A new piece of research suggests that the popular dietary supplement carnosine may prove helpful in preventing and treating cataracts, a clouding of the lens of the eye that is a leading cause of vision loss worldwide.
Writing in a study report, Enrico Rizzarelli and colleagues point out that the only effective treatment for cataracts is [...]
Posts Tagged ‘eye’
Popular dietary supplement shows promise to prevent, treat cataracts
July 16th, 2009 |
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Eye the centre
July 14th, 2009 |
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The contenders for Uruguay’s presidency emerge
Primary elections were held in Uruguay on June 28th and confirmed what opinion polls have long suggested—that the presidential candidates for the October 25th election will be Jose Mujica, from the ruling centre-left Frente Amplio (FA) coalition, Luis Alberto Lacalle, from the right-wing Partido Nacional (PN, also known as the Blancos), Pedro Bordaberry from the centre-right Partido Colorado (PC) and an independent, Pablo Mieres. The only two candidates with a realistic chance of winning the presidency are Mr Mujica and Mr Lacalle, which some fear brings the possibility of a polarised campaign. However, the need to attract centrist voters is important for both candidates, who are likely to focus their presidential campaigns on the centre ground.
Both Mr Mujica and Mr Lacalle won convincing victories: Mr Mujica beat the former finance minister, Danilo Astori, by 53% to 38% with a third FA candidate, Marcos Carambula, polling 9% of the votes; within the PN, Mr Lacalle beat Jorge Larranaga by 57% to 43%. According to exit polls, the PN obtained the largest share of the vote (43.1%) against 42.2% for the FA. Although the figures do not reflect the overall level of support for the parties, the FA had been expected to top the polls and the turnout has been interpreted as a boost for the opposition. …
Sat Eye Candy: Cat Stevens
July 11th, 2009 |
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Today, like every other day,
We wake up empty and frightened.
Don’t open the door to the study.
and begin reading. Take down a musical instrument.
Let the beauty we love be what we do.
There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.
We woke with this Rumi poem playing on repeat in our heads. And then, in a flash, it occurred to us what the perfect soundtrack for such poetic philosophizing might be – Cat Stevens. These days he goes by the name Yusuf Islam but the brave, yearning heart of what makes him tick is beating very, very strong. His new album, Roadsinger: To Warm You Through The Night, is a slow stunner (JamBase review), and it’s sparked us to explore his back catalog anew. And folks, there’s much we need to hear today, now, in this tumultuous moment we find ourselves in.
Like Marley’s “Three Little Birds,” there’s something prayerful and innocent about our opener. If there’s a gentler, more quietly blessed way to wake up then we haven’t found it.
It’s a beautiful thing to see him come back to his old songs, finding a way to fit them into his more pronounced spiritual path of recent years, realizing the great stockpiles of understanding and truth hiding in his “pop songs.” To wit, this thoughtful stroll through one of his best from 2007.
Love is a hard thing in his work. It’s something that requires much of us, demanding a patience and depth of understanding few of us can muster most of the time. And sometimes he distilled this concept into something wonderfully tough like this blues-tinged jewel from his 1976 Earth Tour.
His recent return to recording in the past few years has shown him to be a vigorous, funny, fiercely engaged musician with still a lot to say in his songs. This is a primo performance of one of the standouts off 2006′s An Other Cup.
Here’s a dark turn from the new album delivered with restrained style on Jools Holland grand BBC program.
And it isn’t always dark clouds and naval gazing. Sometimes he just tossed off a killer ditty that reminds you what a fine nuts ‘n’ bolts composer he can be.
Stevens’ music will always be inexorably liked to the cult film Harold And Maude, which seems to touch a nerve in each subsequent generation where liking the movie lets one know they’re amongst fellow freaks. Here’s Doug Martsch of Built to Spill performing Stevens’ centerpiece tune from the soundtrack.
The highway our feet travel may be long, rocky and full of unexpected twists and dead ends, but if we’ve tucked the right songs into our bindle we’ll be alright. It’s a true joy to have this man making music again. We conclude with the title tune from his latest offering and his 2006 Nobel Peace Price concert performance of perhaps his best known anthem.
And don’t forget, you can eyeball video sweetness 24/7 with JamBase TV.
Sat Eye Candy: Bernie Worrell
April 18th, 2009 |
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HAPPY FREAKIN’ BIRTHDAY TO THE WIZARD OF WOO!!!
As much (and sometimes more than) George Clinton, Bernie Worrell has been the architect of the Parliament-Funkadelic sound, one of the late 20th century’s most permeating influences, stretching far beyond the corridors of “funk” or “soul” and into music as a whole. Tomorrow, Worrell turns 65 and we want the whole world to sing him a hearty “Happy Birthday.”
His work has touched the Talking Heads, Les Claypool and myriad others (including some REALLY nice work with the Eric McFadden Trio in recent years), and his creativity seems limitless and often unlike any other keyboardist in history. We offer up a tiny smattering of his work in celebration of his birth and encourage y’all to make your funk the P-Funk this weekendÂ…
Let’s jump on an insect and enjoy some quality improvising from Worrell, Warren Haynes, Will Calhoun (Living Colour) and Brett Bass.
While Parliament- Funkadelic is legendary for their sonic Viagra-like jams, it’s Worrell’s arrangements and horn charts that often provide much of the crispness and punch to their trademark sound. To wit, this ditty from Houston in 1976.
Most musicians would be super fortunate to be part of one massively influential band in their lifetime. Bernie Worrell has two, and though never an official member, his role in the Heads in the 1980s was pivotal. Here they are throwing sparks in Germany in 1980.
Bernie has a jester’s wit and a broad sense of play that he brings to the stage. For example, this craziness from back in the day, just one of the broad strokes he helped cook up that had P-Funk filling stadiums in the ’70s.
Worrell’s compositional sense can often be detected most clearly in later period Parliament like this wriggling salute to hitting it from the back, captured in rump-diddly-umptious style in 1981.
Dig this ultra-rare mix of musicians tearing up Creem’s “White Room.” The man keeps heavy company!
A vintage look at the boys at their start. Dig the juxtaposition of show host and this gaggle of super freaks.
No salute to Bernie would be complete without this Widescreen rock epic. This version is tinged with wonderful Pink Floyd patina, proof that Worrell is always listening to what’s happening around him. And then he ingests it for his own sustenanceÂ…and ours.
Things gets weird with this super nutty lineup, which includes Marc Ribot and Arto Lindsey on guitars. Play loud to scrape some paint off the walls.
Let’s boogie off into the weekend with our hands raised high and our spirits to match. Thanks for the music, Mr. Worrell. We think you’re the freakin’ bee’s knees, brother!
And don’t forget, you can eyeball video sweetness 24/7 with JamBase TV.