The International Journal of Impotence Research has published a study that highlights the link between the increasing rate of erectile dysfunction and motorbike riding men. Research shows that penis nerves are in danger of being damaged by the vibrations produced by motorcycle engines (mostly coming from under the seat). Uncomfortable motorcycle seats can also restrict the flow of blood through the arteries of the penis which discourages erection.

Motorcycle riding does not only threaten penile erection but also the health of male prostate and bladder. The same research also found out that men who operate forklift truck and other heavy machinery (which noticeably have strong engine vibrations) are also susceptible to erectile dysfunction.

Doctors mostly provide riders with samples of erectile dysfunction drugs like Viagra, Levitra and Cialis, erectile dysfunction is no longer considered a frustrating condition as it once was. What these medications do is help men suffering from erectile dysfunction by increasing the flow of blood to his penis thus encouraging an erection that can last up to the completion of the sexual act.

Erectile dysfunction drugs are however not magic pills because you still need to be sexually aroused before you can experience an erection. The same erection is also expected to go away after the completion of the sexual act. If not then that would be another problem.

But why wait for erectile dysfunction to strike you when you can prevent it by installing comfortable seats on your motorcycles? If riding motorbikes is your pleasure you can at least limit the damage that the engine vibrations can cause by making sure you have comfortable seats which puts pressure not on your perineum area but on your buttocks. A simple cushion such as an airhawk can help as well.

Quality motorcycle seats can be an additional expense, but compare this to the possibility of developing erectile dysfunction and you would agree that this is the most cost effective way of managing your health and your sexual life.

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MILWAUKEE, May 22 /PRNewswire/ — Miller Brewing Company will donate 10 cents to the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) for every Miller Lite bottle cap collected now through Sept. 1, 2008, as part of the brand’s “Better. Bolder. Summer” promotion. Miller Lite, the “ultimate light beer,” is the official beer sponsor of this summer’s Harley-Davidson 105th anniversary celebration.

Legal-drinking-age consumers can donate their Miller Lite bottle caps in several ways, including at collection points located in participating retailers across the country; just look for the “Miller Lite Bottle Caps for MDA” boxes beginning in early June. Ultimately, these bottle caps will be shipped to Milwaukee for the August 28-31 celebration of Harley-Davidson’s 105th anniversary. Miller will make a donation up to $100,000 to MDA based on the number of Miller Lite caps collected.

“We are proud and honored to be teaming up with our favorite neighbor once again as we celebrate Harley-Davidson’s 105th anniversary with them,” said Antonio Maldonado, Miller Lite’s vice president of marketing. “Enjoying the only light beer brewed to deliver the perfect combination of taste and refreshment is usually reason enough to choose Miller Lite. This summer, beer drinkers can feel even better about drinking ‘the ultimate light beer,’ knowing that they’re helping raise money for a great cause in MDA.”

– Consumers also can mail bottle caps to Miller Brewing Company,
Attention “Miller Lite Bottle Caps for MDA,” 3939 W. Highland Blvd.,
P.O. Box 482, Milwaukee, WI 53201-0482.

– Additionally, any Harley-Davidson riders coming to Milwaukee for the
105th anniversary celebration are encouraged to bring their Miller Lite
bottle caps with them and deposit the caps into the giant Miller Lite
bottle.

Miller Lite bottle caps collected around the country will be sent to Milwaukee to be counted and deposited into the giant Miller Lite bottle. In addition to raising money via the “Miller Lite Bottle Caps for MDA” effort, the brewer is helping raise money for MDA in other ways this summer:

– For every 18-pack of Miller Lite bottles or cans sold at 7-Eleven
stores across the country, Miller will donate 25 cents, up to an
additional $100,000. Consumers can learn more about the ways that
7-Eleven will be partnering with Miller Lite and MDA at displays in
their local stores.

– At participating retailers across the country — bars, restaurants,
grocery stores, liquor stores and so on — consumers can join the fight
against muscular dystrophy by purchasing a motorcycle mobile for $1,
with all proceeds going directly to MDA.

– Consumers also can contribute to MDA via BetterBolderSummer.com.

MDA is a voluntary health organization working to defeat more than 40 diseases through programs of worldwide research, comprehensive services, and far-reaching professional and public health education. The ALS Division of MDA is the world leader in the search for a treatment and cure for Lou Gehrig’s disease with its aggressive research program. MDA also offers the most comprehensive range of services of any voluntary health agency in the nation.

About Miller

As one of America’s oldest brewers, Miller Brewing Company continues the commitment of founder Frederick J. Miller to brew “confoundedly good beers” with “uncompromising quality.” Through more than 150 years of innovation and brewing excellence, Miller has built a broad portfolio of award-winning beers that capture approximately 18 percent of U.S. beer sales. An unprecedented four-time gold award winner at the World Beer Cup, Miller Lite is the great tasting, less filling beer that established the American light beer category in 1975. Miller’s latest innovation is Miller Chill, a chelada-style beer brewed with lime and salt to provide a unique twist on refreshment. The company also brews Miller Genuine Draft, Miller High Life, Foster’s, Milwaukee’s Best Light, Olde English 800, Mickey’s Malt Liquor, Icehouse and Sharp’s, a non-alcohol brew. Miller imports Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Pilsner Urquell and Tyskie and offers the Sparks line of caffeinated alcohol beverages, as well as regional craft brews from the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company and the Blitz-Weinhard Brewing Company. Miller is a wholly owned subsidiary of SABMiller plc, one of the world’s leading brewers with a global footprint spread across six continents. For more information, visit http://www.millerbrewing.com/.

Source: Miller Brewing Company

Technorati Tags: beer, Harley-Davidson, MDA, Milwaukee, Miller Beer, muscular dystrophy

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I found a site that I will point you to in just a minute where you can do just that, track your habits. Cool huh? even better, the site is free.  Andrew Holz has created a site where you can keep track of your habits in order to build new better habits and maybe trim off some of the old bad habits. The site is called Habitizer and you can check it out here. My thanks go out to Andrew for creating this site and some of the thoughts and resources he has there. I ‘ll let you find them on your own. I hope some of you will find the site useful. Use it to lose weight, quit smoking maybe save up some bucks. Create some healthy habits! You decide and plan your own habits to track.

So check out Habitizer and help yourself out. It will only be between you and well, you. So, I leave you with this thought about habits. Make new habits, they become old habits and see above : )

Technorati Tags: habits, healthy, tracking, changing, software, cool sites

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“I am grateful to the U.K. for sharing my vision and I appreciate their recognition of this serious health concern for motorcyclists. This is a major step in my quest to protect riders worldwide,” Chipkar says.

“Various types of extremely low frequency (ELF) electromagnetic field (EMF) radiations have been linked to health disorders including cancer. Many motorcycles generate excessive ELF EMF radiation up through the seat penetrating directly into the rider’s groin and torso. The prostate is of major concern as it is one of the closest delicate glands invaded by the radiation. The colon and neighboring organs are also at risk,” adds Chipkar.

ELF EMF radiation at close exposure is unnatural and over time could have devastating biological consequences. Major organizations now agree that ELF EMF magnetic fields are a possible carcinogen. People should not have to gamble with their health because they love riding motorcycles. Consumer safety is priority.

“ELF EMF magnetic fields penetrate through steel and even lead. Only highly processed material can dramatically shield us from these cancer controversial forces. With patent protection, we can now aggressively market this innovative shielding seat to provide riders with peace of mind,” Chipkar says.

Chipkar adds, “I am now open to licensing or even selling some of my worldwide patents as long as I am assured the seats can reach consumers immediately. Hopefully, this new seat will revolutionize the motorcycle industry to keep riders safer.”

“Let’s put ‘true freedom’ back into riding motorcycles!” Chipkar concludes.

Chipkar can be reached through his website at http://www.motorcyclecancer.com/ where his new book, Motorcycle Cancer?, is also available along with further information.

Source: Chipkar Health Concepts Limited

CONTACT: Randall Dale Chipkar of Chipkar Health Concepts Limited,
chipkarhealth@motorcyclecancer.com

Web site: http://www.motorcyclecancer.com/

Technorati Tags: motorcycle news, health, cancer, inventions, patent

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“The study identifies very good therapeutic targets, and what needs to be
done is identify better candidate drugs,” said Lionel Ivashkiv, M.D., director
of Basic Research at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. He led the
study, which was published online in Nature Immunology on December 16 and will
appear in print in February.

Because abnormally high levels of interferon-alpha can lead to lupus,
researchers have developed drugs that block interferon. These drugs, however,
have immunosuppressive side effects that can leave patients vulnerable to
various illnesses and infections, some of which can be deadly. Currently, these
drugs are being tested in clinical trials. If researchers are able to develop
drugs for the newly identified drug targets, patients may be able to avoid these
immunosuppressive effects.

Interferons have two major functions. First, they protect against viruses and
second, they regulate immune responses, strengthening immune responses and
playing a role in autoimmunity. Different proteins, called STATs, mediate the
two functions of IFN. STAT1 mediates the autoimmune and inflammatory functions,
and STAT2 mediates the virus protection function. “What we were interested in
understanding is how you can regulate the balance between activating the
inflammatory effects and the antiviral effects,” Dr. Ivashkiv said. “We thought
if we could control the functions of the interferons, that would lead to new
therapeutic approaches where you could block specifically some of their
functions, but not others.”

The investigators discovered that calcium specifically increases activation
of STAT1 by interferons, and thus turned their attention to calcium. The
researchers tested whether two kinase enzymes in the calcium-signaling pathway,
CAMK and Pyk2, could be manipulated to control STAT1. In studies involving mice,
the investigators showed that blocking these calcium-signaling pathways with a
drug called KN-93 regulated the amount of STAT1, but not STAT2 activation.

“What we found was that these kinases that are regulated by calcium actually
regulate the strength of activation of STAT1 by the interferons, but they do not
regulate the strength of activation of STAT2,” said Dr. Ivashkiv. “The idea was
if you block these signaling pathways, would you block the STAT1 part, which
controls the inflammatory/deleterious effects and preserve the antiviral part.
We tested that in an animal model of lupus and we were able to show, in vivo,
that you can suppress STAT1 activation by inhibiting the calcium-dependent
kinases.”

The researchers say that their work has identified a new therapeutic approach
for attacking lupus. “What the companies are trying to develop are, basically,
antibodies against the interferons. The concern there is that if you block the
interferon completely, patients may become very immunosuppressed and unable to
handle viral infections,” Dr. Ivashkiv said. “Our idea is that if you block
these calcium pathways, you could block the deleterious effects of the
interferon, but maintain the antiviral effects.”

Lupus is an autoimmune disease that can affect various parts of the body,
including the skin, joints, heart, lungs, blood, kidneys and brain.
Inflammation, considered the primary feature of lupus, is characterized by pain,
heat, redness, swelling and loss of function. In most people, the disease
affects only a few organs and symptoms are mild, but in others, the disease can
cause serious and even life-threatening problems. According to the Lupus
Foundation of America, an estimated 16,000 Americans develop lupus each
year.

###

Support for the research came from the National Institutes of Health and an
Abbott Scholar Award.

About Hospital for Special Surgery

Founded in 1863, Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) is a world leader in
orthopedics, rheumatology and rehabilitation. HSS is nationally ranked as No. 1
in orthopedics, No. 3 in rheumatology by U.S.News & World Report, and has
received Magnet Recognition for Excellence in Nursing Service from the American
Nurses Credentialing Center. In the 2006 edition of HealthGrades’ Hospital
Quality in America Study, HSS received five-star ratings for clinical excellence
in its specialties. A member of the NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System and
an affiliate of Weill Cornell Medical College, HSS provides orthopedic and
rheumatologic patient care at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital at New York Weill
Cornell Medical Center. All Hospital for Special Surgery medical staff are on
the faculty of Weill Cornell Medical College. The hospital’s research division
is internationally recognized as a leader in the investigation of
musculoskeletal and autoimmune diseases. Hospital for Special Surgery is located
in New York City and online at www.hss.edu.

Technorati Tags: lupus, health, medicine, SLE, medical, science

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Australian cyclist Geoff Thomas spent 156 days and traveled over 9,000 miles on the very same bicycle that he used to ride from coast to coast in his homeland, Australia. Geoff set out on his bicycle towing the custom single wheel trailer from New York City on April 28th 2007. His goal? To ride his bike on a “lap” around the USA.

Geoff told me that he wanted to accomplish more than just riding from coast to coast across the United States as many have done. Geoff set his goal much higher. He wanted to do an actual lap around the US by mapping out his course from New York up into the northern states and then continue on until he reached the west coast in the state of Washington.

Then bike south down the west coast before heading back east to cross the lower southern states traveling mostly on side roads and ending his southern ride here in Melbourne, Florida before heading up the east coast returning to his original starting point New York City.

Now, of course Geoff has cycled long distance rides before and although he had set this lap around the USA as a personal goal he wanted to put it all towards a cause. Geoff was diagnosed with Lupus in 2003 and quickly learned that the disease is not only mysterious, but it is also not well known. It is for this reason that he began to contact different Lupus organizations about sponsoring his lap so that he could raise a bit of charity money for them, but more importantly to create a better awareness of the auto immune disease.

I first learned about Geoff Thomas, The Lap and Bikeusa2007.com  when I found an article about him in The South Bend Tribune. By this time he had already put over 800 miles behind him and he was still looking for a charity to contact him so that he could promote their cause. Being a member of Lupus.org and reading his story, gave me the idea that I wanted to help Geoff establish a communication with the Lupus Foundation. I sent an email to Geoff and contacted my local chapter for the Lupus Foundation trying to help get them together. I was delighted to receive a response from Geoff by email and we continued to communicate from then on. Very shortly after, Geoff had finally made contact with the Lupus Foundation and he posted the news on his web site www.bikeusa2007.com that he was riding for the Lupus Foundation. As Geoff continued on his journey, he began to pick up even more charity organizations as well as a few more dealing with Lupus. He also began to draw the attention of some of the mass media and local newspapers and television stations would catch up with him when he rode into town.

I was happy to learn that Geoff’s plans were to bike on into the southern part of Florida and I would get a chance to meet him as he was going to be stopping in to Melbourne, Florida. The”other Melbourne” as many refer to my city, as opposed to the Melbourne Vic Australia. Geoff and I communicated by email and then later by telephone and he had expressed that he wished to do a lap on the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. I thought that was a great Idea and it would seem that something of this nature would generate a great deal of media attention which would benefit promoting Lupus awareness and give the Daytona Speedway some attention for something that had not been done before.

I started the task of trying to make contacts with the media relations department at the speedway. When I say it was a task, I mean I spent 3 days being tossed from one department to another and from one person to another and nothing accomplished but leaving unanswered voice messages on speedway executive’s voicemail boxes. It seemed I was hitting nothing but dead ends in getting this accomplished, so I turned to a mass media reporter for help. It seems nobody ever wants to talk to you once you announce you are an independent news writer and journalist. Of course making contact and getting a mass media journalist to hear you out is another task as well. However, I did finally talk to a real person at a local news station for Daytona and Orlando area. WESH channel 2 news reporter Claire Metz was good enough to answer my telephone calls and sent me the names of media contacts at the Daytona speedway. She seemed interested in the story, if I was going to be able to get Geoff on the track.

I finally was able to talk to the lady that organizes track activities and I explained how I wanted to get the track opened for just a small amount of time in order for Geoff Thomas to ride a lap on his bicycle around the speedway track. I pointed out that this was for a good cause and how we wanted to try and bring more awareness to the disease. This lady blew me away when she told me that she would have to charge me mega-bucks for just those few minutes and it would not be worth my effort. Okay, so much for the Daytona International Speedway being a charitable corporation. So much for being able to get any type of news coverage in the Daytona Beach area. I really hated having to tell Geoff that I had met a total dead end in Daytona, but he took it well and continued on toward Florida.

As he approached the Melbourne area in Brevard County, I tried to get some coverage in the local newspaper Florida Today. I called the chief editor and explained that I had a really great human interest story and told him about how Geoff was riding his bike around the USA and had already covered 8,000 miles. I told him about Lupus and how the disease was not well known though it has developed in over 1.5 million Americans. Well, this guy proceeds to tell me how “people do things for charity all the time” and referred me to his cycling editor. This is just the type of apathy and uneducated people that I was trying to reach. The very same people that I was trying to get involved in the media, were just not interested! It is the same type of apathy toward Lupus with our government when funding is passed out for research on diseases.

Quick fact: 1.5 million US citizens suffer from lupus, the National Institutes of Health (NIH; Bethesda, MD, USA) allocated only US$88 million for research in 2005, down from US$96 million in 2003. Lupus will receive another US$25 million from non-profit organizations, according to Duane Peters, Vice President for Advocacy and Communications at the Lupus Foundation of America (Washington, DC, USA). There are about one million patients diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in the USA, and research received a total of US$2,981 billion from the NIH this year.

This makes no sense!

When Geoff arrived in Melbourne we talked by telephone and agreed to meet at the motel he was staying at in Melbourne Beach the following day. Geoff was diagnosed with Discoid Lupus, the very same type of Lupus that effects Cindi, the love of my life. Cindi and I went over to meet with Geoff and  spent an hour or so just chatting with him and talking about the many things that he had experienced during his ride around the country.

As we were talking I started looking at this bicycle that had traveled across Australia and now was doing a lap around the U.S. I noticed this bike has no pedals! I have never been a big fan of bicycle riding myself, but every bike I have ever owned had pedals.

Seems that a real bicycle made for this sort of trip has no pedals. Instead, there are special shoes designed with a metal tab that slides into the clamp where a pedal should be. So, we learned a little more about Geoff and his equipment and talked about how people really need to be more aware of the disease Lupus. Meeting Geoff in person it was easy to understand how he was able to accomplish such a fantastic journey. He is in great condition, of course, but more importantly he is a very laid back guy. His out look on life, the trips he has experienced and all the obstacles he ran into along the way was you just got to keep movin on mate.

Geoff is an inspiration for both Cindi and myself and it was a pleasure to watch him meet his goal.

So, what is Lupus?

Lupus is a chronic inflammatory disease that can target your joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, heart and lungs. The great majority of people affected are women. For reasons that aren’t clear, lupus develops when the immune system attacks your body’s own tissues and organs. Three main types of lupus exist — systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), discoid lupus erythematosus and drug-induced lupus. Of these, SLE is the most common and serious form of the disease, frequently causing swollen, painful joints, skin rash, extreme fatigue and kidney damage. In rare cases, mothers can pass antibodies to their babies during childbirth (neonatal lupus erythematosus), though the mothers themselves usually show no signs of lupus. The outlook for people with lupus was once grim, but diagnosis and treatment of lupus has improved considerably. With proper care, most people with lupus can lead normal, active lives.

No two cases of lupus are exactly alike. Signs and symptoms may come on suddenly or develop slowly, may be mild or severe, and may be temporary or permanent. Even the distinctive rash that gives the disease its name “lupus” is the Latin word for “wolf” because doctors once thought the rash resembled a wolf bite doesn’t occur in every case. Most people with lupus have one thing in common, however, and that’s the tendency of the disease to get decidedly worse in episodes called flares and then to improve or even disappear completely for a time.

Lupus is an autoimmune disease, which means that instead of just attacking foreign substances, such as bacteria and viruses, the immune system also turns against healthy tissue. This leads to inflammation and damage to various parts of the body, including the joints, skin, kidneys, heart, lungs, blood vessels and brain.

Someone YOU know has Lupus!

Like the disease itself can be mysterious and misunderstood, so too can the Lupus patient. Being supportive of your loved one or friend that has Lupus is important, but understanding them is very important. Aside from the effects of the disease itself, the Lupus patient will be effected by the medications that they have to take. Understanding that just because they don’t look sick, they are is important. If they say they do not feel well, understand that they truly do not and be supportive of them. I love Cindi very much and I am supportive of her and understand her when she can’t sleep or is emotional. If you have a friend or loved one that has Lupus, show them that you care by listening to them and understanding them. Join a support group in your area and attend the meetings with them. Get involved and become a Lupus advocate by writing the government. Explain your outrage to your congressman and senator in the amount of funding given to other groups with less effected. Remember, the noisy wheel gets the oil!

Be sure to visit Geoff Thomas’ web site www.bikeusa2007.com and read more about his lap around the USA. His site is full of interesting stories and facts like the fact that he had 44 flat tires during his journey!

Read more on Lupus and get involved at www.lupus.org

Participate in the up coming Walk for Lupus Now!

Meet Cindi Odom

Source: Mayoclinic.com

Technorati Tags: lupus, cycling, long distance cycling, sle, discoid, health, medicine, lupus awareness, disease, Geoff Thomas, bicycle, Melbourne, daytona beach, australia, lupus walk

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Geoff is seeking reputable charity organizations to use the lap around the US for a fund raiser or just for awareness to their cause, this is how I first learned of what Geoff Thomas was doing. It seems that Geoff wanted to do this ride and have it benefit an organization for Lupus, a incurable autoimmune disease. I received an email through my Google alerts using the keyword “lupus” that had a link to a newspaper article in the South Bend Tribune about Geoff entitled Cross-country biker seeking charities. Because Cindi is a victim of Discoid Lupus, I found interest in the story and was led to read more about Geoff Thomas at his web site www.bikeusa2007.com.  Geoff’s web site tells more about his cycling adventure and you can keep track of his progress there.

I have sent a email to Geoff Thomas and I hope to bring occasional updates here on his ride. I wish Geoff luck in his ride and look forward to hearing form him soon. I will keep posting on his progress as soon as I learn more.

Be sure to stop by his web site and show support by reading more about his ride around the USA on a bicycle at Bike USA 2007 to learn more about Lupus visit The Lupus Foundation of America.

Technorati Tags: lupus, cross-country cycling, charity, bicycle, news, the lap, bicycling news

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Lupus is an Urgent International Health Problem

Lupus disproportionately strikes young women in their prime of life between the ages of 15 and 44. The disease often goes unrecognized because its primary symptoms – joint pain, fatigue, skin rashes, and fevers – mimic many common illnesses. It spares no organ, as every part of the body can be affected, including the skin, heart, lungs, kidneys, and brain. There is no cure for lupus and it can be fatal. There have been no new drugs approved to treat lupus in more than 40 years.

Why Observe World Lupus Day?

Lupus is under-recognized as a global health problem. Early detection, improved diagnostic tools, and more effective treatments can help slow and even halt the progression of lupus. Improved awareness of lupus symptoms will save lives.

World Lupus Day provides a forum for the exchange of scientific information, increased public understanding of the physical, emotional, and economic impact of lupus, and the promise that the disease is finally being recognized and addressed on a global scale.

Hope on the Horizon for Lupus

International efforts to unravel the scientific mysteries of lupus are gaining momentum. Multiple international lupus clinics are collaborating on research studies and clinical trials of potential new treatments offering people with lupus hope for an improved quality of life. Lupus organizations are generating increased public awareness and educating patients and health professionals about the disease. Governments are recognizing the need to provide more funds for medical research and patient services.

For additional information about the global effort to combat lupus, visit the World Lupus Day website at http://www.worldlupusday.org/.

Technorati Tags: lupus, health news, medical, disease, lupus foundation, health care

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Speakers:
Francis Ashe-Goins, R.N., M.P.H., Deputy Director and Director of the Division of Policy and Program Development, Office on Women’s Health, U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services — “Update on OWH’s Lupus Awareness Projects” Gary Gilkeson, M.D., Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina; Chair, LFA Medical-Scientific Advisory Council — “Research Priorities for Lupus — Why Funding is Needed Now” Sam Lim, M.D., M.P.H., Assistant Professor of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia; Principal Investigator, National Lupus Patient Registry (NLPR) — “Update on Data Collection for the NLPR — What We Have Learned to Date” Michelle Petri, M.D., M.P.H., Professor, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions; Co-Director, Hopkins Lupus Pregnancy Center — “Overview of Lupus Research Funded by NIH”
5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Speakers:
Congressman James Clyburn (SC-6); House Majority Whip
Congressman Jim Moran (VA-8)
Vivian Pinn, M.D., Associate Director for Research on Women’s Health;
Director, Office of Research on Women’s Health, National Institutes of
Health — “Update on Women’s Health Research at NIH”
Thursday, March 1, 2007 — Room G 50, Dirksen Senate Office Building
12:00 p.m. to 2:00 pm
Speakers:
Richard Burt, M.D., Associate Professor and Chief, Division of
Immunotherapy for Autoimmune Diseases, Northwestern University, Chicago,
Illinois — “Update on Stem Cell Transplantation as a Therapy for Severe Lupus”
Congressman Patrick Kennedy (RI)

Other members of Congress expected to deliver brief remarks
CONTACT: Duane Peters of the Lupus Foundation of America,
+1-202-349-1145, peters@lupus.org.
SOURCE Lupus Foundation of America

Technorati Tags: health news, lupus, health, medicine, blog, information

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• Chicago Bears and Indianapolis Colts sports merchandise have seen a dramatic rise in retail sales this year.
• More women are drawn to the Indianapolis Colts
  than the Chicago Bears. Data show that 59% of Indianapolis women are Colts fans,
  vs. 46% of Chicago women who are Bears fans.
• The 2006 Super Bowl was the highest rated TV show
  of the year, attracting more than 90 million U.S. viewers.
• The cost for a 30-second TV advertisement reached
  an all-time high in 2006, while traditional advertiser categories continued to
  dominate the broadcast.
• Super Bowl advertisers in 2006 saw a sharp
  increase in visits to their web sites following the big game.
• Album sales of the Super Bowl halftime performers
  soared in the week following their appearance in the halftime show.
• Box office figures continue to plunge on Super
  Bowl Sunday.
• Sales of soft drinks, beer and chips rise
  significantly before the Super Bowl.

Comparing last year’s Super Bowl food preferences in the two markets that are
home to this year’s teams – Chicago and Indianapolis – there are some noteworthy
similarities and difference between the two cities. Looking at the largest
overall percentage of sales increases, both markets showed strong sales growth
in cocktail franks and processed cheese loaves. However, Chicago area
supermarkets showed strong growth in sales of frozen unbreaded crab,
refrigerated fruit, dip mixes, and dairy dips; while Indianapolis area
supermarkets experienced bumps in the sales of ‘Miracle Whip’ type salad
dressing, frozen hors d’ oeuvres & snacks, brownie mixes, and bratwurst
& knockwurst.

Product Categories — Super Bowl Weeks*
Largest Overall Sales Increase

– Tortilla Chips — $10.2 million
– Light Beer — $9.2 million
– Regular Beer — $8.7 million
– Potato Chips — $7.8 million
– Regular Cola — $7.7 million
– Frozen Pizza — $7.3 million
– All remaining Carb Bev — $5.5 million
– Frzn Poultry 1-Food Entree’s — $5.4 million
– Mexican Sauce — $5.3 million
– Ice Cream — $4.7 million

Product Categories — Super Bowl Weeks*
Largest Overall Percentage Sales Increase

– Cocktail Franks — 118.1%
– Beef Steak-Frozen — 58.4%
– Pork-Frozen — 48.8%
– Dip Mixes — 37.0%
– Processed Cheese Loaves — 36.3%
– Dairy Dip — 36.1%
– Bread Mushrooms-Frozen — 35.6%
– Tabasco/Pepper Sauce — 34.8%
– Canned Dip — 32.2%
– Barbecue Sauces — 31.7%

* Two-weeks ending February 11, 2006
Source ACNielsen; Supermarket sales

A consumer segmentation analysis from the marketing company Spectra revealed
some of the unique characteristics of Super Bowl viewers from Miami,
Indianapolis, and Chicago compared with national professional football fans.
Utilizing Spectra’s BehaviorScape framework, viewer characteristics can be
determined based upon BehaviorStages (which bring to life key household factors
that impact consumer purchasing behavior), and LifeStyles, (which further
differentiate consumers by highlighting affluence and the neighborhood type in
which they live).
For instance, most viewers of professional football across the U.S. typically
watch on the weekend one or more times per month, and tend to come from affluent
neighborhoods from a variety of household types. They span across all
neighborhood types and tend to skew toward couples 35+ without children in the
household as well as singles under 35 with no children. Popular Super Bowl
snacks that skew highly across the average US viewer are bags of nuts, brats,
popcorn, and frozen poultry.
Super Bowl viewers in the host city of Miami watch the game on TV live in
both urban and affluent suburban households across household types.
Indianapolis residents who watched the Super Bowl last year generally come
from rural and downscale suburban neighborhoods. Additionally:
– Indianapolis viewers purchase above average amounts of sausage, buns,
and brats than the average viewer.– Indianapolis viewers are likely to do their grocery shopping (possibly
for Super Bowl snacks) at Wal-Mart, Aldi, or Kroger.

– There is also a very high concentration of Super Bowl viewers who are
likely to shop in smaller accounts such as IGA and Buehler’s Buy Low.

Chicago residents who watched the Super Bowl last year likely live in urban
and affluent suburban households across household types. Additionally:

– Viewers in Chicago tend to purchase more bagged nuts, beer, frozen
poultry and meat than the average viewer.

– Chicago viewers are likely to do their grocery shopping (possibly for
Super Bowl snacks) in Dominick’s, Trader Joe’s, and Whole Foods.

There is also a very high concentration of Super Bowl viewers who are likely
to shop in smaller accounts such as Wild Oats and Sunset Food Marts.

So by the numbers, it looks like on Super Bowl Sunday Americans prefer to eat tortilla chips, drink light beer but regular soda throw some frozen steaks and chicken on the grill while munching on cocktail franks. It appears that there is a toss up in dipping your tortilla chips on eating prepared nachos. Either way we seemed to have consumed over 10 million dollars in tortilla chips and drink over 17 million dollars worth of beer washing them down.

These facts and statistics were compiled by and found at Nielsen Media Research, please visit their site for complete details.

Source:

http://www.nielsenmedia.com

Technorati Tags: facts, football, media research, news, stats, super bowl, superbowl

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Living Well Beyond Diagnosis
 

Complimentary Workshop and Dinner

Hosted by Lupus Foundation of America, SE Florida Chapter

Speakers will include:

Robert H. Phillips, PhD – Author of Coping With Lupus

Keivan Dehghanpishch, PhD, MD – Rheumatologist

along with other area professionals
Thursday, January 25, 2007

6:00pm – 9:30pm
Port St. Lucie Community Center
2195 SE Airoso Boulevard
Port St Lucie, FL

Free CEUs for Nurses and Mental Health Professionals
To register, please contact:   1-800-339-0586  or lupusfl@bellsouth.net

Also, a reminder. The first Brevard County Lupus Support group meeting for 2007 will be held on Wednesday January 24th 7:15 – 8:30pm
Pro-Health Fitness Center, 3rd Floor Meeting Room
611 East Sheridan Road, Melbourne

If you want to find the Lupus support group for your area, you can see the list of groups at the Lupus Foundation Web Site.

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If you are thinking of getting a tattoo, but wonder if it may be one of those things you wish you had of never done. There is good news that was recently released in the medical field about a new tattoo ink.

Freedom-2, LLC, a pioneer in the development of safe, quality inks for the purpose of permanent but removable tattoos today announces their plan to deliver the first inks to the market in early 2007.

The Freedom-2 (F2) ink technology is the first and only patented ink designed specifically for safe and easy, future removal.  The technology is the result of combined seminal discoveries by R. Rox Anderson, M.D., Wellman Laboratories of Photomedicine at the Massachusetts General Hospital; Craig A. Drill; Susanna Mlynarczyk-Evans, Ph.D., and Bruce Klitzman, Ph.D. and Kim Edward Koger, M.D., F.A.C.S. of Duke University.

The F2 ink uses biodegradable and bioabsorbable dyes such as cosmetic-grade iron oxide that are encapsulated in a biocompatible polymer bead known as ploymethylmethacrylate (PMMA).  These microscopic PMMA beads make up the F2 ink.  Tattoo artists use traditional delivery methods to provide an F2 tattoo – the only difference is the ink.

An F2 tattoo is easily removed by a single, standard laser treatment that breaks the PMMA beads allowing the body to naturally expel the dye trapped inside.  In contrast, the removal of traditional tattoo inks can create significant side effects including the development of carcinogenic properties, scarring and incomplete removal.  Additionally, removing a traditional tattoo typically requires multiple laser treatments that can cost several thousand dollars.

Today approximately 24 percent of Americans have at least one tattoo and as many as 17% of them seek to have their artwork removed1.  However, according to prominent physicians and researchers whose practices center around tattoos and tattoo removal, that number may be as high as 50%.  Until today, the removal of tattoos delivered with traditional ink, was a painful, incomplete process.  With the F2 ink technology, the picture changes.

“The F2 technology was discovered by practicing physicians with experience in the current tattoo removal technology.  These doctors, concerned for their patients and future patients, have developed a safe, less expensive, non-invasive system of tattoo removal,” said Martin Schmieg, President and CEO of Freedom-2 LLC.  “We are looking forward to presenting this technology to the public and believe it will allow more people to express themselves through body art without future regret.”

The F2 technology is being advanced by a team of researchers led by prominent polymer chemist and drug control delivery systems expert, Edith Mathiowitz, Ph.D at Brown University.  Mathiowitz leads the development team and works with research and development partner, MediUm-Tech, GmbH, Berlin, Germany on the encapsulation and formulation of the F2 ink.

Currently, F2 is continuing its human proof of concept studies with testing locations in both the US and Europe.  Following a successful suite of product tests, F2 will make the world’s first-ever permanent but removable tattoo ink available for retail sale in early 2007.

Source:

http://www.freedom2ink.com/

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Ingredients:

• 1 14/16 lb Turkey
• 3/4 Loaf of Breads
• 1 1/2 Stick of Butter
• 1 Medium Onion
• 2 Stalks of celery
• 1/2 lb Sausage
• 4 Cups of Water
• 1/2 teaspoon Basil Leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon Parsley
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 tablespoon Chicken Broth Powder
• 3 Celery Leaf Tops

This recipe is for what I call a “traditional” turkey with homemade stuffing and can be prepared and cooked faster than my original slow cooked turkey. It is also for a smaller bird than my original recipe which again is for quick serving. Quick in this case is around 1 1/2 hour preparation and 4 1/2 hours cooking time. So if all goes right, you should have a tender and juicy stuffed turkey on the table in around 6 hours. OK, let’s get started!

Preheat your oven to 325. Notice that I say that we will use 3/4 loaf of breads. This is because for my stuffing I like to use a mixture of bread that will usually include some white, wheat, rye or pumpernickel rye, cuban bread or dinner rolls. I have used garlic bread sticks as well and that will give your dressing a nice flavor.

Gather together around 3/4 loaf of breads as above and put it in a 13 x 9 deep pan or larger. Put the pan loaded with the bread in the oven. You will need to keep an eye on the bread and turn it a couple of times so that you get some of the pieces close to a dark toast color as below.

While the bread is toasting, you can brown the sausage. Tip: because you are doing this early morning, I usually will cook the whole pound of sausage. Use 1/2 pound for the stuffing and the other half set aside to make sausage gravy and biscuits! Do this and you will have kitchen help hanging around. I will post my recipe for the sausage gravy and biscuits another time if you need it, but for now back to our turkey dressing.

While you are browning the sausage, chop the celery, celery leaves and onion and set it aside. Don’t forget the bread that is in the oven, turn it bringing some of the slices to the top and flip them over. The bread should be getting light brown by now.

In a medium sauce pan bring 4 cups of water to a boil and add a couple of the leaves from the celery finely chopped to the water. When the water boils, turn it down to a simmer and add the chicken broth powder, salt, basil and parsley. Let this mixture just steam a bit and turn it off. You will be adding this to the bread.

By now your bread should be well toasted. Remove it from the oven and let it cool a bit. While the bread is cooling, drain the sausage of fat and return to pan. Set the pan on the same burner, but lower the heat to just above warm. Put 1 stick of butter in the pan with the sausage and let it melt down. While the butter is melting, chop your bread into cubes. I usually add a bit more basil and parsley into the bread while chopping.

Now that the butter has melted down with the sausage, turn up to a medium heat and add the chopped celery and onion. You want to just lightly heat this mixture, being careful not to fully cook the celery or onion. When the mixture begins to sizzle a bit, add the bread that you have cubed.

While stirring the bread, butter, sausage, onions and celery together, slowly pour in the water and spice mixture to moisten the bread. Mix all together lightly trying not to mash up the bread to much, but get it all moist. You may need to add more water depending on the types of bread that you used.

Be careful not to soak the bread! It will gain moisture while cooking inside the turkey. Remove the wrapping on your turkey and wash the bird inside and out. Remove the neck and giblets and wash the inside of the turkey well with cold water. You can cook the neck and giblets for those who like them, if not, for this recipe, throw them away. Again, this would be used in the stuffing for my original recipe, but for the traditional, they are not of use.

Pull the turkey neck skin up and stuff some dressing into the pocket below it. Then pull the skin back down and tuck it under the turkey setting the bird in your roaster pan. You should have 1/2 stick of butter left and it should be soft from being out. Take the butter and rub the turkey down with it. Be sure to coat the turkey well with the butter as this is what will cause it to brown nicely. Lightly sprinkle the chicken spice all over the turkey and put it in the oven at 325. Your turkey should be ready to serve in about 4 1/2 hours depending on the size of the turkey. Most turkeys have a pop-up timer that will pop when the turkey has reached the proper temperature.

I also suggest that you use a roaster oven as in my post about my Thanksgiving Turkey.

Don’t throw that turkey juice away, it makes a wonderful gravy!

So there you have it. My traditional stuffed turkey recipe. Give it a try and tell me how it turns out. I will post my original turkey and dressing recipe on a later date. However, for this recipe you will need more time and a larger bird.

Merry Christmas!

By popular request, I have made this recipe available to print. Click here to view and print this turkey and dressing recipe.

Technorati Tags: thanksgiving, turkey recipe, food, cooking, holidays, stuffing, home cooking

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During bike week or biketoberfest and when you are in the Edgewater, Florida area if you love a good steak visit Rich’s Place. Just south of Daytona Beach about a mile down Highway 1 from the noname saloon on the west side of the road. The atmosphere is laid back in a 50′s style with rock-n-roll and Elvis memorabilia all over.

I can’t think of any other steak place that I have eaten at where the steak has been cooked to perfection every time. Rich’s Place steak hits the spot! The burgers are fantastic too. Be sure to visit Rich’s next time you make the trip to Volusia County for any of the Florida motorcycle events. You won’t leave hungry and you won’t be disappointed.

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Brevard Lupus Support group meeting

MELBOURNE

January 24th 7:15 – 8:30pm

Pro-Health Fitness Center, 3rd Floor Meeting Room

611 East Sheridan Road, Melbourne

Facilitator – Fredda Steidle, MPS

For more information please contact:

Fredda Steidle, MPS

Lupus Foundation of America South East Florida Chapter 561-279-8606

or contact me if you have any questions.

Those of you that have a local blog in this area, please help by spreading the word of these support group meetings by posting this message and creating a trackback to my blog.
About Lupus

Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease that, for unknown reasons, causes inflammation and tissue damage to virtually any of the body’s own cells, tissue, and organs – especially the skin, joints, blood, heart, lungs, kidneys, and brain. The body’s immune system normally makes proteins called antibodies to protect the body against viruses, bacteria, and other foreign materials called antigens.
In an autoimmune disorder such as lupus, the immune system loses its ability to tell the difference between foreign substances (antigens) and the body’s own cells and tissue. Unable to make this distinction, the immune system then produces antibodies that target the body’s healthy tissue causing inflammation and damage to vital organs.
Lupus is a very complicated, confusing and erratic disease. It can range from being a mild disease affecting only a few organs, to one that can cause serious and even life-threatening health problems. Two leading causes of morbidity and mortality from lupus are kidney disease and heart disease.
This disease effects me through someone that I love very much, my wife Cindi Odom. Cindi has Discoid (cutaneous) lupus is always limited to the skin. It is identified by a rash that may appear on the face, neck, and scalp.

I attend these meetings as a support for her and others that are effected by this disease. You can help! If you can, please help to spread the word about the support meetings to people that you know that have lupus.

You can also help by supporting the lupus foundation. I have set up a page that tells a little more about Cindi and you can donate to the foundation on that page.

Take a moment to visit Cindi Bear’s Fight Against Lupus and meet my wonderful wife.

You can also learn more about lupus at the lupus foundation site.

Thanks! Mike

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