A recent government report tells how antidepressants can actually increase the risk of suicidal behavior for people up to age 24. It plans new warning labels and says users of all ages should be closely monitored. Still, mental health experts worry that additional warnings could curtail use of the drugs and ultimately do more harm than good. Dr. John Mann, a Columbia University psychiatrist, suggested simply replacing the proposed expanded warnings with the recommendation that doctors more closely monitor their patients. "We can do more good by providing more treatment for depressed…
From what I've seen on TV, I like Obama, but I am a cautious sort and worry that there is something wrong with the senator from Illinois -- something that will become obvious after election time has passed. It wouldn't be the first time. He mentions Martin Luther King without reminding you of Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton. Like Colin Powell, the senator from Illinois makes you forget he is any colour. He is also clever enough not to sound condescending or to tie himself into the kind of mental pretzels that strangled John Kerry. His inexperience in the Senate may turn out to be an asset…
As if the English and Americans can't think of enough verbal insults on our own, the Germans have gotten together to offer us a few more. The Goethe Institute in Munich held a competition to nominate real insulting German words that would most benefit English cussing. The winner? Fachidiot. It literally pertains to academics who are "idiots of their own subject," the institute said in its winner's announcement. "The difference is that a one-track specialist still notices what is going on around him, in the world which has nothing to do with university. A fachidiot simply does not, or not…
. Orcas (killer whales) kill sharks by torpedoing up into the shark's stomach from underneath, causing the shark to explode. . . tags: orca, shark. weird facts
Chrysalis of Gulf Fritillary, Agraulis vanillae, Nelson Farms Preserve, Katy Prairie Conservancy, Texas. NABA Butterfly Count, 10 September 2006. This is a case of mimicry where the chrysalis resembles bird poop. Image: Biosparite. I am receiving so many gorgeous pictures from you, dear readers, that I am overwhelmed by the beauty of the images and the creatures and places in them. If you have a high-resolution digitized nature image (I prefer JPG format) that you'd like to share with your fellow readers, feel free to email it to me, along with information about the image and how you'd…
The Elements. Orphaned Image. This lovely image was sent to me in email but I unfortunately cannot find any information about it so I can give proper attribution.
Where the hell DID we all come from? The true source of the big bang, according to the scriptures.
Now they've bastardized my favorite christmas movie! But I'd pay the price of admission to see GW in the bunny pajamas!
I went for my intake interview at one of the "aftercare" clinics today. Originally, this appointment had been scheduled for yesterday but because I put that piece of paper into a very very safe place, I (of course) could not find it when I needed it, so I missed my appointment. The interview itself was relatively painless, although I was very annoyed with their insistence that I "prove" my lack of an income. How the hell do you do that? This is just the same as trying to prove there are no more ivory-billed woodpeckers. What dolts. "Well, how are you supporting yourself?" the fat lady asked…
. Despite his overly-loud supporters, if there was ever one thing that George W. Bush excells at, it is failure. In a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll taken Friday through Sunday, a 54% majority recognized that Bush is a below-average or poor president, more than double the negative rating given any of his five most recent predecessors. Just 19% expect him to be seen as outstanding or above-average, placing him last among the six. Bush, re-elected in 2004, now trails three presidents who were rejected by voters when they sought second or full terms, including his father, George H.W. Bush. "The…
US Congressman, Silvestre Reyes, a Texas Democrat, claimed that al-Qaeda was a predominantly Shia organisation. But the opposite is true -- al-Qaeda are Sunni extremists. Because Mr Reyes is a long-time member of the House Intelligence Committee and will become its new chairman in January, you'd expect he would know this. Like, hello! The Committee is regularly briefed on intelligence matters and is responsible for the budgets, organisation and overall direction of US spy agencies. Hence you would expect Mr Reyes to be pretty well informed. But when an interviewer tested him on basic…
. . 315 entries in Webster's 1996 Dictionary were misspelled. . . . tags: dictionary, misspelled words. weird facts
Light from the Heart Nebula What powers the Heart Nebula? The large emission nebula dubbed IC 1805 looks, in whole, like a human heart. The nebula glows brightly in red light emitted by its most prominent element: hydrogen. The red glow and the larger shape are all created by a small group of stars near the nebula's center. A close up spanning about 30 light years contains many of these stars is shown above . This open cluster of stars contains a few bright stars nearly 50 times the mass of our Sun, many dim stars only a fraction of the mass of our Sun, and an absent microquasar that was…
Peregrine falcon, Falco peregrinus. Orphaned image. Please contact me for proper attribution and linkage. As I get my blog-feet under me, one of the things I plan to do is to resume publishing Birds in the News on Mondays, at noon, EST. Until that happy moment, perhaps you will enjoy seeing a peregrine falcon family in downtown Brisbane, Australia? This well-designed site, Frodocam, has thousands of still pictures, galleries of video for you to watch using either Quicktime or Media Player, and lots of information about peregrine falcons so you can learn more about these, the fastest…
The best medical blog writing awards for 2006 are now accepting nominations for a variety of categories, including several new categories, such as "Best Patient's Blog." Now, I am not saying that my nuthouse journaling was written for the purpose of winning such a nomination (it certainly was not), but I definitely would be proud to receive such a nomination if it came my way. Nominations will be accepted until Sunday, December 31, 2006. Polls will be open from Wednesday, January 3, 2007 and will close at midnight on Sunday, January 14, 2007 (PST). Awards will be announced on Friday, January…
The newest edition of the Carnival of the Liberals is now available for your reading pleasure. I should mention that this is the first year anniversary of this blog carnival, and the editor chose the best ten essays from the past year, so this edition is full of high quality material for you to read. I should also mention that I am hosting the next edition of this blog carnival on 20 December. This means that I have to think of a theme for the carnival and of course, I must choose the most appropriate essays that fit the theme as well. Since I am still a little unsteady on my blog-feet, I am…
. . . Wouldn't you just love to blow up your laptop in the hands of its thief after it's been stolen? Well, that might be possible soon since scientists have discovered a new way to make silicon explode. [ .. ] Michael Sailor and his colleagues at the University of California in San Diego have found a way to blow up silicon chips using an electrical signal. They say their method could be used to fry circuitry in devices that fall into the wrong hands. For instance, the American spy plane impounded by China last year could have used it to destroy its secret electronics systems. Sailor's team…
I know that some of you are reading specifically to see how I am doing now that I am out of the nuthut, so I will provide you with updates every so often. I will signify these personal updates with the bird icon that you see to the left, so if this sort of thing bores you, you are forwarned and can just yawn and click on to the next article. (Incidentally, that icon to the left depicts one of the bird species I keep and research, the yellow-bibbed lory, Lorius chlorocercus.) I had a bumpy transition from captivity to freedom. For example, even though no one lived in my apartment, it is…
Wandering Glider, Pantala flavescens Notice the beautifully delicate body coloration and nearly invisible black veination in the otherwise transparent wings. W. 11th St. Park Butterfly Garden, Houston, Texas. October 2006 Biosparite writes; While I visited the West 11th st. Park, I was fortunate to find a perched Wandering Glider. These dragonflies rarely go to ground in the daytime, instead feeding above open areas and abruptly executing 90- and 180-degree turns. Image: Biosparite. I am receiving so many gorgeous pictures from you, dear readers, that I am overwhelmed by the beauty of the…
Below the fold is a link to an article that you should read about our nation's food supply written by Eric Schlosser, the journalist who wrote the brilliant expose, Fast Food Nation. This fall has brought plenty of bad news about food poisoning. More than 200 people in 26 states were sickened and three people were killed by spinach contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. At least 183 people in 21 states got salmonella from tainted tomatoes served at restaurants. And more than 160 people in New York, New Jersey and other states were sickened with E. coli after eating at Taco Bell restaurants.…