THE DEATH OF KING OF POP MICHAEL JACKSON

Dr. Conrad Murray, a Las Vegas cardiologist who became Jackson’s personal physician weeks before his death, is the target of a manslaughter investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department. Dateline NBC's Josh Mankiewicz confirmed that Murray is the target of a manslaughter probe.

A search warrant affidavit unsealed Monday in Houston includes a detailed account of what Murray told investigators.

According to the document, Murray said he’d been treating Jackson for insomnia for about six weeks with 50 milligrams of propofol every night via an intravenous drip. But he said he feared Jackson was forming an addiction to the anesthetic, which is normally used in hospitals only, and was attempting to wean his patient by lowering the dose to 25 milligrams and adding the sedatives lorazepam and midazolam.

Singer called propofol his ‘milk’
That combination succeeded in helping Jackson sleep two days prior to his death, so the next day, Murray told detectives he cut off the propofol — and Jackson fell asleep with just the two sedatives.

Then around 1:30 a.m. on June 25, starting with a 10-milligram tab of Valium, Murray said he tried a series of drugs instead of propofol to make Jackson sleep. The injections included two milligrams of lorazepam around 2 a.m., two milligrams of midazolam around 3 a.m., and repeats of each at 5 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. respectively.

But they didn’t work.

Murray told detectives that around 10:40 a.m. he gave in to Jackson’s “repeated demands/requests” for propofol, which the singer referred to as his “milk.” He administered 25 milligrams of the white-colored liquid, — a relatively small dose — and finally, Jackson fell asleep.

Murray remained with the sedated Jackson for about 10 minutes, then left for the bathroom. No more than two minutes later, he returned — and found Jackson had stopped breathing.

“There’s no surprise there” that death could result from such a combination, said Dr. David Zvara, anesthesia chairman at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

“All those drugs act in synergy with each other,” Zvara said. Adding propofol on top of all the other sedatives “tipped the balance.”

Singer had bed sores
Besides the propofol and two sedatives, the coroner’s toxicology report found other substances in Jackson’s system but they were not believed to have been a factor in the singer’s death, the official told the AP.

When he died, Jackson was skinny but not overly emaciated, and his body had bed sores, the official said. The singer is believed to have developed bed sores in the months following his 2005 acquittal of child molestation charges, when he went into seclusion and spent long stretches in bed.

Murray has spoken to police and last week released a video saying he “told the truth and I have faith the truth will prevail.” Murray did not say anything about the drugs he gave to Jackson. Murray’s attorney, Edward Chernoff, had no immediate comment but has previously said Murray never administered anything that “should have” killed Jackson.

A call to the coroner’s office was not returned Monday.

Jackson’s family released a statement Monday, saying it has “full confidence” in the legal process and the efforts of investigators. It concludes: “The family looks forward to the day that justice can be served.”

The 25 milligrams of propofol Murray told police he gave Jackson the day he died “is not a whopping amount,” said Lee Cantrell, director of the San Diego division of the California Poison Control System. But by combining propofol with a cocktail of the other sedatives, known as benzodiazepines, it “may have been the trigger that pushed him over the edge,” Cantrell said.

Steps to the Prevention of H1N1 (Swine Flu)

The high risk group will include, anyone with any other chronic condition on drug treatment : example, diabetics, patient with heart disease, patient with strokes, patients with renal failure, patient with chronic lung disease, patients with cancers especially those on chemotherapy, chronic rheumatoid arthritis, etc. The list is probably too long to list down. It would need a textbook. But it is safe to assume that if you have a condition with requires and regular drug therapy, you should consider your self at increase risk.
People in the high risk category, if they have any fever for 48 hrs or more should see a doctor, better their own GP, for assessment. This are the people who may need close monitoring, oseltamivir early or antibiotics early, or they may need to be refered for admission. No harm going early to see your GP. The price to pay for going late is too severe. So go early for consultation. Of course, if you have no fever, don't go simply. At this point in time medical clinics and healthcare facilities, are also sources to pick up A H1N1.

For the general public who are NOT in the high risk category, please observe the following. If you cannot remember all the steps, basically, just keep good personal hygiene. Ok, lets go
1. Know that A H1N1 spread by droplet spread. Close contact of any sort ( within arms length ) with anyone is a danger because, we do not know who is a carrier of the virus. So avoid crowded places, unless you really have to, no choice. This would include all forms of public transport, buses, trains, airplanes, lifts, crowded shops, pasar malams, clinics and hospitals, large scale gatherings and events.
2. Wearing a mask helps but does not guaranteer against picking up the virus. It may reduce the infecting dose and give you a milder infection, but it does not avoid it all together. People wearing mask can still get the infection. It helps a little. There is minimal difference between the various brands of mask, which cost various amounts of cash. It may be wiser to change any mask that is wet, or well used.
3. Change your clothes whenever you come in from public places.
4. Clean your hands and areas of your body in contact which public objects during your visit outside and also upon your return home.
5. Drink plenty of fluids.
6. If you have flu or flu-like symptoms, stay at home, drink plenty of fluids, and rest. If the fever does not improve in 48hours, see a doctor.
7. If your fever also causes you to cough severely, resulting in breathlessness, please see a doctors urgently.
8. All flu at this point in time, should be treated as if it is A H1N1. Swab or no swab, makes little difference. Getting you well is the most important.
9. Do not cough or sneeze in public places, if you can help it. If you cant, cover your mouth and nostrils with a piece of paper or tissue and throw the paper / tissue away, once you are done. Handkies are not so hygienic. Of course, do not spit.
10. Do not panic, if you have fever. 99.98% of patients recover. The fatality rate is 0.01% at the moment.
11. Take care of your body at all times. Do not abuse your body.
12. When in doubt seek medical advice.

Please keep good personal hygiene. Keep yourself healthy so that your body resistance is strong. God help us, and see us through this crisis.

MARIJUANA PREVENTS CANCER

Among the more interesting pieces of news that came out while I was on vacation the first half of August was a new study in the journal Cancer Prevention Research, which found that marijuana smokers have a lower risk of head and neck cancers than people who don’t smoke marijuana. Alas, this important research has been largely ignored by the news media.

While this type of study cannot conclusively prove cause and effect, the combination of this new study and existing research — which for decades has shown that cannabinoids are fairly potent anticancer drugs — raises a significant possibility that marijuana use is in fact protective against certain types of cancer.

A team of researchers from several major universities conducted what is known as a “case-control” study, comparing patients who had squamous cell carcinoma of the mouth, larynx, and pharynx with control patients matched for age, gender, and residence location who did not have cancer. By looking at matched groups with and without cancer, researchers hope to find patterns indicating risk or protective factors. In this case they focused on marijuana use, but also took into account known risk factors for this type of cancer, including tobacco and alcohol use.

After adjusting for those confounding factors, current marijuana users had a 48% reduced risk of head and neck cancer, and the reduction was statistically significant. Former users also had a lower risk, though it fell short of being significant. The investigators crunched the numbers several different ways — for example, by amount of marijuana used or the frequency of use — and the findings stayed the same nearly across the board, with moderate users showing the strongest and most consistent reduction in cancer risk.

The scientists write, “We found that moderate marijuana use was significantly associated with reduced risk HNSCC [head and neck squamous cell carcinoma]. The association was consistent across different measures of marijuana use (marijuana use status, duration, and frequency of use).”

Strikingly, among drinkers and cigarette smokers, those who also used marijuana reduced their cancer risk compared to those who only drank and smoked cigarettes. So marijuana may actually have been countering the known bad effects of booze and cigarettes.

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TEENAGE PREGNANCY PREVENTION

TEENAGE PREGNANCY CARRIES HIGH COSTS in terms of both the social and economic health of mothers and their children. Teenage mothers are less likely to receive prenatal care, and their children are more likely to be born before term, to have low birth weights, and to have developmental delays. Teenage mothers are also less likely to complete their education than moms over twenty years of age.

Teenage pregnancy and birth rates both dropped in the 1990s among all racial and ethnic groups. Increased use of contraceptives and increased abstinence among teens could explain the decrease (Moss*). However, the U.S. still has the highest rate of teenage pregnancy among western industrialized nations, 42.9 births per 1,000 females aged 15-19. In 2002, there were 431,988 births to females under twenty (Child Trends*). Four out of ten girls become pregnant by the age of twenty. Eighty percent of these teenage pregnancies are unintended, and 79 percent of pregnant teens are unmarried. The birth rate remains high in low-income, minority neighborhoods, where the birth rate still remains at 153 and 138 births per 1,000 for black and Hispanic teenage girls respectively (Annie E. Casey Foundation [AECF]*). Sixty percent of all teenage mothers are in poverty at the time of birth (Moss*).

Teenage pregnancy is linked to several risk factors. Being poor, living in a single-parent household, child abuse, and risky behaviors such as drug abuse and early or unprotected sex are all predictors of whether a teenager will become pregnant (Kirby 1997*; Dillard*). The three general strategies to reduce teenage pregnancy all try to increase the factors that protect teens against these risky behaviors. The first is an abstinence-only approach, which has not been shown to be effective (Kirby 2001*; Manlove et al.*). The second is comprehensive health education or sexuality education that includes information on contraception; this may delay sexual initiation and increase contraceptive use (Kirby 2001*). Finally, youth development programs that include sex education along with other activities (such as volunteering, mentoring, and job training) (Manlove et al.*) are associated with delayed first sex and lower teenage pregnancy rates (Kirby 2001*). Overall, there are no simple approaches; a strategy to reduce teenage pregnancy must include sexuality education, strategies for teen pregnancy prevention, and changing teenage behavior in relationships (Kirby 1997*). Programs that seek to affect the teenage pregnancy rate should focus on increasing teens’ assets, such as knowledge about sex and sexuality and communication skills, that allow them to approach sexuality responsibly.

Teenage Pregnancy Prevention Program Planning

	First, survey community resources (number and location of walk-in health clinics, access to contraceptives, after school youth programs, etc.) (AECF*). Determine the history of teenage pregnancy prevention services in the community and who has been involved in the issue. Document gaps in resources and identify potential partners (Brindis and Davis*).
	Carefully define specific short- and long-term program goals. Some common short-term goals include improving adult-youth communication, improving knowledge of where to get birth control, and increasing use of birth control and reproductive health services (Advocates For Youth*). Long-term goals include delaying sexual initiation, decreasing the frequency of sex, lowering the number of sexual partners, and reducing teenage pregnancy and rates of sexually transmitted diseases (Brindis and Davis*; Grossman et al.*). Avoid narrow goals such as changing attitudes or values alone; these strategies are not effective in reducing teenage pregnancy (U.S. General Accounting Office *).
	Involve all stakeholders in designing the program. Often this is a difficult process, especially if community norms preclude teen sexual activity (Grossman et al.*). Although schools and churches are the most difficult actors to include, it is crucial to get a range of ideas that include all cultures in a community (Walker and Kotloff*; Walker, Watson and Jucovy *; AECF*; Grossman et al.*). Recognize that while there will rarely be a consensus, it is possible to agree on a common good, such as lower pregnancy rates (Brindis and Davis*).
	Plan a role for parents. While some programs are specifically aimed at improving parent-child communication, research shows that even improving parent-child “connectedness” is effective in reducing teenage risky sexual behavior (Kirby 2001*).
	Plan from the outset to involve men and boys. Both are often overlooked in teenage pregnancy prevention programs (Sonenstein et al.*).
	Design outreach efforts to recruit teens via radio spots and flyers placed in malls and other places where teens gather. Make sure to find boys through sports teams, the YMCA, etc. (Sonenstein et al.*).

Health/Sexuality Education Programs

	Teen education programs should last for more than two or three sessions (Advocates For Youth*). Effective programs often run for more than 14 hours total, or use small group settings for instruction and discussion. Provide basic, accurate information, and don’t talk down to teenagers (Kirby 1997*).
	Involve parents and work on improving parent-child communication (Manlove et al.*). Talking about sex doesn’t encourage kids to have sex; in fact, teens often rely on their parents to address the issue (AECF*; Grossman et al.*).
	Use specific strategies for teenage boys. For example:
	Train men to teach teenage boys, and choose trainers who will be role models—e.g., athletic team coaches (Sonenstein et al.*). Avoid locating classes based at clinics or other sources of health care because boys rarely visit doctors. Don’t reinforce negative views of males, such as men using girls for sex or failing to pay child support. Focus on preventing STDs rather than pregnancy, because STDs are perceived as a more immediate and tangible threat. Redefine ideas of manhood to include responsibility for sexual behavior (Advocates For Youth*).
	Tailored strategies are needed for teenagers in different age groups. Written materials and behavioral strategies should be geared to specific levels of literacy, physical and emotional development (Brindis and Davis*). All teens should learn behavioral skills such as decision-making, refusing to have sex, and how to bring up contraception in a relationship (Brindis and Davis 1998*; Manlove et al.*).
	For children in elementary and middle school, programs should stress unambiguously that they are too young for sexual activity and that abstinence is the norm (Brindis and Davis*).
	For adolescents in high school, peers are the most important influence of whether to have sex; if they perceive that other teens their age are sexually active, they are more likely to be as well (Dillard*). Although peer education programs are a popular way to address other adolescent issues, peer sexual education programs have not been rigorously evaluated (Brindis and Davis*; Manlove et al.*). Programs should instead address peer influence through teaching behavioral skills and changing perceptions (Manlove et al.*). Virginity pledges are a popular strategy to utilize peer influence to responsible ends; indeed, students taking pledges delayed their first sexual experience by about eighteen months. However, when they finally did have sex they were one third less likely to use contraceptives (Alford*).
	Programs for teen mothers should differ from those for teens without children (Brindis and Davis*; Manlove et al.*; Kirby 2001*).
	Clinics can be a valuable partner in educating teens. Clinics that use one-on-one counseling, provide accurate information about abstinence and contraception, and provide contraception, have been shown to increase contraceptive use without increasing sexual activity (Kirby 2001*). Be sure the clinic can provide or refer to mental health and other health services (Advocates For Youth*). Clinics should provide one-on-one counseling to teens as well (Kirby*).

Maintaining Progress

	Follow up on teenagers who visit clinics for health and contraception services. Continue outreach; a sustained effort is necessary to maintain results, because every year brings a new cohort of adolescents (Kirby 2001*).
	Develop performance measures based on your goals and previously mapped community resources. For example, are community clinics open longer hours? Are teens delaying when they first have sex, and using contraception when they do? (AECF*).

lamb of god

September 3rd, 2009 by demonconfession

The Biblical significance of the title is rendered in the context of earlier lamb symbolism. The blood of the paschal lamb of the Old Testament protects and saves the Israelites in Exodus 12. This link is made explicit in 1 Corinthians 5:7. For Paul, Christians are saved by Christ as their true paschal lamb.

The Old Testament also testifies to the earlier practice of sin offerings as a possible means of atonement. Lambs could be used in these offerings (e.g. Leviticus 4:32–34 and 5:6), and this link is strongly suggested by Gospel of John 1:29 and 1 Peter 1:19. Just as in Judaism sins could be forgiven through the offering and the pouring out of the blood of an “unblemished” lamb (cf. Lev 4:32), so Christians believe they can be freed from sin by the blood of Jesus, the unblemished Lamb of God. See Sin for further discussion about the concept of sin and the means of atonement in Judaism. Those who reject the lamb of God atonement theology say that blood cannot forgive sin and that Jesus taught us to remove our sins by repentance, love and forgiving others.

Lastly, Christians believe that the suffering servant of Isaiah 53 refers to Jesus, although many identify the servant as Israel personified arguing that the identity of the servant has already been established by Isaiah in previously stated passages (Isaiah 41 :8–9; 44:1–2, 21; 45:4; 48:20; 49:3). According to a Christian translation of Isaiah 53, the suffering servant remains silent “like a lamb led to the slaughter” (53:7) and “gives his life as an offering for sin” (53:10). Christians add that this link is explicit in Acts 8:32 and strengthens the idea of Jesus as a sin offering. Those who reject the Lamb of God Theology say that Isaiah 53 cannot be applied to the suffering servant for the servant in Is. 53 has children and Jesus was celibate.

Geza Vermes posited that the title Lamb of God does not necessarily refer to the metaphor of a sacrificial animal. He points out that in Galilean Aramaic the word talya, literally “lamb”, had the common meaning of “male child”. This is akin to “kid” meaning “child” in modern colloquial English. The female equivalent of Talya was Talitha, literally “ewe lamb” and figuratively “girl” (the word is found in the Narrative of the Daughter of Jairus). Thus, “Lamb of God” could have been a slang means of saying “Son of God” or “God’s Kid”. Those who reject this Lamb of God theology believe that since Jesus said the goats (kids) will go into the fire, it is blasphemous to call Jesus the “goat of God or Kid of God.”