Mayonnaise Jar and Two Cups of Coffee

The Mayonnaise Jar and Two Cups of Coffee

When things in your lives seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous "yes."

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things--your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions--and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.

The sand is everything else--the small stuff. "If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

"Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first--the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked.

It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."

Should Dow Get a Veto Over Government Scientists?

Andy Igrejas      

Director of Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families

A relatively obscure Congressional hearing on Tuesday became a flashpoint in a very important conflict: the attempt by the chemical industry -- led by Dow Chemical -- to gain a veto over the work of government scientists. This time, however, the scientists fought back, and they need our support.

The hearing was a joint project of the House Small Business Committee and House Science Committee. It focused on how a government report on cancer-causing chemicals is hurting "small business" in America. The Report on Carcinogens, which recently classified formaldehyde as a "known carcinogen" and styrene as a "reasonably anticipated" human carcinogen was under attack. It is a statutorily mandated report that is prepared by the highly respected National Toxicology Program (NTP).

The hearing is part of a disturbing pattern of political intimidation of government scientists for doing their jobs. Companies that make and use both chemicals launched an attack on the report even before it was published and its publication was delayed for years. It took political courage for Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to allow the report to be released, and I was told phones rang off the hook at the White House from chemical industry lobbyists complaining about the decision.

The Report itself does not restrict the chemicals it names. The findings can be used by regulatory agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency to decide if any changes are needed to environmental rules, but they mostly inform the public and the marketplace. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires that its safety data sheets be updated when the Report lists a chemical, a basic right-to-know measure for American workers.

So what was Dow complaining about at Tuesday's hearing? Dow's chief scientist Jim Bus effectively said that the NTP doesn't do good science. Dow does good science. And the agency needs to give Dow and other companies a greater say in determinations like this for them to be credible with the public.

Never mind that the woman who runs the NTP and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences -- Dr. Linda Birnbaum -- is perhaps the most credentialed person on the planet on these matters. Never mind the exhaustive peer-review and outside consultation that already takes place. No, we need Dow more involved, because the public certainly thinks chemical makers are more credible judges of the products they make than public health scientists whose only mandate is to identify substances that may be harming public health.

The arrogance and self-serving nature of Dow's position was breath-taking, but the upside of the hearing was that it was also obvious and fell flat. Representative Brad Miller (D-NC) deserves special credit for blowing the whistle on the hearing, by pointing out that the styrene industry took credit for the fact that the hearing was taking place. Miller and Representatives Richmond (D-LA) and Tonko (D-NY) pointed out that industry opponents who would exonerate styrene and formaldehyde were hardly more credible than the NTP. Overall, the show trial intended by the hearing backfired on the inquisitors, Subcommittee Chairs Broun (R-GA) and Ellmers (R-NC).

But the issue requires continued vigilance. Already, the United States has lost the leadership of the world on health and safety issues in favor of the European Union, and that has an impact on our ability to compete in a world market that increasingly demands safer products. The modest attempts by EPA Administrator Jackson to restore that leadership have not only been undermined by House Republicans but in some cases by industry allies in the White House who have blocked key reforms. The attempt to politically intimidate Dr. Birnbaum would bring this trend to a new low, however, because it would signal that companies like Dow can block even the most basic scientific work from seeing the light of day when it offends them.

So please ask your member of Congress to support the independence of government scientists like Dr. Birnbaum at the NTP, but please also take a moment to tell Dow to back off and let government scientists do their job.

 

BPA, Flame Retardants & Toxic Jewelry

By Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff, Executive Director/CEO, Healthy Child Healthy World

So many news stories that relate to children’s environmental health, it’s hard to keep up!

The FDA Rejects BPA Ban in Packaging

Late in the day last Friday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)announced that it would not place on ban on BPA in packaging because there wasn’t enough scientific evidence that it harmed humans. We wonder whether they’ve missed the volumes of studies finding BPA associated with some cancers, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and reproductive disorders. Manufacturers are moving away from the chemical even without FDA action. Last month, Healthy Child Healthy World and the Breast Cancer Fund announced that Campbell’s Soup was moving away from BPA in its cans, in part due to dropping consumer demand and public campaigns to eliminate BPA from foods targeted at kids.

Despite the FDA’s decision, concerned parents are vowing to reject BPA in products.Lori Popkewitz Alper, a blogger at Groovy Green Livin’ and a Healthy Child Healthy World Parent Ambassador told ABC Nightly News, “Moms are powerful. We’re not going to buy your products made with BPA. We’re not going to stand for it. It’s not fair. We’re talking about our children.”

Thanks to Lori for speaking for moms everywhere.

Toxic Flame Retardant Banned in New York

Last month, New York state banned TCEP, a toxic flame retardant chemical. The chemical joins TDCP or "Chlorinated Tris" which banned from children’s pajamas after the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission found it carcinogenic in the 1970s. As we reported previously, these chemicals keep popping up in other children’s products like nursing pillows and car seats—where they’re still legal to include.

Strawberry Fields Forever—Pesticide Free?

Also in California, on March 20th, the news broke that the Arysta LifeScience had decided suspend sales of the pesticide methyl iodide—the equally toxic replacement to methyl bromide—which was primarily used on strawberry fields. The Monterey County Weekly reported that earlier that month, California Department of Pesticide Regulation Director Brian Leahy announced a $500,000 grant to the California Strawberry Commission toward research on farming with peat moss and rice hulls, rather than pesticides.

Victory Against Genetically Modified Food!

We are so proud to stand in partnership with the Just Label It campaign, which sponsored the petition telling the FDA to put a label on genetically modified foods. Passing the 1 million signature mark made history; never before have so many people petitioned the FDA on an issue. We are grateful to all of you in the Healthy Child Healthy World community for supporting right to know what's in our food so we can protect our kids' health. Thank you.

Increasing Rates of Autism Reported by Centers for Disease Control

Last week it was reported that 1 in 88 children has some form of autism spectrum disorder, an increase of 78 percent in the last decade, according to CNN. The total number of US kids with autism numbers about one million. Boys outnumber girls with autism, with 1 in 54 boys on the spectrum. Environmental causes of autism are the subject of scientific inquiry, including two large studies by the National Institutes of Health. Healthy Child Healthy World Scientific Advisor Dr. Philip Landrigan is conducting a study about the impact of chemicals in the environment on the developing brain, exploring the possible links between toxic chemicals and autism and other diseases. Dr. Landrigan told New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, “If babies are exposed in the womb or shortly after birth to chemicals that interfere with brain development, the consequences last a lifetime.” We will continue to follow this story that affects so many children and families.

Cosmetics Industry Bill Would Make Things Worse

Our friends at the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics reported the cosmetics industry dominated the first Congressional hearing in 30 years about personal care products and cosmetics safety. In essence, the industry is seeking to enshrine the status quo, which would make the current dangerous situation even worse by failing to protect the health of all of us who use personal care products and the workers who use products daily at nail and beauty salons. Lisa Archer, director of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics at the Breast Cancer Fund wrote, “Essential public health protections could be set back another 70 years if industry gets away with writing its own laws that put industry profits over public health and handcuff states from taking action to protect people.” Stay up to date on the latest by visiting the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics.

Lead and Cadmium Found in Jewelry

A recent HealthyStuff report found that 59% of cheap jewelry sold at stores like Forever 21 and Target contained one or more chemicals—including lead, cadmium and arsenic—considered to be health hazards, Time reported.

Healthy Child Launches Toxic-Free Necklace

And finally, a shameless plug for our new necklace, which launched this week bearing our motto, “no one can do everything; everyone can do something.” Crafted from recycled metals, it’s only $40 in our Shop to Give section and 100% of profits go to Healthy Child Healthy World!

Read more: http://healthychild.org/blog/comments/040312_bpa_flame_retardants_toxic_jewelry/#ixzz1rXmGoH4d

MESSAGE ME FOR INFORMATION ABOUT T0XIC FREE PRODUCTS FOR YOUR HOME.  I CAN HELP YOU HAVE A SAFER HOME ENVIRONMENT FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY!!!  BEST DECISION I EVER MADE WAS TO REMOVE THE PRODUCTS FROM MY HOME, AND TO KEEP MY CHILDREN SAFE!!!

Get your kids on board with going meatless once a week

By Casey Seidenberg

I am not a huge meat eater. I haven’t officially broken this to my boys because I don’t want them to get the idea that they can boycott large categories of food. Also, my older son loves meat. Given a choice, he will choose meat every time. He is growing faster than I can buy shoes, so clearly his meat cravings are his body’s way of demanding the protein, iron and vitamins that it needs. I don’t want to discourage that. He should listen to his body.
When you fill your plate with vegetables, you fill yourself with fiber, which can make you feel full longer. (BARBARA DAMROSCH)

But he, as with all growing children, can obtain some protein, iron, essential vitamins and good fats through sources other than meat. Regularly eating a meatless meal is a positive thing. The average American could lessen the risk of heart disease, cancer, obesity and diabetes by reducing consumption of animal protein.

Our family eats a vegetarian dinner a few times a week, but if you are a family accustomed to meat on your plate, start slowly. Start with meatless Mondays. The concept of “Meatless Mondays” became all the rage a few years ago when the city of San Francisco and the Baltimore Public Schools jumped on board, along with companies such as Toyota, as well as restaurants, celebrities and families across the country. Adopting the Meatless Monday routine is a relaxed and fun way to introduce vegetarian meals to your family.

Share these facts from MeatlessMonday.com with your kids to help them understand the benefits:

■ You can reduce your carbon footprint by cutting back on meat just once a week. According to the United Nations, the meat industry generates nearly one-fifth of the man-made greenhouse gas emissions that are accelerating climate change worldwide.

■ Approximately 1,800 to 2,500 gallons of water go into producing a single pound of beef. That far surpasses the amount of water needed for vegetables and grains.

■21 nations across the globe have their own Meatless Monday movements, including Britain, Australia and Brazil.

■ When you fill your plate with vegetables, you fill yourself with fiber, which can make you feel full longer. (Your kids might then have less room for dessert, but perhaps don’t mention that!)

■Eating vegetarian can save money. (My boys beg me to give them the money we are saving by not eating meat every night. Not going to happen, guys. Sorry!)

Going meatless doesn’t mean having plain pasta or cereal for dinner, and it doesn’t mean a lot of extra work. Be sure your meal offers enough protein, calcium, iron and good fats to nourish the body. Beans, peas, lentils, quinoa, nuts and seeds are healthful alternatives. Also think ethnic foods, as many wonderful Indian and Asian dishes are naturally meatless.

An easy start is a simple meal of beans and rice. My kids like to add their own toppings such as chopped tomatoes, peppers, avocado, scallions, grated cheese and sliced mangoes. Set the table with toppings and watch your kids create their own meals.

Why not start this week? Go meatless on Monday, and let me know how it goes.

Stress Takes a Toll on Your Body and Mind

Stress doesn't just rattle your nerves and put you on edge. The effects of stress can include forgetfulness, sexual problems, insomnia, and hair loss.

When most of us think of the physical effects of stress, our minds jump to common complaints like headaches and upset stomachs. Stress, however, can affect many aspects of physical and mental health, ranging from hair, teeth, and skin to memory and concentration skills, and even how well we sleep. The good news is while these problems may seem serious, stress relief can lead to real improvements in your overall health and well-being.

By: Kristen Stewart

Forgetfulness Due to Stress

We all have our moments of not being able to find our car keys, but research shows that the more stress we are under, the more frequent these mental lapses may become. In fact, not only can long-term stress (over a period of weeks or months) disrupt communication between brain cells, but even several hours of acute stress can affect the brain’s ability to store information and create solid memories. For many people, frequent bouts of forgetfulness can lead to fears about Alzheimer’s disease. But before jumping to conclusions, take a step back and consider whether any chronic stress in your life may be playing a role in memory issues.

Stress and Reduced Immunity

Excessive stress and anxiety can lead to reduced immunity and an increased chance of getting sick. This link between stress and the body’s ability to fight disease may go all the way back to childhood. Researchers have found that adolescents who were abused or experienced other, intensely stressful situations as children were less able to ward off certain infections even years later. It’s crucial to keep daily stress under control as much as possible to offset the effects of past stress and encourage good health in the present.

Concentration and Stress

Bad news for stressed-out students cramming for exams — it turns out that being under pressure can affect how well our brains work. Specifically, one small study showed that medical students studying for board exams had more trouble focusing their attention than others who were not stressed. The good news? A month after the stressful period was over, the stressed group’s mental skills returned to normal.

Sexual Problems Due to Stress

The effects of stress can extend to the bedroom. While most men may experience erectile dysfunction from time to time, when it happens frequently, its underlying cause should be investigated. Causes of erectile dysfunction can include diabetes, high blood pressure, side effects of certain medications, and chronic stress. Stress can also contribute to a loss of sexual desire in both men and women

Substance Abuse and Stress

For individuals struggling with alcohol ordrugs, stress can wreak havoc on efforts to remain substance-free. Even for people who have abstained for a long time, stress can play a significant role in contributing to a relapse. Interestingly, not only can stress in adulthood contribute to substance abuse, but experiencing a severe psychosocial stressor during childhood can also increase your risk for drug or alcohol abuse as an adult.

Skin Problems From Stress

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, our internal thoughts and feelings can actually affect our external appearance. This is particularly true when it comes to stress. One of the effects of stress is skin that’s more sensitive to irritants. Stress can worsen pre-existing conditions including rosacea, psoriasis, and acne, as well as dehydrate the skin, permitting allergens, bacteria, and pollutants to irritate it.

Stress and Dental Health

Regular brushing, flossing, and dental check-ups — most of us are well-versed in what it takes to keep our teeth healthy. But how many of us realize that the effects of stress can impact dental health? During the day and even while sleeping, people under stress may clench their teeth or grind them back and forth against one another. This action, called bruxism, can not only wear down and damage your teeth, but may also cause temporomandibular joint problems (TMJ), leading to severe jaw and neck pain.

Forgetfulness Due to Stress

We all have our moments of not being able to find our car keys, but research shows that the more stress we are under, the more frequent these mental lapses may become. In fact, not only can long-term stress (over a period of weeks or months) disrupt communication between brain cells, but even several hours of acute stress can affect the brain’s ability to store information and create solid memories. For many people, frequent bouts of forgetfulness can lead to fears about Alzheimer’s disease. But before jumping to conclusions, take a step back and consider whether any chronic stress in your life may be playing a role in memory issues.

Stress-Induced Hair Loss

Some amount of hair loss is normal — strands fall out over time and get replaced by new ones. However, when you’re under physical or emotional stress the normal shedding of 100 or so hairs a day can speed up to the point where half to three-quarters of your hair can fall out. Known as telogen effluvium, this diffuse and often stress-induced hair loss may not happen right away. In fact, it may take weeks or months after the stressful event for the hair to actually shed. Fortunately, after six to eight months this type of hair loss often improves.

Climate of disrespect for teachers gets worse

This was written by Gregory Michie, who teaches in the Department of Foundations and Social Policy at Concordia University Chicago. His next book, “We Don’t Need Another Hero: Struggle, Hope, and Possibility in the Age of High-Stakes Schooling,” will be published later this year by Teachers College Press. This first appeared at educationclearinghouse.wordpress.com.

By Gregory Michie

Just when you think the climate of disrespect for teachers can’t get any worse, it does.

The Chicago Tribune’s editorial board has now urged Illinois parents to demand that the state emulate New York City (and Los Angeles) by making individual teachers’ “value-added” ratings available for public scrutiny.

For those not versed in the latest trend in educational accountability,“value-added” formulas are complex statistical calculations that attempt to isolate a teacher’s impact on a student’s growth — as measured by gains on standardized test scores. In essence, value-added measurestry to show how much of a student’s test score increase can be chalked up solely to the influence of their teacher.

If that sounds tricky and imprecise, that’s because it is — and there’s no research to show that value-added models have done anything to help teachers improve, or to help kids learn.

But why quibble with little details like those? Instead, the Tribune’seditors gave a rousing endorsement not only of using value-added teacher evaluations, but of making individual teacher’s ratings public.

They called value-added data the “the gold standard for teacher accountability” and “a powerful indication of a teacher’s effectiveness.”

Really?

Not according to Maribeth Whitehouse, a Bronx special education teacher who scored in the 99th percentile — better than nearly all other teachers in New York City — on the recently released value-added Teacher Data Reports (TDRs). Despite her through-the-roof rating, Whitehouse isn’t hailing the evaluations. Instead, she told the New York Times’ Michael Winerip that the data is “nonsense” — and she’s penning a protest letter with other high-scoring teachers.

Elizabeth Phillips, principal of P.S. 321 in Brooklyn’s Park Slope neighborhood, said on this blog that value-added ratings for teachers in her school were “extremely inaccurate.” Among many other critiques, she cites the case of one teacher who was rated near the bottom — at the 6th percentile, according to the TDRs. In reality, Phillips writes, the “teacher in question is an exceptionally strong teacher by any other measure (parent feedback, colleague’s opinions, my observations over many years).”

For those who find that evidence too anecdotal, check the findings of a 2010 study commissioned by the U.S. Department of Education. Researchers found that value-added estimates were “subject to a considerable degree of random error” — misclassifying teachers up to 26% of the time.

And just last week, Stanford professor Linda Darling-Hammond, who has studied value-added models extensively, wrote in Education Weekthat such methods are “seriously flawed for evaluating individual teachers, and that rigorous, ongoing assessment by teaching experts serves everyone better.”

Despite the evidence that value-added models are inconsistent, volatile, and inappropriate for assessing individual teachers, some districts and states (including Illinois) have still decided to adopt them as part of their teacher evaluation systems. It’s bad enough that they’re buying into an error-prone approach. But publicizing the results is beyond the pale. What possible purpose does that serve except to further disrespect and demoralize an already thoroughly bludgeoned teaching force?

Even those who advocate for the tailored use of value-added measures believe that publicizing individual teachers’ ratings is flat-out wrongheaded. Douglas Harris, a University of Wisconsin-Madison professor who is considered a leading expert on value-added teacher evaluation, wrote that the Los Angeles Times publication of teachers’ scores in 2010 was an “ill-conceived, headline-grabbing approach [that] will only breed mistrust among the teachers being evaluated, without doing anything to actually help students.”

Harris added, “Let’s hope that other districts avoid making the same mistake.” Are you listening, Illinois?

If it were just the Tribune’s editorial board clamoring for public value-added ratings, we might do well to just ignore them. But in the current moment, where teachers are assumed to need both constant carrots and stronger sticks in order to work harder and do better, I wouldn’t be surprised to see more powerful voices join the chorus.

But we need only look to New York to witness the slippery slope that would likely result. After that city’s value-added numbers were published — inaccuracies and all — the New York Post shamelessly ran an article about a Queens teacher it called “the city’s worst” — complete with an accompanying photo.

We’ve already created a climate where good, hard-working educators feel justifiably discouraged and unjustly maligned. The irresponsible use of value-added models will only make things worse. Considering the tone of the public debate and the high-stakes working conditions in many schools, we should count ourselves fortunate to have so many passionate, talented, creative teachers still in the profession. Let’s not give them another reason to think about leaving.

Drugmakers Have Paid $8 Billion in Fraud Fines

By Kelly Kennedy

March 10, 2012 "USA TODAY" -- WASHINGTON – The nation's largest drugmakers have paid at least $8 billion in fines for repeatedly defrauding Medicare and Medicaid over the past decade, but they remain in business with the federal government because they are often the sole suppliers of critical products, records show.

Pfizer, the maker of drugs that help alleviate arthritis and other ailments, has paid almost $3 billion in fines since 2002 and entered into three corporate integrity agreements with the Department of Health and Human Services aimed at preventing future fraud. It and other companies are fighting attempts by Congress to exclude them from government business because of their history of fraud.

Merck, another pharmaceutical giant, paid $1.6 billion in fines since 2008, Medicare and Justice Department records show, to resolve claims it was not paying proper rebates to the government.

Pfizer's 2009 settlement was for improperly promoting the use of drugs for purposes other than those for which they were approved by the government. Merck's 2008 settlement involved claims the company paid illegal kickbacks to health care providers in exchange for prescribing its drugs.

Government investigators say their hands are tied with the tools they have. They can exclude Pfizer and other pharmaceutical companies from providing medications to Medicaid and Medicare beneficiaries as punishment for bad behavior, but that would leave beneficiaries without drugs patented through a particular company.

Or they can fine the companies and force them to enter corporate integrity agreements that require government oversight and a promise not to defraud the government again — a promise that often goes unkept.

"We're seeing some of the big companies a second and third time," said Gregory Demske, assistant inspector general for legal affairs for Health and Human Services. "The corporate integrity agreement is not sufficient to deter further misconduct."

In addition, the cases are labor- and cost-intensive as the companies fight often for years to avoid an exclusion, Demske said.

To try to change that trend, the government announced in 2010 that, rather than exclude an entire company, investigators would go after individuals within a company. Demske said his organization, the Justice Department and the Food and Drug Administration have come up with some ideas to use within the scope of the rules — such as taking away a company's patent rights as a condition of a settlement. That could begin with cases being investigated now, he said.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, introduced a bipartisan bill that would make it easier for the government to find a middle ground, saying the law now forces "the inspector general to use all-or-nothing, mandatory exclusion penalties against corporations that have committed fraud." The bill would allow the exclusion of individuals from working with the government even after they've left the company where the fraud occurred.

Pharmaceutical companies altogether spent more than $200 million lobbying Congress in 2011, including $12 million spent by Pfizer. At least 12 pharmaceutical and medical device companies are lobbying specifically against a House bill, HR 675, that complements Grassley's.

None of the pharmaceutical companies —Abbott Laboratories, Pfizer or Bristol-Myers Squibb— contacted by USA TODAY responded to questions about their response to the government's proposed enforcement actions.

The industry's trade group, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, says excluding an individual should occur only when there is "significant wrongdoing" that the individual knew about and did nothing to stop, said Matthew Bennett, the group's senior vice president.