The Man Rules

Yes, this may not be politically correct, but it is pretty funny

Here are the rules from the male side.

These are our rules! Please note.. these are all numbered "1 " ON PURPOSE!

1. Men are NOT mind readers. ( FIRST AND FOREMOST RULE)

1. Learn to work the toilet seat. You're a big girl. If it's up, put it down. We need it up, you need it down. You don't hear us complaining about you leaving it down.

1. Sunday sports - It's like the full moon or the changing of the tides. Let it be.

1. Crying is blackmail.

1. Ask for what you want. Let us be clear on this one: Subtle hints do not work! Strong hints do not work! Obvious hints do not work! Just say it!

1. Yes and No are perfectly acceptable answers to almost every question.

1. Come to us with a problem onlyif you want help solving it. That's what we do. Sympathy is what your girlfriends are for.

1. Anything we said 6 months ago is inadmissible in an argument. In fact, all comments become Null and void after 7 Days.

1. If you think you're fat, you probably are. Don't ask us.

1. If something we said can be interpreted two ways and one of the ways makes you sad or angry, we meant the other one

1. You can either ask us to do something Or tell us how you want it done. Not both. If you already know best how to do it, just do it yourself.

1. Whenever possible, Please say whatever you have to say during commercials.

1. Christopher Columbus did NOT need directions and neither do we.

1. ALL men see in only 16 colors, like Windows default settings. Peach, for example, is a fruit, not A color. Pumpkin is also a fruit. We have no idea what mauve is.

1. If it itches, it will be scratched. We do that.

1. If we ask what is wrong and you say "nothing," We will act like nothing's wrong. We know you are lying, but it is just not worth the hassle.

1. If you ask a question you don't want an answer to, Expect an answer you don't want to hear.

1. When we have to go somewhere, absolutely anything you wear is fine... Really .

1. Don't ask us what we're thinking about unless you are prepared to discuss such topics as Football or Hockey.

1. You have enough clothes.

1. You have too many shoes.

1. I am in shape. Round IS a shape!

1. Thank you for reading this. Yes, I know, I have to sleep on the couch tonight; But did you know men really don't mind that? It's like camping.

The Roll Call on the Senate Bills

Here is a memo from the ISMA. The results of the two bills SB 75 and SB 87 was not as we wanted, but in less than 24 hours 156 personal notes were sent to 42 Senators.

In spite of heavy opposition and lobbying efforts from the insurance industry, organized labor unions, Indiana State Chamber of Commerce, Indiana Manufacturing Association, the Governor's Office and others, SB 75 missed passing out of the Senate by one vote.

As disappointing as the outcome might be, we were encouraged by the support we received by the 25 Senators and appreciate their efforts to stand up to the opposition and vote for what is best for our patients and providers in the State of Indiana.

In the way of good news, SB 87, which we opposed because it did not solve the issue of assignement of benefits, also did not make it out of the Senate. The bill was not called for a 3rd reading vote, thus failing to pass before the deadline.

Included below is the roll call of the votes. Please look at where our Senators are.

Please feel free to contact your Senator to express your thanks for supporting our efforts on assignment of benefits or POLIETLY express your disappointment with the Senators that chose to side with the insurance industry and unions.

Thank you again for your willingness to take part in the process by contacting your state legislators.

Vote
Total Yeas=25 with Dem.=2 and Rep.=23
Total Nays=24 with Dem.=14 and Rep.=10
Excused were 1 Democrat

SB0075

Payment to health providers without contracts.
Roll Call #168 on 2/24/2009
Voting YEA:
D - Sue Errington
R - Travis Holdman
R - Patricia L. Miller
D - James A. Lewis
R - Howard "Luke" Kenley
R - Allen E. Paul
R - Ron Alting
R - Dennis K. Kruse
R - Brent Steele
R - Vaneta Becker
R - Sue Landske
R - Marlin Stutzman
R - Richard D. Bray
R - Connie Lawson
R - Brent Waltz
R - Gary Dillon
R - David C. Long
R - Thomas J. Wyss
R - Beverly J. Gard
R - Teresa S. Lubbers
R - Carlin Yoder
R - Randy Head
R - James W. Merritt, Jr.
R - Joseph C. Zakas
R - Brandt Hershman

Voting NAY:
D - Jim Arnold
D - Vi Simpson
R - Edward E. Charbonneau
D - Jean Breaux
D - Connie W. Sipes
R - Mike Delph
D - John E. Broden
D - Timothy D. Skinner
R - Jean Leising
D - Robert J. Deig
D - Karen Tallian
R - Ryan D. Mishler
D - Tim Lanane
D - Greg Taylor
R - Johnny Nugent
D - Frank Mrvan, Jr.
D - Richard D. Young, Jr.
R - Greg Walker
D - Lonnie Randolph
R - Phil Boots
R - John M. Waterman
D - Earline S. Rogers
R - James Russell Buck
R - R. Michael Young

Excused from Voting:
D - Lindel O. Hume

Poor Medical Reporting

In the following story ABC News: New Way to Blast Fat Without Surgery Looks Promising which also aired on ABC, the media continues to do the readers and listeners a disservice. This story basically turns a normal state of health (fat turnover) into a medical issue and the report is basically disease-mongering

This story as reported lacked:

• evidence


• discussion of hard data results in the alleged 50,000 people who've had it


• discussion of potential harms


• and really no specifics of any sort

Although the piece mentioned that over 50,000 people have received this treatment, there was absolutely no critical assessment about the claims made by clinicians who sell this service or device. It was stated that there were no long term studies associated with this product; but what about short term evidence? If 50,000 people have had it, certainly there must be some evidence to talk about.

While there was mention of a 4-6 cm loss in circumference there was no background about the study or studies used to generate it.

Lastly, the report concludes by mentioning that someone on the news staff has volunteered to go to Canada to try this out and that they will monitor her results. This sends the inaccurate message that the experience of a single individual is a reasonable substitute for rigorous, scientific research on a topic.

None of us should be surprised by this poor use of air time as we have grown accustomed to mediocrity in the reporting from mainstream media.

CALL YOUR SENATOR TODAY

Your Senator needs to hear from all Indiana providers ASAP regarding assignment of benefits and SB 75/SB 87.

Actions taken today by the Senate has forwarded both bills for consideration on 3rd reading on Tuesday, February 24th, which means we are one floor vote away from passing Assignment of Benefits out of the Senate!!!

This notice is to ask you to contact your State Senator and ask them to stand up to the insurance industry on your behalf by voting yes on SB 75 and no on SB 87.By phone:

Please feel free to contact them by phone by calling: 317.232.9400 on Tuesday the 24th during 8:30am to 5pm.

Please include in your message that you SUPPORT SB 75 and OPPOSE SB 87.

By email: Please follow the steps to complete an email that will be sent to your State Senator.

Please include in your message that you SUPPORT SB 75 and OPPOSE SB 87.

Please don't miss this opportunity to be heard on this historic vote.

This is historic because in this rare instance opposition such as Anthem/Wellpoint, United, Cigna, Aetna, Delta Dental, AFL-CIO, Indiana Manufacturers Association, The Indiana State Chamber of Commerece and the Governer's Office have all lined up opposing health care providers on these bills.

Please contact your State Senator today and ask that they stand up for you!!!!

Vytorin Gets Better Report

Vytorin is one of our cholesterol lowering drugs and it took a lot of heat last year from the media after a study was released stating it didn’t work any better than generic drugs and may increase risk of other diseases.

This year, the FDA is retracting some of their previous opinions in the following release: Follow-up to the January 25, 2008 Early Communication about an Ongoing Data Review for Ezetimibe/Simvastatin (marketed as Vytorin), Ezetimibe (marketed as Zetia), and Simvastatin (marketed as Zocor)

The FDA is now recommending that patients should not stop taking Vytorin and the FDA does seem to believe that this drug may offer better LDL (bad cholesterol) reductions.

I am pretty certain the mainstream media that published so many articles on this drug’s potential harm will not put as much emphasis on this newest recommendation.

Am I being skeptical or realistic?

Grandma Knows Best

Yes, grandma was right again. She always said that a good night’s sleep would help you fight off a cold and now the researchers are proving her correct.

In this latest study, researchers used frequent telephone interviews to track the sleep habits of more than 150 men and women aged 21 to 55. After a few weeks of tracking, they exposed the subjects to the virus, quarantined them for five days and kept track of who got sick.

The individuals who averaged fewer than seven hours of sleep per night in the weeks before being exposed to the cold virus were nearly three times as likely to get sick as those who averaged eight hours or more.

The study also measured “sleep efficiency” which is the percentage of time in bed that you’re actually sleeping and found the patients with a higher score did better as well.

None of the researchers can explain with certainty why more and better sleep helps fight the cold, but it is likely related to proinflammatory cytokines, histamines, and other symptom mediators that are released in response to infection and in which sleep helps to regulate.

The bottom line is; “listen to your grandmother”. She is likely wiser than her years.

Americans at Their Best

Beware, they're out there

IDIOT SIGHTING #1:
We had to have the garage door repaired. The Sears repairman told us that one of our problems was that we did not have a 'large' enough motor on the opener. I thought for a minute, and said that we had the largest one Sears made at that time, a 1/2 horsepower. He shook his head and said, 'Lady, you need a 1/4 horsepower.' I responded that 1/2 was larger than 1/4. He said, 'NO, it's not.' Four is larger than two.. .’
We haven't used Sears repair since.

IDIOT SIGHTING #2:
My daughter and I went through the McDonald's take-out window and I gave the clerk a $5 bill. Our total was $4.25, so I also handed her a quarter. She said, 'you gave me too much money.' I said, 'Yes I know, but this way you can just give me a dollar bill back. She sighed and went to get the manager who asked me to repeat my request. I did so, and he handed me back the quarter, and said 'We're sorry y but we could not do that kind of thing.' The clerk then proceeded to give me back $1 and 75 cents in change..

Do not confuse the clerks at McD's.

IDIOT SIGHTING #3 :
I live in a semi rural area. We recently had a new neighbor call the local township administrative office to request the removal of the DEER CROSSING sign on our road. The reason: 'Too many deer are being hit by cars out here!' I don't think this is a good place for them to be crossing anymore.'

IDIOT SIGHTING #4 IN FOOD SERVICE:
My daughter went to a local Taco Bell and ordered a taco. She asked the person behind the counter for 'minimallettuce.' He said he was sorry, but they only had iceberg lettuce.
**From Kansas City

IDIOT SIGHTING #5:
I was at the airport, checking in at the gate when an airport employee asked, 'Has anyone put anything in your baggage without your knowledge?' To which I replied, 'If it was without my knowledge, how would I know?' He smiled knowingly and nodded, 'That's why we ask.'
**Happened in Birmingham , Ala.

IDIOT SIGHTING #6 :
The stoplight on the corner buzzes when it's safe to cross the street. I was crossing with an intellectually challenged coworker of mine. She asked if I knew what the buzzer was for. I explained that it signals blind people when the light is red. Appalled, she responded, 'What on earth are blind people doing driving?!'
**She was a probation officer inWichita, KS

IDIOT SIGHTING #7:
At a good-bye luncheon for an old and dear coworker. She was leaving the company due to 'downsizing.' Our manager commented cheerfully,'This is fun. We should do this more often.' Not another word was spoken. We all just looked at each other with that deer-in-the-headlights stare.
**This was a lunch at Texas Instruments.

IDIOT SIGHTING #8:
I work with an individual who plugged her power strip back into itself and for the sake of her life, couldn't understand why her system would not turn on.
**A deputy with the Dallas County Sheriffs office, no less.

IDIOT SIGHTING #9:

When my husband and I arrived at an automobile dealership to pick up our car, we were told the keys had been locked in it. We went to the service department and found a mechanic working feverishly to unlock the driver side door. As I watched from the passenger side, I instinctively tried the door handle and discovered that it was unlocked. 'Hey,' I announced to the technician, 'its open!' His reply, 'I know. I already got that side.'
**This was in Canton, MS

STAY ALERT!

They walk among us... and they VOTE and they REPRODUCE

Surgeon Decline

In this recent WSJ article Surgeon Shortage Pushes Hospitals to Hire Temps - WSJ.com we see that more and more general surgeons are choosing other career paths. Many small community hospitals are finding it harder and harder to recruit and retain good general surgeons.

If you are the only available surgeon at your hospital, it means you are on-call 24/7 and this is not a very attractive idea when reimbursements are down and the hassles of practicing are up.

Locum tenens are the option many hospitals settle on, but this is a huge expense and just contributes to the ever rising healthcare costs.

There is no easy answer, but as the graph above shows, the steep decline is very worrisome!

More FDA Demands

The FDA decided in December to require the manufacturers of antiepileptic drugs to add warnings to their package inserts that the drugs use may increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

The FDA will also require that the pharmaceutical companies submit a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy for each product and a patient medical guide, which will contain "FDA-approved information" about the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors associated with the class of antiepileptic medications.

The following is the list of antiepileptic drugs that are required to add warnings:

• Carbatrol


• Klonopin


• Tranxene


• Depakote


• Zarontin


• Peganone


• Felbatol


• Neurontin


• Lamictal


• Vimpat


• Keppra


• Mesantoin


• Celontin


• Trileptal


• Dilantin


• Lyrica


• Mysoline


• Banzel


• Gabitril


• Topamax


• Tridione


• Depakene


• Zonegran

Physicians have concerns about the new labeling demands but there really is not much they can do about it.

Stimulus Effect on Healthcare

So what does the stimulus bill really mean to Healthcare? To most Americans, the report of the House Committee on Appropriations would have seemed perfectly sensible.

The report explained the committee's rationale for including $1.1 billion for something called "comparative effectiveness research" in the massive economic stimulus bill. This is research done by doctors and statisticians who review large number of patient records to determine, for any particular disease, which treatments work best.

By knowing what works best, at an appropriate cost, these will be allowed and other more expensive procedures will no longer be paid for.

This really is not new as the National Institutes of Health, along with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, have been doing it for years, with a budget last year of about $335 million. But now with Democrats in power, this new effort should be a warning shot across the bow of a government run health system and the beginning of European-style health-care rationing.

The recent article "Ruin Your Health With the Obama Stimulus Plan," by Betsy McCaughey, former lieutenant governor of New York and adjunct senior fellow at the conservative Hudson Institute started a media outcry on both talk radio and mainstream news channels. They were warning and worried that the stimulus bill would put the government in control of what medical treatments you and your family would be allowed to receive and it set the stage for Megyn Kelly's interview with Sen. Arlen Specter, who was virtually browbeat by the anchor until he promised that "we are not going to let the federal government monitor what doctors do." But very few physicians believe this is a true statement.

These concerns have now been called right-wing radical rhetoric and other non-flattering terms, but the facts remain that once you start down this road, the potential for all of this is very real.
There are many examples from Britain and other countries with national healthcare of people being denied access to care, drugs and procedures, including some that are significantly more effective than other treatments and if this comparative effectiveness research is done badly, or if the results are used simply as an excuse to deny insurance coverage for all expensive treatments, then there will be ample cause for an uproar. We already see this with insurers such as Humana, United Healthcare and others.

The Government’s track record on cost effectiveness in any area should have everyone very worried.

Once this is implemented, someone in the Government will have to decide on what is cost effective and what is not and how much we are willing to spend to save a life. There is every reason to believe that this information will be used to ration care based on cost because the Government and every health care provider knows that we cannot afford to give every individual every treatment that is available.

Historically, our country has valued competition, embraced innovation, and respected markets, and has always been suspicious of politicians and government bureaucrats. But this stimulus package gives unwieldy power to the Government and will limit these things that have made our country and its citizens autonomous.

Knowing that the economy is in trouble because of poor fiscal choices has caused this rash decision that is poorly thought out and very secretive in its underlying agenda.

Beware Americans; you’ve not seen anything yet!

Proposed Legislation

Here are a few Public Health and Safety bills currently being proposed by the Legislature here in Indiana

BILL: SB 16 – Learner’s Permits and Graduated Licenses
AUTHORS: Sen. Tom Wyss, R-Fort Wayne; Sen. Karen Tallian, R-Portage; and Sen. Travis Holdman, R-Bluffton
ISMA POSITION: Support
THIS WEEK: Assigned to the Homeland Security, Transportation and Veterans Affairs Committee.

The introduced version of this bill was prepared by the Interim Study Committee on Learner’s Permits and Graduated Driver’s Licenses.
SB 16 specifies that a license issued to or held by an individual less than 18 years of age is a probationary license. The bill raises the minimum age for issuance of a learner’s permit and increases the minimum age for issuance of a probationary operator’s license.
Also, the bill limits the hours when nighttime driving is prohibited by certain probationary drivers. It specifies the periods of validity of an operator’s learners permit and makes it a Class D infraction for a person to be a passenger in a motor vehicle operated by a probationary driver under certain circumstances if there is not another individual present in the front seat who is: (1) at least a certain age and holds one of certain types of driver’s licenses, (2) a certified driver education instructor.

BILL: HB 1181 – Ban on Visual Display Screens While Driving
AUTHOR: Rep. Sandra Blanton, D-Indianapolis
ISMA POSITION: Support
THIS WEEK: HB 1181 has been assigned to the Roads and Transportation Committee.

HB 1181 provides that a person who operates a motor vehicle while viewing a video monitor, a portable computer or similar device commits a Class C infraction. It makes certain exceptions: portable cellular telephones or personal data assistants for verbal communication, audio and dashboard displays, navigation information, global positioning systems, maps or visual information to enhance or supplement the driver’s visibility.

BILL: SB 196 – Electronic Devices While Operating a Motor Vehicle
AUTHORS: Sen.Tom Wyss, R-Fort Wayne, and Sen. Jean Breaux, D-Indianapolis
ISMA POSITION: Support
THIS WEEK: Assigned to the Homeland Security, Transportation and Veteran’s Affairs Committee.

SB 196 provides that a person who uses a handheld device while operating a motor vehicle as a public passenger chauffeur commits a Class C infraction. It provides that a person who operates a motor vehicle with a video monitor, portable computer or similar device with a visual display that can be viewed by the driver commits a Class C infraction, with certain exceptions.
Both SB 196 and HB 1181 would make the use of a video display device while driving a motor vehicle a class C infraction.

New Use of the Word Pelosi

With the unbelievable statements that Nancy Pelosi has given in the past few weeks, this is being circulated and I certainly agree that maybe we can start a trend using the new word.

UNSAVORY LANGUAGE

Years ago when I sometimes used unsavory language, I often used the expression "Bull Sh**." As I grew up a bit and discovered it was not necessary to use such crude language, that expression became "BS."
Q. What did I really mean when I used those expressions?
A. I meant that something was ridiculous, or idiotic or a half truth or just stupid. It covered any number or negative formats. The dictionary defines it as: nonsense; especially: foolish insolent talk...
I have decided that I no longer will use either of those expressions in the future. When I have a need to express such feelings, I will use the word "Pelosi."
Let me use it in a sentence. "That's just a bunch of Pelosi." I encourage you to do the same. It is such a good word. It really packs a lot of punch. We are no longer being vulgar. But it clearly expresses our feelings. If enough of us use it, perhaps the word could be entered into the dictionary. What an excellent legacy for the Speaker of the House!

Others have also wanted to define the word “Pelosi” in other terms. One writer said “I ate something that didn't agree with me the other evening and during the night I became ill. I was barely able to make it to the bathroom before I hurled a mighty Pelosi."

Still others wish there was an adverb form of Pelosi.

Any ideas?

Health Care Harmed by Stimulus Bill and the Obama Agenda

A concerned patient passed the following link Bloomberg.com: News concerning the hidden health care initiatives inside the stimulus bill. This post will remain in place for at least 2 days do to its importance.

As noted by the author, there are some very scary aspects of the provisions in this health care initiative.

Some of the concerns she points out are:

Page numbers correlate with the PDF version of H.R. 1 EH

• The bill’s health rules will affect “every individual in the United States” (445, 454, 479).
  
• One new bureaucracy, the National Coordinator of Health Information Technology, will monitor treatments to make sure your doctor is doing what the federal government deems appropriate and cost effective. The goal is to reduce costs and “guide” your doctor’s decisions (442, 446).
  
• Hospitals and doctors that are not “meaningful users” of the new system will face penalties. “Meaningful user” isn’t defined in the bill. That will be left to the HHS secretary, who will be empowered to impose “more stringent measures of meaningful use over time” (511, 518, 540-541)
  
• What penalties will deter your doctor from going beyond the electronically delivered protocols when your condition is atypical or you need an experimental treatment? The vagueness is intentional. In his book, Daschle proposed an appointed body with vast powers to make the “tough” decisions elected politicians won’t make
  
• The stimulus bill does that, and calls it the Federal Coordinating Council for Comparative Effectiveness Research (190-192).
  
• The stimulus bill will affect every part of health care, from medical and nursing education, to how patients are treated and how much hospitals get paid. The bill allocates more funding for this bureaucracy than for the Army, Navy, Marines, and Air Force combined (90-92, 174-177, 181).

Most of what is here is very similar to what Daschle has proposed in the past and has written about in his book. He praises Europeans for being more willing to accept “hopeless diagnoses” and “forgo experimental treatments,” and he chastises Americans for expecting too much from the health-care system.

Daschle says health-care reform “will not be pain free.” Seniors should be more accepting of the conditions that come with age instead of treating them. That means the elderly will bear the brunt.

Rationing of Health care is inevitable if this bill passes in its current form and euthanasia is right around the corner!

Americans cannot allow this bill to pass and everyone needs to contact their legislators and demand they put a hold on this harmful agenda.

Bird Flu death

According to the Associated Press, a 31-year-old woman from a far western region in China died recently from the H5N1 strain of bird flu. This is the same strain that has caused the deaths of 251 people since 2003.

This is the 4th death recently and the other three deaths appear not to be related as the reports were coming in three different geographic regions. In all, 22 people in China have died from this strain of flu since 2003.

As in all other human cases reported by WHO, this incident of bird flu appeared to be contracted by contact with poultry or fowl and not transmitted from human to human.

The fear is that a mutation causing human-to-human infection could lead to a worldwide influenza pandemic but as of now, there is no indication this has occurred.

Chinese officials are increasing their monitoring of bird flu outbreaks because the Lunar New Year holiday will be celebrated soon and there will be more contact with chickens and ducks as holiday meals are prepared.

Valentine Chocolate is Good for your Health

As Valentine day approaches, remember that moderate amounts of dark chocolate may play a role in cancer prevention.

Recent research indicates that dark chocolate’s chemicals, which act as antioxidants, have been shown to play a role in reducing cancer risks by helping to combat cell damage that can lead to tumor growth. These antioxidants occur naturally in the plant-based cacao bean, the base of all chocolate products. Cacao beans are, in fact, one of the most concentrated natural sources of antioxidants that exist.

The nice thing about dark chocolate is that it has a higher percentage of healthy antioxidants, without the increased sugar and saturated fats added to milk chocolate.

Since chocolate has become a symbol for love, indulgence, and temptation, it can now be considered good for your health.

According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, people should aim for pure dark chocolate that contains at least 65 percent cacao, as opposed to the kind of chocolate commonly used in cakes and cookies, which contain more calories, sugar and unhealthy fats.

When eating chocolate, looking at portion size and calorie content also is crucial. Recommended servings for dark chocolate are seven ounces per week, which is about one ounce per day.

So for all you men out there, here is the Dark Chocolate Gift Guide with some tips on buying a Valentine’s Day gift that is good for the heart in more ways than one.

• Choose dark chocolate with a high cacao percentage (65 percent or higher).Buy chocolate that can be eaten in small portions, such as individually wrapped chocolates or boxed candy (approximately 1 oz per serving).
• Check the ingredients. Make sure they don’t contain fats, such as palm and coconut oils, and they are made without the use of ‘hydrogenated’ or ‘partially hydrogenated’ oils.
• Include a special message in a Valentine’s Day card. Remind the person you love that dark chocolate can aid in cancer prevention. Because it’s only healthful in small portions, also encourage him or her to share the chocolates with others.
• Give cocoa powder – it also makes a great gift. In addition to dark chocolate candies, gourmet cocoa powder, used for hot chocolate and baking, also comes in 65 percent cacao versions.
• Make your Valentine’s Day shopping easy and fun by looking-up the nutrition information and portion sizes of your favorite brands before hitting the stores. Most companies now list everything online.
  

The Daily Life of a Mom

Here is a video song tribute to all the moms out there that have kids.

Most will appreciate this

Health and Stocks

In this economic downturn when it seems everything is going south, why is there so much concern over the health of Steve Jobs of Apple?

It is amazing that the unknown health status of one man can have such a profound effect on a company’s stock. The continual media coverage and the stockholders questioning causes negative trends in the company stocks which actually hurts the individual investors.

As an example, in the latter part of December while rumors were circulating about his health and why Apple Senior Vice President Phil Schiller would be presenting at the MacWorld conference instead of him, Apple shares lost 11%. Then recently when Jobs issued a letter to the community, Apple shares rose almost 6%.

The company’s motto is “Think Different”. With a CEO who has always been a progressive thinker, do you not believe he has a succession plan in response to a potential health issue?

If he died tomorrow, the Mac computers, IPods and Iphones are still going to be produced and the company will move forward.

Let the man’s health status remain private and worry about something else!

Change we don't need

Yes, change is certainly coming. More corruption, scandal and partisan politics than we ever saw under the Republican rule. The latest is the troubled nomination of Tom Daschle to become HHS secretary.

Here is another career politician being caught for tax evasion (although the democrats or media won’t use that terminology). Daschle has been caught owing more than $140,000 in back taxes and interest from consulting and a car service over a three-year period. It was very surprising to everyone yesterday that he actually withdrew his nomination.

Besides just the tax evasion, Daschle was also facing questions about potential conflicts of interests related to the speaking fees he accepted from health care interests as well as advice he provided to health insurers and hospitals through his post-Senate work at a law firm.

All of this would have been a huge embarrasment when it came to making any health care reform. The mainstream media along with most of the democrats continued to stand behind him even among the moral deficiencies and questions raised in the matter. This is another example of the blatant double standards from the media.

To think that Daschle would have been the head of Health and Human services and try to reform the healthcare system was really terrifying.

If Obama really wanted change as he has stated, he needed to do the right thing and withdraw the nomination of Daschle. This would have set an example. Obama's continued picks of individuals with questionable ethics, tax problems etc. does not send a message of the type of change we need.

Daschle’s apology is too little too late. The apology comes only because he got caught. If Bush were to have nominated this many people for positions who had tax related problems, we would never hear the end of it from the media.

Dietaty Recommendations for diverticualar disease

Diverticulosis and Diverticulitis are very common diseases and diverticulosis is thought to arise in part because of our American diet. Diverticulosis occurs in about 60% of Americans by the age of sixty.

For years, physicians have told patients to avoid small seeds and nuts because they may flare up an attack of diverticulitis. A recent study may dispel this advice.

A cohort study of 18 years’ duration that included 47,228 men, aged 40 to 75 years, addressed the practice of advising patients with diverticular disease to avoid high-residue foods. At the beginning of the study, all participants were free of diverticula. During the follow-up period, there were 801 cases of diverticulitis and 383 episodes of diverticular bleeding in those enrolled.

The surprising finding in this study was that there was an inverse association between the consumption of nuts and popcorn and the risk of diverticulitis.

The results showed that those with the highest intake of nuts had about a 20% decrease in the risk of diverticulitis and those with the highest intake of popcorn had about a 28% decrease. Corn, either on or off the cob, neither increased nor decreased the risk of diverticulitis. The last finding was there was no association between any of the high-residue foods and diverticular bleeding.

It is now questionable on what to tell patients. From personal experience, when a patient comes in with an acute attack of diverticulitis, popcorn and peanuts are the two most common foods they recall eating in the past 24 hours although most of these patients do eat them all the time.


A number of patients cannot recall a specific food that may have flared up their disease so it is still questionable as to what recommendations to give. This study may be reassuring for many patients and physicians but from experience, this study does not reflect reality of my personal practice and patients.

Winter activities for the infirmed

As the New Year begins, one of the most common resolutions is to lose weight and get in better shape.

Certain activities that require skill, coordination, and endurance (eg, skating, skiing, sledding) may not be suited for people who may be weak from cancer treatment or surgery, or who are physically deconditioned (that’s the medical term for “out of shape”). But simple walking outside on a neighborhood street or groomed trail is safe for virtually everyone and endurance can be challenged by increasing the pace or walking up a hill.

If patients are receiving medications, chemotherapy or other treatments they should be aware of icy patches and uneven pavement, because weak bones caused by treatment or disease can lead to bad hip fractures or other injuries.

Common sense rules apply for the patients and these include trying to walk for a few minutes each day at an intensity that allows them to breathe and speak and then increasing or decreasing the amount of walking time as tolerated. If the weather is too cold or inclement, patients should seek indoor places such as a shopping mall.

As a safety issue, patients should stay outdoors for shorter periods and remain on marked trails and walkways near transportation and other people. They should carry a cell phone and identification in case something was to happen and they should inform someone they are going out for the walk or exercise.

Always dressing in layers is important and wearing sunscreen even in the winter is important if they will be out in the middle of the day. Some medicines and diseases can cause nerve damage and patients may not actually feel their feet or notice sores on them, so it is a good idea to have them check their feet daily and wear thick socks and properly fitting shoes.

Winter activities require some changes in nutrition as well. Foods that consist of carbohydrates (55%-65%), protein (10%–15%), and fat are important and foods that help with nausea like trail mix is a healthy choice. Cold weather does blunt thirst, so patients will feel less thirsty despite higher levels of evaporative water loss and those on chemotherapy and radiation therapy should be even more mindful of fluid intake and consume fluids more frequently. Hydration is very important in all of these activities.

These tips may allow patients to still enjoy participating in winter activities with their friends and family.