Birthday dinner last week

My good friend Paul Novotny had a birthday last week, so last Saturday we went with Paul and Doreen to an Italian place – Lago Di Como – in Tarrytown to celebrate. Top notch cuisine Westchester Restaurants, Tarrytown, Dinner reservations in Westchester : Lago di Como Ristorante, Nothern Italian Cuisine And here’s Doreen and Paul: … Read more

Keeping a journal can be helpful for cancer patients

Here’s an interesting posting on the health blog at the NY Times. I left a comment. The Power of Words for Cancer Patients – Well – Tara Parker-Pope – Health – New York Times Blog Researchers from the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center in Washington, D.C., studied the effects of expressive writing on 71 adults with … Read more

FDA gives conditional approval for Avastin use by breast cancer patients.

I posted about this last week.  Tom Faranda’s Folly: The FDA and cancer drug testing The FDA went against past form and approved the drug – Breast Cancer Reprieve – WSJ.com Avastin shouldn’t have been controversial. But an FDA panel ruled that "progression-free survival" was not sufficient, because the agency’s usual acid test for anticancer … Read more

Hospitals and healthcare

Forbes magazine current issue cover story is entitled Bad Medicine. It looks at hospital care in general, with particular emphasis on competition between the large general hospitals, and so-called "specialty" hospitals that may offer limited services, like cardiac care, or hip and knee replacement. It’s an enlightening feature. Forbes website is free, buy you may … Read more

The death of William Buckley

The magazine he founded has a bunch of remembrances. National Review Online And here’s the NY Times – William F. Buckley Jr. Is Dead at 82 – New York Times Mr. Buckley’s greatest achievement was making conservatism — not just electoral Republicanism, but conservatism as a system of ideas — respectable in liberal post-World War … Read more

Darfur Update; some positive news

The NY Times had an analysis this morning – China, in New Role, Presses Sudan on Darfur – New York Times KHARTOUM, Sudan — Amid the international outrage over the bloodshed in Darfur, frustration has increasingly turned toward China, Sudan’s biggest trading partner and international protector, culminating in Steven Spielberg’s decision last week to withdraw … Read more

The FDA and cancer drug testing

Here’s an editorial from the Wall Street Journal this morning on approval of drugs for cancer treatment; specifically Avastin for breast cancer. Yesterday the Journal had a news feature article on this controversy (not available for free online). If the link doesn’t work the first time, try again – eventually it goes through – A … Read more

Evangelical Christians and the death penalty

From Christianity Today – a small rise in the number of people against capital punishment Capital Doubts | Christianity Today | A Magazine of Evangelical Conviction While the issue before the Supreme Court is narrow, the national mood on capital punishment itself seems to be shifting. New Jersey became the 14th state to outlaw executions … Read more