Let’s say you have diabetes or heart disease and are taking nitrates for your condition. And, unfortunately, maybe you need a little more lead in your pencil, which is even more common with some of these conditions. Well your doctor might hesitate to prescribe the most common pharmaceuticals for erectile dysfunction, like tadalafil (Cialis) or sildenafil (Viagra), because these drugs taken in combination with nitrates can cause dangerously low blood pressure. So, in your desperation, you might think about reaching for one of those sexual enhancement supplements about which we all get countless emails. Continue reading “When Supplements “Work”. . .Light Headed, for the Wrong Reasons”
Kosher Bacon Argument (New Rugbyologism)
Well, that did not take long. See the full list of Rugbyologisms here. Our newest addition is:
- Kosher bacon argument, idiom, the argument that religious organizations ban the behaviors that their leadership secretly long to engage in, usually used in reference to Catholic molestation scandal and credited to Christopher Hitchens.
Rugbyologisms
Through hard won experience, we have learned that Josh frequently finds the English language inadequate in its descriptive variety, requiring the establishment of new terms, specifically crafted for the task at hand. The right tool for the right job, wot? We have also found that a concise dictionary of these terms is necessary in order to have any idea what he is on about. A regularly (or, you know, as often as Josh makes something up) updated version of this glossary can be found at the Rugbyologisms Page. Continue reading “Rugbyologisms”
Predator X: Too Bad Ass for Peer-Review?
Suffice it to say that earning the title Predator X should require a resume loaded with specific instances of statistically significant bad assery[1]. Big fangs or some kung fu lessons might get you Predator L or, even, E, but we are talking about Predator Freaking X here. By law, Predator X must be one bad mother. . .
Shut your mouth!
I’m talking ’bout Predator X.
Then we can dig it.
Predator X[2] was a pliosaur, a group of prehistoric marine reptiles (within the order plesiosauria) characterized by large body size, long heads, short necks, conical teeth, four flippers, and eating tasty things that had the misfortune to be smaller than them. Basically, pliosaurs were sea monsters, and sea monsters are already pretty bad ass.
Originally discovered in 2006, Predator X was the subject of a History channel documentary in 2009. Predator X was the subject of all manner of articles with the notable exception of the academic, peer-reviewed variety[3]. Hmmm, the publicize before peer-review strategy sounds familiar to me.
What makes Predator X deserve all this attention? According to the team from the University of Oslo Natural History Museum Predator X stands out even in a clade of sea monsters:
Its anatomy, physiology and hunting strategy all point to it being the ultimate predator – the most dangerous creature to patrol the Earth’s oceans – quoted in New Scientist (link to original press release no longer available[4])
Wait, did I just say University of Oslo Natural History Museum? What does that remind me of? Continue reading “Predator X: Too Bad Ass for Peer-Review?”
When Supplements “Work”. . .EZVille, Ltd – Where Health & Safety are Important-ish
The Universe is a funny place, full of bizarre coincidences. Like, for example, did you know that every single “dietary supplement” with an undeclared drug ingredient that we have covered in our When Supplements “Work”. . . feature so far has contained, among all the drugs in the world, a regulated drug that treats exactly the same condition that the supplement claims to treat? What are the odds?
This week we get a double whammy from EZVille, Ltd. EZVille, Ltd. has issued a recall of Revivexxx (one guess what that is supposed to “revive”) and Solo Slim. Revivexxx is a male sexual enhancement supplement (DSHEA code for treating erectile dysfunction), which was found to contain the erectile dysfunction pharmaceutical tadalafil (marketed using a series of creepy commericals under the brand name Cialis). Tadalafil is known to have potentially dangerous interactions with medications containing nitrates, such as those taken for heart disease. Solo Slim is a weight loss supplement, which was found to contain the appetite suppressant didesmethyl sibutramine. Sibutramine can increase blood pressure and heart rate putting individuals at risk for stroke and other cardiovascular issues at greater risk.
Individuals for whom tadalafil and sibutramine are not viable therapeutic options due to interacting medications or underlying medical issues may be more likely to seek out these alternative products to avoid side effects. The undeclared presence of these drugs in these supplements exposes these “at risk” individuals to these potentially dangerous side effects without their knowledge, unarguably a worse situation than if they had knowingly been prescribed these medications under the observation of a trained health care professional. Continue reading “When Supplements “Work”. . .EZVille, Ltd – Where Health & Safety are Important-ish”
The Finch and Pea 