LESS THAN 4 NANOGRAMS PER MILLILITER
Negative PSA Test IS NOT A Guarantee
What do you do when a laboratory test like PSA (prostate-specific antigen) fails to detect if you have prostate cancer or not?
PSA is a protein produced by the cells of the prostate gland. The PSA test measures the level of PSA in the blood. PSA levels can rise due to malignant (cancerous) or benign (not cancerous) conditions.The official PSA test cut-off for prostate cancer screening is less than 4ng/mL. Men who are screened usually heave a sigh of relieve when they receive results of less than 4ng/mL. Levels of greater than 4ng/mL are said to show an increased risk for prostate cancer. But this is about to change. Last week, the New England Journal of Medicine(NEJM) reported that negative PSA tests may be misleading.
The study found that 15% of the men who had "normal" PSA levels still had prostate cancer. In about 2.3% of those so-called "normal" men, high-grade prostate cancer was found. The study also found out that the lower the PSA level, the smaller the risk of having cancer but this slowly rises as PSA levels rise. The significant finding seems to be that there is no clear PSA level at which a person can be guaranteed cancer-free.
The more confusing finding of the study revealed some incidence of high-grade cancer --- the most aggressive --- was found at every PSA level!.
These results of this study are disconcerting. The next step after a positive PSA test is biopsy. Now it seems that even with a negative PSA test, concerned men ought to have biopsy, too...just to be sure.
If you want to know the real score about this issue, click here and get the information straight from Dr. Ian M. Thompson, lead author of the NEJM study who was recently interviewed by Newsweek about this controversy.
Signs and symptoms of prostate cancer include weak or interrupted flow of urine, frequent urination (especially at night), difficulty urinating, pain or burning during urination, blood in the urine or semen, nagging pain in the back, hips, or pelvis, and painful ejaculation.
Guys, check if you have one or more of the signs and symptoms above. Don't hesitate to see your urologist as prevention is still the best option you have.
31 May 2004
JOLLIBEE FOUNDER RECOGNIZED
Another Filipino Winner
The elusive Jollibee fastfood chairman, president and CEO Tony Tan Caktiong has been named Ernst & Young's 2004 World Entrepreneur Of The Year (WEOY) at an award ceremony in Monte Carlo, Monaco. He bested 30 other nominees from all over the globe, each of whom has been named Entrepreneur Of The Year (EOY) in national or regional programs run by Ernst & Young and employ more than 375,000 people and represent approximately 23 billion euros in revenue.
Tony Tan Caktiong built Jollibee from a lowly ice cream parlor in Cubao in 1975 into a fast-food chain of more than 900 stores as of 2003. Between 1993 and 2002, system-wide sales of JFC rose from P4.1 billion to a whopping P26.8 billion. Of the nearly P27-billion sales, 68 percent comes from Jollibee. I have to confess that yours truly has also been a constant patron (more than 20 years now and real proud!!!) of Jollibee, enjoying Chickenjoy more than McChicken.
Jollibee Foods Corporation is comprised of fastfood stores which include 434 Jollibee, 216 Chowking, 193 Greenwich, 28 Delifrance, 21 JB International, two Tomy's Teriyaki in California, and eight Chowking International.
Over the next 10 years, Jollibee hopes to chalk up sales of P100 billion or approximately $17M.
My only wish is that Jollibee takes the initiative of instituting healthy meals ahead of main rival McDonald's. Doing that would really be good news.
Another Filipino Winner
The elusive Jollibee fastfood chairman, president and CEO Tony Tan Caktiong has been named Ernst & Young's 2004 World Entrepreneur Of The Year (WEOY) at an award ceremony in Monte Carlo, Monaco. He bested 30 other nominees from all over the globe, each of whom has been named Entrepreneur Of The Year (EOY) in national or regional programs run by Ernst & Young and employ more than 375,000 people and represent approximately 23 billion euros in revenue.
Tony Tan Caktiong built Jollibee from a lowly ice cream parlor in Cubao in 1975 into a fast-food chain of more than 900 stores as of 2003. Between 1993 and 2002, system-wide sales of JFC rose from P4.1 billion to a whopping P26.8 billion. Of the nearly P27-billion sales, 68 percent comes from Jollibee. I have to confess that yours truly has also been a constant patron (more than 20 years now and real proud!!!) of Jollibee, enjoying Chickenjoy more than McChicken.
Jollibee Foods Corporation is comprised of fastfood stores which include 434 Jollibee, 216 Chowking, 193 Greenwich, 28 Delifrance, 21 JB International, two Tomy's Teriyaki in California, and eight Chowking International.
Over the next 10 years, Jollibee hopes to chalk up sales of P100 billion or approximately $17M.
My only wish is that Jollibee takes the initiative of instituting healthy meals ahead of main rival McDonald's. Doing that would really be good news.
BEERy GOOD?
Good News For Beer Drinkers
Susana Martinez, a Spanish researcher says that moderate consumption of beer (330mL for women and 660 mL for men) daily may help protect the liver from cirrhosis and other diseases. Emphasis here is on the word, "moderate," and on how it is defined. Nothing more, nothing less.
This makes beer drinkers happy. The downside of beer is that it makes you fatter if you consume other food items with it, like chips and burgers, usually over a basketball or football game on TV. It also adds notches to your waistline when you consume more than what is moderate and when you spend most of your day sitting down or lying on bed.
If you want to know more why beer is good for you and why it is not, click here and be enlightened.
Good News For Beer Drinkers
Susana Martinez, a Spanish researcher says that moderate consumption of beer (330mL for women and 660 mL for men) daily may help protect the liver from cirrhosis and other diseases. Emphasis here is on the word, "moderate," and on how it is defined. Nothing more, nothing less.
This makes beer drinkers happy. The downside of beer is that it makes you fatter if you consume other food items with it, like chips and burgers, usually over a basketball or football game on TV. It also adds notches to your waistline when you consume more than what is moderate and when you spend most of your day sitting down or lying on bed.
If you want to know more why beer is good for you and why it is not, click here and be enlightened.
28 May 2004
IN SICKNESS OR IN HEALTH
How Much Itch Can Love Endure?
This week's issue of the New England Journal of Medicine features an interesting case study:
"A 24-year-old man and his fiancee had pruritus (itching) of two months' duration. They had similar skin lesions, with burrows on the webs between their fingers. A specimen obtained from scrapings of the woman's hand was prepared and examined with the use of a scanning electron microscope. The scabies infestations were successfully treated by overnight application of 5 percent permethrin cream."
Two months of itching? That is way too long, if you ask me. A case of misery loves company? Or a case of too much love, they forgot about the itch? Either way, scabies infestation is annoying and easily transmitted. It is also easily treated when diagnosed. My 2cents here is that they shouldn't have waited that long.
If you want to know more about scabies, click here.
How Much Itch Can Love Endure?
This week's issue of the New England Journal of Medicine features an interesting case study:
"A 24-year-old man and his fiancee had pruritus (itching) of two months' duration. They had similar skin lesions, with burrows on the webs between their fingers. A specimen obtained from scrapings of the woman's hand was prepared and examined with the use of a scanning electron microscope. The scabies infestations were successfully treated by overnight application of 5 percent permethrin cream."
Two months of itching? That is way too long, if you ask me. A case of misery loves company? Or a case of too much love, they forgot about the itch? Either way, scabies infestation is annoying and easily transmitted. It is also easily treated when diagnosed. My 2cents here is that they shouldn't have waited that long.
If you want to know more about scabies, click here.
27 May 2004
WHEN CHILDREN DIE AHEAD OF THEIR PARENTS
Let's Do Something Now
During last week's meeting of the American Society of Hypertension in Manhattan, Dr. Bonita Falkner of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, said that as many as 3% of children had high blood pressure and that another 10% or so were considered pre-hypertensive.
Now, new American guidelines strongly recommend that high blood pressure in children should be treated agressively. American pediatricians are now instructed to "routinely evaluate children with high blood pressure for risk factors like elevated cholesterol or early signs of diabetes, as is done for hypertensive adults." Pediatricians should also look for signs of organ damage, especially enlargement of the heart. [Read the report here]
That's the view from America. In England, it is far worse.
A three-year-old died from heart failure brought on through obesity in England recently. The dead youngster was a Bengali girl from east London. Dr Nigel Meadows, a consultant paediatrician at the Royal London Hospital, said: "It was a shocking case. You don't imagine your kid is just going to die of obesity. The parents were devastated. Some may say the parents are responsible, but if a child is demanding food it can be very difficult to refuse it."
But that's just the point, right? Most of the time, parents should learn to say no to their children. Of course, it is easier said than done, but we've got to start somewhere. They should also be encouraged to learn the right ways to feed their children. The consequences are painful enough if they do not listen.
England has the fastest growing obesity problem in Europe, with childhood obesity tripling in 20 years. A damning report made by their Commons Health Committee warned that obese children could become the first generation to die before their parents. The same report calculated that being overweight or obese costs the nation £7.4 billion a year. The committee went as far as calling for a voluntary withdrawal of TV advertising of junk food to children. and calling for a Cabinet-level public health committee to oversee action on obesity across departments. England's chief executive of the Health Development Agency said: "Obesity poses a massive risk to the health of the nation and we are facing a race against time to stop this problem becoming a national disaster. Prevention is better than cure, ideally we should be striving for a society where there is no inappropriate weight gain in the first place, to stem the tide of obesity and related ill-health."
In the US and in England, they are very alarmed by their growing obesity problem. Their government institutions are preparing guidelines and instructions for health professionals to tackle the problem. Here in my country, the authorities and legislators are busy and ever so busy debating on how to canvass the electoral votes for president and vice-president.
The war against obesity was said to be "a race against time." Here in my country, the authorities are not even worried. Just pray for us when we die.
Let's Do Something Now
During last week's meeting of the American Society of Hypertension in Manhattan, Dr. Bonita Falkner of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, said that as many as 3% of children had high blood pressure and that another 10% or so were considered pre-hypertensive.
Now, new American guidelines strongly recommend that high blood pressure in children should be treated agressively. American pediatricians are now instructed to "routinely evaluate children with high blood pressure for risk factors like elevated cholesterol or early signs of diabetes, as is done for hypertensive adults." Pediatricians should also look for signs of organ damage, especially enlargement of the heart. [Read the report here]
That's the view from America. In England, it is far worse.
A three-year-old died from heart failure brought on through obesity in England recently. The dead youngster was a Bengali girl from east London. Dr Nigel Meadows, a consultant paediatrician at the Royal London Hospital, said: "It was a shocking case. You don't imagine your kid is just going to die of obesity. The parents were devastated. Some may say the parents are responsible, but if a child is demanding food it can be very difficult to refuse it."
But that's just the point, right? Most of the time, parents should learn to say no to their children. Of course, it is easier said than done, but we've got to start somewhere. They should also be encouraged to learn the right ways to feed their children. The consequences are painful enough if they do not listen.
England has the fastest growing obesity problem in Europe, with childhood obesity tripling in 20 years. A damning report made by their Commons Health Committee warned that obese children could become the first generation to die before their parents. The same report calculated that being overweight or obese costs the nation £7.4 billion a year. The committee went as far as calling for a voluntary withdrawal of TV advertising of junk food to children. and calling for a Cabinet-level public health committee to oversee action on obesity across departments. England's chief executive of the Health Development Agency said: "Obesity poses a massive risk to the health of the nation and we are facing a race against time to stop this problem becoming a national disaster. Prevention is better than cure, ideally we should be striving for a society where there is no inappropriate weight gain in the first place, to stem the tide of obesity and related ill-health."
In the US and in England, they are very alarmed by their growing obesity problem. Their government institutions are preparing guidelines and instructions for health professionals to tackle the problem. Here in my country, the authorities and legislators are busy and ever so busy debating on how to canvass the electoral votes for president and vice-president.
The war against obesity was said to be "a race against time." Here in my country, the authorities are not even worried. Just pray for us when we die.
25 May 2004
DRESSED TO KILL
Our Ties Might Just Kill You
By this time, I guess you already know that physicians' neckties are harboring harmful bacteria. I have long suspected that. I'm wondering how long before studies document that our hankies, shirts, pants and shoes are equally contaminated. Those of nurses', too.
The study, done in a Queens hospital in New York, found that almost half the ties worn by doctors carried harmful bacteria. This finding was in stark contrast to the ties of security guards, who had less contact with patients, in which only 1 of 10 ties harbored pathogens.
It can't be helped, you know. Busy doctors usually do their hospital rounds first before seeing patients in their clinics. Hospitals are one of the dirtiest places in the planet. Moreover, the microorganisms you find in hospitals are mostly antibiotic-resistant, making them doubly lethal. Steven Nurkin, lead author of the study that exposed our bacteria-laden ties, suggested using "nectie condoms" (are these available?) and using a "high quality detergent spray" to decontaminate the ties.
So, next time you visit your doctor in his clinic, beware if he wears a tie. Ask where he has been before he saw you.
Our Ties Might Just Kill You
By this time, I guess you already know that physicians' neckties are harboring harmful bacteria. I have long suspected that. I'm wondering how long before studies document that our hankies, shirts, pants and shoes are equally contaminated. Those of nurses', too.
The study, done in a Queens hospital in New York, found that almost half the ties worn by doctors carried harmful bacteria. This finding was in stark contrast to the ties of security guards, who had less contact with patients, in which only 1 of 10 ties harbored pathogens.
It can't be helped, you know. Busy doctors usually do their hospital rounds first before seeing patients in their clinics. Hospitals are one of the dirtiest places in the planet. Moreover, the microorganisms you find in hospitals are mostly antibiotic-resistant, making them doubly lethal. Steven Nurkin, lead author of the study that exposed our bacteria-laden ties, suggested using "nectie condoms" (are these available?) and using a "high quality detergent spray" to decontaminate the ties.
So, next time you visit your doctor in his clinic, beware if he wears a tie. Ask where he has been before he saw you.
NO PRESIDENT
A Lot of What-Ifs Swirling Around
I woke up late today to the sound of congressmen and senators bickering over what to do with today's canvassing. I am on vacation this week and the alarm I programmed last night was that my TV will wake me up today and that's just what I got. Senators and congressmen are still debating endlessly on how they will conduct the canvassing of votes for presidential and vice presidential candidates. As I reached for today's paper, I found this is also the headline news today.
At the rate the lawmakers are going, I do not think there will be a president by next month. Add to this the destabilization efforts being exerted by both camps. GMA and her lackeys continue to impress upon the public that it was her that won the elections with more than a million votes. She even had the COMELEC proclaiming her as the undisputed winner. The opposition on the other hand, was reported to have been mobilizing the urban poor for an "EDSA IV" revolution to overthrow GMA and install FPJ as President.
The official deadline is June 30, 2004. We must have a president by that time. But what if there's still no president by June 30? Then, that invites the military to form a junta. It also invites GMA to declare Martial Law and remain in power indefinitely. Either way, the Filipinos lose again.
So, I pray those lawmakers get their act together and save a lot of us from further trouble.
A Lot of What-Ifs Swirling Around
I woke up late today to the sound of congressmen and senators bickering over what to do with today's canvassing. I am on vacation this week and the alarm I programmed last night was that my TV will wake me up today and that's just what I got. Senators and congressmen are still debating endlessly on how they will conduct the canvassing of votes for presidential and vice presidential candidates. As I reached for today's paper, I found this is also the headline news today.
At the rate the lawmakers are going, I do not think there will be a president by next month. Add to this the destabilization efforts being exerted by both camps. GMA and her lackeys continue to impress upon the public that it was her that won the elections with more than a million votes. She even had the COMELEC proclaiming her as the undisputed winner. The opposition on the other hand, was reported to have been mobilizing the urban poor for an "EDSA IV" revolution to overthrow GMA and install FPJ as President.
The official deadline is June 30, 2004. We must have a president by that time. But what if there's still no president by June 30? Then, that invites the military to form a junta. It also invites GMA to declare Martial Law and remain in power indefinitely. Either way, the Filipinos lose again.
So, I pray those lawmakers get their act together and save a lot of us from further trouble.
24 May 2004
IT GETS WORSE
What's Next? A Free Trip To Mars?
Click here to read the full story.
I thought this was real. People should start realizing that the Gmail hype will soon die down. It's just an email. Google, by the way, is happy with all the news its getting, whether good or bad. I'm beginning to suspect that the "terabyte mistake" might have been intentional.
What's Next? A Free Trip To Mars?
Click here to read the full story.
I thought this was real. People should start realizing that the Gmail hype will soon die down. It's just an email. Google, by the way, is happy with all the news its getting, whether good or bad. I'm beginning to suspect that the "terabyte mistake" might have been intentional.
Do You Want To Buy Kidneys?
I thought there was only the drug trade, the illegal arms trade, the child trade, and the prostitution trade. I've heard of rumors about body organs getting sold for a hefty amount of money but that's just what they were to me --- rumors. During medschool, I've also heard of people selling their blood to blood banks to earn a living. But I never thought that there was (or should I say, is?) indeed a booming black market of organs, mainly "kidneys" and "livers." Now, the NYT ran a comprehensive report on a gruesome trade known as the kidney trade on its Sunday online issue. Click here to read the full article (requires simple registration for new readers).
Here in Manila, we have a hospital known as the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) where kidney transplants are being done. It was established on January 1981 during the Marcos administration and since then, more than 1,000 kidney transplants as well as liver and bone marrow transplants had been done on its operating rooms. That's the good news. Years ago, there were investigative TV documentaries about this illegal organ trade, but after several months it died down.
Last year, the country's legislative body passed a law that restricts the number of foreign patients who can obtain kidneys from living donors, thereby ensuring that foreigners do not outbid locals for desperately needed organs. In theory, donors are supposed to be motivated by kindness and idealism, not profit; however, the government has not outlawed giving cash gifts to Filipino organ donors.
There's a place in Metro Manila called Bagong Lupa (in English, it means, "New Land"). It is an area where hundreds have sold their kidneys over the years for as little as $1,800. Nobody from there knows about the new law and I am certain that the kidney trade continues to thrive there.
The NYTimes article describes a dynamic global black market for organs, including livers, kidneys and lungs, that touches dozens of countries (like Brazil and South Africa) and makes millions of dollars a year. Organ trade has opened up medical and financial connections, spawning a new movement of human beings that is part transplant tourism, part traffic in slaves.
Here's an example of the gruesome global business as described by TowardFreedom magazine:
Kidneys can go from $2,000 to $10,000 each, depending on where you are getting it. Here in my pathetic Manila, you can get it at its cheapest price. India and China are also countries well-known for the underground organ trade. But foreigners usually go to Manila because the price here is better. At the NKTI, a friend doctor says a kidney transplantation costs about $10,000 (or about half a million pesos) plus whatever other perks the recipient has to give or pay for the donor. Higher fees are certain if there are brokers involved.
The demand for human organs for transplantation is always at an all-time high. Only a few relatives approached after the death of a family member accept donating organs for people in need. And not all patients have relatives willing to sacrifice one of their own kidneys. This situation makes some rich patients choose to open their wallet in search of a person who is willing to help save their lives. And "rich clients" never ran out. They come as far as Canada, the US, and Europe.
In Bagong Lupa, hardly anybody donates their kidneys out of kindness or because they are good Catholics. Instead painful poverty and human despair are the motivating forces behind their acceptance. Thus, it contributes to quick transformation of kidneys and livers to commodities. Kidneys become like your shoes or like an appliance you badly need. The reason is quite obvious: It is a question of money. For both donors and recipients, the issue also involves life, death and despair.
Should we or shouldn't we?
Here in Manila, we have a hospital known as the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) where kidney transplants are being done. It was established on January 1981 during the Marcos administration and since then, more than 1,000 kidney transplants as well as liver and bone marrow transplants had been done on its operating rooms. That's the good news. Years ago, there were investigative TV documentaries about this illegal organ trade, but after several months it died down.
Last year, the country's legislative body passed a law that restricts the number of foreign patients who can obtain kidneys from living donors, thereby ensuring that foreigners do not outbid locals for desperately needed organs. In theory, donors are supposed to be motivated by kindness and idealism, not profit; however, the government has not outlawed giving cash gifts to Filipino organ donors.
There's a place in Metro Manila called Bagong Lupa (in English, it means, "New Land"). It is an area where hundreds have sold their kidneys over the years for as little as $1,800. Nobody from there knows about the new law and I am certain that the kidney trade continues to thrive there.
The NYTimes article describes a dynamic global black market for organs, including livers, kidneys and lungs, that touches dozens of countries (like Brazil and South Africa) and makes millions of dollars a year. Organ trade has opened up medical and financial connections, spawning a new movement of human beings that is part transplant tourism, part traffic in slaves.
Here's an example of the gruesome global business as described by TowardFreedom magazine:
"In one well-traveled route, small groups of Israeli transplant patients take a charter plane to Turkey, where they are matched with kidney sellers from rural Moldova or Romania. The transplants are handled by a pair of surgeons, one Israeli, one Turkish. Another network unites European and North American patients with Philippine kidney sellers in a private Episcopal hospital in Manila, arranged through an independent internet broker who advertises on the web. Meanwhile, a Nigerian doctor/broker facilitates transplants in South Africa or Boston, with a ready supply of poor Nigerian kidney sellers, most of them single women. The purchases are notarized by a distinguished law firm in Lagos."
Kidneys can go from $2,000 to $10,000 each, depending on where you are getting it. Here in my pathetic Manila, you can get it at its cheapest price. India and China are also countries well-known for the underground organ trade. But foreigners usually go to Manila because the price here is better. At the NKTI, a friend doctor says a kidney transplantation costs about $10,000 (or about half a million pesos) plus whatever other perks the recipient has to give or pay for the donor. Higher fees are certain if there are brokers involved.
The demand for human organs for transplantation is always at an all-time high. Only a few relatives approached after the death of a family member accept donating organs for people in need. And not all patients have relatives willing to sacrifice one of their own kidneys. This situation makes some rich patients choose to open their wallet in search of a person who is willing to help save their lives. And "rich clients" never ran out. They come as far as Canada, the US, and Europe.
In Bagong Lupa, hardly anybody donates their kidneys out of kindness or because they are good Catholics. Instead painful poverty and human despair are the motivating forces behind their acceptance. Thus, it contributes to quick transformation of kidneys and livers to commodities. Kidneys become like your shoes or like an appliance you badly need. The reason is quite obvious: It is a question of money. For both donors and recipients, the issue also involves life, death and despair.
Should we or shouldn't we?
22 May 2004
SEDITION AND COUP RUMORS
Here We Go Again
Courtesy of PDI
Mobile text messages (SMS) and emails yesterday and even early this morning kept on talking about rumors and rumors of an another impending coup d' etat and a huge opposition rally that aimed to beat the size the EDSA III crowd. Does the picture above tell you that, too?
After calling an emergency security meeting in Malacanang, GMA issued a strong warning to members of the opposition, chief of whom is opposition presidential standard-bearer Fernando Poe Jr., that they are on the brink of being charged and arrested for sedition as she claimed Poe and his supporters have been agitating the people by unofficially proclaiming Poe as the President-elect, being the winner of the 2004 elections.
Courtesy of Daily Tribune
The Daily Tribune today carried an editorial wondering where GMA has been these past few days. The editorial wonders why GMA has been noticeably keeping a low profile. It says, "There were too many appearances she should have made, but was a no-show, such as the Navy's anniversary and a housing project rites where she was supposed to have been the main guest. And to think that Gloria was everywhere, even in a small patubig project before the elections, and claiming this was governance."
Methinks GMA is just being cautious (cunning politician that she is, what do you expect?) but I don't believe she's resting. Far from it. I think she's pressuring and badgering military intelligence to do its job and see what the opposition is up to. The official election count by the COMELEC is far from over, and this early, you can already feel and cut the ripening tension between the NAMFREL count and that of the opposition's. You and I know that something big is going to explode soon if these two do not meet and agree on their figures.
Meanwhile, prices of everything from gasoline to food are going up, up, and away. And why not? Elections are over. No need to woo the people anymore. It's back to reality again.
As for me, I do not care who wins anymore. It's not as if my opinion or my countrymen's opinion matter, anyway.
Here We Go Again
Mobile text messages (SMS) and emails yesterday and even early this morning kept on talking about rumors and rumors of an another impending coup d' etat and a huge opposition rally that aimed to beat the size the EDSA III crowd. Does the picture above tell you that, too?
After calling an emergency security meeting in Malacanang, GMA issued a strong warning to members of the opposition, chief of whom is opposition presidential standard-bearer Fernando Poe Jr., that they are on the brink of being charged and arrested for sedition as she claimed Poe and his supporters have been agitating the people by unofficially proclaiming Poe as the President-elect, being the winner of the 2004 elections.
The Daily Tribune today carried an editorial wondering where GMA has been these past few days. The editorial wonders why GMA has been noticeably keeping a low profile. It says, "There were too many appearances she should have made, but was a no-show, such as the Navy's anniversary and a housing project rites where she was supposed to have been the main guest. And to think that Gloria was everywhere, even in a small patubig project before the elections, and claiming this was governance."
Methinks GMA is just being cautious (cunning politician that she is, what do you expect?) but I don't believe she's resting. Far from it. I think she's pressuring and badgering military intelligence to do its job and see what the opposition is up to. The official election count by the COMELEC is far from over, and this early, you can already feel and cut the ripening tension between the NAMFREL count and that of the opposition's. You and I know that something big is going to explode soon if these two do not meet and agree on their figures.
Meanwhile, prices of everything from gasoline to food are going up, up, and away. And why not? Elections are over. No need to woo the people anymore. It's back to reality again.
As for me, I do not care who wins anymore. It's not as if my opinion or my countrymen's opinion matter, anyway.
THE HOTTEST EMAIL SERVICE TODAY IS...
What Took It So Long???
Computer geeks and non-geeks (like me) today see Google's latest breakthrough in webmail service as the most sensational and hottest item in cyberspace. Named Gmail, it offers to put an end to the reign of Hotmail and Yahoo!Mail by offering FREE (yes, you read that right!) webmail service that has a 1GB storage capacity.
But how sensational and how hot has it been?
Very. Reports say that "users are willing to trade everything from a kidney to medical advice -- or pay more than $150" --- just to get an account. There is now even a Gmail account-swapping site called gmailswap.com where users are offering some pretty amusing swaps just to get a Gmail account: A soprano who will sing in exchange for a Gmail address, another offers a batch of homemade spaghetti sauce, shipped in dry ice, and some offer crazy promises like: "I will film a greeting to you on camcorder and afterwards will smash myself in the balls." Sean Michaels, the site creator, explains the fuss over Gmail by saying, "For lots of people, there's no rush; they're happy with their email service. Some of us, however, are over-eager for Gmail's ease and elegance. Furthermore, we want to snag a good email address before the barbarians make it through the gates. Why settle for g_r_a_m_o_p_43fp@gmail.com when you could sneak in early and nab gramophone@gmail.com?" [Washington Post report]
Wired magazine even carried an article titled, "My Left Arm for a Gmail Account ." Read it here if you don't believe me.
In another Washington Post article (click here), the Gmail hype is explained: "For something that will eventually cost nothing -- Google has not announced when the service will be available to the public -- people are willing to trade all sorts of things for the right to snag a choice e-mail. Early e-mail invitations to try the service were extended to digerati, journalists and friends of Google employees. New account holders occasionally get to invite their own friends to the service, though usually in limited numbers. Some think this looks more like a sly promotional effort by the popular search engine company than a bug test, however. Google is stacking the odds to help make sure people will sign up for the service if they receive one of the coveted invitations."
The two guys you see below ought to be congratulated. Meet Larry Page and Sergey Brin, the founders of Google (and Gmail, of course!), who BBC News just described as "the type of young men most parents would dream of their daughters bringing home." Both Mr. Page and Mr. Brin are just barely in their 30s, and they're already as rich (perhaps, richer) than Oracle boss Larry Ellison.
Being young, they are daring and creative. Both have mastered the art of marketing and understands fully that there is no such thing as "bad publicity." They have the genius of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs combined, and it would not surprise me if one day these two will be the dominating figures of cyberworld. They know how to play the game.
On the negative front, critics of Gmail are asking: "Do we really need a 1000mb email account? What exactly are we going to be storing in there? Does anybody really have 1000mb of messages worth keeping...?"
My answer: YES! I am sick of my usual webmail accounts (you know these) and frequent announcements of my inboxes always reaching its limits. I hate deleting, but these accounts often leave me with no choice. Also, colleagues often send me large (as in huge) attachments which always tax my pathetic 4-6MB limits. Finally, those days are over. I am all praises for Gmail and I welcome its arrival.
Also, I'd like to thank Mr. Page and Mr. Brin for inviting me to have a Gmail account as early as two weeks ago. I even ignored this thinking it was spam, but when I realized how precious the invitation was, I was so thankful I didn't delete it.
What Took It So Long???
Computer geeks and non-geeks (like me) today see Google's latest breakthrough in webmail service as the most sensational and hottest item in cyberspace. Named Gmail, it offers to put an end to the reign of Hotmail and Yahoo!Mail by offering FREE (yes, you read that right!) webmail service that has a 1GB storage capacity.
But how sensational and how hot has it been?
Very. Reports say that "users are willing to trade everything from a kidney to medical advice -- or pay more than $150" --- just to get an account. There is now even a Gmail account-swapping site called gmailswap.com where users are offering some pretty amusing swaps just to get a Gmail account: A soprano who will sing in exchange for a Gmail address, another offers a batch of homemade spaghetti sauce, shipped in dry ice, and some offer crazy promises like: "I will film a greeting to you on camcorder and afterwards will smash myself in the balls." Sean Michaels, the site creator, explains the fuss over Gmail by saying, "For lots of people, there's no rush; they're happy with their email service. Some of us, however, are over-eager for Gmail's ease and elegance. Furthermore, we want to snag a good email address before the barbarians make it through the gates. Why settle for g_r_a_m_o_p_43fp@gmail.com when you could sneak in early and nab gramophone@gmail.com?" [Washington Post report]
Wired magazine even carried an article titled, "My Left Arm for a Gmail Account ." Read it here if you don't believe me.
In another Washington Post article (click here), the Gmail hype is explained: "For something that will eventually cost nothing -- Google has not announced when the service will be available to the public -- people are willing to trade all sorts of things for the right to snag a choice e-mail. Early e-mail invitations to try the service were extended to digerati, journalists and friends of Google employees. New account holders occasionally get to invite their own friends to the service, though usually in limited numbers. Some think this looks more like a sly promotional effort by the popular search engine company than a bug test, however. Google is stacking the odds to help make sure people will sign up for the service if they receive one of the coveted invitations."
The two guys you see below ought to be congratulated. Meet Larry Page and Sergey Brin, the founders of Google (and Gmail, of course!), who BBC News just described as "the type of young men most parents would dream of their daughters bringing home." Both Mr. Page and Mr. Brin are just barely in their 30s, and they're already as rich (perhaps, richer) than Oracle boss Larry Ellison.
Being young, they are daring and creative. Both have mastered the art of marketing and understands fully that there is no such thing as "bad publicity." They have the genius of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs combined, and it would not surprise me if one day these two will be the dominating figures of cyberworld. They know how to play the game.
On the negative front, critics of Gmail are asking: "Do we really need a 1000mb email account? What exactly are we going to be storing in there? Does anybody really have 1000mb of messages worth keeping...?"
My answer: YES! I am sick of my usual webmail accounts (you know these) and frequent announcements of my inboxes always reaching its limits. I hate deleting, but these accounts often leave me with no choice. Also, colleagues often send me large (as in huge) attachments which always tax my pathetic 4-6MB limits. Finally, those days are over. I am all praises for Gmail and I welcome its arrival.
Also, I'd like to thank Mr. Page and Mr. Brin for inviting me to have a Gmail account as early as two weeks ago. I even ignored this thinking it was spam, but when I realized how precious the invitation was, I was so thankful I didn't delete it.
21 May 2004
THE PRIESTLY ADVICE
German Professor Gives Sound Medical Lesson
I just came home from a medical symposium about INVEST, better known by physicians as the International Verapamil SR/trandolapril STudy. It was a last-minute invitation and I learned of it late this afternoon from a colleague. I nearly missed it. In case you're wondering about the fancy name of the study, let me explain to you that medical researchers have this strange predilection to use acronyms that spell like catchy words for their studies. There are thousands of these medical studies, all with catchy names like: HOPE, PROGRESS, ALLHAT, ADVANCE, STONE, etc. The INVEST Study seeks to settle the long-standing debate among cardiologists over the usefulness of calcium antagonists (also known as calcium-channel blockers in some countries, or CCBs) for treating high blood pressure.
I'm not going to blog about the INVEST study but I'd like to share something the guest speaker (Professor Ranier Kolloch of Germany) said before beginning his technical report to us.
He presented us with a slide which he said he also presented last March in Berlin during their own medical convention. The slide was a quiz for us and went something like this:
A lot of us answered with the "correct answers" we know and the things we usually tell our patients, which are letters A to E. Almost no one picked letter F, because, as my seatmate reasoned, "F is a priestly advice and we're no priests." I, myself answered with G (missing from the slide, of course, because for me, choice G should have been "all of the above"). But the German professor turned all of us down, saying that the true and correct answer is really F. Why? Because just like in cancer, genetic predisposition plays a major role in everyone's future health status.
Choices A to E are the things we usually advice our patients, and there's nothing wrong with that. We are doing the right thing, he said, but like it or not, he said we were just delaying the inevitable. He said there was a great likelihood that we will also die of a heart attack if a close relative (dad or mom) died similarly. "Soooo," he says with an impish smile in his face, "the correct answer is to pray, my friends." Pray hard that God decides otherwise, and lengthens your life.
I smiled, too. In the end, doctors are really just people patients go to in order to feel comforted that they are doing the right thing for themselves. The only wonder medical science is capable of doing is to delay and delay and delay..... but the chances of really getting healed from an ailment that is in your genes is a looong shot. You really can't escape your destiny, fatal as it may be. In the end, both doctor and patient have really one option to dramatically change what has been genetically predetermined: pray to God.
Now, that is one advice I will keep close to my heart.
German Professor Gives Sound Medical Lesson
I just came home from a medical symposium about INVEST, better known by physicians as the International Verapamil SR/trandolapril STudy. It was a last-minute invitation and I learned of it late this afternoon from a colleague. I nearly missed it. In case you're wondering about the fancy name of the study, let me explain to you that medical researchers have this strange predilection to use acronyms that spell like catchy words for their studies. There are thousands of these medical studies, all with catchy names like: HOPE, PROGRESS, ALLHAT, ADVANCE, STONE, etc. The INVEST Study seeks to settle the long-standing debate among cardiologists over the usefulness of calcium antagonists (also known as calcium-channel blockers in some countries, or CCBs) for treating high blood pressure.
I'm not going to blog about the INVEST study but I'd like to share something the guest speaker (Professor Ranier Kolloch of Germany) said before beginning his technical report to us.
He presented us with a slide which he said he also presented last March in Berlin during their own medical convention. The slide was a quiz for us and went something like this:
A lot of us answered with the "correct answers" we know and the things we usually tell our patients, which are letters A to E. Almost no one picked letter F, because, as my seatmate reasoned, "F is a priestly advice and we're no priests." I, myself answered with G (missing from the slide, of course, because for me, choice G should have been "all of the above"). But the German professor turned all of us down, saying that the true and correct answer is really F. Why? Because just like in cancer, genetic predisposition plays a major role in everyone's future health status.
Choices A to E are the things we usually advice our patients, and there's nothing wrong with that. We are doing the right thing, he said, but like it or not, he said we were just delaying the inevitable. He said there was a great likelihood that we will also die of a heart attack if a close relative (dad or mom) died similarly. "Soooo," he says with an impish smile in his face, "the correct answer is to pray, my friends." Pray hard that God decides otherwise, and lengthens your life.
I smiled, too. In the end, doctors are really just people patients go to in order to feel comforted that they are doing the right thing for themselves. The only wonder medical science is capable of doing is to delay and delay and delay..... but the chances of really getting healed from an ailment that is in your genes is a looong shot. You really can't escape your destiny, fatal as it may be. In the end, both doctor and patient have really one option to dramatically change what has been genetically predetermined: pray to God.
Now, that is one advice I will keep close to my heart.
20 May 2004
SEF IS GUILTY
Charged of Slaughtering His Own Family
Australian news hours ago announced that Sef Gonzales, the 23-year-old Filipino law student, has been found guilty of murdering his parents and his 18-year-old sister in July 2001. Sef was observed to put his head in his hands as the verdict of guilty was read out. He faces life imprisonment when he is sentenced.
At the far end of the courtroom, Sef's aunt, Annie Paraan, broke down in tears as the verdict was read out while another aunt, Emily Luna, mouthed "thank you" at the media. Ms Paraan said she felt the verdict was correct but it was hard to accept a relative was responsible for the brutal murders.
Sef had pleaded not guilty to the murders, telling the court he was with a prostitute that night. But a series and litany of lies (click here) he told the police probably convinced the NSW Supreme Court jury that he was guilty. The series of lies included his claim that he was with a prostitute at the time of the killings. The prosecution found that he scrawled graffiti on the walls of his home in an attempt to make the killings look racially motivated. He strangled his sister, then clubbed and stabbed her. He then stabbed to death his father and mother one at a time as they arrived home from work.
Motives? Aussie prosecutor Mark Tedeschi said Gonzales feared his wealthy family would disown him because his grades were falling and they disapproved of his girlfriend. He also stood to inherit millions of dollars worth of assets in Australia and the Philippines.
Her aunt Annie Paraan futher said: "I just feel that we have lost another member of the family. We're really in pain. I think justice has been done but it would have been easier to accept if it were a different person. It's so hard to accept."
True. It is really too gut-wrenching to accept. Heck, I even find it too hard to believe. Seems like a Hollywood movie plot to me. Amazing what a son would do just to get back at a family he has grown to hate. In my opinion, murder is reserved for people you terribly hate. Even that is debatable. Sef had a nice life, I think. Nicer than most Filipinos of his age here at home. And yet, he annihilated the very hands that cared and fed him. Material comforts may not be what he really needed, after all. It could have been more attention and more time talking with his mom and dad. Is this a lesson for all those parents out there?
But hey, I'm just an outsider looking in. Who knows what goes (or what went off) in Sef's mind?
Charged of Slaughtering His Own Family
Australian news hours ago announced that Sef Gonzales, the 23-year-old Filipino law student, has been found guilty of murdering his parents and his 18-year-old sister in July 2001. Sef was observed to put his head in his hands as the verdict of guilty was read out. He faces life imprisonment when he is sentenced.
At the far end of the courtroom, Sef's aunt, Annie Paraan, broke down in tears as the verdict was read out while another aunt, Emily Luna, mouthed "thank you" at the media. Ms Paraan said she felt the verdict was correct but it was hard to accept a relative was responsible for the brutal murders.
Sef had pleaded not guilty to the murders, telling the court he was with a prostitute that night. But a series and litany of lies (click here) he told the police probably convinced the NSW Supreme Court jury that he was guilty. The series of lies included his claim that he was with a prostitute at the time of the killings. The prosecution found that he scrawled graffiti on the walls of his home in an attempt to make the killings look racially motivated. He strangled his sister, then clubbed and stabbed her. He then stabbed to death his father and mother one at a time as they arrived home from work.
Motives? Aussie prosecutor Mark Tedeschi said Gonzales feared his wealthy family would disown him because his grades were falling and they disapproved of his girlfriend. He also stood to inherit millions of dollars worth of assets in Australia and the Philippines.
Her aunt Annie Paraan futher said: "I just feel that we have lost another member of the family. We're really in pain. I think justice has been done but it would have been easier to accept if it were a different person. It's so hard to accept."
True. It is really too gut-wrenching to accept. Heck, I even find it too hard to believe. Seems like a Hollywood movie plot to me. Amazing what a son would do just to get back at a family he has grown to hate. In my opinion, murder is reserved for people you terribly hate. Even that is debatable. Sef had a nice life, I think. Nicer than most Filipinos of his age here at home. And yet, he annihilated the very hands that cared and fed him. Material comforts may not be what he really needed, after all. It could have been more attention and more time talking with his mom and dad. Is this a lesson for all those parents out there?
But hey, I'm just an outsider looking in. Who knows what goes (or what went off) in Sef's mind?
GLORIA AND SONIA
A World of Difference
Can you spot the world of difference?
The woman on the left is Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the 57-year-old incumbent and hopeful incoming President of our country. The woman on the right is Italian-born Sonia Gandhi, the 57-year-old widow of former Indian PM Rajiv Gandhi, and would have been India's next leader following her surprise general election success.
Almost 2 years ago, Gloria announced she was no longer running for President. In the morning of December 30, 2002 (Rizal Day) while vacationing in Baguio City, she made her speech of withdrawal saying, "If I were to run, it would require a major political effort on my part but since I am one of the principal figures in the divisive national events in the last two or three years our political efforts would result in a never-ending divisiveness. My reading of the political winds tells me that the 2004 elections may well go down in history as among our most bitterly contested elections ever." [Reuters report]. With her decision not to run, Arroyo said she felt "relieved of the burden of politics."
Then on October 2003, Gloria declared that her decision not to run was a mistake. "I got out of the race, but what did I get?" she said. Restive members of the military led a mini-coup attempt (Oakwood mutiny) against her in July 2003, and husband Jose Pidal was embroiled in a financial scandal. So, she jumped back into the presidential derby again, this time saying: "I will offer myself as the leader with the experience and vision."
Sonia Gandhi, on the other hand, stunned the Indian nation this Tuesday by declining the prime minister's post even though she led her party to a surprising victory over now ousted PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee's National Democratic Alliance. She said she will just remain head of India's Congress party but rejected repeated fresh appeals to be India's prime minister. She instead endorsed Dr. Manmohan Singh, 71, the architect of India's economic reforms and a respected consensus builder.
In a prepared statement, Sonia said: "I am not going anywhere. I am still very much in politics. I will continue as Congress president and chairperson (of the) Congress party in parliament for as long as you want me to. But I appeal to you to understand the depth of my sentiment when I say I cannot reverse my decision not to be prime minister. We must get on with the serious business of undoing the damage done by the last government and of working to create the India of our dreams.." [ChannelNewsAsia Report]
Gloria Arroyo, who you always see dressed in chic trouser-suits, has a reputation as an intelligent and hard-working technocrat who is also a deft player in the dirty game of Philippine politics. Sonia Gandhi, on the other hand, had led a life of near recluse for six years but for her appearances at a few official functions. Rajiv Gandhi, her husband, was killed by a Tamil suicide bomber during a visit to Madras in 1991. Sonia has always resisted Congress attempts to persuade her to step into Rajiv's shoes and eschewed politics for several years. Sonia is also well known for having asked an Indian court to grant clemency to a woman who had played a part in the bomb attack which killed her husband.
Two women leaders of developing countries both coming from a family of national leaders. They are of the same age but they have different sensibilities and levels of insight. One uses sacrifice as a ploy and a political manuever while the other one sees sacrifice for its true meaning, which is a means to "create the country (India) of their dreams."
A World of Difference
The woman on the left is Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the 57-year-old incumbent and hopeful incoming President of our country. The woman on the right is Italian-born Sonia Gandhi, the 57-year-old widow of former Indian PM Rajiv Gandhi, and would have been India's next leader following her surprise general election success.
Almost 2 years ago, Gloria announced she was no longer running for President. In the morning of December 30, 2002 (Rizal Day) while vacationing in Baguio City, she made her speech of withdrawal saying, "If I were to run, it would require a major political effort on my part but since I am one of the principal figures in the divisive national events in the last two or three years our political efforts would result in a never-ending divisiveness. My reading of the political winds tells me that the 2004 elections may well go down in history as among our most bitterly contested elections ever." [Reuters report]. With her decision not to run, Arroyo said she felt "relieved of the burden of politics."
Then on October 2003, Gloria declared that her decision not to run was a mistake. "I got out of the race, but what did I get?" she said. Restive members of the military led a mini-coup attempt (Oakwood mutiny) against her in July 2003, and husband Jose Pidal was embroiled in a financial scandal. So, she jumped back into the presidential derby again, this time saying: "I will offer myself as the leader with the experience and vision."
Sonia Gandhi, on the other hand, stunned the Indian nation this Tuesday by declining the prime minister's post even though she led her party to a surprising victory over now ousted PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee's National Democratic Alliance. She said she will just remain head of India's Congress party but rejected repeated fresh appeals to be India's prime minister. She instead endorsed Dr. Manmohan Singh, 71, the architect of India's economic reforms and a respected consensus builder.
In a prepared statement, Sonia said: "I am not going anywhere. I am still very much in politics. I will continue as Congress president and chairperson (of the) Congress party in parliament for as long as you want me to. But I appeal to you to understand the depth of my sentiment when I say I cannot reverse my decision not to be prime minister. We must get on with the serious business of undoing the damage done by the last government and of working to create the India of our dreams.." [ChannelNewsAsia Report]
Gloria Arroyo, who you always see dressed in chic trouser-suits, has a reputation as an intelligent and hard-working technocrat who is also a deft player in the dirty game of Philippine politics. Sonia Gandhi, on the other hand, had led a life of near recluse for six years but for her appearances at a few official functions. Rajiv Gandhi, her husband, was killed by a Tamil suicide bomber during a visit to Madras in 1991. Sonia has always resisted Congress attempts to persuade her to step into Rajiv's shoes and eschewed politics for several years. Sonia is also well known for having asked an Indian court to grant clemency to a woman who had played a part in the bomb attack which killed her husband.
Two women leaders of developing countries both coming from a family of national leaders. They are of the same age but they have different sensibilities and levels of insight. One uses sacrifice as a ploy and a political manuever while the other one sees sacrifice for its true meaning, which is a means to "create the country (India) of their dreams."
19 May 2004
THE FIRST CASUALTY
Is Oil Today's Helen of Troy?
The picture you see is the Discoverer Enterprise. It is a massive multi-purpose vessel that is the first ultradeepwater drillship with dual activity drilling technology capable of working in the deepest waters being explored for oil in the world today. A fascinating fact about this vessel is its ability to drill a well 35,000 feet below sea level, or more than 6.5 miles from the drill floor.
Oil giant BP has one Enterprise stationed and drilling wells over a spot 120 miles (200 kilometers) southeast of New Orleans in the Gulf of Mexico. This Enterprise is driving a well toward an estimated 1 billion barrels of oil below the seafloor, the biggest oil field discovered in United States territory in three decades, according to the June 2004 issue of the National Geographic.
The recent issue of National Geographic sounds off an alarm that the world has now reached, or is closely reaching what is termed as "the twilight of plentiful oil.". What does that mean?
The insightful article explains:
"There's no global shortage (of oil) yet; far from it. The world can still produce so much crude that the current price of about $30 (I think it has gone up to $40) for a 42-gallon barrel would plummet if the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) did not limit production. This abundance of oil means, for now, that oil is cheap. While oil demand is up everywhere, the U.S. remains the king of consumers, slurping up a quarter of the world's oil --- about 3gallons a person every day --- even though it has just 5% of the population. Yet as the Enterprise drillers know, slaking the world's oil thirst is harder than it used to be. The old sources can't be counted on anymore. On land the lower 48 states of the U.S. are tapped out, producing less than half the oil they did at their peak in 1970. Production from the North Slope of Alaska and the North Sea of Europe, burgeoning oil regions 20 years ago, is in decline. Unrest in Venezuela and Nigeria threatens the flow of oil. The Middle East remains the mother lode of crude, but war and instability underscore the perils of depending on that region. And so oil companies are searching for new supplies and braving high costs, both human and economic."
As Sassy today laments on the story of a former US Marine soldier in Iraq, this news of an impending world shortage of oil is enlightening. Maybe this is the present day Helen of Troy (have you seen the movie yet?). Bush went to war in Iraq because he wanted to (allegedly) halt Iraq from spreading terrorism around the globe by confiscating Saddam's weapons of mass destruction (WMD). What WMDs? Has there been any significant WMD finds since the war began? After having caught Saddam and nearly 1000 US soldiers killed, the US still remains in Iraq. Why?
Bush and the Americans are very wise people. They know that when the coming world oil shortage comes, he who owns the most oil will be KING. The Bush administration, is keen to pounce on Iraq's massive untapped reserves, the second biggest in the world after Saudi Arabia's. Washington's predatory interest in Iraqi oil is clear, whatever its political protestations about its motives for war. The US consumes 20M barrels of crude a day, and analysts have singled out the country that could meet up to half that requirement: Iraq.
The current high price of oil is dragging the US economy further into recession. US control of the Iraqi reserves, perhaps the biggest unmapped reservoir in the world, would break Saudi Arabia's hold on the oil-pricing cartel Opec, and dictate prices for the next century.
I am appalled by the greed and amazed by the forthsight of the Americans. It seeks more oil and more oil in spite of its stategic reserves. Do you know it has strategic oil reserves of about 648 million barrels of oil? Oh yes! Check it out here. US defenders say that "when you are the world's largest consumer of oil and import more than half of it, it's good to have a back-up plan."
Back-up plan with regards to a possible world oil shortage? I say, they have lots and lots of back-up plans. Geeez, I've been thinking maybe that's why they are also sooo eager to explore Mars. What do you think?
It is quite ironic that it was also an American who said that "The first casualty when war comes is truth." A staunchly isolationist Republican politician from California who served in the United States Senate for nearly 30 years, US Senator Hiram Warren Johnson is purported to have said the adage in 1918.
Nobody wants to discuss the truth when one goes to war.
Is Oil Today's Helen of Troy?
The picture you see is the Discoverer Enterprise. It is a massive multi-purpose vessel that is the first ultradeepwater drillship with dual activity drilling technology capable of working in the deepest waters being explored for oil in the world today. A fascinating fact about this vessel is its ability to drill a well 35,000 feet below sea level, or more than 6.5 miles from the drill floor.
Oil giant BP has one Enterprise stationed and drilling wells over a spot 120 miles (200 kilometers) southeast of New Orleans in the Gulf of Mexico. This Enterprise is driving a well toward an estimated 1 billion barrels of oil below the seafloor, the biggest oil field discovered in United States territory in three decades, according to the June 2004 issue of the National Geographic.
The recent issue of National Geographic sounds off an alarm that the world has now reached, or is closely reaching what is termed as "the twilight of plentiful oil.". What does that mean?
The insightful article explains:
"There's no global shortage (of oil) yet; far from it. The world can still produce so much crude that the current price of about $30 (I think it has gone up to $40) for a 42-gallon barrel would plummet if the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) did not limit production. This abundance of oil means, for now, that oil is cheap. While oil demand is up everywhere, the U.S. remains the king of consumers, slurping up a quarter of the world's oil --- about 3gallons a person every day --- even though it has just 5% of the population. Yet as the Enterprise drillers know, slaking the world's oil thirst is harder than it used to be. The old sources can't be counted on anymore. On land the lower 48 states of the U.S. are tapped out, producing less than half the oil they did at their peak in 1970. Production from the North Slope of Alaska and the North Sea of Europe, burgeoning oil regions 20 years ago, is in decline. Unrest in Venezuela and Nigeria threatens the flow of oil. The Middle East remains the mother lode of crude, but war and instability underscore the perils of depending on that region. And so oil companies are searching for new supplies and braving high costs, both human and economic."
As Sassy today laments on the story of a former US Marine soldier in Iraq, this news of an impending world shortage of oil is enlightening. Maybe this is the present day Helen of Troy (have you seen the movie yet?). Bush went to war in Iraq because he wanted to (allegedly) halt Iraq from spreading terrorism around the globe by confiscating Saddam's weapons of mass destruction (WMD). What WMDs? Has there been any significant WMD finds since the war began? After having caught Saddam and nearly 1000 US soldiers killed, the US still remains in Iraq. Why?
Bush and the Americans are very wise people. They know that when the coming world oil shortage comes, he who owns the most oil will be KING. The Bush administration, is keen to pounce on Iraq's massive untapped reserves, the second biggest in the world after Saudi Arabia's. Washington's predatory interest in Iraqi oil is clear, whatever its political protestations about its motives for war. The US consumes 20M barrels of crude a day, and analysts have singled out the country that could meet up to half that requirement: Iraq.
The current high price of oil is dragging the US economy further into recession. US control of the Iraqi reserves, perhaps the biggest unmapped reservoir in the world, would break Saudi Arabia's hold on the oil-pricing cartel Opec, and dictate prices for the next century.
I am appalled by the greed and amazed by the forthsight of the Americans. It seeks more oil and more oil in spite of its stategic reserves. Do you know it has strategic oil reserves of about 648 million barrels of oil? Oh yes! Check it out here. US defenders say that "when you are the world's largest consumer of oil and import more than half of it, it's good to have a back-up plan."
Back-up plan with regards to a possible world oil shortage? I say, they have lots and lots of back-up plans. Geeez, I've been thinking maybe that's why they are also sooo eager to explore Mars. What do you think?
It is quite ironic that it was also an American who said that "The first casualty when war comes is truth." A staunchly isolationist Republican politician from California who served in the United States Senate for nearly 30 years, US Senator Hiram Warren Johnson is purported to have said the adage in 1918.
Nobody wants to discuss the truth when one goes to war.
18 May 2004
GLOBALIZATION AND UNEVEN COMPETITION
A Fatal Combination That Can Kill A Nation
Recently, I had this running argument on globalization with a fellow named Mitch over at Sassy's weblog. I encourage you to view the whole exchange here before reading this. I presume Mitch is an American and his homelinks ranged from intellectual (click here) to friendly (click here).
Mitch wants and promotes globalization. Sassy and I are really not kosher with the idea.
Globalization in the Philippines began years before 1994, when our Philippine Senate ratified the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT); its leading proponent was then Sen. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who became president in 2001 through a people-power uprising. Even during the Cory Aquino administration, economic policies that are now formally aligned with globalization were established: quotas were already removed on the entry of imported goods, debt subsidies were abolished as part of finance liberalization, and a series of tariff reductions were enacted, such that from 41% in 1981, tariffs had gone down to only 8% by 2000.
The 1990s was a decade in which the industries of telecommunications, oil, water transport, banking and shipping, airlines, and retail trade were wholly opened up to foreign investors, without regard to the ability of local enterprises to compete. Since 1991, 100% foreign ownership of enterprises has been allowed in almost all sectors of the economy, except for defense, small-scale mining, cooperatives, mass media, and a few others. Since 1995 when the Philippines joined the WTO, the entire economic policy of the Philippines has had to conform to WTO standards, which now favor the free entry of investments from developed countries into the developing world. In short, it is free trade and globalization galore courtesy of our previous and present leaders. Future economic plans even include abolishing tariffs altogether by 2010.
Globalization is based primarily on competition. The best products with the best prices usually emerge as winners. Competition, in turn, is based on the ability to compete, meaning one must be at optimal level in order to join in the contest. My premise is that my country can NOT join a competition where we cannot expect to win. We must first develop ourselves to "competition-level" before joining in.
I fully agree with the fact that every successful example of economic development this past century--every case of a poor nation that worked its way up to a more or less decent, or at least dramatically better, standard of living--has taken place via globalization; that is, by producing for the world market rather than trying for self-sufficiency. Japan and South Korea and many others are examples. But before Mitch labels me again as "self-contradictory," let me first point out that my country cannot compete without first achieving a state of competitiveness.
Sad as it may be, the truth really hurts. We are nowhere near competitive level. Our chief product at the moment? Our people. Does Mitch know that 2,700 Filipinos leave the country each day to work overseas? If globalization was sooo good, why are so many of my countrymen leaving my country? Not few, not several, but in droves!
Does Mitch know that due to the uneven competition between developing and developed countries under the framework of globalization, Philippine imports have grown faster than exports? Based on government data, the country's agricultural trade surplus of $257.6 million per year from 1990-94 descended into an average trade deficit of $756 million per year from 1995.
For purposes of brevity, I'm going to give one local example: Fruits and vegetables grown in the mountains of northern Luzon are purchased by farm traders and distributors who in turn sell the crops south to the Philippine city capital, which is Manila. Filipino farmers used to take pride when they haul their loads of broccoli, onions, carrots, beets and strawberries to market. These farmers work hard for a modest income, knowing they provide valuable products. They supply the rest of the Philippines, which is mainly tropical, with vegetables that grow in a cooler climate. But demand for their crops is dwindling. Fruit and vegetable produce from China, Australia, and yes, the US, are instead making a killing in local markets everywhere. Why? They're cheaper and better.
And that's just the tip of the iceberg.
Globalization has resulted in shutdowns or slowdowns of companies and consequent losses of jobs, particularly in the manufacturing sector. Nearly 500,000 workers in the manufacturing sector lost their jobs from 1985-2000 --- equivalent to 59% of all workers who lost their jobs within the said period. In non-agricultural establishments with 20 or more employees, a total of 768,862 workers were laid off from 1985 to 2000. In 2002 alone, there were ten small- and medium-scale enterprises that had to close shop or reduce employment everyday, which meant a loss of 212 jobs daily. Reports also show that more than a million agricultural jobs were lost since 1995.
Does Mitch know that the current unemployment rate of 12% is the highest recorded in this country since 1957?
I say globalization is good for those who can compete. Has Mitch ever wondered why the Philippines never dominates in the Olympics? Same answer and same principle operates. But hey, we win gold medals in local Asian events. I think globalization should be segmented. Developed countries should compete with developed countries. Developing ones should compete with fellow developing nations, and so on and so forth. You get my drift.
If I played golf with Tiger Woods, does Mitch expect me to win? Or would I have better chances if I played with my buddies?
A Fatal Combination That Can Kill A Nation
Recently, I had this running argument on globalization with a fellow named Mitch over at Sassy's weblog. I encourage you to view the whole exchange here before reading this. I presume Mitch is an American and his homelinks ranged from intellectual (click here) to friendly (click here).
Mitch wants and promotes globalization. Sassy and I are really not kosher with the idea.
Globalization in the Philippines began years before 1994, when our Philippine Senate ratified the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT); its leading proponent was then Sen. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who became president in 2001 through a people-power uprising. Even during the Cory Aquino administration, economic policies that are now formally aligned with globalization were established: quotas were already removed on the entry of imported goods, debt subsidies were abolished as part of finance liberalization, and a series of tariff reductions were enacted, such that from 41% in 1981, tariffs had gone down to only 8% by 2000.
The 1990s was a decade in which the industries of telecommunications, oil, water transport, banking and shipping, airlines, and retail trade were wholly opened up to foreign investors, without regard to the ability of local enterprises to compete. Since 1991, 100% foreign ownership of enterprises has been allowed in almost all sectors of the economy, except for defense, small-scale mining, cooperatives, mass media, and a few others. Since 1995 when the Philippines joined the WTO, the entire economic policy of the Philippines has had to conform to WTO standards, which now favor the free entry of investments from developed countries into the developing world. In short, it is free trade and globalization galore courtesy of our previous and present leaders. Future economic plans even include abolishing tariffs altogether by 2010.
Globalization is based primarily on competition. The best products with the best prices usually emerge as winners. Competition, in turn, is based on the ability to compete, meaning one must be at optimal level in order to join in the contest. My premise is that my country can NOT join a competition where we cannot expect to win. We must first develop ourselves to "competition-level" before joining in.
I fully agree with the fact that every successful example of economic development this past century--every case of a poor nation that worked its way up to a more or less decent, or at least dramatically better, standard of living--has taken place via globalization; that is, by producing for the world market rather than trying for self-sufficiency. Japan and South Korea and many others are examples. But before Mitch labels me again as "self-contradictory," let me first point out that my country cannot compete without first achieving a state of competitiveness.
Sad as it may be, the truth really hurts. We are nowhere near competitive level. Our chief product at the moment? Our people. Does Mitch know that 2,700 Filipinos leave the country each day to work overseas? If globalization was sooo good, why are so many of my countrymen leaving my country? Not few, not several, but in droves!
Does Mitch know that due to the uneven competition between developing and developed countries under the framework of globalization, Philippine imports have grown faster than exports? Based on government data, the country's agricultural trade surplus of $257.6 million per year from 1990-94 descended into an average trade deficit of $756 million per year from 1995.
For purposes of brevity, I'm going to give one local example: Fruits and vegetables grown in the mountains of northern Luzon are purchased by farm traders and distributors who in turn sell the crops south to the Philippine city capital, which is Manila. Filipino farmers used to take pride when they haul their loads of broccoli, onions, carrots, beets and strawberries to market. These farmers work hard for a modest income, knowing they provide valuable products. They supply the rest of the Philippines, which is mainly tropical, with vegetables that grow in a cooler climate. But demand for their crops is dwindling. Fruit and vegetable produce from China, Australia, and yes, the US, are instead making a killing in local markets everywhere. Why? They're cheaper and better.
And that's just the tip of the iceberg.
Globalization has resulted in shutdowns or slowdowns of companies and consequent losses of jobs, particularly in the manufacturing sector. Nearly 500,000 workers in the manufacturing sector lost their jobs from 1985-2000 --- equivalent to 59% of all workers who lost their jobs within the said period. In non-agricultural establishments with 20 or more employees, a total of 768,862 workers were laid off from 1985 to 2000. In 2002 alone, there were ten small- and medium-scale enterprises that had to close shop or reduce employment everyday, which meant a loss of 212 jobs daily. Reports also show that more than a million agricultural jobs were lost since 1995.
Does Mitch know that the current unemployment rate of 12% is the highest recorded in this country since 1957?
I say globalization is good for those who can compete. Has Mitch ever wondered why the Philippines never dominates in the Olympics? Same answer and same principle operates. But hey, we win gold medals in local Asian events. I think globalization should be segmented. Developed countries should compete with developed countries. Developing ones should compete with fellow developing nations, and so on and so forth. You get my drift.
If I played golf with Tiger Woods, does Mitch expect me to win? Or would I have better chances if I played with my buddies?
16 May 2004
THE OLD WOMAN
Food For Thought
What you can't see.
When an old lady died in the geriatric ward of a small hospital near Dundee, Scotland, it was felt that she had nothing left of any value. Later, as the nurses were going through her meager possessions, they found this poem. Its quality and content so impressed the staff that copies were made and distributed to every nurse in the hospital. One nurse took her copy to Ireland. The old lady's sole bequest to posterity has since appeared in the Christmas edition of the News Magazine of the North Ireland Association for Mental Health. A slide presentation has also been made based on her simple, but eloquent, poem. And this little old Scottish lady, with nothing left to give to the world, is now the author of this "anonymous" poem winging across the Internet.
An Old Lady's Poem
What do you see, nurses, what do you see? What are you thinking when you're looking at me? A crabby old woman, not very wise, Uncertain of habit, with faraway eyes?
Who dribbles her food and makes no reply When you say in a loud voice, "I do wish you'd try!" Who seems not to notice the things that you do, And forever is losing a stocking or shoe.....
Who, resisting or not, lets you do as you will, With bathing and feeding, the long day to fill... Is that what you're thinking? Is that what you see? Then open your eyes, nurse; you're not looking at me.
I'll tell you who I am as I sit here so still, As I do at your bidding, as I eat at your will. I'm a small child of ten...with a father and mother, Brothers and sisters, who love one another.
A young girl of sixteen, with wings on her feet, Dreaming that soon now a lover she'll meet. A bride soon at twenty -- my heart gives a leap, Remembering the vows that I promised to keep.
At twenty-five now, I have young of my own, Who need me to guide and a secure happy home. A woman of thirty, my young now grown fast, Bound to each other with ties that should last.
At forty, my young sons have grown and are gone, But my man's beside me to see I don't mourn. At fifty once more, babies play round my knee, Again we know children, my loved one and me.
Dark days are upon me, my husband is dead; I look at the future, I shudder with dread. For my young are all rearing young of their own, And I think of the years and the love that I've known.
I'm now an old woman...and nature is cruel; 'Tis jest to make old age look like a fool. The body, it crumbles, grace and vigor depart, There is now a stone where I once had a heart.
But inside this old carcass a young girl still dwells, And now and again my battered heart swells. I remember the joys, I remember the pain, And I'm loving and living life over again.
I think of the years...all too few, gone too fast, And accept the stark fact that nothing can last. So open your eyes, people, open and see, Not a crabby old woman; look closer...see ME!!
Remember this poem when you next meet an old person who you might brush aside without looking at the young soul within...we will one day be there, too!
NOTE: I got this piece from the email from Father Rick Delapena who is the Parochial Vicar of St. Joseph's Church in Kingston, New York. I subscribe to his Food for Thought articles. This particular piece touched me and I would like to share it with you.
Food For Thought
What you can't see.
When an old lady died in the geriatric ward of a small hospital near Dundee, Scotland, it was felt that she had nothing left of any value. Later, as the nurses were going through her meager possessions, they found this poem. Its quality and content so impressed the staff that copies were made and distributed to every nurse in the hospital. One nurse took her copy to Ireland. The old lady's sole bequest to posterity has since appeared in the Christmas edition of the News Magazine of the North Ireland Association for Mental Health. A slide presentation has also been made based on her simple, but eloquent, poem. And this little old Scottish lady, with nothing left to give to the world, is now the author of this "anonymous" poem winging across the Internet.
An Old Lady's Poem
What do you see, nurses, what do you see? What are you thinking when you're looking at me? A crabby old woman, not very wise, Uncertain of habit, with faraway eyes?
Who dribbles her food and makes no reply When you say in a loud voice, "I do wish you'd try!" Who seems not to notice the things that you do, And forever is losing a stocking or shoe.....
Who, resisting or not, lets you do as you will, With bathing and feeding, the long day to fill... Is that what you're thinking? Is that what you see? Then open your eyes, nurse; you're not looking at me.
I'll tell you who I am as I sit here so still, As I do at your bidding, as I eat at your will. I'm a small child of ten...with a father and mother, Brothers and sisters, who love one another.
A young girl of sixteen, with wings on her feet, Dreaming that soon now a lover she'll meet. A bride soon at twenty -- my heart gives a leap, Remembering the vows that I promised to keep.
At twenty-five now, I have young of my own, Who need me to guide and a secure happy home. A woman of thirty, my young now grown fast, Bound to each other with ties that should last.
At forty, my young sons have grown and are gone, But my man's beside me to see I don't mourn. At fifty once more, babies play round my knee, Again we know children, my loved one and me.
Dark days are upon me, my husband is dead; I look at the future, I shudder with dread. For my young are all rearing young of their own, And I think of the years and the love that I've known.
I'm now an old woman...and nature is cruel; 'Tis jest to make old age look like a fool. The body, it crumbles, grace and vigor depart, There is now a stone where I once had a heart.
But inside this old carcass a young girl still dwells, And now and again my battered heart swells. I remember the joys, I remember the pain, And I'm loving and living life over again.
I think of the years...all too few, gone too fast, And accept the stark fact that nothing can last. So open your eyes, people, open and see, Not a crabby old woman; look closer...see ME!!
Remember this poem when you next meet an old person who you might brush aside without looking at the young soul within...we will one day be there, too!
NOTE: I got this piece from the email from Father Rick Delapena who is the Parochial Vicar of St. Joseph's Church in Kingston, New York. I subscribe to his Food for Thought articles. This particular piece touched me and I would like to share it with you.
15 May 2004
McDONALDS RELOADED
When Will Our Own McDo Follow?
Perhaps innervated by health advocates' repeated pleas about its contribution to the obesity epidemic, McDonalds has recently planned removing the French Fries in its menu and last Tuesday introduced an "adult Happy meal." Priced at $5.99, the new Adult Happy Meal will have you selecting from a choice of salads that aren't really new to the American menu - Caesar, cobb, bacon ranch or fiesta - served with Paul Newman's Own dressings (Paul Newman is McDonalds endorser of these adult happy meals) and, just like a child-size Happy Meal, a toy. Well, not really a toy if you think healthy. The adult happy meal comes with a Stepometer, or a pedometer --- a contraption that will (hopefully) encourage you to take long walks and record it.
Go here for McDonalds press release of their new Adult Happy Meals.
It seems when you apply the right pressure, these fastfood guys feel the heat, and are sensitive enough to reform and improve their menu. I thought the fastfoods' shamelessness will just go on and on what with their brazen targeting of children via larded-up school breakfats, errr, breakfasts and lunches, and producing a future generation of premature pre-diabetics, diabetics, cardiac and stroke patients.
Have you seen the film "Super Size Me?" Made by Morgan Spurlock as his debut film documentary, it explored the impact of fast food and obesity on Americans. In the documentary, Spurlock (the director and main actor) decided to eat only McDonalds food for an entire month, 3 meals per day, and documented the gradual girth increase in his body. In his movie, he also talks with an array of people, from former Secretary General David Satcher to a man who eats Big Macs every single day. Spurlock got the idea for his film on Thanksgiving Day 2002, when he learned about two women who were suing McDonalds for their own obesity. Crazy, huh? But the idea moved him to document his own one month food binging (breakfast, lunch, dinner) at McDonalds and test if there is really a relationship between McDonalds and obesity. Check out his website by clicking here.
What is lamentable is that the local McDonalds here in Manila and the Philippines continue serving French Fries, sugar-rich Sunday cones and dips, and of course, fat-laden burgers and chicken. They even have a new picture of their French Fries, promoting it lavishly and sits unperturbed by the ignorance of the Filipino consumer. The . What makes it happy is no one here is complaining. Ronald McDonald continues to be happy with his purse growing and unmindful of the growing numbers of obese Filipinos.
CNN says that McDonald's, which operates more than 30,000 hamburger restaurants worldwide, has experienced a somewhat turbulent year so far. Its new CEO, Charlie Bell, who replaced Jim Cantalupo after his sudden death of a heart attack, underwent surgery last week for colorectal cancer. Seems to me like their karma is turning up against them.
"The salads are a step in the right direction," Spurlock said. But he reminded diners that with the dressing, it has more calories than a Big Mac sandwich.
I agree with Spurlock. But he would weep if he knew of our situation here in the Philippines.
When Will Our Own McDo Follow?
Perhaps innervated by health advocates' repeated pleas about its contribution to the obesity epidemic, McDonalds has recently planned removing the French Fries in its menu and last Tuesday introduced an "adult Happy meal." Priced at $5.99, the new Adult Happy Meal will have you selecting from a choice of salads that aren't really new to the American menu - Caesar, cobb, bacon ranch or fiesta - served with Paul Newman's Own dressings (Paul Newman is McDonalds endorser of these adult happy meals) and, just like a child-size Happy Meal, a toy. Well, not really a toy if you think healthy. The adult happy meal comes with a Stepometer, or a pedometer --- a contraption that will (hopefully) encourage you to take long walks and record it.
Go here for McDonalds press release of their new Adult Happy Meals.
It seems when you apply the right pressure, these fastfood guys feel the heat, and are sensitive enough to reform and improve their menu. I thought the fastfoods' shamelessness will just go on and on what with their brazen targeting of children via larded-up school breakfats, errr, breakfasts and lunches, and producing a future generation of premature pre-diabetics, diabetics, cardiac and stroke patients.
Have you seen the film "Super Size Me?" Made by Morgan Spurlock as his debut film documentary, it explored the impact of fast food and obesity on Americans. In the documentary, Spurlock (the director and main actor) decided to eat only McDonalds food for an entire month, 3 meals per day, and documented the gradual girth increase in his body. In his movie, he also talks with an array of people, from former Secretary General David Satcher to a man who eats Big Macs every single day. Spurlock got the idea for his film on Thanksgiving Day 2002, when he learned about two women who were suing McDonalds for their own obesity. Crazy, huh? But the idea moved him to document his own one month food binging (breakfast, lunch, dinner) at McDonalds and test if there is really a relationship between McDonalds and obesity. Check out his website by clicking here.
What is lamentable is that the local McDonalds here in Manila and the Philippines continue serving French Fries, sugar-rich Sunday cones and dips, and of course, fat-laden burgers and chicken. They even have a new picture of their French Fries, promoting it lavishly and sits unperturbed by the ignorance of the Filipino consumer. The . What makes it happy is no one here is complaining. Ronald McDonald continues to be happy with his purse growing and unmindful of the growing numbers of obese Filipinos.
CNN says that McDonald's, which operates more than 30,000 hamburger restaurants worldwide, has experienced a somewhat turbulent year so far. Its new CEO, Charlie Bell, who replaced Jim Cantalupo after his sudden death of a heart attack, underwent surgery last week for colorectal cancer. Seems to me like their karma is turning up against them.
"The salads are a step in the right direction," Spurlock said. But he reminded diners that with the dressing, it has more calories than a Big Mac sandwich.
I agree with Spurlock. But he would weep if he knew of our situation here in the Philippines.
13 May 2004
COFFEE IN LOW DOSES HELPFUL
How To Stay Awake Longer
Coffee, anyone?
A group of Harvard researchers just found out that drinking a large cup of coffee in the morning gives you an initial boost that soon wears off. They say taking lots of small coffees are better at keeping you alert. Their report is published in the latest issue of the journal Sleep.
Caffeine, the main ingredient in coffee, interferes with the systems that govern our sleep. The circadian system and the homeostatic system regulates our sleep duration, and time when we get sleepy. The circadian system is a complex system that promotes sleep rhythmically, detects night from day, and works with melatonin release and some other hormones (our body clock) in a cyclical fashion. The homeostatic system, on the other hand, tells us how much sleep we need. In other words, the circadian system tells us when to sleep and the homeostatic system tells us how long to sleep.
Personally though, I tend to place more credence to a study published July 2002 in the Journal of Applied Physiology, which found that caffeine increased the amount of wakefulness time for people who took them, but non-coffee drinkers enjoyed the largest boost. The same study also found out that coffee continued to stimulate non-users up to six hours later, whereas by that time the habitual java drinkers had long since come off their high.
This leads me to the following conclusions, therefore:
- coffee in small amounts throughout the day in intervals of 2-3 hours can boost your alertness state.
- between coffee and non-coffee drinkers, the latter experience more time awake when subjected to the small coffee doses program.
- the best approach would be to take coffee when really needed; taking it on a habitual basis decreases its effectivity because of reaching a certain "caffeine threshold" beyond which no further appreciable alertness effect can be observed or noted.
There is really no shortcut to improving your alertness level. The best way is still to get an uninterrupted 8-hour sleep every night.
How To Stay Awake Longer
A group of Harvard researchers just found out that drinking a large cup of coffee in the morning gives you an initial boost that soon wears off. They say taking lots of small coffees are better at keeping you alert. Their report is published in the latest issue of the journal Sleep.
Caffeine, the main ingredient in coffee, interferes with the systems that govern our sleep. The circadian system and the homeostatic system regulates our sleep duration, and time when we get sleepy. The circadian system is a complex system that promotes sleep rhythmically, detects night from day, and works with melatonin release and some other hormones (our body clock) in a cyclical fashion. The homeostatic system, on the other hand, tells us how much sleep we need. In other words, the circadian system tells us when to sleep and the homeostatic system tells us how long to sleep.
Personally though, I tend to place more credence to a study published July 2002 in the Journal of Applied Physiology, which found that caffeine increased the amount of wakefulness time for people who took them, but non-coffee drinkers enjoyed the largest boost. The same study also found out that coffee continued to stimulate non-users up to six hours later, whereas by that time the habitual java drinkers had long since come off their high.
This leads me to the following conclusions, therefore:
- coffee in small amounts throughout the day in intervals of 2-3 hours can boost your alertness state.
- between coffee and non-coffee drinkers, the latter experience more time awake when subjected to the small coffee doses program.
- the best approach would be to take coffee when really needed; taking it on a habitual basis decreases its effectivity because of reaching a certain "caffeine threshold" beyond which no further appreciable alertness effect can be observed or noted.
There is really no shortcut to improving your alertness level. The best way is still to get an uninterrupted 8-hour sleep every night.
12 May 2004
US ARMY MAJ. GEN. ANTONIO TAGUBA
Another Filipino on the Spotlight
Checking out Google News late last evening, I found out more than 3,000 news items about a certain Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba. The name sounded like Filipino to me and clicking on one news item about him confirmed my suspicions that he is indeed Filipino.
US Army Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba is the author of the 53-page investigative report that detailed a wide range of blatant abuses against Iraqi prisoners committed by soldiers connected with the 372nd Military Police Company and also by members of the American intelligence community (you can download the PDF version of the report here). The said report has proved to be humiliating to the Pentagon and the White House. Taguba's report includes a shocking list of abuses that include sodomy with a broom stick, premeditated beatings, and the use of military dogs to frighten and intimidate detainees. It also depicted a prison out of control, run by soldiers who had little or no training in operating a prison.
You can read the full transcript of his opening statement before the US Senate Armed Services Committee, which is investigating the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by U.S. military personnel, here.
And I thought it was only the 24-year old reservist, Army Spec. Joseph Darby, who deserves all the accolade for exposing the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal (read my previous post). There are more good guys to my Lord of the Flies theory, after all.
I'm very proud that one of them is Filipino.
He even comes from my neigborhood. Antonio Taguba was born Oct. 31, 1950, in Sampaloc, Manila. He is the son of Army sergeant Tomas B. Taguba, who was captured by the Japanese Imperial Army at Bataan in the Philippines in 1942 during World War II, but managed to escape and fight in the Filipino resistance until the end of the war. He grew up in a God-fearing household with two brothers and five sisters. His family moved from the Philippines to Hawaii when he was 11. He was acting director of the Army staff last year before being promoted as Major General. He was deputy commanding general of the 3rd Army when assigned to investigate reports of wrongdoing among American military jailers in Iraq.
This world might be battered and pelted with wrongdoings and abuses, but there is still reason to hope that things can, and will get better. Especially with people like Taguba and Darby around.
When you analyze it, everything is balanced. It might come late, but the balancing factor arrives nonetheless.
Another Filipino on the Spotlight
Checking out Google News late last evening, I found out more than 3,000 news items about a certain Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba. The name sounded like Filipino to me and clicking on one news item about him confirmed my suspicions that he is indeed Filipino.
US Army Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba is the author of the 53-page investigative report that detailed a wide range of blatant abuses against Iraqi prisoners committed by soldiers connected with the 372nd Military Police Company and also by members of the American intelligence community (you can download the PDF version of the report here). The said report has proved to be humiliating to the Pentagon and the White House. Taguba's report includes a shocking list of abuses that include sodomy with a broom stick, premeditated beatings, and the use of military dogs to frighten and intimidate detainees. It also depicted a prison out of control, run by soldiers who had little or no training in operating a prison.
You can read the full transcript of his opening statement before the US Senate Armed Services Committee, which is investigating the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by U.S. military personnel, here.
And I thought it was only the 24-year old reservist, Army Spec. Joseph Darby, who deserves all the accolade for exposing the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal (read my previous post). There are more good guys to my Lord of the Flies theory, after all.
I'm very proud that one of them is Filipino.
He even comes from my neigborhood. Antonio Taguba was born Oct. 31, 1950, in Sampaloc, Manila. He is the son of Army sergeant Tomas B. Taguba, who was captured by the Japanese Imperial Army at Bataan in the Philippines in 1942 during World War II, but managed to escape and fight in the Filipino resistance until the end of the war. He grew up in a God-fearing household with two brothers and five sisters. His family moved from the Philippines to Hawaii when he was 11. He was acting director of the Army staff last year before being promoted as Major General. He was deputy commanding general of the 3rd Army when assigned to investigate reports of wrongdoing among American military jailers in Iraq.
This world might be battered and pelted with wrongdoings and abuses, but there is still reason to hope that things can, and will get better. Especially with people like Taguba and Darby around.
When you analyze it, everything is balanced. It might come late, but the balancing factor arrives nonetheless.
10 May 2004
MY LORD OF THE FLIES THEORY
When Man Becomes A Savage Animal
Sunday Frontpage of the NYT
By now, you must have heard and seen the much-hyped photographs of US soldiers abusing Iraqi prisoners. These photographs in recent weeks have ignited a scandal that has caused the Bush administration embarassment, debilitated American efforts to establish democratic reform in Iraq and the Islamic world, fueled more anti-American sentiments in the Arab world and was sufficient enough to generate an apology from Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld, amidst strong calls for his resignation.
In my view, almost every war has its own set of abuses, whatever perspective you are taking, be it the conqueror's or that of the vanquished. Soldiers, I think, have different violence thresholds. Some can handle them, and some can't. Those who can't turn into loosewires and enter a phase of savageness much like what you have seen in the William Golding literary work Lord of the Flies.
Most of the Coalition soldiers in Iraq are young and are probably having their first taste of war in the field. They have seen in Iraq for months what blood and gore means. Their training did not prepare them for this. I have always believed that no training will prepare you for the real thing. If your life used to be a happy, closed-knit family, you can imagine the shock one gets when one plunges into the hell of war. The constant bombings, the sniper attacks and ambushes, the exhaustion, the thought of being far-away from home, and the persistent question of why the heck are they fighting that war in the first place, can make an unprepared mind snap. That snap, is the first step to man's tranformation from human to barbaric. That in a nutshell, is my Lord of the Flies theory.
Just like any story, where there are bad guys, there are also good guys. The good characters in Lord of the Flies are Ralph and Piggy, and in the Iraq abuse scandal, the good guy and whistleblower was Army Spec. Joseph Darby, a 24-year-old reservist who gave the controversial pictures to the attention of investigators. He also later on turned in a CD-ROM with 1,000 photos documenting the atrocities, according to a recently disclosed internal Army report.
Read his story here
Man is basically good. War distorts his perspectives, and sometimes, war destroys it permanently. He becomes a savage animal who takes pleasure in abuse and killings. The Lord of the Flies assumes that society holds everyone together, and without these conditions, our ideals, values, and the basics of right and wrong are lost. Without society's rigid rules, anarchy and savagery can come to light. And there are no rigid rules in Iraq right now, correct? Anarchy rules there. Golding also showed through his work that morals come directly from our surroundings, and if there is no civilization around us, we will lose these values.
Come to think of it, whoever said that wars are moral?
When Man Becomes A Savage Animal
By now, you must have heard and seen the much-hyped photographs of US soldiers abusing Iraqi prisoners. These photographs in recent weeks have ignited a scandal that has caused the Bush administration embarassment, debilitated American efforts to establish democratic reform in Iraq and the Islamic world, fueled more anti-American sentiments in the Arab world and was sufficient enough to generate an apology from Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld, amidst strong calls for his resignation.
In my view, almost every war has its own set of abuses, whatever perspective you are taking, be it the conqueror's or that of the vanquished. Soldiers, I think, have different violence thresholds. Some can handle them, and some can't. Those who can't turn into loosewires and enter a phase of savageness much like what you have seen in the William Golding literary work Lord of the Flies.
Most of the Coalition soldiers in Iraq are young and are probably having their first taste of war in the field. They have seen in Iraq for months what blood and gore means. Their training did not prepare them for this. I have always believed that no training will prepare you for the real thing. If your life used to be a happy, closed-knit family, you can imagine the shock one gets when one plunges into the hell of war. The constant bombings, the sniper attacks and ambushes, the exhaustion, the thought of being far-away from home, and the persistent question of why the heck are they fighting that war in the first place, can make an unprepared mind snap. That snap, is the first step to man's tranformation from human to barbaric. That in a nutshell, is my Lord of the Flies theory.
Just like any story, where there are bad guys, there are also good guys. The good characters in Lord of the Flies are Ralph and Piggy, and in the Iraq abuse scandal, the good guy and whistleblower was Army Spec. Joseph Darby, a 24-year-old reservist who gave the controversial pictures to the attention of investigators. He also later on turned in a CD-ROM with 1,000 photos documenting the atrocities, according to a recently disclosed internal Army report.
Man is basically good. War distorts his perspectives, and sometimes, war destroys it permanently. He becomes a savage animal who takes pleasure in abuse and killings. The Lord of the Flies assumes that society holds everyone together, and without these conditions, our ideals, values, and the basics of right and wrong are lost. Without society's rigid rules, anarchy and savagery can come to light. And there are no rigid rules in Iraq right now, correct? Anarchy rules there. Golding also showed through his work that morals come directly from our surroundings, and if there is no civilization around us, we will lose these values.
Come to think of it, whoever said that wars are moral?
08 May 2004
STROKEBUSTER
Good News For Stroke Candidates
The May 8 issue of the Lancet carries good news for patients prone to have stroke attacks.
A surgical procedure known as carotid endarterectomy (CEA), which aims to clear up narrowings of the carotid arteries has been shown to decrease stroke risk by 50 percent in patients without recent neurological symptoms. In short, CEA can prevent
stroke onset from happening.
Alison Halliday, consultant vascular surgeon, of the St George's Hospital Medical School in London, and lead author of the Lancet article, said that in a trial of 3,000 patients in 126 hospitals in 30 countries, she and her colleagues found that surgery halved the risk of stroke from 12 to 6 percent in high-risk patients after a five-year follow-up. Most of these patients were under 75. Anyone with a blockage in the artery of between 70 and 90 percent would be a candidate for surgery, according to Halliday. Blockages occur in the carotid artery just as they do in arteries linked with heart attack.
Prophylactic carotid endarterectomy, anyone?
Using Doppler and ultrasound, carotid artery thickening can be detected. Finding out if you have significant narrowing can make you eligible for the operation and purposely eliminate any future stroke risk you might have.
This is good news, guys. Second to ischemic heart disease, stroke is the leading cause of death worldwide according to WHO. It is also among the five most important causes of disability and occurs when a blockage stops the flow of blood to the brain. It is also largely preventable with efforts to reduce blood pressure and raised cholesterol levels.
Who are at risk? Who else, but the usual suspects.
People who have high blood pressure, who smoke, who have diabetes or have high cholesterol have an increased risk of stroke.
The following image would further enlighten you on the other risk factors:
Good News For Stroke Candidates
The May 8 issue of the Lancet carries good news for patients prone to have stroke attacks.
A surgical procedure known as carotid endarterectomy (CEA), which aims to clear up narrowings of the carotid arteries has been shown to decrease stroke risk by 50 percent in patients without recent neurological symptoms. In short, CEA can prevent
stroke onset from happening.
Alison Halliday, consultant vascular surgeon, of the St George's Hospital Medical School in London, and lead author of the Lancet article, said that in a trial of 3,000 patients in 126 hospitals in 30 countries, she and her colleagues found that surgery halved the risk of stroke from 12 to 6 percent in high-risk patients after a five-year follow-up. Most of these patients were under 75. Anyone with a blockage in the artery of between 70 and 90 percent would be a candidate for surgery, according to Halliday. Blockages occur in the carotid artery just as they do in arteries linked with heart attack.
Prophylactic carotid endarterectomy, anyone?
Using Doppler and ultrasound, carotid artery thickening can be detected. Finding out if you have significant narrowing can make you eligible for the operation and purposely eliminate any future stroke risk you might have.
This is good news, guys. Second to ischemic heart disease, stroke is the leading cause of death worldwide according to WHO. It is also among the five most important causes of disability and occurs when a blockage stops the flow of blood to the brain. It is also largely preventable with efforts to reduce blood pressure and raised cholesterol levels.
Who are at risk? Who else, but the usual suspects.
People who have high blood pressure, who smoke, who have diabetes or have high cholesterol have an increased risk of stroke.
The following image would further enlighten you on the other risk factors:
07 May 2004
EATING OUR WAY TO THE GRAVE
Bad News After Bad News Ought To Wake Us Up!
Image courtesy of NIH
Just when you thought it was only the incidence of childhood obesity that is rising, comes this jolting but expected news that the blood pressure levels of children and adolescents have been steadily rising since 1988 to the year 2000. This is documented in the May 5 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Another bad news is that caffeine may increase blood pressure and, therefore, the risk of hypertension, in adolescents, particularly among blacks. This comes from the May issue of the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. Read the full study here (no subscription needed).
The third bad news is the Wednesday announcement of the World Health Organization (WHO) that the number of diabetics worldwide would more than double to 366 million by 2030, from some 171 million at present. Read their full announcement here. In the year 2000, the latest year for which figures were available, some 3.2 million people died of ailments brought on by diabetes such as cardiovascular disease and kidney failure, as compared with three million deaths from AIDS.
Diabetes therefore, is a much bigger killer than AIDS.
And contrary to what you probably believe that diabetes is an ailment of the wealthy and can be found only in rich, 1st-world countries like the US and Europe, it is in poorer countries that diabetes is growing fastest, with cases seen rising 150% over the next 25 years. Also notable is the finding that while in rich nations diabetes affects mainly older people, in poorer countries incidence is surging among those still economically active.
So, cut on those calories while you can. Exercise! Exercise! Exercise! Avoid refined sugar in any form: ice cream and cakes. Encourage your children to develop a healthy lifestyle, too. Obese children are not cute; you are pushing them closer to their graves by making them eat the wrong foods. Instead of drinking softdrinks, drink water. Walk briskly. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Run and jog at least twice weekly. Don't just spend most of your time sitting in your office and facing your computer. Improve your diet and increase your physical activity. Reduce that waistline now! It's the only way to live longer and beat diabetes.
It is a fact that unlike some other health threats, type 2 diabetes could be prevented by improved eating and exercise habits. The key word is preventable.
What is your choice? Life or an early death? The answer may be obvious, but the rising diabetes incidence rates seem to contradict what most people really choose.
Bad News After Bad News Ought To Wake Us Up!
Just when you thought it was only the incidence of childhood obesity that is rising, comes this jolting but expected news that the blood pressure levels of children and adolescents have been steadily rising since 1988 to the year 2000. This is documented in the May 5 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Another bad news is that caffeine may increase blood pressure and, therefore, the risk of hypertension, in adolescents, particularly among blacks. This comes from the May issue of the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. Read the full study here (no subscription needed).
The third bad news is the Wednesday announcement of the World Health Organization (WHO) that the number of diabetics worldwide would more than double to 366 million by 2030, from some 171 million at present. Read their full announcement here. In the year 2000, the latest year for which figures were available, some 3.2 million people died of ailments brought on by diabetes such as cardiovascular disease and kidney failure, as compared with three million deaths from AIDS.
Diabetes therefore, is a much bigger killer than AIDS.
And contrary to what you probably believe that diabetes is an ailment of the wealthy and can be found only in rich, 1st-world countries like the US and Europe, it is in poorer countries that diabetes is growing fastest, with cases seen rising 150% over the next 25 years. Also notable is the finding that while in rich nations diabetes affects mainly older people, in poorer countries incidence is surging among those still economically active.
So, cut on those calories while you can. Exercise! Exercise! Exercise! Avoid refined sugar in any form: ice cream and cakes. Encourage your children to develop a healthy lifestyle, too. Obese children are not cute; you are pushing them closer to their graves by making them eat the wrong foods. Instead of drinking softdrinks, drink water. Walk briskly. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Run and jog at least twice weekly. Don't just spend most of your time sitting in your office and facing your computer. Improve your diet and increase your physical activity. Reduce that waistline now! It's the only way to live longer and beat diabetes.
It is a fact that unlike some other health threats, type 2 diabetes could be prevented by improved eating and exercise habits. The key word is preventable.
What is your choice? Life or an early death? The answer may be obvious, but the rising diabetes incidence rates seem to contradict what most people really choose.
03 May 2004
THE IRESSA HOPE
Some Optimism For Lung Cancer Patients
I have never been a fan of prescription drugs being advertised as "wonder drugs" or "cure-alls," but recently a drug known as IRESSA is slowly garnering rave reviews from respected news report accounts worldwide. Its generic name is Gefitinib and its mode of action, as described by its website (click here) is as follows:
"Gefitinib inhibits the intracellular phosphorylation of several tyrosine kinases associated with transmembrane cell surface receptors, including the tyrosine kinases associated with the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR-TK)"
In plain English, that means IRESSA attacks and destroys specific molecules (like EGFR-TK) that are known to promote and encourage cancer growth.
IRESSA belongs to a new class of cancer therapies. Taken orally once a day in its 250mg-tablet form, it is specifically indicated for patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after failure of both platinum-based and docetaxel chemotherapies.
It was only last month when it got the US government approval to be marketed as a last-ditch therapy for lung cancer patients who "tried almost everything" to lick their illness.
Initially, medical experts were at a loss in explaining why IRESSA worked for some patients and why it didn't for most. Lung cancer kills 160,000 Americans yearly and also a significant number of Filipinos locally (no thanks to smoking or pathetic government efforts to stop it). Recently, two groups of researchers writing in Science and the New England Journal of Medicine claim they have found the reason to explain the selective treatment provided by IRESSA: patients who exhibit remarkable improvements have a genetic mutation in their tumors that makes their disease highly vulnerable to the drug. That genetic mutation has something to do with cancer receptor expression. Patients with the EGRF-TK receptors on their cancers are strong candidates for dramatic healing and improvement because IRESSA targets these molecules specifically.
Read the story here. Another insightful report can be read here.
But how happy should we be? What is the reported success rate of IRESSA?
In the 10 percent of patients who respond to the drug--and who now seem to have the key mutations--it's at least 80 percent effective. The average patient has had his tumors shrink and symptoms improve for six months, and for many these improvements have lasted several years.
Finally, some glimpse of hope after long, long years of deaths and exhaustive fights against cancer.
Some Optimism For Lung Cancer Patients
I have never been a fan of prescription drugs being advertised as "wonder drugs" or "cure-alls," but recently a drug known as IRESSA is slowly garnering rave reviews from respected news report accounts worldwide. Its generic name is Gefitinib and its mode of action, as described by its website (click here) is as follows:
"Gefitinib inhibits the intracellular phosphorylation of several tyrosine kinases associated with transmembrane cell surface receptors, including the tyrosine kinases associated with the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR-TK)"
In plain English, that means IRESSA attacks and destroys specific molecules (like EGFR-TK) that are known to promote and encourage cancer growth.
IRESSA belongs to a new class of cancer therapies. Taken orally once a day in its 250mg-tablet form, it is specifically indicated for patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after failure of both platinum-based and docetaxel chemotherapies.
It was only last month when it got the US government approval to be marketed as a last-ditch therapy for lung cancer patients who "tried almost everything" to lick their illness.
Initially, medical experts were at a loss in explaining why IRESSA worked for some patients and why it didn't for most. Lung cancer kills 160,000 Americans yearly and also a significant number of Filipinos locally (no thanks to smoking or pathetic government efforts to stop it). Recently, two groups of researchers writing in Science and the New England Journal of Medicine claim they have found the reason to explain the selective treatment provided by IRESSA: patients who exhibit remarkable improvements have a genetic mutation in their tumors that makes their disease highly vulnerable to the drug. That genetic mutation has something to do with cancer receptor expression. Patients with the EGRF-TK receptors on their cancers are strong candidates for dramatic healing and improvement because IRESSA targets these molecules specifically.
Read the story here. Another insightful report can be read here.
But how happy should we be? What is the reported success rate of IRESSA?
In the 10 percent of patients who respond to the drug--and who now seem to have the key mutations--it's at least 80 percent effective. The average patient has had his tumors shrink and symptoms improve for six months, and for many these improvements have lasted several years.
Finally, some glimpse of hope after long, long years of deaths and exhaustive fights against cancer.
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