Chewin’ The Fat Friday
Posted by Michelle Moquin on March 20th, 2009
So many topics this morning….
I know these A.I.G. bonuses are on the forefront of everyones minds. I’m pissed about it. Once again, our tax dollars rewarding those that should not be rewarded. And CEO Edward Liddy tells the employees to ‘step up and do the right thing. Return at least half of those payments.’ Okay, so it’s fine to ask them to return at least half but don’t include in the same sentence, ‘Step up and do the right thing’. In my mind, doing the right thing would mean to return it all. That would be doing the right thing. And really doing the right thing is to not accept those bonuses from the get-go at all. It’s money that should not be handed out in the first place.
And what about Geithner and his position in all of this….what are your thoughts about him?
Anna, Peter, Wayne: I am delighted that Obama is recognizing Guam as it should be recognized, and stimulus money is flowing your way. As you mentioned Wayne, That is the good news. But why is it that you paint a picture of Guam as being the dumping ground for all things toxic and bad? I had no idea. The stats that you have been laying out on us are disturbing and shocking…from the smoking down to the chemical releases into your harbors. What is being done to prevent this mess? Is there anything that I can do? Maybe I need to research Guam a bit. Thanks for clueing us in.
Brittany: Thanks for sharing the letter that your friend sent to the New York Post. He was right on and I appreciate that he took action. We all need to be more active and proactive when it comes to standing up for ourselves and others.
Zen Lill: Oh it sounds like you are really enjoying this new job. I am so happy that it is a huge success for you, and women are buying. I will see if I can come down and join the party. I’ll let you know. It would be great to see you!
Mike: Let’s not forget that in the midst of all this craziness that is happening in our country and the world, that we all are still living our every day lives. When you say, ‘Get a life’, it is their life they are talking about. They have one. And I don’t think that the stories that Colette, Tom, Viola, and Ashley shared with us, is silly shit. No, it may not be world headline news, but for them, it is a major headline in their lives.
I have learned that we can not dismiss the every day trials and tribulations that all of us go through because that is what life is. At least part of it. Understanding and being compassionate for what others are going through in their own personal lives, is what makes us human. There is a reason why the word human is part of the word humane.
To end today’s entry I will steal a line from Arianna Huffington from The Huffington Post, “Toxic thinking is worse than toxic assets.” I think she’s got a point there.
Peace out and always….
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: Your Bad Ass Bitch Editor
For archives dated before January 17, 2008 click on my Blogroll:
or click here: “A Day in the life of…”
All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008
" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"
March 20th, 2009 at 9:23 am
What’s Really Bothering You?
Joy Browne, PhD
t some point, we all get that vague feeling of unhappiness, knowing something is wrong but not being able to put a finger on it. In working with hundreds of clients in my private practice and thousands of callers on the air, I’ve learned that the best way to resolve this unhappiness is to be specific about what’s bugging you.
For instance, grumbling, “Work stinks,” leaves you feeling frustrated. Dig deeper to discover the cause of your discontent — “My boss criticizes me in front of my coworkers.” Specificity helps you identify possible solutions, such as discussing the matter with the boss in private, E-mailing him/her a list of your accomplishments or updating your résumé.
To get to the root of a problem, write down how you feel and then keep asking, “Why?” Example: “My husband is driving me crazy.” Why? “He has started to boss me around.” Why? “Now that he’s retired, he’s home all the time.” Why? “He was always too busy working to develop outside interests. Now he feels adrift.”
Next, write down your options — “I can encourage him to plan our vacation,” or “We can volunteer at the soup kitchen.” A written record helps you to see your next step. If your first-choice solution fails, you can review your notes to figure out step two, without rethinking the entire matter.
Women’s Health interviewed Joy Browne, PhD, a clinical psychologist in New York City and a member of the Bottom Line/Women’s Health advisory board. Her internationally syndicated call-in radio show, The Dr. Joy Browne Show, is the longest-running of its kind. She is the author of many books.
March 20th, 2009 at 9:55 am
Thanks Michelle for sticking up for the comments by people who have issues other than politics they wish to purge. I hope your husband is really all that. I thought mine was until I got a call from the hospital that he was in the ER. When I arrived at the hospital they told me that he had had a heart attack while having sex.
31 years of marriage and I thought he was the salt of the earth. I thought about the options they gave me and I thought about what Madaline has been saying. I said unplug the bastard. Of course, I said the bastard part silently to myself and Madaline.
Our adult children asked me if I could have kept him on the lifelines longer. I said it was what he wanted. He did not want to be kept alive artificially. The bastard wanted to be kept alive at all costs. I just did what I know now that he would have done to me.
AAAAAAAAAAhh, now I’ve purged.
Lori
March 20th, 2009 at 10:25 am
Hi Mischa, if you have a garbled vmail on your office phone, it’s me, please call me when you get a chance, have an off blog q for you. Not sure if you’re working manana, but I’m available from 10am-1pm and again after 6pm. If msg was clear feel free to v or e mail an answer/response. Thanks.
anon2, yes all our media is filtered not only by these companies but their holding co’s, I wrote several months ago about this topic, so if you think you’re getting the real scoop, you’re not, it’s more likely your getting the real scoop right here on MM blog, even here you must discern who the speaker may be and research what they’ve stated.
anon6, you called it with bush/Paulson, it’ll happen covertly and in good time, nobody’s truly doing the right thing and as Mischa stated, the right thing would be no bonus, not giving up half. What makes people who F’d up a company think they deserve any bonus anyway? They should be paying for this friggin’ bailout out of personal pocket.
Mischa already covered it about letter fr John Legend and Guam environment so I’ll just get back to work.
Mike, I’ll admit I did chuckle briefly at your comment, it had a sarcastic flippancy to it that made it comical, but then I thought about how small and ego-centered (as it just is and should be at this point) my own 10 yr old kids life is, whatever is happening for her/anyone (whatever thier age, though ego could allow for some letting it go factor at advanced ages) IS their life, things go on even in the midst of current chaos, and while they may seem trivial to you, they certainly are not for the people who are involved. Is your life that interesting or fascinating/fantastic(?), I’m not being sarcastic, just curious : )
Lori, I am so sorry you had a hubby like that and you didn’t know it. I’m glad you had a place to purge, here.
Gotta run now, Luv, Zen Lill
March 20th, 2009 at 11:14 am
Lori, I, too feel sorry you had to experience that. But men aren’t the only aholes. About 11 years ago I noticed my daughter was making funny noises which oddly resembled sex sounds my wife makes. When I asked her what she was doing she said “I’m pretending to be mommy from last night.” I was on a business trip last night.
I pretended to leave on another business and caught them. We had been married for 8 years and had lived together 3 before that. I had never cheated on her during our entire relationship. She begged for forgiveness and said that she would never do that again. I forgave her and didn’t feel the need to check her word.
Last year my daughter informed me that she had continued the affair until she turned 18 and demanded that she quit or she would tell me. Our only child conspired with her mother to deceive me. I left that day, sued for divorce and I have never spoken to either since.
Too bad Madaline doesn’t have a quick solution for cheating women.
Creg
March 20th, 2009 at 8:43 pm
Ashley,
Your story reminded me of my first sexual experience about twenty years ago. I had decided to have sex for the first time with my boyfriend. It was his first time too. While in bed, he blankly stopped and stood up and got out a piece of paper from his pockets. Turns out, he had written instructions on what to do while in bed, and forgot what he had to do next.
Every time I think about it now, I just crack up.
Jodi
March 20th, 2009 at 8:58 pm
OVERUSE OF OSTEOPOROSIS DRUGS
Time was, osteoporosis was diagnosed only in frail, elderly people with brittle, easily broken bones. Then Big Pharma developed drugs to treat it and suddenly this so-called “disease” became much more common — and was seen to be endangering wide swaths of postmenopausal women. Over the years, the definition of osteoporosis was broadened to include even more women and greater awareness of osteopenia, a sort of “pre-osteoporosis” in which bone density is low but not so low as to constitute osteoporosis, was urged.
UNNECESSARY DRUGS WITH DANGEROUS SIDE EFFECTS?
Now it’s hard to turn on the TV (or open a newspaper or go on-line) without being bombarded with ads for drugs not only for osteoporosis, but also encouraging women to proactively ask their doctors if they should take these drugs if they are “at risk,” with hardly a mention of the very real side effects and dangers associated with them.
The drugs aren’t so benign, however. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a drug alert for bisphosphonates (a class of drugs that includes alendronate and ibandronate), warning that they can cause severe bone, muscle and/or joint pain. Other side effects of bisphosphonates include difficulty swallowing, esophageal problems, gastric ulcer and bone tissue death of the jaw. Raloxifene (Evista), another type of osteoporosis drug known as a selective estrogen receptor modulator or SERM, increases the risk of blood clots and stroke. Ironically, alendronate (Fosamax) has been linked to femur fractures. (For more on the dangers of these drugs,
MORE RISKS THAN BENEFITS FOR OSTEOPENIA
According to a recent report in the British Medical Journal (January 19, 2008), drug manufacturers regularly smudge the line between osteoporosis itself and osteopenia in order to sell more drugs. It’s true that these drugs can successfully reduce the risk of fractures, at least in the short term, in people who actually have osteoporosis… and now that we’re living longer lives, osteoporosis may become more common. But, says article coauthor Pablo Alonso-Coello, MD, a family practitioner affiliated with Hospital de Sant Pau in Barcelona, Spain, the benefits of osteoporosis drugs are exaggerated for people who just have osteopenia. “This move to treat pre-osteoporosis raises serious questions about the benefit-risk ratio for low-risk individuals, and about the costs of medicalizing and potentially medicating an enormous group of healthy people,” writes Dr. Alonso-Coello. Not coincidentally, using current medical criteria, nearly half of postmenopausal women could be said to have osteopenia, which represents a huge and highly profitable potential new market for Big Pharma.
PLAYING WITH STATISTICS
In their research, Dr. Alonso-Coello and his colleagues looked at several studies on four drugs used by drug companies to demonstrate the benefits of such medications for women with osteopenia. They found that the results were expressed in a way that suggested the benefits were greater than they really are. Statistics can tell almost any story you want, after all.
Dr. Alonso-Coello gave me an example: Osteoporosis drugs are generally reported to reduce the risk of fracture by 50%… but it is important to look at “absolute” rather than “relative” risk. A woman with osteoporosis might reduce her absolute risk of a fracture from, say, 10% to 5% (which might be a clinically relevant benefit), while the risk for a person with osteopenia drops only from an already low 2% to 1% or even 1% to 0.5%. So calling it a 50% reduced risk in these cases inflates its clinical significance. He also warns that many study authors were employees of, or otherwise connected with, drug companies, pointing to a likely conflict of interest.
TAKE STEPS TO PROMOTE BONE HEALTH
Don’t be swayed by the advertising. There are a number of strategies you can follow to prevent fractures and keep your bones strong and healthy as you age — and they don’t all involve drugs.
Among the non-pharmaceutical steps recommended by The National Osteoporosis Foundation to promote bone health…
• Take in adequate calcium and vitamin D. Current daily guidelines for adults over 50 are 1,200 mg of calcium and 800 to 1,000 IU of vitamin D. D-3, or cholecalciferol, is the form of vitamin D best for bones. Taking a daily walk in the sunlight can also boost vitamin D levels.
• Engage in regular weight-bearing exercise such as walking and dancing, and resistance exercises such as using weight machines or resistance bands. Talk to your doctor before embarking on any exercise program.
• Don’t smoke at all and don’t drink alcohol to excess.
• Consider having a bone mineral density test if there is indication you need one. Dr. Alonso-Coello advises bone density testing not as a regular screening exam, but only for women who have had a previous fragility fracture or who have risk factors for a fracture (eg, a family history of maternal fractures). Early menopause may be another risk factor. (Watch for our upcoming story on a new way to determine who needs bone density screening in Daily Health News next month.)
Dr. Alonso-Coello additionally recommends instituting measures to prevent falls for older people. For example, use a walker or cane as necessary… wear supportive, low-heeled shoes… install grab bars on bathroom walls near the tub, shower and toilet… be sure your home is well lit… keep rooms free of clutter… and be sure carpets have skid-proof backing.
Osteopenia is not osteoporosis, and using drugs for prevention is not the same as using drugs for treatment. If you consider taking any drug solely as a preventive treatment — especially if the treatment is long-term and has potentially serious side effects, as with osteoporosis drugs for osteopenia — Dr. Alonso-Coello strongly advises that you seek a second opinion. Be sure to talk with your family physician and research treatment options before making your decision. With so many ways to keep bones strong naturally, medication should only be considered as a last resort.
Source(s): ??Pablo Alonso-Coello, MD, family practitioner, Hospital de Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.
March 20th, 2009 at 9:07 pm
Jodi I got one that makes me laugh too when I think of my first time. It was about twenty years ago too. My boyfriend and I decided to have sex. I was a virgin and he wasn’t. About 30 seconds in he collapsed on me. I thought he was joking around and I started laughing. He wasn’t joking. He was done.
It took eight more tries with two other boys before I found a much older boy who showed me what enjoying sex meant.
March 20th, 2009 at 9:11 pm
Okay this is not about having sex but it still gives me a laugh when I think about it. When I was a teenager while driving some friends back from a party I said, “Did everyone see Lisa totally hanging off of Pat tonight?! It was hilarious!!”. There was a long silence, then one of my friends said “…you know Lisa is in the car, right?”
I almost died.
March 20th, 2009 at 9:20 pm
I couldn’t stop laughing when I read Colette’s story about her parents. I have one about a couple of Jewish parents, mine. I had just turned 16 and I got the courage to ask my mom if I could go to the movies alone on my first date with my new boyfriend. She said ok, which was surprising because she never lets me go anywhere alone. When I got to the theatre with him I saw my mom. She had saved seats for us.
My boyfriend sat quietly with us. He never called me again. At school all the girls and I had a good cry and laugh. We new our mother too well.
Sandra
March 20th, 2009 at 9:35 pm
Like Loni said this story is not about having sex but I think you will find it interesting. It was in those days when I was a touch over weight. I spent a lot of time looking for the right diet regimen. In the mean time I carried a lot of granola bars.
It was lunch time but I stayed in my office. I had just reached in my purse without looking and to grab a granola bar when my boss walked in my office. We were talking for a few minutes as he kept giving me strange looks and looking at my hand. He left and I realize I hadn’t taken a granola bar out, but a tampon instead.