http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/12/business/12botox.html?ref=health
So, yes, apaprently Botox ISN'T just skin deep. Apparently, in addition to botox being used to treat wrinkles, it is being used for: migranes, speech impediments, oily skin and redness, chewing problems, swallowing problems, pelvic muscle spasms, drooling, hair loss, anal fissures (whatever THAT is), pain from missing limbs, biological weapons, excessive sweating, musle spasms and stroke victims. What's next? Will people be using Botox to enhance their breasts or penis size? Will they be using it to gain brain capacity and increase memory? Will they be taking it to increase fertility or cure cancer? Or cure HIV/AIDS?
Seriously... it seems like Allergan discovered this amazing substance to fix wrinkles and now it's being injected into every part of the body! Is there a part of the body it hasn't been injected into? To be honest, I think it's really cool that Allergen, together with the FDA and medical researchers, have been able to find such a plethora of uses for this one, very simple drug. But it also kind of freaks me out that paralyzers, which is what Botox is, is being injected into almost every part of the human body without fail.
And what's worse is that thanks to celebrities and their excessive use of Botox, the American public seems to be falling head-first for the miracle drug, the love of their life: Botox. Americans are throwing caution to the wind and letting doctors inject every part of their body to fix every problem, from sweating, to wrinkles to speech impediments. But do we really know the effects of this drug? Afterall, it is a paralyzer. That seems scary to me. Maybe we should be doing a little more research before sticking this "miracle drug" into every muscle of our body?
Saturday, April 11, 2009
‘Top Model’ Casting Goes Smoothly, but Isn’t Free of Tears
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/12/nyregion/12models.html?_r=1&hp
The article discussed the brutal and almost inhumane separation of the potential supermodels from everyone else. Over 1,000 young women from 18 to 27 tried out to be on the reality television show America's Next Top Model, starring former supermodel Tyra Banks. Out of all who applied, only 13 will become final contestants and appear on the show and only one will become America's Next Top Model.
The audition process seemed gruesome. Many women woke up at 3am to come into NYC and try out for the opportunity of a lifetime. And within seconds, their fate was decided by judges. It only took the judges seconds to make the decision of "YES" or "NO." Can you imagine that? You wake up at 3 in the morning, travel hours to get to your desination, wait on line for a few more hours, amongst a thousand other 5'11" skinny girls and then within ten seconds, you are (most likely) told "no thank you."
I feel like these girls' self esteem is completely shot when they are rejected. Obviously modelling is all about looks. There's no way that a girl who'se rejected thinks to herself, "well, I got cut because my resume wasn't good enough, or I fumbled my words." Those are things you can fix. Those are things you can rehearse, practice and improve upon the next time. But if someone tells you that you're too ugly to model, or you don't have the right look, or you're too short or too fat, then what do you do? There's really nothing you can do... besides plastic surgery that it. And even that only goes so far. When these girls get rejected, they understand, one hundred percent, that it is because of their looks. And that is absolutely heartbreaking because there is nothing they can do to fix that.
The article discussed the brutal and almost inhumane separation of the potential supermodels from everyone else. Over 1,000 young women from 18 to 27 tried out to be on the reality television show America's Next Top Model, starring former supermodel Tyra Banks. Out of all who applied, only 13 will become final contestants and appear on the show and only one will become America's Next Top Model.
The audition process seemed gruesome. Many women woke up at 3am to come into NYC and try out for the opportunity of a lifetime. And within seconds, their fate was decided by judges. It only took the judges seconds to make the decision of "YES" or "NO." Can you imagine that? You wake up at 3 in the morning, travel hours to get to your desination, wait on line for a few more hours, amongst a thousand other 5'11" skinny girls and then within ten seconds, you are (most likely) told "no thank you."
I feel like these girls' self esteem is completely shot when they are rejected. Obviously modelling is all about looks. There's no way that a girl who'se rejected thinks to herself, "well, I got cut because my resume wasn't good enough, or I fumbled my words." Those are things you can fix. Those are things you can rehearse, practice and improve upon the next time. But if someone tells you that you're too ugly to model, or you don't have the right look, or you're too short or too fat, then what do you do? There's really nothing you can do... besides plastic surgery that it. And even that only goes so far. When these girls get rejected, they understand, one hundred percent, that it is because of their looks. And that is absolutely heartbreaking because there is nothing they can do to fix that.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Race-Day Medication Sets Off an Inquiry
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/06/sports/othersports/06racing.html?ref=sports
Trainer Jeff Mullins administered cough medicine to a horse, Gato Go Win, before a race in the $200,000 Bay Shore and the horse was disqualified by the New Tork Racing Association. The cough medicine is called Air Power and is over-the-counter.
Being an equestrian, I understand such rules as necessary. There are many medicines which trainers will give their horse claiming one thing, but in fact, want increased performance, or pain numbing. However, do we really think that Gato Go Win would have performed any better than usual due to the cough medicine? The medicine would have brought him back to his normal, healthy self, not to Superman self.
This debate reminds me of how we see our professional sports players are almost God-like; how we expect them to be perfect and talented without any help whatsoever. But at what point do we put too much pressure on our athletes, whether humans or horses, to perform at 100% when they are not feeling 100%? If Derek Jeter, captain and starting short stop for the NY Yankees had a headache, would we really deny him an Aspirin, claiming that it is a performance enhancer?
Trainer Jeff Mullins administered cough medicine to a horse, Gato Go Win, before a race in the $200,000 Bay Shore and the horse was disqualified by the New Tork Racing Association. The cough medicine is called Air Power and is over-the-counter.
Being an equestrian, I understand such rules as necessary. There are many medicines which trainers will give their horse claiming one thing, but in fact, want increased performance, or pain numbing. However, do we really think that Gato Go Win would have performed any better than usual due to the cough medicine? The medicine would have brought him back to his normal, healthy self, not to Superman self.
This debate reminds me of how we see our professional sports players are almost God-like; how we expect them to be perfect and talented without any help whatsoever. But at what point do we put too much pressure on our athletes, whether humans or horses, to perform at 100% when they are not feeling 100%? If Derek Jeter, captain and starting short stop for the NY Yankees had a headache, would we really deny him an Aspirin, claiming that it is a performance enhancer?
Brain Researchers Open Door to Editing Memory
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/06/health/research/06brain.html?_r=1&ref=health
"Suppose scientists could erase certain memories by tinkering with a single substance in the brain. Could make you forget a chronic fear, a traumatic loss, even a bad habit. "
I think this is extremely creepy. Cool, but creepy. The article discusses this amazing feat and then goes on to address some concerns which mirror my own. The article touches on the topic of possible public-wide use. What if this drug not only becomes approved for those who need it, but also those who want it? True, the drug would provide a safehaven for those who have suffered from traumatic experiences like rape in the past. But who'se to say what's "traumatic" and what's not?
Is a child losing his/her father to a car crash traumatic? Is the love of your life breaking up with you traumatic? Who'se to draw the line between people who need it to lead a normal, healthy life and those who want it to erase pain? Certain pain is good, afterall. It teaches us lessons; lessons which suck are we're learning them, but are good for us in the long run. I can see how this drug has the potential to do both great and horrible things.
"Suppose scientists could erase certain memories by tinkering with a single substance in the brain. Could make you forget a chronic fear, a traumatic loss, even a bad habit. "
I think this is extremely creepy. Cool, but creepy. The article discusses this amazing feat and then goes on to address some concerns which mirror my own. The article touches on the topic of possible public-wide use. What if this drug not only becomes approved for those who need it, but also those who want it? True, the drug would provide a safehaven for those who have suffered from traumatic experiences like rape in the past. But who'se to say what's "traumatic" and what's not?
Is a child losing his/her father to a car crash traumatic? Is the love of your life breaking up with you traumatic? Who'se to draw the line between people who need it to lead a normal, healthy life and those who want it to erase pain? Certain pain is good, afterall. It teaches us lessons; lessons which suck are we're learning them, but are good for us in the long run. I can see how this drug has the potential to do both great and horrible things.
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