Tuesday, September 14, 2010

[Peckers_Pics] Model Wars; Sept 15, 2010; Safe PICS For All Ages, Rated G



Model Wars; Sept 14, 2010
Safe PICS For All Ages, Rated  G 
  
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    Patrick Swayze's Cancer Battle: A Friend Looks Back
    By Mari Cartel; September 14, 2010
     
    Before Patrick Swayze developed pancreatic cancer, the actor, dancer and singer-songwriter was best known for his roles in the films "Dirty Dancing" and "Ghost."

    After being diagnosed with Stage IV cancer in January 2008, millions of fans watched him persevere through his debilitating disease, continue to work and stay remarkably positive.

    He lost his battle on Sept. 14, 2009, at age 57.

    One man influenced by Swayze's life and devastated by his death is Franke Previte. The two friends met at the Academy Awards in 1987, the year Previte won for the"Dirty Dancing" hit "(I've Had) The Time of My Life." In this exclusive interview, Previte shares memories of his best buddy and the courage that kept him fighting.

    What was Patrick Swayze like?
    He was a really down-to-earth guy. There was no façade. What you saw was what you got.

    What made him so strong after being diagnosed?
    He didn't have the easiest life [as a young man]. He was always working, and his mom pushed him.

    You have to give him credit for [dealing with his illness]. Lisa [Niemi, Swayze's wife of 34 years] had a great deal to do with it. They kept each other centered by being faithful and good to each other.

    Why did he keep working on the A&E series "The Beast" after getting sick?
    If he hadn't, he might have passed sooner. It gave him a purpose and motivated him to want to continue his way of living to the end.

    What a phenomenal person to persevere, because he was in tremendous pain. I don't know if too many of us could have done that. Tell us a favorite memory of him.
    One was at the Academy Awards.

    He came up to me at the after-party and asked, "Who sang [`(I've Had) the Time of My Life'] on the demos?" I said, "I did with Rachele Cappelli. Why?"

    He said, "Because we filmed the last scene first and had gone through 146 songs up to that point. [Your] song showed us the camaraderie of the movie and how we felt toward each other to create the rest of the movie."

    You're releasing demo recordings from "Dirty Dancing" to benefit the Patrick Swayze Pancreas Cancer Research Fund at Stanford Cancer Center. How did that happen?
    I had the demos that they danced to sitting in my drawer. And I started thinking about Patrick and ["Dirty Dancing" co-star] Jerry Orbach [who died of prostate cancer] and wondered, What can I do?

    I found out Lisa was doing a charity foundation at Stanford University. So I called. Lisa and Stanford gave their blessing.

    [The song package features the demo and a remix of "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" as well as "Hungry Eyes" and "Someone Like You," a song Previte wrote for the "Dirty Dancing" stage musical. It's available as a digital download from iTunes, CD Baby and other online musical outlets.]

    What does it mean to you to release the songs for a charity in Patrick's name?
    There are 48 million people who bought [the soundtrack] album and way more who've seen the movie. This is truly a fan-driven love affair.

    It's just a horrific disease, and we need something to put it in remission and give these people a chance.
    How common is pancreatic cancer?
    It's rare, striking 5 out of every 100,000 annually or about 42,000 Americans, according to the American Cancer Society.

    Research shows that the average person has a 1% chance of getting pancreatic cancer, says Robert McWilliams, M.D., an oncologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. That risk doubles if someone in the family has it.

    This cancer occurs nearly twice as often in men, but it's still the fifth leading cause of cancer death for women in the U.S. It's the fourth leading cause for men.

    Because it's hard to diagnose and treat, mortality rates are high. About 35,000 Americans die from the disease every year.

    As baby boomers near retirement age, the number of people afflicted with pancreatic cancer is expected to rise.

    In general, pancreatic cancer tends to strike the elderly. Most are just over 70 years old when diagnosed. Only 20% are under 60.

    What causes it?
    Like other forms of cancer, pancreatic cancer is caused by mutations in DNA. Genetics, a poor diet and/or smoking may play a role in triggering these mutations.

    It typically starts in the tissues of the pancreas but may spread to the liver, lymph nodes and other surrounding areas.

    What does the pancreas do?
    This large organ behind the lower part of the stomach secretes enzymes that aid digestion and hormones that help regulate sugar metabolism.

    "The pancreas is the geographic center of your body," says Scott Kern, M.D., an associate professor of oncology and pathology at the Sol Goldman Pancreatic Cancer Research Center at Johns Hopkins University. "You can't see it or feel it, and normal secretions can't be seen without special equipment."

    What are the symptoms?
    Pancreatic cancer symptoms usually don't appear until the disease is advanced, McWilliams says. That's mainly because the pancreas is hidden and plays a behind-the-scenes role in bodily functions.

    When symptoms appear, they include:

    • Upper abdominal pain
    • Yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice)
    • Loss of appetite
    • Weight loss
    • Depression
    What are the risk factors?
    The following could increase your likelihood of contracting this cancer:
    • Smoking
    • Obesity
    • Family history of multiple pancreatic cancers
    • Diet high in animal fat
    • History of chronic inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis)
    Smoking is a factor in 25%-30% of pancreatic cancers. Cigarettes – or any burning tobacco product – release a chemical that can cause healthy cells to turn cancerous, says an International Journal of Cancer study.

    Several studies show that obesity can raise the risk of pancreatic cancer by as much as 60%. Obese people – those with a body-mass index over 30 – have increased levels of insulin, which may promote the disease, according to a study conducted by the Women's Health Initiative.

    Abdominal fat, in particular, can raise your risk, says Rachael Solomon Stolzenberg, Ph.D., a researcher at the National Cancer Institute's Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics in Bethesda, Md.

    A British Journal of Cancer study reported that obese women who carry most of their weight around their belly are 70% more likely to develop the disease than those whose weight is more evenly distributed.

    Also, certain genetic illnesses can predispose people to pancreatic cancer, including the BRCA 2 gene mutation, Peutz-Jeghers and Lynch syndromes (two gastrointestinal illnesses) and familial atypical mole-malignant melanoma (FAMMM), a skin disorder. Researchers believe the genetic mutations behind these hereditary conditions are linked to those that cause pancreatic cancer.

    Fortunately, "these conditions are uncommon," Kern says.

    Other potential risk factors for pancreatic cancer are maddeningly uncertain. Eating a diet rich in animal fat or charred meat and having type 2 diabetes have been linked to an increased risk of the disease.

    For example, a study by the National Cancer Institute found that people whose fat intake – particularly from animal sources – ranged from 20%-40% had an increased risk by as much as 36%.

    But researchers don't know why these factors make pancreatic cancer more likely. And the risk is never zero for anyone.

    "Healthy people can get pancreatic cancer – including the ones who do everything right," Kern says.

    How is pancreatic cancer diagnosed?
    No standard screening exists.

    But if a doctor suspects the disease, they may use the following tests:

    • Ultrasound: Sound waves bounce off the pancreas to produce images of tumors.
    • Computerized tomography (CT) scan: This X-ray produces images of tumors and can help diagnose the stage of the disease.
    • Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): Like a CT scan, MRIs produce cross-sectional images of the body that are used to spot tumors.
    • Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP): A thin, flexible tube is passed down the throat into the small intestine. It allows doctors to spot blockages of the bile and pancreatic ducts.
    Once a cancer diagnosis is confirmed, a doctor will determine the stage of the disease and create an appropriate treatment plan.

    What are common treatment options?
    Surgery is the most effective. However, only 15% of patients are diagnosed when surgery is still an option, McWilliams says. For the majority of people, by the time the disease is discovered, it's too far advanced for surgery to be effective.

    Unlike breast cancer therapy, pancreatic cancer researchers haven't yet developed a targeted treatment that can isolate and destroy pancreatic cancer cells.

    The problem: It's a particularly aggressive cancer and moves swiftly.

    It's also an understudied disease, McWilliams says, mainly because survival is so short. "It's hard to recruit people for [the length of] the study."

    Most sufferers can be helped temporarily through radiation and chemotherapy treatment, just like Swayze underwent. But these therapies do not, on average, change survival time by more than a month or two, Kern says.

    That's because there's an intense cellular reaction around the tumor, making the cells more resistant to treatment than other cancers, he says.

    That's why some patients decide to avoid the harmful effects of radiation and chemotherapy and choose to forgo treatment at all, McWilliams says.

    For people with a family history of pancreatic cancer, Kern says researchers are working on ways to identify the disease or its precursors in its earliest stages, before symptoms appear.

    What's the prognosis for recovery?
    Sadly, the survival rate for pancreatic cancer is low. It depends on the stage at which the cancer was found and whether the tumor is operable.

    Here's a breakdown of median survival rates:

    • For those who undergo surgery (cancer is confined to the pancreas and tumors can be removed): About 1-1/2 to 2 years.
    • For locally advanced cancer (the tumor can't be removed with surgery because the cancer has spread to tissue around the pancreas or into the blood vessels): 9-10 months.
    • For stage IV, the most advanced stage (where cancer has spread far beyond the pancreas to the liver, lungs and lining that surrounds the abdominal organs): 5-6 months.
    That said, "some lucky patients have forms of pancreatic tumors that are curable with surgery," Kern says.

    And Now, Model Wars!

    This group is called "Peckers Pics."  The English -  slang definition of "pecker" is to pluck at the truth. Therefore, we peck at items such as Gay Men's Health, Male Fitness, Gay (LGBT) Politics & Issues.  In this section you may peck at each photo in order to decide the winner of the "war of the fittest!"  Whereas, who is the model that may inspire you to exercise and "get fit?"  Warning: This may stoke you!
     
    Remember your participation in discussion of health and news articles in this message is greatly appreciated!
     
    Steve Sandvoss
     
    VS
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    Justin Gaston
     
    You Decide!
    New York City - Gay Pride; June 27, 2010
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    Stoked?
    New York City - Gay Pride; June 27, 2010
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    Crist considering dropping an appeal to uphold Florida's gay adoption ban
    By Dara Kam -  Palm Beach Post - Sept 14, 2010
     
    Tallahassee, Florida -  Gov. Charlie Crist Tuesday said he has had an "appropriate evolution" regarding gay rights and is considering dropping the state's lawsuit seeking to uphold Florida's ban on gay adoption.

    Crist said that judges should decide whether gay couples should be allowed to adopt, a reversal of his previous support of the state law and his position four years ago when he ran for governor.

    Crist's switch on the adoption issue is part of a gay-friendly platform the independent U.S. Senate candidate's campaign released this week. The nine-point policy statement also supports doing away with the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy and providing legally protected civil unions for gay couples, although it makes no mention of gay marriage.

    But gay rights advocates were dubious about whether Crist will do anything to help their agenda.

    "Charlie just hasn't done anything. He's said stuff. But actions speak louder than words," said Rand Hoch, the founder and president of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council. "He's trying to get elected. That's all he's ever done in his professional career."

    Crist said he is reviewing whether the state should drop its appeal in the case of Martin Gill, a Miami man who adopted two foster children. In November 2008, a Miami-Dade County judge ruled that the state law banning gay adoption was unconstitutional and granted Gill the adoptions.

    The Attorney General's Office appealed on behalf of the Department of Children and Families, an agency that reports to Crist, and an appellate court decision could come any time.

    "I think we need to review that," Crist said Tuesday of the decision to appeal.

    He said judges should make decisions about who can adopt a child. "I think that most who follow the judiciary recognize that what's in the best interest of the child is what should be paramount in these kinds of decisions. That's what I believe and I think that's what will be the best for them."

    But Gill, who along with his partner has waited more than a year for the appeals court decision, doesn't want the state to drop the case, said Howard Simon, executive director of the Florida ACLU that is representing Gill in the lawsuit.

    "What we have now is a court decision that has evaluated all the evidence and found the law is based on smoke and mirrors. It's based on outdated prejudice," Simon said.

    "The governor is not doing any favors for the children in foster care and to gay families in Florida by bringing a premature halt to this case," Simon said. "This case has been so thoroughly litigated. Let the legal process run its course."

    A spokesman for Attorney General Bill McCollum's office declined to say what the office would do if Crist ordered DCF to drop the case. The attorney general is responsible for defending state laws.

    "We aren't going to discuss hypotheticals. . . . As long as our client is involved in the litigation, we will continue to represent them," Deputy Communications Director Ryan Wiggins said.

    Whatever Crist does, his statement Tuesday reverses the position he took on the issue when running for governor as a Republican in November 2006.

    "Charlie Crist believes children are best raised in a traditional family," was Crist's answer in a Christian Coalition survey during that campaign. "Accordingly, he does not support repealing the ban on adoption by same-sex couples."

    On Tuesday, Crist, 54, said he's grown more tolerant as he has grown older.

    "Not a whole lot has changed to be candid. I also said (back in 2006) that I'm a live-and-let-live kind of guy. And I am. As I said this morning, I think that the older you get, the less judgmental you become," Crist said.

    "Maybe I was more rigid earlier. But I don't feel that way. And I know who's supposed to be judging people and it's not me."

    "Every gay and lesbian person who has been lucky enough to survive the turmoil of growing up is a survivor. Survivors always have an obligation to those who will face the same challenges."

    ....Jake

    Remember:  Boycott Target and Best Buy for donating money towards anti-gay political candidates/organizations and to Proposition 8 (California) to prevent gay marriage. The Formal Boycott began this past weekend. I stopped shopping these stores - even though I want a new washer/dryer and new clothes for the Fall.  I would not purchase "Blood Diamonds," nor should a person / organization be contributing funds to both Hitler / Nazi's and the Jews at the same time!   Obviously giving money to the Jews and not Hitler/Nazi's is the right thing to do.   Hence, these companies violated my trust and well-being.   They gave money to my enemy who would terminate me from my job, deny me housing and send me to a Internment camp.  Therefore, goodbye Target and Best Buy!  The CEO's of these companies have been insensitive to our reaction and do not even comprehend their actions!  What takes so long to "fire" these Neanderthals?

     
      
     
      
          
      
     
     

     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     


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    All members of "Peckers PICS" are requested to join our "Obama Biden 2008" group as it runs in conjunction to this group.  Both groups shall not repeat articles from one group to another.  However, to gain full knowledge of Gay rights, members must belong to the Obama group as well as this group.  Therefore, please accept your invitation to join. 

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    Thank you!
     

    "Every gay and lesbian person who has been lucky enough to survive the turmoil of growing up is a survivor. Survivors always have an obligation to those who will face the same challenges."

    ...Jake (Moderator)



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