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`Hello everybody, new friends and old. I have really missed being a part of this community, but every since the motorcycle accident on May 14 I have felt that I have had little to share. There have also been a number of setbacks in the healing process that have thrown me into a long...
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Did you notice the plane depositing insecticide over Bakersfield last night?
The plane was scheduled to leave its runway in Shafter at about 8:10 p.m. and be overhead Bakersfield by 8:30 p.m. until about 1 a.m.
(Read "City gets sprayed for West Nile virus" in today's Californian.)...
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I've been lucky this year so far.
My cat killed a particularly big and gross looking American cockroach last weekend, but that's really the only bug I've found in my apartment. (But I probably just jinxed myself by saying that, so we'll see.)
But through reporting "Tell insects to bug...
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The local mosquito abatement office says pools abandoned in the recent housing decline are playing a big part in our high West Nile virus cases.
Some local Realtors disagree.
What do you think? (Read "Are local pools a real concern?" in today's Californian.)
Have you seen many...
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How much do you know about the food you eat?
I bet not as much as you think you do. Take the quiz on today's front page of The Californian to test your food IQ.
When I was putting the quiz together yesterday I was surprised several times by food that looks healthy but isn't and visa versa....
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By Publisher Ginger Moorhouse -- Aug. 5, 2007 -- It’s August. It’s hot. And the search for shade is on. Like many people, I try to run a few errands at noon or after work. But most of my time is spent trying to find a leaf of shade in local parking lots. I don’t mind walking a...
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Sen. Dean Florez has a new "blogspot," as he calls it, on West Nile virus at www.fightthebite.blogspot.com.
His older one, www.westnile.blogspot.com, hadn't been updated since 2005. (The Shafter Democrat likes to blog, if you didn't already know that. Read "Florez quite fond of...
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Two local brothers have created an exercise machine they claim can give you a full-body workout without the use of weights, instead using your own body as resistance. What do you think? Have you ever heard of an exercise machine without weights? If you don't believe them, check...
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West Nile virus was in the spotlight yesterday, but valley fever also got a nod.
(Read "Rising danger" in today's Californian.)
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's state-of-emergency proclamation over our rising West Nile virus cases says:
"Whereas there are also numerous...
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Happy belated birthday to my blog!
(Its real birthday was yesterday, but oh well.)
It's been fun blogging, and I've had the chance to get to know some of the frequent posters on B.com. You all have helped me see different points of view and given me tips for stories on a number of...
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The first birth-control pill that can halt women's menstrual periods indefinitely will be hitting pharmacy shelves this week.
Called Lybrel, it is designed to be taken without the placebo or pill-free time interval, according to the FDA news release. Women who use Lybrel would not have a...
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I just saw Michael Moore's Sicko (finally!) with some other reporters at a health journalism conference in Los Angeles.
Due to the wonders of Bakersfield movie distribution, I missed the small window of time when Sicko was in town.
Have you seen this yet? What did you think?
Considering...
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As Americans search for more healthy options and take less time for meals, fruit smoothie shops have gained in popularity both locally and nationwide.
Fruit smoothie sales in the United States have shot up more than 80 percent in the last five years, topping $2 billion last year, according to...
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Kern County has become the epicenter for West Nile virus in the state.
Twenty two cases have been diagnosed so far, and that probably only represents a fraction of total cases considering most are asymptomatic.
One woman has died from the disease. (Read more ...)
But do residents feel a...
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It has been a sobering morning.
I just took several longevity tests for a story I'm looking into. If I believe them, I have 54-64 years left. That puts me kicking the bucket sometime between 2061 and 2071.
Ironically, the test sponsored by the life insurance company gave me the most time....
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Eleven food companies have pledged to self impose limits on advertising to children, fearing government regulation.
According to the New York Times, McDonald's, Campbell Soup and PepsiCo, among others, have agreed to stop advertising to children under 12 products that do not meet certain...
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The Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development released hospital and surgeon death rates last week for a common surgical procedure for treating coronary heart disease.
This report is part of a statewide push for more transparency in health care, state officials said. (Read...
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Everyone knows iPods are evil, just like Starbucks and SUVs are evil.
But now it looks like that sentiment is being sent down from up on high as well.
The New England Journal of Medicine has a letter this week from a doctor who treated a man hit by lightning while listening to his iPod....
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I remember the moment I became, if not a liberal, at least a moderate. Considering myself fortunate to get through the screening process I, felt honored to have and opportunity to speak to directly to such a venerable member of "my" party. Never in my life...
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The state medical board has come down on several local doctors in the last year: Nadjmabadi, Jellinek, Cosgrove, Fritch, Mosser, Loos.
Now a physician assistant is being added to the list.
The state medical board is seeking to revoke or suspend John Harvey Cates' medical license after he...
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During my lunch break Thursday, I popped over to a new farmer's market downtown.
It's sponsored by Clinica Sierra Vista and is at the northeast corner of Truxtun Avenue and Chester Avenue in the courtyard between the Bank of America and Fresno Pacific buildings.
The blackberries I got were...
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I wish I could have put this up earlier, but a new mom blogged her home birth yesterday.
The blog is called "Momcast: Subvert the Dominant Motherhood." I don't think she is local, but it's an interesting and detailed read. (Warning: This is not for the easily squeamish.)
10:41am:...
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I'm putting together a DIY (do-it-yourself) guide to health for The Californian's Eye Street section.
Along with writing about home testing and first aid basics, I was hoping to include some old wives' tales that are true.
For example, here are some of mine that I'm going to ask doctors...
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Monday morning, I awoke at 5:30, excited about the day. Having broken my fast over the weekend, I created a healthy meal and exercise plan and did all my grocery shopping. After a little searching in my closet, I found my weight lifting gloves and gym pass. I was ready to start!
The gym was a...
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We may live in the agricultural center of the state, but that doesn't mean everyone is being fed.
Kern County ranked No. 13 out of 41 counties and county groups for low-income individuals who have trouble getting quality food and who often can't afford meals, according to the study done by...
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This morning I awoke at 6:30 a.m., ready to break my fast of the past three days. I could have continued; my body did not say "feed me" this morning and I felt just as I had each day of my fast. But I had chosen to fast for only three days, and I was ready to start my new healthy eating...
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I've hardly blogged today, I've been so busy with work. Plus, I haven't really had much to blog about.
I have not thought about food but for three fleeting moments. Each time it was because my nose caught a draft of some scent that made me want to taste each of these items: scrambled eggs,...
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This morning, an anonymous blogger wrote this on one of my Day 2 blogs (Buffet in the brain)
"I find it interesting that you claim to have started this fast because you wanted to mitigate your "obsession with food" and, yet, here you are blogging three and four times a day about...
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I've made it through another 12-hour day at work, and I have watermelon left over. I have not needed nearly the amount of fruit as I did yesterday to get through my 3-day fast.
Today I have thought about food much less. As I felt a craving for a certain item, I made a note of it. They are:...
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I just returned to the office after surviving the hardest part of my fast: The monthly Kern Press Club board meeting. We always meet for lunch. Luckily three other board members also did not order lunch (I suppose they had other plans) but three did. And their lunches looked GOOD!
Tuna...
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Last night was hard. I got home from work around 8:30 and went to the kitchen to rinse out my watermelon container. I knew I was surrounded by food, so I quickly left. I watched Planet Earth on the Discovery Channel for 1/2 hour, then decided I better just go to bed. I ate a couple bites of...
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I sadly just bid farewell to a handful of co-workers who were heading over to Mama Roomba's (my favorite downtown restaurant) for drinks. They were nice about it; they invited me on their way out.
No thank you, I said. I'm fasting!
I am scared to go home tonight. There is so much food in my...
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At 3 p.m. yesterday, I was nearly crippled by a headache. I had to get some ice tea to satisfy my caffeine withdrawal.
But it is 4 p.m. now and I have successfully made it through the day with no headache so far. I feel great!
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Randomfactor, this is for you.
This photo was taken of me in March when I was promoted. It ran in the newspaper! You can clearly see my weight gain over the past two years in my face. In a few months, when I feel healthier, I'll ask a photographer to take another photo of me. THAT will be the...
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For those of you who were not privy to yesterday's amusing blog ("I'm Hungry"), I am undertaking a three-day fast. Yesterday was my "prep" day during which I tapered off my food intake and focused on drinking water. Lots of water. Good thing there is always a bathroom nearby....
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This show takes reality TV to a whole new level.
A Dutch television network is launching "The Big Donor," in which a terminally ill woman will pick who to give her kidneys to out of three contestants with kidney problems.
Her choice will be based on the contestants' history,...
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The U.S. government is undertaking some very ambitious and very controversial medical experiments.
The $50 million, five-year project, which will involve more than 20,000 patients in 11 sites in the United States and Canada, is designed to improve treatment after car accidents, shootings,...
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You may have heard all of these before, but if you haven't or are in need of a refresher, here's 10 steps to better health, courtesy of California First Lady Maria Shriver.
10 steps for parents:
If you eat healthfully, your family will too.
When your family's thirsty,...
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The red smudge in the center of the blue state of California may be more liberal than you think.
A recent study from the Public Health Institute found that 89 percent of Central Valley parents support comprehensive sex ed (abstinence, condoms and birth control) over an abstinence-only...
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Yoda knew something was up with Anakin Skywalker, and finally someone agrees with him.
Reporting their findings at the American Psychiatric Association's annual meeting, researchers have determined that the young Darth Vader meets the criteria for borderline personality disorder, right in...
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Disclaimer: Sexually transmitted diseases are very serious. It's always better to know what you have so you can protect yourself from infecting others. And if you find out you have one, you should tell your partner/partners, so they can be tested.
And not to take away from the toll STDs take...
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Six people have already accidentally drowned this year.
Help make sure you and your loved ones aren't added to that tally.
The health department, Department of Human Services and the fire department offer the following tips on having a safe Memorial Day and summer.
Home safety:...
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Photos of the pristine Big Mac dripping with cheese couldn't be true, though that's the image we normally have in our heads when ordering.
This site shows it like it actually is.
Thewvsr.com/adsvsreality.htm compares advertising photos of the fast-food big hitters — Arby's Beef 'n'...
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My day started with the bloody diarrhea of the local E. coli outbreak and now I've moved on to menstrual flow.
Talk about an ... ummm ... interesting day.
The first birth-control pill that can halt women's menstrual periods indefinitely won Food and Drug Administration approval today....
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OK, let's get graphic.
Following the county health department's theory, the children originally sickened in the recent E. coli outbreak — the two children who were sick before the notorious water slide party — came to the party and used the slide.
They were shedding E. coli...
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The state's uninsured population are overwhelmingly U.S. citizens and documented residents, according to a UCLA study.
The study, which is part of the California Health Interview Survey, found:
One in five of the 4.8 million Californians who were uninsured at the time they were...
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The county health department came out Monday with its idea of how E. coli bacteria was spread to nine children and one adult.
Two children contracted the bacteria between April 16 and April 24.
They spread it to the other children by a water slide (see image) at a backyard party on...
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Vicki Moore awoke on her birthday, May 3, to find banners up, loved ones singing "Happy Birthday" and a Krispy Kreme doughnut brought in from Fresno especially for her.
She enjoyed two strawberry-filled cakes with butter cream icing — her favorite cake — and a private...
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"These days when somebody smokes in the movies, they're either a psychopath or European."
— Thank You For Smoking
Unless a movie shows the side effects of smoking (i.e. Robert Downey Jr.'s character in "Zodiac") or places it within a...
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You've heard it since you were little and you see it posted in public restrooms: WASH YOUR HANDS!!!!!
And you may think you know your way around a faucet and a bar of Dial, but do you really?
With the recent outbreak of a possible foodborne illness among children, public health officials...
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