Thursday, January 26, 2012

Watch.

Watch what you eat:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/25/bunmi-sobowale-blinded-paralyzed-food-allergies_n_1232249.html?1327532936&icid=maing-grid10%7Chtmlws-sb-nb%7Cdl1%7Csec3_lnk1%26pLid%3D130339

Watch how you feel.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/25/bird-flu-mutation-studies-h5n1-influenza-_n_1231393.html?ref=science&ir=Science&icid=maing-grid10%7Chtmlws-sb-nb%7Cdl5%7Csec1_lnk2%26pLid%3D130336

Watch where you go:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/travel-leisure/americas-rudest-cities-ph_b_1224063.html?ref=travel&icid=maing-grid10%7Chtmlws-sb-nb%7Cdl9%7Csec1_lnk2%26pLid%3D129595

Comment Away.

4 comments:

Lady DR said...

What a horrible situation for the young woman in the first article. Given I have allergies/ intolerance (not sure which, after reading the definitions), I can empathize, altho I've never gone through anything close to what was described in the article, thank goodness.

I do wish there was more research, more information, more education on this issue. A friend's son has an extremely high intolerance to peanuts and, since it's not really recognized or understood by the school's cafeteria or staff, has been rushed to ER more than once. I've never heard of reactions like those related in this story and wonder if they're going to do further research.

Couldn't get to the flu mutation studies, even going directly into the Huffington Post home page and finding it.

The rudest cities don't really surprise me. I think anytime you have a huge number of people and a lot of job pressure (which most of those cities seem to have), you're going to run into people who are stressed, in a hurry and are often treated rudely themselves, whether by locals or tourists. In time, everyone becomes a "mirror." That issue was discussed in a book you brought up some time back. Maybe as far back as the AW and our SC check-ins. In some cases, it may be the mentioned diversity that contributes. If you're trying to talk to someone who doesn't understand you or vice versa, I'm sure frustration leads to rudeness or perceived rudeness, maybe through frustration at the inability to communicate.

While at that site, I read the article and watched the videos of Rand Paul being detained (some would put that in quotes) by TSA in Nashville. While I'm not sure I totally agree with them being eliminated, they could certainly find better ways of doing their job, given experiences Mom had and a few others I've known. While I'm not for giving privileges, what was the big deal about letting him walk through the scanner again? While I'm not for profiling, we have a congressman trying to get to DC to make a speech. My experience with the TSA hasn't been positive and is why I avoid air travel whenever possible. Bottom line is Paul refused a body search, after being refused permission to go through the scanner again, and was held in a small cubicle, until he agreed to leave the airport. Had he not, it sounds like he would have been arrested.

So many people are terrified of terrorism, cowed by federal authority and afraid of it, most will submit to the intrusive body searches. In a country built on freedom, I'm somewhat troubled by this.

Scanners are mechanical devices. Mechanical devices can malfunction. We've already seen that, when people have gone through security, then ended up being a threat. I'm not sure what the answer is, but I think we need to take a close look at TSA operations. I think there have been a lot instances of unnecessary intrusion than what we've seen in the news.

Sorry, off topic and something of a rant, but it hit a nerve this evening.

Pat said...

Sensitive to food? With all those symptoms? How awful!

like DR, I couldn't get to the second article, even when I went to HuffPost and tried to look around there.

I saw the rude cities thing in the paper this morning. I'm not surprised about NYC, though I've never been there and am going only on reputation. I agree with the reporter in our paper that we (Los Angeles) probably shouldn't be in there at all, as we are pretty nice in general. If we don't stop to give directions, it's probably because 1) we're in a car, and 2) the area is so spread out that we probably wouldn't know the place you were asking about anyway.

William J. said...

Hi DR

Sorry I am late posting but it was kind of an exciting day at my house yesterday. More on the blog this morning. Nothing family related or anything. My house made the news.

I don't think I have any food allergies and after I read the article I am glad I don't. I am going to pay more attention to them. There definitely does need to be more research on the subject.

As to you being off topic and ranting. We have no rules here you don't have to be on topic and I like your rants.

The TSA is in the news here too. One of our professional players is French. His mom and sister were traveling from France to here to see him play. Because the mom accidently was one letter off on on the immigration form they not only blocked her from getting into the country they sent her back to France leaving her daughter to wander about the airport alone. The Mom had been allowed into the country several times before. So of course all of us Portland Trailblazer fans are upset.

Your rant was timely.

Bill

William J. said...

Hi Pat

See note to DR about late response.

Sensitive to food and those symptoms are frigtening.

I always thought Los Angeles people were very friendly in general. Maybe a little rude to us outsiders when we are driving on freeways. But off the freeways they are always helpful and nice.

Bill