Is finding health risks in family history such a good thing?Posted by admin on October 23rd, 2009

If you google ‘family history’ in the news section, you’re likely to get a bunch of results about how scientists are linking breast cancer, schizophrenia, and a host of other maladies to family history. Millions of dollars, it seems, are being spent every year on research that seeks to find the warning signs of illnesses in our ancestors, probably with the ultimate goal of eliminating or counteracting these diseases at or before birth. Anyone who has seen the superb sci fi movie Gattaca, however, knows that this kind of over-forecasting can get out of control.

 
For the uninitiated, Gattaca tells the story of a young man who, according to his DNA, is predicted to die at age thirty-something of heart failure. Also, because he was conceived naturally- unlike most of his counterparts-, he is treated as a lower class and is limited to menial work. Going into space- his lifelong dream- is forbidden for him. In short, genetics have become another form of harsh discrimination.
 
Is this where our society is headed? Will we be so hasty to make genetic forecasts that we will limit others and ourselves? 
 
I like to believe that, DNA notwithstanding, it is our choices that make us who we are, it is the good or bad influences we choose to let into our lives that determine our strength or weakness. People born with deformed legs can scale the highest mountains. Men who can’t talk or even move can unravel the mysteries of the universe. 
 
I hope we will never get too carried away with genetic prophecy or with treating maladies for that matter. Sickness is a difficult, but often instructive, part of life.


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Balloon Boy Family Under AttackPosted by admin on October 17th, 2009

After years of going to ridiculous lengths to make others look foolish, after deriving huge amounts of profit from humiliating celebrities and average joes alike, the media finally tripped over its own feet and made a complete fool of itself. And they are not going to stand for it.
 
A silver, disc-shaped balloon appeared on our TV screens this week with reporters breathlessly spinning the story of a boy trapped inside thousands of feet above Colorado. They had caught wind of the story and pursued it heedlessly, recklessly, with no concern for actually checking their facts. A co-worker and I commented on the possibility that the boy wasn’t even in the balloon or that his eight-year-old brother may have been imagining things when he saw the child climb in. A couple of internet marketers had the good sense to question the situation but not the entire army of media goons that followed the balloon for three hours. 
 
Sure enough, the balloon set down in a field and- surprise- it was empty. The child had been hiding out in the basement, afraid of getting in trouble for untying the tether that kept the balloon in his family’s yard. The media looked like incompetent, non-journalistic buffoons. But, let’s face it, they always do, but they do a heck of a job dolling it up to look like the real thing. Not his time. The virtues of live TV had turned against them.
 
So how did they seek to cover up their buffoonery? They started spinning the story as a hoax, an attempt by the family to get some attention. Embarrassed by their own foolhardiness, they sought to destroy the balloon boy’s family. And they have no problem tearing down families.
 
Look at what they did to Octomom. A mother of octuplets is minding her own business. The media sees the ability to exploit her unique situation for rating and they turn her into another freak show character in the media circus. A week later, it’s not enough for them to get a week of mileage out of her. So they dig into her personal life and turn her into some kind of attention-hungry reality-show contestant. The implied message of course was that women have babies- in this case, eight babies- for attention. It was no less than an attack on motherhood by a media that is increasingly cynical and jeering. 
 
Was it anything less with Sarah Palin’s daughter or continued coverage of her boyfriend? Since when is bitter spewings of the ex-boyfriend of the daughter of a former vice-presidential candidate considered newsworthy? This is what we’ve come to, people.
 
Make no mistake, families of America. This is an attempt by the media to hold onto their power. And they’re willing to drag families through the mud to keep it. Don’t let the media tell you how families should be. We already know.


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Families Having a Harder Time Keeping UpPosted by admin on October 1st, 2009

Even as the White House and so-called economic experts insist the recession has bottomed out and is improving again, more and more families are finding it harder to make ends meet. Dozens of states are experiencing rising demand for Medicaid, food stamps, and other social services. And unemployment is sticking at 9 percent- higher if you don’t believe the official story. Families have to be more resourceful than ever to keep their heads above water.

To adjust, interesting trends are taking shape. Increasing numbers of mothers are returning to the work force or to school. Families are cutting way back on credit card usage and other discretionary spending. They are moving into smaller homes or going from owning a home to renting. Many are eating from their own gardens, even in very urban areas. They are eating out less and buying fewer big screens.

The real question is, how long can families keep up this pace and still listen to the "experts" tell them everything is getting better? There is a gap between the perception in Washington and the reality that American families are seeing, and somehow those two perceptions need to be reconciled. Until then, our country risks growing discontent.



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