Mot Juste

Rudy AKA "Shake-Down" Giuliani

I don't know what the hell the former mayor of New York has been smoking, but it must have been laced with some out of this world shit - something that causes major disruptions in cognitive processes.  According to CNN, Rudy, aka "Shake-down" Giuliani defended the massive corporate bonuses, saying they were needed so that the executives could continue go out to dinner as accustomed and continue to go shopping.  Giuliani wants us to believe that sales clerks and waiters will lose their jobs if taxpayers don't hand over an estimated 18 billion for bonuses to the fat cats so they can continue to live in style.

Rudy, Rudy, Rudy - you are too funny.  Most of all, shame on you.  Not only do you insult the intelligence of the American public, your claims reek of exaggerated desperation and blackmail.

Kudos to our very own Senator Claire!  Sing it to them sista.  See the video below or here

Bedtime Basics

For the last ten years, I've observed those on the net battle it out on the issue of parents bed-sharing with their babies.  I've sadly watched some very astute mothers be sucked into this impassioned maelstrom and lose nearly all their ability to reasonably analyze information (I won't even go into the ones whose abilities were lacking to begin with  ::shudder::).  It's no huge surprise - if you really want to see an ordinarily savvy and intelligent woman go witlessly berserk, just hint they are not taking proper care of their offspring.  It ranks right up there with telling them their children are ugly.  You won't be well received.

In 1999, I wrote that one of the saddest aspects of this issue were those individuals and organizations who seemed intent on fostering the mindset of "it's us against them."  Their mission seemed much more about drawing lines in the sand than a concern for lives of infants.  As someone who seemed to have one foot in both worlds, I saw the battle coming and it brought me immeasurable sadness.

Like many of my areas of interest, you'll see me post on this topic often.  I hope that I can provide some clarity to those with questions and an impetus for honest consideration and self-appraisal for those who hold rigid beliefs.  I will always welcome questions and comments posted respectfully in the interest of furthering understanding.

Several years ago, I was involved in the production of an educational website addressing sleep safety issues.  Here's the latest and greatest from First Candle/SIDS Alliance.  They've done it much better than I ever could.

Loads of info and supporting scientific research.

Bedtime Basics

Uncomfortable Truths

In the last week, I've had two male friends make comments with regard to environmental concerns or pesticide use.  One, a farmer, declared that agricultural chemicals were not a real concern because of the low amounts that end up in the food.  I didn't take him to task because I knew my energy would be wasted.  We can debate the pros and cons till his cows come home, but the scientific evidence is more than clear.  That truth might make him more than a tad bit uncomfortable and I have no doubt it is disparaged in the circles he runs in.  The older I get, the more I am amazed at how powerful cognitive dissonance is.  Yet if we are to grow as human beings and as a society, we sometimes have to force ourselves to think outside our present state of knowledge; to go beyond our comfort zones and push ourselves to examine previously held beliefs.

Some of my more conservative friends find comfort in traditional beliefs and the status quo.  I'll be the first to admit that outlook has merit in certain instances.  At the same time, I don't want them to be blindsided and come to full awareness with the illness of a beloved grandchild or be shocked with their first realization and outrage while watching the suffering of a friend.

“every day, 610,000 children ages one through five eat a dose of neurotoxic organophosphate insecticides (OPs) that the government deems unsafe. Some 6,000 of these children exceed the government’s safe daily dose of these pesticides by a factor of ten or more.

In an article for Healthy Child, Jane Shepard writes -

"The fruits and vegetables that are so crucial to health are compromised by ongoing pesticide contamination. If you eat conventional food you are eating combinations of pesticides known or suspected to cause brain and nervous system damage, cancer, and disruption of the endocrine and immune systems. The Environmental Working Group (EWG), a non-profit research organization, analyzed government pesticide records and food consumption data and reported that “every day, 610,000 children ages one through five eat a dose of neurotoxic organophosphate insecticides (OPs) that the government deems unsafe. Some 6,000 of these children exceed the government’s safe daily dose of these pesticides by a factor of ten or more. More than half of the 610,000 children exposed to an unsafe dose of OP insecticides each day, get that dose by eating an apple, apple sauce or apple juice. Some apples are so toxic that just one bite can deliver an unsafe dose of OPs to a child under five.” Another analysis showed that every day, more than a quarter million American children ages one through five eat a combination of 20 different pesticides. More than one million children ages one through five eat at least 15 pesticides on any given day.13 "

Reagan wouldn't recognize this GOP

Mickey Edwards, former Republican congressman from Oklahoma's 5th congressional district wrote an Op-Ed piece for the LA Times that's worth a read no matter what your political persuasion.  It's entitled Reagan Wouldn't Recognize This GOP    While I'll admit I hope the Republicans find themselves clueless for a long, long time (I don't like nastiness, religious superiority and anti-intellectualism in politics), I think Edwards has the key to their public redemption.   Have a read, I'd be interested in your comments.

Somebody Buy That Guy A Beer!

I've been searching for deals on airline tickets for my upcoming trip to New York City, checking all the travel sites through Booking Buddy.  Normally I'm the sort that doesn't get too wigged out about too many things, but I'll admit flying makes me a little nervous; especially with my children.  Needless to say, to hear about the plane going down in the Hudson while I am surfing Expedia sort of rattled me.

But let's hear it for heroes.  Like many Americans, I am simply in awe of Capt. Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger III.  Here is a man who dedicated his life to flying and learning how to do it well.  I'd say his efforts paid off this week with 151 passengers, countless people in Manhattan and all their friends and families thanking him for a priceless gift.  Facebook has more than one Capt Sullenberger fan club.  Cnet News reports that nearly a dozen fan pages for Sullenberger, the most active of which is pulling in more than 100 new fans a minute.

To see photos of a plane crash in which the victims are talking or smiling is something most of us have never seen.  Newscasters seemed a little giddy to be able to report something that, according to the laws of physics, should have been a horrible tragedy.  And I'd have to admit, I feel pretty good about it too.  I'd fly with Capt Sully anytime.

No one said it better than CNN's Campbell Brown.  Citing the horrific aviation disasters effecting New York in the previous years she said, "We needed a win and Sully gave us one."

Bisphenol A

One topic you will see me write about again and again on my blog is Bisphenol A, sometimes referred to as BPA.  I became interested in the issue when, seemingly out of the blue, my two youngest children were both diagnosed with serious endrocrine issues.  BPA is a chemical used in the manufacturing of some plastics and a known disruptor of the human endocrine system.  I began to search out information and discovered that a courageous scientist and pioneer researcher on BPA lived and worked in my city.  You can read a recent article on him here -

To ban or not to ban: Bisphenol-A in food is OK with FDA but not with some scientists

Just this week, two additional studies have been added to the ever growing body of evidence about BPA -

Study predicts BPA in babies 11 times higher than adults.

A young, developing child without a fully matured means to deactivate BPA could be carrying concentrations of the compound that are more than 10-fold higher levels than adults. The results suggest that children are very likely to be the most severely affected by exposure to BPA and related endocrine disruptors.

High BPA levels found in hospitalized, premature infants.

In this first study examining infants’ exposure to bisphenol A, premature babies hospitalized in neonatal intensive care units had levels of BPA in their urine 10 times higher than the general population. The source of exposure most likely was plastic medical devices used in the hospital, although some could have come from infant formula. BPA is a plastic compound that is linked to various health abnormalities in humans and lab animals.

The chemical companies are busy covering their ass and preserving their income but make no mistake - this is not a drill.  This is real and has horrifying implications.  In a society where plastics are all around us, no one escapes unscathed.  While levels of exposure vary, we all have BPA in our bodies.  No one in the last three decades has been born BPA free.

Do yourself and your grandchildren a favor - educate yourself on this issue.  If a health professional tries to tell you it's not a problem, give them a patronizing pat on the shoulder and tell them to keep reading.  Unfortunately, many of our health care providers are too busy "providing" to keep abreast of current research.  And when you've discovered enough about this threat to the human genome, start making noise and lots of it.

Sarah Palin is Right!

During the 2008 presidential campaign, Sarah Palin did a very good job demonstrating to the American public exactly who should never run for a national office.  She claimed to be an outsider and provided proof for that claim repeatedly, though not in the way she intended.  The sad fact is the Governor of Alaska entered the national limelight as the most clueless, laughable joke ever in the history of American presidential politics.  There was no doubt in my mind the woman was genuine because no one would so willingly display such stupidity and expect to be taken seriously.

Some of the most adept advisers in the country struggled desperately to bring her up to speed and although you can definitely observe a difference between then and now, she's still far from presidential material.  It's simply never going to happen.  You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.  When I read the recent headlines on Google News (see ABC here) where she was complaining about the press (once again) and compared herself to Caroline Kennedy, I moaned, Oh Sarah please don't go there.  She reached the absolute pinnacle of whine when she complained it was a class issue.  In the middle of an eye roll I realized she was playing to her fans in an attempt to make them believe Caroline Kennedy was a privileged, snooty diva while she was just a down-home gal.

Sarah Palin is absolutely correct.  It is a matter of class - just not the idea of class she's trying to package and sell.

I don't have a strong opinion one way or another on the appointment of Caroline Kennedy to the United States Senate but I do know that Palin attempting to compare herself with Kennedy ranks right up there with seeing Russia from her front porch. It is about class, Sarah and frankly, you're out of your league.

Palin would no doubt like to peddle the idea that Kennedy attended Ivy League schools (Radcliffe undergrad and law at Columbia University) merely because of her family.  Being a Kennedy may have helped the admissions process but it didn't complete the seven years of work required to achieve such an accomplishment.  Most of all, it doesn't help to explain the less than stellar achievement in Palin's educational history.  The last time I checked anyone with determination, work ethic and enough smarts could get into an Ivy League school.  What's Palin's excuse?

And let's be real.  Really.  The former VP candidate didn't do John McCain any favors.  She could do herself one by returning to obscurity.