cookiegirl

Wait a sec. . .

:bounce: :bounce:

I tried, found a few transcripts but none of that specific skit. I'll try more later if I have the free time.

cute!

6 when the Senate's in session, 5 when we're not. This week we're not.

February 20, 2003 Despite the Danger Warnings, Ephedra Sells Ephedra can be combined with caffeine and other substances and is often sold in bottles under names like Metab-O-Lite and Xtreme Lean. Investigators say it may never be known whether the dietary supplement ephedra contributed to the death of Steve Bechler, the 23-year-old Baltimore Orioles pitcher who died of heatstroke on Monday after collapsing during a workout in the Florida sun. But what is clear, experts said yesterday, is that ephedra can be dangerous. They said no other dietary supplement on the market had stirred as many warnings and frightening medical histories as ephedra. It has been linked to deaths, to strokes, to heart arrythmias and even to psychotic episodes. "There certainly are a lot of reasons for concern," said Dr. Mark B. McClellan, the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, which has received more than 1,400 reports of adverse effects from ephedra. "There are a lot of adverse events associated with ephedra and ephedra products, and they do have effects on metabolic rates and heart rates." Yesterday, Tommy G. Thompson, the secretary of Health and Human Services, asked by reporters to comment on ephedra in light of Bechler's death, replied, "I wouldn't use it, would you?" But despite such warnings, ephedra is widely available — in health food stores and drugstores and on the Internet — and more than $3 billion worth of ephedra products are sold in the United States each year, according to Senator Richard J. Durbin, Democrat of Illinois, who held hearings last October on the use of ephedra in diet supplements. Ephedra, like other herbal supplements, can be legally sold over the counter under a 1994 law that allows their sale unless they are shown to be unsafe. In contrast, drug makers must prove to the F.D.A. that their drugs have benefits that exceed any risks before they can market them. Dr. McClellan, of the food and drug agency, said it was "assessing what the proper way to handle ephedra is." It has commissioned a report by the Rand Corporation, to be delivered by spring, he said. Then, Dr. McClellan added, "you should see some prompt further action from us." If the agency identifies serious risks with the product, he said, it could insist on warning labels or even remove the supplement from the market. Wes Siegner, a lawyer for the Ephedra Education Council, an industry group, said clinical trials had demonstrated that the substance was safe when used as directed. "You can't use these individual cases to raise more than a question," he added. Ephedra, a stimulant derived from the Asian drug ma huang, contains a mixture of chemicals, several of which increase blood pressure and heart rate. The most powerful of these chemicals is ephedrine (also used in prescription and nonprescription drugs as a decongestant), which, like an amphetamine, stimulates the central nervous system. On vitamin-store and drugstore shelves, ephedra is generally sold in small bottles of pills or capsules, often combined with caffeine and other substances. The bottles bear a dizzying array of labels, with names like Xenadrine RFA-1 (the pills that Bechler had been taking), Xtreme Lean and MetaboLoss. The active ingredients, like ephedrine, are typically listed in fine print on the labels in milligrams. Uses and Side Effects Dr. Rudoph Leibel, an obesity researcher at Columbia University, said the doses sold in supplements often provide the equivalent of 75 to 90 milligrams a day of ephedrine. Doctors have prescribed it for weight loss, he said, but patients usually receive about 25 milligrams a day. To make matters worse, Dr. Leibel added, consumers often take even more than the supplement makers recommend. "You can get into a lot of trouble," he said. The product Bechler took, Xenadrine RFA-1, made by Cytodyne Technologies of Lakewood, N.J., comes in capsules, each containing the equivalent of 20 milligrams of ephedrine. Consumers are advised to take four pills a day and are promised that they are getting a "revolutionary" fat burner that is "clinically proven to dramatically increase the rate of fat loss significantly more than diet and exercise alone." Ephedra has been widely used by athletes and is banned in several sports, though not by organized baseball. In the last decade, athletes who tested positive for ephedrine or ephedra have been suspended, penalized or stripped of medals and honors in sports including track and field, swimming, gymnastics, soccer and professional football. "I've taken it in the past," Nick Johnson, a Yankees first baseman, said. But he added that the news of Bechler's death was "scary — it's very scary." "It would be a pretty good idea to stay away from it," he said. "I want to be around for a while." Sterling Hitchcock, a Yankees pitcher, said: "I've used it. You just have to be smart with it. I've used less than the dosage." And catcher Mike Lieberthal of the Philadelphia Phillies told The Associated Press: "I used it for energy purposes during workouts. I stopped taking it two years ago when told the supplement could cause severe medical problems." Ephedra can promote heatstroke in three ways, according to Neal L. Benowitz of the University of California at San Francisco. It speeds metabolism and thus creates extra heat. It constricts blood vessels in the skin, preventing the body from cooling itself efficiently. And by making the user feel more energetic and less fatigued, it keeps him exercising longer. These effects can be especially harmful in people who are dehydrated, out of shape or overweight, Dr. Benowitz said. Bechler was 6 feet 2 inches and weighed 249 pounds, 10 pounds over his weight at the end of last season. Dr. Harrison Pope Jr., who is chief of the biological psychiatry laboratory at McLean Hospital at Harvard, said ephedra is effective for weight loss. Virtually every female body builder he has interviewed takes ephedra, he said, and so do many male body builders. "The reason people take it is that it has a pronounced stimulatory effect," Dr. Pope said. "The more you take, the more effect you get and the more potential fat loss you get. It is a very potent drug, it creates a mild euphoria in many and it increases appetite and increases the rate that you burn calories. "It is common for people to take a small amount, decide it is innocuous, and then gradually escalate their dose and get into a range with significant side effects." Researchers' Red Flags A variety of research studies have called attention to ephedra's dangers. The most recent is to be published next month in The Annals of Internal Medicine and is available now on the journal's Web site (www.acponline.org). In it, Dr. Stephen Bent of the University of California at San Francisco and his colleagues report that ephedra is the most dangerous herbal product on the market. The researchers, who have consulted for lawyers suing ephedra makers on behalf of injured consumers, say that 64 percent of all reports of adverse reactions to herbal supplements in the United States involve ephedra. Yet products containing ephedra represent only 0.8 percent of all herbal products sold. "The sale of ephedra as a dietary supplement should be restricted or banned to prevent serious adverse reactions in the general public," they write. In recent years, ephedra has come under increasing scrutiny from Congress. Senator Durbin's hearing in October focused in part on two products called Yellow Jacket and Black Beauty, both made by NVE Pharmaceuticals of Newton, N.J. Anne Marie Murphy, an aide to Mr. Durbin, noted that Yellow Jacket is the "street name for barbiturates, and Black Beauty is the street name of amphetamines." A constituent of the senator's, a high school wrestler, died after taking Yellow Jacket, Ms. Murphy said. She added that under Congressional pressure, the company recently stopped making the two products but that it continues to market Stacker2, which contains caffeine and ephedra. Robert Occhifinto, president of NVE Pharmaceuticals, was convicted of money laundering in the early 1990's in a scheme to supply chemicals used in the manufacture of the illegal stimulant methamphetamine, according to the federal Drug Enforcement Administration. He did not return phone calls left at the company's headquarters seeking comment. Last month Senator Durbin wrote to Secretary Thompson of the Health and Human Services Department, asking him to ban all ephedra products. Another leading manufacturer of supplements containing ephedra is Metabolife International of San Diego. Its founder, Michael Ellis, is under investigation by the Justice Department after telling federal regulators that his company had received no "adverse incident" reports involving products with ephedra. Mr. Ellis is no longer with the company. Ms. Murphy said Congressional investigators had recently found that 2,000 "serious adverse events" had been reported to Metabolife. And last year, an Alabama jury awarded $4.1 million to four people who suffered strokes or heart attacks after taking an ephedra-based appetite suppressant made by the company. Metabolife officials did not return calls seeking comment. On Long Island, the Suffolk County Legislature recently passed a bill banning ephedra, the only government unit to do so. Legislator Jon Cooper, Democrat from Huntington, who led the campaign to ban ephedra, said he had to overcome a "massive lobbying campaign" mounted by companies in the county that make supplements with ephedra. He said he expected the bill to be signed into law or vetoed within three weeks, and added that he had enough support to override any veto. At a Vitamin Shoppe in Greenwich Village in Manhattan yesterday, the shelves of the weight management section were filled with bottles containing ephedra. There were no signs warning about any side effects on the shelves. When asked if the supplement had any side effects, a store employee said ephedra was dangerous only for people with diabetes. Another clerk said he had heard of people taking it before going to clubs, like Ecstasy. "But a baseball player just died taking it!" a woman in line said. "They just said it on the news." At Duane Reade on 42nd Street and Eighth Avenue, a pharmacist, Rajesh B. Kumbhani, said he was uncomfortable knowing that ephedra was readily available, given the health risks. "I don't tell anybody that they should take ephedrine," Mr. Kumbhani said, gesturing at the ephedra next to other weight-loss products. "This is all advertising and marketing. They should take it out." Copyright 2003 The New York Times Company | Privacy Policy

'Friendly fire' pilots: Air Force pushes 'go pills' Lawyers say amphetamines led to accidental killing NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (AP) --A lawyer for one of two U.S. pilots who released a bomb over southern Afghanistan in April, accidentally killing four Canadian soldiers, says the Air Force had pressured the pilots to take amphetamines that may have impaired their judgment during the mission. Majs. Harry Schmidt and William Umbach face a possible court-martial for dropping the laser-guided bomb near Kandahar on April 17. An Air Force investigation determined the pilots "demonstrated poor airmanship" and ignored standard procedure by not making sure there were no allied troops in the area. Air Force: Pills are 'fatigue management tool' But Umbach's lawyer, David Beck, said he would show at a January 13 hearing on whether to court-martial the pilots that the Air Force routinely pressures pilots to take dexamphetamine, a prescription drug also known as "go pills." He said the drug can impair judgment and is not recommended for people operating heavy equipment. Beck said the Air Force prevents pilots from flying if they refuse to take the pills. Air Force spokeswoman Lt. Jennifer Ferrau acknowledged the pills are used as a "fatigue management tool" to help pilots stay alert through long missions. But she said that use of the pills is voluntary, and that their effects have been thoroughly tested. "There have been decades of study on their efficacy and practicality," she said. "The surgeon general worked very closely with commanders on this." 'I am rolling in, in self-defense' Beck and Charles W. Gittins, Schmidt's lawyer, said the Air Force's investigation is full of errors. Beck said the pilots were not told in advance that allies were holding combat exercises, and that Schmidt dropped the bomb in self-defense after seeing gunfire on the ground. "What happened was a terrible tragedy. You don't honor (the victims) by wrongfully prosecuting these pilots," Beck said. "This is political appeasement of Canadians who are angry." Ferrau said Air Force officials would not comment on specifics of the case. On the night of the bombing, 15 Canadian soldiers were practicing anti-tank attacks with live ammunition at Tarnak Farm, a former al Qaeda training camp. A Canadian report said the soldiers were using firearms ranging from sidearms to shoulder-fired anti-tank weapons. Schmidt and Umbach were flying F-16s toward their base after six hours of a mission in which "no significant events occurred," the Air Force report said. Just after midnight, they spotted gunfire on the ground and reported it to flight controllers. One of the pilots asked for permission to fire his 20-millimeter cannon and was told to wait, according to the Air Force investigators' report. Sixteen seconds later, Schmidt reported surface-to-air fire and said he was going to "roll in," or attack the shooters. "I've got some men on a road and it looks like a piece of artillery firing at us," Umbach said, according to the report. "I am rolling in, in self-defense." Schmidt released the bomb, which landed about three feet from a Canadian machine gun crew. Killed instantly were Sgt. Marc Leger, Cpl. Ainsworth Dyer, Pvt. Richard Green and Pvt. Nathan Smith. The Air Force report said Schmidt soon asked controllers, "Can you confirm that they were shooting at us?" The controller did not answer, but said "friendlies" could be on the ground nearby, the report said. The controller told Schmidt and Umbach to return to their base. Air Force investigators concluded that Schmidt and Umbach should have left the area when they spotted gunfire to allow time to determine its source. Remaining in the area led to the pilots' misperception that they were under attack, the investigators said. But the pilots' lawyers said Schmidt and Umbach had good reason to believe they were being attacked. Beck said it's unusual for troops to conduct night exercises in a combat zone. "How dare you do a training exercise at night in a combat zone?" Beck said. "And how dare you not tell the pilots?" The deaths, Canada's first combat fatalities since the Korean War, sparked anger among many Canadians, some of whom questioned their country's role in the American-led war on terrorism. Beck said Air Force officers should take the blame, because their communications system did not inform the pilots that the gunfire came from allies. The hearing, to be held at Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier City, is expected to last two weeks. Afterward, a recommendation on whether to court-martial the pilots will be delivered to Lt. Gen. Bruce Carlson, commander of the 8th Air Force, who will make the final decision. The 8th Air Force is based at Barksdale. Schmidt and Umbach face charges of involuntary manslaughter, aggravated assault and dereliction of duty. If convicted of all charges, they face a maximum of 64 years in military prison. Find this article at: http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/01/02/mistaken.bombing

jroo - try this quiz it's short but gives you a great idea of where you are politically. I agree that in the military, their own rules of who fucks up and when and why and where and what are all good. But their rules affected people outside of the military world when they went after Buzz.

*cough* Like Buzz?

Стоп

Does all that pass for English in your world? j/k

Faker! I've seen this joke before. .

:mad:

You'll be needing some milk with those twinkies. .

http://www.arcspace.net/bbs/showthread.php?threadid=2036 Asibinnac HI raver_mania !!!!!! I see you lurking up there I figured I'd say hi. I'm sure some more of us will follow suit vicman u better watch it with raver_mania, the guy is sketchy Livnsimple u may have scared him away vicman yeah, raver_mania is a REAL shady character Livnsimple LOL... yikes, me no like shady at all! shady = can't trust = watch out! vicman yeah..this guy who we shall call raver_mania is tops on my list. guy stole a role of toilet paper from my place, and that to me spells S-H-A-D-Y (i now expect raver_mania to kick my ass next time we hang out) Livnsimple quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Originally posted by vicman yeah..this guy who we shall call raver_mania is tops on my list. guy stole a role of toilet paper from my place, and that to me spells S-H-A-D-Y (i now expect raver_mania to kick my ass next time we hang out) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- hahahaha LMAO now that smells shady to me too lol, toilet paper fiend

Quoting myself. . . *pad* I must have been when I wrote that, I meant, "catch the commercial." The premiere is in March.

So did ya'll catch the premiere for the NEW reality show that they've got for us? The one where they take a bunch of singles and America gets to vote on who gets married or something. Then they actually have to get engaged! Complete strangers. WTF! Such crap! *edit* Ah here it is, "Married by America" http://www.fox.com/mba/

AUGUST: Loves to joke. Attractive. Suave and caring. Brave and fearless. Firm and has leadership qualities. Knows how to console others. Too generous and egoistic. Takes high pride of oneself. Thirsty for praises. Extraordinary spirit. Easily angered. Angry when provoked. Easily jealous. Observant. Careful and cautious. Thinks quickly. Independent thoughts. Loves to lead and to be led. Loves to dream. Talented in the arts, music and defense. Sensitive but not petty. Poor resistance against illnesses. Learns to relax. Hasty and trusty. Romantic. Loving and caring. Loves to make friends. Hmm I wouldn't call myself brave and fearless (maybe they're thinking of Leo, not Virgo ) but I definitely love to dream, that's basically what I do all day long. I was sick as a kid all the time, but I can't get even a cold nowadays even if I wanted to for a sick day.

3, so far.

What do you guys think of all this "preparedness" talk lately? Especially since we've found out that some of the info. that was responsible for raising the Terror Alert was false? Do you care? Are you doing any "preparing"? Do you stress it? I'm not really doing anything, but I think of it sometimes - like if I should grab some extra bottled water while I'm out or if I can withstand a nuclear blast hiding in my closet. I'm not really worried at this point even though I live five blocks from the Capitol. *sigh* Water & Food Clean Air First Aid Kit Supply Checklists Special Needs Items Creating a Family Plan Deciding to Stay or Go At Work and School In a Moving Vehicle In a High-Rise Building Biological Threat Chemical Threat Explosions Nuclear Blast Radiation Threat

My office is pretty quiet, Congress is in recess. *yawn* I'm currently putting together a fantasy trip to the Bahamas. . .

In Japan, they have replaced the impersonal and unhelpful Microsoft error messages with Haiku poetry messages: The Web site you seek Cannot be located, but Countless more exist. -------------------------------------------- Chaos reigns within. Reflect, repent, and reboot. Order shall return. -------------------------------------------- Program aborting Close all that you have worked on. You ask far too much. -------------------------------------------- Windows NT crashed. I am the Blue Screen of Death. No one hears your screams. -------------------------------------------- Yesterday it worked. Today it is not working. Windows is like that. -------------------------------------------- Your file was so big. It might be very useful. But now it is gone. -------------------------------------------- Stay the patient course. Of little worth is your ire. The network is down. -------------------------------------------- A crash reduces Your expensive computer To a simple stone. -------------------------------------------- Three things are certain Death, taxes and lost data. Guess which has occurred. -------------------------------------------- You step in the stream, But the water has moved on. This page is not here. -------------------------------------------- Out of memory. We wish to hold the whole sky, But we never will. -------------------------------------------- Having been erased, The document you're seeking Must now be retyped. -------------------------------------------- Serious error. All shortcuts have disappeared. Screen. Mind. Both are blank. -------------------------------------------- I ate your Web page. Forgive me; it was tasty And tart on my tongue