The Exchange...

The Obama administration continues to take heat following the trade of five Guantanamo Bay prisoners [over ten years] for Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl.
The five Taliban, released to Qatar, are subject to strict bans on militant incitement.

The most famous swap, in 2011, involved the release of more than 1,000 Palestinian militants in exchange for one Israeli Sergeant Shalit.
The Militants released include those involved in the 2002 bombing of a Tel Aviv nightclub that killed 21 and the bombing of a hotel in Netanya in 2002 that left 30 dead. 
Nothing is wrong with the exchange. The Taliban could have asked for more than five.

Detainees in Guantanamo have been prisoned for more than 10 years, with no court cases or a date for it.

Releasing these five people is really a punishment as they go back to a different world. They may not have the same social status as once had.

Cuban prisoners in USA rioted when heard that they would be returned to Cuba.

Things are not what it appear. Obama is Ending the War in Afghanistan, not starting it.

Just a thought.

Leg Up...*!,

The makers of Cialis want to sell a version of the popular erectile dysfunction drug over the counter. They expect to launch the OTC version on 2018.

The move is an effort to get a leg up on the competition from other Generic companies  after it loses patent protection in 2017.

A large unmet demand exists for over-the-counter Cialis because many men suffering don’t feel comfortable talking to a doctor about the problem [company's position].

Lilly choose to partner with Sanofi due to their experience in gaining approval for over-the-counter versions of other drugs.

Marketing, selling, promoting, and in the process, blog the competition is just a process of renew the cash collection process.

First is the Brand prescription form and as the patent ending, now a new marketing program to block the generic. All in all, the customer[patient] are taken for a ride.

The system needs repair. If you have ED, that would not be the only thing you have. Your Heart [clinically] may be in the wrong place.

Just a [Hearty] thought.

The Video, No Soldier left behind.

The video provides a fascinating window into what occurred in the field. The Pentagon’s elite descended in a Blackhawk helicopter and met with the sergeant’s captors who dressed up in civilian attire.

Carried a stick like flag marking a ceasefire, willingness to collaborate on the exchange.

Worth noting is the hand shake, the hand on the heart gesture and the continue waving  hands after the exchange.

Hand shake means your close, welcomes, can talk to me, convers, and if we have time, have a cup of tea, or smoke a cigarette and chat.

Hand placed on the heart is the greatest gesture ever in the old country.  It indicates that what you are doing warms my heart, very much appreciated. 

My, then a 3 year old nephew, did that indicating a hug from a distance. I do that.....

As you are leaving, a wave is usually travel safely

So take a second look at the video, the meeting, the greeting, the exchange and the depart. It may give you a better understanding of ...... a Peaceful time.

Just a thought.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2648208/Taliban-releases-video-showing-U-S-deserter-Bowe-Bergdahl-handed-US-forces-armed-guards-holding-white-flags.html

No Soldier left behind.

The principle of leaving no one behind, no matter the cost, is deeply embedded in the U.S. military. Those in uniform, and their families, believe that no stone will be left unturned to get them home if they fall into enemy hands.

The U.S. commando’s attempt to rescue 65 American POWs held at North Vietnam’s notorious Son Tay prison. A 116-plane air armada, flew hundreds of miles over mountainous territory at treetop level to the prison camp.

During the Kosovo war, a 40-aircraft task force, including helicopters loaded with Marines and backed by a flotilla of three warships with 2,000 more Marines, flew deep into enemy territory to bring Captain O’Grady home.

Remains of Captain Michael "Scott" Speicher, lost in 1991 Persian Gulf War have been found in the Anbar province of Iraq after a nearly 20-year search, the U.S. Navy reported.

So it is not about one Bergdahl, its about the US commitment to its forces and their families. It is about peaceful exchange of prisoners with the Taliban.
No one got shot, and no one got killed.

No soldier will be left behind. It is a commitment. Just a thought

Pain Pill...

 Chicago filed a lawsuit against five major producers of  pharmaceuticals accusing the group of concealing the risks associated with certain painkillers.        

The drug maker "should never place its desire for profits above the health and well-being of its customers,".

The city said that the companies knew for years that certain pain-alleviating drugs were addictive and could prove debilitating in the long-term.

       

The drug makers "spent millions of dollars funding, assisting and encouraging doctors and front groups" to promote the drugs and broaden their reach among users afflicted with chronic pain,

Chicago says.  The United States is now awash in opioids," the suit said, citing data showing that more than 250 million prescriptions for the narcotic were filled in 2010.      

The suit contends that the drugs have ramped up addiction.

Pain Medicine helps those with disability, Cancer, Surgery, etc and yet is a subject of abuse. However,  it is a matter of law enforcement actions at the end user and or the provider. No easy result.      Just a [painful] thought. 

Dense...*!

Japanese people enjoy one of the longest average life spans in the world — 86 years for women and 79 for men (80 & 75 respective for Americans)  with far lower rates of obesity and chronic diseases like osteoporosis, heart disease and some types of cancer.

The diet incorporates lower-calorie foods served in controlled portions. They eat around 25 per cent fewer calories than the average western person.

The secret is to replace energy-dense foods, like chocolate, potato chips, and cookies, with less energy-dense, like fruits, vegetables, etc. In a study from Penn. State U., researchers served women meals that were 25% smaller than average and contained 30% fewer calories according to the principles of energy density. They ended up eating an average of 800 calories less per day, without missing the extra food.

The Japanese achieve a lot of physical activity by simple actions such as walking, climbing stairs and using a bicycle to run errands. Try the new method, it may work for you.  Just a thought.

Out-side the Box...

It is very encouraging to see my nephew, as a little boy, grow up to be a productive member of the society.

Maged finished dental school and became a dentist. He also started teaching English in the American University in Cairo. Moved to England and obtained a Master's Degree, with distinction, in Intercultural Communication, from the University of Bedfordshire, UK. 

He started his own Blog in Arabic with various great views of life.   He became a fellow of the Higher Education Academy in the UK.
Now what is next?
A song that may just explain his career direction.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bg1sT4ILG0w

Just a thought.

Young...*!

The song was inspired by an event at the dawn of the psychedelic and counterculture eras in November 1966, of the passage of strict (10:00 p.m.) curfew to reduce  congestion from crowds of young club patrons.

This was perceived by young and music fans as an infringement on their civil rights,  Fliers were distributed inviting people to demonstrate.

Hours before the protest one of L.A.'s rock 'n' roll radio stations announced there would be a rally at Pandora's Box club. The Times reported that as many as 1,000 youthful including Jack Nicholson and Peter Fonda, erupted in protest against the curfew.

Though often mistaken for an anti-war song, it was this first of the "Sunset Strip riots" by Buffalo Springfield  "For What It’s Worth", recorded on December 5, 1966.

Buffalo Springfield - For What Its Worth-Lyrics-HQ 

Worth...

Reports suggest that Ballmer won the bizarre bidding war for the Clippers at a $2 billion. Sterling paid $12.5 million for the Clippers in 1981.

The U.S. stock market is trading at all-time highs, the U.S. bonds' yields are at eye-popping low and the nation’s professional basketball teams are selling for more than most observers previously thought possible. That the U.S. economy shrank in the first quarter of the year is the disturbing backdrop for this stunning surge in asset prices—call it the basketball bubble.

What makes the price as high, twice the funny, inflated price mentioned in Saturday Night Live? no logical reason out there.

We must consider the start of the {Dance}of accusation, till the big celebration of cashing in.

Just a thought

Work till ....

Atlético maintained their intensity, pressing and aggression for most of the game.

At one point, the trophy was adorned in red and white ribbons and Atlético were on the verge of completing one of the great soccer stories.  It was going to take something special for Real to work their way back. The clock was showing 93 minutes when Sergio Ramos’s header took the game into extra time.

Real Madrid played till the last minutes and was able, finally to change the score. 
Soccer can be a brutal business, but the game is on till the end. More to come from Brazil.

Just a thought.