One More Opinion

Holiday Madness:

(cross-posted to my book one website.)

There have been some authors who are basically anti-social. They live alone in sparsely populated areas or on properties that discourage visitors. Some of them get a lot of work done.

While I've thought about how quiet and distraction-free it would be to live somewhere on the South Island of New Zealand, the truth is I'm a social animal and a born city boy. I get lonely when Erik travels for business. I love my family and friends, and though I would move to New Zealand if the opportunity arose, Erik and I would probably live around the city of Auckland. (Erik is also a city boy, if only by the nature of his work.)

So sometimes, especially at American holiday times, my work flow gets interrupted by family and friends, and by holiday travel. (December is usually when Erik and I take our vacation.) So as we approach the Thanksgiving holiday I find myself with a house full of family, and next week we travel down to Florida to spend the holiday with my in-laws.

The funny thing is, last time I was at my in-laws I got a lot of work done. Don't ask me how it works.

But the holidays always slow down my book work. I've learned to accept this.

The other thing, and I knew this would happen, is that the process slows down as soon as you're working with someone else, (editors, proof-readers, etc…) There's nothing wrong with this. It's just the nature of the business.

So I expect to get little work done before January, then it will be mostly work.

(It took two sessions and 5-7 days just to get this post done.)

Exercising with caution:
By Phillip T. Alden – San Mateo Daily Journal
For publication: November 13, 2007

I work out three times a week, and I have a fairly active lifestyle for a writer and journalist. But I'm also 44 years-old and I have a chronic back injury. That has forced me to learn balance in my workout routine. No longer can I push the weight stack or cycle on that elliptical until the sweat is pouring off my body.

But that's normal, (more or less.) As we age it becomes harder and harder to workout at the same level as we did in our 20's. "Surrender gracefully the things of youth." But we live in a youth-obsessed society where many of us try to look (and act) younger than we are. There's nothing wrong with being young at heart, but our hearts are not as young as they once were. Do you ever wonder why professional athletes retire in their 40s? The obvious answer is that their bodies cannot handle the physical punishment that professional sports puts upon them, and they don't heal as fast as they did when they were younger.

The same is true for the rest of us. That back injury I mentioned happened at the gym. And my pain specialist told me his practice is "exploding" with people just like me who injure themselves by either over-exercising or exercising improperly. That's great for his practice but not so great for those of us who become patients.

So as much as it may pain us, we need to admit that we're not as young as we used to be, and that's okay. We can still have an active lifestyle and a healthy body. In fact, as we age exercise becomes more important. Being older does not mean we become couch potatoes, but it does mean:

· Our muscles shrink and lose mass.
· Joint tendons lose water and become less flexible.
· The heart pumps blood more slowly.
· Bones become less dense and more breakable.
· Cartilage starts to break down and joints become more easily inflamed.

But all is not lost. Much of these processes can be delayed with regular exercise, however we need to exercise smart, using some of that accumulated wisdom that comes with age. Here are some basics:

· Check with your doctor before you begin a new exercise program, including getting a complete physical that includes heart function.

· Start slowly. Many injuries are caused by overdoing it on the first day.

· Be consistent. Staying in shape takes dedication and commitment to a regular exercise program.

· Don't push yourself past your body's natural limits.

· Abandon "No pain. No gain." Pain is for those who wish to end up hurt. Smart people know that pain is a warning signal.

· Try different things. Doing the same exercise over and over is not only boring, it may also put too much strain on a particular muscle group.

· Pick an exercise/sport that's right for your lifestyle and body type.

· Don't try to keep up with your 20 year-old friend. Exercise with people who are in your age group and body type.

· Take a walk. The dog needs exercise too.

Above all, just use your common sense. If you work with a personal trainer choose one who respects your limits and your age. By just following a few simple rules you can stay in shape, look and feel great, and enjoy all the benefits a sensible exercise program offers. If a certain exercise or machine doesn't feel right for you, try something else. There are many ways to stay in shape out there. Look for the ones that suit you best.

New Work Habits:

Yesterday I researched, wrote, edited and sent my article for next week to my editor - right after dinner.

Tonight I edited a section from my final copy editor that included two requests to expound on the narrative, add some action and description (color and background) to the text - right after dinner.

Tomorrow I'm visiting my brother in Sacramento so I'll have to take the day off for that, but unless we have some social function I'm unaware of, I'll be right into work - right after dinner - on Saturday and Sunday.

Verdict: The new work habit system seems to work well, but as the holidays come ever closer I'm going to have a fair number of nights where socializing will cut into work. That's okay because that's the best part of the winter holidays for me - spending time with family and friends over good food and wine. But to augment those nights, it will still be good to take any daytime opportunity that presents itself to get some work done.

Once we return from the southern tip of the South American continent (Cape Horn - Argentina and Peru) on the 31st, and the holidays end and turn into just winter, the new work schedule should go well, barring any unforeseen events. As much as I want to finish I don't think I'll have all of Stuart's corrections completed before we leave in December. I don't even have all the sections from Stuart yet. (These are long and complicated chapters at the end of the book, and it takes a while to edit all that text.)

You always have to give your editor some breathing space so he can feel comfortable and do the job well, in Stuart's case, brilliantly. I feel very fortunate to have him as my final copy editor. I couldn't ask for better.

(Cross-posted to my Book One website.)

Are flame-retardants harming us?
By Phillip T. Alden – San Mateo Daily Journal
For publication: November 6, 2007

Sometimes I wonder just how seriously the Environmental Protection Agency takes its middle name. From independent groups funding scientific research because the EPA refuses to do so, to lead-painted toys making their way into our children's hands, one must wonder how badly the agency wishes to protect us.

Such is the problem with flame retardants known as polybrominated diphenyl ethers, (PBDEs.) Like many of these substances which surround us; in this case upholstery, mattresses, fax machines, carpets, car seats, computers and household wiring; the EPA depends upon industry testing and resists calls to ban or label PBDEs. Asking a $2.9 billion dollar a year industry to police itself and ban its own products? Does that make sense to you?

In addition, the industry grandfathered in thousands of substances before the passage of the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act. This was done partially as a bow to reality. At the time there were millions of substances in America, too many to realistically rid ourselves of, but the industry did not discontinue the production of PBDE until 2005.

And the flame retardant industry did not do this out of concern for the public good. A report from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences showing that PBDE levels in American infants were two-three times higher than in adults scared the industry into stopping production for fear of huge payouts from lawsuits.

According to an article by Terry J. Allen from In These Times; "the link between inhaled PBDE and thyroid disease was strengthened by a recent study on cats. Environmental Science and Technology traced an epidemic of deadly feline hyperthyroid disease back to the 80's when PBDEs first proliferated." Cats were vulnerable because, like infants, they live close to the ground. The tests performed on the cats showed "a clear association" between PBDE and thyroid problems.

The problem is in the dust. It was assumed that most PBDE contamination came from eating meat, fish and dairy, but now researchers are studying indoor air where the concentrations are 15 to 50 times higher than outside sources. What they discovered was that PBDEs emit gas at 84 degrees Fahrenheit, which is a common temperature inside cars, computers and houses. The gas then clings to dust particles that we breathe.

One of my many criticisms of the current Bush Administration and the rubber-stamp Congress that controlled our government until 2006 was the lack of regulation and oversight. It seemed the regulatory agencies were asleep while Americans experienced poisoned food for both humans and pets, and the importation of products from countries like China that turned out to contain toxics like lead paint.

In many cases the regulatory agencies had no clue that something was wrong until people started getting sick and/or dying. The FDA, EPA and CDC became increasingly politicized, making it harder for the scientists to do their jobs, and in many cases intimidated into letting things slide for the sake of political expediency. The Bush Administration placed people from industry into key positions in these agencies to benefit those industries at the expense of the American people. The problem got so bad at the CDC that some employees launched a website called CDC Chatter to give employees a chance to speak out anonymously.

We need to strengthen our regulatory agencies, remove the undo influence of the industries involved, and get the focus back on protecting the American people. Americans are tired of being blindsided by men who care more about profit than the public good.

Fallout From The Class War:

November 1, 2007

According to Greg Palast and notable others, there's been a class war in America for quite a while now, and I agree. The idea has been to shrink the middle class, widening the divide between the haves and the have-nots, pushing more people into poverty by weakening education and our support system.

Much of the gains in the middle class was a result of WWII, and one can easily study a little history to see how things like the G.I. Bill helped young men get an education and move up after the war.

It was weakened under Ronald Reagan. When historians finally get enough distance they will see how Reagan's presidency started damaging this country and led us to where we are today. There are those who argue that Reagan caused an economic expansion, but the credit does not really go to him. Very few presidents are the cause of what happens, but as we've seen they have the potential to wreak havoc on the country. (Look at what's happened to the deficit under George W. Bush.)

As an AIDS activist I can never forgive Reagan for the death and misery he caused, but that forgiveness lies in the hands of those who suffered and died, not in mine.

But the corporations and neo-cons who helped widen the divide are starting to see the fallout and blowback of their actions. The housing market is a good example. They forgot that a healthy middle class keeps businesses profitable, from Merrill-Lynch to Wal-Mart. Our economy depends upon people's ability to get educated and move up the economic ladder.

I don't know if it was naked greed or short-sightedness, and I really don't care. But we need to start having a national conversation about the true state of our union. We need to discuss how we can address poverty in this country, because a healthy economy and democratic union flows up as well as down. That's one of the reasons I've been so impressed by John Edwards, because the man is actually talking about this.

But you wouldn't know it from our mass media. That's mainly due to the fact that our mass media is a major part of the problem. There is a reason why people like me have stopped watching TV and stopped following the "news." American mainstream news is crap, and it's also hopelessly poisoned. With people like Rupert Murdoch controlling so many papers and TV news stations we have a mass media that has abandoned its responsibility to the public.

(This also goes for PBS/NPR as far as I'm concerned.)

Instead we have distractions like Bill O'Reilly, Anne Coulter and their ilk. People who should not have such a public forum, but are shoved in our faces because they are a distraction. Their crap keeps us distracted from the real issues that face our nation.

But we have the power when it comes to media. By turning it off or refusing to buy it we destroy the toxic invader and give real voices a chance to be heard. Truly great news services like Mother Jones Magazine, The Economist, and others offer us a news source that covers what truly matters to those of us with a social conscience. When we abandon The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal we take away the toxic voice of men like Murdock, (who recently bought the latter.)

There will always be ignorant people in this (and every) country who have no clue they've been sold a bill of goods. They never led and they never will. It has always been up to the natural leaders and voices of this country to lead, and it is still their responsibility to lead. Now more than ever.

Unfortunately, the inclination has been to contract, to withdraw from the toxic environment. But if we withdraw too far we risk our chance to affect positive change.

I am surrounded by intelligent, caring and highly moral people. My loved ones and friends never cease to amaze me with their perspective, and the things we all try to do to make this world a better place for everyone. I feel like I'm surrounded by natural leaders.

It's my hope that more and more people become tired of the toxic stew our mass media feeds us; the fear, hatred and negativity it spews like brown water from a sewer. And once we have made the mass media irrelevant we can start a real national dialogue about the things that matter most. Here's my short list:

1. Restoring the domestic manufacturing sector in America.
2. Moving away from a Disposable society.
3. Fully restoring the Constitution and the Bill Of Rights.
4. Abolishing "no child left behind" and restoring our educational systems.
5. Ending the failed "War On Drugs" and releasing non-violent drug offenders from our prison system.
6. Overhauling our prison system and the way we care for our prisoners.
7. Opening up job opportunities and education for people of color and those harmed by the drug war.
8. Strengthening American labor unions.
9. Purging the political system of well-moneyed lobbyists.
10. Holding those guilty of war crimes accountable – including George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, David Addington and Alberto Gonzales.
11. Abolishing the TSA and replacing it with a sane and efficient system.
12. Abolishing the CIA and getting help to establish an intelligence service that works.
13. Abolishing para-military organizations like Blackwater "Security Systems."
14. Restoring our credibility with the rest of the world.
15. Moving away from coal and fossil fuels, and developing less harmful sources of energy for our country.
16. Restoring our military so it can truly protect our borders.
17. Paying our U.N. dues and start working with that august body.
18. Making sure our children are taught the true history of our country so we don't end up in this situation ever again.
19. Taking back our airwaves and building a new press to replace the hopelessly poisoned one we have right now.
20. And most importantly, restoring the trust and confidence between Americans and truly unifying this country.

I'm sure there are many more things that can be added to this list, like restoration of voting rights to those harmed by the drug war, but the 20 items listed above is a good start.

The point is we need to start now. We need to let our politicians know that we are taking control of our country and they will act as the civil servants they were elected to be, implementing these things we have outlined.

We also need to put the corporations on notice, re-write their corporate charters to reflect these values, and take those charters away from those who don't deserve to hold them.

We have the Power!