Subaqua Sternal Rubs

This statue currently stands outside the Iraqi palace, now home to the 4th Infantry division. It will eventually be shipped home and put in the memorial museum in Fort Hood, Texas.

The statue was created by an Iraqi artist named Kalat, who for years was forced by Saddam Hussein to make the many hundreds of bronze busts of Saddam that dotted Baghdad.

Kalat was so grateful for the Americans liberation of his country; he melted 3 of the heads of the fallen Saddam and made the statue as a memorial to the American soldiers and their fallen warriors. Kalat worked on this memorial night and day for several months.

To the left of the kneeling soldier is a small Iraqi girl giving the soldier comfort as he mourns the loss of his comrade in arms.

Do you know why we don't hear about this in the news? Because it is heart warming and praise worthy. The media avoids it because it does not have the shock effect that a flashed breast or controversy of politics does. But we can do something about it. We can pass this along to as many people as we can in honor of all our brave military who is making a difference.

-From email

Hmm, Bush teaming up with the pharmacuetical companies…. what a concept.

WASHINGTON, July 24 — The Bush administration has been going to court to block lawsuits by consumers who say they have been injured by prescription drugs and medical devices.

The administration contends that consumers cannot recover damages for such injuries if the products have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. In court papers, the Justice Department acknowledges that this position reflects a "change in governmental policy," and it has persuaded some judges to accept its arguments, most recently scoring a victory in the federal appeals court in Philadelphia.

From the New York Times

Well, another reason for Kerry…. So far, I've only seen one for Bush.

I just sent in my request for an absentee ballot in today…. I just hope it gets to and back from school in time… Usually takes 2-3 weeks…

No election in recent memory has been more significant than the upcoming 2004 presidential election. The issues have become so clearly defined and will have great consequences to all for years to come.

For those of us in the medical profession, the Bush administration has sent mixed messages. They have supported unbridled consolidation of the health insurance industry which has placed doctors at a clear disadvantage during fee negotiations.

The "take it or leave it" attitude of the HMO industry has cut physicians income severely at a time when malpractice and overhead expenses have forged upward. This administration has further made it difficult for teaching hospitals to continue their programs because of cut backs in clinical reimbursement from Medicare and Medicaid. Yet they have supported tort reform and limiting awards o­n pain and suffering, and despite a physician as leader of the Senate they have been unable to muster majority support even amongst Republicans….

There have been many opportunities during the last 4 years to address the appalling increases in the uninsured and underinsured but because of the war and budgetary constraints there has been no effective policy created to address this issue. Their position o­n stem cell research has enabled research laboratories in Spain, Italy,and the Carribean to forge ahead of our scientists and have even managed to promote the emigration of leading scientific minds outside of the USA. America has been recognized as a leader in drug research and developement yet many of the new discoveries are coming from abroad because of cutbacks in funding for basic research.

From stoppagingme.com

CNN.com - Report: Bigger breasts offered as perk to soldiers - Jul 21, 2004

Glad to see this is what Bush is spending his $70 Billion dollars on - fighting the war against terror! grrrrr.

Click on more below regarding some legislation that's about to be introduced into Congress and that would be a major help to med students everywhere. AMA-MSS/AMSA have worked directly with Dodd's office to draft this bill, and though it's focused towards grad students, it'll help us as well. Getting child care expenses included in financial aid is something we've all wanted for a while, and making scholarships more tax-exempt would be nice for the NHSC, military, and MD/PhD students out there.

Please make a call to the Capitol Switchboard (202-224-3121) and ask your Senators to support this bill!

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%&$#. An actual reason to vote for Bush/Cheney. Not that I would, but why couldn't this be the other guys' platform?

Cheney Urges Cap on Malpractice Awards (washingtonpost.com)

Vice President Cheney, with a swipe at his Democratic trial-lawyer counterpart, yesterday blamed rising health care costs on "runaway litigation" and promoted a $250,000 cap on medical malpractice awards as the central tenet of the White House program to improve access, affordability and quality of care.

Articulating a health policy vision nearly opposite the one advocated by the Democratic presidential ticket, Cheney promoted individual tax credits, additional community health centers and more modern technology as ways to help Americans afford top-notch medical care.

But it was medical malpractice that dominated his address at the Medical College of Ohio in Toledo, and it is limits on lawsuit damages that remain the most ambitious proposal of the Republican ticket's health care agenda.

"This problem doesn't start in the waiting room," Cheney said in remarks released by the campaign. "It doesn't start in the operating room. The problem starts in the courtroom."

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