|
6095. Absensia - 5/22/2004 9:10:33 AM Haven't been able to be online much. What doc thought was rotator tear in shoulder turned out to be pinched nerve in neck from compressed disc. Just started physical therapy. Pain of torture joins transfer pain in shoulder and arm. It did force me to move computer and buy comp. chair. That helps to some degree. Pain meds don't help. Alas. 6096. Absensia - 5/28/2004 8:11:40 AM A federal appeals court ruled yesterday that U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft had far exceeded his authority by interfering with Oregon's physician-assisted suicide law.
Oregon Assisted-Suicide Law Upheld
The Nith Circuit Court Of Appeals found that Ashcroft's 2001 order to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency to pursue and possibly revoke the licenses of physicians who prescribe lethal prescriptions could not be enforced because it was contrary to federal law and against the "will of Congress."
It added that "the Attorney General has no specialized expertise in the field of medicine" and that he "imposes a sweeping and unpersuasive interpretation" of the Controlled Substance Act, which "directly conflicts with that of his predecessor," Janet Reno.
Although a spokesman for the Justice Department said no determination had been made as to what, if anything, will be done next, I suspect an appeal will be made of the 2-1 decision, asking for a hearing before a full panel of the Circuit Court. In it's decision, the Court cited a 1997 Supreme Court case, Washington v. Glucksberg wherein the USSC ruled there was no constituional right to assisted-suicided,(no federal question,) and O'Connor wrote "that the debate about physician-assisted suicide belongs in the laboratory of the states."
6097. Absensia - 5/28/2004 8:12:16 AM Ninth Circuit. 6098. judithathome - 5/28/2004 8:18:22 AM It's looking like John may be headed for the private sector soon....I hope. 6099. Absensia - 5/28/2004 8:44:16 AM That's the rumor I'm hearing. He's becoming expendable. 6100. judithathome - 5/28/2004 11:28:40 AM Hope his boss is, too. 6101. judithathome - 6/1/2004 11:29:29 PM I can't get the link to this article to work; it's from Yahoo:
Junk Food = One Third of America's Diet
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Junk foods such as sugary sodas and chips make up nearly one-third of calories in the U.S. diet, researchers said on Tuesday.
A study of 4,700 adults showed that, despite the increased popularity of low-carbohydrate diets, soft drinks and pastries pile on more calories in the daily diet than anything else.
"What is really alarming is the major contribution of 'empty calories' in the American diet," said Gladys Block, a professor of epidemiology and public health nutrition at the University of California, Berkeley, who led the study.
Writing in the June issue of the Journal of Food Chemistry and Analysis, Bock and colleagues said that sweets and desserts, soft drinks and alcoholic beverages account for nearly 25 percent of all calories consumed by Americans.
Salty snacks and fruit-flavored drinks add another five percent.
"We know people are eating a lot of junk food, but to have almost one-third of Americans' calories coming from those categories is a shocker. It's no wonder there's an obesity epidemic in this country," Bock said in a statement.
6102. arkymalarky - 6/2/2004 1:11:10 AM Government-subsidized lunchroom food is a big part of it too, especially for kids in poverty. Kids on free and reduced lunches get the standard lunchroom fare of deep-fried and fattening foods. As a teacher my biggest weight battles come from zipping to the lunchroom to eat when I get really busy and don't regularly bring something from home. 6103. arkymalarky - 6/2/2004 1:12:12 AM It irritates me, btw, how government reports on obesity in poor children don't even consider that. 6104. robertjayb - 6/2/2004 1:58:36 AM Don't forget the soda pop deals where school districts sell sole distribution rights to soft drink bottlers.
Penny wise and pound foolish (heh). 6105. arkymalarky - 6/2/2004 3:40:31 AM We fell into that--too good to pass up. Actually, I think it's good for the kids because the machines take their money, the company never keeps them filled up, and the choices are crappy.
Sux for the teachers lounge.
The thing about the lunch program is it's government-sponsored, so it should be nutritious and it isn't at all. Healthy food isn't expensive, and if they think kids won't eat it, then they shouldn't complain about kids eating junk food. I like the old school idea that if they get hungry enough they'll eat what's available. Poor kids get those horrendous meals from pre-K-12. 6106. judithathome - 6/2/2004 10:31:55 PM The Hunger In America's Midst
National Hunger Awareness Day, being observed Thursday by a coalition of anti-hunger organizations, raises the issue of why more Americans are not aware that hunger is a serious problem facing children and families across the United States.
While America doesn't have the kind of starvation that plagues victims of war and famine overseas and makes for dramatic footage on the evening news, the evidence of significant hunger in our midst could not be more pervasive and accessible.
6107. thoughtful - 6/9/2004 2:07:29 AM How strange to think of this nation of contrasts...hungry yet obese...
As schwarzbein says, we are also a nation of overweight yet undernourished people, given the poor quality of diet for many americans.
Just back from my trip in colorado and I noticed a big difference between the average american town and boulder, co where the focus is so much on health. I never saw so many fit people in my life...rock climbers, bikers, hikers, you name it. Health food, organics, menus to fit every diet. Except when we hit the restrooms at McDonalds where we also noticed a high correlation between overweight people and people eating at McD's vs. other locations. Very interesting. 6108. thoughtful - 6/9/2004 2:08:53 AM Stunned at the stats...% of 20+ adults in america that are overweight or obese...64%! 6109. arkymalarky - 6/9/2004 6:19:13 AM Cool town, isn't it?
I just got back from the allergist. Of 57 growing things they tested for I was severely allergic (highest reading) to 30 of them, including everything I live in--pine trees, oak trees, all kinds of grass and weeds (knew that), molds, etc. I'm also somewhat allergic to cats and dust but not dogs, thank goodness. And another thing I didn't know what it was---Der F/I and Der F/something, I think.
Anyway, it's weekly allergy shots, daily medicine, and big changes to the house, how we live, etc. For one thing (this bothered me a lot) he said don't ever open the windows. The humidity level has to stay 40-50% max, because mold is what I'm most constantly exposed to at work and at home that's making me sick all the time. 6110. arkymalarky - 6/9/2004 6:20:09 AM I was sort of hoping I'd just be clogged up and have surgery (though I was dreading that) and it would be fixed with a prescription for maintenance. 6111. thoughtful - 6/9/2004 6:23:58 AM Maybe you should try, is it, osteopathy? Where they try to gradually expose your system to the allergens so you get desensitized rather than having to try and avoid all substances known on earth. 6112. Absensia - 6/9/2004 6:27:33 AM Arky, I don't know if you have a good air purifyer in your house. Depending on the size of your house, you probably need more than one. They really help pull the dust, pet dander, pollen and other stuff out of the air. I know a couple of people who had the surgery and after awhile the problems came back.
We had to go through the radical changes in the house too. My son is allergic to the same things you are, so something, molds, trees, etc., was present year round, not to mention dust, etc. He could not have a down comforter on his bed because of the dust in the feathers, no matter how often we washed it. Having the air purifiers in the house made a big difference although he had the daily med and the shots.
Good luck. I'm sorry to hear you have to go through all this, but glad to hear it will get rid of the sinus problems. 6113. Absensia - 6/9/2004 6:29:18 AM Thoughtful, Osteopathy? Don't think that's it. Osteopaths are actually licensed doctors who have been to medical school, etc., but also are trained in massage and body manipulation as well. 6114. arkymalarky - 6/9/2004 6:37:35 AM Thanks Thoughtful. I've been exposed to all of those things so much since I moved here 32 years ago, that I don't think that would help now. I can't gradually expose myself to them, because they're literally everywhere. It's actually fairly common in AR, because we have such high humidity. The allergist told me some people (he said about 10%) don't get results from treatment and eventually move, but I hope we don't have to do that. I want to live here.
Thanks for the info, Abs! I hope it will get rid of them. I've literally put up with this over 30 years, but it's just getting beyond the point of being able to function. I've got a catalog of allergy stuff and I have to get that gauge, and I'll try those too. Luckily I'm not much allergic to dust, but the mold has got to go. It's a problem at work too. I can't even bend over most of the time, the pressure's so bad.
I asked about seeing an ENT and surgery and my x-rays showed I'm not clogged, but I am swollen and infected, so either way it would happen again if I didn't deal with the cause. With Bro's surgery and a daily antihistimine he was a lot better, but he had a deviated septum.
|
