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| Americans Are Overmedicated | May 15, 2008, 5:45PM |
 by: my_little_pony |
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Americans today are overmedicated because doctors are giving medications to their patients that they may not really need. “More and more, patients' reported satisfaction with a doctor's visit is linked to whether or not they are given a prescription. Many see medication as the simple and obvious answer to any health problem, which can result in physicians feeling pressured to prescribe medications, even when they are not appropriate” (Greider). The reason doctors are doing this is because the patient won’t feel satisfied after a doctors visit unless they get a prescription. Because of this, antibiotics have been abused so much that the flesh eating superbug MRSA has adapted and made most antibiotics useless against it, causing MRSA to spread like wildfire. Also, many people are on psychiatric drugs that may have been treated with other less severe methods which they have not tried as treatment because of the easiness of a pill. With all of the medications that people are taking, the side effects from those medications warrant the use for more medications specifically made for the side effects of those previous medications. When have all these unneeded medications become so vital to American society? MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) is resistant to almost all antibiotics, and it’s treatments are becoming more and more scarce as time goes on. MRSA, once only a fear of and nuisance to hospitals and nursing homes, is breaking out of it’s normal habitat and leaching schools, daycares, and prisons. “Experts blame the emergence of these souped-up bugs in part on our habit of treating so many infections with powerful antibiotics; the microbes battle back by mutating to become resistant to the drugs” (Park). This outbreak of MRSA could have been prevented, or at least severely delayed by Americans taking antibiotics only in appropriate situations and only as prescribed. Part of the problem is that patients prescribed antibiotics are only taking the medicine until they feel better and not finishing the whole treatment, which gives bacteria a chance to mutate and in a sense, “conquer” that antibiotic and render it useless to that bacteria. If more people understood this then perhaps they would not be so antibiotic-happy at the doctors office and maybe another superbug may not have a chance to surface. Unlike other physicians, some psychiatrists must seek out patients by persuading them that they need treatment. Drug companies are happy to assist them in this pursuit, as it boosts their sales in the long run. With that in mind, we can now see how psychiatrists and drug companies work together to promote the connection between brain defects and mental disorders. Modern drugs are then offered as the solution for supposed chemical imbalances in the brain. “However, there is substantial evidence that mental disorders are not caused by problems in the brain and that patients are being over prescribed psychiatric drugs when alternative treatments such as psychotherapy would be more effective” (Leavitt). An example of overmedication with psychiatric drugs is the amount of children improperly diagnosed with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and the serious medications that these children are put on. Millions of children are being diagnosed with ADHD and put on medication that has been proven to have dangerous short and long term effects. Medical professionals have long acknowledged there is no objective criteria for determining whether a child has ADHD. Furthermore, the symptoms of ADHD have many possible causes, from sleep apnea to lead poisoning. Parents of children diagnosed with ADHD should really know about the disorder before letting doctors dope their children up on Ritalin (a stimulant that is close to cocaine in its composition and is most doctors’ drug of choice for treating ADHD) or something similar. With all of the medications that people are taking, more medications are being developed to combat the side effects of the previous ones. Dr. John D. Griffith, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, states: "I would like to point out that every drug, however innocuous, has some degree of toxicity. A drug, therefore, is a type of poison and its poisonous qualities must be carefully weighed against its therapeutic usefulness.” Unrecognized drug side effects are particularly of concern in the elderly, who tend to take more drugs for their ailments but metabolize them differently than the younger people tested and usually represented in drug-company studies (Greider). Wayne K. Anderson, Ph.D., dean of the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Buffalo, tells the story of: An eighty-year-old man who had osteoarthritis and was given a drug that made him nauseated. His doctor prescribed an anti-nauseate, which, after several months, produced a tremor. The man went to another doctor, who diagnosed Parkinson's disease and prescribed drugs to treat it, which increased the patient's nausea, resulting in an increase of anti-nausea drugs. Finally, a pharmacist had a conversation with the man's wife and recommended he be admitted to the hospital, where the drugs were carefully withdrawn. “He was discharged with a single prescription—Tylenol, for the osteoarthritis. Over the course of a year this man had become bedridden and now he was able to get back into life” (Greider). This happens all over in American nursing homes. If a resident has an itch, gas, is constipated, or has even the mildest headache some form of unnecessary medication is likely given. Why else would anyone want to go to the doctor unless it was to get medicine for their ailment? “It has been suggested that the impulse to use drugs is universal, a trait that distinguishes human beings from other animals. And isn't there something inherently appealing about taking medicine? You swallow it—you get better. Getting a medicine defines and validates one's suffering, while offering the promise of a solution” (Greider) Medicines certainly do have their advantages! Without modern medicine there would be a lot more lethal infections, people in pain, and untreated psychiatric patients. Many people prescribed certain medications do in fact need them and would suffer considerably without them. Where do we draw the line between which medication is needed and which medication is not? Doctors advise using a bit of common sense. Always ask your doctor what the medicines that he is giving you or your child are for and what side effects there will be. If he is prescribing you antibiotics ask, “If I didn’t take this antibiotic, would my body be able to fight this infection itself?” If your body can fight the infection itself, do all of us a favor and let it, because the more antibiotics are used the less effective they will become in the future when bacteria mutate even further and render antibiotics useless. Always examine possible reasons for symptoms of psychiatric disorders and don’t automatically run to a drug to solve all your problems. We are humans, we are tough, and Zoloft hasn’t been around for the first couple thousand years of our existence, why do we think that we require it now? Works Cited Katharine Greider. "Americans Are Overmedicated." At Issue: Are Americans Overmedicated?. Ed. Amanda Hiber. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2006. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Umpqua Community College. 28 Feb. 2008 Fred Leavitt. "Americans Are Overmedicated with Psychiatric Drugs." At Issue: Are Americans Overmedicated?. Ed. Amanda Hiber. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2006. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Umpqua Community College. 28 Feb. 2008 Park, Alice. "Staph on the March.(BEST INVENTIONS OF 2007)(Life: Sport - Living - History - Health - Environment - Life After Work; Health)." Time. 170. 20 (Nov 12, 2007): 123. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Umpqua Community College. 28 Feb. 2008 Bruce Wiseman. "Children Are Overmedicated with ADHD Drugs." At Issue: Are Americans Overmedicated?. Ed. Amanda Hiber. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2006. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Umpqua Community College. 28 Feb. 2008 | |
topic: Essays | |
[reply] [34 comments] |
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May 7, 2008, 12:58PM |
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 by: Syn |
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What I don't get is all of these people concerned with the RIGHTS of Illegal Immigrants in this country. Awhile ago there were protests from Hispanics (a lot of which were illegal) about immigration policy. If these people WERE working (legally or illegally) they didn't go into work so they could protest Immigration Policy. And you KNOW that if some American Citizens decided to not show up for work because they wanted to protest a cause...they would get fired. What I don't get is that these people are CRIMINALS. They broke the law and came into this country illegally. They have NO rights here because they are not United States Citizens. They should not get ANY benefits at all. I have no problem at all with anyone of a different race. But if you want to be in this country so badly then go through the proper channels and come here legally like EVERYONE ELSE HAD TO. Some of my ancestors emigrated here from Ireland a long time ago and had to do it legally. And plenty of other people's ancestors immigrated here legally and learned the English Language. WE SHOULD NOT have to incorporate Spanish into anything we do in our day to day lives either. We are being expected to learn Spanish and have our kids learn Spanish. We have automated phone lines with Spanish options, signs going up in both Spanish and English...etc. If you want to come here, do it legally, and learn the language spoken here. We do not come to Mexico or any other country for example and expect them to speak and put signs in English. To me this is all just part of the coming North American Union. This is why our border policy is a joke in the first place. Lawmakers don't care whether or not people come across our borders, because soon enough we will have an open borders policy with Canada and Mexico (which is already in the works). This is all being laid out starting with NAFTA...then evolving into the SPP (Security and Prosperity Partnership). The SPP was first launched in 2005 by the heads of state of Canada, Mexico, and the United States at a summit in Waco. The SPP was not created by a treaty between the nations involved, nor was Congress involved in any way. Instead, the SPP is an alliance of foreign consortiums and officials from several governments. One principal player is a Spanish construction company, which plans to build a super highway through the United States and operate it as a toll road. But don’t be fooled: the superhighway proposal is not the result of free market demand, but rather an extension of government-managed trade schemes like NAFTA that benefit politically-connected interests. This has taken shape largely without approval from Congress, out of sight, and with no vote from United States Citizens. The United States Government is already illegally seizing privately owned land in Texas to build the TTC (Trans-Texas Corridor) which is part of the NAFTA Super Highway. This superhighway would connect Mexico, the United States, and Canada, cutting a wide swath through the middle of Texas and up through Kansas City. Offshoots would connect the main artery to the west coast, Florida, and northeast. Proponents envision a ten-lane colossus the width of several football fields, with freight and rail lines, fiber-optic cable lines, and oil and natural gas pipelines running alongside. The Kansas-City smart port will be a major hub/distribution center as well. Then cheaply made products from other countries can be brought into port in Mexico and carried at a higher volume and more quickly into the United States and Canada. So China, Corporate C.E.O.'s, and Government Officials that are deeply vested with Corporations can make much more money. The real issue is national sovereignty. Once again, decisions that affect millions of Americans are not being made by those Americans themselves, or even by their elected representatives in Congress. Instead, a handful of elites use their government connections to bypass national legislatures and ignore our Constitution-- which expressly grants Congress the sole authority to regulate international trade. The ultimate goal is not simply a superhighway, but an integrated North American Union--complete with a currency, a cross-national bureaucracy, and virtually borderless travel within the Union. Like the European Union, a North American Union would represent another step toward the abolition of national sovereignty altogether. Any movement toward a North American Union diminishes the ability of average Americans to influence the laws under which they must live. The SPP agreement, including the plan for a major transnational superhighway through Texas, is moving forward without congressional oversight-- and that is an outrage. The administration needs a strong message from Congress that the American people will not tolerate backroom deals that threaten our sovereignty. For far too long, we the American people have put up with big government. The time is way past due for us to speak up and let our voices be heard. We are sick and tired of a government that has its hands in every little detail of our lives. The founding fathers would be disgusted if they saw what we put up with by our government today. And don’t get me wrong, I love America, I love my country! I am very much a patriot! I believe it is the DUTY of every American Citizen to speak out against the government if they do not agree with things that are being done. The Constitution was written to restrain the government, never to restrain the people! America needs to follow the Constitution! This is not a document that is to be ignored, pushed aside, or buried under tons of bureaucracy like has been done for so many years now! Do some research people and see that the processes I’ve discussed are actually happening! Don't just say "oh that’s hogwash" and not look into it. These things are happening and the groundwork was laid awhile ago. Do your RESEARCH! http://www.ronpaul2008.com/ | |
topic: Current Events | |
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| Animal Experimentation is Completely Justified and Necessary Because it is Essential for Medical Progress | April 26, 2008, 6:49AM |
by: my_little_pony |
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Could you imagine what your life would be like if you were confined to an iron lung for the rest of your life with your only view being the ceiling because animal rights activists made it impossible to use animals to find the cure for polio? Animal experimentation is completely justified and necessary because it is essential for medical progress. Without the use of animals in scientific research we would not have as many preventative drugs for AIDS patients, nor as many vaccines for terrible illnesses, and also we would not have discovered the Rh factor, a very important issue when it comes to women and pregnancy. Regulations brought in to protect animals' welfare are hindering vital research, research that could possibly find the final cure for AIDS and different cancers. We need animals to test drugs to make sure that they are safe for humans before administering them to our children, parents, and ourselves. There are no substitutes for animals, other than humans, that work as well and produce such conclusive results as they do. AIDS research would be impossible without animal experimentation. In one case the bone marrow of a baboon (baboons are immune to the AIDS virus) was implanted into a human with AIDS in an experimental treatment, after which the baboon was killed painlessly with a lethal injection. Many animal rights activists disagree with what was done, but would have it been right to save the baboons life in favor of denying treatment to someone with AIDS? Animal transplants have enormous possibilities for people with leukemia and lymphoma who go without treatment in a lot of cases because of a lack of donors. Many researchers believe that through animal testing a cure for AIDS will be found, and one states that restrictive animal rights laws get in the way of progress. According to Joseph E. Murray, the 1990 Nobel Laureate in medicine, “Whenever a cure for AIDS is found, it will be through animal research.” Finding a cure for AIDS warrants the sacrifice of animal lives. In 1908, researchers Karl Landsteiner and Erwin Popper conducted an experiment on monkeys and by doing so changed the way animal experimentation was done. They removed part of the spinal cord of a boy who had died of polio and ground it up, filtered it and injected it directly into the spines of two monkeys. One monkey became paralyzed and both monkeys died. The spinal cords showed the same kind of damage as those of humans with polio. In a very simple way, Landsteiner and Popper had demonstrated that monkeys could be used to model human diseases. Other scientists caught on and in 1911, monkeys were found to be susceptible to measles, in 1914, mumps, and in 1928, yellow fever (Derbyshire). With his discoveries of how monkeys could be used as models of humans, Landsteiner discovered the different kinds of blood types in humans in 1930 and won the Nobel Prize. Landsteiner was particular about the kind of animals that he used and would onlyuse rhesus macaque monkeys, which was important because in 1940, he discovered a blood factor shared by the macaques and humans: the Rh factor. Short for rhesus, Rh factor refers to a cluster of highly reactive proteins on the surface of red blood cells. Most people have these proteins and are called Rh positive. A minority, however, lacks the proteins and is called Rh negative. If an Rh-negative woman becomes pregnant with an Rh-positive child, her immune system will develop an immune defense that will attack any future pregnancy with an Rh-positive child. Her immune system will rip into the fetus' alien red blood cells, jamming them together and exploding them. (Derbyshire) What an important discovery! Good thing that Landsteiner's discovery led to the development of a vaccine that blocked this terrible immune response. It is puzzling that some people would even think of saving a few monkeys rather than having this vaccine. Without animal testing many areas of research would come to a halt and many cures for things would go undiscovered. Thomas Starzl, the pioneer of the kidney transplant, was recently asked why he used dogs in his work. He explained that his first series of kidney transplant operations left the majority of his subjects dead. He figured out what enabled the minority to survive and began a second series of operations; the majority of these subjects lived. A third group of subjects received liver transplants and only one or two of them died. In his fourth group all subjects survived. Starzl remarked that it’s important to realize that his first three groups of subjects were dogs, while the fourth group of subjects were human babies. It is sad to say that some people would favor discontinuing this line of research rather than use dogs to refine the process. If animal rights activists had their way the world would by a very different place, a place which there would be very little pleasure living in. Animal activists oppose all animal-based medical research. If we had listened to their arguments 50 years ago, children still would be contracting polio (the vaccine was developed in monkeys). Diabetics would not have insulin, a benefit of research on dogs. We would also be without antibiotics for pneumonia, chemotherapy for cancer, surgery for heart diseases, organ transplants and joint replacement.(Murray) Animal rights activists believe that animals have just as many rights to life as humans do and should be treated as such. Organizations like PETA were formed to protect animal rights. People who support animal rights believe that animals are not ours to use for food, clothing, entertainment, experimentation, or any other purpose. PETA is right on a lot of their values. Animals should not be used for entertainment, nor should they be used for experiments concerning cosmetics. Do we really need another hairspray? The answer is “No!” But, do we really need a cure for AIDS? The answer is “Yes!” Many animal rights activists argue that a healthy lifestyle can prevent many diseases and ailments which would warrant the need for treatment, treatment which could have been discovered using animal testing. Some animal rights activists believe that medical research altogether could be stopped if people lived healthy lives and did not require treatment for diseases and ailments. This would be nice if it were true, but sadly it is not. My aunt and uncle, Wister and Tom Hart, are people who live very healthy lifestyles. They eat well, exercise, rest well, and are generally happy people. Both have had cancer and survived. If not for chemotherapy (perfected through animal research) they would not have made it. Who would be to blame for their deaths then? Medical research needs to use animals for testing in order to progress. It is not a necessary evil; it is just necessary. Just like animals, humans have the right to further their species and protect it so that it may flourish and not become extinct. When cancer, disease, and ailments arise, it is our right as human beings to find the cure for these things, however possible, without hurting other humans, because surviving is what we are genetically programmed to do. We live in a modern world today free of many of the diseases that plagued our past. Many of us have forgotten or simply not known what a different world it was before all the cures that came of animal testing. Because of this, animal rights activists simply do not see what is needed to live in such a privileged society such as we do, where issues of our survival are rarely worried about in our daily lives. They are sentimentalists, “Save the animals!” they cry out, but when it comes down to it, what they are saying means that they are more concerned about another species than their own, even if they don’t understand that that‘s what they‘re implying. If your child had cancer, would you refuse to use chemotherapy on them because the methods used to perfect it were tested on animals? Would you deny them medicine for pain for the same reason? I think not. Works Cited Derbyshire, Stuart. "Animal Experimentation Is Justified." Current Controversies: The Rights of Animals. Ed. Auriana Ojeda. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2004. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Umpqua Community College. 29 Jan. 2008 http://find.galegroup.com/ovrc/infomark.do?&contentSet=GSRC&type=retrieve& tabID=T010&prodId=OVRC&docId=EJ3010062239&source=gale&srcprod=OV RC&userGroupName=umpquacc&version=1.0. Murray, Joseph E. "Animal Experimentation Benefits AIDS Research." At Issue: Animal Experimentation. Ed. David M. Haugen. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2000. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Umpqua Community College. 29 Jan. 2008 http://find.galegroup.com/ovrc/infomark.do?&contentSet=GSRC&type=retrieve tabID=T010&prodId=OVRC&docId=EJ3010002205&source=gale&srcprod=OR C&userGroupName=umpquacc&version=1.0. | |
topic: Essays | |
[reply] [73 comments] |
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| Sabian vs Zildjian | March 15, 2008, 3:49PM |
by: Syn |
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Sabian is a Canadian cymbal designer and manufacturer. It is one of the largest in the world, along with Zildjian, Paiste and Meinl. The company was founded in 1981 in Meductic, New Brunswick, Canada by Robert Zildjian, son of Avedis Zildjian III, the head of the Avedis Zildjian Company. Family tradition had it that the head of the company would only pass its secrets down to the oldest son, but Avedis III gave the information to both his sons, Armand and Robert. This led to a family feud and a legal squabble, resulting in Robert leaving Zildjian to form the rival Sabian company. The companies continue to be rivals, and are both among the world's most popular cymbal brands. The settlement gave Robert Zildjian the Canadian factory that at that time produced 40% of the production of the Avedis Zildjian Company, and most notably the entire K. Zildjian line, all manufacturing in Turkey having ceased by this time. Robert agreed not to use the Zildjian name or to claim that his cymbals were the same. The most notable difference between Zildjian and Sabian is that Zildjian uses a softer, mellower sounding alloy while Sabian uses a more tin-based alloy. The cymbals of the two companies today can be distinguished by sound fairly easily. Sabians are relatively thinner for their advertised weight. Sabian cymbals have longer sustain (with some exceptions) than their Zildjian counterparts, and Zildjian have a faster response (or attack). Sabian cymbals tend to be mellower in sound overall, but all of these differences wholly depend on the individual cymbal model. Robert Zildjian formed the word "Sabian" from the two first letters of the names of his three children Sally, Billy and Andy, and initially released two lines of cymbals, HH and AA, both of them of the traditional bell bronze alloy. The HH or "hand hammered" line were widely regarded as being K. Zildjians in all but name, and there was nothing in the settlement to prevent this being the case, although Robert Zildjian was legally prevented from claiming that it was true. However it was the other line, only slightly cheaper in price, that caused a sensation. The AA line were machine-made bell-bronze cymbals. They introduced a subtly different sound that appealed to many drummers, and also a level of consistency which was at that time new in a line of bell-bronze cymbals. Currently, Sabian has nine different series of cymbals. Their B8 series and B8 Pro series are regarded as student-level or entry-level cymbals. Their Xs20 series are regarded as intermediate-level cymbals. Their AA series and the AAX series of cymbals are regarded as semiprofessional-level to professional-level cymbals. Their HH series, HHX series, and Vault series of cymbals are regarded as professional-level cymbals. Further, cymbals from the Signature series are models developed in assistance with Sabian-endorsed artists, the price and quality of which vary from cymbal to cymbal ------------------------------------------------- The Avedis Zildjian Company is a cymbal manufacturer Founded in Istanbul, Turkey. It is one of the world's largest manufacturer of cymbals, along with Paiste, Meinl and Sabian. At nearly 400 years old, Zildjian remains one of the oldest operating companies in the world. They also sell drum-related accessories, such as drum sticks. The first Zildjian cymbals were created in 1618 in Istanbul by an Armenian man named Avedis, who, while looking for a way to turn base metal into gold, created an alloy combining tin, copper, and silver into a sheet of metal that could make musical sounds without shattering. Avedis took the surname of Zildjian, from Turkish "zil+ci" (cymbal-maker/seller) and the Armenian suffix "yan" (son of), and began an industry in 1623, the details of whose main product remained secret for generations. It became family tradition that only the oldest son of the company's head would know the manufacturing process. The Zildjian Company moved from manufacturing noisemakers to frighten the enemies of the Ottoman Empire to manufacturing its cymbals as musical instruments in the 19th century. In 1908, Avedis Zildjian III migrated to Boston, while Kerope Zildjian continued to make cymbals in Turkey under the K Zildjian Constantinople name. In 1923, the Turkish Republic was established and the name of Constantinople was officially changed to Istanbul, resulting in the change of the company’s name from K. Zildjian Constantinople to K. Zildjian Istanbul. In around 1926, Aram Zildjian signed an exclusive American distribution agreement for K. Zildjian cymbals with Gretsch. Around 1928, Avedis III and Aram Zildjian began manufacturing cymbals in Quincy, Massachusetts, and the Avedis Zildjian Co. was formed in 1929, the same year that the Great Depression began, in competition with the K. Zildjian company in Turkey. Avedis made many innovations in cymbals that are still around today; he was the first to develop drum-set cymbals, and gave cymbals names such as ride, crash, splash, and hi-hat. Jazz drummers such as Gene Krupa, Buddy Rich, Louie Bellson, Shelly Manne, Cozy Cole, and Papa Jo Jones all used Avedis Zildjian cymbals. The cymbals were made with both automated processes and hand hammering, but Zildjian ended the latter tradition in 1964 after a rise in demand resulting from the popularity of The Beatles' drummer Ringo Starr on The Ed Sullivan Show. In 1968, the K. Zildjian Co. and all European trademarks were bought back by Robert Zildjian on behalf of the Avedis Zildjian Co. Zildjian was having labour requirement issues with oven room operators and machine operators, so Avedis split the production into two separate operations, one for rolling and casting only, and one for finishing work. They then opened up the Azco factory in Meductic, New Brunswick, Canada in 1968. From 1968 to 1970, the Azco factory produced Zilco cymbals. There were two types of Zilco: one was a thin rolling produced without any hammering at all, which cut costs. At about this time in the Azco factory, Robert Zildjian, with a man called Dick Dane, invented the modern process for pressing cymbals into shape. Before this it was done by bumping with the Quincy drop hammer. In 1970, Zildjian needed all their production capabilities at Azco for their regular Zildjian line, so the factory in Quincy (the then location of Zildjian) would send up castings to be finished into cymbals at Azco. At one point Azco was responsible for 40% of Zildjian's output. In 1975, there were problems with the Turkish government and Robert went over to Turkey and brought over a crew to start making K. Zildjian cymbals in the Azco plant. This was an interesting time for the Zildjian clan because it was the first time that Kerope and Avedis Zildjian had worked together to make the same Zildjian cymbals after years of competing with each other as A. Zildjian and K. Zildjian Istanbul. These were made until 1979 when Avedis died and Robert split from Zildjian amidst conflict with his brother, Armand Zildjian. Shortly thereafter, in 1981, Robert started making Sabian cymbals in the Meductic Azco factory, while Kerope and his son continued to make Sabian's early HH (Hand Hammered) cymbals. Other than cymbals, the Avedis Zildjian Company also produces products such as drum sticks and other drum accessories. The drum sticks are currently produced in Alabama. The Artist Series drum sticks allow these endorsers to personalize their own drum sticks, and these sticks are sold to the public. The Avedis Zildjian Company continues to produce cymbals today in Norwell, Massachusetts. Armand Zildjian was the head of the company after Avedis' death until his own passing in 2002. The company is now run by Armand’s daughters Craigie Zildjian and Debbie Zildjian. | |
topic: Essays | |
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| Teenagers | March 10, 2008, 5:41PM |
 by: xPrincessofMiseryx |
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I've realized something about the teenage "species" if you will. I'm a teenager myself but I highly dislike being one,I've realized that most of us aren't the brightest crayons in the box. Most of us,along with some adults,live for today,not tomorrow,and in this world you can't do that,everything you do now comes back to you,and knowing that we,the teenagers,continue to screw up with our education and family relationships. All of us teenagers are really messed up in the head for various reasons,depressed,fake,stuck up, or just really insecure. Most of this is caused by teenage angst,but it's also caused by the fact that all teenagers think like this- No one has it better than us,and no one has it worst. For instance,let's say you're a teenage girl and you're confiding in one of your girlfriends because your boyfriend just broke up with you. You're friend would probably say "I remember when my ex broke up with me,it was terrible,your boyfriend breaking up with you is nothing compared to what my ex did to me. But you'll find a really sweet guy,I know I did." In that situation,you compared a past problem with your friend's to make it seem like you had it worst,and then the following statement you made it sound like you have it better than she does. This has been my rant about teenagers. We will always have the "No one has it worst and no one has it better than us" attitude. | |
topic: Rants | |
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| Who are we or you to judge the blood? | March 7, 2008, 1:48AM |
 by: THE_FLY |
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i had noticed a Message that my best friend Merissa had posted due to the shock and tears that i've shed over this bulletin? i don't/won't bash her for anythign because she means more than alot to me in many ways but this message....i will share with people..... I have felt for sometime now that Obama is the one person that 'Frightens Me'. I believe the Bible has warned us that 'A man will come from the East that will be charismatic in nature and have proposed solutions for all our problems and his rhetoric will attract many supporters!' When will our pathetic Nation quit turning their back on God and understand that this man is 'A Muslim'....First, Last and always....and we are AT WAR with the Muslim Nation, whether our bleeding-heart, secular, Liberal friends believe it or not. This man fits every description from the Bible of the 'Anti-Christ'! Who is Barack Obama? Probable U. S. presidential candidate, Barack Hussein Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, to Barack Hussein Obama, Sr., a black MUSLIM from Nyangoma-Kogel, Kenya and Ann Dunham, a white ATHEIST from Wichita , Kansas. Obama's parents met at the University of Hawaii. When Obama was two years old, his parents divorced. His father returned to Kenya. His mother then married Lolo Soetoro, a RADICAL Muslim from Indonesia. When Obama was 6 years old, the family relocated to Indonesia. Obama attended a MUSLIM school in Jakarta. He also spent two years in a Catholic school. Obama takes great care to conceal the fact that he is a Muslim. He is quick to point out that, 'He was once a Muslim, but that he also attended Catholic school.' Obama's political handlers are attempting to make it appear that that he is not a radical. Obama's introduction to Islam came via his father, and that this influence was temporary at best. In reality, the senior Obama returned to Kenya soon after the divorce, and never again had any direct influence over his son's education. Lolo Soetoro, the second husband of Obama's mother, Ann Dunham, introduced his stepson to Islam. Obama was enrolled in a Wahabi school in Jakarta. Wahabism is the RADICAL teaching that is followed by the Muslim terrorists who are now waging Jihad against the western world. Since it is politically expedient to be a CHRISTIAN when seeking major public office in the United States, Barack Hussein Obama has joined the United Church of Christ in an attempt to downplay his Muslim background. ALSO, keep in mind that when he was sworn into office he DID NOT use the Holy Bible, but instead the Koran. Barack Hussein Obama will NOT recite the Pledge of Allegiance nor will he show any reverence for our flag. While others place their hands over their hearts, Obama turns his back to the flag and slouches. Do you want someone like this as your PRESIDENT? Let us all remain alert concerning Obama's expected presidential candidacy. The Muslims have said they plan on destroying the US from the inside out, what better way to start than at the highest level - through the President of the United States, one of their own! Please forward to everyone you know. Would you want this man leading our country?...... NOT ME In All honesty? why....why does the world, society, or let alone OUR OWN PEOPLE have to come to this?! To be BRUTALLY HONEST? when i read this bulletin....not only did it break my heart, but it made me cry, because of the fact that this not only shows RIDICULOUSLY HIGH slander towards the bible (that has been re-written more times over than Rap remix songs) but it also shows that if we go towards a path of NEVER trusting our outer countries that respect the fact that WE, THE PEOPLE OF AMERICA live the way we want and enjoy our lives the way we want THEY WISH THAT WE DON'T FORCE OUR LIVESTYLE DOWN THEIR THROAT In all honesty.....it kills me in the worst way that people would actually think like this cause this truly TRULY hurts....alot A Bible (NOT EVEN AN EXTREMELY LITERAL AUTHENTIC ONE) tells you to forgive and forget, but yet BANISH those who are not worthy Why does the majority of society BELIEVE something like this?! It's wrong....VERY wrong! Whoever becomes the leader of this decrepid nation, SHOULD NOT be bashed or banished to eternal damnation JUST BECAUSE of their religion IMO? if you choose to redundantly bash someone because of their religion when it comes to helping others see a better way that will actually make them a moderately happy person, and IN LEAGUE with being acceptable about themselves or their life? THEN YOU should be banished to your personal damnation See.....Where i live? I'm beyond BEYOND sick and tired of having to tell every segregating african american that... 1-I am not a christian, or anything within relation to the "Religion Tree of Blasphemy" (in reference towards the southern-hateful families who bash/disown everyone who's not in leauge with churches) I'm a buddhist, and i was born into buddhism, along with my younger brother. But my religion doesn't pray and chant about self-greed, we chant about victory over violence, peace, ect. 2-I dress like this because of the fact that I grew up REFUSING to look like a typical stereotype that gets bashed and bothered and claimed for something else, YET i'm obliviously different from your average "black person" 3-I have a free spirit, because my family gave it to me when i was young, and i enjoy having this life 4-I'm not a "freak" or a fucking "gothic" kid cause i don't run around within a parade of ignorance and Untalented chaos JUST to get attention in all the wrong ways. Honestly? I'll vote for obama not because of the fact that he's black/muslim, ect. it's because of the fact that APPARENTLY ALONG with ms. clint? he's got a head on his shoulders Since these campaign runs have started lately? i've realized that America STILL hasn't evolved from the "common state of inner ignorance" People bashing hillary by claiming that if she goes on her period in the chair, she blows up half the continent or saying that she would tell everyone to go buy shoes with her when she's making a peace treaty or with the obama thing? claiming that he wants to bomb america from the inside-out or saying that he'll destroy us all because he's a muslim Last i remembered? -clears throat- THEY started war with other countries just to be greedy and pessimist and in this case... Being a pessimist....DOESN'T mean you're a Realist being a pessimist in this case? only makes you seem like a common enemy with those who have cared about you more than you'll ever know -I'm not bashing GOD! i bash the people who use, abuse, and mislead the world ABOUT god in the wrong way- | |
topic: Various | |
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| New Feature: Site Themes | February 20, 2008, 6:23PM |
 by: eon |
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Check out your Control Panel under 'Edit Profile' for a new option: Site Themes. It's pretty straight forward. Pick a color you like and all of the site backgrounds, links, borders, etc., will be changed to suit your taste. This is good if you'd like a break from the site layout we've had for the past... oh... 3 years or so. Currently available: Original, Green, Blue, Orange, Pink and Grey. You might find some sections of the site that are not covered by the themes. IE, you might select the 'Green' theme and at some point find a page somewhere on the site that has not been changed to green (it would still have the original look). If you find such pages, let me know. There are quite a few I've had to link up and I've covered most of them but I'm sure I've missed a few. Thanks and... Enjoy. | |
topic: Site News | |
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| Site Poll: Tools or Rules? | January 13, 2008, 3:40PM |
by: eon |
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The poll I'm going to link here addresses an issue that has come up many times in the history of this site, starting with the introduction of our forums and then continuing with the addition of Groups. Although this poll asks a question about the way groups and forums are used, the answer could have an impact site wide. So I'd like everyone to please take a few minutes and help out in settling this long time, hotly debated issue. The poll pretty much explains everything, so please carefully read the background section of the poll and give it some thought before voting: Take the poll: Tools or Rules? Again, I think this is something that could effect everyone, so I would encourage you all to vote! Thank you for making your voice heard. | |
topic: Site News | |
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| rip vampira | January 12, 2008, 5:08PM |
 by: exquisitecorpse |
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Finnish-born actress MAila Nurmi, who came to fame in the 1950s as horror-TV host vampira, died on January 10, 2008. She was 86. Her legacy today rests with a brief but memorable, silent cameo as the raised-from-the-dead wife of Bela Lugosi in Ed Wood's cult classic Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959): she also appeared in such films as Too Much Too Soon, The Beat Generation, and Sex Kittens Go to College. Nurmi got her start as a showgirl and starlet, but when her career stalled, she disguised herself as Charles Addam's Morticia character and became a celebrity introducing horror movies on Hollywood TV. Of her most famous film Nurmi admitted. "At the time, I thought it was horrible. I knew immediately I'd be committing professional suicide." a recipe for vampira... Black dress moves in a blue movie | |
topic: Life | |
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| Abstaining from Intellectual Intercourse | January 3, 2008, 7:00PM |
 by: Saturnalia |
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There's a new "abstinence only" philosophy that I've been seeing lately. Abstinence means that if you don't do it, you won't have to worry about whatever consequences come with giving into those desires. Dear God! People could get impregnated with new ambitions and points of view! They could start conceiving their own theories and philosophies! And the spread of such horrible diseases as revolution and art and progression could quite possibly infect the entire nation! This menace must be stopped! We much drive it into our children early: intellectual intercourse is much too dangerous an activity for anyone to engage in. Forcing them to use prophylactic measures such as mindless entertainment or substandard education aren't enough. Only by completely cutting yourself off from anything educational will keep you safe. Did you know thinking too much could actually be very detrimental to your health, even kill you? All you would need is to read a book or converse with one person that could be carrying some filthy form of knowledge that will change you into a raving intellectual obsessed with quantum physics or some other nasty thing. You would never be the same person. You'd never be able to sit and play World of Warcraft with your friends for seventeen hours straight again! And remember, educating yourself is an abomination in the eyes of God, you filthy pervert. If you keep doing that, you're bound to go blind anyways. | |
topic: Life | |
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