ppp 10-26-2009

Quote of the day:

A timid person is frightened before a danger,

a coward during the time,

and a courageous person afterward.

Jean Paul Richter (1763 - 1825)

What was your all time favorite Halloween costume? Was it Batman in first grade or the pretty pink princess costume in second grade? It may have been a costume for an office party as an adult. Maybe this year will be your best effort. Over the years we have handed candy to aborigines, bums, clowns, demons, elephants, farmers, ghosts, goblins, hobos, Indians, JarJar Binks, karate kids, lions, Mario, mice, nurses, otters, penguins, popes, queens, rats, supermen, tramps, umpires, vampire, witches, xenophobes, yetis and zombies.

Halloween costumes can be fun. The costumes we choose often represent our aspirations. Who wouldn’t want to be a SUPERHERO? A monarch? Most of the time it is all good clean fun. No one is really frightened or fooled. Washington is in on the fun this year. They are dressing a monster who will eat the entire economy in sheep’s clothing. Few are fooled; many are frightened. This time it isn’t the costume that is scary, it is what is being dressed. If you feel that the present “health care reform” proposals aren’t something you would like to invite into your house then keep up the pressure. Find your Representatives at http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW_by_State.shtml or Senators at http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm and give them a piece of your mind (or Zombie brain).

ps. Best answer this week to the question "How are you?" was "I'm better than a cat!" (I have no idea what she meant!)

pps. Please note that some of the links may not be up for very long and that

Those of you who aren’t spooky looking enough may wish to use “fun” contact lenses. If so, the FDA has a little video clip that you should see… while you still can!

This is the sixth agent approved for kidney cancer in the last 4 years. Pazopanib increased the progression free period by an average of 5 months. Plenty of adverse reactions: Relatively minor reactions include diarrhea, high blood pressure, hair color changes, nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting, fatigue, weakness, abdominal pain and headache. It can also cause severe (to fatal) liver toxicity. Monitor liver function before and during treatment with the drug. Votrient can harm a fetus so it should not be used during pregnancy.

Regular, moderate exercise boosts the immune system and helps stave off viruses such as the H1N1 influenza. Before you jump in the treadmill… the study was done in mice who have little else to do every day but exercise and eat.

With 20% of the LA kids having had H1N1 in October alone, some are saying that the “swine flu” has peaked. Not so fast. Only about 7% of adults have had it. When the vaccine finally arrives take it! Many, including health care professionals who should know better, are calling the vaccine into question and intend to refuse it. In the words of Cookie Monster, “That dumb thing!”

Pediatric patients whose parents refuse to have them vaccinated against the seasonal flu and the H1N1 influenza risk being “fired” by their pediatricians. “Celebrities” who have come out against the vaccinations may be acting on bad information. The “media” has access to the best research in the world and still gives the “celebrities” a soapbox to acclaim false hoods. The media should be ashamed of themselves.

AstraZeneca is asking their whole sales force to “self identify” if they would rather leave the company for money than keep their jobs in a rather tight job market.

Smoking cessation vaccination may remove the thrill of nicotine. Similar vaccine against cocaine blocked the high in 38% of addicts. Some of these vaccine recently missed their clinical trial goals so these may never make the market. Better to use existing methods to quit now. Best: never start.

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