HOW DO YOU FALL IN LOVE?
Another Test

With President GMA on the roll with her efforts to get funds to fix the public enemy #1 -- budget deficit and our pathetic fiscal situation, even civil wedding fees are not spared. From a measly P200, it has gone up to over a thousand pesos. Civil weddings are usually the mode of choice of good guys ready to get hitched. But with the current economic woes, moving-in with the guy or girl of your dreams (read: live-in) might be the next best choice for most.

In line with this, what do you think is the main consideration of most when moving-in with the person you chose to spend the rest of your life with?

A. Love - true and eternal

B. Money or financial stability - the prudent choice

Check out your answers with the link below and see how you fared with New Yorkers:

IS IT FOR LOVE OR MONEY?

DO YOU THINK DR. EMER HAS 'POOR SOCIAL SKILLS?'
A Study Says So

"Children without siblings were consistently rated as having poorer social skills," says Ohio State University sociologist and study author Douglas Downey, PhD, in a news release.

"Spats between brothers and sisters help kids figure out how to solve problems, which in turn better prepares them to deal with peer conflicts at school, report Downey and OSU graduate student Dennis Condron in the May 2004 Journal of Marriage and Family.

The study showed that kids who grow up with at least one brother or sister have an easier time making and keeping friends than do children without siblings." [WebMD, July 27, 2004]

Am I missing out something here?

Yes, it's true I grew up with no spat or quarrel with a brother or a sister, simply because I didn't have any.

But 'poor social skills'? Geeez. I dunno. No one has ever told me that.

These studies are getting more personal lately.

SOME GUYS HAVE ALL THE LUCK?
Clues on Male Courtship Patterns

Scientists have found that a "cluster of nerve cells linked to sexual behavior could mean the difference between being a success with the ladies or a dismal failure" in fruit flies. [Nature, July 29, 2004]

The scientists theorized whether a similar homologue of nerve cells that control sexuality in fruit flies could exist in male humans.

In their experiment, when the scientists interfered with the nerve clusters controlling sexual behavior in fruit flies, the male fruit flies were observed to rush through the courtship ritual --- which consisted of several steps like tapping the female, singing, extending and vibrating a wing --- and the females were turned-off and did not find this attractive.

Is it also possible that there is something wrong with the "sexual nerve clusters" of bumbling guys who seem to have frequent trouble dating girls?

MRI BETTER THAN MAMMOGRAPHY
Detecting Breast Cancer

Nearly 2,000 Dutch women, 358 of which had a genetic and familial predisposition to breast cancer were part of a study that compared the efficacy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with that of mammography for breast cancer screening. [New England Journal of Medicine, Vol.351:427-43 July 29, 2004]

The study concluded that while routine mammography is good at detecting breast cancer, MRI is better at detecting breast cancer at an early stage in women at risk.

While most doctors will say that MRI the most cost-effective, I think it is still prohibitive, as only a few can afford it. If mammography is not giving your physician the details he need to manage your case, he will usually request for MRI. In the US, an MRI scan costs $700 to $1,000 --- about 10 times the cost of a mammogram, and this also true here in the Philippines. Depending on the hospital chosen, MRI for breast cancer screening range anywhere from P12,000 to P16,000 with a preparation guideline asking that the procedure be done 6-17 days after the menstruation period.

The average lifetime risk of breast cancer in an American woman is 1 in 7. In women who have a history of breast cancer, atypia or lobular carcinoma-in-situ, or a strong family history of breast cancer, this risk increases.

Studies have also shown that women with inherited mutations of the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene (breast cancer genes) have the highest risk of breast cancer. They make up 5-10% of women with breast cancer and are also at increased risk for ovarian cancer.

A sad fact is that the "highest breast cancer incidence rates in Southeast Asia have been reported for the Manila Cancer Registry in the Philippines, with an age-standardized rate of 47.7 per 100,000 per year." [Int J Cancer. 2002 Apr 1;98(4):596-603]

With a high preponderance of the BRCA2 and BRCA1 mutations among women studied in the Philipines (BRCA2 greater than BRCA1), and this latest finding that MRI screening is better than routine mammography, what good is this study for affected Filipino women if they cannot afford it?

A DEADLY KILLER
Can You Guess Which?

If you were asked to guess which of the following is the deadliest killer, what will be your answer?

A. Smoking

B. Heart Disease

C. Inactivity

D. Respiratory Illness

E. Diabetes

Click on the link below to find out if you answered correctly:

THE DEADLY KILLER

Did you get it correctly? Tell me about it.

Toothbrushes as Health Hazards

Other than asking you how often you brush your teeth, perhaps the more important question now is:

How often do you change your toothbrush?

You may think that's an insignificant question but guess again.

The average American replaces his toothbrush 1.9 times a year. I wonder how often an average Filipino replaces his. Maybe once in a blue moon?

Streptococcus, staphylococcus, influenza and herpes simplex organisms (which are bacteria and viruses) thrive on your toothbrush according to researchers. The water and food particles left in the toothbrush after you brush serve as their breeding ground and nutrition.

The usual recommendation by dental associations is that toothbrushes should be replaced every 3 to 4 months or at least 4 times a year. They also advise replacement when you notice the bristles beginning to show wear, and after an illness like a cold or flu. In my opinion, 3 months is a long time to wait for you to change your toothbrush. By that time, there might already be communities and communities of organisms thriving in your toothbrush. Changing your toothbrush weekly or monthly seems to be ideal.

A recent NYT health article recommends changing tootbrush every 2 weeks and more often if you get colds and flu as people "recovering from an illness reinfect themselves by using the same toothbrush." It also said that electric or motorized toothbrushes "attract more germs and can be hard on your gums." Using a manual brush with a small, clear head is better.

For more information on toothbrushing, click on the link below:

How to Keep a Clean Toothbrush

Happy toothbrushing, everyone!

WHY NOT TRY TEA INSTEAD?
Tea Drinkers Have Lower Blood Pressures

Taiwanese doctors writing in the latest issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, have found that

"Habitual moderate strength green or oolong tea consumption, 120 mL per day or more for 1 year, significantly reduces the risk of developing hypertension in the Chinese population." [Archives of Internal Medicine, Vol. 164 No. 14, July 26, 2004]

Tea consumption was defined as 120 mL or more per day intake of either green tea or oolong tea for at least 1 year.

In the study, the risk of developing hypertension decreased by 46% for those who drank 120 to 599 mL per day of tea which was further reduced by 65% for those who drank 600 mL per day or more. This was done after biostatistically adjusting for confounding factors like age, sex, socioeconomic status, family history of hypertension, body mass index, and others.

Can we have that cup of tea now?

NO COFFEE AND MORE EXERCISE
Good News and Bad News For Type 2 Diabetics

The bad news first:

Researchers had found a link between caffeine at mealtime and increased glucose/insulin levels in people with type 2 diabetes. This means diabetics should eliminate or decrease caffeine intake in their diets. [August 2004 issue of Diabetes Care]

In type 2 diabetes, the cells in the muscles, liver, and fat do not use insulin properly, resulting in increased blood glucose levels. Over the years, high blood glucose levels damage nerves and blood vessels, which lead to complications such as heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney disease, nerve problems, and amputation.

In the US, there are 17 million diabetics, 90% of which are type 2 diabetics. In the Philippines, diabetes is the 9th leading cause of death per Department of Health statistics.

James D. Lane, the lead author of the caffeine-type 2 diabetes link, noted a 21% increase in glucose and a 48% rise in insulin levels after caffeine intake. He said that caffeine somewhat impairs the metabolism of carbohydrates in diabetic patients and this makes their diabetes get worse.

Let's now tackle the good news:

A Finnish study has found that diabetic who does just a bit of exercise during a regular workday can reduce the risk of dying from a heart attack or any other cardiovascular condition. [Circulation, July 27 online issue]

In the study which involved 3,300 people with type 2 diabetes for 18 years, researchers found that type 2 diabetics whose jobs had them on their feet and lifting light objects were 9% less likely to die of cardiovascular disease than diabetics who spent the working day behind a desk.

The Finnish study showed that leisure activities by diabetics brought even greater cardiovascular benefits. Those who had moderate leisure activity, like more than 4 hours a week of walking, cycling or gardening, had a 17% lower risk of cardiovascular death compared to diabetics whose idea of exercise was pushing the TV remote at home.

It was also noted that there was an even greater 33% death risk reduction for diabetics who led an active leisure program, defined as more than 3 hours a week like running or jogging, and swimming.

So if you are a diabetic, limit those java cups and move around more. A simple leisure walk can do wonders for your body.

DO ANTIDEPRESSANTS MAKE YOU SUICIDAL?
First 9 Days Are Critical

This is my 3rd post on antidepressants (the 1st was Depressing Antidepressants and the 2nd was Spitzer Versus Glaxo) since reports broke out early this year that self or externally-directed aggression had been observed not only in adult patients, but also in adolescents and children receiving the same drugs. Claims ranging from increased suicidality and psychological dependence have been reported.

SSRIs are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and they are a new class of drugs to treat depression. Since in depression researchers have noted a lack of recipient neuron stimulation at a synapse, SSRIs were discovered to inhibit the reuptake of serotonin and produce a continued neuronal stimulation. Simply put, it tries to prevent one from getting depressed using this mechanism of action. Examples of these class of medicines include:

fluoxetine (trade name: Prozac, Fontex, Seromex, Seronil, Sarafem)

paroxetine (trade name: Paxil, Seroxat, Optipar, Aropax, Paroxat)

sertraline (trade name: Zoloft)

escitalopram oxalate (trade name: Lexapro, Cipralex)

citalopram (trade name: Celexa, Cipramil, Emocal, Sepram)

fluvoxamine maleate (trade name: Luvox, Faverin)

In primary care practice, depression is more commonly encountered than hypertension. This is the case in the US. In a country like the Philippines, it is a neglected disease, as Filipinos would rather keep their miseries bottled up inside than consult a psychiatrist. Besides, antidepressants, like all other "famous medications," are quite expensive and only a select fraction of the population can afford them.

In the wake of reports that intake of these SSRIs may cause people to try to kill themselves, comes a study by Boston doctor Hershel Jick which is published in the latest issue of JAMA (Vol. 292 No. 3, July 21, 2004) that gives us two important conclusions:

One - The suicidal behavior risk is increased in the first month after starting antidepressants, especially during the first 1 to 9 days.

Two - The risk of suicidal behavior after starting antidepressant treatment is similar among users of fluoxetine and paroxetine compared with the risk among users of dothiepin or amitriptyline, which are tricyclic antidepressants --- the usual antidepressants given before SSRIs were discovered.

In my opinion, the first conclusion should alarm us while the second tries to calm us and is somewhat saying, "Hey, don't worry. There's a suicidal risk alright, but it's comparable to the usual risk you have been living with all these years."

But tell me, honestly, do those conclusions sound cool to you?

Just because we are made to realize that the suicidal risk has probably been there with us all along, and very much like the suicidal risk you would get from taking any of the older antidepressants.....makes everything all right?

What do you think?

It is an anxious environment out there wanting more answers and more assurance. The real problem that concerns regulating authorities is the safety of depressed children and adolescents taking the said medications.

The JAMA editorial tells the real score in this problem:

"Sensitivities about research involving children mean that both academics and industry are increasingly wary about carrying out randomized trials in this age group. The paradox, however, is that it is in these vulnerable populations that high-quality evidence is most needed, yet most difficult to obtain. Relying on evidence from studies of adult populations is far from ideal.

"Although it is reasonable to ask questions about the SSRIs and suicide, it is more difficult to answer them. The problem is that depression is unequivocally and substantially associated with suicide and deliberate self-harm. Depression is also unequivocally and substantially associated with the prescription of antidepressants. Thus looking for an association between antidepressants and suicide and/or deliberate self-harm is going to be difficult."

AMAZING SEX LIFE

I am not sure if you heard this story before, but I got this from one of my inboxes. Warning: This is for mature readers only.

An elderly couple is enjoying an anniversary dinner together in a small tavern. The husband leans over and asks his wife, "Do you remember the first time we had sex together over fifty years ago? We went behind this tavern where you leaned against the fence and I made love to you."

"Yes," she says, "I remember it well."

"Ok," he says, "How about taking a stroll round there again and we can do it for old time's sake?"

"Oooooooh Henry, you devil, that sounds like a good idea," she answers.

There's a police officer sitting in the next booth listening to all this, and having a chuckle to himself. He thinks, "I've got to see these two old-timers having sex against a fence. I'll just keep an eye on them so there's no trouble."

So he follows them. They walk haltingly along, leaning on each other for support, aided by walking sticks. Finally they get to the back of the tavern and make their way to the fence. The old lady lifts her skirt and the old man drops his trousers. She turns around and as she hangs on to the fence, the old man moves in. Suddenly they erupt into the most furious sex that the watching policeman has ever seen. They were bucking and jumping like 18-year-olds!!!

This goes on for about forty minutes!!!

She was yelling, "Ohhh, God!!!"

He was hanging on to her hips for dear life. This was the most athletic sex imaginable.

Finally, they both collapsed panting on the ground.

The policeman is amazed. He thinks he has learned something about life that he did not know. After about half an hour of lying on the ground recovering, the old couple struggled to their feet and put their clothes back on.

The policeman, still watching thought, "That was truly amazing! He was going like a train. I've got to ask him what his secret is."

As the couple passes, he says to them, "That was something else. You must have been having sex for about 40 minutes! How do you manage it? You must have had a fantastic life together. Is there some sort of secret?"

The old man says, "Young man, we won't do that again. Fifty years ago that wasn't an electric fence."

DAYS IN A WEEK AND STROKE ATTACKS
Is There a Relationship?

Dr. Jakovljevic Dimitrije had just done a study on the weekly variation in ischemic stroke occurrence and the effect of socioeconomic status among 12,801 adults in Finland. Here are his findings:

- Sundays had the least numbers of strokes.

- Mondays brought the most number of strokes in a day, especially among elderly men aged 60 to 74 years and those of lower income.

- In women, Tuesday appears to be the day of the week that strokes occurred most frequently. There appeared to be a 5% increase in stroke frequency above that observed during the rest of the week.

- Older (aged 60-74), higher-income women had 49% of strokes on Wednesdays.

- Young, upperclass women (aged 25 to 59) had many strokes on Mondays, but the majority of their strokes --- a high 46% --- were on Fridays. [From WebMD and the medical journal Stroke, July 22, 2004]

My opinion on the variation of the number of stroke attack incidents per day of the week is that I believe on different days, people encounter different stress factors. Usually physical in nature, these stress factors can range from work-related events to tiring family-related errands.

The study was done in Finland by a Finnish doctor, and I think the Finnish work culture must also be analyzed. The plus factor of this study is its large subject sampling but to arrive at a hasty conclusion that since Monday is the busiest day, it had the most number of strokes and Sunday being a rest day, it had the least, can be a quick analysis, but may hide more aspects of the problem.

Hypertension and factors contributing to it, as well as sharp, isolated blood pressure spikes, are the real culprits to stroke attack occurrence. Work-related issues like fatigue, exhaustion, lack of sleep, drinking too much coffee, and the usual suspects like smoking, heavy alcohol drinking, and a diet rich in fat, sugars, and salt are all part of a myriad of interrelated factors that result in stroke attacks..

THE DANGERS OF BEING MALE
Three Men Die For Every Woman

Did you know that 3 men die for every woman during the years between adolescence and adulthood?

Even here in the Philippines, you will observe and probably will encounter more widows than widowers.

In the US, men had higher death rates than women for all 11 leading causes of death. The biggest differences between male and female mortality rates were for suicide, then homicide, followed by non-automobile accidents and then automobile accidents.

Researchers from the University of Michigan led by Daniel Kruger, a social psychologist, say that "men may be taking greater risks in their general health care (as in eating too many meat products, smoking too many cigarettes and drinking too many beers) that makes them more vulnerable to disease later in life." But the culprit could also be due to an unavoidable factor beyond men's control like testosterone, the hormone that promotes aggressive, competitive behavior and which also plays a role in immune suppression.

Observational studies have shown that infectious diseases kill twice as many men than women in developed countries and 4 times as many in less developed countries.

There are theories that suggest that evolution designed men to expend more energy on fighting other males (for women, of course) than fighting disease. This event of course, have placed them at higher risk, but what the heck, winning and having more females may have been an excellent tradeoff. Survival of the species had always been the programming, and this ensures more and more humans will be born.

Present data and statistics suggest that evolutionary behavior does not always work well for modern men in modern times and that, argues Kruger, merits some attention.

The real problem with men is evolution: The female bears the main responsibility for nurturing and raising children. That makes them picky about the men they choose as mates. Virility is tested when men engage in displays of sexual fitness like risk taking and competitive displays such as combat.

But in the present day, sexual displays may not be the best way to attract a sex partner. However, the genetic urge toward risk taking drives men to behaviors that increase their risk of death in 3 ways:

One, men are more likely to die as a result of injuries due to risky behavior.
Two, men are more likely to die of diseases brought about by risk-taking behavior such as smoking, drinking, and poor diet.

And three, men die more often than women by (drumroll...) suicide.

On a broader view, "16 men die prematurely for every 10 premature female deaths," Kruger says.

What can be done?

Kruger suggests that male mortality rates be reduced to those for females, so that 1/3rd of all male deaths under age 50 would be eliminated.

But who are we kidding?

"Since these deaths result from complex interactions of sex, behavior, and culture, simple solutions are unlikely." [WebMD Health report]

THE "SCATHING NYT EDITORIAL"
No Reaction?

The Philippine Daily Inquirer is amazed why the GMA government is silent over "a scathing editorial by The New York Times," but rebutted twice Jay Leno's comedy quips that described the withdrawal as an act of cowardice.

Titled "A Filipino Retreat," it was a short and straightforward editorial. I have reproduced it here:

"Terrorists in Iraq scored a victory when President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo of the Philippines decided to accelerate the withdrawal of her nation's token contingent of troops to spare the life of a Filipino hostage. A group calling itself the Islamic Army had threatened to behead Angelo dela Cruz, a truck driver, unless Manila withdrew. To the dismay of her allies, and possibly even of the kidnappers, President Arroyo is hastening to comply.

It's hard to imagine the anguishing helplessness felt by a leader -- or someone's relatives -- watching such horrifying deadlines come and pass. The United States, South Korea and possibly Bulgaria have lost hostages to gruesome beheadings in Iraq.

But President Arroyo deluded herself into thinking she could actually do something about the situation, and has now allowed the kidnappers to alter Filipino policy. One can understand the desire to save a life, but Manila's retreat will only place all other foreign nationals in Iraq in greater peril.

President Arroyo's decision may play well at home in the short term because Filipino involvement in Iraq was never all that popular to begin with, but it could have disastrous longer-term consequences for her government. The Philippines, after all, faces a number of terrorist groups on its own territory, and millions of its citizens work overseas. It is never wise for any government to be blackmailed by terrorists into abandoning its policies, but it seems especially ill advised for Manila to be doing so.

We are not arguing that allies show blind loyalty to the Bush administration. If anything, President Arroyo's surrender shows the perils of assembling a coalition of weak allies eager to please Washington but lacking much conviction in the American cause. President Arroyo is certainly not helping the Iraqi people with her decision. Spain and some Latin American countries had every right to exercise their sovereign judgment that it was best to leave Iraq. But their decisions, unlike President Arroyo's, were not driven by terrorist demands." [New York Times Editorial, July 19, 2004]

The Americans are really pissed with our withdrawal in Iraq that even its papers condemn us. We are accused of giving in to terrorists' demands and giving "wrong signals."

Have the Americans forgotten the times when they also gave in to terrorists' demands? These happened on several occasions: when Iranian militants seized the US embassy in Iran in 1979, in 1983, when Reagan withdrew American troops in Lebanon, and again in 1993, when Bill Clinton pulled out US troops in Somalia.

Raul Palabrica has a very good discussion of American withdrawals. You can read it here.

It seems it's really easy to notice the speck in your neighbor's eye and not the log in your own eyes.

BROILED OR BAKED, NOT FRIED
How To Eat Your Fish

Among the elderly, eating baked or broiled fish has been shown to lower the risk of the most common heart rhythm disorder.

In a study done on 4,815 people over age 65, researchers found that a higher consumption of tuna fish (fresh or canned) or other fish that was broiled or baked was associated with lower incidence of atrial fibrillation. [News-Medical.net]

Atrial fibrillation or AF, is a condition wherein the heart's upper chambers --- the atria, are beating more rapidly than the lower chambers (ventricles). It can often result in symptoms like palpitations and an occasional chest pain. It can also lead to fatal complications like congestive heart failure and stroke. After age 65, it has been estimated that AF incidence increases at 2% yearly.

The study also found that "people who consumed fish 1-4 times per week had a 28% lower risk of atrial fibrillation, while those who had 5 or more servings had a 31% lower risk compared to those who ate fish less than once a month."

My opinion is that you don't have to wait until you are 65 years old in order to enjoy the health benefits of eating broiled or baked fish. Start eating fish now!

And if you want to be more adventurous and creative, try some of Sassy's mouth-watering recipes.

FLICK, DON'T SWAT
On Killing Mosquitoes

If a mosquito on your skin bothers you, flick it away, rather than swatting it.

Why?

Because the BBC reports of a case of a 57-year-old woman who died because of swatting instead of flicking mosquitoes. The full report here.

Doctors believed that the woman developed a fungal infection of the muscles after she swatted a mosquito, causing part of the insect to penetrate and infect her skin.

The doctors are puzzled because the fungal infection was caused by a fungus called Brachiola algerae, and this organism is thought to be found only in mosquitoes and other insects. This means it should not affect humans. My opinion is probably the woman was immunocompromised or susceptible to infections not previously heard of.

The doctors concluded that the woman, who died in 2002, probably developed the infection after smearing the insect into a bite.

So, just to be on the safe side, flick and don't swat.

Lots of good luck too, for I myself have problems hitting the mosquito by swatting. How much more if I will flick it?

JERRY MAYFIELD'S WEBLOG
Exciting and Optimistic

"I would probably be dead now were it not for the Internet."

That is how Jerry Mayfield put it when interviewed recently by Reuters about his exciting adventure.

Jerry Mayfield has been diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia or CML since March 1999. CML is a slowly progressing cancer of the blood that specifically targets white blood cells or WBCs. Patients with CML are usually in the middle age group, and average age of these patients when seen in clinics is about 55 years, but it also occurs in the younger patients. Though a rare form of cancer, about 6,000 CML patients are diagnosed in the US each year. In the Philippines, about 700-1,000 Filipinos have this disease.

For CML patients to survive, the usual hope for treatment is a bone marrow transplant (BMT), but if you have no donor --- usually a family member --- and if you can not cough up money in the 6-figure range, better prepare yourself for the afterlife. Another bad news is that even if you had both, cases of non-matching siblings are very common and these patients still succumb to the disease after the transplant. The BMT also has to be performed within a year after diagnosis to prevent the cancer from spreading.

Since 2001, however, there came Novartis' Gleevec or imatinib, which is today's gold standard drug for CML. The results have been dramatic recovery for majority of patients, but 1/5th of them --- Jerry Mayfield included --- become resistant to it and relapse.

In the Philippines, one tablet of Gleevec (marketed as Glivec here) costs around P1,300 and sometimes a patient may need anywhere from 4 to 8 tablets per day. Monthly therefore, a CML patient wanting to get well needs more than P320,000 ($5,660) in order to live a bit longer.

In the Reuters' interview, Jerry said:

"When I was first diagnosed in 1999 I went to my local doctor, then went over to Shreveport to see a transplant doctor. They said a (bone marrow) transplant was my only option. I remember asking the doctor was there anything experimental out there and he looked me in the eye and said no. I went straight home and went on the Internet and immediately found a Web Site where they were discussing Gleevec. Had I not had the Internet and just took his word for it, I would probably be dead by now."

He took Gleevec, and it helped for sometime, until his cancer cells developed a mutation that allowed them to evade Gleevec's grasp.

He then enrolled in an experimental trial for the next-generation Gleevec, under Bristol-Myers Squibb, for an experimental drug known now only as BMS-354825. This new drug is designed to overcome the flaws in Gleevec, and to help people precisely like Jerry.

He wants people to know about it. So, he blogs about it.

Check it out --- Jerry's Diary.

THE 6-MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION
Malaysia is GMA's Partner

The Daily Tribune today came up with an exclusive headline story that details a $6M "done-deal negotiation" between the captors of Angelo dela Cruz, the GMA government and Malaysia. Since the Tribune website has no archiving system, I am reproducing the full article below for your perusal. With so many twists and turns, I am left baffled by the current foreign policy of President Arroyo.





From The Daily Tribune

STRAIGHTHENING EVERYONE'S PERCEPTION
The Bush-Appointed 9/11 Panel's Findings

The Washington Post's Sunday edition carries a comprehensive and detailed discussion of the "remarkable 20-month investigation in which the independent commission --- created amid acrimony by Congress and initially opposed by President Bush --- gained unprecedented access to closely held presidential briefings, transcripts of interrogations of high-level Al-Qaeda leaders and tens of thousands of pages of other classified material." The Post also says that the investigators were able to interview Bush, Vice President Cheney and their predecessors, Bill Clinton and Al Gore.

It is an eye-opener and speaks loudly of the vivid discrepancy between what we are being made to believe and what really happened.

See for yourself...



From the WASHINGTON POST

THIS MAN MUST BE JOKING
But No One Here is Laughing

His joke: "A new world record has been set in the 100-meter dash. It was very exciting. It was set by Filipino troops fleeing Iraq."

Do you think its funny?

WILL YOU HAVE A HEART ATTACK SOON?
Try This Calculator

If you know your total cholesterol, and HDL values, as well as your usual systolic blood pressure reading (120 in the case of 120/80), then the link to the calculator below can calculate your 10-year cardiovascular disease risk. Try it. Mine is 2%.

10-YEAR HEART ATTACK RISK CALCULATOR

AMERICA DECLARES OBESITY A DISEASE
Medicare Will Cover It

The US government's largest health care plan, Medicare, will now allow obesity to be treated as a disease in its own right. [Los Angeles Times]

So it is now official: Obesity is a disease.

Will the Philippines follow? The more important question is, can our government still afford it in the face of budget deficits and debt servicing?

Watch what you eat, guys.

ANGELO IS A HOSTAGE, BUT SO IS HIS FAMILY
I Suspected This Even Before

Before the news blackout ordered by the Philippine government, I had long suspected of another hostage situation taking place simultaneously with that of Angelo Dela Cruz in Iraq. I proved my theory correct when I came across this article:

THE OTHER HOSTAGE CRISISClick here

You be the judge.

UPDATE POSTED AT 2:10PM: According to radio reports, military and police officials have initiated Task Force Angelo and they have now set up checkpoints and secured the whole village of Buenavista, in Mexico, Pampanga --- Angelo's hometown. Interviewed, the military and police personnel they were just there to protect and guard Angelo's townsmates against any possible troublemakers. Duh. Big duh.

THE NEW WAR ON CHOLESTEROL
Translates To Better Profits For Drug Companies

While we were discussing the merits and demerits of a pull-out from Iraq by the Philippines, the US government last Monday (July 12) issued an update to the 2001 National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) guidelines. The NCEP is used by all American doctors in cholesterol management for their patients, and as Filipino doctors use the NCEP too, as reference, I believe we are equally affected.

The update is published in the latest issue of Circulation and the full report can be accessed here. The update is based on based on a review of 5 major clinical trials of statin therapy --- the PROSPER, HPS, ALLHAT-LLT, ASCOT-LLA, and PROVE IT-TIMI 22 studies, which all cardiologists are very familiar about. The statins or cholesterol-lowering medications in the study include atorvastatin (Lipitor by Pfizer), fluvastatin (Lescol by Novartis), pravastatin (Lipostat by Bristol-Myers Squibb), rosuvastatin (Crestor by AstraZeneca), and simvastatin (Zocor by Merck) are all available and sold here in the Philippines and in the US.

Highlights of the update include:

1. An LDL goal of below 100mg/dL for high-risk people and below 130mg/dL for moderately high-risk people. Since the new update found that LDL levels as low as 70 mg/dL --- 30 points lower than the 2001 guidelines --- reduced coronary disease in certain at-risk groups, the new guidelines advocate a 70mg/dL LDL goal for very high-risk patients whose LDL levels are already below 100 mg/dL.

2. The concept of using cholesterol-lowering drugs like statins without lifestyle changes is NOT correct.

3. If diet and exercise do not work or LDL numbers are too high (greater than 130mg/dL), doctors should consider higher statin doses and adding another cholesterol fighter, like nicotinic acid.

From ATP III handout
For the uninitiated, HDL is the "good cholesterol" and LDL is the "bad cholesterol." LDL is the body's major cholesterol carrier in the blood. Cholesterol does not dissolve in the blood, and excessive amounts can build up on artery walls and contribute to formation of plaque that can cause fatal clots that result in strokes and heart attacks.

From Newsday

While the idea that it is good to lower cholesterol is not new, what stands out in the new update is how far medical experts now believe LDL should drop for patients at the greatest risk for heart attacks or strokes.

Also, while I have nothing against lowering bad cholesterol in high-risk patients, I am also left with a conclusion that this means big and good business for the drug companies.

Statins are the top-selling medications in the world. More than 36 million people take them and they generate sales of more than $26 billion a year. [Forbes]

Click here to read the article
Although the authors of the new report have not calculated it yet, it is safe to expect that the update will further increase the number of patients taking statins and expect more than 40 million people to take them today and in the coming years. As to sales, you do the math. The new update advise that patients at the highest risk should receive even more aggressive treatment, which translates to higher, more expensive doses of these drugs. This figure will further double by millions of people because the new guidelines suggest treating diabetics and people who at one time would have been considered healthy.

Can you now hear Pfizer's and Merck's cash registers ringing with glee?

In the US, for example, healthcare costs are already rising by double digits, and Lipitor or Zocor can cost $100 or more a month for a 30-day supply, or more than $3 a pill, for people without health insurance, according to industry price guides. And for those with coverage, their co-pays can be as high as $30 to $40 a month, depending on their health plan. [Newsday]

In the Philippines, according to respected cardiologist Dr. Esperanza Icasas-Cabral, the perennial problem has been the high cost of statin therapy which often leads to poor compliance. This also explains why most Filipino doctors are not so aggressive using the statins to lower cholesterol as they get frustrated when patients can not follow the treatment program. [Manila Times]

If you think my post is riddled with bad news, brace yourself because there's more to be sad about when you read this.

AMERICANS SHOULD KNOW THAT BLOOD IS THICKER THAN WATER
One Bulgarian Hostage Executed

"As of today (Wednesday), our head count is down from 51 to 43. The Foreign Affairs Ministry is coordinating the pullout of the humanitarian contingent with the Ministry of National Defense." -DFA Secretary Delia Albert [CNN Report]

"We are disappointed to see statements like this. As you know our general policy has always been against offering any sorts of concessions to terrorists because we do think it sends the wrong signal." -US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher [Voice of America News]

From CNN.com
It has been revealed also that US Secretary of State Colin Powell called up President GMA last Sunday to discuss the situation, and as exchanges between the US and the Philippines are taking place, the Iraqi militant terrorists applied more tension by executing one of their Bulgarian hostages. Al-Jazeera TV reported that it had received 2 videotapes, one showing the killing of the Bulgarian hostage and the other containing a message from an Egyptian hostage also being held in Iraq. [CNN News]

Egyptian? Now, they have an Egyptian hostage, too? Are we sure these people are not Abu-Sayyaf or were not trained by the Abu-Sayyaf? It seems they would like to make their stable of hostages look like a meeting of UN delegates, and this has largely been Abu-Sayyaf's trademark when engaged in kidnapping activities.

For the uninitiated, the Abu-Sayyaf group (the word means "father of the swordsman") is an Islamic militant Muslim-Filipino group in Mindanao, south of the Philippines, that used to be a faction of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), but broke-off in 1991, to pursue a more fundamentalist battle against the Philippine government. Their claim to notoriety began in 2000 when they kidnapped a group of foreign tourists from a Malaysian resort island.

The killing of the Bulgarian hostage is somewhat a statement that says "Hurry up with your pull-out, before we grow impatient and decide to execute Angelo dela Cruz next."

The US says the Philippines shouldn't be cowed with statements and threats like that as it encourages the terrorists.

I continue to wish it was that easy.

In spite of the criticism of Americans, the Philippine government ignores this and continues to pull-out its 51-man humanitarian contingent in Iraq.

For all of our differences as a nation of Filipinos with disparate ideologies, we are proving to the world and to the US that in the end, blood is thicker than water.

I support GMA in her decision to pull-out of Iraq.

LATEST ON ANGELO DELA CRUZ SAGA
Why Beheading is the Ultimate Motivator and
Why Orange is a Favorite Color of Terrorists

"In response to the Khaled ibn al Walid (Islamic army in Iraq) request, the Philippines will withdraw its humanitarian forces as soon as possible. In the name of the Filipino people and the name of humanity and the family of (Angelo) de la Cruz and his eight children, the government of the Philippines is pleading for his release." [Reuters]

Thus spoke Filipino DFA Undersecretary Rafael Seguis as he read out a statement in Al-Jazeera TV, which the television station translated into Arabic, shortly after the expiry of a new execution deadline set by the militants. This development also came after a video footage showing the 46-year-old Angelo dela Cruz was being transferred to a "death chamber." A letter, allegedly from Angelo, was also read, in which he requested that he be buried in the Philippines after his execution.

It would seem that the GMA administration has backed down from its stubborn posturing not to withdraw our humanitarian contingent from Iraq. And in response, Angelo's captors, belonging to the Khaled ibn al-Walid Islamic Army in Iraq, promised to release Angelo on Tuesday [CNN Report]
From ChannelNewsAsia.com
Since the news blackout imposed by the Philippine government, the lingering question is: Was the decision to pull out too late already? Is Angelo already dead? Questions remain and nobody knows. As I write this post, the tension is still high and everyone here is still afraid of what will happen.

Beheading has emerged as the terrorist's main motivator in the 21st century. You might say that it's a no-brainer since who wouldn't be petrified with such a threat? Edward Volkman, a psychiatry professor at Temple University Hospital and School of Medicine in Philadephia, say "people react so viscerally to the decapitation executions because they identify strongly with the helpless victims, see the executioners as cruel foreigners, and are horrified by the grisly method of death." Volkman said the deaths seem crueler and more gruesome because the victim and the videotape audience are forced to anticipate the death sentence.

Dismemberment --- separation of any body part from the main whole, in this case decapitation --- becomes very unsettling because no one wants to contemplate facing an afterlife with head and body separated.

If my memory serves me right, this is a first for the Philippine government. Sure, we had the Flor Contemplacion and the Sarah Balabagan stories before, but this is the first time the nation faces a situation wherein a kababayan (compatriot) is threatened with death for no apparent reason at all, except for being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

In history, beheading has been utilized as a means of execution in an aggregate of disparate societies such as ancient Greece, the Roman Empire, England, Germany, Japan, China, and France (where the guillotine was last used in 1977). History's famous beheading victims include personalities like John the Baptist, Anne Boleyn, King Charles I, Sir Walter Raleigh, and Marie Antoinette.

The Paul Johnson execution last month

WARNING: Not for those with faint hearts. Images are very graphic.
These days, beheading is the accepted form of capital punishment only in a few nations, particularly Saudi Arabia, where 53 people were publicly beheaded last year for crimes such as murder, rape and drug trafficking. Muslim clerics say that the Holy Qur'an and the Islamic law state that murderers, not innocents, can be sentenced to death, but only after a proper trial including testimony from valid witnesses.

One more thing that puzzles me is the orange clothing of the hostages. The decapitation deaths of kidnapped Americans Nicholas Berg in Iraq last month, Paul M. Johnson Jr in Saudi Arabia, and South Korean Kim Sun-il, all showed them wearing orange overalls.

What is so special about orange?

I will appreciate and welcome it if readers can share any idea behind this. My own research tells me that the orange fixation of these kidnappers is due to their sypathies to suspected Islamic Al-Qaeda prisoners of war being held at the US Military Police at the Guantanamo, Cuba. The orange color seems to connote the meaning of "retaliation against persecution." Read here.

There is a lot of psychological warfare going on lately. Angelo's kidnappers are not new to this. We are.

I hope he is still alive and be released soon.

UPDATE: Due to the graphic nature of the Paul Johnson images, I have decided to remove it and just made a link for those who want to see them.

ANGELO DELA CRUZ PLEADS TO GMA
Speaks on Al-Jazeera TV

As we wait for the new deadline of execution of Angelo dela Cruz, I'm sharing with you the full text of his last plea to President GMA shown on Al-Jazeera TV in the Middle East while being surrounded by armed, masked men. His voice was allegedly inaudible but an announcer read an Arabic translation of his words. Here it is:

"To my colleagues in the Saudi company, and all Filipinos who are coming to Iraq. I advise you not to come to Iraq, because there are a lot of problems, and the Iraqi police will not be able to protect you, like what happened to me. Please, Arroyo, withdraw your forces from Iraq." [ABS-CBN News]

I strongly suspect this is a scripted message. It was probably written by his captors for him to read.

Nonetheless, he is still trapped there and in grave danger. The new deadline has been extended to 2:00 am, Monday (Manila time) or about 14 hours from now.

"We give the Philippine government an additional 24 hours starting from 11pm Iraqi time (1900 GMT) on Saturday to show it is serious about withdrawing its troops. If we learn from the media that the Philippine government clearly intends to do so, the hostage will not be slaughtered and will be treated as a prisoner under Islam until the last Filipino soldier leaves Iraq July 20 at the latest and the hostage will be returned safely."

Thus spoke the Islamic Iraqi rebel group holding Angelo Dela Cruz hostage as they issued this statement to Al-Jazeera TV last night. [Gulf Daily News]

Our 51-man Filipino contingent in Iraq are mostly made up of health and social workers, only 8 are police officers --- not even soldiers --- and are purely engaged in rehabilitation and rebuilding efforts in Iraq.

Even if they withdraw today, it would have little effect on the 160,000-strong foreign force in Iraq, but the nearly 4,100 Filipino contract workers there are crucial to the running of US military bases.

I do not know if Angelo's kidnappers know this. My American friends say they do not. They simply say that these "bastards" have no respect for life and will do anything to terrorize. They also say that the life of one man like Angelo should not pressure the GMA government to give in to the demands of the terrorist captors, as this will embolden them to conduct more kidnappings and killing sprees.

What do you think?

Is Angelo an expendable casualty in a bigger war that must be avoided? Is he plain collateral damage?

His kidnappers see him as collateral damage. Most Americans see him also as collateral damage.

Let's pray even more for him.

ANGELO DELA CRUZ IS FREE???
A Big Oooopps Is More Like It

All's well that ends well. Really now?!?

Who are they kidding? Just as I was about to feel good that GMA has finally done something great, here comes this news:
Screen Capture from AL-JAZEERA.Net

Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Patricia Santo Tomas said on television that President GMA phoned the wife of Angelo Dela Cruz in her Subic safehouse to tell her that Angelo has been freed and was on his way to a hotel in Baghdad.

This news made a lot of Filipinos --- mostly Angelo's townmates in Pampanga --- jump with happiness and wept with tears of joy. The real news according to CNN is that Angelo's captors has just extended the beheading deadline to another 24 hours.

Moreover, Al-Jazeera reported receiving a new statement from the kidnappers Saturday in which they extended the deadline and added a new demand: that the Philippines pull its small contingent of troops out of Iraq by July 20. It seems August 20 is not good enough for them.

Angelo Dela Cruz is not out of the woods yet. There is no reason yet to celebrate.

Pray harder, guys!

ANGELO DELA CRUZ IS FREE!
GMA Agrees To Withdraw Philippine Contingent

Screen Capture from CNN.com

All's well that ends well.

For all her shortcomings, I think President GMA did a great job here. Whether she did through back-chanelling negotiations or paying some blood money, I think she deserves credit for this one. Good job, Ms. President!

Asked if they will still permit Angelo to go back and work again in the Middle East, Angelo's relatives replied, "Not in the immediate future." I think GMA will give Angelo a decent job so he can stay here for good. I hope he does the same for the rest of the unemployed Filipinos, too.

I also think Angelo's captors compromised when they knew that the Philippine humanitarian contingent will be withdrawn this coming August 20.

Instrumental also is the role of Bahrain Prime Minister Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman al Khalifa, who did most of the back-chanelling negotiations by talking with most of the Iraqi Islamic clerics, who in turn negotiated with Angelo's captors.

Of course, if it were not for GOD who heard all our prayers, it would not have been possible, too. Thank you, GOD!

And while we are thanking Him, let us not forget to continue praying for Bulgarians Ivaylo Kepov and Georgi Lazov, who are still being held by their Iraqi captors as of this writing. They must also be set free!

The sun will shine brighter in the Philippines this Sunday morning, I'm sure.

STILL ON THE ANGELO DELA CRUZ HOSTAGE CRISIS
Questions, Questions

Daily Tribune Editorial Cartoon

1. Why did Retired General Roy Cimatu, President GMA's special envoy to Iraq claim initially that the held hostage was not Filipino and hence, was not our concern?

2. Why did GMA's Presidential Security Group secure Angelo's wife and kids as early as Friday morning, transported them to a safehouse with heightened security, and barred them from seeing anyone, except perhaps for that photo-op with GMA in Malacanang last night?

3. Why did the government allow the illegal travel to Iraq of almost 4,000 Filipino overseas contract workers (OCWs)?

4. Of all of GMA's released press releases, why has none touched on the subject of a possible pull-out in Iraq of our non-combatant humanitarian troop?

REDUCED TO POLLS AND PRAYERS
All Filipinos Await Angelo's Fate

As the clock goes ticktock, ticktock, not much progress can be gathered here, especially now that President GMA requests a news blackout on the hostage crisis. She was reported to have said,

"I shall not comment about the situation at this most crucial and sensitive point in time when we have to withhold information...to ensure the safety of the hostage. I ask the media not to fan speculations and hysteria. A higher interest is involved in this matter." [INQ7.net]

Higher interest? Do you have any clues what "higher interest" might this be? Please enlighten me.

Is the "main consideration" or "higher interest" the same as what Ellen Tordesillas of Malaya said in her column today, which is how the whole hostage crisis would affect relations with the United States?

According to radio news reports, Angelo dela Cruz went to the Middle East so he can spend for the operation of one of his kids who happens to be blind. He has eight kids. His wife is unemployed and has a heart condition. He used to be a tricycle driver in Pampanga, but because he can't make both ends meet with his meager income, he agreed to go abroad and work there. His real work destination is Saudi Arabia, but because there were probably high-paying moonlighting jobs as truck driver in Iraq, people here speculate he probably grabbed that opportunity thinking little of what possible danger may befall him.

All his relatives, including wife and children are currently requesting President GMA to agree to the kidnappers' demands so Angelo can be released immediately.

Searching for the latest international news accounts on the hostage crisis, I came upon this picture of the relatives of Angelo Dela Cruz as they were pictured this morning praying outside the Dela Cruz house in Pampamga. As they say, pictures paint a thousand words. See for yourself.....

Photo by Erik De Castro/Reuters
Surfing even more, I got into Al-Jazeera, "the CNN of the Middle-East," and was shocked to see that that they even have a poll on Angelo Dela Cruz. See the screen capture below and note the overwhelming results for "Yes."
Screen Capture from Aljazeera.com

The most frustrating feeling is to watch somebody die and be helpless about the whole thing. Time is slowly slipping away. Based on the ultimatum given, I think Angelo's captors has set the deadline until this weekend.

At a time when we are reduced to polls and prayers, what more can we do?

DEATH LOOMS FOR ANGELO DELA CRUZ
Filipinos Forced To Face Unnecessary Perils

"Sasabak na lang kami sa kamatayan dun sa Iraq, kesa mamatay sa gutom dito!!!" Translated in English, this means: "We would rather endanger ourselves and die in Iraq, than die starving here!!!"

Thus spoke most Filipino workers who continue to apply for work in Iraq in spite of the disturbing news that a rebel Iraqi terrorist group threatened to behead captured Filipino truck driver Angelo de la Cruz (see picture below). I caught this on late night TV news yesterday as I was returning home from the hospital.

ANGELO DELA CRUZ: Filipino Hostage in Iraq
Almost 2,500 Filipino overseas contract workers (OCWs) leave the country every day to seek work abroad and for them, "Iraq is just another means of escape from the poverty and unemployment that has turned the Philippines into a nation of migrants." [Reuters]

According to an ABS-CBN report, "at least 4,000 Filipino workers had been able to slip into Iraq without the knowledge of Manila since they were hired by US and British companies from their former workplaces in other Mideast countries."

Did you know that instead of being grateful to GMA for issuing an "immediate ban" on the deployment of workers to Iraq due to the hostage crisis, 120 Filipino workers waiting to fly to Iraq last night were shocked and angry when immigration officials told them they could not board their flight??? They were held at the airport for some time before officials conceded to let them fly to Dubai for the meantime.

This is how bad the situation is.

Manolito Dabasol, a 33-year-old father of two, and one of the 120 workers held at the airport was quoted by Reuters saying,

"I am willing to go. It (the hostage-taking) does not bother me. Just to support my family, I will go.

If you only saw the tension and the anger on the faces of those workers, you will see that they do not regard Iraq as a dangerous place at all, but some sort of haven. It was as if they were saying that any place other than the Philippines is definitely better!

I am saddened by these reactions.

As for Angelo Dela Cruz, ABS-CBN news last night said the time given to him by his captors is slowly slipping away. As of last night, he had 32 hours to live before he gets beheaded.

It took the government already one whole day to determine if he was Filipino and if he ought to be helped. Today they are sending a former Armed Forces Chief of Staff to Iraq to mediate. By the time the envoy reaches there, I think Dela Cruz will have less than 24 hours to live.

Are his captors bluffing? I don't think so.

Last June 22, South Korean Kim Sun-il was beheaded in Baghdad while pleading
"I don't want to die!." A month ago, American businessman Nicholas Berg, was shown beheaded by the same group that claimed responsibility for Kim's death. Their captors had the same request, the pull-out of South Korean and American forces in Iraq. The captors of Angelo Dela Cruz requests the pullout of the 51-man Filipino humanitarian team in Iraq.
Will she listen?



Let us pray hard for the safety of Angelo Dela Cruz.

INFIDELITY AND POLYGAMY AS HEALTH HAZARDS
Thailand is World's Number One

07/07/2004 11:01 - (SA) Bangkok - They have been boiled, fed to ducks, even attached to hot air balloons and cast into the night sky --- when it comes to permanently depriving a cheating lover of a recently severed penis, the imagination of the wronged Thai woman knows few bounds.

Thailand has become the world center of penis reattachment surgery, but then it has been forced to be. While not unique to the kingdom, penis severing has been honed here to its most devastating effect through a mixture of infidelity, assertive womanhood and a national cuisine that lends itself to a kitchen full of sharp knives.

The men are now fearful of a rash of Thailand's most notorious crime of passion, according to the surgeon who has stitched back many a male member for grateful patients. [Independent Online Asia]

I have several thoughts on this interesting report.

One is that probably Thailand surgeons are the most competent in the world when it comes to penile reattachment surgery. Practice makes perfect, as they say.

Second is that doctors and angry wives are probably at odds with each other in Thailand. According to the same news account, "doctors had to keep up with increasingly inventive and angry wives and lovers who want to prevent the offending item from being reattached." In the Asian region, the phallus is often regarded as a symbol of power and fertility, and the wronged Thai women probably see that they can get sweet vengeance by destroying the "offending item."

Third is that I admire the creativity and inventiveness of the wronged Thai women. Consider what they do to the penises they sheared: they boil it, they feed it to ducks, they throw it to the night sky. Hahaha. In reattachment, the golden period is less than 24 hours. If it gets lost or worse, gets digested by the duck, the guys have to say goodbye forever to their lost members.

Last is that I think the whole thing can be solved if men just remain monogamous. The whole thing according to the news account stems from the "outlawed, but flourishing, Thai habit of keeping secret wives." The same thing happens here in the Philippines and probably in every Asian country. Here, it is not outlawed but flaunted arrogantly by some males, because again, it symbolizes virility and power.

ZATOICHI AND IMELDA IN THE TIME OF SPIDERMAN 2
Other Excellent Films To See

This is not a film review but an invitation. It is an invitation to a special ongoing event I do not know if I can attend to, myself.

I learned it quite late but the 6th Makati Cinemanila International Film Festival has been ongoing since July 1st and will last only until July 12.

In the time of Spiderman, is it still worth watching films like these?

Why, yes. My problem is, how I can squeeze some time to watch.

Long before there was Voltes V, Dragonball Z, and Hitokiri Battousai of Samurai X, my Dad has already introduced me to two Japanese superhero characters --- Watari of Yami No Matsuei (translated from Japanese, it means - Descendants of the Dark), and the blind but ruthless swordsman who is Zatoichi. What James Bond and Indiana Jones combined is to Western audiences, Zatoichi is, to the Japanese.

I can't wait to see this modern-day adaptation of Zatoichi. And of course, there's the Imelda film, which I've heard so much from Sassy's posts. Here are the other reasons why you and I should go to the 6th Makati Cinemanila International Film Festival:

Girl With A Pearl Earring - a film adaptation of Tracy Chevalier's bestselling book about a 17th century painting of the same title, it tells the story of a young peasant maid working in the house of painter Johannes Vermeer.

Ondskan or Evil - based on the bestselling autobiography of journalist Jan Guillou, it recently gave Sweden its 13th Oscar nomination in the Best Foreign Language Film category at the recent Academy Awards.

Osama - the winner of the 2004 Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film. It gives an account of life under the oppressive Taliban rule in Afghanistan and is the firs film to be shot in that country since the US invasion.

I invite my fellow webloggers to watch these films and to write posts about it. That way, if others like me will be unfortunate enough to catch these wonderful films, we may at least get to read what you thought about them.

BOTOX
From Poison To Medicine

By this time you might have heard of Botox or Botox treatments. Before its claim to fame, Botox started its career as a poison. Actually it remains to be one of the deadliest poisons known to man, so much so that, today in the US and Europe, detailed plans are in existence and can be put into ready action in case of a bioterrorist attack liberating the poison in their midst.

Botox is botulinum toxin Type A. It is a neurotoxin produced by the soil-dwelling bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Seven types of this poison are recognized --- A, B, C, D, E, F and G. Types A, B, E and F cause human botulism. Types C and D cause most cases of botulism in animals. For purposes of brevity, I will just limit today's post to Type A because this the only type used for medical purposes. Foodborn botulism, the illness caused by this poison, needs only a very small amount (a few nanograms) of the toxin to produce symptoms like weakness and vertigo, double vision, progressive difficulty in speaking/swallowing, difficulty in breathing, abdominal distension, and constipation.

In the 1950s, Dr. Vernon Brooks made a breakthrough discovery when he showed that botulinum toxin type A when injected into a hyperactive muscle caused the blockade of acetylcholine release from motor nerve endings, thereby inducing a temporary "paralysis" of the targeted muscle. Researchers hypothesized correctly that if the powerful nerve toxin paralyzes muscles, tiny amounts might have therapeutic uses. In the 1960s and 1970s, a doctor named Dr. Alan B. Scott found that by injecting a small amount of botulinum toxin in the hyperactive eye muscles of monkeys he was able to correct their strabismic condition. Strabismus is a condition known as "duling" or "banlag" in Tagalog. This was the start of the rise to fame and fortune of both Dr. Scott and his Botox discovery. Dr. Scott formed his own company, Oculinum, Inc., and in 1978, he received permission from the US FDA to test Botox in human volunteers. The rest is history. Today, the small Botox bottle you see below sells for nearly P20,000 (!!!) or about $350. I haven't asked my now famous classmate Dr. Manny Calayan of Cosmetiderm how much he charges for Botox treatments, but I'm quite sure the price would be pretty splendid considering he counts the top celebrities as his clients.


Botox is fast emerging as the "aspirin" of this generation. For the past several years, eye doctors have used it for eye conditions like "pagkaduling" (strabismus) and blepharospasm (frequent blinking of the eyes). It has also been used as treatment for facial spasms and this was were doctors noted its now more famous use: erasing facial wrinkles. Today it is used cosmetologically for erasing forehead wrinkles, the furrows between the eyes, crows feet around the eyes, and laugh lines (see picture below). A Botox injection works by temporarily paralysing the muscles around the forehead, eyes and brow that make wrinkles and lines in the face as people age. When used at the right dose, it achieves this without affecting normal facial expressions.
Areas where Botox removes wrinkles
Even Dubya contender John Kerry was rumored to have undergone Botox treatments when there was a noted disappearance of his tired Capitol Hill looks. While the anti-wrinlkling effects of Botox usually lasts up to 3 months, I've heard from my friend dermatologists and cosmetic surgeons that they usually advise their Botox patients to come back for a follow-up injection after 6 to 8 months. Can this be because Filipinos are more susceptible to Botox compared to Western patients?
Notice the missing wrinkles?
Today, Botox is being groomed to have many other uses like treatment for migraine, hyperhidrosis or excessive sweating of the palms, armpits, face, and feet, vaginismus (vaginal spasms causing painful intercourse), upper limb spasticity (paralysis of both arms) in children and post-stroke patients, and as a very potent painkiller.

A word of caution to those who would want Botox treatments in the future: be sure your doctor is competent enough to give you Botox for your wrinkles. Not just any doctor can administer Botox. He must be a specialist --- either a cosmetic surgeon or a qualified dermatologist. Doctors giving the injections should know the anatomy of the face in great detail. If too much is injected into the wrinkles around the eyes or if it is injected into the forehead and it seeps into the wrong place, the patient can be left with a drooping eyelid for 3 months. Also, if Botox is injected unequally, the patient could come out of the clinic with one side of their face wrinkle-free and the other side as deeply-etched with wrinkles as before.

Remember, it is your right to ask your doctor about his qualifications to do a particular procedure.

SLY OLD WOMAN
Learn From Her

I got this from my best friend yesterday and it made me laugh how clever some people can get when caught. I'm sharing this to you and I hope you can learn a thing or two from the old lady.

An older lady gets pulled over for speeding...

Older Woman: Is there a problem, Officer?

Officer: Ma'am, you were speeding.

Older Woman: Oh, I see.

Officer: Can I see your license please?

Older Woman: I would give it to you but I do not have one.

Officer: Don't have one?

Older Woman: Lost it, 4 years ago for drunk driving.

Officer: I see...Can I see your vehicle registration papers, please?

Older Woman: I cannot do that.

Officer: Why not?

Older Woman: I stole this car.

Officer: Stole it?

Older Woman: Yes, and I killed and hacked up the owner.

Officer: You what?

Older Woman: His body parts are in plastic bags in the trunk if you want to see

The Officer looks at the woman and slowly backs away to his car and calls for back up. Within minutes 5 police cars circle the car. A senior officer slowly approaches the car, clasping his half drawn gun.

Officer 2: Madam, could you step out of your vehicle please! The woman steps out of her vehicle.

Older woman: Is there a problem sir?

Officer 2: One of my officers told me that you have stolen this car and murdered the owner.

Older Woman: Murdered the owner?

Officer 2: Yes, could you please open the trunk of your car, please? The woman opens the trunk, revealing nothing but an empty trunk.

Officer 2: Is this your car, madam?

Older Woman: Yes, here are the registration papers.

The officer is quite stunned.

Officer 2: One of my officers claims that you do not have a driving license.

The woman digs into her handbag and pulls out a clutch purse and hands it to the officer. The officer examines the license. He looks quite puzzled.

Officer 2: Thank you madam, one of my officers told me you did not have a license, that you stole this car, and that you murdered and hacked up the owner.

Older Woman: I bet the liar told you I was speeding, too.

PGMA's TEN-POINT AGENDA
Good Soundbites or Good Policies?


1. 6 Million to 10 Million Jobs in 6 years - what do you think? Is this realistic enough? It seems GMA would want most of the jobs to emerge from the agricultural and the small-medium enterprise sector. She wants a "tripling of the amount of loans for lending." In her sixth year, I bet you her press release will be something like about 11 to 12 million jobs were created. So I think this promise is possible. Many of her critics say that it is so easy to produce these jobs because they are temporary and not permanent. Of course, it is possible to create more than a million jobs per year. The problem is how will the people maintain or keep those jobs for a long time.

2. New buildings, classrooms, provision of desks and chairs and books for students and scholarships to poor families - possible if the funds for these projects aren't siphoned off by corrupt employees and perfidious contractors.

3. Balancing of the budget - impossible. I see more deficits and more debts by the government. It must solve its biggest fiscal problem source --- the NAPOCOR problem.

4. "Decentralization" of progress around the nation through the use of transportation networks - possible. I hope they can also a massive railway system connecting the three big islands. China has the first Maglev transit system in Asia. I know its a bit ambitious on our part, but I think the economy can get a boost if we can somehow get the second Maglev project going in our country. Far out? I know, I know. These are all wishful thinking on my part, so forgive me.

5. Provision of electricity and water supply to barangays nationwide - impossible. It is the 21st century already and still there are a lot of households who have not experienced how it is to have electricity and safe drinking water in their faucets. This objective is as impossible as having a doctor to those same areas.

6. Decongestion of Metro Manila by forming new cores of government and housing centers in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao - impossible. As long as my proposal in number 4 is not put into place, decongestion of people here in the metropolis is impossible. Everyone wants to go here. This will still be the scenario ten years from now.

7. Development of Clark and Subic as the best international service and logistic centers in the region - possible. She can do this in less than five years. the infrastructure and foundations are already there. But she must work beyond Subic and Clark, if she wants decentralization and decongestion to occur concurrently.

8. Automation of the electoral process - possible. This made me laugh, though. Automation would have been possible last May 10, too, if only FPJ didn't run for president. But he ran, so automation was postponed. I mean, do you really think GMA can win an election process that is fully automated?

9. Just end to the peace process - impossible. However, if she meant an end to the peace process because everyone is at war already, well, maybe that's possible. As long as the Muslims' livelihood conditions in the South are not improved, there will be no peace. As long as the NPA and the Communists led by Ka Roger and Joma Sison are not convinced that it is indeed better to lay down their arms, there will be no peace.

10. Fair closure to the divisiveness among the Edsa 1, 2 and 3 forces - impossible. GMA must first define what "fair closure" means. She must first show her sincerity and admit her mistakes. No admission, no forgiveness. A more possible scenario is more divisiveness. Witness the last elections. Have you seen how divisive it was?

My score for GMA: 5 possible and 5 impossible.

Prove me wrong after six years....granting she does not extend her term indefinitely, ok?

SNOW ON MY BIRTHDAY
Must Be A Glitch

Screen Capture of my Weblog Yesterday

I have always wanted to have snow here in the Philippines. It will be quite a relief from all the heat we experience. In the past, I have heard of stories about snow falling in Paranaque City, which is south of the metropolis. Two of my nurses who live in Fairview, Quezon City, which is in northern Metro Manila, have also told me stories of how they woke up one morning finding snow and ice cubes in their backyards and rooks of their houses. Quite fascinating stories if you ask me, but in a tropical country like ours, how can you believe such stories? They strike me as purely anecdotal.

But today, a friend emailed me a screen capture of my weblog yesterday. It shows the right side of the screen when you are viewing my weblog. My weather icon is from The Weather News. It monitors the weather here in Manila every 3 hours. I do not know what kind of monitor they use, but it shows there that there was snow falling, right? The temp reads 87 degrees Fahrenheit. Can snow fall in the midst of that kind of temp? Or is it just a glitch?

RECESS
Just For Today


Franz Kafka - powerful writer who wrote often about modern man's troublesome and freakish alienation in an ambiguous and indifferent world. I count the The Metamorphosis and The Trial as favorites among his works. While others loved and would cite Salinger's Catcher in the Rye as their favorites, I have always been proud to have read over and over his Metamorphosis when I was young.

Tom Stoppard - another writer who wrote mainly for TV, radio, theatre plays, and films. My favorite from him is Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.

Tom Cruise - well, everyone knows who he is and I don't think I have to write anything about him.

These 3 people were born today. I think I also like this day. I would not tell you how many years ago, but I was also born today. I know I still have to give you guys loads of answers to your questions (especially from the last two posts), but I apologize and promise to answer all of them later. I'm taking a brief sabbatical...just for today.

MALE CIRCUMCISION
How Necessary Is It Today?

From Dr. Reynaldo Joson's Website

In the Philippine provinces, the summer months of March and April every year bring anxiety and apprehension to the hearts of young boys as this is the time when they get circumcised. Locally termed "tuli," Filipino boys (age 9 and above) are encouraged by their parents to get circumcised under the supervision of the town's foremost "albularyo" or "magtutule" who is usually an old man who uses a sharp bladed object to cut the penile foreskin. The boys are advised to chew on "bayabas" (guava) leaves which they will eventually spit on their male organs once the foreskin has been cut. This is the old-fashioned way of doing it. Those boys living in urban and suburban locations are circumcised by a doctor either in a clinic or a hospital setup.

These days, however, there is a voice of dissent heard against this practice. And it comes not from young Filipino boys but from a noted Filipino surgeon by the name of Dr. Reynaldo Joson, former head of the Department of Surgery of the Ospital ng Maynila Medical Center.

Check out his website against male circumcision and tell me what you think about it.

ALDOSTERONE LEVELS AND HYPERTENSION
Potential Harbinger of Hypertension

Aldosterone is a hormone produced by the adrenal glands. It helps regulate levels of sodium and potassium in the body, which in turn helps control blood pressure by regulating fluid distribution and electrolyte balance in the body. Today, doctors request a serum aldosterone test to detect excess secretion of aldosterone by the adrenal glands, which is a manifestation of a condition called aldosteronism or hyperaldosteronism.

There are 2 kinds of hypertension. There's what we call essential or primary hypertension, which accounts for more than 90% of all cases of high blood pressure. The real cause(s) of essential hypertension hasn't been determined as of this time, and despite years and years of research, scientists can not come up with a unifying theory to account for its development. The other type of hypertension is called secondary hypertension," because it is usually "secondary to--" some primary cause. It accounts for the remaining 5-10% cases of hypertension and is usually due to identifiable primary causes like chronic kidney disease, renal artery stenosis, pheochromocytoma, pre-eclampsia of pregnancy, stress, aortic coarctation, sleep apnea, hyper- or hypothyroidism, and primary hyperaldosteronism.

In another significant article (click here) in today's issue of the NEJM, a group of researchers focused on the role of aldosterone in essential hypertension, beginning with a hypothesis that "a gradient of increasing risk of hypertension may exist within the "normal" range of serum aldosterone and that this risk may vary according to dietary sodium intake." They also "evaluated the relation of the serum aldosterone level measured at a routine examination to the risk of an increase in blood pressure and the risk of the development of hypertension in a large, community-based sample."

You know what they found? The table below says it all.

This is a very interesting finding as far as I'm concerned. The researchers were able to demonstrate that increased aldosterone levels within the physiologic range of the community-based sample population predisposed persons to the development of hypertension.

And referring to my previous posts wherein I discussed that early humans were used to diets that were rich in potassium and low in sodium (fruit and vegetable diets), the researchers who wrote this study also doubt "whether human beings have biologic feedback mechanisms to lower aldosterone levels in the face of high-salt intakes" brought about by the diets we consume today, be it a Western or a Filipino type of diet. The authors (and I agree with them on this) theorize that "it is conceivable that an adaptive response essential to survival in a low-sodium environment could turn maladaptive in contemporary society."

Our ancestors (early humans) moved around a lot in rugged terrain (there were no cars then) and thus, I would assume, had plenty of physical activity and exercise. Their diet consisted mainly of fruits and vegetables that were low in sodium and high in potassium. Progress and industrialization, however, has reversed most of that way of life. The question is, has our bodies evolved and adapted to such progress? If so, why are there so many cases of hypertension, stroke, heart conditions and diabetes? These questions make me wonder if we can pick up some lessons from early humans on how we can modify our lives and become healthier individuals. I am not saying industrialization is bad. I'm saying if our bodies cannot adapt, then we should at least modify our lifestyle --- mainly diet and exercise.