So I made it. I finally got to my 100th post and it hasn't even taken me a year. Yippee. Hooray.
However, it's kinda sad isn't it that it took NaBloPoMo in order to get 21 of those posts? I kinda think so. I see via my SiteMeter that a lot of people are stopping by using the randomizer...and yet no one new is leaving messages. Come on people! I need the reinforcement that someone actually finds me interesting in even the absolute slightest way. Comment...please. (Yep, I'm not above begging and groveling apparently).
Especially after today I need that reinforcement. I hope it's not seasonal depression setting in. I really hope my crappy ass mood has more to do with pregnancy hormones than anything else.
This morning, as my feet hit the floor I was running to the bathroom to puke. (Oh wait. Did I mention my feet hit the floor at the ungodly hour of 7:15 am? Working nights sucks sometimes.) But I didn't puke. At all. I just dry heaved for 3 hours. Now, that is a barrell full of monkeys let me tell you!
Lucas is in that stage when he won't listen to you EVA and so we were late to get Zachary to school.
Then Lucas and I go to Walmart. Where they have NOTHING I want. *sigh* No orange towels. No orange fabric. (I'm trying to make a duck hooded towel for my SIL). No cute boy fabrics. No freaking cinnamon rolls! AND to top it all off? Ben and Jerry's has apparently discontinued the Mint Chocolate Cookie and replaced it with Mint Chocolate Chunk. Blech. Chuck says it's because no one else eats Mint Chocolate Cookie. They only sell 10 pints of it a year and it's all to me. On the way out of Walmart, Lucas decides he's going to be hilarious and call the cashier a doodoo head. Yea, his new favorite word.
Home again, home again, jiggity jig. Sit down to start sewing up the towels. The needle on the sewing machine breaks. I don't have another. I really, really wanted to cry at that point. Lucas was still running around like a banshee wanting me to play "lightsasers" with him and be Darth Vader. I just didn't have the energy.
That's just before 11:30.
But naptime was good. I felt good..except I woke up with heartburn. And had to come to work where I got attitude from 60 year old women. It's really quite ridiculous how they behave sometimes. Afterall, throwing a basket because you don't like the job you've been assigned to is a little much, isn't it?
Tomorrow has GOT to be a better day right?
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Monday, November 20, 2006
Heroes
Have you ever thought about your heroes? Have you ever thought about how they shape who you are?
Have you noticed that your heroes change over time? And then when you have kids, you pull those heroes out and re-evaluate them yet again? I've mentioned that my friend Matt has a blog called the Hero Workshop. My husband reads that blog almost daily and really comments on it. If there is one thing I find heroic about my husband, I would say his loyalty to friends and his ability to sit back and reflect on his inner self to make the world better for those friends and family around him.
Chuck wrote this as a comment on Matt's blog and I asked if I can repost it because it was so meaningful to me.
When I look back on my life and examine the catalogue of heroes contained within I find a long and diverse group. There are marked changes and periods, ranging from fantasy to cool to idealistic to pragmatic. Some of the heroes of my childhood I would not consider heroes today. Does that mean that they are not important though? Do heroes like Speed Racer, Underdog, Joe Friday and Thomas Magnum have role to play?
As we get older we get more pragmatic, I think our heroes do too. It becomes less important on how “cool” a hero is and more important on what that hero has done with their life. It becomes easy for us to forget the importance of the heroes of our youth. It becomes easy to discount sport heroes because we forget the magic that comes with that great hit or shot. We focus only on the off court behavior and not at all on the on court glory.
Every once in while an event comes along that reminds of the simple magic of childhood heroes, the kind of heroes that you believe in just because if “feels” good. The no rationality, no logic, it just “feels” right. A few weeks ago I was watch the most recent version of Peter Pan with my boys whom are two and four. We got to the part where Tinker Bell drinks poison meant for Peter and dies. Peter picks her up and starts crying. We were all very quite in my living room as winter began to sweep across Neverland. We watch intently as Peter laid Tinker Bell down in the snow and began to softly whisper “I believe in fairies.” He started repeating it over and over, soon his voice grew louder and others across Neverland took up the chant. Wendy, her brothers, the lost boys, the pirates everyone start shouting at the top of their lungs “I believe in fairies.” That’s when the magic happened, we were chanting as well. Softly at first, then louder and before you could guess what was happening my boys and I were running around the room screaming out the windows and front door “I believe in fairies.”
Needless to say Tinker Bell comes back to life, Peter rescues Wendy and the lost boy and Captain Hook is defeated. Also a childhood hero is born in my boys. There was no logic or reason for them, no discussion of ethics or morality, it was simply “right”. Something that you believe in for the sake of believing in it, I am reminded of something that was said by the character Hub in the movie “Second Hand Lions”:
“Sometimes the things that may or may not be true are the things a man needs to believe in the most. That people are basically good; that honor, courage, and virtue mean everything; that power and money, money and power mean nothing; that good always triumphs over evil; and I want you to remember this, that love… true love never dies. You remember that, boy. You remember that. Doesn’t matter if it’s true or not. You see, a man should believe in those things, because those are the things worth believing in.”
Good advice I think.
So I was reminded of the power of our childhood heroes. They may not stay with us but they are important in forging our character in ways that are deeply profound. I think that from time to time we need to revisit those childhood heroes and replenish our supply of magic. It is that simple child like magic that keeps us on the right path.
I’m thirty eight years old. I have a wife and two children with another on the way all of whom I love. I have a house and a car payment. I work in a dull job, but I can tell you this with out shame or embarrassment in absolute honesty:
“I believe in fairies.”
cdl
I love my husband. And couldn't agree with him more.
Have you noticed that your heroes change over time? And then when you have kids, you pull those heroes out and re-evaluate them yet again? I've mentioned that my friend Matt has a blog called the Hero Workshop. My husband reads that blog almost daily and really comments on it. If there is one thing I find heroic about my husband, I would say his loyalty to friends and his ability to sit back and reflect on his inner self to make the world better for those friends and family around him.
Chuck wrote this as a comment on Matt's blog and I asked if I can repost it because it was so meaningful to me.
When I look back on my life and examine the catalogue of heroes contained within I find a long and diverse group. There are marked changes and periods, ranging from fantasy to cool to idealistic to pragmatic. Some of the heroes of my childhood I would not consider heroes today. Does that mean that they are not important though? Do heroes like Speed Racer, Underdog, Joe Friday and Thomas Magnum have role to play?
As we get older we get more pragmatic, I think our heroes do too. It becomes less important on how “cool” a hero is and more important on what that hero has done with their life. It becomes easy for us to forget the importance of the heroes of our youth. It becomes easy to discount sport heroes because we forget the magic that comes with that great hit or shot. We focus only on the off court behavior and not at all on the on court glory.
Every once in while an event comes along that reminds of the simple magic of childhood heroes, the kind of heroes that you believe in just because if “feels” good. The no rationality, no logic, it just “feels” right. A few weeks ago I was watch the most recent version of Peter Pan with my boys whom are two and four. We got to the part where Tinker Bell drinks poison meant for Peter and dies. Peter picks her up and starts crying. We were all very quite in my living room as winter began to sweep across Neverland. We watch intently as Peter laid Tinker Bell down in the snow and began to softly whisper “I believe in fairies.” He started repeating it over and over, soon his voice grew louder and others across Neverland took up the chant. Wendy, her brothers, the lost boys, the pirates everyone start shouting at the top of their lungs “I believe in fairies.” That’s when the magic happened, we were chanting as well. Softly at first, then louder and before you could guess what was happening my boys and I were running around the room screaming out the windows and front door “I believe in fairies.”
Needless to say Tinker Bell comes back to life, Peter rescues Wendy and the lost boy and Captain Hook is defeated. Also a childhood hero is born in my boys. There was no logic or reason for them, no discussion of ethics or morality, it was simply “right”. Something that you believe in for the sake of believing in it, I am reminded of something that was said by the character Hub in the movie “Second Hand Lions”:
“Sometimes the things that may or may not be true are the things a man needs to believe in the most. That people are basically good; that honor, courage, and virtue mean everything; that power and money, money and power mean nothing; that good always triumphs over evil; and I want you to remember this, that love… true love never dies. You remember that, boy. You remember that. Doesn’t matter if it’s true or not. You see, a man should believe in those things, because those are the things worth believing in.”
Good advice I think.
So I was reminded of the power of our childhood heroes. They may not stay with us but they are important in forging our character in ways that are deeply profound. I think that from time to time we need to revisit those childhood heroes and replenish our supply of magic. It is that simple child like magic that keeps us on the right path.
I’m thirty eight years old. I have a wife and two children with another on the way all of whom I love. I have a house and a car payment. I work in a dull job, but I can tell you this with out shame or embarrassment in absolute honesty:
“I believe in fairies.”
cdl
I love my husband. And couldn't agree with him more.
Sunday, November 19, 2006
Secret Santa
I was watching the news this morning and saw a bit on the "Secret Santa" I'd never heard this story before but found it so uplifting and heroic. And so much in the spirit of the holiday season...or at least what the holiday season SHOULD be.
Larry Stewart started giving away money in 1979 after being FIRED from his job, just the week before Christmas. He gave $20 to a car hop at the local drive-in resturant and he saw her lip tremble and he knew how much it meant to her, considering she was wearing a very thin coat during the middle of a MO winter. After that, he went and took out $200 and started finding other people who could use the money. All this after being fired from his job.
Since that day he's been hitting the streets handing out thousands of dollars every year. Oh yea, because at some point in there he started his own telecommunications business and became a multi-millionaire. But, he started when he had next to nothing. And was giving what he did have to others who in more need than he was. That to me is heroic. And something for others to remember and strive towards.
Larry Stewart started giving away money in 1979 after being FIRED from his job, just the week before Christmas. He gave $20 to a car hop at the local drive-in resturant and he saw her lip tremble and he knew how much it meant to her, considering she was wearing a very thin coat during the middle of a MO winter. After that, he went and took out $200 and started finding other people who could use the money. All this after being fired from his job.
Since that day he's been hitting the streets handing out thousands of dollars every year. Oh yea, because at some point in there he started his own telecommunications business and became a multi-millionaire. But, he started when he had next to nothing. And was giving what he did have to others who in more need than he was. That to me is heroic. And something for others to remember and strive towards.
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Comment Moderation
I've temporarily turned on comment moderation, because I'm spending too much time deleting spam comments. Now I'll be spending too much time approving and rejecting comments. Let's just see how it goes, okay?
Repeating from the About Me, My Blog post, The Comments Policy:
Comments are expected to be civil. They are also expect not to be spam. If you post a glowing comment about how awesome my blog is, but link to your internet drug site or other venture, it will be deleted. All comments are subject to deletion at my discretion. I don't delete them just because I personally find the argument offensive, but may for any other reason.
People, please don't leave me comments for your website selling vicodin. I'm so over it.
Repeating from the About Me, My Blog post, The Comments Policy:
Comments are expected to be civil. They are also expect not to be spam. If you post a glowing comment about how awesome my blog is, but link to your internet drug site or other venture, it will be deleted. All comments are subject to deletion at my discretion. I don't delete them just because I personally find the argument offensive, but may for any other reason.
People, please don't leave me comments for your website selling vicodin. I'm so over it.
In The News
I apologize for the long post and link dump; just trying to catch up with what has happened while I've been away and clear out the feed aggregator.
FDA to allow silicone breast implants:
NYTimes - FDA will allow breast implants made of silicone
FDA - FDA approves silicone gel-filled breast implants after in-depth evaluation: Agency requiring 10 years of patient follow-up
More FDA: FDA Expands Use of Herceptin for Early Stage Breast Cancer After Primary Therapy
Washington Post: Bush choice for family planning post criticized
"The Bush administration has appointed a new chief of family-planning programs at the Department of Health and Human Services who worked at a Christian pregnancy-counseling organization that regards the distribution of contraceptives as 'demeaning to women.' Eric Keroack, medical director for A Woman's Concern, a nonprofit group based in Dorchester, Mass., will become deputy assistant secretary for population affairs in the next two weeks, department spokeswoman Christina Pearson said yesterday."
Kaiser Network piece
RHReality Check
A profile of Keroack from Talk2Action.
Keroack is part of the Medical Council for Leslee Unruh's Abstinence Clearinghouse, "which is comprised of health professionals around the world who believe in abstinence until marriage and do not counsel, prescribe, or distribute condoms or contraceptives to youth."
Keroack quote: "Abstinence education is the first mechanism that has actually made a positive impact on the devastation caused by the errant sexual education programs of the 1970s and 1980s," said Dr. Eric Keroack, an obstetrician-gynecologist from Boston. "Why would we stop it?" - 12/11/04 Washington Times
Keroack did an (unpublished) study to see if showing women ultrasounds could reduce their incidence of choosing abortion.
"Keroack, who says that he performed 30 to 35 abortions himself during his medical residency at Tufts University and early days as an OB-GYN, is up-front about his study’s chief flaw—it couldn’t follow the 35 percent of clients who didn’t respond. One Washington, D.C.–area ultrasonographer, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said he doubted that 63 percent of women would choose life after seeing the sonogram. He agreed that sonograms persuade women to remain pregnant but estimated that figure was between 20 to 33 percent. Nevertheless, even those figures represent a major step for the pro-life cause."
Keroack also tries to make the argument that sex with more than 1 partner will prevent women from bonding with their husbands - "People who have misused their sexual faculty and become bonded to multiple persons will diminish the power of oxytocin to maintain a permanent bond with an individual." Keep in mind that none of his "studies" have been subjected to the traditional peer review process.
Meanwhile, the GAO reports that abstinence only programs have not been appropriately reviewed for scientific accuracy.
GAO - Abstinence Education: Efforts to Assess the Accuracy and Effectiveness of Federally Funded Programs, GAO-07-87
House Approves Gynecologic Cancers Prevention Bill that "would authorize $16.5 million over two years to create prevention education materials for gynecologic cancers." The bill [HR 1245] will now be considered by the Senate.
Only "40% of U.S. Women Ages 18 to 75 Know About HPV" according to a National Cancer Institute survey, and less than half of those who have heard of HPV know about its connection to cervical cancer.
Our Bodies, Our Blog: Red meat and breast cancer?
Kaiser Network: Gynecologists Inform Fewer Than Half of Women With Uterine Fibroid Tumors of Alternatives to Hysterectomy, Survey Says
Planned Parenthood has a podcast on the recent Supreme Court abortion hearings. Well-Timed Period has a detailed response to the hearings.
Woman kicked off plane for breastfeeding. Oh, hell no. It was a Delta flight, operated by Freedom Airlines (a Delta Connection provider). Register your complaints to Delta using the link here (generic email form), or contact corporate headquarters for Delta:
Telephone
404-715-2600
Mail
Delta Air Lines, Inc.
P.O. Box 20706
Atlanta, Georgia 30320-6001
Medgadget: Researchers look for breast cancer vaccine.
FDA to allow silicone breast implants:
NYTimes - FDA will allow breast implants made of silicone
FDA - FDA approves silicone gel-filled breast implants after in-depth evaluation: Agency requiring 10 years of patient follow-up
More FDA: FDA Expands Use of Herceptin for Early Stage Breast Cancer After Primary Therapy
Washington Post: Bush choice for family planning post criticized
"The Bush administration has appointed a new chief of family-planning programs at the Department of Health and Human Services who worked at a Christian pregnancy-counseling organization that regards the distribution of contraceptives as 'demeaning to women.' Eric Keroack, medical director for A Woman's Concern, a nonprofit group based in Dorchester, Mass., will become deputy assistant secretary for population affairs in the next two weeks, department spokeswoman Christina Pearson said yesterday."
Kaiser Network piece
RHReality Check
A profile of Keroack from Talk2Action.
Keroack is part of the Medical Council for Leslee Unruh's Abstinence Clearinghouse, "which is comprised of health professionals around the world who believe in abstinence until marriage and do not counsel, prescribe, or distribute condoms or contraceptives to youth."
Keroack quote: "Abstinence education is the first mechanism that has actually made a positive impact on the devastation caused by the errant sexual education programs of the 1970s and 1980s," said Dr. Eric Keroack, an obstetrician-gynecologist from Boston. "Why would we stop it?" - 12/11/04 Washington Times
Keroack did an (unpublished) study to see if showing women ultrasounds could reduce their incidence of choosing abortion.
"Keroack, who says that he performed 30 to 35 abortions himself during his medical residency at Tufts University and early days as an OB-GYN, is up-front about his study’s chief flaw—it couldn’t follow the 35 percent of clients who didn’t respond. One Washington, D.C.–area ultrasonographer, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said he doubted that 63 percent of women would choose life after seeing the sonogram. He agreed that sonograms persuade women to remain pregnant but estimated that figure was between 20 to 33 percent. Nevertheless, even those figures represent a major step for the pro-life cause."
Keroack also tries to make the argument that sex with more than 1 partner will prevent women from bonding with their husbands - "People who have misused their sexual faculty and become bonded to multiple persons will diminish the power of oxytocin to maintain a permanent bond with an individual." Keep in mind that none of his "studies" have been subjected to the traditional peer review process.
Meanwhile, the GAO reports that abstinence only programs have not been appropriately reviewed for scientific accuracy.
GAO - Abstinence Education: Efforts to Assess the Accuracy and Effectiveness of Federally Funded Programs, GAO-07-87
House Approves Gynecologic Cancers Prevention Bill that "would authorize $16.5 million over two years to create prevention education materials for gynecologic cancers." The bill [HR 1245] will now be considered by the Senate.
Only "40% of U.S. Women Ages 18 to 75 Know About HPV" according to a National Cancer Institute survey, and less than half of those who have heard of HPV know about its connection to cervical cancer.
Our Bodies, Our Blog: Red meat and breast cancer?
Kaiser Network: Gynecologists Inform Fewer Than Half of Women With Uterine Fibroid Tumors of Alternatives to Hysterectomy, Survey Says
Planned Parenthood has a podcast on the recent Supreme Court abortion hearings. Well-Timed Period has a detailed response to the hearings.
Woman kicked off plane for breastfeeding. Oh, hell no. It was a Delta flight, operated by Freedom Airlines (a Delta Connection provider). Register your complaints to Delta using the link here (generic email form), or contact corporate headquarters for Delta:
Telephone
404-715-2600
Delta Air Lines, Inc.
P.O. Box 20706
Atlanta, Georgia 30320-6001
Medgadget: Researchers look for breast cancer vaccine.
Big Thanks to the Librarians
Following the AMIA conference in DC, we went on a whirlwind tour of area libraries, where we were provided with tours, lunches, information, and time by many a medical librarian. Thanks to everyone at the following for hosting us, and especially to those of you who so graciously took time out of your busy days to share your brainpower with us:
University of Maryland at Baltimore, Health Sciences and Human Services Library
Johns Hopkins, Welch Medical Library
Howard University,Louis Stokes Health Sciences Library
National Library of Medicine
National Institutes of Health, NIH Library
When I get a chance, I'll update with links to some of the interesting things these folks have been doing, and the resources they've created for their populations that will be useful in my own work.
University of Maryland at Baltimore, Health Sciences and Human Services Library
Johns Hopkins, Welch Medical Library
Howard University,Louis Stokes Health Sciences Library
National Library of Medicine
National Institutes of Health, NIH Library
When I get a chance, I'll update with links to some of the interesting things these folks have been doing, and the resources they've created for their populations that will be useful in my own work.
Free Health Services from Planned Parenthood of Middle and East TN
Planned Parenthood of Middle and East Tennessee is offering free health services during the month of December. See the schedule below.
From an email:
Subject: Does Free Sound Good to You?
From an email:
Subject: Does Free Sound Good to You?
Health WeekIf you have the resources and would like to throw some financial support PPMET's way to help support this kind of free community service, click the "Donate Online" button in the lower left of this page. To specify a PPMET clinic instead of the whole organization, choose the "Local" button on the donation page.
The Spirit of giving has arrived in Tennessee!
It’s that time of year for good friends, good cheer, and great gifts; but nothing is worth more than your good health - Planned Parenthood of Middle and East Tennessee understands that.
This year, during the month of December, PPMET is helping give you the gift of good health by offering FREE reproductive health screenings and services!
Yes, you read it correctly: FREE! So, no more pondering, putting off or procrastinating! NOW is the time to come to Planned Parenthood. Knowledge is power, but free power is even better!
The schedule of FREE services at our clinic at 412 Dr. D.B. Todd, Jr. Blvd. (near Charlotte Ave and 18th) is as follows:Friday, December 1st, 9:00 am – 2:00 pm
Free & Confidential HIV Tests
In commemoration of World AIDS Day, PPMET will be providing free HIV tests.
Remember, there is no cure for HIV/AIDS, so know yourself and know your partner.
Educate yourself, your family and friends about HIV prevention and stay safe!Saturday, December 2nd, 9:00 am – 3:30 pm
Free Cervical Cancer Screening (Pap Smear)
Cervical cancer is common among women and is one of the easiest cancers to find and treat - in its earliest stages. A yearly Pap smear is your key to early detection!Wednesday, December 6th, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Free Emergency Contraception!
Accidents happen - condoms break, you have sex without planning to....whatever the reason - EC is your friend in a crisis - that's why it's called Emergency Contraception! It's the most effective way to potentially prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex - and on Dec. 6th - it's FREE!
Call 615.321.7216 to make your appointment or walk-in!
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