An Ounce of Prevention

What do dry cleaning chemicals, pesticides, microwaves and cell phones have in common?

All are items now listed as "possibly carcinogenic" by the World Health Organization's (WHO) International Agency for Research on Cancer. The finding, announced today by 31 scientists from 14 countries, doesn't involve the discovery of any new data, but rather, reviews of previous studies relating to radiation emitted by cell phones. This marks the first time a government panel has categorized cell phones in the same potentially cancer-causing group as other dubious chemicals.

The list of items labeled "possibly carcinogenic" now numbers 240 and includes things like DDT, engine exhaust and lead. While the studies do not mean that these things definitively cause cancer, the evidence is a clear warning sign that more information is urgently needed and that caution is warranted in the meantime.

Cell phones are particularly disturbing because they are used close to the head and have been previously questioned in several cases of brain tumors. Studies are ongoing, but scientists urge parents to be especially cautious when allowing kids to use the devices.

So, you may want to keep this in mind the next time your preschooler wants to play Angry Birds or decorate virtual cupcakes to send to friends. While the activities are a useful way of keeping kids busy, they may be doing much more than killing just time.

There is one company that is manufacturing radiation-blocking cases for several popular cell phones. Pong research claims (and independent studies have backed these claims) that their covers block between 60 and 90 percent of radiation that would otherwise be absorbed by the body. The cases are not currently available for all cell phones or for laptops and ipads, which also emit radiation. And while the covers are a tad pricey (between $40 and $50, plus shipping), it's a small price to pay for peace of mind.

Food for Thought Friday

In an effort to "mix things up a bit," I came up with the idea of a new "theme" for an end-of-the-week posting. I call it "Friday's Food for Thought." Just a little something you can discuss amongst yourselves over the weekend, or ponder when you have a moment to spare. Let me know what you think or if you have ideas to share!

Here's my first offering:

With the school year ending, are you looking forward to spending more time with your kids? Or, are you dreading filling the days with activities and losing your precious "me" time?

And to all my friends who regularly email me directly with comments, post them on the site and let us all revel in your brilliance!

Everything I know I learned from Oprah

Well, that title is a bit exaggerated and downright misleading, but hey, it's catchy!

Since the divine Miss O is signing off the air tomorrow (from her talk show, at least), I figured I'd reminisce a bit about my short stint as a member of her staff. I actually did learn a major lesson during that time, but it's probably not what you'd expect.

By 2000, I was burned out from years spent working for CNN and yearning for something a bit less intense. That summer, I was going through the breakup of a major relationship and decided that now was the time to get the h*ll out of Dodge and go for the holy grail of work in daytime television -- The Oprah Winfrey Show.

A bit brazenly, I sent them my resume tape (sounds so dated now, huh?) and followed up with a letter that I'd be in the Chicago area later that month and would love to come in for an interview. Surprisingly, I got a call back saying they'd like to meet with me and to let them know when I'd finalized my trip.

It's a heady feeling taking a cab down to Harpo studios knowing that you could potentially end up working there. I arrived early and the executive producer who was meeting with me was tied up with some last minute show stuff, so they asked if I'd mind sitting in the audience for a taping. Unfortunately, it was not the "My Favorite Things" show, but rather, a show on female genital mutilation. There is a shot of me in the audience wincing rather uncomfortably at some of the subject matter and friends of mine who saw the show later that day and knew I was going in for an interview were totally perplexed as to why I was sitting there.

The interview went well and I was offered a position. I headed back to Atlanta, practically jumping out of my skin with excitement, ready to put my newly purchased condo on the market. My mom -- ever the voice of reason -- persuaded me not to cut my Atlanta ties so fast. What if it wasn't all I thought it would be, she asked? At the time, I thought she was nuts but her words turned out to be quite prescient.

I headed for Chicago as the weather was turning colder, though it didn't matter because I was really never outside at all. If I'd thought the hours I'd worked at CNN were rigorous, they were nothing compared to this. Working 18 hour days was not unheard of and time off was a big no-no, unless it happened to be a month when the show was on hiatus. I'd escaped the gravity of the subjects we covered at an all news network, but not the grueling pace.

I will never forget my time at Harpo and I will forever be grateful for the opportunity and for the fact that it graces my resume. But it didn't take me long to figure out that this fantasy job was one of those things I would later come to realize that you sometimes must be careful what you wish for. I was 30 and single, knowing I wanted a family and a life more than I wanted a career at that point. I later read a quote from Oprah herself where she says, "You can have it all, just not at the same time" and I wished I'd known that before I'd gone to work on her show. Saying I worked for her was a huge ego boost at first, but the varnish soon wore thin as I sacrificed any personal life I'd hoped to have in favor of booking A+ guests and dreaming up shows worthy of their namesake.

To the shock of nearly everyone who knew me, I walked away within months and returned to Atlanta, taking a job at a not-for-profit that I'd previously volunteered with. People thought I was insane, but the job was much more fulfilling personally and I had the pleasure of working normal hours for the first time in my life. To add to the timing kismet, I met my now-husband later that summer.

So, what did Oprah teach me? Well, the answer is probably obvious by now, but it it made me realize that a job is just a job, even if it's for Oprah (unless you actually ARE Oprah). Life is short and nobody lies on their deathbed wishing they'd spent more time at work. In a way, just knowing that I had gotten the job was almost enough for me. It taught me that I was qualified, determined and capable of reaching the highest goal I set for myself. But ultimately, that work goal fell short of my overall life goals.

So, as Oprah gives up her throne, I hope she also has the ability to step back and rejoin her own life a bit. I've never seen someone as dedicated as she was -- in the studio at 6am, taking part in every meeting, pretty much calling all the shots and always with the utmost professionalism. But at what cost? She is has never married and has no children. Perhaps this is what she wants for herself, but for me, a TV show just wasn't enough. I knew I'd want something more fulfilling and meaningful in the long-run.

Today my life is about potty training and tooth fairies gardening in the backyard and removing splinters, soothing occasional nightmares and watching Sesame Street. And while that might not be as exciting as say, meeting Matt Damon and Tom Hanks, or attending Oprah's annual Christmas Party, it suits me just fine.

And we'll always have Chicago....

Dangerous Liaisons

So, it appears there is something even larger than Arnold Schwarzenegger's biceps -- his ego. Only a a complete and total narcissist could do what the "Governator" has done to his family. Yesterday it was revealed that the actor (who knew he was this good?) managed to hide an illegitimate child he fathered with a family housekeeper in his employ for 20 years! The boy, now 14, lives with his mother who continued to work for the family until this past January.

Reports insist that Maria Shriver was not aware of the affair or the child, though she and this staff person would have been pregnant at the same time with the famous couple's youngest offspring. Claims of his philandering have been around long enough that I find it hard to believe she didn't at least suspect he had been unfaithful during their marriage. But cheating is one thing - being so careless and self-centered as to have unprotected sex, resulting in a child with your mistress, belies a fundamental lack of respect toward a spouse.

We preach safe sex to our kids, yet it never ceases to amaze me when these avowed conservatives turn around and do just the opposite when it comes to their own extra curricular activities. It's a classic case of "Do as I say, not as I do" and I believe these men truly lack the ability to think beyond themselves and their own momentary physical needs to be able to consciously or unconsciously inflict the kind of ongoing pain that unprotected sex in the course of an affair can result in.

Scores of high profile and powerful men have gone about fathering children with mistresses since the beginning of recorded time. Schwarzenegger has several comrades in politics that paved the way for his indiscretions -- Thomas Jefferson, Strom Thurmond, Francois Mitterrand and of course, John Edwards, just to name a few.

What I don't understand is how someone who purports to love their wife and kids, can go out and do something (cheating) that so flies in the face of that statement, and then compound the pain by not taking steps to insure that further suffering isn't inflicted in the form of a permanent reminder of the affair (ie: a child or even an STD). Adultery is bad enough, but I can't comprehend the ongoing turmoil that follows wives of men who had kids with other women during their marriages. Of course, you can't blame child, but it's tough to embrace the product of such an unsavory union without having he/she serve as a constant reminder of the event that forever altered a family. With time and therapy, marital indiscretions can sometimes be overcome, but when another woman's child is involved it raises the stakes.

Marriages, even high profile ones, survive affairs all the time. One need look no further than Eliot Spitzer and Bill Clinton to see the truth (at least temporarily) in this. But more often than not, the marriages whither and die when an affair is revealed -- think Michael Jordan, Rudy Giuliani, Donald Trump, John McCain, Tiger Woods, Mark Sanford even Prince Charles. (Honestly, I could have gone on and on with this list of celebrity offenders, but you get my point). Who knows how many famous affairs and illegitimate kids abound that we don't even know about.

I can only imagine the scene when Maria was made privy to this news and the pain that comes with the unrelenting press coverage that is sure to follow. But I give her props for leaving, which I'm sure was no easy feat after being married to the man for 25 years and fathering four of his kids. She may be famous (a Kennedy nonetheless!) and flush with income, but she suffers like any woman would after receiving news of this nature. My heart goes out to her.

It seems Arnold Schwarzenegger has proven once again that he truly is "The Terminator," at least where his marriage is concerned.

Every Breath You Take (with apologies to "The Police")

While there are many "firsts" I'm happy to celebrate (birthdays, steps, losing teeth, etc.) today in Atlanta marked a first that I've come to dread each year around this time.

Today, when I opened my newspaper, I was greeted with word that our air quality was the worst in the nation this Monday, with a code orange smog alert. This level of pollution signifies a risk to sensitive groups including kids, the elderly or those with heart or lung impairments. As a mom of young kids, I find this particularly troubling knowing this is just the first of many such days to come.

According to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA), on days like this, sensitive groups, including kids, should avoid strenuous outdoor activity between the hours of 2pm and 7pm, when ozone levels are at their highest. The cruel irony of these so-called "smog alerts" is that they come about at a time when people are normally scheduling more outdoor activities and it's difficult to tell kids to curtail their time on the playground, ball field or in the pool when the season is just picking up. 

The color-coded smog alert system ranges from green (healthy) to purple (everyone should avoid being outdoors). Before I had kids, I remember visiting a friend in Los Angeles who lamented that her daughter's school suspended recess on high pollution days. I can understand that disappointment, but honestly, I'd rather my kids not be exposed to potentially life-altering levels of pollution when they could just as easily amuse themselves inside (though the quality of indoor air is also debatable, but that's for another post!). 

A recent report found that more than half of the American population live in areas where the air quality is subpar. As my pal noted, several California cities ranked high on the American Lung Association's list of places with the worst air quality. Contrary to popular belief, bad air isn't just a danger to those with asthma or other respiratory ailments. Ongoing pollution and persistent low air quality can have longterm effects such as low birth weight, diabetes, heart attack and stroke and even shorter life span. 

I don't know about you but as someone who isn't a smoker or a coal miner, I was sort of hoping to keep my lungs as pristine as possible, while still going about the mundane task of breathing each day. I can coat my skin in sunscreen for protection from the damaging ultraviolet rays, but there's no magic elixir when it comes to protecting my body's insides. When I moved to Atlanta in 1992, I didn't realize my health would take such a hit. Now, 19 years later, I'm saddled with seasonal asthma and lingering guilt about the damage the air out there is doing to my kids' young and susceptible bodies. 

Last year, there were 25 high smog warnings in Atlanta during the primary ozone season. Fortunately, while the air remains filthy in many areas, it's actually an improvement over year's past. Higher emission standards for both cars and pollution spewing factories have managed to make a positive dent in the air quality. So, if you need yet another reason to "go green," this is a biggie.

The good news is, if you're looking to relocate to an area with clean air, you have some swanky ones to choose from. Two such cities fit the bill, logging zero smog days in the past year. Both Honolulu and Sante Fe, NM ranked tops for easy breathing.

I just celebrated my 41st birthday and this year also marks that same milestone for the Clean Air Act. According to the Environmental Protection Agency which oversees that act, each of us takes in approximately 3,000 gallons of air daily. So you could say, To "air" is human, but to breathe in clean air, wouldn't that just be divine?

Beauty and the Beast

I've been struggling to reconcile the two opposing events that each occurred over the weekend. The first, the majestic royal wedding of Prince William to the beautiful Catherine. The other, the long-awaited death of one of the world's most vicious killers, Osama bin laden.

While the weekend started off on a romantic high, it concluded with the news that the face of modern terrorism had been permanently censured. But like most breaking news stories, the initial effects are often fleeting and real life sets in all too soon.

We know from experience (Di & Charles) that even royal nuptials aren't immune to scandal and heartbreak. The wedding itself was memorable and telegenic and all things one hoped it would be, but in the end, it was just one day in the lives of two people. What truly matters is what they do with the promises uttered on that day moving forward.

Similarly, the killing of bin laden, while a welcome development in the war on terror, will not end terrorism. It was a welcome note and perhaps brief reprieve in what I fear has become a new way of life. My children will never know what it's like to run through the airport and board a plane just as it's about to pull away from the gate. Metal detectors and pat-downs are normal parts of travel to them. Post-9-11 life is radically different than it was prior to that horrific event and the elimination of its mastermind does not signal the end of the rampant terrorist ideology.

Each of these events, while so completely different, signify a beginning, but not an end. We can only hope and pray that the future outcome of each is a positive one.