Two birds with with one stone. Look better, get laid more, don't get pregnant. This is brillance!
BERLIN - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a new use of Bayer Schering Pharma AG's drug YAZ to allow it to be used to treat moderate acne in women who also want to use an oral contraceptive for birth control, the company said Monday. It's an acne treatment!
It's an oral contraceptive!
It's a...why did they name it after Carl Yastrzemski?
With the approval, YAZ becomes the first oral contraceptive approved by the FDA for three distinct uses, Bayer said in a statement. In addition to being approved for birth control use and now for acne control, it is also approved to treat the emotional and physical symptoms of premenstrual dysphoric disorder. THREE birds with one stone. Will it make my wife let me watch the football games on Sunday?
"YAZ is the fastest growing oral contraceptive brand in the U.S.," said Phil Smits, head of Bayer Schering Pharma's women's healthcare unit. "We are convinced that through its unique features, YAZ will further strengthen our worldwide leading market position in the field of female contraception." Tell 'em to spray Waziristan with it.
#3
Modify that, Nimble Spemble. While getting parental approval because it was for acne. Ditto for PMS -- that will be an even bigger winner, although it's happening off-label already.
#4
The best non-toxic means to cure acne I learned was to drink a hand full of fresh Neem tree sap. Taping the Neem tree like Maple tree provides liters of the bitter sap. In my young age in India I drank only two times during one week and no more. All my acne vanished without leaving any mark. The strange things were that mosquitoes stop biting me and the skin cut-wounds healed quickly. People have known for eons that Neem tree leaves and twigs (used as tooth brush) have some antibacterial properties, Most of the people do not know that the tree sap has magical performance when taken by mouth.
#5
Okay, I'll bite, is the USFDA trying hard to politely = NOT to say that acne is caused by form(s) of STDS??? In Wuhmin??? Dare Paternity Testing-Litigation go to an all-new level of "Proof of Sex" standard?
#6
How far has America gone from BEVERLY HILLBILLIES > [GRANNY]"Jedd, get your shotgun, he's seen Ellie Mae in her unmentionables - they've got to get married"; to JUDGE > "Is there any reason for these two to get married" - YEP, THE BOY'S GOT ACNE???
ADDIS ABABA - The African Union will damage its credibility if it elects Sudan as its chair this week, rights group Amnesty International said on Monday.
The AU has credibility? Who knew?
African leaders meeting in Addis Ababa on Monday and Tuesday will decide on a new chairman and a diplomatic deadlock is expected over the candidacy of Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, who was promised the position a year ago.
Electing Sudan as chair of the African Union while it defies the decisions of the AU and UN to send peacekeepers to Darfur would undermine the credibility of the AU as well as its own commitment to uphold human rights in Africa, Tawanda Hondora, deputy director of Amnesty Internationals Africa programme, said in a statement. Sudan is a key party to the conflict that AU forces are monitoring in Darfur and is responsible for committing grave human rights abuses. Thousands of people have been killed by government-backed militias. AU forces would be put in an untenable position if Sudan is given the leadership of the AU.
Which explains why Bashir will take the post.
Darfur rebels say they will boycott AU-mediated peace talks if Bashir becomes chairman and would consider AU peacekeepers in Darfur as part of the conflict, putting them in danger of attack.
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/29/2007 00:00 ||
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Amnesia INtarnation operates outside Iraq and Occupied Palestine?
Posted by: art lover ||
01/29/2007 0:35 Comments ||
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#2
Amnesty International has credibility? who Knew?
#3
An organization with little credibility criticizes an organization with even less credibility about credibility.
You really can't make this shit up...
#5
amnesty has done a lot of good work on behalf of political prisoners over the years. Their bread and butter used to be writing letters on behalf of indiv political prisoners. Like lots of orgs that do good, their success and fame went to their heads enough that they make all kinds of statements beyond their area of expertise. They still have credibility on many matters however.
#6
LH, you still following the happenings in Sudan? Anything of note developing or are they still stuck with continued UN waffling and they're government not wanting UN involvement?
Posted by: Mike N. ||
01/29/2007 16:34 Comments ||
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#7
No less credible than the UN Human Rights Council. Oh, wait ...
#8
Yeah, wake me up when AI gets on the UN's "Human Rights Council's" case. Having Syria, Libya, et al involved at all, much less serve as head of that Council speaks volumes.
Posted by: BA ||
01/29/2007 19:54 Comments ||
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Zimbabwean police on Friday arrested nine church leaders, including a blind pastor, for allegedly meeting in Kadoma, more than 150km west of Harare, without first seeking approval from the police. The group had gathered in a church for the launch of the Kadoma chapter of Christian Alliance - a coalition of churches, opposition political parties and civic groups that is pushing for sweeping political reforms in Zimbabwe.
Christian Alliance spokesperson, Lucky Moyo, told Zim Online on Saturday that armed riot police arrested the church leaders before a shocked congregation of more than 400 people. Among those arrested were Jonah Gokova of the Ecumenical Support Services, Raymond Motsi of the Baptist Church in Bulawayo, blind pastor Ancelimo Magaya and journalist Pius Wakatama.
Under Zimbabwe's tough Public Order and Security Act, it is an offence to gather in groups of more than three without first seeking approval from the police. Moyo said the police also confiscated copies of videos on non-violence and peace-building which featured the likes of United States-based civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jnr which were being shown at the seminar.
It's a serious mistake to think that Robert Mugabe has the morals of an American; we could eventually be shamed into doing the right thing and living up to our religious and moral code, but Mr. Mugabe will never be such a man.
Police spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena could not be reached for comment on the matter last night. Zimbabwe's police have in the past raided offices of the Christian Alliance which President Robert Mugabe's government accuses of working with the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change party to oust it from power. The group is due to appear in the magistrates court some time today, although the charges against them were not yet clear last night.
The wife of Pastor Magaya, Dephin said she was worried about her husband's condition in the filthy cells in Kadoma. Describing his as asthmatic, she said: " I cannot imagine what he is going through in those dirty cells."
Moyo said: "The arrest of pastors has far-reaching implications because what it means is that people may no longer be guaranteed their religious rights and freedoms to worship. It is unfortunate the police decided to arrest our members when the subject for discussion was non-violence in the face of mounting socio, economic and political problems.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/29/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
Not at all surprising. Once the ZANU (PF) party of Mugabe came to power, the candle of freedom and democracy began to be extinguished, and Rhodesia gradually slipped into the darkness of dictatorship and economic decline. Once Rhodesia became the new nation of Zimbabwe, it began its inexerable twentyfive year fall into corruption and total ruination. This was a blatant and sickening betrayal of democracy and freedom brought about by economic and military sactions to include naval blockades, and an oil embargo at the port of Beira. In the end, Rhodesia was 'put down' by OAU and communist appeasment from Whitehall and a floundering President Jimmy Carter fishing for American votes in the forthcoming presidential election. We may have no one to blame save ourselves.
#2
Yo, Besoeker, I think you forgot a few. Carrington, Kissinger, Fatty Soames, Jack Straw and the Royal Family, along with Thatcher, Slopes when they pulled out, thinking it wouldn't happen to them. Bring it on South Africa. Thanks a fucking lot, sweep it under the carpet .
I am almost happy to see this shit happening to the UK. I did say "almost".
The Gulf state of Kuwait issued a decision Sunday banning men from working in shops selling private womens garments like lingerie. The decision, issued by the ministry of social affairs and labour, gave businesses until April 7 to implement the ban or face a fine of up to $700 for each violating worker. It said that special inspectors from the ministry would enforce the ban. The ministry also ordered its labour departments to stop recruiting male migrant labourers for employment in womens lingerie shops.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/29/2007 00:00 ||
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#7
Your comment was so good tu, it bore repeating, eh? Good one, though, seriously!
Posted by: BA ||
01/29/2007 10:37 Comments ||
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#8
Yeah, but can men still buy it?
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
01/29/2007 18:58 Comments ||
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#9
Deacon, that's one you'll have to ask the resident imam™ on. I don't know who's on duty tonight, but usually Mullah Richard pops in to answer questions like that one.
Posted by: BA ||
01/29/2007 19:48 Comments ||
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Womens cricket and football in front of thousands of spectators is against the countrys tradition and culture and also is anti-Muslim civilisation, the statement said.
A Muslim group on Sunday asked the interim government to stop a new womens cricket league in Bangladesh, a day after it began in the countrys capital Dhaka saying it was anti-Islamic. In a statement, the Islamic Constitution Movement, which has no representation in parliament, said womens cricket, and other field sports such as football, represented alien culture. Womens cricket and football in front of thousands of spectators is against the countrys tradition and culture and also is anti-Muslim civilisation, the statement said. The group asked the head of an interim government that is in place to prepare for national elections to ban women from participating in the league, which has 10 teams, as well as in any other sports or beauty pageants. However General secretary of the Bangladesh Cricket Board Mahbub Anam said that the league would continue despite the complaints.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/29/2007 00:00 ||
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#4
Better issue a fatwah against bowling a maiden over;
replace the hat trick with a teatowel thingie trick;
batsman's paradise would have 72 virgins; box is definitely for males only; and twelfth man would, of course, be replaced by the Twelfth Imam.
#6
The Bangla boys aren't stupid. They aren't gonna let the womenfolk get hold of anything that can be used as a weapon. Besides, the bats make the menfolk look so ... inadequate.
Posted by: ed ||
01/29/2007 17:41 Comments ||
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President Hugo Chavez denied that his left-leaning government would seize private property - such as second homes or expensive cars - from the wealthy and called on Venezuelans not to fear his accelerated push toward socialism. "Nobody should allow themselves to be imbued with fear. If anybody should be scared, we should be scared of capitalism, which destroys society, people and the planet," said Chavez, speaking during his weekly television and radio program "Hello President" on Sunday.
But Chavez also warned political opponents that "nothing would stop" the progress of what he calls "21st-century socialism," saying a majority of Venezuelans want to gradually move away from capitalism. Chavez recently announced plans for a "luxury tax" targeting second homes, art collections and expensive cars that would be aimed at redistributing wealth to the poor. But some fear he could go even further by seizing such assets as he advances his Bolivarian Revolution - a political movement named after South American independence hero Simon Bolivar.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/29/2007 00:00 ||
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Simon Bolivar was the original "benevolent dictator", who seized the government to stop the corrupt bureaucrats from stealing the works. He, himself, as a role model for ambitious generals, is responsible for every military junta to plague SA for the last 200 years.
"How do you tell a Communist? Well, it's someone who reads Marx and Lenin. And how do you tell an Anti-communist? It's someone who understands Marx and Lenin."
-- Ronald Reagan
#7
Mr. Chavez's regime is extremely corrupt. There won't be blanket seizures of second homes, art, or expensive cars because he and his followers own many of them.
Seizures will be reserved for those who oppose his regime.
#8
...Ya know,I believe him. He's not going to seize anything.
He's just going to send a group of quiet and polite soldiers to your home with a list of property, and then they will ask if you'd like to donate said property to la Revolucion.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
01/29/2007 12:17 Comments ||
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HT-Instapundit: Story from the LA TIMES
BULLHEAD CITY, ARIZ. It's hard to buy undeveloped land in booming northern Arizona for $166 an acre. But now-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid effectively did just that when a longtime friend decided to sell property owned by the employee pension fund that he controlled.
In 2002, Reid (D-Nev.) paid $10,000 to a pension fund controlled by Clair Haycock, a Las Vegas lubricants distributor and his friend for 50 years. The payment gave the senator full control of a 160-acre parcel in Bullhead City that Reid and the pension fund had jointly owned [Reid already owned some of this via a 1980 deal]. Reid's price for the equivalent of 60 acres of undeveloped desert was less than one-tenth of the value the assessor placed on it at the time.
Six months after the deal closed, Reid introduced legislation to address the plight of lubricants dealers who had their supplies disrupted by the decisions of big oil companies. It was an issue the Haycock family had brought to Reid's attention in 1994, according to a source familiar with the events....
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
01/29/2007 8:46 Comments ||
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#2
one-tenth of the value the assessor placed on it at the time.
Right now I'm sitting in an appraiser's office (not assessor's) which was founded in 1940's. These guys are good and with that experience comes some observations.
The assessor's value is a red herring. What were comparable sales going for at the time? Anyone who wants to value their property based on an assessor's value is not coming to the party fully armed. Typically they are off by 20% (well below what we are talking about here). But what does undeveloped desert go for then and now? Just the facts Dan-o. It is entirely possible this was above board but it is also possible that the deal was even hotter.
That being said, if this was a sweet deal then Reid was part of a pension fund fraud scam. Would this be a Federal case? Could be but I'll let the lawyers on the board comment on this. Ether way it sounds like Harry got his cake.
#5
Good point, Icerigger. When we were small-time real estate magnates (very, very small time, but I learnt to use tools, and even got my very own hammer!) we valued properties based on "comparables sold", not comparable list prices. Generally comps sold were 10-20% lower than the list prices, which were often enough based on pride, need, and hope.
#6
Icerigger, we might be able to figure this out. Get the address of the property and try zillow.com for the comparables. I know you can do houses this way, wonder if you can do undeveloped property?
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/29/2007 14:19 Comments ||
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#7
How come this kind of thing never falls into my lap, yet it falls into his twice?
Gandhinagar, January 28
An aerospace command will be established soon to exploit outer space and control space-based assets, Air Chief Marshal S.P. Tyagi said today. The Indian Air Force (IAF) was in the process of establishing this command by integrating its capabilities, he told reporters here.
Air chief Tyagis remarks assume significance in the wake of reports that China successfully tested an anti-satellite missile. As the reach of the IAF is expanding, it has become extremely important that we exploit space and for it you need space assets, Air chief Tyagi, who is due to retire in March, said. We are an aerospace power having trans-oceanic reach. We have started training a core group of people for the aerospace command. Air chief Tyagi, here to attend a station commanders conference of the South Western Air Command, was non-committal on the exact time frame for setting up the command.
We will take the help of ISRO for the aerospace command but it will have distinct features as it is a military command, Air chief Tyagi said in reply to a question on the role of the space agency in setting up the proposed formation.
The command would combine various components like satellites, radars, communication systems and fighter aircraft and helicopters, IAF officers said. This would be done while taking into consideration diverse needs like communication, reconnaissance and battlefield damage assessment as the reach of the IAF had increased, they said.
To a question on Chinas military modernisation drive, Air chief Tyagi said, They are ahead in some fields (in comparison to India) and in some fields we are ahead. That country has huge resources due to their rapid economic development. He said the role of the IAF had changed with the times. The IAF needs to transform itself to adapt to new requirements. Its basic role to protect airspace and borders of the country is still there, but we have to protect our global interests. We plan to have strategic reach to meet our needs of new strategic boundaries.
We have drawn the road map for the transformation of the IAF and we are on the right track. Air chief Tyagi further said the IAF's interaction on a global scale has increased and it has done joint air exercises with several countries in recent times.
Speaking about accidents involving IAF aircraft, Air chief Tyagi said the percentage of such incidents has been considerably reduced. In relative terms, no other air force in the world has registered such a drop in the number of air accidents.
#1
George Bush realized the potential of India the way nobody else in Washington did. Despite their initial reluctance, prodded by Bush, they are now doubly amazed at how rapidly India is adapting to its new status as a world power.
And because of Bush's direction, the US is right in the middle of things, cultivating this new and potentially very powerful ally.
#3
Speaking about accidents involving IAF aircraft, Air chief Tyagi said the percentage of such incidents has been considerably reduced. In relative terms, no other air force in the world has registered such a drop in the number of air accidents.
For a while the IAF had a truly horrfying accident rate - not quite as bad as that of the early jet years of the USAF and USN (when a pilot stood a 25% chance of not coming back from peacetime training missions, but damned close. A lot of that was due to their aging and increasingly decrepit fleet of MiG-21s, which IIRC have since stood down.
In a LOT of ways, the IAF has turned itself into a unique image of the USAF, and it will be interesting to see what happens in the next ten years or so.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
01/29/2007 14:06 Comments ||
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While the older Mig-21s have been mothballed, they still have an awful lot of Mig-21s. And they need those squadrons and they need to fly them hard.
Now however they are building their own Mig-21 engines, have more reliable Russian spares.
This has brought down the accident rate.
They badly need replacements though and it looks like either the F-16 or the F-18.
Posted by: john ||
01/29/2007 14:41 Comments ||
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#5
The purchase of Hawk trainers from the UK, with the initial batches of junior-pilots and instructors being trained by the RAF has also helped.
The Mig-21 is an unforgiving beast. Pilots used to transition from propeller trainers to the single engine Mig-21 which lands at 500 kph.
One mistake while learning and they died.
Posted by: john ||
01/29/2007 14:46 Comments ||
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#6
I thought the Mig-35 is the probable MiG-21 replacement. The Russians have even been using their influence (tech tranfer, denial of engines to Pakistan, nuclear reactors) to close the deal. Anything change that perception?
Posted by: ed ||
01/29/2007 17:50 Comments ||
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#7
Manmohan Singh owes Bush a few favors (purchases) for the nuke deal. Russia has managed to sell new reactors before GE can get in the door.
They are going with Sukhoi for a 5th gen heavy fighter so the Russians are assured of revenue.
They already have orders for additional Naval Mig-29s (for the two aircraft carriers - 1 being refurbished in Russia, the other being built in India).
A split MRCA order is possible.
They might very well increase the numbers from 125 to 200 (the air force wants more squadrons and the Navy wants shore based strike aircraft to carry their new BrahMos supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles) and split the order between the US (say 120 F-16s) and Russia (80 Mig-35s).
Posted by: john ||
01/29/2007 18:10 Comments ||
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#8
The Indian government has deliberately delayed the tenders for the MRCA aircraft so that they go out after the 123 agreement and final congressional approval of the US-India nuke deal.
Posted by: john ||
01/29/2007 18:17 Comments ||
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#9
Thanks.
Posted by: ed ||
01/29/2007 18:56 Comments ||
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#10
Thanks for the inside scoop, John.
And I was just sittin' here *smirking* over China being caught between a rock (Japan) and a hard place (India), lol! Cornering 'em in, we are.
Posted by: BA ||
01/29/2007 19:58 Comments ||
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(Xinhua) -- At least 12 people were electrocuted while scores of others injured when people sitting on roof of a crowded passenger train were hit by an overhead power line on Sunday in southern Pakistani city of Shikarpur, the private Geo TV reported. The train with hundreds of people on board was heading southeast from Jacobabad to Rohri to join a Muharram mourning procession.
Many of the passengers were sitting on roof of the train, when an electric wire fell on the train near a rail crossing...
Many of the passengers were sitting on roof of the train, when an electric wire fell on the train near a rail crossing in Shikarpur, some 380 km northeast of Karachi, the capital of south province Sindh. Initial reports say at least 12 persons died and dozens of others injured in the incident, said the television report. The train was stopped after the incident, and those injured have been rushed to local hospitals. The fatalities and injuries were caused as people were either electrocuted or tossed off the top of the moving train after they were hit by the high voltage power line, said the report.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/29/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
Please clear the platform, frieght and baggage areas. Boarding ladders at the ready please. The
the Shikapur Shocker will be arriving momentarily.
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/29/2007 8:14 Comments ||
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#3
I"ve seen pictures of a train in that area with literaly thousangs of people hanging all over every available inch outside and top, wherever they could get a fingerhold. I always wondered if the railways had any tunnels to scrape off all those "hobos", there"s no way they would fit between the train and the tunnel walls.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
01/29/2007 9:23 Comments ||
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#5
The Yahoo news story on this includes the following additional info on why the "electric wire fell on the train".
Many of the passengers sitting on the train's roof were Shiite Muslims who were traveling to attend a religious gathering, said Ahmed Khan, a railroad official in Sukkur. Khan said the train was crowded and those who could not get inside clambered to the roof.
Some of those on the roof carried religious flags and other symbols that apparently struck the overhead electricity line, he said.
If you're sitting on the roof of an electric train, stay away from the guys with the flags on long poles.
Tonight we're gonna party like it's 1959...
MIAMI - The city of Miami is planning an official celebration at the Orange Bowl whenever Cuban president Fidel Castro dies.
Discussions by a committee appointed earlier this month by the city commission to plan the event have even covered issues such as a theme to be printed on T-shirts, what musicians would perform, the cost and how long the celebration would last. Him and Che on the same t-shirt. "Together Again"...
Such a gathering has long been part of the city's plan for Castro's death, but firming up the specifics has been more urgent since Castro became ill last summer and turned over power to his brother, Raul. City Commissioner Tomas Regalado, a Cuban American, came up with the idea of using the Orange Bowl, noting that the stadium was the site of a speech by President Kennedy in 1961 promising a free Cuba, and that in the 1980s it served as a camp for refugees from the Mariel boatlift from Cuba. "Basically, the only thing we're trying to do is have a venue, a giant venue ready for people, if they wish, to speak to the media, to show their emotions. It's not that we're doing an official death party," Regalado said Monday. Nah, who would think that. Nor care...
Former state Rep. Luis Morse stressed the need for an uplifting theme for the party one not preoccupied with a human being's passing. Castro Dead. How much more uplifting do you want? Hugo's plane crashes on the way to the funeral?
Critics have accused the city of dictating where people should party, with many preferring to celebrate on the streets of Little Havana. The city says the Orange Bowl celebration would not preclude that. "This is not a mandatory site," Regalado said of the Orange Bowl. "Just a place for people to gather." Ramon Saul Sanchez, leader of the Miami-based Democracy Movement organization, worries about how a party to celebrate a man's death would be perceived by people outside the Cuban exile community. I don't care. Far be it from me to interfere in your little cultural event. Party on, amigos...
Sanchez also pointed out that, even after Castro dies, his communist government still will be in place. "The notion of a big party, I think, should be removed from all this," Sanchez said. "Although everybody will be very happy that the dictator cannot continue to oppress us himself, I think everybody is still very sad because there are still prisons full of prisoners, many people executed, and families divided." ...and El Jefe will still be dead.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
ADDIS ABABA - The African Union will damage its credibility if it elects Sudan as its chair this week, rights group Amnesty International said on Monday.
Zimbabwean police on Friday arrested nine church leaders, including a blind pastor, for allegedly meeting in Kadoma, more than 150km west of Harare, without first seeking approval from the police. The group had gathered in a church for the launch of the Kadoma chapter of Christian Alliance - a coalition of churches, opposition political parties and civic groups that is pushing for sweeping political reforms in Zimbabwe.
President Hugo Chavez denied that his left-leaning government would seize private property - such as second homes or expensive cars - from the wealthy and called on Venezuelans not to fear his accelerated push toward socialism. "Nobody should allow themselves to be imbued with fear. If anybody should be scared, we should be scared of capitalism, which destroys society, people and the planet," said Chavez, speaking during his weekly television and radio program "Hello President" on Sunday. 
Gandhinagar, January 28
