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Any attempt to evaluate all the accomplishments of the Second Vatican Councils first session would be not only presumptuous but also premature. Some things, however, may be profitably noted.
In the address with which he closed the first session, the Pope expressed satisfaction with the Councils achievements. Although there were no conciliar decrees to give to the Church or to the world, he felt that there had been sufficient gains to justify the convocation. An educative process had been set in motion. The prelates not only became aware of the Church as a truly universal extension of the Body of Christ, but also found it necessary to dig into the deeper significance of theology, a theology whose primary purpose is to confront and inform consciences in the concrete circumstances of modern life.
Taking note of the divergent views expressed by many of the Fathers of the Council on important questions, the Pope said, in effect, that this was a healthy sign. It meant that the Council was alive and that the prelates of the Church were seriously concerned with their obligations to place before all men the good and comforting news that is the message of the Christian gospel. Questioned on this point, the Holy Father is said to have asked: "What did you expect the bishops to do? Behave like a group of monks reciting the Divine Office in choir?"
In fact, Pope John indicated some disappointment that there had not been a more direct exchange on the Council floor, more assertion and denial in face-to-face debate. The discussion was conducted, instead, by means of prepared statements on various aspects of a given schema or topic, with a cardinal or bishop making only occasional direct reference to the ideas or proposals of the men who had spoken before him. In the last analysis, this was probably the only possible way to satisfy the rule of free speech within a gathering of three thousand men, most of whom are accustomed to speak rather than listen, to give advice rather than be recipients of information.
What seemed to please the Holy Father immensely, however, was the attention the Council received from the outside world. There is now hardly a section of the globe where the reading public does not realize that there is room for freedom of conscience within the Catholic Church. It was this liberty that first impressed the non-Catholic observers who were given such favorable treatment at the Council. It also demonstrated once and for all that, although the Church has the structure of a monarchical society, it is not, like our modern totalitarian states, a monolithic monster bent on controlling both the thought and action of its members.
The debate on the use of Latin in the liturgy of the "Western" Church provided, in large measure, a good opportunity to discuss a far more profound question. The prelates deeper concern was to determine the function and responsibility of bishops as successors of the apostles and associates of the Holy Father in the governance of the whole Church as well as of their individual dioceses.
In theological literature of recent years, this is referred to as a return to the concept of episcopal collegiality. It is a thesis that in no way tries to lessen the Popes authority over all Catholics everywhere, nor does it derogate from a bishops complete control of his own diocese. It looks, rather, to the filling out of the magisterium (teaching office) of the Church, a function that is individually and collectively shared by the Pope and bishops. It sees the Church as a mystery that is much more complicated in its constitutive elements than a merely human society.
Furthermore, this approach attempts to put the mutual relationships between Pope and bishops on a wider plane than that envisaged by current concepts codified in canon law. It emphasizes the fact that Christ instituted the college of apostles before He gave the primacy to Peter, and that He sent all the apostles "into the world [to] preach the gospel to every creature" (Mk. 16: 16), telling them they would be wit: nesses for Him "to the very ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).
What is, in a sense, new in this consideration is the emphasis placed on the biblical record regarding the investiture of Peter with special graces to confirm the faith of his fellow apostles (Lk. 22:32), and Christ's triple command to Peter to "feed His lambs and HIS sheep" (Jn. 21:15-16)-a testimony of Peters love for the divine Shepherd. Here there is no thought of diminishing the force of the commission given to the prince of the apostles as the rock upon which the Church was founded (Mt. 16:18). But new emphasis is placed on the bishops, and even on the Popes, function as pastor and teacher rather than ruler. This is certainly Pope Johns concept of his own and his fellow bishops episcopal office. In the schema on the Church, now being prepared for the next session of the Council, the formal aspects of this collegiality will have to be clearly elaborated as a complement to the doctrine of papal infallibility.
While the Fathers were discussing the adaptation of the sacred liturgy to the needs of 20th-century mans divergent cultural circumstances, it became clear that a gathering of bishops from a particular nation or region could accomplish the work most effectively.
An example had been the organization, in 1955, of the Council of Bishops of South America (CELAM). Msgr. Antonio Samore, who was a principal source of inspiration in the development of CELAM, is now head of the Office for Extraordinary Affairs in the Vatican Secretariat of State. Immediately upon arriving in Rome for the Council, the bishops of Africa and the patriarchs and prelates of the Oriental rites saw the need for similar organizations. Finally, the Italian bishops, many of whom had never before even seen each other, were drawn together into a co-ordinating association.
What precipitated this move was the delay in voting suggested by Cardinals Lienart and Frings at the first general session of the Council. They felt that the prelates should be given a chance to know the 160 prospective members of the ten conciliar commissions before voting for them. The problem was to disseminate this information quickly. It was solved in the only way possible, through meetings of various episcopal groups.
It was for this reason, moreover, that certain cautions delivered to arriving Dutch and American Bishops about publicizing episcopal conferences were withdrawn. Both groups had planned to hold their annual conferences in the Eternal City. In the early days of the Council, however, some members of the Curia felt that regional or national meetings of bishops would give rise to nationalistic blocs or overemphasize the tendency toward independence from the Holy See, a tendency that had plagued the Church in previous centuries-for example, at the time of Gallicanism in France and Josephinism in the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
As events showed, such fears were baseless. Most of the 47 episcopal conferences met each week during the Council to discuss the schema under debate and to prepare for the next weeks sessions. They invited various experts to give them the theological information they needed on aspects of the liturgy, on the points at issue in the chapters of the schema concerning divine revelation, and on the true attitude of the Protestants and Orthodox Christians, toward whom the unitary aspects of the schema on the Church were being aimed.
Finally, with the hope of reducing the number of individual speeches at the sessions of the Council, these groups attempted to select spokesmen who would represent the various tendencies and opinions of each group as a whole. Despite their general agreement regarding the adaptation of the liturgy to modern needs and the reformulation of the truths of faith in a modern idiom (according to the Popes instruction in his opening address), there were considerable differences of opinion, even among the bishops of a particular nation or region, about the manner of accomplishing these reforms.
The conciliar debate immediately established the existence of a keen sense of absolute agreement on the essentials of the faith and on the loyalty of all the prelates to the Holy See in the person of the Supreme Pontiff. This impressed the non-Catholic observers and led Oscar Cullman, well-known Protestant professor of theology at Paris and Basel, to state in a press conference that there was almost complete agreement between Catholics and Protestants of the old tradition on most of the positive truths based on the Bible. What separated the two was their understanding of unity: the "more" in Catholicism (which, from the Protestant viewpoint, is "too much") and the "less" in Protestantism (which, from the Catholic viewpoint, is "too little").
An important problem presented itself in the debate on the liturgy and in later sessions, namely, the Churchs need to prove itself the refuge of the poor and of sinners. Many bishops from Africa, South America and the mission territories had demanded a radical change in the vestments worn by bishops in ecclesiastical ceremonies. But they went much further in saying that the Church must be identified once more, as it was in apostolic times, with those crying in the wilderness for social, racial and economic justice at all levels of society. They were fully supported by Cardinals Gerlier of France and Lercaro of Italy, Patriarch Maximos IV and numerous other prelates.
The bishops fully agreed with those passages of Mater et Magistra, repeated by the Pope in his opening discourse, which maintain that the Church has an active interest in modern material progress, since it is a sign of Gods continued providence in the world. Instead of ignoring or castigating such progress, the Church should actively encourage and utilize it to help her children achieve their temporal as well as eternal destiny. She must show the world how to recapture the spiritual values which will enable true progress to bring peace into this world and facilitate mans passage to the next.
A recent issue of Osservatore Romano explains the conduct of some curial officials who seemed to be out of sympathy with papal directives calling for the forward march of the Church. If an attempt was made by some to keep the liturgy, and theology generally, tied to the static formulas of the past, Osservatore Rorruzno explains that some had to act as defenders of the faith or devils advocates. The fact is, of course, that the conduct of such prelates needs no defense. As Fathers of the Council, they enjoy the same "holy liberty" as all other bishops and are certainly entitled to their own opinions regarding the manner in which Catholic theology should be expressed and defended.
Nevertheless, the apology offered by the Osse1"Vatore suffers from a double defect. First, it fails to note the strict distinction Pope John made between the Curia and the Council when he said on June 9, 1959: "The Ecumenical Council has its own structure and organization.... The distinction is therefore precise: the ordinary government of the Church, with which the Roman Curia is concerned, is one thing, and the Council is another." This is only another way of saying what is already defined in canon 228 of the code of canon law: "An ecumenical council enjoys supreme power in the Church."
Second, the Osservatores explanation fails to deal explicitly with the problem of reconciling certain strongly "conservative" attitudes with the Popes call for an aggiornamento, that is, for a turning away from the pessimistic attitudes of what he referred to as "the prophets of doom" and a searching for new ways of saying and doing things that will put the spiritual reality of the Church before modern man as an unavoidable challenge. It is clear that the "conservative" ideas of some prelates about what should constitute pastoral theology, in contrast to doctrinal or polemical theology, differed greatly from those of others. Many judged them to be also out of harmony with the Popes own desires.
To the outside world, at least, it was a sign of remarkable forbearance on the part of the Holy Father that he should allow some of the men who are his "right arm" in the administration of the Church, and who even seem to feel, occasionally, that they are the guardians of the Popes infallibility, to give the impression that they were in opposition to his policy in regard to the Council. But it is also a proof of the magnanimity of the "man sent by God" called John, as well as an earnest of his sincerity in guaranteeing a "holy liberty" to all in the Church.
In the end, the Holy Father had to intervene in the Council, first to prevent an unseemly impasse in the debate on the nature of revelation; then, later, in the closing sessions, to guarantee a reappraisal and renewal in accordance with his wishes. While he attempted a compromise by remanding the schema on revelation to a committee made up of members of the Theological Commission and the Secretariat for Unity, his second intervention was more definitive. In the new commission, appointed under the chairmanship of the Secretary of State, little consideration was given to the so-called conservative side.
This new commission has the task of supervising the reduction of the 70 schemata submitted by the preparatory commissions to a manageable 20, making sure that they are brief and irenic in tone. The same commission is to see to it that committees dealing with cognate matters co-operate fully with one another to avoid repetition and produce coordinated documents. Many of these qualities were lacking in the majority of the original schemata, probably because the preparatory theological commission did not co-operate with any of the other commissions.
Time chose Pope John as its "Man of the Year," stating that "by convening the Ecumenical Council called Vatican II, he set in motion ideas and forces that will affect not merely Roman Catholics, not only Christians, but the whole worlds ever-expanding population." The Council was covered daily by all the greater newspapers in the larger cities throughout the free world. Even the Russian press agreed that it was an epoch-making event.
A dynamic renewal of the Church is to be worked out in draft form during the nine-month interval between the first and second sessions of Vatican II. Pope John has described this task as an effective, if silent, continuation of the good work already begun. In view of his recent illness, the whole world is praying fervently that Divine Providence will spare Pope John XXIII. But, as he himself has indicated, whether it had been his own doing or that of another Pope, the fact of the Council and its achievements are irreversible.
The Church is now moving in a new direction. For having brought this about, Pope John will surely go down in history not merely as Man of the Year but Pope of the Millennium.
Any attempt to evaluate all the accomplishments of the Second Vatican Councils first session would be not only presumptuous but also premature. Some things, however, may be profitably noted.


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The Portable Jung
Penguin Books, 1971 - Psychology - 659 pages
This comprehensive collection of writings by the epoch-shaping Swiss psychoanalyst was edited by Joseph Campbell, himself the most famous of Jung's American followers. It comprises Jung's pioneering studies of the structure of the psyche—including the works that introduced such notions as the collective unconscious, the Shadow, Anima and Animus—as well as inquries into the psychology of spirituality and creativity, and Jung's influential "On Synchronicity," a paper whose implications extend from the I Ching to quantum physics. Campbell's introduction completes this compact volume, placing Jung's astonishingly wide-ranging oeuvre within the context of his life and times.
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Saturday, August 1, 2009
PCO: What are polycystic ovaries?
For this post, I will be drawing on the published pieces of information regarding PCO as written by my doctor (Dr. Graeme Edwards, Collins Place Medical Clinic), as well as one by the ultrasound specialist I consulted (at Monash Ultrasound for Women).
What are polycystic ovaries (PCO)?
PCO are ovaries which contain an excessive number of primordial follicles. (Despite the name, there are no cysts, so the condition should really be called polyfollicular ovaries). These follicles are tiny fluid-filled sacs which contain the eggs. An ultrasounds of the ovaries during the reproductive years usually shows, on average, 5-12 follicles in each ovary. When more than 12-15 follicles are present, the ovary is called 'polycystic'. This itself does not cause adverse symptoms and should not be confused with PCOS.
Normal: less than or equal to 12 follicles
Borderline: 13-15 follicles
Mild: 16-30 follicles
Moderate: 30-50 follicles
Severe: more than 50 follicles, as a general guide - these women usually have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), associated with infertility, increased facial hair, and a disturbance of hormone levels.
What is the cause of polycystic ovaries?
In a normal menstrual cycle there are usually 5-10 follicles at the beginning of the cycle. Later in the cycle usually around day 14, one follicle gets bigger (leading follicle) and shortly thereafter ovulation takes place with release of the egg. The remaining eggs regress and disappear before the next cycle. These events typically occur every 4 weeks and result in the monthly menstrual bleed. With polycystic ovaries, this cyclical sequence of events does not take place. Instead, no leading egg develops and there is a build up of small immature follicles with successive cycles. Despite extensive research no single cause explains this variation from normal.
PCO is very common - it is estimated that 1 in 3 women have them. For most, this does not cause a problem and is often left undiagnosed unless they have difficulties becoming pregnant. Even in this case, many women achieve ovulation and therefore pregnancy with minimal drug involvement.
PCO is a genetic condition, and tends to develop during your 20's. PCOS usually develops much sooner, with symptoms appearing when a girl is around 16.
PCO causes a mild hormone imbalance which may cause one or more of the following:
1. Acne
2. Irregular, infrequent periods
3. Slightly reduced fertility
4. Oily skin
5. Mild hair excess on face, nipples or pubic area
6. Some degree of resistance to your body's natural insulin
Exercise - this burns up sugar and helps lower the strain on insulin which helps your ovaries.
Keep weight low - increased weight increases resistance to insulin in everyone.
Low carbohydrate, low GI diet - all carbs except fibre and metabolised to sugar, so low carbs lowers the strain on insulin which helps your ovaries.
Oral contraceptive pill - this treats the hormone disturbance and stops the ovaries trying to make more follicles.
If trying to become pregnant, simple agents like Metformin (which decreases your resistance to insulin) or the fertility drug Clomephene may be needed.
This image is a mock-up of what severe polycystic ovaries look like, as well as an ultrasound - much worse than mine!
But what does this mean for our beloved blogger?
Aw, you guys, I'm touched by your compassion. :)
Well, I only discovered that something was not quite right when, thanks to my rapid weight loss in January, my cycle was thrown out, resulting in multiple periods, and I stopped taking Yasmin (my BCP) to allow my system to sort itself out again. However, after five months without a period, I consulted my awesome doctor and he sent me for an ultrasound and a blood test (for my hormone levels). My blood work returns showing perfectly normal hormone levels, but the ultrasound showed 12 follicles on one ovary, and 16 on the other (borderline-mild PCO). No hairy nipples, just in case you were wondering. (See "Edit:" section below for more thoughts on this.)
I would love to know whether or not I do have a resistance to my body's natural insulin. My weight issues could easily be chalked up to this, but I am more than aware that the sheer amount of garbage I used to shove into my cake-hole (including cake) without putting on weight suggests otherwise. It took a lot of work to put on that weight, and I didn't have much trouble getting rid of it the few times I actively watched what I ate or exercised. I just never stuck with either program long term. Even eating 'healthfully', I was watching the fat intake rather than the calories/carbs, and we all know where that ends up... However, if I do in fact have mild insulin resistance, my doctor claims that I will never achieve any real sensitivity to insulin thanks to PCO (without using Metformin, but I don't believe in taking drugs unless absolutely necessary), so I'm grateful that I thoroughly enjoy living the Primal lifestyle, and that I'm not in the trap of using low-carb as a temporary fix-it bant. At the same time, I would hate for my nipples to suddenly sprout shrubbery, so I'm even less tempted to every cheat and/or return to my old eating habits. However, from talking to people who have overcome the symptoms of PCOS (one of which is PCO) through treating the hormone issue, I kind of wish my condition was that easily remedied.
As happy as I am sans period (such a relief; there's a reason it's called AMENorrhea!), I've been instructed to resume taking my BCP to control the amount of follicles I produce (i.e. none now). I was intending to do so anyway, just waiting for a period so I could just back on. Now that I know that I rarely ovulate, if ever, it's a bit of an annoyance to have to go through menstruation unnecessarily!
I hope this post helps others out there who have PCO or recognise the symptoms even if undiagnosed, and I'm glad that this condition is being thoroughly researched all over the world, including studies here in Melbourne. It seems bizarre to me that a condition which so obviously can affect fertility can be present in 1/3 of the female population. It's impossible for us to know whether this is a result of diet or lifestyle, since it has been impossible to diagnose until recently, but logic tells me it can't simply be a flaw in the human design... The claim about PCO being inherited through genetics also raises my eyebrow, since its commonness and its symptoms tend to clash with that concept. Here's hoping that the mystery is solved soon - more for those with PCOS than for folks like me who miss a few periods.
Edit: I wanted to add a current theory I have developed based on my own experiences, in case others have had a similar experience, or can disprove my theory.
I began eliminating sugars, grains and starches on the 1st of January this year, and lost weight rapidly, from Day 1. I had just finished my period, and was therefore taking my pill as usual. However, seven days into my diet (3kg down, mostly water weight) I began to menstruate, and it continued for 14 straight days. (In the meantime I lost another 2kg.) I continued to take my pill, and after a week without my period, my pill cycle was up, and another period was triggered. It was at this point that I decided to take a break from the pill to allow my hormones to sort themselves out.
So here's my theory: let's say than the hormones (estrogen & progesterone, etc) produced by my body is hX and the hormones supplied by my pill is hY. In the first week of January, I began losing weight, and as a result my hX levels were disrupted/lowered. As a result, my body thought I was no longer pregnant (as Yasmin told it I was) and shed the uterine lining. Meanwhile, hY was still doing its job, so the lining was replaced, but then shed again once hY was no longer being supplied (sugar pill week). I stopped taking hY, but hX has not 'normalised' in order to trigger a normal cycle. This may sort itself out in time, with or without the reintroduction of hY.
Here's the other theory: at some point during the last three years (taking hY), my natural levels of hX screwed up (possibly due to my diet and the eventual development of insulin resistance - though actually my diet in the past five years has been much lower in carbs and GI than it was in prior years) and my cycle was only functioning correctly thanks to hY.
My situation could well be drawing on both theories, but I'd love to hear from anyone who had strange menstrual irregularity when initially losing weight, whilst also taking a BCP. A long shot, but hey :)
27 comments:
- Gwen said...
hi -
thanks for that entry. i was diagnosed PCO 2 years ago by a british GP who couldn't care/know less; went to a specialist who knew more but still couldn't really care less, and gave me a script to Provera to take for when I didnt have a period for over 3 months (at that point I was having them every 2-3 months, no other symptoms really). Periods got back to normal last year, then I started dropping weight and they stopped; now its been 6 months without one and I recently started going primal with great results; provera hasn't induced anything, though.
Anyway, since you seem to have a doctor who cares/knows, and I don't, I'm wondering if you are aware of PCO affecting cholesterol. I recently got results that put my LDL at 200 and my HDL at 120 - which makes very little sense based on what I eat, my age, and my high-activity level. Thanks in advance if you know anything!
- August 1, 2009 at 10:32 PM
- Jezwyn said...
Thanks for the comment, Gwen. Your experience has given me lots to think about - part of me still reckons a lot of my amenorrhea is related to the drop in weight rather than PCO, which I may have been predisposed to before this year, but only had a chance to develop after cutting off my BCP. At this point there is no reason for me to force myself to have a period - there's no build-up of lining - so I'm rather tempted to keep going to see whether my periods and cycles would resume by themselves... Given that your drug isn't helping you, I'd say your uterine lining hasn't built up either, the same situation as I am in, and I wonder if this is due to the weight loss in both of our cases...
Meanwhile, I've done a lot of research into heart health as part of my learning over the past year, and I haven't seen any links between that and PCO directly. However, there is a link between sugar, triglycerides and cholesterol, of course, and you could suppose that insulin resistance, fuelling higher sugar intake and perpetually high blood glucose levels, would be linked to heart and blood issues, even if not directly.
Meanwhile, your figures don't seem all that bad anyway - your high HDL is excellent. How was the LDL ascertained - measured directly, or calculated? What about Trig and total cholesterol? Do you take fish oil? Taking fish oil can improve all your numbers.
Don't forget that high cholesterol isn't necessarily a causative factor in heart problems. I can point you to some references if that's news to you! :)
- August 2, 2009 at 12:43 AM
- Shelley said...
Great post and fascinating topic.. I had never heard of PCO but am definitely going to ask my doctor about it the next time I go in. It has been over 15 years since my first period and I have NEVER had regular periods unless I was on birth control. It isn't even unusual for me to go 6 months without a period, though 3 months would be more the norm. Oddly enough, I conceived very easily with twins. Now for the weird part... since starting to eat primal at the beginning of this year I have had my period every single month (no bc pills or meds of any kind). I can't even begin to tell you how unusual this is for me. Actually, unprecedented. I've lost weight, too. I'm been tempted to chalk up the normal periods to the elimination of grains, reduction in sugar and refined carbs but it could also be increase in exercise or just aging... who knows. Anyway, this is a topic that needs to be addressed more - thanks for the post.
- August 2, 2009 at 10:15 AM
- Jezwyn said...
Thanks for the comment Shelley - your experience seems to add more weight to the connectedness of insulin resistance and ovarian/menstrual function, as well as the impact of weight loss on estrogen production.
I'm going to edit my post to add a bit of a revelation I had this morning, in case anyone has had the same experience when switching to low-carb eating... It's so helpful to hear other people's experiences, whether diagnosed with PCO or not. Cheers!
- August 2, 2009 at 1:03 PM
- lunac said...
Wonderful post! Just thought I'd add some comments about what I've learned on the topic. Yes, there is very very little information on PCO. Most doctors who have even heard of it confuse it with PCOS. I've gone to medical conferences, specialist and many many hours trolling libraries and here's what I've learned.
There are actually two conditions...
PCOS is and pre-diabetic condition. In order to have PCOS you must have an imbalance with insulin. All other systems are just that, systems. Many women with PCOS don't even have cystic ovaries.
PCO however is can be caused by any hormonal imbalance (one of which can be insulin). If you have PCO that is not caused by insulin -- weight gain may not be one of your systems -- and therefore a low-carb diet may no even work for you.
I was diagnosed with PCO in my early 20s. I was diagnosed by having a laparoscopy. And my doctor took the opportunity to remove all the cysts I had. At the time I weight 125 pounds ant 5'6". In fact, I didn't gain anyway weight at all, until they decided to treat me with the pill. I had to try several different ones because my body is very sensitive to added hormones. After 5 years on the pill I had gained more than 100 pounds and my ultrasounds looked (again) like swiss cheese.
I stopped taking the pill and lost 20 pounds in the first month off of it, with out diet or exercise. WHY?! Because I do not have an insulin condition, I have some other hormone that is off.
My biggest issue with having PCO is that it's often painful for me, when I have cyst that rupture they hurt -- and my ovaries are heavy from the amount of cysts I have which is also painful.
My best time in my adult life was when I was pregnant with my children. My body loved that level of hormone (If only I could get that with out actually being pregnant).
Anyway, here's another thought to ponder -- there is also an association with PCO and asthma (which I also have).
- August 4, 2009 at 12:04 AM
- Jezwyn said...
Thanks so much for sharing your experience, lunac!
I've known a few people who gain weight when taking a BCP - I haven't suffered from this before, although when I was originally taking Levlin (the government-subsidised pill), I had some pretty scary mood issues. So I swapped to Yasmin, and have had no issues whatsoever. I occasionally woner whether my weight loss was due to stopping the pill, but then I remind myself that I lost 7kg whilst still taking it, and only 4kg since then (whittling away at the last few kg.)
Sounds like you have many many follicles on each ovary :( I hadn't read that it could be painful, nor that they could rupture, so that's good to know! So that's more reinforcement for me to take Yasmin to prevent more follicles forming - assuming that's how it works for me, given that didn't happen for you.
One point about insulin issues (in this case, insulin resistance) - your pancreas could be in overdrive producing insulin, etc, without you necessarily gaining weight because of it. The danger of PCO and its link to insulin production is that you can permanently ruin your pancreas, leading to diabetes.
Also, PCO can exist without any hormonal imbalance, per se. PCO is the condition of having too many follicles in your ovaries. The cause is not completely known. For me, it certainly seems like my hormones are all in check.
"Low-carb diets may not even work for you" - low-carb diets are very effective for weight-loss and even more effective for maintenance of health and well-being. It may not "work" to cure PCO or PCOS, but they're certainly worth doing. I'm very excited to see that LC cookbooks are starting to dominate our work's 'book club' selection each month. Of couse, there are always the obligatory "105 ways with pasta" and "Noodles!" books to divert unknowing perusers :)
- August 4, 2009 at 10:40 AM
Hi Jezwyn,
Regarding your comment about estimates that 1/3 of women have this. You might want to read "Slow Death by Rubber Duck: The Secret Danger of Everyday Things" by Rick Smith and Bruce Lourie which talks a lot about the many hormone (especially estrogens) mimics that are being put into our environment by ubiquitous things such as platics (Such as BP(A). These pollutants have been having serious effects on animal fertility (and we are animals).
I really enjoy your blog.
- December 4, 2010 at 3:49 PM
Jezwyn, I read your blog and I am very interested in trying to cut down on my carbs even more. I eat very carb conscious but it seems it is not enough. I have PCOS and I am always trying to figure out what to do. It doesn't matter how much weight I lose. I still have hair sprouting from my face, feel awful, and now my hair is falling out from the root. I discovered a supplement that claims it deals with the root cause of PCOS. I am willing to believe them because only two companies I have found even make the supplement. (It seems the medical community is just uninterested in PCOS and other metabolic syndrome problems. But, I guess what are doctors suppose to do - tell everyone they have to exercise everyday and abstain from sugar, flour, corn, soy, and potatoes. The farmers and food producers would go right out of business if everyone knew that what they were eating was basically killing them slow for some and fast for others.) I am trying the supplement out right now. But, I thought I would tell you because I feel very hopeful about it. The supplement is called d-chiro inositol. http://www.chiralbalance.com/knowledge-base/facts-chiral-balance-dci/ Here is the website. I will let you know how it goes. I am on my first month. - RAS
- January 20, 2011 at 7:36 AM
- K-Boo said...
I stumbled across your blog fairly recently after searching for primal recipes (I think). I have PCOS and I've experienced the same thing as you, BCP induced period and then unexplained longer period shortly there after.
I went to a hormone specialist about 18 months ago, she put me on Metformin (which I didn't take), a compounded progesterone prescription and eventually I requested to go on BCP. She put me on a progesterone only pill on which I had a period for 3/4 weeks ... which SUCKED! She also put me on a blood type diet which worked quite well, it cut out most grains, but also a whole bunch of other food I enjoyed like bacon and chicken. My blood sugar level was at 39 when I started which is CRAZY HIGH and a few short months later was down at 11.
I lost about 14 kilos, then fell off the wagon because my boyfriend moved in with me and I gained it all back. He left about 6 months ago and I'm now back to my lowest weight and I've been relatively primal for about 3 weeks and it's FANTASTIC.
Your blog will be a regular read for me now. :)
- January 22, 2011 at 1:05 PM
- Jezwyn said...
Hi Bob! I'm very interested in the facts regarding pollutants, although I'm wary that many studies use doses of toxins which are significantly out of the current likely exposure range for humans. I grew up in a very non-toxic environment, so I don't consider toxins as one of the causes for me, but I don't doubt that they may be a factor for others. I tend to think that industrial food processing itself is a more significant health detraction than objects such as plastics. The removal of hydrolised vegetable oils would be an interesting population experiment, but I doubt we'll live to see the day. Instead, we get to be the guinea pigs of the HVO introduction experiment...
Hi Anon,
My perspective regarding the role of carbs in PCO & PCOS is swaying considerably. The general science shows that there is indeed an association between insulin resistance and PCO, but there isn't much evidence to suggest that improved insulin sensitivity cures PCO in itself. It's more likely that PCO and insulin resistance are both symptoms of a common cause - industrial carbs and oils. Going low-carb usually limits or removes refined sugars and grains from the diet, and products with either of those two tend to also include veg oils. Ergo, going low-carb removes the foods that damage health, with the result of health improvements appearing as improved insulin sensitivity and cured PCO. These same improvements can be experienced without actually going 'low-carb' - you could still eat whole carbs like fruit, sweet potato, and perhaps even wild rice and other safe starches. This experience demonstrates that the health issues stem from the industrial foods, not the high intake of whole carbs.
So, your supplement: the website is full of pseudo-science and it looks like the company is trying to cash in on the fact that science has NOT discovered the cause of PCO(S) yet. It claims to treat the cause - if science actually knew the cause, it would be rapidly spread among the health and medicine community. That said, there doesn't seem to be any risk in taking the supplement, and believing in its potential could reap you some placebo benefits, but I'd recommend you save your money. I would be more likely to put my faith in a 'superfood' like acai berry since at least there's a bit of science behind that, if you don't pay attention to the necessary dose needed to show antioxidant effect ;)
K-Boo - hi and welcome! Great to hear you're seeing great health results from going grain-free. Your experience might support my hypothesis above. I have recently experienced a return of my natural (non-BCP) period, which is very exciting! However, it comes with a return of all my weight (plus a few extra kgs), and a higher carb intake than what I used to lose the weight at first. I will be seeking fat loss again in the coming months, so it will be interesting to see whether my period has returned for good, or whether I'll need to keep my carbs or fat level up in order to keep my hormones running effectively. Now that my experience has shown that PCO isn't necessarily permanent, I'll use myself as a test subject to see whether my hypothesis is disproved by low-carbing, etc. I take it you are still suffering amenorrhoea?
Stay in touch, you guys! This page is one of the most visited on my blog, so the more we can help other sufferers, the better!
- January 23, 2011 at 6:13 PM
- Stefani said...
Hi GGP. My name is Pepper, and I ran into you on a thread I started on paleohacks about Amenorrhea and PCOS. I had been diagnosed, too, but also like you, had no idea why. My insulin sensitivity is okay, my weight is fine, I exercise plenty, and I eat very low carb. Perplexing. But again, so much of PCOS and women's hormones in general is.
In any case, I developed a working theory of my own. It's based off of a chapter I read in the text: Ancient Bodies, Modern Lives, which I'm sure you've heard of. And I ran the idea by my OBGYN and he thought it was decent. Basically, the thought is that my body uses estrogen from my fat cells instead of estrogen from my ovaries. As a result, I menstruate whenever my BMI inches up towards overweight. And when I lose weight my menstruation disappears. I know that lots of other things could be going on, but this is the best I could come up with.
What do you think?
I have one other concern that I wanted to talk to you about. I actually stumbled upon this post because I had been a long time reader of yours and many other blogs, and I was returning to your blog to look for your email address. I admire, enormously, the efforts, achievements, and spirit of your blog, perhaps especially because you're a female voice in a pretty masculine sphere. I aspire to do the same.
That said, I've recently started a blog. Its in its infancy but I really enjoy it, and I want to emphasize women's issues with food and society, and how that all works with a paleo diet. If you want to maybe pop over or shoot me an email about it, I'd be way honored. You can get me at firstname.lastname@example.com, and you can get there at paleopepper.com. You can also read my brief (and woefully inadeqaute!) post on PCOS there (easy to find, since there are five posts). AND, of course, if you can't/don't want to/etc, do NOT sweat it. I'm not sure how to get my beginner's footing, but I'm sure it'll all work out in time.
Big time thanks, and big time good luck with your ovaries,
- February 1, 2011 at 10:31 PM
- Rae said...
Thanks for the great post!
It is in fact, PCOS that has sent me into primal eating.
After reading this I wonder about the differences between the two, and if I really have PCO, as I do not exhibit most of the secondary symtoms..
Hmmm...either way, eating right will help!
- April 8, 2011 at 4:09 AM
- Jezwyn said...
"Hmmm...either way, eating right will help!"
Maybe, but given the return of my cycle whilst eating junk and having regained all my weight, I'm floundering a bit when trying to define what "eating RIGHT" is in this context!
- April 9, 2011 at 9:26 AM
- Hannah said...
I'm a teenage girl and it was recently suggested I may well have PCO, I don't really know that much about it and this post has helped a lot, although I was wondering if You could give me any more information? I'm a little scared and going for an ultra-sound soon to confirm/deny it. If I do have it what is it going to mean?
- May 24, 2011 at 6:30 AM
- Hannah said...
I'm only fourteen, but it has recently been suggestesd that I have PCO, in fact i'm going for an ultra-sound scan soon. No one's really told me anything, and this blog has helped immensely, however, i'm still kinda scared and I was wondering how much you could tell me? About the diagnostic proses as well? Will I need to have bloods?
Thank you.xx
- May 26, 2011 at 5:11 AM
- Jezwyn said...
Hi Hannah,
Sorry for the delay - your comment was sitting in the moderation list, and I don't log in very often these days; I just follow the approved comments via my RSS reader.
When my GP suspected the PCO was at the root of my lack of periods (which have come back now), he sent me to get a blood test to rule out full-blown PCOS which is when you have too many androgens (the hormones guys have more of than girls). Then I went for the ultrasound, which involved a rod that's pretty much a dildo being inserted and bent a little to press against the ovaries. The specialist takes still images once the ultrasound is showing the presence of extra ovarian follicles. If there are no extra follicles (I only had a few extra ones, but sometimes there are heaps!) then no PCO. If you do have PCO, you can try what the GP tells you to (low-carb, lots of exercise, try to avoid stress) but for me it seems like the root of the problem was cutting back on calories or perhaps just losing weight (too fast, maybe).
I'm more than happy to keep chatting to you about it all if you want to reply or email me at firstname.lastname@example.com
All the best with the ultrasound, and either way, as long as your hormone levels are fine, PCO doesn't seem like it's worth worrying about. If you've had a period before and now you've missed some, think about any changes that you've made to your life recently. If the suggestion has come because you haven't had a period yet, know that I didn't have my first period til I was 14!
Stay in touch,
- June 12, 2011 at 7:38 PM
- Closer every day said...
Hi there
This is a really interesting topic and one close to my heart! I have PCO and like many people I suspected it but was brushed off by doctors who didnt know/care less about it. However once I started trying to get pregnant, and it wasnt happening, I found a doctor who took a closer look. I had an ultra sound and saw the follicles etc and also had a blood test which showed that my LH levels were slightly high. But the doctor told me that PCO is a spectrum and I was on the lower end. It seems I am ovulating monthly. THats the thing with PCO you just never know. Even in your case where it seems you never ovulate, one month might come and you just might ovulate that month...
Anyway this doctor told me that for years PCO was ignored because all the symptoms were being treated as separate problems. So a girl might go in and be treated for excess facial hair, another might be treated for obesity, another for absent periods , when in actual fact they all had PCO and PCOS and the doctors just werent looking at the whole picture
My doctor told me that in recent years they have started to really look into it because as you said, with so many women suffering from it , it cant just be ignored. and the 'old solution' to just take the pill isnt very helpful if one wants to get pregnant. It's just hiding your head in the sand. It doesnt cure it or help it, it just masks it. So my doctor said that many of the recent studies into it show that it seems to be all stemming from Insulin Resistance. That its the insulin resistance that starts off a chain of events that effect each woman slightly differently (which symptoms she gets, if any etc) ....
And what you said in your post about how it cant be just an error in humans if so many of us have it, made me think is it perhaps more prevalent now a days because of the sheer quantity of insulin spiking food available on the market? Even 30 years ago ...even 20 years ago! ...there wasnt nearly the selection of man-made rubbish to eat ...
anyway you have inspired me to clean up my diet for good and glory ! :-) no more cheats!!!
- July 5, 2011 at 5:09 PM
- Jezwyn said...
Good luck Closer! My PCO is totally gone now, no extra follicles, regular periods, etc. What did I change? I stopped restricting my food intake. I've been eating junk if and when I want. I stopped taking the pill soon after releasing myself from 100% clean eating, to see the result, and my cycle kept on cycling. It sure looks like, for me at least, insulin resistance is not linked to PCO, but that PCO was my body's reaction to the big changes in my diet or - most likely - my body fat percentage. I'm back to the size, shape and diet of most of my adult life, and by system is back to 'normal'. I don't think my experience reflects that of the majority of PCO sufferers, but I'm happy to have my story out there and have the information I accumulated available given the lack of other material online. All the best, but don't expect miracles from clean eating - though I truly do hope it works for you!
- July 8, 2011 at 11:32 AM
- Liz said...
I have PCOS and have never had regular cycles. I came across info on the vitamin supplement d-chiro inositol, but it was very expensive. I instead went to my natural food shop and got the less refined "inositol" for $10.Inositol is in the B vitamin family. I was told that I would not be able to conceive without fertility treatments; it was not a road I wanted to take. I had blood work done and found that my hormone levels were not right and my insulin levels were almost to the cut off of being considered diabetic. I imeadeatly began mensturating regulary and after 3 months if taking inositol daily, my blood work came back "normal". The next month I was pregnant. I had tried for 4 years. Last year a friend of mine confided in me that she too had PCOS and that she had been trying to conceive for years. Unsuccessful fertility treatments left her with little hope of having a child. She began taking inositol and is now expecting a baby this spring. There are studies that have been done on inositol, for sucess in treating diabetes, PCOS and bipolar disorder as well. There is little publicity about it though, because it can not be patented and there is a whole lot of money to be made from those other "treatments". Please, if you have PCOS,PCO, diabetes, or bipolar disorder, check Inositol out.
- January 17, 2012 at 10:15 AM
- Sneha's Food Blog said...
Hi there!
What a small world- I too have received the same diagnosis by the same doctor. Also, I can see that you and I received the same piece of paper from Dr. Edwards based on the information you've put up. I was actually trying to find out a little more about PCO but are Dr. Edwards said, there isn't much out there on the internet (which to me seems a little odd as the internet usually has everything about everything!). I'm wondering if you've had more luck than me in sourcing information regarding PCO? I think Dr. Edwards is great, but I'd like to looking in to PCO a little more just to get a better understanding of it. Thanks!
- March 21, 2013 at 10:12 PM
- kir said...
Hi there,
Thank you for your really interesting post about PCO. I was diagnosed with insulin resistance a year ago and was never given an answer as to why I had it. I was never overweight, lived a relatively active lifestyle and apart from the occasional bad food did not eat badly.
My then doctor put me on metformin--which actually has the lovely effect (for some people) of depleting your b12... I've seen other doctors, but most seem pretty cavalier about it as I'm not an overweight person. Another doctor then referred me to get an ultrasound which suggested I was polycystic.
I've been on the pill for three years, regularly skip and any hormone tests I've done have always come back normal. It seems like I don't have the syndrome, yet my doctors insist that I have insulin resistance because I have poly cystic ovaries. Is this really the case or are they as in the dark as I am?
I've finally pushed for a referral for an endocrinologist, but am still rather frustrated at the blase way my doctors have delt with it.
Thanks for any advice you have!
- April 20, 2013 at 10:09 PM
- Beth_M said...
Hi, I know your post is over a year old, but I just found it under a Google search "Polycystic ovaries not PCOS" and am I ever glad I found it!
I went to the doctor for my annual pap, and she asked me if there was anything abnormal going on. I told her I'd been having small, slight, almost unnoticeable twinges in my ovary area for a few months. she sent me for an ultrasound and it revealed "multiple follicles consistent with PCOS" . Since I am on the pill already and have been for a few years, she's suggesting just to wait it out, so I have another ultrasound in six months.
What I've been reading on the internet in the past few weeks (impatiently waiting for the six months to finish!) I don't have ANY of the symptoms of PCOS, just the skipping of periods when I'm not on the pill, and the cysts. I get my period every three months exactly when not on the pill - always, ever since my first one!
I'm so glad that someone has posted this article. You have no idea how much hope you have given me, and knowing that someone else out there has the same symptoms as me and thinks the doctor is wrong in saying it's PCOS!
Thank you!
- April 21, 2013 at 12:27 PM
- GMOfreeMAMA said...
Hi, thanks for your post! I was diagnosed with PCOS last year (2012) after battling for 2 years to fall pregnant for the second time.
My Daughter was conceived the first month off the pill which I had been on for 12 years. It turns out that the pill 'saved' my ovaries and had I not fallen pregnant that first cycle I may never have. For every month off the pill, after my daughter was born, PCO got worse (unbeknown to me).
Once diagnosed I was put on Clomid by my Gynae and took it for 6 cycles. Although I did ovulate on the Clomid, everything else seemed to get worse. No CM, very scanty periods, longer than usual cycles etc
I decided to ditch the Clomid and see a Fertility Homeopath/Acupuncturist. Before the Clomid I would have 3 month cycles and sometimes had to take Provera to get the ball rolling.
My Homeopath put me on a diet: No Sugar/Wheat/Coffee/Alcohol. I have acupuncture twice a week and have been prescribed homeopathic and Chinese remedies to support hormone production. The first month into this new regime I had my first 28 day cycle ever and ovulated on day 14. I have also dropped 6 kg's in 3 months. I do not have insulin resistance however, and fall into the skinny PCOS category but had picked up extra weight taking the Fertility Medication which I could not shift.
I have since had a cycle every month which is sometimes a little longer than 28 days but according to my Homeopath this is normal. I had an ultrasound this morning showing 7 follicles in my one ovary and 12 in the other. The plan is to keep up the regime and scan again in 4 months time. By then I hope to have fewer follicles and by the 6 to 9 month mark I hope to have just one follicle developing.
I honestly think the Clomid did more harm than good. After all it overstimulates the ovaries to produce follicles which is the problem I have in the first place.
I completely agree with you that diet has everything to do with controlling PCOS whether you have insulin resistance or not. I am not on a Paleo diet but do use many Primal recipes. Keeping blood sugar under control is a massive factor.
I have told myself that regardless of being able to conceive again, I need to get healthy or will eventually end up with two options: 1. Stay on the pill for the rest of my life to regulate my cycle or 2.Run the risk of developing Uterine Cancer if my lining does not shed each month. Honestly neither of those options sounds great to me.
Moral of my long drawn out story. Sometimes getting your body to sort itself out naturally may take a little longer but is a long term option if you are willing to make some lifestyle changes! It wasn't easy (I am a chocoholic through and through) but if this works out it will certainly be worth it!
- August 23, 2013 at 3:11 AM
- Hannah said...
I know you posted this in 2009 but I went though pretty much the same as you, was on Yasmin for 6 years then came off cause I wanted to be natural-only got 3 normal periods in 6 months- went to the doc and a scan (my results were similar to yours) and I was told to get back on the pill and to take Metformin.
I have just got back on the pill but no way am I taking Metformin (i'm from the UK but currently living in the USA and in the UK they would Never prescribe it for PCOS). So basically after all the research I have done I wanted to share this http://natural-fertility-info.com/cinnamon-benefits-pcos-endometriosis-uterine-fibroids-menorrhagia.html
Its really sad doctors never mention natural remedies and are so fast to "sell" you medicine.
Hope that helps you & good luck!!
- July 12, 2014 at 12:13 AM
- jannice salvador said...
HI, I'm glad i found this article, I was diagnosed with left polycystic ovary, and i was confused it was same as PCOS. I have no issues with my period ever since,comes on the right day, i can even track when it is coming,not until this month when i had 14 days of very light vaginal bleeding,you cannot even tell that it was period.I went to my obgyn thinking i was pregnant but found out that my endometrium lining thickened and my left ovary was polycystic but my right ovary was fine and actually about to ovulate an egg,but she told me my condition is the same as PCOS.I'm so confused, dont have all the symptoms they are mentioning about PCOS. Should i need to have a second opinion?
- September 19, 2014 at 1:52 PM
- Heena Virani said...
I am glad someone really have taken an initiative to differentiate between PCO/PCOS/PCOD. I was horrified last time when 2 years back I was diagnosed with pco and whatever research I made on diet for that was suggesting diet and detailing of pcos /pcod and not of pco.
I have going through one and its been difficult for me to loose weight. Since 2 years I get my normal periods once i started exercise a bit recent past I have faced this issue all over again where I have got delayed periods for like 15 days I am horrified again.
I need info on diets and lifestyle and also meds which can be useful.
Thanks once again for the article
- February 19, 2015 at 3:20 PM
- Robyn said...
oh so glad I found your article, I have just been diagnosed with PCO (but not PCOS) and my searches only turn up PCOS articles. I went to get checked as had severe pain around ovulation time of my cycle. Have 20 follicles on right ovary, 15 on the left. Just glad to know it's not life threatening. Am off to the naturopath to see if i can find a natural remedy, as don't want to go on the pill. I'm hoping to resolve this issue, and the pill will just stick a bandaid on it until I stop taking it anyways.Plus want to get pregnant. Will see how it goes :-)
- September 7, 2016 at 10:49 AM


text:
HWS Rocks
by Joshua Unikel '07
Play: When most people think about the height of music at Hobart and William Smith, it peaks before CD's replaced cassette tapes. And for many, the "good old days" play back in mind like the warm, complex sounds of a 33. But the truth is, since the Colleges started kicking out the jams in the Sixties, the show hasn't stopped. Instead, student bands and outside acts just keep coming to Geneva, including some of the biggest names in music throughout the decades. And as the Colleges press on into the 21st century with a newly awarded New York State Music Fund, the show won't stop anytime soon.
Rewind: Cue the needle, rewind the cassette and spin the iPod back to the tunes of the Sixties, a time when the names Dylan, Hendrix, The Beatles, The Who and Sly and the Family Stone were all used for the first time as they released their debut albums. "The first time I heard Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Steve Miller, The Mothers, The Moody Blues and The Youngbloods was on records in dorm rooms," recalls William Ryder '71, P'07. "I remember arriving on campus in my parents' car at Sherrill Hall in the fall of 1967 and watching the Lost and Found play in front of Medbery for fun. Manny Bloom – later Eric Bloom '66 of Blue Oyster Cult – was a major showman even then." Along with Bloom's Lost and Found, other well-known campus bands of the late 60s/early 70s era were White Trash, T Rocket, Blind Orange Julius, Peter and the Prophets and Room Service.
As for national acts, the era brought many up-and-coming artists to campus. With concerts still held in Bristol Gym, students sat in the bleachers or looked on from the tarped floor for shows by The Youngbloods, Richie Havens, B.B. King, Iron Butterfly and Leon Russell and the Shelter People. "I remember seeing The Turtles play in Bristol when the cheap PA went out," said Ryder. "And I'll never forget seeing Chuck Berry play with a backing band of Hobart guys; he'd prepared them by simply telling them that they were going to play some Chuck Berry tunes." Like Ryder, anyone who still has memories from the Sixties, feels that "choosing one favorite is impossible!"
Choosing a favorite was also impossible in the Seventies. "We were all very fortunate at HWS in the late Seventies as the bands that toured the upstate NY college circuit were either well-established or up-andcoming," says Ruth Teague '77, P'02, P'04, P'07, now associate director of Admissions. "To see the likes of Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, Bonnie Raitt, Livingston Taylor as well as Frank Zappa was simply amazing." During the decade that gave life to disco and prominence to many soft rock and R&B artists, two musicians always stand out: Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen.
"I was a freshman in 1973, and we had the opportunity to hear Billy Joel in the winter," Hal Whitehouse '77 says. "The concert was in Albright Auditorium…8 p.m. for Billy Joel and 9 p.m. for Livingston Taylor."
Like Whitehouse, Katie Coleman Nicoll '74 was at the show. "I remember when Billy Joel played at Hobart and William Smith," says Nicoll. "It was the first time I had been to a concert. I was hooked. What a memory – just like it was yesterday."
"The cost of the show was $2.50 if you bought your ticket at the door and $1.50 if you paid in advance!" Whitehouse explains with a laugh. "Though we didn't know what a star Billy Joel would become at the time, he put on a fabulous solo concert and blew away the 'headliner' Livingston Taylor."
Teague, who sat in the second row during the show, says, "What an amazing concert. I still can't bring myself to see him perform in a mass market medium like Madison Square Garden. Instead, I'll savor the memory."
"We saw great concerts during this period, including three shows of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band in the Geneva Theatre (Smith Opera House)," Whitehouse says. Springsteen played the theatre in the fall of '73, the winter of '74 and mid-summer of '75. Bruce Eaton '74 booked Springsteen's first visit to Geneva and remembers from backstage that, "by the fourth or fifth song, the entire place was going bonkers."
But the show didn't stop with Springsteen. "Music helped define life on campus in the Eighties, whether it was speakers out the windows blaring Little Feat and Grateful Dead during softball games and Frisbee on the Quad, the live bluegrass during Folkfest, Duke Jupiter at Slattery's, Thetes band parties featuring Lynard Skynard cover bands or the student Jazz Lab playing from the steps of Coxe," explains Pete Buck '81, P'12.
"Some of my great music memories at the Colleges were seeing 10,000 Maniacs, Tracy Chapman and Midori," Sara Lacombe '89 says.
During the Nineties, the Colleges added many leading names to its list of artists, including Blues Traveler, Barenaked Ladies, Dave Matthews, Phish, the Spin Doctors and a return performance from Billy Joel, to name a few.
"Blues Traveler played during a Thetes party our junior year," recalls Gary Otten '91. "We just thought they were another great band. Who knew they were on the verge of becoming a world renowned act. And the Spin Doctors—they played on the Quad with an extended stage coming off the steps of Coxe Hall and a tent above them. What a great show that was—especially the lead singer."
When students weren't watching Blues Traveler or seeing Eddie Money at the Smith, they were checking out student bands, like Gooseberry Jam, Relic, The Racket and Acoustic Mayhem. "Relic always drew a large and motivated crowd to the Holiday Bar," says Otten. "They had a lot of great stuff and a really good original song called 'Flip It to the Cold Side.'" Acoustic Mayhem also became a Geneva staple, playing Copperfield's and other area venues.
As the second millennia came around at HWS, so did an eclectic list of artists. In the Spring of 2004, the Black Eyed Peas brought their dance-infused hip-hop to the Smith Opera House. Soon after, jangle pop band Guster played the Opera House, sending the packed crowd into a frenzy with their catchy singles and infamous on-stage antics. "It was an awesome show – I loved it!" says Allie Art '09.
"I was really impressed by Guster," Teddy Desloge '10 says. "Their music was great, and they put on a fantastic show."
In 2007, music at the Colleges and in Geneva rose to a whole new level when HWS was awarded a $200,000 New York State Music Fund grant, which sponsored the Live from Geneva concert series. The series has already brought several nationally and internationally acclaimed acts, including The Wailers, Gym Class Heroes and Talib Kweli, to Geneva. "The Wailers put on a truly great show," says Frank Leach '11, one of hundreds of HWS community members who attended the fall reggae performance.
"It was old school and brought me back to my parents' day."
During the fall semester, Geneva's own alternative hip hop band, Gym Class Heroes, played a sold-out show at the Smith Opera House. "I'm glad that HWS got the Gym Class Heroes to play here," says Sarah Caffrey '10. "It was good timing in terms of their career. It was also nice to see the HWS and Geneva communities come together at this one event, because of this performance."
The two communities also filled the Smith in record numbers for Talib Kweli, an innovative MC and hip hop artist known for his intricate lyrics and rhythmic dexterity. "With great music, Talib put on an awesome show," says John Shaker '10.
While they have attended shows, today's HWS students have also been making music of their own. "My favorite music memories are from the student performances that CAB hosts," says Campus Activities Board Executive Chair and Live from Geneva Committee member Amanda Townsend '09. "These include Open Mics, Battle of the Bands and Family Weekend Cabaret. They are all chances for students to show everyone their talent." Names like Annie in the Water, Kaleidoscope, The Tyger Tyger Burning Bright Inside Your Head Show, and Red Rush Morning have made their way into the HWS vocabulary and performance circuit.
From the jam-band style of Kaleidoscope to the rockabilly harmonies of Tyger Tyger, the music HWS students make is as eclectic as they are.
Fast-forward: Jump the needle, flip the cassette and advance the iPod to today's top 40 and mix your playlist with today's up-andcoming— that's exactly what you'll hear as Geneva makes its way into the second decade of the 21st century. What big name artist or ambitious band will show up next? Only time will tell, but one thing is for sure: the show at HWS isn't going to stop anytime soon.
Past Issues
HWS Rocks
- Feature Story
- Concerts that Rocked
- Alums and Students Who Rock
- Wilmer Alexander and the Dukes
- Multimedia (web exclusive)
- Musical Memories (web exclusive)
William Smith Centennial Celebration
- The Party of the Century
- Where Students Learn to Lead
- Why William Smith Women Rule the World
- Honoring a Notable Alumna
- History on the Hill
- Elizabeth Blackwell Award
- More Centennial Photos and Video
- In Pursuit of Leadership (web exclusive)
Hill & Quad
- News Notes
- The Edge of the Political Curve
- HWS Receives $1.4 Million Grant
- A Conversation About Civic Engagement
- Dedications
- Cairds Receive Dual President's Medals
- Ribbon Cut on the Rosensweig Learning Commons
- Support for Jewish Life on Campus
- Advancing Athletes
- A Lifetime of Commitment
- The Gift of a Future
More Articles
- Sports Update
- The Centennial Honorary Committee Takes Over Your Reading List
- Patterns
- Parallels
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Pets have the power to transform our lives.
Nutrition has the power to transform theirs.
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Two of a kind,
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The Hill's Food, Shelter & Love™ program feeds over 100,000 pets daily so they're healthier, happier and ready to join their new family. Join us in giving these pets a loving home.
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May dairy cow slaughter was down 39,000 head compared to May 2013, the United States Department of Agriculture reported this afternoon. That's a 16% drop in culling.
But May 2014 only had 21 business days compared to 22 in May 2013. As a result, culling per business day was only down 12%.
Some 21,000 fewer cows were also culled in May 2014 compared to April 2014, a 9% decline. But on a cull per day basis, again because May had one less business day, culling was actually down 4.8%.
Note that in yesterday's milk production report, USDA also reported 10,000 more cows in U.S. dairy herds in May than in April.
You can read the full livestock slaughter report here.


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March 28, 2006
LOS ANGELES - Approaching its 20th anniversary, The Riordan Programs, which prepares high school students from underserved communities for careers in business through education, mentorship and professional development, has much to celebrate. First, it has graduated nearly 800 participants with 100 percent of them accepted into 4-year colleges each year. Second, a gift of $70,000 from the Amgen Foundation was given to support a variety of the program's academic areas for two school years, 2005-2006 and 2006-2007. As a fully independent non-profit organization, The Riordan Programs relies on private support from individuals, corporations and foundations to augment much of its educational programs.
Some of the areas the Amgen Foundation's gift will support include:
- A self-assessment workshop—each student participant completes a self-assessment exercise that provides a customized profile of personal and career interests for the individual to consider.
- A portfolio management curriculum—a select group of students manages individual portfolios of $100,000 in fictitious money for investments.
- A financial literacy curriculum—students explore elements of the stock market including financial statements and portfolio management and present their findings in a team-based competition.
- Professional development workshops—students interface with business professionals to practice public speaking, networking and interviewing techniques; develop their resumes; and learn basic business etiquette.
- Corporate site visits—local companies host students for a day of on-the-job learning.
"The Amgen Foundation shares our commitment to empowering youth from low socioeconomic households to become leaders in their communities through education and mentorship," says Alex Lawrence, executive director of The Riordan Programs. "Their gift illustrates the Foundation's dedication to making tangible, positive changes in the communities in which many of their staff work and live."
If you or your company is interested in volunteering or partnering with The Riordan Programs, contact The Riordan Programs office at (310) 206-3596.
About the Amgen Foundation
The Amgen Foundation (www.amgen.com/citizenship/overview.html) seeks to advance science education; improve patient access to quality care; and strengthen the communities where Amgen staff members live and work. Since 1991, the Foundation has made $70 million in grants to local, regional and national non-profit organizations that impact society in inspiring and innovative ways. It has also supported disaster relief efforts both domestically and internationally.
About the Riordan Programs
Founded in 1987, The Riordan Programs is a pioneering career-based outreach program that motivates high school students, college students and recent college graduates from diverse backgrounds and under-served communities to consider and prepare for careers in management through education, mentorship and professional development. The Riordan Programs has since been recognized as the defining model for such programs.


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This past week we saw the Bold 9900 get OS 126.96.36.199 dropped for all to use. The build so far as been said to be very good. Now, Torch 9810 users will be able to enjoy the same OS goodness.
Download Torch 9810 OS 184.108.40.206 from:
Make sure you join our community to share your thoughts on this!
*DISCLAIMER* – This is an unofficial RIM software release. If you choose to install, do so at your own risk! N4BB.COM is not responsible for any malfunctions or abnormalities that may occur. If you have never loaded a leaked OS before, we highly recommend you read the tutorial listed below:


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for impartial advice on the BEST SIXTH FORM COLLEGES from Education Advisers Ltd
This month's featured college is Oxford International College. Established in 2002 by a group of academics from the University of Oxford, OIC soon became one of the UK's leading colleges. They prepare British and international students for entry into top universities in the UK and worldwide, including Oxbridge, Imperial, LSE, Medical and Law schools.
Welcome to www.sixth-form.com dedicated to those looking for an independent (private) tutorial college for sixth form study. These colleges offer specialised tuition to the 14-19 age range in a very broad group of subjects. This website offers advice on a range of topics to do with sixth form education, such as choosing your sixth form college, searching for colleges in a certain area, finding out what exam results colleges have achieved and the subjects offered for study. We also cover personal tuition for those who prefer to be tutored on a one to one basis at home.
In the UK "sixth form" refers to the final years of senior (secondary) education during which students prepare for university entrance. A range of subjects are studied at an advanced level, generally over two years. These two years are also known as Year 12 and Year 13, or "Lower 6th" and "Upper 6th". Students normally enter Year 12 in the September after their 16th birthday and complete their course of study at the age of 18. However, private 6th form colleges generally have flexible admissions policies and offer a wide range of course options for students from 14-19, and in some cases for mature students.
What is the difference between a school sixth-form and a sixth-form college?
This website concentrates on private sixth form colleges rather than sixth form centres within independent senior schools. In a private 6th form college students are usually age 16 or over, although a few accept students from 14 to study GCSE courses. Most colleges – particular those that offer boarding - organise a range of sporting and extra-curricular activities for students, but facilities for these tend to be more limited than at a traditional boarding school, and are often off site. The emphasis is far more on academic studies with the main aim being to ensure students achieve as highly as possible in public examinations.
If you are looking for a place in a private school sixth form please see our other site www.best-schools.co.uk.
Most sixth form colleges offer not just A level tuition, but also one and two year GCSE courses, A Level resit courses, English IELTS courses and Foundation Programmes. They provide a realistic alternative to public schools and the state sixth-form colleges and they tailor study programmes to the needs of each student. Students are taught in small classes where they are sure to get individual attention.
Accommodation and Boarding
Private sixth-form colleges are chiefly concentrated in cities such as London, Oxford, Cambridge and Birmingham, and the majority of them are in southern England. Most offer day or boarding places, although their accommodation is often off site or sometimes arranged with local host families.
In addition there are one or two independent schools, such as Hurtwood House, that cater for the 16+ age group and offer all the facilities that one would find in a private boarding school.
You can download an eGuide which tells you everything you need to know about selecting a private sixth form college and you can use our search facility to find which colleges are nearest to the town in which you want to study. Many parents are confused by the choice or simply do not know which subjects are the right choice for sixth form study. Why not take advantage of our FREE BESPOKE ADVICE SERVICE. Just phone +44 (0) 1622 813870 or complete our Enquiry Form. We will get back to you straight away.


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Director of Graduate Program and Associate Professor of Media Studies
Dr. Peter Asaro is a philosopher of science, technology and media. His work examines artificial intelligence and robotics as a form of digital media, and the ways in which technology mediates social relations and shapes our experience of the world.
His current research focuses on the social, cultural, political, legal and ethical dimensions of military robotics and UAV drones, from a perspective that combines media theory with science and technology studies. He has written widely-cited papers on lethal robotics from the perspective of just war theory and human rights. As Co-Founder and Co-Chair of the International Committee for Robot Arms Control (www.icrac.net), he works on the human rights issues surrounding targeted killing by drones, and arms control issues for autonomous lethal robotics.
Dr. Asaro's research also examines agency and autonomy, liability and punishment, and privacy and surveillance as it applies to consumer robots, industrial automation, smart buildings, and autonomous vehicles. His research has been published in international peer reviewed journals and edited volumes, and he is currently writing a book that interrogates the intersections between advanced robotics and social and ethical issues.
His research is also informed by his involvement in digital media design projects with the Virtual Environments Group at the National Center for Supercomputer Applications (NCSA), the Advanced and Interactive Displays Lab at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Iguana Robotics, Inc., and was involved in the design of the natural language interface for the Wolfram|Alpha computational knowledge engine for Wolfram Research--this interface is also used by Apple's Siri and Microsoft's Bing to answer math queries, and won two SXSW Web Interactive Awards for Technical Achievement and Best of Show.
He is currently working on an Oral History of Robotics project, funded by a grant from the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society. The project is conducting video interviews with over 100 pioneers of the field of robotics worldwide. He has also received a Digital Humanities Start-up Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to build open-source HTML5 tools for navigating and curating this digital video archive for on-line access.
Altmann, J., P. Asaro, N. Sharkey, and R. Sparrow (2013). " Armed Military Robots: Editorial," Ethics and Information Technology (2), June 2013, pp. 73-76.
Asaro, P. (2013). " The Labor of Surveillance and Bureaucratized Killing: New Subjectivities of Military Drone Operators," Special Issue on Charting, Tracking, Mapping: Technology, Labor, and Surveillance, Gretchen Soderlund (ed.),Social Semiotics, 23 (2), pp. 196-224.
Asaro, P. (2012). "On Banning Autonomous Lethal Systems: Human Rights, Automation and the Dehumanizing of Lethal Decision-making," Special Issue on New Technologies and Warfare, International Review of the Red Cross,94(886), Summer 2012, pp. 687-709.
Asaro, P. (2012). " How Just Could a Robot War Be?" in Erica L. Gaston and Patti Tamara Lenard (eds.), Ethics of 21st Century Military Conflict, New York, NY: IDEBATE Press, pp. 257-269.
Asaro, P. (2011). " A Body to Kick, But Still No Soul to Damn: Legal Perspectives on Robotics," in Patrick Lin, Keith Abney, and George Bekey (eds.) Robot Ethics: The Ethical and Social Implications of Robotics. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, pp. 169-186.
Asaro, P. (2011). " Computers as Models of the Mind: On Simulations, Brains and the Design of Early Computers," in Stefano Franchi and Francesco Bianchini (eds.) The Search for a Theory of Cognition: Early Mechanisms and New Ideas. Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Rodopi, pp. 89-114.
Asaro, P. (2011). " Remote-Control Crimes: Roboethics and Legal Jurisdictions of Tele-Agency," Special Issue on Roboethics, Gianmarco Veruggio, Mike Van der Loos, and Jorge Solis (eds.), IEEE Robotics and Automation Magazine, 18(1), 68-71.
Asaro, P. (2009). " Modeling the Moral User: Designing Ethical Interfaces for Tele-Operation," IEEE Technology & Society, 28 (1), 20-24.
Digital War
Thesis Proposal
Thesis Tutorial Lab


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Are You a Search Engine Marketing Maven or a Trade-Show Pro?
Probably not. It's not that you don't want to be. You're just busy with a million other details, like running a business.
That's why the Cisco mConcierge program developed a set of concise Tactical Marketing Guides. These guides are designed entirely to help you better execute on more than a dozen common marketing initiatives, including social media networking, newsletters, and radio ads — just to name a few.
Think of them as marketing "Cliff Notes," or "cheat sheets:" just the basics, boiled down to two pages, complete with objectives, best practices, and a sample timeline.
So, whether you're a small or medium-sized business, or a Cisco partner working with small or medium-sized business customers, consult the Cisco mConcierge Tactical Marketing Guides before you sign contracts with a fancy creative agency, or start shelling out money for a seminar in New York City.
To access all of the Tactical Marketing Guides visit the Cisco mConcierge Marketing Basics page.
About Cisco mConcierge
The Cisco mConcierge program is an award-winning, integrated marketing planning, enablement, and execution program for Cisco partners, comprised of a robust online platform and a team of expert marketing consultants.
In an effort to keep conversations fresh, Cisco Blogs closes comments after 60 days. Please visit the Cisco Blogs hub page for the latest content.


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An admission: My daughter provided the inspiration for this column. She recently asked if she could open a Facebook account because her MySpace account had "way too much drama." (Did I mention that she is 15 years old?) My wife reminded me that regardless of the medium, the drama related to teenage girls isn't exclusive to the Internet.
In my next several columns, I'll show you that social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and a multitude of others will become the most effective nexus for your business. But first, here are general statistics that will be significantly dated 30 days after I've written them:
In three years, Facebook grew to 175 million users, and 1 million more are signing up monthly.
Twitter began the year with approximately 3 million users and is now up to 75 million users.
Most research shows that it's not just early adopters or people growing up texting who are signing up for social networking sites. The fastest growing populations signing up on these sites are older demographics, particularly women.
Social networking will be a non-negotiable tool for your business because people around the world are flocking to these sites to connect with people, share videos and books, locate the nearest Starbucks and, as we know, even help win a presidential election. Owning and using handheld devices and laptops is now nearly universal.
The infrastructures of most social networking sites are already built to be plugged into your facility's existing technology and can be used as a means of gaining people who are interested in what you offer — instantly. If you question me, follow a Twitter stream (called "tweets") on an interesting social subject or that leads to conversations from someone even marginally in the public eye.
Odds are high that regardless of your demographics or your facility, your members are already using a social network medium.
Here's a tiny sampling of tangible social networking benefits:
It makes your club known to large concentric circles of your members' acquaintances. This provides huge, free marketing leverage.
By creating a Facebook and/or Twitter account for your facility and linking it to your Web site, you are proactively touching customers in ways that are important to you.
By using your staff (personal trainers, dieticians, coaches, etc.), you can create Twitter streams or instructional videos with very simple tips to remind your members (and potential members) about new classes, instructors and trends.
Social networking connects members with each other in an extremely simple manner, creating a community that leads to a greater chance of long-term behavioral change.
By monitoring "tweets," you can find out what people are saying about their experience at your facility without cumbersome surveys. Then you can adjust accordingly to meet evolving member needs.
You can keep in touch with members who disappear from your club without additional cost. Remember, former members may not be in your club, but they frequently log onto social media sites.
In the not-too-distant past, Google was a noun, not a verb. The same thing is happening now with online social networking sites. I believe that these sites may be the most important vehicle in our time to grow your business and connect with thousands (even millions) of people interested in health and fitness.
Oh, by the way, I said yes to my daughter. I never had a chance.
Gregory Florez is CEO of FitAdvisor Health Coaching Services and First Fitness Inc., which was rated as the No. 1 health coaching online training service by The Wall Street Journal. Florez can be contacted at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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STYLE ME is optimised for a larger screen. Please use a tablet, laptop or desktop computer.
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Open-Faced Meatball Sandwiches
- Category: Beef, Main Courses
- Servings: 8 servings
- Print Recipe
- ¼ cup egg substitute
- ½ cup soft bread crumbs
- ¼ cup finely chopped onion
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- Dash salt
- 1¼ pounds lean ground beef
- 2 cups garden style pasta sauce
- 4 hoagie buns, split
- 2 tablespoons shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
- Shredded Parmesan cheese, optional
In a large bowl, combine the first nine ingredients. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into 40 meatballs. In a large skillet coated with nonstick cooking spray, brown meatballs in batches; drain.
Place meatballs in a large saucepan. Add pasta sauce; bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10–15 minutes or until meat is no longer pink. Spoon meatballs and sauce onto bun halves; sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese if desired.


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Dreamland Music delivers unique acoustic duos interpreting songs we all know and love with a creative twist. Styles cater for Jazz, Funk, Blues, Flamenco, Pop. Songs form the 60s 70s 80s and 90s.
Our mission is to to develop inner creativity, a personal voice thriving for excellence.
Please follow the links below. Preview our cover bands in Melbourne for Weddings and special events and Corporate Entertainment.
Songful , Sweet emotions, Melbourne Acoustic Duo. Retrohoney rediscovers what made us fall in love with music and life: James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, Carole King, Constant Craving and many more.
Melbourne Flamenco Latin Guitar
SongFul. Creative Crunchy Revival . Melbourne cover band , duo format. "Explosive, heartbreaking crunchy and vibrant. " John Fitzgerald. Modern Trends Magazine
Call us for a free quote on 0448348701. We would love to hear from you. Please supply us with information on time, date, length of performance required, venue ( private, public, indoor , outdoor), number of guests ( to determine sound amplification requirements), and distance to Melbourne CBD


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Yes…..You have permission to use stencils! Really! They get your mind off of your lines, and on to what exactly you want to express on the paper. Did you know that many professional fields use stencils? Drafters, Architects, Landscapers, Interior Decorators, and Graphic Designers. Graphic Designers use a digital stencil or stamp called Brushes. If you've ever loaded "brushes" into your photo editing program then you know what I'm talking about. Digital brushes can do so much more than the simple manual ones pictured above. They're pretty cool and versatile.
Today's post is in response to a comment from LuLu from an earlier post. She was so cute when she said,
"And thank you, thank you for giving us permission to use stencils - I have a whole stash of stencils that I rarely used - but now I will dust them off and use them more!"
Personally, I don't think my "art" has suffered because I use stencils. I have found that my line drawing, my pencil grip have gotten better since I've taken to using stencils. It's given me more confidence in drawing a straight line or a circle. The subtle or minor touches to a drawing have been enhanced because I'm actually spending time with my tools (pens, pencils, markers) now. I'm getting that practice in….who cares if I'm tracing over a stencil line? I'm not that proud... Well, maybe a little.
Picture of hand from wikipedia.
NOTE: Since I tend to get my tarsals, metatarsals, carpals and phalanges mixed up, this picture just may help me remember them.
Did you know that the human hand has 27 bones? I found that out only because I really wanted to know how many muscles are in the human hand. I could not find this answer on-line. Anywhere! The articles I came across were all about the "muscle groups" of the hand. There was a lot of talk about the thenar, hypothenar, dorsal, volar and lumbrical muscles. Please……I just want a number, not an education. Was I going to be tested? Ugh! So, please if anyone knows the answer….. post, post, post. I really do want to know! Maybe there will be a prize????
My point is, that with all these muscles and bones, we really need to get our dexterity up to task. I think drawing, with or with out stencils helps with this. We don't use our hands like we used to. Heck, with all the computer time I put in, my long hand has gotten super sloppy. Which means my ability to make my hand perform certain lines, marks and scrolls has suffered as well.
This flower power doodle is in HONOR of stencils! Go, get out your stencils, your markers, your paper. Use those phalanges and have fun! It's okay!! Really, it is!


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You put Delta Burke, Jean Smart, Dixie Carter and Annie Potts together in a room and you are going to have magic. That's what happened Wednesday night at the Museum of Television and Radio when these four amazing actresses reunited for only the second time since "Designing Women" left the air. They inhabited four classic sitcom characters on that show but when watching them interact as themselves, it is just as interesting…and FUNNY!
They joined the show's brilliant creator and head writer Linda Bloodworth Thomason for the event which had a standing room only audience filled with serious "Designing Women" afficionados. It was nice to not be the only person in the room to be mouthing the words of dialogue as the show's classic pilot episode was screened prior to a panel discussion.
I gotta say, for a rabid "Designing Women" fan like me, this was a night I will never forget. Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, with whom I'd had a terrific interview with last week, greeted me before the show with a great big hug and introduced me to Jean Smart. Then I chatted up Annie Potts before heading into the packed theater for the program. Hmmm. Where to sit? I don't know how this happened, but next thing I know, a staff member is guiding me down to the second row. Then next thing I know, the cast is escorted in and I am directly behind Linda and Delta! Annie, Jean then Dixie filled out the row. So, not only am I stoked to be sitting so near them, I get to watch THEM as they watch the pilot episode together. They would whisper to each other, give each other a look at a particularly funny moment, Jean was cackling hard during some spots and Dixie was just in a constant state of laughter.
In the pilot, her character got the most laughs so this was a real showcase for the actress. One of my favorite lines of Dixie's is when obnoxious Ray Don Simpson ("I want to thank you…RAY DON…") tries to join the women for lunch at a sushi restaurant saying they look like they could use a little male company. Dixie puts down her chop sticks, looks at him and says: "Trust me when I say that you have completely misjudged this situation."
Anyway, there were some terrific lines during the panel portion and I'll have to share those with you later today in a separate post. But what was also cool was that when I took the microphone to ask a question, Linda introduced me to the audience! Holy cow! Love her! Harry Thomason slipped into the theater after the program was underway. After it was over, he turned around and introduced himself to me.
What a heady night.
I'll finish this later, gotta get on the freeway and head to the office.