Congratulations to Mariel Zagunis and Sada Jacobson who won Gold and Bronze medals, respectively, in the Women's Sabre event. "Tonight is the greatest night in the history of American fencing" said coach Arkady Burdan.
This story has not been getting nearly enough press as it should. Zagunis' win represents the first US gold medal in any fencing event in the last 100 years. Olympic medals of any color are rare. In 1984, Peter Westbrook won the bronze for men's sabre at the boycotted Los Angeles Games.
Although women have been fencing in the Olympics since 1924, this is the first year for the Women's Sabre event. In fact, there was not even a world championship in women’s saber until 1999.
Articles:
Zagunis ends 100-year U.S. famine, CNN.com
Zagunis wins 1st-ever U.S. women's fencing gold, MSNBC
Behind the Gold Medalist's Mask, an American, New York Times (great photos, too)
Links:
Fencing Blog
USFA's Fencing Media Resource
Fencing Headlines from the United States Fencing Association.
NBC Olympics Fencing Page
Wednesday, August 18, 2004
Wednesday, July 14, 2004
PUBLIC BREASTFEEDING
In a previous blog entry, MILK, HOLD THE PICKLES, I wrote about "nurse-ins" as a form of public protest against businesses and others that harass breastfeeding mothers. On findlaw.com, Sherry F. Colb writes about the discrepancy between the law and public opinion.
Link: Public Breastfeeding: When Legal Protection Isn't Enough
Link: Public Breastfeeding: When Legal Protection Isn't Enough
Thursday, July 01, 2004
TRAVELOGUE: Iowa Day 2
Today we took the kids to the Monticello Public Library (see previous post on Sept. 9, 2003). I showed my 3-year old the card catalogue and tried to explain what it was. Little Champ enjoyed going up and down the stairs, and Big Champ used the public restroom in the library all by himself.
Thursday, June 24, 2004
TRAVELOGUE: Florida Day 4
In the morning, we head down for a swim, where we discover that all the families with children hit the attractions first thing in the morning, and we have the pool pretty much to ourselves. Around noon, we bid farewell to Kelly and she leaves to catch her plane.
In the evening, we head to Downtown Disney, yet another shopping-restaurant-entertainment area with a theme-parkish feel. Despite our better judgment, we wait nearly an hour (at 9:45 pm on a Thursday) for a table at the Rainforest Cafe. We ask ourselves, it is worth it to pay $10 for a hamburger to eat in a fake rainforest, as elaborate as it may be? Big Champ is terrified of the animatronic gorillas, which our host leads us directly past on the way to our table. The heard of elephants we dine with are o.k. The huge tropical fish tanks are a big hit. And every 20 minutes or so, you get a thunder and lightning storm, complete with rain. Little Champ wants to go up and down the stairs near our table, which is not such a good idea considering the place is crowded.
The zoo it ain't.
In the evening, we head to Downtown Disney, yet another shopping-restaurant-entertainment area with a theme-parkish feel. Despite our better judgment, we wait nearly an hour (at 9:45 pm on a Thursday) for a table at the Rainforest Cafe. We ask ourselves, it is worth it to pay $10 for a hamburger to eat in a fake rainforest, as elaborate as it may be? Big Champ is terrified of the animatronic gorillas, which our host leads us directly past on the way to our table. The heard of elephants we dine with are o.k. The huge tropical fish tanks are a big hit. And every 20 minutes or so, you get a thunder and lightning storm, complete with rain. Little Champ wants to go up and down the stairs near our table, which is not such a good idea considering the place is crowded.
The zoo it ain't.
Wednesday, June 23, 2004
TRAVELOGUE: Florida Day 3
Today we head to Old Town, a fun shopping area with rides. It is technically in Kissimmee, but is closer to Disney, and quite a drive from our hotel. After some shopping, the Big Champ rides the merry-go-round with Kelley and the Tea Cups with me, and surprises me by not being frightened by the cups going up and down and spinning around. By the end of the ride, we are both ready for it to be over. LC enjoys hanging out in his new stroller. Afterwards, we have some lunch and are ready to call it a day. We drive through Kissimmee but are not impressed, so don't stop.
We finally make it to the pool in the afternoon. For dinner we head to Pointe Orlando which is an outdoor mall on International Drive. International Drive is surreal and has an amusement-park feel to it. We park near WonderWorks the facade of which is an upside-down building. They have speakers with a recording of creaking noises as you walk by. At Pointe Orlando, we stop by a stand where you can have your picture taken with a parrot, and the lady puts the parrot on BC's arm which delights him. We don't pay for a photo, though. We pick the cafe at XS Orlando which has decent food but not so great service. For the most part, the service at just about every restaurant we visit in Orlando is slow, slow, slow. Even in the middle of the week.
We finally make it to the pool in the afternoon. For dinner we head to Pointe Orlando which is an outdoor mall on International Drive. International Drive is surreal and has an amusement-park feel to it. We park near WonderWorks the facade of which is an upside-down building. They have speakers with a recording of creaking noises as you walk by. At Pointe Orlando, we stop by a stand where you can have your picture taken with a parrot, and the lady puts the parrot on BC's arm which delights him. We don't pay for a photo, though. We pick the cafe at XS Orlando which has decent food but not so great service. For the most part, the service at just about every restaurant we visit in Orlando is slow, slow, slow. Even in the middle of the week.
Monday, June 21, 2004
TRAVELOGUE: Florida Day 2
Start out the day by heading to Walmart to stock up on supplies, where I make the best purchase of the trip - a Cosco umbrella stroller with a canopy, about $13. Unlike our Graco travel system stroller, which I love, an umbrella stroller can be gate checked on an airplane.
From there we drive to the Cornell Fine Arts Museum at Rollins college, which boasts Florida's oldest art collection, and had the added attraction of being free. But it was under renovation and closed. We head instead to the Orlando Museum of Art. I initially balk at the idea of taking two children under the age of 3 to an art museum, but we are surprised and delighted to find From Goodnight Moon to Art Dog: The World of Clement, Edith and Thacher Hurd. And although the Chihuly exhibit had closed in May, we were able to view one piece which had been purchased and loaned to the museum.
Then on to the Peabody Hotel, where we caught the daily march of the ducks from the lobby fountain down a red carpet, up the elevator, where they return to their penthouse. The Duck Master caries a walking stick, which does double duty keeping his ducks in a row and keeping small children off the red carpet.
From there we drive to the Cornell Fine Arts Museum at Rollins college, which boasts Florida's oldest art collection, and had the added attraction of being free. But it was under renovation and closed. We head instead to the Orlando Museum of Art. I initially balk at the idea of taking two children under the age of 3 to an art museum, but we are surprised and delighted to find From Goodnight Moon to Art Dog: The World of Clement, Edith and Thacher Hurd. And although the Chihuly exhibit had closed in May, we were able to view one piece which had been purchased and loaned to the museum.
Then on to the Peabody Hotel, where we caught the daily march of the ducks from the lobby fountain down a red carpet, up the elevator, where they return to their penthouse. The Duck Master caries a walking stick, which does double duty keeping his ducks in a row and keeping small children off the red carpet.
Sunday, June 20, 2004
TRAVELOGUE: Florida Day 1
My husband says: "Orlando is like going to Las Vegas but without any chance of winning any money, only loosing."
We arrive in Orlando and head to the car rental. We have reserved a full size sedan for $119/wk. The service agent offers us a Dodge Durango for $139/wk. They have 50 sitting in the lot and are pushing them. What a deal. When we get the bill, we realize that the $139 was for an upgrade, in addition to the $119. Nevermind. We end up with a Buick LeSabre, more than adequate, lots of trunk space.
We check into the Hawthorn Suites Orlando Airport. My friend Kelley is already waiting for us. She will spend the next 3 days with us, exploring Orlando with me and the kids while my husband is in class. We immediately head down to happy hour. Hawthorn Suites offers complimentary drinks and snacks for two hours every evening. They also have free american (hot) breakfast every morning, and free dinner on Wednesday nights - though in this case, you get what you pay for.
We arrive in Orlando and head to the car rental. We have reserved a full size sedan for $119/wk. The service agent offers us a Dodge Durango for $139/wk. They have 50 sitting in the lot and are pushing them. What a deal. When we get the bill, we realize that the $139 was for an upgrade, in addition to the $119. Nevermind. We end up with a Buick LeSabre, more than adequate, lots of trunk space.
We check into the Hawthorn Suites Orlando Airport. My friend Kelley is already waiting for us. She will spend the next 3 days with us, exploring Orlando with me and the kids while my husband is in class. We immediately head down to happy hour. Hawthorn Suites offers complimentary drinks and snacks for two hours every evening. They also have free american (hot) breakfast every morning, and free dinner on Wednesday nights - though in this case, you get what you pay for.
Saturday, June 19, 2004
TRAVELOGUE - Introduction
Sorry I haven't been posting much lately. The next several entries will be a travelogue. My husband goes for training in Orlando, so since the company will be springing for part of the trip, and we have adequate frequent flier miles for me and the boys, we are all going with. First to Florida, then to Iowa for a week to visit Grammie and Grampy.
The theme for this first part of the trip is: how little money can we spend in a week in Florida. Can a family of 4 eat well on a $45/day per diem? How many fun things can we find to do in Orlando without shelling out the big bucks for Disney World, Sea World, Universal Studios, or one of the countless other major attractions in the city?
My guide for Orlando: Top 10 Travel Guides: Orlando (DK Publishing, 2002).
Note to the blog purists out there: these blogs were written out by hand and post-dated when published.
The theme for this first part of the trip is: how little money can we spend in a week in Florida. Can a family of 4 eat well on a $45/day per diem? How many fun things can we find to do in Orlando without shelling out the big bucks for Disney World, Sea World, Universal Studios, or one of the countless other major attractions in the city?
My guide for Orlando: Top 10 Travel Guides: Orlando (DK Publishing, 2002).
Note to the blog purists out there: these blogs were written out by hand and post-dated when published.
Friday, June 18, 2004
MIDWIVES AND THE LAW
An announcement from Valerie Runes, Acting Editor, From Calling to Courtroom:
"It is with delight, pride, and more than a little relief that we announce to you the final release of the book From Calling to Courtroom: A Survival Guide for Midwives. We began work on the book early last fall, and have put a tremendous amount of time and effort into it...at times we have struggled, but we believed that the final product would be a gift to U.S. Midwives. I hope you agree that we have succeeded.
The book is a result of the experience and talent of many people -- midwives, attorneys, and midwifery advocates--all of whom volunteered their time and energies. From the beginning, our plan was that all those who worked on the book would do so without cost, and the book would be available without cost. You may find it at:
www.fromcallingtocourtroom.net
You can read it online, or you can download the entire book as a .pdf file. You may also order a hardcopy at cost.
Pay us a visit...sign our guestbook. Let us know what you think!"
An announcement from Valerie Runes, Acting Editor, From Calling to Courtroom:
"It is with delight, pride, and more than a little relief that we announce to you the final release of the book From Calling to Courtroom: A Survival Guide for Midwives. We began work on the book early last fall, and have put a tremendous amount of time and effort into it...at times we have struggled, but we believed that the final product would be a gift to U.S. Midwives. I hope you agree that we have succeeded.
The book is a result of the experience and talent of many people -- midwives, attorneys, and midwifery advocates--all of whom volunteered their time and energies. From the beginning, our plan was that all those who worked on the book would do so without cost, and the book would be available without cost. You may find it at:
www.fromcallingtocourtroom.net
You can read it online, or you can download the entire book as a .pdf file. You may also order a hardcopy at cost.
Pay us a visit...sign our guestbook. Let us know what you think!"
Wednesday, May 19, 2004
SITE UPDATE
On May 9, Blogger relaunched and added some nifty new features, including comments and something called "post pages" (permalinking), both of which I have activated. You will also notice that a short while ago I added an Atom syndication feed. Don't ask me how it works as I don't use it myself, but I hear it's the greatest thing since sliced bread, so enjoy in good health.
Wednesday, May 05, 2004
MIDWIFERY
Today, May 5, is International Midwives' Day! Please call, write, or email your midwife and tell her "Thank You".
Ideas for celebrating from MANA
Today, May 5, is International Midwives' Day! Please call, write, or email your midwife and tell her "Thank You".
Ideas for celebrating from MANA
Tuesday, May 04, 2004
HEALTH NEWS
Breast-fed babies are 20% less likely to die in the first year of life than those who are not, according to a new study reported in the May 2004 edition of Pediatrics. And, the longer the babies were breast-fed, the lower the risk of early death. Interestingly, the reduction in the mortality rate came not only from deaths due to illness and SIDS, but also decreased by 31% deaths due to injury.
Links:
Breastfed Babies Less Likely to Die, Study Finds, The Washington Post.
Breastfeeding and Saving Lives, Dr. Greene’s Daily Dose (May 3, 2004).
Breastfed Infants Less Likely to Die, WebMD Health.
And another study just released suggests that women who have dental x-rays while pregnant have a higher risk of having low-birth-weight babies. Dr. Michael Fleming, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians, is quoted as saying that the study "really changes the information that we’ve believed all these years."
At the Dentist's: Risk of X-Rays and Pregnancy, The New York Times.
Dental X-rays may lead to smaller babies, MSNBC.com
Breast-fed babies are 20% less likely to die in the first year of life than those who are not, according to a new study reported in the May 2004 edition of Pediatrics. And, the longer the babies were breast-fed, the lower the risk of early death. Interestingly, the reduction in the mortality rate came not only from deaths due to illness and SIDS, but also decreased by 31% deaths due to injury.
Links:
Breastfed Babies Less Likely to Die, Study Finds, The Washington Post.
Breastfeeding and Saving Lives, Dr. Greene’s Daily Dose (May 3, 2004).
Breastfed Infants Less Likely to Die, WebMD Health.
And another study just released suggests that women who have dental x-rays while pregnant have a higher risk of having low-birth-weight babies. Dr. Michael Fleming, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians, is quoted as saying that the study "really changes the information that we’ve believed all these years."
At the Dentist's: Risk of X-Rays and Pregnancy, The New York Times.
Dental X-rays may lead to smaller babies, MSNBC.com
Thursday, April 29, 2004
Midwifery Legal Update - Pennsylvania
Judith Wilson was arrested last Friday in Pittsburgh, PA on charges of involuntary manslaughter, endangering the welfare of a child, and practicing midwifery without a license. Judy, a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM), had been under investigation since the November 2002 death of a footling breach baby who required resuscitation after delivery and died two days later in the hospital.
The baby's parents, Jonathan and Heather Daley, do not blame Ms. Wilson for the death and do not support the prosecution.
And the news goes from bad to worse. Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala, Jr. said Tuesday that he may empanel a grand jury to investigate unlicensed midwives and whether they should be charged. Previous to the current investigation, direct-entry midwifery in Pennsylvania has been considered "legal by judicial interpretation or statutory inference," according to the Midwives Alliance of North America. Pennsylvania regulates nurse-midwives, but makes no provision for non-nurse midwifery, though it is not specifically outlawed by statute.
As an aside, it would be completely legal for a midwife with identical training, experience, and certification as Judith Wilson to practice in Texas and at least fourteen other states. Ms. Wilson is credentialed by the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM).
Links:
Butler County midwife charged in newborn's death, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Midwife charged in baby's death, Pittsburgh Live.com.
Grand jury investigation of midwives eyed, Pittsburgh Live.com.
Friends of Judy provides updates on the case and is organizing an auction to raise money for Judy's legal fund.
Jon & Heather Daley's website with an account of baby Isaac's birth and death.
The baby's parents, Jonathan and Heather Daley, do not blame Ms. Wilson for the death and do not support the prosecution.
And the news goes from bad to worse. Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala, Jr. said Tuesday that he may empanel a grand jury to investigate unlicensed midwives and whether they should be charged. Previous to the current investigation, direct-entry midwifery in Pennsylvania has been considered "legal by judicial interpretation or statutory inference," according to the Midwives Alliance of North America. Pennsylvania regulates nurse-midwives, but makes no provision for non-nurse midwifery, though it is not specifically outlawed by statute.
As an aside, it would be completely legal for a midwife with identical training, experience, and certification as Judith Wilson to practice in Texas and at least fourteen other states. Ms. Wilson is credentialed by the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM).
Links:
Butler County midwife charged in newborn's death, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Midwife charged in baby's death, Pittsburgh Live.com.
Grand jury investigation of midwives eyed, Pittsburgh Live.com.
Friends of Judy provides updates on the case and is organizing an auction to raise money for Judy's legal fund.
Jon & Heather Daley's website with an account of baby Isaac's birth and death.
Tuesday, April 20, 2004
FORMULA DEATHS
Fifty or Sixty babies have died in the last year, and hundreds have become malnourished, after drinking fake infant formula sold in the eastern Chinese province of Anhui.
Links:
China Blames Fake Milk in Infant Deaths from Yahoo!/AP.
Chinese baby milk blamed for 50 deaths from The Guardian (UK).
Tough action to wipe out 'killer' milk powder from People's Daily.
Fake milk formula kills dozens of babies from The Herald (UK).
Fake milk powder kills babies from The Age (AU).
Fifty or Sixty babies have died in the last year, and hundreds have become malnourished, after drinking fake infant formula sold in the eastern Chinese province of Anhui.
Links:
China Blames Fake Milk in Infant Deaths from Yahoo!/AP.
Chinese baby milk blamed for 50 deaths from The Guardian (UK).
Tough action to wipe out 'killer' milk powder from People's Daily.
Fake milk formula kills dozens of babies from The Herald (UK).
Fake milk powder kills babies from The Age (AU).
Monday, April 19, 2004
MIDWIFERY
A great article on the state of midwifery in Utah: Midwifery lives on despite legislation's failure from the Salt Lake Tribune.
A great article on the state of midwifery in Utah: Midwifery lives on despite legislation's failure from the Salt Lake Tribune.
Thursday, April 15, 2004
MILK, AGAIN
The Valley Advocate's April 15th cover story is Feeding Frenzy: How big business and politics conspire against breastfeeding mothers by Maureen Turner.
The Valley Advocate's April 15th cover story is Feeding Frenzy: How big business and politics conspire against breastfeeding mothers by Maureen Turner.
Monday, April 12, 2004
BIRTH STORY
The birth story of Jude Roman Fairbanks is the most beautiful birth story I have ever seen - told in pictures, not words. It takes some time to load, but is well worth it. Make sure you have your sound turned on.
The birth story of Jude Roman Fairbanks is the most beautiful birth story I have ever seen - told in pictures, not words. It takes some time to load, but is well worth it. Make sure you have your sound turned on.
Saturday, April 10, 2004
BIRTH BATTLE
Don't miss The Birth Battle: Doctors, Midwives and the Politics of Pregnancy, April's cover story from Parent:Wise Austin. Although midwifery (direct-entry as well as the nurse-midwifery variety) is fully legal in Texas, the political climate is growing worse, which means fewer birth options for families.
Don't miss The Birth Battle: Doctors, Midwives and the Politics of Pregnancy, April's cover story from Parent:Wise Austin. Although midwifery (direct-entry as well as the nurse-midwifery variety) is fully legal in Texas, the political climate is growing worse, which means fewer birth options for families.
Sunday, April 04, 2004
GOT (REAL) MILK?
Yahoo/AP writes about the debate over unpasturized milk - Unpasteurized Milk Has Fans Despite Risk.
And here is Don't Drink Your Milk from Dr. Mercola.
Yahoo/AP writes about the debate over unpasturized milk - Unpasteurized Milk Has Fans Despite Risk.
And here is Don't Drink Your Milk from Dr. Mercola.
BIRTH STORY
The Blomme Family has posted an amazing birth story. Twin girls were born in an unplanned, semi-unattended homebirth, the second a breach baby. While I certainly wouldn't recommend doing it this way given the choice, it is a wonderful testament to the ability of our bodies to birth naturally.
The Blomme Family has posted an amazing birth story. Twin girls were born in an unplanned, semi-unattended homebirth, the second a breach baby. While I certainly wouldn't recommend doing it this way given the choice, it is a wonderful testament to the ability of our bodies to birth naturally.
Thursday, April 01, 2004
WARNING
Everyone, but especially mothers, should be aware of the potential dangers of Dihydrogen Monoxide. This substance in sufficient quantities can cause illness, coma, even death, and it is extremely prevalent in the environment, including the atmosphere and the food supply. High levels of Dihydrogen Monoxide have been found to be present in breastmilk, as well as baby formula and most baby foods.
Link: Dihydrogen Monoxide Research Division
Everyone, but especially mothers, should be aware of the potential dangers of Dihydrogen Monoxide. This substance in sufficient quantities can cause illness, coma, even death, and it is extremely prevalent in the environment, including the atmosphere and the food supply. High levels of Dihydrogen Monoxide have been found to be present in breastmilk, as well as baby formula and most baby foods.
Link: Dihydrogen Monoxide Research Division
Thursday, March 11, 2004
DIAPER DEFENSE
According to World Net Daily, "an Indiana man whose baby daughter was found to have $140,000 worth of crack cocaine loaded in her diaper has been found guilty, despite his claim the search of the girl's pants was unconstitutional." Actually, the drugs were discovered not pursuant to a search for such, but when a trooper awaiting the arrival of a social worker noticed "a large load" in the infant's diaper and went to change it.
The jury returned a guilty verdict in just 18 minutes.
Read full story from WND or the Evansville Courier Press.
According to World Net Daily, "an Indiana man whose baby daughter was found to have $140,000 worth of crack cocaine loaded in her diaper has been found guilty, despite his claim the search of the girl's pants was unconstitutional." Actually, the drugs were discovered not pursuant to a search for such, but when a trooper awaiting the arrival of a social worker noticed "a large load" in the infant's diaper and went to change it.
The jury returned a guilty verdict in just 18 minutes.
Read full story from WND or the Evansville Courier Press.
Monday, March 01, 2004
BIRTH CONTROL
The California Supreme Court has ruled that a Catholic charity must provide insurance coverage for prescription contraceptives for its employees. The court noted that the charity, while affiliated with the Catholic Church, was a separate entity and therefore was not a "religious employer", which would have exempted it from state legislation mandating such coverage. Read the full article from Yahoo!/Reuters.
The California Supreme Court has ruled that a Catholic charity must provide insurance coverage for prescription contraceptives for its employees. The court noted that the charity, while affiliated with the Catholic Church, was a separate entity and therefore was not a "religious employer", which would have exempted it from state legislation mandating such coverage. Read the full article from Yahoo!/Reuters.
YET ANOTHER REASON
Breastfeeding may lower blood pressure according to a new study, reports WebMD. Furthermore, "the blood pressure-lowering effects of breastfeeding increased with the duration that the infant was breastfed. On average, every three months of breastfeeding was associated with a 0.2 mm Hg reduction in systolic blood pressure."
Breastfeeding may lower blood pressure according to a new study, reports WebMD. Furthermore, "the blood pressure-lowering effects of breastfeeding increased with the duration that the infant was breastfed. On average, every three months of breastfeeding was associated with a 0.2 mm Hg reduction in systolic blood pressure."
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