Wednesday, December 29, 2004
Just before Christmas Eve, I was blessed to assist a client (I was another doula's back-up doula for the holiday) in a successful VBAC!! A VBAC is a vaginal birth after C-section.
Anyway, I just came across a government document from 1983 by National Institutes of Health that makes me want to scream since it was recommending THEN (1983!) to decrease cesarean childbirth rates. Oh-- for those statistics to be our "problem" today. The percentage of all births in the U.S. at the time of this document was 16.5% and they were bemoaning this fact because it had more than tripled since 1970 which was 5% of all births!
Just a perspective. To hear that it is now 25%, you really have to wonder what, if anything will be done about this. Ever.
Anyway, I just came across a government document from 1983 by National Institutes of Health that makes me want to scream since it was recommending THEN (1983!) to decrease cesarean childbirth rates. Oh-- for those statistics to be our "problem" today. The percentage of all births in the U.S. at the time of this document was 16.5% and they were bemoaning this fact because it had more than tripled since 1970 which was 5% of all births!
Just a perspective. To hear that it is now 25%, you really have to wonder what, if anything will be done about this. Ever.
Wednesday, December 22, 2004
Now that my best friend's eleven year old son has deemed the 1970s "The Olden Days", I have to rethink my conception of time. When I was his age, the 1950s were "The Olden Days" and my parents were really out-dated. So if this eleven-year old feels this way, wait until my kids (who are 4 and 2) get old enough to think about decades and time gone by. I'll probably be in the older half of parents of kids their age since I had the 4 year old when I was nearly 28. It is so hard to think of the 1980s as more than 14 years ago. The 90s are a blur. Are there any tricks to understanding decades passing and what is really old-fashioned?
Friday, December 17, 2004
Thursday, December 09, 2004
Who's on First?
Pretty funny (except Arafat isn't alive anymore...):
George: Condi! Nice to see you. What's happening? Condi: Sir, I have the report here about the new leader of China. George: Great. Lay it on me. Condi: Hu is the new leader of China. George: That's what I want to know. Condi: That's what I'm telling you. George: That's what I'm asking you. Who is the new leader of China? Condi: Yes. George: I mean the fellow's name. Condi: Hu. George: The guy in China. Condi: Hu. George: The new leader of China. Condi: Hu. George: The Chinaman! Condi: Hu is leading China. George: Now whaddya' asking me for? Condi: I'm telling you Hu is leading China. George: Well, I'm asking you. Who is leading China? Condi: That's the man's name. George: That's who's name? Condi: Yes. George: Will you or will you not tell me the name of the new leader of China? Condi: Yes, sir. George: Yassir? Yassir Arafat is in China? I thought he was in the Middle East. Condi: That's correct. George: Then who is in China? Condi: Yes, sir. George: Yassir is in China? Condi: No, sir. George: Then who is? Condi: Yes, sir. George: Yassir? Condi: No, sir. George: Look, Condi. I need to know the name of the new leader of China. Get me the Secretary General of the U.N. on the phone. Condi: Kofi? George: No, thanks. Condi: You want Kofi? George: No. Condi: You don't want Kofi. George: No. But now that you mention it, I could use a glass of milk. And then get me the U.N. Condi: Yes, sir. George: Not Yassir! The guy at the U.N. Condi: Kofi? George: Milk! Will you please make the call? Condi: And call who? George: Who is the guy at the U.N? Condi: Hu is the guy in China. George: Will you stay out of China?! Condi: Yes, sir. George: And stay out of the Middle East! Just get me the guy at the U.N. Condi: Kofi. George: All right! With cream and two sugars. Now get on the phone.
Billboard Mania
A guy I work with has a screensaver slideshow with pictures of two actual billboards seen in the U.S. One is the really scary one I linked to an article that simply says "George W. Bush Our Leader". The other one is sponsored by the "Arizona Citizens". It says:
"QUIT
second-guessing and doubting
Support President Bush and our troops"
Direct order. Do not question your government. Just accept it and let him rule without question.
Pretty funny (except Arafat isn't alive anymore...):
George: Condi! Nice to see you. What's happening? Condi: Sir, I have the report here about the new leader of China. George: Great. Lay it on me. Condi: Hu is the new leader of China. George: That's what I want to know. Condi: That's what I'm telling you. George: That's what I'm asking you. Who is the new leader of China? Condi: Yes. George: I mean the fellow's name. Condi: Hu. George: The guy in China. Condi: Hu. George: The new leader of China. Condi: Hu. George: The Chinaman! Condi: Hu is leading China. George: Now whaddya' asking me for? Condi: I'm telling you Hu is leading China. George: Well, I'm asking you. Who is leading China? Condi: That's the man's name. George: That's who's name? Condi: Yes. George: Will you or will you not tell me the name of the new leader of China? Condi: Yes, sir. George: Yassir? Yassir Arafat is in China? I thought he was in the Middle East. Condi: That's correct. George: Then who is in China? Condi: Yes, sir. George: Yassir is in China? Condi: No, sir. George: Then who is? Condi: Yes, sir. George: Yassir? Condi: No, sir. George: Look, Condi. I need to know the name of the new leader of China. Get me the Secretary General of the U.N. on the phone. Condi: Kofi? George: No, thanks. Condi: You want Kofi? George: No. Condi: You don't want Kofi. George: No. But now that you mention it, I could use a glass of milk. And then get me the U.N. Condi: Yes, sir. George: Not Yassir! The guy at the U.N. Condi: Kofi? George: Milk! Will you please make the call? Condi: And call who? George: Who is the guy at the U.N? Condi: Hu is the guy in China. George: Will you stay out of China?! Condi: Yes, sir. George: And stay out of the Middle East! Just get me the guy at the U.N. Condi: Kofi. George: All right! With cream and two sugars. Now get on the phone.
Billboard Mania
A guy I work with has a screensaver slideshow with pictures of two actual billboards seen in the U.S. One is the really scary one I linked to an article that simply says "George W. Bush Our Leader". The other one is sponsored by the "Arizona Citizens". It says:
"QUIT
second-guessing and doubting
Support President Bush and our troops"
Direct order. Do not question your government. Just accept it and let him rule without question.
Friday, December 03, 2004
Been driving on vacation through the red states (South)... eeek. WHY is it necessary to hunt directly next to Interstates? Are the "Healthy Forests" disappearing that quickly??
So my denomination, United Church of Christ, has been VERY busy dealing with unbelievable censorship. As I consider Jesus' life and experiences, it strikes me as interesting that this message would be banned. Interesting, but not surprising. Jesus reached out to many socially-unacceptable people (prostitutes, lepers, tax collectors, etc.). So, an advertisement from a denomination that practices what Jesus preached is controversial? I am not surprised, like I said; after all, Jesus was not accepted by His own people as well. Why should a "Christian" administration and society accept Him?
So my denomination, United Church of Christ, has been VERY busy dealing with unbelievable censorship. As I consider Jesus' life and experiences, it strikes me as interesting that this message would be banned. Interesting, but not surprising. Jesus reached out to many socially-unacceptable people (prostitutes, lepers, tax collectors, etc.). So, an advertisement from a denomination that practices what Jesus preached is controversial? I am not surprised, like I said; after all, Jesus was not accepted by His own people as well. Why should a "Christian" administration and society accept Him?
