Posts Roundup at Dennys Blogs - 30 May 2010

*** Check out what's happening at all 14 of Denny's blogs: news, politics, political cartoons, poetry, great recipes, science and health news, photography, humor and spiritual thoughts from great quotes.



Cup of coffee from Brazil by il Quoquo @ flickr




The Social Poets:

Obama Cowers to BP: Rejects Super Tankers for Gulf Clean Up

Whats Happening in America This Week: BP Oil Spill Cartoons - 29 May 2010

Peace Upon The Land poem – Libations Friday 28 May 2010

Check It Out: Rolling Stones Mag Names 5 Best Songs Ever

BP Oil Spill: White House Updated News - 24 May 2010

Transcript of White House Press Briefing on 24 May 2010

Roundup of Late Night Funnies and Funny Videos - 24 May 2010

Funny Video: Outgoing British Leaders Walk of Shame After Election

Funny Video: Colbert Mocks Glenn Beck for Comparing Himself to God and MLK


Funny Video: Jon Stewart Sees BP Fixing Oil Spill with Stupid Anagrams

Posts Roundup at Dennys Blogs - 23 May 2010




Dennys Global Politics:


American and World Politics Cartoons - 29 May 2010


Child Porn Social Site Busted - News Headlines 27 May 2010

Use NASA 4 Oil Spill Help, Corrupt MMS, Lightning Rod Rahm Emanuel - News Headlines 26 May 2010




Beautiful Illustrated Quotations:


What Is Your Quality of Listening to Truly Benefit From the Hearing?





Photo by Helen Maria Bjornsd/Nordic Photos/Getty Images


The Soul Calendar:


Passionate Volcano Chasers: Photographing Eruptions Around the World

Why Black Holes Burst With Light When Galaxies Merge




The Healing Waters:





*** Photo by asobitsuchiya @ flickr



Heart Health: Beware of Sugar Pirates in Your Diet

Coming Soon: Get an Orgasm Boost with Female Viagra




Humor blogs:


Tea Party and Rand Paul Cartoons - 29 May 2010

Funny Facebook Cartoons - 29 May 2010




Romancing The Chocolate:






Cream Cheese n Sour Cherry Filling 4 Chocolate Cupcakes

Chocolate Cream Cake with Chocolate Frosting

Battle Belly Fat: Fudgy Dark Chocolate Brownies, Chocolate French Toast

Simple Summer: 2 Super Easy Spaghetti Sauces



Comfort Food From Louisiana:


Seafood Recipes: Crawfish Casserole, Crawfish Corn Bread, Crawfish Tortellini

Easy Recipes: 4 Versions of Crawfish Pie



Unusual 2 Tasty:

Battle Belly Fat: Pan-Seared Shrimp Tacos, Crunchy Crust "Mac n Cheese,” Oven Fries

Spicy Shrimp Fra Diavolo Sauce Used 3 Ways: Seafood, Chicken, Polenta

Elegant Cheap Dishes From Manhattan Chef: Chicken With 40 Garlic Cloves, Salad and Dessert

2 Crowd Pleasing Easy Casseroles: Mexican Lasagna, Turkey Tetrazzini




Visual Insights:


Memorial Day Madness Cartoons - 29 May 2010





Poems From A Spiritual Heart: This is a poetry only blog so the poems don't get lost in the noise of all my other posts on The Social Poets. So, if you are in the mood just for a quick read of some simple poetry I'm parking it here after it debuts on the Libations Friday segments.


Peace Upon The Land

The Mystics Arrive

We Are All Sleeping Beauties

Legacy of Love

Honoring Ourselves

Pollen Storms

Snowing The Perfect Balance

The 11 Choices

The Smallest Earth Day Poem

Three Endings and One Beginning

One Mother and One Child

Release Your Dreams and Spring into Life



*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

Heart Health: Beware of Sugar Pirates in Your Diet

*** How you can be at risk for heart disease by the amount of sugar you eat and where it's hidden in your food.





From Denny: Here's a scary statistic. Did you know that the average American consumes about 156 pounds of sugar every year? (U.S. Department of Agriculture statistic). So much is hidden in every day food it's astounding.

A new study in the Journal of American Medicine Association now links additional sugars in our diet to higher risk of heart attack, stroke and diabetes.

How did they figure out this disturbing connection between serious disease and too much sugar in our diets? This was the first major study to take a look at sugar and our blood fats. What scientists found out is that added sugars, like those used to can fruit for better taste and preservation had an adverse effect on blood fats. Bad effect on blood fats is a bad effect on the heart.

We all know that sugars exist naturally in fruits and vegetables. What's bad is food manufacturers add more sugar and sometimes consumers also add more sugar at the table.

How much sugar is the average American adult getting in their diet every day? About 104 grams, way over the top of remotely healthy. Recommended levels for men is 37.5 and for women the level is at 25 grams per day.

Teens are taking in at an alarming level at about 161 grams of sugar per day. That's six times the recommended healthy level for them.

Foods with naturally occurring sugars:

* Grapes: 1 cup has 15 grams of sugar.

* Raisins: 1/4 cup has 29 grams of sugar.

* Grape juice: One cup has 41 grams of sugar.

* Whole milk: One cup has about 12 grams of sugar. (Milk sugar isn't very sweet.)

* Plain full fat yogurt: Six ounces has 12 grams of sugar.

*Fruit-flavored or vanilla-flavored yogurt: About 25 grams.


*** Stop and think when you are eating dried fruit as the sugars are more concentrated. Because of the lack of water in the dried fruit you may be tempted to eat more to feel full but doing so greatly increases your sugar consumption.

Look around your food pantry and on your grocery shelves for sugar pirates. These guys are stealing your health cleverly hidden from view. That favorite latte you love has about 17 grams of sugar. If you get a Frappucino from Starbucks and the sugar level rises dramatically by three times to a whopping 51 grams of sugar.

And those beloved fruit smoothies? Yep, bad news on that front too. Those bottled smoothies like Odwalla Original Superfood have an incredible 50 grams of sugar. Read that as you just drank the equivalent of five donuts. And they call this healthy?

Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse for hidden sugars in your every day food check out another source: sandwiches. A submarine chicken six-inch sandwich contains 17 grams of sugar. That's the light version when you compare it to the prepackaged food on your grocery shelves. A family favorite to pack for school lunches, Lunchables, packs more than a school lunch for your kids. It also sneaks into their diets an additional 36 grams of sugar.

Here's another typical school lunch of Welsh's grape juice and six ounces of yogurt that delivers 101 grams of sugar. No wonder school kids are suffering from obesity in this country. The food industry is deceptive and destructive to our children.

To offset this many people try to substitute artificial sweeteners for sugar. The problem there is that all that does is set you up to crave more sugar. What a vicious cycle.

Here's the low down on artificial sweeteners and remember that powerful sweeteners are very hard on the pancreas because of their potency level:

* Splenda is about 600 times as sweet as refined sugar

* Sweet'N Low is about 300 times as sweet as refined sugar

* Equal is about 200 times as sweet as refined sugar

Agave is a new sweetener which is both natural and very low on the glycemic index. Beware that it is also all fructose and does have some calories. This kind of sugar gets packed on as fat in the liver.

So, what are our sugar choices? Let's see, too much regular sugar is bad for our hearts. Too much artificial sweeteners damages the pancreas. Too much natural sugar like from the Agave plant parks fat in our livers. Sweet, huh?

Try not to despair. The folks over at the Mayo Clinic have a plan to help you make wise choices armed with information:

How to reduce added sugar in your diet, Recognizing added sugar, Different names for added sugar (Mayo Clinic)






*** Photo by asobitsuchiya @ flickr

*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

Check It Out: Rolling Stones Mag Names 5 Best Songs Ever

*** Rolling Stone Magazines choice for the 5 Best Songs of All Time with music videos.

From Denny: I just spent a couple of hours running down some great music video of the Rolling Stones Magazine's choices for the 5 Best Songs Of All Time. They are putting out a special collector's issue tomorrow that has the best 500 songs of all time. Most of it is grounded in the 60's and 70's but some also in the 2000s decade.

I parked this special post over at Dennys Art Sanctuary where some history of the making of the songs is discussed:

***Rolling Stone Magazine Names 5 Greatest Songs of All Time


Take a look and feel free to put up your choices of the all time best songs in the comment section! :)

Photo by Jsome1 @ flickr

*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big
shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

Funny Posts to Get U Thru Your Work Week - 26 May 2010

Chew on some funnies today...


From Denny: Hey! It's Wednesday and you still need to finish out the work week with a laughing attitude that will dismay your boss, wilt your spouse with relief and annoy your teenage children. Take a look at this short list of posts on several of my blogs this week for your laugh of choice!


BP Oil Spill Funny Quotes and Jokes: Cheeky Quote Day - 26 May 2010

Roundup of Late Night Funnies and Funny Videos - 24 May 2010

Scary Video: Dumb Kid Alert

Hunh? Funny Political Cartoons 15 May 2010

Funny Story: New Funny World Myth


*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

Coming Soon: Get an Orgasm Boost with Female Viagra

*** New drug works on female brain chemistry to jump start the libido.





From Denny: Wait for it... wait for it... Ah... OK, really. :) Seriously, though, next month the FDA is "releasing" (couldn't resist that terrible pun either) a female version of Viagra to boost women's sex drives. Ain't Life grand, girls?

The drug is called Flibanserin and is made by a German pharmaceutical company by the name of Boehringer Ingelheim. The women in Germany are not known for being shy about asking for what they want sexually. So, I guess they demanded their drug company to get busy and satisfy them.

While Flibanserin is getting heralded as the female Viagra the reality is the two drugs are different. Flibanserin works on the female brain chemistry which increases the desire for sex. Now Viagra is quite the different drug animal as its job is to increase the blood flow to the genitals to help increase a man's ability to get the erecter set in motion. (I loved Legos building blocks as a kid, didn't you?)

What's so funny about Flibanserin is that originally it was created to treat depression. Get this, they found out the side effect of this particular drug was that it increased a women's libido. Talk about rocket out of your depression in record time! The German drug company figured out they had a winner on their hands and decided to market it for sudden unexplained loss of sexual desire in women. It also helps they figured out the American market could be worth $2 billion to them too.

What accounts for that sudden loss of libido in young women for no reason? Generally, it's the result of hormonal changes. Examples would be from the onset of menopause, breast-feeding, stress, anxiety and the result of medications used for high blood pressure or depression.

With the way American women are so overworked from official work at the office, running a household and taking care of children, it's no wonder they need a wonder drug. Get an early date with your doctor as the supply may run out if you aren't first in line. Seriously, what will the drug companies think of next?

If we really wanted to boost a woman's libido, then take the pressure off her. Pay her what she is worth at work at the same level as men. Give her time to get enough sleep so she is rested for once in her life. Sleep does wonders for the libido and desire for sex. Sleep deprivation forces us to prioritize so we will choose restoring sleep first and foremost. With enough rest the body corrects everything that is out of balance. Get enough sleep, avoid paying for a wonder drug - your wallet is happier, go direct to happy sex life.






*** For more details: 'Pink Viagra?' Drug Promises to Boost Female Sex Drive (ABC) Some Call Flibanserin, New Drug, 'Female Viagra'


*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

Posts Roundup at Dennys Blogs - 23 May 2010

Cup of coffee from Brazil by il Quoquo @ flickr


From Denny: Thanks for visiting all my blogs! It's amazing how much the web has changed in only 18 months. Now people can read blogs without ever physically visiting - just read the posts in a reader.

At the top of the list here for each blog are the most recent posts. I've included many of the most popular posts you've enjoyed the past few weeks too.

I've just started up yet another interest blog for posts and news on music and art. Thank you for the great response! I had no idea people would respond so well to those couple of posts so quickly.

And special thanks to the folks who posted the Jazz Music poem up on social sites this week. Apparently, there are a number of music fans out there! :) Thanks for visiting The Social Poets!




The Social Poets:


America This Week: World Politics Cartoons and Commentary - 22 May 2010

Jazz Music poem - Libations Friday 21 May 2010

Funny Poet: Guy Wetmore Carryl

Funny Volcano and Weather Quotes - Cheeky Quote Day 19 May 2010

Scientists: New Airport Scanners Not Safe

Roundup of Late Night Funnies - 17 May 2010

Funny Video: Stewart Skewers Conservatives 4 Obama-Bush Comparisons

Funny Video: Colbert Lampoons Kagan Confirmation Hearing

Posts Roundup This Week at Dennys Blogs - 16 May 2010






Dennys Global Politics:


Political Cartoons: Local and World Economy

Actor Kevin Costner Pitches Solution to BP Headache, Intelligence Head Resigns, Why Kagan Elitist Good - News Headlines 20 May 2010

Russia Furious With America Over Afghan Drugs, Terrorism Financing Un-Islamic, White House Food - News Headlines 19 May 2010

Sticking It to Iran, Obama and Jobs Creation, Survey Goes Against New Oil Drilling - News Headlines 18 May 2010

Airport Scanners Safety Questioned, Iran Skirts Nuke Sanctions, Sex Criminals Indefinitely Detained - News Headlines 17 May 2010





The Soul Calendar:


Ground-Breaking King of the Lab: Venter Creates Synthetic DNA

Video: Check Out the River Monsters Swimming Near You


Bloggers: Get The New Google Buzz Buttons

Neuroscience: Want Your Man to Better Understand You? Try Empathy Nasal Spray



Beautiful Illustrated Quotations:


Sometimes What You Sideline is a Good Thing

3 Quotes: Have You Validated Yourself Recently?

3 Positive Attitude Quotes to Help Shape Your World

Are You Stuck in Life Not Knowing Where to Go Next?

Mothers Day Quote From Rose Kennedy

How Can You Help Your Child Keep Their Balance And Yours?

Mothers Day Quote: The Funny Stages of Motherhood

4 Special Quotes to Anchor Your Dreams




Humor blogs - Dennys Funny Quotes, Ouch Outrageous Obnoxious And Odd:


Dark Humor: BP Oil Spill Cartoons - 22 May 2010

Outrageous: Graduation Debt Cartoons - 22 May 2010

Funny Video: Colbert On BP Oil Containment - No One Knows What The Flock They're Doing

Funny Video: Cartoonist Mocks Tea Party Hypocrisy

Funny Video: Betty White On SNL Monologue

Funny Video: Betty White, SNL Golden Girls Lampoon Lawrence Welk Show

Funny Video: Cover Up Your Sex Scandal With A New Batch Of Euphemisms

Terrorism and Times Square, Immmigration Cartoons - 15 May 2010

Hunh? Funny Political Cartoons 15 May 2010

10 Funny Odd Photos - cute animals and crazy dressed people!

Funny Video: TV Anchor Falls off Chair




The Healing Waters:


Controversial Successful New Treatment 4 Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Injuries During Sex, Miracle Baby, Bad Drug Ad Snitches Wanted - Health News Stories - 14 May 2010

Funny Wall Street Political Cartoons - 15 May 2010




Food blogs - Romancing The Chocolate and Comfort Food From Louisiana:


Simple Summer: 2 Super Easy Spaghetti Sauces

Easy Recipes: 4 Versions of Crawfish Pie

Triple Chocolate Toffee Brownies

Elegant Cheap Dishes From Manhattan Chef: Chicken With 40 Garlic Cloves, Salad and Dessert

Sweet Breakfasts: Caramel Pecan Buns, Sweet Blueberry Drop Biscuits, Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Tradtional Sandwiches Updated: California Tuna Melt, Egg Salad

Chocolate Wonders: Kentucky Derby Pie, Make-ahead Chocolate Soufflé

Easy Moist Chocolate Mayo Cake From Bon Appetit

Video: Louisiana Chef Makes Crawfish Etouffee

5 Easy Recipes 4 Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

2 Crowd Pleasing Easy Casseroles: Mexican Lasagna, Turkey Tetrazzini

Awesome Cajun Barbecued Shrimp — New Orleans Style

Yummy Homemade Coconut Cream Pie

Awesome Sauces 4 Louisiana Seafood

Spring Into Grill Season: Mouthwatering Steaks

Chef Rocco Dispiritos Cheap Yet Healthy Comfort Food

Kid Friendly Recipes: Chocolate Quesadillas, Very Best Fudge




Visual Insights, photo blog:


Political Cartoons: Memorial Day - 22 May 2010

Supreme Court Nominee Political Cartoons - 15 May 2010

Dennys Funny Photo Gallery: The Nose Knows

Dennys Photo Gallery: Garden Views

Dennys Photo Gallery: Life is Just Plain Funny

Dennys Photo Gallery: How to Know Its Spring

Funny Odd Couples: Cats and Their Weirdo Friends

Dennys Photo Gallery: Spectacular Sunrises

Dennys Photo Gallery: Beautiful Blues in Our World

Photography, Beautiful Metaphor for Life: 17 Boats

Only White Theme: 26 Photos

Photo History: 1st Lady Gowns, Michelle Obama Donates Hers




Dennys Art Santuary:


The Stones, Otis Redding, Ronnie James Dio - Arts and Music News 17 May 2010

Featuring Marilyn Monroes Jazz Pianist Hank Jones - Arts and Music Headlines 18 May 2010


*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

Check Out 2 Funny Posts 2 Get U Thru the Work Week

British Petroleum giving "face" to President Obama about paying for their oil spill


From Denny: Check out some funnies and hike on over to one of my other blogs, The Social Poets, for some mid-work week fun!


Funny Volcano and Weather Quotes - Cheeky Quote Day 19 May 2010 - Funny volcano and weather quotes, jokes, political cartoons and funny video all designed to make you laugh til your boss fires you for "excessive merriment."

Roundup of Late Night Funnies - 17 May 2010 - Chock full of funny video clips from Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert and Betty White on SNL as well as the late night show jokes and quips.


*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

Posts Roundup This Week at Dennys Blogs - 16 May 2010

Cup of coffee from Brazil by il Quoquo @ flickr


From Denny: This sure has been quite the week with the drama unfolding out in the Gulf of Mexico with the BP oil spill off my Louisiana coast. The cartoonists have had great fun lampooning the various lies and finger pointing from the CEOs involved. The better news is that BP is finally making a bit of headway on corralling some of the oil for clean up, siphoning it into a tanker.

Some headway is better than nothing and at least it has slowed down the rate of gushing oil and natural gas for the moment. Definitely better than using an atomic bomb to blow up the well like the crazy Russians suggested. There's a plan. Nuke the Gulf of Mexico and irradiate the ocean waters for the next thousand years. Fortunately, BP and the government are contemplating lesser crazy options.

As a result of the oil spill there are countless great political cartoons and funny videos by the likes of Colbert to enjoy. And Betty White was the toast of late night TV on SNL after turning in some hilarious performances. She then proceeded to go out all night carousing with the SNL cast after the show. She's almost 89 years old and there's no time to waste for having fun! :)






The Social Poets:


BP Oil Spill Funny Political Cartoons - 15 May 2010

Love Gift Poem - Libations Friday 14 May 2010

3 Funny Videos: Hilarious Betty White On SNL, Cartoonist Mocks Tea Party

Funny Wall Street Quotes and Jokes, Stewart Lampoons Wall Street - Cheeky Quote Day 12 May 2010

One Million Homeowners Walked Away: Can It Kill Our Economy?

Video: The Case For Walking Away From Your Mortgage

Roundup of Late Night Funnies - 10 May 2010

Funny Video: Colbert Lampoons Conservative Preacher and His Rentboy

Funny Video: Stewart Slams Media, BP, And Hypocritical Politicians For Oil Spill Response

Funny Video: 2010 White House Correspondents Dinner with Prez Obama

See Cartoons by Cartoon by R.J. Matson - Courtesy of Politicalcartoons.com - Email this Cartoon

Dennys Global Politics:


World Economy Political Cartoons - 15 May 2010

Russians Say Nuke BP Oil Spill, Hordes Leaving Facebook, Big Business Cheats, Obamas Tax Reform - News Headlines 13 May 2010

BP Found Cheating, Auto Dealers Sleazing Public, Voters Oust Porkers, Haiti Charities Stingy - News Headlines 12 May 2010

Hedge Fund Short Selling Caused Market Dive, Cameron New Brit PM, Govt Changes Approach to Oil Oversight - News Headlines 11 May 2010

Woman Chosen 4 Supreme Court, BP Sprays Chemicals into Oil Spill, Obscene Exec Perks - News Headlines 10 May 2010




Beautiful Illustrated Quotations:


3 Quotes: Have You Validated Yourself Recently?

3 Positive Attitude Quotes to Help Shape Your World

Are You Stuck in Life Not Knowing Where to Go Next?

Mothers Day Quote From Rose Kennedy

How Can You Help Your Child Keep Their Balance And Yours?

Mothers Day Quote: The Funny Stages of Motherhood

4 Special Quotes to Anchor Your Dreams




Food Blogs:


Triple Chocolate Toffee Brownies

Elegant Cheap Dishes From Manhattan Chef: Chicken With 40 Garlic Cloves, Salad and Dessert

Sweet Breakfasts: Caramel Pecan Buns, Sweet Blueberry Drop Biscuits, Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

See Cartoons by Cartoon by J.D. Crowe - Courtesy of Politicalcartoons.com - Email this Cartoon

Humor blogs:


Funny Video: Colbert On BP Oil Containment - No One Knows What The Flock They're Doing

Funny Video: Cartoonist Mocks Tea Party Hypocrisy

Funny Video: Betty White On SNL Monologue

Funny Video: Betty White, SNL Golden Girls Lampoon Lawrence Welk Show

Funny Video: Cover Up Your Sex Scandal With A New Batch Of Euphemisms

Terrorism and Times Square, Immmigration Cartoons - 15 May 2010

Hunh? Funny Political Cartoons 15 May 2010




Visual Insights photo blog:


Supreme Court Nominee Political Cartoons - 15 May 2010

Dennys Funny Photo Gallery: The Nose Knows




The Healing Waters and The Soul Calendar:


Injuries During Sex, Miracle Baby, Bad Drug Ad Snitches Wanted - Health News Stories - 14 May 2010

Funny Wall Street Political Cartoons - 15 May 2010



*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

Injuries During Sex, Miracle Baby, Bad Drug Ad Snitches Wanted - Health News Stories - 14 May 2010

Photo by Krikit @ flickr

From Denny: If you missed the story about this miracle baby you just have to watch the video. Because of fluid on his brain this baby's brain had no room to grow and doctors did not give the couple much hope to expect the baby to survive birth or live but a short time if he did make it that far. They chose to continue the pregnancy.

As a journalist, the mother decided she would share what she learned on her journey with her miracle baby. The good news is that the fluid is being managed, his brain has grown dramatically and the physical therapy he's received has helped tremendously. The mother also talks about the high costs of catastrophic health care and wanted to help other families dealing with similar issues for their children.

The next story is about the possibility of injury during the fun of passionate or enthusiastic sex. Few people talk about it but many should go visit a doctor or go to the emergency room for treatment. Sometimes, this is serious injury beyond any embarrassment.

You can tell the Bush years are behind us. The new FDA is starting to act like a real watch dog with teeth. Now they are asking health care professionals to help them identify the crooked drug company sales people. Yep, that means you too can be a professional snitch for the feds. Seriously though, there's a lot of misrepresentation to doctors, nurses and hospitals about the drug company products. It ends up a crap shoot for medical professionals as to who is telling the truth and whether those products are really a good idea for their patients.





Pittsburgh Mom Determined to Help Son (ABC)

Woman Finds Resources to Make Medical Care Affordable

Kelly Frey, an anchor for ABC News affiliate WTAE-TV in Pittsburgh, was 13 weeks pregnant with her son, Bennett, when she got the news that no prospective parent wants to hear.

"What we saw on that screen, the head area had just black," Frey said of the ultrasound.

A routine ultrasound in 2009 revealed a chilling vision: Where there should have been brain tissue, there was nothing, just black. The fetus was suffering from severe hydrocephalus, which is a buildup of fluid on the brain. Most people are born with the ailment or suffer from it after a severe head injury.

The trauma didn't stop there. Bennett was also suffering from Dandy Walker Syndrome, a congenital brain malformation of the cerebellum. The cerebellum controls movement.

The doctors told Frey and her husband, Jason, that their son had little chance of surviving past birth.

"It was the deepest grief we have ever known; they're telling us he is going to die," Frey said of the diagnoses.

The couple decided to continue with their pregnancy. They say that Bennett's birth is a miracle...

Just click on the story title link to read the rest of the article...








Boo Boos in the Bedroom Are More Common Than You Think (ABC)

Don't Let Your Romantic Evening Land You in the ER


Love is a battlefield -- complete with head wounds, broken bones, and the occasional penile fracture.

While most sex-related injuries don't require a trip to the doctor, getting hurt in the heat of passion is a pretty common -- but seldom discussed -- problem, sex experts say.

Julieanne Smolinski, 26, a New Yorker and blogger for Lemondrop.com, had her own brush with carnal catastrophe when she was in college.

"I did a kind of accidental back handspring off my boyfriend and cracked myself on the head," she says.

"My boyfriend got the worst of it and 'fractured' his penis. We didn't seek medical attention, [but] later I read that penile fractures can be really serious," she says, wondering in retrospect if they should have taken him to the hospital.








FDA Wants You... to Snitch on Illegal Drug Ads (ABC)

Federal Agency Is Asking for Public's Help in Rooting Out Bad Drug Ads

A new U.S. Food and Drug Administration program seeks to enlist healthcare professionals in flagging improper sales tactics for prescription drugs.

Although the agency calls the program "Bad Ad," its interest goes beyond broadcast and print advertisements to include misleading in-person presentations.

Housed within the Division of Drug Marketing, Advertising, and Communication (DDMAC), the program is intended to increase the number of eyes and ears available to monitor pharmaceutical companies' promotional activities -- especially speaker presentations and in-person "detailing" that DDMAC enforcement personnel seldom have a chance to see for themselves....


*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

Posts Roundup This Week at Dennys Blogs 9 May 2010

From Denny: This sure has been a wild ride for the news, the BP oil spill attempt at clean-up, the crazy British election and the huge sudden drop in the stock market. I gathered some of the better stories over at Dennys Global Politics.

You just have to read about the odd new health stories about empathy nasal spray for men and the strange neck treatment for PTSD relief. And the political cartoons were out in full force as social commentary on it all so you know I just had to park a number of those posts on several blogs for Saturday! :)

Hope everyone had a great Mothers Day! And thank you all for your great support!




The Social Poets:


Oil Spill Disaster Cartoons - Whats Happening This Week in America - 8 May 2010

One Mother and One Child poem 4 Mothers Day - Libations Friday 7 May 2010

Transocean Kidnapped Oil Rig Survivors, Coerced Signing No Legal Repsonsiblity

Funny Parenting Quotes 4 Mothers Day - Cheeky Quote Day 5 May 2010

BP Only Responsible to $75 Million 4 Oil Disaster By USA Law

Roundup of Late Night Funnies - 3 May 2010

Posts Roundup This Week at Dennys Blogs 2 May 2010





Dennys Global Politics:

Greek Debt Crisis 4 The World: Political Cartoons 8 May 2010

1,000 Point Stock Market Plunge, Brits Still Tied After Election, Examining Obamas Humor - News Headlines 7 May 2010

USA Offshore New Oil Drilling Halted, New USA Terrorist Screening, 3-Way Tie in Brit Election - News Headlines 6 May 2010

Supreme Court Pick Hunt, Dems Whimp Out on Finanacial Fund 4 Reform, How You Get on No-Fly List, Obama Tough on Airlines - News Headlines 5 May 2010

Pakistan Trained Bomber, Obamas Workaholic Ways, Catholics Polled About Sex Abuse - News Headlines 4 May 2010

BP Oil Spill Coverage - News Headlines 3 May 2010





The Soul Calendar:


Funny Wall Street Cartoons - 8 May 2010


Video: Check Out the River Monsters Swimming Near You


Bloggers: Get The New Google Buzz Buttons

Neuroscience: Want Your Man to Better Understand You? Try Empathy Nasal Spray




The Healing Waters:


Controversial Successful New Treatment 4 Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder




Beautiful Illustrated Quotations:


Mothers Day Quote From Rose Kennedy

How Can You Help Your Child Keep Their Balance And Yours?




Dennys Funny Quotes:


The Great American Immigration Debate: Political Cartoons - 8 May 2010

Funny Video: Health Care Rage-Ex by Cartoonist Mark Fiore

Funny Animated Cartoon on Economy: Crashiversary Video by Mark Fiore



Ouch Outrageous Obnoxious And Odd:


Times Square Terrorist Bomber: Political Cartoons 8 May 2010

10 Funny Odd Photos - cute animals and crazy dressed people!

Funny Video: TV Anchor Falls off Chair





Food blogs:


Tradtional Sandwiches Updated: California Tuna Melt, Egg Salad

Chocolate Wonders: Kentucky Derby Pie, Make-ahead Chocolate Soufflé

Video: Louisiana Chef Makes Crawfish Etouffee


Easy Moist Chocolate Mayo Cake From Bon Appetit





Visual Insights:


Dennys Photo Gallery: Garden Views

Funny Love-Hate Relationships of Fox News, Republicans, Tea Party, Airlines and Obama Cartoons - 8 May 2010


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Controversial Successful New Treatment 4 Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

From Denny: Since we have such a long sustained war going on in Iraq and Afghanistan, it's understandable that our soldiers are experiencing difficulty dealing with long-term stress. There is a new - and controversial - experimental treatment developed that doctors think may give hope to war veterans.

What they are proposing is to numb the nerves in the neck. OK, for me, any time you start messing around with the delicate area of the neck and spine, it makes me wonder if that's such a bright idea.

Part of the usual treatment for PTSD is an anti-anxiety pill that can make a patient drowsy yet left still feeling nervous. Many patients tire of taking pills for months on end, looking at a lifetime of medications. This new treatment, an injection to the neck, apparently calms a patient within five minutes. The injection is a local anesthetic to a bundle of nerves in the neck. Apparently, this pain block has actually been used since 1925.

PTSD generally is treated with pharmaceuticals addressing flashbacks, anger, anxiety, and constant sleep disturbances. This new study is from Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. It was published in the journal Pain Practice, Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB), discussing a mere ten minute procedure with excellent results. Doctors caution more research is necessary to make sure how safe it is before making this procedure available for widespread use.

Right now the treatments available such as therapy and antidepressants require months before getting any relief from symptoms. The known side effects are impotence, weight gain, and sedation. The attraction of this new procedure is that it works within 30 minutes and does not appear to have any side effects. It also has a long lasting effect of from six to 18 months.

People wonder how a shot to the neck can affect psychological symptoms. Apparently, when a traumatic event occurs, there is new nerve growth factor that increases dramatically, to the point that nerves in the brain can sprout like flowers.

When this nerve growth factor spikes, this sprouting effect increases adrenaline production in the brain, causing patients to feel anxious. The beauty of the local anesthetic applied to the nerve cluster in the neck, returns the nerve growth factor back to normal levels and so the symptoms subside or disappear.

When doctors did brain scans of PTSD patients' trauma centers they noticed those areas lit up when the patient was shown violent pictures. After receiving the nerve blocking treatment, those parts of the brain no longer responded to the visual trigger.

This new treatment is welcome news for a short fix, sure to provide immediate relief to returning war veterans as they transition to civilian life. What does concern me is how this treatment could be abused. How? It has the possibility of being used on professional soldiers to keep them in the field beyond what is a healthy level of stress by masking what is going on internally. Time will tell how this all plays out, hopefully for the best.



Treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder With a Jab to the Neck: (ABC) New Research Suggests Numbed Nerves Could Cure Anxiety and Flashbacks in Veterans










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Dennys Photo Gallery: Garden Views

From Denny: On one of my visual coffee breaks I found the most beautiful garden views. From Japanese garden landscapes to intimate closeups to Zen styled photoshopped there is something joyful and meditative for everyone to enjoy! I especially like the key hole views where you peer into a walled garden...




Garden Gate in Shanghai, China by d'n'c @ flickr






Curled fern leaf by backbackphotography @ flickr






Cute garden lizard by williamcho @ flickr






"Flutterby" Butterfly on clover blossom by tanakawho @ flickr






Humorous English garden sculpture by Crinklecrankle.com @ flickr






Le jardin provençaux de Pierre Bergé by hortulus @ flickr






Rain bucket with lotus blossom by backpackphotography @ flickr






Waterfall in Japanese garden by backpackphotography @ flickr






Red garden clogs by nadine nadeau @ flickr






Rusted Garden Gate by MyArtfulLife @ flickr






Kylemore Abbey garden door by slideshow bob @ flickr






Entry into walled garden by recursion_see_recursion @ flickr






Magic garden by Randy Son Of Robert @ flickr






Zen garden photoshop by h.koppdelaney @ flickr






Colorful Rock Garden by Margaret Anne Clarke @ flickr





A beautiful blooming walk by Margaret Anne Clarke @ flickr


*** Be sure to pay a visit to all these photographers to see what else they offer! Just click on the links beneath their photos.


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