A Lesson For All Your Youngsters Out There...

I'm working on my reapplication to the Progressive Women's Voices program. I applied for the second round and didn't get in. I was taken aback considering that the program says they want new voices and different voices. Yet if you click on that link and see who actually has gotten in, well, this reapplication is a long shot.

The hardest part of this application process?

Remembering all my media appearances!

Somehow I thought that this program was to find brand new voices, but apparently not. Just new voices in that women's voices aren't heard much at all, but they do want experienced voices. And seriously, that makes sense. So, here I am putting finishing touches on my resume and application and I can NOT for the life of me find all my media appearances. One part of the application asks for media clips. I have things that were in print, but outside of a poorly taped segment on TV, I have no live media to send them. That's what happens when you do most of your radio on community radio.

But even besides having the pieces, just remembering all the dates is driving me insane. I'm going to go dig thru my old appointment books pre-Treo to see if I can put together my media timeline.

So...for those of you starting out with anything - DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT!!

You know how people say that you should always update your resume after you do something? Yeah, you really should. Or at least keep a better journal, diary, whatever so you're not like me running around trying to prove that you do have some experience. Not Donna Brazile experience, but I think some decent experience.

OK...back to writing.

Mediterranean Diet May Decrease Diabetes Risk

A Mediterranean diet, already known to protect against heart disease, also appears to decrease risk of developing diabetes according to a prospective study of 13,380 Spanish university graduates without diabetes at baseline followed up for 4.4 years.

Mediterranean diet was defined by features such as a high intake of fibre, a high intake of vegetable fat, a low intake of trans fatty acids, and a moderate intake of alcohol.

People who adhered closely to the diet were 83 percent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who did not. The researchers admit they did not expect such a large reduction.

According to other studies, Mediterranean diet seems to improve cardiovascular risk factors after just 3 months and protect against asthma in childhood.

I try to follow a variant of the Mediterranean/DASH diet as much as possible. After adding 2-3 tablespoons of flax seed flower in the morning, my LDL decreased by 33% (from 136 mg/dL to 91 mg/dL).

My limited experience pales in comparison to John Halamka, the CIO of Beth Israel, Harvard, who literally became a new man by changing his diet and lifestyle. Read more in A Vegan Thanksgiving and check out his medical records available online.

References:
Adherence to Mediterranean diet and risk of developing diabetes: prospective cohort study. BMJ.
Mediterranean diet may also help stop diabetes. Reuters.

Related:
Mediterranean diet during childhood may protect against asthma
Mediterranean Diet Seems to Improve Cardiovascular Risk Factors After Just 3 Months

Why to Eat Like a Greek http://goo.gl/Chpwf - Mediterranean diet improves heart risk factors http://goo.gl/DkPhF
Diet Guidelines: No more than 1.5 gm of sodium/day, get off your "SoFAS" - Solid Fats and Added Sugars
Image source: Olive oil, Wikipedia.

New Feature! Baby Swag!

Spurred by the response from my Parenting, Inc. review post, I want to start a new feature here at Viva La Feminista. I'm not sure what to call it yet, so it will debut next week. BUT the focus will be highlighting one aspect of what one might consider a logical or realistic baby registry. One without too much of the frivolous items and if they are they, some real commentary not any of the BS you get from the box.

I'm not going to highlight items that I get pitched to me. This is about me giving my honest advice based on my own experience & observations and some from my friends. If you want to chime in, please leave a comment with your email addy so I can get in touch.

Despite all of the above, I'm not going to focus on bashing products. I won't highlight a certain DVD series and rant about them. I'm going to focus on things I think you really do need to put on that registry or throw in your shopping cart. It's not about being cheap or old skool either. I think every kid needs their first hipster t-shirt even if they're gonna just spit up on it in 10 minutes. It's gonna be about being honest. Thus, my small, but growing, army of readers, if you have questions, please do leave them too. Even if you're not gonna be preggers soon, chances are that you're gonna be attending a baby shower.

Stay tuned. I'm pretty psyched about this.

I'm in love

Remember my post about a new feminist economics blog? Well, there's another!

Susan Feiner left a comment to let me know about her blog. I just zoomed thru her first posts and I am in love. Not sure if with her or the idea of feminist economics, but it's love. Here are just a few snippets from her blog:

• 45 years ago American feminist Betty Friedan saw how suburban isolation undermined women’s health and restricted women’s choices. In a now classic essay, “The Problem That Has No Name” Friedan successfully linked the repressive domesticity of the 1950s to suburbanization.

  Friedan’s analysis was pooh-poohed as a “women’s” issue.

  Coming soon to a station near you: $5.00/gallon gas. VOILLA!

• Here’s the basic idea. In a recession, people are losing their jobs, businesses are cutting back, and the level of private spending is falling off. The government can step in and replace some of the purchasing power that’s disappead. People without jobs have no income so their spending goes down, a lot! In today’s world of highly indebted consumers the loss of a job is even more disastrous, since people have so little put aside in savings.
  
  In the face of a recession government can, for starters, extend unemployment insurance. This puts spendable income directly in the hands of people who’ve lost jobs.
  
  But, and here’s a critically important point for women: part-time workers are not eligible for unemployment compensation. Most part time workers are adult women. So extending unemployment insurance is not going to be much help. Congress could enact changes in the program that would make part time workers eligible.

For reals...go check her out. I know I'm a big time nrrd, but I don't think she's writing above anyone's head over there. Which in itself is proof of feminism. (Yeah, I'm looking at you Judith Butler!)

Technorati tags: Susan Feiner, economics, feminism

Gingivitis (gum disease) may increase risk of several cancers and heart disease

According to a prospective study published in the Lancet Oncology, U.S. male health professionals with a history of gum disease had a higher overall risk of developing lung, kidney, pancreatic and hematological cancers.

The 50,000 study participants were mostly male physicians aged 40-75 who were followed for 17 years. Those with history of periodontal disease had a 36% higher risk of lung cancer, a 49% higher risk of kidney cancer, a 54% higher risk of pancreatic cancer and a 30% higher risk of having a blood cancer.

Periodontal disease was associated with a small, but significant, increase in overall cancer risk, which persisted in never-smokers. Periodontal disease might be a marker of a susceptible immune system or might directly affect cancer risk.


Oral Health and Cardiovascular Disease http://bit.ly/diO6lg

Contradicting evidence from 2012: Flossing Is Good For The Gums, But Doesn't Help The Heart http://goo.gl/SSCug

References:

Periodontal disease, tooth loss, and cancer risk in male health professionals: a prospective cohort study. Lancet Oncology 2008; 9:550-558.
Periodontal diseases and cancer. Lancet Oncology 2008; 9:510-512.
Gum disease may raise cancer risk, study finds. Reuters.

People who consume a lot of omega-3 fatty acids (in oily fish) have a 22% lower risk of developing gum disease http://goo.gl/hsD0B
Image source: Cross-section of a tooth with visible gums, or gingiva, Wikipedia, GNU Free Documentation License.

Book Review - Hijas Americanas

First off, the only negative for this book is that it is from Seal Press, so I know right off some WOC will not buy this book. I bought this book last summer. That said, I really did love this book, so if at all, go pick it up from your local library. Read it in Borders and reshelve it. I don't care, just get your hands on this book. That said, let's get into the review.

The back of Hijas Americanas [WCF, Powells, Amazon] by Rosie Molinary sets up the entire book by asking - How Latina Are You?

This of course forces you to come up with a definition of what is a Latina. Does she speak Spanish? With an accent? Have tan skin? Molinary delves into these questions and much more.

This is another entry into what I'm calling pseudo-academic books. It's not a slam, but an acknowledgment that a book chock full of research and data is wrapped up in a memoir. Unlike other pseudo-academic books, this book is about the research first. Molinary surveyed Latinas from around the country as well as some in-depth interviews. Her memoir is secondary to the story she is weaving. We still learn a lot about her including that the essential question is often asked of her, "I've also been told plenty of times that I wasn't Puerto Rican enough, or even Puerto Rican at all." - page 6.

The opening chapter, "Turning Gringa" gives us Latinas the ultimate bottom line:

Ultimately, I learned that the way people labeled me was often more about their own perconceived notions than about what I did or said. I slowly began to understand that the one thing I did have control over was how I saw myself. Page 20

It really should be that easy and leaving us with a great booklet. But it's not, it's only the beginning.

It's not all happy fiestas in the book though. Molinary spends a good chunk of time going over the hardships that Latinas face including being raised to please everyone but yourself (page 67) that may leave many unable to negotiate sexual relationships. Not to mention having to negotiate the way society and our families frame Latina sexuality (page 94).

I've previously stated that Hijas Americanas is a true self-help book and it is. Molinary goes through many of the stereotypes of being Latina - our sexuality, fashion sense, education - and proves them AND dispells them. Essentially she proves to us that being Latina is not a prescription but a spectrum.

Disclaimer: I received no payment for this review as I bought this book myself.

Technorati tags: latinas, Hijas Americanas, Rosie Molinary, book review

Book Review - Slowpoke: One Nation, Oh My God!

Thanks to Jen Sorensen for sending me a review copy of her latest book, "Slowpoke: One Nation, Oh My God!" [WCF, Powells, Amazon] This is some of the funniest shit I have read in a long time and woo-wee did I need a good laugh!

First, I have to say that I was eagerly awaiting the arrival of the book once I started to sift through her archives and found that one of her characters, Lil Gus, looks just like GRod, the great governor of Illinois.

Lil Gus is in here as is Mr. Perkins and Drooly Julie & all her sexcapades. But what is funny is Jen's ability to not only skewer those of the political persuasion, but also our own activities in this crazy thing called life. From a "Field Guide to Magnetic Ribbons" to "Spectacle Semiotics," Jen has us all pegged...including herself. I can say that because unlike other comic books that I've seen and honestly, I haven't seen a whole lot, she gives you commentary on each comic. Thus you get the background on why in the world she'd want to joke about the evolution of eye wear.

So click on the links above to purchase the book from either a small feminist bookstore or giganto-Amazon. Get it for yourself or for a new graduate...With our economy, they'll need something to cheer them up as they look for a decent job.

Disclaimer: The only payment I received for this review was the review copy of the book.

Technorati tags: Slowpoke, Jen Sorensen, book review

Work it, Mom! Monday! on Tuesday

My post this week is about Memorial Day and remembering that we're losing moms in Iraq & Afghanistan. And yes, I know that I didn't even mention the moms of Iraq & Afghanistan, but since it was Memorial Day for US military, I focused on that. It's short and to the point, so go on over and read. NaComLeavMo'ers, it counts as another blog!

More on feminism, motherhood, & the Walkers

Baby Love came out over a year ago, so why all the interest in Rebecca Walker and the radical things she says in the book? I don't have a clue.

Feminist Law Professors points us to a few new media pieces:

• How feminism has lied to women & destroyed motherhood
• How she loves her second son more than her first - because the first is adopted

I read Baby Love, got to ask Rebecca a few questions over the phone, and saw her in person where others got to question her. While I do feel that the harm her mother, acclaimed feminist Alice, is totally true, I am starting to feel that her continuing airing of their relationship in the media is uncalled for. As I said in my last post on them, I know how ones relationship with ones parent can dissolve into nothing.

I also know second wave feminist moms who did suffer when they had their child. Claims of traitor or some such nonsense. So it's not too far fetched to listen to Rebecca's claims. Now a huge confession...I've never read any of Alice's work. So I have no idea if Rebecca's situating her mom's work is true or not. But considering how high profile all of this is, I'm gonna say that Rebecca's on the money. Seriously...correct me if she's wrong!

When I was pregnant I didn't want to know if I was having a girl or a boy because for one, I wanted to be surprised. And two, I did not want to buried under pink or blue crap! I opted for greens and yellows and some blues. I even bought a few boy jackets for my unborn because well, sometimes boys clothes are just built for play. I knew my kid, girl or boy, would play.

I do have a Barbie ban in place, but my daughter has dolls and plenty of stuffed animals. She plays house with them, but in her play, her dollie's daddy is in the picture. I assume that he's an involved imaginary daddy considering that I've walked into her pre-school to see two of her friends of the boy gender playing house - together - one of whom was pregnant.

On the other hand, my daughter's room is pink. It's rose pink, but it is pink. I let her pick out the color. She loves wearing dresses & some days the only way I can get her into pants is to remind her that we do not get to climb trees in our dresses...unless there are pants underneath. She will not be that 8-year-old you see in her micro-mini climbing at the playground. Um, no. Not even at 4. That's why skorts were invented. All hail skorts!

Bottom line...if Alice Walker wrote the feminist mom rules, I've most likely failed half of them. But she didn't. No one did. Each of us write the rules within the parameter of our own feminism. No, no...not choice feminist motherhood, but if our feminism is rooted in solid theory, then our mothering will be as well.

Yes, my daughter is a "burden" when I'd really like to hit T's and grab a martini with some girlfriends and when I'd like to hit a networking reception that is central to who I am trying to be, but am I gonna take it out on her? Um, no...I chose to have her. I knew that I'd have to stay home with well, mother her! She is not my sister...I have two of them already. She is my daughter. A young woman-child whom I am trying to mold into a loving human being. Lucky for me, she came that way, I just need to keep her loving life & others and not allowing the ugliness of life to overcome her glow.

When I was in a situation with my late-mother, my godmother stepped in. Anyone got Gloria's phone number?

Technorati tags: feminism, motherhood, Alice Walker, Rebecca Walker

NaComLeavMo

NaComLeavMo: More Conversation Than You Can Shake a Stick at

I'm behind due to an uber-busy Sunday and then out sick yesterday. I'll catch up. I promise!

Thanks to all the NaComLeavMo'ers who have already stopped by.

Another Medical School Links to the Clinical Cases Project

The University of the Andes in Chile is the latest medical school to list our online curriculum Clinical Cases and Images and/or the blog among the web resources recommended to students:

Universidad de los Andes > Biblioteca > Recursos Electrónicos > Medicina

The university joins the list of 27 medical schools which link to our projects. Among them are the University of California, San Francisco, University of California, San Diego, University of Michigan, Duke University, Northwestern University and many others.


Screenshot of Clinical Cases and Images

Clinical Cases and Images (clinicalcases.org) is a free online case-based curriculum of clinical medicine. The project was developed at Cleveland Clinic and Case Western Reserve University and has had more than 2 million page views since 2005. ClinicalCases.org has been featured in 10 peer-reviewed medical journals and other scientific publications including British Medical Journal (3 times), Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine, Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, BMC Medical Education, Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association, Nursing Education Perspectives, Baylor College of Medicine Web Digest, Medscape (2 times), Student BMJ, Medical Journal of Australia and Clinical Infectious Diseases.

ClinicalCases.org is a collaborative project and contributions are always welcome and acknowledged. CasesBlog is the blog I use to collect ideas, interesting stories and to post relevant news about the Clinical Cases and Images.

References:
Medical Schools Which Link to Our Project Clinical Cases and Images
Image source: OpenClipArt.org (public domain).

Book Review - Parenting, Inc.

The first time I walked into Babys-R-Us after I became pregnant I had an anxiety attack. My husband & I were with my parents and it was just days before Christmas. I thought I had learned from our disastrous wedding registry experience, that I should bring my mom along as she had raised three girls and was an OB/GYN nurse. All I remember is standing in front of the wall of pacifiers and bottles shaking. I froze. Thankfully my husband and mom agreed, let's just look around and do the registry later. I agreed despite my desperate need to run screaming from the store and hoping the stork brought baby items as well as the baby.

Pamela Paul's latest book, Parenting, Inc., [WCF, Powells] is a goddess send. It takes all the insanity that is the baby/child accoutrement business and whittles it down into common sense. On Good Reads.com, one reviewer didn't agree:

I bought this book in hopes it would provide some perspective on my current buying spree. Unfortunately, all I really found it offered was a whiney polemic againt parents buying so much. Although the author included some top line research, it was clearly not a balanced perspective.[sic]

And this is where I think the brilliance of the book comes into play. Paul takes the agonizing time to look into just about every aspect of the baby/child business. From the moment that second pink line appears to pre-school, Paul walks us through why we have so many gadgets to buy and even why we are afraid not to buy them. It is not whiny as much as a plea for parents to trust our instincts. Do we really need a walking and talking doll to teach our kids the ABCs? Do we really need to buy educational DVDs for infants?

Paul talks to experts and the bottom line is that we don't need most of what we are buying or being told to buy. I've resisted buying any educational DVD for my daughter and shamelessly will gloat about it too. Why? Because the idea of sitting her down in front of the TV to learn anything never jived with me. Yes, I blissfully recall learning some Spanish on Sesame Street, but I recall mostly that they said 'aqua' as AHG-WHA not AH-WHA. Paul states that "[s]ticking a baby in the bouncy seat or exersaucer in front of the TV set while Elmo or Dora do their thing is the modern equivalent of the once-ubiquitous, now verboten playpen."

From outsourcing parenting trials such as potty training and sleeping schedules to uber-fancy kiddie 'country clubs,' Paul does an excellent job at painting the picture, dismantling it with facts & data, and then giving us a choice. That choice is usually "Don't Do It," but somewhere in the "Outsourcing Parenthood" chapter she gives into some of the parenting experts. I do have to say that she does an excellent job at justifying her choice as well as giving us parenting experts who DON'T do the parenting as some others do.

The only thing missing is a better look at mommy blogs who peddle many of these unnecessary items to fellow moms. Paul rips apart marketing and advertising folks, but barely mentions the enormous power that is mommy blogging and mommy blog review sites. Yes, my dear readers I'm getting jaded...Mostly because I do believe many things are unnecessary and the reason I love the momosphere is that we're supportive of each other. I don't care that some make money off their blog, but when they do it by selling me an overpriced piece of plastic, I care. That said, I will still review products, but in a carefully vetted process and I'll be totally up front with you.

This book is a must read...AND I highly suggest that you get this book for yourself or your girlfriend/sister/daughter BEFORE she's pregnant (hormones are a bitch!). Get it now and hand it to her once she even mentions she might be trying to get pregnant. The bottom line is that there is a huge market out there and us parents are chumps when it comes to our kids. We want the best for them and we have been led to believe that we can only get the best by opening our wallets. Believe me now or regret those purchases later...You don't need 15 receiving blankets. For reals.

Other reviews:

• Salon.com
• Mama-rama

Disclaimer: The only payment I received for this review was the review copy of the book.

Technorati tags: parenting, marketing, Pamela Paul, Parenting, Inc.

Movies By Women

Are you tired of movies that treat women as accessories? That our stories aren't being told? Or just tired of year after year seeing old white dudes win the Best Director award?

Sign up for Movies By Women's weekly newsletter that let's you know when a woman directed movie opens up.

Movies By Women.com is an organization dedicated to “spreading the word” about movies directed by women. The main Movies By Women.com website includes information on historical women directors, current and past statistics on women directors, and also includes female director interviews.

They even advocate buying tickets to movies even if you can't make it - especially helped for those of us not in NYC and LA! Here is what is out and directed by women:

++ American Zombie directed by Grace Lee

++ Beyond Belief directed by Beth Murphy

++ Blindsight directed by Lucy Walker

++ Body of War directed by Ellen Spiro & Phil Donahue

++ Caramel directed by Nadine Labaki

++ The Cool School directed by Kristine McKenna & Morgan Neville

++ Dhamma Brothers directed by Jenny Phillips

++ Extra Ordinary Barry directed by Vivi Stafford

++ The Favor directed by Eva Aridjis

++ Flow directed by Irena Salina

++ Forever directed by Heddy Honigmann

++ Hats Off directed by Jyll Johnstone

++ How the Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer
directed by Georgina Garcia Reidel

++ I for India directed by Sandhya Suri

++ Jack and Jill vs. The World directed by Vanessa Parise

++ Jellyfish directed by Shira Geffen & Etgar Keret

++ Just Sex and Nothing Else directed by Krisztina Goda

++ Little Chenier directed by Bethany Ashton

++ Never Forever directed by Gina Kim

++ Nim's Island directed by Jennifer Flackett & Mark Levin

++ Paraguayan Hammock directed by Paz Encina

++ Persepolis directed by Marjane Satrapi & Vincent Payrounnaud

++ A Plumm Summer directed by Caroline Zelder

++ A Previous Engagement directed by Joan Carr-Wiggin

++ Refusenik directed by Laura Bialis

++ Remember the Daze directed by Jess Manafort

++ Stop-Loss directed by Kimberly Peirce

++ Then She Found Me directed by Helen Hunt

++ Under the Same Moon directed by Patricia Riggen

++ The Unforeseen directed by Laura Dunne

++ Viva directed by Anna Biller

++ Vivere directed by Angelina Maccarone

++ A Walk into the Sea directed by Esther Robinson

++ War Made Easy directed by Loretta Alper & Jeremy Earp

++ Water directed by Saida Medvedeva

++ Water Lilies directed by Celine Sciamma

++ XXY directed by Lucia Puenzo

++ Young and Restless in China directed by Sue Williams

How do you backup your computer files?

One approach is described below and it is by no means perfect. I wrote this post long time ago and some of the equipment is outdated but one can still get a general idea.

Areas of storage and backup:

1. Desktop PC, 70 GB hard drive.
2nd degree backup. Files are transferred from the primary backup with free programs such as SyncBack Freeware or Toucan.

2. 500 GB second hard drive on desktop PC.
Primary backup -- this is a new drive by Seagate and should last the longest.

3. Seagate Free Agent ToGo portable hard drive, 120 GB.
3rd degree backup. Portable Apps (free) are installed on the Free Agent drive and the files are encrypted with Toucan (part of the portable suite). It is important to encrypt all portable drives because they are often lost.

4. Western Digital external hard drive, 80 GB.
4th degree backup. It also has Portable Apps and files are encrypted with Toucan.

5. Notebook PC (laptop), 30 GB (old).
I use this PC primarily for Internet access when traveling. Not much is stored there, only occasional downloaded files.

6. GMail, 6 GB.
The GMail account has all my emails, some files and music. The emails are downloaded to desktop PC via Mozilla Thunderbird. See how to backup your Gmail account(s) via POP.

7. Box.net, 1 GB.
Not much free storage but it has a nice interface and is easy to use.

8. DVDs.
Backup photos, music, documents.

9. Picasa Photos, 1 GB.
For public photos.

10. USB drive, 2 GB.
For some files. Similarly to the portable hard drive, the USB drive also has Portable Apps and the documents are encrypted with Toucan.

References:
Pushing Paper Out the Door. NYTimes, 02/2008.
Sleep soundly: Back up your photos. Google Photos Blog, 03/2008.
Image source: Wikipedia, public domain.

Related:
Synching Just Became a Cinch. NYTimes, 03/2008.
Bulletproof Backup Strategies. EfficientMD, 08/2008.

Updated: 08/11/2008

Ultrasound-guided Central Line Placement: Embed Several Videos in One Frame

Video: Ultrasound-guided Central Line Placement

Google Docs is a free web-based word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation application.

You can include YouTube videos, images, and text captions into slides to condense and display a “deck” of graphical content in a concise format in your posts.

For example, instead of publishing several videos on one page, you can insert videos and pictures in an embedded presentation slideshow -- see the example above.

I picked the topic of Ultrasound-guided Central Line Placement because this modality is of proven efficacy and safety but is still underutilized. A colleague of mine and I published a A Step-by-Step Procedure Guide with Photos for Central Line Placement with Ultrasound Guidance in an attempt to popularize the approach. A free PDA version of this procedure guide is available from MeisterMed.

References:
Multiple-size Embedded Presentations from Google Docs. Blogger Buzz.
Central Line Placement with Ultrasound Guidance: A Step-by-Step Procedure Guide with Photos
Central Line Placement: A Step-by-Step Procedure Guide with Photos
Ultrasound Guided Vascular Access (USGVA)
SiteRite Video
Ultrasound-guided Central line insertion

Feminist Economics

I have a some-what secret obsession...economics.

I've only taken one economics course and I HAD to take it for my master's degree. I dreaded it like nothing I've ever taken before - Yes, even Organic Chemistry was less of a dread. My freshman year of college, my roommate's (not the hubby!) dad was a well-known economist. He had held positions in I think the Bush I administration and kept bugging me to take economics. "You're a smart girl and I think you'd like it." GAG! Economics? Learning about the market forces that I knew were keeping poor people poor?

Well, yes...I really did need to know about that.

That said, during my econ course, I swear I must have made the instructor so upset that he wanted to kill me. This was microecon I...total intro to econ course, thus reality was to be left at the door. Except that NO ONE told me that!

I vividly recall one night where he was talking market forces, supply & demand, and why local entities shouldn't tax businesses because there will always be a town down the road that will lower their taxes for the right business. He then went to make the case that we as employees were the same. That health care packages were like tax breaks. If we were unsatisfied with our health care package, we can always go find another job.

WTF!?

My arm shot up and I argued. "Um, not everyone has the luxury to go and find another job." We argued for quite some time until I realized that I wasn't going to win and he wasn't going to stray from the party line.

That's why I was PSYCHED to read that Allison from Shameless has a feminist economics blog! It's called Economic Woman and you should must check it out. Don't worry, as much as I am a nrrd, I'm not Alex P. Keaton...I need my economics translated into human talk as much as the next grrl.

There's also this piece from Beacon Broadside on how my generation is failing to do even just as good as our parents. Err...well in a general sense anyway. My parents & the hubby's parents really struggled to do half the things we can do for our daughter today. Yet, despite us making more money than I believe all three of our parents make together, we still aren't living la vida loca the way were to told growing up. As poor Latin@ kids we were told that if we just worked hard enough we could go to college and get good jobs and not worry about money. Of course student loans and a craptastic economy wasn't in that scenario. Nan Mooney brings us these fantabulous statistics:

• Consider these statistics: College tuitions have gone up 35 percent in the past five years. The average college graduate today carries close to $20,000 in student loan debt. For those who also attend graduate school, the average debt rises to $46,000.
  
  
• In the late 80s, 56 percent of major corporations still believed that “employees who are loyal to the company and further its business goals deserve an assurance of continued employment.” By the late 90s, that number dropped to just 6 percent.
  
  
• Health care premiums have increased at five times the rate of inflation since 2000. 46.6 million Americans lack health insurance, almost twice as many as in 1980.
  
  
• Between 1992 and 2005 CEO pay — including wages, bonuses and stock options — rose a staggering 186 percent, while the average worker experienced an income gain of just 7 percent.
  
  
• The United States is one of only two industrialized countries in the world that doesn’t offer paid maternity leave to its citizens. In an international survey compiled by the Project on Global Working Families, out of over 168 countries studied, 96 guarantee paid annual leave, 45 also guarantee some form of paid paternal leave for fathers, and 37 mandate paid leave specifically designated for caring for sick children. The U.S. is not among them.
  
  
• The net worth of black and Latino college graduates is similar to the net worth of white high school graduates.
  
  
• In 1949, mortgages were equal to 19.7 percent of disposable income; in 2000, they had risen to 66 percent; in 2005, they reached 96 percent of disposable income.
  
  
• The wealthiest 400 tax payers in the country now pay the same percentage of their earnings in income, Social Security and Medicare taxes as families earning $50,000 to $75,000 a year, those at the heart of the middle class.
  
  
• 2005 was the first year since the Great Depression in which Americans spent more than they earned.

So if you're still in college and have access to an econ class...take it. It'll pay off in you being able to use fancy economic words when people shrug and say, "It's market forces!"

Technorati tags: feminism, economics

Slideshow: Life Hacks for Doctors

| View | Upload your own

Joshua Schwimmer, MD, FACP, FASN presents a useful and entertaining slideshow on Life Hacks for Doctors. Be sure to check the comments on his website as well.

Joshua was very kind to invite me as a collaborator on his new project, The Efficient MD Wiki:

"Wikis — collaborative websites — are powerful tools for education. The Efficient MD Wiki is designed to help healthcare professionals and medical students discover clinical pearls, useful resources, life hacks, and strategies to improve the practice of medicine."

Shortly before the launch, I asked him to list his tips on selecting a wiki platform which he did in My Experience Creating a Medical Wiki.

The Boys' Crisis is BUNK

The AAUW released a new report today detailing education trends between girls and boys for the past 35 years. And you know what? BOTH are succeeding...BOTH are going to college. Despite cries of terror from certain circles fueled by the media, boys are NOT being left behind.

The NY Times covered the report (and astonishingly NOT in the style section!):

• The report points out that a greater proportion of men and women than ever before are graduating from high school and earning college degrees. But, it says, “perhaps the most compelling evidence against the existence of a boys’ crisis is that men continue to outearn women in the workplace.”
  
  Linda Hallman...said the report was an effort to refocus attention on what she said were the real problems of education for poor and minority children, and away from a distracting debate about a so-called boys’ crisis. Ms. Hallman said the group’s members were concerned about arguments by conservative commentators that boys had become disadvantaged and were being discriminated against in schools intended to favor girls.

As the good feminist/blogger/science nrrd I am, I read the entire report today and here are some highlights that I don't believe are in the executive summary, but you should know:

• Gender differences cannot be fully understood without attention to race/ethnicity. (VLF: This is uber-important to note. The AAUW is calling out every data collection agency that they must be collecting as much data as possible including family income and ethnicity AND report it out that way. Don't hide those intersections.)
• Boys' advantage in math does not supersede the more substantial advantage of students from higher-income families over students from lower-income families.
  
• Among 12th graders in the 2006-07 school year, 1.5 million students, almost half of all graduating high school seniors (46 percent), took the SAT, and about 1.3 million (40 percent) took the ACT.
• Gender gaps on the SAT and ACT math exams are most pronounced among Asian American, Hispanic, and white students and are much smaller among African American students.
  
• Across races/ethnicities, boys tend to outscore girls in math
• Girls earn more credits than boys earn in high school math and science and have a higher combined GPA in these courses. (VLF: ARGH!!!!! And yet we still have people who claim that girls don't like or want to do science!
• While gaps by race/ethnicity are evident, the percentage of 25- to 29-year-olds who have college degrees is generally increasing for every gropu except Hispanic men, who show no clear trend. The number of Hispanic men earning college degrees, however, is increasing.
• The college enrollment rate of young women, 66.0 percent, was approximately the same as that of young men, 65.5 percent. (emphasis by VLF)

And I will leave you with that last statistic. Men and women are going to college in record numbers. Oh...and all the lines above can be found in the report with their appropriate citations.

What the AAUW is trying to tell us all, once and for all, is that education is not a zero-sum game. Yale and Harvard might be, but education itself is not.

Technorati tags: education, equity, feminism, AAUW, boys crisis

WSJ: Understanding Sen. Kennedy’s Brain Tumor

From Wikipedia:

"In October 2007, Sen. Kennedy had surgery to clear up a blocked left carotid artery (carotid artery stenosis).

In May 2008, Kennedy was rushed to Cape Cod Hospital from the Kennedy Compound after feeling ill and consulting with his physician, and then was subsequently transferred by helicopter to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. It was later reported that Kennedy had suffered two seizures, one initially at his Hyannis Port home and another on a helicopter en route to Massachusetts General Hospital from Cape Cod Hospital.

A few days later, doctors discovered that Kennedy has a malignant glioma, a type of cancerous brain tumor."


WSJ Video

According to WSJ Health Blog:

“Unfortunately, the older you are, the more likely it’s a glioblastoma,” Patrick Wen, clinical director at the Dana-Farber Center for Neuro-Oncology, told the Health Blog. Kennedy is 76. The average survival for a glioblastoma is 14.5 months, but survival tends to be shorter in elderly patients, Wen said.

Kennedy’s doctors said his tumor is in the left parietal lobe, a section of the brain that plays a role in sensation for the right side of the body, and in the ability to understand language."

Related:
Doctors: Ted Kennedy has malignant brain tumor. CNN.
Understanding Sen. Kennedy's Cancer Diagnosis. NPR.
A grim diagnosis: Kennedy's brain cancer is worst kind. AP.
Senator Kennedy Has a Malignant Brain Tumor. NYT.
Prognosis Usually Bleak for Condition, a Glioma. NYT.
Kennedy Diagnosed With Brain Tumor. WSJ.
Image source: Wikipedia, GNU Free Documentation license.

Why is the IL Dept of Transportion using sex to sell seat belts?

I ask because I recently caught their new PSAs for the "Click it or Ticket" campaign and they use two very attractive women to urge their men to use their seat belts. Two women...one white and one African-American with sultry voices and in cute outfits telling their men, "You know what I want..." Where is the Latina PSA?

En Espanol! Because us Latinas are never more sexy than when we're seducing our hombres into wearing seat belts than when we're speaking Spanish, eh? The problem is that not all of Latino men speak Spanish or at least would be watching Spanish language TV. I can only consider that a lack of English-language Latina PSA means that the state thinks we all only speak Spanish, they could give a damn about us English speakers, or our Latina sexuality is just too much for English TV.

Can you imagine if JLo, Salma, or Lynda Carter aka Wonder Woman did a PSA in English? Ay, Papi, we'd bankrupt the state due to all the Latino men falling under their Latina spell and always buckled up! Especially if we used Wonder Woman's lasso of truth!

And what's with the men in these PSAs? They are squirming in their seats as if they are innocent virgins and the hot-to-trot women are fiery sirens seducing them into doing oh-so-naughty things. When I first saw these PSAs, it was after 10pm and I thought it was another ad for a chat line. "Wanna be bad? Let's use our seat belts!"

Ironically, I had to go to YouTube to see the PSAs and they are not mentioned on the state's website or offered in their 'Get involved' section. Is the state ashamed of their blatant use of sex to get men to buckle up?

cross-posted at Shakesville

Technorati tags: Illinois, seat belts, Click it or Ticket!, sexism

Google Health (Personal Health Record) Launches for Everybody Today

Screenshot of Google Health

Google Health is an online service which provides personal health record (PHR). The website is live and anybody can sign in, with a Google account, of course. It looks friendlier and easier to use than the competing offering by Microsoft called Health Vault. See the Google Health tour here.

A few excerpts from the "About Google Health" page are listed below:

Google Health allows you to store and manage all of your health information in one central place. And it's completely free. All you need to get started is a Google user name and password.

Why use Google Health:

- Keep your doctors up-to-date
- Stop filling out the same paperwork every time you see a new doctor
- Avoid getting the same lab tests done over and over again because your doctor cannot get copies of your latest results
- Don't lose your medical records because of a move, change in jobs or health insurance

With Google Health, you manage your health information — not your health insurance plan or your employer. You can access your information anywhere, at any time.

With Google Health, you can:


Create a health profile

- Build online health profiles: you can enter your health conditions, medications, allergies, and lab results into your Google Health profile

- Review trusted information on diseases and conditions


Search for doctors and hospitals

References:
Google Health launched. Google Blogoscoped.
Google Health: A View From the Inside. Wachter's World.
Image source: Google Health.

Related:
Would you like to see Dr. Google or Dr. Microsoft for your personal health records?
Adam Bosworth, Google Health Architect, Leaves Google
The Ultimate Guide to Google Health: 60+ Tips and Resources. NursingDegree.net.
Microsoft HealthVault and Google Health - The 'Coke and Pepsi' of Online Health (PHR). ReadWriteWeb, 10/2008.

Updated: 10/16/2008

Cases Journal -- Online Open Access Journal by Former BMJ Editor

Cases Journal is a peer-reviewed, open access journal publishing case reports from any area of healthcare. Case reports will be incorporated into a PubMed Central database.

The journal has interactive features typical of Web 2.0:

"Authors are encouraged to invite the patient to contribute to the case report - each article can include an optional 'Patient's perspective’ section, where the patient describes their experience of the disorder and treatment.

We do not see publication of your case report as the end of the process. Once your case report is published, you will be able to add extra information in response to comments from the reviewers. Readers may post questions on your published case report, and we strongly encourage you to post a reply. We will also invite you to share information on any follow-up to the case - we will contact you one year after your case report is published to invite you to share with readers any changes that may have occurred with the patient."


Richard Smith

The Editor-in-Chief Richard Smith is the immediate past editor of BMJ. You can see his video interview and read Why do we need Cases Journal?

In one of the first case reports, Richard Smith describes his own experience with nagging cough in Beijing. As you can see from the text, the style is closer to a blog post than to a journal article.

This new initiative proves the validity and potential usefulness of our Clinical Cases and Images project which is an online case-based curriculum of clinical medicine launched in 2005. The project is hyperlinked in the web sites of 27 medical schools in the U.S., Canada and Europe and was featured in multiple medical journals.


Screenshot of Clinical Cases and Images

We welcome the "competition" and encourage you to the subscribe to the RSS feed of Cases Journal: http://casesjournal.com/rss/

Currently, ClinicalCases.org and CasesBlog are the number one and two search results on Google for "clinical cases" among 10 million web pages (have been so for 2 years). I doubt they will continue to rank so highly but let's see what happens in a few years.

Image source: Cases Journal.

Latin@s in Hollywood - Bad & Good

When I first saw the trailer for Beverly Hills Chihuahua, I was floored and fearful. I was floored because of the total racist portrayal that I felt was on display. Aztec chihuahuas? For reals? I was fearful because my daughter is obsessed with chihuahauas. If she sees this trailer, she's gonna want to see it and well, I'm not.

So I was very happy to see Latinitasoyme rip the trailer apart with both a Latin@ and a gender viewpoint:

Not to mention the perpetration of male domination from having the leading characters in these films being males (What about all the Disney Princesses? What kind of portrayal of women is being displayed? Just think about that.) As well as having Papi, the Chihuahua, being in the forefront of the film's poster rather than Chloe, the Chihuahua, who the plot is said to surround.

For some better reading on Latinas in Hollywood, the Chicago Sun-times has a cute profile on America Ferrera (my girl crush) because she's got two movies this summer. Movies by Women alerted me to the fact that America's first movie this summer, How the Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer, is directed by a woman. It's too late for all of us to run out for opening weekend, but sign up for their alerts so you'll be able to support women-lead movies in the future. And go see Garcia Girls...it looks good!

Technorati tags: Latina, Hollywood, movies, America Ferrera

A Star Is Born: Scottish Singer and Songwriter Amy MacDonald

Some readers may have noticed that I often publish posts on topics different from medicine and technology during the weekends. This is an example:


This Is The Life, Amy MacDonald

Amy MacDonald is a Scottish singer and songwriter who has a number one record in the UK and now she is coming to North America. Link via Teresa Lo, InVivoAnalytics.com.

Other videos:
Run
Wish For Something More

Interesting Articles: A Weekly Review of the "Big Five" Medical Journals

This is a collection of articles I have found interesting in the weekly editions of the "big five" medical journals: NEJM, JAMA, Annals, Lancet and BMJ (a few more journals are included occasionally). The review is a weekly feature of Clinical Cases and Images - Blog. Please see the end of the post for a suggested time-efficient way to stay up-to-date with the medical literature.

-----------

Stents versus Coronary-Artery Bypass Grafting for Left Main Coronary Artery Disease: No Difference.
NEJM, 04/2008.

There was no significant difference in the risk of death, Q-wave myocardial infarction, or stroke between patients receiving stents and those undergoing CABG. However, stenting, even with drug-eluting stents, was associated with higher rates of target-vessel revascularization than was CABG.

-----------

Home Use of Automated External Defibrillators for Sudden Cardiac Arrest: Not Helpful.
NEJM, 04/2008.

The most common location of out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest is the home, consequently, home use of an automated external defibrillator (AED) might offer an opportunity to improve survival. In this study of survivors of anterior-wall myocardial infarction, access to a home AED did not significantly improve overall survival.

-----------

Carotid bruits as a prognostic indicator of cardiovascular death and myocardial infarction: a meta-analysis. The Lancet 2008; 371:1587-1594.

The rate of myocardial infarction in patients with carotid bruits was 3·69 per 100 patient-years compared with 1·86 per 100 patient-years in those without bruits. Yearly rates of cardiovascular death were also higher in patients with bruits than in those without (2·85 per 100 patient-years vs 1·11 per 100 patient-years). In the four trials in which direct comparisons of patients with and without bruits were possible, the odds ratio for myocardial infarction was 2·15 and for cardiovascular death 2·27. Auscultation for carotid bruits in patients at risk for heart disease could help select those who might benefit the most from an aggressive modification strategy for cardiovascular risk.

-----------

Use of Multiple Biomarkers to Improve the Prediction of Death from Cardiovascular Causes: Useful.
NEJM, 05/2008.

The combination of biomarkers reflects myocardial cell damage, left ventricular dysfunction, renal failure, and inflammation (troponin I, N-terminal pro–brain natriuretic peptide, cystatin C, and C-reactive protein). In elderly men (mean age 71), the simultaneous addition of several biomarkers of cardiovascular and renal abnormalities improves the risk stratification for death from cardiovascular causes beyond that of a model that is based only on established risk factors.

-----------

Cardiac Troponin and Outcome in Acute Heart Failure: Positive troponin predicts worse outcome.
NEJM, 05/2008.

This is a Cleveland Clinic study and I have the privilege of knowing the principal investigator and author, W. Frank Peacock, IV, who works in our ED.

Patients who were positive for troponin had lower systolic blood pressure on admission, a lower ejection fraction, and higher in-hospital mortality (8.0% vs. 2.7%) than those who were negative for troponin. The odds ratio for death in the group of patients with a positive troponin test was 2.55.

In conclusion, in patients with acute decompensated heart failure, a positive cardiac troponin test is associated with higher in-hospital mortality.

-----------

Efficacy and Safety of Recombinant Activated Factor VII for Acute Intracerebral Hemorrhage: No Clinical Difference.
NEJM, 05/2008.

Intracerebral hemorrhage is the least treatable form of stroke. This trial did not confirm a previous NEJM study in which recombinant activated factor VII (rFVIIa) improved survival and functional outcomes. Factor VII still reduced growth of the hematoma though, it just did not make a clinical difference.

The growth in volume of intracerebral hemorrhage was reduced by 2.6-3.8 ml. The frequency of thromboembolic adverse events was similar in the 3 groups; however, arterial events were more frequent in the group receiving 80 µg of rFVIIa than in the placebo group (9% vs. 4%, P=0.04).

Hemostatic therapy with rFVIIa reduced growth of the hematoma but did not improve survival or functional outcome after intracerebral hemorrhage.

-----------

Etiquette-Based Medicine. NEJM, 05/2008.

This is a possible checklist for the first meeting with a hospitalized patient:

1. Ask permission to enter the room; wait for an answer.
2. Introduce yourself, showing ID badge.
3. Shake hands (wear glove if needed).
4. Sit down. Smile if appropriate.
5. Briefly explain your role on the team.
6. Ask the patient how he or she is feeling about being in the hospital.

-----------

Corticosteroids and Mortality in Children With Bacterial Meningitis: Steroids seem to be helpful in adults but not in children.
JAMA, 05/2008.

In adults, adjuvant corticosteroids significantly reduce mortality associated with bacterial meningitis; however, in children, studies reveal conflicting results.

In this study, of children with bacterial meningitis, adjuvant corticosteroid therapy was not associated with time to death or time to hospital discharge.

-----------

Effect of Folic Acid and B Vitamins on Risk of Cardiovascular Events and Total Mortality Among Women at High Risk for Cardiovascular Disease: Not Useful.
JAMA, 05/2008.

After 7.3 years of treatment and follow-up, a combination pill of folic acid, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 did not reduce a combined end point of total cardiovascular events among high-risk women, despite significant homocysteine lowering.

The Polypill proposed by BMJ should not include folic acid after all. In the light of recent evidence, it looks like we should skip the beta-blocker too.

-----------

National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Conference Statement: Hydroxyurea Treatment for Sickle Cell Disease. Annals of Int Med, 05/2008.

Vaccines and Autism Revisited — The Hannah Poling Case. NEJM, 05/2008.

Like Night and Day — Shedding Light on Off-Hours Care. NEJM, 05/2008.

Related:
5 Tips to Stay Up-to-Date with Medical Literature
Make Your Own "Medical Journal" with iGoogle Personalized Page
Share iGoogle Tabs with Medical Journals, Podcasts and Gadgets
Text-to-Speech Programs and Continuous Medical Education
Image source: OpenClipArt, public domain.

There is too much, let me sum up

Because I have a presentation on gender equity on Thursday, found out about another extension on a chapter I was writing & gave up on, AND the hubby is out of town meaning I have less time for me this weekend, I present you with a bullet point blog post. Enjoy!

• Help some awesome Radical WOC get to the Allied Media Conference. I swear, I'd be there myself to represent the not-so-radical WOC contingent, but I have to attend another conference that weekend. Oh...and if you've ever wondered where the super kewl WOC bloggers are, start with this list!
  
• kameelah writes * little black book * RGV goes to the AMC * cripchick * Writeous Sister Speaks * Mamita Mala * Tigera Consciente * A Womyn’s Ecdysis * Having Read the Fine Print.
• Peggy Simpson from the Women's Media Center sums up the fallout from the NARAL Pro-Choice endorsement. As does Scott at RH Reality Check is also following the fallout. (Is it me, or does he look like Bobcat Goldwaith? But of course, far less scary!)
• My reaction? Award for the worst timing EVER! While I did give NARAL kudos earlier this month, I gotta say that I was shocked at such poor timing. I know that Kate Michaelman is an Obama woman, but come on...it's not like you were trying to submarine Lieberman! *sigh* I'm on a listserv with a lot of second wavers & 99% of them are working their tails off for Hillary. The heartbreak is unbearable.
  
• The NY Times has a great piece on women in science and the hurdles they have to jump through AND why sometimes they just pack up their microscope and go home. KUDOS! But...there's always a but, eh? The article is in the fashion/style section. I mentioned it on another listserv I'm on and someone pointed out that perhaps instead of being in a more "serious" section, it's getting more attention. Thoughts?
• Noemi reports, "In at least one case, a guard reportedly got a female detainee pregnant. It’s all happening at the South Texas Detention Complex in Pearsall. News 4 Trouble Shooter Brian Collister brings you the fall out from his investigation." Read more.
  
• Want to evacuate from a hurricane? Better have your papers ready!
  
• The Ask a Working Woman Survey 2008 is out! "The survey is an opportunity for working women in America to tell decision-makers what it's like to be a working woman in America in election years. Opinions will be collected through June 20, 2008. The findings will be announced to decision makers and released in nationwide media in order to highlight and help improve the status of the working mothers, daughters, sisters, grandmothers, aunts, cousins, and nieces in all of our American families." Go take it!
• Chicago Public Schools are tauting an increase in the number of graduates attending college. Parents United for Responsible Education isn't so sure we should be celebrating.
• June 2nd is the 3rd Annual Blogging for LGBT Family Day!
  
• Ward Connerly's Super Tuesday is losing steam. Maybe he can rename it Good Tuesday?
• An interview with Amy Richards (not to be confused with one of my BFFs) at RH Reality Check is a must read.
  
• Today Google had another special holiday logo, this time about the invention of the laser. So it got me thinking...have they tipped their hat to a woman? Answer, outside of recognizing International Women's Day in 2005, nope.
• Here's a few lists of holidays to mark, Google. Get cracking.
  

Many newspapers have health blogs -- will physician blogs compete with them for readership in the future?

Duty calls. Image source: Xkcd.com, Creative Commons license.

USA Today is the latest major newspaper to launch a health-related blog in addition to the NYTimes, WSJ, etc.

Will physician blogs compete with them for readership in the future?

Non-journalist physician blogs will probably do just fine. Blogs written by doctors may not be comprehensive and covering every news story out there but they are authentic and provide a truly professional view (the good ones, at least). Just see Dr. Wes, for example.

Physician blogs have they own niche in keeping up-to-date with the new developments in medicine and I listed them among the 5 tips to stay current in Web 2.0-style.

Newspaper health blogs are useful too. This is why I have 600 subscriptions in my RSS reader.


Image is licensed under Creative Commons.

References:
5 Tips to Stay Up-to-Date with Medical Literature
Too many feeds to read? Time to trim down RSS subscriptions
Image source: Xkcd.com, Creative Commons license.

NaComLeavMo

NaComLeavMo: More Conversation Than You Can Shake a Stick at


What is NaComLeavMo?

...in honour of my own blogoversary (since I am so modest. Wait, and because community and conversations are very important to me and a huge reason why I write my blog), I am conducting NaComLeavMo--National Comment Leaving Month (the national refers to wherever you are reading) from May 25th to June 25th. A full month of intense comment leaving.

Want to join along?

I'm in...what about you?

Equal Marriage in Cali!

Thanks to Shakes for posting the utterly craptastic responses by the two Democratic candidates for President in response to today's ruling that California's gay marriage ban is unconstitutional.

I am seriously so pissed that their responses that I can't even form a coherent rant. So congrats Hill & Barry...You have left me speechless over your continued pandering to the homophobic voting block.

Now to my non-hetero sisters and brothers...Congrats. While I have theoretical objections to the institution of marriage, I also know how nice it feels to be married, especially the health benefits. I hope that this ruling leads to a flood of weddings in California and that it's a huge economic boost. I can't remember where I read it, but seriously, if gay men really do know how to accessorize, can you imagine the wedding bling? *wink*


Technorati tags: Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, equal marriage, gay marriage, love

What they said

I've been meaning to post this ditto to what Bitch Ph.D. said a few days ago:

Dooce nails it.

guess there are some people who are very uncomfortable with the fact that I and many other women are writing about our children on our websites. How dare we violate your privacy like this, how dare we endanger you like this, we obviously care more about ad revenue than what this is going to do to your adolescence. And I have been asked countless times if I am at all worried that you will totally resent me for the details I have shared here.
....
Will you resent me for this website? Absolutely. And I have spent hours and days and months of my life considering this, weighing your resentment against the good that can come from being open and honest about what it's like to be your mother, the good for you, the good for me, and the good for other women who read what I write here and walk away feeling less alone. And I have every reason to believe that one day you will look at the thousands of pages I have written about my love for you, the thousands of pages other women have written about their own children, and you're going to be so proud that we were brave enough to do this.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On a side note, I've never read Dooce. Never. OK, maybe once when she first made it big, but I have an allergy to big bloggers or at least ones who are already big when I get there. I prefer to watch smaller onces grow ala Feministe, This Woman's Work, and a few others. But I've become more curious with all the media she's gotten and the spit fire attitude I've seen.