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((Lookin' for the info on the "Mommy Spa"?? It's the previous blog posting!! You're almost there..))
Here is the study abstract which was published in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association):
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/297/8/842
And as I was looking for additional background research on this I came across a study of 40,000 women and Vitamin E:
http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/jul2005/nhlbi-05.htm
And here is what Oregon State University Professor Balz Frei sent to me via press release. He was forthcoming with me that he does do some consulting for a Salt Lake City supplement manufacturer. This release raises some interesting points:
CORVALLIS, Ore. – A study being published today on possible health risks of antioxidant supplements is based on flawed methodology and ignores the broad totality of evidence that comes to largely opposite conclusions, experts said today from the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University.
The research, which was published in this week’s edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association, concluded that antioxidant supplements such as vitamins A and E may “significantly increase mortality,” and that there was no evidence for any positive effect of vitamin C in the reduction of mortality rates.
However, Balz Frei, professor and director of one of the world’s leading institutes that studies the possible health value of vitamins, phytochemicals and micronutrients, said that the new study’s focus on a selected group of clinical trials disregards the results of other more positive trials, as well as huge amounts of laboratory, animal, and human observational and experimental data.
“This is a flawed analysis of flawed data, and it does little to help us understand the real health effects of antioxidants, whether beneficial or otherwise,” Frei said.
“Instead of causing harm, the totality of the evidence indicates that antioxidants from foods or supplements have many health benefits, including reduced risk for cardiovascular disease, some types of cancer, eye disease and neurodegenerative disease,” he said. “In addition, they are a key to an enhanced immune system and resistance to infection.”
The “meta-analysis” published in JAMA, which is a statistical analysis of previously published data, looked at 815 antioxidant trials but included only 68 of them in its analysis, Frei said. And two of the studies excluded – which were published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute and the prominent British medical journal Lancet – found substantial benefits and reduced mortality from intake of antioxidant supplements.
“If these two large studies had been included, none of the reported effects on increased mortality would have been significant, with the exception of the effects of beta carotene,” Frei said. “And the research showing a higher incidence of lung cancer in smokers who take supplements of beta carotene or vitamin A is old news, that’s been known for many years. Very high doses of vitamin A are known to have multiple adverse health effects.”
All the new study really demonstrates, Frei said, is a bias toward identifying studies or research that show harm caused by antioxidants, and selective removal of research that shows benefits.
The mean duration of the reviewed trials was 2.7 years, so the implied conclusion is that taking antioxidant supplements can kill people in less than three years, Frei said. It is absurd to think that vitamin supplements could have such an effect, he said, and no biological mechanism has been identified that would explain it. In addition, the causes of death were not considered or were not determined in many of the studies reviewed, and may include accidents or other causes that have nothing to do with diet or oxidative stress.
Most trials cited in the study, Frei said, tested multiple antioxidants and additional interventions in the treatment of disease, including a long list of other dietary supplements and pharmaceutical drugs. The underlying health problems or multiple types of medical, drug and surgical treatments could all interfere with or mask the effects that can be attributed directly to antioxidants, he said.
“These trails don’t tell us anything about the usefulness of antioxidants in the prevention of disease, or whether the supplements had the intended effect of lowering oxidative stress in the body,” Frei said. “It’s like doing a cholesterol-lowering trial without ever measuring serum cholesterol. How can you draw any conclusions from such a poorly-designed study?”
Kathryn writes about the TRICARE story: I would like you to do a story on finding a doctor who will take Medicare. My story is similar to Sharon’s on your blog. My internist of many years doesn’t take Medicare, so I found myself looking for a doctor. I really couldn’t find an internist on the west side who would take a new Medicare patient. So, I settled for a family practice doctor who is quite a distance from my home.
Another issue for those of us who have HMO type Medicare plans is that one of the ways the insurer keeps costs down is to require referrals to specialists. This is fine except that it is really a conflict of interest for the primary care doctor. Literally, money is being taken out of their pockets when they refer you, so some want to take care of medical situations that are really out of their realm of experience. One doctor that I no longer have thought she could follow up for my plastic surgeon and oncologist instead of sending me to see them. I had only been out of chemo for 18 months and was still experiencing side effects and I’d had breast reconstruction less than a year before.
I love your reports!
Kathryn~ THANKS!!! I do think there is a story there.. one that is clearly is affecting a number of people!
Click here to share your story ideas!
I actually found this story by doing a random 'google' search. When I read about it I had that moment where I said to myself, "Self, why didn't I think of this?"
Okay: if you want to check out Zenana for yourself just head to the website:
http://www.zenana-spa.com/
John writes about the TRICARE story:
I'm enjoying your vlogs. They are way cool. Vlogs give you another chance to show off your sparkling personality.
On the subject of Tricare, I have it now that I am retired and so far I'm satisfied with it even though I had to change doctors. I'm not on Medicare and Tricare for Life yet so the jury is still out on that matter. People that I've talked to that have it seem to like it.
Stay warm and dry.
Thanks for the compliment!!!! And I didn't even have to cut you a check! :-)
And while a lot of you liked the idea of the Bodybugg.. some didn't. Joy writes:
The bodybugg is expensive. Everyone wants instant gratification and a quick fix. Get real. All the information is accessible on the internet.
BMI (Body mass index)
Calories burned for activities
Food lists of calories
Exercise 6 days a week, Eat foods high in fiber, low in fats, sugar and soft drinks.
You can purchase a Polar heart rate monitor that takes your height, weight and heart beat into consideration. It is also works while swimming. You can record and calculate what you eat so you can see that two cookies can equal a half sandwich.
Set new goals. Get out and invite friends to join you on your journey start slow.
Speaking of foods.. and the labelled apple which Kris wrote to say she loved (see previous blog).. this is what it's come to for me and my tiny fridge under my desk.
The sign says STOP: this is not your fridge. I felt like a bit of a scrooge putting it up but I go so tired of rotten fruits, expired yogurt and sour cream... Oh well. What can you do?
Gotta scram.. time to get the makeup on!!
Whatever you do.. don't click here!
This is what I'm working on for tonite at 5. I also tossed in a snippet about my 6pm story too!!
 Steph is loving the "vlog"
I'll have a text blog later ((to go with my stories)) and I have new emails to share about the Bodybugg and TRICARE.
Click here to email Stephanie Stricklen because it's Wednesday and you don't have to work this weekend either.
Bleck. The weather outside today has looked awful (as opposed to the weather inside which is a little more predictable). It's the kind of weather that might make most people skip a workout... unless you have one of those little Bodybugg devices that will tattle on you to your trainer. Okay, it doesn't tattle. But it keeps you honest, that's for sure!!
http://www.bodybugg.com/
And speaking of honest, I have to be honest when I say I find the website a touch annoying. I don't want to watch a video... I want TEXT ((does anyone see the irony here when I am all fired up about my 'video blogs'??)).
You can get most of the answers/info you need here:
http://www.bodybugg.com/faq.php
As for Jodenne.. she has used the Bodybugg for 4 weeks and has lost 6% body fat and one dress size. She says she is much stronger, too. She can hold the "plank" position for more than 45 seconds. When she started she could hold it for :20.
Now, do you NEED the Bodybugg to find fitness success? Of course not. It's an issue of personal choice and finances. People have lost weight without it up to this point, so... the decision is yours.
Sharon writes about the TRICARE story: Regarding your report on TRICARE…I’m a senior with Medicare as my primary health insurer. The same thing is happening to me and many others like me. My longtime doctor retired a couple years ago, and I’m trying to find a doctor that will take new Medicare patients. They too, like the TRICARE doctors are not getting full re-imbursement from the govt. for their services when they treat us seniors. Therefore, they don’t want us a patients. The doctor I’m now seeing is only working 3 days a week, and I fear that he too will soon retire. I feel like I’m falling through the cracks, and have no control over what is happening to me and I know many others in this same situation.
Maybe I can do a 'round two' on this story and follow it from the Medicare angle. It just breaks my heart to hear about stories like that. The lack of control can feel terrifying!
Scott writes that he faced a similar situation trying to get access to military life insurance!! And he adds: About V-Logs being weird… They really are, because you feel somewhat… Geeky doing them. I’ve done some podcasting for my websites for marital arts, and I always don’t like people watching me while I’m doing it. It might be because you can feel slightly insane talking to no one in particular, plus you never know if anyone is going to watch them. They are faster than writing, it just seems odd at the time. But, you’ve done well, and the content in them is interesting, and so I love them. Don’t worry, you aren’t the only one who thinks doing them is strange.
Thanks, man.. I went for broke on that one earlier today-- got so excited I forgot to say "CALORIE" tracker *in* the vlog itself ((which is why I tried to label it so clearly)). Otherwise it sounds like some Big Brother GPS tracking system that people are love, love, loving!!
:-)
Do you have anything like this going on at your workplace??
We've taken to putting stickers on apples, etc.. to keep other people's mitts off our food! It totally made me crack up.
Email Stephanie Stricklen
Mornin'
Check out this little guy-- it monitors how many calories you burn 24/7. Basically, you eat it and it tracks how well you burn it off.
Watch Steph's Vlog on 24 hour calorie tracking
Click here to help Stephanie Stricklen remember what day of the week it is.
((Ahem... If you are looking for teeth bleaching or Convo's cat, it's the previous entry.. you're almost there!))
"TRICARE, why care?"
I called it that because unless you are directly affected and are having a hard time finding a doctor, you might wonder why this is an issue you should care about.
<<scrape, scrape.. the sound of me dragging my soapbox over>>
Access to healthcare is one of the top medical stories out there. Period. And it affects just about every person in every country. And if you think it doesn't affect you, it still does because on some level you're paying for it. Bringing local stories to light helps create a clear picture of the way our health care system works.
In short, we need to know what's going on.
As for TRICARE.. the people I interviewed for the story all like TRICARE and the coverage it provides. That's not the issue. The issue is not enough doctors are accepting TRICARE patients because the reimbursements are too low. I'm glad to hear TRICARE has made strides. But there is more to do (isn't there always, in life?).
Here's a link to TRICARE: http://www.tricare.mil/
And this is an older audit by the GAO, but has some good data!!
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d03928.pdf
Response Time!!
Amy writes: I just finally got a chance to watch your "vlogs" and they are great!! How fun...are you enjoying them? You look like you are but I was curious ;) Hope your Monday goes well even though it is Monday...our Mondays in this house are always busy so I end up being loaded on coffee and hit the ground running! I have about 20 minutes of downtime at the moment before we are off to take my older son to kindergarten (and I'm volunteering in the classroom today!) and drop off the younger son with a buddy for a couple of hours. Come to think of it, I may need another cup-o-joe before we head out! :) Can't wait to hear about the teeth whitening story tonight... I haven't done it yet but it's been on the back of my mind for a while so I'm curious what you have to say! Happy Monday!!
Hi Amy!! Happy Monday back 'atcha. Wow, your older one is your kindergartner? You ARE busy!! You know, I DO like the vlogs, but I'll let you in on a little secret. I feel a little weird doing them in the newsroom. And, really, that's weird in and of itself. I can do "Cam4" hits (newsroom camera where we often have a reporter 'front' the story live). I can stand outside and prattle on about that one snowflake that fell an hour ago by the Sylvan overpass. But I find myself talking in a hushed tone when I do my vlog in the newsroom. The thing is: EVERYONE CAN SEE IT AS SOON AS I UPLOAD IT!! So, why in the world would I do them quietly.
Yup, I totally got off on a tangent there. I see loads of fun potential with the vlogs. I mean, that last one on what stories I am working on took just a few minutes. It's faster than a typed one, really. Plus, the cord on that little camera is just long enough too that I can turn it around and show you other stuff besides my 'whispering' mug. Maybe I will try and catch one of the anchors doing thier newsroom updates.
Blog buddy Joe writes: That dog is HUGE....it is part Shar-pei, right? Or maybe it is shar-pei sized, and you are exceptionally tiny. "Is Stephanie a Smurf? Film at 11pm.." (kidding!) Hmm..
Nice job on the video blogs. I've only had time to check out one of them, but very nicely done. I might have to get one at home, and do my own video blogs...
Hey..I tuned into KGW just before 9AM on Sunday and noticed Kelli Love, and some production folks telling Jim Donovan not to cry..is he leaving?
My dog is kind of big, huh. He's about 60 pounds of pure lazy, couch potato-ness. He's tall, which is what gives him the illusion of size, too. Definitely taller than a Shar-Pei, which is one of the (many) reasons we suspect Greyhound. The video blogs (vlogs) are well worth the relatively small investment in the camera and software.
No, Kelly is not coming back and Donovan is not leaving. Our long time producer Wayne has retired. He's done that weekend morning show for a very very very long time and we will all miss him. CONGRATULATIONS Wayne!! :-)
I got a great email and photo from Kimberlee. I did a story with her daughter Katrina back in 2001!! This photo from that day is still on my desk. It's a picture of Katrina during her horseback riding session.
She was attending Camp Quality (the organization used to have a camp here). It's a summer camp where kids with cancer can just be kids. It was a memorable story and Katrina is a memorable girl! Here's the latest photo! Everyone is doing really well, and it was just awesome to get the update!
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Teeth bleaching is all the rage right now. In fact, the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry lists teeth whitening as the number one requested cosmetic dental procedure.
Click here to share your teeth whitening experience.
So what do our smiles say about us? As a kid who had gigantic front teeth and two years of braces (in high school, to boot) I found this little bit of information facinating:
http://www.aacd.com/media/stats.aspx
And here is American Dental Association information about home whitening kits:
http://www.ada.org/prof/resources/topics/science_whitening_effectiveness.asp
And here is ADA general information about teeth lightening:
http://www.ada.org/prof/resources/positions/statements/whiten2.asp
Hey-- did any of you hear me on Mark and Dave about the 'sex-spray' story?? I checked to see if they podcasted it because I would link you right to it (but alas, the boys have not done that). As a token of my thanks for having me on the show, guys, here is a picture of Michael Convery's cat. Yup. Exciting stuff going on here at this blog.
I call Michael.. "Convo".. so he has taken to calling me "Strick-lo". I'm a huge Convo, Mark, and Dave fan so it's always fun when I get to say "hi".
Speaking of sex-spray.. Debi writes: Just watched your first vlog. You did good girl!! You're a natural vlogger The topic was a little weird though I have to admit. Wonder how many women they will get to do their experiment. Cant believe they are actually coming out with something like that and then having you report on it. They should advertise in an adult book store or something like that. How many "normal" people are going to be comfortable talking about their sex life and having it recorded for some sort of test thing. Anyway just thought I would share my opinion for what it's worth.
Loved your puppy but he just doesn't look like a puppy. He looks like a great big sweet baby that thinks he's a lap dog. And what are laps for if not for kids and dogs right? What kind of dog is he? He is absolutely beautiful and looks comfy on the furniture. Sounds like he isn't allowed on the furniture at home??
Yeah, Debi.. very interesting point. You know, that's tough to say. You have to wonder if testing the sprays and pills will naturally attract people comfortable sharing about that kind of stuff. And then you have to wonder if somehow those people might have a different response to the medication or placebo. I don't know. The topic doesn't bother me, probably because I'm the health reporter and have to talk about diarrhea and other gross stuff on a regular basis.
As for the "mutt", he IS my baby. I call him a puppy but he's about 7. He's a shar-Pei mix.. probably Greyhound in there. And no, poor dear isn't allowed on the furniture at home. But do trust me... he is PLENTY spoiled!!! I even cuddle with him on the floor. He has two of the world's largest dog beds, blankets, I swear!
Email Stephanie Stricklen
Inching closer to success. Thanks for your emails on the sex spray story and on my first video blog ("vlog"). I had to 'talk' directly to a couple of you in this one.. which I just did:
Vlog #2, what will she do?
And you can always click here, too, just to see what happens
Happy Friday!! :-)
Little squirt, little sniff and then your libido does a little cartwheel. Interesting concept, eh? Of course we don't know *yet* that any of this works... that's why they're testing it.
Okay, the full story doesn't run until 11pm Thursday (tonite) but I know enough of you check out this blog before that so I'll going to give you the Cliff Notes version as fast as possible.
Researchers in Seattle are testing a nasal spray and researchers here in Portland are testing a pill to see if either improve a woman's libido. And they need volunteers.
Wow. Pretty fast. Of course tonite's story has MUCH more detail.
If you want to get involved in the OHSU study of the pill call: 503.494.3666.
The pharmaceutical company that wants to market the pill if it works sent me this:
Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD), a condition in which patients
suffer from their Decreased Sexual Desire, is the most common form of
Female Sexual Dysfunction. It is an important and defined medical
condition that can be identified and diagnosed.
The disorder is defined as diminished feelings of sexual interest or desire
and loss of sexual thoughts/fantasies that causes marked distress or
interpersonal difficulties.
Therefore, it can adversely impact a woman’s everyday activities,
adversely impact her relationship and lead to emotional isolation.
To help female patients who suffer from decreased sexual desire,
flibanserin is being developed by Boehringer Ingelheim as an oral daily
treatment.
Flibanserin is a molecule acting on the central nervous system and is not
a hormone product. It must be emphasised that this is not a “female
Viagra” because of its different indication and mechanism of action. The
product is being developed only for women with distress associated with
their Decreased Sexual Desire. Decreased Sexual Desire without any
related distress cannot be considered a disorder.
The aim of flibanserin is to restore a women’s sexual desire back to a
level she is comfortable with.
The product is in advanced clinical development for the treatment of premenopausal
women suffering from Decreased Sexual Desire.
It is currently being investigated in a phase III clinical trial program that will
involve about 5,000 women, expected to be completed in 2008. After
detailed evaluation, the registration process may be started.
And here's more on the nasal spray which researchers are looking at up in Seattle:
http://www.bremolanotide.com/
And, if you want to know what goes on in our bedrooms ((I'm really not setting you up for an inappropriate joke))... check out this link:
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nsfg.htm
Who knew the government studied this kind of stuff?!
HI MARK AND DAVE!! :-) Thanks for having me in the studio today. ((If this makes no sense see my video blog that I posted previously.))
Oh yeah, Mary was cool with me posting this picture with actress Missy Pyle.
Click here to say HI to Stephanie Stricklen
Well, I have no makeup on and my hair is kinda messy and the lighting isn't great but I'm super fired up to share this with you... my first video blog.. "vlog" for short. I just kind of winged it, but you get the idea.
Video: Stephanie Stricklen: Blog 02/22 "> Video: Steph's FIRST vlog!!
The station just got me this camera. How FUN!!
Text blog coming, by the way... there are some very intersting resources I want to share with you but I really do have to scoot to see Mark and Dave.
Email Stephanie Stricklen and tell her what you think about the idea of "vlogging".
I've been working on special reports (I had about a dozen stories to do and I'm almost finished).. which is why I haven't posted a lot in the past couple days. :-)
It's about 10am and I can hear people in the newsroom chattering about Britney Spears. I guess an alert moved across the wire service saying she has.. yet again.. left rehab. Man, what is going on with these young hollywood celebrities (Lindsay, Britney, Nicole)... it's just crazy. And sad. Too much too soon, I think. And with a profit motive like that, I speculate they get surrounded by "yes" people. I mean, I have no idea what it's like... it's just a guess.
Anyway, check out this business about sexy dolls, etc:
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,21265698-662,00.html
And:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2007-02-19-sexualized-girls_x.htm?POE=NEWISVA
The thing is when John and I were shopping for toys for the KGW toy drive we noticed some of the dolls ourselves. And I think we're pretty laid-back, so for us to notice it.....
There were dolls that looked like a plastic surgery disasters with poofy lips ("poofy" is puffy PLUS some) and obnoxious eye makeup fit for Halloween. I remember jokingly telling John that if we ever have little girls they get to play with Leggo's and Tinkertoys and Playdoh instead of those dolls. :-)
Of course, I also remember as a kid how bad I wanted the hairdresser Barbie head (at least I think it was a Barbie.. it's been a while). It was this huge Barbie-like head and you could put makeup all over her and put rollers in her hair. And I turned out okay, right? Right?
Hello?
I went to see "Annie" last night at the Keller auditorium with my friend Mary. We have a blast when we get together. Within the first 10 minutes we had this list of stuff to talk about that kept adding up. I need to bring something to write on so I can make sure we get to it all. I almost posted this picture of her with actress Missy Pyle (any Heroes watchers out there?) but I should probably get her okay first ;-)
"Annie" was really, really cute. I haven't seen it since I was a kid and my mom took me. I barely remembered the story which made it a treat to see again. The little kids were really so amazing and adorable.. And the dog.... so CUTE!!
Which means I am now inspired to bore you with yet another photo of MY cute puppy.
We're at Siobhan and Tad's where he IS allowed on the furniture so we took the opportunity to cuddle up. You can see his little Shar-pei ears and wrinkles in this photo.
Michael writes about stealing Timmy's checkbook: Hey Steph,
I never would have guessed you would want a pony! Hilarious. Flowers are always nice. Don't make that mistake again!
And Rob writes about the video I posted previously: You dance like that?
LET'S SEE IT!!!!! Break out the boom box "Little Miss Get Down" and let's see you bust a move ..... That was crazy ....
No kidding!! He looks like his bones are made of rubber. WILD.
Email Stephanie Stricklen to explain why you think Leggos and Tinkertoys are so dang expensive these days.
WWYD? What would you do? What would you do if you were a doctor and you were not making a decent living in your specialty, the hours were horrible, and the stress was killing you?
You might look at doing something else.
That's the crux of Friday's 5pm story.
I have those extra links, too, that I want to share:
This one is interesting-- about medical students and well worth a listen (about 8 minutes long, but will give you a really excellent perspective about medical school)!!
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4106713
A good Time article that furthers this: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1004975,00.html
Response time!!
Scott writes: Just wanted to tell you that I love your blogs and that I'm hiding your story about snoring from my wife! Haha, because I snore. Thanks for putting up some interesting stories!
Ohhhh... I should so email her!! ;-) She's going to get you into the sleep doctor right away!
Debra writes about the Valentine's flowers in my previous blog posting: Just had to say I did the same thing to my husband and am now very envious of the girls with big bouquets on their desks.
Boo! I will keep my mouth shut next year as well.
Great blog!
Debra
Yup. You and me both, sister!
Roger writes about that book I'm reading (Jonathan Strange):
I'm glad you're enjoying it. I started it last year and put it down because
all of the footnotes were driving me nuts. I'm the kind of person who needs
to read them as I see them in the text and boy, some of those footnotes were
pretty long.
When you finish the book, let me know if I should pick it up again. I took
it out of my 'to be read' stack.
Will do! I'm about 200 pages into it and still loving it. I get the sense the footnotes are dropping little clues about what is going to happen. But, YES.. they are long!
I have to say hi to Don, Brian and all my Boise peeps ("Peeps"? That's embarassing I even said that). Hey Don.. show this picture to Brian:
Inside story: Timmy would always leave his stuff everywhere so about the 10th time he left his checkbook in the news rig Brian and I got our hands on it and just couldn't resist. I wrote myself that check for a pony.
Red arrow saavy Joe writes: I noticed you mentioned "8 Break" in your blog and I've seen that on KGW's homepage. I clicked on it expecting to see Donlon or you doing some some break-dancin' ala' "Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo;" but alas I was disappointed. :)
Yeah, I taught this kid everything he knows- NOT: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiLK7S2fXqQ
And Lynne writes: So, the question is WILL JOHN REMEMBER AND GET YOU FLOWERS NEXT YEAR!!! The story about the family with the twins and their trip to Disneyland was hilarious!!!
He got me something better than flowers, sweet husband that he is. I got this GPS watch for working out that I've had my eye on. No joke. I was VERY excited!
Email Stephanie Stricklen your story idea (or just to say "hi")!!
Friday, Friday, Friday, Friday, Friday... :-)
Last night John asked me what I wanted for Valentine's day. I've never been a flowers type of girl, so of course I joked that I wanted flowers.
"Really?"
"No."
But it's worth it to clarify that I have nothing against flowers. I do like them. And I've been lucky enough to receive some spectacular arrangements over the years (the kind I take photos of).
Flowers are beautiful and brighten your day. But roses have gotten so expensive especially around this time of year I think it would be just as nice to have the $70 plus in a card. Romantic, eh?
Of course when I walked into KGW this morning this is what I saw.
It's like a floral explosion and it was only 9am. And, no.. none of them were for me. I'm not whining about it, either. Hey, I'm the one who said "naw, no thanks on the flowers, babe." But give it time and pretty soon desks everywhere will have big, beautiful boquets that send my news director Rod running for the tissue (he's allergic). I feel bad for the guy because he has to walk past the flowers and certain ones just set off his sinuses. Of course, he hates to tell you to put them on the other side of the newsroom... Maybe for Valentine's day I should get him some Kleenex?
So, anyway.. my mistake is shooing John away from the idea of flowers on Valentine's day. :-)
By the way, Timmy is stalking this blog. He's my friend so I'm allowed to give him a hard time.
He writes about my dog Milo snoring (as part of the "What keeps you awake" story):
While you're asleep and he's pretending to snore, Milo will really be
wearing your glasses and successfully completing the New York Times
crossword puzzle (and the sudoku just for 'dessert'). I'm sure Jim would've loved
the mention....
We need to get "vampire" Lee into this discussion (see my previous blog if you have no clue what we're going on about).
I asked another blog buddy of mine to send me a photo of his two twin boys Connor and Brennen. Yup. TWO TWIN BOYS. His name is Tom and he hangs out with rocket scientists (no joke). He also sent me a very funny story about the family trip to Disneyland which I have included with the photos:
Little Connor: do NOT show this picture to Mike G. (photographer) in our shop. I'll never hear the end of the hate little Connor is wearing because Mike is a huge Coug!
Little Brennen:
And "The Disney Trip":
Tom writes:
Their first trip to Disneyland this past November.
* Four tickets to Los Angeles: free – I was guilted into using air miles since I am gone so much as it is.
* Four tickets to Disneyland: $380 I wonder if I can deduct this on my taxes?
* Two cokes, two milks and four sandwiches: $784.95 (!)
* Photos with Mickey Mouse: Uh, never happened. My boys got so scared they both peed their pants and ran the other direction. Only took one hour to locate them again and another three hours to calm them down.
* Two Mickey Mouse hats to rid the guilt we had for asking them to pose with Mickey in the first place: $35
* Names stitched across the back of those expensive felt beanies: free
* Favorite ride? Well, we end up flying 1500 miles, renting a sky blue mini-van from the early ‘80s, spend oooooodles of money only for them to become enamored with… the *&^%$#@ Carrousel! What, you ask? No Pirates of the Caribbean? No Haunted House? No Tom Sawyer’s Paddle Boat? Nope. I repeat… the Carrousel was the prize winner – it was without a doubt, the one ride they asked to go on over and over and over again… priceless.
LOL (laugh out loud). Very funny story Tom!!
And Christiana (hi there!!) writes:
Great blog as always. I know I'm little late but I was wondering what book
you were reading over the weekend. I'm always on the lookout for a new one.
So, I am hooked on it. I went to bed EXTRA early last night so I could read and when John asked me what it was about I blathered on for like 5 minutes, "well, there's this wooden mermaid and she keeps throwing the sailors in the water, and these rain ships, and this dead chick... blah blah...." and no, I haven't given anything away. I'm only on page 110!
Well, I "googled" it and was so happy to find this website:
http://www.jonathanstrange.com/
I picked it up on the recommendation typed onto a little card at Powells. The employee who wrote it wasn't even done reading it and felt good enough about it to recommend it. It's a blast...
Click here to email Stephanie Stricklen and tell her why she should have kept her mouth shut about not wanting flowers.
When I first asked around to see if anyone here at the station knew someone who would be willing to be interviewed about these online tests I got immediate responses from 5 people who all took IQ tests and got about the exact same score... in the genius category.
Hmm.
Maybe that should have been my story?
Anyway, here are the sites. Again, some charge a fee and/or require you to register your email address. The doctor we interviewed was not a fan of anything that came with a profit motive. But, I wanted you to see the sites we looked at while developing the story!
Queendom: http://www.queendom.com/
Formerly emode.com: http://web.tickle.com/
Knowyourtype.com: http://www.knowyourtype.com/
Ivillage.com: http://www.ivillage.com/
Enneagram Institute: http://www.enneagraminstitute.com/
Color Quiz: http://www.colorquiz.com/
Rateyourself.com: http://www.rateyourself.com/
And Michael found this in an old 8break and thought it might work for this story: http://www.blogthings.com/ You can find 8break in the video player section on our homepage.
Timmy writes: In your blog, you forgot to mention that Milo also hates vampires and guys named Lee (inside joke). And no matter how many times he meets this 'Timmy' person he still doesn't like him...
The inside joke is that Timmy and I go way back. We used to work together in Boise and then again here at KGW. My dog Milo just couldn't get his brain wrapped around liking our mutual friend Lee. So, we joked that Lee was really a vampire and Milo could see right through him. We also joked that when we left the house Milo played with his Rubix cube. He's a very smart dog who recently taught himself how to open the cupboards. Sheesh.
David wrote that he liked the segment on bed-sharing. Of course, it was made even cooler because I interviewed his friend. ;-)
Tom writes: Stephanie,
Just a quick note -- saw your story in Enviga… well done… super informative. Keep up the fantastic work! And your blogs (as always) are fun to read… and yes, we are learning something!
Cheers, Tom
Yup, Tom... your check is in the mail!! :-) Seriously, thanks!
And GB writes: Probably none of my business, but I'm going to ask anyway. What's the dynamics like at KGW? More specifically, what are those people like that we see everyday reporting the news on-air? It appears to me at least that everyone gets along really well. It's the lighthearted bantering that I hear between personalities that keeps me tuned in rather than switching channels. Is it really that comfortable and relaxed of an environment?
I'm glad you asked. Of course I'm going to say I think everyone is great and we all get along, etc. But, there is more to it than that. I like just about everyone I work with. But I do have conflicts with people from time to time.. either I see things differently, or whatever. It is truly no different than it is at any other office. The trick is to work hard and to try and gain the respect of your co-workers. That's the best you can do. I will also say this: most of us are down-to-earth. No big egos, that kind of thing... which is really nice. We have a lot of "lifers" here: people who, like me, love Portland and don't want to leave. That reduces the amount of posturing to some degree. Hopefully that answer helps!
Here is a picture of the KINK radio goldfish (we share a building).
I call him Jim but I'm pretty sure he has a different name. If you know it.. let me know. Jim was the name of Timmy's goldfish who lived in this vat of pea green water for like 15 years. He got to be the size of a small Koi and would gobble up other smaller fish with abandon. I would always get grossed out by the water and ask Timmy to clean the tank. He did and Jim passed away not long after. RIP, Jim. RIP.
Oops. Almost showtime. 4 pounds of makeup later and I'll be on TV!
Email Stephanie Stricklen
((Quick note: if you're looking for Enviga.. it's the previous entry! I posted it right before this one.))
Click here to share your icy feet, cover hogging, snoring, sleepless nights stories!!
So, here's the info on the bed sharing book... I checked around and had better luck finding it on-line than in-store, but that was last week so things may have changed.
http://www.powells.com/cgi-bin/biblio?isbn=9780791468302&atch=h&atchi=52884526
Professor Rosenblatt shared two stories about people who slept next to snorers. One guy found that if he lost just a few pounds... just a few... he'd stop snoring. So, his wife would put him on a diet everytime the snoring started. I thought that was pretty funny.
And the other gal learned how to nudge her husband just hard enough to get him to roll over without waking up. If he woke up he'd be all cranky, so it took a while to get the nudge just right, but she mastered it.
Here's an article I found that sort of backs up what the professor said to me in my interview about this being his 100th interview this month...
http://www.cjrdaily.org/behind_the_news/what_made_a_times_article_abou.php
You know, the only one who snores in our household is the dog. No joke.
I remember the first time I heard it I got the giggles so bad I got tears in my eyes. He snores just like the way you might think an old man would snore after falling asleep in the Barca lounger.
But I'm perpetually "cold-footed", if you will. Poor John makes for a wonderful foot-warmer but never complains, bless his heart. I've even run my feet under the tub water to get them warmer before getting into bed. He'll tell you I'm a tosser and turner but I have no idea I'm doing it and always wake up feeling rested. I'm a pretty heavy sleeper.
Here's a picture of my hottie foot-warmer now:
Email Stephanie Stricklen, who is hopefully sleeping right now.
Another Monday.
There is always another Monday.
I hope you had a great weekend (even if you had to work). I kept my calendar wide open and just relaxed all weekend for the first time in I don't know how long. I've started this new book based on a recommendation I read at Powell's and I'm already hooked. I still don't know why I tend to pick the books that have more than 700 pages.
:-)
Enviga: http://www.enviga.com/
And here is a statement that PR representative Ray Crockett emailed me about Enviga:
Beverage Partners Worldwide stands behind the science that supports our claim that Enviga invigorates your metabolism to gently burn calories. We have been clear that Enviga is not positioned as a weight loss product, but is designed to complement, not replace, regular exercise, a sensible diet and other healthy choices you make throughout the day.
Here is the Center For Science In The Public Interest info on the lawsuit:
http://www.cspinet.org/new/200702011.html
And some new information posted today:
http://www.cspinet.org/new/200702121.html
And the main site: http://www.cspinet.org/
And here is a video from my blog buddy Joe.. this is his skinnier cat drinking water-- with her paws!! CUTE.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1VUsob5j2U
Email Stephanie Stricklen
So... what do you think about searching for a doctor based on sexual preference, race, or religion?
Click here to share your thoughts!!
And for the websites let me just run down some options:
National Medical Association ((which caters to physicians and their patients of African descent)): http://www.nmanet.org/. You'll find the physician locator near the bottom left of the website.
There are also a few others like:
http://www.findablackdoctor.com/ which as of 5pm Thursday was having some technical issues.
http://www.blackdoctor.org/
Here's a link to the Christian Medical & Dental Association:
http://www.cmdahome.org/
And a link to the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association: http://www.glma.org/
As for the organic baby food story... Carrine writes: Hi Stephanie:
Saw your segment. I was once a big supporter of “jarred” organic baby food, but I pretty much buy organic for everyone else in the family, too. However, making baby food is the easiest thing and there are several good books out there: my favorite is Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron. She tells you at what ages baby can begin different solids and the recipes are very simple: all you need is a blender. So, buy organic fruits and veggies and you can save a lot of money making your own Organic Baby Food!
Thanks Carrine!!!
And Michael writes: I hope you were only eating that frozen corn because you forgot your lunch! That doesn't sound too good. When did you start doing that?
I usually read all the blogs at KGW.com but not the Afghanistan one. I decided to peek at it today. I was also wondering, does KGW have a reporter there or what?
Actually, he is a freelance journalist who is there making a film with the National Guard. Pretty compelling stuff, eh??
And as for the corn.. I'm always done that. Frozen peas too.. LOVE 'em!
But I don't always eat odd things... here's what I made last night:
That's wild caught salmon with this awesome sauce our executive producer Sally taught me how to make. Err, ehm.. actually it's a knock off imitation because the grocery store where I bought the Salmon didn't carry the right spices... but it was still pretty good!! Then I did asparagus with a raspberry balsamic dressing.. greens dressed with lime, olive oil, truffle salt and an avacado scallion salsa, and kale with a porter sauce. Seriously. I don't know what got into me.
Man, is it hungry in here or is it just me?
Sherrie sent this photo of a beautiful waterfront.
Makes you crave the spring doesn't it??
And one last snow photo that I just dug up on my cell phone while cleaning out old pictures...
That's Chance and Drake enjoyinfg their first snow. Come on Rob, say it with me..... cute.
Email me! Stephanie Stricklen
Organic Baby Food!!!!!! ((wow, 6 exclamation points.. I'm SUPER excited)).
Make your own baby food? Have a tip to share? Feed organic exclusively? Don't care to and don't see what all the fuss is about?
Click here to sound off and I'll get snippets of your emails posted!!
As for simple tips on making your own baby food, I found this website which I liked.
http://www.umext.maine.edu/onlinepubs/htmpubs/4309.htm
About the only thing I would add is that both doctors I talked to stressed you don't need a kitchen full of gadgets to get this done. A good food processor and a fork should do most of the work.
I also found this AP article printed up in USA Today about organic baby food.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2005-11-02-babyfood_x.htm
I like it because it has some additional statistics, but I kind of feel like it doesn't address the non-organic side of it. In other words, if parents can't afford it and can't make their own food-- should they be worried about the health of their kids? Both the pediatrician and naturopath I talked to said "no", by the way.
And some older statistics but they show what's hot in organic food in general:
http://www.theorganicreport.com/pages/17_organic_offerings.cfm
Is it weird that I eat uncooked frozen corn? Rich who sits next to me thinks so....
It's certainly healthier than Joe Becker's chili cheese dip, but I bet his dip taste's WAY better.
Email me: sstricklen@kgw.com
Please give my man Joe Becker a little blog-love, okay?? He is just getting into this blogging thing and if you would be so kind to check it out and shoot him a little email telling him you like mine better (KIDDING). But, seriously, a little encouragement and some new eyeballs on his blogs would hopefully keep him updating the page with new stuff. Sports is one of those perfect things to blog about, too, because there is a ton of behind the scenes fun stuff that no one gets to hear about.
Here's the sports blog:
http://www.beloblog.com/KGW_Blogs/sports/
You can email him afterward by clicking on that little envelope at the end of his blog.
Note that I'm not linking to a specific entry. When you visit an entry, that's all that pops up along with a little calendar that shows you when other entries were posted. But when you visit the whole 'section' you get to see everything posted in the past few weeks. Let me show you two examples:
A specific 'Latest Entry' you might see on the health page like "Oscillo or Bust": http://www.beloblog.com/KGW_Blogs/health/archives/2007/02/oscillo_or_bust.html
Versus just clicking on the blog picture on the health page which takes you here:
http://beloblog.com/KGW_Blogs/health/
Looks like this:
I need to get my blog buddy Joe (not Becker....) to help me out here. His arrows are WAY better than mine, if you'll recall his Stephanie spoof-picture of his work desk!
I make it easy for you to email me by clicking here.
Lemme see how fast I can do this:
Oscillo: your feedback was really GREAT!! Here is a sampling of what some of you emailed me:
Dean writes: Listening to a doctor (for the most part) in this country discuss
homeopathics is like going to a baker to find out what is wrong with
your car.
Homeopathics are centuries old and have been proven effective. In
Europe, you'll be treated with a homeopathic by doctors before they
ever get around to thinking about drugs. Why? Because they work. And
European doctors know that. Drugs are only used as a last resort in
Europe.
I have used Occilo for over 20 years. When others around me were
getting the 7 - 14 day flu, I was over mine in, at most, two days. So
were all the others I knew who used it.
DS writes: I have used it for close to 20 years now and have aborted many a flu bug on myself and my family, even when my kids were too young for the placebo effect.
Oscillo has to be taken at the very start of the flu, when you feel the aches and tiredness, before the symptoms become full blown. That's where a lot of people mistakenly think it doesn't work.
Homeopathy is based on the theory of "like cures like", and so are allergy shots.
I've seen and experienced it do some amazing things in the time I've used it. I was skeptical before I went to a homeopath, but at that time I had nothing to lose since the MDs weren't helping me.
Kathy writes: My symptoms started on Wednesday with a scratchy throat. Thursday more scratchy throat and into a dry cough. By Thursday night I was laying in bed with fever, chills and body aches. My body ached so severely around my chest/rib area that I had to sit up to catch my breath. Around 9:00p.m. I decided that I would force myself to go to the drugstore and purchase some Oscillo and put it to the test. I took one dose immediately. I woke up the next morning and my fever, chills and body aches were GONE. I went on to develop what I would call a bad cold virus. I’ve had the dry cough, congestion, sneezing and tiredness. So I would say that it didn’t take AWAY my virus but it most definitely cut the severity of the symptoms. I’ve been able to function as normal, with a few extra naps and earlier bedtimes but not “flat on back in bed with the flu for a week”.
Just a sampling... thank you everyone for taking the time to email me!! :-)
Next on the adgenda: Alain the therapy wonder dog!! It was really great to hear from all of you about the story ((which you should be able to watch right from the video player on the health homepage)).
Mark writes: Hi Steph!
The story about the Providence dog was outstanding! There needs to be more stories like that on the news. Kudos!
Sue writes: Hi!
I was a puppy raiser for CCI when I lived in Vancouver and knew Alain well. He and his puppy raiser were in our class in Longview. Thanks a bunch!
Sue, along with Brighton and Norm (Both former CCI puppies in training and now Delta Certified therapy dogs living in the St. Louis metro area) :<)
John writes: Steph,
Great segment on Alain the therapy dog. Maybe I'll see you on NWCN.
Have a good week.
And here is some of what Jami writes: Hi Stephanie,
I was surprised and happy to see the story about Alain, the new staff member at Providence. About 11 years ago, my husband was in the ICU, in a medically induced coma. It took a lot of persuasion on my part, but I finally was given permission to bring our yellow lab - Calamity Jane in to see him. It was unprecedented at that time.
I brought her in and within minutes, he reached his hand out to pet her. He had been in the coma for well over 50 days and from that point on he slowly got better. At about 67 days, he was able to move out to a regular room.
I just was really glad it finally happened after all these years. I knew when we took Calamity around the hospital to visit other patients, beside my husband - that it was a very good thing for everyone. She touched a lot of hearts back then as I am sure Alain will now.
Thank you for your report on this special addition to our health care system.
And finally an update on our firefighter competition up in Vancouver:
Healther writes: Hi Stephanie!
It is week 5 of the Fire Department Biggest Loser Competition and the guys and gals at CCFD6 & VFD {Steph's note: Clark County Fire District 6 and Vancouver Fire Department} are still working hard and have lost a lot of weight! The total weight for CCFD6 is currently 5892 with 170 lbs lost and the total weight of VFD is 7197 with 214 lbs lost. That means CCFD6 has lost 2.88% total body weight and VFD has lost 2.97% total body weight! The margins are shrinking, but VFD is still in the lead!
Heather
Nicely done!!!
P.S. Heather just had a baby!!! CONGRATULATIONS HEATHER!!!!
Email me: Stephanie Stricklen.. and a big hello to Marci.. great blog Marci!!! ;-)
Yeah, the asteroid reference is from my story tonite (Thursday) on Oscillo. If you didn't see it on the news you should be able to check it out by Friday morning by clicking on the health page and looking for the video there.
Now to the nitty gritty stuff on Oscillo:
Want to share your experience with Oscillo?? Click Here
Now to the disclaimers. I'm including some websites for you to check out-- they all have their own agendas and my guess is if you have strong feelings about Oscillo one way or the other you will find a website that suits you. If you are middle-of-the-road you can check out the sites which may or may not help you.
Oscillo website: http://www.oscillo.com/
Homeo Info.com Oscillo site: http://homeoinfo.com/06_materia_medica/other/oscillococcinum.php
National Center for Homeopathy: http://www.homeopathic.org/
Quackwatch.org Oscillo: http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/homeo.html
USNews.com Oscillo story: http://www.usnews.com/usnews/biztech/articles/970217/archive_006221.htm
Marketing materials for Oscillo stress that it is FDA regulated as a drug. As some of the above websites touched on (like the USNews story), what that means is open to interpretation. I asked the FDA to give me something I could include in my report and I'll give that to you here in full:
Oscillo (oscillococcinum) is marketed by Boiron as an over-the-counter homeopathic drug product. Homeopathic drug products fall within the definition of "drugs" at section 201(g)(1) of the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (ACT), which references articles recognized in the official Homeopathic Pharmacopeia of the United States, as well as articles intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or the prevention of disease and articles (other than food) intended to affect the structure or function of the body. We understand that Oscillo is offered to relieve flu symptoms, which would cause it to be a drug within the above definition.
Under the Act, "new drugs" -- those that are not generally recognized by scientific experts as safe and effective for their labeled uses -- must get agency approval before they are marketed. However, under a Compliance Policy Guide (CPG), FDA generally does not apply this requirement to homeopathic products. The CPG -- titled "Section 400.400 Conditions Under Which Homeopathic Drugs May be Marketed," can be found at http://www.fda.gov/ora/compliance_ref/cpg/cpgdrg/cpg400-400.html. Other requirements of the Act, including labeling, facility registration, and good manufacturing practice requirements continue to apply to homeopathic drugs.
We have reviewed certain information about Oscillo, but as a matter of policy, we do not discuss our enforcement determinations and we limit communications about ongoing actions to the targets of those actions.
And finally, the studies... I couldn't include them and explain their pros and cons. That would have taken more time than the whole story itself.
It looks like there is really only one study that was published in a widely well-known, peer-reviewed journal. The study size was relatively small (about 480 people), which is larger than some other studies I cover! It did show that compared to a placebo.. Oscillo helped people with a flu like illness in the short-term.
But some doctors I talked to had problems with even that study saying that in the end it was a wash. In other words, the results vanished over time and people self-reported that the placebo helped them just as much as the Oscillo did. You know, studies are like that, I've found. You can probably find one to prove or disprove anything. The trick is to get a wide variety of studies done under different circumstances and look at the whole body of evidence. That's just not going to happen with Oscillo for many reasons.
Phew. That was a long one, eh?
Hey check out my friend Gina goofing off in the snow up in the mountains:
She was on a cross country skiing trip with her boyfriend Phil:
And here's a pic of little Megan (Remember the new Dr. McDreamy? Well, this is his older sister who took a likin' to those glasses. Her baby bro Jack is chillin' in the background looking cute as ever....)
And here she is developing her artistic talents:
Rob nailed it when he wrote me to say:
Cute, Cute, Cute,Cute, Cute, Cute,Cute, Cute, Cute,Cute, Cute, Cute,
Cute, Cute, Cute,Cute, Cute, Cute,Cute, Cute, Cute,Cute, Cute, Cute,
Cute, Cute, Cute,Cute, Cute, Cute,Cute, Cute, Cute,Cute, Cute, Cute,
Cute, Cute, Cute,Cute, Cute, Cute,Cute, Cute, Cute,Cute, Cute, Cute,
Cute, Cute, Cute,Cute, Cute, Cute,Cute, Cute, Cute,Cute, Cute, Cute,
Cute, Cute, Cute,Cute, Cute, Cute,Cute, Cute, Cute,Cute, Cute, Cute,
Cute, Cute, Cute,Cute, Cute, Cute,Cute, Cute, Cute,Cute, Cute, Cute,
Cute, Cute, Cute,Cute, Cute, Cute,Cute, Cute, Cute,Cute, Cute, Cute,
Cute, Cute, Cute,Cute, Cute, Cute,Cute, Cute, Cute,Cute, Cute, Cute,
Cute, Cute, Cute,Cute, Cute, Cute,Cute, Cute, Cute,Cute, Cute, Cute,
Cute, Cute, Cute,Cute, Cute, Cute,Cute, Cute, Cute,Cute, Cute, Cute,
CARDS !!!!!
There I said it! hahahahahaha
Yeah, I think I only said 'cute' once today. :->
Still to come: the Vancouver versus Clark County Fire District 6 weight loss challenge... Who gets bragging rights for the most weight lost?? And, a bunch of you sent me your thoughts about the pet therapy story I did ((you can also watch it on the health page)). I'll get some of those up tomorrow. THANKS for emailing me!!
email me: Stephanie Stricklen
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