Over at Treehugger, there was a short listing of hollywoods sexiest vegetarians.  It was not the vegetarian aspect that made my day, or the the sexy part, but the link to Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carrey’s latest press release regarding the Green Our Vaccine march this coming Wednesday on June 4th in Washingtong D.C.  What is their goal? 

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In my part of the country, the case of the mom who was a participant in a Myspace hoax that ended tragically with a 13-year-old girl committing suicide is a big news.  Please read the whole story here.  On the McGraw Milhaven radio show this morning he interviewed the mother, Tina Meier, of the young girl.  Basically the indicted mother, Lori Drew, was found guilty of posting under a fake profile.  The radio host brought up an interesting point? 

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*cue Twilight Zone theme *

Did you know that just 6 media conglomerates control most of the media in the US?

This may seem unimportant to you and your family and I assure you there are some folks that are banking on that and expecting you will be passive, but don’t be fooled; it’s important to the freedom of all Americans.

Have you ever wondered why some news stories, even really important ones, are buried in the back of the newspaper or only mentioned in your alternative weekly? Ever wonder why the media makes almost no mention of certain alarming or newsworthy topics and other topics (Britney Spears’ escapades, Anna Nicole Smith’s death) get non-stop coverage?

In a free country, media concentration hinders vigorous public debate and limits the news, viewpoints and perspectives presented to citizens — often to their detriment.

The problem just got worse when Bush’s FCC basically gutted a rule that limited the number of both newspaper and television stations giant media conglomerates are able to buy up in the same city.

Right now a few major corporations with with ties to many special interests are controlling the news and influencing your world view.

And independent or dissenting voices are being silenced.

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The MOTHERS Act (also referred to as Melanie Blocker-Stokes Postpartum Depression Research and Care Act) is up before the Senate. The bill has been passed by the House. The basic premise of the Act is provide for research on, and services for individuals with, postpartum depression and psychosis. You can read the bill here.

There are two sides talking about this bill. There are those who believe this is good thing because more research and care needs to be provided for women suffering from postpartum depression and psychosis. There are those that strongly oppose this bill because, in essence, it will be a green light for pharmaceutical companies to force doctors to hand out more antidepressants.

As a new mother to my second child, I can appreciate both sides. First, yes more research should be done on postpartum depression and psychosis. So much has been printed on what happens during the pregnancy, but sometimes a new mom gets nothing more than a 6-week hurried check up at her OB. Is that enough? Does that count as a screening for postpartum depression? What about months later?

Second, this speaks to those who oppose the bill, an antidepressant may not be the best answer for everyone and a patient should not be bullied or guilted into taking medicine. What are the alternatives? The goal of this bill is to not only provide services, but research. Research in postpartum depression and psychosis is needed.

The language of the bill does not specify that prescriptions drugs will be the first line of defense. If you want to make your voice heard in support of the bill please visit the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance.

For further reading and up to date postings please visit the Postpartum Progress Blog.

Well, unless you’re a female civilian contractor in Iraq, that is.

This really made my blood boil.

What will they think of next? Outsourcing national security? Wait, haven’t they already…

Check it out here.

So, what does everyone think about the Real ID Act set to go into effect in May of this year?

I’m sad today as an American citizen and a fellow bi-racial citizen, like Barack Obama. I cried last week as I watched CNN, CSPAN, MSNBC, & Fox News network debate the issues about the Rev.’s Wright’s comments and their unfair link to Presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama.

No matter what your political or religious beliefs, I believe we all have an obligation to do 2 things if we call ourselves true Americans before we abandon support for Obama over this insidious situation.

1. Take a real look at the African American history of slavery here in the US and be sensitive to the fact that AAs have looked to the church for many years to make sense of their oppression. There are legitimate cries of outrage, sadness, tears and disappointments about discrimination the AAs have suffered for hundreds of years. The black church is where AAs go to vent these frustrations and seek peace to continue to work through these “private” issues. That is what the Rev. Wright was voicing. Those are issues Obama understands being 1/2 black and asks other Americans to try and get past.

2. Take a look at the melting pot of ethnic diversity all around the US to know that every race has a similar story of oppression which led their families to this great land. Arab-Americans, Russians, Jews, Haitians, Rwandans, Polish, Japanese, Koreans, Cubans, Italians, Yugoslavians, Albanians, Chinese, etc…All speak in “private” of their experiences with discrimination and trying to get ahead against adversity in America.

Why is it okay for Jews to speak publicly and privately about their feelings of the Holocaust, but it is not okay for African Americans to voice their hatred for the the atrocities of slavery and how it’s devastating effects have followed them and continued on to this very day without being taken out of context and seen as hate mongerers?

Barack Obama has been forced to denounce these passionate (yet true) words spoken from a man he has respected for over 20 years all in the name of running for President instead of speaking to his need to align himself with Rev. Wright while attempting to help the underserved community in Chicago which Rev. Wright’s church has successfully served for many years.

Barack stands for a new tomorrow where all people of all races can get past the atrocities of yesteryear that we all can somehow relate to. He also knows the plight of African Americans - that’s why he fore went a well-paying job as a corporate lawyer to serve his own people for no pay. That’s an admirable person who knew what it was going to take to get his feet wet in a town he wasn’t originally from, but saw a need. He needed Rev. Wright and saw something else in him we didn’t - something wonderful.

Unless you’ve gone to an African American church (anywhere in America) and listened to the passionate sermons coming out of the pulpit that speak to the African American community and their unique situation as citizens here in America, you don’t really know your African American neighbor, co-worker, or passers-by on the street.

Everyone knows AAs are not hate-mongerers of any sort. They are loving people who know and carry the weight of their slave ancestors who were oppressed by the American affluent (a sad but honest truth). Just as Jews say, “never again” why can’t African Americans.

I am sad that we are in this place to rip down a good man for speaking the truth (albeit passionately) and for trying to make another good man denounce him unfairly.

Research Rev. Wright and the good he’s done in Chicago before you make a snap judment based on 30 sec sound bites put together by people who don’t understand, don’t want to understand and have a different agenda all together.

This man has given thousands of sermons over the course of 30 years “in the name of Jesus and love” and does not sit there and bash America in every sermon.

There’s a company that manufactures American flags not too far from us - in fact, it is the landmark right before the exit lane I should be taking towards the beach - and it’s sort of hard to miss the eleventy-hundred flags flapping in the breeze.Perhaps some people would find it difficult to see the patriotism in that - especially, since they make flags - but, I know that it would be hard to deny that the corporation is probably just following through with some pretty heavy duty advertisement.

What would you say if I told you that NOT all American flags are made, you know, in America?

Well, I did NOT know this to be true and automatically assumed that any and ALL American Flags were:  Made in the U.S.A.

Yeah, silly me.  I should have known better.  I mean, I trusted that my kids’ toys were safe, too.  The reality is that most foreign-made products are more cost-effective.  At least, that’s what I’ve learned HERE over the last few months.

I also learned that many states are passing laws that make it illegal to sell American flags that were not made in the United States.

Then, I got confused.

You see, my father and mother immigrated to America in 1956 for many of the reasons why I find myself so torn about how we Americans treat our flag.

We have the right to burn our flag as free speech, yet there may be a law in place telling American consumers where and how exactly we should buy that same symbol of freedom.

You see what I mean?

It’s one of those complex and contentious arguments that I tend to stay away from - because, my mommy brain does not have spell check or a delete button - but, damned if the American Flag Patch I just sewed on my six-year-old’s girl scout vest didn’t say it for me:

You may need to lower everything on the sash or vest in order to assure the flag is placed in a position of respect.

Symbols are awesome.

I mean, every American child recognizes their country’s flag and is taught to understand the history behind the stars and stripes in school.  As with most things, however, it’s the grown ups that manage to muck it all up.

There’s a story behind our flag.

My parents nearly gave up their lives in search of it.  My brother is willing to fight and defend it.  Not only because it’s his job, but for more reasons that I may never be able to understand.

Keeping those two very simple statements in mind, I believe that the American Flag deserves my respect.

No, I don’t know where our flag was made - and I really don’t think I want to, either - it would only add to the patriotic dilemma I’m going through, at the moment.

But, even my skeptic husband would run out and take down our flag on a rainy day.

[cross-posted at This Full House]

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I couldn’t believe my eyes yesterday when I read that trace pharmaceuticals such as antibiotics, anti-convulsives, anti-cholesterol, asthma, birth control, heart meds, sex hormones, and mood stabilizers as well as 56 other Rx byproducts were found in the drinking supply of 24 major metropolitan areas across the US (including my own town of NJ). I don’t know about anyone else, but this is alarming and it’s time to take it to the feds in a major way to call for mandatory testing of our water and eradication of these drugs from the water we drink, cook and make our children drink (all in the name of 8 glasses a day!) Every major city from Southern California to Detroit to Louisville, KY was found to have a considerable amount of trace drugs in their water supply and bottled water drinkers weren’t protected from this either. I’ve never been one for the conspiracy theory, but it’s looking more and more like something fishy is up with our nation, gov’t and it’s ties to the pharmaceutical machine - all at the expense of sleeping Americans who are on more drugs than ever before and now will be moreso when you take a swig of your favorite tap water (whether you are already taking drugs for this or that - or not.)

According to the Associated Press, who investigated and issued the story on 03/09/08, it was learned that the “federal gov’t doesn’t require testing of America’s water and hasn’t set safety limits for drugs in the water.” An utter atrocity considering there is a federal mandate to (loosely?) test for microbial wastes, pesticides, PCBs and lead which still mysterioiusly turns up in our drinking supply from time to time.  According to the story scientists have voiced concerns over the long-term exposure and effects to humans but stated they are limited to testing for a solution to due lack of federal funds, but recognize there has been negative effects on wildlife. How is it that longterm testing of our water supply has gone to the low end of the todem pole of importance in this highly volatile area but pharmaceutical companies have gotten fast track approval from the FDA on these same drugs that have now made their way into the drinking supply. How was it conveniently overlooked and not a part of the human trial portion of drug testing from the FDA to test the environment and test the long-term effects of the byproducts of some of the most powerful drugs on the market right now [who also just so happen to be at the top of the list amongst the nations top-selling Rx drugs also]. Not to mention how a vast majority of these same meds that were fast track drugs have been either pulled from shelves or locked in multiple law suits for ineffectiveness, damage and loss to human life(?) This is unbelievable and I will be sadly disappointed if Americans all over our vast country don’t rally together and demand a “fast track” solution from the federal government and pharmaceutical companies who are to blame for this atrocity.

I believe a federal mandate should be attached to the fast-track agreement and the entire drug approval process for pharmaceutical companies to put money aside to pay for continuous long-term testing of America’s drinking water and for testing of the environment since they are well aware that only small amounts of these drugs will actually be metabolized into the human body and the other components will be excreted out of the body and naturally be re-introduced back into the environment via reservoirs, rivers and lakes, and watersheds! It’s only comon sense that although these drugs are showing up in trace amounts now in the water supply, that there is certainly going to be a negative combined effect when all of them merge together over time in our water supply. Even now we shouldn’t be surprised that it’s packed a whallop of a punch to humanity and wildlife -as statistics are proving right now. I’ve only been in the medical field for X-number of [many] years working at 5 of the top research hospitals from NY to Seattle with the best researchers in the world to know how this process works and to be this outraged b/c the pharmaceutical companies know exactly what they’re doing and have enough money strategically placed in the places they want and where it’s going to net the highest return for them in their bottom line - PROFITS! It’s also not a big secret how pharmaceutical companies do everything they can to protect their own interest and leave the consumer out to dry in order to satify their shareholders, stock value and profitmargins. So, I guess I should believe the statement provided by microbiologist and pharmaceutical consultant for the Pharmceutical Resesearch and Manufacturers of America, Mr. Thomas White, when he told the AP that there was little to no risk from pharmaceuticals in the environment to human health. Or, maybe I should believe Mary Buzby - director of environmental technology for drug maker Merck & Co., Inc. who said, ”There’s no doubt about it, pharmaceuticals are being detected in the environment and there is genuine concern that these compounds, in the small concentrations that they’re at, could be causing impacts to human health or the aquatic organisms.” I mean who is more to blame here - the consultant who protects the pharmaceutical company because he’s on their payroll and worried about his retirement profile - or the Merck environmentalist who also works for the pharmaceutical company who agrees that there’s a problem, but doesn’t do use her power with Merck to do anything effective about it.

You didn’t hear it from me, but is anyone paying attention to any of the major signs of the decline of human health and the decline of the environment and species within it (within the last 20-30 years) despite the introduction of all these so-called miracle drugs and treatments by the pharmaceutical companies that line the shelves of our major drug stores before we finally accept that we are really facing a considerable crisis to human existence. I know no one listened to Al Gore back in 2000 when he first pointed this out and the forces that be (Bush) thought it best to steal the Presidency from him in order to shush him. Thank God he decided to release his award winning video independently on the subject anyway to get people’s attention - and finally did (however late.) But, this is an outrage to me and I think it’s time for a major change in Washington by someone who is not tied to the environmentalist and pharmaceutical lobbyists money on Capital Hill (Hillary - McCain) so that the pharmaceutical companies can truly be held accountable for once! This is not okay for my family and it shouldn’t be okay for anyone else’s family regardless of race, ethnicity, party preference, nationality, job status, economic status, religion, etc… With things like this going under the rug - nothing will be done and our children’s children will inherit this problem and God only knows what it will be like then. What is it that people are waiting for before they really take a stand - another thalidimide situation where more of our children are born in the millions with more unimaginable and untreatable birth defects, more mental handicaps, reproductive malfunctions that aren’t detected until their adults, or until people are born green with 8 heads? Not that that’s what’s happening now - and you didn’t hear it from me. But, when are we finally going to make the gov’t and the pharmaceutical companies accountable for what they’re doing to the environment and humanity all for the sake of the almighty dollar? I don’t know what you are going to do but I’m going to make my voice heard loud and clear with my vote in November and push for legislation on the grassroots level until something is done!