Where Can I Turn to get Unbiased Information??

Where can I go to get unbiased information? If I want to see some scientific, peer reviewed information I could go to a respected scientific journal, right? Maybe I could look something up in JAMA (Journal of American Medical Association). I would be angry about its inherent mainstream bias--not looking very intently at things like nutrition, or toxins, etc. But, maybe I could see studies that show numbers about various health issues that I could accept.

I could also look at The Lancet which is a weekly medical journal published by a huge global publisher, Reed Elsevier. Doctors would know of these journals. They would also know of this publisher. It would have a good rep for them.

What if a pharmaceutical company wanted to have its own medical journal--not really peer reviewed there, but it would look reputable? What if they got it published through Reed Elsevier to lend credence and to give their reps the ability to quote published studies to doctors and therefore help them sell their drugs and products more easily to the doctors? The doctors might fall for that, if it seemed real.

"Preposterous!", you say? "That's just conspiracy thinking run amok!", you continue. "No pharmaceutical company would be so unscrupulous as to lie to doctors to get their products sold. No pharmaceutical company would place the emphasis on the bottom line rather than on good science and the welfare of potential patients. That's just crazy! Why, if that were the case, we might have to begin to question everything they do! They would have no credibility! None!!", you go on indignantly defending the pharmaceutical companies, getting progressively incensed with me.

Let's all take a breath, shall we. In, 2, 3, 4, and out, 2, 3, 4, 5 ,6, 7, 8... do it again... OK. Feel better? Now I understand how you worship at the alter of mainstream medicine and it's upsetting to begin to see fissures in the fortress, but take a look with me:

"Merck Makes Phony Peer-Review Journal" as written up in the bioethics blog of The Neiswanger Institute for Bioethics and Health Policy of Loyola School of Medicine.

Read it and then tell me what you think.

What size for your foil hat?

Again, Why There are Two Parents...

My husband and I bring different things to the parenting table. Some of that is just because of who we are--our different abilities, sensibilities and approach to our kids. Some of it is because of gender differences (yes, I said that...) But, some of those gender differences are there because of how we ourselves were parented, and the time we came from. (I must share here that my parents were pretty good about raising us to realize whatever we wanted to do regardless of gender. I portaged canoes, my brother made lasagna, etc.)

My husband will build an 8 ft. trebuchet with my son in the summer. That would never in a million years occur to me to do. Never. However, I did build our kids' wooden swing set with my husband's guidance and help when he had carpal tunnel syndrome and could not do drilling and hammering... or so the story goes...

My husband would cut the pieces to length and then tell me how to put them together and hammer them or drill or sink or counter sink--220, 221 whatever it takes.

In any case, he and I built a pretty fine swing set for the kids. That particular project was also the first time I had ever handled a drill. I don't think that's so rare, but it seemed flagrantly ludicrous to my husband. My husband, who had once coached me on how to change my own damn tire and be my own knight in shining armor. You know why? Because, I could, that's why.

I think he feels that everyone should be able to do everything. Handling a drill is not just for men or boys. We are not crippled by past ideas--we can do what we want. We have brains and hands and our gender doesn't preclude us doing certain things.

My son helped my husband build our compost bin, and then my husband thought my daughter should help as well. He asked her if she'd like to, and she was wanting to help too. Take a look at these pictures of my daughter helping my husband build our compost bin.

Here she is drilling holes. Maybe not the best way to hold a drill, but she has control, so that's what counts.

At a slightly different position...

Putting some giddyap on it...

Eyeballing the position...

In total control...

I would never think to let my little girl handle a heavy drill. Never. My husband told her what to do and then stepped back, and worked on something else while she did it. He didn't hover. He just let her go.

I, on the other hand, saw the great photo opportunity and tore into the house to get my camera to take pictures of her from across the yard. I was impressed by her drilling ability and her fearlessness.

Do you need a picture hung? I've got two kids that can handle the job.

Our Duty to the Earth

Robert M. La Follette, aka Fighting Bob

OUR DUTY TO THE EARTH

This globe is the capital stock of the race. It has just so much coal and oil and gas. These may be economized or wasted. Our water resources are immense, and we are only just beginning to use them. Our forests have been destroyed; they must be restored. Our soils are being depleted; they must be built up and conserved.

These questions are not of this day only, or of this generation. They belong to all the future.

These are the words of Robert M. La Follette, a progressive governor of Wisconsin, among other things, who said them in--get this--March 13, 1909!!

He was right in his concern, and these certainly are the questions of the day now.

He said that in 1909. What if his words would have been heeded? How much less pollution and more resources would we have now?

*sigh*

But, we won't listen, because that's not our nature entirely. We sometimes listen, but then our own daily concerns get in the way, so we push important ideas to the back.

If you would like to read more interesting ideas and thoughtful observations, check out the April issue of The Progressive. It is celebrating the 100 year anniversary of the magazine which was started in 1909. This issue is laid out year by year and highlights what the concerns were and what the issues were. It is striking that a lot of the same problems keep repeating year after year--injustice, unfair labor practices, fraud, war mongering, pollution.

Do we ever learn?

On the other hand, it also shows how all of the bad stuff always gets exposed and is fought against. The bad guys can't hide forever. We'll get them in the end. Take heart.

Some people now are cast in the same mold as Fighting Bob--there are progressives in every era. The trick is to keep exposing the bad and work for the good. Easy peasy.

There. Done and done. That should do it! *claps hands together for a job well done*

Oh, if it were only that easy...

Don't Ask my Husband for Ideas...

Last night I asked my husband what song he'd like to hear/see on youtube. Because I appreciate his wide range of sensibilities, he could probably offer up a really interesting song for me to post for you all here.

"Honey, what song would you like to hear on youtube?", I innocently asked.

"Chipmunks. Something Chipmunks and Christmasy.", he nonchalantly replied.

Smartass.

I offer up this instead. Have a primal weekend.