Prozac, the bestselling antidepressant taken by 40 million people worldwide, does not work and nor do similar drugs in the same class, according to a major review released today.
The study examined all available data on the drugs, including results from clinical trials that the manufacturers chose not to publish at the time. The trials compared the effect on patients taking the drugs with those given a placebo or sugar pill.
When all the data was pulled together, it appeared that patients had improved - but those on placebo improved just as much as those on the drugs.
What the fuck is with this winter? I am cannot remember one that has been more miserable. It seems like we’ve had more snow, more rain and more bitterly cold days than any winter in a long time. I wouldn’t expect to get all three of those in the same winter, but somehow we have. It was 5 degrees during my commute home last night, and about 3 on my way to work this morning. I recall one day last week when I went to lunch and thought “Wow, it got warm!” When I got back to my desk I checked the temperature. It was 17. How fucking sad is that? It had been so damn cold that 17 felt warm to me.
So just go the fuck away already, winter. I’m so over you. I can’t wait to move on to spring.
P.S. Fuck you, CTA, for your delayed train this morning and your over-crowded, piece of shit* buses every damn day.
*I was on a relatively new bus yesterday, and the driver had to get off the bus several times to go push the back doors closed. This is only one example of many.
If you are in Alabama, Alaska, American Samoa (they can vote?), Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee or Utah then tomorrow is Primary (or caucus) day for you. Please be sure to vote. This is one of the most important (and, in my humble opinion, interesting) elections of our time.
I’d prefer if you voted for Obama, but even if you vote for someone else the important thing is voting. I think it’s a responsibility as well as a right.
There are a couple reasons, actually. One is that I think that McCain may be easier for a Democrat to beat in the general election. Why do I think this? He doesn’t really have the support of the conservative base of the Republican party. Witness these emails posted on a conservative blog, with people saying that if McCain is the nominee they will abstain (or possibly do a write-in). This can only help us Democrats, and it’s wonderful news. As the author of the blog post points out, some of these people will probably change their mind. . . but not all of them. Unless the Republicans can think of another way of increasing conservative voter turnout, like they did with anti-gay ballot measures in the past, they may be in trouble.
Another reason I’m pulling for McCain is that he is far less odious than Romney. He seems like more of a straight-shooter. Has he ever changed his position on something? Sure he has. And I think any politician that’s never changed their mind should be tossed out on their ass. No one has the right answer the first time every time. Admitting you were wrong and changing your position–when it’s warranted–is worthy of admiration, not derision.
Now Romney, on the other hand . . . I don’t trust him or his hair as far as I can throw either of them. Someone once said that you didn’t know Romney’s position on an issue until you saw the crowd he was speaking to. (If I find the source of the quote later, I’ll add it.) Flipflop. Flipflop. Flip . . . you get the point. Either this poor guy just can’t make up his mind about anything, or he’s an opportunist that tries to have it both ways. I’m betting it’s the latter. Frankly it mystifies me a bit why Republicans are buying into Romney’s purported conservative credentials, when most of them seem to be forged.
McCain, though misguided in many of his positions, seems like the more honorable and trustworthy person.
