JUNE 30, 2011
BRUCE A. BRENNAN BLOG FROM THE WORLD AND MY MIND
The news as I see it and the views as I want them.
June 30 is … Meteor Day
A day invented for my biggest critic, Glenn.
The meteoric like rise of Sarah Palin seems over. Good looks and the good-old girl shtick gets old fast and it has. I always wondered how a mother who could not raise her children properly and quit during her only term as governor remained popular. It is obvious now people liked her around as eye candy and to poke fun at.
Sorry, Sarah.
A new poll shows President Obama beating Mama Grizzly in her home state. When asked if they preferred Obama or Palin, 42% of responders leaned towards Obama, while only 36% chose Palin. Of those who preferred Obama, 35% said they felt strongly about their choice. 24% felt similarly about Palin.
Debunking any accusations of a liberal survey bias, the Anchorage Daily News reported that conservative radio host Mike Porcaro paid for the poll. "Sarah Palin showcases her Alaska roots at every opportunity, but the surprising reality is she has become highly unpopular in her home state,” Porcaro said in an emailed statement."
The poll spells bad news for Palin, who once said, "I love this state like I love my family." The whole State didn’t get pregnant as a minor nor did it move to Arizona.
The results also comes in the wake of Bristol Palin’s cryptic announcement on Tuesday's Fox and Friends that her mother "definitely knows" whether or not she will be running for president in 2012. You know Bristol, formerly the most popular high school student in her school, invited to every party for entertainment purposes. I wonder where Bristol got her sex drive and moral backbone?
On this date in history:
1948 Cleve Indian Bob Lemon no-hits Detroit Tigers, 2-0
1948 Transistor as a substitute for Radio tubes announced (Bell Labs)
1950 Pres Truman orders US troops into Korea
1948 Transistor as a substitute for Radio tubes announced (Bell Labs)
1950 Pres Truman orders US troops into Korea
1959 During a game in Wrigley Field, 2 balls were in play at same time, Cubs committed errors on both
1975 Bundy victim Shelley Robertson disappears in Colorado
1975 Cher, just 4 days after divorcing Sonny Bono marries Gregg Allman
1975 Cher, just 4 days after divorcing Sonny Bono marries Gregg Allman
Today is the anniversary of the Tunguska explosion.
Possibly the most powerful, natural explosion in recorded history occurred on this day in 1908 at 7:17 a.m. The site was the Tunguska section of Central Siberia.
The spectacular explosion devastated a forested area, some 70 miles in diameter, caused seismic shock, a firestorm followed by black rain and an illumination that, it is said, could be seen for hundreds of miles. Yet, no crater was formed, and only the tops of the trees were burned at the central point of the explosion. It is said that the impact threw down horses that had been standing in a field 400 miles away and moved the tracks of the Trans-Siberian Railway, as if in an earthquake. It flash-burned people 40 miles away, melted their silverware and destroyed herds of reindeer.
Even now, no one knows what caused the explosion ... an extraterrestrial visitor? A comet? A meteor? A black hole? An atomic explosion?
I like to think I am tolerant and have compassion for fellow human beings. This is getting close to overkill. The cost the rest of us bear seems to be unreasonable. This is not my fault; it is a break of life, it is not always fair.
For five hours before a Missoula Osprey minor league baseball game last summer, Cheri Pijanowski hand washed 150 white folding chairs with bleach and water. The metal deck and rails around the seats were power-washed and she meticulously reviewed the concession menu to eliminate not just Cracker Jacks and peanuts, but any ingredient that may contain nuts. She'll do it all again this year to bring the crack of the bat and cheer of the crowd to kids -- like her oldest son Joshua -- who otherwise can't relish in the carefree summer experience of a hometown major league ball game because of severe nut allergies.
The Washington Nationals, St. Louis Cardinals, Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox, San Diego Padres and New York Mets are among the roughly half of all big league teams to host at least one nut-controlled game this year. In most cases, a peanut-controlled game day means offering an isolated section of around 100 seats that have been thoroughly cleaned, banning the sale of nuts nearby, posting signs and ushers around to make fans aware of the nut-free zone and keeping medical staff close for emergencies.
Without these extraordinary efforts, a baseball game can be a nerve-racking afternoon at best for parents of children with severe, potentially fatal, nut allergies.
"It's like being in a horror movie -- you hear the crunch of shells underfoot and you see people cracking open shells," said Chicago mom Joyce Davis, whose 11-year-old daughter Julia is allergic to peanuts. Davis took her family to a peanut allergy friendly game at Wrigley Field last August. "Julia loves to play baseball, so to see her heroes play live and experience the ballpark vibe, it's a childhood experience that I don't think should be kept from people," said Davis. The most common reactions to nuts include hives, swelling of the lips and tongue, trouble breathing, nausea or a drop in blood pressure, which in some cases can lead to death.
PEANUT ALLERGIES RISING
Peanut allergies affect roughly 0.5 to 1 percent of the population and appear to be on the rise, perhaps even doubling in the last decade, according to experts. It remains unclear exactly why. Researchers are examining the idea that a child's immune system has not been properly challenged in an environment that is too clean, also known as the hygiene hypothesis. Accidentally eating food cooked in peanut oil or made with nuts or inhaling the lingering peanut dust around the ball park can trigger severe reactions in those who are allergic.
Minnesota Twins fans with nut allergies were invited to Monday's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. At Target Field in Minneapolis, 100 fans will watch the action from two balconies tucked in the left field corner that provide a stellar view, a separate entrance and peanut-free concessions, said marketing vice president Patrick Klinger.
Kids with severe peanut and tree nut allergies, like Jenny Kales' 11-year-old daughter Alexandra, are unlikely to outgrow their sensitivity and are accustomed to traveling with hand wipes, medicine, their own snacks and an EpiPen used to counter an anaphylactic reaction. The Kales family attended the Cubs game last summer worry-free for Alexandra's first game. "When you take the food allergy out of the equation, it's a huge thing because it lets you have a regular experience," she said.
At Boston's storied Fenway Park, the stadium sells some 1,000 bags of Cracker Jacks and 3,000 bags of peanuts during a single game, said Red Sox senior manager of public affairs Zineb Marchoudi. But the team also organized three games this season with a peanut allergy friendly section for 226 people and made available throughout the season a sanitized 10-person booth.
Away from big cities and major league clubs, families are finding a number of minor league teams with peanut-free accommodations. The Rochester Red Wings 12,000-seat stadium in upstate New York has a grassy beam on the third baseline that is a no-peanut zone for every game, said team President Naomi Silver. The stadium also offers allergen-free food at a concession stand dubbed FREE that offers munchies made without basic allergens like nuts, dairy, wheat and shellfish. "It may not be the most popular, but it is the most appreciated food stand in the stadium," said Silver.
I think it was just one of those things we cannot explain.
I am sure it has happened but I have never heard of a child or adult dying at a Major League Baseball game as a result of a peanut allergy reaction. I personally think if we did not put so much effort into peanut allergies and the costly prevention of exposure to children, children would get used to it and it would go away. Everybody does not and should not be inconvenienced and pay money because some children have peanut allergies. Exposure would take care of most of it. The really significant cases should be dealt with by the pharmaceutical industry. If it is that big of a medical issue, drug companies will find a drug since it would be profitable.
Just a couple of thoughts I had and you should too.
BRUCE A. BRENNAN
DEKALB, IL 60115
COPYRIGHT 2011
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Go to web sites below to buy books by Bruce A. Brennan. It is still a good time to purchase any of my books. The books are interesting and inexpensive reads. My third book should be available later this year, in late 2011. More information will be forthcoming.
www.ebookmall.com (Do search by my name or book Title)
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Book Titles:
Holmes the Ripper
A Revengeful Mix of Short Fiction
"There is no such thing as a great talent without great will power." - Honore de Balzac
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