only the bureaucracy...
More Drugs A Risk for Stevens-Johnson Syndrome
Another drug faced with a black box warning for a syndrome that may be fatal. Adequate amounts of vitamin E increases the flow of oxygen across the alveolar membrane which may help people with sleep disorders. A vitamin E sterile spray with lavender essential oil and colloidal silver may aid in healing the skin.Maybe this drug should be evaluated as to whether or not it needs to remain on the market. Death is a very high price to pay for a pill."First described in 1922, Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) is an immune-complex–mediated hypersensitivity complex that is a severe expression of erythema multiforme. It is known by some as erythema multiforme major, but disagreement exists in the literature. Most authors and experts consider SJS and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) different manifestations...
Doctors Checking Out Early
On the WA ballotis a measure to allow customers, except for health care, to sue their insurance companies. The ads are against this and the insurance industry is letting you - once again - believe that all the wrongdoing is the fault of trial lawyers.While I am not a big fan of lawyers I have to say - especially where health care is concerned - that the major players in the insurance industry have much more to do with increased costs, higher rates and lower coverage than a group of trial lawyers will ever fabricate.Tort reform was a gift from the Congress to the heavy betters (sharks)on the side of the industry, freely plying their trade. Maybe you know that as "payola" if you are at least a Baby Boomer, or a better description known as buying votes.As a former insurance industry lawyer I...
Classy, Squared: Pasta with Asparagus and Mushrooms
(First, a very happy 30th birthday to Rachel, the Cheap Healthy Gourmet. Judy Longhair, you are truly flopacetic.)When I started on Weight Watchers, the hardest obstacle to overcome was the strict limitation on all things white and starchy. See, while carbs are filling, delicious, and generally good for society, they’re also super-high in calories. Not good for smaller butts and such. Thusly, my Giant Bowl of Spaghetti Days were officially put on notice. Bummer.But … but … I love rotini. I adore penne. Given the chance (and a large dowry), I would elope with a piece of linguini. Subsequently, my first dietary mission was to discover a pasta dish...
Thursday, October 25, 2007
CHG Favorites of the Week
Blog of the WeekCasual KitchenPHENOMENAL blog that I’ve never even laid eyes on before this week. That makes me a huge, oblivious dummy, because dude’s been putting out quality cook-at-home posts for close to a year. I’ll be consulting How to Modify a Recipe everyday for the rest of my life, and How to Tell if a Recipe is Worth Cooking With Five Easy Questions is nothing short of genius. Go. Go now. (Um … but then come back.)Magazine of the WeekCook’s CountryFrom the mad geniuses behind Cook’s Illustrated and America’s Test Kitchen comes Cook’s Country, a down-home culinary mag dedicated to the classics. Rachel and I (er, okay, just Rach) received...
Posted in: LinksWednesday, October 24, 2007
More Magnesium Means Better Health
Magnesium is nature's ACE inhibitor. Lately it seems that knowledgeable ER docs are reviving very effective magnesium therapies in the acute care of heart related health problems."Foods high in magnesium include nuts, seeds, spinach, yogurt, wheat germ, and whole grains".Should you choose to use supplements make sure you purchase high quality products.(OMNS October 23, 2007) Over two-thirds of all Americans do not consume the recommended daily intake of magnesium. Even more alarming are data from a study showing that 19% of Americans do not consume even one-half of the government's recommended daily intake of magnesium. (1) It is therefore not surprising that disability and death from heart attack and stroke are the nation's leading killers.The National Institutes of Health says, "Magnesium...
Heart Healthy Study for Women
If you read as many medical and nutrition research articles as I do you recognize that most heart research focuses on men's health; it's certainly been this way for decades. From nutrition research from the prestigious Karolinska Institute some sound data comes to help you protect your health and your heart.Study underscores link between lifestyle and heart diseaseBy Clarisse Douaud 10/24/2007- A new study out of Sweden has brought about some results that are hardly surprising, yet underscore that health is very much linked to a personal lifestyle commitment.According to the large scale study - published in the Archives of Internal Medicine and stemming from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden - the daily consumption of vegetables and fruit combined with a diet consisting of wholegrain products,...
Save 95% on Groceries, a.k.a. Why You Should Shop at Ethnic Markets
This past weekend, I paid $0.50 for a baggie of cardamom that was selling for $10.49 the next block over. The big difference between the two stores? The $0.50 folks ran an ethnic market. The $10.49 folks ran an upscale grocery store.Six years ago, I lived in a neighborhood with two major supermarkets, both of which sold produce for above-average prices. Located 15 blocks south was a Korean-owned fruit and vegetable stand. The tomatoes, oranges, and garlic there went for half the cost of the local Key Food.Earlier this year, a few friends needed 70 goodie bags for a promotional party. They cost about $0.34 a piece at the big-box supply store on...
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Vaccine Paves Merck's Road with Gold
But at What Cost?Numerous reports of serious adverse reactions and deaths are being reported following Gardasil injections. Both Merck and the FDA are claiming it is not related to the vaccine. Oh, yes, I recall this as "blame the victim".See related posts on this BLOG, FMI, and decide for yourself.And did they tell you about informed consent before you opted in for this one?Merck’s net income soars 63% By Karl Stark, INQUIRER STAFF WRITERFueled by a doubling in its sales of vaccines, Merck & Co. today reported a 63 percent rise in net income for the third quarter.Merck, whose vaccine operations are headquartered in West Point, Montgomery County, made more money because it cut costs by two percent as revenues rose by 12 percent.Driving sales for the the third largest U.S. drugmaker were...
Tuesday Megalinks
Lots of links lost to last week’s Lollappleooza. The Casual Kitchen one is mah favorite. Dude.Apartment Therapy: How To Plan, Cook for, and Throw a Dessert ReceptionIf you can get beyond the pretty, pretty pictures (ooo … shiny things …), this is solid advice on having a dessert-only wedding reception. (Step 1: Plan your face off.)Casual Kitchen: Mastering Kitchen Setup Costs - The Economics of Cooking, Part 1 I’ll be writing more about CK later in the week, because it’s out-frigging-standing. In the meantime, read up on his theories on how to stock a kitchen. Thanks to Trent at Simple Dollar for the link.Consumerist: Hardee's Unleashes 920-Calorie...
Posted in: LinksMonday, October 22, 2007
Lollappleooza Postgame: Chai-Spiced Apple Oatmeal Bread and the Quest for Cardamom
Ladies and gentlemen, please unbuckle your safety harnesses and exit to the right: we have officially, finally come to the end of our apple-y journey. Thank god, too, because I am appled OUT. It took about two weeks, but The Boyfriend and I chomped, spread, and spooned our way through (almost) each and every one of those 69 delicious suckers. Here’s how:24 apples eaten individually 10 apples for All Night Apple Butter10 apples for Cooking Light’s Maple-Walnut Apple Crisp9 apples for Ma’s Chunky Applesauce8 apples for Weight Watchers Apple Strudel (unlisted)4 (very small) apples for Chai-Spiced Apple Oatmeal Bread (listed below)2 apples gone bad...
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Canada Comment and Gardasil
Vaccination program comes with problems(Letters) Saturday, 20 October 2007, 01:00 PST -- Marilyn Juds Prince George The Gardasil program by Merck Pharmaceuticals to vaccinate females between ages nine and 26 has generated much criticism. In the U.S., individual states are disputing whether the drug should be mandatory.However, it appears, in both the U.S. and Canada parents can opt out their child for religious or ethical considerations. This fall Ontario, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Labrador and P.E.I. began HPV vaccinations of young girls. B.C. plans to begin vaccinations of all Grade 6 girls next September.PROBLEMS:When the drug was tested, only 1,200 nine-to-15 year-olds were studied; of them only 100 were nine-year olds.Medical personnel merely used results in adult test scenarios...
One Missing Link or Three?
Medication side effects are the #4 leading cause of death in the U.S. annually (JAMA 1998). Yet, few people receive informed consent about prescription drugs.Informed consent is the hallmark of care, in the allopathic and more traditional natural health care."Informed consent can be effectively exercised only if the patient possesses enough information to enable an intelligent choice (AMA, 1999)."Most doctors seem to take little time educating their patients about the issues involved in care and informed consent. Time is an issue of course because the insurance industry hold a tight reign on the medical industry and how doctors do their work. The pharmaceutical reps seem to be the focal point on drug information, and of course this is why I constantly hear that most people know so little...
Friday, October 19, 2007
Lollappleooza Day 5: Cooking Light's Maple Walnut Apple Crisp
Last week, my brother’s girlfriend J suggested that CHG might wanna feature a dessert at some point. As we have matching rainbow dolphin t-shirts and I sometimes take pity on her for being a Bills fan, I nodded gleefully and started planning the mightiest of Lollappleooza-appropriate desserts: apple crisp.But first - man, I gotta tell you – there are NOT a whole lot of straight-up, low-fat apple crisps out there. They all include something fancy, like quince nectar or dodo bird eggs. I had to finally settle for Cooking Light’s Maple-Walnut version after a few dozen decades of futile searching. It turned out to be a good decision, but don’t take...
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Seriously Skimping on Services
It is interesting to know that what we have been saying for years turns out to be factual: women's health care is lacking.And now again children are taking the back seat to exhorbitant expenditures for war.States reported to be failing in women's health By Julie SteenhuysenWed Oct 17, 5:22 PM ETMost U.S. states have made little progress toward improving women's health and many have fallen behind as rates of obesity and diabetes continue to climb, a new 50-state report released on Wednesday showed.The best state for women's health is Vermont and the worst is Mississippi, the report concluded."The nation as a whole and individual states are falling farther behind in the quest to meet the national goals for women's health," said Judy Waxman of the National Women's Law Center, which released the...
Lollappleooza Day 4: CHG Favorites of the Week
Blog of the WeekDabbles with ApplesLocated way up in Alaska, Monika is a crack photographer, fellow Office fan, experienced traveler, and from the looks of it, a primo cook. (ASIDE: When was the last time anyone used the word "primo"? I say 1987.) Her Thai Spring Rolls and Jam Cookies make me want to go vegan – perhaps her first step in the quest for world domination.Book of the WeekComfort Me With Apples Former New York Times food critic and current Editor in Chief at Gourmet magazine, Ruth Reichl has some really neat stories to tell about her upward culinary trajectory. I haven’t had the pleasure of checking this one out yet, but I did read...
Posted in: LinksWednesday, October 17, 2007
More on the Risk of the FDA and Big Pharma
What Byron is saying is not really new as this has been going on for a good 40 or 50 years. What is new is the FDA/Pharma Cartel action to seize control of your rights. Please read this and act in some way to help reverse it.By Byron J. Richards, CCNOctober 16, 2007The United States Health Freedom Assembly met October 12 – 14, 2007 at the William Mitchell College of Law in Saint Paul, MN, a gathering of many of the top state, federal, and international health freedom advocates, organizations, and industry. The meeting took on a tone of extreme importance as the FDA has issued policy and obtained broad new regulatory authority over health freedom in the past 12 months.The FDA is seeking to undermine the law known as DSHEA (Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994), the cornerstone...
