A setback today for plaintiffs in the Vioxx appeals court trials in New Jersey and Texas against Merck, the drugmaker. Although Vioxx was finally pulled from shelves in 2004, litigation against Merck has been ongoing for years.
Laywers claimed that Vioxx caused a fatal heart problem in Robert Ernst, setting off a blood clot. However, a Texas court found no evidence for Vioxx as the cause of his heart attack. Lawyers had originally won a $253 million verdict, later reduced to $26 million. Read the rest of this entry »
The hacking of Comcast email services shows the importance of using a good strong password, although many users don’t understand how important it can be. Despite ISPs like Comcast using the most advanced email security solutions, hackers can and will get through eventually. Read the rest of this entry »
It’s called many different things, but domestic assault is a nasty crime by any name. Both Chris Cagle and Jennifer Tant managed to get themselves jailed on misdemeanor domestic assault charges, but it could as well have been battering, family violence, domestic abuse, or several other forms of domestic violence.
The most brutal version is arguably sexual assault, although there’s a special place in hell for those who abuse children too. Too few women (who are usualy the victims of spousal abuse) seek the help of a divorce lawyer till it’s too late. At least in the case of Jennifer Tant and Chris Cagle, no divorce attorneys need to get involved, but they obviously could use some couples counseling of some sort. Read the rest of this entry »
There have been so many people diagnosed with cancer over recent years. It almost seems to be more frequent than less, depite the advances being made. Stand Up To Cancer, announced today by Katie Couric, Charles Gibson and Brian Williams, is an event planned for September where all three networks will do a prime time broadcast simultaneously.
The subject of cancer touches close to home, and Stand Up To Cancer is a great idea. A close friend with a family history of breast cancer was just diagnosed. Unbelievably, she’s a research pharmacist who has worked in breast cancer research for almost 20 years. She helped her company, a major pharmaceutical company, work on breast cancer treatment drugs used in chemotherapy. She’s obviously very familiar with what’s available for breast cancer treatment, because she stays up to date with all the latest research. Read the rest of this entry »
Sad news of yet another violent murder in Britain, this time with a celebrity connection. Rob Knox, a young actor who plays a minor role in the upcoming Harry Potter movie “Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince” was stabbed to death last night in a fight outside a London pub.
Knox plays Marcus Belby, a Ravenclaw student, in the movie which is scheduled to be released in November.
Britain has changed so much in the 20 years since I last lived there. There has been a huge rise in the number of murders, and weapons have become almost commonplace amongst some youth sub-cultures.
Dick Martin, one of the greats of American entertainment, died today at age 86. Best known as half of Rowan and Martin, he and Dan Rowan used their show Laugh-In to launch the careers of many stars, including Lily Tomlin and Goldie Hawn.
Laugh-In catchphrases like “Sock it to me” and “You bet your sweet bippy” were repeated across America and the show once featured a brief, and bizarre, cameo appearance by Richard Nixon.
This seems as good a time as any to begin this blog, since we’re just an hour or two from one of the most complex two days of the year here in Israel.
Tonight we begin Yom Hazikaron, Memorial Day, a day of national mourning when we remember those who’ve died defending Israel. And at the same time tomorrow night, we begin Yom Ha’Atzmaut, Independence Day, which is a huge national celebration and party. And this year it’s even bigger, since Israel is celebrating 60 years of independence this year.
This instant transition between mourning and celebration is one of the hardest, yet most inspiring, aspects of life here in Israel. Growing up in England, then spending much of my adulthood in the US, I was never affected so personally by Memorial Day … and it had little or no connection to Independence Day.
But here in Israel, it brings home to you both sides of the coin. Yes, Israelis have died defending their country, but because of their efforts the country exists. And at the same time, however much we love living here, we can’t forget the huge cost people have paid for our safety and freedom. Both things are important to remember; the sadness of loss, and the joy of national redemption.
There’ll be much more to tell you about life in Israel as this blog progresses, along with all the other things that float around my brain from day to day. But for now, I’m going to pull on some pants (can’t go to a Memorial Day service in my home office uniform of shorts & a t-shirt!) and head off to join my town’s evening to mark Yom Hazikoron. Good night all, and shalom from Israel.
