The End of an Era

It gives me great sadness to announce the end of a long era. I'm going to miss my daily fix of Yellow Dye No. 6, "black pepper flavor" and the ever popular, high fructose corn syrup. Was it the unusually high radioactive content or just that yellow is no longer as trendy as it was a few years ago? Regardless of how you spin it, how are we going to tell now if food is safe? In the past, once it stopped glowing, you knew something was wrong. Now short of doing a post-mortem on your pet rat, there is little one can do to be sure.

Still I remain optimistic. Color preferences change with the times and you never know what hues may come back; "I really like the chicken if it's not too blue". Call me old fashioned but losing both Red Dye No. 5 and now Yellow Dye No. 6? I wouldn't go so far as to say it's the apocalypse but what fun is it guessing the mystery meat when you don't need a spectrometer to narrow it down? 

Is it any Wonder?

We wonder why cancer and other diseases are so prevalent but the answer may not be so hard to find. While genetic factors always have to be considered, some alarming statistics cannot be ignored. A recent study by a consumer health organization known as the Environmental Working Group sheds some alarming statistics. Everyday, the average woman uses 12 products which contain 168 chemicals. If pesticides in our food, smoking and pollution were not enough of a concern, in a sense we're all part of a lifetime study. No need to conduct in-house research, just take notes and ask:

• How many of us will get cancer in our lifetimes? 
• How many of us used chemicals previously thought to be safe?

Personally, I'd prefer my poison spread out evenly on my birthday cake so I can get it over with quickly but short of living in a bubble, the pitfalls of being human are unavoidable. Being complacent may not be the most prudent approach to dealing with this reality but it sure helps while consuming our daily poisons and planning our toxic holiday binges.

Deceptive Tactics Used in Advertising

It's no secret that advertising is a dirty business. When I was in college, a professor told us a story about a company having trouble selling a large supply of canned white salmon. Although there was nothing wrong with the fish nutritionally, people would open the cans, see white salmon and say yuck! In desperation, the company turned to an advertising specialist who flat out told them he could sell the product but there would be a fine. He designed a label that said "White Salmon - Guaranteed Not to Turn Red in the Can".

While most people would not be as blatantly deceptive as this, truth be told, the Internet is like the wild, wild, west of questionable practices. A perfect example would be an online store that claims "free shipping" but then hits you with a handling fee at checkout. Likewise, claiming a house has three bedrooms in an online listing but it's really two and someone stuck a bed in the dining room is to say the least, questionable. Legally speaking, a bedroom usually requires a doorway, window and closet. Even if the dining room can serve dual purposes and satisfy the legal requirements, listing it twice as if it were two separate spaces is deceptive and in my opinion, false advertising.

Despite underhanded tricks, people will often disregard these "mistakes" if they can be convinced the product still has enough merit to make up for the inaccurate labeling. Unfortunately, this encourages bad behavior that should not be rewarded. It also puts good causes like the AbilityOne program at a significant disadvantage because it is hard to compete against a pitch that cures all and throws in a free tank of gas.

More Beneath the Surface

With another major train derailment hitting the news, the issue of passenger safety is just the beginning of concerns the US military has. Last night, an Amtrak train completely derailed causing the deaths of several people. Although the incident was tragic, it raises an even more pressing issue.

Apparently, similar train derailments in areas like North Dakota have occurred alarmingly close to underground nuclear missile sites. We always worry about terrorist attacks but sometimes human error can be an even greater concern. Meanwhile political stalemate continues as our aging infrastructure is deteriorating and the clock counts down to an uncertain future.

Italy Caught Between a Rock and a Hard Place

The influx of a large number of Northern African refugees across the Mediterranean has caught Italy in a difficult position. The country already struggling to recover from the economic downturn has to bear the brunt of financing most if not all rescue operations. Despite pleas to the international community, most European powers have resisted Italy's calls for help. UK officials claim that sending British ships would be counterproductive by encouraging more refugees. Nonetheless, failing to send rescue operations leaves Italy in a moral dilemma as each day thousands of migrants set sail in often less than seaworthy vessels.

The proximity to the Italian coast makes refugees an issue the Italian government cannot ignore. Compounding the issue is the fact that smugglers in war-torn regions are getting paid large sums for human trafficking in inhumane conditions with no concern for life. Even worse, Italian funds intended to help refugees are occasionally diverted by the mob as they force some female refugees into prostitution. Meanwhile, hesitation by the international community has stalled progress as a bleak future continues to await many who set sail.

Slave Labor Exposed in New York Nail Salons

The New York Times recently exposed illegal activity occurring in New York involving nail salons where employees work both the day and night shift. One women works all day for little pay and then starts her night shift where she sleeps until being awaken to do more nails. The undercover Times investigator found the majority of these places were owned by Korean employers who exploit undocumented immigrants that cannot find work. At the bottom of the scale are Hispanics who earn the least. Above them are Chinese immigrants and the top are young / attractive Koreans that earn the most. The owners claim they are giving opportunity to people that would not be able to find work otherwise. The reality is this 8.5 billion dollar business is highly exploitative and discriminating in some areas where reporter Sarah Maslin Nir found one worker actually having working papers but was afraid to present them to her employer because she is terrified. These bosses often won't hire legal applicants because they want workers that are too desperate to speak up.

To be fair, my niece who is half Italian/half German works at a nail salon in New Jersey and she seems to do quite well so this is clearly not a problem everywhere. However, where it does thrive, it is merciless as these establishments are rarely investigated no matter how appalling the circumstances.

Just Another Day on the Railroad

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for tapping new energy sources provided it's done responsibly but how many times do we have to read about train explosions before our great leaders finally stop their childish disputes and address the issue? I know they're looking into the matter but common sense dictates the more train cars you have linked and the less fortified they are, the bigger the explosion. How greedy can these people be that run these railroads to so blatantly disregard public safety and the environment? Maybe if they had to live by one of these disasters, they wouldn't be so quick to take on more than they could chew.

Full story: http://time.com/3848730/heimdal-north-dakota-train-crash/

Aching Back - Forget the Pain Medicine!

Before assuming you need to load up on pain medicine, an aching back is often the result of the way you either sit or lift things. Suffice to say, improper lifting can do serious damage. Likewise, if you find yourself constantly slouching or even sitting for long periods with your back not against a chair, pain is often the result. Medications may alleviate the symptoms but they do not get at the source.

Experts recommend when lifting, keep your back straight and lift with your legs. Moreover, taking a few minutes to stand can often make a significant difference in how you feel throughout the day. Nothing is 100 percent guaranteed to work for everyone but relying on muscle relaxants and other medications is a short term fix to a problem that may become acute over time.

If your job does not permit you to move around freely, sometimes just changing the way you sit or even stretching can help. Ideally, blood flow should never be cut off and if you feel that happening, try not to lean on that body part. If the problem still continues, you may find it necessary to add a seat cushion or change your chair. Follow these steps and you will likely also increase your work productivity as a relaxed worker is a more efficient worker.

Note: The author of this post makes no claim to be a medical expert and his opinions do not necessarily reflect representatives of Haskell New York Inc.