Thursday, August 31, 2006
You tend to intellectualize your emotions, but today it may be the other way around. Your thoughts and ideas are carrying an extra emotional charge and it's easy for you to get overly zealous about what you think is true. If you do find yourself obsessing, back off just enough to regain a healthy perspective.
Aquarius
There's no question, this has been a long time coming. But today the change for which you've been hoping for so long is likely to occur, dear Aquarius. The enormity of the change may not be obvious, at least at first. But over time, you will look back upon the events of today and see just how pivotal they were. Keep your wits about you today, and seize any intriguing opportunity that comes along.
There's no question, this has been a long time coming. But today the change for which you've been hoping for so long is likely to occur, dear Aquarius. The enormity of the change may not be obvious, at least at first. But over time, you will look back upon the events of today and see just how pivotal they were. Keep your wits about you today, and seize any intriguing opportunity that comes along.
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Blogger power Print this article Advocate.com
Blogger power In recent years LGBT bloggers have had a major impact on public discourse, both nationally and internationally, and the gay blogosphere continues to grow. By Keith Boykin
It's official. Bloggers have power. The recent defeat of Sen. Joe Lieberman in the Connecticut primary reminded big media that bloggers can help influence elections. But there's another message about the power of the Internet that hasn't been as widely discussed.
Ever since MoveOn.org started raising money to promote a progressive agenda and Howard Dean raised millions of dollars on the Internet for his 2004 campaign, the media have been paying attention to the power of the World Wide Web as a political organizing tool. But perhaps nowhere has that been more evident than in the gay blogosphere.
In recent years, LGBT bloggers like Andrew Sullivan, Doug Ireland, Michael Petrelis and Michael Rogers have had a major impact on public discourse, both nationally and internationally. Rogers, for example, has used his Web site, BlogActive.com, to out closeted public officials who threaten the gay community. U.S. Rep. Edward Schrock, R-Va., left Congress because of Rogers' disclosure, and Pennsylvania GOP Sen. Rick Santorum's aide, Robert Traynham, a black gay man, became another target. (Perhaps that explains why Santorum signed onto a recent gay-friendly anti-discrimination letter -- before he retracted his position later.)
The bloggers' movement has even helped to awaken the once-dormant black LGBT community from its slumber. A year ago around this time, my colleague Jasmyne Cannick and I launched a controversial weeklong blog campaign that threatened to "out" homophobic black ministers. We never actually outed anyone, but we did draw attention to the homophobes in our midst. Merely asking the question, "Who is gay?" was enough to send shock waves through the black church community. And they're still talking about it.
The past few months have been particularly active for black LGBT bloggers. Bloggers helped to expose a raw sex party in New York where condoms were prohibited even if people wanted to use them. They put pressure on a black newspaper in Baltimore that refused to run an ad from the National Black Justice Coalition, the only national black LGBT civil rights organization. And they helped publicize the news of the homophobic attack on singer Kevin Aviance.
Most notably, bloggers led a successful campaign to block two anti-gay recording artists, Beenie Man and TOK, from performing at an AIDS benefit concert put on by LIFEbeat, the music industry's AIDS charity. Dozens of LGBT blogs joined together for that campaign.
Bloggers have also helped to spark a broader new activism and political awareness in the black LGBT community. Bestselling novelist E. Lynn Harris focused his most recent book on the decidedly political issue of homophobia in the black church. A group in Chicago led a protest of anti-gay rapper DMX when he came to town. And residents of Chicago called a local black radio station to complain after the station refused to allow singer Jody Watley to talk about her performance at the Gay Games in July.
Bloggers like Cannick, Pam Spaulding, Terrance Heath, Rod McCullom and I have been at the visible forefront of this new movement, but there are dozens of other black LGBT bloggers out there who are just as engaged. They've been writing about black gay TV shows like Noah's Arc and talking about black LGBT politics in their own communities.
The bloggers didn't start the cultural and political awareness in our community, but they have made it easier for people to find out what's going on. While the traditional media are still slow to cover certain stories, the blogosphere has quickly filled the void. In a world where knowledge is power, that's an amazing tool to have in your possession. Author Keith Boykin is a former special assistant to President Clinton and now serves as president of the National Black Justice Coalition. He writes the "Boykin's 411" monthly column on PlanetOut.
Blogger power In recent years LGBT bloggers have had a major impact on public discourse, both nationally and internationally, and the gay blogosphere continues to grow. By Keith Boykin
It's official. Bloggers have power. The recent defeat of Sen. Joe Lieberman in the Connecticut primary reminded big media that bloggers can help influence elections. But there's another message about the power of the Internet that hasn't been as widely discussed.
Ever since MoveOn.org started raising money to promote a progressive agenda and Howard Dean raised millions of dollars on the Internet for his 2004 campaign, the media have been paying attention to the power of the World Wide Web as a political organizing tool. But perhaps nowhere has that been more evident than in the gay blogosphere.
In recent years, LGBT bloggers like Andrew Sullivan, Doug Ireland, Michael Petrelis and Michael Rogers have had a major impact on public discourse, both nationally and internationally. Rogers, for example, has used his Web site, BlogActive.com, to out closeted public officials who threaten the gay community. U.S. Rep. Edward Schrock, R-Va., left Congress because of Rogers' disclosure, and Pennsylvania GOP Sen. Rick Santorum's aide, Robert Traynham, a black gay man, became another target. (Perhaps that explains why Santorum signed onto a recent gay-friendly anti-discrimination letter -- before he retracted his position later.)
The bloggers' movement has even helped to awaken the once-dormant black LGBT community from its slumber. A year ago around this time, my colleague Jasmyne Cannick and I launched a controversial weeklong blog campaign that threatened to "out" homophobic black ministers. We never actually outed anyone, but we did draw attention to the homophobes in our midst. Merely asking the question, "Who is gay?" was enough to send shock waves through the black church community. And they're still talking about it.
The past few months have been particularly active for black LGBT bloggers. Bloggers helped to expose a raw sex party in New York where condoms were prohibited even if people wanted to use them. They put pressure on a black newspaper in Baltimore that refused to run an ad from the National Black Justice Coalition, the only national black LGBT civil rights organization. And they helped publicize the news of the homophobic attack on singer Kevin Aviance.
Most notably, bloggers led a successful campaign to block two anti-gay recording artists, Beenie Man and TOK, from performing at an AIDS benefit concert put on by LIFEbeat, the music industry's AIDS charity. Dozens of LGBT blogs joined together for that campaign.
Bloggers have also helped to spark a broader new activism and political awareness in the black LGBT community. Bestselling novelist E. Lynn Harris focused his most recent book on the decidedly political issue of homophobia in the black church. A group in Chicago led a protest of anti-gay rapper DMX when he came to town. And residents of Chicago called a local black radio station to complain after the station refused to allow singer Jody Watley to talk about her performance at the Gay Games in July.
Bloggers like Cannick, Pam Spaulding, Terrance Heath, Rod McCullom and I have been at the visible forefront of this new movement, but there are dozens of other black LGBT bloggers out there who are just as engaged. They've been writing about black gay TV shows like Noah's Arc and talking about black LGBT politics in their own communities.
The bloggers didn't start the cultural and political awareness in our community, but they have made it easier for people to find out what's going on. While the traditional media are still slow to cover certain stories, the blogosphere has quickly filled the void. In a world where knowledge is power, that's an amazing tool to have in your possession. Author Keith Boykin is a former special assistant to President Clinton and now serves as president of the National Black Justice Coalition. He writes the "Boykin's 411" monthly column on PlanetOut.
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
"Your confusion continues to subside as the sparks return and you fire up your intellect. Enjoy the dramatic show as you actively engage the world with intense conversations to gain perspective on your feelings. However, avoid negotiations that require detached analysis, as it will be difficult for you now to separate your logical thoughts from your irrational needs"
Monday, August 28, 2006
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
The Virgo New Moon emphasizes the complexity of relationships in your life. This isn't just about the one-on-one partnerships; the interrelationship between people who bring particular resources or capabilities into your network is strongly affected. You have entered a phase when it will benefit you to pay attention to what others add to your life that you may not normally think about.
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Sunday, August 20, 2006
"Be practical about your dreams today, dear Aquarius. Realize that all your talk is still just talk until you manifest it with your own two hands. Attend to all the details, especially when it comes to social engagements, and anything relating to others in general. You will find that the more stable and rational you are, the more you are apt to connect with other people on a practical, working level."
Thursday, August 17, 2006
JWST - The James Webb Space Telescope
A million miles from Earth, the James Webb Space Telescope will drift through a frigid void, peering back to the time when new stars and developing galaxies first began to illuminate the universe. Its infrared instruments will pierce clouds of interstellar dust to watch the birth of stars and the development of potential solar systems
A million miles from Earth, the James Webb Space Telescope will drift through a frigid void, peering back to the time when new stars and developing galaxies first began to illuminate the universe. Its infrared instruments will pierce clouds of interstellar dust to watch the birth of stars and the development of potential solar systems
BBC NEWS UK England London Looted Peru treasure found in UK
Looted Peru treasure found in UK An ancient Peruvian headdress which was looted from an archaeological site almost 20 years ago has been found by police in London.
It is considered a national treasure and disappeared in 1988 after a tomb in northern Peru was raided and its contents sold on the black market.
It was handed to a firm of solicitors in central London by one of its clients who did not know it was stolen.
The headdress, depicting a sea god, dates back to 700AD.
It is an example of ancient Peruvian Mochica civilisation art and is regarded by experts as one of the most important artefacts in Peruvian cultural heritage.
an archaeological object [of] the utmost historical and aesthetic importance Dr Walter Alva
Dr Walter Alva, director of the Royal Tombs of Sipan Museum in Peru, described the seizure as "a very important moment in the worldwide war against illicit art and the looting of my country".
"We are speaking about an archaeological object [of] the utmost historical and aesthetic importance, which is one of the most important ornaments of the ancient Peruvian cultures," he added.
It was recovered by officers from Scotland Yard's Art and Antiquities Squad, who will now send it back to Peru.
No-one has been arrested and the investigation is now in the hands of the Peruvian authorities.
The investigation also drew on the expertise of Michel Van Rijn, an art dealer with extensive experience of hunting for illicit and stolen works of art.
He said: "It is impossible to put a price on a piece of history and world heritage such as this because they never come on the market, but should it do so, it could potentially reach in excess of £1m."
Story from BBC NEWS:http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/5259638.stmPublished: 2006/08/17 12:49:46 GMT© BBC MMVI
Looted Peru treasure found in UK An ancient Peruvian headdress which was looted from an archaeological site almost 20 years ago has been found by police in London.
It is considered a national treasure and disappeared in 1988 after a tomb in northern Peru was raided and its contents sold on the black market.
It was handed to a firm of solicitors in central London by one of its clients who did not know it was stolen.
The headdress, depicting a sea god, dates back to 700AD.
It is an example of ancient Peruvian Mochica civilisation art and is regarded by experts as one of the most important artefacts in Peruvian cultural heritage.
an archaeological object [of] the utmost historical and aesthetic importance Dr Walter Alva
Dr Walter Alva, director of the Royal Tombs of Sipan Museum in Peru, described the seizure as "a very important moment in the worldwide war against illicit art and the looting of my country".
"We are speaking about an archaeological object [of] the utmost historical and aesthetic importance, which is one of the most important ornaments of the ancient Peruvian cultures," he added.
It was recovered by officers from Scotland Yard's Art and Antiquities Squad, who will now send it back to Peru.
No-one has been arrested and the investigation is now in the hands of the Peruvian authorities.
The investigation also drew on the expertise of Michel Van Rijn, an art dealer with extensive experience of hunting for illicit and stolen works of art.
He said: "It is impossible to put a price on a piece of history and world heritage such as this because they never come on the market, but should it do so, it could potentially reach in excess of £1m."
Story from BBC NEWS:http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/5259638.stmPublished: 2006/08/17 12:49:46 GMT© BBC MMVI
Monday, August 14, 2006
The energies are shifting again. If you have become uncomfortable with what has transpired within your most intimate relationships, now it's time to shift gears and make it right. Oddly enough, you might not have to do anything at all on the outside. The real transformation occurs within you as your need for direct confrontation begins to fade. There is no need to push the river of change. Everything is happening right on schedule.
Saturday, August 12, 2006
Friday, August 11, 2006
The Hollow Men
T. S. Eliot (1925)
I
We are the hollow menWe are the stuffed menLeaning togetherHeadpiece filled with straw. Alas!Our dried voices, whenWe whisper togetherAre quiet and meaninglessAs wind in dry grassOr rats' feet over broken glassIn our dry cellar
Shape without form, shade without colour,Paralysed force, gesture without motion;
Those who have crossedWith direct eyes, to death's other KingdomRemember us -- if at all -- not as lostViolent souls, but onlyAs the hollow menThe stuffed men.
II
Eyes I dare not meet in dreamsIn death's dream kingdomThese do not appear:There, the eyes areSunlight on a broken columnThere, is a tree swingingAnd voices areIn the wind's singingMore distant and more solemnThan a fading star.
Let me be no nearerIn death's dream kingdomLet me also wearSuch deliberate disguisesRat's coat, crowskin, crossed stavesIn a fieldBehaving as the wind behavesNo nearer --
Not that final meetingIn the twilight kingdom
III
This is the dead landThis is cactus landHere the stone imagesAre raised, here they receiveThe supplication of a dead man's handUnder the twinkle of a fading star.
Is it like thisIn death's other kingdomWaking aloneAt the hour when we areTrembling with tendernessLips that would kissForm prayers to broken stone.
IV
The eyes are not hereThere are no eyes hereIn this valley of dying starsIn this hollow valleyThis broken jaw of our lost kingdoms
In this last of meeting placesWe grope togetherAnd avoid speechGathered on this beach of the tumid river
Sightless, unlessThe eyes reappearAs the perpetual starMultifoliate roseOf death's twilight kingdomThe hope onlyOf empty men.
V
Here we go round the prickly pearPrickly pear prickly pearHere we go round the prickly pearAt five o'clock in the morning.
Between the ideaAnd the realityBetween the motionAnd the actFalls the Shadow
For Thine is the Kingdom
Between the conceptionAnd the creationBetween the emotionAnd the responseFalls the Shadow
Life is very long
Between the desireAnd the spasmBetween the potencyAnd the existenceBetween the essenceAnd the descentFalls the ShadowFor Thine is the Kingdom
For Thine isLife isFor Thine is the
This is the way the world endsThis is the way the world endsThis is the way the world endsNot with a bang but a whimper.
http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9001614
Jackson Pollockborn January 28, 1912, Cody, Wyoming, U.S.died August 11, 1956, East Hampton, New York
Jackson Pollock painting in his studio on Long Island, New York, 1950. © Hans Namuth in full Paul Jackson Pollock American painter who was a leading exponent of Abstract Expressionism, an art movement characterized by the free-associative gestures in paint sometimes referred to as “action painting.” During his lifetime he received widespread publicity and serious recognition for the radical poured, or “drip,” technique he used to create his major works. Among his contemporaries, he was respected for his deeply personal and totally uncompromising commitment to the art of painting. His work and example had enormous influence on them and on many subsequent art movements in the United States. He is also one of the first American painters to be recognized during his lifetime and after as a peer of 20th-century European masters of modern art.
Jackson Pollockborn January 28, 1912, Cody, Wyoming, U.S.died August 11, 1956, East Hampton, New York
Jackson Pollock painting in his studio on Long Island, New York, 1950. © Hans Namuth in full Paul Jackson Pollock American painter who was a leading exponent of Abstract Expressionism, an art movement characterized by the free-associative gestures in paint sometimes referred to as “action painting.” During his lifetime he received widespread publicity and serious recognition for the radical poured, or “drip,” technique he used to create his major works. Among his contemporaries, he was respected for his deeply personal and totally uncompromising commitment to the art of painting. His work and example had enormous influence on them and on many subsequent art movements in the United States. He is also one of the first American painters to be recognized during his lifetime and after as a peer of 20th-century European masters of modern art.
This is a time of great beginnings, dear Aquarius, so take the time now to prepare for the future. Connect to events and situations that resonate with your true being. The inner and outer aspects of your nature are working harmoniously, and you should expect that all your interactions with people would go very well today - especially with those of the opposite sex. There is a great deal of power behind your words and actions, so act wisely, and you can accomplish a great deal.
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Figure of a Seated Chieftain, A.D. 300/600
Mexico, Gulf Coast, Southern Veracruz; Early Classic Remojadas style. Terracotta
H: 31 in. (78.7 cm); W: 29.5 in. (75 cm) Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Dittmer; Major Acquisitions Centennial Endowment,
1995.429
This naturalistic figure ranks among the finest works of the Remojadas sculptural tradition. The artist modeled the face of this youthful chieftain as an idealized type, yet with a sense of individual portraiture. Sitting cross-legged, with arms extended to the knees, his body conveys a feeling of tension. The young ruler is elegantly dressed with an elaborate turban-like headdress, belt and kilt. The jewelry adorning his wrists and neck represent flowers, while the embroidery of the belt signals rank and status.
Sophisticated clay technology was used to create this masterpiece. The head and neck were fired separately, and placed over a hole at the top of the body, with soft clay added to smooth and strengthen the joint. The arms and legs are made of hollow tubes, joined to the torso when still leather hard before firing. The flowers and belt ornaments are made from small bits of clay pressed to the moist surface, a process known as appliqu�. When thoroughly dry the figure was fired, probably by piling wood around it. The naturalistic rendition of the human form, the close attention to human expression, and the technological command of the potter all attest to a mature artistic tradition. As in other regions of Mesoamerica, the idealized portrayal of rulers in funerary art was linked to ancestor worship.
This gold aluminum cover was designed to protect the Voyager 1 and 2 "Sounds of Earth" gold-plated records from micrometeorite bombardment, but also serves a double purpose in providing the finder a key to playing the record. The explanatory diagram appears on both the inner and outer surfaces of the cover, as the outer diagram will be eroded in time.
Flying aboard Voyagers 1 and 2 are identical records, carrying the story of Earth far into deep space. The 12-inch gold-plated copper discs contain greetings in 60 languages, samples of music from different cultures and eras and natural and man-made sounds from Earth. They also contain electronic information that an advanced technological civilization could convert into diagrams and images.
That you are what you think can really work to your advantage now, for your thoughts are more powerful and more connected to your core essence these days. But if you are feeling some self-doubt, it can be debilitating, especially if it prevents you from partaking in a crucial discussion. Your point of view is desperately needed, regardless of how you feel. Share your opinions, but be careful about overstating your cause in order to cover your own uncertainty.
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Stranger than science fiction Salon Books
Stranger than science fiction
Before JT Leroy there was James Tiptree Jr. -- the writer and alter ego of Alice Sheldon, a beautiful woman who struggled under the weight of her talent, depression and sexuality.
By Laura Miller
Print EmailFont: S / S+ / S++
Photo courtesy of Mary Hastings Bradley Papers, University of Illinois
Alice Sheldon in fall 1945
People are understandably fascinated by the lives of great artists. We scrutinize them for the formative experience or the light-bulb flare of inspiration -- whatever it is that pushes a human being beyond the rim of the merely good and results in a work for the ages. But in a way, the lives of the near great are just as illuminating. They're more like us in both their fears and their limitations, and they're often better at showing us where the threshold is by not quite managing to cross it. With them, you can see the precise point when nerve failed, perseverance ran out, vision faltered.
Take the case of James Tiptree Jr., who for a few years during the heyday of science fiction's "New Wave," in the 1960s, wrote stories that combined, in the words of biographer Julie Phillips, "exhilarating speed with unsettling shifts of perspective and resonant moral and psychological depths." The reclusive Tiptree carried on involved, intimate correspondences with at least a dozen other writers and editors. They knew that their friend had gone on safari in Africa at the age of 6, learned to fly a plane and shoot a gun, worked for military intelligence during World War II and for the CIA afterward, published a short story in the New Yorker and obtained a Ph.D. in clinical psychology. What they didn't know was that he didn't exist, or not exactly. The person writing under the name James Tiptree Jr. was actually Alice Sheldon, a woman in her 50s, living with her husband in suburban McLean, Va.
Stranger than science fiction
Before JT Leroy there was James Tiptree Jr. -- the writer and alter ego of Alice Sheldon, a beautiful woman who struggled under the weight of her talent, depression and sexuality.
By Laura Miller
Print EmailFont: S / S+ / S++
Photo courtesy of Mary Hastings Bradley Papers, University of Illinois
Alice Sheldon in fall 1945
People are understandably fascinated by the lives of great artists. We scrutinize them for the formative experience or the light-bulb flare of inspiration -- whatever it is that pushes a human being beyond the rim of the merely good and results in a work for the ages. But in a way, the lives of the near great are just as illuminating. They're more like us in both their fears and their limitations, and they're often better at showing us where the threshold is by not quite managing to cross it. With them, you can see the precise point when nerve failed, perseverance ran out, vision faltered.
Take the case of James Tiptree Jr., who for a few years during the heyday of science fiction's "New Wave," in the 1960s, wrote stories that combined, in the words of biographer Julie Phillips, "exhilarating speed with unsettling shifts of perspective and resonant moral and psychological depths." The reclusive Tiptree carried on involved, intimate correspondences with at least a dozen other writers and editors. They knew that their friend had gone on safari in Africa at the age of 6, learned to fly a plane and shoot a gun, worked for military intelligence during World War II and for the CIA afterward, published a short story in the New Yorker and obtained a Ph.D. in clinical psychology. What they didn't know was that he didn't exist, or not exactly. The person writing under the name James Tiptree Jr. was actually Alice Sheldon, a woman in her 50s, living with her husband in suburban McLean, Va.
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
NPR : Titan's Lakes Are a Gas
Space
Titan's Lakes Are a Gas
by Richard Harris
Weekend Edition Sunday, August 6, 2006 · Astronomers say they finally found lakes on Saturn's moon, Titan. But they don't hold water, they hold liquid natural gas. This discovery, from the Cassini space probe, is revealing Titan to have striking similarities with Earth.
Related NPR Stories
Jan. 21, 2005Scrambling Effort Saved Huygens Probe
Jan. 21, 2005Sorting Data from the Huygens Probe on Titan
Jan. 21, 2005Titan Images Show a Cold World of Methane Rain
Jan. 15, 2005Color Photos Reveal Details of Titan's Surface
Jan. 14, 2005Probe Gathers Data on Murky Titan
Jan. 14, 2005European Space Probe Lands on Saturn's Titan
Jan. 14, 2005Probe Sends Back Images from Titan
Oct. 29, 2004Cassini's Titan Photos Stump Scientists
Oct. 28, 2004Cassini Probes Secrets of Saturn's Biggest Moon
Oct. 27, 2004Cassini Sends Home Shots of Saturn's Moon
Space
Titan's Lakes Are a Gas
by Richard Harris
Weekend Edition Sunday, August 6, 2006 · Astronomers say they finally found lakes on Saturn's moon, Titan. But they don't hold water, they hold liquid natural gas. This discovery, from the Cassini space probe, is revealing Titan to have striking similarities with Earth.
Related NPR Stories
Jan. 21, 2005Scrambling Effort Saved Huygens Probe
Jan. 21, 2005Sorting Data from the Huygens Probe on Titan
Jan. 21, 2005Titan Images Show a Cold World of Methane Rain
Jan. 15, 2005Color Photos Reveal Details of Titan's Surface
Jan. 14, 2005Probe Gathers Data on Murky Titan
Jan. 14, 2005European Space Probe Lands on Saturn's Titan
Jan. 14, 2005Probe Sends Back Images from Titan
Oct. 29, 2004Cassini's Titan Photos Stump Scientists
Oct. 28, 2004Cassini Probes Secrets of Saturn's Biggest Moon
Oct. 27, 2004Cassini Sends Home Shots of Saturn's Moon
USATODAY.com - High-dose statins cut 2nd stroke risk
High-dose statins cut 2nd stroke risk
Updated 8/9/2006 8:04 PM ET
By Linda A. Johnson The Associated Press
High doses of a cholesterol-lowering drug could help some stroke survivors avoid a second stroke and future heart problems, the first test of this approach found.
Experts said medical guidelines probably will be changed to recommend high doses of statin drugs as a routine part of stroke care for certain patients.
For every 100 people who were given high doses of the statin Lipitor, there were about two fewer strokes and three to four fewer major heart problems than among those who were given dummy pills. But there also was one more hemorrhagic stroke, or bleeding into the brain.
"Even with that risk, you can clearly see a benefit," said Adnan Qureshi of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in Newark.
Previous studies in heart patients found that statins cut the risk of a stroke, but this was the first test of one of the drugs specifically in stroke survivors. The findings appear in today's New England Journal of Medicine. Lipitor's maker, Pfizer, paid for the study.
Led by researchers at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science in Chicago, the study involved 4,731 people who had had a stroke or mini-stroke but no history of heart disease.
Half took the highest dose of Lipitor; the rest took a placebo. Over an average of five years, 11% of those on Lipitor had a second stroke, compared with 13% of the others. Bleeding strokes occurred in just over 2% of those on Lipitor vs. nearly 1.5% in the placebo group.
The Lipitor patients also had one-third fewer heart attacks and other cardiac problems than the group on dummy pills. Deaths were the same in both groups.
Patients in the study had average levels of LDL, or bad cholesterol, and the statins pushed the Lipitor group down to very low levels.
"You can't say from this study that people placed on this regimen live longer, but you can argue that they live better, from fewer strokes and other cardiovascular" complications, said Robert Adams, a Medical College of Georgia neurologist.
Adams, vice chairman of an American Stroke Association panel that updated guidelines this year on preventing second strokes, said they now state that some stroke survivors without heart disease "are reasonable candidates" for use of a statin to prevent another stroke.
He called the 80-milligram dose in the study high; standard doses for heart patients are 10 to 40 milligrams.
Lipitor's benefit "was relatively modest," David Kent of Tufts-New England Medical Center wrote in an editorial in the journal.
High-dose statins cut 2nd stroke risk
Updated 8/9/2006 8:04 PM ET
By Linda A. Johnson The Associated Press
High doses of a cholesterol-lowering drug could help some stroke survivors avoid a second stroke and future heart problems, the first test of this approach found.
Experts said medical guidelines probably will be changed to recommend high doses of statin drugs as a routine part of stroke care for certain patients.
For every 100 people who were given high doses of the statin Lipitor, there were about two fewer strokes and three to four fewer major heart problems than among those who were given dummy pills. But there also was one more hemorrhagic stroke, or bleeding into the brain.
"Even with that risk, you can clearly see a benefit," said Adnan Qureshi of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in Newark.
Previous studies in heart patients found that statins cut the risk of a stroke, but this was the first test of one of the drugs specifically in stroke survivors. The findings appear in today's New England Journal of Medicine. Lipitor's maker, Pfizer, paid for the study.
Led by researchers at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science in Chicago, the study involved 4,731 people who had had a stroke or mini-stroke but no history of heart disease.
Half took the highest dose of Lipitor; the rest took a placebo. Over an average of five years, 11% of those on Lipitor had a second stroke, compared with 13% of the others. Bleeding strokes occurred in just over 2% of those on Lipitor vs. nearly 1.5% in the placebo group.
The Lipitor patients also had one-third fewer heart attacks and other cardiac problems than the group on dummy pills. Deaths were the same in both groups.
Patients in the study had average levels of LDL, or bad cholesterol, and the statins pushed the Lipitor group down to very low levels.
"You can't say from this study that people placed on this regimen live longer, but you can argue that they live better, from fewer strokes and other cardiovascular" complications, said Robert Adams, a Medical College of Georgia neurologist.
Adams, vice chairman of an American Stroke Association panel that updated guidelines this year on preventing second strokes, said they now state that some stroke survivors without heart disease "are reasonable candidates" for use of a statin to prevent another stroke.
He called the 80-milligram dose in the study high; standard doses for heart patients are 10 to 40 milligrams.
Lipitor's benefit "was relatively modest," David Kent of Tufts-New England Medical Center wrote in an editorial in the journal.
USATODAY.com - High-dose statins cut 2nd stroke risk
High-dose statins cut 2nd stroke risk
Updated 8/9/2006 8:04 PM ET
By Linda A. Johnson The Associated Press
High doses of a cholesterol-lowering drug could help some stroke survivors avoid a second stroke and future heart problems, the first test of this approach found.
Experts said medical guidelines probably will be changed to recommend high doses of statin drugs as a routine part of stroke care for certain patients.
For every 100 people who were given high doses of the statin Lipitor, there were about two fewer strokes and three to four fewer major heart problems than among those who were given dummy pills. But there also was one more hemorrhagic stroke, or bleeding into the brain.
"Even with that risk, you can clearly see a benefit," said Adnan Qureshi of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in Newark.
Previous studies in heart patients found that statins cut the risk of a stroke, but this was the first test of one of the drugs specifically in stroke survivors. The findings appear in today's New England Journal of Medicine. Lipitor's maker, Pfizer, paid for the study.
Led by researchers at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science in Chicago, the study involved 4,731 people who had had a stroke or mini-stroke but no history of heart disease.
Half took the highest dose of Lipitor; the rest took a placebo. Over an average of five years, 11% of those on Lipitor had a second stroke, compared with 13% of the others. Bleeding strokes occurred in just over 2% of those on Lipitor vs. nearly 1.5% in the placebo group.
The Lipitor patients also had one-third fewer heart attacks and other cardiac problems than the group on dummy pills. Deaths were the same in both groups.
Patients in the study had average levels of LDL, or bad cholesterol, and the statins pushed the Lipitor group down to very low levels.
"You can't say from this study that people placed on this regimen live longer, but you can argue that they live better, from fewer strokes and other cardiovascular" complications, said Robert Adams, a Medical College of Georgia neurologist.
Adams, vice chairman of an American Stroke Association panel that updated guidelines this year on preventing second strokes, said they now state that some stroke survivors without heart disease "are reasonable candidates" for use of a statin to prevent another stroke.
He called the 80-milligram dose in the study high; standard doses for heart patients are 10 to 40 milligrams.
Lipitor's benefit "was relatively modest," David Kent of Tufts-New England Medical Center wrote in an editorial in the journal.
High-dose statins cut 2nd stroke risk
Updated 8/9/2006 8:04 PM ET
By Linda A. Johnson The Associated Press
High doses of a cholesterol-lowering drug could help some stroke survivors avoid a second stroke and future heart problems, the first test of this approach found.
Experts said medical guidelines probably will be changed to recommend high doses of statin drugs as a routine part of stroke care for certain patients.
For every 100 people who were given high doses of the statin Lipitor, there were about two fewer strokes and three to four fewer major heart problems than among those who were given dummy pills. But there also was one more hemorrhagic stroke, or bleeding into the brain.
"Even with that risk, you can clearly see a benefit," said Adnan Qureshi of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in Newark.
Previous studies in heart patients found that statins cut the risk of a stroke, but this was the first test of one of the drugs specifically in stroke survivors. The findings appear in today's New England Journal of Medicine. Lipitor's maker, Pfizer, paid for the study.
Led by researchers at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science in Chicago, the study involved 4,731 people who had had a stroke or mini-stroke but no history of heart disease.
Half took the highest dose of Lipitor; the rest took a placebo. Over an average of five years, 11% of those on Lipitor had a second stroke, compared with 13% of the others. Bleeding strokes occurred in just over 2% of those on Lipitor vs. nearly 1.5% in the placebo group.
The Lipitor patients also had one-third fewer heart attacks and other cardiac problems than the group on dummy pills. Deaths were the same in both groups.
Patients in the study had average levels of LDL, or bad cholesterol, and the statins pushed the Lipitor group down to very low levels.
"You can't say from this study that people placed on this regimen live longer, but you can argue that they live better, from fewer strokes and other cardiovascular" complications, said Robert Adams, a Medical College of Georgia neurologist.
Adams, vice chairman of an American Stroke Association panel that updated guidelines this year on preventing second strokes, said they now state that some stroke survivors without heart disease "are reasonable candidates" for use of a statin to prevent another stroke.
He called the 80-milligram dose in the study high; standard doses for heart patients are 10 to 40 milligrams.
Lipitor's benefit "was relatively modest," David Kent of Tufts-New England Medical Center wrote in an editorial in the journal.
This is a time of great beginnings, dear Aquarius, so take the time now to prepare for the future. Connect to events and situations that resonate with your true being. The inner and outer aspects of your nature are working harmoniously, and you should expect that all your interactions with people would go very well today - especially with those of the opposite sex. There is a great deal of power behind your words and actions, so act wisely, and you can accomplish a great deal.
New Dune Books Resume StoryBest-selling author Kevin J. Anderson told SCI FI Wire that he and Brian Herbert based the sequel novels Hunters of Dune and the forthcoming Sandworms of Dune on notes for Dune 7 written by Brian's father, Dune creator Frank Herbert, prior to his 1986 death.
"We saw that Dune 7 would have been an epic that we didn't think we could tell in under 1,400 pages, so we broke it into two 700-page volumes," Anderson said in an interview. "In the last eight months I've been writing a blog on Dunenovels.com, describing the progress of the two volumes.
We've been getting 1.7 million hits per month, so the excitement among the fans worldwide is really building." Unlike the previous Anderson/Herbert collaborations, which were all prequels to Dune, Hunters of Dune picks up where the last Frank Herbert Dune novel left off. "In Chapterhouse Dune, the galaxy is being overrun by a group of evil, destructive women called the Honored Matres, sort of the dark counterparts of the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood," Anderson said.
"They are enslaving populations, destroying planets, and at the end of the book we learn that the Honored Matres are actually on the run from an unidentified outside 'Enemy' that's even worse. Our main characters steal a ship as large as a city, destroy their navigation system and fly off into uncharted territory with the mysterious Enemy searching for them. That's where the book ends, and that's where fans were left for many years." Anderson added:
"In Hunters (and the subsequent volume, Sandworms), we follow Duncan Idaho and his comrades aboard the giant fleeing ship, trying to keep away from the Enemy, because they know that something or someone aboard the ship holds the key to ending the great coming war and changing the universe. Meanwhile, the surviving Bene Gesserits try to rally the rest of humanity to make their final stand against a force that intends to exterminate them." Anderson said that Frank Herbert's notes included a description of the story and a great deal of character background information. "But having a roadmap of the U.S. and actually driving across the country are two different things," he said. "Brian and I had a lot to work with and a lot to expand, now that we had Frank's original six novels and our six prequels to wrap up.
" Although Hunters and Sandworms will conclude the original series as envisioned by Frank Herbert, Anderson and Brian Herbert plan to continue exploring the Dune universe. "We have already sold the first volume in the Paul of Dune trilogy, which will tell the story of Paul's younger years, his friendship with Duncan and Gurney and Duke Leto's War of Assassins against Grumman," Anderson said. "And it will also fill in the story between Dune and Dune Messiah, Paul's great Jihad, Princess Irulan's task of building the legend of Muad'Dib, Shaddam's bid for a return to power: Certainly there's enough to fill a couple of books!" —John Joseph Adams
"We saw that Dune 7 would have been an epic that we didn't think we could tell in under 1,400 pages, so we broke it into two 700-page volumes," Anderson said in an interview. "In the last eight months I've been writing a blog on Dunenovels.com, describing the progress of the two volumes.
We've been getting 1.7 million hits per month, so the excitement among the fans worldwide is really building." Unlike the previous Anderson/Herbert collaborations, which were all prequels to Dune, Hunters of Dune picks up where the last Frank Herbert Dune novel left off. "In Chapterhouse Dune, the galaxy is being overrun by a group of evil, destructive women called the Honored Matres, sort of the dark counterparts of the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood," Anderson said.
"They are enslaving populations, destroying planets, and at the end of the book we learn that the Honored Matres are actually on the run from an unidentified outside 'Enemy' that's even worse. Our main characters steal a ship as large as a city, destroy their navigation system and fly off into uncharted territory with the mysterious Enemy searching for them. That's where the book ends, and that's where fans were left for many years." Anderson added:
"In Hunters (and the subsequent volume, Sandworms), we follow Duncan Idaho and his comrades aboard the giant fleeing ship, trying to keep away from the Enemy, because they know that something or someone aboard the ship holds the key to ending the great coming war and changing the universe. Meanwhile, the surviving Bene Gesserits try to rally the rest of humanity to make their final stand against a force that intends to exterminate them." Anderson said that Frank Herbert's notes included a description of the story and a great deal of character background information. "But having a roadmap of the U.S. and actually driving across the country are two different things," he said. "Brian and I had a lot to work with and a lot to expand, now that we had Frank's original six novels and our six prequels to wrap up.
" Although Hunters and Sandworms will conclude the original series as envisioned by Frank Herbert, Anderson and Brian Herbert plan to continue exploring the Dune universe. "We have already sold the first volume in the Paul of Dune trilogy, which will tell the story of Paul's younger years, his friendship with Duncan and Gurney and Duke Leto's War of Assassins against Grumman," Anderson said. "And it will also fill in the story between Dune and Dune Messiah, Paul's great Jihad, Princess Irulan's task of building the legend of Muad'Dib, Shaddam's bid for a return to power: Certainly there's enough to fill a couple of books!" —John Joseph Adams
This Full Moon in your sign can flush your mind with feelings and your body with strange sensations. You feel alive, although you might not be very grounded now. Since today emphasizes the polarity between your head and your heart, you'd do well to seek out other like-minded eccentrics with whom you can travel to the edges of the universe. Remember not to go into denial about your physical sensations.
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Aquarius
Try not to force your opinion on others today, dear Aquarius. This is an important day for collecting data as opposed to dishing it out. Nurture your receptive qualities and you will be surprised at the incredible insights that can emerge. Your mind may want to travel inward today, so give it the chance to do so. Spend some quiet time alone toward the end of the day to analyze your thoughts and feelings and digest the input that you have received over the course of the day.
Try not to force your opinion on others today, dear Aquarius. This is an important day for collecting data as opposed to dishing it out. Nurture your receptive qualities and you will be surprised at the incredible insights that can emerge. Your mind may want to travel inward today, so give it the chance to do so. Spend some quiet time alone toward the end of the day to analyze your thoughts and feelings and digest the input that you have received over the course of the day.
This Day in History - Encyclopedia Britannica
1974: Resignation of U.S. President Nixon Faced with the near-certain prospect of impeachment for his role in the Watergate Scandal, U.S. President Richard M. Nixon announced his resignation on this day in 1974 and was succeeded by Gerald Ford the following day.
i was a summer missionary working in new jersey and new york for the southern baptist convention and this summer i was required to watch the while impeachment on tv, it was the same summer johnny jordon, my lover, commited suicide while i was in new jersey, i had a premonition he was going to die and had taped a message to mellisa, which she ignored
1974: Resignation of U.S. President Nixon Faced with the near-certain prospect of impeachment for his role in the Watergate Scandal, U.S. President Richard M. Nixon announced his resignation on this day in 1974 and was succeeded by Gerald Ford the following day.
i was a summer missionary working in new jersey and new york for the southern baptist convention and this summer i was required to watch the while impeachment on tv, it was the same summer johnny jordon, my lover, commited suicide while i was in new jersey, i had a premonition he was going to die and had taped a message to mellisa, which she ignored
Monday, August 07, 2006
Sunday, August 06, 2006
Saturday, August 05, 2006
Thursday, August 03, 2006
You will find that disciplined actions are the best way to go about your day today, dear Aquarius. Stay focused and on your path. You will find that you can accomplish many tasks at the same time if you play your cards right. Try not to get bogged down with details. People might cause you to worry too much. Don't let their energy get in the way of your progress.