A review conducted by researchers by the University of California, San Diego, has found a strong connection between exposure to specific chemicals and the Gulf War illness experienced by veterans. The symptoms are mood-cognition problems, fatigue and musculoskeletal symptoms. To be precise, this includes muscle and joint pain, memory problems, rashes, sleep issues and breathing trouble. Veterans of the Persian Gulf War have elevated rates of chronic multi-symptom health problems compared to those who were never deployed in the military or those who were deployed in other areas.

Up to one third of veterans were exposed to pesticides, nerve agents and other chemical exposures. “Convergent evidence now strongly links a class of chemicals — acetylcholinesterase inhibitors — to illness in Gulf War veterans,” Dr. Beatrice Golomb of the University of California, San Diego, said.

To protect against exposure to nerve agents, veterans were given pills known as carbamate pyridostigmine bromide which contained acetylcholinesterase inhibitors which is an enzyme that regulates the vital neurotransmitter, acetylcholine. Unfortunately, this backfired and the studies show that those who took the pill have worsened symptoms than those who did not.

“Across studies, significant positive relationships of acetylcholinesterase -related exposures to illness in GWV outnumber significant negative relationships more than chance would predict,” wrote Golomb. “The studies show a high consistency, with most showing a significant (typically strong) positive association. Few non-significant findings are present and virtually no inverse associations.”

Furthermore, it has been regrettable to note that some people have genetic variants that make them more vulnerable to such chemicals, and when exposed, these people are in more jeopardy of illness. “There is evidence that genetics have something to do with how a body handles exposure to these chemicals,” said Golomb. “Some people are genetically less able to withstand these toxins and evidence shows that these individuals have higher chance of suffering the effects of exposure.”

It has been found in American medical research studies that the most prescribed drug in the country, antidepressants, aren’t that entirely effective. According to researchers, they work as well as sugar pills and those who do improve are thought to only get better because of the placebo effect. “When you have samples of lower levels of depression, the benefits were very modest and even disappeared,” said Blair T. Johnsons, Professor of Psychology at the University of Connecticut. “My theory is that human beings are very suggestible creatures. The patient who takes these drugs then might, in believing they feel better, start to act in a way that actually makes them feel better. Consequently you have almost as big an effect for placebo as you do for drugs.”

This has created a debate on what are the most appropriate and successful therapies for depression and has questioned whether or not clinical trials are actually successful in determining their effectiveness. Drugs are given almost freely in America compared to other western countries where a series of tests and other treatments are approached to help combat depression before the pills are recommended. Over 30 million prescriptions of antidepressants are filled out each year around the world yet it’s not recommended as the first resort to combat depression. Psychotherapy is one of the most effective ways to fight depression however accessing therapists and finding the time for sessions is difficult in this modern world.

Britain has done its share of research and has concluded the same result as The University of Connecticut in America – antidepressants are as successful as placebos and make only a small difference in serious depression. “Given these results, there seems little reason to prescribe anti-depressant medication to any but the most severely depressed patients, unless alternative treatments have failed to provide a benefit,” said lead researcher Professor Irving Kirsch of the University of Hull in Britain.

As the USA watches the competition between Barack Obama, an Illinois senator, and Hillary Clinton, a New York senator, in their campaign to win the Democratic Party, one thing that remains certain is that history is taking place. Either way, America is clearly beginning to be open to dramatic changes and new outlooks with it’s acceptance of the possibility of a black man or a woman leading their country.

Despite appearing seemingly polite and reasonable with each other, the undermining comments that are slyly directed at each other have evidently shown that the race is on. The recent picture of Obama wearing traditional Somali clothing, which unfortunately and ignorantly reinforces the negative stereotype that Americans perceive with terrorism, has been blamed on the Clinton campaign. Obama’s spokesman issued a statement, ““On the very day that Senator Clinton is giving a speech about restoring respect for America in the world, her campaign has engaged in the most shameful, offensive fear-mongering we’ve seen from either party in this election.”

The response on Clinton’s behalf regarding the accusation of circulating the photo was a straight-forward and blunt statement. “Enough. If Barack Obama’s campaign wants to suggest that a photo of him wearing traditional Somali clothing is divisive, they should be ashamed. Hillary Clinton has worn the traditional clothing of countries she has visited and had those photos published widely.”

The Clinton statement raises questions to Barack Obama’s defensive reaction. Why be ashamed and over protective by merely wearing traditional clothing of the country you’re visiting? Yet on the other hand, Clinton has been increasingly making indirect sneaky comments that are clearly meant for Obama and it could be forgiven about the assumption that her campaign was behind all this. “We have seen the tragic result of having a president who had neither the experience or the wisdom to manage our foreign policy and safeguard our nation. America has already taken that chance one time too many,” Clinton recently said in a speech in Washington.

Another comment she has made directly and aggressively was, “Shame on you, Barack Obama. It is time you ran a campaign consistent with your messages in public. That is what I expect from you. Meet me in Ohio and let us have a debate about your tactics and your behavior in this campaign.” His response was to say, “I am puzzled by the sudden change in tone, unless these were just brought to her attention. It makes me think that there is something tactical about her getting so exercised. The notion that somehow we are engaging in nefarious tactics, I think, is pretty hard to swallow”.

By March 4th 2008, the decisive vote in Ohio and Texas will mostly likely give insight into who’s likely to win the campaign. Clinton will need big victories since losing 11 straight contests to Obama. Her fear and insecurities are prominent as her derogatory comments continue to flow including saying that Obama “wavers from seeming to believe that mediation and meetings without preconditions can solve some of the world’s most intractable problems to advocating rash unilateral military action without cooperation among allies in the most sensitive region of the world.”

When Obama suggested meeting with intimidating leaders to the USA, she criticized his suggestion, “We simply cannot legitimize rogue regimes or weaken American prestige by impulsively agreeing to presidential level talks that have no preconditions. It may sound good … but it doesn’t meet the real world test of foreign policy.”

Although both campaigns appear to be using their money wisely, making good strategic calls and try hard to operate at their best to appeal to the public, it seems the initial assumption that the inexperienced Obama would not do as well as Clinton has been underestimated. His only weakness is not being as experienced as Clinton and the only reason why either would lose is the simple fact that neither are better than the other – they are just as good as each other.

Bigger Muscles, Smaller Brains Part 2
Social Behavior in the Gym
Lessons on social etiquette in the gym. Wipe up your sweat you hog.
Read Part 1 of Bigger Muscles, Smaller Brains: Attitude & Fashion in the Gym So you’ve read part one, and are fully equipped, attired, and have a good idea of how to carry yourself in public. You know how to not look like an asshole, now it’s time to learn how to not act like an asshole. The name of the game is common sense. Yes, this most underrated type of intelligence dominates life in the gym as with any other place. A little common sense and a little common courtesy will go a long way. Social behavior consists of any act that you do which could potentially affect another lifter. These are crimes of both commission and omission. The most basic and common of these crimes is not wiping down the machines or seats after using them. Here’s a quick biology lesson for you… when you exercise, you sweat. There’s no reason that after your 30 minute marathon on the stationary bike, somebody should be forced to sit in a pool of your warm salty liquids. The same goes for benches, and machines that you spend any prolonged period of time on. Cleaning towels & spray bottles are put out for a reason. Use them! As a general rule of thumb, if you get up and a sweat laden imprint of your ass is left on the seat, get a towel and wipe it off.

If we sit in your sweat, you’ll be laying in your own blood.
Almost everyone who visits the gym will at some point pick up a dumbbell. Any guru will tell you that free weights are an essential part of any workout. The problem is not that people use the dumbbells, it’s that they leave them scattered about the mats like landmines. If you are strong enough to pick up the weights, do 3 or 4 sets with them, then you are strong enough to put them back. If you are pyramiding or doing drop sets don’t horde the dumbbells like bars of gold, use them for a set, replace them on the rack and choose your next weights. I don’t care if you’re a slob at home where your mother still makes your bed and cleans your room; I shouldn’t have to go on a crusade to find the weights I need or dance around an obstacle course of scattered and abandoned dumbbells. These are obvious and easily correctable offenses, but a more difficult tendency to fix is that of being an advice giver. Unless your official title is Mr. Universe, you are not in any position to give unwanted fitness advice. Here’s a little news for you Dear Abby, we don’t care how you think we should be bending our knees more or using a different grip. If on the other hand somebody is being social and asks for a few pointers, or begins a friendly discussion about different exercises, techniques, etc. then feel free to drop in your two cents; otherwise shut the fuck up and let us do our routines. Nobody likes a know-it-all, and there is nothing worse than someone getting in your face in the middle of a set trying to correct your form. As a final aside on the topic, fat people are not allowed to ever give any advice. If you knew as much as you thought you did, you wouldn’t be fat, so there is an obvious differential in knowledge. So recapping for all chunky monkies, you are not allowed to wear spandex, or to give advice or parade your ass everywhere.

Even Ann Landers doesn’t have the balls to give advice in the gym
Perhaps most important of all is that you do not use the gym as your social club. There isn’t anything wrong with being friendly or conversant, and most experts agree that lifting with a partner is a great way to keep motivated and keep safe. But remember, you are there to exert your muscles, not your mouth. If you want to work your mouth, start selling twenty-dollar blowjobs. Having a spotter or a companion for motivation and help is a good thing. I prefer to lift alone, but if you want to work out with someone, be my guest. But why do you need to bring an entire group?! I shouldn’t have to wait 45 minutes to get on the cables, a bench, or the lat-bar because there are 4 or 5 of you having a circle jerk in the middle of the gym. With that many people you’re looking at 12 - 15 sets, as opposed to my 3 or 4. Try doing a circuit routine and break your little group up, you’re only taking up space & time. Quit gossiping and get out of the fucking way.

It took them 3 & ½ days to finish their sets on the lat bar. When it was over, they all rejoiced.
Above all be respectful of the people around you and realize that there are other people trying to better themselves just like you. Think about how you’d like to sit in a pool of fat-chick sweat. (We’re assuming you don’t get off on that sort of thing. If you are sniffing the bicycle seat after a 40 year old chubby mother of 3 gets up after her 45 minute peddling spree, you problems I can’t help you with.) Ok, you now know how to act and are the model gym denizen. Unfortunately you’re still fat, people are staring at your for some odd reason, and you aren’t seeing the results you had hoped for. Odds are you just don’t know how to lift properly. In the third and final part of this series, I’ll explain a few common mistakes that you might be committing during your actual workout.

Bigger Muscles, Smaller Brains Part 1
Fat chicks even with big tits are not allowed to wear spandex! And other simple rules to follow in the gym
Everybody wants the perfect body; big muscles, rock hard abs, all with that lean and cut look. Nobody actually asks to walk around with greasy fat-rolls that hang over their elastic waistbands. What results is the eternal attempt to craft the ideal physique, leading people flock to the gym. You can see them scrambling for a line of treadmills, the rack of dumbbells, or the veritable jungle of exercise machinery; none of which they have a clue how to use, or of the tacit rules of etiquette and simple common sense that rule this subculture. In this, the first of a three part series, I will explain one facet of this subculture; the set of guidelines which deal with your conduct on an individual level. Keep in mind that these all apply to both men & women, we don’t discriminate on stupidity. Ingrain these simple concepts into your mind, they should become your gym bible. So fuck the 10 commandments, if you are working out in a public location, these are the rules you need to follow…

If you wear one of these in the gym, don’t lift the barbell, just sit on it.
Before you can begin to interact with others in the gym, you must first take care of yourself. The first thing to take into consideration is your fashion. There really are very few things you can’t wear to the gym. For a guy, the rules are extremely simple, there are only two things which cannot be worn under any circumstances… ribbed guinea tee’s and spandex pants or shorts. I have nothing against the guinea tee if you’re a 45 year old Italian who’s job description is ‘problem solver,’ but they don’t belong in public gyms, especially when you add a thick gold chain to your ensemble. And the spandex rule goes without saying. There is no time in a man’s life when he should ever feel comfortable wearing spandex clothing unless he is a professional athlete. Even then we are getting into a gray area of homosexuality with all that patting on the ass. As for you women, the rules are equally simple…. If you are fat, don’t dress like you are thin. No spandex, no tank tops, no overly tight or small shorts. Be honest with yourself, those outfits only look hot if you have the body to carry them.

She is allowed to wear spandex. Or nothing. We’d prefer nothing.
Now that you are dressed for success, let’s make do a little equipment check. There is nothing wrong with bringing a few necessities. A bottle of water, or a pair of gloves, maybe even the random weight belt if you’re doing squats… But there is not need to carry around a suitcase full of luggage as you lift. There is nothing more sad than the guy who carries around a caravan of supplies from station to station… they tote around their gloves, rags, weight belt, straps, water bottle, power bar, sweatshirt, walkman, bandana, and stopwatch. You should not need a fucking pack mule to get around the gym. If it can’t fit in your pockets or in one hand, leave it in the locker room.

You shouldn’t have to hire sherpas to carry your gear.
You have everything that you need to get in shape, but like anyplace else, a good body is nothing without the proper attitude and personality. I don’t care how cut or big you are, stop looking at yourself in the mirror. This isn’t the Mr. Universe competition, so stop posing. The mirrors are there so you can track your form, not to examine nose hairs, pimples, or the six pack that you DO NOT HAVE! When you finally drag your ass away from your own image and finally decide to get down to business, don’t show off. I don’t care how strong you think you are, you don’t want to be the “Angry Lifter.” Throwing the weights around, grunting loudly every time you move, or walking around with a look that says I am going to shoot 14 people in my high school is not going to make you stronger! Stop yelling, stop acting like you’re a convict and be a normal person. You’re not making yourself stronger or tougher; you are not intimidating. Nothing looks more ridiculous than a 90 lb guy trying to squeeze out that lest rep on the bench, grunting like an ape at the top of his lungs. When not engaged in the actual act of lifting, do not pretend you are tough or huge. Waddling like a penguin will not make people think you are jacked. Even more importantly, protruding your arms is not indicative of muscular development. Your elbows should never form 90-degree angles. If you look like you’re carrying grapefruits under your arms, you deserve to be smacked by anybody who actual exhibits muscle growth.

If you walk with your arms out like this, you had better be carrying two buckets of water.
In part 2 we will examine social skills and interactive behavior in the gym.

WASHINGTON, February 1 – Senator John Kerry’s attempt to block the confirmation of Justice Alito were unsuccessful. Without any problems Alito became the new Justice on the Supreme Court, replacing Sandra Day O’Connor. The 58-42 vote in favor leaves nothing to chance.

The question now is how his confirmation will change the legal landscape. This year at least a half dozen cases will appear before the court which will very well prove whether Alito follows O’Connor’s line or sets out his own. In the prior composition Justice O’Connor and Justice Kennedy were always the swing votes on many hot issues. Now with O’Connor out of the way and a conservative Justice instead it is most likely that Kennedy is the only remaining swing vote. High on the list of important issues are always the abortion rights and more recently the treatment of terror suspects.

Although it is not likely that the core ruling of Roe vs. Wade will be altered it is possible that many other abortion rulings will swing the other way in light of the new Justice. On Roe vs. Wade the Supreme Court was divided in six against three. Former Chief Justice Rehnquist was on the minority side so his replacement with John Roberts will make no difference. O’Connor was on the majority side so a switch of votes by Alito will still leave a 5-4 score.

The first cases Alito will be working on are those of the treatment of terror suspects. More specific the rules that terror suspects have no right to challenge their detention before court. Because Roberts was already involved in this case in appeal he will not participate in this case which could mean that it ends up in a 4-4 tie.

Only time will tell what will change, let’s hope they decide for the good of the country.