"Under the Eightball"

Hi friends,
I found an article in the New York Times that I think all of you will find interesting. It concerns a new documentary movie. I hadn't heard about it prior to this article. I hope some of you will watch this movie and comment back to us so we can learn about it.

Be well,
Richard
Begin quote
December 16, 2009
MOVIE REVIEW | 'UNDER THE EIGHTBALL'
On the Nightmare Trail of Lyme Disease
By JEANNETTE CATSOULIS

Defensible anger becomes indefensible incoherence in “Under the Eightball,” a heartfelt documentary that twists an emotional journey into an anti-establishment tirade.

Written and directed by Timothy Grey and Breanne Russell, the film chronicles their 18-month investigation into the diagnosis and treatment of Mr. Grey’s younger sister, Lori Hall-Steele, who died of Lyme disease in Michigan in 2008. As the filmmakers track the history and politics of the disease, test for environmental causes and watch over the patient’s decline, the first half of the film envelops us in a tender, visually compelling cocoon.

Then things fall apart, so fast and so furiously that it’s impossible to know where verifiable science leaves off, and conspiracy theory begins. Propelled by rage and a string of interviews — with doctors, scientists, authors — the film lurches from Project Paperclip (which welcomed German scientists, including bio-warfare specialists, to the United States after World War II) to the Plum Island Animal Disease Center, from contaminated wells to Japanese germ-warfare experiments.

Taking aim against multiple villains — including Dow Chemical and the health and pharmaceutical industries — and appearing to parallel Ms. Steele’s lack of appropriate treatment with the government’s notorious Tuskegee experiments with black men and syphilis, the directors skid off the rails so extravagantly that there is no going back.

Unfolding like two very different films, “Under the Eightball” undergoes a midpoint conversion from fascinating bug hunt to nightmarish lecture. In the end, critical questions may remain unanswered, but Mr. Grey’s grief and frustration are incontestable.

UNDER THE EIGHTBALL

Opens on Wednesday in Manhattan.

Written, directed and edited by Timothy Grey and Breanne Russell; directors of photography, Mr. Grey and D C Hayden; music by Mr. Grey and Gabe Clark; produced by Justin Blake; released by Andalusian Dogs. At the IFC Center, 323 Avenue of the Americas, at Third Street, Greenwich Village. Running time: 2 hours. This film is not rated.
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Under Our Skin .. a possible Oscar!

Hello everyone,

I saw this on for and wanted to pass it along to you about the movie, "Under Our Skin" that I hope most of you have heard of and taken the opportunity to watch. It has made the short list of 15 for the Oscar nomination. I sincerely hope this film wins the Oscar. It will do wonders for the increase of knowledge around the country for Lyme disease.

Be well,

Richard

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that UNDER OUR SKIN was selected as one of the 15 finalists competing for “Best Documentary Feature” in the 82nd Academy Awards®.

Unfolding like a real-life thriller, UNDER OUR SKIN exposes the hidden epidemic of Lyme disease and reveals how our corrupt medical system is failing to address one of the most serious illnesses of our time. Open Eye Pictures is thrilled that the Academy has honored the courageous Lyme patients and physicians whose stories are told in this film. And we hope that this nomination will help spread awareness about this devastating disease and serve as a catalyst for fixing our country’s broken health care system.

The Documentary Branch Screening Academy Committee viewed all eighty-nine qualifying documentaries during the preliminary round of voting. Academy members will now select five nominees from among the 15 titles on the shortlist, and Academy Awards nominations will be announced on Tuesday, February 2, 2010.

This was taken from the "Underourskin.com home page.

A personal note to all who suffer from Lyme disease!

Hi everyone,

It has been a long time since I have made personal note to the Blog. I have been experiencing a flareup of My Lyme disease problems and it makes me realize even, even more, why we have to defeat this disease. It has been over 8 years since I was stricken with this awful disease. Since then I have gone through working at my business from putting in over 60 hours a week on the average to now having to stay at home. It is an adjustment not easily made. My attempts on this Blog and on the Internet to develop new businesses for me to do from home has been more than frustrating because of the small amounts of time I can work on them. Tasks which I used to do in a few hours, now take me several days of months to accomplish. As a result, a person ends up spending more money than they are taking in. As many of you know having Lyme disease is expensive and debt can be accumulated quickly. So the new business attempts, although starting to trickle in some income, are not doing what they need to do. Brain fog, insomnia, headache, extreme arthritic type pain, overwhelming fatigue, and many other symptoms don't make it easy to accomplish what you have planned in any given day. I am finding how important it is to focus on only one thing at a time, work when I can and then listen to what my body is telling me to do. Those who are experiencing these types of frustrations know and understand the urgency of finding doctors and specialists who ar qualified to treat Lyme disease. I don't know how many times I have heard doctors tell me that they know nothing about Lyme disease and how to treat it. It is if those of us who have this disease are supposed to go home and suffer the debilitating conditions it places on our lives. Why aren't doctors required to stay trained on diseases affecting their patients? This question remains as one of the many unanswered questions of the day. If we have Cancer, we can find specialists to help us. It is that way with most of the other diseases. But Lyme disease patients find little to choose from. Ironically, the ones who are trying to help us are embroiled in the CDC's failure to properly recognize treatments that are working for Lyme disease. Many are afraid of losing their license to practice medicine if they treat Lyme disease with working treatments. In the meantime, thousands of Lyme disease patients are stuck in the middle and continue to see their lives ruined. All in all, some days it becomes quite frustrating. Thank goodness most of us are fighters and we arise the next day ready to continue the battle. For those of you out there going through similar problems, I know how you feel and how much you want to get better. I will continue to try and continue my meager efforts to keep us informed about this brutal disease. I apologize that I have not posted more information in the past couple of years. I hope to do better in the future. If any of you have any concerns or you would like to comment, I urge you to do so. Your struggles are our struggles and hearing them from you makes us all feel better. The main purpose of this blog remains Lyme disease. Yes, I do post some products and services that I have found interesting over the past few years. I list the products only in the attempt to make a little money to pay my medical bills. You are under no obligation to purchase anything from me to visit this blog or to find Lyme disease information. The cure and successful treatment of Lyme disease is why this blog exists. As the holidays are approaching, may I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving, a Merry Christmas and a healthy and happy New Year!

Be well,
Richard

Scientists identify potential key to Lyme disease

Hello everyone,
I had to get this on the blog. This could be great news for Lyme disease patients. Let's hope this research is the real deal. I know many of us are hoping for a major breakthrough on this terrible disease. If you haven't watched the film "Under Our Skin", please do yourself a favor and buy the DVD. It is the best film ever made about Lyme disease, in my opinion. Go to http://www.underourskin.com to watch the extended trailer for the film. I hope everyone suffering with the aches and pains of Lyme disease will find comfort in this news article and the new film. Hang in there, miracles are starting to happen.

The best to everyone,
Richard



Feb. 9, 2009

Dallas, Texas
http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/utsw/cda/dept353744/files/517121.html

Researchers at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center have
identified a protein that may help give Lyme disease its bite.

The findings suggest that the bacterial protein, which aids in
transporting the metal manganese, is essential for the bacterium that
causes Lyme disease to become virulent.

“We believe our findings provide a foundation for further defining metal homeostasis in this human pathogen and may lead to new strategies for thwarting Lyme disease,” said Dr. Michael Norgard, chairman of microbiology at UT Southwestern and senior author of a study now online and in an upcoming issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Lyme disease, discovered in 1977, is the most prevalent tick-borne
infection in the U.S. Borrelia burgdorfei, the bacterium that causes
Lyme disease, lives in infected mammals and in the midgut of ticks. When
an infected tick bites an animal or a human, the bacteria are
transmitted to the new host. Infection causes fever, malaise, fatigue,
headache, muscle and joint aches, and a characteristic “bull’s-eye” rash
that surrounds the site of infection.

To establish infection, however, the bacterium also must acquire a
number of essential nutrients, including metals like manganese from its
mammalian and tick hosts. Until now, no metal transporter responsible
for this acquisition had been identified in this bacterium.

In the current study, microbiologists examined whether bacteria
genetically engineered to lack this manganese transporter, called BmtA,
transmitted Lyme disease to ticks and mice. The bacterium lacking the
transporter, Dr. Norgard said, grows a bit more slowly in the test tube
but is not dramatically different from the normal version.

“When you try to grow it in a mouse, however, it can’t grow,” he said.
“The fact that the bacterium without this particular manganese
transporter can’t grow in a mouse raises important questions about what
aspects of physiology and metabolism contribute to the pathogenicity of
the organism.”

Lead author Dr. Zhiming Ouyang, postdoctoral researcher in microbiology
at UT Southwestern, said another newly discovered characteristic about
the bacterium that causes Lyme disease is that it doesn’t seem to
require iron to function, something most other pathogens need to survive.

“Out of the thousands of bacteria known, the Lyme disease agent and only
one or two other bacterial species do not require iron for growth,” Dr.
Ouyang said. “That raises the question as to what other metal co-factors
the Lyme disease bacterium depends on to carry out the work that iron
does for all these other biological systems. Our research suggests that
manganese is a really important one.”

The next step is to understand the exact mechanism of how manganese
functions in the organism.

“I really think that there’s also something to the notion that manganese
may regulate the expression of other virulence factors,” Dr. Norgard
said. “It could be that manganese has more of an indirect effect, but
more research is needed to determine what must happen for Borrelia
burgdorfei to become virulent.”

Researchers from Indiana University School of Medicine collaborated on
the study.

The research was funded by the National Institute of Allergy and
Infectious Diseases.

Spring Cleaning Helps Prevent Lyme

Hi everyone,
Since it is March the 1st today and Spring is around the corner I thought this article from the Lyme Disease Research Database would be informative and helpful for everyone to consider especially in the Lyme areas around the country. I would also recommend this cleanup for most areas where a tick might be lurking, because they are showing up in some strange places where they are not suppose to be. Believe me, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" in this case. I would do anything in my power to prevent anyone from getting this dreadful disease.

Be well,
Richard


02/25/08 15:57 Filed in: lyme Disease Prevention
'Spring' and 'cleaning' are two concepts that fit together just right. Ticks that carry Lyme disease do not like clean spaces. Thoroughly cleaning both indoors and outdoors around your house or property can help you feel more protected against ticks. Wild animals are potential carriers of ticks and Lyme. Mice, skunks, squirrels, opossums, feral cats and dogs who roam around looking for a snug hideaway in the cold may squeeze through crawl spaces in your attic or basement.

With the vernal equinox now three weeks away, it's time to bring out the buckets and brooms. While you're sprucing up, keep the following three steps in Lyme prevention in mind.

* Deny access to host critters. Replace torn screens on vents and windows. Plug holes in walls with caulk or concrete. Reduce the gap in doorway thresholds.



* Sanitize your indoor space. Clean floors and carpets, thoroughly clean area rugs and upholstered furniture. Toss out infested pet bedding.



* Clean up your outdoors space. Remove all debris such as leaf and wood piles. Steam or vacuum spider nests.


Peppermint soap is reported to be a strong natural insect repellent. Use it in your daily shower and also while cleaning up your pet's bedding. While cleaning outdoors, always wear protective clothing and take extra precautions against the creatures, such as snakes and insects, that you may stir up.