Check out this interesting and witty article about why non-Mormon women are followers of Mormon Moms. Excerpt:
"...why, exactly, are these blogs so fascinating to women like us -- secular, childless women who may have never so much as baked a cupcake, let alone reupholstered our own ottomans with thrifted fabric and vintage grosgrain ribbon? ....Well, to use a word that makes me cringe, these blogs are weirdly "uplifting." To read Mormon lifestyle blogs is to peer into a strange and fascinating world where the most fraught issues of modern living -- marriage and child rearing -- appear completely unproblematic. This seems practically subversive to someone like me, weaned on an endless media parade of fretful stories about "work-life balance" and soaring divorce rates and the perils of marrying too young/too old/too whatever."
I must say that my itstowertime blog doesn't come close to these prolific bloggers mentioned, and I don't pretend to have lots of followers. I had high hopes for itstowertime, but life got in the way. Interestingly, I have heard several women in the LDS church almost apologize for not having/not keeping up with a blog. The super-mo bloggers make us feel inferior too! But, I do agree that looking at beautiful crafts and cherishing the family is very fun. I love them too! :)
Showing posts with label commentary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label commentary. Show all posts
Friday, February 11, 2011
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
When Science Goes Bad...
Aaron sent me this article today about the unethicial practices of Dr. Andrew Wakefield, the researcher who began the vaccine-autism controversy with a fraudulent research paper. We talk about autism in our home maybe a bit more than most, as Aaron is studying the genetics of autism and I have an autistic brother. Aaron also fields questions from folks, sometimes about vaccines. I respect any parent's concern for their child and valid worries about vaccines, but please know - autism and vaccines have never been linked. The study that claimed a correlation was bad science and falsified! It just gives us researchers the heebie-jeebies to think that a fraudulent study could get published in a major peer-reviewed journal like the Lancet (although the paper was retracted last year).
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Vaccines Rock
As a Public-Healther, I love vaccines. This is National Infant Immunization Week, and a great time to talk about it. They are one of the cheapest (in most cases), most efficient ways to prevent major illness and death caused by infectious disease. Vaccines have changed the health of the world - including erradiation of smallpox in 1977, prevention of HPV and HPV-related cancers, and prevention of polio (to name just a few). Of course, we do not have vaccines for every infectious disease yet - e.g., myriad unsuccessful attempts for HIV - but scientists are working on it, albeit not as much on "neglected diseases".
Vaccines do come with some risks. There are common side effects, such as soreness at the injection site, and there are very rare major side effects, such as an allergic reaction. The risk of a major side effect or death is so rare that vaccines are well-worth it. The restrictions on and testing of vaccines are generally exhaustive; infectious diseases usually pose a greater risk than any rare side effect. Here is a link to a Fit Pregnancy blog discussing vaccine myths.
With Aaron researching autism and with a brother who is autistic, you may be wondering how we feel about the MMR-autism controversy. The first and only MMR-autism implication stems from a 1998 Lancet article that was offically retracted this year, 2010. The main author of the paper manipulated and withheld results, while receiving money from folks who had a vested interest in seeing false results published. 10 of the 12 paper's authors retracted their support as well. The myriad studies completed after this false 1998 article showed no correlation or causation of autism by MMR vaccines. Vaccines do not cause autism. Vaccines happen to be given at an age when autism and ASDs are detected - as the brain develops rapidly. Not vacciniating/waiting to vaccinate kids has led to a sharp increase in measles and mumps (particularly in the UK), which could have easily been prevented. Pertussis (whooping cough) is currently on the rise in the US, so make sure you and your child are up-to-date on your immunizations, particularly DTaP/Tdap. Here are the currently CDC-recommended vacccine schedules.
It is your choice whether or not to vaccinate, but I recommend, yes, please do. All evidence points to vaccines protecting you, your child,and those you come in contact with.
Vaccines do come with some risks. There are common side effects, such as soreness at the injection site, and there are very rare major side effects, such as an allergic reaction. The risk of a major side effect or death is so rare that vaccines are well-worth it. The restrictions on and testing of vaccines are generally exhaustive; infectious diseases usually pose a greater risk than any rare side effect. Here is a link to a Fit Pregnancy blog discussing vaccine myths.
With Aaron researching autism and with a brother who is autistic, you may be wondering how we feel about the MMR-autism controversy. The first and only MMR-autism implication stems from a 1998 Lancet article that was offically retracted this year, 2010. The main author of the paper manipulated and withheld results, while receiving money from folks who had a vested interest in seeing false results published. 10 of the 12 paper's authors retracted their support as well. The myriad studies completed after this false 1998 article showed no correlation or causation of autism by MMR vaccines. Vaccines do not cause autism. Vaccines happen to be given at an age when autism and ASDs are detected - as the brain develops rapidly. Not vacciniating/waiting to vaccinate kids has led to a sharp increase in measles and mumps (particularly in the UK), which could have easily been prevented. Pertussis (whooping cough) is currently on the rise in the US, so make sure you and your child are up-to-date on your immunizations, particularly DTaP/Tdap. Here are the currently CDC-recommended vacccine schedules.
It is your choice whether or not to vaccinate, but I recommend, yes, please do. All evidence points to vaccines protecting you, your child,and those you come in contact with.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Are plastics harmful?
Convenient, yes. Sturdy and shatter-proof, yes. Harmless, no.
Research has shown the chemicals and molecules in plastics are hazardous to your health. Check out this article in the recent issue of Time. We are exposed to hundreds of synthetic chemicals in our daily lives, but I am particularly weary of BPA (bisphenol A) and phthalates. BPA is ubiquitous in plastics (as well as the lining of cans for canned foods, CDs, eyeglasses) and started getting some attention in the 1990s. Both BPA (a synthetic estrogen) and phthalates (esters of phthalic acid) are used to make plastics more durable and flexible. They are also endocrine disrupters, meaning they mess with the normal function of hormones in your body. For example, some studies have shown a possible correlation between BPA and higher incidence of miscarriages. In addition, there are myriad health problems on the rise in society (some of which is unexplained) - obesity, diabetes, autism, ADD, etc. These all have possible connections to harmful environmental exposures.
It is really pretty scary. Aaron has learned about some of these connections in his genetics courses at Duke - making it all the more real for us. Researchers found the link between BPA and genetic abnormalities by accident. They were conducting studies on mice, and found that their control group (those without any treatment), not the experimental group, had the abnormaliites. Eventually, they linked this bizarre finding back to new plastic water bottles that the control group had been given, water bottles that were leaching BPA into the mice's drinking water. Ick!
Recently, the CDC found BPA in 92-93% of Americans' urine. It is everywhere. So, what do we do? Ideally, Aaron and I would love to go plastic-free, but that is not an easy transition. We threw out all plastics in our kitchen marked with 3, 6, and 7 (the number in the triangle symbol at the bottom of the container). We also don't wash ANY plastics, no matter the #, in the dishwasher or use them in the freezer. The molecules in plastics are more likely to leach out chemicals when heated or frozen. Last, we try to eat less processed food, which is more likely to have harmful additives, and incorporate more fresh and homemade foods into our diet. We have not yet eliminated our exposure to plastic, disposable dishes and replaced our tupperware with other, safter storage containers, but we are working on it.
Are you totally freaked out yet? I think we will learn a lot more about the health effects of highly industrialized societies in years to come - similar to the info we know now about BPA and phthalates. Convenience comes at a cost. Just how high is it?
Other reading: NY Op-Ed about BPA, 11/09; Steps to reduce BPA exposure/USA Today, 01/10; EPA summary of phthalates, 2007; EPA Action Plan for BPA, 2010; Pictures from here
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
"A Mormon Conservative Stands Up"
In another of my keyword "mormon" news searches on google, I ran across this poignant and fiesty guest column in the Standard Net (newspaper based in Ogden, UT) by LDS Republican Ambassador Lynn Hansen and this response to it by Salt-Lake Tribune columnist Paul Rolly.
I've been thinking about writing down my thoughts about health care in the US and the new reform bill for some time, but I have not found the time yet (look for it soon!). Health care is an issue at the heart of my work and my schooling, and I care deeply about seeing our country move in a positive and responsible direction.
More to come...
I've been thinking about writing down my thoughts about health care in the US and the new reform bill for some time, but I have not found the time yet (look for it soon!). Health care is an issue at the heart of my work and my schooling, and I care deeply about seeing our country move in a positive and responsible direction.
More to come...
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
My Love-Hate Relationship with Technology
When looking back through my Feb-March posts, I noticed a pattern. Food, pregnancy, religious thoughts, food, pregnancy, religious thoughts. Could I be more predictable? :) To be fair, these items do occupy most of my free time outside of work and classes and they are important. This post could have been about the amazing Irish feast I prepared last night (except not amazing - it turned into a diaster), but I will try something new. Perhaps commentary? I will ponder new things to post.
On my mind as of late - the virtues and vices of technology. Technology is everywhere, it seems to have taken over everything with access to a pocketbook. I sometimes (actually often) go through fits about what to do regarding this takeover: fight it or embrace it, loathe it or love it? And, what about the environment Baby Towers will grow up in? Aaron and I remember a time without the internet or the microwave, so we have some pre-takeover context, but our child won't. And, taking that further, Aaron and I have never grown up in a time where we had make to survive (i.e., grow our own food, make clothes, build our home, etc). We have only known life where these tasks were deligated to companies, corporations, or other specialists.
On the positive side, all these technologies and luxuries allow us to excel in our individual fields. Both Aaron and I do health-related research. We aren't required to spend time gardening, sewing, and wood working; there are other experts who work in these fields. In theory, all these "experts" should allow a society to excel and progress more quickly. Technology, particularly the internet, has interconnected the world in a way it has never been before. We can reach out to others more easily (e.g, this blog), and we can learn about a great breath of subjects in a short amount of time. We can work from home or distantly. Everything is more efficient. Everything is cleaner, or so we think (another post for BPA, PBDEs, and phthalates later). Technology can lesson negative environmental impact, when used properly. From a religious perspective, communications technology helps to spread the message religions' want to express. Overall, we know and can do a lot more in less time and with less resources.
Sounds pretty good, right? But there is a really big negative side. What if we don't want to to be expert in just one or a few subjects? I've definitely seen some push back from our society here. People want to make to survive again (Etsy.com, case in point). People, myself included, are tired of spending all day in front of a computer. Society, and women in particular, and demanding a new type of lifestyle - one that allows them to be spread among many things, not pegged to a singular profession. Working from home is great, but do I really want to decide between attending to my baby crying and my Blackberry beeping? When companies make the things we eat, wear, and live in, there are shortcuts taken and quality lost. There is distrust between these parties, the market for lemons. We are getting fatter and lazier - we don't have to lift our garage door, unlock our cars, go to the post office, etc. And then, there is my biggest worry, my biggest fear for my child. The addictive side of technology.
Have you ever noticed how difficult it can be to not get online, turn on the TV, put your cell phone down, or not play the next level in your video game? I am just as guilty as the majority, but it drives me bonkers! Companies have a very vested interest in making new technologies more and more addictive, or making customers feel like we can't function properly without them. I really miss spending time reading something not on my computer screen, being outdoors for hours at a time, and spending more face-to-face time with folks that I love. Passive entertainment is not stimulating us or our children in the best ways. And what about the lack of censorship or societal "mores" online - e.g., the ubitquitous nature of pornography? In addition, we might be amusing ourselves to death—spiritual death. How can we feel the Spirit with the TV in the background?
Aaron and I cancelled our internet connection a few months ago, with the idea that we would go "internet-free" at home. That effort quickly failed, since we can pick up a neighbor's connection, and we are taking online classes/have work to do at night. Recently, we decided to go "technology-free" one night and one day of the week. Hopefully, we can make this work! I feel really strongly that we need to set a good example for our child. Technology is a wonderful thing, when used properly and in moderation. But, often, I long for a more life without it altogether. I would love to learn to make to survive. I would love a simple life with more talking, less watching.
What about you?
On my mind as of late - the virtues and vices of technology. Technology is everywhere, it seems to have taken over everything with access to a pocketbook. I sometimes (actually often) go through fits about what to do regarding this takeover: fight it or embrace it, loathe it or love it? And, what about the environment Baby Towers will grow up in? Aaron and I remember a time without the internet or the microwave, so we have some pre-takeover context, but our child won't. And, taking that further, Aaron and I have never grown up in a time where we had make to survive (i.e., grow our own food, make clothes, build our home, etc). We have only known life where these tasks were deligated to companies, corporations, or other specialists.
On the positive side, all these technologies and luxuries allow us to excel in our individual fields. Both Aaron and I do health-related research. We aren't required to spend time gardening, sewing, and wood working; there are other experts who work in these fields. In theory, all these "experts" should allow a society to excel and progress more quickly. Technology, particularly the internet, has interconnected the world in a way it has never been before. We can reach out to others more easily (e.g, this blog), and we can learn about a great breath of subjects in a short amount of time. We can work from home or distantly. Everything is more efficient. Everything is cleaner, or so we think (another post for BPA, PBDEs, and phthalates later). Technology can lesson negative environmental impact, when used properly. From a religious perspective, communications technology helps to spread the message religions' want to express. Overall, we know and can do a lot more in less time and with less resources.
Sounds pretty good, right? But there is a really big negative side. What if we don't want to to be expert in just one or a few subjects? I've definitely seen some push back from our society here. People want to make to survive again (Etsy.com, case in point). People, myself included, are tired of spending all day in front of a computer. Society, and women in particular, and demanding a new type of lifestyle - one that allows them to be spread among many things, not pegged to a singular profession. Working from home is great, but do I really want to decide between attending to my baby crying and my Blackberry beeping? When companies make the things we eat, wear, and live in, there are shortcuts taken and quality lost. There is distrust between these parties, the market for lemons. We are getting fatter and lazier - we don't have to lift our garage door, unlock our cars, go to the post office, etc. And then, there is my biggest worry, my biggest fear for my child. The addictive side of technology.
Have you ever noticed how difficult it can be to not get online, turn on the TV, put your cell phone down, or not play the next level in your video game? I am just as guilty as the majority, but it drives me bonkers! Companies have a very vested interest in making new technologies more and more addictive, or making customers feel like we can't function properly without them. I really miss spending time reading something not on my computer screen, being outdoors for hours at a time, and spending more face-to-face time with folks that I love. Passive entertainment is not stimulating us or our children in the best ways. And what about the lack of censorship or societal "mores" online - e.g., the ubitquitous nature of pornography? In addition, we might be amusing ourselves to death—spiritual death. How can we feel the Spirit with the TV in the background?
Aaron and I cancelled our internet connection a few months ago, with the idea that we would go "internet-free" at home. That effort quickly failed, since we can pick up a neighbor's connection, and we are taking online classes/have work to do at night. Recently, we decided to go "technology-free" one night and one day of the week. Hopefully, we can make this work! I feel really strongly that we need to set a good example for our child. Technology is a wonderful thing, when used properly and in moderation. But, often, I long for a more life without it altogether. I would love to learn to make to survive. I would love a simple life with more talking, less watching.
What about you?
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