OFF TOPIC; Wall Street's 'Disaster Capitalism for Dummies'

Yes, we're dummies. You. Me. All 300 million of us. Clueless. We should be
ashamed. We're obsessed about the slogans and rituals of "democracy,"
distracted by the campaign, polls, debates, rhetoric, half-truths and outright
lies. McCain? Obama? Sorry to pop your bubble folks, but it no longer matters
who's president. See Paul B. Farrell.



PAUL B. FARRELL
Wall Street's 'Disaster Capitalism for Dummies'
14 reasons Main Street loses big while Wall Street sabotages democracy
By Paul B. Farrell, MarketWatch
Last update: 7:10 p.m. EDT Oct. 20, 2008
ARROYO GRANDE, Calif. (MarketWatch) -- Yes, we're dummies. You. Me. All 300 million of us. Clueless. We should be ashamed. We're obsessed about the slogans and rituals of "democracy," distracted by the campaign, polls, debates, rhetoric, half-truths and outright lies. McCain? Obama? Sorry to pop your bubble folks, but it no longer matters who's president.
Why? The real "game changer" already happened. Democracy has been replaced by Wall Street's new "disaster capitalism." That's the big game-changer historians will remember about 2008, masterminded by Wall Street's ultimate "Trojan Horse," Hank Paulson. Imagine: Greed, arrogance and incompetence create a massive bubble, cost trillions, and still Wall Street comes out smelling like roses, richer and more powerful!



Yes, we're idiots: While distracted by the "illusion of democracy" in the endless campaign, Congress surrendered the powers we entrusted to it with very little fight. Congress simply handed over voting power and the keys to trillions in the Treasury to Wall Street's new "Disaster Capitalists" who now control "democracy."
Why did this happen? We're in denial, clueless wimps, that's why. We let it happen. In one generation America has been transformed from a democracy into a strange new form of government, "Disaster Capitalism." Here's how it happened:
Three decades of influence peddling in Washington has built an army of 42,000 special-interest lobbyists representing corporations and the wealthy. Today these lobbyists manipulate America's 537 elected officials with massive campaign contributions that fund candidates who vote their agenda.
This historic buildup accelerated under Reaganomics and went into hyperspeed under Bushonomics, both totally committed to a new disaster capitalism run privately by Wall Street and Corporate America. No-bid contracts in wars and hurricanes. A housing-credit bubble -- while secretly planning for a meltdown.
Finally, the coup de grace: Along came the housing-credit crisis, as planned. Press and public saw a negative, a crisis. Disaster capitalists saw a huge opportunity. Yes, opportunity for big bucks and control of America. Millions of homeowners and marginal banks suffered huge losses. Taxpayers stuck with trillions in debt. But giant banks emerge intact, stronger, with virtual control over government and the power to use taxpayers' funds. They're laughing at us idiots!
Amazing isn't it, Wall Street's Disaster Capitalists screwed up, likely planned or let happen this meltdown and recession. Yet America's clueless taxpayers just reward them by giving the screw-ups massive bailouts, control over more than $2 trillion of tax money, and the power to clean up the mess they made. Oh yes, we are dummies!
This end game was planned for years in secret war rooms on Wall Street, in Corporate America, in Washington and the Forbes 400. Democracy is too cumbersome. It had to be marginalized for Disaster Capitalism to take over. Reagan, Bush and Paulson were Wall Street's "Trojan Horses."
Naomi Klein summarizes the game in "Shock Doctrine: the Rise of Disaster Capitalism." This "new economy" generates enormous profits feeding off other peoples' misery: Wars, terror attacks, natural catastrophes, poverty, trade sanctions, subprime housing meltdowns and all kinds of economic, financial and political disasters. Natural (Katrina) or manmade (Iraq), either way "disaster capitalism" creates fortunes.
So you, me and the other 300 million better get out of denial. America is no longer a democracy. Voting is irrelevant. Best case scenario: We're a plutocracy, a government ruled by the wealthy, the richest 1%, the Forbes 400, the influential wealthy elite, while the other 99% are their "servants." Meanwhile, the inflation-adjusted income of wage-earners has declined for three decades.
Worst case scenario: America's no democracy and as a result of the meltdown and the surrender of our power to Wall Street's new Disaster Capitalism we are morphing into what one WWII dictator called "corporatism," a "merger of state and corporate power," kind of like what's going on now with Goldman Sachs' ex-boss as de facto president.
Wolves in sheep's clothing
Yes, a strong charge. But like a lot of our readers, I don't like what's happening to America. I'm a patriot. I volunteered for the Marines. Served four years. Volunteered for Korea. I don't like how our freedoms, rights and value system are being subverted in the name of greed, arrogance, self-righteous intolerance and other false gods.
We know for the last eight years disaster capitalists ignored obvious warnings of a coming meltdown. They apparently planned it. They road the bull, got very rich. Now they have the ultimate disaster capitalist weapons, trillions in tax money, virtual control of government.
That's why I fear we're on the edge of a dangerous line between Wall Street's version of disaster capitalism and a toxic "merger of state and corporate power." The wolf is in sheep's clothing. Wall Street pretends we're a democracy. Yet America more closely resembles the kind of "corporatism" that Laurence W. Britt wrote about five years ago in Free Inquiry magazine.
We adapted his historical analysis of 14 key traits for today's discussion. Notice how they have a huge impact your investments and retirement:
1. Wall Street rich get first priority
Think "bailout." Wall Street's greedy con game spins out of control globally. Millions of homeowners misled, lose. Who gets hundreds of billions first? Wall Street's con men.
2. National security obsession
Think of the expansion of executive powers in the name of national security: Preemptive wars, wiretapping private citizens, Gitmo, torture; driven by a dark wealthy neocon elite.
3. Superpower with massive military
Think of our $3 trillion Iraq/Afghan War. Disaster capitalists love the thrill of military power. We outspend all nations, over half the federal budget to strut before the world.
4. Extreme nationalism
Signs are everywhere: Flags, lapel pins, "support the troops" slogans, all to get huge military budgets passed. Challenge them and you're un-American and unpatriotic.
5. Rally the masses by scapegoating enemies
Think "axis of evil," mushroom clouds, "Islamofascists," more terrorist attacks on the homeland. Propaganda creates "enemies" in the public's mind and distracts from real issues.
6. Corruption and cronyism
Think earmarks, no-bid defense contracts, paid mercenaries outnumbering military in Iraq, superlobbyist Jack Abramoff, biofuels, bridge to nowhere, millions donated to campaigns.
7. Obsession with crime
Think of prison-building as just another investment opportunity, rather than focusing on reforming our criminal justice system. Stoke irrational fear of criminals and extremists.
8. Labor and low wages
Think corporate earnings versus the wages paid to workers. No "trickling down," leaves more for tricklers: Rich insiders, stockholders. Wages dropping as CEO salaries skyrocket.
9. Contempt for human rights
Think of abuses of habeas corpus, loss of right to trial, bogus charges, plus "demonizing" the victims, all in the name of national defense and homeland security.
10. Mass media manipulation
Think of leaking false information, Joseph Wilson, Valerie Plame, Scooter Libby, Colin Powell's United Nation's testimony, Condoleezza Rice's mushroom clouds, WMDs, all to suppress the truth.
11. Obsession with sexism
Think of paternalism, antigays, antiabortion, subordinate women -- then codify the system as the law of the land reinforcing a male-dominated society, punish violators.
12. Disdain for intellectuals
Think of conservative intellectuals Francis Fukuyama and Bill Buckley. Contrast them to Sarah Palin and Joe Sixpack conservatism, Bush's funding cuts for arts and science education.
13. Religion in government
Think of all the faith-based programs versus antiscience in drug approvals, creationism vs. evolution, Ten Commandments enshrined in public buildings, public money to churches.
14. Fraudulent elections
Think of police and prosecutorial intimidation and threats to voters, challenging minority voters, ballots disappearing, party election officials committing outright fraud.
Yes, officially America is still a democracy. We have enough signs and rituals to support that illusion. But the truth is America has become a plutocracy run by and for the wealthy. And since Wall Street's Disaster Capitalism coup de grace, we are rapidly morphing into a dangerous new government.
For more, read Britt's original article, then add comments here: Was the meltdown planned by Wall Street's Disaster Capitalists?

What does HIV lipodystrophy look like?

 

Patient Survey on Lipodystrophy

 

 

 

 

Patient Survey on Lipodystrophy

 

 

 

 

HIV drug usage in the past ten years

 

Updated Facial Wasting Options Table

 

HIV Lipodystrophy has decreased in the past 4 years

 

Tenofovir Dosing for patients with kidney dysfunction

I have seen some confusion about Tenofovir (Viread, which is in Truvada and Atripla) dosing in those with kidney problems in my pozhealth at yahoogroups.com list, so I am posting this information.

So far, most of the problems with tenofovir and kidney function have been reported in treatment experienced patients on boosted protease inhibitors, african americans, people with diabetes, or those using other medications that may affect the kidneys. Naive patients on Atripla seem to be doing just fine.

By the way, for those of you who have not calculated your creatinine clearance, ask your doctor if that value is included in your lab report. If not , ask him or her to include it. You can also calculate it here:

http://cpsc.acponline.org/enhancements/212creatinineCalc.html


From
http://www.medscape.com/druginfo/monograph?cid=med&drugid=22106&drugname=Viread+Oral&monotype=monograph&secid=3


Special Populations
Dosage of tenofovir should be adjusted in adults with creatinine clearances less than 50 mL/minute. The manufacturer and some experts recommend that adults with creatinine clearances of 30 to 49 mL/minute should receive 300 mg of tenofovir once every 48 hours and those with clearances of 10 to 29 mL/minute should receive 300 mg twice weekly. Adults undergoing hemodialysis should receive 300 mg of tenofovir once every 7 days (based on 3 hemodialysis sessions per week, each lasting approximately 4 hours) or 300 mg after a total of approximately 12 hours of dialysis; the dose should be administered following completion of a dialysis session. Because safety and efficacy of these dosages have not been evaluated in clinical studies, clinical response to treatment and renal function should be closely monitored. The manufacturer states that dosage recommendations cannot be made for adults with creatinine clearances less than 10 mL/minute who are not undergoing hemodialysis since the pharmacokinetics of the drug have not been studied in such patients.
The usual dosage of the fixed-combination preparation containing emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (Truvada®) can be used in adults with creatinine clearances of 50 mL/minute or greater. The manufacturer of the fixed-combination preparation recommends a dosage of one tablet (200 mg of emtricitabine and 300 mg of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate) every 48 hours in adults with creatinine clearances of 30–49 mL/minute; response to therapy and renal function should be monitored in these patients since this dosing recommendation has not been evaluated in clinical studies. The fixed-combination preparation should not be used in adults with creatinine clearances less than 30 mL/minute, including those undergoing dialysis.

The usual dosage of the fixed-combination preparation containing tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, emtricitabine, and efavirenz (Atripla®) can be used in adults with creatinine clearances of 50 mL/minute or greater. The fixed-combination preparation should not be used in adults with creatinine clearances less than 50 mL/minute.

Dosage adjustment is not necessary in patients with hepatic impairment

37.5 percent of US patients skip AIDS/HIV treatment due to side effects.

FROM: http://pharmexec.findpharma.com/pharmexec/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=534038


A new study released at the 17th International AIDS Conference in Mexico City on Monday detailed the disconcerting fact that 37.5 percent of US interviewees skip AIDS/HIV treatment due to side effects.

AIDS Treatment for Life (ATLIS) polled approximately 3,000 HIV-positive patients from 18 countries to get a better understanding of their treatment regimens. Surprisingly, side effects trumped cost of treatment as the top reason for skipping treatment, with 55.4 percent of respondents admitting that they changed or stopped taking their medicine due to adverse reactions. Also, 27.3 percent of respondents said that they chose not to begin treatment because they felt that the treatments cause too many side effects.

"There are a fair amount of patients who are experiencing side effects from their treatments severe enough to change, stop, or avoid treatment," said Martin Markowitz, clinical director and staff investigator, Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center. "That underlies the importance of treating patients with regimens that they can tolerate, and educating them about the side effects."

The top side effects that concerned interviewees were physical changes to body and face, liver problems, fatigue, and anemia.

Resistance to treatments is also an issue of concern. More than 28 percent of respondents in the US and 53 percent worldwide said that they were unaware of how resistance to antiretroviral drugs develops. "Treatment interruption without medical monitoring may result in accelerated disease progression," said Markowitz. "It is imperative that physicians and patients address concerns about side effects openly, and evaluate different treatment options that may be more tolerable."

On a positive note for domestically, a significantly higher ratio of US patients said that they were aware of treatment options: 32.9 percent, compared with a 69.4 percent worldwide.

"There is a need to increase the educational and treatment awareness programs that were very active early on, but that have since petered out," said Jose M. Zuniga, president and CEO of the International Association for Physicians in AIDS Care. "The fact that so many patients don?t understand resistance—even in the US—points to the fact that not enough is being done to increase HIV literacy."

MY COMMENTS:


In the past, many doctors would follow the mantra " don't fix it if it is not broken" referring to only CD4s and viral load. Patients had to be very assertive to convince docs to switch them to "friendlier" meds when their viral load was undectable, no matter how bad their quality of life was.

Actually, now more than ever I see an improving trend from doctors that are no longer following just CD4 cells and viral load in their decision to switch medications on patients. Many doctors waited too long to switch people from Zerit to Tenofovir or Abacavir, but most did by 2005. Presently, there are a lot of patients being switched from Kaletra to Reyataz to decrease lipids and diarrhea, or from all norvir-based protease inhibitors to raltegravir to also decrease lipids and/or diarrhea. I still see patients suffering from depression after months on Sustiva and being kept on this drug while being prescribed antidepressants to feel better and to clonazepam to sleep, which is creating a huge poly-pharmacy for them.

However, it is becoming increasingly difficult to educate the community about side effect management. Now that most companies are using their own employees to give patient lectures, some of us in the treatment education field are left with fewer funding sources to give unbiased information to patients who do not have Internet access.

S-Adenosyl-L-Methionine (SAMe) for Treatment of Depression, Osteoarthritis, and Liver Disease

I am convinced this supplement works for depression and fatigue. I have taken 400 mg twice a day and can definitely feel a difference the first day. Something else that I have noticed is that my hairy leukoplakia goes away within days. It can also decrease liver enzymes. However, it is contraindicated for those with bipolar disorder. It is not cheap. I get mine from Jarrow at the Houston Buyers Club.

Here is a summary of studies

http://www.healthyplace.com/Communities/Depression/treatment/alternative/sam-e.asp

I am attaching a study done in HIV

http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=535560