How foolish will we be this April? We can be sent into various tizzies. But take heart; the fates find ways to lead us to where we need to be once the dust settles. Keep your feet on the ground and your head above the fray, if you can.
Read your April horoscope here.
From Reveries Magazine:
"Chinese and Western specialists approach pharmacology from very different angles," but Novartis is hoping to find new cures by encouraging Sino-American collaborations, reports Nichcolas Zamiska in The Wall Street Journal (11/15/06). "For centuries, Chinese doctors have tinkered with different mixtures of medicines, guided in part by trial-and-error, to see which ones are the most effective. Working with that body of knowledge, they operate on the assumption that the traditional remedies work, even if by Western scientific standards it's not completely clear why." So, they know the cure works, but they don't know which "target it hits."
Western researchers, meanwhile, "often begin the search for a drug by identifying a target, and then looking for a chemical compound that has the desired effect. If they do find a drug that works, they usually understand the mechanisms behind it. That helps in refining the compound to make it more effective and in convincing regulatory authorities ... that the medicine is safe and effective." So, Novartis has hired a botanist to venture into remote regions in areas such as China's Xinjiang province, "to ferret out rare plants and herbs traditionally used in treatments for ailments ranging from aches and pains to cancer."
Novartis hopes that if it can "isolate the particular compounds active in the Chinese traditional medicines by testing the raw extracts from the plants" Shen Jingui collects, the result will be "a new generation of blockbusters to fight diseases such as Alzheimer's." So far, Jingui "has provided around 1,000 natural products." Of those, a total of nine "have shown particular promise against specific disease targets and two have been selected for further study." That hit rate is actually pretty good as compared to traditional research methods. The cost involved is also relatively small.
I say whatever works is great and if it is all natural, all the better.
Looking for a match made in heaven or maybe some other spiritual place? Check out the recently launched NewAgeConnections website which helpfully provides a place for those who "share interests in new age thought, spirituality, metaphysical beliefs, conscious living, alternative health, yoga, green living and sustainable culture, and progressive social change" to connect with kindred spirits for community and online dating. Let's hope your match is on the same spiritual plain as you ;-)
I've always believed you have to search for love in all the right places and in my experience astrology has proven to be very valuable and helpful in making better love matches. Chemistry is always a consideration but sex alone cannot promise longevity and commitment. I would love to hear from anyone that has success with NewAgeConnections.
In addition to dating connections, the site offers community chat, business networking, events, trips, calendar and newsletter.
Mixing Pleasure and 
Passion in a Drink
In the company's words, Fever is:
. . . a natural herbal beverage that enhances pleasure and the personal socializing experience, while at the same time offers wellness benefits from its proprietary formula of natural herbs and ingredients. . . Fever is based on the concept [of] offering consumers a natural, attractively tasting beverage . . . [and] is quickly becoming one of the most popular "new age" beverages to hit the market.
They recommend drinking (adults only) 14oz about 15 to 30 minutes before socializing. You can find more information at their website along with lots of photos of people who seem to be enjoying pleasurable encounters.
A "new age" aphrodisiac? As soon as I get my hands on a bottle, I'll let you know -- who knows? It may be filled with alcohol.
When bad things happen to good drivers it might be bad karma, or maybe you were born a Libra.
Lee Romanov, president of InsuranceHotline.com wondered if drivers of some astrological signs were more likely to be involved in traffic accidents than other drivers. She compared the records of 100,000 drivers and found overwhelming evidence that some signs are more prone to accidents. Libra drivers are the worst, followed by Aquarius and Aries. The complete rundown is on her site.
This research led to her writing Car Carma, a humorous, information-packed book, that tells you why, and which drivers, based on their astrological signs have more accidents. She describes her book as "your roadmap through the Zodiac. It's a tool of enlightenment that identifies the best to the worst drivers, under the Sun, Moon and Stars." At a cost of $11.95 that is a reasonable "toll" to pay.