(Oman Daily Observer)

Check it out and maybe consider blogging yourself about Invisible Illness Week 2008 Sept 8-14.

Ver Post Completo.

Ver Post Completo.

La sintonia è avvenuta sui 100.8 MHz , frequenza  libera per quanto riguarda la piana della valdinievole , ma stritolata da due colossi : Radio Deejay sui 100.6 e RTL 102.5 sui 100.9

Da una ricerca su internet ho scoperto che il relay in questione dovrebbe essere situato dalle parti di Bastia , presumibilmente ad una altura di 850 metri .

Si tratta di un tragitto in linea retta di circa 175 Km , vediamo il calcolo della portata ottica :

tratto da pagaiare.it

Per calcolare la massima distanza a cui un oggetto è visibile si applica la seguente formula:

dove D è la distanza massima di visibilità , h_A e h_B sono le altezze dell'osservatore e dell'oggetto osservato sul livello del mare.

La costante K vale 3,569 se D è espresso in km e h_A , h_B sono espressi in metri

Abbiamo detto che presumibilmente il trasmettitore è posto ad una altitudine di 850 metri sopra il livello del mare e visto che che ho iniziato a captare la stazione attorno ai 200 metri slm calcoliamo la distanza percorsa dal segnale radio :

√850 = 29,15 ; √200 = 14,14

D = 3,569 * (29,15+14,4)

D= 155,42 Km

Dovremmo esserci teoricamente con la portata limite del segnale radio propagato in linea retta.

Erano le 19.20 circa e quindi forse una spintina puo' essere stata data da un particolare caricamento della ionosfera negli strati più bassi.

Ah , per la cronaca NRJ radio non è niente di che , una hit radio giovanilistica con gusti transalpini :)

(Courtesy: Sony)

The wireless speakers include remote control capability for the iPod player's music tracks. The speakers also incorporate sleep timers and an alarm clock function.

The system comes with one docking station and two S-Air wireless speakers, but it can transmit to up to 10 speakers simultaneously (additional speakers sold separately).

It also comes equipped with an AM/FM tuner and the S-AIRPLAY's ual source feature lets users listen to music from the iPod player or from a radio station. Listeners in one room can hear their favorite radio station, while listeners in another room can enjoy music from the iPod at the same time.

Will this device be launched in India as well is anyone's guess.

The world has been subjugated again. Every country, every household, every vehicle, every living room, every ear, every heart. Actually, in brief, every soul. We are all slaves once again and the culprit lies in our own fickle self. We have a tendency to flirt and even music is not spared. However, this conqueror has been with us in our vicissitudes and carousing. We have cried with it and laughed our hearts out without even noticing it. We have romanced and committed and he has been there. We have confided in him when we were alone. He has been a part of our lives whether or not we have been able to take note of him amidst the chaos of our pragmatic lifestyles.

Radio has fathered a whole generation and now we are dealing with its grandsons, FM (Frequency Modulation) and WorldSpace. Nevertheless, this loyalty has only been revered and nurtured with time.

Radio has a feel of nostalgia. We associate the word with older times. Happier times. And somewhere in between this constant ticking of the clock, private players have laid their hands upon us. Today, FM is a rage in the town. Be it the auto rickshaws, zooming private transport services, restaurants, offices or anywhere in the world, there is a hint of this sound traveling on different wavelengths. National radio terrestrial services are on a booming high with many private players coming in to action after decades of monopolised regime under the government controlled Akashwani.

With services ranging from weather forecast to marriage counseling, AM and FM services have transcended the antiquated barriers of news and musical breaks. However, this sudden surge in FM and WorldSpace Radio gained its momentum only in the early 2000. The scenario was altogether different in 80’s and 90’s. After the maiden venture of the broadcast medium in India by Prasar Bharti, which debuted in a fifty- fifty hours per week format, Radio was soon going to be considered outdated and obsolete. The first major trounce in its way came in the decade of 70’s when television started capturing the hearts and minds of entertainment hungry audiences. No major efforts on the part of the government were also initiated to restrict the obvious and clean chit victory of sight over sound. Everything was lined up for telecast and people were eager and enthusiastic to see far away things moving live in front of them. Mass communication gained another step ahead with television venturing into even the most unreachable parts of the globe. This was the time when people had forgotten the significance and uniqueness of radio services. It took almost twenty years for this masterpiece version of sound to gain an even standing in the territory that sometimes back used to be its playing ground. When FM services were launched in the year 1997 in India, no one thought that this would be the most phenomenal comeback in the recent past of the technical entertainment industry.

Three years was all it took and now FM is the most preferred choice and the most fashionable style statement when it comes to mobile music. However, the journey has not been a bed of roses all the way. Facing stiff regulations on the part of the government (including the debated License issue that reached to several crores) and severe criticisms from the who’s who of the blue-collared workers, private players in the FM segment have been able to rise despite all odds against them.

The Theory That Clicked

Listeners of FM in India have been bequeathed with a completely new range of services, which were almost non-existent at the time of AIR’s boom. You spell it and they have it. Traffic congestion reports so that you can avoid taking a disturbed track. Weather forecasts to liven up your day. Tarots, numerology, zodiac and any other thing under the sun to solve your entire destiny related problems. Have problem cooking or on a lookout for new recipes, just tune in and there you are with some master chef’s ready to share the pizza with you. Looking for the man or girl of your dreams, just call them and the job is done. This and a bountiful ahead are the essence of FM and then of course, there is music. Music- the soul and life of FM. Competition has always benefited the consumer and the FM market is no different. With players such as Aamar 106.2 FM (the sonar Bangla), Go 92.5 from Mid–Day Multimedia Ltd., Power 107.8 FM from India FM Radio Pvt. Ltd., Radio City 91 FM from Star India Pvt. Ltd., Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM (really hot) a Times Group venture, Red FM 93.5 from Radio Today and Win 94.6 in the menu, you have a wide range and scope to choose from.

However, this list is not comprehensive as there are many others still in the pipeline. This sudden frenzy for FM is not only because of the fact that they are offering the most unique entertainment enveloped in the form of different services but because they have made it mobile also. Yes, now you don’t have to part from your favourite music if there is sudden call of the nature or any other possible distraction that may arise. FM can be carried anywhere and it just fits well in your pockets. Available in every shape and size now the fear of being alone on a journey or anywhere is obliterate. Your most faithful friend can now be carried easily and just squeezes effortlessly in your budget pocket. This has been a giant leap if the technological doors are knocked. FM continues to be a success.

Success, someone has rightly defined as giving your one hundred percent and then some more. Therefore, here comes in the picture the WorldSpace Radio. WorldSpace is the only satellite radio service outside of the USA, Japan and South Korea. Through its subscription-based service, WorldSpace provides over 40 channels of hundred percent digital and quality music, news, sports and a plethora of other services to people around the world who want world class services rarely found on local or national terrestrial radio networks. Think its period, but there are many more still to go. With FM in their pockets, the listeners are now treated with more first rate service promising excellent digital quality sound as long as you are in the line of sight with the satellite. Moreover, there is nothing to think of, the WorldSpace radio provides coverage almost up to 14 million square kilometers at a stretch. Oomph… too much to handle, isn’t it? Well, with all the aces up its sleeve the radio era has come far ahead only if competition is concerned. With these incredible services and hi profile statistics, the FM and WorldSpace are definitely destined to keep heartbeats racing and milestones splintering.

Now, analyzing the pros and cons the only question that refuses to shirk the mind is whether this boom will survive. No prizes for guessing though, the answer is a big affirmative. From the moment you wake up you are attuned to this audio revolution and life looks much easier and stress free when a hectic day ends and you wind up with your favourite song, artist, music, show, global news, local sneak peaks, or anything. People have their own preferences and privileges. Therefore, if you are not of the sort who cares for minute details and excellence in every act FM is for you. However, if perfection is what you desire more than entertainment, go for WorldSpace. But all said and done, one thing is for sure, life wouldn’t have been the same, had the master of satellite and terrestrial audio entertainment not returned to the forefront.

And distinctions apart, this small piece of news may clear all your doubts, only if you have any, in regards to the popularity of Radio. In the US of A, a radio station is dedicated strictly to the pets. Interesting, eh. So just tune in and have a great time with your reliable friend because considering the electricity woes in our country, this might prove to be a blessing in disguise. After all, some things are better heard than seen. Tune in.

]]> http://stelu.wordpress.com/?p=70 Sun, 24 Aug 2008 12:53:03 +0000 stelu http://stelu.wordpress.com/?p=70 La sigames finalmente ha reso FMlive in preorder! i server di gioco dovrebbero partire per Ottobre. Parliamo un pò di quello che è stato annunciato da Miles Jacobson

Time to introduce myself: my name is Draško Milošević.
I live in Belgrade, Serbia, at the moment of this writing. Belgrade is very interesting city in the center of Balkans and right now it's very exciting moment in it's history. Many important things happened here or is happening now. Bruce Sterling, famous futurist, science fiction writer and designer have lived here briefly from 2004. to 2007. In one of his posts on the well.com he said that Belgrade and Serbia is great place for futurists, because “there are a lot of trends set here.”
I wasn't born in Belgrade, but 80km on the south-east. My hometown is called Požarevac, and I'm sure that at some point I'll write many things about that town, good and bad. To all those that are interested, hold on and check my page from time to time.

Mostly, subjects of this blog will be computers and programming.
I wrote my first BASIC program when I was 13, and that was in 1990. Before 1995. I was able to write code in C, Pascal (Borland) and MODULA 2 ( Niklaus Wirth's masterpiece). Since then I have learned many beautiful things about computers and at some point I started to make money from knowing all that stuff, and that's where I am now.
After all these years I find it very hard to specialize myself: I like to play with hardware, I like to play with operating systems and of course I like programming. Today I use mostly C++ and PHP and I'll start discussion about them when the time comes. Right now I'm involved in some database admin job. We are migrating one large PostgreSQL system to Oracle and I think that the next post will be on the subject. Also, I'm interested in electronics to the certain point, have some professional experience with ATMEL microcontrollers and surrounding circuits.
In the last couple of years (since 2005) I quit Windows completely and migrated to Linux. My distribution of choice (meta-distribution that is) is Gentoo Linux. It completely satisfies me: it's very configurable, modern in design and it has some very unique attributes that I'm going to write about later.
Aside from computers my other field of interest is radio broadcasting (FM and online). I actually had been working on a very interesting radio station since 1999. to 2002. It was a wonderful experience and I'm sure that I'm going to share my opinions on the subject with you soon enough.

OK, that's it for now. If I interested you in any way, check my page soon.

I woke at 6 to my son trying to get all the dogs into the fenced yard by himself.  Not a good idea.  He's only 10 and a small boy at that.  He had been outwitted by 7 wild doggies.  I heard him holler and yell at them for about 10 minutes when I decided to help. 

I scooped some dog food into a dish and walked into the dog yard.  Of course, they all followed me.  Mom has food!  Let's follow Mom!  I just shook it and then when they were all in the yard I dumped it onto the ground. 

I don't want to condone their horrible behavior as of late, but I wanted to put an end quickly to the running amok and barking.  I went back to bed.  I woke again at 7, 8 and 9 and then again at 10 I finally gave up.  I am awake under protest. 

My body hurts.  My arms ache badly now because I've answered several emails and have several more.  I have Fibromyalgia.  It is basically full body pain for no reason that fits all patients of FM.  Some say it's a weight thing.  Well, I've lost weight.  Some say its due to anther underlying cause/illness.  OK, that one I may believe.

I also have Interstitial Cystitis.  IC is a chronic inflamation of the lining of my bladder.  It's a lot like having a constant bladder infection, but it does NOT hurt while I am peeing.  I'm backwards.  I know.  I always have been. 

I have a back pain issue called Degenerative Disc Disease.  I don't do a whole lot for it because my old doctor was a jerk.  All I have is a TENS unit which is electrical nerve stimulation, and a traction unit.  I plan to find a doctor who will treat my back pain and hopefully stop it.

I am on several medications for my 'life'.  For Fibromyalgia I take Lyrica, Cymbalta, Flexeril, and Klonopin.  I feel very strange on this Lyrica.  I can go from feeling human to feeling drunk to feeling very very dizzy several times during my day.  For Interstitial Cystitis I am on Elmiron, Vistaril, Elavil, Pyridium, UTI caps, 800mg Motrin and I get 30 Lorcet 10/650mg a month.  I break them in half so that I can function while on them.  I do not always need them. 

In fact, I 'rescued' a friend in town this week becuase her meds were all at her home which is an hour east of here and so I gave her a couple of mine.  She was in so much pain.  I completely understood.  I know it's probably illegal, but you know what?  My friend was in pain.  I helped her.  She was hurting badly and I was not going to see her hurting anymore.  I did not charge her, I did not sell them. 

Ok, sorry, off on a tangent.  I am also taking an OTC multivitamin, Excedrine PM as needed, and Excedrine for headaches, Imodium as needed. 

I take a lot of meds and still nothing makes em better, or feel less pain or discomfort. 

I relieve a lot of my pain by laying on my bed with my corgi, Bingo.  He lays next to me and just lets me rub on him and pet him.  It helps to calm me when I am hurting BAD.  And the kisses are a bonus.

I think that's all for now.  My arms hurt and my son wants the computer.  More on my family later.

Pero no se trata de una entrevista. Al parecer, el pasado sábado "My Baby just Cares for Me" sonaba en Europa FM, y versionada, por supuesto por Virginia Maestro. Esta canción del CD Agua, recordemos, es la que le salvó de las tres nominaciones consecutivas en la gala ocho. Pero ¿a qué se debe esto? Una vez más, la Marea Azul entra en acción, y desarrolado una iniciativa para hacerla sonar en todas las radios posibles, lo cual resulta todo un logro.

Virginia no ha demostrado tener la voz más especial de la academia, sino que también ha demostrado tener los seguidores más activos y fieles. Y por supuesto, si quieres participar, solo has de registrarte en el siguiente foro y entrar En el siguiente enlace. Desde aquí les deseamos mucha suerte en su inciativa.

Prometeo

Un animale stravolto di solitudine,
con un pungolo incessante che gli morde il ventre,
lo fa correre, tremante di stanchezza,
per fuggire la fame, a cui si sottrae solo morendo;
un animale che cerca la sua vita per oscure selve;
cieco quando la notte distende le sue ombre;
sferzato da freddi mortali nel cavo delle rocce;
che si accoppia soltanto in casuali amplessi;
che urla, preda degli dei, ai loro strali –
uomini, senza Prometeo, voi sareste tali.

Fuoco che crei e che distruggi, artefice fiamma!
Fuoco, erede dei bagliori del tramonto!
Troppo triste l’aurora ascende al cuore della sera;
il dolce focolare ha congiunto le mani; il campo
ha preso il posto delle sterpaglie arse.
Il duro metallo zampilla nelle colate.
Il ferro ardente si piega, docile al martello.
Un lume sotto il tetto colma l’anima.
Il pane matura come un frutto nella vampa.
Quanto vi amò, per portarvi un dono così bello!

Vi diede ruota e leva. O meraviglia!
Il destino cede sotto il debole peso delle mani.
Il bisogno teme da lontano la mano che vigila
sulle leve, signora delle strade.
O venti marini placati da una vela!
O terra aperta al vomere, sanguinante e svelata!
Abisso dove un esile lume discende!
Il ferro corre, morde, strappa, tende, frantuma,
docile e duro. Le braccia reggono la loro preda,
l’universo greve che dona e beve sangue.

Fu il facitore dei riti e del tempio,
cerchio magico che trattiene gli dei
lontano dal mondo; così l’uomo contempla,
solitario e muto, la sorte, la morte, i cieli.
Fu l’autore dei segni e dei linguaggi.
Le parole alate vanno attraverso le epoche,
per monti e per valli, a muovere cuori e braccia.
L’anima si parla, e cerca di comprendersi.
Tacciono cielo, terra e mare per ascoltare
due amici, due amanti dialogare a fil di voce.

Più luminoso ancora fu il dono dei numeri.
Spettri e demoni scompaiono morendo.
La voce che ordina ha saputo scacciare le ombre.
Anche l’uragano è calmo, trasparente.
Nel cielo senza fondo trova posto ogni stella;
senza inganno fa da guida alla vela.
L’opera si aggiunge all’opera; niente è solo;
tutto si corrisponde sull’esatta bilancia.
Nascono canti puri come il silenzio.
Talvolta il tempo dischiude il suo sudario.

Grazie a lui, l’alba è gioia immortale.
Ma una sorte malvagia lo tiene piegato.
Il ferro lo inchioda alla roccia; la sua fronte vacilla;
in lui, che pende crocifisso,
il dolore penetra freddo come una lama.
Ore, stagioni, secoli, gli azzannano l’anima,
giorno dopo giorno gli si spezza il cuore.
Invano il suo corpo si contorce nella stretta;
l’istante che fugge disperde il suo pianto nel vento;
solo e senza nome, carne abbandonata alla sventura.

***

Prométhée (1938)

Un animal hagard de solitude,
Sans cesse au ventre un rongeur qui le mord,
Le fait courir, tremblant de lassitude,
Pour fuir la faim qu’il ne fuit qu’à la mort;
Cherchant sa vie au travers des bois sombres;
Aveugle quand la nuit répand ses ombres;
Au creux des rocs frappé de froids mortels;
Ne s’accouplant qu’au hazard des étreintes;
En proie aux dieux, criant sous leurs atteintes –
Sans Prométhée, hommes, vous seriez tels.

Feu créateur, destructeur, flamme artiste!
Feu, héritier des lueurs du couchant!
L’aurore monte au cœur du soir trop triste;
Le doux foyer a joint les mains; le champ
A pris le lieu des broussailles brûlées.
Le métal dur jaillit dans les coulées,
Le fer ardent plie et cède au marteau.
Une clarté sous un toit comble l’âme.
Le pain mûrit comme un fruit dans la flamme.
Qu’il vous aima, pour faire un don si beau!

Il donna roue et levier. O merveille!
Le destin plie au poids faible des mains.
Le besoin craint de loin la main qui veille
Sur les leviers, maîtresse des chemins.
O vents des mers vaincus par une toile!
O terre ouverte au soc, saignant sans voile!
Abîme où frêle une lampe descend!
Le fer court, mord, arrache, étire et broie,
Docile et dur. Les bras portent leur proie,
L’univers lourd qui donne et boit le sang.

Il fut l’auteur des rites et du temple,
Cercle magique à retenir les dieux
Loin de ce monde; ainsi l’homme contemple,
Seul et muet, le sort, la mort, les cieux.
Il fut l’auteur des signes, des languages.
Les mots ailés vont à travers les âges
Par monts, par vaux, mouvoir les cœurs, les bras.
L’âme se parle et tâche à se comprendre.
Ciel, terre et mer se taisent pour entendre
Deux amis, deux amants parler tout bas.

Plus lumineux fut le présent des nombres.
Les spectres, les démons, s’en vont mourant.
La voix qui compte a su chasser les ombres.
L’ouragan même est calme et transparent.
Au ciel sans fond prend place chaque étoile;
Sans un mensogne elle parle à la voile.
L’acte s’ajoute à l’acte; rien n’est seul;
Tout se répond sur la just balance.
Il naît des chants purs comme le silence.
Parfois du temps s’entrouve le linceul.

L’aube est par lui une joie immortelle.
Mais un sort sans douceur le tient plié.
Le fer le cloue au roc; son front chancelle;
En lui, pendant qu’il pend crucifié,
La douleur froide entre comme une lame.
Heures, saisons, siècles lui rongent l’âme,
Jour après jour fait défaillir son cœur.
Son corps se tord en vain sous la contrainte;
L’instant qui fuit disperse aux vents sa plainte;
Seul et sans nom, chair livrée au malheur.

***

Goal: Winning Premier League Title

Budget: 157 million pounds

Transfer

In: Younesse Sankharre (lyon, 14m), Bruno Lopez (sporting, 11m), Samir Nasri (marseille, 31m), Mathias Cahais (Boca, 12m)

Out: Sergey Ignashevich (Derby, 2m), Rafael van der Vaart (Mancity, 27m), Luiz Jimenez (4,5m), Flamini (Everton, 9,7m), Rodrigo Palacio (Everton, 17m)

Remaining budget: aroung 183 million poundsterling

Friendly Matches; Result and Comment

LA Galaxy vs Arsenal (0-1) Adebayor

it's the first match of new season preparation. I can't ask my player to do better. my squad dominated the match and made around 12 shots on goal but only one that came in the back of the net.

Colorado Rapid vs Arsenal (5-1)

.....to be continued

พร้อมระบบเล่นเพลงและดูภาพถ่าย
เพลิดเพลินไปกับความบันเทิงมัลติมีเดียครบชุดด้วยเครื่องเล่นเพลง/วิดีโอดิจิตอล Philips GoGear SA3025 เลือกไฟล์เพลง ภาพยนตร์ และภาพถ่ายได้อย่างง่ายดายบนหน้าจอสี 1.5 นิ้ว เพียงลากและวางเพลงหรือข้อมูลของคุณทางการเชื่อมต่อ USB
สัมผัสประสบการณ์ในการฟังเพลงและชมวิดีโอได้ทุกที่ทุกเวลา

• เพลิดเพลินกับการเล่น MP3 และ WMA
• ทำการบันทึกเสียง
• ตั้งสถานีวิทยุ FM ล่วงหน้า 20 สถานีเพื่อรับฟังเพลงได้มากขึ้น
• ดูวิดีโอเรื่องโปรดได้ทุกที่

รับชมภาพถ่ายและวิดีโอได้เพียงปลายนิ้วสัมผัส

• หน้าจอสีขนาด 1.5 นิ้วสำหรับการเลือกรายการและดูภาพถ่ายที่แสนสะดวก
• รับชมไฟล์วิดีโอที่ความละเอียด 128 x 128 พิกเซล
• Philips Media Converter สำหรับการแปลงไฟล์วิดีโอและภาพถ่าย

สนุกกับความบันเทิงทุกรูปแบบ ไม่ว่าคุณจะอยู่ที่ใด

• เพลิดเพลินกับเสียงเพลงได้นานถึง 12 ชั่วโมง
• ดาวน์โหลดจาก PC ของคุณอย่างรวดเร็วด้วย USB 2.0*

Much attention has been given to the potential difficulties encountered by children with permanent unilateral and minimal or mild bilateral hearing loss. Psychoeducational and psychosocial problems have been well documented in a large percentage of these children. However, audiologists remain concerned about the appropriate application of hearing technologies in children with these mild degrees of losses and the effectiveness of these technologies. Concerns generally center on which of these children should use hearing technology, which technologies are most effective, and how the technology should be fitted. Furthermore, audiologists are uncertain about when children should be fit with hearing technology. This review of hearing technologies used with children who have permanent unilateral hearing loss or minimal or mild bilateral hearing loss is intended to serve as a guide to audiologists when considering possible technology options and fitting configurations. It is clear that hearing technology decisions must be made on a child-by-child basis taking into consideration each child's unique set of listening needs and obstacles.

Dan, Jo and I travelled to Glasgow separately over the weekend and attended the conference on the Monday. The conference venue, the SECC, which is huge, was a relevation in itself, as was the information that there were 5,000 delegates attending - pain is obviously big news in the international medical community.

There were a huge numbers of stands on everything from drugs to pain associations and rows and rows of poster displays (363 on Monday). The one of most interest to us was 'Fibromyalgia: Impaired Top-Down Control during Anticipatory Pain Relief', describing a study by Canadian researchers showing that, although anticipating pain can lead to greater perceived pain levels, the physical pain response in patients with Fibro is extreme, maintained and unaffected by whether patients think that something will hurt or not - more proof that Fibro is a real condition that causes increased levels of pain physically. The researchers concluded that:

"...[the pain reading in Fibro] cannot be reduced to a psychological epiphenomenon, but rather suggest a true neurological disturbance."

We got the opportunity to talk with the researcher presenting the poster and we were delighted to find that he had a fantastic in-depth knowledge of Fibro.

Many of the posters weren't relevant to Fibro, being more concerned with acute pain, opioids and CRPS. But there were 3 other posters directly relevant to Fibro being displayed on Monday.

The highlight of the conference for the Fibro community, and our reason for attending on Monday, was Daniel Clauw MD's talk on 'Stress and Chronic Pain: Lessons Learned from Fibromyalgia'. Dr Clauw, a Professor of Medicine at the University of Michigan, USA, is an internationally renowned expert on Fibro.

Hearing Dr Clauw's talk was amazing. It backed up everything that FibroAction have been saying about Fibro and it was incredible to sit in a 3,000 seat auditorium, listening to an accurate, evidence based lecture about Fibro - what this must have done for the credibility of Fibro in the midns fo the thousands of doctors and researchers present!

After the talk, Dan, Jo and I met with Daniel Clauw, and also with Patrick Wood. It was fascinating to talk to both of them about Fibro and the situation in the UK, where we are years behind the US in terms of awareness. That evening we took also Patrick Wood to dinner, which really make the Congress for me. As the originator of the Dopamine Theory of Fibromyalgia, Dr Wood's theories and the research that has come from them are responsible for the use of dopamine agonists in Fibro. I take a dopamine agonist and owe my ability to attend such events as the Congress to the improvement I have found whilst on this med. I feel that I personally owe Dr Wood (and Dr Andrew Holman who investigated the use of Pramipexole as a treatment for Fibro) a great deal and it was a real honour to sit across a dinner table from him and have the opportunity to ask and answer questions.

Jacob Teitelbaum MD is the author of 'From Fatigued to Fantastic!' a popular book on managing chronic fatigue, and 'Pain Free: 1-2-3', a step-by-step program to help identify the source of pain and understand how to alleviate it.

He frequently speaks on chronic fatigue, Fibro and on the use of supplements to manage these conditions, and has previously appeared on CNN, FOX News and the Oprah and Friends Show with Dr. Oz in the US. On Monday August 18th, he appeared on ITV's 'This Morning' Show.

My interview with Dr Teitelbaum is up on the FibroAction website here. It was hugely interesting to meet with him and discuss Fibro. Although Dr Teitelbaum speaks more often on Chronic Fatigue, which is easier for the media to understand, he is very knowledgeable about Fibro as well.

We discussed everything from the importance of Fibro patients removing major stressors, such as hated jobs, from their lives in order to move forward with treatment, to the importance of finding out actual test results, instead of just whether they fell within normal ranges. He used the analogy of shoes sizes: size 4-11 is the normal shoe size range in adults, yet this does not mean that his size 11 shoes would fit my size 5 feet. A normal test result could still mean that you are low in a hormone compared to the level your body needs, which was something backed up by Dr Patrick Wood who I later met at the World Congress on Pain (more later) who said that if patients showed classic signs of low thyroid, he often treated them even if their test results were in the normal range.

Dr Teitelbaum advocates the use of nutritional supplements for Fibro and CFS and we discussed these. One of the subjects that he feels very strongly about is that supplements need to be of good quality so that you know exactly what you are getting. This is why he recommends using Corvalen - the supplement previously mentioned by Dr Chris Steel on This Morning in April - in place of other forms of D-Ribose, which he has often found to contain very little useful D-Ribose. Dr Teitelbaum agreed wholeheartedly that supplements are not the full answer for Fibro patients and that Corvalen is verymuch not a cure for Fibro, just a possible part of a treatment regime.

I met Dr Teitelbaum along with Dr Tom Gilhooly, from the complementary healthcare clinic Glasgow Solutions. It was interesting to talk to Dr Gilhooly, whose background is in Drug Abuse and latterly MS, but who now sees a number of CFS and Fibro patients.

Dr T, as he is often called, agreed to join the FibroAction Professional Advisory Board (PAB), which I am very pleased about. I hope that we be able to make use of his knowledge, especially as concerns supplements for Fibro, in order to help Fibro patients in the UK. Dr T's article 'The Top 10 Supplements for CFS and Fibro' is available in the FibroAction Patient Section here.

Cuando no hay tiempo de buscar, se debe ir a lo seguro. Compruebo una y otra vez que la misión de auto-musicalizarse la mañana se simplifica recurriendo a la radio francesa Nova. Nunca falla: poca locución y buena música. Hace no mucho conocí a Tristan, que supo ser el "tercer hombre" de Nova junto a Max Guiguet y Emilien Aumard, alias "les Daniels". Tristán está por estos días en nuestro pais y al aire con "Collage a la Francaise" los domingos a las 20hs en KSK.
Chico fino, un collage para tener en cuenta.