Exposing the Warts of the HPV Bill
As you may have heard, a bi-partisan group of Kansas legislators recently introduced a bill that would require all 6th grade girls in Kansas to receive a new vaccination that prevents certain strains of the HPV virus that cause cervical cancer. ([Read the full article][1])In my mind, there's no arguing that the new HPV vaccine is potentially useful. I am also pleased that HPV has been getting a lot of attention in the past few years. In all honesty, when I first heard about this new bill, I didn't have a strong reaction, and thought it seemed reasonable enough. Luckily, I have friends who wake me when I'm asleep at the wheel. Below you will find excerpts from a letter that Lori, a faithful lawrence.com commenter, wrote to her legistlator regarding this bill. For those of you who don't know Lori in real life, she is a nurse who has worked in the field of women's health for a number of years. She also has daughters in elementary school who would be affected by this bill. In other words, she's got a bit of street cred.I post these excerpts not because I agree with every point she makes 100 percent, but because I think it's worth taking note that there are many reasons one might oppose this bill besides the antiquated notion that it might increase promiscuity. Thank you Lori, for letting me share your ideas.Whatever you think about the issue, by all means, let [your legistlator][2] know how you feel. You can also tune into the [Journal World chat][3], with one of the sponsors of the bill this Wednesday.Now for the excerpts from Lori's letter to her legislator:This vaccine not been long on the market, and it appears that the testing was performed exclusively on college age girls, not 11 year olds. I am concerned about the long-term effects and safety of this immunization for my young daughters......Mandatory vaccines for schools should be reserved for diseases that are immediately communicable and pose an immediate threat to public safety. A girl with HPV is not an immediate threat to her classmates!......According to the book "Abnormal Pap Smears," by Drs. Rushing and Jost, "...the majority of women with cervical cancer today are women who have either never had a Pap smear or haven't had one in the past five years. Most of these women are over forty years old and have had long-neglected HPV-related precancers..." The point is that HPV precancerous lesions are very treatable in the office. Most are simply monitored, as the body will fight the infection off independently. Fairly non-invasive treatment options are available in the office for HPV that is not overcome by the immune system. We should be encouraging women to receive routine health care, not offering them a one-time shot, whose efficacy past 5 years has not been established, and which doesn't even cover all the viral subtypes associated with HPV-associated cervical cancers......Who is going to pay for this? The vaccine costs $360. Has any thought been given to offering this as a free or low cost vaccine, if it is so important to the public safety? According to our local paper, there is not yet any provision to assist parents in the cost. Legislators are hoping some community clinics will be set up and that federal funding will become available. In the meantime, what is a parent to do? It seems to me that if this is so important, you should be allocating funds to cover it. One company manufactures this vaccine: Merck. They certainly stand to make money off of this bill, don't they?...this bill smacks to me of sexism. The St. Thomas' Hopital study of 1971 established that women acquire their HPV infections almost exclusively from male partners. MEN harbor and spread the HPV virus; it is very, very rare to find HPV in women who have never had intercourse with a man. At the University of California at Irvine in 1986, researchers examined the male partners of women with high-grade HPV lesions and found corresponding lesions in over 70% of the men. If we make this mandatory, we need to make sure the boys are getting immunized, too; they are the ones that are spreading HPV!!!!...Finally, this is a decision that is best made by a physician, the young woman, and her parents. NOT by the government. I am not anti-vaccine; both my children have received all their mandated vaccines and a few non-mandated ones as well, and in reality I will probably vaccinate both of my daughters against HPV. But this decision will be made by my daughter's physician, myself, and MY DAUGHTER; not by a school district or a state legislature. I feel government mandation of this vaccine is inappropriate. As a parent, I should still have a degree of self-determination in making such parenting decisions.An optional vaccine, yes. Mandatory, no. [1]: http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2007/jan/26/bill_would_require_hpv_shot_girls/?kansas_legislature [2]: http://www.ipsr.ku.edu/ksdata/vote/"target="blank [3]: http://www2.ljworld.com/chats/2007/jan/31/delia_garcia/
Lions and tigers and bears, Oh my!
During a recent trip to Tucson, our family set out to hike the historically accesible and family-freindly [Sabino Canyon][1]. Upon entering the park, the ranger in the toll booth handed us a bright green piece of paper with the heading: Problem Mountain Lions!The paper stated that although mountain lions have lived in the canyon throughout history, behaviors spotted recently in the cats in the area - including being active during daylight hours, being unafraid of humans, and stalking humans - was cause for concern.Now, I know that in the grand scheme of things [my chances of getting attacked by a mountain lion][2] are slim, but an [informative article][3] on mountain lion behavior that I read recently said it best: "Something about even a small chance of being eaten by a large carnivore wrests the human imagination away from the logic of numbers."While the news of mountain lions lurking while we hiked the canyon was a bit unsettling, it was the phrases like: "Nine out of ten humans attacked by mountain lions are children," and "KEEP YOUR CHILDREN CLOSE AT ALL TIMES!", or "If you pick up small children with you, do so without bending or turning away," which were peppered throughout this flier, that really appealed to our primal fears.To make a long story short, we hiked the canyon anyway, and we survived, but I'd be lying if I said it was a relaxing hike. I'd also be lying if I said that this episode didn't make me consider the [mountain lion sightings][4] around here a little more carefully. (This one [at the levee][5] was particularly frightening).Again, I know our family is in more danger when we hop into the car each day, than we are when we hike around Clinton Lake, but if the small chance of being eaten by a carnivore makes a person illogical, then the small chance of your child being eaten by a carnivore makes one downright paranoid. I mean, what are the chances that a mountain lion is skulking around Hidden Valley, that large wooded acreage on the west side of town where all the Girl Scouts hang out? Maybe it's time to reconsider those evening snipe hunts! Or maybe it's time to work this information into one of those safety badges:What to do if you see a mountain lion:Do not approach the cat Do not run Do not bend over or crouch down Maintian eye contact with the lion at all times Make yourself appear larger and more agreesive. Open your jacket, raise your arms, and throw rock or sticks. Speak loudly and slowly. Back away slowly. Do not run.
To close, I will quote the chipper [article][6] I referenced earlier: "Lastly, we want to emphasize that puma, like other cats, are highly individualistic. Some are more aggressive than others. There are no guarantees that anything will work, or that something that worked once will work again. Good Luck!" [1]: http://www.sabinocanyon.com/" target="blank [2]: http://www.gf.state.az.us/w_c/mtn_lion_attacks.shtml" target="blank [3]: http://users.frii.com/mytymyk/lions/pumadfn.htm" target="blank [4]: http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2006/nov..." target="blank [5]: http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2006/jun..." target="blank [6]: http://users.frii.com/mytymyk/lions/pumadfn.htm
The T-Rex Cafe
The newly open T-Rex Cafe aims to make an impression. It succeeds in this. Unfortunately, the longer you stick around this prehistoric themed restaurant, the less favorable the impression becomes.
As you approach the T-Rex Cafe, which is located in [The Legends][1] shopping center within the behemoth [Village West][2] in Kansas City, the first thing you hear is the piped-in roaring. The next thing you see is the mist, then the gigantic reproductions of dinosaur skeletons, and finally, the robotic dinosaur standing under a waterfall. It is possible that this presentation will sacre the bejezus out of your children. This is entirely understandable. It is also possible that this presentation will give you the erie feeling that you are about to spend money you didn't plan on spending. This is also entirely understandable. However, the T-Rex Cafe places its bets on the fact that the average adventurous child, and the average optimistic parent, will see this display, and say "looks like fun, let's go in." Most families do just this.The T-Rex Cafe is a new "retail concept" restaurant that is brought to you by the same group that does [The Rainforest Cafe.][3] The Kansas City T-Rex Cafe is the chain's flagship store for the U.S, and there are plans to open another one in Orlando in 2008. If you aren't clear on the meaning of "retail concept", it basically means there is more to spend your money on than food at the restaurant. In fact, you don't even have to eat at the restaraunt to spend money. For instance, say you happen upon the cafe having just eaten lunch at another location. Or say you simply just don't fancy the idea of waiting in a long line so that you can sit in a dining room filled with loud robots while your child eats a $5.99 plate of microwaveable, dinosaur shaped chicken nuggets. No problem! You can just walk right in to the T-Rex retail store and take advantage of the more than ample opportunities to drop cash there. If none of the dinosaur trinkets grab you, there is also the [Build-a-Dino][4] workshop, and the "Paleo Zone" where, for $2.50 a head, you can unearth fake dinosaur bones and play with interactive touch screens. 
The T-Rex Store's saving grace is that it does offer a free peek of the impressive spectacle that is the T-Rex Cafe: countless animontronic prehistoric creatures of varying sizes, vast aquariums of tropical fish, a bar with a giant octopus hovering above it, and lots and lots of prehistoric sound effects. If you walk up and down the the giant staircase in store enough times, it is, in fact, possible to get a decent T-Rex experience without spending a dime. I suggest you do just that.If you ask my children about their recent trip to the T-Rex Cafe, they will tell you that they loved it. But the truth is, they loved walking up and down the stairs in the store, and looking at the aquarium next to the bathroom at the top of the stairs. They didn't love waiting more than an hour to get seated, they didn't love dining under moving, roaring dinosaurs, they didn't love the fake meteor storm that occured every ten minutes in our dining area, and they didn't love the cold, half-cooked pasta that we were served (although they scarfed down every single one of those microwavable dinosaur nuggets). At one point in our meal, one of my daughters said, "this was fun at first, but now I'm tired of animatronics."I simply replied, "I agree." [1]: http://www.legendsshopping.com/" target="blank [2]: http://www.wycokck.org/gen/wyco_generated_pages/Village_WestLodging_m1764.html" target="blank [3]: http://www.rainforestcafe.com/" target="blank [4]: http://www.buildadino.com/default.aspx" target="blank
and 2 others
Viva Cola Mexicana
Any of you who have ever had the pleasure of enjoying a nice, cold Coca-cola while in Mexico - straight out of the bottle or in a plastic baggy with straw - will agree with me when I say that Mexican Coke is way better than American Coke.And many of you probably also know that this is because Mexican Coke is sweetened with cane sugar, whereas American Coke is sweetened with high fructose corn syrup.Well, while I was walking through the newly expanded Latino food section in Checkers today, I noticed that they have a small collection of "la cosa verdad" - Mexican Coke in bottles. I didn't pick one up, but on the rare occasion that I crave a Coke, I'll know where to go.Is Checkers the only store in town that has Mexican Coke? If [this article][1] has any truth to it, I'd have to say that old [Jim Lewis][2] has proven once again that he is a wise businessman.Perhaps Checkers splits their order with the new Mercado Latino on 23rd Street.. anyone been there yet? [1]: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/archive/2006/March/19/local/stories/01local.htm [2]: http://www.lawrence.com/blogs/foodways/2003/nov/10/checkers/
Sanctioned Spalshing
So they've started [ turning off the fountain][1] at South Park during the Wednesday night band concerts. The city cites safety concerns - including swimming in the top bowl, slick concrete, and untreated water.While I'm sure you are expecting me to start my rampage about how absurd this is, that's not my plan.I will say that my kids were among the crowd that swarmed the fountain during the concerts. They loved it. They never climbed in the top bowl, which is dangerous, but they also never slipped on the wet concrete, which is admitedly hazzardous. I will say that one of my girls suffered from a minor skin affliction this summer for which I held the fountain suspect, but you know, I also stepped on a [ big turd][2] in the public pool, so I've pretty much concluded that public water features, treated or untreated, sanctioned or not, are "use at your own risk" operations.Anyhow, I can honestly see both sides, and figure those insightful, well-informed, and oh-so-reasonable folks on the LJ World reader reaction are all over the debate. No need for me to put a dog in the fight.What I'd like to do with this incident, is use it as an opportunity to suggest that the city consider constructing a water feature that is not "just to look at" but also actually designed to play in. There's obviously an interest, and this is not a foreign concept.Two examples that come to mind that I have visited are the pop-up fountains at the [ Pearl Street Mall][3] in Boulder (you'll have to scroll a bit to get to the water feature), and the [ Uncle Wilbur Fountain][4] in Acacia Park in Colorado Springs. Fun, interactive features at parks = good stuff. It doesn't even have to be in South Park - just a somewhat central location.(....Waits for somebody to say that interactive features at public parks are a waste of taxpayers money and to ask why THEY should pay for something for MY child to play on.) [1]: http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2006/jul/06/south_park_fountain_shut_during_concert/?breaking [2]: http://www.lawrence.com/blogs/gotkids/2006/jun/15/pool/ [3]: http://www.bouldercolorado.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3227&Itemid=1059 [4]: http://www.unclewilber.com/
Putting the “poo” in “pool”
It felt like a giant, mushy cotton ball.I jerked my foot up quickly, but because the kids and I were frolicking in the junior section of the outdoor pool, where nobody who still wears swim diapers can touch, my mind did not immediately jump to the possiblity of "giant turd." Then I looked down. I wanted with all my heart to beleive it was just a Tootsie Roll, but I immediately alerted the lifeguard, and herded the kiddos to the other side of the pool.For a full two minutes, as other oblivious children with wide-open mouths jumped in and swam by the area in question, the lifegaurds took turns peering down into the water. They giggled incessently as, I assume, they had the Tootsie Roll/big turd debate. They finally told everyone to evacuate the water.One lifegaurd grabbed a net, and as he made his way around the pool to do some fishing, a giant line of kids formed behind him like he was the Pied Piper, until there were at least 50 kids following this guy on his way to fetch a turd. If only I'd had my camera.After 15 minutes of feces fishing, a sweep with the pool vac, and some heavy chlorination, we were all back in pool, swimming and playing like it was a fresh, mountain stream. But when I saw a lifegaurd in the even deeper, southern end of the pool looking into the water and shaking his head 15 minutes later, I knew it was time to call it a day. As we all exited the pool for the second time in an hour I mentioned to a friend that I had the good fortune of discovering the day's first piece of poop, but hadn't been lucky enough to witness this number two #2. My friend then replied that the second turd in question had actually floated right by her daugther as she swam.Accidents happen, but two pieces of poop in one hour, both in the deep end, is strange and gross. However, as a parent with young kids, giving up the outdoor pool as a regular summer destination is simply not an option. Besides, it's not really the facility's fault. I'll probably be back next week.Just don't laugh when you see sporting some $2.99 water shoes from Walgreens.
A little pedestrian protection
One question I always ask in the [parent profiles][1] on Free State Family is: what would make Lawrence a better place to live? More bike lanes and turning downtown into a pedestrian walkway are two popular daydreams, but a recent [accident][2] involving a young pedestrian at the South Park crosswalk, inspired me to come up with my own little "wouldn't it be nice" for Lawrence.Wouldn't it be nice if local law enforcement spent as much time standing watch over crosswalks and areas that were teeming with pedestrains as they did saturating their predicatable [speed traps][3] where nary a pedestrian looms?To be clear, I'm not trying to blame local law enforcement for this latest accident in which a girl talking on her cell phone ran a red light at the crosswalk, but I do wish I saw officers staking out some place besides the 2000 block of Mass every once in awhile. If pedestrian hotspots became known as places that carried a high risk of traffic citation, it might make people more careful.Nearly every day I watch folks dutifully slow down to 30MPH near 20th and Massachusetts St (where pedestrians are not all that common) to avoid the speed trap. I then drive a few more blocks to my home on the 2400 block of Massachusetts only to find college students zooming through this area where cyclists, pedestrians, and children are abundant. Never a cop in sight.And, hello, the Arts Center crosswalk! I see people blow that pedestrian crosswalk at least once a week at 30+ MPH, and have yet to see a person cited. We get it, don't speed between 23rd and 19th Street. Can we please move on to "teaching" the public to be more careful in areas where the risk of hitting humans is much higher?And on a completely different note:If you plan on attending the [Wakarusa Festival][4], and purchasing beverages while you are there, look for the Lawrence Community Nursery School beverage stand near the Sun Down stage. The booth will have a bubble machine and lots of freindly service (including me on Saturday afternoon). The school gets gets a share of the money form the drinks sold, and every cent of the tips. See you there! [1]: http://freestatefamily.com/parents/ [2]: http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2006/jun/06/driver_phone_hits_8yearold/?city_local" target="blank [3]: http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2006/mar..." target="blank [4]: http://www.wakarusa.com/"target="blank
Behold the Power of Dayglow Pasta
While I grew up in a house with plenty of junk food, for some reason, Kraft Mac and Chesse was always heralded as a poor excuse for food. The Doritos, Pepsi, and Oreos comsumed on a daily basis were fine. Campbell's chicken noodle soup, loaded with MSG and salt, was not only okay, it was used as a cure-all folk medicine for any sickness that came our way. But Kraft Mac and Cheese? Too disgusting for us.I realize now, that my parents probably didn't have any lofty opinions on the nutritional value of mac-n-cheese from a box, they just didn't like it. However, their dislike for the stuff stuck with me over the years, and as I grew into a nutrition conscious adult and parent, my resolve to stay away from this over-processed, dayglow orange meal continued. For years, I have faithfully bought the much more expensive Amy's brand of frozen, organic macaroni and cheese for my children, and have used the extra space in my pantry for things like unsweetened applesauce and natural peanut butter.But the power of childhood comfort food runs deep, and my husband, like most of other children of his generation, grew up consuming the blue box mac-n-cheese on a regular basis. It was, in fact, the only meal his dad knew how to cook. As a result, my husband takes a certain amount of pleasure in eating his dayglow macaroni every once in awhile, and is more than happy to share with the kids. As time has gone by, the occasional blue box in our cupboard meant mostly for my husband, has turned into one or two boxes weekly meant specifically for the kids.They say in parenting you have to pick your battles. Healthy eating is a big-deal issue for me, and I do beleive that convenience foods have made it way too easy for us to put crap into our kids' (and our own) bodies. I find the whole notion that we are entitled to eat unhealthy foods because they make us happy problematic on a number of levels, but the truth is, we all have at least one, if not many, disgusting foods that bring us pleasure, and how much we choose to indulge in these foods is really a personal battle.Which is why I've decided to concede the battle of the blue box in my household for now. I'm out numbered, and I just don't think I can conquer the power of positive childhood associations. But all is not lost. I still have the whole wheat spaghetti, the 100 percent juice, and the jam that is actually just "spreadable fruit". I'll continue to keep up a strong front....until the kids go to bed and I can sneak a Pepperidge Farm cookie.
Paying for all day kindergarten
All day kindergarten would help out a lot of people. I don't happen to be one of them, but it's an idea I've always been open to. Because the Legislature is dragging its feet on the funding that would allow for all day kindergarten, the school district is now exploring the idea of having people who want all day kindergarten [pay for it themselves][1]. I don't like this idea at all.Here's why. If they go through with this plan, people for whom money is not an issue will simply plunk down their money for the all day kindergarten. People whose finances are strained enough to qualify for the free lunch program will have the all day fee waived. Those of us in the middle are a little screwed.Our family has been paying a nice little sum each month for the past few years to send our daughters to preschool. We did it because we thought that preschool was important and we knew that public school was on the horizon. We don't want to pay for our kids to go to kindergarten. We need that money for other things - like college savings, or a new roof.So send them to half day and still save the money, you say. Well, yeah, that's what we'll likely do if this "pay for it" plan comes to pass. But here's the rub. I've heard anecdotally, and it stands to reason, that kids who attend all day kindergarten have better honed skills in first grade than those who do half day. Academics are not a problem for my kids, and I know that I can make up any thing they may miss in all day kindergarten at home, but that's not the point. The point is that it's simply not fair. Yes, all day kindergarten will help folks who work full time, but the "pay for it if you want to" model has the potential to give children unequal instruction time on the basis of income. If the school district is going to offer all day kindergarten, they need to offer it to everyone. Or not at all. [1]: http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2006/apr/14/how_much_would_you_pay_allday_kindergarten/?education" target="blank
Roundup Season
It's that time of year. That time, each spring, where uncertain preschoolers around the city step inside the doors of their future elementary schools, recite their ABC's, and get a taste of what the world of public schools holds for them.[Kindergarten Roundup][1] is next week in our household. The girls are confident in their academic skills, but a bit unsure about the prospect of talking to a bunch of people they have never met. One of my daughters even asked me if I would teach her the ABC's in sign language just in case she didn't feel like talking that day. Despite the nervousness, I'm sure they will be fine. I hope they will be fine.As a parent sending a child to kindergarten for the first time, I have to admit that roundup season is a time filled with more uncertainty than I had anticipated. It's motivated me to do a bit of research (so what are the [test scores][2] like at our school?), it has compelled me to tirelessly compare notes with other parents (so where will little Johnny be going?) and ultimately, it has forced me, for the time being, to solidify my philosophy and approach to education for my children. For now, we're a public school family, supporting the neighborhood school.Like other big decisions in parenting, the way parents choose to educate thier children tends to evoke strong emotions and sweeping judgements from people. For every parent who firmly believes that sending their child to a private school is the best choice, there is someone who thinks private schools shelter kids and drain the pocketbook. Some people don't think twice about transfering their child to a "better" school in the district. Others feel this a betrayal of the neighborhood school. Some people want to keep their kids at home in order to be their main influence. Others think homeschooling impedes socialization. The way you school your child is ultimately a personal decision that is based on what is best for the child and the family. But educational choices can also be politcal statements. Nancy Cayton Myers, a local parent with a bit more experience in all this than me, was generous enough to write an essay for [ Free State Family][3] about her family's deliberation over whether or not to send their kids to a private school or the neighborhood school(and their neighborhood school ain't Quail Run). [Give it a read][4]. If you have a similar story with a differnt ending, drop me a line. We're always looking for writing from from local parents. [1]: http://www.usd497.org/parents/" target="blank [2]: http://www.usd497.org/schools/" target="blank [3]: http://www.freestatefamily.com [4]: http://freestatefamily.com/articles/" target="blank
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