I can't believe Christmas is already over. This year has flown by.
It seems like all I ever post about is my in-laws. Who am I to break the trend? This year, we weren't even told when the family gathering was. Evidently there was a gathering at the husband's grandma's house before a family gathering at a public place with the grandma's siblings and extended family. We knew about the 2nd one and showed up there on time and no one else was there. Not a single person. We waited for over 20 minutes for someone else to show up and we couldn't even get in the building. Evidently, they were all at Grandma's and no one thought to tell us. Not a single person. And it hurts me.
Sunday, December 28, 2014
Monday, November 3, 2014
Wedding Pics
So, the husband's cousin got married a little over a month ago. And today, she put up pictures on Facebook. Well, there was one with all the women from that side of the family, except me and her sister.
And I feel bad.
Because this isn't the first time the family has excluded inlaws from important pictures. Inlaws that have been in the family for decades, not excluded. Me and my brother-in-law, excluded.
Are we not family?
And I feel bad.
Because this isn't the first time the family has excluded inlaws from important pictures. Inlaws that have been in the family for decades, not excluded. Me and my brother-in-law, excluded.
Are we not family?
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Work
I'm over one week into work. So far, it's just okay. So much training. I wish that some things were different, but overall, it's alright.
Friday, October 3, 2014
October Thoughts
It is so cold here. October is supposed to be cooler, but not 45 degrees and chance of snow within the first few days.
I can't believe that that hospital forgot about protocol with the Ebola patient. A person has been to a country with Ebola and is ill, you assume it is Ebola (because Ebola initially looks like any virus).
I can't believe that I start my job on Monday. I am so nervous.
I can't believe that that hospital forgot about protocol with the Ebola patient. A person has been to a country with Ebola and is ill, you assume it is Ebola (because Ebola initially looks like any virus).
I can't believe that I start my job on Monday. I am so nervous.
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Job
I accepted a position with Americorps about 2 months ago. And in a week and a half, I start that job. It has been so long since I've needed to get up early or to leave the house during traffic. I'm not sure how I'll handle it.
It's scary and a little exciting and mostly nervewracking. Counting down the days now.
It's scary and a little exciting and mostly nervewracking. Counting down the days now.
Thursday, September 11, 2014
13 Years Ago...
Next year, I will have been alive 14 years before 9/11 and 14 after 9/11. These are the strange moments.
Along the same line, I just recently calculated that I've been alive for 3 years longer without my grandpa, than I had been alive with him. But time does not heal all wounds.
Because, in both cases, some days I wake up feeling as if they were yesterday. As if yesterday, my axis tilted, and my center of gravity hasn't yet adjusted.
And now, today, on the remembrance of the terrorist attacks that changed our world, I want to take a moment to urge peace. Men and women of all creeds and of all colors died that day. They died because some extremists, some awful, awful people decided that they had to, so that the extremists might make the world suffer. And we did. We suffered, but if today, you choose hate, then what are you? You are part of the problem. Today, we must choose hope, peace, love. These are the things that fight the terrorists. These are the things that they can fight and destroy.
Only we can do that.
So today, remember that these terrorists who changed our world want you to wallow in hate. And choose not to.
Along the same line, I just recently calculated that I've been alive for 3 years longer without my grandpa, than I had been alive with him. But time does not heal all wounds.
Because, in both cases, some days I wake up feeling as if they were yesterday. As if yesterday, my axis tilted, and my center of gravity hasn't yet adjusted.
And now, today, on the remembrance of the terrorist attacks that changed our world, I want to take a moment to urge peace. Men and women of all creeds and of all colors died that day. They died because some extremists, some awful, awful people decided that they had to, so that the extremists might make the world suffer. And we did. We suffered, but if today, you choose hate, then what are you? You are part of the problem. Today, we must choose hope, peace, love. These are the things that fight the terrorists. These are the things that they can fight and destroy.
Only we can do that.
So today, remember that these terrorists who changed our world want you to wallow in hate. And choose not to.
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Ferguson
A young man died. A kid really, an 18-year-old boy. Unarmed, but maybe charging the policeman. Killed for jaywalking. Would this have happened to a white boy? Would this have happened in a less segregated suburb? Would this have happened if Zimmerman hadn't walked away without a charge?
There was a hashtag, #PrayforFerguson. And it's not the right time to pray. It is the time to be angry, for the white majority in this country to look at our privilege and be angry that it makes criminals out of people for being black. That it makes riot gear available to hold off protestors who are peaceful. That it allows for us to walk into our houses at night and be safe and if we forget the key, our neighbors invite us in for coffee or lemonade, but if we were black, the cops would be called on us(look at Henry Louis Gates). That when the police stop us, we get a ticket or a warning and we drive off. We live. We, who were born with white skin, have benefits from that and it is time that we help change the system. That we end racial profiling. There is no more black on black crime than there is white on white crime. These are lies.
White people have shorter sentences, more likely to receive parole, less likely to be in prison.
This is not American. We, the people, does not grant rights by the color of your skin or your gender or who you love. It's time we stop letting the laws divide us. It's time we stop praying for something that happened in a community far away and time we start changing laws, changing rules, helping us and helping others. Because what happened to Michael Brown is not an isolated incident, it is a racial divide that sometimes is deep and is very rarely shallow.
There was a hashtag, #PrayforFerguson. And it's not the right time to pray. It is the time to be angry, for the white majority in this country to look at our privilege and be angry that it makes criminals out of people for being black. That it makes riot gear available to hold off protestors who are peaceful. That it allows for us to walk into our houses at night and be safe and if we forget the key, our neighbors invite us in for coffee or lemonade, but if we were black, the cops would be called on us(look at Henry Louis Gates). That when the police stop us, we get a ticket or a warning and we drive off. We live. We, who were born with white skin, have benefits from that and it is time that we help change the system. That we end racial profiling. There is no more black on black crime than there is white on white crime. These are lies.
White people have shorter sentences, more likely to receive parole, less likely to be in prison.
This is not American. We, the people, does not grant rights by the color of your skin or your gender or who you love. It's time we stop letting the laws divide us. It's time we stop praying for something that happened in a community far away and time we start changing laws, changing rules, helping us and helping others. Because what happened to Michael Brown is not an isolated incident, it is a racial divide that sometimes is deep and is very rarely shallow.
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
RIP Robin Williams
One of my strongest memories of my cousins and I was watching Mrs. Doubtfire for the umpteenth time at my grandparents' farm. We watched it over and over again, probably 10 times in three years, or at least it felt that way. It was one movie we could all agree on, every time. Because it made us laugh. All of us, and any adult that was watching with us laughed as well. It was funny and moving and meaningful, even in the hilarity.
And that's who Robin Williams was to me. Someone who made me laugh. I never even came close to meeting him, but today, I am sad. I am sad because he was there to make me laugh and to move me. And now, he's gone. And he probably committed suicide. This man, who made the world laugh, and sometimes, yes, sometimes, he made us cry with his work, is today making us all cry, because he is gone.
And the thing of it is, depression sucks. And I know it sucks, but I hear people say that you just have to push through it. And here, here is the best example I can think of that proves depression is not something to just push through or that is something that is easy to deal with. Here's a man who made millions of dollars, he had a family, he had a successful career. He has four movies coming out, he had a contract for a sequel to Mrs. Doubtfire. And he couldn't push through it. What chance does a person who doesn't have that good stuff, but instead only has bad stuff, like a lost job, lost custody of kids, friends who don't want to hang out anymore, people who insist that they are a drain on society, what chance does a person like that have?
This is what depression is. It is not just in the lonely, it is not just in the unloved, it is in the well-known, the hidden and the open.
I read a post on twitter that we should have said all these good things before. And maybe we should've. Maybe we should've told Robin Williams every day that we love him. But, I'm guessing, his family did that. So instead of regretting not letting Robin Williams know how much we care, we need to tell our friends and our family that we do care. That they are important, that they make our lives better. That they do not drain us, but fill us.
Need help? In the U.S., call 1-800-273-8255National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
And that's who Robin Williams was to me. Someone who made me laugh. I never even came close to meeting him, but today, I am sad. I am sad because he was there to make me laugh and to move me. And now, he's gone. And he probably committed suicide. This man, who made the world laugh, and sometimes, yes, sometimes, he made us cry with his work, is today making us all cry, because he is gone.
And the thing of it is, depression sucks. And I know it sucks, but I hear people say that you just have to push through it. And here, here is the best example I can think of that proves depression is not something to just push through or that is something that is easy to deal with. Here's a man who made millions of dollars, he had a family, he had a successful career. He has four movies coming out, he had a contract for a sequel to Mrs. Doubtfire. And he couldn't push through it. What chance does a person who doesn't have that good stuff, but instead only has bad stuff, like a lost job, lost custody of kids, friends who don't want to hang out anymore, people who insist that they are a drain on society, what chance does a person like that have?
This is what depression is. It is not just in the lonely, it is not just in the unloved, it is in the well-known, the hidden and the open.
I read a post on twitter that we should have said all these good things before. And maybe we should've. Maybe we should've told Robin Williams every day that we love him. But, I'm guessing, his family did that. So instead of regretting not letting Robin Williams know how much we care, we need to tell our friends and our family that we do care. That they are important, that they make our lives better. That they do not drain us, but fill us.
Need help? In the U.S., call 1-800-273-8255National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Sunday, August 3, 2014
Summer's Almost Done
And while we have done some awesome things(Paul McCartney Concert way up there), we just haven't done much. And it will be gone soon and the husband will be back at school and I will start up a new job(an Americorps position), so just for the year.
This job-hunting stuff sucks.
This job-hunting stuff sucks.
Monday, June 30, 2014
Supreme Court Decides That Businesses Have Religious Beliefs
Okay, so the decision is a little more nuanced than that. But not much. Where does it end? How is Hobby Lobby different from Walmart, if both are family-run?
The fact of the matter is, those who are against birth control are against women having agency. There is no better way to ensure that the next generation of children grow up to be young mothers, without support, than to deny women access to free, safe, and readily available birth control. There are studies all over that state again and again that family planning creates healthier, more stable, more financially solvent, and more educated children. Is this not the future we all want?
The fact of the matter is, those who are against birth control are against women having agency. There is no better way to ensure that the next generation of children grow up to be young mothers, without support, than to deny women access to free, safe, and readily available birth control. There are studies all over that state again and again that family planning creates healthier, more stable, more financially solvent, and more educated children. Is this not the future we all want?
Saturday, June 28, 2014
My Birthday
Today I turn 27. I can't believe it. The last few years have just flown by and now, I am 27.
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Small Town
I come from a town with a population of about 1400 people. I went through 9 years of school with 50 of the same kids and only 60 kids total in the class. It was a small town.
I hate it when people talk about being from a small town and then they tell me that they are from a town of 50,000. That's not a small town, that's a small city.
I hate it when people talk about being from a small town and then they tell me that they are from a town of 50,000. That's not a small town, that's a small city.
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
#YesAllWomen
A couple of days ago, a young man went on a killing spree. He wanted revenge on women, not specific women, but all women. He wanted revenge because they hadn't had sex with him. So, because he couldn't get any of the sex, he killed people.
No man is entitled to sex. No women is entitled to sex. All people are entitled to self-pleasure. That is it. This is rape culture at it's finest. And now there are tweets and posts about how some woman should have just slept with him and there would have been no problem. Really, you think a guy who believes that he is entitled to sex and that women are encompassed only by their vaginas, you really think that this is the type of guy who is not going to kill someone? Obviously, he's not rational. But people(mostly men) are saying that he was entitled to sex and that these women should've just gotten it over with. Lie back and think of England?
But, here's the thing. This boy wouldn't have stopped at once and the woman said no, he wasn't going to hear it. Because to him and to so many more, women are not fully developed, thoughtful, intelligent, human beings.
And that's the problem.
I read a tweet under the hashtag #yesallwomen that said that women hurt men and other women as well. Well, yes. Human beings are not always empathetic in every moment. The hashtag is not saying this. No one is saying that women are inherently better, but that women have had to deal with a culture where a young women doesn't want to walk alone, not just at night, but ever. Or a woman who is raped is the first person blamed for the rape. Not the rapist, but the victim.
And I racked my brains, I mean, I'm pretty lucky, I've not experienced much in this aspect, mostly because I choose to surround myself with men who are respectful and thoughtful and truly believe that women are equals. Also, I didn't do the whole bar dating scene, but I could've. And then, I remember before I moved in with my now husband, then fiance. First, my mother and I had this big fight, because I insisted that we were going to remain celibate. She said that it was impossible to do so, while living with a man and sleeping in the same bed. Second, when my mom found out that one of my closest friends from childhood was living nearby, she said, whew, I'm so relieved, because what if you had to leave Kevin and there was no one close. What kind of thing is that? That a mother has to worry that her daughter will not be able to get out of an abusive relationship, even when she has the knowledge and trust in the man. There is inherently no way to put your full trust in a man for so many women, because men has shown time and again that they are not trustworthy.
No man is entitled to sex. No women is entitled to sex. All people are entitled to self-pleasure. That is it. This is rape culture at it's finest. And now there are tweets and posts about how some woman should have just slept with him and there would have been no problem. Really, you think a guy who believes that he is entitled to sex and that women are encompassed only by their vaginas, you really think that this is the type of guy who is not going to kill someone? Obviously, he's not rational. But people(mostly men) are saying that he was entitled to sex and that these women should've just gotten it over with. Lie back and think of England?
But, here's the thing. This boy wouldn't have stopped at once and the woman said no, he wasn't going to hear it. Because to him and to so many more, women are not fully developed, thoughtful, intelligent, human beings.
And that's the problem.
I read a tweet under the hashtag #yesallwomen that said that women hurt men and other women as well. Well, yes. Human beings are not always empathetic in every moment. The hashtag is not saying this. No one is saying that women are inherently better, but that women have had to deal with a culture where a young women doesn't want to walk alone, not just at night, but ever. Or a woman who is raped is the first person blamed for the rape. Not the rapist, but the victim.
And I racked my brains, I mean, I'm pretty lucky, I've not experienced much in this aspect, mostly because I choose to surround myself with men who are respectful and thoughtful and truly believe that women are equals. Also, I didn't do the whole bar dating scene, but I could've. And then, I remember before I moved in with my now husband, then fiance. First, my mother and I had this big fight, because I insisted that we were going to remain celibate. She said that it was impossible to do so, while living with a man and sleeping in the same bed. Second, when my mom found out that one of my closest friends from childhood was living nearby, she said, whew, I'm so relieved, because what if you had to leave Kevin and there was no one close. What kind of thing is that? That a mother has to worry that her daughter will not be able to get out of an abusive relationship, even when she has the knowledge and trust in the man. There is inherently no way to put your full trust in a man for so many women, because men has shown time and again that they are not trustworthy.
Monday, May 26, 2014
Memorial Day
Am I the only one bothered by people who insist that this is a day to celebrate our soldiers? Maybe it's too nitpicky, but this is not a day for that. This day is to remember those who have given their lives, that "last full measure of devotion." People; men, women, children; who died in wars.
It's not a day to be happy about our freedoms, but to remember, with solemnity, our failures and the world's failures, and how those who died have tried to help improve our lives.
I do not celebrate Veteran's Day, because I think that there is little benefit in celebrating war and those who choose to fight. But, today, today is about those who had no choice, or those who sacrificed so that others could live. It is a day where we remember the horrors of war. Where we do not say that soldiers are ideal or something to strive for, but where we remember what happens when our world fails. And that is worth remembering.
It's not a day to be happy about our freedoms, but to remember, with solemnity, our failures and the world's failures, and how those who died have tried to help improve our lives.
I do not celebrate Veteran's Day, because I think that there is little benefit in celebrating war and those who choose to fight. But, today, today is about those who had no choice, or those who sacrificed so that others could live. It is a day where we remember the horrors of war. Where we do not say that soldiers are ideal or something to strive for, but where we remember what happens when our world fails. And that is worth remembering.
Sunday, May 18, 2014
Wow, it's been a while.
So, I am currently searching for a job. Frantically...desperately...thoroughly.
There is nothing like it. I feel stressed constantly. My day barely changes from day to day. My insecurities are heightened.
But there are good things, too. Like my husband and our nephews and our friends.
It's just busy and tiring and sometimes, lonely.
But, it's already gotten better. Just me typing this out helps.
There is nothing like it. I feel stressed constantly. My day barely changes from day to day. My insecurities are heightened.
But there are good things, too. Like my husband and our nephews and our friends.
It's just busy and tiring and sometimes, lonely.
But, it's already gotten better. Just me typing this out helps.
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Ender's Game Movie Review
The husband and I watched Ender's Game last night. And overall, it was meh...
The main problems with any movie based upon a book, especially young adult movies, is that they merely take the action parts and use those to make a movie, figuring that the characters are less important than the plot. This may be true for Twilight, but it's not true for Ender's Game or any science fiction novel/movie. Science fiction is all about character and without out, as in Ender's Game, the characters are flat and generic. This was also the problem with the newest Star Trek movie. Science fiction is not the same as action and its fans expect more.
They removed the character development, which is what makes Ender and the whole book compelling. Without knowledge about Ender, you have a flat character who is going to win, but there is nothing tying the audience to him. Not one thing.
Two parts of the movie were especially poorly done. One, the death(lack thereof in the movie) of Bonzo. Bonzo dies. Ender, an 8 or 9 year old in the book, kills him. I understand that part of the reason they chose not to kill Bonzo is that Ender, in the movie, is around 12, not 8, and we have no prior character development of Ender to trust him. But after Bonzo dies, Ender secludes himself on a lake and is just a child for a while, but in the movie, Ender and Bonzo return to Earth and Ender sits by Bonzo's bedside, hoping that he will wake up. Ender doesn't know, in the book, that Bonzo died and he never finds out, which serves to illuminate his character and Graff's.
The second part was the end. In the movie, Ender finds the egg and is now setting off to find a suitable home or do his diplomatic duty. He is all alone.
In the book, Ender and Valentine and a whole bunch of others head off to form a new colony. And we see what Ender can do at peace and it is brilliant. I turned to my husband, after the end, and said, why didn't they just use the original ending? There's no reason not to.
Without the time that the book employs, the movie cannot hope to fully develop any characters. And the plot that it uses is barebones at best. For example, of the tens of battles in battle school, they show two, in the movie. That's it. From two, we are supposed to know that Ender has tactical skills. But we don't.
Overall, Ender's Game does not translate well into a movie. There just isn't time and they didn't spend the energy converting it well enough. Where the book thrives is in the downtime and the movie essentially removes all mentions of peace.
The main problems with any movie based upon a book, especially young adult movies, is that they merely take the action parts and use those to make a movie, figuring that the characters are less important than the plot. This may be true for Twilight, but it's not true for Ender's Game or any science fiction novel/movie. Science fiction is all about character and without out, as in Ender's Game, the characters are flat and generic. This was also the problem with the newest Star Trek movie. Science fiction is not the same as action and its fans expect more.
They removed the character development, which is what makes Ender and the whole book compelling. Without knowledge about Ender, you have a flat character who is going to win, but there is nothing tying the audience to him. Not one thing.
Two parts of the movie were especially poorly done. One, the death(lack thereof in the movie) of Bonzo. Bonzo dies. Ender, an 8 or 9 year old in the book, kills him. I understand that part of the reason they chose not to kill Bonzo is that Ender, in the movie, is around 12, not 8, and we have no prior character development of Ender to trust him. But after Bonzo dies, Ender secludes himself on a lake and is just a child for a while, but in the movie, Ender and Bonzo return to Earth and Ender sits by Bonzo's bedside, hoping that he will wake up. Ender doesn't know, in the book, that Bonzo died and he never finds out, which serves to illuminate his character and Graff's.
The second part was the end. In the movie, Ender finds the egg and is now setting off to find a suitable home or do his diplomatic duty. He is all alone.
In the book, Ender and Valentine and a whole bunch of others head off to form a new colony. And we see what Ender can do at peace and it is brilliant. I turned to my husband, after the end, and said, why didn't they just use the original ending? There's no reason not to.
Without the time that the book employs, the movie cannot hope to fully develop any characters. And the plot that it uses is barebones at best. For example, of the tens of battles in battle school, they show two, in the movie. That's it. From two, we are supposed to know that Ender has tactical skills. But we don't.
Overall, Ender's Game does not translate well into a movie. There just isn't time and they didn't spend the energy converting it well enough. Where the book thrives is in the downtime and the movie essentially removes all mentions of peace.
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Arizona's Religious Freedom "Discrimination" Law
So, as you may know, both the Senate and the House in Arizona has passed a bill that many are calling anti-gay. In fact, it is pro Christian and anti-gay. The law boils down to this: The bill would amend an existing law to give any individual or legal
entity an exemption from any state law that substantially burdens their
exercise of religion, including Arizona law requiring public accommodation regardless of a customer's race, color, national origin, sex, religion, and disability. This means that any religious person can choose to discriminate against anyone, including based on sexual orientation(which, indeed, is what is intended by the bill).
Watch this: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/25/anderson-cooper-arizona-anti-gay-law_n_4852674.html
If you didn't watch, I'll summarize. Anderson Cooper presents hypothetical situations to this senator(also a candidate for governor) regarding the law. The situations he brings up involve an unwed mother or a divorced woman trying to get a loan from a loan officer who is very conservative Christian. Anderson says that the Bible (and Jesus, particularly) says some harsh things about people who are divorced or who have had children outside of marriage (and he points out that Jesus never talks about homosexuality). The senator says that these situations are ridiculous and without basis (he obviously doesn't know his Bible). So Anderson says, well then, the law is targeting gay people, but Arizona has no law against discrimination based upon sexual orientation, so this law is unnecessary. And the senator is like, well, we don't what happened in other states to happen here. And Anderson says, um, it can't, because you don't have any laws that protect sexual orientation. And the senator says that this law is needed because the traditional family structure is being attacked and Anderson has a law expert come in and say that his hypothetical situations are an accurate reading of the law and that sexual orientation can already be used as a method of discrimination. And the senator repeats his talking points and says that there are no people(not one) in Arizona who discriminate...well, except for those who would follow this law(but forget that...he didn't actually say that).
So, these people in Arizona made a bill that would invalidate their anti-discrimination laws. It's going to go over real well with the Supreme Court. Which means that other states may be afraid to make laws like this. Somehow, I don't think that the anti-gay people who made up this bill thought it through.
Watch this: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/25/anderson-cooper-arizona-anti-gay-law_n_4852674.html
If you didn't watch, I'll summarize. Anderson Cooper presents hypothetical situations to this senator(also a candidate for governor) regarding the law. The situations he brings up involve an unwed mother or a divorced woman trying to get a loan from a loan officer who is very conservative Christian. Anderson says that the Bible (and Jesus, particularly) says some harsh things about people who are divorced or who have had children outside of marriage (and he points out that Jesus never talks about homosexuality). The senator says that these situations are ridiculous and without basis (he obviously doesn't know his Bible). So Anderson says, well then, the law is targeting gay people, but Arizona has no law against discrimination based upon sexual orientation, so this law is unnecessary. And the senator is like, well, we don't what happened in other states to happen here. And Anderson says, um, it can't, because you don't have any laws that protect sexual orientation. And the senator says that this law is needed because the traditional family structure is being attacked and Anderson has a law expert come in and say that his hypothetical situations are an accurate reading of the law and that sexual orientation can already be used as a method of discrimination. And the senator repeats his talking points and says that there are no people(not one) in Arizona who discriminate...well, except for those who would follow this law(but forget that...he didn't actually say that).
So, these people in Arizona made a bill that would invalidate their anti-discrimination laws. It's going to go over real well with the Supreme Court. Which means that other states may be afraid to make laws like this. Somehow, I don't think that the anti-gay people who made up this bill thought it through.
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Anti-Vaccine?
My sister-in-law posted this on my Facebook page and then asked what I thought about it:
http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-mh-antivaccination-movement-20140120,0,5576371.story#axzz2rBCXjvAw
And I told her that the diseases are far worse than the vaccines and then she said that she wishes her pediatrician didn't lecture her about vaccines. Does that mean she doesn't vaccinated her two little boys? I have no idea. But if not, why?
Why would you not give your kids their best shot at life? As far as I know, they've never had a bad reaction to a vaccine. But, these illnesses are no joke. They kill people. They disable people. They cause hospitalization and unhappiness. They cause the infant mortality rate of other countries to be as high as they are. They have lifelong consequences and effects.
The vaccines may have adverse effects. May. But probably not. And they are getting safer every day.
http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-mh-antivaccination-movement-20140120,0,5576371.story#axzz2rBCXjvAw
And I told her that the diseases are far worse than the vaccines and then she said that she wishes her pediatrician didn't lecture her about vaccines. Does that mean she doesn't vaccinated her two little boys? I have no idea. But if not, why?
Why would you not give your kids their best shot at life? As far as I know, they've never had a bad reaction to a vaccine. But, these illnesses are no joke. They kill people. They disable people. They cause hospitalization and unhappiness. They cause the infant mortality rate of other countries to be as high as they are. They have lifelong consequences and effects.
The vaccines may have adverse effects. May. But probably not. And they are getting safer every day.
Friday, January 3, 2014
New Pregnancy Study
Please don't use this study as proof that alcohol is okay. You'll find that the women who did not drink "were the poorest educated, smoked the most, did not exercise, and watched a lot of TV." These, in my field, are what we call confounders and are much more important to look at.
http://www.today.com/moms/new-study-shows-no-harm-moderate-drinking-pregnancy-experts-urge-2D11849699
Confounders are things that change the relationship being examined. In this case, drinking was perhaps, less important than smoking, education, exercise, or television viewing. To report that drinking is okay in groups that are these different is at best wrong and at worst, harmful.
http://www.today.com/moms/new-study-shows-no-harm-moderate-drinking-pregnancy-experts-urge-2D11849699
Confounders are things that change the relationship being examined. In this case, drinking was perhaps, less important than smoking, education, exercise, or television viewing. To report that drinking is okay in groups that are these different is at best wrong and at worst, harmful.
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