MOsanthrope

Still don’t believe that our attempts to raise our kids in a sterile environment are counterproductive? Here’s the latest:

WASHINGTON — Gritty rats and mice living in sewers and on farms seem to have healthier immune systems than their squeaky clean cousins that frolic in cushy antiseptic labs, two studies indicate.
The lesson for humans: Clean […]

Filed under: Science, Health, Medicine, Environment

Seriously, this stuff has to stop:

A distracted driver swerved in her vehicle Tuesday, hitting and seriously injuring a 3-year-old boy who was playing in his front yard.
St. Charles County Sheriff Tom Neer said the 30-year-old female was driving about 7 p.m. Tuesday in the 200 block of Oakborough Drive in the Field Crest subdivision, in […]

Filed under: Children, U.S., Health, Missouri

Coffee: It’s not just for breakfast anymore.
(Thanks: Julie).

Filed under: Food & Drink, Health

You’d think that we’d recognize that fact after reading this story for about the twelve thousandth time:

Some blood pressure drugs previously thought to be safe when taken early in pregnancy now appear to substantially raise the risk of major birth defects, doctors say.
Babies whose mothers took ACE inhibitors in their first trimester were more than […]

Filed under: Health, Medicine

It’s delicious and refreshing:

A government analysis of more than 100 soft drinks and other beverages turned up five with levels of cancer-causing benzene that exceed federal drinking-water standards, the Food and Drug Administration said Friday.
* * *
Benzene, a chemical linked to leukemia, can form in soft drinks containing two ingredients: Vitamin C, also called […]

Filed under: Food & Drink, Health

I’ve always been pleased with the results obtained with Kilz. It works as advertised.
But if any of you have an underutilized meth lab in which my family and I might sleep tonight to escape the fumes, I’d appreciate a shout out.
Never mind; I’ve already said too much. That was just the Kilz talking.

Filed under: Projects, Health

Humans: still not all dead:

Even as it crops up in the far corners of Europe and Africa, the virulent bird flu that raised fears of a human pandemic has been largely snuffed out in the parts of Southeast Asia where it claimed its first and most numerous victims.

I won’t hold my breath while […]

Filed under: Health, Medicine, World

Updated on May 10, 2006 at 2:44 pm.
Americans have become so obsessed with the Bogeymicrobe that we’re now washing countless of tons of antibacterial soap* chemicals down the drain. As it turns out, those drains go somewhere:

About 75% of a potent bacteria-killing chemical that people flush down their drains survives treatment at sewage plants, […]

Filed under: U.S., Biology, Health, Environment

If you’re one of the 46 million Americans who don’t have a health insurance card, we’re terribly sorry:

CHICAGO — America may be the world’s superpower, but its survival rate for newborn babies ranks near the bottom among modern nations, better only than Latvia.
Among 33 industrialized nations, the United States is tied with Hungary, Malta, […]

Filed under: Politics, U.S., Health, Medicine

A few weeks ago, The Constant Gardner made its way to the top of our Netflix queue. My wife enjoyed it more than I did; however, I thought it was remarkably good as documentaries go:

The report concludes that Pfizer never obtained authorization from the Nigerian government to give the unproven drug to nearly […]

Filed under: Business, Ethics, Health, Medicine, World

Horrifying.

Filed under: Business, U.S., Health, Medicine

Updated on April 20, 2006 at 8:23 am.
CNN is reporting that a woman in Los Angeles has tested positive for the bacterium which causes BUBONIC PLAGUE!!!
BUBONIC PLAGUE killed a third of Europe’s population during the Middle Ages!!!

Criminy and great jumping Jehoshaphat, this stuff gets old.
As always, thanks, CNN.UPDATE: Dara links to the related […]

Filed under: U.S., Health, Media

Researchers at MIT and Brigham and Women’s Hospital have found a way to use nanotechnology to target cancer cells while leaving healthy cells intact:

“A single injection of our nanoparticles completely eradicated the tumors in five of the seven treated animals, and the remaining animals also had a significant tumor reduction, compared to the controls,” […]

Filed under: Technology, Science, U.S., Health, Medicine

Despite my Missouri residence, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Services was kind enough to inspect my kitchen. Well, sort of….
Chez Chris scored an “A”:

Congratulations!
Your kitchen has received an “A” with a score of 91. Would you like to receive an “A” grade card to display in your kitchen?

You bet I would! […]

Filed under: Food & Drink, Health

Our two boys love Magnetix magnetic building sets — especially our three year old, who must be continuously told not to place the tiny pieces in his mouth. Here’s why:

WASHINGTON - One child died and four others suffered serious injuries after swallowing tiny magnets found in building sets sold nationwide, the Consumer Product Safety […]

Filed under: Children, Games, Health

Justin discusses the distinction with some good links.
Whole Foods Market and Trader Joe’s are great; however, I prefer the Soulard Farmer’s Market. Unfortunately, it’s open only a few days each week.

Filed under: St. Louis, Food & Drink, Health, Environment

MAD COW! MAD COW! MAD COW!
The infected animal had not entered the food supply and posed no threat to humans or other animals.
I was beginning to wonder about CNN. It’s been days since they’ve reported any terrifying non-news about ANTHRAX, BIRD FLU or RICIN.
As always, thanks CNN. We’ll check back with you during […]

Filed under: U.S., Humor, Health, Media

While over reading MyDD this evening, I stumbled upon an interesting quote by Harvard Medical School surgeon, Dr. Atul Gawande:

Less than one percent of the people who are actually hurt by medical care get help through the medical malpractice system, in part because they have a hard time finding anyone to take their cases, and […]

Filed under: Politics, U.S., Law, Health

Many of you will recall that in 2002 the Justice Department intervened in a lawsuit brought by auto manufacturers seeking to avoid California’s tailpipe emission standards:

In an unprecedented federal attack on a California auto pollution program, the Bush administration backed carmakers Wednesday in a legal challenge to the state’s requirements for increased sales of electric […]

Filed under: Politics, Business, U.S., Health, Environment

Ignorance begets tragedy:

Billy Snead was furiously trying to save the life of a friend having a heart attack on a West Virginia roadside in June when the police chief arrived. The chief, Mr. Snead recalled yesterday, ordered him to stop.
* * *
The chief, Robert K. Bowman of the small town of Welch, told Mr. […]

Filed under: Politics, Culture, U.S., Health

From Germany comes this important advice for controlling the spread of the bird flu:

BERLIN (AP) — The deadly strain of bird flu was confirmed Tuesday in a cat in northern Germany, the first time the virus has been identified in a mammal in the 25 nations of the European Union.
* * *
Mettenleiter said […]

Filed under: Humor, Health

RICIN! RICIN! RICIN!

Never mind.
However, we ask that you please remember for whom to vote if you want to be safe from RICIN. They might sell U.S. RICIN manufacturing facilities to foreign investors if the money’s right, but you may rest assured that they’ll bomb the crap out of somebody when the RICIN terrorists strike.
Thanks […]

Filed under: Politics, U.S., Humor, Health, Media

CNN is reporting that a New York City man has contracted ANTHRAX! Inhalational ANTHRAX is often difficult to diagnose because it manifests itself as a flu-like illness!

ANTHRAX! ANTHRAX! ANTHRAX!
We’re awaiting a press conference with city officials!
ANTHRAX! ANTHRAX! ANTHRAX!
Stand by! More details are emerging!
The guy is a […]

Filed under: U.S., Humor, Health, Media

Consumers who are not microbiologists must now go on a steer hunt to assure themselves that their meat is fresh:

WASHINGTON - Shoppers who judge the freshness of meat by its pink color may be deceived by a relatively new industry practice of treating meat with carbon monoxide, critics say.
* * *
Berdahl said Tuesday that carbon […]

Filed under: Business, Food & Drink, Health

The EPA is on the case.
In one of many previous posts in which I mistook sarcasm for humor, I mentioned that an EPA advisory board had determined that PFOA, a Teflon byproduct found in the blood of most Americans, is likely carcinogenic.
The report has spurred the EPA to take bold steps to […]

Filed under: Health, Environment

A recent study questions the safety of aspartame, a result contrary to studies commissioned by the company which developed aspartame while Donald Rumsfeld was at its helm.

Aspartame is sold under the brand names Nutra-Sweet and Equal and is found in such popular products as Diet Coke, Diet Pepsi, Diet Snapple and Sugar Free Kool-Aid. Hundreds […]

Filed under: Science, Business, Health

One of the tactics I employ to torment my three and five-year-olds is the constant suggestion that they’d like to consume bugs. It’s great fun. “What would you like to drink?” I ask, “spider juice?” “I hate spider juice,” they reply. Then comes the bit I picked up in the dad […]

Filed under: Food & Drink, Health

Palestinians elected a group of terrorist wackos to run their government, GM lost $4.8 billion last quarter and is cutting 30 thousand jobs, Ford is cutting 25 to 35 thousand jobs, we’ve all got Teflon in our blood…

and SWAT officers shot Santa Claus during a kiddie porn warehouse raid last night.
Have a nice day.

Filed under: Business, U.S., Humor, Health, Environment

I understand it’s important that Wal-Mart keeps getting its shipments of knockoff shower curtain rings on time, but this stuff has to stop:

LAKE BUTLER, Florida (CNN) — News of a crash in which seven children perished so upset their grandfather that he had a massive heart attack and died, the children’s adoptive mother said.
“I lost […]

Filed under: U.S., Health

Thank you, DuPont, for providing our horrifying fact of the day:
From the AP:

DOVER, Del. - The Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday asked DuPont and seven other chemical companies to work to eliminate use of a chemical that is a key ingredient in the production of Teflon but may pose potential health risks to humans.
* * […]

Filed under: Humor, Health, Environment