Northern Exposure

Our Thanksgiving plans ran into a roadblock, in the form of a double ear infection for my two-year-old son. So, rather than listen to my pediatrician who says we're perfectly safe to fly, I chose to listen to the ENT who says we should absolutely NOT fly since it could cause his ear drum to rupture.

Don't you love having conflicting advice from two trusted sources? It's not as if I just looked up the topic online and formed my own opinion. These completely opposing views came straight from the mouths of medical professionals! In this instance, we're erring on the side of caution and staying home for the holidays. The whole situation is very frustrating, not only because it threw our plans out the window (costing us several hundred dollars in the process), but also because this is the 10th ear infection my son has suffered this calendar year, despite the fact that I have begged to be referred to the ENT for tube surgery. My poor little guy has been on enough antibiotics to keep a small country disease-free for quite some time.  Each ear infection requires several rounds of medication and by the time they get it right and knock it out, we usually have about a week before the next one hits.

On the bright side, we won't have the pleasure of any long waits at airport security or potentially hazardous radiation exposure in one of the new scanners. I'm not sure how I feel about the scanners -- though I do understand that some appear safer than others. Perhaps the discomfort and time involved in a "pat down" is a decent alternative to a possible health risk? Luckily, the controversial backscatter scanners that seem to carry a higher risk of exposure, are not the type currently being used in Atlanta (though they are in place in several other cities we routinely visit).

What most travelers may not realize is that they are exposed to significantly higher levels of radiation during air travel in general. Since radiation originates from the sun, anytime we are higher in altitude, our level of exposure goes up. According to the experts, the amount of radiation we are exposed to through airport scanners is the same amount we are exposed to in flight for two minutes at 30,000 feet. The jury is still out on exactly how much a frequent flyer (or airline employee) is exposed to on a regular basis, but adding other exposure risks, like scanners, is certainly not  a good thing (medically speaking). Sure, I want our country to be safe from terrorists, but not at the expense of hundreds of lives lost to future cancers that might never have occurred had people not been exposed to more radiation than necessary.

Technically speaking, there are all sorts of everyday items that expose us to radiation, not least of which -- our cell phones -- are in near constant use. I recently received an email from an old friend who now lives in Israel, a country often on the cutting edge of medicine. He tells me that the governing body there is considering instituting cell-free zones near schools in an effort to curb student's exposure to electromagnetic radiation. Not such a bad idea?

Speaking of which, beware of those charging pads often being touted as easy ways in which to charge all your electronic devices without cords. I was just told that the plates that work to charge multiple devices at once actually spew a "cloud" of electromagnetism that can easily expose those around it to controversial levels of radiation. And amazingly, when I was recently in my doctor's office getting a chest x-ray, I asked about the levels I was being exposed to and was told by the technician that people who live near Stone Mountain, Georgia (a town known for it's large, granite "mountain") are routinely exposed to more radiation on a daily basis due to their proximity to the granite -- a naturally radioactive material. In fact, he says that many of us are unknowingly exposed daily through our granite countertops. While a quick google search does find that these home upgrades do contribute to some level of exposure, just how much harm they emit is up for debate.

Kinda gives new meaning to the idea that the kitchen is often the most dangerous room in the house.

No more wait for Kate

Call me sappy, but my heart was aflutter this morning when I read about Prince William's engagement to his longtime lady love, Kate Middleton. I've never considered myself a "royal watcher," although I do remember staring in awe as Diana married Charles. I was at Camp Blue Star in the summer of 1981 and the counselors actually gathered all of us in a large cabin normally used for play rehearsal and wheeled in a television so we could watch the event live.

But as with most real-life fairytales, this one would not go the distance. I still recall the heartache of Diana's interviews regarding her decaying marriage and the heartbreaking accounts of her philandering boyfriends and untimely death. It's hard for me to believe she was actually younger than I am now when she was killed.

But despite the inevitable comparisons to his mum, I think Kate is quite a catch. From all accounts, she appears to be independent and smart and certainly will make a fine addition to the royal family's Christmas Card. As an American, I'm just a tad fascinated by the British Monarchy. I hear stores are already stocking Kate and William memorabilia to commemorate the young couple soon to be known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. But I also love that the two of them originally met as roommates in college and now are still regularly photographed shopping in their local grocery store. Their lives may be as far from mine as you can get, but snippets of them are just a wee bit relatable.

As a mother, it's bittersweet thinking that his own mom won't be around to watch her first born walk down the aisle. I love that he proposed with his mother's ring and I am sure this elaborate celebration will draw all sorts of comparisons to the ones his parents took part in 30 years ago. Let's just hope this royal marriage has a happier ending.

Extra, Extra, Read All About It!

The latest W magazine has an interesting photo spread about family and what that means to various celebrities. I was oddly fascinated by one in particular -- former porn star, Jenna Jameson. She says that since she became a mom to twin boys nearly two years ago, she not only chose to give up her profession in the skin flick biz, she has gone so far as to have her breast implants removed and has relocated to the burbs with her family in an effort to "blend in" and focus on being a mom. The woman who sold her sex empire to Playboy for an estimated $30 mil says she won't even pose, scantily clad, for a mainstream magazine nowadays. And she hopes that someday, her sons will know that she gave up the sex industry to focus on motherhood.

Many of my friends look alike in our standard mom uniforms (unwashed hair up in a ponytail, sweats and a large bag that contains diapers, sippies, miniature clothing for various seasons and the occasional raisin or goldfish cracker crumbs). And while I'm sure Ms. Jameson has toned it down now, I just can't imagine that she blends in as much as she thinks she does. But, I do give her credit for trying.

While my high school shenanigans and collegiate mishaps do exist, evidence of them thankfully remains only in old photo albums and in the memories of those who took part in them. Behavior that may seem cool and amusing today but could be downright embarrassing in the future, is now displayed proudly for all to see. Seemingly no thought is given to the fact that this information has a never expiring shelf-life in the age of Facebook, YouTube and various reality TV programs. Are we so desperate for fame (or infamy) that we will literally do anything for a temporary laugh or acknowledgement, regardless of the ramifications. Has privacy fallen so out of favor that we are more concerned with being known for something -- anything -- no matter who sees it -- even our own families?

It never ceases to amaze me when moms (or dads, for that matter), famous or not, choose to divulge past indiscretions, sexual encounters or drunken escapades, in a public forum, purely for entertainment's sake. Are they unaware or ambivalent about the fact that their children may unintentionally become privy to these intimate details of their parent's lives? Perhaps it's a matter of feeling we're past our prime that drives some of us to revisit sordid chapters of our ancient history and put it out there for public consumption. I'm not saying our kids should grow up thinking their parents are saints, but honestly, there are certain things that our kids are better off not knowing because knowing them serves absolutely no purpose and might cause extreme embarrassment and pain.

Perhaps Jenna Jameson should have thought about her chosen profession and the effect it could have on future offspring when she was filming explicit sex acts years ago, but at least she thought of it eventually and decided it was best to put it behind her. No doubt, her kids will someday discover what their mother did for a living and I'm sure they will endure more than their fair share of teasing at school, but Ms. Jameson did take parenting seriously enough to put an end to the behavior unbecoming of a mom.

My by-line is attached to many articles that have found second lives online and continue to pop up now and again. But I can honestly say that I don't feel I've written anything that will come back to haunt me. I'm one of the few Facebook holdouts simply because the privacy issues are too much for me at the moment. Those who know me well, and have for many years, may have some dirt, and I'll admit, there are some juicy stories from my past. But I'm happy for them to be known only by the people who took part in them and not by society at large. I'm just old-fashioned that way, I guess.

In my humble opinion...

When I turned 18, I remember rushing to apply for my absentee ballot so I'd be able to vote in the upcoming election that November. Back then, I viewed the political process as a privilege. Sad to say, nowadays, I'm often more concerned with the hierarchy in my own household than that of City Hall. And while I do care about some elections, for others, voting feels more like an obligation than an honor to take part in.

Either way, I always vote. You see, as you might have guessed by now, I usually have an opinion about most things. Election day gives me an excuse to use that personality trait for good. Plus, I'm a firm believer that you have no right to bicker about those running the country if you don't at least voice your opinion about who you think ought to be doing it.

Today, between two different carpools, several volunteer projects and physical therapy exercises, I squeezed in time to vote, even though as of last night, I had no idea who many of the candidates in my district were or what they stood for. I'm not proud of this. I went to college in Washington, DC, interned on Capitol Hill, worked at CNN and used to pride myself on the fact that I knew every detail of most politicians -- certainly those for whom I could cast a vote.

But times have changed and while I still make it a point to read the paper and browse a few major news websites each day, I don't always have time to conduct an depth review of the political news of the day. And frankly, dirty campaigning and annoying recorded phone calls have really turned me off from the whole political process.

So, last night, I went on the website of our local paper here in Atlanta, and painstakingly read bio after bio on all the candidates that pertained to me this election day. I compared their stances, experience and the overarching themes of their campaign so I would be able to make an informed decision today. I can't say my research was riveting or analytically complex, but it works for me.

So, while I realize that we're all busy, and I'd much rather be out doing something fun like shopping for shoes in my limited free time without kids, do yourself and your country a favor and make time to vote today. It's a once-a-year thing and whatever the polls show later on, you can be proud you let your voice be heard. And then, you'll have every right to bitch about the results you don't like, knowing you had nothing to do with them!