Archive for the 'Uncategorized' Category

California’s Ruling on Prop 8: The Day in Quotes

By: alex.chrum, February 8, 2012 in Uncategorized. Closed Tags: , , , .

Yesterday, February 7, 2012, marked a huge victory for both human rights activists and non-heterosexual couples in California and the U.S. at large. (If you are curious as to why I chose the term “non-heterosexual” rather than “gay” or “homosexual,” it is because not everyone who enters into a relationship with someone of the same gender identifies as “gay;” some identify as queer, bisexual, pansexual or do not identify at all. “Non-heterosexual,” then, encompasses everything that simply isn’t “straight.”)

California residents celebrate the Prop 8 ruling outside of City Hall yesterday

In a momentous 2-1 decision, a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declared Proposition 8, the California amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman, to be unconstitutional, serving no purpose other than to “lessen the status and human dignity” of the LGBTQ community.

Proposition 8, or the “Marriage Protection Act,” was passed by California state voters in November of 2008, adding a new provision to the California Constitution which upholds that “only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.” Both proponents and opponents of Prop 8 worked tirelessly for the months leading up to Election Day to get their messages to voters, and actually managed to set a record with the contributions they received. Contributions totaled over $83 million, $39.9 million for those in favor, $43.3 million for those against, and came from over 64,000 people in all fifty states and more than twenty foreign countries, setting a new national record for a social policy initiative and trumping every other race in the country in spending except the presidential contest. In the end, however, Prop 8 was passed.

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ADAPT4Autism Changes Lives, Will Hold 5K Fundraiser

By: alex.chrum, January 27, 2012 in Uncategorized. Closed Tags: , .

Autism remains one of the most highly complex and least understood developmental disorders of all time. With such a varying spectrum of severity, it can leave a person completely unable to function socially or barely inhibit their daily life at all. Those unfamiliar with autism often confuse it with mental retardation. However, the disorders are quite different. Autistic people are typically highly intelligent, often exceptionally, and their difficulties come not in mental capacity but in the ability to communicate. Depending on the severity of the condition, an autistic person could be a certified genius but not be able to hold a conversation. This results in great frustration and often anger for the sufferer and those close to him or her. The origin of this disorder is as of yet unknown; some suspect there is a genetic cause, while others cite environmental factors, such as childhood vaccines, heavy metals and pesticides.

Children enjoying lunch at ADAPT4Autism's summer camp

A local nonprofit organization in Southern Illinois, ADAPT4Autism, has dedicated its efforts to making life both easier and more enjoyable for autistic children and their families. Since 2010, they have provided educational programs and pro-social therapy for autistic children, including summer and winter camps, private in-home therapy and social skills training. Their camps and programs give autistic children a chance to participate in outdoor activities and social outings, things that would normally be next to impossible given their condition. Perhaps more importantly than providing opportunities for fun, however, the program also teaches autistic children skills to make day-to-day life easier to navigate. “Now that school has started,” one parent said after the camp, “Travis is adjusting better than ever to his new classroom and new teachers. I’ll ask him each day, ‘How was school?’ He will always respond now to my questions.”

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Earthquake in Turkey Reminds Midwesterners of the Fears Lurking in Their Own Backyard

By: alex.chrum, October 24, 2011 in News, Politics, Science and Uncategorized. Closed Tags: , , .

Yesterday around 1:40 P.M. local time, a 7.2-magnitude earthquake hit about 12 miles from the Turkish city of Van. Its effects and aftershocks left most of the eastern part of the country in utter destruction, with a total of 970 buildings having collapsed, including 25 apartment buildings and a student dormitory.

The Golcuk Mosque and Minaret stand unaffected amidst the destruction of Sunday's earthquake

So far, 264 people have died and 1,300 are injured. Unfortunately, however, these numbers are expected to rise astronomically, as more extensive rescue efforts are underway today. The main obstacle to clean-up efforts now is the near-freezing temperatures, forcing rescuers and survivors alike to test their own physical limitations. Despite this frigid atmosphere, a good number of residents refuse to return to their homes and are instead sleeping on the streets, either because their residences have been destroyed or simply because they are scared.

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Justin Bieber Sets Mom’s Hair on Fire

By: Suzanne Obszanski, April 5, 2011 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

Dear mom,

I love you so much.  After all that you’ve done for me, for your birthday, I’m going to bring you on stage, embarrass you and then set your precious locks ablaze.

Love,

Justin

On Saturday night, Justin Bieber was performing at Berlin’s O2 World Arena. At the end of his show, he brought mom Pattie Mallette onstage to present her with a cake laced with a few pyrotechnics.  Unfortunately, as his mom leaned over to blow out her candles, a few strands of her hair caught on fire.  Although the Biebster quickly put out the flames, the damage and embarrassment was done. Mallette later tweeted “Thank u @justinbieber for the cake (& embarrassing me on stage lol).”

Radioactive Sushi

By: Suzanne Obszanski, April 5, 2011 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

I don’t want anything to do with fish imported from Japan. Period. Radiation levels in the waters off of the coast hit 7.5 million times the legal limit forcing government officials to impose a new health limit for radioactivity levels in fish. Although fishing has been banned near the plant, fish in waters over 3 miles from the shore are testing with levels much above legal limits.

The fishing economy of the country is already under great strife as many of the boats and ports are severely damaged as a result of the March 11 tsunami and earthquake. Because of this, the vast majority of fishing has been halted altogether; however, the few who do manage to hit the waters and snag some marine life struggle to find buyers because of fears about radioactive sushi radiation.

Local fishing companies have demanded that TEPCO, the Tokyo Electric Power Company, compensate them for their losses, in much the same way BP was responsible for compensating fisherman in the great oil spill of 2010. TEPCO is also offering up to 20 million yen ($240,000) to compensate residents near the plant for damages; although that number doesn’t seem to come near the billions of dollars it has actually cost those towns to evacuate every single citizen.

Luckily for us, the United States Food and Drug administration is requiring food coming into the country from Japan to be checked for radiation.  Every single fish must be checked and cleared prior to release to the American people for consumption.  The FDA claims that all food that has been imported from Japan since the disaster has been completely safe to eat.

The FDA, by the way, has also approved more than a dozen drugs that have since been taken off the market due to serious side-effects, resulting in hundreds of injuries and deaths. Remember the Fen-Phen fiasco? Needless to say, I’m not taking their word for it.

Mom Injects 8-Year-Old Daughter With Botox

By: Suzanne Obszanski, March 30, 2011 in Uncategorized. 1 Comment Tags: , , , .

A California mom is giving her 8-year-old daughter Botox injections in her forehead, lips and around her eyes every three months because, hold your breath, mom says she wants her daughter to be a superstar.  But seriously, don’t worry people.  Mom (Kerry) says she, like, totally tests the Botox and fillers bought online, like, on herself first.

Dr. 90210 claims, “I know one day she will be a model, actress or singer and having these treatments now will ensure she stays looking younger and baby-faced for longer.  I’m sure people think I’m being irresponsible.”  For the record, California mom, I don’t think you’re being irresponsible.  I think you are totally delusional and setting your child up for a lifetime of body image issues and irreversible psychological problems.

Aside from the fact that the FDA has not approved Botox for use in children, Botox is a toxin.  I repeat, Botox is a toxin people!  In fact, it’s the same toxin that can cause a life-threatening type of food poisoning called botulism.  Real doctors use it in small doses, but who am I to say this mom (who is a self-proclaimed licensed beautician) isn’t appropriately trained to inject this into her daughter, Britney?

Britney also seems to love tolerate the Botox treatments.  She said, “My friends think it’s cool I have all the treatments, and they want to be like me.  I check every night for wrinkles, and when I see some, I want more injections. They used to hurt, but now I don’t cry that much.  I also want a boob and nose job soon so that I can be a star.”

The road to stardom is clear.  Botox. Boobs. Nosejob.  Damn.  I wish someone would have told me.

Can somebody please call Child Protective Services on this nightmare?

The Oxford English Dictionary Is Ridiculous

By: Suzanne Obszanski, March 25, 2011 in Uncategorized. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , .

Using the standard that new dictionary additions must be widely “used and understood”, the Oxford English Dictionary recently added “FYI”, “LOL” and “OMG” to its pages.  How about “STFU”?  Oh wait… the “f-word” also made the cut (not literally f**k, but “f-word”).  I have a real problem with this for too many reasons.

If "LOL" is now in the Oxford English Dictionary, does that mean I can use it in Scrabble?

For starters, these “words” are more like abbreviations and can somewhat be quantified as an acronym, which is an abbreviation composed of the initial letters or syllables of a compound term.  An example of this is DOS, which means Disk Operating System.  It is widely accepted and understood that when people say “DOS”, this is to what they are referring.  But really, if I requested the assistance of Jay Leno and did some “Jaywalking” through the streets, I’m certain I would find a plethora of people who could NOT identify its origin.  And the same goes for “LOL”, “OMG” and “FYI”.  Just ask my grandma.

Every year around this time, the rocket-scientists at OED release a list of new words that will be welcomed to its pages.  The words are always abso-freaking-lutely ridiculous and cause me to question everything about the language I studied so hard in college (well, I actually partied a lot in college, but it still makes me mad).

I suppose that just because a word is in the Oxford English Dictionary isn’t justification for its use; however, when conducting more thorough and intense research Googling other words, I found that “Bootylicious” (a woman with junk in her trunk), “Grrrrrl” (a young woman regarded as independent and strong) and “himbo” (a male bimbo) also made the cut.  And for the record, Microsoft Word puts red squiggles under every single one of these words.

Rhetorical question:  Who makes these decisions, and does this mean I can play these words in Scrabble?

What I’m Trying to Say Is…Juggle Is Awesome!

By: Suzanne Obszanski, March 23, 2011 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments Tags: , .

The Saint Louis Business Journal announced that Juggle won its “2011 Best Places to Work” award.  This annual award issued by the editorial staff of the St. Louis Business Journal recognizes companies in the St. Louis metro area that offer an outstanding work environment.  Duh, Winning!

The Saint Louis Business Journal awarded Juggle.com with its "2011 Best Places to Work" award.

All members of the Juggle team enjoy the benefits of “the Juggle Lounge,” featuring free snacks, beer on tap, couches, beer on tap, games like Ping-Pong ball, pool and shuffleboard and beer on tap.  In addition, team members can stay fit in the state-of-the-art workout room, complete with lockers and showers.   Weekly massages, daily delivered lunches, haircuts and oil changes are also a few of the team’s favorite perks.  Oh, and have I mentioned beer on tap?

The Business Journal surveyed 18,022 employees from 127 companies (with a combined employee count of 54,923) and awarded 20 companies in the area.  But really, none offer the same perks as Juggle.  I’m just sayin…

On top of all of that, Juggle team members also participate in various off-hours work functions, such as golf and bowling, to promote team building and open-communication.  On April 1, the company will go to Skyzone to compete in a family friendly game of dodgeball while bouncing on trampolines (as a side note:  I’m pretty much going to dominate).

Stephanie Leffler, CEO of Juggle.com, understands the impact work environment can have on productivity levels.  “Our team is our biggest asset. We believe that each member of our team will best perform in a comfortable, well appointed space that is designed to inspire creativity.”  In order to accomplish this, Juggle’s president, Ryan Noble, began working with architect Bill Hustedde to design the company’s headquarters. In May of 2010, Juggle.com moved into their new space. “Creating an exciting, yet functional atmosphere was our number one priority,” stated Noble.

Juggle also employs a full time curator for its over-the-top environment, facilities manager Gary “Hutch” Hutchings.  When asked how he felt about the announcement of the winners, Hutchings said, “I am truly honored by the award.  Working at Juggle is a pleasure because the team is great and very appreciative; they make it easy to come in everyday and work hard.”  All that anyone needs to know is that Hutch makes this place run, and he is legit.

Did I mention beer on tap?

In November & December of 2009, Juggle sponsored driver Mark Green (#49) for 2 Nationwide Series NASCAR races. After the races we acquired the car driven in the races and decided to make it the centerpiece of our office. We think it makes a great addition, there's not too many offices that have an actual NASCAR race car inside.

We have a full drink bar, including soft drinks, coffees, and several micro-brews on draught.

Our lounge area is a relaxing comfortable place where team members can take a break and relax. We offer several snacks like fresh fruit, health bars, cereals and other sweet treats.

The Juggle office also has foosball, ping pong and a few other games if the need for competition should arise.

Our team work area is a little different than most offices. Unlike your typical cube farm office, we've set up our workstations in a simple layout making it easy for our team collaborate and share ideas. We also wanted to keep it fun so we have several movie props, signs and several Lego structures places around the office.

Understanding Autism

By: Suzanne Obszanski, March 17, 2011 in Uncategorized. 2 Comments Tags: , , , , .

Jenny McCarthy, an American model, comedian, actress, author and activist, is famous for stints in Playboy magazine, dating and breaking up with Jim Carrey and spearheading a national debate on the causes of Autism.  With the help of Andrew Wakefield’s (who is now, consequently, also on “ethics row” for breaches of standard ethical code) controversial study on the links between child vaccinations and Autism, McCarthy created an absolute media circus when she claimed that her son Evan, and many other children around the world, essentially developed Autism as a result of vaccinations.

Autism Speaks

In a time where society is filled with misguided information about Autism and its causes, now is the time to listen and help.

Generation Rescue, McCarthy’s Autism organization, is an international movement of scientists, parents and physicians researching the causes and treatments for Autism.  While the organization still follows the misguided notion that Autism is linked directly to vaccinations, the group’s passion for children and commitment to their well-being are no doubt sincere.

Other Autism organizations, such as Autism Speaks and ADAPT4autism, aim to provide information about the disorder, symptoms, frequently asked questions and facts, among other things.  ADAPT4Autism is a local not-for-profit organization in the local Saint Louis area that aims to provide services and programs for children and families affected by Autism.  Offering day camps and summer programs, ADAPT4autism provides children with a chance to go swimming, horseback riding, hiking and other enriching activities in a safe, modified and understanding environment.  In a society wildly uninformed about the disorder, providing this kind of environment for children is invaluable.

In fact, according to Christina Gibson-Cipfl, director of ADAPT4autism, “Summertime services for students with Autism is at a premium.  Many families are looking to provide summertime services to their child, but either don’t have the resources or funds to do it.  Our goal is to provide quality summertime program at affordable prices.  By fundraising and collaborating with local clubs, such as the Elks and Junior Services Clubs, we can make the camps affordable for everyone.”

Other foundations nationwide can help children and parents alike cope with the disorder and gain a sense of normalcy in a world that still struggles to understand and appropriately identify it.  Regardless what you believe about the causes of Autism, all parents absolutely should talk to their family pediatrician about vaccination risks, about what shots can be spread out, what can be postponed and which shots might be optional for his or her own child.  And as schools nationwide begin to face an increase in children on their caseloads, there has never been a better time to help.

America’s Renewed Debate on Nuclear Energy

By: Suzanne Obszanski, March 16, 2011 in Uncategorized. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , .

In light of the looming nuclear disaster in Japan resulting from the magnitude 8.9 earthquake and subsequent devastating tsunami, attention has turned to America’s own nuclear plants and possible alternative clean energy solutions.  With over 100 operating nuclear power plants in America and 16 non-operational, I’d say there is justifiable reason for the public to be frightened.

A map showing the locations of America's many nuclear power plants, illustrating their proximity to heavy-populated areas.

Should a devastating natural disaster strike your area, would you be safe? Because of the location of many of the plants, a natural disaster of similar magnitude in the United States, be it earthquake, tornado, etc., could affect hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people.  According to Erin Noble, co-director of Renew Missouri, an energy efficiency and renewable energy advocacy group, there are plenty of alternatives to the existing plants.

According to Noble, “Ameren UE is currently pushing hard for a new nuclear plant in the state of Missouri even though the demand for the electricity isn’t there.”  However, because the company struggles to find the private investors needed to oversee such a project, they are currently searching for other alternatives, including overturning a 1976 ballot initiative that would allow them to charge ratepayers the $6 billion it would cost to build it.

Not only does building a nuclear power plant take upwards of 10 years to complete, it is also the most expensive and dangerous avenue used to create power.  “There is still no safe way to dispose of the waste the facilities produce, so it just sits above ground in cooling ponds.  Renewables (wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, run of river hydro, etc.) are the most obvious choices as they are free, clean, carbon free and provide no waste disposal issues,” said Noble.  Above all else, the alternatives are 100% safe.

While experts continue to disagree on “just how bad” the nuclear crisis is in Japan, the one thing they all agree on is that it could get worse.  Radioactive contamination is not only a threat to residents in Japan, it is a threat to residents in America as well; it’s only a matter of time.