Monthly Archives: August 2016

Depression (major depression) Alternative medicine – Mayo Clinic

Posted: August 21, 2016 at 11:12 am

Alternative medicine is the use of a nonconventional approach instead of conventional medicine. Complementary medicine is a nonconventional approach used along with conventional medicine.

Make sure you understand the risks as well as possible benefits if you pursue alternative or complementary therapy. Don't replace conventional medical treatment or psychotherapy with alternative medicine. When it comes to depression, alternative treatments aren't a substitute for medical care.

Examples of supplements that are sometimes used for depression include:

Nutritional and dietary products aren't monitored by the FDA the same way medications are. You can't always be certain of what you're getting and whether it's safe. Also, because some herbal and dietary supplements can interfere with prescription medications or cause dangerous interactions, talk to your health care provider before taking any supplements.

Complementary and alternative medicine practitioners believe the mind and body must be in harmony for you to stay healthy. Examples of mind-body techniques that may be helpful for depression include:

Relying solely on these therapies is generally not enough to treat depression. They may be helpful when used in addition to medication and psychotherapy.

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Depression (major depression) Alternative medicine - Mayo Clinic

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5 Types of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)

Posted: at 11:12 am

Complementary and alternative medicine comes in a broad range of forms. Here's a look at five widely practiced types of complementary and alternative medicine:

According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), the most commonly used complementary medicine approaches in the U.S. fall into one of two subgroups: natural products or mind-body practices.

Often sold in dietary supplement form, natural products may include herbs, probiotics, antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, chemicals such as glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin sulfate (two supplements said to aid in the treatment of osteoarthritis), and a variety of other substances.

In the 2012 National Health Interview Survey (or NHIS, a report conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics), researchers determined that 17.7 percent of American adults had used a dietary supplement other than vitamins and minerals in the past year. The most commonly used natural product was fish oil, an omega-3-rich substance said to protect against conditions such as heart disease.

The second category of most commonly practiced complementary medicine approaches, according to the NCCIH, mind-body therapies typically involve using specific techniques to boost the mind's capacity to influence bodily function and enhance health.

Hypnotherapy is a popular type of mind-body therapy. Also known as hypnosis, it's been found to promote weight loss, alleviate back pain, and aid in smoking cessation in some scientific studies.

A self-directed practice long used to promote calm, meditation is a mind-body therapy that shows promise as an approach to achieving healthier blood pressure and sounder sleep.

There's also some evidence that meditation may benefit people struggling with chronic pain.

Although yoga is often practiced as a form of exercise and a means of reducing stress, it's also used as a mind-body therapy. Indeed, some research indicates that yoga may help manage conditions like anxiety, insomnia, migraines, and depression.

The NCCIH notes that yoga's popularity has significantly increased in recent years, with almost twice as many U.S. adults practicing yoga in 2012 as in 2002.

Other types of mind-body therapies include biofeedback, guided imagery, and music therapy.

Many proponents of complementary and alternative medicine use therapies and healing practices from alternative medical systems, such as homeopathy and naturopathic medicine.

Alternative medical systems also include traditional medical systems from other countries, such as Ayurveda (a form of alternative medicine that originated in India) and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Within TCM are a number of therapies frequently used in the U.S.

today, including acupuncture, acupressure, and herbal medicine.

This type of complementary and alternative medicine is based on manipulation and/or movement of one or more parts of the body.

In some cases, manipulative and body-based methods involve participating in classes or individual sessions with the aim of changing your movement habits. For example, the Alexander Techniqueinvolves relearning basic movements (such as standing and sitting) in order to reduce muscle tension, while the Feldenkrais Method involves creating new patterns of movement in order to improve physical function and overall wellbeing.

Other types of manipulative and body-based methods used in complementary and alternative medicine focus on applying specific treatments to address health issues. These methods include reflexology, osteopathy, and rolfing.

Two of the most popular and well-researched types of manipulative and body-based methods are chiropractic and massage therapy.

Another type of complementary and alternative medicine, energy therapies are generally based on the idea that energy fields surround and penetrate the human body. Practitioners of energy therapies often aim to manipulate biofields by applying pressure and/or placing the hands in or through these energy fields.

While the existence of such energy fields has not been scientifically proven, there's some evidence that certain energy therapies may have beneficial effects.

For instance, preliminary research has shown that practicing qigong may help control chronic pain and lower blood pressure while Therapeutic Touch may help soothe osteoarthritis pain. In addition, there's some evidence that reiki may help lessen pain, promote healthy sleep, and reduce anxiety.

Sources

Birocco N, Guillame C, Storto S, Ritorto G, Catino C, Gir N, Balestra L, Tealdi G, Orecchia C, Vito GD, Giaretto L, Donadio M, Bertetto O, Schena M, Ciuffreda L. "The effects of Reiki therapy on pain and anxiety in patients attending a day oncology and infusion services unit." Am J Hosp Palliat Care. 2012 Jun;29(4):290-4.

Lee MS, Pittler MH, Ernst E. "External qigong for pain conditions: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials." J Pain. 2007 Nov;8(11):827-31.

Lee MS, Pittler MH, Guo R, Ernst E. "Qigong for hypertension: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials." J Hypertens. 2007 Aug;25(8):1525-32.

National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. "What Is Complementary, Alternative or Integrative Health?" NCCIH Pub No.: D347. March 2015.

Disclaimer: The information contained on this site is intended for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for advice, diagnosis or treatment by a licensed physician. It is not meant to cover all possible precautions, drug interactions, circumstances or adverse effects. You should seek prompt medical care for any health issues and consult your doctor before using alternative medicine or making a change to your regimen.

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Alternative Medicine Solution

Posted: at 11:12 am

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About complementary medicines – Live Well – NHS Choices

Posted: at 11:12 am

Complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) are treatments that fall outside of mainstream healthcare.

These medicines and treatments range from acupuncture and homeopathy, to aromatherapy, meditation and colonic irrigation.

This page covers:

Defining CAMs

Deciding to use complementary or alternative treatments

Availability on the NHS

Finding a CAM practitioner

There is no universally agreed definition of CAMs.

Although "complementary and alternative" is often used as a single category, it can be useful to make a distinction between the two terms.

The US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) uses this distinction:

There can be overlap between these two categories. For example, aromatherapy may sometimes be used as a complementary treatment, and in other circumstances is used as an alternative treatment.

A number of complementary and alternative treatments are typically used with the intention of treating or curing a health condition.

Examples include:

Tounderstand whether a treatment is safe and effective, we need to check the evidence.

You can learn more about the evidence for particular CAMs by reading about individual types of treatment see our index for a list of all conditions and treatments covered by NHS Choices.

Some complementary and alternative medicines or treatments are based on principles and an evidence base that are not recognised by the majority of independent scientists.

Others have been proven to work for a limited number of health conditions. For example, there is evidence that osteopathy, chiropractic and acupuncture are effective for treatinglower back pain.

When a person uses any health treatment including a CAM and experiences an improvement, this may be due to the placebo effect.

The availability of CAMs on the NHS is limited, and in most cases the NHS will not offer such treatments.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) provides guidanceto the NHS on effective treatments that are value for money. NICE has recommended the use of CAMs in a limited number of circumstances.

For example:

If you think you may have a health condition, first see your GP. Don't visit a CAM practitioner instead of seeing your GP.

It's particularly important to talk to your GP if you have a pre-existing health condition or are pregnant. Some CAMs may interact with medicines that you are taking.

The practice of conventional medicine is regulated by laws that ensure that practitioners are properly qualified, and adhere to certain standards or codes of practice. This is called statutory professional regulation.

Professionals of two complementary and alternative treatments osteopathy and chiropractic are regulated in the same way.

There is no statutory professional regulation of any other CAM practitioners.

Osteopathy and chiropractic are regulated in the same way as conventional medicine.

Apart from osteopathy and chiropractic, there is no professional statutory regulation of complementary and alternative treatments in the UK.

This means:

If you decide to use a CAM, it's up to you to find a practitioner who will carry out the treatment in a way that is acceptable to you.

Professional bodies and voluntary registers can help you to do this. See below.

Some regulated healthcare professionals such as GPs also practise unregulated CAMs. In these instances, the CAM practice is not regulated by the organisation that regulates the healthcare professional such as the General Medical Council but these organisations will investigate complaints that relate to the professional conduct of their member.

Many CAMs have voluntary registerssome of which are accreditedby the Professional Standards Authorityfor Health and Social Care (PSA) or professional associations, that practitioners can join if they choose.

Usually, these associations or registers demand that practitioners hold certain qualifications, and agree to practise to a certain standard.

Organisations with PSA-accredited voluntary registers include:

This means that these organisations have met the PSA's demanding standards, which are designed to help people make an informed choice when they're looking for a practitioner.

Find more information on the PSA's accredited registers.

Once you've found a practitioner, it's a good idea to ask them some questions to help you decide if you want to go ahead with treatment.

You could ask for:

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Dietary Supplements: What You Need to Know

Posted: at 11:11 am

The majority of adults in the United States take one or more dietary supplements either every day or occasionally. Today's dietary supplements include vitamins, minerals, herbals and botanicals, amino acids, enzymes, and many other products. Dietary supplements come in a variety of forms: traditional tablets, capsules, and powders, as well as drinks and energy bars. Popular supplements include vitamins D and E; minerals like calcium and iron; herbs such as echinacea and garlic; and specialty products like glucosamine, probiotics, and fish oils.

All products labeled as a dietary supplement carry a Supplement Facts panel that lists the contents, amount of active ingredients per serving, and other added ingredients (like fillers, binders, and flavorings). The manufacturer suggests the serving size, but you or your health care provider might decide that a different amount is more appropriate for you.

If you don't eat a nutritious variety of foods, some supplements might help you get adequate amounts of essential nutrients. However, supplements can't take the place of the variety of foods that are important to a healthy diet. Good sources of information on eating well include the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and MyPlate.

Scientific evidence shows that some dietary supplements are beneficial for overall health and for managing some health conditions. For example, calcium and vitamin D are important for keeping bones strong and reducing bone loss; folic acid decreases the risk of certain birth defects; and omega-3 fatty acids from fish oils might help some people with heart disease. Other supplements need more study to determine their value. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not determine whether dietary supplements are effective before they are marketed.

Many supplements contain active ingredients that can have strong effects in the body. Always be alert to the possibility of unexpected side effects, especially when taking a new product.

Supplements are most likely to cause side effects or harm when people take them instead of prescribed medicines or when people take many supplements in combination. Some supplements can increase the risk of bleeding or, if a person takes them before or after surgery, they can affect the person's response to anesthesia. Dietary supplements can also interact with certain prescription drugs in ways that might cause problems. Here are just a few examples:

Keep in mind that some ingredients found in dietary supplements are added to a growing number of foods, including breakfast cereals and beverages. As a result, you may be getting more of these ingredients than you think, and more might not be better. Taking more than you need is always more expensive and can also raise your risk of experiencing side effects. For example, getting too much vitamin A can cause headaches and liver damage, reduce bone strength, and cause birth defects. Excess iron causes nausea and vomiting and may damage the liver and other organs.

Be cautious about taking dietary supplements if you are pregnant or nursing. Also, be careful about giving them (beyond a basic multivitamin/mineral product) to a child. Most dietary supplements have not been well tested for safety in pregnant women, nursing mothers, or children.

If you suspect that you have had a serious reaction from a dietary supplement, let your health care provider know. He or she may report your experience to the FDA. You may also submit a report to the FDA by calling 800-FDA-1088 or completing a form online. In addition, report your reaction to the dietary supplement company by using the contact information on the product label.

Dietary supplements are complex products. The FDA has established good manufacturing practices (GMPs) for dietary supplements to help ensure their identity, purity, strength, and composition. These GMPs are designed to prevent the inclusion of the wrong ingredient, the addition of too much or too little of an ingredient, the possibility of contamination, and the improper packaging and labeling of a product. The FDA periodically inspects facilities that manufacture dietary supplements.

In addition, several independent organizations offer quality testing and allow products that pass these tests to display their seals of approval. These seals of approval provide assurance that the product was properly manufactured, contains the ingredients listed on the label, and does not contain harmful levels of contaminants. These seals of approval do not guarantee that a product is safe or effective. Organizations that offer this quality testing include:

Don't decide to take dietary supplements to treat a health condition that you have diagnosed yourself, without consulting a health care provider.

If you don't know the answers to these questions, use the information sources listed in this brochure and talk to your health care providers.

Let your health care providers (including doctors, pharmacists, and dietitians) know which dietary supplements you're taking so that you can discuss what's best for your overall health. Your health care provider can help you determine which supplements, if any, might be valuable for you.

Keep a record of the supplements you take in one place, just as you should be doing for all of your medicines. Note the specific product name, the dose you take, how often you take it, and the reason why you use each one. You can also bring the products you use with you when you see your health care provider.

Dietary supplements are products intended to supplement the diet. They are not drugs and, therefore, are not intended to treat, diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or cure diseases. The FDA is the federal agency that oversees both dietary supplements and medicines.

In general, the FDA regulations for dietary supplements are different from those for prescription or over-the-counter drugs. Unlike drugs, which must be approved by the FDA before they can be marketed, dietary supplements do not require premarket review or approval by the FDA. While the supplement company is responsible for having evidence that their products are safe and the label claims are truthful and not misleading, they do not have to provide that evidence to the FDA before the product is marketed.

Dietary supplement labels may carry certain types of health-related claims. Manufacturers are permitted to say, for example, that a dietary supplement addresses a nutrient deficiency, supports health, or is linked to a particular body function (like immunity or heart health). Such a claim must be followed by the words, "This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease."

Manufacturers must follow certain good manufacturing practices to ensure the identity, purity, strength, and composition of their products. If the FDA finds a product to be unsafe or otherwise unfit for human consumption, it may take enforcement action to remove the product from the marketplace or work with the manufacturer to voluntarily recall the product.

Also, once a dietary supplement is on the market, the FDA monitors information on the product's label and package insert to make sure that information about the supplement's content is accurate and that any claims made for the product are truthful and not misleading. The Federal Trade Commission, which polices product advertising, also requires all information about a dietary supplement product to be truthful and not misleading.

The federal government can take legal action against companies and Web sites that sell dietary supplements when the companies make false or deceptive statements about their products, if they promote them as treatments or cures for diseases, or if their products are unsafe.

The National Institutes of Health supports research on dietary supplements.

The Food and Drug Administration issues rules and regulations and provides oversight of dietary supplement labeling, marketing, and safety.

The Federal Trade Commission polices health and safety claims made in advertising for dietary supplements.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture provides information on a variety of food and nutrition topics.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services provides an encyclopedia of health topics, personal health tools, and health news.

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Adult Vacations, Negril, Jamaica | Hedonism II

Posted: at 11:09 am

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Snowden Docs Support Claim NSA Cyberweapons Stolen, Report …

Posted: at 11:08 am

Documents stolen from the National Security Agency by former contractor Edward Snowden support the claim that the cyberweapons apparently pilfered from the espionage agency and put up for auction online this week are the real deal, according to a report in The Intercept.

The Intercept, whose reporters have access to the trove of information Snowden took from the NSA in 2013, wrote today that a top secret NSA manual that has never been made publicly available contains the same 16-character alphanumeric string that appears throughout a portion of the code released online earlier this week by the mysterious group calling themselves the Shadow Brokers. The relevant code was part of a program dubbed SECONDDATE that was used to spy on Pakistan and a computer system in Lebanon, The Intercept reported.

Chris Inglis, former deputy director of the NSA until 2014, told ABC News he wouldn't have visibility into specific cyber toolkits used by the NSA, but he said it would be "unfortunate" if the ones published online belonged to the elite hackers at his former longtime employer.

"It's an investment that's hard-won, intellectual capital and real money. But is it a reality of present circumstances? Absolutely. So NSA needs to figure out how to recover and move on," said Inglis, now a professor at the U.S. Naval Academy and on the advisory board at the cybersecurity firm Securonix. "I'm not sure that that's the case here, that this is NSA, but if it were, I would say NSA is probably just saying, 'Got it. We've got to move on more quickly than we thought we needed to.'"

Inglis said he doubted that the NSA itself was hacked and suggested the Shadow Brokers obtained the code possibly from an external server -- a theory floated by Snowden on Twitter -- or through some other means. A former member of the NSA's hacking squad Tailored Access Operations, Oren Falkowitz, told ABC News Thursday he could think of "a dozen ways" the powerful malware could've fallen into the wrong hands.

Inglis said one thing the NSA will be doing now is attempting to find out if any of the exposed code -- or the still-hidden code the Shadow Brokers claim is more sophisticated -- could affect ongoing operations, whether it's a matter of "current capability". Researchers who have analyzed the released code have said date references end on the fall of 2013, indicating that's when the code was stolen or when hackers' access to the data was cut off.

"NSA lives in a world where whatever capabilities it brings to bear necessarily age off, either because the technology moves on or because the operational practices of the adversaries -- whether it's terrorists or rogue nations, I mean all of the things we are legitimately authorized to go after -- they change," Inglis said. "The notion of a static capability that you can preserve over years' time, that's gone. You simply cannot do that."

"Three years is a very long time," he said. "Just think about how quickly technology turns over."

While initially split on whether the Shadow Brokers hack was real when it was announced earlier this week, consensus has grown among security experts and former U.S. officials that at least the teaser code that has been released in full is legitimate -- especially after two major cybersecurity firms publicly acknowledged that some of the code would have affected their legacy firewall products and, in one case, was still a threat to current users.

The Shadow Brokers, who are unknown to the cybersecurity community and whose name could be a reference to a popular videogame, claimed to have hacked systems used by the Equation Group, a high-level hacking team that a Russian cybersecurity firm said had links to cyberattacks that were separately attributed in media reports to the NSA. The Russian firm, Kaspersky Lab, reported this week they found a "strong connection" between the cyberweapons exposed by the Shadow Brokers and their previous work on the Equation Group, which they called the "apex predator" of the cyber world.

Inglis declined to say whether Equation Group was a secret NSA hacking squad. He said they "seem to be quite capable and disciplined, and if you're going to unleash a group of people in this space, you need to make sure that they're both."

"Whoever they are, I hope that they're on our side," he said.

The Shadow Brokers claim to have taken a whole host of cyberweapons from the Equation Group and are hosting an online auction in bitcoin in order to sell off the most valuable ones.

As for who the Shadow Brokers are, there's only speculation, which runs the gamut from a disgruntled insider to a sophisticated nation-state like Russia. But the group's public posturing has thrown observers for a loop.

"Revealing the results [of a major hack] in this way is extremely atypical," former NSA hacker Falkowitz told ABC News Thursday. "To do something as childish as hold a public auction with bitcoin ... just seems like not consistent with the way really sophisticated government groups would operate."

"It's really bizarre," he said.

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Astronauts Taking Spacewalk to Install New Space Station …

Posted: at 11:08 am

First-time flier Kate Rubins and veteran spacewalker Jeff Williams will venture outside the International Space Station this morning (Aug. 19) to install a massive, crucial piece of machinery:a vital new docking port that will allow private space taxis to link up with the station on future missions.

The spacewalk is slated to begin at 8:05 a.m. EDT (1205 GMT), NASA officials said during a news briefing. You can watch the spacewalk live here on Space.com, courtesy of NASA TV.

This spacewalk marks a first for Rubins, and the fourth of Williams' career. The two astronauts plan to spend about 6.5 hours outside the station installing this new heavy piece of machinery, known as an International Docking Adapter (IDA), which arrived at the station on July 20 aboard a SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft. [The Most Memorable Spacewalks in History (Photo Gallery)]

The IDA being installed today is the first of two devices that will be attached to the space station as part of a new international standard that allows a variety of vehicles to dock with the orbiting lab independently rather than being grappled with the station's robotic arm.

Williams, Expedition 48's commander, will head out first, and Rubins will hand off a bag of IDA installation tools before stepping outside the station.

"This EVA [spacewalk] that we are going to be doing on Friday represents a very significant milestone on the path to establishing a commercial crew capability on board the ISS," Kenny Todd, the station's mission operations integration manager, said at the news briefing Monday (Aug. 15). "We're very excited to put this piece of hardware on the front of the station."

Astronauts Kate Rubins and Jeff Williams are all set to venture outside the International Space Station (ISS) tomorrow (Aug. 19) to install the first International Docking Adapter. This addition to the ISS will allow future private space vehicles to hook up to the station.

Multiple previous spacewalks paved the way for today's installation. During four EVAs (extravehicular activity) performed earlier this year, and in 2015, astronauts routed cables for the docking adapter and installed a control panel, among other maintenance tasks.

On Wednesday (Aug. 17), the ground robotics team successfully removed the IDA from the Dragon spacecraft's trunk using the space station's robotic arm, and positioned it 3 feet (0.9 meters) from the front of the port. This morning, prior to the start of the spacewalk, the ground crew used the arm to move the IDA closer to the port, so that it would be ready to be installed by Williams and Rubins.

The International Docking Adapter as seen before its launch to the International Space Station.

The new IDA, which measures 7.8 feet (2.4 m) in diameter, will allow for larger crews to launch from all different places around Earth and dock with the space station automatically. Boeing and SpaceX have contracts with NASA to send astronauts to the space station in 2017.

If all goes according to plan, the spacewalkers will complete some additional tasks after hooking up the IDA. Williams and Rubins will install thermal covers, as well as set up mirrors that will allow future space taxis to autonomously navigate, align and connect with the space station properly. The team will also route some additional cables for the second docking adapter, which is expected to fly up to the space station next year.

The International Space Station is the largest structure in space ever built by humans. Let's see how much you know about the basics of this science laboratory in the sky.

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The International Space Station is the largest structure in space ever built by humans. Let's see how much you know about the basics of this science laboratory in the sky.

On Sept. 1, a second EVA will be conducted to perform more work on the IDA, during which astronauts will retract one of the station's thermal radiators.

Williams and Rubins are part of a six-member space station crew. They arrived at the station on July 9, and are joined by Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi and Russian cosmonauts Oleg Skripochka, Alexey Ovchinin and Anatoly Ivanishin.

Visit Space.com later today for complete coverage of the spacewalk and a final wrap-up of the day's orbital activities.

Follow Samantha Mathewson @Sam_Ashley13. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.

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Ayn Rand – IMDb

Posted: August 19, 2016 at 4:19 am

Edit Personal Details Other Works: Newsletter: "The Ayn Rand Letter" See more Publicity Listings: 1 Biographical Movie | 17 Print Biographies | 1 Portrayal | 1 Interview | 1 Article | See more Height: 5'2"(1.57m) Edit Did You Know? Personal Quote: Today, we live in the Age of Envy. "Envy" is not the emotion I have in mind, but it is the clearest manifestation of an emotion that has remained nameless; it is the only element of a complex emotional sum that men have permitted themselves to identify. Envy is regarded by most people as a petty, superficial emotion and, therefore, it serves as a semihuman cover for so inhuman an emotion that ... See more Trivia: Was a "friendly witness" before the House Un-American Activities Committee, testifying on alleged Communist "influences" in Hollywood. See more Trademark: In her books, characters often give very long speeches, sometimes stretching over dozens of pages, explaining their philosophy of life. Rand used this as an opportunity to elaborate Objectivism, the philosophic system she is credited with creating, but also to showcase her view of other philosophic systems whose characteristic concepts conflicted with those of Objectivism. See more Message Boards Recent Posts

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Ayn Rand - IMDb

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Ayn Rand – Wikipedia, den frie encyklopdi

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Ayn Rand (2. februar 1905 i Sankt Petersborg 6. marts 1982 i New York), fdt Alisa Sinovjevna Rosenbaum (Russisk: ) var en Russisk/amerikansk forfatter og filosof, bedst kendt for sin filosofi kaldet objektivisme og bgerne Kun den strke er fri (Engelsk: The Fountainhead) og - og verden sklvede (Engelsk: Atlas Shrugged).

Hun blev fdt i St. Petersborg i Rusland som den ldste af tre dtre af en jdisk, men hovedsageligt agnostisk, familie. Hendes forldre var Sinovij Sakharovitj Rosenbaum og Anna Borisovna Rosenbaum, og hendes to yngre sstre var Natasja (1907) og Eleanora "Nora" (1910). Hun var tolv under den russiske revolution i 1917, og hendes familieliv blev forstyrret af opkomsten af Bolsjevik-partiet. Hendes faders apotek blev konfiskeret af sovjetterne, og familien flygtede til Krim for at komme sig konomisk og her frdiggjorde hun grundskolen. Hendes personlige oplevelser af det kommunistiske regime var med til at forme hendes politiske livsbane. Ayn Rand emigrerede til USA i 1925, resten af familien, p nr Eleanora, dde alle under 2. verdenskrig. Eleanora dde i 1999.

Fra en tidlig alder fattede Ayn Rand en interesse for litteratur og film, og op igennem sin barndom lste hun mange af de klassiske romantiske forfattere, Sir Walter Scott, Alexandre Dumas, Victor Hugo senere beskrev hun Victor Hugo som sin favoritforfatter. P St. Petersborgs Universitet lste hun filosofi og historie, og var her mest optaget af Edmond Rostand, Friedrich Schiller og Fjodor Dostojevskij, svel som filosofferne Nietzsche (Sledes talte Zarathustra) og isr Aristoteles (Organon (Logik)) som hun ans som verdenshistoriens mest afgrende filosof. I 1924 optoges hun p fakultetet for dramaturgi for at studere til filmmanuskriptforfatter. Men i 1925 blev hun tildelt et visum til USA for at besge sin familie, og efter et kort ophold hos noget familie i Chicago besluttede hun sig for aldrig at vende tilbage til Sovjet hvis kommunistiske regime hun afskyede. I stedet tog hun til Los Angeles/Hollywood for at forsge sig som filmmanuskriptforfatter og ndrede i den forbindelse sit navn til "Ayn Rand". "Ayn" er en tilpasning af det finske navn "Aino", og "Rand" kommer sandsynligvis af at hendes oprindelige navn Alisa Sinovjevna Rosenbaum.

I Hollywood startede Ayn Rand med at tage forskelligt forefaldende arbejde, det var her, hun som statist i en indspilning af Cecil B. DeMilles King of Kings, opsgte sin kommende mand, skuespilleren Frank O'Connor. De to blev gift i 1929, og i 1931 blev Ayn Rand amerikansk statsborger.

Hendes frste professionelle succes som forfatter kom i 1932 med salget af filmanuskriptet Red Pawn til filmselskabet Universal Studios. I 1934 skrev hun stykket The Night of January 16th som hun havde stor succes med, og i 1936 udgav hun romanerne Vi der lever (originaltitel: We the Living, p dansk 1945) og i 1938 Anthem. Grundet isr Vi der levers anti-kommunistiske tema (selvbiografisk beskrivelse af det kommunistiske regimes brutalitet) og det politiske klima i 1930ernes, hvor amerikanske intellektuelle ofte var pro-kommunistiske og forblndede af Sovjet, var bgerne svre at f udgivet og blev begge drligt modtaget med meget negativ omtale til flge. Anthem kunne ikke engang udgives i USA, men mtte udgives af et engelsk forlag. Ayn Rand beskriver selv Vi der lever som sin mest selvbiografiske roman, men hverken Vi der lever eller Anthem, skrevet fr hun fandt sin egen stil, kan betegnes som vrende reprsentative for hendes forfatterskab. Vi der lever blev senere, uden Ayn Rands tilladelse, filmatiseret i Italien som Noi vivi og Addio, Kira, men blev dog hurtigt censureret, efter det blev benbart for fascisterne, at de var lige s antifascistiske som de var antikommunistiske. Filmene blev genredigeret, nu med Ayn Rands tilladelse, og genudgivet i 1986.

I 1935 pbegyndte Ayn Rand manuskriptet til Kun den strke er fri (Originaltitel: The Fountainhead), som i modstning til Vi der levers politiske tema tog udgangspunkt i etiske dilemmaer; frihed, uafhngighed og personlig integritet. Bogens hovedperson, Howard Roark, er frste instans af Ayn Rands gennemgende arketype af den ideelle mand, der gennem personlig integritet og strben formr at stte sine ideer igennem. Kun den strke er fri skulle tage hende syv r at frdiggre, og som med hendes tidligere bger vise sig ualmindeligt svr at f udgivet. Tolv forlag afviste Kun den strke er fri, fr den i 1943 blev antaget af Bobbs-Merrill. Men trods disse besvrligheder samt drlig modtagelse af kritikere og tidens intellektuelle begyndte salget langsomt at tage fart, hovedsageligt gennem mund-til-mund-anbefalinger, og endte med at blive en verdensomspndende bestseller og give Ayn Rand blivende finansiel uafhngighed. Kun den strke er fri blev filmatiseret i 1949 med Gary Cooper og Patricia Neal i hovedrollerne, et stykke Ayn Rand selv skrev filmmanuskriptet til.

Under McCarthy-perioden vidnede hun om, hvad hun s som kommunistisk infiltration i Hollywood.

Ayn Rands strste og mest ambitise bog, Og verden sklvede (Atlas Shrugged), pbegyndt 1946, blev allerede ved udgivelsen i 1957 p forlaget Random House en international bestseller. Og verden sklvede anses som hendes mest gennemfrte og komplette udfrelse i fiktion af filosofien objektivisme og i appendikset til Og verden sklvede findes denne korte opremsning af hendes filosofi:

Min filosofi er i sin essens konceptet af mennesket som heroisk skabning med egen lykke som moralsk forml med livet, med produktiv skabelse som dets mest noble aktivitet, og fornuft som det eneste absolutte.

Bogens tema er menneskets rolle i samfundet. Ayn Rand opstiller den kapitalistiske ivrkstter og industrialist som et af de mest rvrdige medlemmer af samfundet og modsatte sig med alt hvad hun havde den populre dmonisering af samme. I Og verden sklvede forestiller hun sig sledes en verden, hvor statens stigende regulering, nationalisering og beskatning af erhvervslivet, fr de amerikanske industrialister til at g i strejke og trkke sig tilbage fra samfundet, hvorefter den amerikanske konomi langsomt men sikkert begynder at kollapse, godt hjulpet p vej af statens forsg p at adressere problemet ved at endnu flere restriktioner p en allerede restriktiv konomi. P trods af bogens centrale politiske omdrejningspunkt, tager bogen ogs s forskellige emner op som sex, musik, medicin og menneskelige kunnen.

Og verden sklvede skulle vise sig at vre Ayn Rands sidste sknlitterre vrk. Under arbejdet flyttede hun og hendes mand til New York, hvor Ayn Rand kom i forbindelse med en rkke personer der var blevet interesseret i hendes filosofiske tanker og sammen skabte de objektivismebevgelsen til at udbrede hendes filosofi. Denne gruppe mennesker omfattede bl.a. Nathaniel Branden, hans kone Barbara, Leonard Peikoff og Alan Greenspan senere USAs centralbankdirektr.

I 1960'erne og 1970'erne skrev og foredrog Ayn Rand om sin filosofi. Hendes essays i denne periode blev for strstedelen udgivet i tidsskriftet The Objectivist Newsletter (19621965), og senere det strre The Objectivist, (19661971), og til slut The Ayn Rand Letter (1971-1976)

Frank O'Connor, Ayn Rands mand, dde i 1979. Ayn Rand dde af hjertestop den 6. marts 1982 i sin lejlighed i New York. Hun er begravet i Kenisco Cemetery, Valhalla, New York, ved siden af sin mand.

Mere end to rtier efter sin dd har Ayn Rand de sidste r oplevet noget, der kunne minde om en renssance, med en stigende interesse for hendes ideer og et stigende salg af hendes bger. Alene sidste r blev der solgt over en halv million af Ayn Rands bger. I alt er der solgt over 23 millioner eksemplarer.

I 2003 fik de to administrerende direktrer for Saxo Bank, Lars Seier Christensen og Kim Fournais, optrykt Atlas Shrugged med eget omslag og forord i 10.000 eksemplarer, og sendte den ud til alle ministre, borgmestre og amtsborgmestre, til virksomhedslederne i Danmarks to tusind strste virksomheder; til diverse meningsdannere, samt til kunderne.

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Ayn Rand - Wikipedia, den frie encyklopdi

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