Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Symptoms of Not Knowing
A CDC study found that the vast majority of Americans (75%) don't know the signs of a heart attack, and only a few of those who do would know how to respond. Since heart disease is still the number one cause of death in the US, it's important to know the signs:
- Chest pain (usually squeezing or pressure)
- Pain in neck, shoulder, or jaw, arms or back
- Shortness of breath
- Others - nausea, cold sweat, light headedness.
Even if you're not sure a person with the signs is having a heart attack, call 911 immediately. Time to treatment is a top determinant of survival.
Speaking of not knowing, we really don't know what causes depression. Aside from the serotonin hypothesis, which is at best a gross oversimplification, and more likely a bad theory, research indicates that much of the effect of antidepressant medications may be placebo. The meta-analysis of numerous trials of the drugs found only marginal effects beyond placebo in all but the most severely depressed patients - a much smaller group indeed than those who take these drugs every day.
These results could well have some spectacular impacts on much of the field of health care, since so many patients are on antidepressants, and the costs are staggering. What if it's all a waste?
- Chest pain (usually squeezing or pressure)
- Pain in neck, shoulder, or jaw, arms or back
- Shortness of breath
- Others - nausea, cold sweat, light headedness.
Even if you're not sure a person with the signs is having a heart attack, call 911 immediately. Time to treatment is a top determinant of survival.
Speaking of not knowing, we really don't know what causes depression. Aside from the serotonin hypothesis, which is at best a gross oversimplification, and more likely a bad theory, research indicates that much of the effect of antidepressant medications may be placebo. The meta-analysis of numerous trials of the drugs found only marginal effects beyond placebo in all but the most severely depressed patients - a much smaller group indeed than those who take these drugs every day.
These results could well have some spectacular impacts on much of the field of health care, since so many patients are on antidepressants, and the costs are staggering. What if it's all a waste?
Labels: depression, drugs, education, health, health care, heart attack, heart disease, knowledge, medication, placebo, SSRI
Monday, February 18, 2008
Do. Want!
If you feel like making me very happy, buy me Labels: adorable, brains, cute, geek, nerdy, plushie, toys
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Another Helpful Guide...
...For guys looking vapid gold diggers. CNN.com has a feature on what cars, allegedly, a guy should drive to impress the ladies. The contestants are the Nissan 350Z Roadster (a 'he-man' ride but no good for commuting), the Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder ( practical but too girly looking), Audi TT Roadster (crap engine), Porsche Cayman (a Porsche that allegedly gets 23 MPG), and the ultimate gold digger-mobile ("Only bankers, lawyers, rap stars and trust fund babies can afford one"), the Mercedes-Benz CL 550.
All of these cars are pretty hot, but it honestly must take a certain type of girl to be so swayed by a man's car.
And thank you again, CNN, for bringing us news that matters.
All of these cars are pretty hot, but it honestly must take a certain type of girl to be so swayed by a man's car.
And thank you again, CNN, for bringing us news that matters.
Labels: anal sex, cnn, culture, fake news, sexism, stupid, superficiality
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Eat More Bears
I found this on the Emory campus. I'm fairly certain that its creators - as far as I can tell the pep squad for the undergraduate womens' basketball team, i.e., 19-year-old girls - have no idea the wider implications of this slogan.
Lucky for them, bears do not generally take much interest in young girls.
Lucky for them, bears do not generally take much interest in young girls.
Labels: bears, coeds, college, Emory, gay, ridiculous, sex, slogans, unwitting
Monday, February 11, 2008
Overtech'ed
I'm beginning to be in the market for a number of new electronic toys, and am dismayed with the options. First of all, my entirely awesome IAudio X5 is passing its third birthday and needs an heir. Oh, how heartily I have laughed at iPod users who've replaced their (admittedly shinier) gizmos twice or more in this period, not to mention being locked in to the infernal iTunes platform and Apple-approved file formats.
The obvious first step, since I love the X5 and am not an iPod fan, was to see what IAudio was offering nowadays. The A3 looks bloody cool, but is way more than I need. I in fact Do. Not. Want. a flashy LCD screen (it will break, and drain batteries, and I barely watch TV as it is, why do I need to take one with me?). I have no interest in sharing my files with other people via bluetooth or wifi or whatever. My USB cable is just fine.
What I want is something I can use to listen to MP3, WAV, MP4, OGG, and FLAC formatted music and podcasts, and maybe even a digital voice recorder. And a battery that will actually last the flight from Atlanta to Boston, including MARTA time (which the X5 did until recently). Everything else is just crap added to justify ever-climbing price points.
Any suggestions?
The obvious first step, since I love the X5 and am not an iPod fan, was to see what IAudio was offering nowadays. The A3 looks bloody cool, but is way more than I need. I in fact Do. Not. Want. a flashy LCD screen (it will break, and drain batteries, and I barely watch TV as it is, why do I need to take one with me?). I have no interest in sharing my files with other people via bluetooth or wifi or whatever. My USB cable is just fine.
What I want is something I can use to listen to MP3, WAV, MP4, OGG, and FLAC formatted music and podcasts, and maybe even a digital voice recorder. And a battery that will actually last the flight from Atlanta to Boston, including MARTA time (which the X5 did until recently). Everything else is just crap added to justify ever-climbing price points.
Any suggestions?
Labels: commerce, help, iaudio, ipod, media players, music, suggestions, technology
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Super Tuesday
I guess after 2006 I shouldn't be so shocked, but I was still apalled by how clueless people were here in Atlanta about the election. Someone in my program - SOMEONE WHO VERY NEARLY HAS A MASTERS DEGREE IN PUBLIC HEALTH - asked me to explain what Super Tuesday was, and why I was so excitedly checking cnn.com - and ignoring the professor - all through our evening programming class. Compared to in '06, I was happily surprised by the number of 'I voted' stickers seen around school and in the village. But still too many people, especially the gay boys who bitch about Shirley Franklin's fairly blatant crusade to close all the gay bars, said "oh I didn't know" or "I was too busy."
I voted absentee, of course, for DC's primary next week, because for many reasons (i.e., the taxes I'd have to pay to move my car down to GA and then again to wherever I end up this June) I am still registered there. I really miss returns parties. I miss going out on election night and arguing with random strangers in a bar about the best outcomes - random strangers who know what they're talking about. Preferably more than I do, so I can learn something!
That is all. Well, except, for those left to vote: "Vote Obama," or "Go, Mittens, Go!" Pick the one you can vote for.
I voted absentee, of course, for DC's primary next week, because for many reasons (i.e., the taxes I'd have to pay to move my car down to GA and then again to wherever I end up this June) I am still registered there. I really miss returns parties. I miss going out on election night and arguing with random strangers in a bar about the best outcomes - random strangers who know what they're talking about. Preferably more than I do, so I can learn something!
That is all. Well, except, for those left to vote: "Vote Obama," or "Go, Mittens, Go!" Pick the one you can vote for.
Labels: 2008 primary, annoying, DC, election, georgia, mittens, obama, super tuesday
Monday, February 04, 2008
New Best Friend
I am notoriously (a) addicted to coffee, and (b) not very good at waking up in the morning. The two are, though I have not tested this in a strictly scientific sense, probably related.
In support of trait (a), I have, in my kitchen: an espresso bubbler, a drip coffee maker, an over-mug drip filter holder, an over-cup coffee press (like they use in Vietnamese restaurants), and a French Press. and various kinds of instant coffee for really rough days.
In support of trait (b) above, I have two separate and very annoying alarm clocks, set to go off at enough of a delay from one another to eliminate my snooze-button issues. I also have my bed pointed uncomfortably at a window so that maximum sunlight gets in my eyes.
This weekend I made a purchase that has already (after one day!) changed my life, in addition to adding yet another device in my possession to supporting (a) and (b). I bought a coffee maker with an automatic timer. It's an alarm clock that, instead of beeping at me, creates the wonderful aroma of coffee and, by the time my other clocks start beeping, fresh hot ultra-caffeinated manna.
One of these days I'll figure out how to rig it to add cream and sugar and breakfast automatically too.
In support of trait (a), I have, in my kitchen: an espresso bubbler, a drip coffee maker, an over-mug drip filter holder, an over-cup coffee press (like they use in Vietnamese restaurants), and a French Press. and various kinds of instant coffee for really rough days.
In support of trait (b) above, I have two separate and very annoying alarm clocks, set to go off at enough of a delay from one another to eliminate my snooze-button issues. I also have my bed pointed uncomfortably at a window so that maximum sunlight gets in my eyes.
This weekend I made a purchase that has already (after one day!) changed my life, in addition to adding yet another device in my possession to supporting (a) and (b). I bought a coffee maker with an automatic timer. It's an alarm clock that, instead of beeping at me, creates the wonderful aroma of coffee and, by the time my other clocks start beeping, fresh hot ultra-caffeinated manna.
One of these days I'll figure out how to rig it to add cream and sugar and breakfast automatically too.
Labels: addiction, coffee, life, random, silly
Friday, February 01, 2008
OMGWTF MS GOnna p0wn YahOo???
Aparently not content having taken Hotmail from the number one webmail service to ... uhhh ... does anyone use Hotmail anymore? ... Microsoft has bid $44 billion for Yahoo. Now, aside from the fact that, if it goes through, this will mostly likely destroy all three of the things Y! still does pretty well: Flickr, Groups, and Flickr. Mostly Flickr.
But seriously, isn't MS already under like 15 trillion antitrust suits? Will regulators ever allow this? I'm asking you law folks I know lurk around here (yes, I can see your .gov IP addresses, luvvy). Well?
But seriously, isn't MS already under like 15 trillion antitrust suits? Will regulators ever allow this? I'm asking you law folks I know lurk around here (yes, I can see your .gov IP addresses, luvvy). Well?
Labels: business, help, law, looming disaster, Microsoft, nastiness, Yahoo
