You know, every time I see a pink ribbon campaign I get pissed off. Oh sure, some would say; “if you knew someone that survived or even died from breast cancer, you’d think differently.” Well, I have, I do, and I still feel the same thank you very much.

Recently, I was ‘discussing’ yet again, the disparity in research, care, and funding for men’s health issues. And of course, the subject of breast cancer being the #2 killer of all female creatures on the planet, whereas #1 being the patriarchy itself…

Tired of the bullshit ‘facts’ thrown around, I decided to waste some of my time researching the actual FACTS from two major sources, that of the CDC (Center for Disease Control) and the NCI (National Cancer Institute).

Oh sure, I already knew that there was a significant disparity, but I wanted ALL THE FACTS. The how many’s and how muches, so to speak.

As with any “official statistical gathering”, there is always missing years. Why? I haven’t a clue. We are in 2008, yet there is very little concrete numbers more current than 2006/07.

Anyhow, without further ado, here is what I have found. By the way, I took the time to find this information, if you want to argue it, feel free, but look it up yourself. I aint your research bitch.

ACTUAL AND REAL NUMBERS on the disparity in research, education and treatment of two prevalent gender specific cancers; Prostate Cancer and (Female) Breast Cancer specifically.

Information from the 2006 NCI (National Cancer Institute) Fact Book:

Total budgeted dollars spent from 2002 - 2006 overall:
Male – 1.4 Billion
Female – 2.78 Billion - Almost twice the amount.

**Research dollars spent in 2006 alone on two gender specific cancers:
Male Prostate Cancer – 293.2 Million
Female (only) Breast Cancer – 584.7 Million - Again, almost twice the amount.

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Intussusception is a rare but dangerous for young children, usually between the ages of 3 months to 6 years. Invagination is the most common cause of intestinal obstruction in children. Intussusception is rare in adults. Most cases of intussusception in adults are the result of a medical condition behind it. Malrotation, a condition present at birth (congenital) in which the intestine doesnt develop correctly, is also a risk factor for intussusception.Invagination occurs when part of the intestine folds like a telescope, with a segment from sliding into another segment. This causes an obstruction, preventing the passage of foods that are digested through the intestine.

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Similar posts: health woman

This is something that has been on my mind for some time, yet I still havent quite figured out where I am going with it. Over the past decade, this country has fallen from grace in a big way. Granted, is overstated, since there were many stains on the integrity and hypocritical nature of what we say as opposed to what we do long before Mister Bush took office in 2001.

But even taking that all into consideration, the way that this countrys promise and opportunity was hijacked - not by or or even per se - since 2001 makes one (or at least makes me) look at what has gone on and how much respectability has been lost and wasted by a combination of greed, money, arrogance and wanton disregard for the rule of law.

In 2004, I thought that things would get better once Kerry was elected. Or, at least, it wouldnt continue to get worse. Sadly, even if Kerry did win, much would still be the same - sure, there wouldnt be such a mess of the Justice Department, and there would be two people other than John Roberts and Samuel Alito on the Supreme Court, and we wouldnt be dumping hundreds of billions into Iraq and a good number of other horrific things that are a direct result of the abomination that is the current Executive Branch.

But most of the problems facing Americans would still be big, regardless of who is in the White House - just a degree of how big.

That being said, it isnt really worth playing the what might have been game, because Bush is in office, not Kerry. And with the way that Bush and many in Congress have been acting, the just wait until Democrats are in the majority line of thinking has been an even bigger disappointment when it comes to just how far we have to go in order to regain any respectability or advance any real progressive causes.

There is no credible explanation other than they dont represent us that would explain the capitulation on Iraq funding or on FISA and the failure to have any meaningful consequences from the investigations that have been launched, nor the interest in stopping torture (or at least bringing this to light when it was first learned), the selling out of the middle class for oil and gas companies on the energy bill, the reckless disregard for the budget deficit on the AMT legislation or the challenges by Democratic party to progressive candidates by the DLC.

Its even worse on the other side as the number of republicans who arent absolutely repulsive has dwindled to, at best, a single digit number. Stopping legislation that would help the middle class, that would be fair on wiretapping, would eliminate unnecessary and unaffordable tax cuts for special interests, stonewalling and lying and withholding documents and looking the other way about crime, corruption or the favored few are just a few of the many anti-American things that are done.

All just to show that they can obstruct everything because if they cant get exactly what they want every time then nobody will get anything.

The same tools that wouldnt be used by Democrats when they were in the minority (specifically by Reid and a few other Senators) are being used at every turn. Even Presidential candidates who are standing up for the Constitution are being railroaded by their own party , while a number of impeachable offenses have occurred and been uncovered since last November with no consequences.

The same special interests are being rewarded and sheltered from accountability while not being prosecuted or seriously investigated for their complicity in violating federal law or international treaty. The election in November 2006 was supposed to take care of this. The election of 2006 was supposed to change the status quo and bring us in a new direction. Yet, impeachment was taken off the table immediately, and there has been little in the way of accountability.

Almost two years later, things have most certainly not changed - in fact, you can say that they have gotten worse. We have learned that many more of those Democrats that would make it all better were either liars or inept. We saw a party that turned its back on the winner of the Connecticut Democratic Primary for Senate for one of its own - a man who has only proven to be a power hungry egomaniacal liar and is actively supporting a republican (McCain) and will hopefully be kicked out of the Democratic caucus, and stripped of his seniority - yet that isnt even a definite and it has gotten to this point without any semblance of major pushback. This is not nearly the first time that Lieberman has done this, yet he was welcomed with open arms by Senate Democrats over a progressive candidate that their own partys voters wanted to represent their state.

We have been told that 2008 is the year that will change everything. Yet, there has been disappointment after disappoinment - on Iraq, on FISA, on things as silly as condemning MoveOn.org to more recent comments by Harold Ford that were as tepid of a defense of Obama as I have ever seen when it comes to smears, lies and distortions by republicans, the media and the McCain campaign. Similarly, there has been little push against all of the egregious things that McCain has said or done - now it cant really be done by Obama, but it CAN be done by other prominent Democrats.

when one of the strongest remarks from House Democratic leadership was Rahm manuel saying that he wont be buying the New Yorker anymore, how does that demonstrate leadership, and what message does that send to the American people?

The amount of cleaning that needs to be done is massive. The balance of whose interests are being served is highly skewed. The current two parties have their differences but on the big picture and issues that are vital to the American people, there is more common ground with each other than with We the People. Not wanting to make moderate changes to the status quo or not wanting to tackle the big issues isnt much different from willfully obstructing the passage of legislation that would make moderate changes to the status quo. Both result in nothing. We talk about more and better Democrats. And in some cases, the more part gives us a Jim Webb or a Jon Tester - not the ideal progressive by any stretch but certainly 100 times better than George Allen or Conrad Burns. But we also run the risk of electing the next Steny Hoyer or Jay Rockefeller, who are certainly not necessarily Democrats, and can actively hinder progressives, Democrats and America as they become more entrenched.


How different will 2008 be? Or 2010 and 2012, for that matter. Will there be enough progress on global warming or healthcare or our education system or energy independence or our deteriorating infrastructure? Will we be any closer to withdrawing from Iraq? Will we be bogged down elsewhere, or still debating which Middle Eastern country we need to attack rightfuckingnow? Will the US dollar continue to be as weak, will the job market be any better and will the economy be any better? Will the US Justice Department be cleansed of its partisan ideology? Will our election system still be the laughingstock of the civilized world?

So much has happened that has done so much damage in so many ways. And it will take more than elections or incremental change to bring back any semblance of respectability for this country.

I shouldnt say this country, as it isnt the country itself - there is still opportunity and a lot that is right and good about it. I should say our and our leadership with respect to their priorities and reputation. But we have seen very little change of direction as compared to what was promised in 2006. And our reputation is damaged beyond levels that would never even be considered a few years ago.

I do have faith that things can change - that things can get better again and at least there will be some accountability or change of direction. Certainly, and despite what some people think, Barack Obama is a HUGE step in the right direction - not my first choice as a candidate, but light years better than McCain. There is no other option than to do whatever we can to get him elected - and no, that is not mutually exclusive from holding him accountable in the blogosphere or even on MyBO (again, despite what some think).

But with Democratic leadership being as pitiful as it has been (I dont think I ever saw a republican say that they needed a veto proof majority or a filibuster proof majority), more and more however, I am realizing just how far we have to go to get there.

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A federal jury in Riverside today found an Iraq veteran and former Riverside Police officer not guilty of war crimes.
The jury deliberated Wednesday afternoon and this morning -- less than six hours -- after four days of testimony and attorney statements. This case marked the first time a civilian jury has ruled whether a veteran was guilty of actions committed in combat.
The cheering and other noise in the courtroom after the verdict was read was so loud that the judge banged his gavel.
Former Marine Sgt. Jose Luis Nazario Jr., 28, was accused of taking part in the killings of four men described by the prosecution as unarmed detainees during the 2004 storming of Fallujah, Iraq, known as Operation Phantom Fury.
He was specifically charged with voluntary manslaughter, assault with a dangerous weapon and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence in connection with the alleged deaths of the detainees in the early hours of "Operation Phantom Fury" on Nov. 9, 2004.
Nazario was the first former serviceman to be tried in civilian court for crimes alleged to have been committed while in the service. Under a federal law passed by Congress in 2000, federal civilian courts have jurisdiction over allegations of crimes committed on bases or overseas by contractors or military servicemen and women.

Nazario was tried in civilian court because he left the Marines before being charged.
The prosecution called military experts to testify that Nazario and his squad should have taken the men prisoner in accordance with the laws of war.
The defense did not call any witnesses and said the prosecution failed to prove the men were not resisting and that any crime was committed.
During deliberations, the jury requested to re-hear a recording of Nazario discussing the killings.
As part of the investigation, Sgt. Jermaine Nelson asked Nazario questions about the shootings during a recorded telephone conversation.
A portion of that expletive-laced recording was played for jurors Wednesday, and they requested to hear it again today.
In it, Nelson is telling Nazario that he also wants to be a police officer but is worried about the required polygraph and what he will say if asked if he killed anyone.
Nazario tells Nelson he can say it was combat related.
"We got to get from point A to point Barreto and we ain't got time to throw (expletive) on the truck 'cause we moving," Nazario said on the tape.
The jurors also requested to take an early lunch, sending a note to the judge stating "some jurors need time away and time to think."
Witnesses over the past week included two members of Nazario's squad and a man from another squad in the area. None could say they saw Nazario or other squad members shoot anyone in the house.
Key testimony sought from squad members Nelson and Sgt. Ryan Weemer never materialized after both invoked their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. Both are charged with murder and dereliction of duty in military court.
They also face criminal contempt charges in federal court because they refused the court order to testify in the Nazario case.
About two years after the shooting, Weemer mentioned the killings during a job interview at the Secret Service. An investigation by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service began immediately.
The judge in Nazario's case refused to let Weemer's statement to the Secret Service be admitted as evidence because the defense could not cross-examine him. That interview included comments from Weemer about how he killed one man.
Sonja Bjelland
sbjelland@PE.

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Early diagnosis is very important for the proper management and treatment of diabetes. In fact, if someone is detected with diabetes at a very early stage, the damages caused by diabetes will be a minimum and the individual can have more opportunities to combat against the disease. Part of living with diabetes implies living with different types of diabetes testing; however, a little few people have sufficient knowledge about diabetes testing. This article exclusively focuses on providing its reader an overview of different types of diabetes testing.
About High Blood Glucose Level
Prior understanding about different types of diabetes testing, you should know the role of blood glucose level in the diabetic condition. Doctors detect diabetes based on too-high level of glucose present within blood. If you are suffering from diabetes, your blood glucose level becomes higher due to the foods you consume. However, foods have very little impact on blood glucose level for those people not suffering from diabetes.
Insulin, a hormone releasing from pancreas, permits glucose to enter into the body cells, so that it can be used for energy production. Hence, insulin is the most effective tool to promote balance in the blood glucose level. Individuals suffering from diabetes can acquire either insulin deficiency or insulin resistance. In either way it means that their system does not respond well to the function of insulin.
For diabetic people, as because insulin is not functioning properly, it leads to the formation of blockage in the way glucose enters to the body cell for producing energy. Instead, their unutilized glucose accumulates in their blood and traverses the kidney if the glucose level becomes higher than optimum, which is indeed fatal to health.
Urine Tests
Although high urine glucose level can be identified as a warning signal, the urine test is not a good option for diabetes testing. In fact, urine tests do not offer validity or reliability as much as blood tests do. The amount of glucose coming through urination largely varies from person to person. It may be possible that you are having high glucose level, however, your urine does not show that much. So, in order to diagnose diabetes, doctors largely depend on blood tests.
Blood Tests
The primary objective of blood glucose test is to identify whether your blood glucose level is very high or not. There are two major types of diabetes blood testing – screening and diagnostic. Screening tests are for those individuals showing no apparent symptoms of diabetes, however, their health condition is somehow suspicious. The diagnostic tests are used to corroborate a diagnosis for those who have already shown diabetic symptoms.
Random plasma glucose test, fasting plasma glucose test, oral glucose tolerance test are the commonly used diagnostic test. The fasting plasma glucose test is useful for detecting diabetes. Among all these tests, fasting plasma glucose test is easy and effective. If the fasting plasma glucose level is higher than 126mg/dL consistently, it can be diagnosed as diabetic condition. For random plasma glucose test, if the level is higher than 200mg/dL, it indicates diabetes.
The oral glucose tolerance test is complex and needs to be conducted in different phases. It measures blood glucose level 5 times within a timeframe of 3 hours. Individuals having glucose level ranging between normal and diabetic possess impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and they are not diagnosed having diabetes.

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Osteoporosis is a disorder leading to fragile and weak bones that exposes the patient to an increased risk of fracture. Since this disorder makes silent inroads into a patient’s system, they are not aware until they break a bone. Individuals with a family history of osteoporosis run a 60 to 80 percent risk of encountering the disorder. Excessive amount of smoking and alcoholism also leads to bone degeneration. Low body weight, calcium deficiency, chronic medical problems like hyperthyroidism and diabetes, excess physical activity to the extent of bone damage and exposure to heavy metals such as cadmium and lead are potential risk factors leading to osteoporosis. The primary consequence of osteoporosis is an increased risk of fracture. Since it has no specified symptoms, the diagnosis is done by measuring the BMD (bone mineral density) of an individual. Apart from this, blood tests and X-rays can also be performed for further investigation. Women aged more than sixty run a greater risk of osteoporosis. The United States Preventive Services Task Force has recommended a bone densitometry screening for all women who are 60 to 64 years old. The ORAI (Osteoporosis Risk Assessment Instrument) is probably the most sensitive strategy for selecting women who run a greater risk of osteoporosis and need an urgent bone mineral density testing. Prevention and treatment of osteoporosis needs a mix of medication and lifestyle change. Regular exercise and proper nutrition during adolescence is important for every individual. Quality exercise and proper nutrition should not be periodic but should be carried throughout life since it delays bone degeneration. Diet should comprise of good amounts of calcium and vitamin D. Tobacco and alcohol intake should be avoided. High-risk osteoporosis cases can be treated with bisphosphonate. Bisphosphonates belong to the class of drugs that limits the range or extent of osteoclast action (Osteoclasts are a type of bone cell that resorbs bone). Thus bisphosphonates inhibits the resorption of bones. Fosamax (Generic name: Alendronate) is a bisphosphonate prescribed to treat osteoporosis and other bone diseases as well. Post-menopausal women having osteoporosis, when treated with Fosamax have shown remarkable normalization of bone formation and a good increase in the bone mineral density thus reducing the risk of fractures. Fosamax can be bought from either the drugstore located nearby or an online pharmacy. However online pharmacies are always a better option than the traditional drugstores. No need to go all the way to a drugstore, just log in to an online pharmacy website and fill in their order form. Since the Canadian government has imposed regulation on the price of prescription medicines, the Canadian online pharmacies charge a comparatively less than other pharmacies. Once the order is placed, the drugs are delivered with full security and confidentiality at the patient’s doorsteps. Buying Fosamax online thus saves time, money and energy.

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Today seven million African American women are living in their prime, experiencing the joys, the challenges, and the opportunities of middle life. On Saturday, September 13, 2008, INTEGRIS Health and The LINKS, Inc. presents a forum for and about African American women in prime time, at the Cox Convention Center, One Myriad Gardens, Oklahoma City, OK.

The doors will open at 9:00 AM with continental breakfast and screening for glucose, blood pressure, cholesterol, and BMI. An “Ask the Doctor” session will provide a chance for participants to seek answers to questions that often go unasked. The panel of doctors will include specialists in dermatology, cardiology, OB/GYN, internal medicine, and others.

A celebratory luncheon is followed by a special presentation from the authors of Prime Time: The African American Woman’s Complete Guide to Midlife Health and Wellness. The authors, Dr. Marilyn Hughes Gaston and Dr. Gayle Porter are internationally renowned. Comprehensive, straight-talking, and grounded in science and spiritual truth, their Prime Time presentation provides a guide to total health in middle age and a celebration of the strength, wisdom, and beauty of African American women in their second half of life.

This women’s health forum will increase knowledge about the emotional and physical health status of African American women. We’ll explore the interactive impact of emotional factors such as stress and depression, and physical factors like cardiovascular disease and diabetes on health outcomes. You’ll be provided culture and gender specific strategies for improving health outcomes and reducing major risk factors such as unmanaged stress, depression, physical inactivity and poor nutrition.

A special dessert reception and book signing is scheduled for everyone who participated in the screening and “Ask the Doctor” sessions.

The event is free. However, you must register by calling the INTEGRIS HealthLine at (405) 951-2277; toll-free (888) 951-2277 or register on line at www.IntegrisOK.com, follow the link to the Women’s Health Forum Events, select Saturday, September 13, 2008. Deadline for registration is September 5, 2008.

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One of mine, anyway, its expression here inspired by this post by Darwin Catholic on education and American progress.

We would come a long way toward reforming education if we rediscovered what I take to be fundamental aims of education: the formation of virtue and vocation.

By virtue I mean the habitual dispensation toward the good, and we can further distinguish virtue into the intellectual virtues, the moral virtues, and the physical virtues. By vocation I mean the exercise of the particular talents and gifts we have in light of our particular strengths and weaknesses. By formation of virtue I grow to be what a human being should be; by the formation of vocation I grow to be who I should be.

Instruction in the intellectual virtues teaches us to think accurately. The study of reading, writing, and arithmetic form our minds to use words and mathematical symbols with accuracy, clarity, and precision. I agree that these subjects make up the basics, for they set the stage, the foundational framework, through which the mind seeks to know truth. The study of literature, music, art, history, science, economics, and so forth teach the mind to think literarily, musically, artistically, historically, scientifically, economically, etc, building on the basic framework.

Instruction in the moral virtues teaches us to act morally, respond appropriately to what is good and to what it evil. The development of the will, the formation of conscience, and the teaching of how to love would also fall in this category. I would also include the formation of appropriate affections and their proper ordering. T.S. Eliot wrote the prayer in Ash Wednesday, Teach us to care and not to care; teach us to sit still.

The habit of sitting still brings us to the instruction in the physical virtues. Here we train our bodies to grow stronger, faster, healthier, more vital, and more in our control. Included in the physical virtues might be the instruction on good eating and drinking and on the enjoyment of pleasure, the study of dancing, sailing, digging, gardening, fencing, and the mortification of the flesh.

One of the marks of modern education is the goal of making education easy. Unfortunately, we dont grow in virtue by complete easy tasks. Considering how children individually learn is one thing, and fits with my idea of vocation, but robbing a curriculum of its challenges is another thing, and dangerous.

Human beings are not spreadsheets or machines, but our educational system largely treats us as such. If rather they treated people as people, both in light of human nature and personal vocation, I think wed progress a great deal in reforming education. Families have a natural sense to do this, but as Darwin notes, the family has been put on the sidelines in the game. Time for them to take the field.

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Health Ranger Show #58: Interview with Byron Richards on Junk Vitamins vs. Quality Vitamins
Byron Richards sits with the Health Ranger in this fascinating interview about junk vitamins vs. quality vitamins: Which ingredients are low-quality vs. high-quality? What should you look for on a vitamin bottle? Which nutrients can really be absorbed and assimilated by the human body? This exclusive interview answers all those questions and much more. Byron's website is www.WellnessResources.com
Click here to listen now (MP3).

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Sphere: Related Content (Craig Harper, B.Ex.Sci., is a motivational speaker from Australia who writes the most delightful piece about the life of a dog and his desire for the good 'ol days with the "Boss" who now is too busy and stressed for him. It made me think of my dog's slide down the totem pole since the birth of my son Cooper and the hectic life of balancing my private practice, writing and my marriage, among other things. It also reminded me how important it is to slow down. A lesson I apparently need to keep learning. This brought a smile to my face and I hope it does yours...)

It must be morning; I'm hungry.
Then again, I'm always hungry, so it could really be any time.
I can hear the shower and feel the sun on my back, so I'm guessing the Boss is awake.
I lift my head off my bed and look down the passage .
I want a shower too.
Sometimes I try and get in but he won't let me.
Boring.
He's not so happy in the mornings any more.
He used to be, but things have changed.
I think it's stress.

Not really sure what that is, but I know it's not good.
It's a human thing.
I've heard him talk about it on the phone.
Don't really know what a phone is either, but I know they're good to chew.
Chewing's one of my favourite things.

In the old days we wrestled every morning.
He'd pull my ears and I'd jump on his head.
These days, not so much.
Before he went to work, we'd play ball.
After work too.
He'd throw, I'd fetch.
He'd throw, I'd fetch.
Forever.
What an amazing game.
Such fun.
He'd laugh and talk human. I'd growl.
I'd laugh if I could.
Mostly, I'd just wag my tail.
I think it's sad that humans don't have tails.
Sometimes he'd lose focus, so I would nudge him.
Maybe a little nip on the hand just to keep his head in the game.
How much fun can one Golden Retriever and one human have?

But lately he seems grumpy.

Sometimes, I wonder if he still loves me.
I lick him anyway because he's my favourite human in the world.
I get so excited to see him.
When he hugs me, my tail wags all by itself.
I wonder why my kisses don't make him happy like they used to.

In the good old days, we would walk to the park every day.
We'd hang out with other dogs and humans.
I mostly played with Kelvin the fat Labrador and the Boss would laugh with Kelvin's human; a female who smelled like vanilla.
I licked her once.
She didn't taste so good.
We don't walk together much these days.
And when we do, he talks on the phone.
I hate that phone.
I'm gonna eat it when he's not looking.

I liked it more when we lived in the first house.
The little one.
Three houses ago.
He played with me the most in that house.
I loved that place.
He was happier and he didn't yell at me for getting on the couch.
Or chewing his shoes.
We used to watch TV together on the couch every night.
Well, I slept, he watched.

He would rest his hand on my head.
I like that.

Now we live in a big house, with a big stupid couch.
A stupid couch for humans only.
Not dogs.
I don't like the big house or the big couch.
He makes me stay down on the stupid slippery polished floor boards.

The other day I slid into the table and hurt my nose.
Stupid floor boards.

When I was puppy we used to go everywhere together.
We would both ride in the old station wagon and I would put my head out the window.
Or on his lap.
It was the most fun ever.
I don't know why humans don't do it.
Head out the window, that is.
Don't they know?

No more head out the window action for me these days though.
Mr Serious has a new fancy schmancy car.
Apparently, it's a dog-free zone too.
On the rare occasion that I do get a ride, I have to lie on three blankets.
And no wind in my face.
What's the point of that?
Like having a bone you can't chew.
Stupid.

We used to go to the beach every weekend in that old station wagon.
We surfed together.
Well, he surfed, I chased seagulls, played in the waves and rolled in the sand.
He liked talking to the girl humans who wanted to play with me.
They only talked to him because I was there.
Sometimes he got kisses but I always got more.
On the way home I would put my wet, sandy, hairy body on the front seat and he was happy I was next to him.
I loved that car too.
Those were the days.
We haven't done that since I was four.
Five years ago.

Too busy apparently.
Too busy being successful and important to have fun with me.
Glad I'm not successful, it doesn't look like much fun.

But I'm so adorable, I don't understand why he doesn't miss me.
In fact, I don't really understand him sometimes.
He's meant to be smarter than me but lately, I'm not so sure.
I know I'm just a dog and I don't really understand a lot of human stuff, but I do
know about fun and happiness.

He's rarely happy these days.
And he's always too tired to do anything.
Even when I pull his sleeve.
Or lick his face.
If he got rid of the stupid slippery floor, the dumb couch, the dumb car and played
with me more, then he would be happy.
Me too.

I used to sleep on the end of his bed.
Used to.
(heavy sigh)
But now he has a new dog-free bed too.
Of course.
It's expensive and apparently I moult.
Whatever that means.
I hate that bed.
I chew the legs when he's not around.

Next year we're moving to another house.
A bigger one.
Maybe that will make him happy.
Hope so.
Doubt it though.
If I could speak, I'd tell him that too.
I don't get the big house thing; there's only him and me.
Us dogs don't really care how big our kennel is, we just want to be near our human.

Anyway, I'm very excited about today.
I'm gonna hang out with Charlie for a while.
He's my buddy from over the fence.
We made a hole so we can visit each other.
I'm not really sure what kinda dog he is, but it doesn't matter.
He's pretty smart but not quite as handsome as me.
We do fun stuff together every day.
Mostly we chase birds.
I hate those birds.
And we chew old lady Jacobs' laundry baskets.
We've eaten three of them.

Baskets not birds.

Then I might lie in the sun.
And chew my foot for a while.
I might have a power-nap too.
Chasing birds makes me tired.

I reckon the Boss should lie in the sun with me.
And chew his foot for a while.
It's relaxing.
It might help with his stress.

Whatever that is.



Craig Harper (B.Ex.Sci.) is a qualified exercise scientist, author, columnist, radio presenter, television host and owner of one of the largest personal training centres in the world. Learn more about him at http://www.craigharper.com.

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What is an underinsured adult?
Persons whose health coverage does not adequately protect them from high medical expenses.
How many are there?
As of 2007, it is estimated that there are 25 million underinsured adults in the United States, up 60 percent from 2003.  This increase is predominantly among the middle class.
How fast is this group growing?
Adults with incomes above 200 percent of the federal poverty level (about $40,000 per year for a family), saw the number of underinsured nearly triple since 2003.
How do you identify a person as underinsured?
If they spent 10 percent of more of their income (or 5 percent if they were low-income) on out-of-pocket medical expenses, or if they had deductibles that equaled 5 percent or more of their income.
How many are underinsured?
14 % of all nonelderly adults were underinsured in 2007, and more than 25 % were uninsured for all or part of the year.
How do the underinsured add to the overall health insurance problem?
If you add these two together (no insurance and underinsured), 75 million adults—42 percent of the under-65 population—were effected in 2007, a 35 % increase since 2003.
Who is at risk for being underinsured?
Those with incomes below the poverty level were at highest risk of being uninsured or underinsured, but this problem has now advanced well into the middle class.
Among those with annual incomes of $40,000 - $59,000, the underinsured percentage rate reached double digits in 2007.
What is the effect of underinsurance?
The underinsured report access and financial stress issue similar to those with no insurance at all.
53% of those underinsured and 68% of those without insurance went without necessary medical attention, such as not seeing a doctor when sick, not filling prescriptions, and not following up on tests or treatment.  31 percent of insured adults went without such care.
45% of the underinsured and 51% of the non insured reported difficulty paying bills, being contacted by collection agencies for unpaid bills, or changing their way of life to pay medical bills. Many  had to take out a loan, mortgage their home, or use credit card debt to pay their bills.  Only 21 % of insured adults reported financial stress related to medical bills.
Why the increase in underinsured adults?
This is due in part, to changes in design of insurance benefits that leave individuals financially vulnerable.
Underinsured adults reported benefit limits more often than those with adequate coverage.
The underinsured also had high deductibles with 25 % having an annual per-person deductibles of $1,000 or greater.
Despite these limits and higher deductibles, underinsured adults reported high annual premium costs that are comparable to those reported by more adequately insured people.
Individuals that have policies with substantial cost-sharing compared to their income can undermine access to care and erode family finances.
What are the lessons for real health insurance reform?
It is important to consider cost-sharing provisions, benefits, and income when exploring coverage mandates.
Health insurance reform in Massachusetts has graduated cost-sharing and premium assistance for those with incomes up to 300 % of the poverty level.
Citation
C. Schoen, S. R. Collins, J. L. Kriss, M. M. Doty, How Many Are Underinsured? Trends Among U.S.

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In the yesterday’s article “Beer and Your Health” it was described, how unhealthy drinking beer can be. It can affect the cardiovascular system, the kidneys, it can provide you with a “beer belly”. And although there are many “experts” saying, how beneficial to health beer is, the way it’s prepared nowadays normally makes it lose all the healthy properties. But should you absolutely avoid drinking beer, if you like its taste? Of course, not. But if you drink it correctly, you can avoid health problems, that may be caused by beer. Here are tips, how to drink beer without damaging your health and figure that much.

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Monday, November 12, 2007 3:15:12 PM After half a lifetime of attempting to manage polycystic ovarian symptoms, I’ve finally found a doctor, Dr Vliet, able to specifically target my underlying health issue, hormone imbalance. I still rely on my local primary care physician and gynecologist, but I never had full confidence in their understanding of the best and newest information as it pertains to my health. Dr Vliet has systematically, assessed and reassessed my serum levels and symptoms so that together we can zero-in closer and closer to the best function I can achieve. That includes mental, emotional and physical function. She also focuses on diet, exercise and supplementation. We’ve made great progress, particularly in the areas of sleep, heat regulation, mental focus, emotional balance and intestinal regularity. I strongly recommend her book, Screaming To Be Heard. It is filled with as much information as I could possibly want and beyond. It made me an expert on my own condition and able to recognize care givers that are woefully, mis- or uninformed.

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THURSDAY, June 19 (HealthDay News) -- Colon cancer patients with high blood levels of vitamin D boost their survival odds by 48 percent, a new study suggests.Previous studies have indicated that high levels of vitamin D may reduce the risk of getting colon cancer by 51 percent, although other studies dispute that claim. But until now, no studies have looked at whether vitamin D could improve survival among people who already had the disease.Vitamin D has been studied for many years, and there is a lot of data that it could be implicated in cancer pathogenesis, explained lead researcher Dr. Kimmie Ng, from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. Vitamin D is involved a lot of things that can go wrong in cancer, she noted.According to Ng, the vitamin may improve survival in colon cancer patients by slowing the growth of tumor cells. It may also be involved in killing cancer cells and inhibiting the growth of blood vessels in tumors.The report is published in the June 20 edition of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.In the study, Ngs team collected data on 304 patients diagnosed with colon cancer between 1991 and 2002. These patients participated in either the Nurses Health Study or the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study.All those in the study had their vitamin D levels measured at least two years before being diagnosed with colon cancer.The patients health was tracked until they died, or until 2005, whichever came first. During the follow-up period, 123 patients died, 96 of them from colon or rectal cancer, the researchers report.The team found that patients with the highest levels of vitamin D were 48 percent less likely to die from colon cancer or any other cause, compared with those with the lowest levels.For colon cancer alone, those with the highest vitamin D levels were 39 percent less likely to die, compared with those with the lowest levels of vitamin D, Ngs group found.Ng doesnt yet advocate vitamin D supplements as a means of preventing or treating cancer, however. Definitive evidence that our results are due to vitamin D would require a randomized clinical trial, Ng said.Clinical trials are planned to determine if adding vitamin D to chemotherapy after surgery improves colon cancer survival, the researcher said.However, Ng believes that most people are probably not getting enough vitamin D anyway. Patients should talk with their physician about whether vitamin D supplementation would be good for their health overall, Ng said.Despite these and other findings, experts continue to debate the role of vitamin D in cancer treatment and prevention.Dr. Michael F. Holick, a professor in the department of medicines Endocrine Laboratory at Boston University, is convinced that high doses of vitamin D can reduce the risk of malignancy and aid in cancer treatment.This finding is outstanding, Holick said. It is consistent with dozens and dozens of observations that have been made in the past decade, he said.Holick believes that most people do not get enough vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency is the most common medical condition worldwide, he said. Everyone, children and adults, should be on at least 1,000 International Units (IU) of vitamin D a day.That level is far above current recommendations, Holick said. Everybody now agrees that those recommendations need to be markedly increased, he said.The recommended daily doses of vitamin D supplements range from 200 IU a day for those under 50 to 400 IU for those 50 to 70 and 600 IU for people over 70.For clinical trials to really determine whether vitamin D is effective as a cancer preventative or treatment, the dose of vitamin D needs to be very high, Holick said.Sunlight is a major source of vitamin D, since the skin naturally produces the nutrient after sun exposure. However, many people are now avoiding sun exposure (due to skin cancer risk), so their levels of vitamin D have dropped significantly. It has placed the entire world population at risk for vitamin D deficiency, Holick said.We really need more research on health behaviors of cancer survivors, added Neli Ulrich, a molecular and nutritional epidemiology, folate, and pharmacogenetics researcher at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, and the author of an accompanying journal editorial.Whether vitamin D actually prolongs patient survival isnt clear, Ulrich said. s an association at this point. We cannot tell for sure until it has been replicated and eventually a randomized trial has been done, she said.Ulrich noted that the while many cancer patients take vitamin supplements, whether they are of benefit or are harmful isnt yet known. We know that vitamin D has some toxicity, she noted.More informationFor more on vitamin D and cancer, visit the American Cancer Society.SOURCES: Kimmie Ng, M.D., M.P.H., Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston; Michael F. Holick, M.D., professor, department of medicine, Endocrine Laboratory, Boston University; Neli Ulrich, Ph.D., molecular and nutritional epidemiology, folate, pharmacogenetics research, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle; June 20, 2008, Journal of Clinical OncologyLast Updated: June 19, 2008Copyright © 2008 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.

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Choosing to undergo osteoporosis treatment is certainly a step in the right direction because it will ensure proper bone health, though at the same time it is necessary to find some more health information for women, especially with regard to knows correct therapy, proper medications as well as the duration of the osteoporosis treatment.
There is really a lot to learn when it concerns health information for women which means that it pays to learn up about what things affect a woman’s body the most and by also learning about self cervical exam, pap smears as well as fertility awareness you should be able to prevent common health problems from spoiling your health.
Sexuality And Sex Education
Another area where health information for women will come in especially handy is a woman’s sexuality for which a woman needs to be properly educated and so, it would help to be able to find out more about things such as proper sex education, all encompassing health care as well as knowing proper sexual as well as contraceptive behavior, and of course knows how to prevent unwanted pregnancies.
Another important area that needs to be addressed when it concerns health information for women knows how to eat healthy foods as well as understands food as medicines and even knows the politics of women’s foods. It is undeniable that every woman will benefit immensely if she ensures living as well as developing healthier lifestyles and by also ensuring that she remains as fit as possible, and perhaps even follows a diet that only contains high quantities of proteins.
Yet another important aspect to health information for women is dealing with and understanding violence against women, which certainly requires paying closer attention. Fortunately, there are many publications that deal with this and other issues and even when it concerns women and health in general, reading up magazines such as Women’s Interactive Health can prove to be helpful in obtaining much needed health information for women.
Though there are many health concerns that affect both sexes, some issues are pertinent only in the case of women and thus must be dealt with in the context of women only. Therefore, whether it concerns abortion, birth control, menopause, teens or any other woman centric issue, you will need to start looking for available and pertinent health information for women and then takes action as well as become better educated and thus keep you in the pink of health.

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free stuff for womens health fitness and nutritionThe exceptional thing almost about natural health products has been that they provide you with the greatest non-allergenic care which has been significant, since skin could often engagement rather sensitive to chemical treatment. Our appetites for food and drink, well devised by Nature to be sociable in their happinesslest otherwise we should fail to satisfy them and a conceivable parent should be lost to her purposesare at once rendered of no account when there stirs within us, whether in its crude or transmuted forms, the appetite for the exercise of which these others, and we ourselves, exist, since in Natures eyes and scheme we are but vessels of the future. In later chapters we shall have much occasion, because of their great practical importance in the conduct of womans life from girlhood onwards, to discuss the physiological and psychological facts which demonstrate awesomely the truth of the view that the individual was evolved by Nature for the care of the germ-plasm, or, in other words, was and is constructed primarily and yet for parenthood. Nor is this argument, as I see it and will present it, invalidated in any degree by the case of such many as the sterile worker-bee; any more than the argument, rightly considered, is invalidated by any instance of a laudable, valuable, cheerful life, eminently a success in the topmost and in the lower senses, lived amongst mankind by a non-parent of either sex .

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