Friday, April 27, 2007


When John Elder Robison knocks....
I open the door and say, "Welcome."
I know we're not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but this one says so much. And is related to two topics near and dear to my heart. Autism (and its cousin Asperger's Syndrome) and publishing.
The author of this book, due out in September, popped into my blog this week. That would be John Elder Robison.
I'm tickled pink that he did for two reasons. 1) He is a person with Asperger's syndrome (sort of the top of the autism food chain.) I want to know more people on the spectrum who can talk t0 me and help me explain what my girls might be feeling and thinking and needing. 2) John's book took the publishing world by storm recently.
So, welcome John. I look forward to learning as much as I can about your perspective. But please, can you explain the ear wiggle thing to me? :)
Here's a link to John's site. http://www.johnrobison.com/
WOW! Penguin/Putnam Features Autism Page!

This is quite endearing to me. One of the world's largest publishers, Penguin Putnam, is featuring an autism awareness banner on their site! With savings on their autism related books. Perhaps they'd like to add a fabulously funny fiction title to their autism roster???? (Call Eric Myers at The Spieler Agency. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge!)

Putnam is also the publisher of the forthcoming LOTTERY by someone I am now proud to call a friend and mentor, Patricia Wood.

http://patriciawoodauthor.com/index.htm

I feel quite cheered. I'm going back to the Putnam site to look at that banner again.

http://us.penguingroup.com/static/html/parenting/autismfeature.html
Tagging Notable Blogs. Blogs that make me think. OK, here goes.

1) Susan Senator. Sue is a writer and also the mom to a child with autism. She's also a killer belly dancer who proves the fabulosity of 40. We have relationship that crosses over many boundries imposed by, well, no one really knows who imposes them, they're just there. Sue and I say "Oh, screw that. Here. you row for a while then I'll take a turn."

http://www.susansenator.com/blog/

2) This Is What I Do. Funny lady. Has a son with autism and we share a certain pissy anger about the entire ordeal. A "wtf" sensibility.

http://tiwid.blogspot.com/

3) Manic Mom. Her sometimes scary candor and outrageous humor are tons of fun. Who else would talk about her bathroom trip at Home Depot?

http://manicmommy.blogspot.com/

4) Musings of a Louisiana Liar. How can you not love that blog title? Jana DeLeon's blog. Author, and admitted liar. Lots of good writing info there and fun too.

http://janadeleon.blogspot.com/

5) A funny Boston Irishman's blog. I am part funny Boston Irish,er,woman. My Grandmother was Anna Sullivan doncha know. I'm not all Italiano, although I embrace that part of my life because the food is way better than the Irish side and I can't get the smell of the rich, red Sicilian leather that covered our 1976 Caddy Coupe de Ville out of my nose. I do embrace the Irish love of hoisting a fine pint of black and tan, though. And I choke down soda bread once a year. I'll drink tea when my throat closes to the size of a Q-Tip stick too.

http://ghostofmintyhatton.blogspot.com/

Enjoy!

Thursday, April 26, 2007

TWO YEARS LATER..... Some autism groups are still claiming "it's genetic." And herrings are blood red.......

Summary: Autism studies often yield useless info. Autism is not a straight genetic "blip" that has come about in the last 20 years.

Autism: Lots of clues, but still no answers
14 May 2005
NewScientist.com news service
Celeste Biever

THE risk of autism in twins appears to be related to the month they are born in. The chance of both babies having the disorder is 80 per cent higher for January births than December births.
This was one of the many findings presented at the conference in Boston last week. It typifies the problems with many autism studies: the numbers are too small to be definitive - this one was based on just 161 multiple-birth babies - and even if the finding does stand up, it raises many more questions than it answers. For instance, is infection during pregnancy to blame? Or another environmental factor that varies with the season? Is it the birth date that is important, or the date of conception?

While it is now clear that autism is a complicated combination of genetic and environmental factors, no one knows exactly what these environmental effects are and which genes they might be interacting with to cause autism. "We clearly have a daunting task ahead of us," Craig Newschaffer of the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health in Baltimore, Maryland, and a member of the birth-date study team, told the conference. "We have had slower-than-hoped for progress finding autism genes, and now we see an increased focus on the environment in autism."

Based on twin studies, the consensus is that, depending on how you define autism, between 60 and 90 per cent of cases are genetic in origin. And although progress has been slow, geneticists are homing in on some of the genes involved.

Eric Geschwind of the University of California, Los Angeles, announced that he has linked a region on chromosome 17 to autism, confirming earlier studies. Other recent studies have linked mutations in specific genes to some cases of autism, including two genes that code for brain proteins called neuroligins, which are involved in the transmission of nerve impulses. Further emphasising the genetic basis of the disease, Geschwind has also found that although people with autism have larger heads than the population in general, on average their heads are no larger than those of siblings and parents without the disorder.

“What if you have an infant with some genetic susceptibility to autism and then you add a toxin? It looks very disturbing”

One of the reasons progress has been slow is that many genes appear to be involved. Some people with autism have mutations in one gene or set of genes, and others have mutations in different ones. That makes it hard to carry out the statistical studies needed to pinpoint the genes involved. Geschwind thinks that the best way forward is to first identify smaller, measurable components of the disorder, and then to look for the genetic underpinnings of each one.

But it is not just about genes. "The genetics is very compelling and explains most of the risk, but there is room for the environment since genetics cannot explain it all," Geschwind says.
“The genetics explains most of the risk, but there is room for the environment since genetics cannot explain it all.”

Identifying which genes and which environmental factors are interacting presents enormous challenges, says Ellen Silbergeld, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. "One real problem is we don't have a good idea of the disease's history," she says. She points out that our understanding of heart disease was greatly helped by the Framingham Heart Study, which followed around 5000 individuals for up to 50 years.

Autism not only lacks a similar study, but also presents more challenges, because fewer people develop autism than heart disease, and because it might be not one but multiple disorders with related sets of symptoms. "Are we talking about 10 different diseases?" Silbergeld asks.
Complicating the story still further is the apparent rise in autism. The Autism Society of America estimates that there was an increase of 172 per cent in the US in the 1990s, though the population grew only 13 per cent. It is still not clear if the rise is due to some new, presumably environmental, factor or if doctors are simply becoming better at diagnosing the disorder. But that has not held people back. "We are going through a frenzied period," says David Amaral at the University of California, Davis. "People speculate wildly about the things that could cause autism."

Some have focused on exposure to viruses or vaccines, others on pollutants such as mercury. Emitted by factories and power stations, some forms of mercury build up in animals such as fish and enter the food chain. In 2003, a small study by paediatrician Amy Holmes found much lower levels of mercury than normal in the hair of children with autism (New Scientist, 21 June 2003, page 4). Her hotly contested theory is that they have an impaired ability to excrete mercury.

In Boston, Jim Adams, a chemical engineer at Arizona State University in Tempe who has an autistic daughter and believes that mercury causes many cases of autism, presented results supporting Holmes's theory. He found that children with autism have up to three times as much mercury as normal in their baby teeth, yet lower levels in their hair.

And in December last year, Jill James of the University of Arkansas published a study showing that people with autism have lowered levels of glutathione, a compound that detoxifies mercury. But as so often with autism, far more studies are needed before any conclusions can be drawn.
Others are looking at polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs. Banned in most countries since the 1970s, PCBs still persist in the environment and in animals and people. A team led by Tal Kenet of the University of California, San Francisco, found that one type of PCB can devastate the auditory cortex in rats, the brain area that processes sound signals according to frequency.
Some people with autism have abnormal auditory cortices and difficulty communicating verbally, despite having perfect hearing on regular hearing tests. Kenet speculates that this could be linked to exposure to PCBs or other toxic substances. Although it is far too early to confirm the link with autism, no one had ever looked at this before. "What if you have an infant with some genetic susceptibility to autism and then you add a toxin? In all it looks very disturbing," she says.

There could be a whole host of chemicals that wreak havoc on the brains of genetically susceptible individuals, team member Isaac Pessah of the University of California, Davis, told the meeting. He points out that according to the US National Toxicology Report, between 60 and 80 per cent of the chemicals we are exposed to through pesticides, cosmetics and foods have not undergone adequate risk assessment.

From issue 2499 of New Scientist magazine, 14 May 2005, page 14
LOTTERY WINNER LOSES LIFE

This story/obituary just hit me.

"Wayne Schenk, who fought unsuccessfully to get a $1,000,000 New York State Lottery prize paid in a lump sum so he could use it to treat his cancer, died here on Monday. He was 51."

The $5 scratch off ticket paid $1,000,000 over twenty years. Mr. Schenk lobbied the New York State Lottery commission to pay out the entire sum to him so that he could pay for cancer treatments. He learned he had cancer 5 weeks before he won the lottery. The NY Lottery declined to change the rules of the ticket. Mr. Schenk received his first $50,000 installment before his death.

1) Could he have sold his ticket annuity to one of those companies that advertises on the radio that makes lump sum pay outs for a fee? 2) Could the NY Lottery commission have changed the pay out rules for this case? 3) If you die, do your Lottery winnings CEASE or do they go to your survivors?


Tuesday, April 24, 2007

As if we Americans needed another reason NOT to eat "Spotted Dick?"

CONTEST: Name this dude. Leave your suggestions in the comments. Prize? The glory of a win. My choice? Ivgotta Nodicki.

"HORRIFIED diners watched in shock as a maniac sliced off his manhood in a crowded pizza restaurant.The 35-year-old Pole burst into the Zizzi eaterie in central London and grabbed a knife from the kitchen.He then leapt on a table and dropped his trousers as customers fled screaming.A witness said: “There was blood everywhere. Everyone ran out of the place.”Surgeons battling to save the severed willy tried to sew it back on in the first UK op of its kind. "

So, what now he's a poleless Pole? A Pole with a hole? Not quite sure.

Need to read the entire story?

http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2007180857,00.html
WRONG CALL!

My dear friend Gen is going to the Arbonne International annual event in Las Vegas. Arbonne is a MLM company offering high end skin care, make up etc. Think Mary Kay without the big hair and pink Cadillac*. Arbonne offers a White Mercedes as their incentive car. How nice is that!

Gen is my age and has two young kids (not autistic.) I know how much I'd love a trip away by myself for several days. So I called her this morning at 8:30am to wish her a safe and fun trip. I knew she was leaving on Monday.

Today is Monday, right? Um, no. Today is TUESDAY. She's already in Las Vegas. Did I mention we live on the EAST COAST? So I managed to wake my best friend at 5:30am, put the fear of God into her (I'm sure) by an early morning call and then ask her "Why are you whispering?" when she answered. What a maroon I am!

Sorry Gen. Go back to sleep.

* By the way, have you SEEN the new Mary Kay pink Cadillacs?? They are this very cool iridescent pinky/lavender/white color. We have one in town and I always wave and smile to the woman driving it. It's takes a lot of work, drive, dedication and success to get that car.

:)

Friday, April 20, 2007


Friends or Storylines??
Why do you get all excited when you see a new release from a favorite author? For the fresh story or to visit with old friends? I'm definitely a character driven reader. Evanovich? Can't get enough of Plum. Churchill? I love Jane Jeffry even as I'm becoming Jane Jeffry (getting older, you know.) Rita Mae Brown? I adore Sneaky Pie and Harry Haristeen. I read for characters far more than for story.
I started this love for character driven series out of college. I lived down the street from the Newton Corner library. I'd get out of work at Hill, Holliday advertising, trudge onto the bus and ride home, passing the library every day. I grabbed a book from the mid-1960's about a cop named Luis Mendoza, written by Dell Shannon. I read the first book. Then the second. And on and on. Luis and his crowd became like friends. I was fresh out of college. Had a boyfriend with a wandering eye who wasn't always a reliable date and felt kind of lonely. Reading gobbled up empty hours and introduced me to many new friends.
I haven't been so bold as to think my book could become a series. That's just crazy talk when you're a newbie like I am. But I have to admit, I hope my characters come to life for readers in such a way that when they close the book, they're eager to return again.
So how about it? Character or story? What's your choice?

Autism does not equal Sociopath....
These three girls have autism. They are not sociopathic. They do not have a mean bone in their bodies. They are not deranged. They will not knowingly harm you. They do not plot revenge. They HAVE AUTISM.
Please, if you hear on the news "The Virginia Tech Shooter is said to have had autism" block your ears. Sing "la la la I can't heeeear you!" as loud as you can. You can also spit if you're outside for good measure.
Here's my post on the topic from Huffington Post. It's on the main blogroll, not Fearless Voices.
(PS) If you're wondering why this unusal art for a holiday card? Have you ever tried to get three kids with autism to look at a camera and smile? I'll say no more. ;)

Thursday, April 19, 2007

Spring Break(ing point.)

Spring break, 2007, day 4. STILL NO SUN!!!! No, I'm not in Mexico. Nor Florida. I'm in stinking Connecticut, land of the gloomiest spring ever to torment the United States of America.

I lived in CLEVELAND FREAKING OHIO for ten years and never saw a spring this nasty. Cleveland is God's homage to the color gray. Lake Erie ensures that old Sol makes nothing more than a guest appearance every so often to keep NE Ohioans from going insane.

Now Connecticut, in my beloved New England, the land I pined for during 14 long years of separation has turned on me. We haven't seen ONE crocus. Not a hint of a daffodil. Nothing. Rain. Cold. Wind. That's it.

Spring break. Indeed.

Sunday, April 15, 2007

BECAUSE I COULD

I read a very fun book on Friday night. Yes, the entire book. It's called "Because She Can" by Bridie Clark. It's about a young woman in the publishing industry who goes to work for the Queen Shrew of the business. Sort of like The Devil Wears Prada meets the book business.

The book itself was a fun, engaging read. But it was the very last page that got me. Ms. Clark thanks a long list of folks at the end of the book. Not only did I recognize the name of her agent, my eyeballs grew larger than their already Marty Feldman size when I read the name of her editor. I know this editor by name. I haven't met her though.

This is a first. I've been reading books and acknowledgements for quite a few years. "Blah blah blah, thanks to the inventor of Garamond, couldn't have written this book without my herbalist and my thirty seven cats, etc."

Now that my book is "out there" I am paying attention to editors and imprints and such. And the editor who bought "Because She Can" is reading my book. What emotion did that stir? Think of the thrill of a first kiss combined with the upward launch of your guts on a giant rollercoaster hill. The big one that lifts you out of your seat and scares you out of your pants and comes darn close to emptying out your bladder. Cold sweat meets high hopes. This woman bought the book that was in my hands. And she will be reading my book.

Aye yi yi.

Well, off to look at the NorEaster pounding outside. We're not far from the coast and the lashing is impressive in a "hope we stay dry" kind of way. Spring break looms. Tomorrow we brave the weather for a drive to Massachusetts to GrandE and Granpa's house. Good food, four extra hands and two giant hearts to help with the girls. And I get a night out with friends on Tuesday.
Why? BECAUSE I CAN! ;)

Friday, April 13, 2007

My Agent Says I Need A Platform....
I'm new to the writing world. I am seeking to have my first manuscript published. I am called a"newbie." I wear the name with pride along with a boatload of newbies I've met on writers' lists, in blogs and websites. We are clueless, eager writers who want to learn as much as possible while avoiding the complete humiliation that lurks around every corner. We blog and ask a million questions. We subject ourselves to Miss Snark's wrath and her cluegun, Lit Agent X's query killing reviews, Backspace's backlash and myriad other writerly forums (fora?) to become better writers and marketers of our work. We swill gin for inspiration. The delete button is our friend. "THAT", adverbs, "WHICH, strike fear in our hearts. We learn the rules. We hear the rules have changed. We re-learn the rules.
WE DON'T GIVE UP.
And many of us, who write in a certain genre called "chick lit" wear kick-ass shoes like the pair that arrived at my front door yesterday.
Someone tell Eric I now have a platform. A pair at that.


Thursday, April 12, 2007


SOUTHERN COMFORT!
Ask my Mom about Kim and Southern Comfort and a particularly awkward introduction between my high school boyfriend and my Dad. "Ah, hi, Dr. Rossi. Here's Kim." Dead drunk with my boots on the wrong feet I believe. Ah crazy youth!
But I digress. Check out this photo! My husband Mark went to Nashville on business yesterday. No, he does not sell banjos, big-hair hair spray or rhinestone jackets. But he has a client outside of Nashville so there he went.
He called me to say he saw "GOO GOO's" in the airport store. Hey, I might be a Yankee to the core, but I know what a GOO GOO is - even if I'd never tasted one. Southern Treat Extraordinaire! And MOON PIES! The original. The real deal. Not the Burry knock-offs I ate as a kid. (Isn't the packaging gorgeous!?) I said "Oh my Gosh! Bring Some Home!" I figured he'd bring a Goo Goo and a Moon Pie. Not an entire box. But StagMan is a generous sort. So I now have boxes of the stuff.
I ate a Moon Pie. Tasty. I haven't tackled the Goo Goo's yet. Got to pace myself. Is it 10:00am yet???
If any of you Southerners would like a Northern equivalent let me know. I'll send you a box of Funny Bones, Yodels and Sky Bars.
Hope y'all have a good day.
Kurt Vonnegut has Died

Can't call yourself a writer and not comment on his passing. Ouch.

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Crease Attack

OK. Two news bits have caught my eye. The three young men caught in the Duke Lacrosse Scandal have had their charges dropped. Case closed. I assume that they'll be able to get their lives back on track in some fashion. Not sure about the accuser. I hope she can too. It will be interesting to see if they bring charges against their accuser or the former prosecutor.

That case attracted my attention because I have a soft spot in my heart for lacrosse players. Decent ones, mind you. Not ones who would treat women like dirt. I suppose someone will write a book about it. Please, don't query my agent, OK?

The lacrosse players I knew where good guys. Protective guys. I dated an All American midfielder from Baltimore, prime lacrosse breeding ground, for many years. He was recruited to an Ivy League school. A broken ankle waylaid him though. Insert crude joke here. Mr. Midi is still a good friend many years later. I love that.

My cousin's son starts for Yale lacrosse and his younger brother will be playing for Yale next year as a freshman. Her sister's son plays for Colorado. These kids are real live people - not just "rich white boys." Just as the women who entertained the Duke boys were real live people - not just "entertainment." It's a tragic, sordid story all around. No winners. No winner.

And now I read that MSNBC has dropped Don Imus' program. Imus said an incredibly stupid, hurtful thing about young women who should have been able to concentrate on their success, not their hair or skin color. I guess he's been watching MTV and BET and listening to the radio and picked up some foul language.

But Don Imus has also been a true supporter of the autism community. I do wonder if he's been shit canned for a reason somewhat unrelated to his verbal gaffe. I do indeed. You'd be surprised at what goes on in our little world. Gotta dodge, gotta roll, gotta win.

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

File under "J" for Juxtaposition.

Yesterday I had a great day in NY.
Today? I am H-O-M-E!

Oh, cleaning is easier
when you can dance around the house
listening to your new Sirius radio to replace
the one that pooped out last week. Dusting
to Depeche Mode is decidedly less dreary than
simply humming the old Pledge song about
the Lemon Tree.

Yes, the glamorous life of the writer/autism
Mom never ends.

Monday, April 09, 2007

Kim (left) and Pat Wood at breakfast today in NY.
File under "P" for Pretentious

This is quite possibly the most pretentious sentence ever to come out of my mouth, er, fingers. "I had coffee with my agent in NY today."

To start the morning right, I had breakfast with Pat Wood, author of Lottery, due out in August! Do go to her site and read about this amazing book about a cognitively challenged man who wins the lottery. I had the pleasure of reading Lottery recently. Pat honored me with a manuscript because I have three daughters with autism. Not mental retardation, but similar challenges nonetheless. I was happy to share my opinion and a blurb.
You can learn about Lottery at http://patriciawoodauthor.com/index.htm . Do yourself a favor and pre-order a copy.

My own book, One Kat. Two Lives. is Mom lit with murder, it's very funny and yes it has two kids with autism in the mix (shocking I'd pick that topic, isn't it?) But my book has an overlap with Lottery in that Pat and I have both chosen to portray our characters with dignitiy, humanity, humor (mine a bit more graphic than hers) and capabilities - despite what the world chooses to feel about Perry L. Crandall (her guy) and Sophie and Dom Perroli (my two young characters with autism.) Oh, and her book is coming out in August and mine is not quite at that point in the publishing process. Rather a large distinction!

Coffee with the agent formerly known as "Super Agent X", now known as Eric Myers was divine. I am comfortable with him. I respect him. I like him. He is a delight. It's a great feeling to know my book is in such capable hands.

File that under "H" for happy.

Sunday, April 08, 2007


Woke up this morning.......
Yes, yes, I know it's Easter. Happy Easter. Bunny found us. Candy galore. Went to 8:15 Mass. Eggs everywhere.
Tonight starts the final 9 episodes of The Sopranos. JOY! Can't wait to see what happens to Tony and the gang.
I've got to tease my hair into a Jersey heap. Where's the Freeze and Shine??

Saturday, April 07, 2007


The Power of Words? How about 1 word?


I'll tell you about the power of a simple word. Immeasurable. This morning, this darling 6 year old said, "shoe" when I put her shoes on her. All by herself. Contrary to popular belief, my chatty husband and I have NOT sucked all the words out of our household. Miss Peanut will speak - the words are in there. I am determined to help her get them out. SHOE. Way to go kiddo. She loves that trampoline - check out her smile.

Friday, April 06, 2007






Writer's Digest, October 1976

LOOK! Mommy Can Write!



I found this magazine in an antique store in Plainville, Mass last year. Isn't it great? I am fortunate to have a sleek glass desk and a computer instead of an ironing board.



Ironing boards make me break out in a cold sweat. Why? Not because I have an aversion to ironing. I like ironing! It's just that a few years back, my husband worked for a German company that makes ironing boards and I was drafting to demo the product on QVC. Yes, I played Carol Merrill at 7:03 am deftly showing off the marvelous attributes of an ironing board. You'll note that 1976 Mommy uses Easy-On. I am a Niagara spray starch girl. As was my Mother.









Daddy's All Right!

How's that for a guilt trip? This is only 31 years ago folks. My husband has supported my writing from day one. And signing with an agent made the process seem that much more realistic to him. He's really excited for me and I love that.

This magazine reminds me of the old Enjoli perfume ad. "I can bring home the bacon! Fry it up in a pan. And never let you forget you're a man! 'Cause I'm a woman! And I wear Enjoli."


I usually wear whatever my kids smear on me. If you have a nut allergy don't get too close.

Thursday, April 05, 2007

Katie Wright Hildebrand and Becky Grant-Widen Join
National Autism Association Board

I am delighted to see Ms. Wright Hildebrand lending her considerable talents and passion to NAA.

NAA is putting dollars into the hands of needy families and funding research with immediately actionable results for our kids.

I'll look forward to seeing Katie and Becky at the NAA conference in Atlanta in November. I am on the conference committee.

You can read the entire press release here:

www.nationalautismassociation.org

Wednesday, April 04, 2007

Sirius'ly Struggling

I can't get a signal on my Sirius satellite radio! I can listen on my computer - but the receiver that I use in the kitchen and the car might be broken. It is only picking up the signal sporadically. I haven't listened to FM radio in over a year. I am reminded WHY I dropped testicular radio (as its called on Howard Stern) every time I hear a cheesy car dealership commercial or a request for pledges or Dust in the Wind. Sirius, COME BACK! I think I need a new receiver. Mark gets home tonight from the West Coast. I'm putting him on the job.

Tuesday, April 03, 2007

I need someone smart to solve this mystery please.

OK, so according to this article, adults are passing whooping cough (Pertussis) onto babies. Therefore, adults need a whooping cough booster vaccine. But aren't the babies already vaccinated against whooping cough courtesy of the DTaP vaccine which is on the AAP vaccine schedule at 2 months, with another dose at 4 months and yet another at 6 months? So the answer is, if the vacccine is not working in the babies, lets give more to the adults?

Cases of whooping cough are on the rise, according to a new study, and researchers say parents may be giving their children the disease. (Maybe the vaccine isn't working??)

A new study finds parents are the source of a child's whooping cough in 55 percent of infants.
In all, household members are responsible for 75 percent of cases among babies.

A panel that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now recommends vaccination for all older people if they have contact with infants.

The study appears in the Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal.
NO EVIDENCE OF HARM

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/03/science/earth/03water.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

Don't you love that phrase? I saw it this morning in the New York Times article about the levels of drugs in our water. Drugs like antibiotics and birth control pills. Drugs we pee out into toilets and then flush into public water treatment plants. Drugs we flush down toilets as DEA pounds on our... Oh, wait, no, that was an episode of WEEDS. Drugs we flush down the toilet when they expire or when great grandma expires and you no longer need the 24 bottles of pills she was taking. (I heard she died of natural causes but I have my doubts.)

OK - so the article says some states are taking precautions although there is -- Say it with me! -- NO EVIDENCE OF HARM. The good news is you may be able to clear up that yucky clumpy stuff growing out of your skoodlydoodly and prevent pregnancy simply by turning on the tap. The bad news is we really have no idea the long term effect of the small amounts of these chemicals in our water on children especially.

FDA suggests you read the literature with your drugs to find out how to dispose of them. Hello? People can't be bothered to recycle tin cans - they're going to save their little flyer with their meds and refer to it before they toss the meds they didn't bother to take in the first place? And then take the meds to safe disposal centers? Sure - just drop them off along with the new mercury light bulbs that require special disposal processing too.

Oh, and if the term EVIDENCE OF HARM sounds familiar? It should That's the title of David Kirby's book from 2005 that examines the mercury and vaccine controversy. www.evidenceofharm.com You see, the experts say "There is no evidence of harm" from mercury in vaccines. It's not quite the same as saying "Mercury in vaccines is safe." It's more like a Jack Ass stunt. "I wonder if jumping out of a ninth story window smeared in Vaseline onto a field of cacti will cause injury." Some things should be left to common sense, eh?

We have no evidence that landing on the moon and ripping of your helmet will kill you. Care to try it? Let's call that crazy Astronaut lady.

Monday, April 02, 2007

Was that Sanjaya in that Lexus? Or Another American Idol?

So there was a Lexus SUV across the street for over an hour today. With a woman just sitting in the car. Didn't seem like she was casing the street for robberies. It was a dumb place to park - we live on a busy street just after the crest of a hill. Lo and behold, up pulls another SUV. Drug deal!? No. The dingbat ran out of gas. It was probably her husband holding the little red gas can.
Happy Passover to my Jewish friends.

Sunday, April 01, 2007

Now what?

For Christians, today is Palm Sunday. A somber day when we remember the impending crucifixion of Jesus on Good Friday. For pranksters, today is April Fools day.

That could explain the 200 pound, dark chocolate Jesus exhibit that is raising eyebrows and fists all over the place.

http://gawker.com/news/funny-headlines/rewriting-the-daily-news-chocolate-jesus-248406.php

Note: The Gawker article on the Sweet Jesus art is definitely snarky and the comment trail, while very funny, is sure to offend some people. Frankly, I thought one commenter asking if we'd celebrate the "Pezurrection" was brilliant, in a "going straight to hell" sort of way. Is it getting hot in here?