Month: January 2015
thank you for trying to help
Thank you for wanting me to feel better. Thank you for showing you care.
Also, please understand: unless you are a specialist or fellow pain fighter*, your suggestions do not have much clout.
With chronic pain, there might be a combination of things that is majorly helpful, but there is rarely a magic bullet. What worked for your aunt’s cousin might not work for me too. I’m already trying new treatments (we usually are), and as it is, I have a list longer than Mr. Fantastic’s arm of things to try and places to go. It simultaneously gives me hope and makes me kind of tired to think about it. If you really want to help me, please follow these steps:
1) Listen
2) Believe me
3) Ask how you can help
4) Be true to your own needs and limitations
Thank you for trying to help.
An extra deep thank…
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Women’s Voices for the Earth Report on “Secret Scents”
Women’s Voices for the Earth recently released a new report, called “Secret Scents“. It highlights the need for ingredient transparency by the companies that create fragranced products, since right now we have almost no way of knowing what is causing the fragrance allergies and other serious health effects people experience when exposed to fragrances. These adverse health effects are increasing, especially in children.
Amazingly, companies are not required by the FDA or EPA to disclose fragrance ingredients, so it is difficult for anyone to pinpoint specific fragrance allergens and sensitizers among the hundreds of ingredients that can make up a scent.
Another report was also just released, this one on endocrine disrupting chemicals. Some fragrance ingredients, like phthalates (see below) are also endocrine disruptors, while others are known carcinogens and/or neurotoxic!
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Allergic to a World Full of Cats?
Warning: This post contains many photos of cats.
What follows is something I thought was a great response by Kristine Kruszelnicki to someone who trivialized her MCS and compared it to his cat allergy
(shared with her permission, and with many photos of cats added by me):
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Are Fragrances Drugs By Design?
From the FDA
Drug by definition:
What about fragrances when they target our brains and brain functions, including moods and perceptions?
From the fragrance industry:
To use fragrance technology to transmit feelings directly to the brain
???
That sounds a lot like drugs to me!
∴
From the FDA… Is it a drug?
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Words and Able-ism
A post on Feministe led me (via Takenji) to this very informative post arguing that certain terms commonly used in a negative way on political blogs are offensive:
You know, when you throw around words about mental illness, like crazy, psycho or psychotic, frootbat, and nutjob, you’re mocking disability. You’re spitting in the face of everyone who suffers from a mental illness. You’re equating horrible behavior with mental illness. Stop it.
(Another excellent post is here, from Wheelchair Dancer.) This reminded me of Shelley’s argument that terms like ‘double-blind’ are offensive (see the comments here). But it also reminded me of one of the things I promised to discuss eventually– a talk at the recent SWIP conference by Jackie Leach Scully. Part of Scully’s discussion was about the many metaphors based on bodily abilities. Her focus was on the different ways that these metaphors may be…
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Ableist language alternatives
Iris: A Gaming Network is a discussion board that seeks to subvert the status quo in gaming in attempt to find ways to rid the gaming industry of it’s strong racist/homophobic/sexist/ableist biases with a particular focus on feminist concerns. In my travels there, I noticed this discussion. It offers some alternatives to ableist or otherwise bigoted language, with some interesting discussion on regional variation following. I’ve appended the list of alternative slurs for your reference.
For more on Ableist language, check out this recent post from Feminist Philosophers. In both places, the discussion around language seems to get people quite excited. I’m not sure what it is- it is as if asking someone to avoid being an ass is somehow like putting a barrier on their freedoms which is offensive in it’s own right. Although they may believe in principle that being an ass ought to be avoided, they also…
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Rosa May Billinghurst: Suffragette on Three Wheels by Sheila Hanlon
Historian Dr. Sheila Hanlon’s research interests include Victorian and Edwardian cycling history and the WWI and WWII Women’s Land Army, both in Canada and Britain. She is also curator of Cycling to Suffrage at The Women’s Library, London.
Her blog recently posted an awesome photo of suffragette Rosa May Billinghurst at a protest sitting on a large tricycle surrounded by police. From Dr. Hanlon’s blog post:
Rosa May Billinghurst (1873-1953) was born and raised in Lewisham, London. As a child, she contracted an illness which left her paralyzed from the waist down. Her condition did not, however, deter her from joining the WSPU in 1907 or becoming one of its best known militants.
Billinghurst was a regular participant in the WSPU’s public processions. She attracted public attention by appearing dressed in white and wheeling along with her machine decked out in coloured WSPU ribbons and “Votes for Women” banners…
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Chris Christie: warm in a luxury box at Lambeau while Camden High kids have no heat
San Francisco Police Finally Release Names of Cops Involved In Shooting Death Of Alex Nieto. Now We Know Why They Tried To HIde It
From Adriana Camarena
Posted in Justice 4 Alex Nieto, killed by SFPD
Photo: @violentfanon – FTP march, xmas day
Dear supporters, so it comes as no surprise that one of the officers involved Lt. Sawyer, promoted after killing Alex, had already been involved in another questionable killing alongside none other than Furminger. (Furminger was convicted on federal felony charges last month. Furminger is also one of the killers of La Mesha Irizarry‘s son- Idriss Stelley) The backgrounds of these officers must be publicly scrutinized.
“Lt. Jason Sawyer and officers Roger Morse, Richard Schiff and Nathan Chew were involved in the fatal shooting of Alejandro Nieto, 28, on Bernal Hill on March 21, police said.
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freeandclear1 