American Nationalism

All over the world, Americans are probably more infamous than the French for their blind patriotism. It's nice that we are so proud of our country. Yes, it's a great place to live and there are many opportunities given us that many people won't ever have. But is that a reason to expect all immigrants to leave behind their native language and customs? Does becoming an American involve stripping one's self of one's identity, history, and culture? In fact, what is American culture other than fast-paced and cold? We speak English, not American. Almost all of us have ancestors who were born in another country. The food we eat, the music we enjoy, most everything we do has roots elsewhere. So why are we so adamant that we are better than everyone else? Homogeneity in a heterogenous world will only get you hated and probably killed. Tolerance is not the answer either, but inclusion of all diversities. Working and building on each other's strengths is the only way to overcome the global challenges facing everyone.

Natural Man

Is man inherently good? Or is man inherently bad? I'm sure some Christians would argue that man is naturally bad, evil, carnal, sensual, wicked. But then my question to them is, why do we not see more evil people in the world? Why are there not more murders, adultery, robbing, stealing, and just plain bad things going on? Yes, there is more than enough bad out there, but mitigating it is the fact that, for the most part, I think people are naturally good, also. Though somewhat contradictory, these same Christians would also argue that we all have the light of Christ in us all, our concscience, which keeps us in line. This is what makes us want to be nice, to say 'Have a nice day' to the clerk at the convenience store, to feel good when helping a complete stranger. For the most part, the murders, the racism, the evil things in the world are the minority, but get the most press. For every car jacking, I am sure there are thousands of kind deeds that go unnoticed. No one is perfect, in fact, we all have good and bad in us innately, but isn't that why we are on this earth? To overcome the bad and let the good shine through? As a whole, we have a long way to go, but I think the way down is much farther than the way up.

Kidney Stones

The following was taken from an article on the Wikipedia website.

Kidney stones, also known as nephrolithiases, urolithiases or renal calculi, are solid accretions (crystals) of dissolved minerals in urine found inside the kidneys or ureters. They vary in size from as small as a grain of sand to as large as a golf ball. Kidney stones typically leave the body in the urine stream; if they grow relatively large before passing (on the order of millimeters), obstruction of a ureter and distention with urine can cause severe pain most commonly felt in the flank, lower abdomen and groin. Kidney stones are unrelated to gallstones.

Etiology
Conventional wisdom has held that consumption of too much calcium can aggravate the development of kidney stones, since the most common type of stone is calcium oxalate. However, strong evidence has accumulated demonstrating that low-calcium diets are associated with higher stone risk and vice-versa for the typical stone former.

Other examples of kidney stones include struvite (magnesium, ammonium and phosphate), uric acid, calcium phosphate, or cystine (found only in people suffering from cystinuria). The formation of struvite stones is associated with the presence of urea-splitting bacteria, most commonly Proteus mirabilis (also Klebsiella, Serratia, Providencia species) which can split urea into ammonia, resulting in favorable conditions for the formation of struvite. A lack of the protein calgranulin is blamed by some for the appearance of calcium oxalate stones.

Symptoms
Kidney stones are usually asymptomatic until they obstruct the flow of urine. Symptoms can include acute flank pain (renal colic), nausea and vomiting, restlessness, dull pain, hematuria, and possibly fever if infection is present. Acute renal colic is described as one of the worst types of pain that a patient can suffer. Note that the pain is generally due to the stone's presence in the ureter, and not—as is commonly believed—the urethra and lower genitals.

Some patients have no symptoms until their urine turns bloody—this may be the first symptom of a kidney stone. The amount of blood may not be sufficient to be seen, and thus the first warning can be microscopic hematuria, when red blood cells are found in the microscopic study of a urine sample, during a routine medical test.

Diagnosis & Investigation
Diagnosis is usually made on the basis of the location and severity of the pain, which is typically colic in nature (comes and goes in spasmodic waves). Radiological imaging is used to confirm the diagnosis and a number of other tests can be undertaken to help establish both the possible cause and consequences of the stone. Ultrasound imaging is also useful as it will give details about the presence of hydronephrosis (swelling of the kidney - suggesting the stone is blocking the outflow of urine). It will also show the 10% of stones that do not have enough calcium to be seen on x-rays (radiolucent stones).

The relatively dense calcium renders these stones radio-opaque and they can be detected by a traditional X-ray of the abdomen that includes Kidneys, Ureters and Bladder—KUB. This may be followed by an IVP (Intravenous Pyelogram; IntraVenous Urogram (IVU) is the same test by another name) which requires about 50ml of a special dye to be injected into the bloodstream that is excreted by the kidneys and by its density helps outline any stone on a repeated X-ray. These can also be detected by a Retrograde pyelogram where similar "dye" is injected directly into the ureteral opening in the bladder by a surgeon. Computed tomography (CT or CAT scan), a specialized X-ray, is considered the gold-standard diagnostic test for the detection of kidney stones, and in this setting does not require the use of intravenous contrast, which carries some risk in certain people (eg, allergy, kidney damage). All stones are detectable by CT except very rare stones composed of certain drug residues in urine.

Investigations typically carried out include:

• Microscopic study of urine, which may show proteins, red blood cells, pus cells, cellular casts and crystals.
• Culture of a urine sample to exclude urine infection (either as a differential cause of the patient's pain, or secondary to the presence of a stone)
• Blood tests: Full blood count for the presence of a raised white cell count (Neutrophilia) suggestive of infection, a check of renal function and if raised blood calcium blood levels (hypercalcaemia).
• 24 hour urine collection to measure total daily urinary calcium, oxalate and phosphate

Treatment
Stones less than 5 mm in size usually will pass spontaneously, however the majority of stones greater than 6 mm will require some form of intervention, especially so if the stone is stuck causing persistent obstruction and/or infection of the urinary tract. Management of pain from kidney stones varies from country to country and even from physician to physician, but may require intravenous medication (eg, narcotic or nonsteroidal antiinflammatories) in acute situations or similar classes of drugs may be effectve orally in an outpatient setting for less severe discomfort. In many cases non-invasive Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy may be used. Otherwise some form of invasive procedure is required; with approaches including ureteroscopic fragmentation (or simple basket extraction if feasible) using laser, ultrasonic or mechanical (pneumatic, shock-wave) forms of energy to fragment stones. percutaneous nephrolithotomy or open surgery may ultimately be necessary for large or complicated stones or stones which fail other less invasive attempts at treatment.

A single study in the USA, at the Mayo Clinic, has suggested that Lithotripsy may increase subsequent incidence of diabetes and hypertension, but it has not been felt warranted to change clinical practice at the clinic.

Secondary Prevention
Preventive strategies include dietary modifications and sometimes also taking drugs with the goal of reducing excretory load on the kidneys:

• Drinking enough water to make 2 to 2.5 litres of urine per day.
•A diet low in protein, nitrogen and sodium intake.
• Restriction of oxalate-rich foods and maintaining an adequate intake of dietary calcium is recommended. There is equivocal evidence that calcium supplements increase the risk of stone formation, though calcium citrate appears to carries the lowest, if any, risk
• Taking drugs such as thiazides, potassium citrate, magnesium citrate and allopurinol depending on the cause of stone formation.
• Depending on the stone formation disease, vitamin B-6 and orthophosphate supplements (such as IP-6) may be helpful, although these treatments are generally reserved for those with Primary Hyperoxaluria. Cellulose supplements have also shown potential for reducing kidney stones caused by certain conditions, although, again, not much research has been completed on this treatment.

Certain foods may increase the risk of stones: spinach, rhubarb, chocolate, peanuts, cocoa, tomato juice, grapefruit juice, apple juice, soda (acidic and contains phosphorus), all types of tea, and berries (high levels of oxalate). In the United States, the South has the highest incidence of kidney stones, a region where sweet tea consumption is very common. Other drinks are associated with decreased risk of stones, including wine, lemonade and orange juice, the latter two of which are rich in citrate, a stone inhibitor.

A note on alcohol: Although it has been claimed that the diuretic effects of alcohol can result in dehydration, which is important for kidney stones sufferers to avoid, there are no conclusive data demonstrating any cause and effect regarding kidney stones. However, some have theorized that frequent and binge drinkers create situations that set up dehydration, (alcohol consumption, hangovers, and poor sleep and stress habits). In this view, it is not the alcohol that creates a kidney stone but it is the alcohol drinker's associated behavior that sets it up. [citation needed]

One of the recognized medical therapies for prevention of stones is thiazides, a class of drugs usually thought of as diuretic. These drugs prevent stones through an effect independent of their diuretic properties: they reduce urinary calcium excretion. Nonetheless, their diuretic property does not preclude their efficacy as stone preventive. Though caffeine does acutely increase urinary calcium excretion, coffee has a high oxalate content which has been known to cause stones in some patients and should be used sparingly. Sodium restiction is necessary for clinical effect, as sodium excess promotes calcium excretion. In addition, the effect probably fades after two years or so of therapy (tachyphylaxis).
A high protein diet might be partially to blame. Protein from meat and other animal products is broken down into acids. The most available alkaline base to balance the acid from protein is calcium carbonates and phosphates from the bones (buffering). The kidney filters the liberated calcium which may then form insoluble crystals (ie, stones)in urine with available oxalate (partly from metabolic processes, partly from diet) or phosphate ions depending on conditions. One of the simplest fixes in addition to increased fluid intake is to moderate animal protein consumption. In this regard, it is not just dietary calcium per se that may cause stone formation, but rather the leaching of bone calcium. Some diseases (eg, distal renal tubular acidosis) which cause a chronically acidic state also decrease urinary citrate levels, which is a potent inhibitor of stone formation, and these patients are prone to frequent stone formation.

A Glimpse of Paradise

The silky sand melts in my palm and gently slides into the air, almost gliding to the ground below to join the rest of the sparkling white grains. A soft breeze pushes the falling sand so that it falls just in front of me, instead of to the side where I let the air pick it up. The humid air is replete with the perfume of the verdent fauna surrounding the beach. Completing the airy mix is the warm sunshine, slowly folding everything together, sometimes peeking from behind one of the few small, billowy clouds keeping close watch on the beach. My ears catch the almost inaudible summer surf washing rythmically over my feet and every so often a moneky howl is echoed by a group of macaws. Light reflecting off the clear, light blue water bathes me, but isn't bright enough to blind me to the sight of a reef, not too far from where I stand. Though I am too far from the reef to see anything in detail, I can clearly make out the bright reds, yellows, blues, oranges, and purples of the tropical fish, fighting to survive in my paradise.

Did she really do that?

For the most part, I enjoy P!nk's music (sometimes written as Pink, or even Alecia Beth Moore); however, I think she bordered on blasphemy against Vietnam veterans with her song "My Vietnam." The song starts out fine and you think she's going to talk about freedom or something worth mentioning in the same decade as the Vietnam War. Disappointingly enough, however, she compares feeding the homeless, having a crazy mother, and going to school to Vietnam. Seems more than just a bit disrespectful to all those who fought during that bitter conflict decades ago. I'm sure her experiences taught her, perhaps even left her disillusioned with life or something, but to go to the extreme that she did does not seem appropriate. I will give her the benefit of the doubt on this one, but I think she'd do better sticking to singing about equality of the sexes, being rich, getting laid, driving ghetto cars, flying solo, etc.

Of CEO's and Manly Vanity

After reading this article, I was impressed that a chief executive actually had the guts to stand up for what he believed to be right for the company, which is the whole reason one would imagine the Board of Directors thought of when they hired him. Yet with his integrity and job on the line, the Board thought it better to let him go after 100 days, rather than admit the company has some shortcomings. The truth can be hard to take, especially to the wicked. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying Big Business is bad. I know that a lot of companies do good things and foot the bill for many of the projects for which we think the government should pay, but, because humans are at the top of these firms, they still react like idiots sometimes.

Now, completely off the subject is another article I found interesting. Read it here. Though it took too long for the media to report, I think the phenomenon of male self-image being warped by the media has been in existence just as long as it has been for women. Despite the article's assurance that males worry about body odor much more due to the media, I feel most men are accutely more despaired because of the way these models' bodies look with the six-pack and the well-defined muscles, etc. It makes us want to get off our lazy butts and do something about it...if I could just get the remote out of my hands.

Death of the Internet

There are some people in the world, perhaps even the person next to you on the subway, that abhors personal contact. Being antisocial in this sense automatically qualifies one for the nerd or geek category, though the true definition of these two terms is still being argued. You might remember the Citibank identity theft commercial in which a 'nerd' steals someone's identity and uses this other person's credit card to buy a robot for the upcoming prom. Though the robot isn't a real person, at least the guy was going out in public. What did these antisocialites do pre-Internet? With all the chat rooms and everything else in the cyber universe, one can fill up on gossip and talk and everything else without ever having to see another person. But are these connections really relationships? Probably not. You should read this. Now, I don't think this means that Internet dating and other 'relationships' are going to fade into extinction, but our social skills, our ability to interact with live human beings, and true meaning in life are on the endangered species list. We need to act if we are to save them and in so doing save ourselves from social suicide.