Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame: Definitive 200 Albums (Part 2)

The Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame has just published it's Definitive 200 albums of all time. Yesterday, I posted the first 100 album artists and titles.
Again, some of the choices are obviously good ones. Others, like Dixie Chicks, Tool, Jay-Z and Outkast are questionable (to put it politely). I jokingly said that I suspect some of the HoF staff is on crack yesterday. Of course, that wasn't a serious comment -- though it could be a fair assumption when reading some of the choices -- along with being tone deaf AND not knowing talent from non-talent.
Anyway, here is the remainder of the list -- numbers 101 - 200 (renumbered by my software, dangit).

1. TOM PETTY – FULL MOON FEVER – 1989
2. VAN HALEN – 1984 – 1984
3. SOUNDTRACK – TITANIC – 1997
4. CROSBY STILLS & NASH – DÉJÀ VU – 1970
5. TLC – CRAZYSEXYCOOL – 1999
6. BECK – ODELAY – 1994
7. KENNY G – BREATHLESS – 1992
8. NWA. – STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON – 1989
9. SEX PISTOLS – NEVER MIND THE BOLLOCKS – 1977
10. BEATLES – RUBBER SOUL – 1965
11. RADIOHEAD – O.K. COMPUTER – 1997
12. SIMON & GARFUNKEL – BRIDGE OVER TROUBLE WATER – 1970
13. DIXIE CHICKS – FLY – 1999
14. METALLICA – AND JUSTICE FOR ALL – 1988
15. MICHAEL JACKSON – DANGEROUS – 1991
16. MARIAH CAREY – DAYDREAM – 1995
17. SOUNDTRACK – TOP GUN – 1999
18. ELTON JOHN – GOODBYE YELLOW BRICK ROAD – 1973
19. POLICE – SYNCHRONICITY – 1983
20. NO DOUBT – TRAGIC KINGDOM – 1995
21. ROLLING STONES – BEGGAR’S BANQUET – 1968
22. R KELLY – R – 1998
23. TOOL – LATERALUS – 2001
24. OASIS – WHAT’S THE STORY MORNING GLORY – 1995
25. BOB MARLEY – EXODUS – 1977
26. JOURNEY – ESCAPE – 1981
27. CHRISTINA AGUILERA – CHRISTINA AGUILERA – 1999
28. JAY-Z – BLUEPRINT – 2001
29. ALICIA KEYS – DIARY OF ALICIA KEYS – 2003
30. SOUNDTRACK – O BROTHER WHERE ART THOU? – 2000
31. CARS – CARS – 1978
32. ENYA – DAY WITHOUT RAIN – 2000
33. NATALIE COLE – UNFORGETTABLE WITH LOVE NATALIE COLE – 1991
34. SOUNDTRACK – FOOTLOOSE – 1984
35. LIONEL RICHIE – CAN’T SLOW DOWN – 1983
36. SARAH MCLACHLAN – SURFACING – 1997
37. BONNIE RAITT – NICK OF TIME – 1989
38. METALLICA – RIDE THE LIGHTNING – 1984
39. SHERYL CROW – TUESDAY NIGHT MUSIC CLUB – 1993
40. FRANK SINATRA – IN THE WEE SMALL HOURS – 1954
41. EARTH WIND FIRE – GRATITUDE – 1975
42. ZZ TOP – ELIMINATOR – 1983
43. WILLIE NELSON – RED HEADED STRANGER – 1975
44. JOHN LENNON – IMAGINE – 1971
45. TONI BRAXTON – TONI BRAXTON – 1993
46. ETTA JAMES – AT LAST – 1961
47. ELVIS PRESLEY – ELVIS PRESLEY – 1956
48. CAT STEVENS – TEA FOR THE TILLERMAN – 1970
49. SMASHING PUMPKINS – MELLON COLLIE & THE INFINITE SADNESS – 1995
50. DAVE BRUBECK – TIME OUT – 1959
51. JANET JACKSON – JANET – 1993
52. QUEEN – A NIGHT AT THE OPERA – 1975
53. OZZY OSBOURNE – BLIZZARD OF OZZ –1980
54. WILL SMITH – BIG WILLIE STYLE – 1997
55. PRINCE – SIGN OF THE TIMES – 1987
56. PUBLIC ENEMY – IT TAKES A NATION OF MILLIONS TO HOLD US BACK – 1988
57. BOB DYLAN – BLOOD ON THE TRACKS – 1975
58. GEORGE MICHAEL - FAITH – 1987
59. BOYZ II MEN – COOLEYHIGHHARMONY – 1993
60. DESTINY’S CHILD – WRITING’S ON THE WALL – 1999
61. JAY-Z – BLACK ALBUM – 2003
62. AVRIL LAVIGNE – LET GO – 2002
63. FUGEES – SCORE – 1996
64. MADONNA – LIKE A VIRGIN – 1984
65. LED ZEPPELIN – LED ZEPPELIN – 1969
66. STEVIE RAY VAUGHN – TEXAS FLOOD – 1983
67. STONE TEMPLE PILOTS – CORE – 1992
68. ORIGINAL CAST – PHANTOM OF THE OPERA HIGHLIGHTS – 1988
69. JETHRO TULL – AQUALUNG – 1971
70. TUPAC – ME AGAINST THE WORLD – 1995
71. DAVID BOWIE – RISE AND FALL OF ZIGGY STARDUST – 1972
72. SHAKIRA – LAUNDRY SERVICE – 2002
73. SOUNDTRACK – FORREST GUMP – 2001
74. AL GREEN – CALL ME – 1973
75. CURTIS MAYFIELD – SUPERFLY – 1997
76. LIVE – THROWING COPPER – 1994
77. GEORGE BENSON – BREEZIN’ – 1976
78. WHITE STRIPES – WHITE BLOOD CELLS – 2001
79. LYNYRD SKYNYRD – PRONOUNCED LEH-NERD SKIN-ERD – 1973
80. SADE – DIAMOND LIFE – 1984
81. FLEETWOOD MAC – FLEETWOOD MAC – 1975
82. PAUL MCCARTNEY & WINGS – BAND ON THE RUN – 1973
83. BEYONCE – DANGEROUSLY IN LOVE – 2003
84. ANITA BAKER – RAPTURE – 1986
85. NAS – IIIMATIC – 1994
86. BARBARA STREISAND – A STAR IS BORN – 1976
87. EARTH WIND FIRE – THAT’S THE WAY OF THE WORLD – 1975
88. ANITA BAKER – RHYTHM OF LOVE – 1994
89. JAY-Z – IN MY LIFETIME VOL 1 – 1997
90. LL COOL J – MAMA SAID KNOCK YOU OUT – 1990
91. STEELY DAN – AJA – 1977
92. WILLIE NELSON – STARDUST – 1978
93. ARETHA FRANKLIN – SPARKLE – 1976
94. ANDREA BOCELLI – ANDREA – 2004
95. BOB DYLAN – BRINGING IT ALL BACK HOME – 1965
96. LUTHER VANDROSS – NEVER TOO MUCH – 1981
97. U2 – ALL THAT YOU CAN’T LEAVE BEHIND – 2000
98. RUSH – 2112 – 1976
99. OUTKAST – AQUEMINI – 1998
100. GRAND FUNK RAILROAD – WE’RE AN AMERICAN BAND – 1973

Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame: Definitive 200 Albums (Part 1)

The Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame has just published it's Definitive 200 -- a list of the must-have, awe-inspiring, head-banging, juke-jivin', whinin' & cryin', toe-tappin' best albums of all time. The Top 100 albums are listed below. Just for kicks, the albums in bold are some of my favorites -- though not in the Hall's order.
I personally would move Boston's first album, along with Aerosmith's Toys in the Attic and Dire Straits' Brothers in Arms (among others) higher on the list. How that no-talent punk Eminem made it into the top FIVE-hundred, I'll never understand. Some of the folks at the HoF must be hard of hearing AND on crack. Wait! Celine Dion, Kid Rock and Dixie Chicks? Now, I know some of the Rock HoFamers are on crack. Jeez, Louise!

Anyway, I'll post the remaining definitive 100 tomorrow...

1. BEATLES – SGT. PEPPER’S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND – 1967
2. PINK FLOYD – DARK SIDE OF THE MOON – 1973
3. MICHAEL JACKSON – THRILLER – 1982
4. LED ZEPPELIN – LED ZEPPELIN IV – 1971
5. U2 – JOSHUA TREE –1987
6. ROLLING STONES – EXILE ON MAIN STREET – 1972
7. CAROLE KING – TAPESTRY – 1971
8. BOB DYLAN – HIGHWAY ‘61 REVISITED – 1965
9. BEACH BOYS – PET SOUNDS – 1966
10. NIRVANA – NEVERMIND – 1991
11. PEARL JAM – TEN – 1991
12. BEATLES – ABBEY ROAD – 1969
13. SANTANA – SUPERNATURAL – 1999
14. METALLICA – METALLICA – 1991
15. BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN – BORN TO RUN – 1975
16. PRINCE – PURPLE RAIN – 1984
17. AC/DC – BACK IN BLACK – 1980
18. ROLLING STONES – LET IT BLEED – 1969
19. DOORS – DOORS – 1967
20. GRATEFUL DEAD – AMERICAN BEAUTY – 1970
21. SHANIA TWAIN – COME ON OVER – 1997
22. WHO – WHO’S NEXT – 1971
23. STEVIE WONDER – SONGS IN THE KEY OF LIFE – 1976
24. FLEETWOOD MAC – RUMOURS – 1977
25. PINK FLOYD – [THE] WALL – 1979
26. ALANIS MORISSETTE – JAGGED LITTLE PILL – 1995
27. NORAH JONES – COME AWAY WITH ME – 2002
28. EMINEM – MARSHALL MATHERS LP – 2000
29. OUTKAST – SPEAKERBOXX-LOVE BELOW – 2003
30. DR. DRE – CHRONIC – 1992
31. BEASTIE BOYS – LICENSED TO ILL – 1986
32. GUNS ‘N ROSES –APPETITE FOR DESTRUCTION – 1987
33. DIXIE CHICKS – WIDE OPEN SPACES – 1998
34. MILES DAVIS – KIND OF BLUE – 1959
35. EAGLES – HOTEL CALIFORNIA – 1976
36. DEF LEPPARD – HYSTERIA – 1987
37. SOUNDTRACK – GREASE – 1980
38. MARVIN GAYE – WHAT’S GOING ON – 1978
39. BEATLES – WHITE ALBUM – 1968
40. SOUNDTRACK – SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER – 1977
41. JIMI HENDRIX – ARE YOU EXPERIENCED? – 1967
42. BEATLES – REVOLVER – 1966
43. BOSTON – BOSTON – 1976
44. BON JOVI – SLIPPERY WHEN WET – 1986
45. U2 – ACHTUNG BABY – 1991
46. WHITNEY HOUSTON – WHITNEY HOUSTON – 1985
47. LED ZEPPELIN – LED ZEPPELIN II – 1969
48. DAVE MATTHEWS BAND – CRASH – 1996
49. ROLLING STONES – STICKY FINGERS – 1971
50. GREEN DAY – DOOKIE – 1994
51. LED ZEPPELIN – HOUSES OF THE HOLY –1973
52. JONI MITCHELL – BLUE – 1971
53. ELVIS PRESLEY – ELVIS AT SUN – 2004
54. AEROSMITH – TOYS IN THE ATTIC – 1975
55. LAURYN HILL – MISEDUCATION OF LAURYN HILL – 1998
56. BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN – BORN IN THE U.S.A. – 1984
57. 50 CENT – GET RICH OR DIE TRYIN’ – 2003
58. AC/DC – HIGHWAY TO HELL – 1979
59. NOTORIOUS B.I.G. – LIFE AFTER DEATH – 1997
60. VAN HALEN – VAN HALEN – 1978
61. GREEN DAY – AMERICAN IDIOT – 2004
62. BLACK SABBATH – PARANOID – 1971
63. EMINEM – EMINEM SHOW – 2000
64. JEWEL – PIECES OF YOU – 1995
65. COLDPLAY – RUSH OF BLOOD TO THE HEAD – 2002
66. MEATLOAF – BAT OUT OF HELL – 1977
67. USHER – CONFESSIONS – 2004
68. KID ROCK – DEVIL WITHOUT A CAUSE – 1998
69. GEORGE HARRISON – ALL THINGS MUST PASS – 1970
70. BILLY JOEL – STRANGER – 1977
71. EAGLES – HELL FREEZES OVER – 1994
72. VAN MORRISON – MOONDANCE – 1970
73. REM – AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE – 1992
74. PHIL COLLINS – NO JACKET REQUIRED – 1985
75. METALLICA – MASTER OF PUPPETS – 1986
76. FAITH HILL – BREATHE – 1999
77. JOHNNY CASH – AT FOLSOM PRISON – 1968
78. JOHN COLTRANE – LOVE SUPREME – 1964
79. PINK FLOYD – WISH YOU WERE HERE – 1975
80. MICHAEL JACKSON – OFF THE WALL – 1979
81. MARVIN GAYE – LET’S GET IT ON – 1973
82. BOB SEGER – NIGHT MOVES – 1976
83. PAUL SIMON – GRACELAND – 1986
84. LINKIN PARK – HYBRID THEORY – 2000
85. PRINCE – 1999 – 1983
86. DEF LEPPARD – PYROMANIA – 1983
87. JANET JACKSON – CONTROL – 1986
88. RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS – BLOOD SUGAR SEX MAGIK – 1991
89. DIRE STRAITS – BROTHERS IN ARMS – 1985
90. TUPAC – ALL EYEZ ON ME – 1996
91. MATCHBOX TWENTY – YOURSELF OR SOMEONE LIKE YOU – 1996
92. RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS – CALIFORNICATION – 1999
93. LED ZEPPELIN – PHYSICAL GRAFFITI – 1975
94. NELLY – COUNTRY GRAMMAR – 2000
95. CREED – HUMAN CLAY – 1999
96. CLASH – LONDON CALLING – 1979
97. CELINE DION – FALLING INTO YOU – 1996
98. NEIL YOUNG – HARVEST – 1972
99. SOUNDTRACK – DIRTY DANCING – 1987
100. DIXIE CHICKS – HOME – 2002

Technology History: Michelangelo

The Michelangelo virus was the first computer virus to capture the attention of the mass media. Set to execute on March 6, 1992 (the birth day of the famous Renaissance artist of the same name), the virus was predicted to destroy data on all personal computers on which it was loaded. The hype lead to many first-time installations of anti-virus software and other computer checks. All told, less than 10,000 PCs worldwide were affected as a result of the Michelangelo virus.
The good news is that consumers woke up to the fact that hackers were out there trying to damage their systems.

Sales of Rap Albums Take Stunning Nosedive

Source: FOXNews.com

Maybe it was the umpteenth coke-dealing anthem or soft-porn music video. Perhaps it was the preening antics that some call reminiscent of Stepin Fetchit. The turning point is hard to pinpoint. But after 30 years of growing popularity, rap music is now struggling with an alarming sales decline and growing criticism from within about the culture's negative effect on society.
Rap insider Chuck Creekmur, who runs the leading Web site Allhiphop.com, says he got a message from a friend recently "asking me to hook her up with some Red Hot Chili Peppers because she said she's through with rap. A lot of people are sick of rap ... the negativity is just over the top now."
The rapper Nas, considered one of the greats, challenged the condition of the art form when he titled his latest album "Hip-Hop is Dead." It's at least ailing, according to recent statistics: Though music sales are down overall, rap sales slid a whopping 21 percent from 2005 to 2006, and for the first time in 12 years no rap album was among the top 10 sellers of the year. A recent study by the Black Youth Project showed a majority of youth think rap has too many violent images. In a poll of black Americans by The Associated Press and AOL-Black Voices last year, 50 percent of respondents said hip-hop was a negative force in American society.
Nicole Duncan-Smith grew up on rap, worked in the rap industry for years and is married to a hip-hop producer. She still listens to rap, but says it no longer speaks to or for her. She wrote the children's book "I Am Hip-Hop" partly to create something positive about rap for young children, including her 4-year-old daughter. "I'm not removed from it, but I can't really tell the difference between Young Jeezy and Yung Joc. It's the same dumb stuff to me," says Duncan-Smith, 33. "I can't listen to that nonsense ... I can't listen to another black man talk about you don't come to the 'hood anymore and ghetto revivals ... I'm from the 'hood. How can you tell me you want to revive it? How about you want to change it? Rejuvenate it?"
Hip-hop also seems to be increasingly blamed for a variety of social ills. Studies have attempted to link it to everything from teen drug use to increased sexual activity among young girls. Even the mayhem that broke out in Las Vegas during last week's NBA All-Star Game was blamed on hip-hoppers. "(NBA Commissioner) David Stern seriously needs to consider moving the event out of the country for the next couple of years in hopes that young, hip-hop hoodlums would find another event to terrorize," columnist Jason Whitlock, who is black, wrote on AOL.
While rap has been in essence pop music for years, and most rap consumers are white, some worry that the black community is suffering from hip-hop — from the way America perceives blacks to the attitudes and images being adopted by black youth. But the rapper David Banner derides the growing criticism as blacks joining America's attack on young black men who are only reflecting the crushing problems within their communities. Besides, he says, that's the kind of music America wants to hear. "Look at the music that gets us popular — 'Like a Pimp,'," says Banner, naming his hit. "What makes it so difficult is to know that we need to be doing other things. But the truth is at least us talking about what we're talking about, we can bring certain things to the light," he says. "They want (black artists) to shuck and jive, but they don't want us to tell the real story because they're connected to it."
Criticism of hip-hop is certainly nothing new — it's as much a part of the culture as the beats and rhymes. Among the early accusations were that rap wasn't true music, its lyrics were too raw, its street message too polarizing. But they rarely came from the youthful audience itself, which was enraptured with genre that defined them as none other could. "As people within the hip-hop generation get older, I think the criticism is increasing," says author Bakari Kitwana, who is currently part of a lecture tour titled "Does Hip-Hop Hate Women?" "There was a more of a tendency when we were younger to be more defensive of it," he adds.
During her '90s crusade against rap's habit of degrading women, the late black activist C. Dolores Tucker certainly had few allies within the hip-hop community, or even among young black women. Backed by folks like conservative Republican William Bennett, Tucker was vilified within rap circles. In retrospect, "many of us weren't listening," says Tracy Denean Sharpley-Whiting, a professor at Vanderbilt University and author of the new book "Pimps Up, Ho's Down: Hip-Hop's Hold On Young Black Women." "She was onto something, but most of us said, 'They're not calling me a bitch, they're not talking about me, they're talking about THOSE women.' But then it became clear that, you know what? Those women can be any women."
One rap fan, Bryan Hunt, made the searing documentary "Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes," which debuted on PBS this month. Hunt addresses the biggest criticisms of rap, from its treatment of women to the glorification of the gangsta lifestyle that has become the default posture for many of today's most popular rappers. "I love hip-hop," Hunt, 36, says in the documentary. "I sometimes feel bad for criticizing hip-hop, but I want to get us men to take a look at ourselves."
Even dances that may seem innocuous are not above the fray. Last summer, as the "Chicken Noodle Soup" song and accompanying dance became a sensation, Baltimore Sun pop critic Rashod D. Ollison mused that the dance — demonstrated in the video by young people stomping wildly from side to side — was part of the growing minstrelization of rap music. "The music, dances and images in the video are clearly reminiscent of the era when pop culture reduced blacks to caricatures: lazy 'coons,' grinning 'pickaninnies,' sexually super-charged 'bucks,"' he wrote. And then there's the criminal aspect that has long been a part of rap. In the '70s, groups may have rapped about drug dealing and street violence, but rap stars weren't the embodiment of criminals themselves. Today, the most popular and successful rappers boast about who has murdered more foes and rhyme about dealing drugs as breezily as other artists sing about love.
Creekmur says music labels have overfed the public on gangsta rap, obscuring artists who represent more positive and varied aspects of black life, like Talib Kweli, Common and Lupe Fiasco. "It boils down to a complete lack of balance, and whenever there's a complete lack of balance people are going to reject it, whether it's positive or negative," Creekmur says. Yet Banner says there's a reason why acts like KRS-One and Public Enemy don't sell anymore. He recalled that even his own fans rebuffed positive songs he made — like "Cadillac on 22s," about staying away from street life — in favor of songs like "Like a Pimp." "The American public had an opportunity to pick what they wanted from David Banner," he says. "I wish America would just be honest. America is sick. ... America loves violence and sex."

HPV Infection Is Common in U.S. Women

CDC Study: More Than 1 in 4 U.S. Women Aged 14-59 Has HPV Infection

Source: WebMD.com

Human papillomavirus is common among U.S. women, especially those in their early 20s, says the CDC. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is America's most common sexually transmitted infection. HPV infection typically clears within two years, and most infected people don't realize they have the virus. However, some strains of HPV can cause cervical, anal, and other genital cancers, note the CDC's Eileen Dunne, MD, MPH, and colleagues.
Dunne's team calculated the total number of U.S. women aged 14-59 with HPV infection from 2003 to 2004. More than one in four U.S. women in that age range -- nearly 27% -- had HPV infection. That equals nearly 25 million U.S. women, according to the CDC. About 3 million had any of the four HPV strains targeted by Gardasil, a vaccine designed to prevent cervical cancer and genital warts, the CDC estimates.

HPV Infection in Young Women
HPV infection was most common among women aged 20-24. Nearly half of the women in that age group (49%) had HPV infection. A third of women aged 14-24 had HPV infection. That's nearly 7.5 million -- far more than previous estimates that 4.6 million women in that age range had HPV. Older women were less likely to have HPV infection, the study shows. Data came from 1,921 women who submitted self-collected vaginal swabs for a national health study conducted from 2003 to 2004. The findings appear in The Journal of the American Medical Association.

Vaccine's Impact
The data was gathered before Gardasil became available. Gardasil's debut may change HPV prevalence, note journal editorialists Susan Weller, PhD, and Lawrence Stanberry, MD, PhD, of the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. They recommend tracking HPV prevalence over time, in part, to see how Gardasil affects the number of women with HPV strains targeted by the vaccine.

EDITORIAL: Can we extrapolate that many young American girls are SLUTS?!? Maybe, maybe not. Although the CDC didn't mention statistics for married and unmarried women, other studies would support the fact that unmarried women in the 14-20 group are the highest demographic in the STI infected population. Teenagers and twenty-somethings think they can be promiscuous and there are no consequences. TV, magazines and the Internet advertise sex, sex sex -- without any thought of responsibility. STIs are the body's way of telling us that we are NOT meant to have multiple sexual partners in a free-for-all environment. This is yet another example of American society reaping what it has sewn.

Painkiller Risk: High Blood Pressure

Study Shows Pain Drugs in Your Medicine Cabinet Carry Risk of High Blood Pressure By Daniel DeNoon /WebMD.com

The most widely used medicines in the world -- over-the-counter pain drugs -- raise a person's risk of high blood pressure. It's true for men as well as for women, suggest new findings from Gary C. Curhan, MD, ScD, and colleagues at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston. The drugs in question include:

* NSAIDs such as ibuprofen (brand names include Advil and Motrin) and naproxen (brand names include Aleve and Naprosyn)
* Acetaminophen (brand names include Tylenol)
* Aspirin

"Even though these medications can be bought without a prescription, you have to think twice before taking them," Curhan tells WebMD. Curhan's team studied more than 16,000 male health professionals who did not already have high blood pressure. Their average age was 65.
Four years after entering the study, nearly 2,000 of the men had developed high blood pressure. High blood pressure -- called "the silent killer" by the American Heart Association -- can lead to stroke, heart attack, heart failure, or kidney failure.

More Blood Pressure Risk With Daily Painkillers
The study found that, compared with men who did not use pain relievers, the risk of high blood pressure:

* Went up 38% in men who took NSAIDs six or seven days a week.
* Went up 34% in men who took acetaminophen six or seven days a week.
* Went up 26% in men who took aspirin six or seven days a week.

That doesn't sound like a lot. But since the drugs are so widely used, the impact is huge. Curhan estimates that a 65-year-old man has a 3% annual risk of high blood pressure. With daily painkiller use, that risk becomes 4% a year. That 1% difference seems small, but it multiplies over time. Over just four years, a man's 12% risk of high blood pressure becomes 16%.
The findings aren't a total surprise, says Steven Nissen, MD, chairman of the Cleveland Clinic's department of cardiovascular medicine and president of the American College of Cardiology. "There has been a suspicion that all of these analgesics -- even a so-called safe analgesic like acetaminophen -- can raise blood pressure," Nissen tells WebMD. He notes that the design of the study does not definitively prove that these drugs raise the risk of high blood pressure. Only a full-scale clinical trial can do that. But Nissen says it's "probably true" that acetaminophen and other common painkillers raise blood pressure.

'Over-the-Counter' Doesn't Mean 'Safe'
Nissen warns that just because you can buy a drug without a prescription doesn't mean it's safe.
"Some of the most risky medications out there you can buy over the counter," he says. For some people, the drugs' risks outweigh their benefits. For others, the benefits still far outweigh the risks. "This doesn't mean you should never take these drugs," Curhan says. "But if you are taking them long term, it is important to talk to your health care provider to see if there are alternative ways of preventing your symptoms."
Curhan and colleagues report their findings in the Feb. 26 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

GMA Dove Awards Nominations Announced

Source: ChristianToday.com

Nominations were announced yesterday for the 38th Annual GMA Dove Awards by the Gospel Music Association (GMA).
While newcomers led the field alongside established artists, several producers and songwriters also earned multiple nominations. The Dove Awards is Christian/Gospel music’s biggest night of the year, where top artists from every style of gospel music come together for a night of music and celebration as the GMA bestows the industry’s highest honour - the Dove Award.
This year’s nominations were announced at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel by Flow Records’ Juanita Bynum, Reunion Records’ Brian Littrell and comedian Thor Ramsey. Dove awards will be handed out on 25 April, 2007 at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville.
2006’s Dove Award Artist of the Year Chris Tomlin once again leads the field of artists with nine nominations as Jars of Clay makes a return with six nods. Southern gospel artists The Crabb Family earns five nominations, while newcomers Aaron Shust and Leeland each garnered five nominations. Other multiple nominees include Casting Crowns, Stellar Kart, and Israel Houghton with four nominations each.
“It’s always fascinating to see which artists GMA members believe to be the best in Christian/Gospel music,” said John W. Styll, president and CEO of the GMA.

“This year, like in others, established artists like Chris Tomlin, Jars of Clay and The Crabb Family have been recognised for their continued excellence while Aaron Shust, Leeland and Stellar Kart reflect a new wave of vibrant young artists beginning to make their impact in the gospel music community. ‘Vibrant’ and ‘excellent’ are also great descriptions for what promises to be an engaging, entertaining and inspiring Dove Awards show, filled with performances that will reflect all the great diversity that is gospel and Christian music.”

Top nominees Tomlin and Jars of Clay are up for Artist of the Year along with The Crabb Family, Stellar Kart, Casting Crowns, TobyMac and Third Day, with ties in voting yielding seven nominees in this category instead of the usual five. Leeland and Shust are joined by DecembeRadio, Pocket Full Of Rocks and Ayiesha Woods in the New Artist of the Year category. Group of the Year nomination honours go to BarlowGirl, Casting Crowns, David Crowder Band, Jars of Clay and MercyMe.
Dove Awards will be handed out in 43 categories, one more than in previous years as Christmas Album of the Year was added as a new category for 2007. The Songwriter of the Year nominees were not announced yesterday, but will be revealed prior to the GMA Dove Awards. Dove Awards nominations go to recordings released during the eligibility year 1 November, 2005 through 31 October, 2006 and voted on by the members of the GMA.

Report: Sexual Images Psychologically Damaging Young Girls

Sexualized images in the media are psychologically damaging young girls and corrupting childhood, according to a group of psychologists. The report says that virtually all media forms are promoting inappropriate images of products such as toys and clothing that are harmful to girls’ self image and healthy development. It specifically criticizes Bratz dolls (the prostitots of the toy world), which come dressed in miniskirts and fishnet stockings and outsell Barbie dolls in Britain by two to one. Asda (a British megastore) has been condemned for marketing black lacy underwear to nine-year-olds.
The American Psychological Association’s (APA) report says that marketing companies take advantage of youngsters’ desire for affection and the need to conform, leading to eating disorders, low self-esteem and depression. Academics believe that the influence and attitudes of parents, siblings, and friends can also add to the pressures of sexualization.
Eileen Zurbriggen, the APA’s chairman, said: “The consequences of the sexualization of girls in media are likely to be a negative influence on girls’ healthy development. We have ample evidence to conclude that sexualization has negative effects in a variety of domains, including cognitive functioning, physical and mental health, and healthy sexual development.” The report says that parents can play a role in contributing to the sexualization of their daughters or can play a protective and educative role.

Source: FOX News.com

"As a society, we need to replace all of these sexualized images with ones showing girls in positive settings - ones that show the uniqueness and competence of girls," states Dr. Zurbriggen. "The goal should be to deliver messages to all adolescents - boys and girls - that lead to healthy sexual development."

Link: NewsWise.com

EDITORIAL: I've been saying this for YEARS! Sexualization of our children is harmful to them. It's unfortunate, but it happens almost everywhere. Even Wal-Mart (and other retailers) sell panties for 9-year olds, with sayings like, "Eye Candy" or "Sweet Tart" on them. That's disgusting!
With all of the freely available porn on the net (including child pornography), it's no wonder child sexual abuse is on the rise. The Cooey's of this world get their sick rocks off by abusing little girls who are driven towards being sexually enticing at younger and younger ages. The circle is vicious -- and children are ALWAYS the ones who lose.

Can Earth Dodge Asteroid Heading This Way?

This One is Uncomfortably Close, Scientists Warn, and Some Wonder if It Needs to Be Deflected
Circle your calendar. April 13th, 2036 could be a really, really bad day on planet Earth. A group of astronauts and engineers warns that an asteroid may pass uncomfortably close to Earth that day. The chances it will actually hit are just one in 45,000, but even at those odds, the scientists warn, the United Nations should consider a response.
Potential Threat
The scientists met this past weekend in San Francisco to discuss the potential threats asteroids pose to the Earth and what can be done to prevent a possible collision. Most feared is Apophis, a large asteroid that will pass within 10,000 miles of Earth around 2029 and even closer in 2036.
Dr. Dan Barry, a retired astronaut, told ABC News, "Even if the probability is low of an asteroid hitting earth, if it has the potential to have a significant impact then it has to be looked at. It is the absolutely responsible thing to do. In fact, it would irresponsible not to do so." Barry said more research is needed so that when a potentially dangerous asteroid is found, there is a plan in place. He said it is therefore important to start the search for asteroids now, to allow enough time to effectively deal with them.
Scientists believe that if advance warnings of dangerous asteroids like Apophis can be made decades in advance, there will be enough time to try and knock them off course. Suddenly, Bruce Willis on a mission to stop a devastating asteroid from destroying Earth, as he did in the movie "Armageddon," does not seem as far-fetched.
What Are The Solutions?
Nobody knows for sure what it would take to push a massive asteroid off its course, but the theoretical possibilities include detonating weapons on an asteroid's surface or using a gravitational pull to alter a possible collision course. But it could also break an asteroid into many pieces, all still headed toward Earth. Some scientists say a better option could be to launch a large satellite to rendezvous with an asteroid. The mass of the satellite alone could produce a gravitational pull to change the asteroid's course. Another suggestion is to crash a spacecraft into an asteroid in the hopes of changing its direction. "Done far enough away, only a small deflection would be needed and it is kept in one piece," said Barry.
In 1996, NEAR became the first spacecraft launched by NASA to orbit and land on an asteroid. The purpose of the mission was to determine the asteroid's mass, structure, gravity and magnetic field. Scientists hoped to gather this important information to help them understand asteroids. So while astronauts blowing up an asteroid may be movie fiction for now, scientists are already thinking about how to save Earth from a massive asteroid possibly on its way.

"Cellular Telephone" Bills Pose Potential Problems

Source: ARRL.org

Bills aimed at thwarting "driving while cellular" and "driving while distracted" behavior have been introduced in several states, and most are worded broadly enough to proscribe Amateur Radio mobile operation. ARRL Regulatory Information Specialist Dan Henderson, N1ND, so far has catalogued 10 active pieces of legislation. Bills introduced in Montana and New Mexico have been sidelined for now, but related measures -- more than one in some states -- remain alive in Georgia, Oregon, Texas, Vermont, Washington and Wyoming. Henderson reports that ARRL Field Organization volunteers and members called the League's attention to the various pieces of pending legislation, none of which specifically exempt Amateur Radio mobile operation. "In most cases we try to work to have language exempting Amateur Radio inserted into the bill, rather than narrowing by definition the behavior or activity the bill seeks to address," Henderson explains. "It is a far easier approach and removes ambiguity down the road."
Henderson says that, if requested, the League will advise radio amateurs preparing to testify about a bill before a state legislative committee. "We offer some suggestions regarding what to cover and how to approach their testimony," he said. "We also will speak with legislators or their aides to try and clarify questions or help them craft language that help accomplish our goal of specifically exempting Amateur Radio operation from these measures." Most of the measures include exceptions for emergency communication.
In Georgia, House Bill 5 (HB 5) would assess those anyone found to be "driving while distracted" while using a wireless communication device one driver's license infraction point. The bill defines "device" to cover not only cellular or mobile telephones -- whether or not they're hands-free, but any "wireless communication device, personal digital assistant, radio or citizens band radio." HB 5 thus appears to include such routine activities as changing the station on your car radio.
In Montana, House Bill 233 (HB 233) would restrict drivers from "the use of electronic communication devices, or any other activity that causes the driver to become inattentive." This bill was tabled in committee on January 30th, following a hearing a few days earlier.
In New Mexico, House Bill 241 (HB 241) would prohibit a driver from using "a mobile communication device while operating a motor vehicle." The measure has been tabled.
Three related bills now are in play in Oregon: House Bill 2482 (HB 2482) and Senate Bill 293 (SB 293) contain essentially the same language, making it an offense to operate a motor vehicle "while using a mobile communication device" without a hands-free accessory. Senate Bill 246 (SB 246) establishes such behavior as an offense, punishable by a fine of up to $180 and providing more serious consequences if property damage, injury or death result -- up to and including license suspension and prison terms.
In Texas, Senate Bill 154 (SB 154) would prohibit motor vehicle operators to use a "wireless communication device" while under way unless it was equipped for hands-free operation.
In Vermont, two measures are in play. House Bill 31 (HB 31) would make it a violation to use a "cellular telephone" while in motion on the highway, except in the event of an emergency. Enforcement would be secondary, however, and police would have to have first stopped the driver for a suspected violation of another traffic offense. A more-restrictive bill, HB 126, addresses "distracted driving," and cites "any activity involving the use of one or both of the driver's hands if the activity is not necessary for the operation of the vehicle or any of its installed accessories." The bill would include activities ranging from smoking, eating or drinking to "performing personal grooming," "interacting with pets or unsecured cargo" and "using personal communications technologies." Hands-free cell phone operation would be permissible, however.
In Washington, House Bill 1214 (HB 1214) would outlaw such activities as "reading, manually writing or sending a message on an electronic wireless communications device." The measure does not include an exception for hands-free devices.
In Wyoming, two nearly identical measures are alive. The more general legislation, House Bill 152 (HB 152) addresses using "a cellular or satellite telephone while operating a motor vehicle" without a hands-free device. House Bill 284 (HB 284) contains essentially identical language but specifies drivers operating under an "intermediate permit." Both incorporate an exemption for Citizens Band, but not for Amateur Radio operation.