Have you ever wondered how much of your body is made of water? Scientists generally agree that 50-70% of the human body is comprised of water, but that it depends on gender, fitness level, and fatty tissue. Because we are comprised of mostly water, that is why we need clean safe drinking water.
In California we have been in drought for many years. It is not atypical to see signs along highways saying "No Water = No Work" indicating too that there is no work for migrant farm workers, their jobs have literally dried-up too. A couple acquaintances have ranches with dying fruit trees. They were lamenting in the fall that the ground is dry fifteen feet deep, that it would take several years of good rain. Though we've had an El Nino year so far, where I live in California we are still on mandatory water conservation efforts and our water supply nearly depleted. The rains haven't soaked in. Instead they have been merely superficial. We are looking at needing to use bottled water and already we have seen chromium and other metals entering the water supply through groundwater contamination due to the drought. We aren't alone in having difficulties with our water supply. Fracking supposedly causes trouble with water supply in pockets of the nation. Most notable for its water trouble currently is Michigan.
Water is such an essential element to life. It is intolerable that the people of Michigan were not initially told that their water was poisoned with lead. If anyone thinks of Disney's Mad Hatter, then, yeah, possibly there could be some humor in thinking of lead poisoning. That would be cruel. Throughout the United States any domicile with paint older than 1978 the landlord/rental company/seller is required by law to notify the people living on the premises because the ramifications of lead poisoning are severe. Lead causes kidney failure/problems, anemia, hearing loss, mental developmental issues, growth problems, behavior problems, weakness, weight loss, headaches, constipation, seizures and sleep issues.
Usually lead in the water supply is caused by older pipes. As a child my grandparents used to run the water for a few minutes to let the pipes clear of lead debris. They used only cold water. When time allowed the pipes were switched to a non lead material. These are the procedures recommended by state governments across the nation. The Michigan story is different. It began when Flint Michigan changed its water source from Lake Huron to the Flint River in April 2014. The water was supposedly brown and smelled. Residents of were told their water was safe even though the government took steps to purify water to state buildings for its employees.
Do you remember the old story about the beloved king who lived on the hill and his people who lived in the village below. Over time the people began to go crazy. The king and his men noticed it. They discovered that the village well had become contaminated and effected the people. The king because he so cared for his people drank from the well too so that he could be in solidarity with them. I guess old fashioned values have gone out the door. Maybe though, these values should be brought back.
There are a number of ways that the people of Flint and other effected areas in Michigan can be helped. A quick on-line search will give you a list of organizations who have people supplying water to residents and actively distributing water. There are still people in the area with access to water being denied because of lack of social security number or state drivers licences. Advocacy could help in that regard. Outside groups have helped already with the initial outside testing of the water. Other groups are setting-up funds for the children and others who will need medical attention now and in the future. If nothing else, may it be a wake-up call to each of us that in a first world country, stuff like this will happen if we aren't vigilant.
Friday, January 29, 2016
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
Zika Virus, Microcephaly and the Circus
There is a great deal of concern in the USA and elsewhere in the Americas
about the Zika virus. In part of the hysteria expectant mothers or those
hoping to become parents are encouraged to not travel to South America where
infection is great. The virus is transmitted by way of Aedes mosquito,
which is supposed to be a daytime-active mosquito. According to the World
Health Organization symptoms include mild fever, skin rash and
possible joint pain and conjunctivitis that last 7-10 days. The down
side, and it is being seen now, is that in newborns and mothers who have been
bitten by the mosquito, there may be a link between the Zika virus and
microcephaly. According to the May Clinic is "Microcephaly
(my-kroh-SEF-uh-lee) is a rare neurological condition in which an infant's head
is significantly smaller than the heads of other children of the same age and
sex. Sometimes detected at birth, microcephaly usually is the result of the
brain developing abnormally in the womb or not growing as it should after birth. in
which a newborn's head is smaller than normal and the brain may not have
developed properly."
This brings two separate thoughts to mind. The zika virus is not new. It was originally identified in Uganda in 1947 and is (according to Wikipedia--so take it with a grain of salt) related to yellow fever, dengue, Japanese encephalitis, and West Nile Virus. Since 1950 the world has seen huge outbreaks of Zika virus in Uganda, the Republic of Tanzania, French Polynesia, Brazil and nineteen other countries in Latin and Central America.
There has been a rise of microcephaly in infants in those countries in the Americas which is bringing the conjecture that they virus and condition may be linked. Microcephaly is rare, but not unknown. Circus side shows in the United States have used people with his condition for entertainment. Two of the most famous were Schlitze “Schlitzie” Surtees who toured with Barnum and Bailey Circus and did some occasional acting ("Freaks"1932, "Island of Lost Souls" 1932, "Tomorrow's Children" 1934, and "Meet Boston Blackie" 1941), and the second, William Henry Johnson, known better for his stage name with P.T. Barnum (Barnum and Bailey) as "Zip the Pinhead." ('Pinhead' was a derogatory term.) In more recent times we have the comic strip, 'Zippy the Pinhead' or 'Zippy', by Bill Griffith whose appearance of the main character, Zippy, seems almost an inspired tribute to Mr. Surtees and Mr. Johnson while packing a satirical punch at consumerism, politics and the like.
This brings two separate thoughts to mind. The zika virus is not new. It was originally identified in Uganda in 1947 and is (according to Wikipedia--so take it with a grain of salt) related to yellow fever, dengue, Japanese encephalitis, and West Nile Virus. Since 1950 the world has seen huge outbreaks of Zika virus in Uganda, the Republic of Tanzania, French Polynesia, Brazil and nineteen other countries in Latin and Central America.
There has been a rise of microcephaly in infants in those countries in the Americas which is bringing the conjecture that they virus and condition may be linked. Microcephaly is rare, but not unknown. Circus side shows in the United States have used people with his condition for entertainment. Two of the most famous were Schlitze “Schlitzie” Surtees who toured with Barnum and Bailey Circus and did some occasional acting ("Freaks"1932, "Island of Lost Souls" 1932, "Tomorrow's Children" 1934, and "Meet Boston Blackie" 1941), and the second, William Henry Johnson, known better for his stage name with P.T. Barnum (Barnum and Bailey) as "Zip the Pinhead." ('Pinhead' was a derogatory term.) In more recent times we have the comic strip, 'Zippy the Pinhead' or 'Zippy', by Bill Griffith whose appearance of the main character, Zippy, seems almost an inspired tribute to Mr. Surtees and Mr. Johnson while packing a satirical punch at consumerism, politics and the like.
Monday, January 25, 2016
Thoughts on Death...What would you do?
Have you ever considered how you'd like to die? My grandmother is currently dying. On 27 December she went into the hospital with pneumonia. It took one and a half weeks to find an antibiotic that would treat the pneumonia. We knew that it had caused some congestive heart failure. She was put on an oxygen tank to help while they figured out which antibiotic to give her. Once they found the antibiotic, she was moved to a nursing care facility where she still is. Last week the doctors were hopeful about sending her home, but she had two children who lived at her home to take care of her who were sick. On Thursday she felt weak. Friday tests were taken and she has pneumonia again. She has always believed in the next life, but she is scared. She is completely cognizant of what is going on and the gravity of the situation. She is one of the bravest people I know and in many ways I hope that I can live as fully as she.
Other family have died of other things, some sudden, some prolonged. It has made me think long and hard about how precious life is. How uncertain life is. It makes me appreciate it all the more and the time we/I have with others around me. I find myself thanking more people. I am writing to those who I've put off writing to, and sometimes just picking up the telephone. If today were my last day, I've wondered, how would I spend it. How would you? Would you fear what you don't know or understand? Would you stand up to injustices? Would you try something new? Would you take that extra moment and smell a rose? Would you help a complete stranger? It is not carpe diem. That throws out responsibility. We have to be prepared for tomorrow, but live like today is our last.
Other family have died of other things, some sudden, some prolonged. It has made me think long and hard about how precious life is. How uncertain life is. It makes me appreciate it all the more and the time we/I have with others around me. I find myself thanking more people. I am writing to those who I've put off writing to, and sometimes just picking up the telephone. If today were my last day, I've wondered, how would I spend it. How would you? Would you fear what you don't know or understand? Would you stand up to injustices? Would you try something new? Would you take that extra moment and smell a rose? Would you help a complete stranger? It is not carpe diem. That throws out responsibility. We have to be prepared for tomorrow, but live like today is our last.
Saturday, January 23, 2016
Astrophysicists Need a Little Love Too
Space, that final frontier. It is rife with fodder for science fiction writers. I was shocked this week when I watched a news release of all the space junk floating around the planet. There are supposedly more than 20,000 pieces of space debris the size of a softball or larger orbiting the planet. Space agencies all over the globe have to keep track of them because they can cause quite severe damage to everything up there since they fly faster than the speed of a bullet. Then there are those things that are smaller than a softball. Where did all this come from? Well, companies from tv stations to telephone companies send up satellites for use or research that overtime corrode and stop working, There are parts to rockets or other things that have gone into space. They collide and make smaller pieces. Ever wonder why we hear about the International Space Station having to change its orbit. This is part of the reason. We think the ocean's are bad with their islands of trash, just wait. Maybe we'll be able to make a new moon someday for our planet with all the space trash that we've got up there.
In the 1980s Reagan was really big into getting kids excited about space, and especially using that excitement to push education in science in math. In 1983 German astronaut, Dr. Ulf Merbold (the 2nd German in space after cosmonaut Sigmund Jahn), joined American astronauts on Space Shuttle Columbia paving the way for NASA to do more joint missions with other space agencies. Recall Sally Ride was the first American woman in space. Teachers were especially excited because fellow teacher, Christa McAuliffe, was on board Space Shuttle Challenger as a non-astronaut civilian payload specialist in 1986. The work of these astronauts has brought us better understanding of the human body as well as our own planet. Now we are exploring of Mars and beyond.
One of the neatest things coming out of NASA so far this year are the images of Pluto, that demoted little planet of ours. Perhaps you've seen the headlines about new proof for Planet X, or more recently the astrophysicists in California who have found a ninth planet in our solar system, at least mathematically, and it is three times bigger than the earth. They need a little love, we have been focused too much on politics for the last year.
Asking kids to design space ships leads to interesting results. Some liked the idea of Disney's Treasure Planet which had actual sails. The kids had heard of solar flares and thought they could be ridden like the waves of the ocean. Others came up with pictures of wings that could fold-up when not in use. Others used origami and could transform and adapt to the environment of that particular part of space. They are our future. Their imaginations are alive and well. "Space," like Captain Kirk used to say, "is that final frontier."
In the 1980s Reagan was really big into getting kids excited about space, and especially using that excitement to push education in science in math. In 1983 German astronaut, Dr. Ulf Merbold (the 2nd German in space after cosmonaut Sigmund Jahn), joined American astronauts on Space Shuttle Columbia paving the way for NASA to do more joint missions with other space agencies. Recall Sally Ride was the first American woman in space. Teachers were especially excited because fellow teacher, Christa McAuliffe, was on board Space Shuttle Challenger as a non-astronaut civilian payload specialist in 1986. The work of these astronauts has brought us better understanding of the human body as well as our own planet. Now we are exploring of Mars and beyond.
One of the neatest things coming out of NASA so far this year are the images of Pluto, that demoted little planet of ours. Perhaps you've seen the headlines about new proof for Planet X, or more recently the astrophysicists in California who have found a ninth planet in our solar system, at least mathematically, and it is three times bigger than the earth. They need a little love, we have been focused too much on politics for the last year.
Asking kids to design space ships leads to interesting results. Some liked the idea of Disney's Treasure Planet which had actual sails. The kids had heard of solar flares and thought they could be ridden like the waves of the ocean. Others came up with pictures of wings that could fold-up when not in use. Others used origami and could transform and adapt to the environment of that particular part of space. They are our future. Their imaginations are alive and well. "Space," like Captain Kirk used to say, "is that final frontier."
Friday, January 22, 2016
Growing-up with Roe v. Wade
In the United States today, January 22, marks the anniversary of the Supreme Court decision of Roe versus Wade, which gave women in the United States the legal right to end their unborn child's life. It sparked the abortion debate that has since ensued for decades.
On one hand it seemed like the Women's Liberation movement in the US had made a huge victory. Women could have abortions that allowed them to continue as members of the workforce; it allowed them to not be tied down to children, and as women were/often mistreated by men it allowed them to be free of the results of those unfortunate situations. It was also a victory for the overall health of American women because backroom abortions were all too common, very often with women becoming severely ill and dying because of poor sanitation, untrained medical personnel, and complications. Of women who have abortions, many are coerced into having them by boyfriends, husbands, or other family. Still other women choose to have abortions of their own volition.
Yesterday and today there mare many prayer vigils being held across the nation from Washington DC to San Francisco and Los Angeles. Millions of people are gathered in prayer vigils against the disrespect of human life of those who cannot defend themselves. They are people of different nationalities, races, walks of life, different religions, and differing experiences. Yet they have all come together to show they are a people of life: that they believe in human dignity; that every human life is sacred from conception to natural death.
It begs the question, is abortion about a woman's right, or about upholding the dignity and sacredness of the human condition?
My father is of the mindset that it is a woman's issue, that men should stay out of it. Several of his female friends disagree. Several friends have had abortions and regretted them for decades, especially when they have later had other children and worried what to tell their other children because once their other children were born, they realized how sacred those children were. A friend's girlfriend aborted his child simply because she didn't want to have a baby with his nationality even though he loved her dearly and wanted to be a family. Living across the street from me once was a doctor who performed abortions, her partner, and her partner's adult child who had Down syndrome. Personally Roe v. Wade touched me when my spouse and I were expecting our first child. Because we young adults, it was strongly suggested by the medical doctors that we have an abortion and that way we could both have our careers. It would have been as easy as making an appointment. We chose to give life.
The point, abortion effects everybody. Everyone knows someone, or has an experience, and that colored our relationships.
In recent times there was a famous case of Gianna Molla of Italy who is usually brought-up with the abortion debate. She became a doctor, a gynecologist. She married and had three children. In 1961 she became pregnant with her fourth child. During her pregnancy she developed a fibroma on her uterus. The doctors gave her three choices: an abortion, a complete hysterectomy, or removal of only the fibroma. As a Catholic she knew the Catholic Church forbids all direct abortion, but would have allowed her to undergo a hysterectomy, which might have caused her unborn child's death. As a gynecologist she understood the severity of her condition and all the implications. Believing her child’s life more important than her own, Molla opted for the removal of the fibroma, telling doctors that she wanted to preserve her child’s life. This was her personal choice. On 21 April 1962, through Caesarean section Gianna gave birth to a daughter, Gianna Emanuela. However, Gianna Molla continued to have severe pain, and died of infection seven days later. The daughter, Gianna Emanuela, is still alive today, following in her mother’s footsteps as a doctor.
So, is abortion a woman's right, or is life a right of the human condition with its dignity, respect and sacredness encompassed in that? What is we take away the circumstance of abortion and ask the question again in terms of eugenics? Or genocide? What of the Holocaust?
On one hand it seemed like the Women's Liberation movement in the US had made a huge victory. Women could have abortions that allowed them to continue as members of the workforce; it allowed them to not be tied down to children, and as women were/often mistreated by men it allowed them to be free of the results of those unfortunate situations. It was also a victory for the overall health of American women because backroom abortions were all too common, very often with women becoming severely ill and dying because of poor sanitation, untrained medical personnel, and complications. Of women who have abortions, many are coerced into having them by boyfriends, husbands, or other family. Still other women choose to have abortions of their own volition.
Yesterday and today there mare many prayer vigils being held across the nation from Washington DC to San Francisco and Los Angeles. Millions of people are gathered in prayer vigils against the disrespect of human life of those who cannot defend themselves. They are people of different nationalities, races, walks of life, different religions, and differing experiences. Yet they have all come together to show they are a people of life: that they believe in human dignity; that every human life is sacred from conception to natural death.
It begs the question, is abortion about a woman's right, or about upholding the dignity and sacredness of the human condition?
My father is of the mindset that it is a woman's issue, that men should stay out of it. Several of his female friends disagree. Several friends have had abortions and regretted them for decades, especially when they have later had other children and worried what to tell their other children because once their other children were born, they realized how sacred those children were. A friend's girlfriend aborted his child simply because she didn't want to have a baby with his nationality even though he loved her dearly and wanted to be a family. Living across the street from me once was a doctor who performed abortions, her partner, and her partner's adult child who had Down syndrome. Personally Roe v. Wade touched me when my spouse and I were expecting our first child. Because we young adults, it was strongly suggested by the medical doctors that we have an abortion and that way we could both have our careers. It would have been as easy as making an appointment. We chose to give life.
The point, abortion effects everybody. Everyone knows someone, or has an experience, and that colored our relationships.
In recent times there was a famous case of Gianna Molla of Italy who is usually brought-up with the abortion debate. She became a doctor, a gynecologist. She married and had three children. In 1961 she became pregnant with her fourth child. During her pregnancy she developed a fibroma on her uterus. The doctors gave her three choices: an abortion, a complete hysterectomy, or removal of only the fibroma. As a Catholic she knew the Catholic Church forbids all direct abortion, but would have allowed her to undergo a hysterectomy, which might have caused her unborn child's death. As a gynecologist she understood the severity of her condition and all the implications. Believing her child’s life more important than her own, Molla opted for the removal of the fibroma, telling doctors that she wanted to preserve her child’s life. This was her personal choice. On 21 April 1962, through Caesarean section Gianna gave birth to a daughter, Gianna Emanuela. However, Gianna Molla continued to have severe pain, and died of infection seven days later. The daughter, Gianna Emanuela, is still alive today, following in her mother’s footsteps as a doctor.
So, is abortion a woman's right, or is life a right of the human condition with its dignity, respect and sacredness encompassed in that? What is we take away the circumstance of abortion and ask the question again in terms of eugenics? Or genocide? What of the Holocaust?
Thursday, January 14, 2016
Steelers and the Bengals
Something that all Christians can discuss seems to be sports. This morning after the Liturgy of the Word (our church can't offer Thursday mass) I found myself talking to a friend, who like me leads the services at his parish, but his is a different Christian sect. After we discussed the differences and similarities in our readings and similarities between reflections and sermons, we turned to the sports, especially the American football AFC Wild Card game this last weekend between the Steelers and the Bengals.
It was an awful game as far as behavior goes. It seemed like the teams really hated each other, my friend commented. With the plays by the Bengals and the penalties inflicted on the giving the Steelers an advantage there, it seemed like justice was being served. (The Steelers in general have a reputation of being a hardworking team with good values, the whole Porter thing is just weird.) Why is it that we teach our children not to do things because they are wrong, like helmet to helmet contact, but it is okay for adults? Why do we suggest that once someone is an adult, anything goes, but while people are young they need to stick to moral teachings? It is the same off the playing field and in real life.
We teach kids not to cheat when they are in school, but how many adults cheat and steal within the work place setting? I realize that questioning our beliefs and taking responsibility for our actions and even our faith is a phase in the learning behavior of every person as they grow, especially starts in the early 20s. Sometimes like for these young players, one wishes they would grow up a little faster. But the players are paid to do this too to keep viewers watching. In watching we convince ourselves that this should be normal behavior. We are not paid to entertain. Why do we act like this? It should be a cautionary note. It is okay to stand against the grain, to look towards one's own conscience and not necessarily follow the crowd. Who knows, you may be surprised and find others with you. Maybe that is all you need to do to make a difference in a young person's life, especially when you don't realize that you are also being looked up to as well.
It was an awful game as far as behavior goes. It seemed like the teams really hated each other, my friend commented. With the plays by the Bengals and the penalties inflicted on the giving the Steelers an advantage there, it seemed like justice was being served. (The Steelers in general have a reputation of being a hardworking team with good values, the whole Porter thing is just weird.) Why is it that we teach our children not to do things because they are wrong, like helmet to helmet contact, but it is okay for adults? Why do we suggest that once someone is an adult, anything goes, but while people are young they need to stick to moral teachings? It is the same off the playing field and in real life.
We teach kids not to cheat when they are in school, but how many adults cheat and steal within the work place setting? I realize that questioning our beliefs and taking responsibility for our actions and even our faith is a phase in the learning behavior of every person as they grow, especially starts in the early 20s. Sometimes like for these young players, one wishes they would grow up a little faster. But the players are paid to do this too to keep viewers watching. In watching we convince ourselves that this should be normal behavior. We are not paid to entertain. Why do we act like this? It should be a cautionary note. It is okay to stand against the grain, to look towards one's own conscience and not necessarily follow the crowd. Who knows, you may be surprised and find others with you. Maybe that is all you need to do to make a difference in a young person's life, especially when you don't realize that you are also being looked up to as well.
Friday, January 8, 2016
A Movie and the Plight of the Hungry
There is a film called, Boy in the Striped Pajamas, which is about the friendship between a boy in a Nazi concentration camp and the son on the camp commandant. The movie explores some of the propaganda that the Germans were instilled with by their government. It explored the turbulent emotions and ideas that tore families apart. For me one of the most striking things was a propaganda movie that showed the Jewish prisoners playing games, sitting at a table outdoors eating a meal as a family, and demonstrating what a lovely place the camp was. We know now the horrors of those camps. My family has a friend who was interred at two German labor camps: Clermont and Frontabalag(sp?). He still has items and is working with French museums to continue writing the history of what happened to the many who passed through the gates. One image that he has is of children lined up. They were being taken to the trains to be sent to the concentration camps. They had been separated from their parents. He himself was an American born to French parents. He tried to escape through Italy, but was detained, arrested and taken the to camps. As an American he said that he was often put with a group of other Americans, paraded and showed off to reporters and photographers, but never allowed to speak. He was used for propaganda purposes without knowing it.
The same friend has been having my family watch closely what is happening in Syria. He sees many correlations starting with the refugees fleeing. Now media is starting to report that the Syrian people are being starved. Some reports in our news this week suggest that the UN has found sarin poisoning in the blood of some of the dead they have come across. It is frightening to think that the world is trying to forget what was to justify its actions now. Let us not forget. Let us stand strong too and remember that these are men, women, and children who are like us in every way who are being injured, starved and killed in Syria. The politics is incredibly complex, but on a humanitarian level, what can we do to help the people?
The same friend has been having my family watch closely what is happening in Syria. He sees many correlations starting with the refugees fleeing. Now media is starting to report that the Syrian people are being starved. Some reports in our news this week suggest that the UN has found sarin poisoning in the blood of some of the dead they have come across. It is frightening to think that the world is trying to forget what was to justify its actions now. Let us not forget. Let us stand strong too and remember that these are men, women, and children who are like us in every way who are being injured, starved and killed in Syria. The politics is incredibly complex, but on a humanitarian level, what can we do to help the people?
Friday, January 1, 2016
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